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Rivera, whose "Riverboat Ron" persona is pretty much a 180 of the conservative play calling of former coach John Fox. Then you add good defense and the nicest fans (sans Ely), and I'd be good supporting this squad.
Follow Adam Rank on Twitter @AdamRank.A federal judge in Manhattan on Tuesday ordered the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to display an ad from a pro-Israel group on buses after the agency declined to run it last year.
The group, the American Freedom Defense Initiative, sued the authority in October, saying it had infringed on the group’s First Amendment rights by rejecting the ad. The authority had argued that the ad could be seen as a call to violence against Jews.
The ad shows a man with a scarf across his face next to the words, “Killing Jews is Worship that draws us close to Allah,” attributed to “Hamas MTV.” Below that, it reads: “That’s his Jihad. What’s yours?”
The judge, John G. Koeltl, of United States District Court, ruled that the ad qualified as protected speech and granted a preliminary injunction ordering the transportation authority to run the ad. He said the order would not take effect for 30 days so the agency could consider whether it would appeal the decision.0 Alleged victims give chilling testimony in Tulsa youth mentor's child molestation case
TULSA, Okla. - Quick facts:
Timothy Cato, a former Tulsa youth mentor with a local church, is accused of molesting children.
Witnesses testified in his trial Wednesday.
Another pastor said Cato admitted to molesting at least one child.
Witnesses took the stand on the final day of jury selection in the case against an accused child molester.
During opening arguments, prosecutors claimed that Timothy Cato, a Tulsa youth mentor with a local church, molested five children over the course of several years.
However, Cato’s defense claimed the state jumped to conclusions, arguing Cato’s innocence.
The first witness, the senior pastor at Liberty Church, testified Cato admitted to him he had molested at least one child after Tulsa police opened an investigation back in 2014.
He said Cato lived with boys during a Falls Creek church camp and confessed to molesting a child who had nothing to do with the church. Prosecutors also said Cato told police he'd molested one child
Terry Featherston, a Liberty Church member and Falls Creek cook, said he thought a child's affection toward Cato, including hugs, kisses and face rubbing, was odd. He said Cato once disappeared with the child and never returned after 10 minutes of a tabernacle service.
Since then, Timothy Cato has been charged with 13 counts of child sexual abuse and one count of possession of child pornography.
Prosecutors believe there could be more victims, saying they have evidence to believe Cato had been victimizing children for decades.
They claim he used his position as a church and DHS volunteer to invite children over his house to molest them.
Susan Howard, the executive director of an agency for those with intellectual and physical disabilities, said Cato was employed twice over 10 years, and families would request him. she said he would also help children with personal care.
Some children had special needs.
A volunteer coordinator with the Department of Human Services said only one of three people from whom they requested references actually sent back a reference for Cato. He said the department had concerns after Cato would reportedly bring children back late, bathed and in pajamas after taking them out on day passes.
He said they filed an incident report saying he was not allowed to do that, but Cato allegedly complied for the most part.
On Thursday, a nine-year-old boy, who was seven when the crimes allegedly occurred, spent close to 40 minutes on the witness stand.
A child specialist formerly with the Justice Center also took the stand and talked about a 35-minute interview she'd had with the child.
Three alleged child sexual abuse victims and a mother testified on the third day of the trial.
A 10-year-old boy, who prosecutors say Cato abused sexually in the shower and while they slept, described the chilling details during nearly 40 minutes on the witness stand, saying he met Cato through the Laura Dester DHS shelter.
The crimes allegedly happened over the course of several years. “He [Cato] was somebody who would pick up kids on day passes and take them out to have fun,” said the boy. After those activities, prosecutors say Cato would touch the boys inappropriately in the shower. The boy said Cato would rub his stomach against his back when they slept on the floor. “I would try to get up, but he would scoot over,” said the boy.
A 19-year-old also took the witness stand, describing how Cato would help him in the shower. Cato has been charged with looking at his body and private body parts in a lewd manner.
The mother of a boy who was allegedly molested by Cato about 14 years ago also took the witness stand, saying she trusted Cato at first because he had a good public image at church functions.
The alleged victim is now 22 years old and had difficulty describing how Cato would help him in the shower. This victim and his mother were brought in as past evidence of Cato’s inappropriate behavior with children.
---
What to read on FOX23.com:
© 2019 Cox Media Group.This is the home of the roguelike game The Ground Gives Way. A coffee break roguelike with a simple interface, high re-playability, high variation, and lots and lots of stuff…
Read the first blog post for a more detailed description of the game.
Why you’ll want to play The Ground Gives Way (TGGW):
If you never played a roguelike game:
TGGW is an easy-to-learn introduction to this wonderful genre that comes with a complete tutorial that teaches you all necessary game mechanics.
Roguelikes are addictive, very challenging, exciting and have a lot of variation.
In contrast to traditional roguelikes, TGGW plays much like a console-game. No need to remember “command sets” or complicated key combinations.
TGGW has a short game time, so you can play many times and learn fast.
If you already played roguelikes, TGGW differs from others:
Characters will be very different from game to game since progress depends on what you happen to find.
Progress is made through equipment, items and paid training rather than experience points.
Nearly 700 unique items, and more than 180 different monsters, over 100 equipment enchantments, several NPCs, traps, enchantments and features of different rarity that will make each game different from the last. No winner will look the same in TGGW.
Rapidly increasing difficulty, there is no time to be bored.
There is no grinding because there are no experience points or character levels. Also, there is no hit point regeneration, so no tedious waiting.
TGGW has a console-game like interface. No keys or commands to remember. Game play is still smooth and quick.
Short game time. The game can be completed within two hours. However, the difficulty increases very fast.
Small levels, few levels, auto-running, a map system and a portal system makes quick and easy access through the dungeon.
Interesting equipment choices where most items have pros and cons, very few trivial choices.
Very simple to understand combat system.
Players’ comments about TGGW:
“Everything I was looking for in a roguelike is there, I feel like a kid playing zelda for the first time. Thank you for your awesome game!” -htime
“It’s a lot of fun! Really enjoying the large number of possible RNG permutations VS the short length of the game.” -Dragyn
“All the things, in which it differs from other contemporary (coffee-break-like) roguelikes, I just love. Especially, the resting mechanic is just genius; I cant wait to see other authors pick it up and make their own thing with it.” -Lua
“I’d argue it’s probably the most feature rich coffee-break roguelike out there. It’s my go-to game when I don’t feel like really digging into one of the more overwhelmingly big roguelikes out there.” – Fluff
“Thank you so much, I can’t stop dying, it’s so good…and evil!” -Guryushika
“Thanks for producing an awesome game! I really love the way your resting mechanic works; food is a fascinating resource and I love all the different factors in the game that interact the decision of when to take your next rest.” – trillioneyes
“First, thanks for your amazing game!! 🙂
I’ve played many other roguelike (such as URR, dwarf fortress, Brogue, many angband-like,etc…) but your game is easy to play and hard to finish (like a good roguelike) and i really like it. :)” -jordanbubus
“Hey, the new version is great. I like it more the more I play it. I love all the different stuff and room and level types. Also the way confusion works is awesome (never seen that before). This is my favorite game right now.” -Anatta
“Thank you so very much for all the hard work you’ve put into this game. This is clearly a labor of love and it shows with it’s careful attention to mechanics, ease of play, interesting decisions presented, and the cheeky bit of humor in unexpected places.
It’s a game I’ve always come back to because it demands that you use all the tools at your disposal rather than hammering against featureless monsters all the time.” -TyreForHyreA radical opposition alliance reaffirmed on Tuesday its plans to use Armenia’s upcoming referendum for trying to topple President Serzh Sarkisian with sustained street protests that will begin in Yerevan on December 1.
Zhirayr Sefilian and other leaders of the New Armenia Public Salvation Front alliance urged people to join the planned campaign of “civil disobedience” as they held a rally in the southern town of Artashat. It attracted only several dozen people.
“What December 6 are they talking about?” Sefilian told the tiny crowd, referring to the date of the referendum. “What voting can there be under a dictatorship?”
“Civil disobedience actions will not stop until we throw the illegal regime out of our country,” another New Armenia leader shouted through a megaphone as the oppositionists marched through the town to raise local residents’ awareness of their campaign.
Sefilian downplayed the poor attendance at the rally, attributing it to the fact that Artashat and surrounding villages are widely regarded as Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamian’s de facto fiefdom. “We all know how this anti-national system is trying to suppress our people,” he told RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am).
“I am confident that a necessary number of people will gather in Yerevan and that we will launch our push,” he said.
Sefilian’s Founding Parliament movement, the driving force behind New Armenia, already tried unsuccessfully to topple Sarkisian this spring. It failed to pull large crowds in Yerevan after Sefilian and four other Founding Parliament leaders were arrested on controversial charges. They all were set free a month later.
The mostly small groups aligned in New Armenia are also part of the No Front, a more broad-based opposition coalition campaigning against Sarkisian’s controversial constitutional changes. The Armenian National Congress (HAK), the key member of the coalition, favors a less radical agenda, focusing on getting most Armenians to vote against the amendments.
Levon Zurabian, the HAK’s deputy chairman, expressed confidence on Tuesday that the vast majority of voters will heed the opposition calls when they go to the polls on December 6. He claimed that confidential opinion polls commissioned by the government testify to a grave lack of popular support for Sarkisian’s plans to turn Armenia into a parliamentary republic.
“Our private contacts with government loyalists show that the situation is simply disastrous for the authorities,” Zurabian told reporters after a meeting with the heads of No Front offices opened across Armenia.
Zurabian also said that the HAK and its opposition allies will unveil a new plan of joint actions at the No Front’s next rally in Yerevan scheduled for Friday. He declined to give its details.A Vancouver Island minor hockey league has made good on a threat made last month and banned several parents from watching their children play hockey this weekend.
The Vancouver Island Amateur Hockey Association banned five parents of midget rep hockey players — who are 15 to 18 years old — after they allegedly verbally abused players on the opposing team and referees.
"These parents, they are well aware of our intolerance of parent abuse in the stands," said Jim Humphrey, president of the Vancouver Island Amateur Hockey Association.
"If they don't get it by now, they aren't going to get it."
The hockey association is hoping the bans send a strong message to parents and players that the game must be respectful to all.
The association is also investigating another incident involving the parent of a younger child.
"He allegedly took liberties on a 15-year old referee last week. He's standing behind his comments and he's blamed everyone but himself," Humphrey said.Debbie Penesso of East Greenbush buys a ticket for the $449 million Mega Millions jackpot from Coulson's News Center owner Fershid Hushmendy at Newton Plaza Tuesday July 5, 2016 in Colonie, NY. (John Carl D'Annibale / Times Union) less Debbie Penesso of East Greenbush buys a ticket for the $449 million Mega Millions jackpot from Coulson's News Center owner Fershid Hushmendy at Newton Plaza Tuesday July 5, 2016 in Colonie, NY. (John Carl... more Photo: John Carl D'Annibale Buy photo Photo: John Carl D'Annibale Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Reminder: It'll take $2 and a dream to play Mega Millions beginning this month 1 / 1 Back to Gallery
ALBANY — The higher the risk, the higher the reward.
The price per Mega Millions ticket is set to increase from $1 to $2 on Oct. 28, though payouts for certain winning combinations will increase under regulations adopted by the state Gaming Commission last month. A notice of adoption appeared in Wednesday's state Register.
The change is going into effect for the Oct. 31 drawing.
The price change, which was announced earlier this year, also comes alongside modifications to the drawing itself.
According to information in the Register, instead of five winning numbers drawn from a field of 75 numbers, five will be drawn from a field of 70. Meanwhile, an additional winning number will no longer be drawn from a field of 15 numbers (the Mega Balls); instead, it'll be a field of 25 numbers.
As such, the odds of hitting the jackpot are going down. Currently odds are 1 in 258,890,850. They'll go to 1 in 302,575,350 after the changes.
The odds of hitting the second tier $1 million prize will go from 1 in 18,492,204 to 1 in 12,607,306.
Other changes, which were put forth by the multi-state consortium behind the game, include the minimum jackpot increasing from $15 million to $40 million, and payouts for hitting certain combinations of numbers are going up as well:
Four numbers from the field of 70 and the Mega Ball will net you $10,000, up from $5,000.
Three numbers from the field of 70 and the the Mega Ball will score you $200, up from $50.
Payouts for hitting three numbers from the field of 70, or two numbers from the field of 70 and the Mega Ball both will be increased to $10 from $5.
Hitting one number and the Mega Ball will be worth $4, up from $2.
The prize for hitting just the Mega Ball will increase with the price of the ticket to $2 from $1.
Other multistate lottery games (Powerball and Cash for Life) already cost $2 per ticket in the Empire State.
To play in-state games, it'll still cost you only a dollar and a dream.
mhamilton@timesunion.com • 518-454-5449 • @matt_hamilton10WASHINGTON, D.C. - After a series of sexual misconduct allegations, Sen. Al Franken told Minnesotans in a Thanksgiving statement that he's "committed to regaining their trust."
Four women have accused Franken of sexual misconduct in the last week. First, Leann Tweeden accused him of forcibly kissing her while rehearsing for a 2006 USO skit. She also released a photo that shows Franken with his hands over her breasts as she slept.
Then a second woman, Lindsey Menz, said Franken grabbed her bottom while taking a photo with her at the Minnesota State Fair.
This week, two more women told the Huffington Post that the senator touched their buttocks during events for his first campaign for Senate, in 2007 and 2008.
On Thanksgiving, Franken issued a statement saying, “I’ve met tens of thousands of people and taken thousands of photographs, often in crowded and chaotic situations. I’m a warm person; I hug people. I’ve learned from recent stories that in some of those encounters, I crossed a line for some women -- and I know that any number is too many."
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Franken said he recognizes he needs to be more careful in those situations, and he feels terribly for making some women "feel badly."
"And let me say again to Minnesotans that I'm sorry for putting them through this and I’m committed to regaining their trust," his statement said.
Franken's staff told KARE 11 that he is spending Thanksgiving in Washington, D.C.
He responded to Tweeden's accusation the day she came forward, saying he feels "disgusted" with himself when he sees the picture. Regarding the kiss, he said, “While I don't remember the rehearsal for the skit as Leeann does, I understand why we need to listen to and believe women’s experiences."
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has called for an ethics investigation of Franken, which Franken says he supports.
Franken's full Thanksgiving statement:
“I’ve met tens of thousands of people and taken thousands of photographs, often in crowded and chaotic situations. I’m a warm person; I hug people. I’ve learned from recent stories that in some of those encounters, I crossed a line for some women -- and I know that any number is too many. Some women have found my greetings or embraces for a hug or photo inappropriate, and I respect their feelings about that. I’ve thought a lot in recent days about how that could happen, and recognize that I need to be much more careful and sensitive in these situations. I feel terribly that I’ve made some women feel badly and for that I am so sorry, and I want to make sure that never happens again. And let me say again to Minnesotans that I'm sorry for putting them through this and I’m committed to regaining their trust.”The corner of the internet concerned with Mormon issues has been aflutter recently over a new ad campaign created by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, featuring profiles of church members, showcasing their achievements, their individuality, their likability. It turns out that Mormons can be professional surfers and talented skateboarders. Having grown up Mormon in a small Mormon town, I've long appreciated the complexity of Mormon character and the uniqueness of individual Mormons, and I'm totally down with a project to reveal that to the rest of the world. I just wish the church hadn't spent the last three decades encouraging, if not demanding, homogeneity and blandness -- or, to use the official LDS term for the virtue of uniformity, correlation.
Originated in the early twentieth century but not emphasized until the 1970s, correlation was a program that consolidated central control and enforced consistency and sameness as much as possible throughout the church. Divisions within the church that had previously enjoyed considerable autonomy, such as the women's organization known as Relief Society (because its good works offered relief to those who suffered), were required to surrender independent local and church-wide bank accounts to authorities in Salt Lake City. Basic floor plans were created for temples and meeting houses, so that every place of worship built by the LDS church would resemble all others. Some more distinctive and eccentric buildings were bulldozed or sold, to the heartbreak of members who used them. Other design elements were also standardized: the church chose an official font for its logo, to be used on everything from missionary name tags to the signs outside churches.
When I was a child my father loved teaching Sunday school; each year he received a newly written manual full of challenging lessons requiring careful preparation if one was to teach them well. That ended with correlation; curricula were simplified and standardized for every age group and congregation. All lesson manuals were designed to be basic enough that virtually anyone could teach them; they were cross-checked for consistency, and approved by high-level authorities, to avoid controversy and ensure orthodoxy, even among three-year-olds. The results are what you'd expect. As Jana Riess notes in her blog Flunking Sainthood, Mormons go to church "to learn about God, not to worship God," and their meetings are so dull they are "stultifying."
Even appearance, dress and grooming were correlated, down to the color of men's dress shirts (white), the length of men's hair (above the collar), and the number of earrings worn by women (one in each lobe). Of course there were Mormons who dressed and groomed themselves as they pleased, but that didn't change the explicit directives informing members that to demonstrate obedience and worthiness, they would cultivate a modest, conservative appearance, as anything else suggested a proud, defiant heart.
So the new ads, challenging the effects of correlation, are overdue. However, they're not perfect. First, while profiles might feature hipsters with trendy clothes, the opinions and beliefs in a profile must be completely orthodox and thoroughly respectful, or it will be rejected by the site.
Second, as ECS of Feminist Mormon Housewives notes, there's a bait and switch going on in the profiles of women: most featured profiles showcase "women with small children who choose to work outside the home in demanding careers," which is not the ideal Mormon women are told to aspire to -- instead, they're encouraged to be stay-at-home-moms whenever possible. ECS concludes that if the church doesn't address the discord between what it tells its own members Mormon families should be like, and what it tells the rest of the world Mormon families are like, then "this PR campaign is disingenuous at best, and just plain gross, at worst."
Finally, the ads simply won't fix a primary problem they're designed to address: the church's dreadful image.
People think badly of the Mormon church not because they don't like its members, but because they don't like its policies, practices and teachings. Demonstrating to the world that individual Mormons are interesting, thoughtful, likable people won't compensate for the corporate church's vendetta against the queer community, its assault on women's rights, its history of racism, its polygamous past (or the fact that polygamy remains a central tenet of Mormon doctrine, even today), its odd doctrines (such as the belief that God is a resurrected man who lives near the planet Kolob) and its most arrogant practices (such as baptizing everyone's ancestors into the Mormon faith after they die, and trying to convert everyone else while they're still alive). In that list, there's something to offend just about everyone who isn't already Mormon -- and even many Mormons are outraged and hurt by the church's aggressive opposition to civil rights.
Imagine a similar campaign from BP, with a website introducing you to its lower-level employees. They surf, they skateboard, they volunteer in their communities. They're well-educated and well-spoken. They're clean but not scrubbed. You'd be happy living next door to them. The fact that BP's employees are decent, likable people doesn't change the fact that their employer, the entity footing the bill for the whole endeavor, is also the organization that trashed the Gulf of Mexico in an oil spill that killed 11 workers and untold marine life. If you care at all about the environment and corporate accountability, you'd still be leery of BP, its policies, its statements, and you wouldn't really want to get a job there or even buy its products.Advocates for the Disabled Say Free Parking for Placard Holders Must End
A panel of disability advocates, the SFMTA, and other entities has recommended that handicap parking placard holders no longer be given free parking at meters.
As the SF Examiner and the Chronicle reported, the policy recommendation came out of a committee formed to tackle the growing problem of placard abuse, which deprives legitimately disabled drivers of reserved parking spaces close to their destinations, cheats the SFMTA out of revenue, and lets drivers occupy high-demand parking spots all day with no incentive to limit their stay.
“Current disabled parking placard and blue zone policies are failing to increase access for people with disabilities, and reduce parking availability for all drivers,” said Jessie Lorenz, executive director of the Independent Living Resource Center of San Francisco, in a statement.
As we’ve reported, lifetime free parking for placard holders — an incentive for abuse — is enshrined in state law, and repealing it would require a bill to be passed by the state legislature. There’s no word yet on which senators or assemblymembers might take up such a bill, but city officials said potential legislation could either call for the free parking repeal statewide or for SF only, and that they hope to pass it by 2015.
Carla Johnson, interim director of the Mayor’s Office of Disability, said California is one of only 15 states to have such a law in place. When it was enacted in the 1970s, she said, the limited parking meter technology at the time made payment more physically challenging, and the law was intended to help disabled drivers get around that obstacle. “Back then, we had to use coins, we had to manually turn a dial, we didn’t have curb ramps that allowed you to get up onto the sidewalk,” said Johnson. “Things have changed since then.”
Other cities have seen good results after ending parking meter exemptions for placard holders, she said. In Philadelphia, parking availability in downtown metered spots increased 500 percent once the spaces weren’t free for drivers with placards.
“If you look around, there are some neighborhoods that are 50 percent parked with blue placards,” said SFMTA Director Ed Reiskin. “Once you take away some of the incentive that the current policy framework provides, a lot of those parking spaces will be freed up.”
Also among the panel’s recommendations is the addition of 700 blue zone parking spaces reserved for disabled drivers, of which there are currently 470 in the city, along with time limits on those spaces. Reiskin said the SFMTA currently confiscates about 1,800 parking placards for misuse each year, and that the SFMTA has recently increased the number of parking control officers devoted to monitoring placard use.
Lorenz said she supports increasing enforcement stings on disabled placard abusers because such misuse is “reprehensible.”
“When I first came to the table, I was part of the pushback” against charging disabled drivers for parking, she said. “We looked at all of the evidence here in San Francisco, and the best practices from other cities, and [the recommendations] are the best ways to increase accessibility for people with disabilities.”We knew exactly what we were doing when we named this ship Carnival Magic… and we’re sure you’ll agree.
At 1,004 feet, this one continued the Dream class tradition of large-scale, bow-to-stern cruise ship fun including the food-and-entertainment space Ocean Plaza, the splashy stylings of Carnival WaterWorks… and The Lanai, a convenient, scenic half-mile outdoor wraparound promenade deck. In other words, a cruise on Carnival Magic has no shortage of its namesake charm!
It’s no surprise Carnival Magic debuted all-new ways to have a good time onboard, and continues to prove it with the outdoor fitness-and-fun of SportSquare, featuring the world’s first ropes course at sea. This is also the ship that introduced the world to Cucina del Capitano, which serves up Italian favorites fit for a captain. Who can forget their first taste of RedFrog Pub, with its laid back, not-a-worry-to-be-found atmosphere… plus its exclusive, tasty, not-a-drop-to-be-found (on land, that is) beer, ThirstyFrog® Red. And if you wanted to visit the original Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse… guess which ship you’d check out!
Keeping with the times, Carnival Magic features the delicious good times of Guy’s Burger Joint, BlueIguana Cantina, Alchemy Bar and RedFrog Rum Bar. And keeping with the moves, there’s even Lip Sync Battle: Carnival, which lets you showcase yours up on stage.
Carnival Magic has a history of starting good things… and sharing them with guests.A Word from MISC
Simple and efficient design has been a MISC cornerstone from the very beginning. Formed in the Centauri System in 2805, the company started by producing heavy industrial machinery and bulk freighters, like the Hull series, that won acclaim for their durability and ease of use. As the company’s ambitions grew, so did their market share. Though some claimed the civilian ship field was saturated, MISC saw the chance to bring their signature style to a wider market.
After signing an unprecedented lend lease agreement with the Xi’An, MISC began to incorporate incredible new xeno-tech into civilian ships like the Freelancer and Reliant. This blend of revolutionary, alien design along with MISC’s signature form and function is why the company has been deemed “the future of spaceflight” by the Terra Gazette.
MISC is honored to be a part of this year’s Intergalactic Aerospace Expo, and excited to show off the ships we’ve worked so hard to perfect.
Where are they now?
MISC’s Starfarer tanker succesfully kicked off a number of Star Citizen’s mutlicrew and larger ship systems earlier this year; it’s flight ready in Crusader today. The base Freelancer and Reliant are also currently flyable. The Freelancer will recieve another pass to bring it up to the current standards, and the variants will be made flight ready as part of this process. The Reliant variants are also in development, although some of them will require additional game systems that have not yet gone live (such as the broadcasting system used in the news van.) The Hull series will serve as an important testbed for our cargo systems, with the Hull A and Hull C being built out as the ‘flagships’ of the line. The Hull B, D and E will follow, based on the artwork and the lessons learned on the first two. The Endeavor and modules are in concept, with additional implementation work planned for next year. MISC also has an unannounced concept ship in the works, aiming to place well in the 2947 Murray Cup!
MISC Intro Pack
This introductory collection of ships from MISC is a great way to get any hauling company off on the right foot. No matter what you’ll need to transport, this package of dependable ships will have you covered.
MISC Mega Pack
There is one thing true about all MISC ships and that is they work hard to help you work smart. This special collection features a wide variety of MISC to meet a wide variety of industrial needs and tackle almost any job.
The Aegis Sabre Comet
Created as part of the ‘Masters of Flight’ series in conjunction with the flight-sim Arena Commander, the Comet pays tribute to famed pilot Captain Kamur Dalion for his work with Aegis to usher in a new era of combat ship design. This Sabre comes equipped with a specialized dogfighting focused loadout and a custom special edition livery honoring this iconic ship.
Meet the PilotSaudi Arabia has introduced a value-added tax (VAT) with the approval of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), indicating the end of life without VAT across the Gulf.
Read more
The decision was taken on Monday and implies a five percent levy on some goods across the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council, which unites Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Other Gulf countries are also expected to follow and introduce the VAT system by the beginning of 2018.
The move has IMF backing, which recommended the Gulf States impose revenue raising measures. The countries have already introduced taxes on tobacco and fizzy drinks.
“A Royal Decree has been prepared,” the official Saudi Press Agency said.
The tax on tobacco, now at 50 percent, will be increased to 100 percent, the same level as those for energy drinks and sodas.
Residents of the region had enjoyed the tax-free period before the oil prices more than halved. The price of a barrel of crude oil fell from over $114 in 2014 to just over $55 currently.
‘Bird Army’: Saudi royalty buys airfare for 80 hawks + other astonishing pets on planes https://t.co/KklXl8PEWspic.twitter.com/9G15whtigf — RT (@RT_com) January 31, 2017
Last year, the world’s largest crude exporter announced some austerity measures. Saudi Arabia froze major infrastructure projects, slashed ministers’ salaries and imposed a wage freeze on civil servants. Riyadh managed to reduce the budget deficit from a record $98 billion in 2015 to $79 billion last year.
The country also made unprecedented cuts to fuel and utility subsidies, as it seeks to diversify its revenues to balance the budget by 2020.France and the United Kingdom signed on Thursday a declaration to increase security and counter refugee smugglers in continued efforts to ease a refugee crisis in the French port of Calais, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The agreement stipulates that UK police and border guards will work with French officers at a new control center in the city to counter smugglers transporting undocumented immigrants to the United Kingdom.
"We have decided with [UK Home Secretary] Theresa May to further strengthen our cooperation in security and fight against criminal networks, as well as to expand [the cooperation] to new areas concerning certain humanitarian aspects of receiving migrants," Cazeneuve said, as quoted in a press release on the joint declaration.
© AFP 2018 / MARTIN WICHMANN Police Detain Migrant Responsible for Clashes in German Refugee Camp
The center will be headed by senior UK and French officers to enable greater cooperation between the countries.
In recent weeks, there have been thousands of attempts by refugees to cross the 31-mile tunnel from the French town of Coquelles, near Calais, to Folkestone, Kent, in the United Kingdom.
The crisis in Calais is a high-profile symptom of the European Union struggle with a massive influx of hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing violence in their home countries in the Middle East and North Africa.Bob Zelin
Orlando, FL
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Since the introduction of theswitcher for $995, everyone has been asking, “How can I build my own TV studio?” You can do it, but not for $995. The ATEM Television Studio is just one piece of the puzzle to building a working production system.In this article, I hope that I can answer the rest of the question of what it will take for you to build your own TV studio around Blackmagic Design hardware. The costs will vary depending on some of the choices you make, but the price is still incredibly low compared to any other options available. I have put together these Blackmagic-centered studios for several of my clients now, and they are all extremely happy with the results.The first problem in making this work for you is that there are a lot of variables, and I certainly don’t know all the answers. “Can I use my existing camera?” “Can I use these old PCs?” I don’t know the answer to these questions, so I will only address NEW equipment from Blackmagic Design that is readily available.The first piece of the puzzle is the camera. It’s at the front end of the production equipment list.The camera I will specify is the, which has a retail price of $1,995 each. You want 4K? You can do that for $2995 each. Amazing.Blackmagic Design has recently released the less expensive, but this camera requires a viewfinder, and in my opinion, will not readily meet the needs of a company that wants to put together a conventional 3 or 4 camera studio with camera operators at each camera.The Blackmagic Design Studio Camera comes with an integrated 10” Viewfinder, so there is no need to pay for the “option” to purchase another viewfinder.It also comes with an integrated intercom system built into the camera, which is compatible with another Blackmagic product that is a “base station.” (I will get to that soon).The other critical item to purchase is a lens for this camera. To be clear, this camera does not ship with a lens, but it accepts any micro four thirds lens.Most people ask the same question. “Okay, so EXACTLY which lenses work with this camera, so I don’t have to guess or experiment?” Blackmagic has specified two different lens series for the Studio Camera – the Panasonic Lumix G X Vario PZ series, and the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED lenses.These lenses, while reasonably priced, are not the same quality as a $20,000 Fujinon or Canon micro four thirds lens, nor do they have the same features or capabilities. When you pay under $1500 for a lens, please don’t expect it to have the same performance or features of a $20,000 lens.Now, as with any camera package, there are other items that you need that are not electronic. These include a tripod, a panhead, and a mounting plate for the camera that goes on the panhead. Blackmagic Design does not make these items, and the options for these from other manufacturers are beyond the scope of my knowledge.Because camera operators need to talk to directors, they need a set of headphones with a built-in microphone. Sorry, you can’t use your old Sony Walkman headphones – it just won’t work!Blackmagic uses aviation-style headsets for their products, which are not readily available from video mail order companies. Blackmagic Design kindly provides a link from their site to the aviation headsets available at, where you can choose from among a dozen or so manufacturers. They start at just under $100 each.As you can readily see, if you need 3 or 4 of these studio cameras, then |
,cgroup,args
Useful Commands
This command reloads the configuration file of a daemon, and not its systemd service file. Use this when you make a configuration change and want to activate it with least disruption, like this example for Apache:
# systemctl reload httpd.service
Reloading a service file completely stops and then restarts a service. If it is not running this starts it:
# systemctl restart httpd.service
You can restart all daemons with one command. This reloads all unit files, and re-creates the whole systemd dependency tree:
# systemctl daemon-reload
You can reboot, suspend, and poweroff as an ordinary unprivileged user:
$ systemctl reboot $ systemctl suspend $ systemctl poweroff
As always, there is much, much more to learn about systemd. Here We Go Again, Another Linux Init: Intro to systemd and Understanding and Using Systemd are good introductions to systemd, with links to more detailed resources.When Mr. Naville sets the black bag of ransom money on his desk, he originally has his hand flat on the bag. The next shot he is holding the handle of the bag in an upright position. The scene goes back and forth between these shots with the hand changing positions each time. See more
Quotes
first lines
Man
v.o
: [] So, here's the deal. We are in the garden, right? And everything is great. And there's this tree. And the man says, "Ooh, see that tree? "Don't eat the fruit of that tree. "That apple you do not eat." He goes inside, names some animals - maybe takes a dump. Anyway,what does she do? She eats the apple! I can't believe what I'm seeing! He says, "Don't eat it!" She eats it! Unbelievable! Since then, men,women... I don't know. It's all going wrong!By Rob Kelly at Emirates Stadium
Serge Gnabry’s well-taken goal was enough to see off the challenge of CSKA Moscow and book Arsenal’s place in the semi-finals of the NextGen Series.
On a freezing cold night in north London, the Club’s rising stars put on an accomplished display in front of more than 6,600 fans at Emirates Stadium.
Gnabry missed a great chance in the fifth minute when his diving header flew straight at CSKA keeper Sergey Revyakin, but he made no mistake in the 56th minute.
The prodigious German forward played a lovely one-two with the lively Hector Bellerin, took a touch past a defender in the area and slotted it into the far corner. It was a strike that spoke volumes about the 17-year-old’s composure and potential.
That proved to be enough for Terry Burton’s men, who will now face London rivals Chelsea in the semi-finals at Lake Como, Italy on Friday afternoon.
Burton made two changes to the side that won 1-0 at Inter Milan in the last 16, with Kyle Ebecilio replacing Elton Monteiro and Thomas Eisfeld coming in for Zak Ansah. Gnabry passed a late fitness test and started in attack alongside Chuba Akpom, who has played every minute of Arsenal’s NextGen Series campaign.
The first half was something of a cat-and-mouse affair, with Arsenal controlling the game but finding it difficult to break through a well-organised Moscow backline. However, it could all have been very different had Gnabry buried the early chance that came his way.
With just five minutes on the clock, a flowing move saw the ball arrive at Bellerin’s feet on the right and he curled an inviting cross into the six-yard box. Gnabry was in the right place at the right time, but his diving header from six yards was straight at the keeper, who held it gratefully. It was a glorious opportunity
CSKA beat the likes of Chelsea, Ajax and PSV en route to the quarter-finals and they showed their own attacking threat moments later when Dmitry Efremov was played through on goal. However, the Moscow forward delayed his shot momentarily and allowed Sead Hajrovic to make a crucial block.
Chances were at a premium for the rest of the opening 45 minutes, although Gnabry and Eisfeld both went close to breaking the deadlock as the Gunners pressed and probe. But Moscow remained a threat on the break, and Anton Polyutkin had a half-chance on the stroke of half time but failed to control a through ball and allowed Bellerin to clear.
Arsenal upped the ante at the start of the second half with Olsson combining well with Eisfeld moments after the restart, but the German midfielder fired just wide from the edge of the area. But the hosts now had the bit between their teeth and eventually found their way through.
Gnabry was at the heart of it as he raced powerfully through the CSKA midfield and found the onrushing Bellerin. The young right back kept his composure to collect the ball and then find the 17-year-old, who had continued his run into the area. Gnabry may have missed the earlier chance that fell his way, but he wasn’t about to make the same mistake here as he took a touch and found the corner with a cool finish.
The hosts remained on the front foot as firstly Akpom and then Eisfeld tested Sergey Revyakin in quick succession. The CSKA keeper then had to be alert to keep out Martin Angha in the 68th minute after the Swiss defender had weaved his way to the edge of the box, played a one-two with Gnabry and then struck a firm shot.
Angha again tested the under-fire Revyakin with a drive from 20 yards as Burton’s side turned the screw but they just could not find the second goal that would kill the tie. Indeed, in injury time Eisfeld stuck a fierce 25-yard free kick that rattled the bar before being cleared, as Moscow rode their luck.
But ultimately it made no difference, as Arsenal booked an all-London semi-final against Chelsea this Friday. It promises to be some contest.SCP-1411
Item #: SCP-1411
Object Class: Euclid
Special Containment Procedures: A joint research facility has been constructed around the cave housing SCP-1411-A. It will be manned at all times by agents from both the Foundation and the Office for the Reclamation of Islamic Artifacts. Colonel Khorsandi of the ORIA is in charge of security, as well as liasing with the government of Uzbekistan. Doctor Yi will supervise all examination of SCP-1411-A.
At 48-hour intervals, Agent Durani will perform all duties in accordance to the Peaslee Protocols in order to perform preventative maintenance on SCP-1411-B. In the event that Agent Durani is incapacitated, a substitute must be found. This is intended to be a voluntary assignment, but if no volunteers can be found, Colonel Khorsandi is empowered to order any agent onsite.
Both the Foundation and the ORIA are to have access to all documents and research related to SCP-1411.
Description: SCP-1411-A is a collection of machinery found in a cave in the Turkestan Mountain Range in Southeastern Uzbekistan. While much of the equipment's purpose and function is unknown, several parts are assessed to be receivers for a signal propagated through unknown means, and one section in particular has been identified as a transmitter. Central to the entire assembly is a large video display, showing an unknown location.
The location shown has similar machinery to SCP-1411-A, referred to as SCP-1411-B. It appears to be in a partly collapsed structure with stone and metal walls. The sky can be observed through openings in the structure. Though the sun is never seen directly, it shows a day-night cycle lasting roughly 31 hours. The stars, to the extent that they can be observed through the display, do not appear to match any area of the sky visible from Earth. Based on this information, it is believed to be an extraterrestrial location.
What vegetation is visible consists of fungus-like growths. No animal life has been observed through the feed (see Document SCP-1411-3).
At the time of discovery, the components making up SCP-1411-B had experienced some damage, which caused effects both in the remote location and at the site of SCP-1411-A itself. These include electrical discharges, changes in local gravity, and an increase in the rate in heat transfer between objects in the area. Once started, these effects increased exponentially. Modeling suggests that if left unchecked, these effects would likely cause widespread devastation for several hundred kilometers before the SCP-1411-A and B materials were completely destroyed. While significant repairs have been undertaken, these effects still occur when routine maintenance is not undertaken every 24-48 hours.
As the functions of most of SCP-1411-A are poorly understood as yet, operations will be focused on repairing SCP-1411 in both the remote and local sites.
When a human touches a recessed panel in the area assessed as a transmitter, it triggers the production of an autonomous machine by SCP-1411-B. These robots are roughly one meter tall (assuming the components of SCP-1411-B are similar in size to SCP-1411-A), navigating on four multi-jointed legs. The main body is roughly cylindrical, with two limbs that divide three times into eight finger-like appendages. Three dark lenses are situated on the top of the cylinder, and are believed to be the eyes of the robot.
When a robot is created, it is imprinted with the consciousness of the person who activates the transmitter. Communication through the screen suggests that the robots possess all memories and personality of the originals. They are also imprinted with information necessary for the maintenance and basic repairs of SCP-1411-B. However, the robots only remain operational for thirty-five to forty-eight hours before breaking down, necessitating the creation of further units. At present, full repairs of SCP-1411-B appear to be impossible, possibly due to the damage to the structure housing the equipment.
Due to familiarity with the phenomenon, and to reduce potential contamination by an anomaly, Agent Durani is responsible for the activation of the transmitter. This will be done in accordance with the Peaslee Protocols for transmission of consciousness.
Communication is accomplished via writing. Remote units have been able to scavenge writing materials, using plastic-like sheets with devices that exude a thick, black paste, originally designed for applying lubrication to fine parts. They have also experimented with making pigments from local fungal vegetation and minerals.
While the components of SCP-1411-A appear to be stable at present, the remote units have been questioned on repair procedures, should they become necessary at the local site. Much of this information has helped in identifying the purpose of components of SCP-1411-A.
Recovery: SCP-1411-A was discovered by members of the Uzbek military after its anomalous properties began manifesting in region. GRU Division P was initially contacted, but a deterioration in relations between the Uzbekistan and Russian governments led to the ORIA being brought in instead. The ORIA then requested assistance from the Foundation as the anomalies began to intensify.
During initial examination, Doctor Yi activated the transmitter. Over the course of several days and more activations, the robots were able to activate a display in the remote location, and then began communicating with the research team. This led to the discovery that the robots had the personalities of those who activated the device.
Activations ceased for several days until the anomalies began to manifest again. Agent Durani volunteered to activate the device until a better solution could be found. At present, all efforts are being made to learn how to dismantle the device safely or reach the remote location to conduct manual repairs.
To date, Agent Durani has been transmitted 217 times.
Addendum: On 13 June, 2014, Agent Durani was injured by a fall near the local site. She was rushed to a nearby hospital. During her absence, ORIA Corporal Akbari volunteered to enact the Peaslee protocol in her absence. His first remote unit reported finding a number of writings and artworks left by previous units, and brought them to the display. See Document SCP-1411-24 for their contents. After being discharged from the hospital, Agent Durani showed mild distress on seeing the writings and artwork, but agreed to continue her duties.
+ Document SCP-1411-3 - Close this document Report From Iteration 35
The halls are empty. There are bones, but they are scattered, gnawed. By animals? From animals? Too small, I think, to have built this place, though the bones are strange. Thin strips woven, like plaits in a basket. Sometimes, we see the newly dead. Lengths of black bone sticking from under red and bruised-green flesh. Sometimes see the small ones scurry and slink, like rats or lizards. Six limbs. One in front, one in back, two to each side. Front and back for grasping, sides to move. Four-jaw mouths. Two to two, counter-chewing on scraps from other animals or the moss-trees. Bigger ones outside. I think bigger ones inside too, sometimes? I haven't seen any, but maybe they are out? Take notes for the next. In the trees, others. Smaller than the rats. Use the front and back legs to swing, the side legs to take food. They sing. Like birds, a little. Like frogs, perhaps. Tree erupts with chirps. Sometimes like bells, a thousand bells to ring. Not dull red, like the ones inside. Yellow, and another color I have not seen. New colors here. Is it this place, or these eyes? But no blue, no purple. Perhaps the bones are blue, and I cannot see it. Perhaps this entire world is blue, and I do not know. Report From Iteration 42
The rooms are large. Or perhaps I am small. It is hard to say. No one has been here for a long time. I think that they left. There are vehicles elsewhere. A large chamber, with slots for them. Like pods with doors, with machines attached. For flying, I think. There are five there, two already taken apart, and slots for a hundred. I do not know why they left. I cannot tell if they left in a hurry, if someone has ransacked the rooms, or if it is only the work of time. They were taller than I am, I think. The doors stretch two times my height. Something my size would not have needed that. I cannot judge much else. I cannot tell what is a table, a chair, or even a bed, let alone how they might use it. Also larger than me is an animal sleeping in one of the rooms. It came past me as I made repairs. It is half again my height, and three to four times that in length. Two long legs. One in front, and one in the back. Awkward when walking, but I saw it run as it entered. Like a cheetah. Four other limbs on the sides are small. Claws or stings on them? Perhaps for defense. Perhaps for prey. Also for prey are the long, sharp teeth that stick out of the four-jawed mouth. Two upper jaws and two lower jaws. Almost like two mouths, with one set of lips. It ignored me. I am metal. Not food for it. Would it matter if I were? In the long run? Report from Iteration 56
While I waited for sunrise, a large creature came near the buildings. I had heard a series of rumblings, and I had wondered what caused them. Then a leg as large as a house crashed down next to me. It was like a tree trunk, with thick pads that spread out like roots beneath it. I hid in a moss tree, so I could not see the head or much of the body. Only a sense of vastness. There were patches of fungus growth on the skin. There were animals on it too, long and thin with the legs short and thick, or thin and wasted. As though legs were not necessary for these riders anymore. They reminded me of worms. Some were feeding on the fungus patches. Other riders stuck their heads through the skin, feeding through holes slowly seeping yellow-green blood. Then the pads bunched up, the leg lifted, and it was gone. Report From Iteration 82
The plants are strange. Plants. Fungus? Moss? On the walls, like mold and moss. Stalks are almost meaty in some places. In others, like brittle, bleeding wood. Outside, there is more. "Trees" that are like stalks that branch and merge and branch again, a dozen times, covered in the moss-like growth. It swells at dawn, then withers down again at night. Does it do so every day? I will never know. There are no flowers. But there are growths that are as beautiful. Reds and greens, and other new colors, which mark fruits the tree-singers eat. These alien squirrels stretch from one limb to another and take the fruit in their smaller arms. One of the tree-singers came down and sat on me for a time. I did not dare to move. It ate a fruit held in its front pair of arms, one leg on my arm, the other on my head. It sang to the trees, and was answered, and it jumped back up, so quickly I hardly knew it moved. I am going back. I have seen nothing else you do not know. I am going to listen to the singing.The sightings range from incredible tales of little green men visiting the Wirral to corroborated accounts from policemen and pilots of Unidentified Flying Objects hovering above towns and cities.
All are recorded on official forms, held by air bases and police stations, and compiled by the Ministry of Defence between 1978 and 2002.
Disclosed for the first time is a report from three experienced air traffic controllers who attempted to "talk in" a UFO which landed on the runway before them. The incident occurred on April 19, 1984, at an East Anglian airfield which was operating two runways called 22 and 27.
In the control tower a senior air traffic controller (satco) was supervising his deputy and an assistant.
According to the report, the deputy was in contact with a light aircraft preparing to land on runway 22 when the satco noticed lights approaching the other runway.
The unidentified object came in at speed, made a touch and go on runway 27 then departed at terrific speed in a near vertical climb, according to the files.
It was described as a "brilliant solid ball of light, bright silvery in colour". The file noted that "witnesses do not wish to be identified in case their professional integrity is questioned".
Others in the aviation industry also encountered unidentified flying objects, including a Sea King helicopter crew who tracked two objects on their radar for 40 miles, travelling at almost one nautical mile per second, in September 1985.
Four months later two constables in Woking police station, Surrey, saw a white light with a tail above the town centre which then "descended into the Horshall area".
They reported it to their inspector, who recorded it as a "genuine report" but noted that the officers were slightly embarrassed because Horshall Common features in the works of the science fiction writer HG Wells.
They were not alone. In June 1984, three officers at Edgware station in north London had been called to a garden after a sighting in Stanmore.
On their arrival the uniformed officers found a "flashing light 45 degrees up in the sky" with a "dome on top and underneath" which they watched through binoculars.
"We observed the object for one hour. During this period of time the object moved erratically from side to side, up and down and to and fro, not venturing far from its original position," wrote the officers, who also sketched a cartoon-like image of the spacecraft.
But a couple in the Wirral claimed to have had an encounter of an altogether closer kind.
The husband reported visiting bases in Cheshire of green aliens, including one called Elgar who was killed by another race in 1984.
His wife saw their craft crash over Wallasey Town Hall but the official response was recorded as a terse "no reply".
The documents are contained in eight files that have been released under the Freedom of Information Act.
Over the next four years more than 150 files will be made available at the National Archive in Kew, south-west London.
Nick Pope, who worked for the MoD for 21 years and was responsible for investigating the sightings, said: "Most of the UFO sightings here are probably misidentifications of aircraft lights and meteors, but some are more difficult to explain."
Have your say: Have you seen UFOs?New rules aimed at discouraging state housing tenants from turning down homes they are offered come into effect today.
Photo: RNZ / Alexander Robertson
Under the new rules people will be removed from the social housing register for 13 weeks if - without good reason - they turn down a house twice, instead of four times as per the previous rule.
People will be asked to pick at least three suburbs they would be willing to live in, whereas at the moment they only have to give one.
Social Housing Minister Paula Bennett said it was unreasonable for overly demanding tenants to hold up others wanting to be placed in state houses.
Too many people were declining properties without good reason, she said.
Ms Bennett said four percent of the 10,000 offers made to tenants last year were declined for unacceptable reasons.
The government has previously said each case would be assessed on merit, and people would be able to decline a house for good reasons such as health and safety, or concerns about security.The shuttle buses that transport workers for huge tech firms like Google, Facebook, and Apple between San Francisco and Silicon Valley every day have come under heavy fire lately, but today a vote was passed unanimously on a pilot program that the city hopes will help ease those tensions. In front of a meeting room packed full with journalists and citizens, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) just approved a proposal that will see commuter shuttle buses pay to share approximately 200 spots with city buses.
Companies that operate the buses will soon have to pay $1 for every stop they make, every day, to the SFMTA — amounting to about $1.5 million over the 18-month pilot (set to start in July 2014). The agency won't earn any profit from the money it collects, though; instead, it'll use the fees to cover the new permit program, enforcement, and further evaluation of the pilot. Prior to today, Silicon Valley shuttles typically would use SFMTA bus stops throughout the city without express permission, leading to potential traffic snarls — as well as a sentiment that these companies were taking advantage of the city without giving anything back.
"We need to be able to keep [the shuttles] honest."
Carli Paine, a project manager for the pilot, gave a number of details on what the SFMTA hopes to accomplish in her opening remarks. "The commuter shuttle sector has grown very rapidly, and its created some impacts on Muni (San Francisco public transportation). Our approach has been to resolve the problems in an ad hoc way," she said, "but the sector is so large now that that's not really a sustainable approach." Aside from collecting money from commuter shuttles, those shuttles will now be equipped with GPS so their impact on traffic and the buses that typically use the Muni stops can be better measured. "We need to be able to keep them honest, and this data will allow us to do that," said Payne.
Vehicles will also have to be clearly identified with a new permit that will allow them to use the Muni stops — those without the proper permits will be ticketed, just like normal vehicles. As for when this program will get underway, the SFMTA will spend the next few months doing more research, getting data from Muni stops and shuttle services to find out which stops make the most sense to roll this program out to.
In case you're living under a rock... BREAKING protesters stop 2 tech buses just before SFMTA vote on bus fees pic.twitter.com/cHFeTI6ljP — Joe Fitz Rodriguez (@FitzTheReporter) January 21, 2014
Whether that'll be enough to quell the sometimes-violent protests against tech shuttles remains to be seen — just hours before today's vote, protesters in San Francisco again blocked two buses from Apple and Google. Things didn't get violent this time, but it seems likely that tensions between the bus-users and other San Francisco citizens could remain high. This tension was acknowledged right at the top of today's meeting — While the Silicon Valley companies will now be giving back to the city more than they have in the past, a formalized shuttle system won't fully address concerns that the tech industry is causing class warfare in San Francisco. Housing prices in the city are skyrocketing out of the reach of ordinary citizens, and many are blaming the high-income individuals employed by companies like Facebook, Apple, and Google.
"We're very concerned that the tech industry is privatizing public transit."
Despite these concerns, there were no protesters lined up outside San Francisco City Hall before today's vote — but there were plenty of objections to the plan voiced prior to the vote. "We're very concerned that the tech industry is privatizing public transit," said Jane Martin. "We think the tech industry can do more." A common refrain from objectors was that the buses should pay far more than a dollar per stop to make the income collected more equal to what those paying for public transportation have to pay.
An animated citizen Steve Zeltzer said that "this is a class warfare" and questioned why these commuter shuttles were allowed to park in bus spots for years without the city doing anything about it. Indeed, a number of citizens commented on the fact that if they parked in a bus spot, they'd get smacked with a ticket for hundreds of dollars — but the commuter buses parked there without incident for years.
As for data in favor of the vote, the SFMTA's research showed that nearly half of all regional shuttle riders and 27 percent of all intra-city shuttle riders they surveyed said they would drive alone if not for the shuttles; 59 percent of regional riders said they either sold their car or put off buying one because of the shuttles. Without shuttles, the companies argue, there'd be more cars on the road and more congestion in San Francisco itself.
Without shuttles, the companies argue, there'd be more cars on the road
San Francisco supervisor Scott Wiener also came out to support the measure, saying that he was "here today in strong support of the staff recommendation relating to employee shuttles." Wiener also attempted to keep the issue focused specifically on transportation rather than sprawling out to encompass housing. "Blaming employee shuttles, blaming tech workers is not a solution to our housing problems," he said.
While the naysayers seemed to outnumber the supporters, there were a number of Google employees (as well as other citizens who don't use the shuttles) who showed up in favor of the pilot program — not to mention an employee of one of the shuttle bus programs who noted that his San Francisco-based company employs plenty of working-class citizens. "I just wanted to say that not everyone at Google is a billionaire," said Crystal Sholts, a project manager at Google who rides the shuttle. "Like many people 10 years after the fact, I'm still paying off my student loans."Ride-sharing giant Uber is reeling from a mass exodus of leaders — including CEO Travis Kalanick — following a series of scandals and an investigation into the company's internal work culture, resulting in at least 20 employees fired.
Mic has obtained documents that illustrate that months earlier, female Uber engineers were emailing Kalanick, board member Arianna Huffington, chief of HR Liane Hornsey, CTO Thuan Pham and a number of other executives — as well as the company's internal email list for female engineers — to plea for change.
Several internal emails show female Uber engineers made leadership aware of issues women were facing at the company in response to an explosive blog post from Susan Fowler, a former Uber engineer, that went viral and exposed harassment and discrimination at the company.
These emails were sent at the end of February, following Fowler's blog post and ahead of the release of the findings of Eric Holder, Covington & Burling and Perkins Coie's investigations into Uber's workplace culture.
Below are excerpts from one of the emails, written by a current female Uber engineer. It was titled, in part, "Just Another Hispanic Female Speaking Out."
"I've felt like I am part of a sexist toxic work environment," she wrote. "No matter how hard I try to fit in or how hard I work, I am never going to be a male or white individual in tech, let alone feel like I belong."
Two Uber employees independently confirmed receiving her email. Excerpts of that email are below.
"I've kept telling myself it's going to get better."
"Sadly, as all of this has happened, I have also started forming my own story of being an engineer at Uber. I’ve kept telling myself it’s going to get better, 'things will get better when we have a head of diversity, things will get better when the ERGs have more budget, OKRs and assigned people to them, things will get better once I transfer teams.' It’s been now 11 months at the company and I still question it daily."
Context: A current female Uber engineer, who spoke to Mic under the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation, said that the people involved in Fowler's situation were still at the company after Uber's firing of 20 people.
According to her, the problem is that the director of engineering for infrastructure, and the CTO, Pham, "covered up Susan's claims." She questioned why they were still at the company. "Until those two people get changed, I don't see the change," she added. "It's very hard to trust in it."
An Uber spokesperson said in an email that Fowler's manager was terminated after Fowler's complaints.
"Male engineers were getting the same level of promotions for less work/impact."
"... the sexist and tech 'bro' culture was strong at Uber," the email said. "I saw it with more females getting passed up for promotions while male engineers in the same organizations were getting the same level of promotions for less work/impact, I saw it with as managers promoted people of their own ethnicity over equally/more qualified people that weren't their ‘buddies,’ I saw it as females technical comments/advice was taken for granted or repeated without given credit. The minorities were always forsaken."
Context: Another current female Uber engineer, also speaking under the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation, said the female engineer chatroom — called LadyEng — has for years been used by women at the company to bring up grievances and complaints. The email listserv for LadyEng has over 500 subscribers.
"Sexual comments … got shared around the office during/after hours," she added in the email.
"I saw it happen over and over again in different parts on engineering, I kept on hoping things will get better, but we are still here," the email said. "This does not even begin to mention the sexual comments that got shared around the office during/after hours, towards me and/or other females or just in general. Of course, a lot of these comments got made while people were under the influence and it becomes more of a blurred line on how/when you can call them out and no paper trail of them."
"Speaking out is hard, specially in cases like sexism and sexual harassment. Specially given the current history of our HR system … How will this get better? Anonymous 24/7 hotline doesn’t necessarily fix this. Specially when it’s known that our anonymous cultural value surveys get shared with our respective managers."
"Someone in the All Hands mentioned putting a line to the past, we can’t do that. We can’t let the precious stories that have happened at our company go."
She asked, "Why should we continue hoping our culture will get better?"
"We continue saying that we wish we would have done things different after the media wrecks us … but this is not the first time that we’ve been classified as a sexist workplace, we clearly never got the message the first few incidents," the email said. "Why should we continue hoping our culture will get better? What commitments can we get from upper management's publicly that hold the entire company accountable?"
A spokesperson for Huffington had no comment. Uber provided the following statement:
"We have taken strong actions to address claims of harassment, discrimination and other inappropriate behavior, and have established processes and systems to ensure the mistakes of the past will not be repeated. We're focused on rebuilding trust with our employees and the communities we serve, and building a company and culture that we can be proud of."
June 23, 2017, 10:30 a.m.: This story has been updated.WASHINGTON, D.C. - It seems like only yesterday that Steve Backes was in the stands watching his son, David, scoring goals and frustrating opponents on the ice. Steve would stand outside the locker room with the other hockey dads, waiting for his son to emerge carrying sticks and equipment bags for the ride home.
It seems like yesterday…because it actually was.No, Steve didn’t use a fancy time machine to re-live those good ole’ days at the youth hockey rink. All he had to do was hop on the team’s charter for a two-game road trip to Raleigh and Washington, D.C.“This is the way it’s always been, except here we are, re-doing it with our adult children,” Steve said.Steve is one 17 fathers who joined the Blues for their big get-together, which actually began Thursday, where the dads met in St. Louis and watched the Blues’ 5-4 shootout win vs. Nashville from a suite at Scottrade Center.
In that game, T.J. Oshie scored in regulation and in a shootout. His dad, Tim, was getting high-fives from the entire suite.
VISITING THE WHITE HOUSE VISITING THE WHITE HOUSE
Alex Pietrangelo and his dad, Joe, pose for a photo in front of the White House during an offday in Washington, D.C. Seventeen dads joined the team for a two-game road trip. RELATED CONTENT Video: Father's Trip a Hit with Dads Feature: The Ride Home | Blog Photos: Father's Trip 2015
“It was surreal,” Tim said. “I couldn’t have wrote a better script.”
After Thursday’s game, the dads boarded the team’s flight to Raleigh, where they arrived late. On Friday, they were invited to sit in the team meeting, where Head Coach Ken Hitchcock went over the X’s and O’s to prepare his club for a meeting with the Carolina Hurricanes.
“I didn’t understand what they were talking about, but it really struck me,” Steve said. “These guys don’t leave too many stones unturned when it comes to playing and winning hockey games. I asked David after the game - did it go like we planned it today?”
“Not exactly,” David said of the Blues’ 3-2 shootout win against the Hurricanes. “But it never goes that way.”
Another late night flight and bus ride put the Blues in the nation’s capital, where the players and their dads walked to the White House for pictures on Saturday morning. The moment probably means more for Backes and his dad than it does for King City, Ontario native Alex Pietrangelo and his dad, Joe, but one common bond they all share is how proud the fathers are of their sons.
Well, that and the sacrifices they all made to help them get there.
Steve quit his job when it moved to Dallas so that David could pursue his dreams in the hockey-mad state of Minnesota. And Tim moved to Warroad, leaving his business behind so T.J. could excel.
And that’s the point of this father’s trip. It’s about paying back the dads for all they’ve done.
“You talk about thousands of games and practices and miles and dollars that he’s thrown into getting me to this level,” David said. “Now he gets a glimpse of the way we live on the road - the lifestyle that he’s sacrificed so that I can live it. Paying that back is invaluable. We’ll never forget these few days together.”
“We’ve been talking about doing the father’s trip for a couple of years now,” T.J. added. His dad was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, which makes their time together on this trip even more special to them. “You look ahead a little bit, and this is something I thought would be really big on his (to-do) list. It's something he’s really wanted to do, something he’d cherish and never forget, no matter what Alzheimer’s does."
The trip continues Sunday, where the Blues meet the Washington Capitals having collected points in a season-high 10 consecutive games (9-0-1). But this trip is about more than games or winning. As much as they all love hockey, it turns out the dads are most proud of their sons for other reasons.
For example, when asked why he’s most proud of T.J., you might expect Tim to say something like making it to the NHL, or the shootout goals, or the Olympic performance with USA that had the entire nation, and its president, in awe.
But actually, it’s something else.
“He gave me my first grandaughter, and she’s a miracle baby,” Tim said. “(I’m proud of) knowing what he’s done, not only in the game of hockey, but the man he’s become. I just watched him FaceTime with his baby, and that’s what makes me most proud.
"He’s a great father."
The Father's Trip includes the following dads: Bill Elliott, Willard Reaves, Rick Schwartz, Pat Shattenkirk, Kurt Allen, Steve Backes, Anders Berglund, Daniel Bouwmeester, Doug Butler, Doug Cole, Bjorn Gunnarsson, James Osman (Jackman), Lennart Lindstrom, Tim Oshie, Butch Ott, Joe Pietrangelo and Gord PorterMillions of veterans and their dependents will get a fresh cost-of-living increase for their disability benefits beginning in December, according to legislation that Congress sent President Barack Obama on Tuesday.
The bill does not set the boost that veterans will receive but requires that it equal next year's inflation increase for Social Security recipients. The government will calculate next year's Social Security increase in October.
The boosts will cover disability compensation, clothing allowances for some disabled veterans and compensation for some surviving spouses and children, such as "dependency and indemnity" payments. Overall, more than 4 million people receive disability payments, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Unlike many other federal benefits, inflation adjustments in veterans' benefits don't happen automatically and require annual congressional action.
The House approved the legislation requiring the increase by voice vote. The Senate passed the measure |
acceptable to stall or delay in order to avoid the French-language debate."
He says it's obvious O'Leary wants to get into the race and that he has an obligation to all French-speaking Conservatives to take part in the debate.
Some Conservatives believe it is essential that Stephen Harper's replacement has the ability to speak French.
O'Leary doesn't speak the language and has stated he doesn't need to in order to communicate with Quebecers.
Montreal-born businessman and reality TV star Kevin O'Leary is considering a run for the Conservative party leadership. (Jonathan Hayward/Canadian Press)
The celebrity businessman and reality TV-show host announced before Christmas he has a group of advisers exploring a possible leadership run and is seeking public input through a website.
The exploratory committee is due to report back to O'Leary early this year.
The deadline to register for the leadership race is Feb. 24, with the winner chosen May 27.
There are now 13 candidates in the running for the job with the withdrawal of Daniel Lindsay, a Manitoba radiologist with no political experience.MOGADISHU, Somalia — The U.S. military denies reports from residents and rebels in southwestern Somalia that a suspected U.S. drone with six missiles crashed Monday in a rebel-held village in the Gedo region.
Spokesman for the U.S. Africa Command, Chuck Prichard, said all their "assets in this area are accounted for and we have no indication that any were involved in this reported incident."
Al-Shabab, Somalia's Islamic extremists, claimed on their radio station that their fighters have seized the crashed drone with the missiles. This has not been independently verified.
U.S. drones have killed several al-Shabab leaders in airstrikes in Somalia over the past year.
In a separate development, a Somali police officer says a bomb killed a former Somali defense minister in Mogadishu Monday.
Capt. Mohamed Hussein says that a bomb hidden in a vehicle carrying Muhyadin Mohamed Haji was detonated in the heart of the capital, killing him and wounding another person. Haji was the defense minister in Somalia's transitional government in 2008.Organizers of the demonstration in the eastern city of Dresden reckoned that around 9,000 people turned up for the Monday night demo, one week before the first anniversary of Pegida's emergence.
Tatjana Festerling, a leader of the group, told a rally of thousands of supporters in the eastern city of Dresden that Merkel's policy of welcoming refugees had turned Germany into a "gigantic camp in the jungle".
Festerling, who came fourth in Dresden's mayoral elections in June with 10 percent of the vote, denounced Merkel as "irresponsible" describing her as "the most dangerous woman in Europe".
Police said the demo passed peacefully although there could be criminal consequences for one protester who turned up carrying a mocked up gallows with a sign signalling it was reserved for Merkel and her deputy Sigmar Gabriel.
Aha, Staatsanwalt jagt #Pegida wegen #Galgen. Sagt doch einfach, es war ein "Kunstprojekt" und sie können euch... :) pic.twitter.com/UWGzS1NCEV — Hartes Geld (@HartesGeld) October 13, 2015
A police spokesperson said that prosecutors would decide on Tuesday if a crime had been committed.
Galgen - the German for gallows was the top trend on Twitter on Tuesday morning.
Stefan Schweitzer asked "Gallows? Is that the Christian–Western tradition Pegida wants to protect?"
But others pointed out that gallows were a symbol also seen at other more mainstream protests, such as the demo against the TTIP free trade agreement with the USA which pulled in over 100,000 protesters in Berlin on Saturday.
Germany, Europe's largest economy, is expected to take in up to a million people fleeing war and poverty this year, sparking anger among anti-foreigner groups and the Pegida movement ("Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident").
At the latest in a series of weekly rallies, Festerling accused Merkel of deliberately refusing to "protect Germany's borders".
A group of around 250 anti-Pegida demonstrators also turned up but were kept at a clear distance from the Pegida march by police. The two sides were heard to hurl insults at each other from a distance.
Pegida emerged almost a year ago with several hundred people showing up for "Monday strolls" in Dresden, although its numbers grew in the following months.
At its peak, the xenophobic rallies attracted 25,000 marchers in Dresden, but also sparked far larger anti-fascist rallies in cities across Germany.
The movement fizzled early this year following bickering among the leadership and after co-founder Lutz Bachmann sparked uproar with his anti-foreigner slurs and Facebook selfies showing him sporting a Hitler moustache and hair-do.Synopsis
All David Flinch ever wanted was a normal life. But when you're a member of the Flinch family, normal has never been easy.
For hundreds of years, the eldest male Flinch has been servant and guardian to the vampire, Lord Underwood. While the Flinches have changed through the generations, Underwood has remained eternal. David had hoped to be spared the horror of serving his family's lord and master, but when he is summoned to the Flinch home in Spain by his dying older brother, he knows his luck has run out. After fifty years of slumber, Underwood is to be resurrected from the grave in a ritual of human sacrifice, and David, by right of succession, is to be his resurrector. But there is another Flinch, one who craves the role of guardian to the vampire: David’s sister, Lydia. It’s a job she means to have, even if it means making David’s the first blood shed in this new age of Underwood and Flinch.A Vietnamese journalist and novelist (and all-around do-gooder), Linh Vo, has created a brilliant and innovative way for travelers to Vietnam to stay for FREE while also being engaged meaningfully in a service activity meant to help Vietnamese kids. This is not, by the way, one of those ‘responsible tourism’ packages where you pay an arm and a leg to dig toilets and shed a little of your liberal guilt. This is the real deal, where you live for free with a warm and caring Vietnamese family while helping poor kids learn English.
Vo devised this plan – which has galvanized hundreds of Vietnamese youth and countless backpackers toward selfless volunteer activities – in response to her own back-packing adventure in Nepal and as a result of a harrowing adventure there which brought her amazing prominence in Vietnam. Vo just plain picked up one day and left her comfortable and secure job because, in part, she realized how limited her future job prospects were going to be due to her inability to speak acceptable English. She traveled to Nepal because the cost of living in that country was cheaper than Vietnam and she wanted to investigate the possibility of running trekking tours for Vietnamese folks while also finding a way to communicate as much as possible with Western trekkers to improve her English. In that country she made many discoveries about effective English education, discovering that even poor kids could often speak English, but she nearly died in the 2014 blizzard and avalanche on Annapurna that killed 43 people, including 21 trekkers (it stands as Nepal’s worst trekking disaster).
Initially reported dead, Vo had been trapped with others who decided to stay on the mountain instead of making a desperate dash toward a base camp. Her written story of survival propelled her into instant fame and she soon found that she had thousands upon thousands of new Facebook followers interested in her life, insights and opinions. Before returning to Vietnam she went to the village of Aruchor, in a remote area of Nepal, to do volunteer work. There she made the discovery that the villagers spoke English well despite their relatively poor living standards. Realizing a higher quality in Nepalese English textbooks compared to the Vietnamese textbooks she had used, Vo wrote to the Minister of Education of Vietnam to propose improvements in Vietnamese English education. As Vo explained to me, ”The press published my letter and I, once again, accidentally got myself in the spotlight…I took the opportunity to advocate for a better education system for our young people.”
She asked her new Facebook buddies to work with her to create a new project she called Volunteer House Vietnam: free accommodation for travelers in exchange for English instruction to children free of charge. The response was overwhelming as Volunteer House Vietnam now has about 2,000 (mostly youthful) volunteers and at least 70 available places for backpackers to stay around the country for free – if they will contribute 5 to 8 hours a week (in the evening) toward working with Vietnamese kids who want to learn English. With the help of many volunteers she has been running the program with no funding, selflessly devoting many hours each day (pro bono) because she realizes “…how critical the ability to communicate in English is to Vietnam to enter the world community on an equal footing.”
As Duong Thuy Hanh (a.k.a. Mi), a graduate of one of Vietnam’s premier business universities, full time employee at Australia Awards Vietnam and full-time VHV super-volunteer points out, “These are mostly children whose parents love them very deeply but who cannot afford after-school programs and these parents leap at the chance to have their kids in an enrichment program which is free, fun and effective.” Indeed, it was Vo’s goal to make sure that even poor Vietnamese children would be able to learn English, since this language is essential to any developing country and can contribute to a child’s future educational and economic success.
Trekkers, of course, are often just passing through a country, and so the whole program is geared around young and enthusiastic Vietnamese youth who can speak passable English, and whose work is supplemented by the native-speaking or fluent speaking volunteers who can drop in for days or weeks. A curriculum has been chosen and is followed systematically by the Vietnamese teachers. When a trekker/back-packer is available, he/she is given the proper materials and invited to lead classes with the assistance of the Vietnamese teachers.
Therefore, this system seems ideal for European and North American young people who need to travel economically – VHV will provide free accommodation during the time one volunteers. VHV volunteers are also always willing to take their new friends to discover Vietnamese culture and cuisine if travelers would like to. The collateral benefits, of course, are priceless as the traveler meets many quality Vietnamese people (the volunteers seem to be the crème de la crème of Vietnamese youth), stays with a family and has a ready support group of caring individuals around him/her. By all reports the children are delightful, grateful and fun to work with.
Vietnam is, in fact, slowly but surely becoming one of the hottest travel spots in Asia. It is filled with World Heritage sites and opportunities to see amazing natural beauty. There are many national parks with camping opportunities in tropical forests and the beaches at Da Nang are said to be among the most beautiful in the world with crystal clear water. Furthermore, the Vietnamese people were recently rated among the happiest people in the world and will treat you with kindness, warmth and respect. You will not find expensive Starbucks coffee shops, but, instead, will be able to relax at inexpensive French drip-coffee sites – these places are ubiquitous in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The food is fresh, delicious and inexpensive and, in fact, the street food is considered among the best in the world. Finally, you can enjoy many traditional festivals that date back generations, like the famous buffalo fighting festival of Hai Phong.
As VHV expands, its mission also expands. While investigating the possibility of starting classes in the historic Dien Bien region, VHV volunteers discovered that the people of the region are quite poor and could possibly use a little help in regard to the construction of new school units. To this end VHV has started its own ‘gofundme’ page, which includes some interesting videos which you can see below. Also, the government of Vietnam prefers that non-profit organizations have a relatively high operating budget, and VHV is hoping to receive contributions to meet these standards. It is just amazing that Vo created a working operation involving hundreds of engaged volunteers with zero money. It is interesting to think about what they can do, in the future, if folks will be kind enough to donate to their effort.
If you really want to be changed through travel, it is obvious that you must do more than just sight-seeing. You need to find ways to engage the people of a new place and pick up on their unique perspectives, attitudes and ways of dealing with the world. In Vietnam, the nature is so pristine and lush, the cities are so charming and the people so wonderful, you cannot help but be changed for the better. Volunteer House Vietnam seems the ideal way for the cost-conscious back-packer to experience a dynamic developing country and to give back to the people of the country at the same time.
For more information:
Gofundmepage
http://gofundme.com/w5dv8e6c
Linh Vo
linh@volunteerhousevietnam.org
http://volunteerhousevietnam.org/home/
https://www.facebook.com/volunteerhousevietnam.orgI trampled clumsily through the dense undergrowth, attempting in vain to go a full five minutes without getting snarled in the thorns that threatened my every move. It was my first field mission in the savannahs of the Republic of Guinea. The aim was to record and understand a group of wild chimpanzees who had never been studied before. These chimps are not lucky enough to enjoy the comforts of a protected area, but instead carve out their existence in the patches of forests between farms and villages.
We paused at a clearing in the bush. I let out a sigh of relief that no thorns appeared to be within reach, but why had we stopped? I made my way to the front of the group to ask the chief of the village and our legendary guide, Mamadou Alioh Bah. He told me he had found something interesting—some innocuous markings on a tree trunk. Something that most of us wouldn’t have even noticed in the complex and messy environment of a savannah had stopped him in his tracks. Some in our group of six suggested that wild pigs had made these marks, while scratching up against the tree trunk, others suggested it was teenagers messing around.
But Alioh had a hunch—and when a man that can find a single fallen chimp hair on the forest floor and can spot chimps kilometres away with his naked eye better than you can (with expensive binoculars) as a hunch, you listen to that hunch. We set up a camera trap in the hope that whatever made these marks would come back and do it again, but this time we would catch it all on film.
A world first
Camera traps automatically start recording when any movement occurs in front of them. For this reason they are an ideal tool for recording wildlife doing its own thing without any disturbance. I made notes to return to the same spot in two weeks (as that’s roughly how long the batteries last) and we moved on, back into the wilderness.
Whenever you return to a camera trap there is always a sense of excitement in the air of the mysteries that it could hold—despite the fact that most of our videos consisted of branches swaying in strong winds or wandering farmers’ cows enthusiastically licking the camera lens, there is an uncontrollable anticipation that maybe something amazing has been captured.
What we saw on this camera was exhilarating—a large male chimp approaches our mystery tree and pauses for a second. He then quickly glances around, grabs a huge rock and flings it full force at the tree trunk.
Nothing like this had been seen before and it gave me goose bumps. Jane Goodall first discovered wild chimps using tools in the 1960s. Chimps use twigs, leaves, sticks and some groups even use spears in order to get food. Stones have also been used by chimps to crack open nuts and cut open large fruit. Occasionally, chimps throw rocks in displays of strength to establish their position in a community.
But what we discovered during our now-published study wasn’t a random, one-off event, it was a repeated activity with no clear link to gaining food or status—it could be a ritual. We searched the area and found many more sites where trees had similar markings and in many places piles of rocks had accumulated inside hollow tree trunks—reminiscent of the piles of rocks archaeologists have uncovered in human history.
Videos poured in. Other groups working in our project began searching for trees with tell-tale markings. We found the same mysterious behaviour in small pockets of Guinea Bissau, Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire but nothing east of this, despite searching across the entire chimp range from the western coasts of Guinea all the way to Tanzania.
Sacred trees
I spent many months in the field, along with many other researchers, trying to figure out what these chimps are up to. So far we have two main theories. The behaviour could be part of a male display, where the loud bang made when a rock hits a hollow tree adds to the impressive nature of a display. This could be especially likely in areas where there are not many trees with large roots that chimps would normally drum on with their powerful hands and feet. If some trees produce an impressive bang, this could accompany or replace feet drumming in a display and trees with particularly good acoustics could become popular spots for revisits.
On the other hand, it could be more symbolic than that—and more reminiscent of our own past. Marking pathways and territories with signposts such as piles of rocks is an important step in human history. Figuring out where chimps' territories are in relation to rock throwing sites could give us insights into whether this is the case here.
Even more intriguing than this, maybe we found the first evidence of chimpanzees creating a kind of shrine that could indicate sacred trees. Indigenous West African people have stone collections at “sacred” trees and such man-made stone collections are commonly observed across the world and look eerily similar to what we have discovered here.
A vanishing world
To unravel the mysteries of our closest living relatives, we must make space for them in the wild. In the Ivory Coast alone, chimpanzee populations have decreased by more than 90% in the past 17 years.
A devastating combination of increasing human numbers, habitat destruction, poaching and infectious disease severely endangers chimpanzees. Leading scientists warn us that, if nothing changes, chimps and other great apes will have only 30 years left in the wild. In the unprotected forests of Guinea, where we first discovered this enigmatic behaviour, rapid deforestation is rendering the area close to uninhabitable for the chimps that once lived and thrived there. Allowing chimpanzees in the wild to continue spiralling towards extinction will not only be a critical loss to biodiversity, but a tragic loss to our own heritage, too.
You can support chimps with your time, by instantly becoming a citizen scientist and spying on them at www.chimpandsee.org, and with your wallet by donating to the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation. Who knows what we might find next that could forever change our understanding of our closest relatives.
Laura Kehoe does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond the academic appointment above.
This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.Kapteyn B is the first super- habitable planet colonized by mankind outside the solar system. Has since become one of the largest creal producer of the galaxy with its mild weather,
Kapteyn B has the distinction of having retained many structures of the first settlers landed on its soil. His most famous relic is the Obama IV cruiser aground on a coastal border of this welcoming planet. Many hikers pass through the galaxy to discover ancient ruins of the first settlers and leave this planet with different gift of this ancient time as books in vegetable cellulose fibers, organic computers or models of Obama IV.
Previous artworks :
Track of the day : soundcloud.com/juliankruse/blo… FR : Kapteyn B est la première planète super-habitable colonisée par l'humanité en dehors du système solaire. Devenue depuis l'un des plus grand grenier à céréales de la galaxie grâce à sa météo clémente, Kapteyn B a la particularité touristique d'avoir conservé de nombreuses structures des premiers colons terriens sur son sol. Son vestige le plus connu est le croiseur Obama IV échoué sur une bordure de littoral de cette planète accueillante. Beaucoup de randonneurs traversent la galaxie pour découvrir d’ancestrales ruines des premiers colons terriens et repartir avec différents souvenirs typiques de cette époque antique tel que des livres en fibres cellulosiques végétales, des ordinateurs non organiques ou des maquettes du vaisseau Obama IV.ENG :Dear Leader Reid:
We encourage you to take a bipartisan and inclusive approach, rather than the partisan path you chose on health care.
A bipartisan bill should address the damaging financial practices of big Wall Street firms and government-sponsored entities that led to unprecedented taxpayer bailouts and caused our government to take on enormous amounts of debt. We simply cannot ask the American taxpayer to continue to subsidize this "too big to fail" policy. We must ensure that Wall Street no longer believes or relies on Main Street to bail them out. Inaction is not an option. However, it is imperative that what we do does not worsen the current economic climate or codify the circumstances that led to the last financial crisis.
We are united in our opposition to the partisan legislation reported by the Senate Banking Committee. As currently constructed, this bill allows for endless taxpayer bailouts of Wall Street and establishes new and unlimited regulatory powers that will stifle small businesses and community banks.
This is a complex issue that could have unintended consequences on job growth, the ability of Americans and business owners to access credit, and the United States' role as a worldwide leader in innovation and capital formation. The consequences of this bill will reverberate across our economy for years to come.
We urge you to support the bipartisan negotiations by the Banking and Agriculture Committees. We are confident that the Senate can overcome political tensions and provide a bipartisan approach to financial reform this year.On a Windows platform, the steps are mostly similar, except for 3 and 4. Let's assume we downloaded the ZIP-file monero.gui.win.x64.beta.zip from the official website straight to the Desktop.
Unzip the ZIP-file on your desktop itself. This should give you a directory monero-wallet-gui on your desktop, which contains (among many other files):
monero-wallet-gui.exe
monero-wallet-cli.exe
Open a Command Prompt: Start menu → Type in cmd → Press Enter. Next, we'll first create a suitable directory for the wallet. We'll do this directly in the location where the GUI stores them too. Next, we'll start the import process using the CLI utility monero-wallet-cli.exe. Type in the commands as you see them below, replacing the address and keys with yours obviously:
After this, start the GUI by double-clicking on monero-wallet-gui.exe, or via a shortcut you may have created elsewhere. Type in a remote node, such as node.moneroworld.com, and choose Open a wallet from file. Navigate to the file mymonero.wallet.keys, select it, and click on Open.
After you type in your password, your wallet should start synchronizing against the blockchain.In-flight entertainment services have made huge strides over the past several years but there has still always been major problem: It’s just not much fun to watch a movie on a dinky little screen. Via AppleInsider, United Airlines is looking to change that, which is why it’s announced a new streaming service that will eventually let you watch in-flight movies on your own tablet, laptop or smartphone.
United says that in April it will start equipping its fleet with a new entertainment system that will let passengers watch “over 150 movies and nearly 200 TV shows and watch them free of charge on your personal device.” The service will initially roll out for iOS-based devices only at first although United says that support for Android and “other devices” will be coming later this year. To watch movies on United’s entertainment system you’ll need to download United’s mobile app to your device but that shouldn’t be too much of a hassle since it’s free.
And the best part is you won’t have to stop watching your movie or show when the plane is preparing to land now that the Federal Aviation Administration has relaxed rules for turning off laptops and tablets during flights.The Legacy Instructional Series team over at Legacy Gaming is back!
This is a quick video on performing combat landings – without using the IFCS landings system – in Arena Commander. Combat landings are expeditious landings that trade the slow, smooth, deliberate movement of normal landings for the ability to get in and out of a landing zone quickly – whether the objective in doing so is to avoid enemy fire, insert ground forces, or quickly board an escaping ship.
The folks at the LIS also created a “TL;DR” version that shows the bare bones of what you need to know to perform combat landings in less than a minute:
Finally, if you are a digital strafe user who keeps crashing into the landing pad and just needs help with making soft landings, you can use these same techniques for normal, non-combat landings as well! Here’s a video explaining how:On Monday's "The Kelly File," Fox News Senior Judicial Analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano said Texas teenager Ahmed Mohamed and his parents may have committed a "purposeful hoax" when they claimed the 14-year-old boy had invented a clock that was mistaken for a bomb by his high school.
While the school and police were sharply criticized for overreacting, Mohamed had been widely praised for his ingenuity in creating the clock. Mark Zuckerberg offered him an internship at Facebook. President Barack Obama offered an invitation to the White House.
When the story went national, along with a picture of the clock, electronic experts have said it looks similar to a 1980s clock sold by Radio Shack. It is alleged that the boy took apart an existing clock and moved the inside components into a pencil box.
"Some of the experts pointed out that Ahmed's device and the old Radio Shack clock share the exact same screen, same buttons, same 9-volt back up battery system," Fox correspondent Trace Gallagher says in the video. "They point out Ahmed's clock has serial numbers and the imprint of an American flag."
Gallagher says that experts wonder if he was inventing a new clock, why he would use a 30-year-old circuit board that is unavailable today.
"It now appears that this was a purposeful hoax for whatever reason, we don't know," Napolitano said.
Napolitano also says that if the parents were involved in a hoax, it becomes a fraud case because thousands of dollars have been donated to their son through a legal fund, as well as a college scholarship fund.
The Mohamed family has not commented about the hoax claim.
Meanwhile, The Dallas Morning News reports that the Muslim teenager has withdrawn from MacArthur High School. Mohamed's father, Mohamed El-Hassan Mohamed, told the newspaper that he has pulled all of his children out of area schools.
"Ahmed said, 'I don't want to go to MacArthur,'" Mohamed said on Tuesday. "These kids aren't going to be happy there."
Ahmed has received enrollment offers from various schools, according to his father.
According to The Dallas Morning News, on Wednesday the family will fly to New York where United Nations dignitaries will meet the boy. Thereafter, the family plans a pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, to plan their future from holy ground.
"I ask Allah to bless this time," Mohamed said. "After that, we'll see."
He also said that when the family returns to the U.S., "we'll visit President Obama."
Ahmed was arrested on Sept. 14, at the Irving, Texas high school after showing his teacher a digital clock that he had invented from a pencil case. The teacher called authorities, fearful the device could be a bomb.
"They arrested me and they told me that I committed the crime of a hoax bomb, a fake bomb," the freshman later told WFAA after being released from police custody.
The charges against him were quickly dropped.
The family is moving forward with legal action against the school and the police, and keeping the donations.Hours before the Lightning and Penguins faced off in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final, the Pittsburgh Penguins social media department Tweeted "We're gold rushing into the Eastern Conference Final! Shoutout to @VisitBradenton for the rally towels!", accompanied by a picture of two Penguins fans posing in front of CONSOL Energy Center, displaying one of the towels.
Visit Bradenton, "the official Twitter account for Bradenton Gulf Islands, including Anna Maria Island, Longboat Key, Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch" replied, "You're welcome! :) Have fun!", a Tweet that has since been deleted.
As one would expect, response from Lightning fans was swift and severe, resulting in a barrage of angry Tweets tagged with #BoycottBradenton.
In an attempt to defuse the situation, Visit Bradenton released the following statement (available at http://www.bradentongulfislands.com/media/1728234/final.pdf)
On May 13, 2016, the Pittsburgh Penguins released a
statement on Twitter thanking the Bradenton, Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key Area for
sponsored promotional materials. The Bradenton Area Convention & Visitors Bureau has released a
statement to the Tampa Bay community clarifying the purpose of these promotion items.
"As a destination, we have and will continue to support the Tampa Bay Lightning through our annual
marketing initiatives and wish both teams the best of luck in the Eastern Conference Finals," said
Elliott Falcione, Executive Director of the Bradenton Area CVB.
The Bradenton Area holds deep roots to the Pittsburgh community being the Spring Training
destination for the Pittsburgh Pirates and their sister city. The destination currently has marketing
campaigns with multiple Pittsburgh sporting teams, including the Pittsburgh Pirates and Pittsburgh
Penguins. Due to these and other initiatives, visitation to the destination from the Pittsburgh area has
increased by 37 percent.
The destination also holds a larger advertising buy with the Tampa Bay Lightning as an official
partner of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Amalie Arena.
Throughout the state of Florida, it is common for destination marketing organizations to have out-ofstate
partnerships through sports marketing initiatives, including major league teams.
"It's a great way to get our brand in front of a demographic that meshes with our visitor profile,"
Falcione explained. "It's about economic development for our region, the entire region which
includes Tampa."
"That came off as 'tone-deaf' and out-of-touch to me", says Gina Morales, who is the Vice President of Marketing for Nationwide Title Clearing, a national financial services firm. She also oversees public relations for the firm."You need to understand that nobody cares about your marketing strategy, whether or not your reasoning is sound. More important is your relationship with the people in your community. When you make an error and upset those people, you need to take responsibility for it and sincerely apologize. Trying to justify your actions by pointing how much money is at stake is the opposite of that."
Bradenton is one of many towns in Florida with deeply-rooted ties to a Major League Baseball team, serving as their spring training home, hosting a minor league affiliate and in many cases, providing a southern base of operations. The model for that kind of relationship can be found in Lakeland, where the Detroit Tigers have been ensconced since 1934 and where Michigan residents frequently re-locate upon retirement. The Pirates have been in Bradenton since 1969, playing their spring training exhibition games at McKechnie Field, named for Bradenton resident Bill McKechnie. It is currently the oldest ballpark in use for spring training games and the second oldest park in Florida (behind Jackie Robinson Park in Daytona Beach). They also operate the Florida State League's Bradenton Marauders as well as an "extended spring training" program. There's also a Gulf Coast League team for rookies, in addition to rehab and conditioning programs and scouting operations, giving the Pirates a year-round presence in Bradenton. Similar situations exist in Clearwater with the Philadelphia Phillies, Dunedin with the Toronto Blue Jays and even in Tampa with the New York Yankees. It makes sense that Bradenton would want to market their city to people living in Pittsburgh. Still, none of those cities have ever taken sides against a "home" team before. Those involved with promoting tourism in Clearwater were probably happy on some level that the Phillies won the 2008 World Series but they didn't put themselves in a position where it could be perceived that they were rooting against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Clearly, Bradenton and its residents are not anti-Lightning. The client services lounge at Amalie Arena is sponsored by Lakewood Ranch and the Lightning have historically drawn very well from faithful Bolts fans who live in Manatee and Sarasota counties. It's almost entirely an issue of timing. If this had happened when the Penguins hosted the Columbus Blue Jackets last November, few people would have even heard about it and even fewer would have cared. But prior to the start of a playoff series against a team that plays its home games only 45 miles away? The fact that local fans in the throes of playoff hysteria would voice displeasure should come as no surprise. The only thing that could have been worse is if it been prior to a Game 7.
How could something like this happen? "I would think this had to be a decision made by one person who didn't think it through", says Gina. "It's hard for me to believe that this would be something discussed in a room full of people without at least one or two of them at least questioning the timing, if not the appropriateness of the item itself. Unfortunately, sometimes that's how creative people are. They get excited about a concept and they don't think about the bigger picture. You have to take into consideration how what you're doing is going to be perceived on multiple levels. That's why effective marketing can't exist within a bubble. You have to do your research and decisions can't be made without considering lots of opinions. And you definitely have to be able to evaluate the intrinsic value of your relationship with your whole community."
For as much value as there is in promoting yourself to out-of-state tourists (tourism remains the number one industry in the state of Florida, after all), it would be foolish to alienate nearby residents, people who presumably enjoy nice beaches and fine restaurants all year round as much as people who come from Pennsylvania in February and leave at the end of March. Allowing yourself to be seen as on the wrong side of a local team making a second consecutive deep run into the postseason is simply not a good idea, especially when you're selling hospitality.
What should Bradenton do now? Gina says, "They should apologize and then they should lay low for a while. You don't want to send out press releases every day but the one they put out yesterday didn't offer much in the way of an apology and actually made things worse, in my opinion. If they want to be pro-active, they should sponsor some sort of similar giveaway item for Lightning fans. But they really need to apologize and then back off and let this blow over. It's never too late to say you're sorry, and they should do so at the risk of sounding disingenuous. If your strategy for business is profit before people, you're doing it wrong."Starting later this month, people downtown can hop on and off a circulating evening shuttle at no cost in a pilot program launched by VIA Metropolitan Transit, Centro San Antonio and the city.
The shuttle service, which will use VIA’s antique-looking trolleys, starts March 28 and runs on a short route north and south on Navarro and St. Mary’s streets and east and west on Commerce and Market streets. The goal is to link hotels, restaurants and venues, including the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, the Majestic Theatre and the Convention Center.
The service will run from 6 p.m. until midnight Tuesday through Saturday, with 10 minutes between shuttles.
The $100,000 pilot program will last six months, city and VIA officials said. VIA is paying $50,000, while Centro and the city are each contributing $25,000. If the program goes well, officials said, it will be extended for another six months, with each group paying the same amount.
VIA had previously discussed calling the service the “Downtown Route” or “Entertainment Route,” but it will be known as “the E,” officials announced Tuesday.
VIA trustees have been supportive of the shuttle, although some have said in discussions since October that they wished the route were longer and connected more destinations. Some have also countered the perception that it could be a service only for people able to afford a meal at a River Walk restaurant and a performance downtown, saying they think people who work at downtown venues would be frequent riders as well.
VIA staff at first proposed a three-month pilot program with a fare, but downtown stakeholders requested the longer trial run that would be free for passengers.
VIA officials have said they will evaluate ridership after the pilot. They are expecting 150 to 200 riders each night. Pat DiGiovanni, Centro CEO and president, said he also hoped riders would be surveyed and businesses would monitor whether the shuttle gives them a boost.
“It’s been received well, but obviously we’ll see the impact of it once it’s put in place on the 28th,” he said.
VIA officials have also floated the idea of a second shuttle — an art/culture route — that would connect downtown with museums and other destinations via Broadway, although a specific pilot program has not yet been proposed publicly.
Together, the two routes would overlap with much of the same territory covered by VIA’s planned downtown streetcar, a project that was shelved last summer in the face of political opposition.
This story has been updated with new details of the funding arrangement.
djoseph@express-news.net
Twitter: @DrewQJosephBy Hilary Farrell
Click fraud and its perpetrators hit national headlines this month after Long Island startup Limited Run decided to discontinue its Facebook (FB) advertising on suspicions of bot ad clicks.
The underlying difficulty of advertising on the Internet, however, is nothing new.
"One of the things that concerns us with digital advertising is essentially it's a business model built around spying on your customers," John M. Simpson, director of the Consumer Watchdog's digital Privacy Project, said.
The World Wide Web Consortium is in the process of creating standards for Internet privacy and |
it’s certainly conceivable that by searching a space of possibilities one could find something—though without modularization it might look very complicated (as long-range simple programs, like combinators, tend to do), and it could be difficult even to tell what the system achieves without looking for specific properties one already knows.
What I’m Missing…
Having said all this, I suspect that there are big things I am missing—and that with the right ways of thinking, there’ll end up being some spectacular kinds of technology that black holes make possible. And for all we know, once we figure this out we’ll realize that an example of it has already existed in our universe for a billion years, whether of “natural” origin or not.
But for now, the discovery of gravitational radiation from merging black holes is a remarkable example of how something like the small equation Einstein wrote down for the gravitational field a hundred years ago can lead to such elaborate consequences. It’s an impressive endorsement of the strength of theoretical science—and perhaps an inspiration to see just how small the rules might be to generate everything we see in our universe.“The state is the coldest of all cold monsters. Coldly it lies, too; and this lie creeps from its mouth: `I, the state, am the people.’… Everything about it is false; it bites with stolen teeth.” - Friedrich Nietzsche
Consider this: If “we” are the government, then “we” are murderers of teenagers and the mentally retarded. “We” are child rapists. “We” are kidnappers, thieves, butchers and kings. “We” drug innocent bystanders for military research. “We” pour chemicals onto Vietnamese trees and fling napalm onto babies. “We” fly drones into weddings and soak the hot sand with red blood. “We” do all of this or “We” do none of this.
And so, as the president opens his friendly mouth to espouse the collective notion of a unified nation, the onus of the government’s actions are placed on the simple voters. Taxpayers are told to cough up a tribute, parents are told to stop thinking of ‘their’ kids and start imagining a world of ‘our’ kids, and liberty is thrown at the feet of the powerful without contest. We are told that this is the way to peace and are given orders, polls and statistics that are met without skepticism or mistrust. We have become the Useful Jew, asking with quiet tones the progeny of our culture and the value of our wisdom for immediate destruction.
Among the tomes of law books, tax codes and bureau requirements, how is it that we trust the government? Have we learned nothing from American history? Give a politician an inch, they will take a mile. Tease the consensus with war socialism, we will construct enemies. Provide ambitious young intellectuals a crisis, and they’ll use it to their advantage. These are simple morals, taught with never-ending examples of bastardized justification that are ultimately barren for instruction of the masses. Folks want revenge, they want the streets of Washington purged of influence, they want less intrusion into their lives, they clamor for a nostalgic past when things weren’t so bleak for their nation. It won’t happen.
This sounds depressing, as it well should be. America is an obsolete child star, once sweet in youth and now corrupted and starved for prior glory. This nation is on a one way train to the glue factory, huffing fumes of previous empire for an immediate high to resolve the fear of death. There is nothing more that can be done to save this insufferable lie of governance.
But with all that, there is hope. Not in this country or any other, but hope all the same. That hope stems from a zeitgeist awake to the possibility of an obsolete statehood. The Founding Fathers stood up against British imposition on a tea tribute. Gandhi preached about Satyagraha, the insistance of truth, as he denied the British the authority to tax Salt. A civil war is coming, quite possibly from something as stupid as online porn or big gulp soda’s in NYC. It does not have to be violent. It can be done by simply ignoring laws which ignore the people. “We” hardly vote on such draconian impositions, so “We” hardly have any say in the ordinance our leaders conclude we must obey. When people wore shirts which decreed George Bush was “Not My President”, I felt it could have gone far larger in scope.
Not my system, not my government, not my conscience. I refuse to be the suspect of collective crimes against humanity, for the sole purpose of allowing another scumbag bloviate about “We, the government”. This is how populism operates. “‘We’ need to help our schools” or “‘We’ can’t have 100% security without giving up a little freedom”. How nieve must we be? How thick has our population become?
I remember looking at Britain’s change into a surveillance state with simple photos: A camera surveying George Orwell’s estate, A mayor on a zip line, Bentham’s Panopticon. I found it sad, but with no chance of contamination. We couldn’t possibly become this neutered. We’re Americans! Cut to: “Edward Snowden is a traitor” spoken from the venal lips of green-pocketed representatives. Surely, this is order. This is ‘civility’. This is all the things we pride ourselves as a 1st world nation. Are you ready America? Are you prepared for the tumble from passive anarchy into perpetual bedlam? ‘We’ deserve everything that’s coming to us by holding onto this falling anchor and praying for normalcy.
My suggestion is simple: prepare. Not through large purchases of weapons and food, but through a new contract, written for the people, by the people, and without the baggage of this golem corrupted. When the gunfire has ceased and the bodies have been reduced to ash, let us hope our next experimentation works for longer, celebrates autonomy better and can avoid the temptation of blind ambition with a temerity only the hungry may understand. We must Stay Hungry, as we will always Stay Foolish.Traffic stops are often at the center of claims that police officers engage in racial profiling. They’re the most common form of contact between police and the community, and some vehicle code violations can feel a bit arbitrary — like having an air freshener dangling in your windshield.
But Police Chief William Lansdowne said a handful of racial profiling complaints against the department in recent years – none were sustained – point to at least one moment where the line between routine and racial begins to blur for drivers: when an officer asks whether they’re on probation or parole.
Residents in predominantly minority neighborhoods say the question is often the first one they’re asked, and is too broadly applied. It was the focus of several emotional testimonies residents made at Wednesday’s committee hearing on racial profiling.
“We don’t have a stop-and-frisk problem. We have an, ‘Are you on probation or parole?’ problem,” Lei-Chala Wilson, president of the local NAACP, said at the meeting.
Lansdowne has already said he would issue a training bulletin advising officers to be more sensitive with the question. But for officers, there’s a lot of utility in asking it.
What are cops getting at with the probation question?
If a person is on probation or parole, there’s a good chance he or she has waived the right to refuse being searched.
A fourth waiver is a condition of parole or probation that says an individual has given up his or her Fourth Amendment protections against unwarranted searches and seizures while under state or county supervision. Though the term “fourth waiver” refers to the actual agreement, it’s often personified to describe someone who’s under such an order.
Usually police must have reason to believe a person violated, or intends to violate, the law when making a stop. But if a police officer knows an individual is a fourth waiver, he or she has no obligation to prove reasonable suspicion before initiating a search. The officer can conduct a body, vehicle or home search without cause, so long as it doesn’t cross the line into harassment.
The courts intended for the arrangement to help rehabilitate former inmates. If a law enforcement officer can approach them at any time, they’re less likely to engage in the sorts of risky behaviors that put them back behind bars.
Though the contracts are uniform and automatic for parolees coming out of state prison, probationers under county supervision will typically only have one if their crime involved drugs, theft or weapons. And the judge can tailor the terms of the agreement to cover only searches dealing with the crime for which they were convicted.
Isn’t the question too broad then?
Officers are required by law to know whether the fourth waiver actually exists before conducting a fourth waiver search. The courts have ruled finding out after the fact doesn’t protect an officer. They also should know the full scope of a probationer’s individual waiver.
But in San Diego, there’s really no such thing as an individual waiver, said retired Deputy District Attorney Robert Phillips. He writes legal briefs informing law enforcement officers throughout the state of new court decisions on search and seizure law.
“The judges have all gotten together at some point, apparently, and have a standard set of fourth waiver conditions that are about as inclusive as the state parole fourth waiver,” Phillips said. “So in San Diego County, the cops have it easy. If they find someone on a fourth waiver, the cop knows it covers everything.”
So asking whether someone is on probation or parole is basically a shortcut assessment of the rights an individual has and the procedures an officer must follow.
Yeah, but I didn’t go to jail or prison.
Too broad an application of the question – which civil rights groups say is happening in southeastern San Diego – can breed resentment among residents. If officers ask virtually everyone they stop — or everyone they stop in a certain neighborhood — whether they’re on probation, community members might assume police believe that most people of color are criminals who have been to jail.
That leads to a breach of trust, but it isn’t a breach of law.
Unless an individual has been stopped with valid reasonable suspicion – he or she was speeding, for example, or fits the description of a criminal suspect beyond just sharing the same skin color – asking the question is considered a consensual contact. Under the law, it’s really no different than an officer saying hello on the street.
It becomes a detention – and subject to the Fourth Amendment for those whose rights are still intact – if the exchange is prolonged or becomes accusatory. United States v. Summers puts it this way: It’s not consensual if anything happens that would have “indicated to a reasonable person that he was not free to leave.”
The courts have already ruled on the obvious argument here. United States v. Drayton says an officer being uniformed and armed, though intimidating, is not enough to turn a consensual contact into a detention. Nor is asking to see an individual’s hands, inquiring about illegal activity and asking a passenger to get out of the car, said Phillips.
But individuals have the right not to respond, and their silence shouldn’t raise reasonable suspicion – even if they’re in a high-crime area, Phillips said.
Knowing whether a stop is consensual, however, can be tricky. And choosing not to comply with safety measures like showing your hands could cause problems.
Wilson, of the local NAACP, suggested a simpler solution Wednesday that puts the onus on police officers.
“Use a drivers license, you can find out that question,” she said, referring to officers’ ability to run a person’s license through their database.
Doing so still counts as a consensual contact if an officer does it quickly, Phillips said. It’s also a less loaded question.Commission for "Kol-ian is an alien humanoid from the planet Marc'harid, somewhere near the center of the galaxy. He is a Sire, and all Sire are telepaths. But he is an uncommon Sire - those wings on his back are retractile prosthetics (meaning he can hide them under clothes if he wants to, as they just disappear in his back). He had fallen in love with an hybrid who has natural feathery wings and would have never looked at him if he weren't able to fly. Except the beautiful winged being shunned Kol-ian anyway, so he ran away and hid on Planet Earth to heal his broken heart... His story is told in Star Minds, a science fantasy series by Barbara G.Tarn. Book 1, Technological Angel, will come out at the beginning of December in e-book format."Kol-ian's Gallery: barb65.deviantart.com/gallery/... The link of the book:Thank you!^_^The Center for American Progress has previously pointed out that the House Republican budget for fiscal year 2012 forces future beneficiaries out of Medicare into more expensive private plans. One of the ways Republicans are trying to sell their Medicare proposal is by claiming that beneficiaries would “be enrolled in the same kind of health-care program that members of Congress enjoy.” That claim is false. In fact, if the rate of growth under this Medicare proposal were applied to federal employees’ most popular health option, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Standard Option, federal workers, including members of Congress, with family coverage would have to pay another $3,330 for the care they enjoy today. Those with individual coverage would have to pay another $1,555.
Most federal workers receive their health coverage through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan, or FEHBP. The government contributes a portion of their health premium. That portion is set by law and applied to the weighted average of actual premiums charged in any given year. Beneficiaries make up the rest of the cost.
The Republican budget replaces the traditional fee-for-service Medicare for future beneficiaries with a voucher to private insurance companies that is established on very different terms. Unlike FEHBP, which has a consistent government contribution based on actual premiums charged in any given year, the amount of the voucher is determined independent of actual premiums. Its growth is instead tied to the rate of the consumer price index for all urban consumers, or CPI-U. Because health costs have typically increased faster than inflation, the level of government support from the voucher would become a lower share of actual premium costs over time. In other words, Medicare beneficiaries would be left holding the bag.
What would happen if FEHBP operated like the GOP Medicare proposal?
We examined what would happen if FEHBP had operated like the Republican Medicare proposal over the last decade. We used data from the Office of Personnel and Management to look at the annual premiums for federal workers enrolled in the Blue Cross Blue Shield Service Benefit Plan (Standard Family and Standard Individual). We chose this plan because nearly 60 percent of those enrolled in FEHBP have Blue Cross Blue Shield, and the Standard Option is the most popular FEHBP plan. We increased government support for the individual and family plans by the rate of growth in the CPI-U index from 2002 to 2011. We then compared the difference between the government’s share and the actual total premium in each year—which is the amount the beneficiary would pay—under the Republican proposal and the real FEHBP.
The result: A typical federal worker, or member of Congress, enrolled in family coverage in the Blue Cross Blue Shield Standard Option, would have had to pay an additional $3,330.36 for the same level of coverage they have today. Those with individual coverage would have had to pay $1,555 more.
Nicole Cafarella is the Payment Reform Project Manager and Policy Analyst, and Tony Carrk is a Policy Analyst for American Progress.
See also:On Monday, NDTV reported that locals from the area captured Aslam Khan, a native of Delhi, after he was caught naked and having “unnatural sex” with a canine he earlier killed.
Mohammed Jahangir, a resident of Shastripuran area, had asked his children to check what happened after they heard violent screams outside their home. When they arrived outside, they were petrified to see the slaughtered dog with Khan. The suspect tried to escape, but residents captured him and handed him to the police.
The dog was a stray and was fed by different families living in the area.
Police said that Khan, who was in the southern Indian capital to hang out with friends and work as a laborer, did not seem “mentally disturbed” when he committed the gruesome act.
The police were investigating whether Khan strangled the dog during sexual intercourse. The canine’s body was undergoing a post-mortem examination.
Earlier, three months ago, the same act of cruelty to man’s best friend happened in India when two aspiring medical students from Chennai hurled a dog from a building and filmed it. After the video went viral, the pooch was rescued and is now sheltered by animal-rights activists.'He couldn't speak English, didn't pass any exams and was obsessed with basketball and computer games': Kim Jong Un's Swiss school days revealed
He is the heir poised to become the next leader of rogue state North Korea.
But a probe into the school days of Kim Jong Un - youngest son of dictator Kim Jong Il - proves he is little more than an academic failure who squandered his education playing computer games and basketball.
The baby-faced 28-year-old first stepped out of his father's shadow in September last year to appear in public in the capital Pyongyang as thousands of goose-stepping troops marched by to mark the 65th anniversary of the ruling Workers Party.
School days: Kim Jong Un (circled) is pictured with friends during his time at school in Switzerland
Home from home: Kim Jong Un spent his youth in Switzerland and attended Liebefeld School near Berne
Kim Jong Un looked the part, dressed up in the uniform of a four-star general, and trained in the operation of the torture camps and punishment gulags which fill his blighted land.
But the world will have to see whether his prolonged exposure to the west and its values during his school days in Switzerland have imbued him with any democratic values that might bring his decrepit and starving country back into the international fold after years of isolation.
But the signs are not good. Despite having thousands of pounds lavished on his education at a top private school in Switzerland, he didn't leave with even the equivalent of a single GCSE.
When he was just 15 his father took him out of the costly International School Of Berne, where fees now cost around £16,000 a year. He moved him to a nearby state school to save money but he was quickly put in the lower tier in class.
Wearing Nike trainers, a Chicago Bulls sweatshirt and jeans, he was introduced to Class 6A by the headmistress of Liebefeld-Steinholzi School near Berne. She lied: 'Boys and girls, this is Un Pak. He comes from North Korea and he is the son of a diplomat.'
Kim Jong Un took the empty seat next to Portuguese diplomat's son Joao Micaelo and the pair became friends. Joao, who now works as a chef, said: 'We weren't the dimmest kids in class but neither were we the cleverest. We were always in the second tier.
Sporty: Kim Jong Un was reportedly a huge basketball fan during his time in Switzerland, with Michael Jordan among his favourite players
Like father, like son: Kim Jong Il (left) pictured with Kim Jong Un (right) at a parade celebrating the 65th anniversary of the ruling Korean Workers Party in Pyongyang, North Korea, in October 2010
'Un tried hard to express himself but he was not very good at German and became flustered when asked to give the answers to a problem. The teachers would see him struggling ashamedly and then move on. They left him in peace.
'He left without getting any exam results at all. He was much more interested in football and basketball than lessons.'
A big fan of star Michael Jordan, Kim Jong Un - who was once caught with a bondage pornographic magazine in his school bag - proved to be a good player on the basketball court.
He did shine at maths but nothing else in class, and schoolmates remember that he needed a lot of extra tuition.
One boy who was with him at the International School said: 'It must have been 1993 when he came to the school. His English was bad at first. He had a strong accent and he was given extra lessons.
'He also learned German and was OK in the basics of both - but just OK. His English got better but not his German.
'He was good in maths. That sounds like he was a nerd - but he wasn't. He wasn't so hot in other subjects. I suppose in hindsight we could have nicknamed him Dim Jong-un. One day he just disappeared.'
Father and son: A rare image of Kim Jong Il and his third son Kim Jong Un during his youth. Kim Jong Il has almost never been pictured with his daughters
Obsessed: Kim Jong Un (pictured as a child left) was a huge fan of basketball star Michael Jordan (right)
According to school sources, his father got fed up paying for an education that he thought was going nowhere. But there may have been another reason - his son's taboo love affair with American culture.
The North Korean Embassy in Berne sent back reports on his son's friendships and influences to his father and intelligence chiefs back in North Korea.
Joao said: 'We spent nearly every afternoon with each other. He often invited me back to eat. He had a private chef who cooked whatever he wanted.
'Much of it wasn't to my taste. Lots of chicken in strange sweet-and-sour sauces. He didn't live at the embassy but in a flat in a nice residential area near the school.'
He in fact lived in a large flat at No 10 Kirchstrasse, a sedate suburban street with two pizza cafes, a bank and a Co-Op supermarket.
He added: 'He was surrounded by the best gadgets that the rest of us kids couldn't afford - TVs, video recorder, a Sony PlayStation. He had a cook, a driver, a private teacher.
Lying in state: The body of Kim Jong Il is currently laid in the Kumsusan Memorial Palace in Pyongyang
Mourning: Kim Jong Un pictured paying his respects to his father earlier this week
'But, curiously, I never saw his room. We were mostly in the communal living room. We watched a lot of kung-fu films - especially Jackie Chan movies. He loved them. He had everything which we never saw coming close to our own cinema.
'After school we met at the basketball court and threw a few baskets, with both of us pretending to be Michael Jordan. We were all envious of his genuine NBA basketball, which must have cost more than £100.
'We spoke about girls and about our grand plans. At weekends there were parties and a lot of under-age drinking. But I never once saw a drop of alcohol pass his lips and he wasn't interested in girls.
'He only spoke about his life in the 'homeland' rarely. But I knew he had a certain homesickness. On his stereo he only played North Korean songs. Western music didn't do it for him.
Assembly: Kim Jong Il (front second right) appears with his son Kim Jong Un in black suit (front second left) at a military unit in 2010
Happy families: Kim Jong Il (left) and Kim Jong Un (right) visit Mokran Video Company in Pyongyang in 2010
'Most of all he listened to the North Korean national anthem, which we must have heard 1,000 times together. I only knew him in his alibi mode until one Sunday afternoon, shortly before he left for North Korea in 2000.'
'He pulled out a photo of him alongside his father and said 'I am not the ambassador's son. I am the son of the North Korean President.'
One member of staff at the school, identifying himself only as Joerg, said: 'We had these after-school discussion groups. I remember I was outside the school having a smoke when this black, armoured Mercedes with smoked glass pulled up.
'Out stepped 'Un Pak'. He was surrounded by these dwarf ninjas. They scanned the street and then led him up the path.
'That night we talked about the responsibilities of democracy - you know, the right to vote, the right to a common voice, the importance of speaking out.
'He never joined in. He looked down at his shoes all the time and fidgeted, never seemed easy. He was dipping into a bag from Loeb - that's the fanciest delicatessen in Berne, the kind of place where you can spend 100 euros on a couple of salads.A Capitol Hill cornershop shuttered for more than a year kicked back into motion in recent weeks and neighbors noticed the activity. If nothing else, the return of CHS can help answer questions like this — what is going on at the old Benson’s Grocery?
With the Hill’s food and drink boom still apparently strong enough to sustain more business, owner Hun Lee tells CHS his plan to transform the old bodega at Bellevue and Pike into a Japanese restaurant is in motion and construction has begun.
The $500,000+ construction project will be wrapped up by next spring, Lee hopes. A name for the new restaurant is also still in the works.
When it reopens, the joint will share the block with classic leather bar The Eagle as well as Victrola’s Pike location. As for neighborhood groceries, the days of the mom and pop quick mart will never die though, on the Hill, they are occasionally transformed. On E Pike, we hear there still might be plenty of groceries to go around — eventually.DUNEDIN, Fla. – Russell Martin will join Canada at the World Baseball Classic after all, only as a support in the dugout and not as a player.
The Toronto Blue Jays catcher said in an interview Sunday he’d secured permission from all parties involved to join the national team for the first round of the tournament March 9-12 in Miami. Insurance issues prevented him from playing shortstop for the Canadians but attending to provide his in-game insights offers him a consolation.
“I feel that way about it, Greg Hamilton (Baseball Canada’s director of national teams) seemed like he was pretty happy,” said Martin. “Obviously they would have been happier if I was there to play, but under the circumstances, it’s the second best thing.
“I’m going there to encourage and hopefully see us play good baseball and win.”
Martin’s dedication is sure to resonate with the close-knit Canadian squad, which has been hit hard by the losses of several top players. To advance to the second round for the first time ever at the Classic, Canada will need to finish in the top two of a group that also includes the United States, the Dominican Republic and Colombia.
While with the national team, Martin will be able to catch bullpens and workout with the club. He hopes to help Canada move on before returning to the Blue Jays either way after the first round having made some sort of contribution.
“I like the guys, I like my teammates that are there, I like the coaches,” said Martin. “I grew up with the people in the program. It’s like (the) circle of life. Your parents take care of you as a baby and they’re going to get older one day and you’re going to take care of them. It’s that natural give and take.”Report to the Second National Congress of the Socialist Equality Party
By David North
27 November 2012
We are publishing here the opening report to the Socialist Equality Party (US) Second National Congress, given July 8, 2012 by SEP National Chairman David North. It is also available in PDF format and as a pamphlet at Mehring Books.
We are opening the Second National Congress of the Socialist Equality Party. This congress is being held in the midst of the greatest economic, political and social crisis of American and world capitalism since the 1930s. One does not have to be a Marxist to recognize the extreme fragility of the entire international economic system. Judging from the commentaries that appear in the bourgeois press, the “catastrophe” theory seems to have gained a large number of adherents. Four years after the spectacular collapse of Lehman Brothers in September 2008, there is no sign that the world economic crisis is abating.
The stagnation in jobs’ growth and the sharp deterioration of manufacturing output within the United States make a mockery of the Obama administration’s claims that a “recovery” is in progress. The likelihood of a substantial and lasting revival of the US economy is being significantly reduced by the worsening downturn in Europe and Asia. The simultaneous cut in interest rates on Thursday by China’s central bank and the European Central Bank, combined with the decision of the Bank of England to accelerate its stimulus program, testify to the widespread belief within the ruling elites that the condition of the world economy is rapidly deteriorating.
The crisis is of a systemic character. Institutions central to the growth and stability of world capitalism in the aftermath of World War II are breaking down. The chronic crisis of the euro portends the failure of the project of European “unity.” The ruling elites have no credible response to the crisis, which was to a significant extent triggered by their own recklessness. They are, as a class, both politically and morally bankrupt. The phenomenon of financialization—defined by a contemporary economist as a “pattern of accumulation in which profit making occurs increasingly through financial channels rather than through trade and commodity production” [1]—represents the triumph of economic parasitism, and, with it, the descent of bourgeois society into the lower depths of criminality.
The latest scandal has come to light as a result of the admission of Barclays Bank in London that it had manipulated the London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (Libor). It is, without question, just one of many institutions involved in this fraud. The implications and impact of fixing Libor are almost beyond quantification. “Fixing” Libor is the financial equivalent of fixing the World Series! Libor is the benchmark that determines interest rates on bank loans for countless commercial transactions throughout the world every day.
Describing a far less developed form of financialization some 92 years ago, Trotsky observed: “The systematic extraction of surplus value from the process of production—the foundation of profit economy—seems far too boresome an occupation to Messrs. Bourgeois who have become accustomed to double and decuple their capital within a couple of days by means of speculation, and on the basis of international robbery.” [2] The breakdown of legality in the economic realm is mirrored in its disintegration in the political realm.
The parasitism that pervades capitalist society underlies the blatant violation of the US Constitution. Lawlessness prevails at the summits of capitalist society. In December 2000, as Gore v. Bush was on its way to the Supreme Court, I said that the outcome of the case would reveal the extent to which there still existed a constituency for democratic principles within the ruling class. The Supreme Court sanctioned, without protest from any significant section of the establishment, the theft of the election. In the decade that followed, there has been a relentless assault on core democratic rights. We now live in a country whose government launches wars on the basis of brazen lies, practices torture, and claims the right to kill people all over the world, including American citizens, without due process of law. President Obama is not, we may assume, the first president to order assassinations. But he is the first to boast of it, and to let it be known that he devotes a significant portion of his time to the supervision and selection of targets for a program of extra-judicial killings.
In the aftermath of an article in the New York Times which detailed Obama’s central role in the program of extra-judicial and illegal killings, former President Jimmy Carter issued a public protest. Carter is not a political innocent. But he fears the consequences of the government’s abandonment of the constitutional foundations of bourgeois rule. The former president knows that the Constitution is the essential source of the US government’s legitimacy. Without the authority of the Constitution, which the president has sworn to “preserve, protect and defend,” the state has no legitimacy. To the extent that it abandons constitutionalism, the ruling class must resort ever more openly to force and violence.
The abandonment of constitutional principles signifies not simply a change in policy by an administration. Rather, it is the political expression of changes in the relations between the main classes in society. These changes in the forms of class rule are the outcome of intractable contradictions in the US and world economy. Several years before the outbreak of World War I, Lenin warned, in an article analyzing the evolution of the German social democracy, that a “half-century phase” in history, in which conditions of political legality predominated, was giving way to another phase. Lenin foresaw that objective conditions were leading to “the destruction of all bourgeois legality,” the first signs of which were “panicky efforts on the part of the bourgeoisie to get rid of the legality which, though it is their own handiwork, has become unbearable to them.” [3]
History substantiated Lenin’s analysis. The outbreak of World War I brought to an end a long “phase” of social-economic and political development. An era of gradualness, of legality, gave way to one of wars and revolutions. We are now witnessing the end of another long phase of historical development, during which inter-imperialist antagonisms were contained and the social resistance of the working class was suppressed. In fact, it might be more correct to say that we have already entered into a new phase of historical development, one which will be characterized by the greatest social convulsions in world history. Indeed, this is the meaning of the main political resolution’s assertion that the crisis of 2008 represented, no less than 1914, 1929 and 1939, a turn in world history.
The task before this congress is to comprehend the political implications of this “turn” from the standpoint of the historical development of the Fourth International. Seventy-four years ago, Trotsky began the founding document of the Fourth International with the sentence: “The world political situation as a whole is chiefly characterized by a historical crisis of the leadership of the proletariat.” In determining its response to the advanced crisis of the world capitalist system, this congress must consider the question: Within the context of an examination of the interaction of the objective contradictions of world capitalism and the class struggle and the development of the Fourth International, how do we presently assess the crisis of working class leadership?
This question requires a review of the history of the Trotskyist movement. This is not an academic exercise: the study of the history of the Fourth International provides a deeper insight into essential socio-economic processes underlying the development of the class struggle. An attempt to analyze the present situation and determine “concrete” tasks, apart from a review of the historical experience, will amount to little more than political impressionism, based on a more or less eclectic selection of empirical data gleaned from the media, various government and academic reports, and, perhaps, personal observations. Such an approach cannot attain the deeper understanding that comes from an examination of the historical movement of social forces which, influenced by objective tendencies of economic development, have found distinct expression at different periods and “phases” of the class struggle.
This historical approach demands of this congress a high level of political consciousness. This congress is itself a significant “moment” in the development of the class struggle. The delegates assembled in this room are participating in the deliberations of this congress not as a collection of random individuals, but as representatives of a distinct international political tendency that has been defined by the struggle, spanning many decades, for the program of world socialist revolution. As the historical record demonstrates, the struggles within this movement have developed either as a direct result of, or as an anticipation of, major shifts in the international political situation and the corresponding relation of class forces.
To act consciously within the historical process requires of a revolutionary that he or she appropriate all that can be appropriated of the experiences and traditions of the Fourth International. A Marxist must locate his or her own practice within the historical trajectory of the struggle to resolve the crisis of revolutionary leadership. Almost exactly 30 years ago, in the autumn of 1982, as I was seeking to clarify, first of all in my own mind, the significance of the differences over theory, political perspective and practice that had arisen inside the International Committee of the Fourth International, I wrote:
The history of Trotskyism cannot be comprehended as a series of disconnected episodes. Its theoretical development has been abstracted by its cadre from the continuous unfolding of the world capitalist crisis and the struggles of the international proletariat. Its unbroken continuity of political analyses of all the fundamental experiences of the class struggle, over an entire historical epoch, constitutes the enormous richness of Trotskyism as the sole development of Marxism after the death of Lenin in 1924.
A leadership which does not strive collectively to assimilate the whole of this history cannot adequately fulfill its revolutionary responsibilities to the working class. Without a real knowledge of the historical development of the Trotskyist movement, references to dialectical materialism are not merely hollow; such empty references pave the way for a real distortion of the dialectical method. The source of theory lies not in thought but in the objective world. Thus the development of Trotskyism proceeds from the fresh experiences of the class struggle, which are posited on the entire historically-derived knowledge of our movement.
“Thus cognition rolls forward from content to content… it raises to each next stage of determination the whole mass of its antecedent content, and by its dialectical progress not only loses nothing and leaves nothing behind, but carries with it all that it has acquired, enriching and concentrating itself upon itself …”
Quoting this passage from Hegel’s Science of Logic, Lenin, in his Philosophical Notebooks, wrote: “This extract is not at all bad as a kind of summing up of dialectics.” Nor is this extract bad “as a kind of summing up of” the constant dialectical development of Trotskyist theory. [4]
We must now bring to bear on this congress the entire “antecedent content” of the experiences of the Fourth International. This effort will contribute significantly to an understanding of the present stage of the crisis of working class leadership and what must be done to resolve it.
Let us contrast our emphasis on historical consciousness—and on the significance of the reworking of historical experiences—with the attitude that prevails within the milieu of the middle-class pseudo-left. Alain Krivine, the main leader of the New Anti-capitalist Party in France, has written:
Unlike the LCR, the NPA however does not resolve some issues, it leaves them open for future Conferences. For example, all the strategic debates about taking power, transitional demands, dual power, etc. It does not claim to be Trotskyist, as such, but considers Trotskyism to be one of the contributors, among others, to the revolutionary movement. Unwilling, as we had to do under Stalinism, to arrive at policy by the rear view mirror, the NPA has no position on what was the Soviet Union, Stalinism, etc. Policy is based on an agreement on the analysis of the period and on tasks. [5]
In other words, the NPA takes no position on the political experiences of the twentieth century. It practices historical abstentionism. The NPA has nothing to say about the past. But how, |
. By studying the cubs, scientists hope to reach firmer conclusions.Toronto city council voted to suspend the Toronto Parking Authority (TPA) board and ask the integrity commissioner to investigate a controversial land deal that was nixed.
City council spent the better part of two days discussing the complex issue, brought to light in a scathing report by Toronto's auditor general, Beverly Romeo-Beehler.
Her report, released last week, found the TPA nearly spent $2.5 million more than it should have for a piece of land near Finch Avenue West and Highway 400 last year because it was relying on information provided by a lobbyist and sign consultant rather than an independent business valuator.
After Coun. John Filion, a current member of the board, contacted the auditor with concerns about the $12.1 million purchase price, Romeo-Beehler began investigating and shortly after the TPA abandoned the deal.
However, TPA officials say due diligence would have been done before the transaction was finalized.
At council's Thursday meeting, Coun. Giorgio Mammoliti — who was on the TPA board at the time of the potential acquisition and also sits on the Emery Village Business Improvement Area, which wants to build the world's tallest flagpole at the site — took aim at Filion, suggesting he acted more like a "headhunter" than a whistleblower.
Filion dismissed that, saying it was not true.
Councillors hope investigation will lead to answers
Mayor John Tory moved to have the board step aside while a further investigation takes place, noting in his motion "there has been no evidence of wrongdoing on the part of the board."
Coun. Gord Perks says that's the right move, suggesting the investigation needs to be done in a manner that's "beyond reproach."
Coun. Janet Davis's motion to ask the lobbyist registrar to look into the actions of a lobbyist and consultant involved in the scuttled deal was approved.
The auditor general told councillors the tangle of relationships at the heart of the deal was like a "hairball."
A number of councillors say they're hoping a third-party investigation will allow the city to get to the bottom of what happened.Two years ago today, I was released from Evin Prison after 105 days in solitary confinement. I was arrested in early 2007 on the ludicrous charge of attempting to foment a "velvet revolution" to overthrow the Iranian government and held as a political prisoner by the Intelligence Ministry. Even President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has acknowledged the absurdity of these charges; this month, explaining why he recently fired his minister of intelligence, he noted that the intelligence chief had made himself the subject of ridicule by charging "a 70-year-old woman" with wanting to start a revolution. (Actually, I was 67 then.) Rather, Ahmadinejad said, the spy chief should have exposed the real instigators of this plot.
The Iranian government imagines that it is now going after the real instigators -- and it fails to see the damage it is causing its own society.
Thousands were arrested in the protests after the June 12 presidential election that large numbers of Iranians believe was rigged in Ahmadinejad's favor. More than 100 of the protesters and their leaders were put on trial this month. The charge? Trying to foment a velvet revolution with the backing of foreign governments. The accused include not only ordinary demonstrators but also a former vice president, former members of parliament, and strategists and idea men who worked for two opposition presidential candidates, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karrubi, in the disputed election. Truly, the revolution has begun to devour its children.
In weeks of interrogation during my incarceration in 2007, I came to understand only too well the paranoia that drives Iran's security agencies and its hard-liners. These men fear that they will be overthrown by a mass movement of their own people, similar to the popular movements, or "velvet revolutions," that toppled autocratic regimes of the former Soviet empire in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Caucasus. They have convinced themselves that those earlier movements were not homegrown but were planned and orchestrated by the United States. They believe America is scheming to pull off a similar upheaval in Iran.
My interrogators explained to me that the United States, bogged down in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, no longer contemplates military action against Iran. Rather, they said, Washington is engaged in a long-term plan for regime change in which a crucial role is assigned to America's great universities and think tanks, such as the one where I work. These institutions target Iran's intellectual elites -- the same class that led political revolutions in Georgia and Ukraine. They use fellowships, conferences, workshops and speaking invitations to recruit Iranian intellectuals, journalists, academics and political activists, and they turn them into willing or unwitting partners in this conspiracy. The plan feeds upon itself: ideas, recruitment, linkages with politicians, mass protests and then regime overthrow.
I was supposed to be the mastermind or at least a key player in this project. My chief interrogator offered to let me off if I implicated my employer, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. At one point I replied to my interrogators that Iran is not a banana republic to be overthrown by 20 scholars sitting around a conference table.
Eventually, I was freed. But in the mass "trials" that began this month, the government prosecutor laid out precisely the same "conspiracy" I was charged with. Using the same mad logic I faced during interrogation, he managed to link together foreign governments, the BBC, other journalists, a French-language teacher, anti-regime monarchists, a former guerrilla organization and prominent leaders of the Islamic Republic. All are supposed to have joined hands to bring about regime change.
A million Iranians poured into the streets in June in support of Mousavi and to protest a stolen election. The protests chilled the regime; the worst fears of the security agencies seemed to be playing out. It did not register with the government that the protesters were calling for reform, not revolution. The demonstrators saw in Mousavi, an insider, the possibility of change: greater political and social freedoms, an end to fear from secret police and morals police, a more moderate foreign policy, a greater openness to the outside world.
Yet it is precisely such change that Iranian hard-liners have always feared. The regime panicked and brutally cracked down, and the most hard-line elements have emerged on top. They are setting the agenda, and they see the chance to rid themselves, for good, of the moderates and reformists in their midst. Hence the show trials, the coerced confessions, and the calls for Mousavi and Karrubi to be prosecuted.
The result is a deep cleavage in the Iranian leadership. The trials have caused as much revulsion at home as abroad. Prominent Iranians have described the proceedings in Tehran as "Stalinist"; Karrubi has persisted in charges that prisoners have been tortured, raped and killed; increasingly, Iran's supreme leader is being criticized.
As Karrubi pointed out, the widespread discontent will not be easily silenced. Iran's hard-liners have long feared a foreign-inspired upheaval. Ironically, they seem to have accomplished what their ubiquitous foreign "enemies" could not: They have planted the seeds for their own, homegrown velvet revolution.
Haleh Esfandiari is director of the Middle East program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the author of "My Prison, My Home: One Woman's Story of Captivity in Iran."Donald Glover is in the Academy. (Photo11: Robyn Beck, AFP/Getty Images)
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Betty White, Wonder Woman Gal Gadot and Atlanta creator and star Donald Glover are part of a diverse and record-setting 2017 class for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The governing body for the Oscars announced the list of 774 new members from 57 countries on Wednesday. The new class exceeds last year's record crop (683) and is composed of 39% women (marking a 359% increase in the number of women invited to join from 2015 to 2017) and 30% people of color (a 331% increase since 2015).
Other notable new members: Debbie Allen, Riz Ahmed, Priyanka Chopra, John Cho, Rebel Wilson, Kristen Stewart, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ruth Negga, Zoë Kravitz, Leslie Jones, Kate McKinnon, Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth.
Chris Evans, left, and his Marvel co-star Chris Hemsworth are both new members of the Academy. (Photo11: Jay Maidment, AP)
Increasing diversity within the group has been a major initiative for Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs and CEO Dawn Hudson since the outcry resulting from #OscarsSoWhite in January 2016, when the Academy nominated an entirely white slate of actors for a second year in a row.
At the time, Boone Isaacs and Hudson announced a goal of doubling the number of women and minority members by 2020.
With the addition of the 2017 class, female membership overall has increased to 28%, up from 25% in 2015. Seven Academy branches invited more women than men (actors, casting directors, costume designers, designers, documentary, executives and film editors).
Members of color increased to 13% with the new class, up from 8% in 2015.
Pete Hammond, awards columnist for the industry website Deadline.com, says the large and international class will have an immediate effect on the 90th Academy Awards on March 4 and beyond.
"This class will have a significant impact on the movies awarded with Oscars even this year," Hammond says. "This is the most significant change I have seen in the Academy membership."
'Moonlight' director Barry Jenkins enters the Academy with an international class of fellow directors. (Photo11: Powers Imagery/Invision/AP)
The international makeup of the 2017 class is also of note. In the director's branch, Guy Ritchie, Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) and Jordan Peele (Get Out) are part of a larger group of new members drawn from around the globe — including Nana Dzhordzhadze (Georgia), Ildikó Enyedi (Hungary), Safi Faye (Senegal) and Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina (Algeria).
"The Academy is trying to become the United Nations of film," Hammond says. "This is a true worldwide search for talent that we haven't seen before."
The 2017 class also adds three married couples to the membership, including new member Anna Faris joining husband Chris Pratt.
The new members will be officially welcomed into the Academy during a fall ceremony.
Anna Faris and Chris Pratt are all smiles. (Photo11: Eugene Garcia, EPA)
Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2tlOghFImage caption Giant puppets made an appearance at the St Patrick's Day parade
Ask Joe Sweeney about his Irish heritage and he is only too happy to share the snippets of trivia gleaned from family lore.
Perched on the edge of a grave in Montserrat's historic Carr's Bay cemetery, his fingers reverently trace the engraved words just visible on the aged tombstone.
This St Patrick's Day pilgrimage to the final resting place of his paternal ancestor Nathaniel Bass Daly is an annual ritual for Mr Sweeney.
The 87-year-old left the Caribbean's "emerald isle" in 1954 for a new life in England but has diligently returned to his homeland every year for almost four decades.
Image caption Joe Sweeney, 87, is proud of Irish heritage and his ancestor Nathaniel Bass Daly
The 1793 grave was prepared for Nathaniel's wife Elizabeth, lost at just 31 to an unknown epidemic, and refers only to Nathaniel as her "disconsolate husband".
"But we know he's buried here," Mr Sweeney says. "He insisted his name wasn't put on the stone because he didn't want to disturb her."
'Feeling the kinship'
The former stonemason is proud of his Irish roots which date back, he says, to the early settlers of the 1600s when the Irish made up the majority of Montserrat's white population as indentured labourers, merchants and plantation owners.
Image caption Joe Sweeney has not been to Ireland, but his daughter has researched their family history
"Nathaniel Daly came on an official visit and liked it so much he stayed. He was a sophisticated, respected man. The Daly family owned a lot of land," Mr Sweeney continues, gesturing to the surrounding landscape fringing Daly Hill, one of numerous locations here with an Irish name.
"My daughter went to Ireland to find out about our family; she discovered the Sweeneys were from Donegal and the Dalys from Tipperary."
Mr Sweeney has never been to Ireland himself, something he regrets. But what he regrets more is not extracting further information about his familial roots from his parents before they died.
"You didn't question your parents in those days; they'd say you were cheeky," he says, blue-flecked eyes twinkling.
"For some people, having Irish ancestors is just a fact of life. But I am proud to be one of them; I feel a kinship," he adds.
He is far from alone.
Sea of green
From the shamrock-shaped passport stamp upon arrival at the tiny British territory, to the marking of St Patrick's Day with a public holiday and a week of festivities, Montserrat's Irish heritage is eulogised.
Image caption Montserratians enjoy celebrating their Irish connection
The thousands of international visitors who flooded in for this year's celebrations transformed the isle of 5,000 residents, many of whom bear surnames like Riley, O'Brien and Meade, into a vibrant sea of green.
Leprechauns, shamrocks and Guinness are ubiquitous but the revelry features the island's rich Caribbean and African culture too, evidenced in feasts of traditional food such as goat "water" or stew, a "freedom run" in tribute to its slave history, and gospel and soca performances.
Retired schoolteacher Sylvester Browne helped organise Montserrat's first official St Patrick's Day festivities in 1985. Prior to that, the date was marked informally with low-key events in individual villages.
Image caption Sylvester Browne helped organise Montserrat's first official St Patrick's Day celebrations in 1985
Mr Browne's own village of St Patrick's was destroyed by the Soufriere Hills volcanic eruption of 1997, part of a two decade-long crisis that forced more than half of the island's erstwhile 11,500 inhabitants to flee.
The volcano remains active to this day, although it has been relatively quiet in recent years. Today, visits to the ruined capital city of Plymouth and Montserrat's "black sand" beaches are a draw for adventure tourists. More than half of the island is still within an exclusion zone.
Image caption The villages of St Patrick's and Morris were destroyed in less than 30 minutes in 1997
"St Patrick's Day celebrations started because we wanted to commemorate the village more than anything," Mr Browne tells the BBC. "It's evolved in a way we never imagined."
Valued connection
The original plantation-era costumes have stood the test of time - and appeared sporadically in this year's parade, alongside garb in the green, white and marigold national tartan, masquerade dancers, and African-inspired grass skirts and head-wraps.
Image caption The national tartan was a popular choice for the St Patrick's Day parade
Image caption Some groups commemorated events in the island's history
"I'm happy it's grown to be this big but it saddens me that it's become so commercialised," Mr Browne continues. "It would nice if it focussed more on local tradition and what makes us unique."
These days, Montserrat's ethnic melting pot makes it hard to quantify how many people are of Irish descent.
"Some people deny it; others are proud for sentimental reasons, it's a connection they value," Mr Browne explains.
Image caption Some of the costumes bear little resemblance to those worn at parades in Ireland
Image caption Spirits were high at the parade in Montserrat
"St Patrick's Day is a nice way to showcase the island to visitors; some people are still not certain how safe it is. It's also great to see so many Montserratians return home for it."
Vince Greenaway was one of more than 1,000 Montserratians living overseas to attend the 17 March parade.
"Last year my buddies back home called me in Canada to tell me I was missing out," he says, laughing.
"I promised them I would be here this year; it's wonderful to see people I haven't seen in years."On a table located in the “Main Expo” hall during the 10th anniversary of a DIY event called the Maker Faire sits a machine spinning invisible lasers from two cylindrical chambers. It perches atop a tiny, black tripod as thousands of people walk around searching for something interesting.
There are a circuits and photodiodes (light sensitive detectors) spread across the surface below, along with a wireless controller framed with in 3D printed plastic. Next to those items is a handheld prototype, an early one – a proof of concept. It contains a tiny screen outputting continuously changing numbers. That device would eventually lead to what is arguably the premium input solution for virtual reality systems about to reach consumers’s hands, and it was just sitting there waiting to be understood.
The person behind the exhibition booth was Alan Yates, Valve’s “Chief Pharologist,” which is a fancy name for a brilliant maker, developer, electrical engineer all wrapped in one. Being that this is not a virtual reality focused convention, the topic of conversation hovered around what non-VR applications the Lighthouse system could be applied to. According to Yates, this tracking solution has the potential to be used with robotics and micro flight, indoor drones.
At first, the basestations will hit the virtual reality market allowing the system to track VR headsets and wireless controllers. This is an obvious application as the demand for the medium is finally skyrocketing. However, the platform is scalable to unimaginable heights, thus being able to be integrated into just about anything; including but not limited to robots and drones. Interestingly enough, the Lighthouse can be used outdoors. There are some issues with light interference, plus the range of the system is relatively small for outdoor use, but it has the capabilities to run outside nonetheless.
Another interesting tidbit is that the basestations themselves don’t necessarily need to be networked together. They can run asynchronously. Also, only one Lighthouse is needed. Adding more to an area helps with occlusion problems that may arise depending of the movements of the user. As long as 5 photodiode sensors detect the infrared lights sweeping across an environment, the device can determine its orientation in a 3D space. In addition, the sensors pick up modulated light emitted from the cluster of LEDs attached to the front as well.
Even further, an additional nugget of information surfaced at the Maker Faire. It was discovered that the Lighthouse basestations can detect disruptions. If they get picked up, knocked over, or adjusted in any way, the system can sense the movements. This means that internal algorithms can make adjustments from there, keeping the experience as stable and streamlined as possible.
Valve even has a software solution in the works for creating custom controllers and device too. CAD models of an object that are outputted to STL files can be looked at, and the user can be told where the optimal places to add sensors are. That makes it much easier to start prototyping units, with a testing phase following shortly after.
As long as people maintain the standards associated with licensing the Lighthouse system, individuals can make pretty much anything they can think of. It will be interesting to see what developers do with this system next. Personally, I want VR wands, swords, and gloves, but the possibilities are endless. If you have ideas of what to create, let us know what you might make in the comments!
To listen to the interview with Alan Yates, click the play button below:The first largescale study of ancient DNA from early American people has confirmed the devastating impact of European colonisation on the Indigenous American populations of the time.
Led by the University of Adelaide's Australian Centre for Ancient DNA (ACAD), the researchers have reconstructed a genetic history of Indigenous American populations by looking directly into the DNA of 92 pre-Columbian mummies and skeletons, between 500 and 8600 years old.
Published in Science Advances, the study reveals a striking absence of the pre-Columbian genetic lineages in modern Indigenous Americans; showing extinction of these lineages with the arrival of the Spaniards.
"Surprisingly, none of the genetic lineages we found in almost 100 ancient humans were present, or showed evidence of descendants, in today's Indigenous populations," says joint lead author Dr Bastien Llamas, Senior Research Associate with ACAD. "This separation appears to have been established as early as 9000 years ago and was completely unexpected, so we examined many demographic scenarios to try and explain the pattern."
"The only scenario that fit our observations was that shortly after the initial colonisation, populations were established that subsequently stayed geographically isolated from one another, and that a major portion of these populations later became extinct following European contact. This closely matches the historical reports of a major demographic collapse immediately after the Spaniards arrived in the late 1400s."
The research team, which also includes members from the University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC) and Harvard Medical School, studied maternal genetic lineages by sequencing whole mitochondrial genomes extracted from bone and teeth samples from 92 pre-Columbian--mainly South American--human mummies and skeletons.
The ancient genetic signals also provide a more precise timing of the first people entering the Americas--via the Beringian land bridge that connected Asia and the north-western tip of North America during the last Ice Age.
"Our genetic reconstruction confirms that the first Americans entered around 16,000 years ago via the Pacific coast, skirting around the massive ice sheets that blocked an inland corridor route which only opened much later," says Professor Alan Cooper, Director of ACAD. "They spread southward remarkably swiftly, reaching southern Chile by 14,600 years ago."
"Genetic diversity in these early people from Asia was limited by the small founding populations which were isolated on the Beringian land bridge for around 2400 to 9000 years," says joint lead author Dr Lars Fehren-Schmitz, from UCSC. "It was at the peak of the last Ice Age, when cold deserts and ice sheets blocked human movement, and limited resources would have constrained population size. This long isolation of a small group of people brewed the unique genetic diversity observed in the early Americans."
Dr Wolfgang Haak, formerly at ACAD and now at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, says: "Our study is the first real time genetic record of these key questions regarding the timing and process of the peopling of the Americas. To get an even fuller picture, however, we will need a concerted effort to build a comprehensive dataset from the DNA of people alive today and their pre-Columbian ancestors, to further compare ancient and modern diversity."HBO The Mother of Dragons is one person we definitely don't want to cross.
NOTE: Spoilers from "Game of Thrones" Season 6, Episode 4, "Book of the Stranger," ahead. Read at your own risk!
If there's one person we don't want to mess with after Sunday night's "Game of Thrones" episode, it's Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke). The badass Mother of Dragons managed to escape her Dothraki captors, then set the tent she was in on fire, leaving everyone inside to die.
She walked away from the fiery scene naked -- Dany may be fireproof, but her clothes aren't -- and seemingly stronger than ever, as the Dothrakis bowed down to her. (The last time we were made aware of Dany's fireproof power was in Season 1.)
"It’s so exciting, very tingly-making. Every season I get at least one spine-chilling moment," Clarke told Entertainment Weekly of the scene. "I just stand up and I go, ‘I’m hearing what you’re all saying, but funny thing, I’m going to kill you all. I forgot that I have an ace in my back pocket and now I win.’”
Win is definitely what the queen of Meereen does -- since she was able to take out the Dothraki leadership, she may have found herself a larger army.
"She realizes that this is the missing piece,” Clarke explained. “The Dothraki are the missing piece of her crew -- she’s seemingly indestructible having Dothraki on her side.”
The actress also wanted viewers to know that the person you saw in the nude scene was all her, "all proud, all strong."
“I’d like to remind people the last time I took my clothes off was Season 3,” she told EW. “That was awhile ago. It’s now Season 6. But this is all me, all proud, all strong. I’m just feeling genuinely happy I said ‘Yes.’ That ain’t no body double!”
It makes sense that Clarke is so open about the topic -- the actress was once misquoted saying she hates doing explicit sex scenes, which she later corrected with a post on Instagram. She has absolutely no problem owning her latest nude scene, and she's ready to talk about it.
“How many times has [Daario actor] Michiel Huisman been asked about the fact he’s taken his clothes off a bunch? Is that even a discussion? No," she said. "So I’m doing it this year and people can talk about it and I’m ready to answer any questions about it, basically.”
Yaaas, queen!Turks on Twitter blame Jews for Turkey’s unending crises Jews were blamed for the Russian ambassador's murder and a lethal car bombing. Uzay Bulut,
INN:UB Uzay Bulut Uzay Bulut The writer is a Turkish journalist and political analyst formerly based in Ankara. She now lives in the United States. More from the author ► The writer is a Turkish journalist and political analyst formerly based in Ankara. She now lives in the United States. Andrei Karlov, the Russian Ambassador to Turkey, was fatally shot on 19 December at an art exhibition in Ankara. The perpetrator was a Turkish special forces police officer. Many Turkish Twitter users, however, blamed the assassination on the Jews, calling it a “Jewish plot” and claiming that the assassin “had a Jewish look”. According to the Turkish website Avlaremoz, which covers Jewish-related issues, some of the Twits included: The real enemy of all the Muslims and all of the oppressed in the world is Zionism and the cursed Israel. Behind the assassination is the Jewish lobby and the USA.
The assassin is a lowlife agent of the Jewish lobby.
The Jew does not want Turkish-Russian rapprochement. By inciting Islamophobia, their pawn in Turkey is also involved in the game. Whoever will benefit from this should be the perpetrator. (Dograel – a distorted form referring to the word Israel.)
This looks like Jewish work. Simple and effective.
The assassin has the typical Jewish look. I don’t know if it’s just me but he is a real Jew. Another user implied that as Jews are not happy with Turkey’s invasion of Syria, code-named by Turkey as “Operation Euphrates Shield”, and the construction of the “Turkish Stream”, a planned natural gas pipeline running from Russia to Turkey as well as Turkey’s possible membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), or the “Shanghai Five”, whose leaders include China and Russia. “Assassination of the Russian ambassador aims at affecting three things in one act,” he wrote. “Russian-backed Operation Euphrates Shield, the Turkish Stream, and the Shanghai Five.”
As Israeli politician Naftali Bennett puts it, “Even when a British Muslim kills a British Christian there will always be someone who blames the Jews and Israel.”
Two days before the Russian diplomat's assassination, on 17 December, a suspected car bombing in the Turkish city of Kayseri killed 13 Turkish soldiers aboard a bus and wounded at least 55 others. Following the deadly attack, dozens of angry Turkish protesters stormed the headquarters of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) in Kayseri in response to the bombing. Some of the demonstrators climbed to the top of the building, set off a fire and furled down a flag of the far-right Nationalist Movement Party. Holding all Kurds responsible for the deaths of the soldiers, many Turks across Turkey raided the offices of the HDP, damaged or even destroyed the property inside. But they particularly had one other group to blame: The Jews. In an attempt to spew their Jew-hatred, many Turkish anti-Semites rushed to Twitter – as they often do following all crisis situations in Turkey – and accused the perpetrators of being Jewish. According to Avlaremoz, some Twits included: If you were not treacherous, if you were not kafir, if you did not have Jewish roots, you would not attack unarmed soldiers. Victory will be ours, hell will be yours.
As you have cowardly asses, you were not able to confront our soldiers and you carried out a treacherous bomb explosion, you Jewish bastards. You will not make it. Revenge will be ours, remember that.
Hey you, cowardly Jew, whose humanity is only as much as his money. As you and your dogs burn in hell, those who you have made martyrs will be in heaven.
Obviously, we will not have peace unless there are explosions in Iran, England and in the Jewish lands.
Cowardly, undignified ones with no honor. You do not have the courage to stand up to a single soldier of ours. Satans. Armenian, Jewish sperms. You will all be croaked.
We do not want death penalty for them. We want torture for them. Let them all pay for what they have done, Jewish dogs.
Vile, ignoble, Armenian, Jewish, dogs of Hitler. They attacked our soldiers again dastardly. May Allah curse you. The pigs of the EU, USA and Israel.
You will not make it, ignoble servants of Jews. This system will change and this country and this nation will get rid of you. Get out and take your owners with you.
You Godless ones, those without a holy book, you Armenian, Jewish, Persian, kafir underbred ones. Cursed sperms of rats. Enough is enough. One even claimed that the attackers are descendents of Amr ibn Hisham, also known as Abu Jahl, one of the Meccan pagan Qurayshi leaders known for his critical opposition towards Islam’s founder, Muhammad. “Even if Abu Jahls and Pharaohs, who are your ancestors, your Mason fathers, your Jewish brothers, your Jonny uncles, and your Hans uncles get united, you will not make it.” When Turkish soldiers are killed in Turkey, many Turks blame it on the Jews, a group irrelevant in the Turkish-Kurdish conflict. But even when the murderer of a foreign diplomat is a Turkish police officer, these Turks are still too shameless to accuse Jews of the murder committed by a criminal, who is their own: A Muslim Turk. “Any group must already be hated to be an effective scapegoat,” according to the website “simpletoremember”, which discusses Jewish-related issues. “The Scapegoat Theory does not then cause anti-Semitism. Rather, anti-Semitism is what makes the Jews a convenient scapegoat target. Hitler's ranting and ravings would not be taken seriously if he said, ‘It's the bicycle riders and the midgets who are destroying our society’." As the Israeli politician Naftali Bennett puts it, “Even when a British Muslim kills a British Christian there will always be someone who blames the Jews and Israel.” The scapegoating that targets Jews is not only stupid and irrational at worst, threatening the security of all Jews, but it is also unproductive and intellectually lazy, preventing Muslims and all others from facing their own problems and failures and coming up with effective solutions to tackle them. But as many Muslims have been incapable of doing so, their crises and failures are getting even more serious and intense, so is their hatred for Jews.
More Arutz Sheva videos:
topUpcoming deprecation of baseURL in Ember CLI 2.7
The baseURL configuration option and the accompanying <base> tag in Ember CLI applications are often and tragically misunderstood. There have been at least 67 issues opened for Ember CLI referencing baseURL, making it one of the most common points of discussion. As a result, in Ember CLI's canary channel, we have deprecated baseURL and removed the default <base> inside of index.html. The intent is that this change will be released with Ember CLI 2.7 stable in roughly 10 weeks.
Existing applications are able to continue using baseURL with a deprecation warning. If you are eager to adopt this change, you should note that the removal of the <base> tag may impact how your application is deployed, and if so, will likely require some small migration effort, detailed below.
This is the culmination of a lot of research and work by Tobias Bieniek and we're incredibly grateful for his efforts.
What was it?
baseURL allowed an Ember application and assets to be deployed to a subdirectory without requiring rewriting of asset URLs, instead allowing them to be included relatively. For example given an HTML file:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 <head> <base href = " http://emberapp.example.com/path/to/application/ " > <link rel = " stylesheet " href = " assets/style.css " > </head> <body> <img src = " assets/images/image.png " > </body>
The style would be fetched from http://emberapp.example.com/path/to/application/assets/style.css, and the image from http://emberapp.example.com/path/to/application/assets/images/image.png. If you are curious, here is a good read on the base tag. In short, baseURL is the configuration property Ember CLI used to identify what value to put in the <base href="..." /> tag included in index.html. This determined where assets for the application should be loaded from, including app.js, vendor.js, app.css, and anything else that isn't specified with a fully-qualified path.
Why are we deprecating it?
Variations on the baseURL solution has been Ember CLIs default asset prefixing behavior for two years. There are a number of reasons why we're moving away from this pattern, but a few things really made it unnecessarily complicated.
API Design Bugs
Since we added this feature two years ago apps can have both baseURL and rootURL configuration values. These two names are far too similar and do things which are far too similar. Where baseURL identified the asset prefix of an application, rootURL identifies the path at which an Ember application is served so Ember's router can know which path segments to ignore.
Implicit Behavior
Not only are there two confusing configuration options, but if only one of baseURL or rootURL was set Ember CLI made a best-effort guess at populating the other's value. This implicit behavior violated the principle of least surprise for many people. An explicit requirement for both values always being set and clearer documentation would have averted some of the pain but would have added additional things to the learning curve.
Integration With Other Applications
Not every Ember application is full green field development. If you happened to have legacy user-generated HTML, or other data containing relative links, this didn't play nicely with the <base> tag. Rewriting this content is an option, but incurs cost and bugs more simply avoided by not including the <base> tag.
SVG
Worst of all, and something that we can't code or document around, SVG <use> elements break in an unexpected way when used with a <base> tag. It turns out that the relatively common pattern of <use xlink:xhref="#__SVG_ID__"></use> referencing a fragment identifier doesn't play nicely with the <base> tag. We like to play nicely with the web ecosystem and this fault is the final straw that resulted in the decision of removing the <base> tag.
How Do I Migrate?
Existing applications are able to continue using baseURL with a deprecation warning. For users who do want to migrate, the steps depend primarily on how your application is deployed. It's our goal is to make it easy for you to achieve the same behaviors you've had in the past.
New Applications
If you're starting a new application using an Ember CLI canary (or eventually 2.7 stable) everything should work correctly out of the box. We've been very careful to make sure that the out of the box experience is as smooth as possible. For the built-in development server all assets will be served at the rootURL. Relative URLs will continue to work just fine inside of your CSS files and paths to assets included in your templates, index.html, or inserted via {{content-for}} should specify a root-relative path.
Upgrading
If you are upgrading your application to the new version of Ember CLI (canary with this change, or eventually 2.7 stable), you should pay close attention to the configuration changes inside of the modified blueprint files. We have also inserted deprecation warnings which will hopefully guide you through each of these changes.
The primary migration effort is that you should expect to adjust any relative paths which appear in your templates, are inserted via {{content-for}}, or directly present in index.html. Because you will be serving index.html from the server for any arbitrary route in your application you must modify these to be either a fully-qualified path or a root-relative URL.
As an example, given this configuration where you have configured a different rootURL and baseURL :
config/environment.js 1 2 3 4 5 6 var ENV = { rootURL :'/path/to/application/ ', baseURL :'/assets/go/here/'}
You would remove the baseURL option and modify your templates like so:
1 2 3 4 5 <img src = " images/logo.png " /> <img src = " /assets/go/here/images/logo.png " />
How To Use a CDN
One of the most common use cases for baseURL was pointing to assets on a CDN. After this change to remove baseURL you should use the prepend option for broccoli-asset-rev which is included with Ember CLI apps by default. For example, in ember-cli-build.js :
ember-cli-build.js 1 2 3 4 5 6 var app = new EmberApp(defaults, { fingerprint : { prepend :'https://cdn.example.com/'} });
Note that the prepend option only applies when doing production builds via something like ember build --prod. Given the above example, and this input:
config/environment.js 1 2 3 4 5 var ENV = { rootURL :'/path/to/application/'}
1 2 3 <link rel = " stylesheet " |
” movement of people who instinctively distrust government. They may be lunatics or political fringe types but who can say the US government, or those that follow in its footsteps like the UK government, have done anything to earn the trust of their citizens on national security issues? Secrecy is also corrosive of trust more generally. Who can you trust online now? Even if people aren't informers for US intelligence agencies, how do you know someone you work with, another member of a political party or activist group, a friend, hasn't had their IT equipment owned by intelligence agencies, or is being targeted for internet surveillance? What new encryption product can you trust to actually protect you? If you're a whistleblower or confidential source, how do you know a journalist, even if he or she would rather go to jail than give you up, doesn't have poor IT hygiene and will be easily monitored by the government? That, of course, is one of the intentions of governments, to corrode the connectiveness between citizens that the internet facilitates, because they fear it. But it corrodes citizens' trust in governments as well as their trust in the companies they purchase from and the people they communicate with. A small but telling reference in the encryption reports that intelligence agencies tried to halt was that the NSA refers to ordinary users of encryption products -- that is, all of us -- as “adversaries”. Whether we trust governments or not, how wise would it even be to trust a government that regards its own citizens as enemies? *Disclosure: Bernard Keane is a supporter and contributor to the Free Barrett Brown campaignIt appears that John Manley, president and CEO of the Business Council of Canada and the Liberal’s Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2000 to 2002, is channeling both Stephen Harper and Justin Trudeau.
Manley has written an opinion piece for iPolitics in which he argues there is nothing wrong with the deal which will see Canada sell Saudi Arabia billions of dollars worth of light armoured vehicles.
One of the main reasons, he points out, is that the light armoured vehicles the Saudis will receive from General Dynamics Land Systems – Canada, are not the type of “equipment that can be used in torture or persecution of women. We are selling military vehicles — basically fancy trucks.”
General Dynamics Land Systems- Canada is not providing specific details about the breakdown of the LAV order, which has financial backing of the government of Canada. But defence industry sources say Saudi Arabia will acquire different versions of the upgraded LAV-III, outfitted with a variety of weapon systems. One of the subcontracts already made public for the Saudi deal is for a 105mm gun system.
The decision to go for a variety of weapon systems follows the pattern of previous Saudi purchases of Canadian LAVs.
Jane’s, the defence publication in the United Kingdom, noted Saudi Arabia already has a fleet of more than 1,400 light armoured vehicles purchased from General Dynamics Land Systems – Canada. They were produced in a variety of versions: some are designed as armoured ambulances while others are outfitted with 25mm cannons or a 90mm gun. Other versions carry 120mm mortars.
It appears from videos and photos that the versions of the Canadian LAVs that Saudi Arabia used when it helped Bahrain crush pro-democracy protests in 2011 were largely equipped with 90mm guns. The Saudis stationed their vehicles and troops at key locations throughout the country, protecting government buildings for instance.
That in turn freed up Bahrain’s security forces to crack down on the protesters and conduct mass arrests. The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry determined that many detainees arrested by security forces were subjected to torture.
Manley’s reasoning on the light armoured vehicles is similar to both Harper and Trudeau.
In October, Harper, under fire for the deal with Saudi Arabia, a high profile abuser of human rights, tried to position the deal in a more benign way. “Let’s be clear what this contract is – it’s not an arms contract,” Harper told a radio station in London, Ont. “It’s actually for military transport vehicles.”
Trudeau did him one better. The 29,000- kilogram armoured vehicles were really “jeeps,” according to Trudeau.This week, President Trump let the entire world know that New York’s Charles Schumer Charles (Chuck) Ellis SchumerBrennan fires back at'selfish' Trump over Harry Reid criticism Trump rips Harry Reid for 'failed career' after ex-Dem leader slams him in interview Harry Reid: 'I don't see anything' Trump is doing right MORE and California’s Nancy Pelosi are the king and queen of Capitol Hill. Paul Ryan Paul Davis RyanBrexit and exit: A transatlantic comparison Five takeaways from McCabe’s allegations against Trump The Hill's 12:30 Report: Sanders set to shake up 2020 race MORE may wield the House speaker’s gavel and Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellHouse to push back at Trump on border Democrats block abortion bill in Senate Overnight Energy: Climate protesters storm McConnell’s office | Center-right group says Green New Deal could cost trillion | Dire warnings from new climate studies MORE may be surrounded by a praetorian guard of aging white men in expensive suits known as the Senate leadership, but it’s the Democratic dynamic duo that is punching above their weight.
Ryan and McConnell have every reason to be appalled by the president’s gut punch, as he sided with the Democrats by agreeing to coupling Harvey aid to a three-month debt ceiling increase and spending resolution, which will run out just before Christmas. But neither congressman has good reason to be surprised.
Trump was a Schumer donor way before he decided to run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2015. According to the Federal Election Commission, Trump gave $9,000 to Schumer’s campaigns, Ivanka threw in $4,800, and Don Jr. and Eric each kicked in a cool $1,000. At the end of the day, that comes to nearly $16,000, a pretty good haul if you ask me.
But the bond between Trump and Schumer is more than just about both guys who grew up in New York City’s outer boroughs, Queens and Brooklyn, respectively. Rather, it’s about cultural affinity and winning. In the case of Trump, Schumer and Pelosi, the two things go hand in hand. Let’s take a walk down memory lane to a time before Stephen Bannon was Trump’s campaign guru, when Kellyanne Conway was trashing Trump to whomever would listen.
Back then, in April 2016, things were looking iffy for Trump. He had lost contests in North Dakota, Wisconsin, Colorado and Wyoming. The early luster that Trump showed in New Hampshire, Super Tuesday and the Southeast primaries had worn thin. But then something happened, the April 19 New York primary, and the April 26 Acela primaries, battles in which Northeast, Catholic and ethnic Republicans could make their voices heard and their votes counted.
Did they ever. Trump romped to landslide victories in New York, and did so again a week later in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island, with non-evangelical Christians playing the deciding role. In New York, they were more than three-quarters of primary voters, and they went for Trump by more than 60 percent. In Maryland, non-evangelicals made up nearly three in five Republican primary voters, and in turn, they went for Trump three to two. In other words, culture counted.
Which brings me back to Trump, Schumer and Pelosi. On Election Day last fall, Trump voters had little difficulty voting to reelect the Senate minority leader. Schumer won re-election with 70 percent of the vote, and he did so by making serious inroads with Catholic, white working class, Independent and Republican voters.
Schumer captured 72 percent of the Catholic vote, and better than five in nine among whites without college degrees. He also won two-thirds of Independents, and more than a quarter of Republicans. That’s called building a coalition, something Ryan and McConnell have always seemed too busy to do.
To be sure, the Trump-Schumer voter, like the Sanders-Trump voter, is not an Ayn Rand fan. Unalloyed notions of the free market are not what they’re about. They care about jobs and paychecks. They may have a retirement account, but as a rule, these folks aren’t day traders. Work matters.
According to the numbers, the 2016 electorate’s sweet spot was populist, conservative leaning on cultural issues and less so on economics and jobs. Practically speaking for Trump, that meant getting disaster aid to Texas, keeping government running and preventing a default on America’s debt, which would have also put a halt to Social Security checks going out.
For Trump, Schumer and Pelosi, all this was a no-brainer, at least this week. But for Republican legislators, it was a bitter pill. McConnell went out in front on the television cameras looking like he had been forced to eat a plate of broccoli, while Ryan was reportedly furious. Indeed, to add insult to injury, Ivanka walked in on her “daddy’s” meeting with the congressional leadership. Schumer may have been smiling, but the Republicans in the room were not.
In the aftermath of this debacle, congressional Republicans need to ask themselves whether blind devotion to the Kochs, the Club for Growth and the Heritage Foundation is the best way to retain their hold on the reins of power. As for Trump, he reminded everyone that first and foremost he is the Donald, ideology is an expedient and the GOP is merely a vehicle for his ambitions and agenda.
Still for Trump, this a game with risks, one that may even come with the “I” word in the end. The less relevant the Republicans look, the more likely that the GOP loses the House and Trump’s newfound friend Pelosi will be speaker come January 2019. This week, Trump won a huge battle, but his war is far from over.
Lloyd Green was the opposition research counsel to the George H.W. Bush campaign in 1988 and later served in the U.S. Department of Justice.
The views expressed by contributors are their own and are not the views of The Hill."I highly recommend this title to anyone wanting a quick and painless introduction to HTML, CSS, and WordPress."
—TechRepublic (Read More)
"Non-intimidating...introduces concepts at a relaxed and fun pace via the comic format."
—Slashdot (Read More)
"One of the few books on the topic which entertains as well as educates."
—VOYA
"A lighthearted how-to guide that puts students on a yellow brick road to setting up a website."
—Amy Cowen, Science Buddies (Read More)
Look Inside!
Build Your Own Website is a fun, illustrated introduction to the basics of creating a website. Join Kim and her little dog Tofu as she learns HTML, the language of web pages, and CSS, the language used to style web pages, from the Web Guru and Glinda, the Good Witch of CSS.
Once she figures out the basics, Kim travels to WordPress City to build her first website, with Wendy, the WordPress Maven, at her side. They take control of WordPress® themes, install useful plugins, and more.
As you follow along, you’ll learn how to:
Use HTML tags
Make your site shine with CSS
Customize WordPress to fit your needs
Choose a company to host your site and get advice on picking a good domain name
The patient, step-by-step advice you’ll find in Build Your Own Website will help you get your website up and running in no time. Stop dreaming of your perfect website and start making it!Being able to edit your $PATH is an important skill for any beginning Linux user.
When you type a command into the command prompt in Linux, or in other Linux-like operating systems, all you're doing is telling it to run a program. Even simple commands, like ls, cd, mkdir, rm, and others are just small programs that usually live inside a directory on your computer called /usr/bin. There are other places on your system that commonly hold executable programs as well; some common ones include /usr/local/bin, /usr/local/sbin, and /usr/sbin. Which programs live where, and why, is beyond the scope of this article, but know that an executable program can live practically anywhere on your computer: it doesn't have to be limited to one of these directories.
When you type a command into your Linux shell, it doesn't look in every directory to see if there's a program by that name, just the ones you specify. How does it know to look in the directories mentioned above? It's simple: They are a part of an environment variable, called $PATH, which your shell checks in order to know where to look.
Sometimes, you may wish to install programs into other locations on your computer, but be able to execute them easily without specifying their exact location. You can do this easily by adding a directory to your $PATH. To see what's in your $PATH right now, type in:
echo $PATH
You'll probably see the directories mentioned above, as well as perhaps some others, and they are all separated by colons. Now let's add another directory to the list.
Let's say you wrote a little shell script called hello.sh and have it located in a directory called /place/with/the/file. This script provides some useful function to all of the files in your current directory, that you'd like to be able to execute no matter what directory you're in.
Simply add /place/with/the/file to the $PATH variable with the following command:
export PATH = $PATH : / place / with / the / file
You should now be able to execute the script anywhere on your system by just typing in its name, without having to include the full path as you type it.
But what happens if you restart your computer or create a new terminal instance? Your addition to the path is gone! This is by design. The variable $PATH is set by your shell every time it launches, but you can set it so that it always includes your new path with every new shell you open. The exact way to do this depends on which shell you're running.
Not sure which shell you're running? If you're using pretty much any common Linux distribution, and haven't changed the defaults, chances are you're running Bash. But you can confirm this with a simple command:
echo $SHELL
For Bash, you simply need to add the line from above, export PATH=$PATH:/place/with/the/file, to the appropriate file that will be read when your shell launches. There are a few different places where you could conceivably set the variable name: potentially in a file called ~/.bash_profile, ~/.bashrc, or ~/.profile. The difference between these files is (primarily) when they get read by the shell. If you're not sure where to put it, ~/.bashrc is a good choice.
For other shells, you'll want to find the appropriate place to set a configuration at start time; ksh configuration is typically found in ~/.kshrc, zsh (which I use) is in ~/.zshrc, etc.
This is a simple answer, and there are more quirks and details worth learning. Like most everything in Linux, there is more than one way to do things, and you may find other answers which better meet the needs of your situation or the peculiarities of your Linux distribution. For further discussion, see this great thread on Stack Overflow. And good luck, wherever your $PATH may take you.Chris Packham explores what makes animal groups successful. How are foxes bucking the trend of carnivores struggling to compete in a world with a rocketing human population?
Across the planet carnivores are struggling to compete in a world with a rocketing human population, but one predator is bucking the trend - the fox. Its numbers are increasing and its geographical range expanding.
Chris Packham explores the secrets to its success - its senses, its intelligence and its flexibility. New research reveals how its slit pupils enable it to hunt in the bright desert day; how it may be using the Earth's magnetic field to determine the location of prey during a pounce; and how regular exposure to rotting food is improving the health of the red fox, enabling it to hold its own in an increasingly urban landscape.Gears of War 4 has finally been given a global release date with the game launching worldwide for Xbox One on October 11th, Microsoft has announced. Gears of War 4 was first announced last year at E3 2015.
Gears of War 4 will be the first game in the series not developed by Epic Games who created and brought us the previous Gears of War games. Instead it will be developed by The Coalition who were formed by Microsoft after the company purchased the rights to the franchise back in 2014. The game will feature new characters, including Marcus Fenix’s son, JD Fenix as they confront a fearsome new threat.
Ahead of the game’s release in October, there will also be a multiplayer beta available on Xbox One for anyone who has purchased and played Gears of War: Ultimate Edition on Xbox One or Windows 10. An open beta will be available on April 25 for all Xbox Live Gold Members. The beta will run until May 1.
“Gears of War 4 marks the beginning of an epic new saga for one of gaming’s most celebrated franchises, as a new band of heroes rises to confront a fearsome new threat”, said Adam Fletcher, Director of Community at The Coalition.
“Harkening back to the dark and intense roots of the original classic, fans can expect a familiar, yet distinct evolution of gameplay, including brutal and intimate action, a heart-pounding campaign, genre-defining multiplayer and stunning visuals powered by Unreal Engine 4.”Farquhar moves to BMW for exciting season ahead
Ryan Farquhar has today (Wednesday) announced his plans for the 2016 International road racing season and it promises to be one of the most exciting yet in his illustrious career.
The Dungannon ace is set to have a three pronged attack across the Superbike, Superstock and Lightweight classes with the biggest news being that he will be switching to BMW power for the 1000cc categories after eight years with Kawasaki.
Arguably the most exciting announcement is that Ryan will be part of the official Tyco BMW squad at the Isle of Man TT Races where he’ll compete as team-mate to Ian Hutchinson in the Superbike and Senior races on board the BMW S1000R originally earmarked for Guy Martin.
He will also be riding a Superstock-spec BMW S1000R throughout the season with the International Energy Group (IEG) being the title sponsor. Ryan will have this machine at his disposal for all of 2016 and will see him contest numerous National road races in Ireland as well as the TT and North West 200.
As expected, Ryan will also have a major presence in the Lightweight class where SGS International will continue to be the title sponsor. He will once more campaign an ER6 Kawasaki at the NW200, TT and Irish road races whilst a number of other riders will be contesting the races on his machines.
Former Grand Prix ace Jeremy McWilliams will make his now annual return to the North West 200 to contest the two races there whilst Australian Cameron Donald will take over the machine for the Isle of Man TT.
In addition, Danny Webb and Darren James will compete at both the North West 200 and TT with selected outings at the National road races. Webb’s personal sponsor, Stilebridge Groundworks, will also become one of KMR Kawasaki’s team sponsors whilst Ryan also welcomes Game Bore Cartridges as another new sponsor alongside his existing ones from previous years.
“Without doubt, it’s the most exciting I’ve felt coming into a new season for a long time,” said Farquhar. “I’ve recently turned 40 but I’m getting great support and feel fitter than ever and with some great machinery for 2016, it’s an opportunity I aim to grab with both hands.
From a confidence point of view, I’m riding well, I’m fit and the chance to ride the Tyco BMW at the TT is one I’m relishing.
We know the bike’s good enough to win and the team obviously have the experience to win races so I’m confident I can run at the sharp end.” “I’ve been with Kawasaki a long time and have ridden every version of the Kawasaki ZX-10R so it’s a shame it’s come to an end but the deal with IEG was one that was too good to turn down. It’s a proven race package and with the Tyco ride coming as well, I’ve never been as well fixed as what I am this year.
As a result of joining Tyco BMW, I’ll also be making the switch to Metzeler tyres from Dunlop who have supported me for many years. RST have given me full support as well so there are a lot of changes for 2016, but changes that I’m really excited about so I can’t wait to get going.”
Farquhar’s season will get underway over the Easter weekend at the Thundersport Championship meeting at Donington Park before he turns his attention to the roads with the Mid Antrim and Tandragee road races prior to May’s International North West 200. The Isle of Man TT in June will be Ryan’s main event of the year whilst he also intends to participate at the Classic TT and selected Irish National road races. Picture by Stephen Davison – Pacemaker Press International Phil Wain Freelance PRA Cruciform Magic Eye
In this post I’d like to share the story of how I came upon the thesis I’m defending in the book I’ve been working on for the last four years entitled The Crucifixion of the Warrior God: A Cruciform Theological Interpretation of the Old Testament’s Violent Divine Portraits. It’s a much longer post than usual, but if you’re one of the many Christians today who are deeply troubled by the violent portraits of God in the Old Testament, I believe you’ll find it worth the time spent.
Jesus, the One Word. To begin, in my previous post I called attention to the fact that Jesus is the Word of God (Jn 1:1). He is not one of the words of God. He is rather the only Word to which all other words of God point. This is confirmed by Jesus himself when he tells the religious leaders of his day that all Scripture bears witness to him and that he is the “life” of Scripture (which is why the religious leaders erred in thinking they could find life by studying Scripture without going further and embracing Christ) (Jn 5:39-40). And it’s also confirmed when the resurrected Jesus revealed that the law and prophets spoke not only of him, but of his sufferings and coming glory (Lk 24:25-27).
My point in reviewing this is to argue that Jesus must never be regarded as one Word among others. He is the Word to which all other inspired words point. And whatever else we take this to mean, it implies that the revelation of God in Christ, thematically centered on the cross, must never be compromised by anything else we find in Scripture. This, unfortunately, is precisely what most Christians throughout history have done, and what most Christian to this day continue to do. We take portraits of God commanding genocide, sending the flood, slaughtering cities, etc., and place them alongside of the cross, and then say, “All of this reveals God.”
Small wonder that so many have messed up mental pictures of God that they have trouble surrendering their lives to.
The Typical Two-Fold Strategy. To smooth over the contradictions between the cross and (say) the portraits of God commanding his people to slaughter every man, woman, infant and animal in Canaan, apologists typically engage in a two-fold strategy. First, they try to pull Christ in the direction of the OT’s violent portraits. Then they try to pull the violent portraits in the direction of Christ. The first strategy is typically carried out by appealing to Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple and especially by appealing to the Book of Revelation as a way of arguing that Jesus is one and the same as the God who commanded genocide and engaged in other violent acts. And the second is typically carried out by appealing to a multitude of considerations that make the violent portraits seem more Christ-like by stressing how the divine violence was justified and/or that it wasn’t as brutal as it on the surface appears to be. The best recent example of this is Paul Copan’s book, Is God a Moral Monster? (Baker, 2010).
Since I’ve always been disturbed by the OT’s violent portraits, I’d been collecting the best material that followed this two-fold strategy for over twenty years. And about four years ago I felt the need to take yet another break from a decades-long project I’ve been intermittently working on (called The Myth of the Blueprint) in order to finally resolve my own view and write a book on this topic.
My Initial Project. By this time, however, I had already become convinced that Jesus’ revelation of God as well as his kingdom ethic was thoroughly non-violent, so I abandoned all hope of pulling Jesus in the direction of the OT’s violent portraits. Among other things, the Temple cleansing was not an angry outburst, as some depict it, but a calculated symbolic act whereby Jesus fulfilled a messianic prophecy, exposed the sin of the Temple system, and forced the hand of leaders to arrest and crucify him, as was planned. More importantly, while Jesus’ actions were aggressive, there’s not a shred of evidence it involved violence, either to humans or to animals. Yes John mentions that Jesus formed a make-shift whip, but he also tells us what he used it for: he “drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle…” (Jn 2:15). Cracking a whip on the ground has always been the primary way of controlling animals, and Jesus used it to create a stampede.
As for the Jesus of the book of Revelation, I became convinced about six years ago – and I’m even more convinced today – by the increasing wealth of scholarship that demonstrates that John appropriates violent symbols from the OT and from the violent apocalyptic literature of his day in order to subvert it. So, for example, Jesus is depicted as the mighty lion of Judah, but John immediately identifies him as, and later depicts him fighting as, a little slaughtered lamb (Rev 5:5-14). So too, John depicts Jesus slaying people with a sword, but it’s the sword of truth that comes out of his mouth, and it destroys lies (Rev 1: 16; 2:12, 16; 19:21; 19:15, 21). And in what looks like the most violent chapter of this book, and possibly of the whole Bible – Revelations 19 – John depicts Jesus using the standard imagery of a mighty warrior is drenched in the blood of the enemies he’s slain (Jn 19:13). Except in the case of Jesus, John depicts him as soaked in blood before he ever goes into battle, because as John reiterates throughout this book, the way this warrior fights is not by shedding the blood of others, but by allowing his own blood to be shed.
In any event, I have been persuaded by this growing list of scholars that Revelation is a violently anti-violent war scroll. That is, it encourages followers of the lamb to wage aggressive war against the principalities and powers as well as against the surrounding culture of Babylon (= all governmental systems under Satan’s reign, which means, all governmental systems). But they are to wage this aggressive war by following the example of Jesus and choosing to die rather than kill. Jesus’ warriors “follow the lamb wherever he goes” (Rev. 14:14) and overcome by “the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony” (Rev. 12:11)). (I’ve included a sample reading list for those interested in pursuing this further.)
The REAL Problem. I had thus already abandoned the first strategy when I set out to write this book, but I yet held out hope for the second. As one who affirms that the OT is divinely inspired, what other option did I have? But as I pulled together all the violent portrayals of God in the OT (it’s quite overwhelming when viewed in a single glance), and as I began to work on the best formulations of the best arguments I’d found over the years defending these violent portraits, it didn’t take long before I despaired of this strategy as well. I found myself disbelieving the arguments even as I was writing them out! For I had begun to realize that, even if I succeed in making these horrific pictures look somewhat less heinous than they appear, and even if I were to succeed in showing the violence was justified – in fact, even if I succeeded in showing that they are somehow compatible with the revelation of God in Christ –I still wouldn’t have succeeded in doing what needs to be done.
What needs to be done is to show how the violent divine portraits “testifies to” Jesus – the Jesus whose identity and mission is summed up on the cross. Our task, in other words, is to show how the portrait of God commanding his people to “show no mercy” as they slaughter women and children, along with every other brutally violent portrait of God, actually points to the God who gave his life for his enemies on the cross, praying for their forgiveness with his last breath. Our task is to show how the crucified Christ is the Word that is spoken by these words – viz. the words that depict God commanding genocide!
A Different Way of Looking. I scratched the entire project. A radical reframe was needed. If there is any hope of demonstrating how the images of God as a warrior point to the crucified Christ, I came to see, I must find a way of discerning the crucified Christ in the violent warrior portraits, not in trying to formulate a relationship between the crucified Christ and these violent warrior portraits. And no sooner had I posed the problem this way when its solution suddenly appeared before me like a divine revelation (like a revelation – I’m not claiming this is a divine revelation!)
It felt a bit like viewing one of the “Magic Eye” pictures that look like a boring page of wallpaper patterns until you look at them in a particular way. When you don’t look at the patterns, but through the patterns, a 3D image that you couldn’t see before suddenly appears. So long as you look for the image as though it was on the same plain as the patterns, existing alongside of, or in competition with, the patterns, you won’t see it. Only when you look through them and into a dimension behind the patterns does the entirely different reality of the 3D image appear.
This is quite analogous to what happened with me. I stopped looking along side of the violent portraits to find ways of justifying them, and stopped looking for a relationship between these portraits and the cross, as though they were on the same plane. Instead, trusting on the authority of Christ that these violent portraits must somehow bear witness to the cross, I looked through them with the eyes of faith to discern the cross in the dimension behind them, as it were. Or to put it another way, believing that the God who “breathed” his full self-disclosure on Calvary was the one and same God who “breathed” these portraits (2 Tim 3:16), I looked for the God who is Calvary-like love behind these portraits.
The Magic-Eye Cross Appears. And then it appeared! I could see, at first in brief glimpses, but over time as a substantial reality, the crucified God in the depth dimension of the genocidal God. The God who bore our sin and God-forsaken judgment had always been bearing the sin and God-forsaken place of his people. The God who reflected the grotesqueness of our sin back toward us by taking on the guilty, God-forsaken semblance in the process of revealing himself, had always been reflecting the grotesqueness of his people’s sin by taking on a guilty, God-forsaken semblance in the process of revealing himself.
So too, the God who fully revealed himself not only by acting toward them, but also by allowing people and evil spirit agents to impact him with their sin, had always been revealing himself not only by acting toward people, but also by allowing people to impact him with their sin. And just as all that is beautiful in the cross reflects God’s true character while all that is ugly reflects the character of those he is trying to bring into a covenant relationship, so too all that is beautiful in any OT divine portrait reflects God’s true character while all that is ugly reflects the character of those he is trying to bring into a covenant relationship.
God only became a human and suffered to atone for the sin of the world once, in the crucifixion of Christ. But the fact that this single event reveals what God is truly like means it reflects what God has always been like. And when we fully embrace this and refuse to let it be compromised by granting authority to the horrifically violent warrior images, we are in a position to discern the crucified God in the portraits of the warrior God, and see in the crucified God the crucifixion of the warrior God.
There are, of course, a million other things to be said about this. My book is presently around 600 pages and looks like it may climb upwards to 700 before it’s complete. I’ll simply add that one of the most interesting and surprising things I’ve found – and it alone accounts for about 200 pages – concerns the way one can discern confirmations of this cruciform perspective in the very narratives containing these violent divine portraits as well as throughout the broader canon. This really blew me away!
At any rate, I hope to have my work completed within the next six months, which would mean it would be released around a year and a half from now. Also, I’ve devoted a chapter of my upcoming book, Benefit of the Doubt, to a brief look at the cruciform hermeneutic contained in Crucifixion of the Warrior God. This book is scheduled to be released in the Spring of 2013.
Til then, try the cruciform magic eye way of looking at these portraits. See if something doesn’t start to pop out at you.
Blessings,
Greg
Image by Shannon Kringen. Sourced via Flickr.
Suggested ReadingCLOSE Leaving a pet in a hot car constitutes cruelty with a penalty of not less than $250 or more than $1,000 in New Jersey. Albina Sportelli/NorthJersey.com
These dogs were rescued from a puppy mill last year. (Photo: associated press file photo)
Many individuals and businesses who sell dogs and cats in New Jersey would be regulated by the same rules that now apply only to pet stores under a bill that advanced in the Assembly on Monday.
The measure was hailed by one animal welfare activist as “the most comprehensive puppy mill sales bill to ever be introduced in a state legislature” while critics denounced it as an example of government overreach and said it would cripple small businesses who breed dogs and cats in a humane way.
The bill’s opponents, many of whom work in or represent the pet industry, also complained that they were given inadequate time to review and comment on the legislation before it was approved by a 4-0 vote at a meeting of the Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee. The bill underwent substantial modifications on Monday morning.
Under existing state law, pet stores can only purchase dogs and cats for resale from breeders who have a license with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and who have not violated certain animal welfare laws.
That legislation was enacted last year to try to discourage pet stores from sourcing animals from “puppy mills” and “kitten mills” — commercial breeding facilities where the health of animals is often compromised to maintain a low overhead and maximize profits.
The new bill would expand regulations to include all “pet dealers,” defined as anyone who sells five or more dogs or cats in New Jersey in a year. All such people or businesses would be subject to the same licensing and reporting requirements that currently apply only to pet stores.
In addition, any dealer or pet store that is found to have sourced animals on three occasions from breeders who have violated animal welfare laws would be permanently banned from selling pets in New Jersey.
“This expansion is significant because it would bring those who sell puppy mill puppies over the internet, over the phone and other indirect methods under regulation,” said Amy Jesse, public policy manager for the Humane Society of the United States.
People who sell dogs and cats to customers face-to-face are not regulated by the existing or proposed law.
NEWSLETTERS Get the Breaking News newsletter delivered to your inbox We're sorry, but something went wrong Get breaking news from all around North Jersey delivered to your inbox as soon as it happens. Please try again soon, or contact Customer Service at 1-888-282-3422. Delivery: Varies Invalid email address Thank you! You're almost signed up for Breaking News Keep an eye out for an email to confirm your newsletter registration. More newsletters
In addition, Jesse said, “this gives pet stores and other pet dealers a really strong incentive to comply, which is missing from the current law.”
But Linda Deutsche, the legislative chairperson of the New Jersey Federation of Dog Clubs, said the new regulations would put small breeders out of business because they would not be able to afford to get licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
One requirement for the federal license, she said, requires a facility to meet higher air flow standards than nursing homes. Another, she said, prevents breeders from raising animals on carpeted floors.
She urged the committee to amend the law to carve out an exception for the “home hobby breeder,” who often has “a lot more experience with their breed and knowledge in animal husbandry skills” than large-scale commercial breeders.
Mike Bober, president of the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council, said the new legislation was uncalled for because the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs still hasn’t published the final rules implementing the existing law.
“With the law only having been in place just over a year, and with the Division of Consumer Affairs not yet having even published the final rule-making on it, we believe it’s premature to even look at ways that we can change it because we don’t know every affect that it’s had,” he said.
The bill’s sponsor, Assemblyman Daniel Benson, D-Mercer, said Monday that he would consider additional changes to the bill based on input from critics but pointed out that the bill had already been scaled back from an earlier version that would have prohibited pet stores from selling dogs or cats that did not come from a shelter, pound, kennel or animal rescue organization.
The bill now moves to the full Assembly for a vote. A version of the bill passed the Senate in June, but the amended version will again have to be voted on by that body.
The proposed legislation explicitly allows municipalities to pass their own ordinances related to puppy mills and kitten mills. More than a dozen towns in Bergen County have done so this year after the issue made local headlines in April, when authorities found more than 60 dogs left unattended in a van outside the Paramus shop Just Pups, a retail chain in the area.
Many local ordinances go further than existing |
chewing your tail is joy" for instance may be as much about Richey's self-harm as it is the tormented self-injury of zoo animals.[5]
Part of the rhythm guitar on "No Surface All Feeling" was recorded by Edwards before his disappearance, making it only the second time that Edwards' guitar-work was present on a Manic Street Preachers recorded track (the other instance being "La Tristesse Durera (Scream to a Sigh)" on Gold Against the Soul.) Bradfield typically performs all the guitar parts for their recordings.
Songs [ edit ]
Due to Edwards' departure the tone of the lyrics and the subjects of the songs changed significantly. Wire stated about the aesthetic and the feel of the album, saying that: "With "Everything Must Go", in the way we talked about it, we were the most timid we'd ever been, because we were very nervous. It was strange because it was the most un-Manics we've been about in an album, and then it was the most successful.
Elvis Impersonator: Blackpool Pier and Enola/Alone [ edit ]
The opening song of the album, "Elvis Impersonator: Blackpool Pier", has been described by the band as a song that reflects the way that the UK accepts the American culture and worships it. In the 10th anniversary edition, Bradfield stated that the song suited the mood of the album and reminds him of when Nicky and Richey used to write lyrics together. Being Edwards' work, Bradfield denies that this song or any other written by Edwards and featured on the album is a tribute to Richey; he just thought that the lyrics suited the album well.[9] In the band's own words, "Enola/Alone" is both "uplifting" and "melancholic", and that's why people can "grab on" as Wire says. The lyrics are also inspired to some extent by Camera Lucida, a 1980 book on the philosophy of photography by Frenchman Roland Barthes.[10]
Small Black Flowers That Grow in the Sky and The Girl Who Wanted to Be God [ edit ]
"Small Black Flowers That Grow in the Sky" is another lyric written by Richey, this song is a favourite of the album's producer Mike Hedges,[9] it was also described by Bradfield as the song where he wanted for the first time to sing the lyrics and take a deep breath.[9] It has been made a parallel between the lyrics and Richey's condition (see music and lyrics section). "The Girl Who Wanted to Be God" has a title which can be traced to a specific quote by American poet Sylvia Plath, it is the most anthemic and opened song in the album, featuring the most hopeful sound of the twelve tracks, according to the band.
Removables and Interiors (Song for Willem de Kooning) [ edit ]
Allegedly a one-take live studio recording that had very little time spent on it, "Removables" was another song whose lyrics were written by Richey, it has once again a reference to his self-harm, like in the line "broken hands never ending". "Interiors" is a tribute to Willem de Kooning, a painter who suffered from Alzheimer's Disease. It was inspired by a documentary on De Kooning's experience of suffering the condition, which apparently left him unable to remember what he had painted.[10]
Further Away and No Surface All Feeling [ edit ]
"Further Away" was the band's moment of freedom, where Wire stated that this song could never been written before in the early years, being described as "almost" a love song. It was released as a single only in Japan. The B-side, "Sepia", is a reference to the final scene of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, where the two main characters are shown in freeze frame, which then is colourised to sepia tone.[11] As for "No Surface All Feeling" part of the guitar was recorded by Edwards, and Wire describes the lyrics as a tender end to the album, as the song reflects the pain of losing a friend.
Release [ edit ]
The album was released on 20 May 1996. It debuted on the UK Albums Chart at number 2. To date the album has achieved Triple Platinum status in the UK, making it their most successful chart album and spending 103 weeks in the Top 100, with the album still in the top five a year after its release.[12] The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry awarded the album with a Platinum certification, for sales above one million copies. The album presented the band with a new generation of fans, charting in Europe, Asia and Australia. Since May 1996 Everything Must Go has shipped more than two million copies. Worldwide sales of their next album, This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours, were to be even higher.
Four singles were released from the album. "A Design for Life" reached number 2 on the UK Singles Chart, spending 3 weeks in the top 10 and a total of 14 weeks in the Top 100 being certified Silver in the UK, for sales above 200.000 copies. "Everything Must Go", the second single, peaked at number 5, enjoying 10 weeks in the UK Top 100. "Kevin Carter", the third single, peaked at number 9, spending 8 weeks in the UK Top 100, being the single from the album that spent the least weeks in the charts because the last single, "Australia", reached number 7 and despite tumbling to number 31 in the second sales week, managed to stay in the UK Singles Chart Top 100 for 9 weeks. All the singles thus charted in the UK Top 10, between 1996 and 1997.[12] "Further Away" was released on October 1996, but only in Japan, replacing the UK single "Kevin Carter".
After the release of the album, in the following year the band performed a special gig at the Manchester Arena for more than 20,000 people. Bassist Nicky Wire said that was the moment he knew that the band had "made it". The recording was released as a VHS video on 29 September 1997, and has only been reissued on DVD in Japan. Everything Live was directed by Dick Carruthers. The first 12,000 copies came with five postcards featuring photographs of the band by their official photographer Mitch Ikeda.[13]
A 10th anniversary edition of the album was released on 6 November 2006. It included the original album, demos, B-sides, remixes, rehearsals and alternate takes of the album's songs, spread out over two CDs. An additional DVD, featuring music videos, live performances, TV appearances, a 45-minute documentary on the making of the album, and two films by Patrick Jones, completed the three-disc set. In the 10th anniversary edition the band itself claims that they are still fond of the record, and Wire goes further saying: "I think it's our best record, I am not afraid to say that."[14]
The year of 2016 marked another anniversary for the album, being 20 years since its original release thus the band announced a special anniversary edition which was released on May 20, the exact day that marked the anniversary of the album. It was made available a standard edition, with a double-CD featuring only the remastered album and the concert at the Nynex Arena and the deluxe edition which includes the full album remastered plus the B-sides, a heavyweight vinyl, the 1997 Nynex Arena concert fully restored on DVD, an exclusive new film about the making of the album, the official videos for the all singles and a 40-page booklet.[15] The re-release was accompanied by a UK tour, which ended at the Liberty Stadium, Swansea.
On 18 June 2016 HMV, as part of their Vinyl Record Week, released 1,000 copies on blue vinyl. These were strictly limited to one per customer.[16]
Packaging [ edit ]
The album and CD packaging was designed by Mark Farrow.[17] The CD insert bears a quote from Jackson Pollock: "The pictures I contemplate painting would constitute a halfway state and attempt to point out the direction of the future – without arriving there completely". Inspiration for the album is credited to "Tower Colliery, Cynon Valley, South Wales".
Critical reception [ edit ]
Being the first album since the departure of Edwards, the band at the time was under pressure, but after the release of "A Design for Life", which was well-received by critics and fans, Everything Must Go was the album that introduced the band to the mainstream public. All the singles were radio friendly and the album was a critical success.[27]
Writing for Q magazine in June 1996, Tom Doyle felt that Everything Must Go had "little in common" with its predecessor, The Holy Bible, and saw the album as a return to, and improvement upon, the "epic pop-rock" sound of Gold Against the Soul.[23] He noted the band's choice of producer, Mike Hedges, as a possible contributing factor to the overall change in sound, and drew parallels to the lyrics of Kurt Cobain and the "reverb-laden" music of Phil Spector.[23] Nicholas Barber of The Independent described Everything Must Go as "the most immediate, assured and anthemic British hard-rock album since Oasis's Definitely Maybe", noting that the record was more accessible when comparing it to the "crushingly heavy-going" sound of The Holy Bible, especially, he noted, for a band "who once would have spat at the breadhead, corporate-sell-out idea of a hummable ditty."[28]
Vox magazine's Mark Sutherland saw Everything Must Go as the group's "most approachable" album, describing it as a "record so superb it might just make intelligence fashionable again", and surmising that the album "proves that, professionally, at least, the Manic Street Preachers don't miss Richey."[26] Rolling Stone critic David Fricke called Everything Must Go the "most underrated album of the year", describing it as "a record of painstaking melodic craft and thundering execution, a proclamation of physical and emotional cleansing – up to a point."[29]
In a retrospective review, Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic wrote: "Above all, Everything Must Go is a cathartic experience -- it is genuinely moving to hear the Manics offering hope without sinking to mawkish sentimentality or collapsing under the weight of their situation."[7] Reviewing the 10th anniversary edition, Dave Simpson of The Guardian said that the album "achieved the zenith of the Welshmen's original ambition: to conquer the mainstream with anger, art and soul."[20] Writing for Sputnikmusic, Nick Butler concluded that "Everything Must Go is a stellar album, stuffed with great, anthemic songs, and it's a rewarding listening experience. It loses ground to The Holy Bible simply because it's not as unique, but if Everything Must Go is inferior, it's only slightly so."[30]
Awards [ edit ]
The album was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize in 1996 but failed to win it;[27] however, the album won the award for Best British Album and the Manic Street Preachers won Best British Group at the 1997 Brit Awards.[31] In the NME Awards of 1996 Everything Must Go was named Album of the Year, and the Manic Street Preachers also won the award for Best Live Act and Best Single for "A Design for Life".[32]
"A Design For Life" The single, certified Silver in the UK, is one of the band's best selling singles. Problems playing this file? See media help.
Legacy [ edit ]
The album remains a critical success, an important album in Manic Street Preachers' career, and a classic of the British music in the 90's[33] being frequently listed amongst the greatests albums ever by British music publications.[2]
In 1998, Q magazine readers voted it the 11th greatest album of all time,[34] while in 2000 the same magazine placed it at number 39 in its list of the "100 Greatest British Albums Ever".[35] The album also placed at number 16 in its list of the best albums released in the magazine's lifetime.[3] The album is part of NME's collection of classic albums,[33] and the same magazine placed the album in number 182 on their definitive list "500 Greatest Albums of All Time".[2]
Kerrang! placed the album in number 24 on their list of "100 Best British Rock Albums Ever".[36] The same magazine featured the album in number 22 on their list of "100 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".[37] The album was placed in number 41 on Melody Maker's list of "All Time Top 100 Albums".[38] In 2016 the album was featured in the Absolute Radio's list of greatest albums of all time.[39]
In the end-of-year critics' lists Everything Must Go was placed at number 2 by NME and Kerrang![40][41] while Q chose the album as one of the best of 1996.[42] Melody Maker and Vox magazine placed the album at number 1 in their 1996's list.[43][44]
Website Clash, before the release of the band's twelfth studio album Futurology, said the following about Everything Must Go: "Sympathetically guided by Mike Hedges and with an empathetic but not overbearing application of strings, Everything Must Go managed to combine the more accessible sound of their early years with the vivid imagery of their previous album. Somehow lumped into the latter stages of Britpop at the time, this record remains one of the decade's finest releases and is an essential listen."[45]
In 2015 the band announced that they were going to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the album with their biggest headline show since 1999, at Liberty Stadium, Swansea on 28 May 2016. Special guests would include Super Furry Animals. The album would be performed in full.[46] Before the final show in Swansea the band would tour the album with a series of UK dates: Liverpool, Echo Arena (May 13), Birmingham, Genting Arena (May 14), London, Royal Albert Hall (May 16–17), Leeds, First Direct Arena (May 20) and Glasgow, The SSE Hydro (May 21).[47] In early 2016 the band announced European dates for the tour in Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.[48]
Track listing [ edit ]
All lyrics written by Nicky Wire; all music composed by James Dean Bradfield and Sean Moore, except where noted.
*All tracks recorded at Chateau de la Rouge Motte, except 12 (Big Noise Recorders) and 7 (Real World Studios).
Japanese Edition No. Title Lyrics Music Length 1. "Elvis Impersonator: Blackpool Pier" Wire, Richey Edwards 3:29 2. "A Design for Life" 4:16 3. "Kevin Carter" Edwards Bradfield, Moore, Wire 3:24 4. "Enola/Alone" 4:07 5. "Everything Must Go" 3:41 6. "Small Black Flowers That Grow in the Sky" Edwards Bradfield, Moore, Wire 3:02 7. "The Girl Who Wanted to Be God" Wire, Edwards 3:35 8. "No-one Knows What It's Like to Be Me" 3:02 9. "Removables" Edwards Bradfield, Moore, Wire 3:31 10. "Australia" 4:04 11. "Interiors (Song for Willem de Kooning)" 4:17 12. "Black Garden" 4:23 13. "Further Away" 3:38 14. "No Surface All Feeling" 4:14
10th Anniversary Edition bonus tracks No. Title Length 13. "Enola/Alone" (live) 3:30 14. "Kevin Carter" (live) 3:06 15. "Interiors (Song for Willem de Kooning)" (live) 3:39 16. "Elvis Impersonator: Blackpool Pier" (live) 2:48 17. "Everything Must Go" (live) 3:30 18. "A Design for Life" (live) 4:32 19. "A Design for Life" Stealth Sonic Orchestra remix) 4:52
Japanese 10th Anniversary Edition bonus tracks No. Title Length 20. "Everything Must Go" The Chemical Brothers Remix) 4:52
10th Anniversary Edition bonus disc No. Title Length 1. "Dixie" 0:43 2. "No Surface All Feeling" (demo) 3:38 3. "Further Away" (demo) 3:32 4. "Small Black Flowers That Grow in the Sky" (demo) 3:04 5. "No One Knows What It's Like to Be Me" (demo) 2:58 6. "Australia" (acoustic demo, Nick's house '96) 4:15 7. "No Surface All Feeling" (acoustic demo, Nick's house '95) 4:02 8. "Interiors (Song for Willem de Kooning)" (acoustic demo, Nick's house '95) 2:57 9. "The Girl Who Wanted to Be God" (acoustic demo, Nick's house '95) 3:58 10. "A Design for Life" (first rehearsal, Cardiff '95) 3:56 11. "Kevin Carter" (first rehearsal, Cardiff '95) 3:22 12. "Mr Carbohydrate" 4:15 13. "Dead Trees and Traffic Islands" 3:44 14. "Dead Passive" 3:19 15. "Black Garden" 4:02 16. "Hanging On" 3:01 17. "No One Knows What It's Like to Be Me" 3:05 18. "Horses Under Starlight" 3:09 19. "Sepia" 3:54 20. "First Republic" 3:48 21. "Australia" (Stephen Hague production) 3:58 22. "The Girl Who Wanted to Be God" (Stephen Hague production) 3:33 23. "Glory, Glory" 0:35
Japanese 10th Anniversary Edition bonus disc No. Title Length 1. "Black Garden" 4:25 2. "No-one Knows What it's Like to be Me" 3:04 3. "Everything Must Go" (Stealth Sonic Orchestra Remix) 3:43 4. "Kevin Carter" (Stealth Sonic Orchestra Remix) 6:38 5. "Motorcycle Emptiness" (Stealth Sonic Orchestra Remix) 6:12 6. "Australia" (Lionrock Remix) 5:56 7. "Everything Must Go" (Acoustic) 3:33 8. "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" (Live Acoustic Version) 2:08 9. "A Design For Life" (Live) 4:17 10. "Kevin Carter" (Live) 3:23
20th Anniversary Edition bonus tracks No. Title Length 13. "Mr Carbohydrate" 4:15 14. "Dead Passive" 3:19 15. "Dead Trees and Traffic Islands" 3:44 16. "A Design for Life" Stealth Sonic Orchestra remix) 4:48 17. "A Design for Life" (Stealth Sonic Instrumental Version) 4:35 18. "Bright Eyes" (Live) 3:13 19. "A Design for Life" (Live) 4:16 20. "Black Garden" 4:29
20th Anniversary Edition bonus disc No. Title Length 1. "Hanging on" 3:04 2. "No One Knows What Is Like To Be Me" 3:03 3. "Everything Must Go" (The Chemical Brothers Remix) 6:30 4. "Everything Must Go" Stealth Sonic Orchestra remix) 3:43 5. "Everything Must Go" Stealth Sonic Orchestra soundtrack) 3:27 6. "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head" (Live Acoustic Version) 2:09 7. "Horses Under Starlight" (Instrumental) 3:06 8. "Sepia" 3:52 9. "First Republic" 3:48 10. "Kevin Carted" (Busts Loose – Jon Carter Remix) 7:42 11. "Kevin Carter" (Stealth Sonic Orchestra Remix) 6:37 12. "Kevin Carter" (Stealth Sonic Soundtrack) 6:37 13. "Everything Must Go" (Acoustic Version) 3:22 14. "Velocity Girl" 1:39 15. "Take The Skinheads Bowling" 2:28 16. "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" 3:12 17. "Australia" (Lionrock remix) 5:54
20th Anniversary Edition DVD 1 (Live at the Nynex Arena 1997) [ edit ]
A Design for Life (Stealth Sonic Orchestra remix)
Everything Must Go
Enola/Alone
Faster
Kevin Carter
La Tristessa (Scream To a Sigh)
Removables
Roses In The Hospital
Evis Impersonator: Blackpool Pier
The Girl Who Wanted To Be God
Motown Junk
Motorcycle Emptiness
No Surface All Feeling
This Is Yesterday
Small Black Flowers That Grow In The Skye
Raindrops Keep Falling In My Head
Yes
Australia
Stay Beautiful
A Design for Life
You Love Us
20th Anniversary Edition DVD 2 [ edit ]
Documentary: Freed From Memories
A Design for Life (Official Video)
Everything Must Go (Official Video)
Kevin Carter (Official Video)
Australia (Official Video)
Personnel [ edit ]
Charts and certifications [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
Sources [ edit ]
Price, Simon (1999). Everything (A Book About Manic Street Preachers). London: Virgin Books. ISBN 0-7535-0139-2.
Heatley, Michael (1997). Manic Street Preachers In Their Own Words. London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0711969063.Party to refer allegations of sweetheart deal between Brandis and WA government to Senate legal committee on Monday
Labor and the Greens will use the final sitting week of the year to ramp up pressure on the Turnbull government and attorney general George Brandis.
After last week’s revelations of an alleged sweetheart deal between Brandis and the West Australian government, which could have cost the commonwealth hundreds of millions of dollars, Labor leader Bill Shorten and Greens’ leader Richard Di Natale want to keep the political focus squarely on the Brandis this week.
Labor asks if George Brandis engaged in ‘corrupt conduct’ over WA deal Read more
The Greens will on Monday move to refer the affair to the Senate legal and constitutional affairs committee.
Senator Nick McKim, the Greens’ justice spokesperson, says he would like the inquiry to report by the end of the week.
“The allegation that Senator Brandis instructed the solicitor general to effectively run a dead argument in the high court is the most serious he has faced in a career that is strewn with misconduct,” McKim said on Sunday.
“We need to get Senator Brandis out of witness protection and into an inquiry where he can be questioned about these extraordinary allegations.”
The affair threatens to derail the government’s agenda, because the Coalition had wanted the focus of the final week to be legislation, particularly its attempt to get the Australian Building and Construction Commission bill through the Senate, along with the backpacker tax.
Last week, opposition parties combined in the Senate to lower the backpacker tax from the government’s preferred 19% rate to 10.5%, but the government rejected the Senate amendments and sent the bill back down to the House of Representatives to have them removed.
Farmers and some Coalition backbenchers have become increasingly frustrated about the fight over the backpacker tax. They say it needs to be resolved by the end of this week otherwise the rate will revert back to 32.5% on 1 January – unless the government is prepared to accept another compromise proposal.
The Nationals leader, Barnaby Joyce, has said the Coalition will not compromise on its 19% plan.
But key Nationals MP Andrew Broad said on Sunday that he would support a 15% tax rate compromise just to get the bill passed this year.
“Parliament mustn’t adjourn until we deal with it, the politicians cannot go into a Christmas break with a tax rate of 32.5% – this would undermine workers for horticulture,” Broad told The Weekly Times.
A Sky News interview with Tony Abbott on Sunday has created another distraction for the government.
Abbott signalled, yet again, that be would be willing to work in the Turnbull cabinet, saying John Howard and Peter Costello worked well as a team, despite not being great friends.
“You don’t have to idolise someone to be able to work with them,” he told Sky News.
Bill Shorten will introduce on Monday a private members’ bill to crack down on the 457 visa program in a bid to get ahead of the government on the issue.
Two weeks ago he released a new “comprehensive plan” to help unemployed Australians find a job, saying he was very concerned the 457 visa program was being exploited.
The Migration Amendment (Putting Local Workers First) Bill 2016 would introduce more rigorous requirements for labour market testing to ensure business owners looked harder for Australian citizens to fill vacant positions before trying to hire workers from overseas.Take the Judeo-Christian-Islamic traditions--bam! That's one point in the possibility space.
Take the eastern religions--bam! That's another point.
The idea that we're just mechanical pieces and parts and we shut off when we die, that's yet another.
We were planted here by space aliens...sounds absurd, but heck, it's still a possibility.
This is along answer, but bear with me and I'll try to blow your mind in the next few minutes. Allow me to begin by asking a seemingly irrelevant question: have you ever heard of the Ultra Deep Field Experiment by the Hubble Telescope?You see, what happened some years ago was that NASA completed a low-resolution map of the night sky, and they decided they wanted to go deeper. So they picked a little, tiny patch of space--about the size of a pencil tip at arm's length. It was utterly insignificant, really, just another blank patch of space with nothing there, but they decided to point the finely-honed lens of the Hubble telescope at that patch in the hope of detecting whatever lonely photons of light might trickle in from that region of space.Each time the Hubble made its way around the earth, it pointed toward that patch for 20 minutes. After 400 orbits, they took all the data and compiled it to discover not a star, nor a cluster of stars, but ten. thousand.. Turns out that blank patch wasn't so blank after all. Now, assuming a galaxy is about a 100 billion stars, that's a thousand trillion stars--many of which, much like our own sun, presumably have their own planetary systems,I think these results are a really good consciousness-raiser to think about as we contemplate the sheer size of the mysteries that surround us. Hold on to this thought as you read on. :-)I am a scientist by training. By the time I graduated college I'd already poured thousands of hours into procedures, scored publications in peer-reviewed journals, presented my work at national conferences, and in total spent nearly a third of my life working in various research labs. Why? Because I figure if I want to understand what's going on in this strange world around me, there's probably no better method than to directly study the blueprints.You have to admit, science in the last several hundred years has been immensely successful--we've cured smallpox and polio, gotten men to the moon, invented the internet, and tripled life spans.But I think one of the most important experiences you gain from a life in science is that once you walk the pier of what is currently known, at some point, you reach the end of the pier. And beyond that end is everything we don't know--it's all the uncharted waters, the deep mysteries that we don't have insight into yet, like why mass and energy are equivalent, or what dark matter/dark energy are, or why there are multiple spatial dimensions, or how you build consciousness from mechanical pieces and parts.Now, rest assured that with every generation, we will undoubtedly continue to add more slats to the pier...but it's a huge ocean, and we have no guarantee how far we'll get, and certainly in our brief twinkling of a 21st century lifetime, we're simply not going to live to see the end. So again: science hammers home the message thatSo given all this, I find that this question has at its core a popular misconception that's become increasingly widespread over the last decade, particularly in the political arena: that scientists don't have the capacity to gamble beyond the available data, and they act like they've got it all figured out with various equations that perfectly capture the picture of the whole cosmos.That's actually a very poor description of how science operates.Science is in some ways about disproving other people's hypotheses (including those posited by religion), but. What we actually do is we make up new stories in lab every day and then we go and we seek evidence to weigh in favor of some stories over others.But it's often the case that some questions are too far out right now. They're beyond the toolbox of science, and as a result we're unable to gather evidence for them. That's ok--science is fine with holding multiple hypotheses on the table. That ambiguity is accepted as part of the relationship we have with mother nature. It's just part of the vast mysteries around us.I was raised by a microbiologist mother who was a very devout Christian who insisted I read the Bible and learn all its stories and go to church. Despite my many years as a scientist I still find comfort in praying to God even though I know He might not exist/care, and I have seen various circumstances that I could attribute to "power of prayer", although my cynical side calls it "placebo" and "coincidence". So I categorize myself loosely as being "religious".Consider this: there are 2000+ religions on the globe, and everyone already knows what it's like to be an atheist, because all you need to do is look at someone else's religion and say "Well it's patently ridiculous that you would believe in that", and of course they're looking back at you and thinking the same thing.Try an experiment: the next time you meet someone new/random, whether it's on an airplane or in a bar, ask them if they've ever heard of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field Experiment. I guarantee you the number of people who have will be outweighed heavily by the number who haven't. But everyonebe able to tell you all the details of whatever cultural story they grew up on.You don't need to be an anthropologist to recognize that our nervous systems absorb whatever our cultures pour into us. So if you grew up in Saudi Arabia, chances are you love Islam. And if you were born in Rome, you probably love Catholicism; in Tel Aviv, Judaism; in Springfield, Ohio, Protestantism (apologies for the broad brush strokes here, I'm clearly overgeneralizing, but I think you get the point).So it's not a coincidence that there's not a blossoming of Islam in Springfield, Ohio, and there's not a blossoming of Protestantism in Mecca. It's because we're products of our culture, and we accept whatever's poured into us. If there were one truth, you would expect that it would spread everywhere evenly, but clearly the data doesn't support that. The crazy part is, our cultures pour this stuff into us, and then sometimes people are willing to fight andover their particular stories.Are you familiar with the creation story of the Bakuba kingdom of the Congo? It goes like this: there was a white giant named Mombo who had a sharp pain in his belly, and he vomited up the earth and the sun and the moon and the stars. Then he had a second pain, and he vomited up the animals and people and trees. Included in that second ejection was the leopard, the anvil, the eagle, woman, the monkey Fumu, firmament, medicine, man, and lightning.If you find the creation story of the Bakuba to be an unlikely explanation as to how we got here, keep in mind that if you were Bakuba, you would find equally bizarre the Western story of the naked couple and the talking reptile and the prohibited produce. AND if you were Bakuba living in Kansas, you would be fighting to get your story into your children's textbooks.The holy books written by the world's religions are often quite beautiful, and crystallize hard-won wisdom, but keep in mind the fact that these were written millennia ago by people who didn't know about the size of the cosmos, or the Big Bang, or bacterial infection, or DNA, or computation, or even very much about neighboring landscapes/cultures. Ralph Waldo Emerson pointed out that the religious stories of one generation become the literary entertainment of the next--and indeed, you can see that nobody's fighting over Isis and Osiris anymore, or the Greek/Roman gods.I'm not suggesting that the Bakuba story is wrong or that the Adam and Eve story is wrong because the two are competing stories...as a scientist, I'm suggesting that they're wrong because all the available evidence weighs against them.For example, the biblical story suggests that the world is 6000 years old while our best science tells us that it's 4.5 billion years old, which means the biblical account has to somehow explain how the Japanese were making pottery 4000 years before the earth existed.For my money, this sort of thing puts me somewhere in the middle.So what surprises me is the amount of certainty I find out there. When you walk into a bookstore, you'll find books by the neo-atheists and books by the fundamentally religious, and they argue with each other and they polarize each other and they spend all of their energies on that.Maybe there should be another voice here? That seems far too limited for a modern discussion. Because if you think about the space of possibilities...When you start populating the possibility space with these 2000+ data points, what you realize is that there are vast landscapes in between these possibilities as well. All of these points are infinitesimally unlikely, but together they add up to this possibility space, and there hasn't been enough discussion about this space as a whole. Instead, the discussion has been limited to what I consider a false dichotomy--God vs. no God....and that's where the conversation has ended. :-(True, there are some people in the middle, and they sometimes describe themselves using the term "agnostic". I don't use that term because it's typically used as aterm--often when people say they're "agnostic", what they mean is "I'm not sure if the guy with the beard on the cloud exists or doesn't exist".So I call myself a "Possibilian". And the belief behind Possibilianism is an active exploration of new ideas, and a comfort with the scientific temperament of creativity and holding multiple hypotheses in mind. As a Possibilian, anything goes...at first. And then I import the tools of science to rule out parts of the possibility space. For instance, while it would be really cool if ESP existed, to the extent that we can measure things now, we cannot find any evidence to support it.Possibilianism basically picks up where the toolbox of science leaves off, when we no longer have the tools to address the questions we have, and must simply understand the space of possibilities, some of which we can rule out, but others which we are unable to at this time.. In every generation of scientists, people have always felt that they have all the pieces and parts that they need in order to answer what is going on around them in the cosmos. But just imagine trying to explain the Northern lights without an understanding of the magnetosphere, or trying to explain the heart before the concept of a pump was invented, or trying to understand how muscles work before electricity was discovered. You would make theories,. And that's where, in many instances, people found comfort in religion, superstition, the supernatural, etc.: We've got Newtonian physics, and Einsteinian physics and quantum mechanics, and we think, ok, we've sort of got all the pieces and parts. But astrophysicists look at the movement of the planets and galaxies, and they look at the gravitational pull, and they realize...something's missing. There's something out there that we can't quite see or smell or touch, but it must be there to make the equations work. So they call this fudge factor "dark matter"--we don't exactly know what it is, but we require it to make the equations balance out. Some of you may already know: dark matter isn't afudge factor; it's 90% of all known matter--that's a lot to sweep under the rug!: Consider the human brain. It's the most complicated device we have ever found; it's essentially an alien computational material. It is so dense in its connectivity that if you were to take a cubic millimeter of brain tissue, there are more connections in there than stars in the Milky Way galaxy. Yet somehow, this wet, mechanical networked system is. It's all your hopes and dreams and aspirations and emotions. If you were to lose a little part of your pinky, you wouldn't really be any different, but if you lost an equivalently sized piece of neural tissue, that would completely change your conscious state.The problem is, we don't know how to take mechanical pieces and parts and build private subjective experience out of that. Imagine if I gave you a trillion tinker toys and told you to start hooking them up. At what point do you add one more tinker toy and say, "Ah-ha! It's experiencing... the taste of feta cheese now"?That's the problem. We don't have any way to apply our equations to determine how we perceive the redness of red or the smell of a fart.All of this calls for a bit of intellectual |
aide said.
Reid was perhaps the loudest and most forceful critic of Trump — and Republicans who, Reid said, paved the way for the New York mogul to win the nomination — this year. Reid blamed Trump's rise on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for a deliberate strategy of obstructionism as long as Obama was president. And just days before the election, Reid accused the FBI of aiding Trump by withholding information about Russian interference in the election.
In an interview the day before the election, Reid blasted Rudy Giuliani as a "wanna-be something" and again attacked the GOP for enabling Trump's rise.
"We have Trump because of what the Republicans have done in Congress the last 10 years. And I think we’ve been able to show that. I think we’ve done a good job of showing that," said Reid, who used the Senate floor to wage war against Trump on a daily basis.
More than almost any other Democrat in Congress, he has little reason to speak hopefully of working with Trump. Reid is retiring in the new year and his home state of Nevada went almost entirely blue on Tuesday evening, with Reid's political machine helping elect Catherine Cortez Masto, the first Latina senator in U.S. history, to replace him.
Now Reid says that, since Trump "has emboldened the forces of hate and bigotry in America," the onus is on the president-elect to change that.
"Winning the electoral college does not absolve Trump of the grave sins he committed against millions of Americans. Donald Trump may not possess the capacity to assuage those fears, but he owes it to this nation to try," Reid said. “If Trump wants to roll back tide of hate he unleashed, he has a tremendous amount of work to do and he must begin immediately.”Pope Francis salutes during his weekly general audience in St. Peter's square on Wednesday at the Vatican. (ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/Getty Images)
Pope Francis railed against damaging the environment Thursday, lamenting the human role in climate change.
"Global warming continues," the pope said. "2015 was the warmest year on record, and 2016 will likely be warmer still. This is leading to ever more severe droughts, floods, fires and extreme weather events.
Francis argued for adding environmental stewardship to the Christian works of mercy, in a message marking the Catholic World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation.
"Climate change is also contributing to the heart-rending refugee crisis. The world's poor, though least responsible for climate change, are most vulnerable and already suffering its impact," Francis noted.
Perhaps most boldly, Francis charged that man is turning the planet into a "polluted wasteland full of debris, desolation and filth."
Nigerian Cardinal Peter Turkson, the pope's point man on the environment, said: "The first step is to humbly acknowledge the harm we are doing to the Earth through pollution, the scandalous destruction of ecosystems and loss of biodiversity, and the specter of climate change."
"Realize that when we hurt the Earth, we also hurt the poor," Turkson added, echoing the people.
Francisis seen as favorable to many politically progressive causes, without altering official church doctrine. His predecessor Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who was generally seen as more conservative, also sounded the alarm on the environment, however.
"Preservation of the environment, promotion of sustainable development and particular attention to climate change are matters of grave concern for the entire human family," Benedict wrote in 2007.
The Vatican under Benedict listed pollution as a "new sin" in 2008.FRAMINGHAM – A Framingham man discovered something strange in his home when he returned from vacation on Thursday – a bag full of dolls, police said.
The man, whom police did not identify, told officers nothing was missing from his Winthrop Street home which had obviously been burglarized, police spokeswoman Lt. Patricia Grigas said.
“A lock to the sliding glass door was broken and one chair was moved,” said Grigas. “There was a large clear plastic bag that was full of male and female dolls and pacifiers.”
The man returned home at 6 a.m. after being gone for five days, the lieutenant said. The man searched the home, but found nothing missing.
The man told police something similar had happened the prior year, but he never reported it. He said that is why he added a better lock to the sliding door, Grigas said.
Police questioned the man’s neighbors.
“The neighbors were home all week, but no one saw anything,” said Grigas. “No one saw anyone wandering around or out of the ordinary.”
Grigas said it is possible someone stayed in the house for a few days before leaving.
Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com. For up-to-date crime news, follow Norman Miller on Twitter @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerCrime.It will take the world’s poorest countries more than one century just to reach the level of climate change readiness that the richest countries already enjoy, according to data released Thursday (Dec. 12) by the 2013 University of Notre Dame Global Adaptation Index (ND-GAIN).
ND-GAIN is the world’s leading annual index that ranks more than 175 countries based on their vulnerability to climate change and their readiness to adapt to the droughts, superstorms and natural disasters that climate change can cause.
The latest version of Notre Dame’s annual index highlights huge disparities between the developed world and developing world when it comes to being prepared for the problems climate change is expected to cause in this century.
“We knew that there were disparities between the richest and poorest countries when it comes to climate change adaptation and readiness,” said Associate Professor Jessica Hellmann, who leads Notre Dame’s climate change adaptation program. “But we did not realize that it would take more than 100 years for the poorest countries just to reach the readiness levels that the richest countries have already attained.”
Some examples of the countries on this 100-year trajectory include Cambodia, Kenya and Haiti. “Given the recent typhoon in the Philippines, some people may be wondering where that island nation falls in terms of readiness,” said Associate Professor Nitesh Chawla, director of the Notre Dame Interdisciplinary Center for Network Science and Applications. “According to the data, the Philippines are more than 40 years behind the most developed countries in climate readiness. While that’s better than the poorest countries, it shows that the Philippines still has a long way to go.”
While the ND-GAIN Index shows that countries around the world are becoming more resilient in the face of climate change, the data also show that this trend is not happening nearly fast enough — even for developed countries. “These data are sobering because they cast light on just how unprepared some of the most vulnerable nations really are,” Hellmann said. “But they also show that the most developed countries are not doing enough either, which raises serious public policy questions no matter how well-developed a national economy may be.”
This year’s data show that the ND-GAIN Index is more than just a ranking of countries. The index, which is “open source” and available to anyone with an Internet connection, contains crucial information for policymakers, the private sector and nonprofits. The index aims to unlock global adaptation solutions that save lives and improve livelihoods while strengthening market positions in the private sector and policy decisions in the public sector. It informs strategic, operational and reputational decisions regarding supply chains, capital projects and community engagements. “This year’s announcement shows that the index contains data that can clearly help decision-makers determine global, regional and national priorities,” Chawla said.
Under the United Nations-led climate talks, billions of dollars have been pledged to help the world adapt to climate change. But key questions remain on where and how that money should be spent. ND-GAIN is one tool that can help governments, nongovernmental organizations and the private sector better target those and other investments.
The 2013 Index was released on Thursday (Dec. 12) at the ND-GAIN Annual Meeting hosted by the Wilson Center, a nonpartisan global public policy institution. The ND-GAIN Annual Meeting serves as the premier gathering of domestic and international experts on climate change adaptation and is attended by leading figures from the government, nonprofit and private sectors.
Contact: Julie Hail Flory, Notre Dame Public Relations, 574-631-7031, jflory@nd.edu
Originally published by Julie Hail Flory at news.nd.edu on.The only thing hot about Canada right now is the dead heat capturing the political landscape. There are some movements, but they are more of the twitch variety than structural movements. At the fringes, the electorate seems to be lurching around like a drunken monkey, but the new normal of a deadlocked Conservative/Liberal race seems to be a stable undercurrent.
The Conservatives and Liberals are in a statistical tie at thirty two points each, with the NDP trailing at 18.
Surprising — and probably overstated — Bloc Québécois strength in Quebec is forcing a remarkable four-way tie in that province. The dead heat theme continues in Ontario, the other key arena, where a virtual tie exists — as it does in Manitoba, but with a smaller sample base. The Liberals own the East and the Conservatives own Saskatchewan and Alberta (although voter enthusiasm for the government has cooled somewhat since the economy hit the skids). The perpetually confusing race in British Columbia shows a competitive four-way race with the Liberals on top. In our experience, British Columbian voters’ enthusiasm for the Liberals is always higher in the polls than it is at the ballot booth.
The demographic profile with respect to age, education, and gender is pretty familiar, with the Conservatives in great shape with older, male and less well-educated Canadians. Perhaps the most interesting demographic pattern is the link to the new Canadian vote. Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s public comments about ‘jihadists’ and the niqab seem to be finding favour with the less educated and with francophone voters in Quebec, particularly in Quebec City. But there seems to be a tradeoff: The Conservatives are now doing poorly with new Canadians, which is now one of the strongest segments of Liberal support.
The Bloc Québécois has enjoyed a surprising comeback in recent weeks, although its support is still well below historical levels. This recent surge probably doesn’t mean a lot, but it means something. The Bloc has no machinery, little money and a leader who is not particularly popular outside of a small base of ardent sovereigntists. So why are they doing so much better?
First, we need to recognize that the Quebec voter landscape is extremely volatile and very loosely rooted. The Bloc vote is an anti-federalist vote which is unhappy with the Conservatives, but is not particularly excited about the Liberals either. The party’s base is disproportionately young and poorly-educated. These voters are driven more by social issues than by sovereignty, but they would have a hard time switching to either the Conservatives or the Liberals. In all likelihood, a large portion of these voters will either stay home or default to the NDP come election day.
From other research, we believe that values are going to be critical in this election. Values are critical to emotional engagement — and emotions win elections. Last fall, it was clear that progressives had a clear advantage on values and there was an apparent frustration with the values narrative of the Harper government. However, this normative advantage (which is highly important because it drives turnout) seems to have been rather abruptly surrendered to the Conservative party.
To explain this shift, we don’t have to look much further than the security file. The shooting episode in Ottawa, followed by the horrific shootings in Paris and the serial barbarity of Islamic State, have all coalesced to produce a very significant shift in public fears about security. More recently, Mr. Harper’s position on the niqab seems to be appealing to the same segments who were attracted to Quebec’s secular charter. We do recognize, however, that the Parti Québécois, the architects of the secular charter, faltered in the last provincial election.
What’s interesting is that Mr. Harper’s comments on jihadist terrorism and the niqab have not enhanced Mr. Harper’s surprising values advantage from the last poll. While this strategy appears to resonate in some areas of Quebec, it may be hurting the party’s standing with new Canadians. It is also surprising to see that the typical gap between Quebeckers — who historically have been less supportive of military engagement — and the rest of Canada is no longer evident with the current mission in Iraq.
And other values could very quickly displace this effect; the values advantage that Harper had opened up two weeks ago already seems to be fading. In any case, the opposition leaders have yet to join this broader values contest, which will be critical to the outcome of the next election.
Meanwhile, Canadians’ rather grim sense of arrested progress appears to be even more dismal that we saw in the last sounding. This issue is worth following, because if it continues to be the case that only one Canadian in seven believes that they have done better this year than last, progress will be a difficult ballot issue for the Conservatives to overcome in the fall — when emotions surrounding the terror file may have receded.
Frank Graves is founder and president of EKOS Polling.
This study was conducted using High Definition Interactive Voice Response (HD-IVR™) technology, which allows respondents to enter their preferences by punching the keypad on their phone, rather than telling them to an operator. In an effort to reduce the coverage bias of landline-only RDD, we created a dual landline/cell phone RDD sampling frame for this research. As a result, we are able to reach those with a landline and cell phone, as well as cellphone-only households and landline-only households.
The field dates for this survey are February 11-17, 2015. A random sample of 3,386 Canadian adults aged 18 and over responded to the survey. The margin of error associated with the total sample is +/-1.7 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Please note that the margin of error increases when the results are sub-divided (i.e., error margins for sub-groups such as region, sex, age, education). All the data have been statistically weighted by age, gender, region, and educational attainment to ensure the sample’s composition reflects that of the actual population of Canada according to Census data.Time-Slot A: 06-Oct-2017 at 16:00 UTC
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NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Bringing home the bacon is getting more expensive.
Whether it's a bacon cheeseburger from a local diner or packs of bacon on grocery store shelves, you can expect to pay a higher price for your favorite cured meat until demand simmers down or more hogs are bred.
Last week, prices of pork bellies -- from which bacon is cut -- jumped to an all-time high of $1.42 a pound. Prices have soared more than 200% from a year ago.
Retail prices are up nearly 16% over the past few months -- from about $3.64 per pound in April to $4.21 in July -- according to the Department of Agriculture. Companies have been forced to raise prices to adjust for the higher cost of getting bacon from their suppliers.
A spokeswoman for supermarket chain Publix, for example, said that while the company tries "to avoid dramatic increases, especially in a time and market in which customers are extremely price sensitive," Publix has had to raise the price of a pack of bacon in its stores by about 50 cents in the past few months.
Whole Foods (WFMI, Fortune 500) hasn't raised prices yet, but the grocery store chain is "exploring how recent increases may affect us," a spokeswoman said.
Restaurants are in the same boat.
"The price challenge means that restaurant operators will have to become more deliberative about how and where they use bacon," said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of research at the National Restaurant Association. "Depending on just how much they use it will determine whether or not they raise prices or downplay offerings on the menu."
"Heck yes we'll raise prices" Five Guys Burgers and Fries, a national restaurant chain famous for its bacon-loaded burgers, has already raised prices "a little" to keep up with soaring costs. But it would rather charge more for one of its bacon burgers than skimp on bacon.
"Heck yes we'll raise prices -- even if the price of bacon were to triple we'd just charge more money," said Five Guys CEO Jerry Murrell. "The worst thing we could do is cut back on the bacon, and if I do catch anyone cutting back I'm gonna skin 'em."
Murrell added though that the price of bacon is only around 4% of the cost to make a burger. So the price increase could end up raising the price of a burger at Five Guys by just a few cents.
Wendy's isn't willing to cut back on bacon either, and is actually introducing higher quality bacon to its menu -- without raising prices.
When asked how the restaurant could afford to do this if prices continue to rise: "Time will tell," a spokesman for the chain, a subsidiary of Wendy's/Arby's Group (WEN) said. "We're not speculating at this time."
Where's the bacon? Hog supplies have been squeezed for the last couple years, as high costs of feed, low demand during the recession and the H1N1 (swine flu) virus scare led farmers to cut back on production.
On top of the already limited supply, the USDA forecasts pork production to drop another 3% this year.
"Even though they're making money now, we're not seeing much interest from producers in expanding their herds because they're still trying to recover from those losses from the last two years," said Tim Maiers, spokesman for the Illinois Pork Producers Association.
The recent hot weather has also been a factor, causing pigs to eat less and farmers to take longer to fatten them up, said Steve Meyer, president of Paragon Economics, a livestock and meat marketing consulting firm.
In the past four weeks alone, 7% fewer hogs have been brought to market from a year ago, making it likely that this year's pork production will decline even more than the USDA expects, he said.
But despite tight supplies and higher prices, demand for bacon is stronger than ever, Maiers said.
"It's become quite a trendy meat," he said. "While they may be scaling back on other things, consumers are wanting lots and lots of bacon in whatever it is they're eating or cooking."Chapter 75
Qrow made his way down the hall, second door on the left Yang had told him, of course it was closed. He would have to purposefully intrude on a safe space to start with. Heaving a sigh, he knocked twice. "Yes?" Weiss' muffled voice snipped from within.
"It's Qrow." He replied. Met with silence, all he could do was wait.
"Come in." Ruby's voice softly replied.
Qrow felt a pang in his heart. She sounded tired, drained. It pained him to hear it, and things would probably only get worse. Slowly, he opened the door and stepped in, shutting it gently behind him. Ruby sat on Jaune's bed, Blake and Weiss flanking her, an arm wrapped around each of Ruby's, who clenched their hands like lifelines. At this point, they probably were. "Hey kiddo, Blake, Weiss." Qrow greeted.
Ruby managed a small smile, but it was just as tired as her voice. Weiss and Blake nodded, the latter indicating the desk chair across from them, which Qrow sat in and waited. Weiss seemed impassive, regarding him with an icy stare. Blake wore a small frown, her golden eyes burning. It reminded him of Raven. Ruby looked warn down, eyes red and bloodshot. That hurt even more. "What happens now?" Ruby finally asked, voice muted and strained.
"Well Ruby...I don't know." Qrow admitted. "It's really up to you. What do you want to happen?"
"What I've always wanted...I wanted to be a family again...and I still do." Ruby's voice strengthened, if only for a moment, but it was enough to make Qrow smile.
"Was this it?" Weiss interrogated. "No more secrets?"
"Nothing comes to mind." Qrow replied. "As far as I'm concerned, it's always been the one thing. You'll have to ask Summer."
"I guess so...Blake, Weiss, can I have a minute?" Ruby requested.
"Of course." Weiss agreed.
"Take your time." Blake added. "We'll keep Yang company."
"Thank you." Ruby pecked Blake on the lips with a smile, before turning to Weiss to do the same. "I love you."
"We love you too." Weiss whispered before standing. Blake followed as she left the room.
When the door shut again, Ruby clasped her hands together, staring at the door. "You were in love with mom?"
"I was." Qrow answered.. "We all were. But Summer was in love with Tai."
"But she...she slept with you?" Ruby asked.
"Yeah...she...wasn't in a good place." Qrow sighed.
"You don't have to defend her Qrow." Ruby noted.
"I know, but it takes two to tango, and when push came to shove, I didn't say no." Qrow insisted. "Things seemed bad for Summer and Tai, and Summer came onto me for...whatever reason, and I just...I didn't want to say no. So I didn't."
"And here I am." Ruby said.
"And here you are." Qrow nodded.
"So I was a mistake." Ruby suggested.
"No." Qrow snapped.
"How?" Ruby pressed.
"Because I say so." Qrow replied. "Sleeping with Summer was a mistake, going along with the lie was a mistake, telling the truth the way I did was a mistake. You? You're not a mistake Ruby. You were worth all that, even if I fucked everything else up royally. Even if I was only ever uncle to you. It was all worth it because you are not a mistake. You're the best thing to ever happen to me. That's a fact, and I'll...I'll fight anyone who says a word against you." Qrow swallowed, his voice thick, tears prickling at the back of his eyes.
"What…" Ruby croaked, swallowing herself, eyes teary. "What do you want Qrow?"
"I want what you want Ruby." Qrow answered.
"No, that's not what you want to want." Ruby shook her head. "That's selfless. Be selfish. What do you want Qrow? If you could have one thing come from all this, what would it be?" Her voice wavered, but her gaze was strong, those beautiful silver eyes boring into his heart more deeply than Summer ever had before her.
"I want to hold my daughter, not my niece." Qrow barely got the words out before Ruby slammed into him, scrawny arms squeezing him tightly as she buried her face in his shoulder.
"Like father like d-daughter huh?" Ruby said thickly through tears.
Qrow laughed breathlessly, squeezing her back. "Yeah, chip of the old block." He half sobbed, half laughed, Ruby joining him.
"A-all these years and...it's gonna' be so weird not calling you Uncle Qrow anymore." Ruby grinned.
"Yeah, Daddy Qrow doesn't have the same ring to it." Qrow joked.
"Daddy, Dad, that's gonna' take a lot of getting used to." Ruby admitted.
"You're not gonna' stop calling Tai dad are you?" Qrow asked.
"No...no I won't." Ruby replied. "He's not my father, but he'll always be my dad. He...he doesn't hate me does he?"
"No, God no Ruby." Qrow insisted. "He loves you so much. He just...he couldn't deal with it. It wrecked his head to think about."
"I just wanted him to talk to me." Ruby sighed.
"So did he, but it took him so long to get back on his feet, he just couldn't handle lying to your face." Qrow explained.
"And you could?" Ruby pulled away, enough to look Qrow in the eye, but not to let go.
Qrow sighed. "I can't excuse it away Ruby. I didn't want to screw things up harder. I didn't know what would happen if I told the truth. At least with the lie, Summer couldn't force me away entirely. I could still try and be there for you. It was a shit situation, and none of us handled it right. And I'm sorry."
Ruby nodded sadly, managing a small smile. She took Qrow's hands in her own. "It hurts Qrow, being lied to, but I understand. You've always tried your best for me, even with Summer forcing you away. Even when things kept going wrong you never gave up. You were always there for me." She smiled a larger, more genuine smile. "I forgive you Qrow. I wanna' start making up for all the days we lost, all the times I called you uncle instead of dad, every day Summer made you lie to me. We'll take them back, one by one, eh?"
Qrow smiled. "There's nothing I want more in the world Ruby."
Frightened by the shouting, Zwei had hidden under the couch. Once Summer had calmed down, Winter coaxed out the still anxious animal. It seemed he was no longer in the mood to |
's the OLD (L) vs NEW (R)]
Hexakill: Twisted Treeline
Summoner's Rift Update
In addition to a new base forthis morning's update also includes the splash art forand, two of our new skins in this cycle.'s new splash art, which was added in an earlier update, has also been updated with slight adjustments - minor shift in position, color changes, details on face / chest.The special mode selection image for the upcomingfeatured gameplay mode has been added. SPOOKY.The Summoner's Rift update has been removed from the PBE as the cycle is wrapping up and it will not be going to live in patch 4.18. SRU will be back up for more testing next cycle.Miss out on previous updates from this PBE cycle? Check outfor acatch up with the links below!It is time we stopped suspending disbelief and took account of two things. First, if the current economic miseries are a global problem, why are things so much worse here than anywhere else? Why is sterling taking a more or less unique hit on the world's currency markets? The answer is simple: it is that the fundamentals of our economy are so much worse than almost everyone else's, and that is because of the mess Mr Brown has made of running it, in one capacity or another, for the last 12 years.
Then we need to suspend disbelief about how we best get out of this mess. Why, when Mr Brown created it, should he be trusted to extricate us from it? Isn't that a little like suggesting al-Qaeda rebuild the World Trade Center? Isn't it quite clear that the best thing for Britain is to have these charlatans removed from power as swiftly as possible, even if it means replacing them with the Disney characters of the Tory front bench?
I fear there is one reason above all why Mr Brown continues to get away with it, and it brings us back to the archbishop. It is because too many people are taken in by his son-of-the-manse act, and the "fact" that he has a "moral compass". Mr Brown is an exceptionally immoral prime minister, in fact. It is not moral to expropriate vast amounts of money from decent, hard-working people who probably don't vote for you and instead give it to less deserving ones who probably do. It is not moral to inflict upon the economy the damage this inevitably causes – suppressing the creation of wealth by ensuring resources are wasted rather than properly invested.
It is also not moral, when your policies have caused (and will for some time continue to cause) exceptional hardship to businesses and individuals to shrug off all responsibility for the pain, and to ring-fence your own clientele to ensure that they, unlike the private sector, do not have to endure such unpleasantness. Above all – and this was directly the point the archbishop made – it is not moral to beggar generations of Britons to come in order to create the illusion that the Government is putting matters right now: for as one of Mr Brown's predecessors, Lord Callaghan, once forcefully pointed out, you can't spend your way out of recession.
When Mr Brown was Chancellor he showed his immorality, and moral cowardice, time and again by disappearing from view whenever Tony Blair got into trouble, rather than rowing behind him in a spirit of solidarity. So we should not be surprised by seeing so much of it now, when times are really wretched. And now, of course, he is egged on in this disgusting trait by the completely unscrupulous, twice-disgraced, ex-mortgage fiddler Lord Rumba of Rio, who comes up daily with bogus and expensive "initiatives" to cheer everyone up, and ensures Mr Brown continues to blame the Americans for the mess that, in fact, he has put our economy in.
The so-called cure that Mr Brown, Lord Rumba and their other morally diseased cronies have prescribed for our economy won't work. It might succeed in duping the public into voting for them at an election, especially if it is held soon, and the Tories continue to be utterly clueless about what to do with the economy instead. It is a shame that the constitution forbids Dr Williams from being prime minister: for on this subject at least, he does for once know exactly what he is talking about.
Some will argue that just because the botched inquiry into the murder of Rachel Nickell took place more than 15 years ago lessons have been learned, and things are much better today. I seriously doubt it.
The police are worse than in Rachel’s day
The police are manifestly even more incompetent, and badly led, now than they were then. They exist largely to act as a state-sanctioned weapon of social engineering and choose to persecute people with absolutely no intent to commit serious crime. Several readers have told me in recent days of police in the West Country stopping 4x4s at dusk in case there are people in them with shotguns in the boot, after a day's shooting, who might possibly be over the alcohol limit, and therefore drunk in charge of a firearm (this includes passengers, by the way). No drunk passenger is going to kill anyone: meanwhile, guns are bought and sold freely in pubs by criminals without police interference. Is it any wonder the middle classes now despise Mr Plod so?
Labour will never give us the truth on Iraq
On the enduring subject of political immorality, why should any of us be surprised that the Government is resisting an inquiry into the Iraq war, even though the Prime Minister (perhaps with an election in mind next spring) has signalled our troops' exit from that country? Most of us cannot begin to imagine the welter of lies, misrepresentations and blunders that such an inquiry, if conducted openly and honestly, would expose. We can only begin to contemplate the reputations that would be destroyed by it, not least of people still in senior positions in this administration who were bound by collective responsibility, or who continue to assist Mr Brown behind the scenes.
So bent are the ethics of these people that we can be sure any inquiry would be chaired by a tame old fool who would begin from the position that the Government was always right even in the face of overwhelming proof that it wasn't. Should we ever get a Tory government, it must hold an Iraq inquiry at once.
A wonder Lord Rumba hasn’t experienced
An era has supposedly passed – an era of tat from what I can work out – with the closure of Woolworth's. It's a pity they didn't sell guacamole, for they might have had Lord Rumba of Rio as a customer, and he might have found some more cash from his bottomless pit of taxpayers' money to save them. From next month, 800 stores on high streets will stand empty, like missing teeth in a smile, or tombstones commemorating the Brown Terror and its economic consequences. They will, though, provide a suitable measure of how quickly and effectively the Government's rescue plan is working. I hope some statistician will publish on the first of each month how many ex-Woolies stores have opened up as something else. If half are back in business this time next year, I'll be amazed.
One F-word doesn't apply to Ross
Fans of the grotesquely overpaid Jonathan Ross – apparently he has them – have expressed fears this week that when he returns to the airwaves in the new year he will have lost his "edge". This is because he has been told not to make gratuitously obscene remarks, and to swear less. I think the BBC should go the whole hog and make him present the Daily Service in order to earn his money. I still can't understand why it is regarded as side-splittingly hilarious for somebody to ask an interviewee about his or bodily functions or sexual practices, or to utter the words ---- and ---- a lot. But perhaps it is proof of Ross's genius that he convinced his paymasters that it was.
It will soon be time to sell those euros
It is disturbing to think that the euro will probably have become even more expensive against the pound in the few hours between my writing these words and you reading them. This precipitate fall is bigger than at any time since we went off the Gold Standard in 1931 and betokens a failure in our economy like that of the Great Depression.
Sentiment is now so much against our economy that only a fool would predict where sterling will be in one, three or six months. If the Government lets it go on down, it will be another sign of their dereliction.
However, a visit to Paris this week and talks with officials there made me think the worst may soon be over. The eurozone, too, is in convulsions. Various countries in it would like to leave so that they can devalue. The strong currency is battering their exports and tourism. Signs of optimism are hard to discern here, except that those countries who so far seem to have got away with it may be about to suffer just like us.
Killing runs in this dishonest family
The conviction of the scum who murdered and abetted the murderer of 11-year-old Rhys Jones lifted the stone on the most revolting aspects of our underclass. The murderer's mother was a prostitute. His father (from whom his mother was, of course, separated) was mixed up with drug gangs, one of whose members shot him in 1996. His great-great grandfather was hanged for murder; at least then we dealt with such people effectively.
The cocktail of the destruction of the family, the wreck of state education, the poisonous liberal society and now the rewarding of the undeserving poor through welfare has created a feral group who won't work, won't be honest, and won't conform with the law.
If the Government wishes to prime the economy, it should bulldoze the Norris Green estate in Liverpool, where the murderer and his gang live, and split up the gang by redistributing them around the country, preferably to remote islands. Until we stop paying people to be an underclass, we'll have an underclass.Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.), a veteran lawmaker and vehement critic of the Affordable Care Act, has been picked as President-elect Donald Trump's choice to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)
Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.), a veteran lawmaker and vehement critic of the Affordable Care Act, has been picked as President-elect Donald Trump's choice to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)
President-elect Donald Trump’s choices for health secretary and administrator of the government’s largest health insurance programs have for years pursued a sharply conservative agenda that includes redefining Medicare, placing “personal responsibility” requirements on low-
income recipients of Medicaid, and dismantling the Affordable Care Act.
If adopted, this agenda could dramatically alter access to insurance and medical services for more than 100 million Americans covered through the two entitlement programs and the ACA.
Trump has nominated Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) to lead the Department of Health and Human Services and health consultant Seema Verma to run the HHS agency that oversees Medicare and Medicaid. The two are master tacticians of the right-leaning health-care vision Trump adopted as central campaign themes.
Price, chairman of the House Budget Committee, is an orthopedic surgeon who was a state lawmaker before his election to Congress a dozen years ago to represent affluent Atlanta suburbs. He has four times introduced his own legislation to replace the polarizing 2010 health-care law, and he was part of a quartet of House committee chairmen who recently forged a GOP consensus document with 40 pages of proposed changes to the health-care system. Last year, he was chief sponsor of the only ACA-repeal bill that has ever reached the White House; President Obama vetoed it.
Verma is an Indianapolis-based health-care consultant who designed the most far-reaching Medicaid experiment under the Affordable Care Act that the Obama administration has allowed. It is based on the idea that beneficiaries should be required to take responsibility for their health and their finances. Even some of the poorest residents were required to pay for part of their care. She has been advising other states with Republican governors on how to alter their Medicaid programs, as well.
Seema Verma, an Indianapolis-based health-care consultant, is Donald Trump’s choice to run the HHS agency that oversees Medicare and Medicaid. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Taken together, Trump’s choices announced Tuesday morning demonstrate his seriousness about demolishing the Affordable Care Act and restructuring the two vast health-care entitlement programs that were pillars of the Great Society of the 1960s.
Price’s and Verma’s experience in conservative policymaking trenches immediately elated a variety of politicians and health-policy experts on the right, while worrying liberals.
Shortly after word of Price’s selection surfaced Monday night, former House speaker Newt Gingrich tweeted: “He is the right leader to help Congress replace Obamacare.”
In contrast, Ron Pollack, executive director of the liberal health-care lobby Families USA, said on Tuesday, “In contradiction to President-elect Trump’s promise to protect the poor, both appointees have demonstrated an unusual insensitivity to the health-care needs of low-income families.”
[CMS nominee set up Indiana’s unusual Medicaid expansion]
View Graphic Here are the people Trump has chosen for his Cabinet
One of the central unknowns at the moment is whether Trump, in carrying out his pledge to repeal and replace the ACA, will adopt wholesale the relatively detailed set of ideas that Price, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) and other House Republicans have forged — or whether the incoming president will want to place his own imprint on such policies.
For the most part, Trump’s health-care positions, during his campaign and since the transition began, have been aligned with the House Republicans’ thinking, though the president-elect’s statements have been far less specific.
However, the most recent version of Price’s bill to replace the ACA, called “Empowering Patients First,” contains at least one important difference with Trump. It would reverse a requirement in the law that insurers may not refuse to cover customers with preexisting medical problems. During his campaign, Trump repeatedly said that he wanted to keep that facet of the law.
In a conference call with reporters Tuesday morning to discuss Price’s and Verma’s selections, a Trump transition spokesman did not address that difference. The spokesman, Jason Miller, subtly signaled that the president-elect would look to the pair to chart the way forward on health-care policy. Miller noted that Trump has spoken of expanding the use of health-savings accounts, allowing insurers to sell policies in other states, and changing Medicaid from an entitlement program to block grants with fewer federal rules — ideas that all mesh with Price’s thinking. “It’s important to point out that Dr. Price and Ms. Verma will really be our point people who will be leading the charge on this front,” Miller said.
At the White House, press secretary Josh Earnest gave a fresh defense of the ACA and said that whatever health plan Trump produces should be judged by the extent to which it expands insurance coverage, constrains health-care costs, and lengthens the financial life of Medicare, whose finances are fragile.
Price, a member of the House’s tea party caucus, has been on the speaking circuit for years calling for limiting federal spending and lessening the government’s role in health care. He tends to cloak his ideas in gentle language, speaking often of “patient-centered health care where patients and families and doctors are making medical decisions.”
Yet he is associated with the most conservative strain of thought in favor of eliminating the ACA and tilting the Medicaid and Medicare programs toward the private sector.
[Getting rid of Obamacare may take longer than Trump plans]
Early in the spring of 2010, two days after Obama signed into law the health-care bill that had passed without a single House GOP vote, Price pronounced it “the nail in the coffin for health care in the United States.” A few months later, he signed a “Repeal-it!” pledge organized by the Club for Growth, a conservative, free-market group.
In 2009, one of the three times during his House tenure that Congress has renewed the Children’s Health Insurance Program, created nearly two decades ago to help working-class families, Price voted against its extension. He also has worked to try to increase protection of his fellow physicians from malpractice lawsuits.
As for Verma, she redesigned Medicaid in Indiana, the home state of Vice President-elect Mike Pence, exercising the flexibility the ACA provides states. Under new rules, Indiana’s beneficiaries pay for their insurance with help of savings accounts worth $2,500 each provided by the government. An intricate system of rules encourage Hoosiers on Medicaid to save money and get medical checkups. The program offers help in finding jobs but stops short of requiring people to work — a step the Obama administration opposes but that many conservatives favor.
Last year, a spending plan Price proposed as Budget Committee chair would have transformed Medicare, converting it from an entitlement to a system of “premium supports” — like vouchers — to help buy private insurance policies.
Last year, too, Price was asked in an NPR interview what it would take to get rid of the ACA. His reply was quick. “It’s going to take a different president.”
Abby Phillip, Max Ehrenfreund and Alice Crites contributed to this report.China is under pressure from the international community to support new sanctions against North Korea if Pyongyang follows through on its threat to carry out its third nuclear test.
Following North Korea's long-range rocket launch in December, China backed a new U.N. resolution (2087) that strengthened existing sanctions aimed at punishing Pyongyang for its nuclear weapons program.
The resolution, in part, urges U.N. members to monitor the activity of North Korean financial organizations within their countries. It also calls for travel bans on people suspected of involvement with the North's nuclear program.
So how will China react if North Korea carries out another nuclear test? The U.N. Security Council, of which China is a permanent member, is expected to respond quickly, possibly with new economic sanctions that expand asset freezes and travel bans on North Korean entities.
China will likely support such measures, according to Asia-related analysts and scholars interviewed by VOA such as Hong Kong senior media educator Zhou Bing.
"China can use a relatively soft punishment like freezing North Korea's bank accounts or canceling trade contracts," Zhou said. "However, China will still offer aid to North Korea. Because of humanitarian reasons and the long-time relations that have existed between the two, China still will offer food aid."
Pre-emptive measures
South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported that some North Korean companies and government-linked businesses are taking pre-emptive measures to avoid new Chinese financial sanctions.
Yonhap quoted a source in Beijing with knowledge of the issue as saying there are signs North Korean entities are withdrawing money from their Chinese bank accounts, or changing their company names in China.
A professor at China's Renmin University School of International Studies, Jin Canrong, told VOA that Sino-North Korean relations have deteriorated since Pyongyang's rocket launch in December, and that they could worsen further if the North carries out a nuclear test. He said Pyongyang's weak spot is the economy, and China's economic measures toward North Korea are very effective.
Soft economic sanctions
But an Asia analyst at the U.S.-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, James Schoff, told VOA that if China supports new sanctions, it will do so in a way that minimizes the economic impact on Pyongyang.
"The more desperate you make North Korea and the weaker they become economically, you’ve pretty much cut off any hope, chance for them coming around, at least from a Chinese perspective," Schoff said. "So they’ll do it I think more politically or try to soften some of the hard edges on economic sanctions, but there’s a limit to what they can do.”
China is North Korea's top ally and trading partner and supplies the impoverished country with crucial economic and humanitarian assistance. China also is seen as one of the few nations able to influence Pyongyang.
North Korea conducted nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009 and has carried out long-range rocket launches.
The international community has condemned the rocket launches as disguised intercontinental ballistic missile tests. North Korea says it fired its rocket in December with the intention of putting a weather satellite into orbit.The Emu War, also known as the Great Emu War, [1] was a nuisance wildlife management military operation undertaken in Australia over the latter part of 1932 to address public concern over the number of emus said to be running amok in the Campion district of Western Australia. The unsuccessful attempts to curb the population of emus, a large flightless bird indigenous to Australia, employed soldiers armed with Lewis guns —leading the media to adopt the name "Emu War" when referring to the incident. While a number of the birds were killed, the emu population persisted and continued to cause crop destruction.
Farmers relayed their concerns about the birds ravaging their crops, and a deputation of ex-soldiers were sent to meet with the Minister of Defence, Sir George Pearce. Having served in World War I, the soldier-settlers were well aware of the effectiveness of machine guns, and they requested their deployment. The minister readily agreed, although with conditions attached: the guns were to be used by military personnel, and troop transport was to be financed by the Western Australian government, and the farmers would provide food, accommodation, and payment for the ammunition. [2] [5] Pearce also supported the deployment on the grounds that the birds would make good target practice, [6] although it has also been argued that some in the government may have viewed this as a way of being seen to be helping the Western Australian farmers, to stave off the secession movement that was brewing at the same time, and towards that end a cinematographer from Fox Movietone was enlisted. [2]
The difficulties facing farmers were increased by the arrival of as many as 20,000 emus. [3] Emus regularly migrate after their breeding season, heading to the coast from the inland regions. With the cleared land and additional water supplies being made available for livestock by the West Australian farmers, the emus found that the cultivated lands were good habitat, and they began to foray into farm territory—in particular the marginal farming land around Chandler and Walgoolan. [2] The emus consumed and spoiled the crops, as well as leaving large gaps in fences where rabbits could enter and cause further problems. [4]
Following World War I, large numbers of ex-soldiers from Australia, along with a number of British veterans, were given land by the Australian government to take up farming within Western Australia, often in marginal areas. With the onset of the Great Depression in 1929, these farmers were encouraged to increase their wheat crops, with the government promising—and failing to deliver—assistance in the form of subsidies. In spite of the recommendations and the promised subsidies, wheat prices continued to fall, and by October 1932 matters were becoming intense, with the farmers preparing to harvest the season's crop while simultaneously threatening to refuse to deliver the wheat. [2]
[7] Sir George Pearce, who ordered that the army cull the emu population. He was later referred to in Parliament as the "Minister of the Emu War" by Senator James Dunn
Military involvement was due to begin in October 1932.[5] The 'war' was conducted under the command of Major G.P.W. Meredith of the Seventh Heavy Battery of the Royal Australian Artillery,[2][6] with Meredith commanding soldiers Sergeant S. McMurray and Gunner J. O'Hallora,[8] armed with two Lewis guns[9] and 10,000 rounds of ammunition.[6] The operation was delayed, however, by a period of rainfall that caused the emus to scatter over a wider area.[5] The rain ceased by 2 November 1932,[2][5] at which point the troops were deployed with orders to assist the farmers and, according to a newspaper account, to collect 100 emu skins so that their feathers could be used to make hats for light horsemen.[10]
First attempt
On 2 November the men travelled to Campion, where some 50 emus were sighted.[2] As the birds were out of range of the guns, the local settlers attempted to herd the emus into an ambush, but the birds split into small groups and ran so that they were difficult to target.[6] Nevertheless, while the first fusillade from the machine guns was ineffective due to the range, a second round of gunfire was able to kill "a number" of birds. Later the same day a small flock was encountered, and "perhaps a dozen" birds were killed.[2]
The next significant event was on 4 November. Meredith had established an ambush near a local dam, and more than 1,000 emus were spotted heading towards their position. This time the gunners waited until the birds were in close proximity before opening fire. The gun jammed after only twelve birds were killed and the remainder scattered before any more could be shot.[8] No more birds were sighted that day.[2]
In the days that followed, Meredith chose to move further south, where the birds were "reported to be fairly tame",[11] but there was only limited success in spite of his efforts.[2] By the fourth day of the campaign, army observers noted that "each pack seems to have its own leader now – a big black-plumed bird which stands fully six feet high and keeps watch while his mates carry out their work of destruction and warns them of our approach."[12] At one stage Meredith even went so far as to mount one of the guns on a truck: a move that proved to be ineffective, as the truck was unable to gain on the birds, and the ride was so rough that the gunner was unable to fire any shots.[2] By 8 November, six days after the first engagement, 2,500 rounds of ammunition had been fired.[6] The number of birds killed is uncertain: one account estimates that it was 50 birds,[6] but other accounts range from 200 to 500—the latter figure being provided by the settlers. Meredith's official report noted that his men had suffered no casualties.[2]
Summarising the culls, ornithologist Dominic Serventy commented:
The machine-gunners' dreams of point blank fire into serried masses of Emus were soon dissipated. The Emu command had evidently ordered guerrilla tactics, and its unwieldy army soon split up into innumerable small units that made use of the military equipment uneconomic. A crestfallen field force therefore withdrew from the combat area after about a month.[13]
On 8 November, representatives in the Australian House of Representatives discussed the operation.[6] Following the negative coverage of the events in the local media,[14] that included claims that "only a few" emus had died,[4] Pearce withdrew the military personnel and the guns on 8 November.[4][6][15][16]
After the withdrawal, Major Meredith compared the emus to Zulus and commented on the striking manoeuvrability of the emus, even while badly wounded.
If we had a military division with the bullet-carrying capacity of these birds it would face any army in the world... They can face machine guns with the invulnerability of tanks. They are like Zulus whom even dum-dum bullets could not stop.[12]
Second attempt
After the withdrawal of the military, the emu attacks on crops continued. Farmers again asked for support, citing the hot weather and drought that brought emus invading farms in the thousands. James Mitchell, the Premier of Western Australia lent his strong support to renewal of the military assistance. At the same time, a report from the Base Commander was issued that indicated 300 emus had been killed in the initial operation.[16]
Acting on the requests and the Base Commander's report, by 12 November the Minister of Defence approved a resumption of military efforts.[16] He defended the decision in the senate, explaining why the soldiers were necessary to combat the serious agricultural threat of the large emu population.[4] Although the military had agreed to lend the guns to the Western Australian government on the expectation that they would provide the necessary people, Meredith was once again placed in the field due to an apparent lack of experienced machine gunners in the state.[2]
Taking to the field on 13 November 1932, the military found a degree of success over the first two days, with approximately 40 emus killed. The third day, 15 November, proved to be far less successful, but by 2 December the soldiers were killing approximately 100 emus per week. Meredith was recalled on 10 December, and in his report he claimed 986 kills with 9,860 rounds, at a rate of exactly 10 rounds per confirmed kill. In addition, Meredith claimed 2,500 wounded birds had died as a result of the injuries that they had sustained.[2]As the home of the largest telecom businesses and thousands of digital companies, the United States has historically favored less regulation when it comes to the internet. For that reason, internet service was, up until 2015, classified as Title I information service, an FCC category that allows such services to only be lightly regulated.
Net neutrality isn’t just about maintaining good consumer experiences: It’s about a set of principles under which the conditions for online innovation and freedom are maintained.
But over the years, there were what net neutrality proponents felt were significant examples of internet service providers using this free rein unfairly. When Apple released Facetime, for example, AT&T didn’t let consumers use it unless they were on Wi-Fi. AT&T also imposed secret data caps from 2011-2014, while Comcast included hidden fees. These had to be undone retroactively, through litigation by consumer advocates. Perhaps more significantly, though, as services like YouTube and Netflix started to take up huge amounts of bandwidth in the past decade—sometimes, nearly half of all U.S. internet traffic—providers began talking about so-called “fast lanes” that would ask those companies to pay to maintain smooth delivery of their service.
It’s this latter point that most clearly gets to the core of net neutrality. While the AT&T-Facetime example was eventually corrected, what a fast lane policy does is give an implicit advantage to those huge companies who have resources and clout, both to pay and to negotiate a better deal. These are barriers that newer, smaller sites would find prohibitive. In this way, net neutrality isn’t really about your ISP slowing down Netflix—these days, that would annoy so many customers that providers know it would be bad business—but rather, it’s a threat to the next Netflix. How does anyone compete with huge multinationals who can pay for their customers to have a better experience? And the practice could further privilege content that reflects the views of the powerful: It is not difficult to imagine, for example, a small progressive media site being delivered more slowly than a Fox News video stream. How do individuals resist when already entrenched incumbents are given priority in our digital public space? Net neutrality isn’t just about maintaining good consumer experiences: It’s about a set of principles under which the conditions for online innovation and freedom are maintained.
This was the view of Obama administration’s FCC chair, Tom Wheeler—or at least it became his view, after a huge public outcry in defense of net neutrality during Obama’s second term. But the FCC’s policies also shifted towards neutrality in those years in response to the agency’s own battles with Verizon and other large telecom companies. In those fights, the providers claimed that the FCC’s attempts to regulate them went beyond what the agency had the power to demand of Title I regulated companies.And so the FCC changed the classification. In June 2015, the agency published a new set of guidelines for telecommunications that reclassified internet service providers as Title II common carriers.
Title II is a very different kind of regulatory classification. Opponents of net neutrality like to refer to Title II as a set of Depression-era rules designed for railroads and telephone monopolies. But in principle, what Title II actually allows for is the idea that any company that ends up functioning like infrastructure to move things across the country—and in the case of the internet, what these companies move is information—has to do so in the public interest. When the internet began to be regulated this way, it reflected the growing consensus that the internet is a utility that must treat the delivery of its services neutrally, like a company delivering electricity or water to retail customers. The reclassification of internet providers under Title II was thus a huge win for net neutrality advocates.Vito, the male Bald Eagle nesting on the south shore of Staten Island. The Staten Island-based photographer who took this shot thinks the bird has been in the area for two years. Photo: Lawrence Pugliares
Starting a family in New York City is not for the faint of heart—the rent is high, the school system is overwhelming, and stroller traffic keeps getting worse—but that hasn't deterred a young couple of Bald Eagles. The pair has taken up on the South Shore of Staten Island, and they appear to be incubating eggs—making the very first active New York City Bald Eagle nest reported in 100 years, New York City Audubon announced this morning. Local birders have named the male Bald Eagle Vito, and are eagerly awaiting the offspring (Bald Eagle incubation period lasts between 34-36 days, and the incubating behavior was first spotted last week).
“The eagles are engaging in brooding behavior typical of nesting birds incubating their eggs,” says Tod Winston, communications manager and research assistant for NYC Audubon. “Due to the height and location of the nest, it is not possible to actually see into it from the ground.”
The couple’s successful nest appeared several weeks after another eagle couple was observed on Staten Island in early February. That pair, first spotted by a tugboat captain on a little New York Harbor island off the coast, was observed shuttling nest material to the top of an unused dock. The birds hung around the island for a while, but eventually left the area. It’s likely they were subadult Bald Eagles “playing house,” as is customary for young birds (though they may have just moved on to less urban digs to mate). But the South Shore pair stuck around (the exact location of the nest is undisclosed, for the eagles’ protection).
We’re pretty excited that Bald Eagles are making New York City home. The presence of these eagles in such a densely populated human environment means two very encouraging things: the local ecosystem is a lot less polluted than it used to be, and the eagle population is getting large enough that some birds are actually getting crowded out of more remote habitats. That’s a big step for a species that appeared to be heading for extinction just a few decades ago.
By 1963, the national symbol's presence in the lower 48 was seriously depleted—only 487 nesting pairs remained in the lower 48 states, thanks to shooting, habitat destruction, and the use of DDT. (Bald Eagles’ range extends across North America—at their lowest points, eagles were still found in New York and New Jersey, but mostly as scarce migrants.) The ban on DDT in 1972 and introduction of the Endangered Species Act a year later helped the population start to recover, but the eagles still had a long road before they could set up shop in NYC.
In 1976, there was one nesting pair of bald eagles left in all 54-thousand-plus square miles of New York State, living on Hemlock Lake just south of Rochester. The female had accumulated too much DDT in her system to lay viable eggs, so barring the arrival of newcomers from Canada, it seemed New York would soon be without the iconic birds.
A few years earlier, starting in 1971, Dr. Tom Cade at Cornell University's Laboratory of Ornithology had led a program to revive the similarly DDT-ravaged Peregrine Falcon population in the state, using a technique called "hacking." The goal of the process is to raise a young bird by surrogate without getting in the way of their natural progression towards maturity and independent hunting, so the bird can make it in the wild as an adult.
Hacking has its nuances, but the basic idea is pretty simple. First, you bring in baby birds from healthy populations elsewhere in the world and put them in an artificial nest called a "hacking tower"—essentially a wooden box on a raised platform. You feed the birds, but avoid interacting with them. The door to the hacking box is grated so the birds can see out, but it’s locked tight until they're fully fledged to keep them from falling. Once they've grown their flight feathers, you open the door to give the birds a chance to practice flying and hunting on their own (though there’s still food in the box). After a while, their visits to the food supply at the hack box become fewer and farther between, and eventually they go off and find their own territory nearby.
And a quick note on terminology: “Hacking” does not come from the phone, computer or even ‘life’ use—it actually dates back to the 16th century falconers, who called the boards they used to feed their birds “hacks.” Eventually the term came to stand in for the whole process of raising birds to adulthood, which Dr. Cade borrowed from falconers concerned with Peregrine Falcon conservation.
But back to the birds. Dr. Cade had proven that this method could work for raising capable adult peregrines at Cornell, but no one had ever tried to hack an eagle before—a bird of a different order, let alone feather.
With limited other options, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) decided to give hacking a shot. They chose the Montezuma Wildlife Refuge near Seneca Falls (home to the Montezuma Audubon Center) as the pilot hacking location after it was found to be free of DDT, and built a clutch of two-story hacking towers in the woods, fitted with blinds to allow caretakers to feed and observe their residents without being seen.
Over the course of the next four years, the program brought in 23 eaglets from the Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin wild, as well as from a U.S. Fish and Wildlife breeding center in Patuxent, Maryland. The hacked eaglets grew and successfully went out into the wild. In 1980 came proof of the program's success: a pair of Montezuma's hacked Bald Eagles were found nesting near Watertown, NY, where they managed to hatch two chicks, one of which made it to fledging.
After the New York program got off the ground, other states began following their lead. New Jersey, which also had only one remaining nesting pair of bald eagles by the mid-1970s, started their own hacking program in 1983, and now has 156 nesting pairs of its own, mostly clustered around the Delaware River and Bay at the southern tip of the state.
After the nesting pair near Watertown was found in 1980, the DEC decided to ramp up their efforts towards a goal of establishing 10 stable nesting pairs of Bald Eagles in New York state, a number that they believed sufficient to sustain a population indefinitely. They reached that goal by 1989, and their belief was soon borne out: today |
in a while, they inadvertently get it right on the money. Because real-world hackers have done stuff like...
As we have mentioned previously, Hollywood just doesn't seem to have a very firm grasp on how technology works. So when it comes to depicting computer hacking onscreen, it's no surprise that the implausible scenarios Hollywood's tech-challenged screenwriters manage to pull out of their asses don't even come close to resembling the real thing.
5 Jackpot an ATM
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As Seen In:
Terminator 2
The Hollywood Hack:
Let's look at the classic scene for a moment: Young John Connor -- the kid whose voice sometimes makes you wish they had sent a few extra T-1000s back from the future -- jacks his Atari (yes, Atari) laptop thingy into an ATM. With the push of a few buttons and some fast-scrolling numbers on what appears to be an old-school scientific calculator screen, he turns bits into Benjamins in a matter of seconds.
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"If you see any cops, I want you to mullet as fast as you can."
It's one of those scenes you just know James Cameron made up on the fly, because ATMs can't be that easy to hack in the real world -- otherwise, people would be doing it all the time. No, if real-life criminals want to steal money from an ATM, they need to go all low-tech and do something like steal the entire machine and get busy with a blowtorch, or blast it open with explosives:
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The Real-World Hack:
Only it turns out that jackpotting an ATM is even easier than lil' John Connor made it look, even in a future that finds itself severely lacking in Atari laptops.
One pair of criminals in Pittsburgh reprogrammed an ATM to think it was dispensing $1 bills instead of $20s, netting themselves $1,540 in two days. And they didn't even need to plug in a laptop to do it -- they simply used the built-in keypad to reprogram the machine. Anyone watching them on the security camera would have thought they were just some of those people who hold up the ATM line when all we need to do is grab 20 bucks for lunch, goddammit.Moon occult Venus April 19 1993: The astrology of the Waco fire Quote: On Sunday February 28, 1993 at around 9:30 am, agents from the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms with arrest and search warrants went to the Branch Davidian ranch at Mount Carmel near Waco Texas.
A gun battle ensued that left six Davidians and four agents dead, the subsequent standoff was broken on April 19, when the FBI sent tanks which fired incendiary shells into the compound, seventy six died.
On April 19th 1993 the Moon was going to occult Venus from the perspective at Waco the Moon would move in front of Venus for about an hour, from a little before 12:08 on the East Coast, 11:08 am local time. We construct a horoscope for 16:08 UT the commencement of the occultation on 19 April 1993.
Quote: The time lines quoted are from CNN, Washington time Monday April 19 1993. 12:07 pm. pbs/timeline.
12:07:41, infrared video indicates first fire on second floor, east front, infrared video indicates first fire on second floor, east front a heat signature is observed in the southeast corner tower window, second floor. alamo-girl.com.
12:07:42, fire is now visible from the window of the second story tower.
The first thing we see on the astrological chart, is that the conjunction that is about to produce the occultation is underway in the tenth house of public affairs, and way out in the open activities, in Aries a fire sign, where Venus is tolerated only.
Considered too limp wrested and lacking in machismo by traditional Martial tenants here, see David Koresh pleading for a fair hearing, similarly at the same time the victim of machismo attacks, where the would be machos sensing victory against one who urges constraint, see J preaching to the masses re tolerance and forbearance, then witness him nailed hand and foot.
The fact that a chart erected for the same place Feb 28, shows Neptune signaling forethought and treachery, and Uranus meaning suddenness and the right of surprise, in a similarly close conjunction in the same tenth house when the drama commenced, witness the ATF at the doorway disturbing a traditional Christian household at 9:30 am on Sunday morning.
Quote: Then ascertain as the ATF found out, that placement gives the traditional Arian dignities of steadfastness and courage when dealing with an attacker despite what planet it might be, explaining the ATF casualties on the first day.
12:08:11 large fire already developed on dining room wall.
By now the occultation is proceeding, and the fiery Moon seen as the tanks who will conquer Venus and have their way, the undamaged portion of Mount Carmel is represented by the part of Venus yet visible at the limb of the Moon.
12:08:18, fire detected first floor dining room.
12:09:31, fire appears in the front windows of the southeast tower.
12:11, fire is rapidly engulfing entire building.
Now nothing is left as the inferno destroys the building which has become a pyre for the dead. Venus has disappeared behind the Moon, nothing can be done except watch the building burn.
12:12, fire in gymnasium.
12:25, four story tower collapses. News videos show tank smashing into front of building as it burns,
Quote: Chief negotiator Byron Sage has a trophy photograph taken of himself with the burning Mount Carmel in the background, identify this figure as Mars in Cancer in the first house.
12:27 Huge fire ball explodes near concrete room,
Mars in Cancer in the first house is strong for being angular, though less so for being in that sign, it is however in mutual reception with the Moon, and disposits it and the rest of the active stellium in Aries in the tenth house, as well as the Sun in Aries in the ninth house.
Says someone who is a wimp by nature, Mars in Cancer, gets to be in charge study the Pluto figure lurking in the fifth house in Scorpio, and deduce that this figure could be exerting a Svengali like influence on the rest of the chart, see the Uranus Neptune conjunction in Capricorn then see Saturn strong in Aquarius observing, indicating another force privy to events.
The Mercury placement in Aries is the tent city of news hounds camped at the entrance to Mount Carmel who refused Koreshs plea that they put his side of the story, then see them as deposited by Mars, and simply amused spectators since there are no planets in either Gemini or Virgo that might give them some oomph.
Quote: The Jupiter opposition is the powerless public.
12:41, fire fighting efforts begin.
12: 53, the occultation is over, the feeling of suspension of reality is gone, the Sheriffs Department, and the Fire Department, and the news hounds get it done, whatever it is that they do, the conjunction has progressed into the ninth house of aloofness from the trials of the day.
An astrologer should study the charts of both events, he or she would observe coincidences, thus some events happening astrologically in fire signs will have a similar resonance on Earth where fire will be an issue, Venus in Aries is seen as an easy victory unfortunately for the aggressors it acts as Mars and they get suited up.
Study similar charts for similar coincidences, whether they involve planets, or houses or signs or aspects maybe there is something in it after all.
Quote: Erecting a horoscope: The occultation had commenced high in the tenth house, eleven degrees and fifty seven arc minutes from the highest point called the MC by astrologers, from where it would culminate and cross over into the ninth house forty seven minutes and forty eight seconds later, by which time the buildings at Mount Carmel would be smoking ash and all the people who had been in them would be dead.
The Feb 28 chart, shows Neptune signaling forethought and treachery, and Uranus meaning suddenness and the right of surprise in a similarly close conjunction in the same tenth house when the drama commenced.
That both planets are in the sign Capricorn brings the planet Saturn into the equation, under the system of houses and signs, some signs and houses are declared right for different planets, due to the inherent nature of both, Saturn rules Capricorn and is very comfortable and well found in Aquarius, it is ambitious and for there to be two planets in its sign gives it a great deal of power, particularly while those planets are in the tenth house.
Quote: After the fire there was a squabble between Janet Reno and Bill Clinton, she had claimed the kudos for Waco, he put her right telling every one the decisions were all his, to go ahead and say that they are represented by the Neptune Uranus conjunction might be over simplifying it, because then the Saturn figure remains unidentified.
On the occultation chart we identified Byron Sage as the Mars in Cancer figure in the first house, he had been chief negotiator on behalf of the Government, thru the system of rulerships discussed above, Mars although not at its best in Cancer is strong for being in the first house the natural house of Aries the first sign ruled by Mars.
See that the sign on the cusp of the eleventh house, and the sign Taurus intercepted in the eleventh house ruled by Venus in Aries, similarly disposited by Mars, while the sign on the twelfth house Gemini is ruled by Mercury similarly in Aries, and similarly disposited by Mars, the Sun and the Moon both in Aries, gives Mars power over the entire rising quadrant, which the tenth, eleventh and twelfth house group is called.
Quote: That is not the end of the matter, see the Saturn group with it, and Uranus and Neptune representing a different power bloc entirely, see it on the one hand as representing the ATF, while the Mars group is the FBI, for the fact that the MC has the sign Pisces on its cusp, in no way reinforces the Martian sway over that house,
Sure it controls the forces arrayed there, like tanks and armed people, but it does not have final jurisdiction over the ground, because via the system of house rulerships and dispositors, the natural ruler of a house will assume the role of the tenant planet from afar.
Saturn actually has claims by dispositing Neptune the natural ruler of Pisces the sign on the cusp, and by its being the natural ruler of the tenth house corresponding to Capricorn the tenth sign, here too Jupiter is co ruler with Neptune of the sign Pisces, see the legal rights of the Davidians relegated to nothing.
Jupiter is powerless in Libra with Virgo on the cusp, while Venus and Mercury the planetary rulers of both those signs, are disposited by Mars in the tenth house Aries group, despite its legal status, the Moon the natural ruler of the sign Cancer and the fourth house, is similarly tied in with Mars via the fact of mutual reception, thus the Moon is in Aries ruled by Mars, Mars is in Cancer ruled by the Moon, does not leave Jupiter with much at all, which is what David Koresh and his family and friends were left with.
Do not at any time under estimate the power of Saturn, the Martian impetus that got the whole show on the road was all on the terms of that planet, that means the tanks, the FBI, the ATF the lot, because all Marss dignities are accidental while it is in Cancer, as soon as it moves away from the first house it is back to the farm, because it has very little essential dignity in Cancer, not so Saturn in Aquarius with two long term reliable dispositors in Capricorn.
Pluto is the dark horse, the black Shogun if you will, in the sign Scorpio it is at the zenith of its power and will disposit any planet in the chart via even the most flimsy connections, and tenuous relationships, identify these characters in your charts, then explore their strengths and weaknesses and see what deals are done and where proxies appear, and under whose tutelage their deeds are done, that is what astrology does it is communication from the stars.
Quote: Contrast the darker Neptune Pisces, Uranus Aquarius, Saturn Capricorn, outer planet bloc, with the fiery Mars Aries dominated inner planet group.
See Koresh as Venus up front defending beaten by the tanks, the same way Venuss light was blocked by the Moon, and as a householder Jupiter is powerless in the fourth, meaning he is at home and all his rights are dispersed among the various house rulers, and deal doers from either camp who put their heads together, and thought up a scheme to destroy him.
Cancer is on the cusp means the hour belonged to the tanks, in the chart the Moon crashed its course upward and across space to block Venus light, then on the Earth below in the shadow of the reflected light of that planet, so did the tanks crash, and crush and burn, and extinguish the light of Mount Carmel, David Koresh and the Branch of David.
Personify these planets and give them identities that respond to the characters on the day, no less here than at any other time and in any other event chart.
Here there is an occultation underway in space, while there is a highly controversial quasi policing operation that resembles it in every way, proceeding on the ground directly below, which had already cost at least ten lives before that day, survivors who were present on 28 February, when the first shots were fired, said there was a very brief knock at the door and before anyone could go and see who it was, the ATF had broken the door down and had entered shooting.
Fire had been returned in the hallway of the house, resulting in the deaths of ATF agents, two more were shot on the roof, others were wounded, David Koresh wanted to go to court in a normal way and explain what happened, how it happened and who did what, but at no time since the first attack had that right been afforded him.
That is seen as Mars having all the bases loaded, the house, sign and traditional ruler all in the thrall of Mars, for Jupiter representing Mount Carmel and all its occupants, there are no planets in either Pisces or particularly Sagittarius, Jupiters signs, which could if they were there act for him, so without any support the Mount Carmel community is abandoned.
The Texas flag flew high over Mount Carmel, the ground where the fire took place was under the jurisdiction of Texas law, see the Saturn group with Saturn strong in Aquarius in mutual reception with Uranus, since Uranus rules that sign, as Texas State and Charter.
By dispositing Neptune in Capricorn, Saturn controls Pisces, which is the sign on the cusp of the tenth, makes Mount Carmel Texas ground, Saturn as Texas law remained aloof in the ninth house until well after the drama had culminated, when the Moon Venus alignment went into the ninth house.
So Mars and the Aries group means the Feds, Saturn and the Capricorn group means Texans, Venus is David K, and Jupiter is Mount Carmel Astrologers are faced with the challenge of identifying the Pluto in Scorpio figure in the fifth house, neither of the parties so far described fits the profile, so who??
Quote: So Mars and the Aries group means the Feds, Saturn and the Capricorn group means Texans, Venus should be seen as Mount Carmel, the fourth house is the home, and since Venus is the planetry ruler of Libra, Jupiter in Libra in the fourth house when the occultation got underway, is David Koresh at home at Mount Carmel when the tanks rolled up.
Mercury is the press contingent camped outside Mount Carmel since 28 February, here the inherent treachery of the press demonstrates the changeable nature of the planet Mercury in astrology.
It was always up to them what went out as news, and the official story was that Koresh must surrender and face felony charges, no deals no nuthin. Yet the truth was never gonna get told if it was going to be like that, which is why Koresh refused to surrender.
He was a native Texas citizen asserting his right to return fire from armed intruders, who had fired first without ever trying to identify themselves, he had pleaded for a fair hearing, and for the reporters to make the public aware of what had happened.
The press corps gave him to understand they were there to witness the government take out armed felons, see Texe Marrs at the front of a group of about twenty chant in unison, we are the press, in response to his plea, the lot of them had joined in the fun, Mercury in Aries on the terms of Mars is like that.
The fact that Virgo is on the cusp of the fourth house, ruled by Mercury in the Aries group, could mean that just as Mercury went over to Mars, see the press contingent abandoning any semblance of legitimate news gathering and information dissemination in favor of watching the show, so did the lawful safeguards a citizen has, which he most often takes for granted get spurned.
Posse Comitatus, whereby the US Military was forbidden to be deployed on the mainland against US citizens, was thrown out the window, this Mercury placement could be an indicator of that.
Quote: Now go to the February 28 chart of the original home invasion, see the Neptune Uranus conjunction has just fallen off the angle, or passed over into the ninth house, where things are so different.
The assault was beaten off, no longer did the conjunction have enough momentum, all the lead ups and the preparations were done while the system was rising thru the twelfth and eleventh house up until past the dawn of day, the attack began too late and they lost six men killed.
Maybe the Mars in Cancer, Jupiter in Libra square from the third house to the sixth, provided a bit of ballast in the gut of the Mount Carmelites, here Mars is an ally, the invasion plan was a Saturn event carried out by its stooges, the Neptune Uranus in Capricorn conjunction on the MC, the momentum of the hour in this chart lies with Venus in Aries, since it is ruler of the Taurus ascendant.
It is a very brave placement, because it is in Aries look to the condition of Mars and see it in Cancer in the third, thus look to the Moon and see it angular, thence strong in Taurus in the first, Jupiter in Libra in the sixth, disposited by Venus in the twelfth, adds spice to the pie, so with four planets in each others houses, plus T square and opposition aspects, we call that a complex.
A planet in another planets sign strengthens the traditional owner wherever it may be, there is a trade off in the Venus / Jupiter thing here, because Jupiter is joint, with Neptune, traditional owner of the twelfth house, corresponding to Pisces the twelfth sign in the astrological zodiac, while Venus is similarly well found in Pisces and rules Libra.
The Venus Jupiter axis effectively splits the players into two groups, those on or below the Venus Jupiter line are the good guys, like the wives and kids, the ones above it, more visible because the stars that they represent, and that represent them are above the horizon, are the bad guys.
The first round of the battle went to David Koresh and the Branch Davidians, the survivors on both sides would regroup while Koresh called for moderation, truth and a fair hearing, the bad guys went away and got tanks.
Quote: Take another look at the fourth house situ, Jupiter is in Libra with Virgo on the cusp, locating Venus the planetary ruler of Libra as the home buildings, Koresh and the other occupants is Jupiter in Libra, thus when the Moon occulted Venus, the tanks rolled over the house, now Mercury the planetary ruler of Virgo the sign on the cusp must be considered.
The Mercury figure in the tenth house in Aries is treacherous journalism on the one hand, however like the multi function capabilities of computer keys, each planet does more than one thing in astrology.
See the Mercury in Aries in the tenth house figure as George Roden,
Whose parents had been part of a breakaway group called The Branch Davidian Seventh Day Adventists, who had established the home and church on the property ten miles south of Waco, he had coveted David Koresh nee Vernon Howells elevation to the leadership of the group, which he thought should have gone to him.
Quote: He had earlier been indicted for murder, and had been deemed unfit to be the leader of a religious congregation, he did however appear to possess some legal right to claim ownership of the property. the2branches.org
The inherent smugness of that placement, is the press corps setting up a chant in response to Koreshs plea that they publish his cause, evokes images of George Rodens perceived reaction in his prison cell, on hearing the news on the day of the fire.
Quote: The Judge says: What does the Venus Jupiter axis mean?
Astromaster:The Horoscope is a planetary map that shows the planets as they would appear were the sky to rotate around the Earth, the horizontal line on the chart defining the cusp of the first and the seventh houses, represents the geographical horizon, on the February 28 chart, were you standing at Waco looking South, Venus would be just under twenty two degrees above the Eastern horizon to your left.
The Sun would be similarly half way between the Eastern Horizon and the highest point in the sky, from where it will culminate in astrological terms, and pass into the ninth house where it begins its downward journey, like a Texas cowboy toward sunset on the Western horizon to the right, charted by astrologers as the cusp of the seventh house.
In this case as Venus is in Aries, and Jupiter is in Libra a little over four and a half degrees from opposition, the VJ line nearly bisects the chart.
Judge: What physical significance has the apparent position of a planet, against an arbitrarily defined boundary of a visual grouping of unrelated stars.
Astromaster: The only thing to put it down to is intelligent communication from outer space.
Judge: The constellations have been changing positions with respect to the equinoxes.
Astromaster: Precession is well known to astrology, the Equinoctial Zodiac and the Astrological Zodiac are currently separated by some twenty six degrees.
Judge: Why mention Pluto but not Titan.
Astromaster: Pluto is now known to be a multiple system with at least four, possibly five members, Titan is part of the Saturn system, if you can detect a Titanic influence observed from studying an ephemeris of that objects apparitions and dispositions, my advice would be to publish your findings.
Judge: Why not the asteroids why not Kuiper Belt objects.
Astromaster: There were thirty two thousand asteroids at last count, that is how many reasons there are to leave them off of astro charts, they cause clutter, Kuiper belt objects as for them.
Judge: Should we consider your posts to be anything other than pseudo scientific gibberish.
Astromaster: Sure, why not. On April 19th 1993 the Moon was going to occult Venus from the perspective at Waco the Moon would move in front of Venus for about an hour, from a little before 12:08 on the East Coast, 11:08 am local time. We construct a horoscope for 16:08 UT the commencement of the occultation on 19 April 1993.12:07:41, infrared video indicates first fire on second floor, east front, infrared video indicates first fire on second floor, east front a heat signature is observed in the southeast corner tower window, second floor. alamo-girl.com.12:07:42, fire is now visible from the window of the second story tower.The first thing we see on the astrological chart, is that the conjunction that is about to produce the occultation is underway in the tenth house of public affairs, and way out in the open activities, in Aries a fire sign, where Venus is tolerated only.Considered too limp wrested and lacking in machismo by traditional Martial tenants here, see David Koresh pleading for a fair hearing, similarly at the same time the victim of machismo attacks, where the would be machos sensing victory against one who urges constraint, see J preaching to the masses re tolerance and forbearance, then witness him nailed hand and foot.The fact that a chart erected for the same place Feb 28, shows Neptune signaling forethought and treachery, and Uranus meaning suddenness and the right of surprise, in a similarly close conjunction in the same tenth house when the drama commenced, witness the ATF at the doorway disturbing a traditional Christian household at 9:30 am on Sunday morning.12:08:11 large fire already developed on dining room wall.By now the occultation is proceeding, and the fiery Moon seen as the tanks who will conquer Venus and have their way, the undamaged portion of Mount Carmel is represented by the part of Venus yet visible at the limb of the Moon.12:08:18, fire detected first floor dining room.12:09:31, fire appears in the front windows of the southeast tower.12:11, fire is rapidly engulfing entire building.Now nothing is left as the inferno destroys the building which has become a pyre for the dead. Venus has disappeared behind the Moon, nothing can be done except watch the building burn.12:12, fire in gymnasium.12:25, four story tower collapses. News videos show tank smashing into front of building as it burns,12:27 Huge fire ball explodes near concrete room,Mars in Cancer in the first house is strong for being angular, though less so for being in that sign, it is however in mutual reception with the Moon, and disposits it and the rest of the active stellium in Aries in the tenth house, as well as the Sun in Aries in the ninth house.Says someone who is a wimp by nature, Mars in Cancer, gets to be in charge study the Pluto figure lurking in the fifth house in Scorpio, and deduce that this figure could be exerting a Svengali like influence on the rest of the chart, see the Uranus Neptune conjunction in Capricorn then see Saturn strong in Aquarius observing, indicating another force privy to events.The Mercury placement in Aries is the tent city of news hounds camped at the entrance to Mount Carmel who refused Koreshs plea that they put his side of the story, then see them as deposited by Mars, and simply amused spectators since there are no planets in either Gemini or Virgo that might give them some oomph.12:41, fire fighting efforts begin.12: 53, the occultation is over, the feeling of suspension of reality is gone, the Sheriffs Department, and the Fire Department, and the news hounds get it done, whatever it is that they do, the conjunction has progressed into the ninth house of aloofness from the trials of the day.An astrologer should study the charts of both events, he or she would observe coincidences, thus some events happening astrologically in fire signs will have a similar resonance on Earth where fire will be an issue, Venus in Aries is seen as an easy victory unfortunately for the aggressors it acts as Mars and they get suited up.Study similar charts for similar coincidences, whether they involve planets, or houses or signs or aspects maybe there is something in it after all.The Feb 28 chart, shows Neptune signaling forethought and treachery, and Uranus meaning suddenness and the right of surprise in a similarly close conjunction in the same tenth house when the drama commenced.That both planets are in the sign Capricorn brings the planet Saturn into the equation, under the system of houses and signs, some signs and houses are declared right for different planets, due to the inherent nature of both, Saturn rules Capricorn and is very comfortable and well found in Aquarius, it is ambitious and for there to be two planets in its sign gives it a great deal of power, particularly while those planets are in the tenth house.On the occultation chart we identified Byron Sage as the Mars in Cancer figure in the first house, he had been chief negotiator on behalf of the Government, thru the system of rulerships discussed above, Mars although not at its best in Cancer is strong for being in the first house the natural house of Aries the first sign ruled by Mars.See that the sign on the cusp of the eleventh house, and the sign Taurus intercepted in the eleventh house ruled by Venus in Aries, similarly disposited by Mars, while the sign on the twelfth house Gemini is ruled by Mercury similarly in Aries, and similarly disposited by Mars, the Sun and the Moon both in Aries, gives Mars power over the entire rising quadrant, which the tenth, eleventh and twelfth house group is called.Saturn actually has claims by dispositing Neptune the natural ruler of Pisces the sign on the cusp, and by its being the natural ruler of the tenth house corresponding to Capricorn the tenth sign, here too Jupiter is co ruler with Neptune of the sign Pisces, see the legal rights of the Davidians relegated to nothing.Jupiter is powerless in Libra with Virgo on the cusp, while Venus and Mercury the planetary rulers of both those signs, are disposited by Mars in the tenth house Aries group, despite its legal status, the Moon the natural ruler of the sign Cancer and the fourth house, is similarly tied in with Mars via the fact of mutual reception, thus the Moon is in Aries ruled by Mars, Mars is in Cancer ruled by the Moon, does not leave Jupiter with much at all, which is what David Koresh and his family and friends were left with.Do not at any time under estimate the power of Saturn, the Martian impetus that got the whole show on the road was all on the terms of that planet, that means the tanks, the FBI, the ATF the lot, because all Marss dignities are accidental while it is in Cancer, as soon as it moves away from the first house it is back to the farm, because it has very little essential dignity in Cancer, not so Saturn in Aquarius with two long term reliable dispositors in Capricorn.Pluto is the dark horse, the black Shogun if you will, in the sign Scorpio it is at the zenith of its power and will disposit any planet in the chart via even the most flimsy connections, and tenuous relationships, identify these characters in your charts, then explore their strengths and weaknesses and see what deals are done and where proxies appear, and under whose tutelage their deeds are done, that is what astrology does it is communication from the stars.See Koresh as Venus up front defending beaten by the tanks, the same way Venuss light was blocked by the Moon, and as a householder Jupiter is powerless in the fourth, meaning he is at home and all his rights are dispersed among the various house rulers, and deal doers from either camp who put their heads together, and thought up a scheme to destroy him.Cancer is on the cusp means the hour belonged to the tanks, in the chart the Moon crashed its course upward and across space to block Venus light, then on the Earth below in the shadow of the reflected light of that planet, so did the tanks crash, and crush and burn, and extinguish the light of Mount Carmel, David Koresh and the Branch of David.Personify these planets and give them identities that respond to the characters on the day, no less here than at any other time and in any other event chart.Here there is an occultation underway in space, while there is a highly controversial quasi policing operation that resembles it in every way, proceeding on the ground directly below, which had already cost at least ten lives before that day, survivors who were present on 28 February, when the first shots were fired, said there was a very brief knock at the door and before anyone could go and see who it was, the ATF had broken the door down and had entered shooting.Fire had been returned in the hallway of the house, resulting in the deaths of ATF agents, two more were shot on the roof, others were wounded, David Koresh wanted to go to court in a normal way and explain what happened, how it happened and who did what, but at no time since the first attack had that right been afforded him.That is seen as Mars having all the bases loaded, the house, sign and traditional ruler all in the thrall of Mars, for Jupiter representing Mount Carmel and all its occupants, there are no planets in either Pisces or particularly Sagittarius, Jupiters signs, which could if they were there act for him, so without any support the Mount Carmel community is abandoned.The Texas flag flew high over Mount Carmel, the ground where the fire took place was under the jurisdiction of Texas law, see the Saturn group with Saturn strong in Aquarius in mutual reception with Uranus, since Uranus rules that sign, as Texas State and Charter.By dispositing Neptune in Capricorn, Saturn controls Pisces, which is the sign on the cusp of the tenth, makes Mount Carmel Texas ground, Saturn as Texas law remained aloof in the ninth house until well after the drama had culminated, when the Moon Venus alignment went into the ninth house.So Mars and the Aries group means the Feds, Saturn and the Capricorn group means Texans, Venus is David K, and Jupiter is Mount Carmel Astrologers are faced with the challenge of identifying the Pluto in Scorpio figure in the fifth house, neither of the parties so far described fits the profile, so who??Mercury is the press contingent camped outside Mount Carmel since 28 February, here the inherent treachery of the press demonstrates the changeable nature of the planet Mercury in astrology.It was always up to them what went out as news, and the official story was that Koresh must surrender and face felony charges, no deals no nuthin. Yet the truth was never gonna get told if it was going to be like that, which is why Koresh refused to surrender.He was a native Texas citizen asserting his right to return fire from armed intruders, who had fired first without ever trying to identify themselves, he had pleaded for a fair hearing, and for the reporters to make the public aware of what had happened.The press corps gave him to understand they were there to witness the government take out armed felons, see Texe Marrs at the front of a group of about twenty chant in unison, we are the press, in response to his plea, the lot of them had joined in the fun, Mercury in Aries on the terms of Mars is like that.The fact that Virgo is on the cusp of the fourth house, ruled by Mercury in the Aries group, could mean that just as Mercury went over to Mars, see the press contingent abandoning any semblance of legitimate news gathering and information dissemination in favor of watching the show, so did the lawful safeguards a citizen has, which he most often takes for granted get spurned.Posse Comitatus, whereby the US Military was forbidden to be deployed on the mainland against US citizens, was thrown out the window, this Mercury placement could be an indicator of that.The assault was beaten off, no longer did the conjunction have enough momentum, all the lead ups and the preparations were done while the system was rising thru the twelfth and eleventh house up until past the dawn of day, the attack began too late and they lost six men killed.Maybe the Mars in Cancer, Jupiter in Libra square from the third house to the sixth, provided a bit of ballast in the gut of the Mount Carmelites, here Mars is an ally, the invasion plan was a Saturn event carried out by its stooges, the Neptune Uranus in Capricorn conjunction on the MC, the momentum of the hour in this chart lies with Venus in Aries, since it is ruler of the Taurus ascendant.It is a very brave placement, because it is in Aries look to the condition of Mars and see it in Cancer in the third, thus look to the Moon and see it angular, thence strong in Taurus in the first, Jupiter in Libra in the sixth, disposited by Venus in the twelfth, adds spice to the pie, so with four planets in each others houses, plus T square and opposition aspects, we call that a complex.A planet in another planets sign strengthens the traditional owner wherever it may be, there is a trade off in the Venus / Jupiter thing here, because Jupiter is joint, with Neptune, traditional owner of the twelfth house, corresponding to Pisces the twelfth sign in the astrological zodiac, while Venus is similarly well found in Pisces and rules Libra.The Venus Jupiter axis effectively splits the players into two groups, those on or below the Venus Jupiter line are the good guys, like the wives and kids, the ones above it, more visible because the stars that they represent, and that represent them are above the horizon, are the bad guys.The first round of the battle went to David Koresh and the Branch Davidians, the survivors on both sides would regroup while Koresh called for moderation, truth and a fair hearing, the bad guys went away and got tanks.The Mercury figure in the tenth house in Aries is treacherous journalism on the one hand, however like the multi function capabilities of computer keys, each planet does more than one thing in astrology.See the Mercury in Aries in the tenth house figure as George Roden,Whose parents had been part of a breakaway group called The Branch Davidian Seventh Day Adventists, who had established the home and church on the property ten miles south of Waco, he had coveted David Koresh nee Vernon Howells elevation to the leadership of the group, which he thought should have gone to him.The inherent smugness of that placement, is the press corps setting up a chant in response to Koreshs plea that they publish his cause, evokes images of George Rodens perceived reaction in his prison cell, on hearing the news on the day of the fire.The Horoscope is a planetary map that shows the planets as they would appear were the sky to rotate around the Earth, the horizontal line on the chart defining the cusp of the first and the seventh houses, represents the geographical horizon, on the February 28 chart, were you standing at Waco looking South, Venus would be just under twenty two degrees above the Eastern horizon to your left.The Sun would be similarly half way between the Eastern Horizon and the highest point in the sky, from where it will culminate in astrological terms, and pass into the ninth house where it begins its downward journey, like a Texas cowboy toward sunset on the Western horizon to the |
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On the ground in Ukraine right now, this is what cyberwar looks like: Grocery stores are either shut down or having trouble selling food, as numerous terminals come under attack.
Супермаркет в Харькове pic.twitter.com/H80FFbzSOj — Mikhail Golub (@golub) June 27, 2017
Power companies, like in the 2015 and 2016 attacks, shut down, hopefully briefly, leaving thousands if not millions without power. Public transportation is a mess, as payment systems for the Metro have gone down in Kyiv.
The Chernobyl nuclear power plant has switched to “manual radiation monitoring.” Flights out of the Boryspil International Airport are delayed, and government officials are locked out of computer systems.
In other words, with a single piece of ransomware, an unknown force could essentially bring part of a country to a standstill. Fortunately, the official Ukrainian Twitter account is keeping things lighthearted.
Some of our gov agencies, private firms were hit by a virus. No need to panic, we’re putting utmost efforts to tackle the issue 👌 pic.twitter.com/RsDnwZD5Oj — Ukraine / Україна (@Ukraine) June 27, 2017
The important distinction here is who’s behind the attack. The governments of both Russia and Ukraine sometimes employ freelance hacking groups to test vulnerabilities in rival’s cybersecurity. But this attack, at least on the outside, appears to be a third party, instead of a state-sponsored hit.
“Seems like this cyber-attack was first discovered in, but didn’t necessarily target #Ukraine. It’s clearly gone global. Chaos all around,” Christian Borys, a freelance journalist based in Ukraine said in a tweet.
It’s still a good example of what a widespread cyberwar would look like, as it was concentrated in Ukraine, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s another world power deliberately attacking another country.
Not much is known about the perpetrators of the WannaCry attack, other than they were likely fluent Chinese speakers, and it will take security researchers some time to do the digital forensics necessary to get a handle on where the attack is coming from this time. While the damage may not be as comprehensive as it was in Ukraine, it’s highly possible that the Petya attack makes it to the United States, another reminder of how vulnerable almost every level of society is to digital attack.Wonders: The Milky Way The bar at the top that says "Milky Way," when tapped, lets you choose which chapter to explore. The individual topics are in that bottom bar--just swipe them up to read/watch/look. BBC
The potential of tablets to transform the way we learn is pretty extraordinary. The first really "wow" app we saw for the iPad was a re-imagining of the periodic table. Wonders of the Universe, a new app from the BBC, HarperCollins, and Professor Brian Cox, takes you zooming through our universe, from a broad view at multiple galaxies all the way down to a look at subatomic particles--with more than a film's worth of videos, a staggering amount of gorgeous space photos, and hundreds of interesting articles as well. It takes the idea of an interactive textbook far beyond what we've seen before. Wonders, which launched this morning and costs $6.99 (for a limited time), is astounding. Most of the screen is taken up with a zoomable 3-D universe, bright dots of activity on a velvet-black background. There's a navigation bar up at the top that takes you to sections that include "Sub Atomic," "Atomic," "Solar System," "Stars," "Milky Way," "Galaxies," and "Universe." Tap those and you'll be zoomed off to the start of the chapter.
Wonders: Sub Atomic Zoom down to the tiniest subatomic particles. BBC
At the bottom of the screen, a horizontal scrolling bar displays topics relevant to the part of the universe you're in. Free-form zooming and scrolling through the universe is fun, but the app sort of keeps you on a path to learn about specific topics in a specific order. Which should be more clear from the outset, since anyone's first instinct will be to zoom and swipe, and tap on the individual labels ("Andromeda Galaxy," "Crab Nebula," etc). Since all of the "chapters" are connected--Sub Atomic fits in Atomic which fits in Solar Systems which fits in Stars which fits in Milky Way, and so forth--you can zoom between them by pinching on the background. Zoom out enough while looking at Solar Systems and the bottom bar will start offering articles and videos about Stars; and so forth. You read articles on specific topics by pulling them up from the bar at the bottom of the screen, and then closing them when you're ready to move on. These individual topics are great--most of them have at least one video, produced by the BBC, as well as a handful of very pretty space pics and a medium-length article. The text is super readable (though there are a few typos, which we'll chalk up to first-day jitters). It's written for space enthusiasts, not astrophysicists, which is a good thing. There are over 200 articles in the app. The videos are top-notch, and there's a total of about two and a half hours of video on here. They're not exclusive to the app; they'd previously appeared in the BBC's Wonders TV series.
Wonders: The Demise of Our Universe This is what articles look like. As a note, the app works in either landscape or portrait orientation--I found myself flipping a bit, as some things work better in landscape (videos, pinch-zooming through the universe) and some work better in portrait (text). BBCBy Zaakir Ahmed Mayet
It is often easy to be absorbed by the plebeian geopolitics, the sectarian divides plaguing Syria or the outward lack of unity among various resistance movements within the Middle East and North Africa. On the face of it, the situation is particularly bleak. However, the factors often missed in these calculations are twofold, the first being the pendulum effect and the second the phoenix effect; both of which dictate a positive change from a weaker position.
The growing solidarity movement has commemorated the 68th year of the Nakba, also known as The Catastrophe. This event saw the forceful displacement of the indigenous Palestinian people in favor of a Zionist Apartheid state founded on the principles of dispossession, colonialism and violence. It is thus unsurprising that the colonialist outpost’s behavior has been characterized by brutish and barbaric actions during its existence.
However, the global population has unmasked the state as one which cannot function within the fabric of ‘normal’ society. It has become increasingly difficult to protect and defend the outlandish actions of Israel, be it the continued starvation (in the broadest terms) of the Palestinian people, the occupation in contravention of international law or the continued development of colonies on stolen Palestinian land.
The dire state of affairs for Israel is further compounded by their diminishing capacity to influence political decisions on an international level such as the P5 + 1 negotiations with Iran. The net result is the defusing of a regional if not global war in favor of a deal favoring the Iranian state albeit begrudgingly so. This failure to influence political decisions has marked the catastrophic failure of the Zionist lobby and has signified its isolation on the global arena.
The Zionist colonial state was established on the principles of deterrence capacity and terror. This doctrine referred to by Ariel Sharon was the cornerstone of Israeli militarism. This doctrine has since failed as was seen in 2006 when Israel faced defeat at the hands of the Lebanese resistance movement, Hezbollah. Israel has failed to secure a military victory since the fateful 2006 war.
The resistance of Palestinians in 2008, 2012 and 2014 respectively, signified the unthinkable but ever emerging reality that Israel has lost its deterrence capacity, not only in the political arena but on the ground as well. It has effectively become a policing military only capable of maintaining an untenable occupation but failing to secure any military victories.
This is the assessment of ideologues such as Munir Shafiq and many others. On a global scale the Israel colonial regime has lashed out at the Boycott Divestment and Sanction (BDS) campaign in the hope of trying to impose an embargo on the choice of the people, asking states to transgress the precepts of democracy, a rule by the people for the people. It is this affront that Israel fails to grasp in its condemnation of the BDS campaign that continues to place the state outside the proverbial house of ‘democracy’. This locates it squarely in the realms of colonialism.
Despite having a paid and funded social media presence, the collapse of their strategies signified a growing consciousness among social media consumers, of the plight of the Palestinian people. The lack of depth in hasbara has debunked much of the propaganda and the failure of campaigns such as “ask Netanyahu” which has exposed juvenile errors and the bankruptcy of the Israeli argument bank. The nett effect is a weak and failing state which is only being held together by the regional instability.
Two conferences, the Al Quds Conference & Tawasool 2, were held in the capital of the Islamic Revolution, Tehran, and in Istanbul respectively. They marked a momentous turn of events which not only brought together a plethora of thinkers, activists and non-governmental organizations, but also resulted in a unique discourse that had been silenced for a prolonged period of time. It is a discourse of unity and a single vision. There is a universal acknowledgement of Israel as a vestige of colonialism; a grotesque artifact of a dark past to be relegated to the annals of history along with slavery and conquest. The world’s lexicon has progressed to the challenging of colonialism which is the structure of power as opposed to the physical vestiges of colonialism.
Israel is a current example of a bygone era unpalatable to the global collective consciousness. It is the united vision which exposes Israel not only as an apartheid state but also as a colonial one that resonates across many factions and organizations. It is this unity that marks a turning point in the struggle against the Zionist occupation. This common vision and its dimensions marks the first tangible signs of the deconstruction of Israeli occupation and colonialism.
It is often stated that the dawn comes after the darkest night. Indeed the commemoration of 68 years of Nakba is the darkness, but this common united vision is the symbolic dawn.
– Zaakir Ahmed Mayet is the current Chairman of the Media Review Network. With a passion for Middle Eastern politics and military sciences, he has provided analysis across numerous media, and has been published by various online and print publications including The Thinker Magazine, Palestine Chronicle, Eurasia Review, Press TV and the Middle East Monitor. He holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from Wits University. He contributed this article to PalestineChronicle.com.Quantic Gaming
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The journey of the team that would come to take second at the International West Qualifiers this year began not long before that, asArtur '' Kostenko andAirat '' Gaziev joined the team on the 29th of April after leavingtwo weeks earlier. While the French core which had been together since the days ofhad been sporadically active within the scene before this, they had struggled to find a solid five man squad since the break-up of The International 2012 Western Qualifier winner, and although previously recognized as talented players they were not slated to appear in the qualifiers for the 2013 event.But with the sudden addition of one of the most successful captains of the last quarter of 2012, things turned around in a big way, as the team started showing results in practice session and word quickly got out about their immense potential, a potential which earned the at that time still unsponsored team a shot at qualifying. While the public remained skeptical, they were soon won over by the unorthodox style of play which always seems to accompany Goblak wherever he goes, as well as great individual performances. In a short span of time, the team which at that point was still known ascame to be approached by sponsors, and they signed their deal withon the 4th of June.Since then they’ve become a staple of the Western scene, one which can mold the metagame and challenge the very best, as they did at, where they placed second. Unfortunately, as Quantic were finding their stride two things happened. On the 30th of June Icefrog nerfed the Treant Protector which at the time was a core part of the Quantic playstyle, followed by the teams offlane playerTitouan ‘’ Merloz injuring his left hand on the 1st of July. Luckily, on the 12th Sockshka received good news from his doctors, stating that he would be able to return to playing within 2-3 days, which was right in time for the start of the team’s bootcamp on the 16th in Kiev, Ukraine.aine.2nd Place -- Wildcard Invite2nd Place -@Jönköping, Sweden - 70,000 SEK (~$10,500)4th Place -@Kiev, Ukraine -$1,500(Captain)Signature Heroes: :d2_ud: Goblak has been around since the olden days of Warcraft 3 DotA, finding his first home inback in 2008, before becoming part of the legendaryand moving on to the first incarnation of. His Wc3 DotA career ended as he followed his friend and teammateBogdan '' Boychuk into retirement in 2010.His return came with the formation of a new DTS team for Dota 2 back in 2012, taking up the duties of Captaining the team and creating one of the most unconventional and influential teams of the CIS scene during the period prior to the second International. However their results were just shy of being worthy of cosideration for the direct invite, and as his old captainIvan '' Antonov had been promised a spot at the event as a returning champion, Goblak left for, whom he ended up leading as well.Darer did not work out, as the lackluster results at TI2 lead to a break-up and Artstyle leaving the scene once more. Instead Goblak ended up leading the new Team Empire, where he met Silent. The team enjoyed great success but continued to play second fiddle to Na`Vi, causingGleb '' Lipatnikov to eventually leave the team in order to replaceDmitriy '' Kupriyanov, which eventually caused the downfall of Team Empire, as they were not able to find a suitable replacement. Instead he ended up joining dd.Dota, wanting to try playing with teams outside of the CIS in hopes of a more stable environment.As a player he is best known as a support, and although this has not always been the case, it holds true for now. While he is regarded as a good player in his own right, known for playing Bane, Undying and the occasional junglers, it is his drafting abilities which have made him one of the most well regarded players in todays Dota 2 scene.Signature Heroes: :d2_enigma: 7ckingmad first came to prominence during mTw's run at DreamHack Summer 2012, where his Enigma play impressed everyone in attendance. Some time later it became known that he was a highly creative strategian as well, who contributed a considerable amount to the dominant playstyle of the pre-TI2 mTw. Unfortunately, his teams chance to show off their methodical push strategies on the big stage were undermined by a bootcamp which resulted in internal splintering, leading to the team splitting up after the event was over.Since returning to competitive play after having focused on his studies for a while, he has mostly stuck to his support role, although anyone who thinks he is a one trick pony is sorely mistaken. He is a highly skilled solo mid player as well, and this kind of depth gives Quantic an edge in their training, as they can better harden their solo players in 1v1 situations.As for his own part, while still associated with the Enigma, he plays a lot of Bane since the addition of Goblak to the roster, and is also an accomplished Nyx Assassin player. He also sometimes mixes things up with a Nature's Prophet, and has been the primary Crystal Maiden player for his team.According to former teammateChristoffer '' Winther "7ckingmad is a beast".Signature Heroes: :d2_tinker: At one time Sockshka was considered one of the premier farmers of the Western Dota 2 scene, as his story in Dota 2 ranges back all the way toof the first International. He also held the Captain's role for the French squad back in the days of, before they joined up with mTw.His role has changed a fair bit over time, as he can play most positions in a team, but has recently landed on the offlane for Quantic, depriving him of former favourites from the mTw days such as the Carry Tinker. Instead you are now more likely to see him on heroes such as Dark Seer or Batrider. A recent addition has been the offlane Lich, which has worked greatly for Quantic since the upgrades the hero received along with 6.78.Signature Heroes: :d2_ld: Since teaming up with 7ckingmad and Sockshka, Funzii has shown himself to be highly talented solo laner as well as carry player, who during the peak of mTw was considered to be perhaps second only to LighTofHeaveN as an offlaner in the West, impressing in particular with his Lone Druid play and his consistency.After the mTw split, Funzii slowly migrated into the solo mid role, where he has taken to playing heroes with wastly different roles in the game. The first hero he began to consistently play for then dd.Dota was probably Queen of Pain, an aggressive ganker and semi-carry, while he now is probably best known for his Outworld Devourer, a far more passive hero, which still turns into a fairly aggressive lane dominator in Funzii's hands. He also sometimes plays either the counter-initiating Puck or the initiator Batrider for his team, rounding out a very flexible arsenal.Signature Heroes: :d2_weaver: When he first joined, Silent was an up and coming carry player, who was then converted into a support player over time. While he attended the second International with M5, it was not until afterwards, when he joined Team Empire, that he gained true success, again as a support player who would occasionally switch to a carry or offlaner role when Funn1k would play Io for the team.Even in Empire however Silent remained in the shadows, which was why quite a few were surprised by the choice to have the young Russian player take up the hard carry role for Quantic Gaming. The surprise did not last long, as he has shown to be a formidable player, not only as a farming orientated player favouring the likes of Anti-Mage and Morphling, as those who had followed him in M5 knew he could be, but also as a hyper aggressive Weaver specialist for the Treant Protector strategies which Quantic has enjoyed running in recent times.Quantic represent the coming together of two great strategic minds, their captain Goblak as well asSébastien ‘’ Debs. While many may know Goblak best from his time with Empire where he had a penchant for running offensive trilanes in order to accommodate the Dire safelane solo Clinkz as well as Io. However, we should also think back to before the International 2012, when he was the Captain ofand was known to run heavy intellect hero lineups with single target lockdown and one tanky carry, heavily early game focused.On the other hand the French players, with Sockshka in particular going back all the way to the first Internationals, are known for enjoying a more lategame orientated farm heavy game, which under the captainship ofTroels ‘’ Nielsen in mTw turned into a slow push strategy which would methodically siege bases. The nature of the two halves of the team then should be at odds with each other, but instead they have found their own kind of harmony.The team favours strong laners, a clear influence of Goblak and the CIS scene, which has always been known for focusing on winning the laning stage. As a result the team has favoured Outworld Devourer, Queen of Pain, Lich, Weaver and Bane, all known for strong laning presence. The Treant Protector which they became known for was an extension of this, enhancing the ability of OD and Weaver to play forward on the lanes and during the early movement around the map. The team has also morphed their lategame focus into the more modern mid-late dual/triple core setups, withThibault ‘’ Calonne mostly playing secondary damage dealers and Silent playing aggressive carry heroes which still scale fairly well into the late game.The previous push tendencies haven’t entirely gone away either, as they’ve played interesting Undying and Pugna combinations, using the change to Decrepify and Tombstone interaction to their advantage. They also from time to time bust out the old 7ckingmad staple Enigma, which did not previously have a prominent place in Goblak’s drafting pallet.For those concerned about what the changes to Treant will do to Quantic’s gameplan, it should be pointed out that although it was a strong hero, it was an open secret by the time it got nerfed. Had it kept on as it were, the odds of finding a counter (such as Gyrocopter and generally aggressively contesting the hero) would have gone up, and at the very least it would have been a staple ban. As it is, while Quantic may have to start from scratch, inventing new strategies is not a problem for this team, and instead of going to TI3 with their cards all known to the world, they will arrive under the cover of darkness, with their plans unknown to the Eastern teams, and not yet countered by the Western teams (who naturally will have a beneficial information asymmetry on their side due to scrims).RattleSnake were officially formed back in January, and although they started their journey off swiftly by attending GosuCup Asia where they placed 4th against, they soon fell off the map for a while due to the lack of tournaments in China during the early portion of the year. During this time they also changed around players as they were looking for a fitting fifth, which ended up being formerplayerLi '' Guo, formerly known under the nickname “Neo”.As the Chinese scene got back into swing during the late spring and early summer, RattleSnake took part in several competitions such as theand, but failed to break the top four in any of them, either not making the event itself as with G-1 or being one of the first to be eliminated as in Alienware Cup.The one bright spot for RattleSnake was the Eastern Qualifier for this year’s International, where they were considered one of the favorites going in, as most of the big names in Asia had already been invited. They looked initially to face off againstas well as, but as the direct invite ofgot revoked due to a player change and TongFu was bumped up, the balance of the qualifier was suddenly upset quite a bit, as LGD swept through it with little resistance. Still, RattleSnake came in second, beating out ViCi Gaming who, although highly talented, had made a habit of not living up to the expectations put on them.2nd Place -- Wildcard Invite(Captain)Signature Heroes: :d2_doom: Luo got his start withback in 2009, but ended up parting ways with the team by 2010. He rejoined in February of 2012, providing some experience and leadership to the young WE squad at the time. As they lost 0-3 to TongFu in the 2012 Eastern Qualifiers and then 0-3 toin the Wildcard match afterwere unable to make it to the event in time due to "passport issues", World Elite ended up disbanding soon after the International 2012 ended.Wanting to keep on playing, the natural leader who had earlier in his career acquired the nickname "Director Luo" for his vocal leadership of his teams in game decided to form his own team, which came to be RattleSnakes. As their Captain he plays mostly solo mid, and is in particular well known as a proponent of Doom, as well as the solo mid Alchemist.Signature Heroes: :d2_gyro: Icy began his competitive career with World Elite back in November of 2011, and was later joined by Luo in the team. While he got to attend the first International, the more valuable experienced turned out to be meeting Luo, who invited him to join his new team RattleSnakes.Icy primarily plays hard carries such as Gyrocopter, but has also recently played quite a bit of Nature's Prophet. He has also been known to play Faceless Void, although this hero has not so far found a fit within the strategies of RattleSnake.Signature Heroes: :d2_cw: While Kabu started his career back in 2010, he did not gain notoriety until joining, with whom he attended the first International, impressing everyone with his Clockwerk play even as his team underperformed and went out in the second round of the losers bracket. After TyLoo broke up, Kabu joined TongFu who by defeating World Elite in the Eastern Qualifiers got to play at the International, where they ended 7th-8th. While this was an improvement in terms of team performance, Kabu was not able to shine in TongFu as he had with TyLoo, and ended up leaving the team in late 2012.Kabu used to play primarily the offlane for RattleSnake, but can also take up a support role, as he has more commonly in recent times. He is still best known for his flashy Clockwerk plays and is a heavily aggressive individual, who is ill suited for babysitting the safelane. When he isn't playing his famed clockwerk, his second most common hero has been Leshrac, but he may also be seen on ganking and teamfighting heroes such as Nyx Assassin and Sand King.Signature Heroes: :d2_tiny: LaNm is perhaps best remembered for the controversy surrounding him as he left TongFu in breach of contract in order to re-join, with whom he had taken second place at the first International. This action netted him a 100,000 RMB (~$16,000) fine and landed EHOME in hot water with the Chinese e-Sports Association (ACE).LaNm first entered competitive play by joining Nirvana.Cn around 2010, gaining some measure of success before the roster began to fall apart and be poached by other teams. At this point he joined EHOME and came to play predominantly Nature's Prophet, Weaver and Beastmaster for them at the first International. During the second International his play as Tiny is probably best remembered, as EHOME made a huge comeback with the Tiny+Io combination against Orange in the Lower Bracket Round 3 match.He is currently playing mostly semi-carries in an offlane role for his team and has a fairly eclectic hero pool including Weaver, Storm Spirit, Alchemist, Razor, Gyrocopter and much more. He also occasionally plays support heroes such as Chen, Enchantress and Visage.If you are a fan of Chinese Dota you might also want to check out The Chronicles of LaNm Signature Heroes: :d2_es: Sag, or Neo as he was known back then, was one of the first generation of Wc3 DotA players in China and first found success as Captain of a team called, which hosted such later luminaries of the scene asJi '' Xiaomeng andChen '' Zhihao. Sag floated around a few noteworthy teams such asand Nirvana.Cn, whom he left not long before their apperance at the first International.As he returned to competitive play in February, he has taken up the hard support role for RattleSnake, tending to play common lane supports such as Shadow Demon as well as less commonly seen heroes with the ability to roam and gank such as Earth Shaker and Crystal Maiden. Notably he is the only player on his team who has no experience from attending a International.RattleSnake has not been one to thread the beaten path. They are a highly unorthodox team, which not only sprinkles their gameplay with unconventional hero choices such as the previously highly favoured Doom, but outright forgoes the conventional picks. When they were first starting out, in addition to their love of Clockwerk we could see them being one of the first teams in China to introduce heroes which were popular in the West to the Eastern metagame, such as Gyrocopter.In light of their borrowing from the west, it’s worth noting that Io is one of the few heroes which they have not been seen playing at all. What the reason behind this oversight might be is rather puzzling, especially as they are known for swapping around roles in order to accommodate their players different talents, such as focusing on always givingKai ‘’ Zhao aggressive heroes and tailoring his role in the game around this whileZhicheng ‘’ Zhang may rotate in order to play junglers such as Chen or Enchantress or a more reactive Visage. This kind of flexibility in roles is often employed by Western teams specifically in order to match the best player onto Io, and should have been something RattleSnake could have done within reasonable effort as well.RattleSnake however is by no means limited to being an early adopter of outside influences, but also have their own ideas about which heroes are strong. They are not afraid to build their drafting strategy completely around their own view of the relative power of heroes, and have been known to play certain staples consistently, before moving on as their personal metagame evolves. One such hero was Doom, which was a staple in almost every RattleSnake game for a while but has since gone out of favour. More recently they’ve disproportionately favoured Earth Shaker while shunning Batrider. RattleSnake are also the originators of the solo mid Alchemist trend which is currently sweeping the Chinese teams.It's a fitting match for the final slot, as unconventional team faces unconventional team, both with veteran players capable of putting on a good show. Of the two teams, Quantic has found greater consistent success with their lineups, and should not be underestimated even if they make it to the main event, while RattleSnake actually sports the lowest win percentage against all of the teams attending this year's International, at 24% to Quantic's 41,2%. Even after the injury that Sockshka sustained, the odds seem in favour of Quantic.Description
David Arnold & Michael Price - Sherlock: Music from Series 3
Since its UK TV debut in 2010, Sherlock has developed into a worldwide TV phenomenon and has been exported by the BBC to over 200 territories.
The soundtracks have received BAFTA and Emmy nominations and have won an RTS Television Award. David Arnold is one of the UK’s leading film composers, penning the scores to a host of blockbuster movies including Stargate, Independence Day and 2 Fast 2 Furious. He also successfully took over the scoring of the James Bond movies on the recommendation of John Barry. Michael Price is a multi-talented composer, music editor and arranger whose credits include Band Of Brothers, The Lord Of The Rings and Love Actually.
“If David Arnold and Michael Price did not exist, it would be necessary for man to invent them. Their contribution to Sherlock is immeasurable. Thrilling, cheeky, sinister, playful and simply world-class…the music's not bad either.” Mark Gatiss (Sherlock and League Of Gentlemen creator)
Reviews
Tracklisting CD Album (SILCD1438) David Arnold & Michael Price - The Empty Hearse - How It Was Done David Arnold & Michael Price - The Empty Hearse - God Rest His Soul David Arnold & Michael Price - The Empty Hearse - Floating Dust David Arnold & Michael Price - The Empty Hearse - #SherlockLives David Arnold & Michael Price - The Empty Hearse - Back to Work David Arnold & Michael Price - The Empty Hearse - Vanishing Underground David Arnold & Michael Price - The Empty Hearse - John Is Quite a Guy David Arnold & Michael Price - The Empty Hearse - Lazarus David Arnold & Michael Price - The Sign of Three - Lestrade - The Movie David Arnold & Michael Price - The Sign of Three - To Battle David Arnold & Michael Price - The Sign of Three - Stag Night David Arnold & Michael Price - The Sign of Three - Mayfly Man David Arnold & Michael Price - The Sign of Three - Major Sholto David Arnold & Michael Price - The Sign of Three - Waltz for John and Mary David Arnold & Michael Price - His Last Vow - Magnussen David Arnold & Michael Price - His Last Vow - Forwards or Backwards David Arnold & Michael Price - His Last Vow - Redbeard David Arnold & Michael Price - His Last Vow - The Lie In Leinster Gardens David Arnold & Michael Price - His Last Vow - Addicted to a Certain Lifestyle David Arnold & Michael Price - His Last Vow - The Problems of the Future David Arnold & Michael Price - His Last Vow - Appledore David Arnold & Michael Price - His Last Vow - The East Wind David Arnold & Michael Price - His Last Vow - End Titles Download Album (SILED1438) David Arnold & Michael Price - The Empty Hearse - How It Was Done David Arnold & Michael Price - The Empty Hearse - God Rest His Soul David Arnold & Michael Price - The Empty Hearse - Floating Dust David Arnold & Michael Price - The Empty Hearse - #SherlockLives David Arnold & Michael Price - The Empty Hearse - Back to Work David Arnold & Michael Price - The Empty Hearse - Vanishing Underground David Arnold & Michael Price - The Empty Hearse - John Is Quite a Guy David Arnold & Michael Price - The Empty Hearse - Lazarus David Arnold & Michael Price - The Sign of Three - Lestrade - The Movie David Arnold & Michael Price - The Sign of Three - To Battle David Arnold & Michael Price - The Sign of Three - Stag Night David Arnold & Michael Price - The Sign of Three - Mayfly Man David Arnold & Michael Price - The Sign of Three - Major Sholto David Arnold & Michael Price - The Sign of Three - Waltz for John and Mary David Arnold & Michael Price - His Last Vow - Magnussen David Arnold & Michael Price - His Last Vow - Forwards or Backwards David Arnold & Michael Price - His Last Vow - Redbeard David Arnold & Michael Price - His Last Vow - The Lie In Leinster Gardens David Arnold & Michael Price - His Last Vow - Addicted to a Certain Lifestyle David Arnold & Michael Price - His Last Vow - The Problems of the Future David Arnold & Michael Price - His Last Vow - Appledore David Arnold & Michael Price - His Last Vow - The East Wind David Arnold & Michael Price - His Last Vow - End Titles
“Fully cementing their place as the Holmes & Watson of collaborative composition with their third Sherlock album, David Arnold and Michael Price have once again produced a responsive mix of rousing, cheeky, and surprising tracks… The result is an album of instrumental innovation and thematic diversity.”- CutBox TV *****“Something that grabs me this year is how much diversity the two composers have packed into the space of three episodes. They move fluently between the three stories, yet the themes and tone of each is distinct from the other.”- CultFix 10/10For anyone who has wondered how it’s possible to get so much stuff from web companies free or at too-good-to-be-true prices — whether Google searching, Facebook socializing, Uber riding or Amazon shopping — Jean Tirole, the new Nobel Prize winner in economics, has an answer.
In 2002, two years before Google went public or Facebook was founded, he wrote that Internet-era companies operate as two-sided platforms, with consumers on one side and software developers or advertisers on the other. Even if tech entrepreneurs have never read his work, they are referencing it when they throw around words like “platform” and “network effect.”
He also said that industries should be regulated differently depending on their distinct characteristics. Many Internet companies, for instance, give their products away free, which means that antitrust law built on pricing is irrelevant. But a result is they grow so fast that they can quickly become monopolies.
“He’s helping us think about what is one of the greatest challenges of our time, how to deal with what feel like friendly monopolists,” said Tim Wu, a Columbia Law School professor who studies Internet policy and antitrust. “Amazon, Google and the others give us all this stuff for free or lower prices, so we love them, but are they dangerous in ways we don’t always see?”INDIANA UNIVERSITY STUDY INFORMATION SHEET FOR
Effects of Personality Traits on Group Fitness
You are invited to participate in a research study of the effects of personality traits on participation in group fitness. You were selected as a possible subject because you are over the age of 18. We ask that you read this form and ask any questions you may have before agreeing to be in the study.
The study is being conducted by Liz Fisher, student at Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus.
STUDY PURPOSE
The purpose of this study is to determine if there is a relationship between personality traits and individuals choice to participate in group fitness.
PROCEDURES FOR THE STUDY:
If you agree to be in the study, you will do the following things:
You will complete a survey online through Survey Monkey. The survey will consist of 120 questions and will take you approximately 20-30 minutes to complete. Please |
series of events for what it truly is: One large event with a tangible beginning, a middle and no end in sight. There is no dicing it up. It is all of a piece, one long war, the longest by miles in our nation’s history. The most recent invasion and occupation saw nearly 5,000 US service members killed and close to 40,000 wounded. That casualty count does not include the many thousands of veterans who have returned home after multiple deployments suffering from a variety of maladies caused by prolonged exposure to chemicals, combat and carnage.
As for the civilian toll in Iraq after 27 years of war, no one is precisely sure. “You know,” said Gen. Tommy Franks just after George W. Bush’s portion of the war began, “we don’t do body counts.” Reliable estimates place the number in the hundreds of thousands, with others claiming a million or more lives have been lost. Thousands died during the opening of the war, with thousands more perishing in the intervening years from air strikes, polluted water and depleted uranium poisoning. UNICEF reported in 1999 that some 500,000 Iraqi children died due to deprivations caused by our sanctions. Factional strife caused by the war has killed even more. Millions of people remain displaced from their homes.
There is also the financial toll. The latest numbers are almost a year old, but the best estimates of the monetary cost of all these years of systematic butchery, when combined with the expense of simultaneous war in Afghanistan, reach into the trillions of dollars. There are the trillions we’ve already spent, and the trillions we will continue to spend as we accrue interest on the unpaid loans that financed the war to begin with. After sending millions of soldiers, sailors, Marines and air force servicemembers to war, many on multiple occasions, the VA will be dealing with an astonishing and expensive human workload for many decades to come.
Twenty-seven years. Hundreds of thousands of deaths, at least. Trillions of dollars squandered? Hardly. This was not an accident. It was, and continues to be, a spectacular payday.
Every bullet fired, every bomb dropped, every missile launched, every gallon of fuel burned, every HumVee destroyed by an IED, every helicopter shot down, every boot on the ground, every private military contractor’s paycheck, every MRE, every Kevlar vest, every pill, every helmet, every uniform, every body bag, every coffin and every American flag draped over it throughout all those many long years of war represents money taken from you and given to a small group of people you’ll never meet. They hide much of that money offshore so it won’t be taxed, and use the rest to buy politicians who tell you the country is broke, we’re about austerity now, so no more school lunches for your kids and no more Medicaid for your mother.
It took 27 years, but one of the greatest heists, one of the greatest redistributions of wealth in the history of humanity has taken place right under our noses, and the nation of Iraq stands in ruins. Here at home, the ruins are not nearly as vivid, but they are still very present. Just look at us. Look at what war has done for us, what we have allowed to be taken from us, one day at a time, for almost 30 years.
We have enough firepower to kill every living thing on Earth down to the last lichen, but we can’t tell the difference between reality television and reality. Education and expertise are disdained, there are more guns than people, and the police are armed to the teeth with Iraq war castoff weaponry when they confront people of color and women protesting in the streets to save rights they thought they’d won 50 years ago.
Imagine not being a nation steeping like a teabag in its own cowardice after creating so many blood enemies through 27 years of war. We are so afraid now that a high spokesman for the president of the United States can stand before the assembled press and spout white nationalist dogma about the creed on the Statue of Liberty because, he says, immigrants and refugees are dangerous now. The truth is, a lot of them are running for their lives after we blew up their homes and killed their families — but we won’t let them in the country, because they scare us.
Imagine, on the other hand, thousands upon thousands of well-resourced schools with plenty of teachers and textbooks to go around, a health care system whose chief purpose was actual health care, fully funded medical research curing diseases like diabetes and ALS, coast-to-coast rail so fast you’re in San Francisco almost before you left Boston, a rebuilt infrastructure that reimagines our national capacities as it invigorates our economy, a world-leading alternative energy industry that drinks deep of wind and sky even as it cleanses both.
Imagine millions of people, here and there, unharmed by the ravages we have inflicted upon them, and upon ourselves. Imagine all those who would still be alive.
We could have all that and more, right now, but for 27 years of war. We have not been robbed of our future. We have been robbed of our present.
I’m certain that recruiter remembers.
I do.FILE PHOTO: A general view shows damaged buildings in a rebel-held part of the southern city of Deraa, Syria June 22, 2017. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Faqir/File photo
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - At least 600 civilians have been killed in strikes in Iraq and Syria by the U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State since the campaign began in 2014, according to a report released by the coalition on Friday.
The estimate in the monthly report, which said coalition strikes had unintentionally killed at least 603 civilians between August 2014 and May 2017, was far lower than figures provided by monitoring groups.
The monitoring group Airwars says a total of at least 4,354 civilians have been killed by coalition air strikes.
The latest coalition report included an incident on April 17 near the Syrian town of Abu Kamal, in which it said 25 civilians were killed and 40 were wounded during a strike against an Islamic State headquarters that caused a secondary explosion in the adjacent building.
Since the start of the campaign against Islamic State militants, the coalition has carried out nearly 22,000 strikes and has received 727 reports of potential civilian casualties, the report said.
The coalition, battling to defeat Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, says it goes to great lengths to avoid civilian casualties.
Ahead of a final assault on Raqqa city in Syria, the U.N. human rights office raised concerns about increasing reports of civilian deaths in the area. In a May report, it said there had already been “massive civilian casualties.”
In Mosul, the Iraqi military has forecast final victory this week in what used to be the de facto capital in Iraq of Islamic State’s self-declared caliphate, after an eight-month, U.S.-backed offensive to wrest back the city. Mosul’s pre-war population was 2 million.More than 120 images of ancient Egyptian boats have been discovered adorning the inside of a building in Abydos, Egypt. The building dates back more than 3,800 years and was built near the tomb of pharaoh Senwosret III, archaeologists reported.
The tableau, as the series of images is called, would have looked upon a real wooden boat said Josef Wegner, a curator at the Penn Museum at the University of Pennsylvania, who led the excavation. Only a few planks remain of the wooden boat, which would have been constructed at Abydos or dragged across the desert, Wegner said. In ancient Egypt, boats were sometimes buried near a pharaoh's tomb. [In Photos: Tomb Painting Discovered Near Great Pyramid of Giza]
Etchings and a boat
Archaeologists found that the tableau was incised on the white plaster walls of the building.
The largest images are nearly 5 feet (1.5 meters) in length and show "large, well-rendered boats depicted with masts, sails, rigging, deckhouses/cabins, rudders, oars and in some cases rowers," wrote Wegner in an article published in the International Journal of Nautical Archaeology. Some images are small and simple, the smallest reaching only about 4 inches (10 centimeters) in length, wrote Wegner.
An image showing part of the boat tableau, which includes both large and small images. Some of the larger boats are highly detailed, showing masts, sails, rigging, cabins, rudders and oars. Josef Wegner More
Though 120 boat images survive today, there would have been more incised on the building walls in ancient times, Wegner wrote. In addition to the boats, the tableau contains incised images of gazelle, cattle and flowers, he noted.
Near the entranceway of the building — whose interior is about 68 feet by 13 feet (21 by 4 m) — archaeologists discovered more than 145 pottery vessels, many of which are buried with their necks facing toward the building's entrance. "The vessels are necked, liquid-storage jars, usually termed 'beer jars' although probably used for storage and transport of a variety of liquids," wrote Wegner in the journal article.The existence of the building was first noted in a 1904 report by an Egypt Exploration Fund (EEF) team that worked at Abydos between 1901 and 1903. However, that team didn't have time to excavate the building and didn't know what was in it; "they came down on the very top of the boat building. They saw the vault of it but abandoned work," Wegner said.
Many mysteries
The discoveries leave archaeologists with a series of mysteries that future excavations may help solve. [7 Amazing Archaeological Discoveries from Egypt]
The archaeologists don't know who drew the tableau or why they created it. "We can't conclusively answer that on the basis of what's preserved," Wegner told Live Science. However, the researchers think multiple people created the tableau within a short period of time, he added.
One possibility is that the people who built the boat also created the tableau, he said. Or, perhaps, a group of people taking part in a funerary ceremony after the death of pharaoh Senwosret III etched the images onto the building walls. Yet another possibility is that a group of people gained access to the building after the pharaoh died and created the tableau. Archaeologists found that a group of individuals entered the building at some point after the pharaoh's death and took the boat apart, reusing the planks.
Archaeologists are also puzzled over the purpose of all the pottery found near the entrance of the building. It's possible that those attending a funerary ceremony could have spilled liquid from the pots on the ground on purpose. "Potentially a massive decanting of liquid, likely predominantly water, at the entrance of the building was a way of magically floating the boat," Wegner wrote in the paper. The boat would not have been literally floated if this ceremony took place.As the world gears up for 24 hours of Black Friday madness, hobby miners would do well to take advantage of specials on the top GPUs on the market.
2017 has been a whirlwind year not only for cryptocurrencies but chipmakers like Nvidia and AMD.
Both GPU manufacturers saw their stocks rise to new heights alongside Bitcoin and demand for their graphics cards soared mid-year as every average Joe and his dog looked to get into the lucrative crypto mining space.
Nvidia outperformed their rivals AMD on the stock markets this year - as a quick glance at their comparative stock prices over the past 10 months confirms.
Nevertheless, both companies have enjoyed the demand created by cryptocurrencies breaking into the mainstream consciousness, although uncertainty in China has led to some volatility in recent months.
Still place for hobby miners
There are a number of mining pools across the world, but China monopolizes the market - with the likes of Bitmain producing hardware to complement their massive pool of crypto miners known as Antpool.
While a single, hobby miner will only generate a tiny amount of income using their personal computer to mine at home, there is still a massive demand for graphics cards.
There are a number of public mining pools that hobbyists can join - with the potential of earning a slice of the bonus when a block is mined.
While it becomes exponentially difficult to mine Bitcoin, the likes of Ethereum and Bitcoin Gold offer enthusiasts a chance to make some money at home.
The Bitcoin ban in China also creates uncertainty for the mining sector there - which could be a boon to chipmakers should those operations become redundant.
On the lookout for great deals
The average man on the street could really benefit from tech specials this Black Friday.
As the cryptocurrency space continues to grow, so will the need for miners, which are in essence the lifeblood of the virtual money.
However, it could be difficult to get your hands on the top cards. Nvidia’s latest GTX 1080’s are sold out on their website and their TITAN Xp’s look like they’re getting snapped up really fast.
Consider yourself lucky if you can buy the top hardware in the next 48 hours.
Secret symbol № 1: B What is this?The Sacred Stone Camp has been growing all week in anticipation of Friday's federal court decision.
Native Americans and supporters of their cause are still traveling to the protest site from all over the country.
There was no joyous celebration Friday because the ruling went against the tribes. There were also no visible signs of disappointment or anger, as many people committed to this cause are not giving up the fight.
Pipeline decision day began with a ceremonial march from the Sacred Stone Camp to a site Native Americans claim was a burial site that was disturbed by Dakota Access Pipeline construction.
Hundreds of people participated in the procession that was led by spiritual leaders from many different tribes.
"They walked a trail of death backwards and talked to all the grave sites, and that's what we did today here," says Stanley Perry, Navajo.
Once the demonstrators reached the construction site, a prayer ceremony took place to make amends.
"They did a prayer for them to say that they're sorry that these people the company came in and disturbed their spirit," says Perry.
Several hours later - when the crowd walked back to the camp - word came that Federal Judge James Boasberg had ruled in favor of Dakota Access. Despite the legal setback, no one at the camp is backing down.
"We're gonna keep fighting, and we're gonna get in their way, and we're gonna stop them. We're not gonna quit. I have my son here, he's gonna have sons, and they're gonna drink water, and they're gonna live on this earth. I want that to continue on for generations, and generations, and generations," says Samuel Wounded Knee, Crow Creek Sioux.
"I feel like our whole campout - this whole thing - has just been positive. I don't, just stay positive," says Rhea Cook, Onondaga Nation.
It's unknown when pipeline activity will resume but when or if it does, these people vow to continue to do whatever they can to prevent progress on the pipeline.
The federal appeal to Boasberg's decision is scheduled for September 14.Photo: nicolemcguire, CC
Best Birthday Cake Ever!
Now for something on the lighter side (though maybe not light in calories)... Most of us treehuggers like public transportation. Some even develop a certain personal fondness for it over years of use; it starts to become a familar place where you can relax, read, listen to music, etc. But there's probably nobody who likes the bus quite as much as Max, a 2-year old boy who's apparently "obsessed" with Seattle metro buses. So much so that his awesome mother made him what is probably the coolest birthday cake that I've seen! Check out the other photos below.
Photo: nicolemcguire, CC
J sez, "The eldest of my friends' two youngins is obsessed with the bus. Loves to ride it, loves to watch it zoom past, loves to yell 'buth!' at it and proceed to go into hysterics. You can make his whole face come alive with wonderment when you point one out approaching from down the road.. So, for his second birthday, his ma crafted him the most maddeningly wonderful cake i have ever laid eyes on: a perfect little doughy mock-up of Seattle Metro's newest route, the #2 to Max-ville! COMPLETE WITH TWO CANDLES FOR THE LITTLE CABLE-POWER-BUS-ATTACHIES ZOMG!"
The submitter of these on BoingBoing wrote:
Photo: nicolemcguire, CC
Photo: nicolemcguire, CC
Check out the rest of the pics on Flickr.
Via BoingBoing
More on Transit
Chicago Bus Tracker: Transit goes 21st Century With User-Friendly Online GPS Tracking (Video)
L.A. Metro Retires Last Diesel Bus, Now Relies on Cleaner CNG BusesThe space shuttle Atlantis is pictured shortly after it docked to the International Space Station for the final time. Atlantis and its four astronauts arrived at the orbiting outpost for one final visit, in what will also be the final time a shuttle is parked at the massive complex.
This story was updated at 2:35 p.m. EDT.
HOUSTON — The space shuttle Atlantis arrived at the International Space Station today (July 10) for one final visit, a historic connection that marked the last time a shuttle will ever link up with the orbiting lab.
Atlantis docked at the space station at 11:07 a.m. EDT (1507 GMT) after spending two days in an orbital chase that helped the shuttle close in on the massive complex. Shuttle commander Chris Ferguson skillfully backed the orbiter to its destination in a flawless docking that occurred precisely on schedule.
"Atlantis arriving. Welcome to the International Space Station for the last time," station astronaut Ron Garan radioed to the shuttle crew as the two spacecraft sailed over the Pacific Ocean, east of New Zealand.
After some standard leak checks to make sure Atlantis was securely attached to the station's docking port, the hatches between the two spacecraft were opened at 12:47p.m. EDT (1647 GMT) and the shuttle crew entered the orbiting lab. [Photos of NASA's Last Space Shuttle Launch]
As Atlantis' four astronauts floated inside the station, they were greeted by the six spaceflyers currently living and working at the orbiting lab. Space station commander Andrey Borisenko led the welcome ceremony, joined by fellow Russian cosmonauts Alexander Samokutyaev and Sergei Volkov, NASA astronauts Ron Garan and Mike Fossum, and Japanese astronaut Satoshi Furukawa.
This is Atlantis' 12th visit to the orbiting outpost, but the milestone also commemorates the 37th and final time a space shuttle docked to the International Space Station. This mission is the 33rd flight for Atlantis and NASA's 135th flight for the shuttle program, which is retiring this year.
"We have had an absolutely outstanding rendezvous and docking today," shuttle flight director Kwatsi Alibaruho said in a briefing today. "The docking was accomplished with very few issues at all. We're right on schedule."
Atlantis' commander Chris Ferguson floats through the International Space Station, followed by mission specialist Rex Walheim, shortly after the hatches were opened between the shuttle and the station. Atlantis docked to the orbiting outpost for the final time on July 10. (Image: © NASA TV)
Last visit is a busy one
During preparations for today's arrival at the space station, Atlantis' astronauts did encounter a slight issue with one of the onboard computers, but mission managers are confident that it was merely a glitch and not a problem with the health of the computer itself. The computer is expected to be reset tomorrow morning and flight controllers will continue to monitor its performance.
"It just represented a loss of redundancy, but we had absolutely no other problems with the spacecraft," Alibaruho said. "We don't think this was a symptom of a real hardware problem. We expect to get this computer to full functionality within a day or so."
Atlantis launched on final space shuttle mission – STS-135 – on Friday (July 8) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The main goal of the shuttle's 12-day mission is to deliver a year's worth of food, equipment and supplies to the space station. Atlantis hauled 9,500 pounds (4,318 kilograms) of cargo into space to help keep the station well-stocked for the years after NASA's shuttle fleet retires. [9 Weird Things That Flew On NASA Shuttles]
Ferguson and his crewmates, pilot Doug Hurley, and mission specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim, currently plan to remain at the space station until July 18, when they are due to undock Atlantis and head home to Earth.
Atlantis is also delivering a slew of experiments, including a system called the Robotic Refueling Mission, which will test methods to robotically refuel and repair satellites in orbit. The Robotic Refueling Mission will be installed on the exterior of the station, and future station crews will operate it using the station's Dextre robot.
One spacewalk, which will be performed by station astronauts Fossum and Garan on Tuesday (July 12), will also take place during Atlantis' visit.
A close eye on Atlantis' heat shield
The shuttle astronauts spent yesterday conducting a thorough inspection of Atlantis' heat shield tiles to determine whether the orbiter suffered any damage during its launch and ascent into orbit.
Early assessments seem to indicate that Atlantis' heat shield tiles are in good health and the orbiter is performing well so far, said LeRoy Cain, chair of the shuttle's mission management team.
"We don't have any anomalies – no significant issues," Cain told reporters in a news briefing yesterday. "It's been a great start to this mission."
In addition to yesterday's inspection, ground teams here at Johnson Space Center will also use high-resolution photos of Atlantis' belly that were taken as the orbiter closed in on the space station to make their assessment.
Prior to docking to the orbiting outpost, commander Ferguson flew Atlantis through a slow back flip from a distance of about 600 feet (180 meters) below the station. As Atlantis performed this so-called Rendezvous Pitch Maneuver, astronauts on the station snapped hundreds of images of orbiter's belly.
Engineers will continue to assess this data in the coming days to ensure that Atlantis' heat shield is still robust enough to protect it from the scorching temperatures it will face as the vehicle re-enters Earth's atmosphere at the end of the mission.
You can follow SPACE.com Staff Writer Denise Chow on Twitter @denisechow. Visit SPACE.com for complete coverage of Atlantis' final mission STS-135 or follow us @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.Coming Soon
Escape from Hat
A desperate rabbit rallies an unexpected band of allies to help him escape from inside a magician's hat and return to the human boy he loves.
Nowhere Man
A strange encounter causes a man awaiting execution to experience alternate timelines, leading to his escape from prison to protect his family.
Osmosis
In Paris of the near future, a dating app matches singles with their soul mates by mining their brain data. But decoding true love comes at a price.
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance
In this prequel to the fantasy classic, three young Gelfling inspire a rebellion against the cruel Emperor when they discover a horrifying secret.
Gentefied
Three Latinx cousins navigate their differences as they work to keep their grandfather's taco shop afloat in their rapidly gentrifying L.A. neighborhood.
Tall Girl
Standing 6-foot-3, 16-year-old "tall girl" Jodi has never had a boyfriend. But that could change when a tall exchange student enrolls at her school.
If I Hadn't Met You
Eduard, a husband and father who loses his family in a tragic accident, travels to parallel universes to seek a better fate for his beloved wife.
Tales of the City
Middle-aged Mary Ann returns to San Francisco and the eccentric friends she left behind. Based on Armistead Maupin's books and starring Laura Linney.Everything is rolling forward smoothly just as it was described in the last blog post. I’m working reduced time, keeping up with website, PR, paperwork and legal essentials, while writing designs. Piotr is working full time, slamming those designs into the game and refining the technicals.
Things are progressing as fast as they ever have, so the next alpha will be the biggest jump in features you’ve seen by far.
Here is a quick overview of some stuff that’s been added:
Colonist family and social relationship system. Brothers, sisters, parents, children, aunts, uncles and so on are all randomly generated. So e.g. your colonist’s brother can appear as a refugee (or a raider!) Colonists develop lover relationships – and break them off. People have opinions of each other which change with circumstances (e.g. you botched my surgery and cut my eye out – I hate you! Or, you’re my brother – I love you!). Social interactions play out different ways with different effects, depending on who is communicating and what they think of each other. People can have “social fights” from social interactions gone wrong. Marriages with ceremonies. Divorces. Love and heartbreak. Multi-person beds. Social bonds with animals. Tons more in this system. But no kids (yet – that’s a whole other ball of wax).
People who leave the map while traveling, fleeing, being kidnapped, etc. can come back later as raiders, visitors, joiners, etc.
New diseases with new mechanics. Carcinoma (on any body part). Fibrous mechanites, sensory mechanites. Gut worms. Muscle parasites. Trauma savant. Asthma.
New “firefoam popper” provides a way to combat fire besides punching it.
Prison breaks. Prisoners pick the locks, get out, seek weapons and work as a group to escape.
Tons of other over and under-the-hood improvements.
Can’t wait to get it to you guys. I’ll be back in March. (edit: I’m not sure when the alpha will actually be finished. It could be after March – just to be clear).Google Fit stands as one of Google's only flagship apps on Android Wear, and may be the only one of its apps that matters more on a watch than it does on a phone. There's a new version of the app available on the Play Store for both watches and phones, but this update is all about adding a big feature for Wear. There's a new mode for recording strength training and similar activities that involve counting reps.
This update is for Wear 2.0 only, so quite a few people will have to wait until the rollout is complete before testing this out, but it works on the last developer preview as well as any watch that already has the official 2.0 firmware.
What's New
Official Changelog: Automatically track your strength training exercises on your Android Wear smartwatch.
Minor improvements.
Bug fixes. Unofficial Changelog: (the stuff we found) Settings for units of measure
Automatically track strength exercises
Did you pick up a Wear device with the intention of recording workouts, then found that there wasn't much you could get out of the box? Sure, you could look to other apps, but if you wanted to use Google Fit, it only supported a few specific activities like walking and running, bicycling, and push-ups; but this did nothing for the wide range of exercises that you can and should do to get in shape. The new version of Google Fit expands the tracking capabilities significantly with a new Strength Training tool that greatly increases the range of activities that can be measured.
To launch the Strength Training tracker, either open the "Fit Workout" item from the app launcher on Wear or open the Fit app and tap on the pink button to begin an activity, then look through the list for Strength Training. Once your session is recording, Google Fit will analyze motion of the watch to determine what you're doing and how many reps you've completed.
When your set is complete, tap the button at the bottom and Fit will present your rep count. If you're keeping track of the count in your head and the numbers don't match up, you can adjust the count by sliding the top number to the left or right. If you're using weights, you should also slide the second number to the left to record the actual weight. Then scroll down a bit to the buttons titled Save, Delete, or Save and Exit. Saving the set will open up a follow-up screen with a countdown for resting before beginning the next set.
In my very brief test, Fit successfully guessed I was doing bicep curls. I'm not sure about the rep count on that one, I was busy fiddling with screenshots. On my second test, I happened to switch arms and change the orientation of the watch, and this may have been enough to fool Fit into thinking I had taken to doing sit-ups. If this happens, you can tap the name of the exercise at the top to set the correct activity. For what it's worth, the rep count was correct.
Overall, this is a pretty big addition and makes Wear considerably more useful for fitness tracking, especially in the gym. The workflow might still be a little cumbersome if each new set is supposed to happen immediately after the last, but this is still fine for most traditional workouts.
Note: This feature was technically available on the stock firmware for the LG Watch Sport and possibly Style when they were fresh out of the box, but it seemed to disappear with either a server-side switch or an update to the Fit app. With this update, it's back for those watches and now available for all other watches on Wear 2.0.
Unit Settings
There is one other change worth noting, although it probably goes mostly ignored. If you find that the units of measurement aren't to your liking, they can now be changed right on the watch. Just open Google Fit, scroll to the bottom to find the button to open Settings, then tap on the Units button. You can make changes for Height, Weight, Distance, and Energy.
Most people probably won't need this, but it's a little more important now that Wear is intended to operate with less reliance on a paired phone. It makes sense if some users don't set up the app on a phone before using it on a watch for the first time. There's no harm in having it there.
Download
The APK is signed by Google and upgrades your existing app. The cryptographic signature guarantees that the file is safe to install and was not tampered with in any way. Rather than wait for Google to push this download to your devices, which can take days, download and install it just like any other APK.
Version: 1.64.06-200 (2016406200)Alvaro Negredo scored twice in nine games this season before being left out of Valencia's team.
For a second last Saturday, it wasn't easy for Alvaro Negredo to suppress a smile. The second half had just started against city rivals Levante when the Valencia supporters began to shout his name and soon the chant was going round Mestalla, getting louder and louder. "Negredo! Negredo! Negredo!" None of which would have been particularly unusual, except that the striker was not out on the pitch. Had he been they probably wouldn't have chanted his name but, instead, he was in a now depressingly familiar position up the stands.
A battle had begun and the fans knew whose side they were on. Rather than a song of praise, this was a protest. Nuno Espirito Santo, the coach who had left Negredo out, was down on the touchline, exposed as ever, and they sang at him too. The lyrics were simple and, the manager admitted, hurtful: "Nuno, go now!" Even three goals in a derby victory didn't stop the criticism. Cheering Negredo was not just about supporting the striker: He had become a weapon used against the manager too, another reason to distrust him. As the final whistle went, the chants continued.
The game against Levante was the time fourth in a row that Negredo had been left out of the Valencia squad and it did not end there. On Tuesday, he flew with the rest of the team to Gent for a Champions League tie. But there was no rapprochement and, instead, the situation got worse. He had travelled but was then left out anyway. It meant another night sitting in the stands, fiddling with his phone, awkward and aware that the cameras were on him too, listening as the fans -- around 300 of them -- worked their way through a familiar song book.
Twice Negredo had been left out against Gent, as well as not being included in the squad for matches against Levante, Malaga and Atletico Madrid. No other Valencia player had been left out of the squad for five games in a row this season and Negredo is not just another player -- at €30m, he is the club's most expensive buy, the man they signed in the summer of 2014 and paid for this. Making him travel to not play just deepened the sense that something lay beneath, like this was some kind of punishment. A draconian kind, many felt.
What happened on the pitch did too. It is not like Valencia couldn't have done with Negredo, particularly with Rodrigo out injured and with Zakaria Bakkali not included in the club's Champions League squad. Valencia lost 1-0 in Belgium and the scoreline flattered them: They did not manage a shot on target until midway through the second half. The defeat was their sixth of the season, which is as many, in 16 games, as in the whole of last season when they played 42 times.
After the game, Nuno said: "I have never stopped counting on a player who has shown me that he wants to be in the team. I have never stopped calling upon a player who has shown me that he wants to be here."
The message was clear: This was Negredo's fault; he is not trying, he is not training well, he is not committed. Clear, perhaps, but not shared. "Negredo is not training badly; he has shown that he is a professional," said Valencia captain Dani Parejo on the same night.
Nuno Espirito Santo's side are currently seventh in La Liga and second in their Champions League group.
It is hard to avoid the conclusion that there is something else going on and some at the club fear that there is more to come, that this may yet unravel further. Slowly, the truth may out. Whose decision was this anyway? And why was it taken? Where does power really lie? Is this only about football or is it personal? Is it, in fact, beyond personal? Is it even about Nuno at all? For now, questions remain unanswered while the answers that are given do not always convince.
When Negredo was first left out -- he last played on Oct. 4 -- Nuno said it was a purely tactical decision. Not long after that he insisted: "No one is more interested in Negredo coming back than me."
He stuck to the same discourse after every game, until Wednesday when, for the first time, he pointed the finger directly. Why was he not calling on Negredo? "I have never stopped calling on a player who has shown that he wants to be in the team." It's Negredo's fault, in other words.
Before this season even began, Nuno wanted Valencia to sell Negredo, but instead they bought him. That may sound odd but Valencia were in a position that they could not get out of. Negredo had joined from Manchester City, having scored 23 in 49 games in England. That day Nuno described him as the "bomb", "fantastic", "absolutely spectacular", but the truth is that he did not live up to expectations, scoring five times in 30 league games last season. By the spring of 2015, Nuno was already using him less.
The problem was that instead of paying for him at the start of last season, Valencia officially had him on a year's loan with an obligation to buy at the end of 2014-15. They had no choice but to pay €30 million for the now-30-year-old. His salary is close to €7m a year, before tax.
Valencia completed the deal, as they had to do, but Nuno still wanted to sell him on immediately. Negredo didn't want to leave and certainly did not want to return to England, from where the most significant interest had come. Plus, the club's then-sporting director Rufete and president Amadeo Salvo blocked the departure, not least because any sale would represent a significant loss on those €30m.
Then they departed themselves, pushed out in a move that left the club with three genuinely strong players: Owner Peter Lim (and his president Layhoon Chan); agent Jorge Mendes, who brokered the arrival at the club of Lim and a number of players; and the manager Nuno.
Fans began expressing concerns about the club's direction and about with really lay behind the "project". Nuno, seen as the winner of a war whose losers were popular, became the visible target for doubts that went deeper.
Yet even if underlying problems existed back then, there was no sign yet of where this would end up and the present situation was still some way off. Negredo stayed and scored the goal against Monaco that took Valencia into the Champions League group stage. He started the first five games of the season, with Paco Alcacer on the bench.
At the time, the debate was whether the two could play together. Negredo said they could and that was not all he said. Nuno has seemed unsure of his strikers this season and when Valencia were beaten 3-1 by Athletic Bilbao, Negredo said that it was hard to score goals playing so far from the penalty area. Nuno responded by suggesting that chances had been missed; more importantly, he also responded by leaving Negredo out of the squad. "Everyone will be needed," he said. "Alcacer had been out for three games, now it is his turn."
That was five games ago now and Negredo has not since returned to the team. He has not even returned to the squad. At first it was explained as a purely technical decision before Nuno insisted "no one has more interest than me in Negredo getting back in the team and helping us out". Then, this week, he finally pointed an accusing finger: Negredo does not want to be in the team.
Parejo was not the only one who said that Negredo had trained well. Alcacer and Javi Fuego said much the same. Cautiously, non-committal, but they said it.
On Onda Cero radio, it was reported that, in training the day before the Gent game, Negredo had scored a hat trick and out |
Gothic cathedral.
Mountains have been a constant in Mr. Oberti's life. He grew up in northern Italy near the Alps and skied at Zermatt and St. Moritz in Switzerland, icons of winter. He immigrated to Canada in the mid-1960s, to Vancouver. He is an architect by trade, but mountains – and building ski resorts, cathedrals in the wilderness – are his passion.
In 2000, Mr. Oberti helped open Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, near Golden in eastern British Columbia. But he is better known for the quarter-century saga of the proposed – and forever stalled – Jumbo Glacier Resort, south of Golden and near Invermere. Jumbo was beset by challenges: fierce local opposition, Indigenous legal action and significant environmental questions.
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Today, however, at 73, Mr. Oberti is hoping to make a new dream in the mountains a reality. The place is among the high peaks of the Premier Range in the Cariboo Mountains, named for former prime ministers such as Pearson, Trudeau and Meighen. It is there, near the village of Valemount in remote northeastern B.C., hundreds of kilometres from the nearest airports, that a small group of investors imagines a large resort with skiing in winter and sightseeing in summer. Mr. Oberti helps lead the effort and is financially backed by Toronto developer Greg Marchant and Toronto condo salesman Hunter Milborne.
As with Jumbo, Valemount is all about big mountains and glaciers. Unlike Jumbo, Valemount Glacier Destination has garnered support.
Provincial approval was secured this spring. A big hurdle of financing remains – Mr. Marchant heads the effort to raise upward of $100-million – but the backers are confident construction will start next summer and operations will begin in 2019.
And on the environmental front, Valemount has not drawn attention, or criticism, whereas Jumbo withered under the rallying cry of Keep Jumbo Wild.
Valemount supporters include everyone from village locals and the Simpcw First Nation to BC Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver, who has praised the project as smart rural economic development married with optimal Indigenous relations.
"We were in at the very beginning of the planning," said Simpcw First Nation Chief Nathan Matthew. "We're often a second, or last, thought." Mr. Matthews venerated the location. "This is truly a beautiful area. People are searching for that wilderness experience. This rivals anything you want to compare it to."
Mr. Oberti first scouted the mountains of B.C. in the mid-1980s, to pinpoint locations for an ideal ski area. He looked for a combination of factors: tall mountains, grand vistas and ample snow. Valemount was one location. Jumbo was another.
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Mr. Oberti focused on Jumbo, an easier area to reach, four or so hours west of Calgary. Valemount is five hours west of Edmonton. A proposal for Jumbo was first filed in 1991.
Approval from the province of B.C. was secured in 2012 but thereafter, Mr. Oberti has said, the dream became a nightmare. Opposition mounted and the Jumbo team made mistakes. Among the numerous issues is a Supreme Court case against it from the Ktunaxa Nation that is continuing.
"I don't want to go into Jumbo. That turned in the wrong way," Mr. Oberti said in his Vancouver office, a rare deflated moment for the buoyant 73-year-old. ("Can you keep that as a secret?" he said about his age. "Because I'm very young still.")
While Mr. Oberti is known for the struggles of Jumbo, he also has his success at Kicking Horse, opened by Ballast Nedam, a Dutch construction company. The Jumbo battle hurt. With Valemount, Mr. Oberti is trying to keep a lower profile, even declining to be photographed for this story.
Still, with Valemount looking to follow in the path of Kicking Horse, rather than that of Jumbo, Mr. Oberti was billed earlier this year by Outside Magazine as "the man behind the biggest ski resorts on the planet."
Mr. Oberti is the dreamer. Joe Nusse is the local believer. Mr. Nusse grew up in Valemount and went to university in Edmonton and travelled before moving back home to the B.C. town. He opened two businesses – a weekly newspaper, and a contracting operation. The mountains have always been in Mr. Nusse's blood. He is a backcountry skier and has climbed Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Rocky Mountains, a half-hour north of Valemount.
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"Valemount is not in the middle of nowhere," Mr. Nusse said. "Valemount is nowhere in the middle of everywhere. The end of the world can be a destination."
He pointed to famous mountain names such as Chamonix, in France, which is six hours southeast of Paris, and Jackson Hole, in Wyoming, a five-hour drive north of Salt Lake City.
In 2010, Mr. Nusse, with local officials, started a push for a development. Mr. Oberti was called in early 2011. Not long after, Mr. Oberti signed the first investor, Stephen Leahy, a mining executive whose office was down the hall from Mr. Oberti in downtown Vancouver. They got to know each other over lunches. Mr. Leahy, a skier, loved the Valemount mountains when he visited. "It blew us away," Mr. Leahy said.
Unlike Jumbo, Valemount didn't draw environmental ire. At Jumbo, a big problem was that the project sat in the middle of key grizzly bear territory. Wildsight, an environmental activist group in southeastern B.C., helped lead the fight against Jumbo. Wildsight didn't take on Valemount, in part because it is outside the group's core geographic area but also, executive director Robyn Duncan said, Valemount "does not share the wildlife impacts and sacred territory" issues Jumbo has.
With Valemount looking possible, the investors' money arrived in 2014, as Greg Marchant and Hunter Milborne came on board.
At the end of that year, the Valemount project raised $4.1-million from 25 investors, led by Mr. Marchant.
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"Financing is a huge effort," said Mr. Leahy, executive chairman of Valemount Glacier Destination. "Typically, these projects are done by large corporations. The days of the guys starting Whistler in the sixties haven't been around for a while."
The first phase, estimated to cost $100-million, could feature up to eight lifts and 1,370 metres of top-to-bottom vertical.
No real estate development is planned at first, but a hotel at the base is expected to be built early on. The aim is to feature 2,000 beds, including hotel rooms, condos, town homes and some 200 luxury houses. The numbers are fewer than had been sketched for Jumbo. The Simpcw First Nation could be among the developers, with land inside and outside the project.
Selling resort real estate isn't always easy. Slow development and ownership changes are typical of such projects in the province. This is the case at Kicking Horse, three hours west of Calgary, and it is the same at Revelstoke Mountain Resort, five hours west of Calgary.
Revelstoke Mountain Resort opened in 2007, after $80-million was invested, but it then smashed headlong into the global economic collapse of 2008-09. Mr. Milborne was an early investor, but sold in the fall of 2008 as the billionaire Gaglardi family of Vancouver took over. The original idea, to spend $1-billion over 15 years, never came to fruition.
Revelstoke, Kicking Horse and Valemount are similar: big mountains, and located a several-hours-long drive through the mountains from a large city and airport.
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For Valemount, the winter ambitions are modest. The goal is to draw about 180,000 skier visits, roughly one-tenth of Whistler Blackcomb. (On this scale, a tourist who skis four days counts as four visits.) Valemount's distant cold northern location could also be make is less susceptible to climate change, as the regularity of snow in the region becomes more dependable relative to the other places farther south.
The summer is an equally important part of the business plan. While Valemount is far from Edmonton, it is near Jasper National Park. There is already some summer tourist traffic on Highway 5 through Valemount. Project backers see money in moving people up to the peaks for views of the mountains and glaciers.
Places such as Valemount pin hope on "destination guests" who fly to the province and spend more money.
"I'm bullish on skiing – and tourism," said Christopher Nicholson, head of the Canada West Ski Areas Association. "We have a lot of what global tourists are looking for."
The village of Valemount, home to about 1,000 and established in 1962, needs a boost.
The last economic surge was in the mid-1990s, when the Slocan Forest Products sawmill was busy, but soon after the facility was hit by cutbacks.
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It was on life-support for several years and was permanently closed in 2009.
Tourism, including snowmobiling in the winter, has been a plus.
The promise of the Valemount project has intrigued Andrew Weaver, who promoted it last year and whose party now supports B.C.'s new NDP government.
Mr. Weaver saw an "exciting opportunity" for rural economic development.
"Valemount is a natural hub for ecotourism," he said in a report on his website.
He also praised relations with the Simpcw First Nation, calling Valemount a "very rare kind of project" with "undertones of nation building … in this aligning of forces."
Mr. Nusse, the local project's champion, said the root of his idea was in something that could not be found elsewhere.
"The scale," Mr. Nusse said, "is grandiose."
It's the same as Mr. Oberti has dreamed since boyhood. It is what he saw at Jumbo. Valemount is his last shot.The ongoing anti-greed Occupy protests have seen too many instances of police using brutal tactics against demonstrators. Some says the US is militarizing its police force and squashing the very freedoms it is so keen to preach internationally.
In recent months, US police officers have made an enemy out of those citizens using their freedom of speech to protest against corporate greed and corrupt politics, reports RT’s Marina Portnaya.
Today’s breed of law enforcers are dressed in riot gear and armed with heavy weaponry, body armor, flash bangs, tear gas, and potentially lethal projectiles. As tens of thousands of Americans assemble, cops have been accused of creating confrontation, not defusing it. Some veterans of the force can’t help but resent the situation.
“It’s a travesty of democracy, the way the police are totally suppressing the people’s right to assemble and to protest. I joined the force to protect people’s rights to assemble and protest, not to squash them,” said Ray Lewis, retired Philadelphia police captain.
And America’s military veterans have a similar opinion.
“There is no honor in this! If you want to go fight, go to Iraq and Afghanistan!” shouted US Marine Sergeant and Iraq veteran Shamar Thomas as he rebuked policemen for targeting Occupy New York protesters.
In Oakland, war veteran Scott Olsen, who survived two tours in Iraq, was seriously injured by local police officers using flash grenade canisters against Occupy protesters. The 24-year-old was hospitalized with serious head injuries.
In Seattle, the oldest victim of the police-turned-paramilitary was an 84-year-old activist temporarily blinded by pepper spray.
The United States, which bills itself the pillar of international law and democratic freedoms, has consistently placed itself on the world stage as a self-appointed beacon of moral authority.
But while lecturing Iran or Libya on how they should deal with their protests, the American government does not seem to meet the same standard at home. Today, the very people employed to protect Americans leave thousands with bruised bodies, eyes burned with pepper spray, locked behind bars, tasting their own blood.
As dissent in the US grows louder, many say Washington’s glass house of hypocrisy has shown beautiful symmetry.
"They want people to be able to have freedom of speech but they don't want that freedom to interfere with them in any way. To be in any way disruptive or challenging to them,” believes Alex Vitale, Associate Sociology Professor at Brooklyn College.
The line that traditionally separated us soldiers from civilian law enforcement has arguably been erased, and replaced by what is being dubbed the American militarization of police tactics – tactics that reflect cracks in the founding principles of American democracy and human rights. Incidentally, the same principals the US continues to lecture all other countries about.MOSCOW, Russia – Edward Snowden, hacker-fugitive and former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor, revealed Tuesday that a series of solar flares is set to occur in October, killing hundreds of millions of people. Documents provided by Snowden prove that, as of 14 years ago, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) remote viewers knew that the event was inevitable. Ever since, the world’s governments have quietly been trying to prepare for the sweeping global famine to result.
Speaking from his room at Sheremetyevo Airport’s Hotel Novotel, Snowden revealed that government preparations for October’s catastrophic solar flares have been “to only limited avail.” The flares’ results, he said, are known casually throughout the global intelligence community as “the killshot.”
Remote viewers employed by the CIA’s Project Stargate use their ability to perceive geographically and chronologically distant events to protect America. Since 1999 they have known about the solar-flare event but have been threatened into silence by enforcers on the secret government’s payroll.
As a part of hiring Snowden as a contractor, the NSA granted the 30-year-old access to all communications on earth. Now he has provided The Internet Chronicle with top-secret Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) documents outlining just how terrible the solar flares’ results will be. In just three months, “the killshot” is set to disable all electronic food and water delivery systems.
Ever since the late 20th century, hundreds of millions of people have begun to rely on technological automation to enable their very lives. Solar flares release electromagnetic pulses, hazardous to electronic circuits. The smallest electronic circuits, such as those in computers’ central processing units, will be the most vulnerable.
Snowden said FEMA and the National Disaster Reduction Center of China have been taking steps for 14 years in light of the findings of Project Stargate. FEMA’s own documents, provided by Snowden, lay out how the organization plans to round up tens of millions of the poorest Americans for housing at secure locations “to better facilitate feeding and provision of consumer goods.”
Snowden, for years a CIA contractor, released testimonials from hundreds of remote viewers. Many of those remote viewers are still on the payroll of the governments of the United States and the Russian Federation. Those testimonials, though written independently by the analysts, are comprised of 4,472 pages, every single one of which, alarmingly, evince Snowden’s account.
“The massive electromagnetic pulse from the solar flares, or ‘the killshot,’ will shutter most of the world’s electrical systems,” said Snowden. “The Americans whose lives are most at risk are the elderly and the infirmed, those who depend on technology to enable their receiving home care or life-sustaining medical treatment.”
Throughout the 1970s and the 1990s, Russia and the United States were desperate to track and monitor the construction and maintenance of each other’s nuclear silos. The nations’ governments openly admitted having poured billions of dollars into the training of elite teams of remote viewers. With their powers, the remote viewers were able to deter nuclear launches and, ultimately, bring an end to the Cold War. In the mid-’90s, the CIA simply pretended to close its remote-viewing program, so that it could operate more effectively.
Snowden said he hopes that his coming forward will allow Project Stargate’s participants to be able to live normal, open lives again, “instead of as circus animals, instead of as freaks.” He added, “[Significant others of Project Stargate employees] have to get Q clearances just to cohabitate with, without even marrying, their loved ones. That’s tantamount to slavery.”
Humanity is about to pay a most dire price for its technological dependence. That price, said Snowden, proved a leading factor in his decision to come forward to the press – about both the global Holocaust to ensue, as well as NSA analysts’ power, on the slightest whim, to listen to the phone calls of any person on earth.
Snowden said, with regard to CIA remote viewers, “I have seen too many brave whistleblowers become subjects of smear and ridicule for using their talents to expose the truth.” Added Snowden, bitterly, “Well, we’ll see who’s Mr. Chuckles when ‘the killshot’ goes down.”
WikiLeaks attorneys; and Anatoly Kucherena, Snowden’s own counsel, together produced a video calling for calm and global preparedness. Monday, Snowden sent the video, below, to the Russian Federal Migration Service as part of his call for asylum.by |
Hardcore pioneers Snapcase are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the band’s formation. The band has spend a quarter century fusing the ethics and speed of hardcore punk with the heft and thunder of heavy metal. Their trademarks include juggernaut breakdowns, the distinctive wail of vocalist Daryl Taberski, and aggressive songs illuminated by guitar harmonics and other “eclectic Snapcase high-pitched guitar noises.” The band’s songs were carefully crafted to make audiences go berserk.
Snapcase performed an anniversary show last Friday at the Town Ballroom in Buffalo, New York. I recently discussed the band’s legacy and current status with Jon Salemi, the band’s “bashing rhythm guitar player” and backing vocalist. In the following interview, Salemi discusses the band’s legacy, the making of the masterpiece Progression Through Unlearning (recorded while Salemi had “full-blown chicken pox”), tour memories with Deftones, and much, much more.
For more information, view the Snapcase discography on iTunes or follow Snapcase on Facebook.
SNAPCASE TODAY
Dan Redding: What’s the current status of Snapcase?
Jon Salemi: Just a band that hangs out and plays whenever we can! (laughter) We’re not an active band by any means, but we still love getting together. We always have these intentions to get together to write music and stuff like that but it never ever happens, just because everybody’s too busy with their lives post-Snapcase, you know? And it’s kinda like we sacrificed so much shit for so many years… It was just the ultimate sacrifice. Nothing mattered, when it was time to go do the band – which was your job – you did it. I left one week after my first son was born to go tour Europe for like five weeks.
That’s commitment.
Yeah, it didn’t matter whose birthday or what holiday or who was getting married or – if it was time to go do something that was relative to the band, you went and you did it. We did that straight for like fifteen years. So, to get a little reward from that, post-active band status, is awesome. We have such a fun time when we do get together now, it’s more laughing and joking and goofing around…
If there’s not the right reaction [to our live show], then the sacrifice in this day and age isn’t worth it. You could get paid whatever the hell you wanna get paid or whatever the hell you get offered, and sometimes it’s a lucrative situation, but it’s like, if the reaction isn’t there, we could give a shit about what we got paid, you know what I mean? … Snapcase wrote songs for a reaction when we played them live. We were that band – that was what our Buffalo hardcore scene taught us to do. We wrote songs with nothing more than that in mind. ‘When is it gonna break down, and when are the kids gonna go nuts, and how much groove does this verse have? Can you dance to it in our way that we dance to things?’
“When is it gonna break down, and when are the kids gonna go nuts, and how much groove does this verse have?”
FOUNDATIONS
Snapcase formed in 1991, do you remember a moment when you knew that you guys had something special?
It’s so funny because in ’91, Daryl was the only member that’s a member of the band now that was a member of the band then… I was in the band probably springtime of ‘92… Everybody that wasn’t in Snapcase, we all loved Snapcase. So, what Snapcase ended up to be was all the serious kids from all the other bands in Buffalo. It ended up to be the guys that were serious in this little band or serious in that little band… By the time we all got everything sorted out… the five of us were like, ‘Alright, well we’re ready to roll with these five guys,’ and that was about the end of ’92, beginning of ’93. When we got the deal with Victory, it just opened up these doors like crazy.
What year did Snapcase sign with Victory Records?
That was ’92. The ‘Comatose’ seven inch came out in ’92. We had a really good scene in Buffalo, and like regionally in Erie and Albany… The real steam started rollin’ summer of ’93 when that seven inch was out and we had some support from Victory… Philadelphia, to this day, is still the best city that Snapcase can play.
Such an intense, loyal scene there.
It’s amazing, man, and it built from the ground up. When we would headline the Trocadero from the late nineties and early 2000’s, twelve or fifteen hundred kids sold out… I remember one weekend, we went and played Philly, North Jersey, and then New York City… It was just so freakin’ intense, each show was just like, how could you go an hour and a half away and there’d be another fifteen hundred to two thousand kids, at the next big city, and then you go an hour away to New York, and there was a whole ‘nother thousand kids at the show… It was so rich in spirit at that time.
That must’ve been so exciting.
Yeah, it was awesome, it was like you were riding around in the van on this high. The emotions… you’d walk onstage, you wouldn’t even hit a chord and kids are starting to go crazy. Really cool time period, really cool era…
THE MAKING OF ‘PROGRESSION THROUGH UNLEARNING’
Snapcase made some of the fastest and most intense and aggressive music I’ve ever heard. Progression Through Unlearning is a classic – it’s so motivating and driving! What motivated the writing process of that record? Was it the Buffalo scene and making the live crowds freak out, or was it youthful adrenaline? What was the driving force?
That was basically it, really. There was a bit of angst in the band, too – but I don’t really think that played a part in how aggressive the music was. Buffalo had a very, very metallic side of its hardcore. It was really influenced by Cro-Mags and Leeway and a lot of us got into Corrosion of Conformity and thrash metal stuff. So it kind of got this really weird crossover. But at the same time, we were like punk-hardcore-straightedge kids. So we wrapped up a bunch of these different styles, and that’s what came out. We all had a lot of different musical influences too…
What do you remember about recording Progression Through Unlearning?
It was very, very quick. To be honest with you, the worst part about it is, I got the chicken pox as a 22 year-old kid, right as we started recording Progression Through Unlearning… Full-blown chicken pox so bad, I had ‘em on the palms of my hands.
You recorded in that condition?
I finished tracking guitars with full-blown chicken pox.
Maybe that explains a lot of the aggression on the record!
(laughter)
Where did you guys record it?
Trax East in Jersey.
And had you written everything before you went into the studio?
Everything except for ‘Zombie Prescription’ and ‘Breaking and Reaching,’ which were written in the studio. ‘Breaking and Reaching’ was almost all the way done and then we finished it in there – but ‘Zombie Prescription’ was not even a thought, until one night in the studio, we were just kinda jamming, and it happened. About fifteen minutes later it was a song.
Those are two of the fuckin’ meanest songs on that record.
(laughter) For ever and ever, we practiced in my parents’ house in the basement. For that record, we needed to start practicing later… We got this little dingy-ass practice studio that was over by my family’s racecar shop. I’d go there about five o’clock, and turn the little space heater on, and by the time we practiced at seven, it was warm enough that we could actually practice in there. It was the typical thing – one or two lights, incandescent bulbs, everybody was plugged into the same circuit, so all of our amps are like [makes buzzing sound] –
I was gonna ask about that, because you guys kinda used that, thematically, on the production of that album. There’s intense amp buzzing and electrical crackling. It almost becomes a theme of breaking down – the sound is corrosive in the some of these songs, does that make sense?
Oh, yeah.
Does that come from playing through shitty blown-out amps?
No, we were equipment whores, actually. We loved equipment. Frank and I would have gear battles all the time – who could buy the bigger shit, or who could buy the more expensive stuff – we loved having nice gear… When Dustin joined the band, he was right on point with Frank and I… wirelesses, power conditioners with all this fancy shit in ‘em, wirelesses before anyone had wirelesses and all that kinda crap… We liked to make dirty noises, but do it cleanly. We got into pedals and stuff like that. You can kinda start to hear some of the weird pedal stuff coming out in Progression, and we used a lot more in Designs for Automotion. We started doing more pedal stuff live.
“We liked to make dirty noises, but do it cleanly.”
You mentioned the wireless guitar – I’ll never forget seeing you guys hurl your guitars around your bodies!
That was Frank’s signature move, the ‘around the world’ thing, you know?
When did that start?
I think that happened on a dare – and then it just became part of the show. And then one time, the strap broke, and a guitar went flying through the air! (laughter)
When Progression came out, did you notice an immediate impact?
Huge. It was like, all of a sudden, the shows went from two- or three-hundred people to a thousand people. It was an eruption. The first royalty check came from Progression and it was a substantial amount of money for all of us, we were like, shitting our pants! It was like, how the hell could this happen, and here it goes… kinda cool.
What do you think about the legacy of that album now? It’s considered a landmark.
It’s funny, it’s one of those things that you could never ever try and do. It just happened. Everything about that record just happened – we recorded it and mixed it all in like thirteen or fourteen days. There was no time to go back and like, ‘Oh, I don’t like the sound of the guitars in that part’… It was just on and on loud and raw. We wanted to capture – that whole record happened because we couldn’t capture our live sound on a record [until Progression]. We went in with everything about capturing the live feel on that record. So that was the whole goal of that album: to capture what we did onstage on a record. Steve Evetts produced and recorded that record with us, and that’s what the goal was with him.
And how did he and the band accomplish that?
That part of it was a lot of [Evetts’ work]. Technology played a part in it as well. Deadguy’s Fixation on a Coworker record, we thought the recording sound of that was so awesome and raw… We were like, ‘we need to go talk to that dude.’ We got a hold of him… We sent him our demo tapes, off of a ghetto blaster from our practice studio, no vocals, just the music… he really liked them, and we just kept telling him, ‘We gotta capture what we are live on the album.’ He did a damn good job.
Did all of the musicians in the band record separately?
Yes. We played along with Tim while he was doing the drum tracks, but the bass and the guitars weren’t [being recorded]… Later, when we recorded End Transmission, Tim recorded all of his drum tracks without any music – just the click track in his earphones. He would count in four or eight and play the song to the click, without anybody else playing to him. He was just really, really in tune… completely absorbed in the music, there was just nothing else. It got like that many times when we went to record. And when we would go record, we became such better musicians. Way better musicians. Because you were forced to play perfectly… You wanted to make it a machine. And it was so serious, but yet, outside of that… we were all pretty goofy, and trying to have a good time.
Continued on page 2…
Pages: 1 2To preface, I am an audiophile and have spent countless years at my father’s recording studio hearing some of the best studio monitors out there. I am by no means comparing computer/home theater speakers to the likeness of a pair of $6,000 Genelec studio monitors, but I have high regards for these Logitech speakers.
To be honest, I bought these speakers alongside a monitor for my PC not expecting much other than knowing that for a fact they will at least be better than the speakers found in my TV, which I was using as a monitor for the longest time. When I received them, I quickly set them up and played some music from my phone. I was simply blown away at the sound quality that these speakers put out even when they were not properly setup in terms of placement. Once the speakers were properly setup, I was even more amazed. I eventually cranked up the volume somewhere around three-quarters of the way and was even more surprised that these speakers were not distorting. Ever since I set them up, I have been using them not on my PC but on my Macbook Pro nonstop and have even been able to turn off my EQ in iTunes as I feel these speakers reproduced the sound more accurately.
Keep in mind that my review is based on many variables such as the size of my room, placement of the speakers, etc. But, I have found that with these speakers you need to turn up the bass knob (for me I turned it in between 1 and 2 O’Clock) to achieve a smooth low frequency response and a more overall “fuller” sound. When setting up the speakers, I recommend referencing the picture I included for placement and using a song that you know well and setting the volume to your normal listening volume and then modifying the bass knob to your satisfaction. I would like to stress that placement is one of the biggest factors for how your system will sound.
Regardless, I find that these speakers are absolutely worth the money. I have used them to listen to music, to play movies, and other miscellaneous audio related tasks on my computer. There is no doubt that these speakers are THX Certified because it felt like pretty close to being in a movie theater when it came to movies that made adequate use of the subwoofer. I am even contemplating getting another pair to replace the Bose Cinemate GS Series II that is on the TV in my living room as I feel that this system is better than the Bose. I can only find one con when it comes to this system and that is if it were to be used for on a TV, which Logitech says it can be used for, there is no remote for changing the volume or shutting the unit off. Using it on a TV could lead to having to change volume by hand as most TVs have a fixed audio output not a variable one.
To be fair, this is a minor fault considering that this system is more of a system for the computer than for the TV.
Nonetheless, don’t hesitate buying this unit. For the price, I have yet to find anything that can beat it let alone one that is comparable.Inconsistencies have been found in the sexual assault accusations against's Baekho
The original post made in May has been found, and the accuser claims the incident happened 7 years ago when she was 15. However, in the current post, she claims it happened 8 years ago when she was 14. In the original post, she talks about Baekho being her older brother's friend, but the mention of the older brother has completely disappeared from her current story.
In the original post, she even claims that her older brother was sitting right next to her when the assault happened, but in her current post, she left the seat next to her blank. Many are questioning why her brother would do nothing while his friend was groping his little sister. She also claimed that all her mother did when she found out was scold Baekho over the phone and the two families stayed close together even after, which many are also finding hard to believe.
Not only so, but in her original post, she claimed that she and Baekho graduated from the same elementary school and middle school on Jeju Island. However, because Baekho was signed to Pledis Entertainment at a young age, he graduated middle school in Seoul's Okjeong Middle School (the uniforms he is wearing below in his middle school graduation photos are also from Okjeong Middle School).
Furthermore, according to the original post it happened 7 years ago in the winter, but by that time, Baekho was already cast by Pledis Entertainment (May 2010), so he would not have been attending a fine arts cram school as claimed. There is speculation this is the reason why the newer post changed it to 8 years ago.
A fan also called the number as appeared in the video, which is revealed for a split second, and found that the person who picked up was not Baekho, but an older man who wanted to know why he was getting so many calls.
Fans also found that in one screenshot, she has 57% battery at 1:27AM. However, at 1:28AM, which according to her own words was on the same day, she suddenly has 40% battery life, which seems almost impossible.Tim Berners-Lee, the man who created the World Wide Web, says there may be a need for independent labelling of websites to distinguish between reliable and bogus scientific information.
He told the BBC such a system could be useful in combating the unchecked spreading of rumours which have plagued both the Large Hadron Collider scheme and the distribution of the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine to children.
He added that it's probably not appropriate to score sites for credibility; rather that sites with a proven record of accuracy could get a seal of approval.
The interview came as Berners-Lee launched the World Wide Web Foundation, an organization aiming to make it easier for people to get online. He points to the fact that only 20% of the world's population currently have access to the web, and that this figure is heavily biased towards developed, Western nations.
The foundation will pay particular attention to projects to make the Internet more accessible on handheld devices such as mobile phones, which are far more common than computers in developing nations.
Berners-Lee also argued that it may be necessary to make sure large corporations don't have too much influence on the Internet because it has so much effect on many people's lives: "It's not just where I go to decide where to buy my shoes which is the commercial incentive; it's where I go to decide who I'm going to trust to vote. It's where I go maybe to decide what sort of religion I'm going to belong to or not belong to; it's where I go to decide what is actual scientific truth -- what I'm actually going to go along with and what is bunkum". (Source: bbc.co.uk)
The foundation is funded by a $5 million grant from the Knight Foundation, a non-profit group primarily concerned with funding journalism schemes. (Source: vnunet.com)First, a quick review of the scale: it follows this pattern
H W H W H W H W
Or to look at it relative to the major scale,
tonic, b2, b3, 3, 5b, 5, 6, b7, octave
G Half Whole scale would be G, Ab, Bb, B, Db, D, E, F, G
Now, let's re-write that thinking in terms of a major chord and alterations:
root, b9, #9, 3, b5, 5, 13, b7
Now, this scale has a two very cool properties: the first is that every note in the scale is a legitimate chord tone or alteration of a dominant chord. The second is that the scale is symmetrical in minor thirds - that is if you take and scale note and go up or down a minor third, you'll find another scale note.
SO here's the first exciting thing: ANY chord derived from that diminished scale is a potential substitution for an altered dominant chord. That right there is worth the price of admission. For example, the following chords are hiding in there:
Major 1, 3, 5,
m 1, b3, 5,
6 1, 3, 6
7 1, 3, 5, b7
m7b5 1, b3,b5, b7
7b5 1, 3, b5, b7
dim7 1, b3, b5, bb7
13 (no 11) 1, 3, 5, b7, 13 (6)
So that's a whole bunch of possible chord substitutions. Since they have a b3 (well, think #9) and no 7. But here's the beauty: they're all moveable in 3rds because of the symmetry in the scale. Take |
you don't catch them: they propagate up the stack and exit your program with a message and stack trace to help debug what went wrong. Perfect!
You could also decide you want to run some code after the problem occurs, e.g. to report the error for later debugging somewhere else, and to perhaps keep the process going since despite the unexpected failure the "next" task it's doing should be unaffected. And that's where you catch exceptions and proceed!
For example, if you are writing a large and complex sub-system that accomplishes one task, it is often reasonable to assume that
There will be bugs that causes a whole range of "impossible" errors to occur When they occur, you want to report them somehow with diagnostics You want the rest of the program to continue anyway despite these bugs
This is the case where you could consider placing a large try - catch around calls to that subsystem, logging the exception, and moving on. In theory you could place fine-grained try - catch es around every individual possibly-failure point and convert them all to Option s or your own sealed trait, and you can log-the-error-and-carry-on in the same way, but all that really does is convolute your code considerably for (in this case) no benefit.
Error Flags
Error flags are a convention which goes something like
If some succeeds, it does something
If it fails, it does nothing and sets a special variable e.g.
var error = -1 // no error def doThing() = {... if (didntWork) error = 5 //... } doThing() if (error == 5) println("It failed =/")
This has a few problems:
It is much less safe than the above cases of using Option, ADTs or Exceptions: if you forget to check the error flag, the program keeps running, possibly doing the wrong thing!
It is incredibly easy to forget to check error flags. They aren't shown in type signatures, and you have to remember that for each method there's a special mutable variable you have to check each time.
Overall, you should avoid them as much as is possible.
Sometimes it is not possible: error flags are probably the fastest way of transmitting the "something failed" information, and it could matter in hot code paths. Like using Mutability For Perf, it is reasonable to sometimes drop down to using an error flag to eek out the last 5% of performance after you've profiled the code and identified the bottleneck as error-handling.
Even when you do this, make sure to encapsulate the error flag as tightly as possible, keeping it local to the internals of the class or method or package, and documenting it like crazy as the dangerous performance-hack that it is.
Asynchronous Return Types
If you can get away without any asynchrony, you should. Otherwise, Future[T] is the first preferred asynchronous return type. Only use callback functions to "return" asynchronous results when Future s don't work (e.g. you want to call it more than once).
Return T
def foo(): T
This is the simplest case, and is almost not worth discussing. If you can get away without asynchrny, do so: your code will run faster, stack-traces will be more useful, debuggers will work better. For all the hype about non-blocking asynchronous stuff, plain-old-synchronous-code works better in cases where you can get away with it.
Return Future
def foo(): Future[T]
The next alternative is returning a Future[T] that represents an asynchronous result. While other languages e.g. Java or Javascript, and low-level APIs may often use callbacks Future s come first in the principle-of-least-power scale because they are strictly weaker than callbacks: unlike callbacks, they can only provide a single result.
If you follow this scale, someone who receives a Future from your code knows it can only fire once. What's more, someone who passes an asynchronous callback into your code knows it will fire multiple times because otherwise you would have given a Future instead!
Future s provide lots of benefits over callbacks. For example, consecutive Future s can be "flattened out" in a way that callbacks cannot. Future s also propagate errors by default, where-as in callback-driven APIs it is very easy to accidentally ignore them.
Take a callback: T => Unit
def foo(onSuccess: T => Unit): Unit
Callbacks are the oldest and most "raw" method for providing asynchronous results. You call a function, and when it's done it calls your passed-in-function with the result you can then do things with.
In general, they should be avoided in favor of Future s whenever possible. There are cases where Future s don't work and callbacks are necessary, e.g. when they fire multiple times, but when Future s work use a Future.
Dependency Injection
Hardcode It
def sayHello(msg: String) = println("Hello World: " + msg) sayHello("Mooo")
This is the simplest case, and is very common. If you can get away with hard-coding the dependency (e.g. to println ), just do it. If you need additional flexibility to swap it out, refactor later.
Method Parameter
def sayHello(msg: String, log: String => Unit) = log("Hello World: " + msg) sayHello("Mooo", System.out.println) sayHello("ErrorMooo", System.err.println)
As a next step, if you need to swap out println, pass it in as a method parameter. Here we see we can call it with either System.out.println or System.err.println, or with our remote-logger, or test-logger to inspect results or other things.
Constructor Injection
If you find yourself passing the same logger to lots of different functions:
def func(log: String => Unit) =... func2(log)... def func2(log: String => Unit) =... func3(log)... def func3(log: String => Unit) =... func4(log)... def func4(log: String => Unit) =... func5(log)... def func5(log: String => Unit) =... func6(log)... def func6(log: String => Unit) =... func7(log)... def func7(log: String => Unit) =... func8(log)... def func8(log: String => Unit) =... func9(log)... def func9(log: String => Unit) =... sayHello("Moo", log)... def sayHello(msg: String, log: String => Unit) = log("Hello World: " + msg) func(System.out.println) func(System.err.println)
You can wrap those functions into a class and inject it into the class instead:
class Container(log: String => Unit){ def func() =... func2()... def func2() =... func3()... def func3() =... func4()... def func4() =... func5()... def func5() =... func6()... def func6() =... func7()... def func7() =... func8()... def func8() =... func9()... def func9() =... sayHello("Moo")... def sayHello(msg: String) = log("Hello World: " + msg) } new Container(System.out.println).func() new Container(System.err.println).func()
The same technique applies if you need the same logger injected into different class es or object s: simply nest those class es or object s inside (in this case) the Container class and they'll all get access to it without needing to add log into each-and-every method signature.
Abstract Members
If you're trying to use Constructor Injection but your Container class is getting too large, split it into separate files as individual trait s.
// Foo.scala trait Foo{ def log: String => Unit def func() =... func2(log)... def func2() =... func3(log)... def func3() =... func4(log)... } // Bar.scala trait Bar extends Foo{ def log: String => Unit def func4() =... func5(log)... def func5() =... func6(log)... def func6() =... func7(log)... } // Baz.scala trait Baz extends Bar{ def log: String => Unit def func7() =... func8(log)... def func9() =... sayHello("Moo", log)... def sayHello(msg: String) = log("Hello World: " + msg) } // Main.scala class Container(val log: String => Unit) extends Foo with Bar with Baz new Container(System.out.println).func() new Container(System.err.println).func()
In doing so, you will need to pass log into each individual trait. trait s can't take constructor parameters, but you can do it by giving them an abstract method log and having the main Container class extend all these trait s and implement log concretely.
Implicit Method Parameter
If you find yourself passing the same logger everywhere:
def sayHello(msg: String, log: String => Unit) = log("Hello World: " + msg) sayHello("Mooo", System.out.println) sayHello("Mooo2", System.out.println) sayHello("Mooo3", System.out.println) sayHello("Mooo4", System.out.println) sayHello("Mooo5", System.out.println) sayHello("Mooo6", System.out.println) sayHello("Mooo7", System.out.println) sayHello("Mooo8", System.out.println) sayHello("Mooo9", System.out.println)
And the use-sites are "all over the place", not limited to one (or a small number of) classes, then make it an implicit parameter
def sayHello(msg: String)(implicit log: String => Unit) = log("Hello World: " + msg) implicit val logger: String => Unit = System.out.println sayHello("Mooo") sayHello("Mooo2") sayHello("Mooo3") sayHello("Mooo4") sayHello("Mooo5") sayHello("Mooo6") sayHello("Mooo7") sayHello("Mooo8") sayHello("Mooo9")
In general, you should only do this if you are passing it around a lot: into dozens of callsites at least. Nevertheless, in a large program that's not unreasonable, especially for common things like logging.
However, if the use sites are all relatively localized, you should prefer to use Constructor Injection rather than creating a new implicit parameter just for one small section of your code. Reserve implicit parameters for the cases where the callsites are scattered and constructor injection into all the disparate classes becomes tedious.
"Dynamic Variables" aka Global Mutable State
This is a common pattern, where some global/thread-local variable is set before running your code, and your code reads from it as a global. It is used in almost every web framework out there: from Scala frameworks like Lift, to Python frameworks like Flask or Django. It looks like this:
var log: String => Unit = null def func() =... func2(log)... def func2() =... func3(log)... def func3() =... func4(log)... def func4() =... func5(log)... def func5() =... func6(log)... def func6() =... func7(log)... def func7() =... func8(log)... def func8() =... func9(log)... def func9() =... sayHello("Moo", log)... def sayHello(msg: String) = log("Hello World: " + msg) log = System.out.println func() // Logs to stdout log = System.err.println func() // Logs to stderr
It has a lot of convenience: you don't need to wrap everything into a class, you don't need to add an implicit into all your method signatures or pass the log function around manually.
On the other hand, it is the most dangerous: it is no longer obvious which parts of the code have a log function "available" and which parts don't. It is easy to make a mistake like calling a method using log "too early", before it has been initialized, and having it compile perfectly well but blow up at runtime:
var log: String => Unit = null def func() =... func2(log)... def func2() =... func3(log)... def func3() =... func4(log)... def func4() =... func5(log)... def func5() =... func6(log)... def func6() =... func7(log)... def func7() =... func8(log)... def func8() =... func9(log)... def func9() =... sayHello("Moo", log)... def sayHello(msg: String) = log("Hello World: " + msg) func() // KA-BOOM log = System.out.println func() // Logs to stdout log = System.err.println func() // Logs to stderr
This is a problem that does not exist in the dependency-injection techniques suggested earlier/above: hard-coding it, using method-parameters (explicit or implicit), constructor injection, abstract-member injection, in all these cases the compiler knows statically which methods have a log function available and which don't, and will helpfully provide a compile-error if you attempt to use log where it's not available. With Dynamic Variables, you get no such assurance.
Thus, while this gives you the most power, it also gives you the least safety and should be avoided if possible.
Setter Injection
"Setter Injection" refers to instantiating an object, and then setting some variable onto that object which it will use when you call methods on it.
As described in the section on Immutability & Mutability, don't do that: mutable state should only be used to model mutable things, and not as an ad-hoc way of passing parameters to a function call.
About the Author: Haoyi is a software engineer, an early contributor to Scala.js, and the author of many open-source Scala tools such as the Ammonite REPL and FastParse.
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We Your donations and book purchases help provide free personalized books to classrooms of girls and families from underserved communities.We partner with organizations such as Science Club for Girls and The Innovation Institute as well as teachers- David "Dlim" Lim, Head Coach "Reignover is a player that has the complete package. He has the necessary in game skills to be a top pro player as well as the aspects of being a leader, I look forward to seeing how he develops even further with our team."
- Steve "LiQuiD112" Arhancet, co-Owner and CEO "I consider Reignover to be one of the best players in his position. He brings shot-calling, experience, and overall positivity to the team and I'm looking forward to seeing what he can do with our new coaching and support staff."
Kim "Reignover" Ui-jin
Jungle
Most Played Champions
With a veteran player like Piglet and open-mind, motivated players, I think the team can easily improve on every aspect. I see the team tethering really well and perform way better as a team next year. I'm looking forward the new Team Liquid competing for the best with best teamwork, relationship and most entertaining performance."
- Reignover "Playing at NA this year, I really enjoyed and it was one of my best experiences of my life. During the break, l spoke with many teams and I decided to join Team Liquid because first of all I wanted to join an LCS team again since I really enjoy it and as I spoke to TL more and more, I found out TL is such a good organization to be a player for. As I get to see the roster, I had few points that I worried about, but as I talk with the players and played with them more, they were such motivated and try hard players with really nice personality, which I liked a lot.With a veteran player like Piglet and open-mind, motivated players, I think the team can easily improve on every aspect. I see the team tethering really well and perform way better as a team next year. I'm looking forward the new Team Liquid competing for the best with best teamwork, relationship and most entertaining performance."
For a long time, our League of Legend's team lacked a true leader. Since the departure of Dominate, the shotcaller role was divided amongst our rookie players. While the job got done, the ultimate outcome could have been better and it showed in the end when the team would garner leads off mechanic skill alone but falter when a strategy needed to be developed in the heat of the moment.In 2017, we hope this changes, as we welcome someone that embodies the leadership we sought after. Today, we announce Kim "Reignover" Ui-jin will be returning to the NA LCS as Liquid LoL's starting jungler. With an incredible amount of innate talent, we feel his addition combined with our support staff will push our team to new heights.As a former member of Immortals and Fnatic, Reignover comes in with a lot of experience, and has shown everyone that he's not just mechanically-inclined, but is capable of making on-the-fly decisions that heavily influence the macro game. Despite previously playing on teams with star-studded rosters, Reignover played an integral role in the success of his past teams, which include a stellar 33W-3L NALCS regular season record, and a semi-finals run at the 2015 World Championships.Touted as one of NA's most efficient junglers in-terms of pathing, Reignover is a force to be reckoned with on the Rift. But it's not just his skills, it's his ability to make quick decisions that will make him a valuable asset to Team Liquid. We're no strangers to making the most out of our player's talents, but we know for sure Reignover has a lot of it to spare.Kim "Reignover" Ui-jin made his debut in 2013 as a member of the Korean team, Incredible Miracle. After the team ultimately failed to qualify for the LCK, he transferred to Europe to join the legendary esports organization, Fnatic. There he went on to become a true star, achieving greatness through an undefeated 18-0 split, a Game 5 push against world champions SKT1 at the Mid-Season Invitational, and a grueling semi-finals run at Worlds 2015.Despite an amazing career with Fnatic, the young South Korean native would see himself in North America as a member of Immortals. Although he failed to qualify for Worlds 2016, he was a major catalyst in pushing the relatively new organization to greatness, culminating a collective 33W-3L in the entirety of the 2016 regular season and making a name for himself as one of NA's most efficient junglers.In 2017 however, Reignover will see himself as the starting jungler for Team Liquid.Minnesota’s congressional delegation has sent a letter to Veterans Affairs Secretary Bob McDonald asking that he visit the St. Cloud VA hospital to reassure workers and patients of the VA’s commitment to the facility. The hospital has been the subject of multiple complaints about the work environment there.
Tensions have become so high between management and workers at the hospital that two members of Congress proposed federal mediation to address the problem.
Conflicts at the hospital came to a head after a federal investigative report revealed a corrosive work environment and fears of retribution for raising concerns. The investigation validated complaints of a hostile work environment created by senior managers and problems with canceled appointments for patients because of insufficient staffing.
The report, from the VA Office of Inspector General, was itself controversial. It was never publicly revealed, even though it is two years old.
Every member of the state’s congressional delegation signed the letter to McDonald, which was sent on Monday.
“We urge you to visit the St. Cloud VA Health Care System as soon as possible to reassure the employees and the thousands of veterans they serve of your commitment to providing a healthy and productive workplace for which to deliver the highest quality medical care,” the letter said.
There was no immediate indication whether McDonald would agree to the trip, although his tenure as secretary has been characterized by a hands-on approach to local problems.
At a closed-door meeting in October, U.S. Reps. Tom Emmer, whose district includes St. Cloud, and Tim Walz, who sits on the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, heard from workers who talked of being forced to work on their own time and of the stress of increased caseloads.
Afterward, the St. Cloud VA has said the hospital has since addressed the issues by hiring more staff and reducing patient loads. It also has conducted more town hall meetings and forums between employees and managers.
After the meeting, Emmer and Walz announced that they were encouraging management and staff to participate in federal mediation.
The latest issue began with complaints to the inspector general’s telephone hot line after five providers resigned in a little over a month in 2013. In addition, 26 primary care doctors resigned between 2011 and 2013. The complaints said the resignations caused skyrocketing patient loads and resulted in numerous canceled appointments. The complaints also painted a picture of a hospital where managers were so abusive that workers were afraid to complain for fear of reprisal.
The subsequent investigation by a team from the regional VA concluded that overall veteran care was not compromised. But it did substantiate significant allegations, including evidence of a “pervasive” fear of reprisal among primary care employees and a disrespectful manner by senior management, which had dismissed the allegations as coming from a small group of disgruntled employees. It also substantiated that a large number of appointments had been canceled because of insufficient staffing.
The letter urged McDonald to build on the relationships developed during the early stages of mediation.
“We believe your personal attention to this situation is necessary, and will have a positive, productive and lasting impact on the facility’s dedicated employees, patients and their families,” the letter said.By Lord Ashcroft
In my latest round of constituency research I have returned to eight seats in the Liberal Democrats’ battleground where I found very close contests in previous rounds of polling. These included one Conservative-held seat (Camborne & Redruth), five Lib Dem seats where the Tories are second (North Cornwall, North Devon, St Austell & Newquay, St Ives, and Torbay), and two seats where the Lib Dems are challenged by Labour (Cambridge and Sheffield Hallam).
The mix of results this time round underlines the lack of any uniform swing and the hazards of trying to calculate seat numbers on the basis of national vote shares. In all six seats on the Lib Dem-Conservative battleground, the Tory share was up since my previous polling, which took place between June and November 2014, and the Lib Dem share was also level or up in five of the six. The UKIP share was down across the board.
The upshot is that the Conservatives have consolidated their position in Camborne & Redruth, North Devon and St Austell & Newquay, where they lead by thirteen, seven and six points respectively. North Cornwall and Torbay, both tied in my previous polls, and St Ives, where I found a one-point Lib Dem lead, have all edged slightly in the Lib Dems’ direction – though the two parties remain within the margin of error of each other in all three.
The Lib Dems have established a clear lead in Cambridge, where Labour were a point ahead in September, though things still look uncomfortable for Nick Clegg in Sheffield Hallam, where I found him two points behind.
As ever, the Lib Dem vote was significantly higher in all seats when respondents were asked to think about their own constituency and the candidates likely to stand there, compared to the standard voting intention question simply asking which party they would vote for in an election tomorrow. Indeed the party was well behind in all eight seats – rather than ahead in four – on the basis of the standard question. However, I have not gone so far as to name individual candidates, as the Lib Dems do in their own private polling. Doing so usually boosts the Lib Dem vote share (especially when, as in the Lib Dems’ research, the voting intention question is preceded by a warm-up question asking whether the respondent has a favourable opinion of the incumbent, of whose name they are reminded). Whether this produces a more accurate assessment of real voting intentions is a different question. Indeed I have coined the term “comfort polling” to describe the practice of parties conducting research in such a way as to maximise their own apparent vote share.
On balance I continue to think that when people are prompted to consider their own area and the local candidates, an MP’s personal reputation should be baked in to their voting decisions. This should be especially true a few weeks before an election, when people are inundated with literature adorned with images of the local hero’s beaming countenance. Just as results might change if you asked whether people would vote for “David Cameron’s Conservatives” or “Ed Miliband’s Labour”, I suspect that prompting with the candidate’s name at a general election puts too much importance on one of the many factors that go into in an individual’s decision.
In the five Lib Dem seats targeted by the Tories, just under half (47%) of those who voted Lib Dem in 2010 said they would do so again this time. This rose to 61% when they were asked to think about their own constituency. Meanwhile 12% of those who said they would vote Conservative in the standard question, and more than one in five (21%) of those who said they would vote Labour, switched to the Lib Dems on the “own constituency” question. Of those who had voted Conservative in 2010 but switched to UKIP, only just over half (53%) ruled out going back to the Tories at this election.
More than half (59%) of Lib Dem voters and two thirds of those who said they would vote UKIP were either satisfied with Cameron’s performance as Prime Minister, or dissatisfied but preferred him to Miliband. Eighty-five per cent of Conservative switchers to UKIP said they would rather have Cameron as PM; three quarters said they wanted to see the Conservatives back in government, including a majority (53%) whose preferred result was a Tory overall majority.
On the ground, the campaign is being very closely contested. While 53% in these seats said they had had literature, letters, phone calls or visits from the Conservatives, 52% said they had heard from the Lib Dems. There were variations between seats, though activity levels were high throughout. The highest contact rate of all was from the Lib Dems in Sheffield Hallam, where 76% said they had heard from Nick Clegg’s team; we will know in 35 days if it has paid off.Former bantamweight world champion Dominick Cruz concedes that, after missing years of competition due to multiple serious knee injuries and surgeries, not even he can say with certainty whether or not his body will hold up enough for him to make it to his Jan. 17 title fight against defending champ T.J. Dillashaw. "That is the question," he allowed while speaking to us.
"We will find out. But all I can say is that my body feels fine. I’m training hard, and I feel great."
Cruz addresses the concern with no small amount of apparent annoyance. Who wouldn’t, in his position?
Article continues below...
He was nearly untouchable in the cage, but some very bad luck has struck him down repeatedly outside of it, going back to 2011. As a result, he and his fighting career has yet to financially blossom in the way it deserved.
To make matters worse, he has had to stand by and watch a new champion emerge who not only says he modeled much of his own style after Cruz, but also boldly claims that he has far surpassed the level of "The Dominator."
His years of waiting, pain and frustration will be a distant memory if Cruz does what he believes he can to Dillashaw in early 2016, however. In fact, the Team Alliance member fantasizes about not how great he’ll feel when he beats Dillashaw, but how low he can bring he and his coach Duane Ludwig.
"What I’ll enjoy most is the shock on their faces after I beat him," he said.
"They look at me, my fights and they think they’ve figured me out. They think they have emulated me and that they see holes in my game. They have no idea. They see the switching of stances, the moving this way, or that way, and they think they see holes. What they don’t know is that there’s a reason for everything that I do. They are supposed to be able to read it. I leave certain things out there for them to grab onto, and they are a trap. They study me and think they see flaws, but they are just walking into a trap."
Cruz also has a unique take on his time out of the cage in comparison to Dillashaw’s activity in recent years. Conventional wisdom would say that Dillashaw will be sharper because he’s spent more time competing than Cruz has over the past several years.
Cruz does not see it that way. All Cruz sees is a man of the same age as him, who has been put through a meat grinder while he himself has gotten to preserve himself.
"The fact that he’s been fighting and training and beating his body up for four years. That does count," he reasoned.
"He’s been working for four years to get better, to improve himself, just to get to the level that I’ve been at. When I come back I’m still at that level. He’s been trying to catch up to my level by watching me."
When Cruz watches Dillashaw’s fights, he doesn’t see a fundamentally improved fighter. Instead, he sees a clever one, who has managed to cover up his weaknesses, instead of eliminate them.
"They have not fixed things, they’ve just covered them up," he said.
"There are specific things that I know Ludwig can’t see. He’s a kickboxer, not an MMA fighter. There are things I see in Dillashaw that they don’t.
"No one sees the sport the way I do. I break down fights differently."Summary
Science is a fundamental part of Canadian culture and society, affecting both individual and social life. As a driving force of the economy, science is a catalyst for innovation and the creation of new goods and services. It has led to improvements in Canadians’ health and well-being, and changed how Canadians interact with one another through new technologies. It is also a source of entertainment and excitement for all ages. While these impacts are broadly welcomed, the applications of science and technology can also be the source of debate and controversy. In addition, many people may lack the scientific knowledge needed to understand and participate in these debates. Some individuals also have reservations about science and its effects on society. Though governments around the world recognize the importance of science in developing an innovative, knowledge-based economy, understanding society’s complex and evolving relationship with science is vital to ensure it continues to improve and enrich the lives of everyone.
Defining Science Culture: Although frequently used to convey the degree to which society and the public are broadly engaged in science, the term science culture is rarely defined with precision. As understood by the Panel, a society has a strong science culture when it embraces discovery and supports the use of scientific knowledge and methodology. Such a culture encourages the education and training of a highly skilled workforce and the development of an innovative knowledge-based economy.
In recognition of the important role science plays in the daily lives of Canadians, the Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation, Industry Canada, and Natural Resources Canada asked the CCA to conduct an in-depth, independent assessment to investigate the state of Canada’s science culture.
Report DetailsHappy public domain day: here's what copyright term extension stole from you in 2015
When Congress amended US copyright law in 1976, they extended the copyrights on works whose creators had produced them with the promise of not more than 56 years. Since then, almost nothing has entered the US public domain.
Every year, Jennifer Jenkins and Jamie Boyle at the Duke Center for the Public Domain list out all the works that today's artists would be free to work from -- as the creators who got their copyrights extended in 76 did -- except for the retroactive extension of copyright terms.
This year, we lost a lot of good stuff.
What books and plays would be entering the public domain if we had the pre-1978 copyright laws? You might recognize some of the titles below. Robert Heinlein, Starship Troopers
Walter Miller, A Canticle for Leibowitz
Lorraine Hansberry, A Raisin in the Sun
E.R. Braithwaite, To Sir, With Love
William Burroughs, The Naked Lunch
Richard Condon, The Manchurian Candidate
Cornelius Ryan, The Longest Day
Gunter Grass, The Tin Drum
Ian Fleming, Goldfinger
Saul Bellow, Henderson the Rain King
Strunk and White, The Elements of Style
C. Wright Mills, The Sociological Imagination
Agatha Christie, Cat Among the Pigeons The books above are but a fraction, a tiny fraction, of what would be entering the public domain on January 1. Imagine them being freely available to students and educators around the world. Readers – from the conspiracy theorist to the grammar enthusiast, the student of racial injustice to the sociologist – would have something to celebrate. And then there are the sci-fi offerings, from Canticle to Troopers. "Long ago, during the last age of reason, certain proud thinkers had claimed that valid knowledge was indestructible—that ideas were deathless and truth immortal." At least if you can get to it. On the bounce, readers! You would be free to use these books in your own stories, adapt them for local theater, or make them into a film. You could translate them into other languages, or create accessible Braille or audio versions.2 (If you think publishers wouldn’t object to this, you would be wrong.) You could read them online or buy cheaper print editions, because others were free to republish them. Empirical studies have shown that public domain books are less expensive, available in more editions and formats, and more likely to be in print—see here, here, and here. Imagine a digital Library of Alexandria containing all of the world’s books from 1959 and earlier, where, thanks to technology, you can search, link, annotate, copy and paste. (Google Books has brought us closer to this reality, but for copyrighted books where there is no separate agreement with the copyright holder, it only shows three short snippets, not the whole book.) Instead of seeing these literary works enter the public domain in 2016, we will have to wait until 2055.
What Could Have Entered the Public Domain on January 1, 2016?
[Duke Center for the Public Domain]'I am very sorry': A contrite Russell Crowe apologises for calling circumcision 'barbaric'
What a difference a few hours makes. Late last night Russell Crowe revealed on Twitter that he thought circumcision was 'barbaric and stupid'.
Now less than 24 hours later, the Oscar-winning actor is apologising for his controversial comments saying: 'I am very sorry.'
The outspoken star, 47, risked the wrath of the Jewish and Muslim communities when he declared the practice of removing some or all of a male's foreskin as 'immoral'.
Controversy: Russell Crowe, pictured in Italy on Wednesday, hit out at the practice of circumcision on Twitter
Crowe, who is currently on holiday in Italy, staunchly defended his viewpoint until it made headlines around the world, sparking outrage in some corners.
Today he took to Twitter again to say he didn't mean to offend anyone.
'My personal beliefs aside I realize that some will interpret this debate as me mocking the rituals and traditions of others. I am very sorry,' he wrote.
Contrite: Just a few hours after his controversial comments, Crowe issued this apology on Twitter
'I have a deep and abiding love for all people of all nationalities, I'm very sorry that I have said things on here that have caused distress,' Crowe continued.
'This is a great forum for communication,I, like any human have my opinions and you all have yours, thank you for trusting me with them,' the actor added.
American director and actor Eli Roth, who follows Crowe on Twitter has also rushed to his friend's defence.
Staunch defence: Crowe made his views on circumcision plainly clear in his early morning Twitter rant
Feud: Crowe refuted accusations he was 'against Jews', insisting he had many Jewish friends
Roth took to Twitter earlier today to say that Crowe is 'One of the nicest people I have ever been lucky enough to meet and work with. AND RESPECTFUL OF ALL RELIGIONS.'
The Inglourious Bastards actor also lashed out at Crowe's critics saying: 'What's more disturbing is that there are real antisemitic incidents every day that they clearly could care less about. They attack a friend.'
Crowe, who has two sons Charlie, seven, and Tennyson, four, with wife Danielle Spencer, believes babies are 'perfect' and should not be tampered with.
He said:'Circumcision is barbaric and stupid. Who are you to correct nature? Is it real that GOD requires a donation of foreskin? Babies are perfect.'
When one Twitter user 'Hodanismail' claimed 'there's actually a scientific reason for it', Crowe answered:'My friend, "human" science has caused too much damage, don't be a moron.'
Things took a stronger tone when another user'BarackMcBush' insisted'It's more hygienic and nobody remembers it'.
The Tweet then prompted Crowe to blast:'Hygienic? Why don't you sew up your a** then?'
Proud father: Crowe, pictured hereon a boat in Italy on Wednesday, has two young sons
After Crowe retweeted two followers comparing circumcision to sexual mutilation, she said:'Honestly you are comparing sexual mutilation with a Jewish ceremonial act?!'
What is circumcision?
The word circumcision derives from Latin circum (around) and cædere (to cut). It is believed the practice originated in ancient Egypt due to evidence in murals.
In Judaism, newborn babies have a bris ceremony when they're eight days old. Although not mentioned in the Qu'ran, circumcision is widely performed on Muslim males. Even though the Catholic Church |
ere en trafiktunnel såvel ved en boret løsning som ved en udgravet cut & cover-metode. Ved en boret løsning vil der være strækninger omkring tilkørsler, der skal løses med cut & cover-metoden. En boret løsning vil derfor være mest fordelagtig ved længere løsninger over ca. 3,5 km.
Antallet af til- og frakørsler forventes at være flere ved en cut & cover-løsning, mens der ved en boret løsning vil kunne forventes færrest gener under anlægsarbejderne og større frihedsgrader ift. af indpasning tunnelen og placering af til- og frakørsler.
Anlægstiden for selve tunnelkonstruktionen forventes at være 3-3,5 år. Trafikken vil kunne afvikles på Åboulevard under anlægsarbejderne. Med efterfølgende omdannelse af byrummet på overfladen, etablering af ny vej mm, forventes den samlede anlægstid at være 5-6 år.
Anlægsøkonomi
Der er i forundersøgelsen set på tunneler med længder mellem 2,25 km og 4,3 km. De beskrevne løsninger vurderes at kunne etableres for mellem 1,7 og 2,2 mia. kr. pr. km inkl. etablering af tunnel, byrum, trafikal ombygning af Åboulevard samt løsninger for Ladegårds Å og skybrudshåndtering. Omkostninger til tunnelen er inklusiv udgifter til projektering og statens korrektionstillæg på 50 % af de estimerede anlægsomkostninger.
Indledende samfundsøkonomisk vurdering
Alle scenarier giver et samfundsøkonomisk tab ud fra den officielle beregningsmetode. Dette skyldes primært omkostningerne til etablering af trafiktunnelen og de økonomiske forvridninger i arbejdsudbuddet, som opstår ved alle offentlige anlægsprojekter.
Den indledende vurdering viser store lokale gevinster i form af værdistigninger af eksisterende boliger på strækningen på forventet 1,1-1,4 mia. kr. For trafikanterne på selve strækningen forventes rejsetidsgevinster på mellem ca. 250 og 750 mio. kr. Følsomhedsberegninger viser et potentiale for fordobling af rejsetidsgevinsterne. Byggeretterne forventet at kunne medfinansiere i størrelsesorden 210-340 mio. kr. Muligheden for at takstfinansiere vurderes at kunne bidrage med mellem 10 og 20 mio. kr.
En række fordele ved projektet er ikke mulige at prissætte ud fra den officielle beregningsmetode. Det omhandler bl.a. værdien for samfundet af de nye byrum, ligesom internationale erfaringer viser, at trafikale tunnelprojekter i urbane områder har en væsentlig betydning for økonomisk vækst efter anlægsfasen.
Følgegruppe:
Til foranalysen har været etableret en følgegruppe, der løbende har haft mulighed for at komme med input i forhold til projektets forudsætninger, analyser og konklusioner.
Følgegruppen har haft afgørende påvirkning på bl.a. fastlæggelsen af omfanget af byggeri, placering af linjeføring af trafiktunnel, og konklusionerne om muligheden for frilæggelse af Ladegårds Å. Modsvarende har der været forhold, hvor følgegruppen ikke har været enig med forvaltningen, herunder omkring de udvalgte scenarier, vurdering og detaljeringsgrad af tunnelkonstruktionen samt den præsenterede skybrudsløsning. Bilag 3 afdækker nøjere de drøftelser som følgegruppen og forvaltningen har haft.
Økonomi
Denne indstilling har ikke i sig selv økonomiske konsekvenser for Københavns Kommune.
Videre proces
Frederiksberg Kommune har været inddraget i analysearbejdet, og resultaterne behandles ligeledes af By- og Miljøudvalget på Frederiksberg, forventeligt i august 2016.
Pernille Andersen
/Jakob Møller NielsenHonda says Fernando Alonso's seventh place finish at the Belgian Grand Prix is proof it took a step forward with its latest update last weekend.
Honda spent seven engine tokens on upgrading its internal combustion engine and turbocharger ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, leading to improved efficiency and, therefore, more power. Spa-Francorchamps is a power-sensitive track where McLaren expected to struggle, leading Honda engine boss Yusuke Hasegawa to believe Jenson Button's ninth place qualifying result and Alonso's race from last on the grid to seventh is proof of a step forward.
"Fernando drove a brilliant race, and the team did a phenomenal job to get him from the very back of the grid to finish P7 - and at Spa too!" Hasegawa said. "Jenson was unlucky to retire at the very start of the race, when he was unexpectedly hit from behind. He had a strong start to the weekend, and it was a great shame that he couldn't capitalise on his very good P9 starting position.
"This is another confirmation that our power unit has indeed taken a step forward, and I'm happy and thankful to everyone for all their hard work."
Honda has three engine tokens left for the rest of the season, but is targeting a big step over the winter to help McLaren challenge for wins again in 2017.
"Of course, we're still hungry and not completely satisfied by these results [in Spa], but after each race we go home encouraged by our progress and this one is no different. Next up is Monza, which is probably the toughest circuit of the year for us, but we'll prepare as usual to give our all."Minoxidil Warning September 2005
Minoxidil is the ingredient in popular hair growth formulas such as Rogaine. It is the active ingredient which can revitalize hair follicles and promote the re-grown of hair in a percentage of balding men and women. As cat exhibitors, we routinely use human shampoos and conditioners to maximize the presentation of our show cats... and while many human hair care products are perfectly safe to use on cats, Minoxidil is NOT one of them! Minoxidil Is Poisonous To Cats! Since 2001, six cases involving minoxidil exposure in cats were reported to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC). These included cases of intentional applications to areas on the animals' bodies that had lost fur, as well as accidental exposures via licking or walking through the solution. Of these cases, four of the cats died, while two fully recovered after prompt and aggressive veterinary treatment. Very small amounts of Minoxidil can result serious problems or death Symptoms of Minoxidil Toxicity Lethargy
Severe drop in blood pressure
Accumulation of fluid in the lungs
Damage to the heart muscle, which can result in cardiac failure and death.
Lethargy and a drop in blood pressure typically develop within about 12 hours
~
Cardiac problems generally occur three to four days following the exposure
unless treatment is sought quickly
Cats may be especially sensitive to the adverse affects of Minoxidil because they lack a specific enzyme necessary for breaking this drug down in their bodies. Prevention Never apply minoxidil products to your cat
Human application of Minoxidil should occur in a room that is not accessible to cats
Do not allow cats to lick treated areas
Clean up any spills thoroughly and promptly. If Exposed If you suspect that your cat has come into contact with a minoxidil-containing preparation, immediately contact your veterinarian or the APCC's 24-hour emergency hotline at (888) 426-4435. Back :: Top :: HomeSunday, April 16th, 2017
Tensions build between one Pro Trump supporter and anti-Trump demonstrators in Berkeley. #abc7newsnow pic.twitter.com/4nD6CT2iLa — Lonni Rivera (@lonnirivera) April 15, 2017
Trump supporters chant "America First " in Berkeley park..#ABC7now pic.twitter.com/YEEeefQEAR — Lonni Rivera (@lonnirivera) April 15, 2017
Bay Area artist captures civil unrest in Berkeley as it happens #ABC7now pic.twitter.com/yV5gnAc6f0 — Lonni Rivera (@lonnirivera) April 15, 2017
Here are some of the prohibited items that have already removed from the park today. https://t.co/3qx3smYwgk pic.twitter.com/A70VCxFYEu — Berkeley Police (@berkeleypolice) April 15, 2017
BERKELEY, Calif. (KGO) -- Protesters on both sides of the debate over President Trump's policies, and the direction the nation is taking are faced off in Berkeley Saturday.The Downtown Berkeley BART station was closed during the protest, and the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District bus No. 12 had to be rerouted, according to agency officials.Police have reported fights, property damage and that protesters have thrown objects such as fireworks.Police now say 18 people have been arrested and officers have seized items prohibited from the protest. Some type of gas was released during the morning at Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park where the protest started, a police spokesman said.Spokesman Officer Byron White said because of the release of the gas, police put on gas masks.White wasn't sure when protesters started gathering but some planned to gather at 10 a.m. and others at noon or later. At least two injuries have been reported so far to police, White said.Other groups may come later, he said. He did not have any information on injuries. The items encountered at the protest that are prohibited have included flagpoles, a knife, a stun gun, helmets and signs and flags attached to poles.Officers continue to monitor the protest and adjust their tactics, White said.Anyone with photos or videos of the event is asked to share them with police by sending them to policecityofberkeley.info or http://bit.ly/berkvideo Police arrested 10 people at a March 4th event and are still working to identify suspects.nullPackages changed:
libzypp (16.12.0 -> 16.13.0)
==== libzypp ====
Version update (16.12.0 -> 16.13.0)
- Adapt loop mounting of iso images (bsc#1038132, bsc#1033236)
- Adjust zypp.conf for openSUSE Tumbleweed (bsc#1031756)
On Sun, 2017-07-09 at 22:54 +0200, Dominique Leuenberger wrote:^^^^ This change hides the switch of the default for zypper dup: afterthis update, zypper dup will default to --no-allow-vendor-change, whichhas been the recommended way for Tumbleweed for a long time now.NOTE: This will ONLY update your default configuration if you did nottouch /etc/zypp/zypp.conf - If you had local modifications, rpm willhave put a file NEXT to it (zypp.conf.rpmnew), in which case you haveto adjust the settings manually (or you likely already did)Hope this will eliminate a good part of the issues people kept onreporting about updates - bringing Tumbleweed one step closer to whatyou expect it to do in all situations.Cheers,DominiqueImage copyright Reuters Image caption About a quarter of Malaysia's electorate are first-time voters
On Sunday 5 May Malaysians will vote in the most hotly contested general election in their country's history.
For the first time since independence in 1957, there is a real possibility that the Barisan Nasional (National Front) coalition of Prime Minister Najib Razak may be defeated by the Pakatan Rakyat alliance nominally headed by Anwar Ibrahim.
As in any election a host of local and national issues are being debated in the campaign, with accusations and counter-accusations flying back and forth at rallies, in newspapers, TV channels and websites, but at its heart is a simple choice for Malaysia's 13 million voters.
Do they stick with a coalition which, for all the accusations of corruption and cronyism, has delivered solid economic growth and political stability? Or do they chance handing power to a vigorous but largely untested opposition?
Opinion polls suggest the result is too close to call. There is a great deal at stake for both leaders.
Image caption The Barisan Nasional coalition reminds voters that they have benefited from its economic policies
For Najib Razak, the son of a prime minister, losing his first election as prime minister (he got the job in 2009 when his predecessor resigned), and presiding over his party's first ever defeat, would be a crushing blow, and perhaps the end of his long political career.
He would almost certainly be challenged for the party leadership.
For Anwar Ibrahim, now 65 years old, this may be his last chance to complete a remarkable comeback, 15 years after he was sacked as deputy prime minister, jailed, beaten and repeatedly prosecuted on what he has always believed were politically-motivated charges.
Failure to win this time could break up the coalition he has built, from his own reformist Keadilan party, the Islamic party PAS, and the ethnic Chinese party DAP.
Cheap rice and petrol
Both men have been campaigning relentlessly across the country, aware that every vote is important. Watching them both on the same day, the differences in style were revealing.
Image caption Crowds braved the pouring rain to take part in an opposition rally
Mr Anwar arrived in pouring rain at a rally in a patch of ground next to a highway in a Kuala Lumpur suburb.
Despite the weather and the late hour, an enthusiastic crowd spilled out into the street, to watch him pour scorn on the government's performance and promises with characteristic energy.
It had the feel of a grassroots campaign, with palpable excitement about the possibility of change.
Mr Najib chose a desolate housing estate on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, still surrounded by bits of tropical forest.
There were plenty of Barisan volunteers on hand, brandishing 'WE LOVE PM' banners, but the rest were families who had been waiting to move into the apartment blocks for 12 years. The privately-built project had stalled; now with government funds it had been finished.
Malaysia 2013 polls Election is expected to be Malaysia's most keenly contested poll since independence
PM Najib Razak leads the long-dominant coalition Barisan Nasional (National Front)
Anwar Ibrahim leads the three-party opposition coalition Pakatan Rakyat
Key issues include corruption, race-based policies that favour Malays and the economy Q&A: Malaysia elections Profile: Najib Razak Profile: Anwar Ibrahim
The prime minister's arrival was accompanied by plenty of fanfare, patriotic songs, and lots of food laid out under tents.
Mr Najib appeared tired, and his speech lacked the passion of opposition rallies.
But its message was clear, and consistent with Barisan's campaign theme. We have finished this project for you, he said, before handing out keys to the residents. The state government, he said - which has been in the hands of Pakatan since the last election - did not.
Time and again, Barisan TV ads have reminded Malaysians of what the governing coalition has done for them. Cheap rice, cheap petrol, and reliable drinking water, all thanks to generous subsidies.
This has been backed by a whole raft of government hand-outs over the past year, ranging from bonuses for civil servants to vouchers for schoolbooks.
Separating normal welfare spending from pre-election freebies is difficult, but one academic, Bridget Welsh from the Singapore Management University, estimates Barisan has spent an extra $1,500 (£960) per voter.
'Undercurrent of dissatisfaction'
The other argument Barisan is using to sway the voters is fear of what might happen if Pakatan wins, playing on its inexperience, and on the disparate ideologies of its three parties.
In particular, it has zeroed in on the commitment of PAS to introduce huddud, or Islamic punishment, in the hope of scaring off non-Muslim voters.
Image caption Chinese voters said Islamic MP Dzulkefly Ahmad's honest reputation appealed
But that argument appears to be struggling.
Polls suggest increasing numbers of ethnic Chinese are swinging towards Pakatan, put off the government by both its entrenched corruption and the way ethnic Malays are still favoured in access to education and to lucrative government contracts under the New Economic Policy introduced back in the 1970s.
"Only a small cluster, an inner circle of Malays, benefit from the New Economic Policy", says Stanley Thai, chairman of Supermax, a company that makes and exports latex products.
He is now openly supporting the opposition, arguing that change is vital for Malaysia.
"It's like in any business. If you don't face competition, you think you're the best - but actually you're not."
"This is our opportunity for the country to say OK, a two-party system is the best way to go. I would rather take a risk to have Pakatan Rakyat form the next government, than the current government of Barisan Nasional."
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption What do first-time voters think?
Ghazali Yusoff, an ethnic Malay businessmen who founded Nusatek, a company that tests components for infrastructure and the oil industry, says he is still sticking with Barisan, despite reservations about its performance.
"This is not the time to change", he said. "Prime Minister Najib has done well, his policy of economic transformation is beginning to work."
"He deserves another chance. If he still cannot bring about reforms, then I would be willing to support the opposition."
The Islamic wing of the opposition is working hard to soften its theocratic image, to reach across Malaysia's ethnic and religious divide.
In Kuala Selangor, a semi-rural constituency narrowly won by PAS at the last election, I watched MP Dzulkefly Ahmad doing the rounds of food stalls and grocery shops, accompanied by his headscarfed wife.
He was greeted warmly by the mainly ethnic Chinese shop-owners, who happily donned his green campaign T-shirts and asked for signed copies of his book. They were unfazed by talk of Islamic law.
What mattered, they told me, was Dr Dzulkefly's reputation for honesty and hard work.
"I am an Islamist democrat," he told me.
Image caption Marimuthu Seeniueasan holds keys to his new apartment - a project finished by the government
"Islamic punishment will only be introduced if it is democratically approved by the Malaysian population. We may fail - but at least allow us to advocate what we believe."
Perhaps the most uncertain factor in this election is how first-time voters, around one quarter of the electorate, will cast their ballots.
Polls suggest they are more sympathetic to the opposition, and they are more exposed to alternative views on social media and websites. The mainstream media is for the most part blatantly pro-government.
"Malaysians have become more affluent, and have developed new tastes", says Ibrahim Suffian, from the Merdeka Center for Opinion Research.
"There is an undercurrent, a sense of dissatisfaction that a lot of the promises made in the past, about cleaning up government, fighting corruption - that these have not happened".The FBI will not release memos written by former director James Comey on his interactions with President Trump because they're part of a "pending or prospective law enforcement proceeding."
BuzzFeed News requested the memos under the Freedom of Information Act. At least one of the memos is unclassified. But, the FBI said, the memos' release could "reasonably interfere with enforcement proceedings," and it declined to release any of the memos — including the one that's unclassified.
Comey discussed the unclassified memo he wrote during Senate testimony last week. Over the past two days, CNN and the New York Times have filed lawsuits under the Freedom of Information Act for the documents. In his testimony, Comey told senators that he began detailing his interactions with Trump after meeting the then-president-elect at Trump Tower.
“Creating written records immediately after one-on-one conversations with Mr. Trump was my practice from that point forward,” Comey said in a written statement. “This had not been my practice in the past.”
During the Senate hearing, Comey said he made the memos because he thought Trump might lie about their interactions.
“I was honestly concerned he might lie about the nature of our meeting, so I thought it important to document. That combination of things I had never experienced before, but it led me to believe I gotta write it down and I gotta write it down in a detailed way.”
Later, Comey said he also wrote memos as a way to keep a record to defend himself, as well as the FBI as an institution.
“I knew there might come a day where I might need a record to defend not just myself but the FBI, and our integrity,” Comey said.
If an FBI investigation is focusing on interactions between Trump and Comey, withholding the memos is consistent with the intentions of FOIA, said Steven Aftergood, director of the Project on Government Secrecy at the Federation of American Scientists.
"It would be fascinating, of course, to see the Comey memos," he said. "But I think this is exactly the sort of circumstance that this FOIA exemption was designed for. That is, to protect records that are at the center of an unfolding investigation where disclosure of the records could compromise leads or prejudice the investigation. That also means, however, that once the investigation is concluded or the special counsel has moved on, the justification for withholding would evaporate and the memos should be released."
The former FBI director testified that he believed Trump was trying to create a patronage-type relationship with him and requested him to pledge his loyalty. At a later meeting, Trump said he hoped Comey and the FBI would "let go" of the investigation into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn's ties to Russia.
While he was FBI director, Comey several times assured Trump that the president wasn't personally under investigation. But that changed after Trump fired Comey.
Reports this week suggested that Trump was under investigation if his statements to Comey amounted to obstruction of justice. On Friday, the president confirmed that he was under FBI investigation.The few remaining defenders of the Obama administration’s failure to prosecute the executives who helped cause the 2008 financial crisis argue that the bankers’ actions were unethical but not criminal. President Obama himself has made this claim: “Some of the most damaging behavior on Wall Street … wasn’t illegal,” he told Steve Kroft on 60 Minutes in December 2011.
The president might want to take this up with David Adier, who says he was victimized by Wells Fargo breaking and entering into his family’s home in Morris Township, New Jersey, and then committing property damage and theft. Burglary is a felony subject to prison time — if anybody but a bank does it.
Adier’s case is doubly disturbing because of what was taken: items his father retrieved from his family’s apartment in France before fleeing the Nazis in 1940, including a Kiddush cup, a Seder plate and a sewing machine used by his grandmother.
Adier has since filed suit against Wells Fargo. According to the complaint, Wells Fargo’s contractors deemed the house abandoned, despite explicit instructions that it was not. The house had been in Adier’s family for 40 years, Adier and his sister had grown up there, and Adier’s father had lived there until his death in August 2012. According to Adier, who lives 30 miles away in Bayonne, he missed two payments on the home’s mortgage over the next several months due to troubles with his small business. On November 29, 2012, Wells Fargo’s contractors illegally broke in for the first time.
“I feel like they ripped my family history from me,” said Adier. “This was the house I grew up in, where I had nothing but great family memories. They’ve taken away my life, my childhood, my sense of security.”
Photo: Courtesy of David Adier
Adier is not alone. Since the beginning of the foreclosure crisis in 2007, banks have hired contractors to inspect properties in foreclosure and determine whether they are abandoned. If they make that subjective determination — based on overgrown grass, or a broken window — they are authorized to enter the home, change the locks, and “trash-out” the property by removing all belongings.
Banks claim they must secure abandoned properties to protect their investment and fulfill responsibilities under state laws. But the contractors frequently get things wrong, illegally ransacking properties still inhabited by homeowners, spurring hundreds of lawsuits. “It’s happening at exactly the same rate” now as during the previous seven years, argues Adier’s attorney, Josh Denbeaux.
Homeowners have been complaining for years about coming home to find that their keys no longer work. Contractors took the remains of Mimi Ash’s late husband. They took Angela Iannelli’s pet parrot, Luke. They took the American flag off a house belonging to Rick and Sherry Rought, who had bought it entirely in cash from Deutsche Bank after the bank had foreclosed on its previous owners. Nilly Mauck’s condo was trashed because contractors mixed up the number of the property they were supposed to inspect. Nancy Jacobini’s home was broken into while she sat on her couch; she locked herself in the bathroom and called 911. A year later, the same contractor broke in again.
“I’ve got this client, they are away from their home,” said Matt Weidner, a foreclosure defense attorney in St. Petersburg, Florida. “They come home to find a dude in there hacking their goddamn house apart. There’s a hammer sitting in the wall, like they said fuck it, we’re done for the day, we’ll just shove this in here.” The partially demolished home has sat that way for three years, amid litigation.
Denbeaux blames the business model. According to contracts he has acquired in discovery, banks pay contractors a small fee to do the drive-by inspection, but several hundred dollars to padlock the doors, and hundreds more for a trash-out. “Whether they do a lock-out or a trash-out is based on a report by day laborers,” Denbeaux said. “They know how to say the property is abandoned and make money.”
“I’ve had cases in which people had summer homes ransacked because they were ‘abandoned’ in January,” Denbeaux continued. “Have you tried surfing on the Jersey shore in January?”
Adier believes this kind of calculation led to the trash-out of his family’s home. David’s father, Henri Adier, escaped occupied France in 1940. The Nazis had sealed off apartments belonging to Jewish residents, and Henri and his family snuck back in to retrieve items of personal significance. “They made pains to keep the seal on,” David said. “They took what they could get and fled into the night.”
Henri Adier eventually took those heirlooms to Morris Township after World War II, where he got married and taught French to students at Morristown High School. Later in life, David’s mother contracted diabetes and Henri contracted Parkinson’s disease. David cared for his parents for 15 years, with his father finally passing away in August 2012.
The mortgage on the house was current at the time of Henri Adier’s death, and David was the executor of the estate. His business was significantly damaged during Hurricane Sandy at the end of October 2012, making it difficult for him to catch up on the two payments then in arrears.
Soon afterward, David’s sister found stickers on the property from the mortgage services company LPS, saying that inspectors believed the house to be abandoned, and if they didn’t hear from the residents they would “protect their interest in the property.”
According to the Adier lawsuit, David’s sister called LPS and received assurances that nobody would take action. Nevertheless, LPS broke into the house on November 29, 2012, changed the locks and “winterized” the property. “I was shocked to find out they had ransacked the property,” David said. “They opened every cabinet, every box and helped themselves to whatever they wanted.” They even stole the brass door-knocker on the front of the house, David alleged, along with the relics his father had spirited out of France. The damage ruined any chance to rent out the property and generate income.
During this period, when David contacted Wells Fargo, he was told he “was not the person on the deed.” According to David, Wells Fargo asked for the death certificate, then paperwork affirming that he was the executor of the estate. He didn’t get the right to talk to the bank until March 2013.
Tom Goyda, a spokesperson for Wells Fargo, claims that “the home was unlocked and in disarray” when contractors came to secure it. He added that Wells Fargo was unaware of any items removed from the home until mid-2014.
Under New Jersey law, mortgage companies are responsible for securing abandoned properties and can be held liable for code violations. Goyda said contractors performed exterior maintenance on the property to keep it to code. “While we hold our property preservation vendors and our own team members to high standards of honesty and integrity, and we take any claims like those being made in this case very seriously, we have found nothing to support the allegations made in the lawsuit.”
Adier countered that the house was not even in foreclosure when contractors first broke in — in fact, the foreclosure process did not begin until March 2013 and is still not complete. Even if a property is in foreclosure, without a court order banks do not have the right to enter if they are informed it is not abandoned. “They either need to own the property as a result of a sale, or they need a judge to say, even though this is not your property, you can go in,” said Denbeaux, Adier’s lawyer. “Wells Fargo never sought a court order in this case.”
Photo: Courtesy of David Adier
Last year, the inspector general for the Federal Housing Finance Agency accused contractors of routinely disregarding signs of habitation and illegally breaking into homes. The inspector general called the practice of property preservation “largely unregulated” and riddled with fraud. The banking industry responded by promising stronger background checks of contractors. But the complaints have continued
Neighbors informed the Adiers each time contractors were on the property. Morris Township police refused to investigate, calling it a “civil matter.” After years of what David Adier called a “cat-and-mouse game,” he filed suit in New Jersey Superior Court last month, seeking compensation for trespassing and negligence.
“It was a complete and utter violation,” David Adier said. “I devoted 15 years of my life dealing with my parents’ health needs. I thought I’d be able to get some peace. I’ve had no peace.”And now, a definitive power ranking of the Great Yankee Mustache Experiment of 2015
It all began so innocently, with some Yankees fans making a curious observation during the team's series with the Mets a couple of weeks ago: "Huh, some of these guys are letting the stubble go a little bit." Maybe it was just the lighting, they said. Maybe we need to adjust our televisions.
But the suspicions began to mount as the days went by. One by one, each Yankee seemed to show the faintest wisp of hair on the upper lip. By the time the Bronx realized what was happening, it was too late: the Bombers -- with no regard for any prior ability to conjure respectable facial hair -- were growing out some mustaches, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop them.
Brett Gardner was the first, deciding to let one grow during an early series at the Trop. And then a funny thing happened: New York suddenly couldn't lose, and, baseball players being a notoriously superstitious bunch, it spread like wildfire. Horrible, horrible wildfire (warning: highly NSFW):
Shocking, we know. But we can ignore this phenomenon no longer. So dive in with us, and we'll see just how far down this particularly hairy rabbit hole goes with our definitive Mustache Power Rankings:
1. Brett Gardner, the "I Was Born for This"'stache
Look at that face. The steely resolve, a whole upper lip's worth of evenly applied face salad -- that is the face of a man who was destined to rock the'stache. It's a burden not everyone can bear (just keep scrolling down if you don't believe us), but Gardner is clearly up for the challenge.
2. Jacoby Ellsbury, the "Whatever, I Can Still Look Good"'stache
Not the most stellar'stache, and we're not entirely convinced he didn't just Sharpie this in prior to game time to avoid hearing it from his teammates. Fortunately, though, Ellsbury happens to be a naturally pretty good-looking guy, and his look isn't too compromised by the weird little caterpillar that seems to have taken up residence on his upper lip. As far as mustache damage control goes, you could do far worse.
3. CC Sabathia, the "Wait, Isn't That Just Normal Facial Hair?"'stache
There's not much negative to say here -- the'stache grew in just fine, and it doesn't particularly stand out -- but that's sort of the point. Sabathia's been known to let a little stubble go every now and then, and his'stache just seems to blend in with the surrounding quasi-goatee look -- if you're going to grow out that most bold of facial hair, at least let it shine. We're not mad, CC, just disappointed.
4. Brian McCann, the "We Expected So Much More"'stache
McCann is probably suffering from unfair expectations here: The history of catcher mustaches, particularly Yankees, is a rich one, after all. Any pre-'stache rankings would've easily included McCann as one of the favorites for the top spot.
Which is why the ensuing result feels just a little underwhelming. The'stache itself is rock solid, but we really thought we might have one of the all-time greats on our hands here. Now, though, we get to the real fun stuff...
5. Mark Teixeira, the "Swiss Cheese"'stache
Don't worry, Mark, we can't all go full Burt Reynolds. Your upper lip is trying its hardest! It's not its fault that only about 60 percent of it appears to be capable of growing any hair at all. Just ride this out for a couple more weeks, and everyone will move on. (This is just a phase, guys, right? Right?)
6. Andrew Miller, the "...Oh No"'stache
Hoo boy. Apologies for just springing that on you, by the way. We actually almost considered sliding this all the way up to the top spot, in a Tommy Wiseau-like "so bad it came all the way back around to being magnificent" sort of way. And then we woke up from that fever dream and never spoke of it again.
Remarkably enough, the problem isn't even that Miller can't grow one but is trying his hardest anyway. There's actually a good amount of hair there! With great power comes great responsibility, guys.
7. Stephen Drew, the "12-Year-Old Trying to Grow a Mustache"'stache
Oof.The Labor and Greens membership of the Senate Select Committee investigating the national broadband network has found NBN Co’s "deficient" and "manipulated" strategic review failed to provide a sufficient basis for the adoption of an alternative deployment path for the rollout.
An interim report released by the committee late today highlights concerns with the “accuracy and reliability” of NBN Co’s 132 page strategic review into the NBN, which was made public in December last year.
The review predicted multi-billion dollar blowouts to both Labor and the Coalition’s NBN plans, and detailed the Coalition’s preferred'multi-technology mix' approach.
The MTM involves up to 50 percent of premises in the fixed-line footprint being served by fibre-to-the-node or basement; up to 26 percent of premises covered by fibre-to-the-premise; and hybrid-fibre coaxial connections for around 30 percent of premises.
The strategic review based its cost predictions for both plans off a range of financial assumptions, which the Senate Select Committee today described as “unreliable” in all the scenarios it examined.
But the findings did not receive the support of the entire committee, which is made up of three Labor senators, three Liberal senators and one Greens senator.
The interim report was authored by committee chair and Labor senator Kate Lundy, and Greens senator Scott Ludlam. Colleagues Stephen Conroy and Lin Thorp round out the committee's Labor representatives.
The committee said it discovered irregularities and manipulations in the strategic review’s assumptions and conclusions around:
the rollout schedule
unit costs for the fibre build which are “at odds with NBN Co and the Finance Department”
the exclusion of $4 billion in ‘business as usual’ architecture savings
the addition of a third NBN satellite to the report without any extra detail
and ‘overly pessimistic' revenue assumptions.
As such, they argued the report did not provide an adequate information resource for the Coalition to change the technology path of the NBN.
They similarly voiced “strong concerns” about the report’s assumptions underpinning the multi-technology mix.
Aside from a range of concerns it highlighted about the methods used to come up with figures for the MTM’s operating expenditure, financial model, service revenue and upgrade costs, the committee said the strategic review had not been approached with the same rigour as NBN Co’s previous corporate plans and had instead been completed in five weeks with no independent external |
paid that Taiyang bastard back for what he did to me as a child!
A flurry of thoughts raced through his mind as the Grimm leant in ever closer, not even granting him the dignity of dying first before she sank her teeth into one of his eyes. His agonizing scream rang through the night as blood poured down his face, the Grimm ravenously tearing his flesh off his face, barely chewing before swallowing. Minutes later, the only thing remaining was a skeletal pile where Cardin had once lay.
'Not enough...' the Grimm said to herself, searching out into the wilderness for more prey. She shivered in delight at the thought of the next game she would 'play' with her victims. Soon after, she overheard voices talking, and heading towards them saw a group of seven people. They soon stopped at a small house, and headed inside. The Grimm waited around four hours to ensure they were asleep before making her move.
'I found youuuuuuu...'
'Let's play a little game, shall we?'
She quietly snuck into the house, using her aura to place them all in a state of hypnosis so they wouldn't wake unless she wanted them to, and one by one she carried them all to the place she lived. It was practically a labyrinth, deep in the heart of Grimm territory so Hunter's had a very hard time just reaching the place, let alone mapping it out or escaping. She playfully wrote them all a note, each one reading the same thing;
'You have one hour to escape! If you can't find the exit by then, too bad! You'll be my food! Have fun!'
Once the seven of them were all placed in separate locations in the labyrinth, she removed the hypnosis.
'AAH!'
Ruby woke with a jolt, relieved that she had woken from her nightmare. She soon realised, however, that she was neither in the house she had fallen asleep, nor anywhere near her friends. Panicking she fumbled around the pitch blackness before catching her hand on the note.
'What the...?'
Squinting, just barely able to make out the words, her expression went from one of confusion to horror in an instant.
'One hour?' She immediately got up and tried to scale the wall with Crescent Rose before realising it wasn't with her. It must have still been behind at the house, so she carefully crept through the labyrinth, desperately searching for the exit. Time was running out.
Of the seven in the labyrinth, Pyrrha found herself outside with extraordinary speed, escaping in just 9 minutes.
'Oh wow, I didn't expect anyone to even make it outside, let alone this fast! You're pretty good,' the feminine voice taunted.
'Who's there?' Pyrrha shouted out, worried for her friends but at the same time wary of the mysterious voice.
'Don't worry, I won't kill you. You did earn your freedom after all. The door on the left will be your way out,' the voice told her. Wondering what she meant, Pyrrha then noticed there were two doors in front of her, and the left one was open. She saw all of their weapons in a pile next to the exit, and grabbing Miló and Akoúo̱ she cautiously headed through it.
A pair of watchful golden eyes monitored both the Grimm's and Pyrrha's movements from close by, managing to hide from even the Grimm.
'What the hell?'
That was all Pyrrha could say as she found herself back where this nightmare had began – Beacon Academy.
The next person to escape was Ren, being his calm, collected self he made it out in 22 minutes. The Grimm grunted in discontent as she pointed him towards the right hand door, taking Storm Flower with him. However, he found himself not at Beacon, but instead he turned up on the outskirts of Vale, an area the Grimm had a lot of control over. He decided to wait just in case anyone else came through his door, readying his weapon for any Grimm encounter he might have.
One by one, the group found themselves heading through the doors, weapons in hand. Left, then right, then left, then right, until finally –
'DIIIIIING DOOOOOONG!'
The female Grimm's voice rang through the labyrinth, and Jaune may have been an idiot, but even he knew what that meant.
'Time's up, huh?'
He sank to his knees as he reached the exit, just out of time. Looking up, he saw the Nevermore Grimm slowly walking towards him before accepting defeat.
'There's no way I can beat an SSS-Class,' he said to himself, knowing exactly what was coming.
'Dinner time,' the Grimm said as she got ever closer to him. Jaune closed his eyes in anticipation for his inevitable doom, but it never came. He looked up, and what he saw made him want to cry in happiness, but also shocked him beyond belief. What he saw...
'...Weiss?'
He was lost for words. He had so many questions. It was most definitely her standing before him, but he didn't know how. The Grimm dropped to the floor, dead.
'It's me, Jaune,' she said, her eyes full of sadness and happiness all at the same time.
'But we... we burned your body... how are you...?'
'I was watching you while I was dead,' she calmly stated, slowly approaching him. 'You said it yourself. A semblance that can bring the dead back. A person died to bring me back. My body was rebuilt using their cells. The fact my original body was cremated didn't matter. I don't need that one,' she informed him. 'This new body of mine is much stronger, faster and better than the one I had anyway. In a way, it's a blessing.'
Jaune was surprised at how calm she was. The shock of being brought back to life would be one thing, but she didn't even seem to care that a person gave their life for her.
'Are you... are you really Weiss Schnee?'
'Of course I am, you idiot! Geez, you really know how to get on my nerves, don't you?' she answered playfully, handing him Crocea Mors.
'Come here, you doofus.'
With that, she gave him a heart-warming hug before he felt something stab him in the stomach.
'What...?'
Jaune stared in surprise, as Weiss began to change right before his eyes.
'A semblance that can bring the dead back? Please, don't make me laugh! And as if anyone would give their life for that bitch in the first place!'
A tear streaked down his face as she changed into a Saberfang. An SSS-Class Grimm.
'I thought it was too good to be true,' he said as his aura attempted to counteract the wounds the Grimm was dealing him, but to no avail.
'This really is the end, isn't it?'
'Don't worry,' the Grimm mockingly comforted, 'you'll see your friends soon enough. You were ready to be harvested. Once your friends have reached that state, I'll make sure to claim them too. You can all be together in your land of make-believe where everything is possible and everything is fine. Jaune started to lose consciousness, his body unable to sustain itself for much longer as his aura wore thin.
I'm sorry, guys. I'm really just a stupid idiot after all. Just... make sure you live on. Don't you dare follow me to the grave!
His final thoughts were filled with some comfort, as the image of being able to see and speak to Weiss again ran through his mind.
I'll be there soon, Weiss. Wait for me. You don't have to be alone any longer.
With that, his heart came to a final beat, before he finally ceased to be.
Meanwhile, Ruby, Pyrrha and Yang at Beacon, and Nora, Ren and Blake on the outskirts of Vale, not knowing which of the others survived, if any, set out again, certain that nobody else was coming.Most of us, at some point, have slaved away in the kitchen on an epic meal, then stood back at the end, admired our creation and given ourselves a metaphorical pat on the back.
Well, let us tell you now, that your efforts were worthless compared to this incredible achievement. Seattle chef David Varley recently oversaw the biggest roast creation that we've ever seen for a Thanksgiving Day celebration at Michael Mina's restaurant at Levi's Stadium. Alternately titled "Lambpigcow" or, simply "Roast Beast", it consists of a side of Wagyu beef rolled over 24 quail, 12 chickens, eight ducks, six turkeys, two lambs and a pig, all stuffed with chestnut-turkey sausage.
It was held together with a 20-foot roll of garden fencing and secured on a rotisserie with eight giant steel clamps. The finished beast was served alongside 12 turkeys (because there wasn't enough meat in the main event, apparently) and a gravy fountain, which is a water feature that we would love to have in our garden.Hamilton won the race after Rosberg's car was damaged as a result of contact between the two when the Briton tried to pass the German for the lead on the final lap.
The accident is the pair's second this year after they took each other out in the Spanish Grand Prix.
Wolff admitted that, with the Barcelona crash having happened so recently, Mercedes may need to impose team orders as its drivers have shown they have not learned the lesson.
"At Barcelona I was much more at ease with it because we had 30 races without any collision," said Wolff.
"It was clear that it was going to happen eventually and from my naive thinking I thought they had learned the lesson and it's not going to happen anymore.
"Here we go, it happens again, so you have to look at all the options available and one option is to freeze the order at a certain stage of the race, which is unpopular and makes me want to puke because I'd like to see them race, but if the racing is not possible without contact, that's a consequence."
When asked if he expected his drivers to respect the team orders given they are battling for the championship, Wolff said: "Yes, in capital letters."
Wolff said a decision on team orders will be made later this week: "We have to cool down a bit and in the next couple of days we will know.
"For sure because there's a race next week we need to discuss internally with all guys involved how we want to manage the situation going forward."
The Austrian said that Mercedes' decision will not change irrespective of what Hamilton and Rosberg could say.
"We will make a decision irrespectively of what they say. It's the core race team that's going to make a decision and it could go either direction. The outcome needs to be that we avoid contact between the two cars, so everything is going to be on the table."
No blame
While his drivers blamed each other for the accident, Wolff said it was not so clear to him.
"I don't think it's really black and white. Nico was with a car that was handicapped, trying to brake late, and not on the line that was probably normal. And Lewis came from the outside. That's where the first contact was made. So what I'm seeing is it takes two to make contact.
"I don't want to attribute any blame because every time you watch the video and look at the onboards there is new information. I have my personal opinion. I'm not going to express it here, but as a matter of fact that needs to be avoided.
"Brakes were marginal. There wasn't a lot left. At the end of the second to last lap, Nico's brake-by-wire failed, so he had no electronic braking. It reduces the performance of the braking."
Wolff insisted that the incident will have no impact on the contract talks with Rosberg.
"No, nothing. The contract is a long-term decision and isn't influenced by a race incident."
Additional reporting by Jonathan NobleSurveillance video shows some of the incident that happened between Clairton police officers and a 17-year-old girl who was out past curfew.
Advertisement Teenage girl says Clairton police beat her after curfew violation Merceedez Wright being treated at Pittsburgh hospital Share Shares Copy Link Copy
Newly obtained surveillance video shows the violent encounter between a 17-year-old girl and Clairton police officers that left the teenager in the hospital.A 17-year-old girl claims she was beaten by police in Clairton after she and her friends were stopped for a curfew violation Tuesday night.VIDEO: Watch the surveillance footageMerceedez Wright admits she and her friends were out a few minutes after the city's 10 p.m. curfew, and that she both ran from officers and resisted them after being tackled, but she doesn't believe she deserves the injuries she suffered."I didn't think cops would do that to me because I'm a girl. And I didn't have anything on me. I was just trying to walk away from the situation," Wright said from her room at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. "I was terrified. I thought I was going to be getting beaten up for hours."Wright said she and her friends were walking home from the Soft Serve and Dee-Lites ice cream shop on Miller Avenue when they were stopped by officers for being out after curfew. When they tried to go back to pick up a bag and a phone they left behind, they claim the officers tried to detain them.Wright said she continued walking away from the officers, who then allegedly used force to stop her."They both just tackled me to the ground and smashed my face into the ground with their feet and their legs. Then they started pulling my hair and pushing me and stuff, and I was screaming real loud," Wright said.VIDEO: Watch her interview with Bob HazenWright's friends said they watched as officers used force to subdue her."(The officer) ran full force at her and she ran from him," said Destiny Hester. "They pounced on her, then started kicking her and pulling her hair.""I hear her screaming, I run over there and she's on the ground. They're over there beating her up, kicking her, pulling her hair," said witness Bryon Clifford.Surveillance cameras across the street from the scuffle show Wright and an officer run into view, before the officer grabs her, spins her around, and throws her to the ground.What happened next is not clear because the officers and Wright are behind a car, but two minutes later police appear to stand the teenager up before a new struggle begins.The video shows one of her arms had come free, not in handcuffs, and she seems to pull away from the officers before they take her to the ground again.One minute later, they again try to walk her to their car, but she appears to resist and pull in the opposite direction. One officer then uses a forceful move to push her down. She then is moved out of the view of the surveillance camera.Wright is now recovering in the hospital with injuries to her trachea, esophagus and neck, plus several cuts and bruises."She's a cheerleader, she's a lifeguard at the Clairton pool, she was just on prom court," said Wright's mother, Audelia Amoah. "She's a good kid."Even so, Wright admits she ran from officers."I was scared because of how he got out of the car. He didn't just walk out, he jumped out of the car and started chasing me, so my first instinct was to run," she said.Wright also said she did resist officers once she was knocked to the ground. She said she was trying to get her arms free to protect herself.Clairton police did not respond to requests for comment.Johns Hopkins scientists have engineered cells that behave like AND and OR Boolean logic gates, producing an output based on one or more unique inputs. The finding could eventually help researchers create computers that use cells as tiny circuits.
Many researchers are striving to mimic devices in everyday use by engineering new qualities into biological materials, including biomolecules and cells, study leader Takanari Inoue, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Cell Biology and member of the Institute of Basic Biomedical Sciences’ Center for Cell Dynamics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, explains.
Several of those engaged in this relatively new field, known as synthetic biology, have tried to create biological computers.
At the heart of both the biological and the more everyday silicon-based variety of computers are Boolean logic gates, which produce responses that vary depending on what type and how many inputs they receive. For example, AND gates need two unique inputs to generate an output. In contrast, OR gates generate an output based on whether they receive one input, or another, or both.
Inoue says that previous research has shown some success in generating logic gates based on biomolecules in test tubes or petri dishes. However, developing logic gates using whole cells has proven significantly trickier, he adds. Most previous efforts have taken advantage of cells’ transcriptional machinery — the cellular processes that read genes to create proteins — to generate an output signal. But transcription can be a slow process, taking minutes to days to produce the desired response.
Cellular computers with response in seconds, not hours or days
“We were hoping to achieve computation in cells on the order of seconds, which is significantly faster than what people have achieved thus far,” says Inoue.
To accomplish this goal, the researchers used a technique called chemically inducible dimerization, or CID. This tool takes advantage of natural biological mechanisms that bring together two proteins into a complex in the presence of a chemical.
Since AND and OR gates generate a response based on two different inputs, either together or separately, the researchers needed two different CID systems that didn’t compete or overlap with each other. They relied on one system that’s been studied for years, which brings two proteins, called FRB and FKBP, together in the presence of a drug called rapamycin. Rapamycin comes from bacteria, and FRB and FKBP come from animals.
In addition, they used a second CID system that brings together two other proteins, known as GID1 and GAI, in the presence of a plant hormone called gibberellin. Since this system is native to plants, the gibberellin-based system doesn’t compete with the rapamycin-based one, Inoue explains.
The researchers engineered mammalian cells that produce all four of the requisite proteins, as well as a response when the right two proteins came together. When either FRB and FKBP or GID1 and GAI linked up, the cell’s membrane developed ruffles easily visible under a microscope.
To create the OR gate, FRB and GAI were bound together at the cell membrane, while FKBP and GID1 were bound together floating freely in the cell. Adding either rapamycin, gibberellin, or both to cells brought the freely floating complex to the one at the cellular membrane, linking up the matching proteins and triggering the output signal.
To create the AND gate, the researchers placed just GAI at the cell membrane, with just FRB and complexes of FKBP and GID1 free-floating in the cell. This system required all four proteins to link up to produce membrane ruffling, which wouldn’t occur without both input chemicals.
Tests showed that each of the engineered cellular logic gates produced the desired response reliably, in a matter of seconds. Additionally, as a second proof of principle, the researchers generated similar logic gates that used fluorescence as an output, which worked just as well and quickly.
Building future cellular computers
Eventually, Inoue notes, researchers might use similar cellular logic gates to build larger, more complex circuits that could form the basis for computers that use cells as basic units. In the meantime, these individual cellular circuits could be engineered to produce specific outputs in the presence of chemicals, making them useful detectors or diagnostic agents.
He adds that researchers might also use synthetic logic gate systems like this one to study how cells naturally produce outputs to keep bodily functions running smoothly.
This study was supported in part by the National Institute of Health (NIH) GM092930, DK090868, NS072241, the National Science Foundation IOS-0641548 and MCB-0923723, and the National Center for Research Resources of the NIH and NIH Roadmap for Medical Research UL1 RR 025005.
Ref.: Takafumi Miyamoto et al., Rapid and orthogonal logic gating with a gibberellin-induced dimerization system, Nature Chemical Biology, 2012, DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.922A story by a friend of ours. A tale which may bring a tear to even the toughest eye.
"Tales of an old Jeep"
By Henry J. Cubillan
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the years after World War II, thousands of ex-military Willys MB's and Ford GPW's were sold as surplus all over the world. Today, most of them have been scrapped, but a precious few of them have stayed with us as a piece of history. This is the story of one of them...
The old Jeep was tired, and its battered body looked particularly haggard in the autumn light. Today was its fiftieth birthday, and more than ever, he felt the weight of a lifetime of service on his sagging springs. As usual, he took it all in stride, always managing to do the work demanded of him, but on days like this, when the weather was cold and his latest owner favored the new Dodge Ram, leaving the Jeep in the musty, decrepit barn, old memories would creep up to him, beckoning, reminding him of better days....
He recalled the bright autumn morning when his crate was sealed and stowed in the hull of a Liberty ship for the long trip to North Africa. He remembered being assembled at a makeshift outdoor garage, the glaring sun of Tunisia warming his new canvas seats. For two long years, he served proudly with an infantry division, and he had been hit several times in the course of the war. Sometimes, when the weather was unusually cold, he felt a dull ache on his quarter panel, where the many coats of paint had never managed to conceal the dent left by a ricocheting.50 caliber slug.
Fifty years of work had dulled, but never erased, the smell of battle from his body, the lingering mix of sweat, gunpowder, blood and most of all, fear. Twice he had his driver shot out from over him, leaving him stranded, helpless, in the midst of a raging battle; but always another young man would jump on him and drive him to safety. Time had blurred the faces of most of his comrades in arms, but he could still hear Jonesy, a young soldier who gripped the wheel too tightly, talking softly to him, begging him not to give up, to hold the last drop of water in a ruptured radiator as they made their way around enemy lines during a German counterattack somewhere in Belgium.
The Jeep remembered proudly the day he was driven through the streets of a liberated Paris, with Old Glory flying triumphantly on his back. He could still hear the cheers and smell the grateful tears and flowers that were dropped on him that day. How happy his young soldiers had been that day, gaping at the Eiffel Tower and stealing kisses from the French girls who followed them everywhere.
After the war, he had ended up in Belgium, stripped of his machine gun and radios and sold to a young farmer who used him to pull a tiller. His young wife told her husband that the Jeep's olive drab color reminded her of the war, so he received the first of his many civilian paint jobs, this one bright red. For many years, he saw the Flemish soil yield its plentiful harvest and the farmer's sons grow tall and strong. One of them, the youngest, would drive him often, and after his father's death he had taken him to the city. From it the old Jeep remembered the lights, the cacophony of noises that never stopped, and the dozens of pigeons who would irreverently cover his hood with droppings.
The Jeep remained in the city for years, driven infrequently, until the day he heard the old Englishman's voice for the first time. "That's exactly what I've been looking for, laddy!", he heard, and his starter motor struggled to fire the engine. "This Jeep and I are going around the world!". Two weeks later, his engine completely overhauled and all of his fluids changed, he rumbled happily on brand new tires. He also sported a brand new paint job, bright blue, with a small Union Jack where the radio mount used to be.
What followed was the best six years of his life. The old Englishman, a country noble with a flair for adventure, drove him across Europe, to India, to Africa, to Australia, and then to Canada. The passage of time had inexorably frayed the memories of the trip, but the Jeep could recall a thousand tanks of gas, set after set of new tires, and the occasional spare part that kept him in shape. They had fled from bandits in eastern turkey, driven over bombed train tracks in the Punjab, crossed the dry plains of the Serengeti and the frozen tundra of northern Canada, endured scorching heat, monsoon rains, and storms of sand. Finally, their trip had taken them to Vancouver, where the old Englishman learned that his brother had passed away and his estates in Britain had to be settled. With misty eyes, the old gentleman sold the Jeep to a dealer, and the two traveling companions parted ways forever.
Twelve years and three owners later, all of who had purchased the Jeep for its low price and abused him mercilessly, he was exchanged for service to his current owner, a carpenter in Montana. Now he was driven only a few times a year, usually in the summer, and his paint was so faded that one could barely see the Union Jack on his left side. The passenger seat was long gone, as was the spare tire and the glass panels on the windshield, and his only companion was an ancient Marmon-Herrington pickup truck whose bed had been claimed by rust and his mood fouled by years of neglect.
"It's back here, in the barn" the loud voice said, snapping the old Jeep back from his memories. His owner was walking up to the barn, talking to a tall, distinguished looking old man with silver hair. "I have been looking for one of these for quite a while now," the new voice said, "I want to restore it to its original condition." There was something soothing about the old gentleman's voice that made the Jeep hopeful, and he wished it wasn't the pickup truck they were talking about. "There it is," said his owner, "Behind the old pickup." The old man placed his hand gingerly on the old jeep's faded hood, mesmerized. "One of these saved my life once, back in the war," he said quietly, "...been in love with them ever since, but I never had the time to restore one until now that I've retired." There was something oddly familiar about that melancholic voice, but the old Jeep could not place it. "It's in better shape than I thought it would be...how much do you want for it?" said the old man, walking slowly around him and peering curiously underneath. "Why don't we talk about it inside, over a cup of coffee? It's cold out here", said his owner, and the two men walked away.
A half hour later, his new owner started him up, and the old engine shook and backfired its disagreement. Slowly, he was driven up onto a trailer hitched to a big Suburban. The old man pulled some ratchet straps out of the back of the truck and began securing him to the trailer. The old Jeep couldn't believe it when a brand new tarp was placed over him and tied firmly in place, muffling the sound of the voices around him. "Grandpa, when you're done fixing it, can I ride in it with you?" He heard a young girl say; nobody had shown this excitement about him in decades, and it made the old Jeep feel good. Just like those young soldiers so many years ago, here was someone who really appreciated him. "Well, it was a pleasure doing business with you", his old owner said, "I hope you enjoy your Jeep, Mr. Jones." "Please," the old man answered back with a smile, "call me Jonesy, everyone does........"Ready 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.
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Americans are surrounded by examples of the extent to which the austerity compulsion has twisted the thinking of elected officials—December’s budget “compromise” failed to extend unemployment benefits, not just Republicans but many Democrats just voted for a Farm Bill that cuts aid for the hungry, states across the country are proposing to spend revenue surpluses on tax breaks for the rich and Detroit is trying to come up with a plan to avoid having to sell off its art museum. Ad Policy
But there will be no better example of how the austerity mindset warps the understanding of what government can and should be doing than the explanations Georgia officials are peddling for their failure to respond in a rational manner to warnings that their state was about to experience a winter storm. Instead of taking reasonable precautions such as closing schools, preparing major thoroughfares and highways, ordering truckers to use tire chains and imposing basic traffic-control measures, they allowed a nightmare scenario to play out.
With reports of deaths, thousands of stranded motorists, children stuck on school buses and trapped in schools, and commerce ground to a half, the Associated Press was describing the Atlanta metro area as “Exhibit A for how a Southern city could be sent reeling by winter weather that, in the North, might be no more than an inconvenience.” But what happened in Atlanta has more to do with the austerity mindset than snow and ice.
Weather forecasters did their job; the National Weather Service warned a day before the storm that snow on Atlanta-area roads “will make travel difficult.” And at 3:30 am Tuesday, the weather service issued a winter storm warning that cautioned against travel except in emergencies.
Yet Georgia Governor Nathan Deal and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed took few of the precautionary steps that might be expected. Instead, they both attended a Tuesday afternoon event honoring Reed as the “2014 Georgian of the Year.” At the same time the politicians were celebrating, the roads were beginning to gridlock into a mess that would eventually bring the region—“home to major corporations and the world’s busiest airport”—to a standstill.
Why? Deal first attempted to blame the forecasters, suggesting that it was unclear where exactly the “unexpected storm” would hit. But the storm wasn’t unexpected or unpredicted. It is almost always unclear precisely where storms will hit. The job of officials is to err on the side of caution, as lives and livelihoods are at stake.
Unless, of course, those officials are operating with an austerity mindset in which their biggest fear is not chaos but accusations that they might expend dollars that do not need to be spent—or that the officials are somehow failing to make the service of big business their highest priority.
“I would have acted sooner, and I think we learn from that and then we will act sooner the next time,” announced Deal, who made a similar promise after failing to prepare for a 2011 storm. “But,” the governor added, “”we don’t want to be accused of crying wolf. Because if we had been wrong, y’all would have all been in here saying, ‘Do you know how many millions of dollars you cost the economies of the city of Atlanta and the state of Georgia by shutting down businesses all over this city and this state?’ ”
Reasonable people can, and do, disagree about the role of government. But when we have politicians like Deal, who is up for re-election this year, “explaining” a failure to make basic emergency preparations by saying they didn’t want to be accused of harming commerce, the austerity mindset has taken hold. And it is not just trumping common sense, it is failing citizens, communities and the very businesses that misguided politicians like Nathan Deal say that they seek to serve.The United States has spent years helping Saudi Arabia bombard Yemen, killing thousands of civilians along the way. Now members of Congress say America needs to stop supporting the bloodshed.
The GOP-controlled House of Representatives passed a resolution Monday that tacitly says America shouldn’t assist Saudi Arabia in its fight against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. That’s because, by a wide 366-30 margin, the House believes the US is only authorized to fight terrorist groups like ISIS or al-Qaeda whether they are in the Middle East, North Africa, or even Asia. The key distinction here is that the lawmakers say the US isn’t authorized to fight the Houthis.
It’s the first time a resolution to end America’s involvement in Yemen has passed in Congress, but, crucially, the House resolution is nonbinding. That means the US will likely continue to assist Saudi Arabia by refueling its planes and providing intelligence in Riyadh’s brutal air war.
Impoverished before the conflict, Yemen has suffered greatly due to a Saudi blockade and airstrikes that have destroyed hospitals, schools, and other civilian infrastructure.
So far, the conflict has claimed more than 13,500 lives, with more than 900,000 suffering from cholera. Roughly 20 million Yemenis need humanitarian assistance to meet basic needs — including food and water — out of a prewar population of 28 million.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), who leads the House effort against America’s involvement in Yemen, told HuffPost’s Akbar Shahid Ahmed that the vote is only a small step forward. “The shift in our foreign policy is not going to happen overnight,” Khanna said. “If I’m looking at something from a scale of 1 to 10, in terms of shifting US foreign policy, maybe this is a 2. But it is a 2.”
So while the resolution may not do much, it does signal a slight shift away from ever-closer US-Saudi ties under President Donald Trump — and comes at a time when the young Saudi prince who is the country’s likely next king wants to escalate the war even further.
One man drives the Yemen war
Mohammed bin Salman, the 32-year-old crown prince of Saudi Arabia and defense minister, is the mastermind behind the war in Yemen. It’s part of his aggressive anti-Iran policy in the Middle East, which led him to intervene in Yemen in support of the internationally recognized government against the Houthis.
Iran’s government is a Shia Muslim theocracy; Saudi Arabia’s government is a monarchy closely aligned with the country’s Sunni Muslim religious establishment. The two countries represent two ideological and political poles and have spent decades fighting each other for dominance in the Middle East and for the right to represent the Muslim world.
MBS, as he is more widely known, along with his father, King Salman, earlier this month completed a purge of an astonishing 11 princes and dozens of other officials and businessmen. That allowed MBS to consolidate even more power in Saudi Arabia, which gives him even more authority to direct Riyadh’s war in Yemen.
Trump continues to support bin Salman, going so far as to approve his purge in a tweet on November 6. So even if the House doesn’t like America’s involvement in Yemen, the White House likes Saudi Arabia — which means US support for a growing humanitarian crisis likely isn’t going away.Spread the love
B. Scott’s Statement:
It’s unfortunate that Judge Yvette M. Palazuelos presiding over today’s motion failed to consider the facts in their entirety, especially pertaining to a case as unique as this one.
It disheartens me that the message sent today wasn’t a message of acceptance, but rather it’s acceptable to discriminate against transgender individuals on the basis of their gender identity and expression — and that such discriminatory acts are protected under the first amendment.
As my attorney and I seek to appeal the judge’s decision on the motion to strike in the California Court of Appeal, we’re continuing to fight for the rights of the LGBTQ community and to remind the world that it’s ok to be who you are.
Standing up for your rights and the rights of others can be a lengthy, uphill war. When one battle is lost, another is waged and yet we must press forward.
Although I’m saddened by what today’s verdict means for myself and other members of the LGBTQ community, the struggle is not over. I will pursue progress and human rights for our community through the Appellate Court where I hope that my unique set of circumstances and BET/Viacom’s treatment of me will collectively yield active legislation to prevent anyone else from having to suffer as I have – without networks being able to disguise their unlawful discriminatory practices with vague, umbrella terms like ‘creative privilege’.
I’m committed to change, progress, human rights and equality for all, and by no means do I feel defeated.
Thank you all for your continued support and prayers.
Attorney Waukeen McCoy’s statement:
Citing that the defendants have Freedom of Speech rights sends the wrong message to corporate America as to how to deal with people who are transgender. The Court expressed that there would be a problem with ‘policing’ this behavior, yet the Court ‘polices’ wrongful discriminatory conduct all the time related to employment, it’s their job to do so. This is a unique case now prime for Appellate Court review. This is not over. I dealt with wrongful decisions and appeals in the gay marriage cases (in Re Marriage), went through the legal process, and was successful in the Supreme Court of California. I am optimistic that we will win transgender rights on appeal as the law in this area is evolving.
Related:
Read: [TMZ Video] Emails Confirm BET Discriminated against B. Scott & Reveal Cover-up Attempt |
’s career will never be defined by this hiring – and it will certainly not be on the line if it fails – but his legacy is most certainly at stake. In that there is no question.Marvel Studios has released the trailer for Avengers: Infinity War, with the movie, partially filmed in Edinburgh, set to hit UK cinemas 27 April 2018.
The first trailer for the biggest Marvel movie ever has already set social media abuzz.
Fans of The Avengers series flocked to Edinburgh last year as keen fans attempted to spot filming locations and stars during the summer.
READ MORE: Leith warehouse becomes film studio for Avengers movie
Locals witnessed a number of scenes being filmed in the Capital with Cockburn Street, the Royal Mile and even Waverley station being used as locations for the blockbuster.
Production ran in Edinburgh from March to April 21 with a number of the stars also taking to the city streets to explore the Capital.
And it appears that a small part of Edinburgh has made it into the trailer at 1:21.
The arches in the sandstone wall at Waverley Station make a (very) brief appearance in the background
As part of the shoot, a vast 160,000 sq ft warehouse on the Leith waterfront was turned into a film studio.
Rosie Ellison, Head of Film Edinburgh, Edinburgh’s film office, said: “The Avengers is one of the most successful and highest grossing franchises ever, so Edinburgh’s appearance in Avengers: Infinity War, which will be watched by millions of people around the world, will showcase the city on a global scale. The film will not only reach a huge number of potential visitors, it also demonstrates Edinburgh’s film friendly credentials to future productions.
The background shows the pillars at Waverley Station
“Avengers Infinity War was the most complex shoot ever to film in Edinburgh, a feat even more impressive given that the majority of the filming took place within an UNESCO World Heritage site, and Film Edinburgh and the City of Edinburgh Council worked closely with the filmmakers over several months to facilitate it.”
Filmed partly on location in Edinburgh over seven weeks, Avengers: Infinity War was the largest and most complex shoot ever to film in Edinburgh’s historic Old Town and city centre. The production saw over 400 crew members working on the shoot, following three months of pre-production and several months of preparation in advance of this, working closely with Film Edinburgh and the City of Edinburgh Council. In total the production generated an estimated £10 million plus for the city region in economic impact.
Speaking about filming in Edinburgh earlier this year, directors Anthony and Joe Russo said:
Joe Russo: “When Edinburgh came up as a location option we jumped at the chance. The city is such a unique and iconic location, but one never seen as the backdrop for a big action film, which is incredibly exciting.”
Filming in Edinburgh for Averngers Infinity War
Anthony Russo: “The support from all local agencies, such as Film Edinburgh, has been invaluable in helping to coordinate this complicated shoot. “We appreciate the entire city’s help and are excited to have such a beautiful and historic city in the film.”
READ MORE: Video: Explosion on Royal Mile as Avengers filming underway
Avengers Infinity War ushers in a new arc for the Marvel Comic Universe that will see Thanos embarking on his quest to collect each of the prized Infinity Stones.
Part 1 will be released on April 27.Contents
Introduction
Credit Expansion, Standard Money, and Fiduciary Media
The Stock Market and Real Estate Bubbles
Evasion of Responsibility for the Bubbles
The Saving Glut Argument
The Non-Existence of a Saving Glut
Current Account Deficits as a By-Product of the Increase in the Quantity of Money
Net Saving as a By-Product of the Increase in the Quantity of Money
Summary and Conclusion
Introduction
Readers who are already familiar with the nature of credit expansion and the concepts of standard money and fiduciary media should skip the first section. Readers who are also already familiar with the role of credit expansion and fiduciary media in generating the stock market and real estate bubbles should skip the second section as well and proceed directly to the third section “Evasion of Responsibility for the Bubbles.”
Credit Expansion, Standard Money, and Fiduciary Media
Since the mid-1990s, the United States has experienced two major financial bubbles: a stock market bubble and a housing bubble. In both instances, the bubble was inaugurated and sustained by a process of massive credit expansion, i.e., the lending out of newly created money by the banking system, operating with the sanction and support of the country’s central bank, the Federal Reserve System.
The concept of credit expansion rests on two further concepts: standard money and fiduciary media. Standard money is money that is not a claim to anything beyond itself. It is that which, when received, constitutes payment. Under a gold standard, standard money is gold coin or bullion. Under a gold standard, paper notes, which were claims to gold, payable on demand, were not standard money. They were merely a claim to standard money, which was physical gold. The dollar was defined as a physical quantity of gold of a definite fineness, i.e., approximately one-twentieth of an ounce of gold nine-tenths fine.
Today in the United States, standard money is the irredeemable paper currency issued by the United States government. That money is not a claim to anything beyond itself. Receipt of such money today constitutes final payment.
The total of standard money today is the sum of the outstanding quantity of paper currency plus the checking deposit liabilities of the Federal Reserve System. Since the Federal Reserve has the power to print as much currency as it likes, and thus is always in a position to redeem its outstanding checking deposits in currency, these checking deposit liabilities can properly be viewed as a kind of different denomination of the paper currency, much like hundred dollar bills that are to be redeemed for notes of smaller denomination, or one-dollar bills that are to be redeemed for notes of larger denomination. Thus the total supply of standard money is to be understood as the sum of the supply of paper currency in the narrower sense plus the checking deposit liabilities of the central bank.
These two magnitudes, currency plus checking deposit liabilities of the central bank, when taken together, are known as the “monetary base.”
In December of 1994, the monetary base was $427.3 billion. In December of 1999, it was $608 billion. In December of 2007, it was $836.4 billion. In all years prior to 2008, the overwhelming portion of the monetary base consisted of currency. For example, in December of 2007, currency was $763.8 billion, while, as just noted, the monetary base as a whole was $836.4 billion.
A portion of the currency outstanding and a portion of the checking deposit liabilities of the Federal Reserve constitute the reserves of the banking system. These reserves are the standard money that the banks possess and can use to meet the withdrawals of depositors requesting currency. The reserves are also used to meet the demand of other banks seeking to redeem net balances accruing in their favor in the process of the clearing of checks.
In December of 1994 such reserves were $61.36 billion; in 1999, they $41.7 billion; in December of 2007, they were $42.7 billion.
Normally, as the overall quantity of money in the economic system increases, bank reserves increase more or less in proportion. The fact that reserves were almost one-third lower in December of 1999 than in December of 1994, and then barely higher in December of 2007 than they were in December of 1999, despite major increases in the quantity of money over these years, is a major anomaly. It reflects the long-standing, deliberate policy of the Federal Reserve System of reducing and even altogether eliminating reserve requirements.
As a recent scholarly paper noted,
The Depository Institutions Deregulation and Monetary Control Act of 1980 had begun phasing out interest-rate ceilings on deposits and
modified reserve requirements in complex ways. Combined with subsequent administrative deregulation under Greenspan through January 1994, these changes left all the financial liabilities that M2 adds to M1—savings deposits, small time deposits, money market deposit accounts, and retail money market mutual fund shares—utterly free of reserve requirements and allowed banks to reclassify many M1 checking accounts as M2 savings deposits. M2 and the broader measures became quasi-deregulated aggregates with no legal link to the size of the monetary base. [1]
The concept of standard money underlies the concepts of fiduciary media and credit expansion. As I wrote in Capitalism, “Fiduciary media are transferable claims to standard money, payable by the issuer on demand, and accepted in commerce as the equivalent of standard money, but for which no standard money actually exists.”
[2]
The overwhelmingly greater part of our money supply today consists of fiduciary media in the form of checking deposits of one kind or another. For example, as of December 2007, the total money supply of the United States, i.e., currency plus bank deposits of all kinds that are subject to the writing of checks, including the making of payments by debit card, was $6901.9 billion;
[3]
at the same time, the monetary base was $836.4 billion. Accordingly, the amount of fiduciary media in the United States was equal to the difference, which was $6065.5 billion. This was the sum of money representing transferable claims to standard money, payable on demand by the various banks that issued them, accepted in commerce as the equivalent of standard money, but for which no standard money actually existed.
The only standard money that the banks had available with which to redeem their checking deposits was $42.7 billion in standard money reserves. These $42.7 billion of reserves were the standard-money backing for a total of $6108.2 billion checking deposits, i.e., deposits equal to the sum of $42.7 billion + $6065.5 billion. To say the same thing in different words, there was full, 100 percent standard-money backing for $42.7 billion of deposits, and no standard-money backing whatever for $6065.5 billion of deposits, which latter constituted fiduciary media.
The quantity of fiduciary media in existence at any time represents the cumulative total of all of the credit expansion that has taken place in the country’s money supply up to that time. It represents the sum of all of the loans and investments that the banking system has made based on the foundation of the creation of money out of thin air. The difference between the amount of outstanding fiduciary media at two points in time represents the credit expansion that has taken place in the interval.
The simplest way in which to understand the process of the creation of fiduciary media and credit expansion is to imagine a deposit of standard money in the form of currency into a checking account. After making the deposit, the depositor has just as much spendable money in his possession as he did before making it. Instead of a roll of currency, he has a checking balance of equal amount. Either way, he can spend the same amount of money. Before making his deposit, he would have had to peel off bills from his roll in order to make payments. Now, instead, he writes checks and makes payment by check. Instead of his roll of currency diminishing each time he peels off a bill, his checking balance diminishes each time he writes a check. In the one case, the spendable money in his possession is his roll of currency; in the other it is his checking balance.
Up to this point in our imaginary scenario, there has been no creation of fiduciary media and no credit expansion. The money supply does not exceed the quantity of standard money. In the one case, before making his deposit, the standard money is in the possession of an individual. After the individual makes his deposit and holds money in the form of a checking balance, the same quantity of standard money is in the possession of his bank. Under such conditions, the quantity of money in the economic system is equal to the quantity of standard money held either by individuals as holdings of currency, or by banks as reserves against the checking deposits of those individuals and equal in amount to the size of those checking deposits.
Fiduciary media and credit expansion enter the picture insofar as the banks in which standard money has been deposited proceed to lend out the standard money that has been deposited with them. To the extent they do this, borrowers from the banks now have spendable money in their possession which is in addition to the spendable money in the hands of the banks’ checking depositors. There has been a creation of new and additional money, which new and additional money represents fiduciary media and an equivalent expansion of credit.
The currency which the banks lend out can easily, and almost certainly will, be deposited. When it is deposited, the same process of the creation of fiduciary media and credit expansion can be repeated. Indeed, under the conditions largely created by Greenspan, checking deposits came to stand in a multiple of more than 160 times the standard money reserves of the banks. In December of 2007, there were $6901.9 billion of checking deposits backed by a mere $42.7 billion of standard money reserves.
In modern conditions, of course, banks do not lend currency. Rather, they simply create new and additional checking deposits for their borrowers. When the borrowers spend those checking deposits by writing checks of their own, the people who receive the checks in turn deposit them in their banks. Those banks then call upon the banks that have created the deposits, for payment. This entails a shifting of standard money reserves from the one set of banks to the other.
To the extent that all banks have engaged in the process of checking deposit creation, the reserve balances due from any bank may be more or less closely matched by the reserve balances due it from other banks. This is because the checks written by its customers to the customers of other banks will be more or less closely matched by checks written by the customers of other banks to customers of this bank. In such a case the only movement of reserves will be the net amount due in the clearing.
From December of 1994, prior to the start of the stock market bubble, to December of 2005, shortly before the end of the housing bubble, the quantity of fiduciary media increased from $1.91 trillion to $4.93 trillion. This represented a compound annual rate of increase in excess of 9 percent over the eleven-year period. From December of 1999, shortly before the start of the housing bubble, to December of 2005, the amount of fiduciary media increased from $3.25 trillion to $4.93 trillion, which represented a compound annual rate of increase of 7.21 percent.
The increase in the quantity of fiduciary media over the period as a whole is significant, not just the increase that took place over the period of the housing bubble itself. This is because fiduciary media created in the years prior to the housing bubble played an important role in financing that bubble. And the same was true of the role of fiduciary media created in the years prior to the stock market bubble in financing that bubble.
As interest rates rose in the latter parts of these two bubbles, vast checking balances created earlier, that had been held as though they were savings accounts, and on which a modest rate of interest was being earned, were drawn into the financing of stock market purchases in the one case and housing loans in the other. The transformation of these deposits from de facto savings accounts into de facto checking accounts was based on the combination of their having had the potential for check writing all along, together with a rise in the rates of return that could be earned by switching their use from a vehicle for savings into a vehicle for buying investments. The rise in rates of return in the one case was in the gains to be had from stock market investment; in the other, in rates of interest on various vehicles for financing housing and real estate purchases.
It might be thought that what I have said of the transformation of deposits on which checks could be written would largely apply also to genuine savings deposits, on which checks could not be written. For the rise in rates of return would provide the same incentive to move funds from them into more lucrative investments. This is true. But nevertheless, there is a crucial difference.
Before the savings deposits can be spent, they must first be converted into checking deposits. All of the checking deposits that come under the heading of M1, most notably those held at commercial banks, require that those banks hold significant reserves, typically in an amount equal to 10 percent of a bank’s total deposits in excess of $44 million. Savings deposits in contrast have not required the holding of any reserves whatever for many years, and even when they did require the holding of reserves, it was at a far lower percentage than applied to checking deposits.
As a result, any movement of funds from savings into checking accounts entails an increase in required reserves. To obtain these additional reserves, banks must sell various assets, the effect of which would be to reduce their prices and to raise their effective yields to the new buyers. Unless the Federal Reserve intervened to provide new and additional reserves equal to the increase in the need for reserves, the effect would be not only a rise in interest rates but a general tendency toward a contraction of credit. This last would result from the loss of reserves by banks whose reserves were already at the bare minimum necessary to conduct operations.
In contrast, the use of savings held in accounts with already existing check-writing privileges to make purchases does not require any additional reserves. The problem of a need for additional reserves arises only insofar as a net movement of funds might occur, through the clearing, from checking accounts of a kind requiring no reserves to checking deposits of a kind that do require reserves. Checking deposits with no legal reserve requirements are money-market deposit accounts and retail and institutional money market funds. Checks drawn on such accounts and then deposited in other such accounts do not require any additional reserves. Additional reserves are required only when and to the extent that checks drawn on such accounts and deposited in conventional checking accounts exceed the volume of checks coming from conventional checking accounts and deposited in such accounts.
To the extent that the Federal Reserve is willing to supply the necessary additional reserves to meet the greater need for reserves arising from such a movement of funds, all checking deposits come to stand on an equal footing as sources of spendable money. And so too do savings deposits that end up being convertible into checking deposits with no net increase in the scarcity of reserves because the Fed has enlarged the supply of reserves to the same or even greater extent than the increase in the amount of reserves required as the result of such conversion.
Consistent with the fact cited earlier that total reserves were substantially lower in December of 1999 than they had been in December of 1994 and grew only slightly from December of 1999 to December of 2007, it must be pointed out that additional reserves can be supplied by the Fed by means of its reducing or eliminating reserve requirements at various points in the banking system. Thus, for example, when the Fed eliminated the requirement that once existed that a 3 percent reserve be held against savings deposits, all of the reserves previously held to meet that requirement became equivalent to a supply of new and additional reserves of that same amount.
The same was true when the Fed allowed commercial banks on weekends and holidays to “sweep” substantial parts of their outstanding checking deposits into types of accounts that did not require reserves. This too made a substantial portion of already existing reserves the equivalent of new and additional reserves. Indeed, the amount of such new and additional reserves constituted such an excess of reserves above the now diminished reserve requirements, that the Fed was obliged to reduce the outstanding amount of reserves by means of resorting to “open-market operations” in which it sold some of its holdings of government securities in exchange for newly excess reserves.
The Stock Market and Real Estate Bubbles
Credit expansion was the source of the funds that fueled both the stock market and the real estate bubbles. In the case of the stock market bubble, credit expansion provided funds for the purchase of stocks. The sellers of the stocks then used the far greater part of their proceeds to purchase other stocks, whose sellers did likewise. In this way, the new and additional money created by credit expansion traveled from one set of stocks to another, raising the prices of the great majority of them. It continued to do this so long as the credit expansion went on at a sufficient rate.
Ultimately, a sufficient rate would have had to be an accelerating rate. This is because rising share prices resulted in people feeling richer and thus believing themselves able to afford more luxury goods. It also led to a stepped up demand for physical capital goods by firms coming into possession of the new and additional money by virtue of sales of stock of their own. The issuance of such stock and use of the proceeds to finance the purchase of physical capital goods was encouraged by the fact that the rise in stock prices made it more and more attractive in comparison with acquiring capital goods through the purchase of stocks in other companies.
Thus, an important later effect of the credit expansion was a tendency for funds to be withdrawn from the stock market, for the purchase of luxury consumers’ goods and also of physical capital goods. To offset this withdrawal of funds, more rapid credit expansion would have been necessary.
When, instead of an acceleration of the credit expansion, there was a diminution in its rate, the basis of the market’s rise was doubly undercut. Since the funds provided by credit expansion had come to represent an important part of the demand for stocks, the reduction in credit expansion constituted a reduction in that demand. Coupled with the outflows of funds just described, the result was that share prices began to plummet. Their fall was compounded by the unloading of shares by people who had purchased them for no other reason than their expectation of a continuing rise in stock prices.
The more recent, real estate bubble originated in the Fed’s panic-response to the collapse of the stock market bubble it had caused earlier. To overcome the effects of that collapse, it progressively reduced its target federal-funds rate, i.e., the rate of interest banks pay one another on the lending and borrowing of funds that qualify as reserves against commercial-bank checking deposits. In this way, it launched a new and more momentous credit expansion.
For the three years 2001-2004, the Federal Reserve created as much new and additional money in the form of additional bank reserves as was necessary to drive and then keep the federal-funds rate below 2 percent. And from July of 2003 to June of 2004, it drove and kept it even further down, at approximately 1 percent.
The new and additional money created by the banking system on the foundation of these new and additional reserves appeared in the loan market as a new and additional supply of loanable funds. The effect was a reduction in interest rates across the board.
Because interest is a major determinant of monthly mortgage payments, the fall in interest rates made home ownership appear substantially less expensive. As a result, a great surge in the demand for mortgage loans and the in the purchase of homes took place. Instead of pouring into the stock market as in the previous bubble, the funds created by credit expansion now poured into the real estate market and drove up the prices of homes and commercial real estate rather than the prices of common stocks.
In the stock market bubble and even more so in the real estate bubble there was both large scale overconsumption and malinvestment. These are the two leading features of booms as explained by the monetary theory of the trade cycle developed by Ludwig von Mises. In both cases, the rise in the price of major assets—most notably, stocks and homes respectively—led people to believe that they were richer and could thus afford to consume more. In both cases, particular branches of industry were greatly overexpanded relative to the rest of the economic system, resulting in a subsequent major loss of capital. In the stock market bubble, the malinvestment was mainly in such things as the “dot.com” enterprises that later went broke. In the real estate bubble, it was in housing and commercial real estate.
Evasion of Responsibility for the Bubbles
Credit expansion is what was responsible for both the stock market and the real estate bubbles. Since its establishment in 1913 and certainly since the expansion of its powers in World War I, responsibility for credit expansion itself has rested with the Federal Reserve System. The Fed is the source of new and additional reserves for the banking system and determines how much in checking deposits the reserves can support. It has the power to inaugurate and sustain booms and to cut them short. It launched and sustained the stock market and real estate bubbles. It had the power to avoid both of these bubbles and then to stop them at any time. It chose to launch and sustain them rather than to avoid or stop them.
To be responsible for a bubble and its aftermath is to be responsible for a mass illusion of wealth, accompanied by the misdirection of investment, overconsumption, and loss of capital, and the poverty and suffering of millions that follows. This is what can be traced to the doorstep of the Federal Reserve System and those in charge of it. It is destruction on a scale many times greater than that wrought by Bernard Madoff, the swindler who first made his clients believe they were growing rich, only to cause them ultimately a loss of more than $50 billion. Madoff is one of the most justly hated individuals in the United States.
In contrast to the $50 billion of losses caused by Madoff, the losses caused by the Federal Reserve System and those in charge of it amount to trillions of dollars, probably to more than $10 trillion if the stock and real estate bubbles are taken together. Instead of affecting thousands of people as in the case of Madoff, tens of millions have been made to suffer hardship. Indeed, practically everyone has been harmed to some extent by what the Federal Reserve has done: the owners of stocks that have plunged, pensioners, the unemployed and their families, towns and cities suffering the consequences of business failures and plant closings.
It is difficult to imagine living with the knowledge that one is personally responsible for such massive destruction. Such knowledge might easily drive someone to suicide or at least to some means, such as drink or drugs, of not having to allow it into consciousness.
Alan Greenspan, who was Chairman of the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors from 1987 to 2006, the period encompassing both bubbles, is clearly the single individual most responsible for the bubbles. The present Chairman, Ben Bernanke, also bears substantial responsibility, though not to the same extent as Greenspan. While Chairman only since January of 2006, Bernanke has been a member of the Federal Reserve Board since 2002. Thus he was present in a major policy making position during most of the housing bubble and crucial years leading up to it.
Neither Greenspan nor Bernanke have resorted to drink or drugs to conceal their responsibility from themselves. Instead they have resorted to specious claims about the cause of the bubbles, the housing bubble in particular.
One can read through their widely disseminated public statements and not find a single explicit reference to credit expansion and fiduciary media, nor to malinvestment and overconsumption. To avoid recognition of any need to discuss these phenomena, Greenspan seems to have wiped his mind clean of all knowledge of how Federal Reserve interest-rate policy affects interest rates in the economic system.
In what appears to be his closest reference to credit expansion, he wrote, in an article in The Wall Street Journal of March 11, 2009:
There are at least two broad and competing explanations of the origins of this crisis. The first is that the "easy money" policies of the Federal Reserve produced the U.S. housing bubble that is at the core of today's financial mess.
The second, and far more credible, explanation agrees that it was indeed lower interest rates that spawned the speculative euphoria. However, the interest rate that mattered was not the federal-funds rate, but the rate on long-term, fixed-rate mortgages. Between 2002 and 2005, home mortgage rates led U.S. home price change by 11 months. This correlation between home prices and mortgage rates was highly significant, and a far better indicator of rising home prices than the fed-funds rate.
This should not come as a surprise. After all, the prices of long-lived assets have always been determined by discounting the flow of income or imputed services by interest rates of the same maturities as the life of the asset. No one, to my knowledge, employs overnight interest rates—such as the fed-funds rate—to determine the capitalization rate of real estate, whether it be an office building or a single-family residence.
In these passages Greenspan invents a version of the opposition to Federal Reserve sponsored credit expansion that no opponent of credit expansion or “easy money” has ever held. No opponent of credit expansion has ever claimed that reductions in the federal-funds rate need directly affect long-term interest rates. To the contrary, the significance of reductions in the federal-funds rate is that what is required to bring them about in the actual market for those funds is an increase in member-bank reserves. The increase in those reserves is then the foundation of credit expansion to a vast multiple of the additional reserves. That credit expansion is what then serves to lower long-term interest rates, such as mortgage rates.
The way the process works is as follows. To actually achieve the lower federal-funds rate that it announces as its target, the Federal Reserve goes into the market and buys government securities from banks or the customers of banks. It pays for those securities by means of the creation of new and additional standard money. When the Fed purchases securities from banks, the banks directly and immediately have equivalently more reserves in their possession. When it purchases securities from the customers of banks, the banks gain equivalently more reserves as soon as those customers deposit the checks they have received that are drawn by the Fed on the Fed. These checks are then forwarded to the Fed and the reserve accounts of the banks in question are equivalently increased.
Depending on the amount of their increase, the immediate effect of the additional reserves is to reduce or eliminate deficiencies in the required reserves of some, many, or all of the banks that have had such deficiencies, to replace deficiencies of reserves with excesses of reserves, and to increase the excess reserves of some, many, or all of the banks that have had excess reserves. The effect of this in turn is to reduce the demand for federal funds, i.e., funds that qualify as reserves, while increasing their supply. This combination is what brings down the federal-funds rate in the market for federal funds.
What is far more significant is that the creation of new and additional excess reserves by the Fed—reserves beyond the amount legally required to be held—places the banking system in a position in which it can expand the supply of checking deposits and thus fiduciary media to a multiple of the additional reserves. And thanks largely to Mr. Greenspan that multiple came to be enormous. By December of 2005, it exceeded 126 times. Two years later, it exceeded 160 times.
Thus for each dollar of additional excess reserves created, a credit expansion was made possible on the order of a vast multiple. The new and additional fiduciary media corresponding to the credit expansion were the source of the funds for stock purchases in the stock market bubble and for housing and commercial real estate purchases in the housing bubble. Their pouring into the home mortgage market was what drove down mortgage interest rates. Between December of 1999 and December of 2005, almost $1.7 trillion of new and additional fiduciary media were created and lent out.
As market interest rates started rising in the second half of 2004 and then through 2005, increasing amounts of deposits earning a modest rate of interest and on which checks could be written, came to be used more and more as checking accounts rather than savings accounts. They were drawn into the spending stream in response to the higher comparative rates of return that could be earned through investment in securities. This allowed the life of the housing bubble to be extended until 2006.
The Saving Glut Argument
Along with denying the causal role of Federal Reserve expansionary monetary policy in the housing bubble, Greenspan advances the claim, greatly elaborated by Bernanke, that what was actually responsible for the bubble was an excess of global saving. He argues in his Wall Street Journal article that
[T]he presumptive cause of the world-wide decline in long-term rates was the tectonic shift in the early 1990s by much of the developing world from heavy emphasis on central planning to increasingly dynamic, export-led market competition. The result was a surge in growth in China and a large number of other emerging market economies that led to an excess of global intended savings relative to intended capital investment. That ex ante excess of savings propelled global long-term interest rates progressively lower between early 2000 and 2005.
In a series of lectures beginning in March of 2005 and continuing into the current year, Bernanke elaborates on this claim. At a lecture given at the Bundesbank in Berlin, Germany, on September 11, 2007, titled “Global Imbalances: Recent Developments and Prospects,” he argued that stepped up saving in developing countries was largely responsible for “the substantial expansion of the current account deficit in the United States, the equally impressive rise in the current account surpluses of many emerging-market economies, and a worldwide decline in long-term real interest rates.” (For the benefit of non-technical readers, the “current account” balance encompasses the difference between exports and imports both of goods and services, the difference between incomes earned abroad and incomes paid to abroad, plus the difference between remittances from and to abroad.)
These developments, he held, “could be explained, in part, by the emergence of a global saving glut, driven by the transformation of many emerging-market economies—notably, rapidly growing East Asian economies and oil-producing countries—from net borrowers to large net lenders on international capital markets.”
[4]
In a speech delivered on April 9 of this year at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Bernanke stressed that “the net inflow of foreign saving to the United States, which was about 1-1/2 percent of our national output in 1995, reached about 6 percent of national output in 2006 an amount equal to about $825 billion in today's dollars.” He then proceeded to blame the housing boom on this inflow of foreign savings. “Financial institutions,” he declared, “reacted to the surplus of available funds by competing aggressively for borrowers, and, in the years leading up to the crisis, credit to both households and businesses became relatively cheap and easy to obtain. One important consequence was a housing boom in the United States, a boom that was fueled in large part by a rapid expansion of mortgage lending.”
Thus, according to Bernanke, it was not credit expansion or anything that he and the Federal Reserve System and Mr. Greenspan were responsible for, but the inflow of foreign savings. That inflow, representing a “global saving glut,” was responsible for the bubble and its aftermath.
Bernanke uses the expression “saving glut” repeatedly: 9 times in his lecture at the Bundesbank in September of 2007, 11 times in his lecture at the Virginia Association of Economics in March of 2005, and 10 times in his Homer Jones Lecture in St. Louis in April of 2005. Despite his constant repetition of the claim, it turns out to have absolutely no substance. Nowhere is the existence of anything remotely approaching a saving glut in any way substantiated.
The Non-Existence of a Saving Glut
The very notion of a saving glut is absurd, practically on its face. As I wrote in Capitalism:
Before the scarcity of capital … could be overcome, capital would have to be accumulated sufficient to enable the 85 percent of the world that is not presently industrialized to come up to the degree of capital intensiveness of the 15 percent of the world that is industrialized. Within the industrialized countries, capital would have to be accumulated sufficient to enable every factory, farm, mine, and store to increase its degree of capital intensiveness to the point presently enjoyed only by the most capital-intensive establishments, and, at the same time, to enable all establishments to raise the standard of capital intensiveness still further, to the point where no further
reduction in costs of production or improvement in the quality of products could be achieved by any greater availability of capital…. [5]
Long before such a point could ever be reached, time preference would put an end to further increases in the degree of capital intensiveness.
It is doubly absurd to believe that the source of a saving glut would be precisely countries possessing very little capital compared to the United States and other industrialized countries. But that is what Bernanke claims. He claims that countries such as Thailand, China, Russsia, Nigeria, and Venezuela are the source of the alleged saving glut.
[6]
There are further theoretical considerations that argue specifically against any form of “saving glut” being responsible for the housing bubble.
First, if saving had been responsible, and not credit expansion and the increase in the quantity of money, then the additional saving taking place in the countries providing it, would have been accompanied by a reduction in consumer spending in those countries. People would have had to spend less for consumption in those countries, in part, in order to make available funds for additional spending on capital goods that were exported to the United States. Such export of capital goods to the US would not have fueled a boom here. To the contrary, it would have resulted in lower prices of capital goods in the US. Only the portion of funds saved that was used to finance purchases within the US could have contributed to any higher prices of capital goods and land in the US. And, of course, whatever rise in the prices of capital goods and land that might have taken place in the US would have tended to be matched by a fall in the prices of consumers’ goods in the countries that had stepped up their saving. The only way that the demand for capital goods and land could rise without the demand for consumers’ goods falling would be on the strength of an increase in the quantity of money and the total, overall volume of spending in the economic system.
[7]
Indeed, the fact that in the absence of an increase in the quantity of money and volume of spending in the economic system, shifts in spending serve to reduce prices as much as increase them has a parallel in the further fact that increases in the relative size of some of the countries in the world’s economy imply equivalent decreases in the relative size of other countries in the world’s economy. In the absence of an increase in the quantity of money and volume of spending, growth in the relative size of the economies of many Asian countries would not by itself be sufficient for greater saving in those countries serving to increase global spending for capital goods. For that greater spending would be accompanied by reduced spending for capital goods in other countries, i.e., countries that were already in the category of developed economies and now had to yield some portion of their previous relative size.
In the present instance, what this means is that greater spending for capital goods and land in the US, financed by saving in parts of Asia, would be accompanied by less spending for capital goods in the US (and possibly elsewhere) financed by saving in the US or financed by saving elsewhere in the world. If spending for capital goods financed by |
, R-Fr., Michigan
S Jayron Kearse, Jr., Clemson
CB Vernon Hargreaves III, Jr., Florida
Special Teams
K Greg Huegel, R-Fr.., Clemson
P Drew Kaser, Sr., Texas A&M
R William Likely, Jr., Maryland
AP Jakeem Grant, Sr., Texas TechWhether or not you agree with his politics, Francis Underwood has uttered some poignant one-liners that can serve as inspiration for entrepreneurship. Just be sure to do as he says, not as he does.
All infidelity, treason and killing aside, ever since Underwood broke the fourth wall in the first episode of House of Cards, he’s been spouting profound quotes straight to the audience with the fervor of a Southern preacher, the ambition of a Silicon Valley CEO and the deep-down darkness of any character who cheats his way to the White House.
But when you remove those powerful lines from the context of a political drama, you start to realize that Frank may just be on to something … maybe a career in startups?
Here are seven of Underwood’s best startup quotes from Season 3. (Don’t worry. No spoilers ahead.)
Don’t let Underwood deter you. In the business of startups, power comes from your users.
Even with a ton of money from investors, if people aren’t using your product and loving it, you need to re-prioritize your efforts. You need to focus on your customer.
Kevin Hale, founder of Wufoo, treats his customer interactions like a marriage, literally. He channels lessons from marriage psychologist (which Season 3 Underwood should do too, #amIright?) John Gottman for some of his staples of customer service: Always respond to your customers and anticipate their needs.
Without stellar customer service, you don’t get conversions and without conversions, the strength of your audience and the influence of your company weakens. If it means pinching pennies through bootstrapping or going the accelerator route, entrepreneur Kris Eul advises to do what’s best for your user first, and the money will follow.
When you’re Frank Underwood and you’re having to convince the country and Congress of your allegiance, it may be hard to look past your own ego long enough to realize that you’re a liability.
But when you’re pitching your startup to VCs and investors, you have to understand that it’s always going to be a risk for them. Even after they’ve given you money, you have to continue to prove yourself and use it wisely in order to mitigate the “maybes” and turn them into “yeses.”
In talking about this idea, Marc Andreessen explained the onion theory risk. The concept is that, as a startup, you are basically layers and layers of risk. As you raise money and spend it wisely while achieving milestones, that risk begins to shed away and you can hold onto more stake in later-round funding after you’ve proven your value.
Part of that “entrepreneurial spirit” people are always talking about is just the confidence to turn an idea into a product and then into a business. It’s having the gumption to believe in those late night scribbles, which as Underwood says can sometimes be all the courage you need.
QCut founder Crystal Beasley saw the poor working conditions of garment workers in Cambodia, and rather than just changing the way clothes are produced or how we wear them, she’s changing it all. She’s pursuing her vision of majorly disrupting fashion with made-to-order jeans that come in 400 sizes. This took imagination, but it also took perseverance and the prowess to step into a century-old industry and change it from the inside out.
For all his extremes, Underwood can at times be a lesson in control. The exercise of this control is often how he’s able to get what he wants — if that doesn’t work, he resorts to very loud shouting or bloodshed, but let’s just stick to the controlled approach for now.
When you’re entering a big ring with fierce competitors, it’s easy to go on the defensive. For example, when a little artsy project like Ello tries to run up alongside Facebook, Chris Messina (inventor of the hashtag) says they’re just not solving a problem people really care about.
When you’re going into battle against Internet giants, the stakes are high, and you’ll want to shout and wave your arms for attention. But you need to operate from a position of confidence in your product and have your own, unique definition of success that’s not in direct competition with the big guy. Instead of trying to beat them where they’re winning, you’ve got to first beat them where they’re losing.
Peter Thiel, cofounder of Paypal and early investor in Facebook, says that, as a startup, you should aim for a monopoly approach. Start with a small market, take it over, and then expand to others in concentric circles. He said,
“The next Mark Zuckerberg won’t build a social network, the next Larry Page won’t be building a search engine, and the next Bill Gates won’t be building an operating system. If you are copying these people, you are not learning from them.”
In the 24/7 workdays of your startup, it’s easy to begin feeling like you have to be a machine, but that pace isn’t feasible for anyone to maintain for long.
As you start to hire a team beyond your cofounders, it’s time to really take a look at your managerial skills to ensure that you’re building a company culture that’s friendly, productive and, well … human.
Reid Hoffman, cofounder of LinkedIn, says that even with product-market fit and a stellar product, you have to build a company that your employees want to work for and your audience wants to buy from. This all starts with good management.
It means knowing when to take risks and when to minimize them. It means knowing when to go with your vision and when you go with the data. And it means knowing when to delegate.
All of these things come with practice. But as Keith Rabois of LinkedIn and Square said, at the heart of it, your goal is to build a company that can run on its own. Measure your progress and be ready to strategize changes when you aren’t improving. Don’t ride on your pride like Underwood does, often until it’s too late.
Some of the best startups are heavily guided by users. While a founder can conceive an idea and release it to the masses, many of the more successful companies (especially in the social realm, such as Twitter) really listen to their users to anticipate their needs, rather than trying to make a case for needs that don’t exist.
Following the lead of users instead of trying to convince them to change directions is exactly what led to the success of Thalamus. Founder Garrett Gan looked at all the ways the ad vendor space was failing and stayed flexible in his solutions.
Unlike Underwood’s compliance, which is usually a farce, Gan’s flexibility led him to real innovation. He had to learn a lot more about his industry and really dive deep to anticipate the needs of his users. He eventually ditched his original concept for a workflow automation tool and instead created a database of vendor contacts, which led to a major payoff.
Bonus points if you start interviewing the non-users. Emmett Shear of Twitch said that if you can tap into that space and conquer it, you’re truly a step ahead.
If you want to talk about an industry that demands experimentation, it’s definitely startups. But even Silicon Valley can become a little too insular and calculated.
Pieter Levels is a founder who decided to tackle a new startup every month for a year, which sounds exhausting if not Underwood-level crazy. But he was onto something. With a tight time constraint, he had to focus much more on the actual doing — not just the planning, researching and writing about doing. He said,
“You can do a lot more on your own than you think. A majority of the startup world is distraction.”
When you cut out the distractions and start finishing things, he said you’re going to be “ahead of 99% of the people out there.” Keep launching and keep trying, even if your model doesn’t scale.
In fact, founder Stanley Tang might encourage you to start with a model that doesn’t scale. When he started DoorDash, Tang and his team began by launching a really small site to house the basic info of their delivery service — only the bare minimum that their small team could handle.
They launched the site in a matter of hours to see if it would resonate with users and from there, they were able to see the need in real time rather than spending months trying to predict it with statistics.
The next time you’re watching House of Cards, try listening to Frank Underwood’s advice not as that of a tyrannical politician, but instead as a startup guru who just doesn’t know it yet.
Images via Netflix and Tumblr.Untitled a guest Aug 28th, 2015 1,508 Never a guest1,508Never
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rawdownloadcloneembedreportprint text 4.05 KB Possible method of compromise in the max block size issue: First, do some sort of normal max block size increase proposal (BIP 100, flex cap, etc.) with pretty not-very-conservative constants that a lot of people would accept, but still reasonable enough that it should hopefully always work. Second, make it so that each full node automatically sets an individual hard max block size (overriding the other one) according to what it can support for the foreseeable future. Like: --- def get_local_hard_maximums(this_computer, UTXO_SIZE): # we don't want to spend too much time receiving a block TARGET_RECV_TIME = 5 seconds # we don't want to spend too much time uploading a block or the # network will stop working properly TARGET_PROPAGATION_TIME = 30 seconds # this hardware will probably be upgraded eventually HARDWARE_LIFETIME = 4 years BLOCK_INTERVAL = 10 minutes # do benchmarks to see what this user can support cpu_sigops_per_s = this_computer.benchmark.get_max_sigops_per_s() free_space_GB = this_computer.get_free_disk_space() upload_speed = this_computer.benchmark.get_upload_speed() # ask the user what they will accept show_user_gui(" How much CPU can Bitcoin use (burst)? |1% -------------------------100%| How much disk space can Bitcoin use? |5GB ------------------------free_space_GB| How much upload can Bitcoin use (burst)? |1 Mbit/s ------------------------upload_speed| ") cpu_sigops_per_s *= user_cpu_percentage free_space_GB = user_free_space_GB upload_speed = user_upload_speed # calculate what this computer can support max_sigops_per_block = cpu_sigops_per_s * TARGET_RECV_TIME max_net_utxos_per_block = free_space_GB / UTXO_SIZE / ((HARDWARE_LIFETIME in minutes)*BLOCK_INTERVAL) max_block_size = upload_speed * TARGET_PROPAGATION_TIME # round down to specific values so that groups of nodes act together # and don't get picked off one by one (maybe this should be more fancy) max_sigops_per_bloc = round down to the nearest multiple of 1000 max_net_utxos_per_block = round down to the nearest multiple of 500 max_block_size = round down to the nearest multiple of 0.5 MB return max_sigops_per_block, max_net_utxos_per_block, max_block_size --- If the software detects that it's rejecting a very long chain due to local hard maximums: - If the user chose to have Bitcoin use less than 25% of any resource, Bitcoin should say "Increasing this percentage is required in order to be a full node. (Buttons:) [Do it] [Switch to lightweight mode]" - If Bitcoin is already using more than 25% of all resources, Bitcoin should say *something* like this (hard to figure out good wording), "If you feel that this is a fairly new and well-equipped computer which should be able to connect to Bitcoin as a first-class citizen, then you should continue on in protest of the miners who are creating too-large blocks and the other participants in the Bitcoin economy who are accepting these blocks. You will probably be unable to transact with many Bitcoin businesses -- you should complain to these businesses. If you have a low-end computer, you should use lightweight mode. [Continue] [Switch to lightweight mode] [Adjust resource usage]" Businesses will want to set their max block size to be the minimum of what their customers can accept instead of only basing things on their capabilities. Maybe this info can be transmitted by the payment protocol, and Bitcoin Core could have some built-in method of processing this polling data reasonably. Then the ordinary Bitcoin *users* will by default automatically act together as a unified economic force, which will be influential. I think that this sort of method alone (probably plus a lot of tweaking) could completely replace any global max block size, but it'd probably always be at least somewhat messy. But I think that it make sense as a "backup" max block size method to sort-of-guarantee decentralization into the future. theymos
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Possible method of compromise in the max block size issue: First, do some sort of normal max block size increase proposal (BIP 100, flex cap, etc.) with pretty not-very-conservative constants that a lot of people would accept, but still reasonable enough that it should hopefully always work. Second, make it so that each full node automatically sets an individual hard max block size (overriding the other one) according to what it can support for the foreseeable future. Like: --- def get_local_hard_maximums(this_computer, UTXO_SIZE): # we don't want to spend too much time receiving a block TARGET_RECV_TIME = 5 seconds # we don't want to spend too much time uploading a block or the # network will stop working properly TARGET_PROPAGATION_TIME = 30 seconds # this hardware will probably be upgraded eventually HARDWARE_LIFETIME = 4 years BLOCK_INTERVAL = 10 minutes # do benchmarks to see what this user can support cpu_sigops_per_s = this_computer.benchmark.get_max_sigops_per_s() free_space_GB = this_computer.get_free_disk_space() upload_speed = this_computer.benchmark.get_upload_speed() # ask the user what they will accept show_user_gui(" How much CPU can Bitcoin use (burst)? |1% -------------------------100%| How much disk space can Bitcoin use? |5GB ------------------------free_space_GB| How much upload can Bitcoin use (burst)? |1 Mbit/s ------------------------upload_speed| ") cpu_sigops_per_s *= user_cpu_percentage free_space_GB = user_free_space_GB upload_speed = user_upload_speed # calculate what this computer can support max_sigops_per_block = cpu_sigops_per_s * TARGET_RECV_TIME max_net_utxos_per_block = free_space_GB / UTXO_SIZE / ((HARDWARE_LIFETIME in minutes)*BLOCK_INTERVAL) max_block_size = upload_speed * TARGET_PROPAGATION_TIME # round down to specific values so that groups of nodes act together # and don't get picked off one by one (maybe this should be more fancy) max_sigops_per_bloc = round down to the nearest multiple of 1000 max_net_utxos_per_block = round down to the nearest multiple of 500 max_block_size = round down to the nearest multiple of 0.5 MB return max_sigops_per_block, max_net_utxos_per_block, max_block_size --- If the software detects that it's rejecting a very long chain due to local hard maximums: - If the user chose to have Bitcoin use less than 25% of any resource, Bitcoin should say "Increasing this percentage is required in order to be a full node. (Buttons:) [Do it] [Switch to lightweight mode]" - If Bitcoin is already using more than 25% of all resources, Bitcoin should say *something* like this (hard to figure out good wording), "If you feel that this is a fairly new and well-equipped computer which should be able to connect to Bitcoin as a first-class citizen, then you should continue on in protest of the miners who are creating too-large blocks and the other participants in the Bitcoin economy who are accepting these blocks. You will probably be unable to transact with many Bitcoin businesses -- you should complain to these businesses. If you have a low-end computer, you should use lightweight mode. [Continue] [Switch to lightweight mode] [Adjust resource usage]" Businesses will want to set their max block size to be the minimum of what their customers can accept instead of only basing things on their capabilities. Maybe this info can be transmitted by the payment protocol, and Bitcoin Core could have some built-in method of processing this polling data reasonably. Then the ordinary Bitcoin *users* will by default automatically act together as a unified economic force, which will be influential. I think that this sort of method alone (probably plus a lot of tweaking) could completely replace any global max block size, but it'd probably always be at least somewhat messy. But I think that it make sense as a "backup" max block size method to sort-of-guarantee decentralization into the future. theymosThe Greatest Showman pulled off a trick worthy of a pioneering entertainer. The PT Barnum musical biopic had a soft-ish start last weekend, earning just $19 million over its six-day opening. But it's been building since Christmas (as if folks were again waiting for after the holidays to check it out) and has earned a whopping $15.2m over its second Fri-Sun frame. That may not seem like much, but it's a 73% jump over its $8.8m opening Fri-Sun frame.
And that, ladies and gents, is a record "hold" for a movie playing in over 3,000 theaters. Heck, it's the best weekend hold ever for a movie on more than 2,000 screens where the opening weekend wasn't one or two days (IE - when Christmas fell on a Saturday or Sunday). Actually, among all films that opened over 600 theaters or screens, Chernin Entertainment and 20th Century Fox's The Greatest Showman has the sixth-biggest second-weekend jump for a film that actually had a full Fri-Sun weekend, and two of the other five are reissues of Walt Disney animated features. The family-friendly, but adult-centric razzle-dazzle entertainment is clearly clicking with families, women and folks who just like a good musical.
Say what you will about the movie (I am shocked... SHOCKED to discover that the film isn't 100% factual), but the songs are great and the 105-minute movie is mostly a series of interconnected musical numbers. The Hugh Jackman/Zac Efron/Michelle Williams/Rebecca Ferguson/Zendaya release should make around $20m over the Fri-Mon frame for a new $54m 13-day total. At this juncture, it's sailing past that Tintin comparison I've been using since opening day, meaning that the sky is the limit.
A $90 million+ domestic total is possible for the well-liked circus melodrama, but that $84m budget means it'll still need hefty overseas returns (it has $83m worldwide as of today). But the future looks a heck of a lot brighter for Greatest Showman than it did a week ago. I'm glad, as I want more live-action musicals and I'm looking forward to seeing the film's 11 songs become staples of high school theater auditions and drunken karaoke.Batman vs. Superman opened to negative reviews and mixed word of mouth. All that could have been forgiven if it was a box-office juggernaut, but after an impressive opening weekend, Dawn of Justice is sinking like a stone. With the film now unlikely to reach $1 billion — the new benchmark for franchise success in Hollywood — Warner Bros. may be making a drastic change to how they release future films, namely, releasing a lot less of them.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, following this latest disappointment, Warner Bros. is planning to scale back the amount of films they release in a given year to focus on their core franchises in an effort to improve the success of their release slate.
Warner Bros. is an old-fashioned movie studio. They’re not in the theme park business like Disney or the electronics business like Sony. They make movies; it’s what they do, and they do it more than almost anyone else. In 2015, they released an industry-leading 21 movies. Despite that output, they finished the year $800 million behind Universal Pictures in total box-office gross. It was a disappointing year for the studio with expensive flops like Pan, In the Heart of the Sea and Jupiter Ascending. And then came Batman vs. Superman.
Some of you may be quick to defend Batman vs. Superman, which has set some box office records, but as the THR article notes, with Batman and Superman — two of the most iconic characters across any medium — the film won’t cross $1 billion. By comparison, Jurassic World made $1.67 billion. As one THR source notes, “you can’t tell me Batman v. Superman is so much less valuable [than Jurassic World ].”
So, what does this mean for the future of the DC Cinematic Universe? The article says that Warner Bros. executives were “shocked” by the scathing reviews and left flat-footed as to how to respond. They mention the growing rumors that a producer ( George Miller?) may be added to Justice League to help guide the production, but a WB source insists, “we’re not going to take a movie that’s supposed to be one thing and turn it into a copycat of something else.” (No word, however, on the reshoots that were clearly designed to make Suicide Squad a more humorous movie.) Instead they’ll evaluate what went wrong with Batman vs. Superman and adjust accordingly for Justice League.
The new era of Warner Bros. seems likely to focus on their three main franchises: the DC Cinematic Universe, LEGO and Harry Potter. Some films, like The LEGO Batman Movie, will even combine multiple franchises.
At the very least, there is now increasing pressure on the remainder of the studio’s 2016 schedule — Tarzan, Suicide Squad, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them — to perform. Another high-profile disaster could mean even bigger changes.
A Visual History of Batman in the MoviesThe recent spate of anti-LGBT bathroom bills across the country were built to solve a problem that doesn’t exist—that of sexual predators busting into ladies’ rooms by pretending to be women. It’s also creating a fun new problem by empowering ordinary folks to pretend as though they have a unique ability to gaze into people’s minds/hearts/shorts and determine where they should be peeing.
Earlier this week, a video went viral of a lesbian being forced out of a bathroom by male police officers who didn’t think she looked like a woman. And now, via the Dallas Observer, we have this charming video of a man interrogating a woman to make sure she’s peeing in the right spot.
Reporter Eric Nicholson writes that the video was shot by Jessica Rush at the Baylor Medical Center in the suburb of Frisco on Thursday. (Full disclosure: I used to work at the Observer and Eric is my friend.) Rush was born female. She identifies as a woman. She was in the right place, bathroom-wise, but because she had on basketball shorts and has short hair, the dude had to check things out.
“You didn’t look like a girl when I saw you enter,” he explains, from the door of the bathroom. “I thought you was...”
“A boy?” Rush responds dryly.
“Yeah, it was kind of confusing,” he says. And then: “It’s difficult. You’re dressed like a man. You’re dressed like a man.”
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“That’s the shit we deal with,” Rush says, sounding resigned, as the man retreats.
This is going to keep happening. Our legislators have guaranteed that it’s going to keep happening. And while the self-appointed toilet patrol is annoying enough, what’s much more worrisome is that, inevitably, one of them will escalate to an act of violence.
Here’s the video shot by Rush. One person in it is standing at the door of the wrong bathroom, inquiring about something that’s none of his business. See if you can spot who it is!
AdvertisementThis post was migrated from Justin’s personal blog, 'Codethinked.com.' Views, opinions, and colorful expressions should be taken in context, and do not necessarily represent those of Simple Thread (and were written under the influence of dangerous levels of caffeination).
If you haven’t read the last post first, please go check it out!
What started out as a joke turned into a huge success! So many awesome computer scientists and so little space! I started adding a few to the end of the last post, but when I realized how many more there were that needed to be added on, well, I decided to come back with more. This list is going to include a few less known people, a few that are famous (or infamous), and even a few that don’t have a Y chromosome. The last 4 or 5 in the previous post were newly added, so go check those out if you saw the list before it changed!
In this post I tried to add a huge number of people that were suggested, but remember, they had to have a big beard, long hair, or in some other way look pretty gnarled. I gave a bit of leeway to the females, since they are genetically limited with respect to the whole facial hair thing. This list is also quite a bit longer than last time, so lets hope you can hold in there! Oh, and if anyone is curious, the last post has had just over 100,000 views and has eaten through about 80GB of bandwidth. This post is quite a bit larger and so I have moved all of the images over to Amazon S3. Let’s see how that goes. Okay, enough blabbing, lets get this party started!
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR…
“Maddog” Jon Hall – If you thought James Gosling had a bit of a “Santa” look to him, then you’ll think that Jon Hall is Santa’s long lost love-child. This grizzly lookin’ dude is the Executive Director of Linux International, which is a non-profit that supports and promotes Linux. He was also the guy at DEC who got the hardware for Linus Torvalds to accomplish his first DEC Alpha port of linux. He also wrote the book Linux for Dummies.
The fantastic three…
Adi Shamir, Ronald Rivest und Leonard Adleman – Is it just me, or does Adi Shamir look like a young David Cross? Don’t believe me? Just imagine more hair and a more full beard. Man that is creepy!
I don’t know why that creeps me out. Anyways, these three dapper fellows are the inventors of RSA cryptography. Ever wonder where RSA came from? Yep, it is their last names (family name).
The computer trickster…
Manuel Blum – When he wasn’t busy impersonating Tony Montana with his stylish white suits, he was doing groundbreaking work in Cryptography and much more recently was one of the people that coined the term CAPTCHA.
The Hawkeye…
Barbara Liskov – In her later years she lost the stylish eyewear, and therefore I had to use an earlier photo. If you think that her Harry Potter spectacles are amazing, just wait until you hear that she was the first woman to receive a computer science PHD. Oh, and she helped develop the first language with data abstractions. And the first distributed language. And she rocked the house.
Crazy Bob Saget…
Robin Milner – Not that Bob Saget isn’t crazy, but this guy looks like he wants to eat your children. But only in this picture…I think. Beyond nibbling on little ones, he also developed the language ML which was the first language with type inference and influenced many functional languages that have come after it, notably Haskell. It also has several dialects in use today including OCaml and the recently released F#.
Speaking of the Yetti, errr, I mean Haskell…
Grizzly Adams (aka Philip Wadler) – Man, we have so many look-a-likes in this list! Good thing this isn’t one of them. Cause I swear this guy is Grizzly Adams. Check it out…
I had to draw on the glass in order to really give the full effect. Otherwise it would be like the Clark Kent/Superman effect and you wouldn’t see the resemblance. Plus I think it just adds a little something extra, don’t you? Well, enough about his manly beard, this bear wrestler developed Haskell and more recently XQuery. So while he may be a wild man, he seems to have tamed his computer.
No woman, no cry…
Jaron Lanier – This guy coined the term Virtual Reality. Hmmm…I wonder what kind of reality he might have been in when he coined it. It doesn’t matter I guess because he founded VPL Research and led the teams that developed some of the first multi-person virtual worlds that used head mounted displays! Oh, and to back up my earlier point, during college he was a “goat milk and cheese provider.” Can you say hippie?
The rising Sun…
Bill Joy – When not tending to his Oompa Loompas he was busy working on BSD. He then co-founded Sun Microsystems in 1982, and as they say, the rest is history.
Bill Gates – While his glasses and hair have gotten smaller, his wallet has become much larger. Here we see Bill in all of his Hunter S. Thompson glory after he was arrested for speeding and driving without a license. He founded a little company called Microsoft, which has many people wanting to see a grown up version of this picture.
The programming language pimp daddy…
Niklaus Wirth – This guy designed Euler, Algol W, Pascal, Modula, Modula-2, and Oberon. His programming seed was spread to almost every language that you now know of. His seminal book Algorithms + Data Structures = Programs inspired many computer scientists and is still used at many universities. So remember that face, there will be a quiz later.
Another one of them UNIX guys…
Brian Kernighan – Those UNIX guys love them some beards, don’t they? This guy was at Bell Labs with Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie (as seen in the last post) and contributed greatly to UNIX. He is also the “K” in AWK. Brian was also responsible for the name Unics, which was eventually shortened to UNIX. He also wrote the book on C programming, literally.
And from the “OH MY GOD LOOK AT THOSE GLASSES” department…
Dorothy Denning – Geez, the 70’s sure did have some awesome eyewear. Where can I get some octagonal glasses these days? Nowhere, for shame. And that ring is also quite a statement. And did I mention the shirt? Nothing about this woman says “world renowned cryptographic expert” but that is exactly what she is. In fact, she was so respected in her field that she was one of the people that the NSA called in to review the Skipjack blog cipher. She has written several books, her most recent of which was Information Warfare and Security.
The knight of sorting…
C.A.R. Hoare – This guy developed the Quicksort, which was originally called the Hoaresort, and while it is still the most awesome sorting algorithm ever developed it would have been even more awesome if I could tell non-technical people that I was “Hoare Sorting” something. They would instantly think that my job was way more interesting than it is. We would probably also have a lot more Computer Science majors if one of the classes involved learning how to “Hoaresort”. He is also the source of the quote “premature optimization is the root of all evil.”
Help me Obi-Wan…
Ada Lovelace – The first stand-in for Princess Leia…
See the similarities? Again, a little eerie. Well, they were both royalty after all. Ada Lovelace is widely considered to be the first programmer, since she wrote up a description of Charles Babbage’s machine, the analytical engine, and then wrote a program for it to calculate Bernoulli numbers. She is also the inspiration for the programming language Ada which was used extensively by the U.S. DOD (Department of Defense) for many years.
Tarzan of the Apes…
Robert Tarjan – For some reason when I see Tarjan, I want to say “Tarzan”. The irony here is that Tarzan was cleaner shaven than Robert Tarjan. The main difference is that while Tarzan was a chump, our friend Robert was a world renowned computer scientist who invented several graph algorithms and co-invented splay trees and Fibonacci heaps.
The chatty Cathy…
Jarkko Oikarinen – Again, sorry about the look-a-likes, but just try to tell me that this guy doesn’t look like Andy Richter.
Separated at birth? I’ll let you decide. Jarkko developed IRC which became the first open internet chat program. So next time someone interrupts your work with a “what you up to?” IM, just look to the sky and yell “Jarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrkoooooooooooooooooo”!
Spreadsheet aficionado…
Dan Bricklin – There is just something about this guy’s outfit…I can’t put my finger on it. Nooooooo…wait….I see it! That yellow shirt peekin’ out. He is totally a super hero. He runs into a phone booth, and bam, he comes running back out in a bright yellow suit with a big old calculator. Why a calculator you ask? Well, this guy wrote VisiCalc, the first commercially available spreadsheet application. Which was then promptly crushed by several other companies, but it could be said that he was responsible for the start of a huge push of PC’s into the workplace.
The compressor…
Phil Katz – This guy is the inventor of the truly terrible computer person photo. I mean seriously, he looks like he is waiting for someone to start a stopwatch so that he can begin eating his stack of floppy disks. And he doesn’t look too happy about it. But he also invented the zip file format and was the author of PKZip. Ever wonder where that PK came from? Well, now you know.
Someone please comment on this guy…
Jon Postel – Although he looked like he should be running moonshine and trying to avoid the po-po, he was actually the editor of the RFC (Request For Comment) document series. Yep, that RFC document series. The one that pretty much makes up all the standards on the internet. Without him there might not be any tubes and Senator Ted Stevens would probably have a little bit of self respect left.
Well, this is the conclusion of my second (and final) entry on this topic. Not that I don’t like beards and programmers, but these posts are way too much work. 🙂
Well, I hope you guys enjoyed the post, please click on digg or reddit below and vote for it if you liked it!CAIRO/MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Russian plane that crashed in Egypt was not struck from the outside and the pilot did not make a distress call before it disappeared from radar, a source in the committee analyzing the flight recorders said on Monday.
The source declined to give more details but based his comments on the preliminary examination of the black boxes recovered from the Airbus A321 which crashed in the Sinai Peninsula on Saturday killing all 224 people on board.
The Egyptian government said the black boxes were being examined by Egyptian and Russian experts along with German and French specialists from Airbus and from Ireland where the aircraft was registered. It said the search was continuing across the 9-sq-km crash site. Security sources said intelligence agencies had obtained a copy of the passenger list.
Russian officials have said the plane, carrying holidaymakers from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh to St Petersburg, likely broke up in mid-air but said it was too early to say what caused it to crash.
The first bodies recovered from the wreckage arrived on board a Russian government plane at St Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport, where grieving Russians left piles of flowers.
A Reuters photographer saw a white lorry leaving the airport, escorted by police cars, heading for a St Petersburg morgue, where the bodies were to be identified. Egypt said the plane was carrying 196 bodies. A second plane was due to leave Cairo on Monday evening.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who had declared Sunday a day of mourning, said on Monday the crash was a great tragedy.
“Without any doubt everything should be done so that an objective picture of what happened is created,” Putin said in comments cited by ITAR-TASS. “So that we know what happened.”
When asked if a terrorist attack could be to blame, Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said no theory could yet be ruled out.
An Egyptian militant group affiliated with Islamic State said on Saturday it brought down the plane “in response to Russian air strikes that killed hundreds of Muslims on Syrian land”. Russian Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov dismissed the claim, saying it “can’t be considered accurate”.
‘NO PILOT ERROR’
Alexander Smirnov, deputy general director of airline Kogalymavia, which operated the plane under the brand name Metrojet, said only a “technical or physical action” could have caused the aircraft to break up in the air.
“The plane was in excellent condition,” Smirnov told a news conference in Moscow. “We rule out a technical fault and any mistake by the crew.”
Kogalymavia’s deputy general director for engineering, Andrei Averyanov, said a 2001 incident when the plane’s tail section struck the tarmac on landing was fully repaired and could not have been a factor in the crash.
A debris from a Russian airliner is seen at its crash site at the Hassana area in Arish city, north Egypt, November 1, 2015. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
The airline said the plane’s engines were inspected in Moscow on Oct. 26 and no problems were found and a Russian inspection of its fuel found that it met requirements.
The aircraft had received a certificate of airworthiness earlier this year from regulators in Ireland.
Russia, an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, launched air raids against opposition groups in Syria including Islamic State on Sept. 30.
Islamic State, the hardline group that controls swathes of Iraq and Syria, has called for war against both Russia and the United States in response to their air strikes in Syria.
Sinai is the scene of an insurgency by militants close to Islamic State who have killed hundreds of Egyptian soldiers and police and have also attacked Western targets in recent months.
However, militants in the area are not believed to have missiles capable of hitting a plane at 30,000 feet.
Islamic State websites have in the past claimed responsibility for actions that have not been conclusively attributed to them.
James Clapper, U.S. director of National Intelligence, said in Washington: “We don’t have any direct evidence of any |
Vale. This detail was very quickly dropped, and in fact there is no later reference to Tolaria as the source of Black Lotuses—they just got a little overzealous linking the set to recognizable names from Magic’s past.
Barrin and Hanna don’t get along at all—the full nature of the dispute is never elaborated upon to my recollection.. The only source of disagreement we get is that Hanna wanted to study artifacts instead of magic, to the point that she went to New Argive, the world's major center of artifact studies. For whatever reason, Barrin decides not to come along--Gerrard can tell the tension between father and daughter would be a problem anyway. Instead, Gerrard suggests his apprentice, Ertai—he may be arrogant, but at least he won’t tear the ship apart feuding with Hanna.
Ertai--half the usefulness of any other
crewmember for only twice the talk.
Equipped now with a wizard, Weatherlight needs a native of Rath to key the Thran engine in on where it needs to go. They travel to Urborg to find Crovax, whose home had been attacked by Rathi agents in the past, and again shortly before Weatherlight arrived, killing the remainder of his family. He knows nothing of Rath itself, but he does know someone who had been there—Starke. The Rathi man had fled to Crovax to be protected from Maraxus. Crovax sent him to hide with a friend on nearby Bogardan (the second richest red-mana environment on Dominaria, next to Shiv), not wishing to expose him to the Rathi agents attacking his own estates. The Weatherlight helps Crovax finally defeat Gallowbraid and Morinfen, and the nobleman joins the crew as they sail to find Starke.
Crovax’s friend has already been killed, and Starke captured by Maraxus’s forces. After sending Mirri to scout, Gerrard and Tahngarth infiltrate the Keldon’s camp to rescue Starke. They flee the camp, and are chased into the mountains. Weatherlight arrives to dispatch Maraxus’s troops, but he himself seems invulnerable—until Starke tells Gerrard Maraxus’s secret: Maraxus draws strength from the proximity of others. The more people around, the stronger he is (quite a good interpretation of Keldon Warlord’s flavor, really). Gerrard sends Weatherlight away to weaken Maraxus, Gerrard easily defeats the warlord, but before Maraxus can surrender, Starke comes out of hiding and does his thing, killing Maraxus before he can reveal his involvement in Sisay's abduction. Starke follows this up by swearing allegiance to Gerrard, revealing that his daughter is Volrath’s prisoner. Gerrard grudgingly trusts him—or rather, admits that, schemer or no, they need Starke to rescue Sisay. Weatherlight comes to pick them up, and they planeshift to Rath.
After the self-guided tour of some of Dominaria’s most scenic locales, (unfortunately not including the famous nude beach of pre-Invasion Otaria,) thus ends the first chapter in The Weatherlight Saga—or perhaps more appropriately, the prologue. We knew very little at the time. What kind of place was Rath? Why did Volrath despise Gerrard so? Would the rest of the crew become more important? All in all, it was an intriguing beginning—it explored many diverse areas of Dominaria, before leaving that familiar plane entirely for the foreboding-sounding Rath. I, personally, and most other players, couldn’t wait—especially after the first Tempest ads came out with the following quote:
Quote from Orim, Journals of the Weatherlight… upon arrival in Rath »
“There is no storm such as this.
It is a sickness in the sky.
It is crafted in Chaos
and even the darkness breathes.”
Shannon Rezendes is an aspiring author who is not above shameless self promotion: you can view her blog here.
Original Article Edited by Goblinboy
Remember the Weatherlight Banner by iloveatogs
That’s it for this week, thanks for reading! We hope this article whet your appetite for the Weatherlight Saga! If you'd like to read more, Part 2 will be available soon.
Let us know what you think in the comments or on the forum. Have a suggestion for something you’d like to see? Let us know, and we could address it in a future column. As always, you can check out our Wiki to learn more.PARIS (Reuters) - French Interior Minister Bruno Le Roux resigned on Tuesday over payments of public funds to his daughters, denying he had done anything wrong but saying he did not want the scandal to affect the government’s work.
FILE PHOTO: French Interior Minister Bruno Le Roux visits the territorial direction of local security of Seine-Saint-Denis in Bobigny, near Paris, France, December 22, 2016. REUTERS/Charles Platiau/File Photo
The employment of family members by politicians has become a hot-button issue in France after conservative presidential election candidate Francois Fillon became embroiled in a similar scandal over the employment of his wife and two of his children as parliamentary assistants.
That scandal, known as “Penelope-gate” after the first name of his wife, has sent Fillon’s public ratings tumbling and made him an also-ran in a race in which he was once the front-runner.
Le Roux, the former head of the Socialist Party’s group in the lower house of parliament, became interior minister in early December in a government reshuffle.
He resigned after financial prosecutors opened an inquiry on Tuesday over press reports he paid his two daughters from public funds for parliamentary work when he was still a lawmaker and when they were of student-age.
“Those work contracts... correspond to work that was effectively carried out,” said Le Roux, in a bid to distance himself from Fillon, who is accused of having paid his wife hundreds of thousands of euros for work she did not do.
The Elysee presidential office said the junior foreign trade minister, Matthias Fekl, would replace Le Roux. It did not say who would replace Fekl.
The Quotidien TV show said Le Roux had paid a combined total of 55,000 euros ($59,455.00) between 2009 and 2016 to his two daughters as parliamentary assistants during summer vacations, starting from when they were 15 and 16.
The inquiry further detracts from the image of the already deeply unpopular government of Francois Hollande near the end of its term. Le Roux alluded to that, telling reporters he had decided to resign because he did not want this issue “to harm the government’s work.”
The inquiry was launched after allies of Fillon suggested that any inaction by the judiciary in Le Roux’s case would show that Fillon, who says he did nothing illegal, was the victim of bias by the judiciary.
Members of the National Assembly, France’s lower house of parliament, are allowed to hire family as assistants and pay them from funds put at the disposal of all lawmakers.
At issue is the extent to which work was actually done for the money, which in Fillon’s case was in the region of 800,000 euros.The next stage of the Amex war on gaming begins tomorrow, November 1st. In August we reported that Amex had added anti-gaming terms to their signup offers. Signup offer terms now state:
If we in our sole discretion determine that you have engaged in abuse, misuse, or gaming in connection with the welcome bonus offer in any way or that you intend to do so (for example, if you applied for one or more cards to obtain a welcome bonus offer (s) that we did not intend for you; if you cancel or downgrade your account within 12 months after acquiring it; or if you cancel or return purchases you made to meet the Threshold Amount), we may not credit Membership Rewards® to, we may freeze Membership Rewards® credited to, or we may take away Membership Rewards® from, your account. We may also cancel this Card account and other Card accounts you may have with us.
And in September we reported that Amex was actually enforcing their age-old terms against gift cards counting towards minimum spend requirements. So far, we only know this to be true of gift cards purchased at Simon Malls, but it seems likely that they’ll spread the joy to other gift card markets.
And now, effective November 1st, Amex has updated the terms on their Membership Rewards cards to disallow abuse, misuse, or gaming in connection with earning or using points.
Amex has declared that they have sole discretion to determine if you’ve broken their rules. If you have, they may take away your points, cancel your accounts, or temporarily suspend point earning or redeeming.
What is abuse, misuse, or gaming?
The definitions of these terms haven’t been spelled out. Basically, Amex has declared that they will decide if you’ve done these things after you’ve done them, and that punishment will follow. They did give some hints in their anti gaming signup bonus language, though. They gave the following examples:
…for example, if you applied for one or more cards to obtain a welcome bonus offer (s) that we did not intend for you; if you cancel or downgrade your account within 12 months after acquiring it; or if you cancel or return purchases you made to meet the Threshold Amount
In other words, with respect to signup offers, “abuse, misuse, or gaming” equates to any ways of obtaining a signup offer other than how they intended. You should only use signup offers that are meant for you, you shouldn’t do anything “sneaky” to meet minimum spend requirements (such as buying gift cards or buying and returning items), and you shouldn’t cancel the card soon after getting the bonus.
If we apply similar logic, we can try to figure out the definition of “abuse, misuse, or gaming” in connection with earning or redeeming points. Amex wants us to earn points through regular spend and to redeem points for ourselves. I can then guess at the banned activities…
Abuse, misuse, or gaming when earning points
My educated guess is that Amex is on the lookout for the following activities with respect to earning points:
Large gift card purchases.
Frequent gift card purchases with vendors that trigger bonus categories.
Abnormally large purchases within bonus categories, especially if there’s any sign that there is some sort of purchase and return scheme going on.
Very large credit card spend that far exceeds a person’s apparent ability to pay. My guess is that they will watch this more closely with personal cards than business cards since large business purchases are common and normal.
Earning points through Amex offers on many different authorized user cards.
As I learn about other examples, I’ll update this list.
Abuse, misuse, or gaming when redeeming points
My educated guess is that Amex is on the lookout for the following activities with respect to redeeming points:
Selling points. Indicators of this may be frequent point transfers to many different authorized users’ frequent flier accounts, for example.
Buying airfare with the Business Platinum buy with points rebate and somehow getting the airfare refunded.
As I learn about other examples, I’ll update this list.
Analysis
In the last few years Amex has made their credit card lineup more and more competitive. They’ve continued to offer great signup bonuses and they’ve added bonus categories to existing cards and introduced compelling new cards such as the Everyday Preferred and the Blue Business Plus. With the latter, for the first time ever, we have have a card that earns 2 points per dollar for all spend (up to $50K per year), and those points are transferable to airline miles. It’s an unbeatable combination.
Obviously I’m unhappy about the Amex war on gaming, but I get it. Amex naturally wants those signup bonuses and card features to attract profitable new customers and to retain existing ones. Customers who use them only for signup bonuses or only for bonus category spend are financial drains. Amex quite reasonably wants to discourage that behavior.
I also can’t fault Amex for failing to spell out the definition of “abuse, misuse, or gaming.” They know very well that if they did so, people would seek out and find loopholes. What are the opportunities that Amex hasn’t banned? Heck, I’ll admit it… I’d be working on that too.
Amex hasn’t yet applied anti-gaming rules for earning and spending points to their other cards (cash back cards or co-branded cards), but I’d guess that it’s just a matter of time. We need to live within the new Amex reality if we want to continue to enjoy the benefits that their cards offer.
What to do
You can still sign up for Amex cards for the signup bonuses, but you need to be careful to meet spend requirements in ways that Amex won’t see as gaming. Obvious options are to use the cards for all spend, and to prepay utilities and other bills where possible. You can organize events and ask friends to pay you back. You can pay for covered healthcare expenses and have the insurance company pay you back. You can fund Kiva loans. You can pay estimated federal taxes. You may be able to pay miscellaneous bills where credit cards aren’t usually accepted if Plastiq ever fixes their current Amex problem.
Once you’ve earned your signup bonus, ideally you will continue to use the card for everyday spend. I don’t think that Amex will complain if you restrict a card’s use to it’s bonus categories — as long as it is regular spend. If you buy lots of gift cards, especially within bonus categories, I doubt your account will last long.
If you don’t want to pay a card’s second annual fee, wait until the annual fee posts to your account and then call to see if they’ll give you a retention offer. There’s nothing wrong with that. If they offer you something that is worth the annual fee, then pay it. Otherwise cancel or downgrade to a lower annual fee card. If you want to do that latter, though, make sure that you’ve had the lower fee card before. If not, you should look to signup new for that card so that you can get a new signup bonus before it’s too late. Amex has a pretty strict “once per lifetime” rule with their cards, so you don’t want to blow your chance at a signup bonus by downgrading your card.
Keep in mind that Amex cards tend to have the best benefits around. Many are worth their annual fee for their benefits alone.Kirk Cousins always understood his role and he knew what the Washington Redskins had invested in Robert Griffin III. So, while Cousins takes over the quarterback duties indefinitely, he also knows it might not be permanent.
Kirk Cousins is embracing his opportunity to start at quarterback for the Redskins while Robert Griffin III rehabs his dislocated ankle. Rich Schultz/Getty Images
His coach told the New York media in a conference call that "crazy things can happen." In other words, there is a way for Cousins to keep the job when Griffin is healthy. Certainly, if the Redskins are winning and Cousins is playing well, it makes sense to stay status quo, rather than return to a player coming off an injury who remains in transition to the style desired by the head coach.
So, for now, it's a line that Cousins straddles. A quarterback wants it to be "his team." But can that be the case when it might be a temporary gig? Cousins said last week that this remained Griffin's team. His stance hasn't changed, nor should it after one good start.
"That's a great question," Cousins told reporters Tuesday. "It's a tough dynamic to fully answer. As a quarterback, if there's any doubt in the other 10 guys in the huddle looking at me, 'Can this guy get it done for us? Can he move the ball?' Then I already failed. When I say this is Robert's team, I don't mean I can't step in and have authority and make sure we move the football. But I won't change the statement that this is Robert's team. I stand by that."
Cousins wants a starting job, or, at least, a fair shot to win one. He did not think that opportunity would arise in Washington -- he was clear last offseason he understood why and had no problem with the organization's thinking. When you invest heavily in a player as the Redskins have, you must see it through. It's like that in any sport.
But there's also no doubt Cousins believes he can be a good starter in the NFL. And he certainly would not reject the chance to continue being the starter in Washington. We're a long way from that reality. Cousins has the best chance of his career to prove what he can do -- a better one than at the end of a dreadful season with a coach on the way out.
However, Cousins is realistic about the situation.
"Robert was drafted high for a reason," he said. "He's had success here, he's done a lot of good things and he's done nothing to have that be any different. So this is his team and it's my job as a backup on this team to hopefully, when he comes back, to give him a team with a good record and put him in a good spot to have success down the stretch. By no means that does that say I can't go in there as a backup and get the job done."HTC is still in a downhill slide, posting negative growth numbers quarter after quarter. Today, the company has released its consolidated results for the first quarter of the year and everything is down compared to the same quarter last year. The only positive development is that the company's expenses are lower, too.
Things are looking unchanged compared to the unaudited results we saw lest month. Revenue is 42.8 billion NT$ (USD1.4 billion) while net income was a lowly 85 million NT$ (USD2.8 million).
The gross margin in Q1 2013 was 20.3% compared to the 25% of last year's Q1, while operating margin has hit a new low at 0.1% compared to 7.5% a year ago.
Positively, HTC has shrunk its operating expense from $4 billion to $2.9 billion and for the next quarter it's projecting a revenue of 70 billion NT$ ($2.3 billion) and a higher gross margin between 22% and 24%.
Source (PDF download)When Hollywood strapped Nicolas Cage, John Malkovich and a host of bad guys into a plane and crashed it on Vegas, what was the result? An action hit that was half prison flick, half rock video – and is, 20 years on, still dangerous
A ridiculous movie when it was released in June 1997, Nicolas Cage’s bumpy flight Con Air only seems more absurd 20 years later. The debut of UK director Simon West, it is a thundering action blowout so loud, haywire and sentimental that – in perhaps the ultimate backhanded compliment – it is often misidentified as a Michael Bay movie. Certainly it feels like a natural bridge between two of Bay’s pre-Transformers hits: 1996’s The Rock, where Cage first seemed to get a real taste for being an action star, and 1998’s Armageddon, another high-concept blockbuster hip to the benefits of recruiting an overqualified ensemble. All three movies bear the glossy, golden-hued, MTV-derived imprimatur of mega-producer Jerry Bruckheimer. But thanks to some unpredictable recipe of casting and charisma, Con Air remains the oddest of 1990s popcorn movies: half disreputable prison flick, half gleaming Aerosmith video.
The juicy setup – a prison transport plane commandeered by its “worst of the worst” cargo of convicts, a volatile gang of jailbirds unaware that one of their number is a paroled US Ranger who will do anything to reunite with his family – could probably have carried a decent B-movie without the need for brand-name stars. But Bruckheimer and West stuffed their cast with a murderer’s row of talent. As hijack mastermind Cyrus “the Virus” Grissom, John Malkovich pushed his air of vulpine irritability to glorious new heights, plausibly alpha-dogging a planeload of bad dudes including Ving Rhames, Danny Trejo, a never creepier Steve Buscemi and, in a small but vital part, the livewire standup Dave Chappelle.
In what could have been the thankless role of a G-man stuck on the ground attempting to wrest back control of the situation, John Cusack adds nervy energy to his usual sleepy-eyed sarcasm and becomes that rare cinematic beast, the FBI agent who actually seems cool. And at the centre of it all, somehow playing the straight man amid all the bombast and bluster, is Cage as Cameron Poe, the burdened soldier who just wants to go home. Despite endless scenes of a massive cargo plane being tossed about and a spectacular series of crashes and explosions, the most impressive visual effect is still Cage’s hair, a luxurious hillbilly mullet, of which Fabio would be proud.
There is a sense, when rewatching Con Air, of a wanton profligacy. Surely some of the $75m budget could have been better spent on telling some other story? Surely actors of this calibre could have been involved in something more meaningful instead? Surely you could wrap up the plot without adding another entire chase sequence in Las Vegas? Yet the feeling that every actor is fully committed to the macho ridiculousness – and given free rein to put some gnarly topspin on their lines – is infectious. For decades, blockbusters have been pejoratively compared to fast food, but Con Air feels super-sized in the best way: a glistening, headbanging assault on the senses.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Fully committed … Nicolas Cage as the soldier who just wants to go home. Photograph: Bruckheimer/Rex/Shutterstock
Two decades on, has it left a discernible cinematic footprint? It certainly shares some DNA with the Fast and the Furious, a franchise that has increasingly looked to the sky for thrills even if it seems to prefer its heroes bald. And when The Force Awakens director JJ Abrams was brainstorming names for Oscar Isaac’s dashing X-Wing pilot Poe Dameron, surely he was thinking of Cage’s noble asskicker.
More gonzo than Snakes on a Plane, more muscular than Liam Neeson’s Non-Stop, Con Air could proudly claim to be the best aeroplane-related action movie of all time, even if it wasn’t quite the biggest of summer 1997. That honour fell to Air Force One, an equally patriotic but rather more stately movie and one that, sadly, does not hinge on requesting a bunny be put back in a box. Wolfgang Petersen’s movie eventually made $315m worldwide while Con Air stalled at $225m. But ask yourself this: which one would you like to watch right now?ESPN reports percentage of profits from 'A Crucial Catch' campaign kept by league as fundraising month goes on
It has been reported that only a small proportion of funds raised during "A Crucial Catch", the league's month-long campaign to support breast cancer research through the sale of pink merchandise and memorabilia, will actually go to help breast cancer research.
The NFL's campaign, which aims to increase awareness of the need for annual breast cancer screenings "especially for women who are 40 or older", runs throughout October and sees many players wearing items of pink equipment during games. All such apparel and a number of other items, including pink game balls, will later be auctioned in aid of the American Cancer Society's Community Health Advocates National Grants for Empowerment (CHANGE) programme. The league also gives fans the chance to donate $10 to the American Cancer Society, by sending a special "NFLPINK" text message.
However, citing data obtained from the NFL, Darren Rovell of ESPN tweeted: "On pink gear, the NFL says it takes a 25% royalty from the wholesale price (1/2 retail), donates 90% of royalty to American Cancer Society."
At Business Insider, Cork Gaines wrote: "In other words, for every $100 in pink merchandise sold, $12.50 goes to the NFL. Of that, $11.25 goes to the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the NFL keeps the rest." Gaines added: "The remaining money is then divided up by the company that makes the merchandise (37.5%) and the company that sells the merchandise (50.0%), which is often the NFL and the individual teams."
Most pink NFL merchandise is sold through the NFL's online store, making the NFL the company which sells the merchandise and thus receives 50% of the money received.
A Steelers fan supports Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Photo: Chris Szagola/Zuma Press/Corbis
Writing for the Los Angeles Times, Patt Morrison asked: "What does it really mean, that anodyne marketing phrase, 'A portion of the proceeds from this product will be donated to help fight breast cancer'?" Morrison also discussed claims that the NFL's efforts to promote breast cancer research are also aimed at capturing a female audience.
The NFL has not yet commented on the issue.
Efforts to raise money for breast cancer research continue outside the NFL. This weekend, the University of Oregon Ducks will wear pink helmets for their game against Washington State. They will also wear pink cleats, socks and gloves, in an effort to raise money for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, which is named for a North Carolina State women's basketball coach who died from the disease in 2009. Twenty-five of the pink helmets will be auctioned.1. KEVIN IS A PLACE ON EARTH
As they say in the industry – it’s on! The never-quite-stable exec suite at Warners appears to be gearing up for a war of everything against everything in anticipation of the telephone people coming ashore; with dreams of big new even fancier offices dancing in some heads. Nothing ever changes in Hollywood, and particularly on the Warners lot where the rule of threes prevails once again. Long ago, it was Kevin, Jeff and Bruce playing King of the Mountain, today it's Kevin, Sue and Toby jostling for footing. Intrigue has been brewing quietly for months. With the AT&T folks hovering, the thought looms that there will be a great big giant new job at the combined company. Someone is going to have to assume oversight over not just Warners but also Direct TV and HBO in a combined entertainment division of Ma Bell. Leading the charge is Mr T of course, whose people I’ve been told, have been quietly spreading the word that the jet-setting CEO is destined for a bigger role with the new team. But Tsujihara isn’t the only one letting it be known he’s like this with the phone folks. Kim Masters’ THR piece on the Toby Emmerich moves contained this little tidbit,”Industry sources say (Sue) Kroll has been building her own relationship with AT&T global marketing officer Lori Lee recently.” I heard that the two were getting all BFFy at the Wonder Woman premiere last month. I’m sure her titular boss is just tickled that his old family and new are hitting it off so famously. Which raises the question: what job is Kroll eyeing? Just keeping her own safe and secure in the new company, or filling Kevin’s chair if he moves up, or has she decided its time for her to leapfrog to the very top of the ladder? And then there’s Toby Emmerich, the understated head of the Motion Pictures group who has been an absent player in the six months long frenzy of alternating finger pointing and credit hogging that have surrounded each of Warners' 2017 releases; but who know appears to be stepping forward with some what-am-I-chopped-poke moves. If the studio degenerates over the months ahead into Mad Max-like war of everything against everything, we might well look back on Variety’s profile of Emmerich this week as the Franz Ferdinand moment that lit the powderkeg. Even though Wonder Woman was a pre-Emmerich project, as he makes clear, the framing of the piece is very, Toby Pulls the Mess of a Studio Out of the Doldrums, making it clear, he’s the man to bring in the new tentpoles, oversee the bold new era of female-driven superherodom. “DC may be commanding the bulk of his attention.” Well, apparently, with the Game of Thrones revving up, someone/s didn’t like the positioning of Toby as Mr. Tentpoles, the man responsible for all Warners big bets. The Variety piece was quickly followed by the Kim Masters piece, which put Emmerich in rather a smaller box. He’s going to take his clever little New Line experience and be the fellow in charge of making sure that our little movies stay little, and that our artistes keep themselves in nice tidy $30 million dollar budgets. While the executive with ties to Warners thinks it is an overreaction to predict that Emmerich will preside over the total "New Line-ization" of the studio, he does expect some key elements of New Line culture to be incorporated: Budgets are likely to be slimmed down and final-cut directors may be avoided. He believes the studio can hold on to control of final cut and still hire A-list filmmakers. As for budgets, he says, "Outside the silos, there has been a big waste of money on projects that don't make sense." Under Emmerich's leadership, he adds, "they're not going to make a movie like The Judge with Robert Downey Jr. for $60 million. For $35 million — maybe." And then there’s the nod to the complicated relationship between Toby and Sue, neither truly controlling the production slate -- and their official leader nowhere to be seen, as Kroll's long battle to position herself as more than just a marketer continues apace: Still, Emmerich faces some constraints, such as the fact that Sue Kroll, the president of worldwide marketing and distribution, does not report to him. Whether that creates tension that must be addressed is a subject of speculation among Hollywood observers. Early in his tenure, sources tell me, Tsujihara made a high priority of reigning in out of control marketing budgets. Three years later, they remain unreigned. And within those budgets there’s a great deal of favorite childism afoot, pouring on more to the almost sure hits and hitching marketing’s success on their back, while the more difficult films are ignored and unsupported. Has Emmerich now been set up to do battle with Kroll over the size and direction of the marketing spend, with AT&T watching from the sidelines. Will the winner get to keep their job in a new regime? Take a step up over the rest? Hard to say. The fact that Emmerich as reported in the piece remains in his New Line offices doesn’t suggest that he’s eager to dive into battle. How the studio as a whole handles The Goldfinch, which now bears the marks of Emmerich’s First Warners Project will be interesting to watch. Meanwhile, if the jockeying is getting uncomfortable, THR’s Power List, released this week, probably did little to soothe rough nerves. Tsujihara was forced to share the mediocre #15 spot with Emmerich, who hasn’t even made a movie yet. Worse still for those seeking peace in the valley, Sue Kroll was nowhere on the list, meaning in this unofficial/official ranking, she stands below #100 Donald Glover in Hollywood clout. Friends tell me the earth has been quaking around Kroll’s office since the list was unveiled. And then there’s one more element in this phone company Game of Thrones: the acquisition might not happen. President Trump said during the campaign that he would stop it. A group of Democratic Senators including Elizabeth Warren and Al Franken sent the Justice Department a letter asking them to take a very hard look at the deal. The Justice Department hasn’t made a peep and hasn’t said when they will make a peep. So at the end of the fight, everyone could well end up stuck exactly where they are. Altogether. One big happy family. Is that the scariest prospect of all?Papa John's, the official pizza sponsor of the NFL, didn't exactly score a touchdown when it came to 2016 pizza sales.
Following weak same-store sales in the fourth quarter of last year, the popular chain saw its stock drop 8 percent on Feb 22.
Same-store sales are utilized to figure out the amount of sales growth that can be credited to new store openings. That’s based on sales made by stores open longer than 12 months.
5 SURPRISING FACTS ABOUT PAPA JOHN'S PIZZA
But the chain isn't attributing its worse-than-predicted performance to less-than-stellar pies. According to Chief Operating Officer and Papa John’s International Inc. president Steve Ritchie, National Football League ratings over the last season played a major role in weakening sales.
“We’ve seen ratings down 8 percent for the season,” Ritchie said during an earnings call Wednesday. “We’ve made a significant investment in the NFL. An 8-percent decline in ratings played a small factor in some of our performance.”
Still, there was growth in the company. It just wasn’t as much as expected. According to Nation’s Restaurant News, the chain had 3.8 percent same-store sales growth in the U.S. in the quarter that concluded Dec. 25.
Papa John’s, which has over 4,700 locations, had an overall 3.5 percent increase for 2016. Same-store sales have now grown for 25 straight quarters and have been flat or positive for 13 years in a row.
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But according to the pizza chain's executives, the NFL ratings were only one cause for the poor sales growth.
The previous year, the Denver Broncos played in the Super Bowl. Papa John’s spokesman Broncos’ Peyton Manning was the star of the game but after his retirement, the chain says its promotion buzz stalled.
The company also admitted to cutting some of its marketing budget after introducing a new pan pizza. They also pointed to reduced pizza prices from competitors when that pie was first rolled out.
“Some of our other competitors were doing $6 or $7 [pan pizzas],” CEO John Schnatter said. “We were doing $10 pans.”
To compete with chains like Domino's, Papa John's says it plans to ramp up its digital ordering platforms this year and better advertise its customer loyalty program to drum up repeat business.Market Charts > 2015 > Movie Chart
Annual Movie Chart - 2015
Note: This chart ranks movies by the amount they earned during 2015. It includes movies released in previous years that earned money during 2015. For example, a movie released over Thanksgiving in 2014 will most likely earn money in 2014 and 2015. Click on the individual movie to see its total gross over all the years in which it played.
Each box office year ends on the first Sunday of the following year. The next year starts the following day (Monday). For example, the "2004 box office year" ended on Sunday, January 2, 2005.
Inflation-adjusted figures are based on ticket sale estimates.
See Top 2015 Movies at the Domestic Box Office for the total domestic box office for the top 100 movies released in 2015.
Top Grossing Movies of 2015Washington, DC—Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) spoke on the House floor today urging Congress to vote against the Financial CHOICE Act of 2017 (H.R.10), a bill that would roll back financial regulations put in place after the 2008 financial crisis. The legislation would erode regulations for financial institutions by eliminating oversight of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, permit big banks to hold less capital to absorb financial losses, and ease protections against credit lenders issuing risky and predatory loans to hardworking Americans.
Video of Rep. Tulsi Gabbard's Speech is Available Here
Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard said:
“Rolling back financial regulations that are in place to protect the American people will put our citizens and country's economic security at risk, yet the Financial CHOICE Act being considered today by Congress does just that. This bill erodes protections against dishonest, big banking practices that rob people of their hard-earned salaries and repeals the Volcker Rule, dismantles the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, strips regulations to protect the American people’s savings, and lets big banks maintain less capital to help absorb catastrophic losses in the future. These deregulations make the American taxpayer responsible for bailing out the big banks once again.
“We don’t need to remind American families about the pain and suffering caused by the Great Recession. In Hawaii, from 2008 to 2010, the unemployment rate more than doubled and 11 million people lost their homes across America. Despite regulations introduced to reign in the financial industry, the big banks are even bigger and more powerful than before the Great Recession. I urge my colleagues to reject this dangerous bill and pass the Return to Prudent Banking Act (H.R.790) which would reinstate a 21st century Glass-Steagall Act.”
Background: Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has long-supported real financial reform, including a reinstatement of the Glass-Steagall Act, breaking up the big banks, and increasing capital requirements for the nation’s largest banks. She has co-sponsored legislation like the Return to Prudent Banking Act, which would reinstate provisions of the Glass-Steagall Act to keep investment banking separate from commercial banking, as well as prevent the largest banks from engaging in speculative trading.
###Get the biggest Newcastle United FC 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
Newcastle United appear “bound for promotion” and “no-one on Wearside is laughing” at the Magpies now following a dramatic turnaround in North-East football fortunes over the past few months, believes Stan Collymore.
The former Liverpool and Aston Villa striker - who is now an outspoken pundit - insists that while Sunderland have “lurched back into their default position of annual relegation scrappers” since the euphoria of staying up at United’s expense, Rafa Benitez has rebuilt Newcastle in his own image.
While the Black Cats are rooted to the foot of the Premier League table, their North-East rivals are top of the Championship and into the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup.
Writing in his column for The Mirror, Collymore - reflecting on the final weeks of the 2015/16 campaign - states: “Fast-forward less than six months and the tables have turned dramatically in the North East.
“Sunderland might have thought they’d won the lottery staying up last season but depressingly they’ve lurched back into their default position of annual relegation scrappers.
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Christianity was not persecuted, baptism has become a delightful occasion affirmed by family and friends; even unbelieving family members may attend to join in the celebration. However, in the New Testament and in many parts of the world today, baptism is the most difficult decision a person may ever make. It is that great moment when he publically identifies with Christ and forms a break with family, friends, and culture. Because of this decision, he will lose his job; become an outcast from society; and perhaps even be hunted, imprisoned, and martyred. In this case, his baptism was the proof of his faith and his salvation. Only those who are truly regenerated will identify with Christ at such a cost. This is the reason why both baptism and public confession of Christ are so closely related to faith and salvation in the New Testament.
You mentioned in one of your sermons that you have “more metal in your body than a Tonka truck.” At the same time there are some rumors that you are unwell. Are you able to address your health?
I was born with a genetic malformation, and yes, I do have a lot of metal in me. My boys call me “robo-preacher.” I have had a total hip replacement in both hips, my left wrist has been broken three times, has been operated on twice, and is held together with a special pin. My left knee has been operated on three times, and I have had herniated disks and bone spurs in my neck. Before my hip surgeries, I suffered almost constant pain. It made it very difficult to concentrate, sleep, and trek up the Andes Mountains. The difficulty with chronic pain like that is not just the actual pain, but the weakness and overall nausea that comes with it.
Until two years ago this last April, I was steadily declining. The pain was growing worse, and insomnia was taking its toll. I would often sleep on the floor in the living room because I moved so much in the night that my wife could hardly sleep. Then one morning, I woke up with a start, as though someone had shaken me or slammed a door. I jumped to my feet and in an instant felt that much of my pain was gone. I told my wife that it seemed like the Lord had given me a good day. I thoroughly expected the pain to return, but the next day, I felt even stronger. A few days later, I was walking in the yard, and my son Ian threw a Frisbee in my direction. Without thinking, I jumped and caught it (my definition of “jumped”: my heels were no longer touching the ground). When I turned around to throw the Frisbee back to Ian, he exclaimed, “Dad, did you see what you just did?”
Afterwards, I went into my room and prayed. I told the Lord that if the pain were necessary for my sanctification and protection, I would gladly have Him return it to me. But until then, I would be a good steward of what He had done for me. With renewed hope, I changed my diet and began to exercise with my boys. Two years have now passed, and I continue to improve. Last year in Atlanta, I challenged Voddie Baucham to three rounds in the cage. I think I could have taken him because he was laughing so hard that he could not have possibly defended himself.
There are two lessons that can be gleaned from all this. First, I did have serious physical problems, but I believe that I compounded them over the years by worry, stress, and overwork. All of these are symptoms of unbelief and/or pride. The Christian ministry is difficult, and we must not be lazy or trite. However, we often place burdens upon ourselves and make demands upon ourselves that are not according to the will of God. The more I know God and understand His perfect work on my behalf, the more I am able to rest. Secondly, I would not trade the difficult years for all the prosperity in the world. God knows what each one of us must suffer in order to be conformed to the image of Christ.
I know that many Christians love to pray for you. What are some specific ways that these people can pray for you, your family, and your ministry?
I cannot tell you how much I appreciate the prayers of God’s people. The prayers of others are the means through which God strengthens His ministers. I most covet prayer with regard to conformity to Christ and steadfastness. I am entering into a dangerous stage of life. Both Noah and David fell after they had walked with God for many years and fought many battles. My goal is to be faithful until the end. My wife’s great desire is also conformity to Christ, manifested in kindness, mercy, and patience, especially with regard to home schooling our children. For our children, our greatest desire is that they come to a biblical assurance of salvation and that they love the Lord their God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. For all the staff at HeartCry, we desire integrity and wisdom to administrate according to the will of God.Previously: Episode 1. Episode 2.
EPISODE 3: The Beheadings
The massive OctaLoss pursued Vladiator and his men to the edge of the forest, swatting and jeering, “Allllllen! Allllllen!” as they ran.
Friar Hitch, being significantly slower than the athletic young Knights of Blue, soon fell behind. One of OctaLoss’s crow heads reached down, plucked him up by his brown hoodie, and flung Hitch high into the air.
“It’s an Emperor Penguin!”, yelled Oshie.
“It’s a blimp!”, cried Steen.
“No you idiots, it’s an incoming Friar Hitch! Run for your lives!”
With a thunderous head first crash, Hitch hit the ground. He crawled out of the crater.
“It’s… It’s all so clear to me now.” Hitch said, “Schwartz! Tarasenko! Lehtera! Attack!”
“Backes! Steen! Oshie! Attack!”
“D-Men! Attack!”
“Reaves! Get the battering ram!”
The men seemed stunned for a moment, then realized that Hitch had some sense knocked back into him, and immediately charged at the great road beast OctaLoss.
Sir Reaves struck first, slamming OctaLoss into the mountain with his battering ram.
The beast staggered forward and fell to it’s knees. With OctaLoss’s heads exposed, The Vladiator roared to his men:
“Men of Blues Kingdom, I am Vladimir Tarasenko. And I see a whole army of my countrymen, here in defiance of road losses!”
“Now, let us go, slay this beast OctaLoss, and return to Scottrade Castle in victory!”
The men cheered their approval and readied themselves to give OctaLoss the death blow. At that moment, Sir Backes interrupted.
“We can’t kill the beast!”
“Why not?”
“Can’t we put him in a rescue shelter?”
“Never! OctaLoss must be slain!”
And with that, Vladiator drew Gordie Howe’s stick, and leapt towards the beast, in one fell swoop he lopped off all eight heads of OctaLoss.
Minutes removed from the great battle, Rutherford the Scribe approached Friar Hitch in the locker tent.
“Hitch, congratulations on slaying OctaLoss, but have you heard the news?”
“What news?”
“Scottrade Castle is under siege by an army of the Ghosts of Game 5’s Past!”
To be continued…Yrjö Väisälä [ˈyrjø ˈʋæisælæ] () (6 September 1891 in[1] Utra, Kontiolahti, Grand Duchy of Finland – 21 July 1971 in Rymättylä, Finland) was a Finnish astronomer and physicist.[2]
His main contributions were in the field of optics, but he was also very active in geodetics, astronomy and optical metrology. He had even an affectionate nickname of Wizard of Tuorla (Observatory/Optics laboratory), and there is a book with the same title in Finnish describing his works. His discoveries include 128 minor planets and 3 comets.[3][2]
His brothers were mathematician Kalle Väisälä (1893–1968) and meteorologist Vilho Väisälä (1889–1969). His daughter Marja Väisälä (1916–2011) was also an astronomer and discoverer of minor planets.
Väisälä was also a fervent supporter of Esperanto, presiding the Internacia Scienca Asocio Esperantista ("International Association of Esperanto Scientists") in 1968.[4]
Optician [ edit ]
He developed several methods for measuring the quality of optical elements, as well as a lot of practical methods of manufacturing said elements. This allowed the construction of some of the earliest high-quality Schmidt cameras, in particular a "field-flattened" version known as Schmidt-Väisälä camera. Contemporary to Bernhard Schmidt's design, but unpublished was also Prof. Yrjö Väisälä's identical design which he had mentioned in lecture notes in 1924 with a footnote: "problematic spherical focal surface".[2]
Once he saw Schmidt's publication, he promptly went ahead and "solved" the field flattening problem by placing a doubly convex lens slightly in front of the film holder – back in the 1930s, astronomical films were glass plates (also see photographic plates). The resulting system is known as the Schmidt-Väisälä camera or sometimes as the Väisälä camera. (This solution is not perfect, as images of different colour end up at slightly different places.) Prof. Väisälä made a small test unit of 7 mirrors in a mosaic on stiff background steel frame, however it proved to be impossible to stabilize as "just adjust and forget" structure, and next time anybody tried it, was with active controls on Multiple Mirror Telescope.
Geodesy [ edit ]
A laboratory diary of Yrjö Väisälä. The text is written in 1929. On the pages seen here Väisälä describes the principle of 'a new telescope for photography'. Väisälä never published this concept and few years later Estonian Bernhard Schmidt invented the same construction which is now known as the Schmidt camera
In the 1920s and 1930s Finland was doing its first precision triangulation chain measurements, and to create long-distance vertices Prof. Väisälä proposed usage of flash-lights on 5 to 10 kilometres (16,000 to 33,000 ft) altitude balloons, or on some big fireworks rockets. The idea was to measure the exact position of the flash against background stars, and by precisely knowing one camera location, to derive an accurate location for another camera. This required better wide-field cameras than were available, and was discarded.
Later, Prof. Väisälä developed a method to multiply an optical length reference using white light interferometry to precisely determine lengths of baselines used in triangulation chains. Several such baselines were created in Finland for second high-precision triangulation campaign in 1950s and 1960s.
Later GPS made these methods largely obsolete. The Nummela Standard Baseline established by Väisälä is still maintained by the Finnish Geodetic Institute in Nummela for the calibration of other distance measurement instruments.
Prof. Väisälä also developed excellent tools to measure earth rotational axis position by building so called zenith telescopes, and in the 1960s Tuorla Observatory was in the top rank of North Pole position tracking measurements.
In the 1980s radioastronomy was able to replace earth rotation tracking by referring things against "non-moving background" of quasars.
For these Zenith Telescopes, Prof. Väisälä made also one of the first experiments at doing mirrors of liquid mercury. (Such mirror needs extremely smooth rotational speeds which were achieved in the late 1990s.)
Astronomer [ edit ]
The big Schmidt-Väisälä telescope he built was used at the University of Turku for searching asteroids and comets. His research group discovered 7 comets and 807 asteroids.
For this rather massive photographic survey work, Prof. Väisälä developed also a protocol of taking two exposures on same plate some 2–3 hours apart and offsetting those images slightly. Any dot-pairs that differed from background were moving, and deserved follow-up photos. This method halved the film consumption compared to method of "blink comparing", where plates get single exposures, and are compared by rapidly showing first and second exposures to human operator. (Blink-comparing was used to find e.g. Pluto.)
Yrjö Väisälä is credited by the Minor Planet Center with the discovery of 128 asteroids (see below) during 1935–1944.[3] He used to name them with the names of his personal friends that had birthdays. One of them was the professor Matti Herman Palomaa, after whom an asteroid 1548 Palomaa was named.[5] For this reason the Palomar Mountain Observatory in California has never had an asteroid bearing its name – the rules for naming asteroids state that the names have to differ from each other with more than one letter.
Besides minor planets, he has also discovered 3 comets.[2] The parabolic comet C/1944 H1 observed in 1944 and 1945,[6] as well as the two short period comets, 40P/Väisälä, a Jupiter-family comet,[7] and C/1942 EA, a Halley-type and near-Earth comet.[8] Together with Liisi Oterma he co-discovered the Jupiter-family comet 139P/Väisälä–Oterma, which was first classified as asteroid and received the provisional designation "1939 TN".
Honors and awards [ edit ]
The University of Turku Astronomy department is known as VISPA: Väisälä Institute for Space Physics and Astronomy[9] in honour of its founder. The lunar crater Väisälä is named after him,[10] and so are the minor planets 1573 Väisälä and 2804 Yrjö.[11][12]
List of discovered minor planets [ edit ]
2243 Lönnrot 25 September 1941 list 2258 Viipuri 7 October 1939 list 2292 Seili 7 September 1942 list 2299 Hanko 25 September 1941 list 2333 Porthan 3 March 1943 list 2379 Heiskanen 21 September 1941 list 2397 Lappajärvi 22 February 1938 list 2454 Olaus Magnus 21 September 1941 list 2464 Nordenskiöld 19 January 1939 list 2479 Sodankylä 6 February 1942 list
2486 Metsähovi 22 March 1939 list 2502 Nummela 3 March 1943 list 2512 Tavastia 3 April 1940 list 2535 Hämeenlinna 17 February 1939 list 2638 Gadolin 19 September 1939 list 2639 Planman 9 April 1940 list 2678 Aavasaksa 24 February 1938 list 2679 Kittisvaara 7 October 1939 list 2690 Ristiina 24 February 1938 list 2715 Mielikki 22 October 1938 list
2716 Tuulikki 7 October 1939 list 2733 Hamina 22 February 1938 list 2737 Kotka 22 February 1938 list 2750 Loviisa 30 December 1940 list 2802 Weisell 19 January 1939 list 2820 Iisalmi 8 September 1942 list 2826 Ahti 18 October 1939 list 2885 Palva 7 October 1939 list 2898 Neuvo 20 February 1938 list 2962 Otto 28 December 1940 list
3897 Louhi 8 September 1942 list 4181 Kivi 24 February 1938 list 4266 Waltari 28 December 1940 list 4512 Sinuhe 20 January 1939 list 5073 Junttura 3 March 1943 list 5153 Gierasch 9 April 1940 list (6073) 1939 UB 18 October 1939 list 6572 Carson 22 September 1938 list
Gallery [ edit ]
An early 20th century wooden house in Joensuu at the corner of Sepänkatu and Papinkatu streets. The building was Väisälä brothers' home in 1904–19.
A commemorative plaque attached to the building in 1976. The text reads: "At this place was Väisälä scientist brothers, Vilho, Yrjö and Kalle's, home in 1904–1919. Joensuu Lyceum ex-students".India may ask Google, Skype and other online service providers to allow the country's law enforcement agencies to access communications on their networks, the head of an Internet association said on Friday.
On Thursday the government said it will ask service providers in the country to ensure that some BlackBerry services should be made accessible to its law enforcement agencies by Aug. 31, or face a block of these services.
Rajesh Chharia, president of the Internet Service Providers Association of India (ISPAI), said that at a meeting he attended about a month ago of the country's Department of Telecommunications, it was discussed that other online services besides BlackBerry would also be asked to provide access to India's security agencies.
The Indian government's public threat against BlackBerry is running in parallel with an as yet unannounced decision to pursue similar concerns with Google, Skype and other communications services, The Financial Times said in a report on Friday, citing a government report.
A spokesman for the Department of Telecommunications said he was unaware of the decision.
Google said it had heard nothing from the government.
The Indian government is asking for access to BlackBerry's enterprise server and its instant messaging application.
India wants to intercept mobile and online communications as part of its work against terrorist groups. Security agencies in the country have found that terrorists are increasingly using email, instant messenger, and mobile phones to plan attacks.
Although ISPAI is in favor of self-regulation of the Internet, Chharia said that given the threats India faced, it was reasonable for some of these online services to provide access to law enforcement agencies, under certain conditions. Some of the technology providers tend to take Indian law very lightly, he added.
Under Indian law, service providers have to give law enforcement agencies access to communications on their networks, under certain conditions, including by providing the keys for their decryption.
The government appears to be planning to clamp down on all services that bypass its monitoring system, starting with BlackBerry, Chharia said.
BlackBerry vendor Research in Motion said in a statement on Thursday that it did not want to be singled out by the Indian government.
RIM said that carriers must be technology and vendor neutral and not provide greater access to BlackBerry data compared to other communications companies.
The carriers' capabilities should "be limited to the strict context of lawful access and national security requirements as governed by the country's judicial oversight and rules of law," RIM said. The company maintains a consistent global standard for lawful access that does not include special deals for specific countries, it added.Last Wednesday, the Nationals solved their center field problem by trading several of their best pitching prospects to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for Adam Eaton. Last Friday, the Cardinals solved their center field problem by giving a bunch of money to free agent Dexter Fowler. Before signing Fowler, the Cardinals tried to trade for Eaton. Had the Nationals not been able to complete a deal for Eaton, they presumably would have been in on Fowler. So, with two teams making different decisions about big investments into how to land a center fielder, let’s compare the two players and the costs it took to acquire them.
Helpfully, Eaton and Fowler are actually pretty similar players. Let’s just start with their offensive skillsets.
Eaton and Fowler, 2014-2016 Name PA BB% K% ISO BABIP AVG OBP SLG wOBA wRC+ BsR Off Adam Eaton 1933 9% 17% 0.132 0.343 0.290 0.362 0.422 0.344 117 12 50 Dexter Fowler 1746 13% 22% 0.153 0.334 0.266 0.369 0.419 0.348 121 10 52
Eaton has slightly better contact skills, so he strikes out a little bit less, but Fowler has a better idea of the strike zone, so he walks a little more. Fowler has a little more power, though not dramatically so. Both are very good baserunners. In the end, they’ve been almost equivalent offensive producers over the last three years.
Defensively, there’s some question marks with both players. Neither one has graded out all that well in center field by either UZR or DRS, but there are reasons to be optimistic about both going forward as defenders at the position.
The Cubs repositioned Fowler last year, and as a result, he was rated as an average defender by both UZR and DRS for the first time in his career. Fowler has always been a guy that scouts thought was better than his defensive metrics suggested, and it’s certainly possible that playing deeper was the simple change he needed to make, which could help him perform better than his track record suggests.
With Eaton, his defensive marks in center aren’t great, but he was rated as one of the game’s elite defenders as a right fielder last year, combining something like league-best range in right field with the most effective throwing arm of any outfielder in the game. And, as Mitchel Lichtman showed over the weekend, the preponderance of the evidence shows that there isn’t really center field defense or right field defense, and the fact that Eaton was staggeringly good in right field means he is very likely to be a better center fielder than his CF-only numbers indicate.
So for both Fowler and Eaton, we have inconsistent defensive data, with the most recent results being much more positive than the older data. Given that you don’t want to draw sweeping conclusions from a single year of defensive data, we still have to include the prior information in our projections of their performance, and not treat them as if 2016 was some kind of new baseline for established performance. With that data included and weighted most heavily, though, both project as slightly below average defenders in center, though with Eaton projecting a few runs better with the glove. Like on offense, though, there isn’t a huge gap here.
So both are good hitters with average-ish gloves in center (though STL and WAS are likely hoping for better than that based on their 2016 numbers), so depending on how much of their offensive performance they retain, that makes them something like +3 WAR players. Steamer is projecting some pretty significant offensive regression for both, with 107/106 wRC+ projections for Fowler and Eaton respectively, while ZIPS was a bit more optimistic about Fowler’s bat, and likely will be with Eaton too, given the differences in aging curves the two systems use.
And, of course, age is a key here, and the place where these two similar players diverge. The Cardinals five year deal for Fowler buys his age 31-35 seasons, while the Nationals traded for the final five years of Eaton’s contract, which gets them his age 28-32 seasons. While it’s instructive to know that Eaton and Fowler are similar players now, our expectation of future production necessarily has to be more optimistic for Eaton, given that he’s three years younger. As a super-basic look at how we might expect age to play into their value, here is what we get from our contract estimating tool, if we start both players as +3 WAR players for 2017.
Adam Eaton’s Contract Estimate — 5 yr / $118.3 M Year Age WAR $/WAR Est. Contract 2017 28 3.0 $8.0 M $24.0 M 2018 29 3.0 $8.4 M $25.2 M 2019 30 3.0 $8.8 M $26.5 M 2020 31 2.5 $9.3 M $23.2 M 2021 32 2.0 $9.7 M $19.4 M Totals 13.5 $118.3 M Assumptions Value: $8M/WAR with 5.0% inflation (for first 5 years)
Aging Curve: +0.25 WAR/yr (18-27), 0 WAR/yr (28-30),-0.5 WAR/yr (31-37),-0.75 WAR/yr (> 37)
Dexter Fowler’s Contract Estimate — 5 yr / $86.3 M Year Age WAR $/WAR Est. Contract 2017 31 3.0 $8.0 M $24.0 M 2018 32 2.5 $8.4 M $21.0 M 2019 33 2.0 $8.8 M $17.6 M 2020 34 1.5 $9.3 M $13.9 M 2021 35 1.0 $9.7 M $9.7 M Totals 10.0 $86.3 M Assumptions Value: $8M/WAR with 5.0% inflation (for first 5 years)
Aging Curve: +0.25 WAR/yr (18-27), 0 WAR/yr (28-30),-0.5 WAR/yr (31-37),-0.75 WAR/yr (> 37)
Note that, at $8 million per win and Fowler as a +3 WAR player, the contract estimator basically nailed the deal Fowler actually signed this winter, so there’s some basis in reality here, even though the assumptions are definitely imprecise. And because of the differences in age, Eaton is expected to put up an additional +3.5 WAR over the life of the deal, earning something like an extra $32 million in value for the Nationals with that additional performance.
Plus, of course, the contracts are quite different. Fowler is going to make $82.5 million over the next five years, while Eaton will make $38.4 million during the same time period, assuming his 2020/2021 options are exercised. The fact that the last two years of Eaton’s deals are option years makes his deal even more team-friendly, as the Nationals exposure is limited if he’s a total bust, but then again, at $10 million per year, the cost is low enough that Eaton would have to crater in an unimaginable way for them to not pick those up. Realistically, we should expect both of those options to be exercised, and can reasonably say that the difference in cost over the next five years is something like $44 million in salary.
So Eaton costs $44 million less in salary and is expected to be worth about $32 million more in performance value; you can see why the Nationals considered him a more preferable option, and were willing to give up significant value to land him from the White Sox. Plus, signing Fowler also cost the Cardinals their 2017 first round draft choice, so we have to account for the tax that goes with signing him as well. Major League teams are valuing end-of-first-round picks at around $10 million apiece these days, so Fowler really cost more like $92.5 million when that is factored in.
With salary, draft pick tax, and aging factored in, these numbers give Eaton something like an $85 million advantage in value. So, to decide whether which team made out better with their center field decision, we have to decide whether we think the prospects the Nationals gave up are worth more than $85 million.
If we just combined the most recent Baseball America rankings — their mid-season Top 100 from July — with the 2016 prospect surplus value calculations, the answer would be an easy yes. Giolito ranked as the #4 prospect in baseball on BA’s summer list, which would make him worth something like $70 million by himself; toss in Lopez as a top-50 pitcher too (another $30 million), plus Dunning having some value as a recent first-round pick, and it’s easy to see why the general consensus seems to be that that the Nationals overpaid here. If Giolito/Lopez are worth more than $100 million in value, then the Nationals should have just signed Fowler instead.
But as we talked about last week, there are a lot of reasons to think that Giolito’s mid-season ranking isn’t a very good indicator of his actual current market value. Giolito has always been a stuff-over-results prospect, but the stuff wasn’t that great in the big leagues, and he wasn’t missing enough bats in the minors to justify that kind of high-end valuation. From KATOH’s stats-only perspective, Giolito ranked as the game’s 74th best prospect in its midseason update, and that was before he bombed in the big leagues.
Talking with a variety of people in the game at the winter meetings last week, it’s pretty clear that Giolito’s stock is down around the game, and there’s a decent amount of skepticism about whether there’s really top-of-the-rotation talent there. Multiple industry folks confirmed that their own internal rankings had him more in the 25-50 range, and that they put a significantly lower value on him than the $70 million valuation that would be expected if he was a legitimate top-10 pitching prospect.
So, realistically, the Fowler/Eaton decision probably comes down to what you think of Giolito at this point. If you see him as a legitimate high-end pitching prospect, still one of the game’s elite prospects, then the Nationals probably gave up more in prospect value than they saved by going with the cheaper and younger Eaton. If you see Giolito as a star in the making, then yeah, they should have just signed Fowler.
But if you see Giolito as more of a standard top 100 pitching prospect, a guy with a good amount of risk to go along with a solid upside, then it’s not so cut-and-dried. If Giolito and Lopez are both middle-of-the-top-100 prospects, both worth about $30 to $40 million, and you give another $10 million or so to Dunning, then the prospect package the Nationals gave up is almost exactly equal to the extra value Eaton would project to have over Fowler.
Except, there’s actually one other area where Eaton provides a fairly substantial advantage for Washington; the luxury tax. The Nationals are actually fairly close to the $195 million CBT threshold, and signing a guy like Fowler would have probably put them over the line, or at least made it close enough that he would have been their only significant free agent signing of the winter. With Eaton’s AAV being less than half of Fowler’s number, he provides space for Washington make a run at another free agent this winter, likely a reliever to help bolster a group that lost Mark Melancon and Marc Rzepczynski to free agency. They probably don’t get Kenley Jansen with that savings, but maybe Eaton’s cheap contract gives them the runway to sign a guy like Greg Holland.
So, at the risk of writing 2,000 words without coming to a conclusion, I’m not sure I see a clear advantage for either option here. Eaton’s cost-savings and age are real advantages, and the extra short-term boost the Nationals could potentially get thanks to his lower CBT number probably make trading for him a better short-term play than signing Fowler would be. Then again, Giolito and Lopez might have been able to fill the bullpen holes the Nationals now have, so perhaps they would not have needed to sign a reliever if they had just signed Fowler instead. And of course, having both of those guys around, you could have continued to bet on their long-term upside, and perhaps come out well ahead if Giolito turned into what he’s been projected as.
But there’s a real chance that Giolito’s value has already peaked, and he’ll be something like Archie Bradley a year from now, a formerly elite pitching prospect who looks more like a back-end starter after struggling against big league hitters. If that’s more of what you expect from Giolito, then cashing him in to save $50 million in salary and get the younger center fielder is probably not a bad idea.
Forced to make a choice, and not knowing what else the Nationals could have gotten for that pair of arms, I think I probably would have just signed Fowler, hoped Lopez turned into the high-end relief arm the Nationals could use, and maybe shopped Giolito for something else, perhaps a better 1B/OF than Ryan Zimmerman or Jayson Werth. But given the costs and expected performances of both Fowler and Eaton, I think it’s fair to say that there are reasons to prefer either option, and the Nationals didn’t clearly screw up by trading for Eaton instead of just throwing more money at Fowler.U.S. President Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed Russia, China, the Paris climate agreement and terrorism at a joint news conference on July 13. (Reuters)
As President Trump heads back from his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, a number of Americans are sighing wistfully for the president we don’t have. Macron’s American admirers see in him everything that we lack in Trump: The new president is young, attractive, concerned about the climate and possesses commanding power in parliament. In short, Macron represents what Democrats here have lost. The French dodged their bullet; we didn’t. Macron stemmed the nationalist tide sweeping across Europe and restored order to the free world reeling after Brexit and Trump. Or so the story goes.
With Marine Le Pen’s National Front as the only alternative in the French runoff earlier this year, Macron was the right and necessary choice. Yet Americans should beware of developing too much of a love affair with France’s latest president: After all, Macron does not provide a truly progressive blueprint that we should or even could emulate here.
American liberals have been quick to embrace Macron. During France’s election, former president Barack Obama called and formally endorsed him. Painting this simply as an effort to stop Le Pen would be a half-truth: Obama reached out before the first round, where a more progressive candidate by the name of Jean-Luc Mélenchon would go on to win the youngest segment of the voting population. Obama was not opting for a lesser evil but an unabashed embrace of centrist politics. As political commentator Joy Ann Reid put it, “Macron found a way to thread the needle between far right and far left populism/socialism. He’s culturally liberal but economically pragmatic.” Neera Tanden, president of the Center for American Progress, was another visible leader in the Democratic establishment who argued that Macron provides a model for progressives here. Enthusiasm for him extended to the popular level. When Macron attended the G-7 Summit in late May, he ignited social media fan fiction over his “impossibly romantic first date” with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
[France’s Emmanuel Macron is about to expand his power in a most remarkable way]
At first, Macron’s liberal boosters seemed to be getting what they bargained for. Macron stood up against Trump, publicly airing his disagreement with him for pulling the United States out of the Paris climate accord while saying, “Make our planet great again.” There was his pre-emptive white-knuckled handshake with Trump which demonstrated firmness.
But look closer, and a much more complicated picture of Macron’s politics emerges. To start, he won the presidency with a weak mandate in an election in which over a third of French voters abstained or cast white ballots. His party En Marche! won an overwhelming majority in parliament only amid record-low turnout. This weak mandate, coupled with his effort to push through controversial labor reforms without debate in parliament, does not sound deeply democratic.
Macron, who took Trump to Napoleon Bonaparte’s tomb, has himself earned comparisons to the French emperor, something he doesn’t entirely seem to mind: He has previously said that France needs a king and Jupiter-like president. Macron has also given other offensive and sometimes utterly bizarre commentary. When he was recently asked if France would implement a Marshall Plan for Africa, he described Africa’s economic problems as “civilizational.” After the president skipped the traditional Bastille Day news conference, an administration source explained that Macron’s “complex thought process” didn’t lend itself to interviews with journalists.
[Macron is set to be one of the loudest anti-Trump voices in Europe]
Macron has emphasized tax cuts for businesses and limits on public spending. When the new French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe spoke to FT and was told that these were right-wing measures, Phillippe allegedly burst into laughter and responded, “Yes, what did you expect?” Macron has made a concerted effort to lure capital to France, particularly bankers leery of Brexit. When Macron speaks of revolutionizing and transforming France, in sounds more like a Silicon Valley-style neoliberalization than pro-worker reform that might benefit the poor and working class. Americans, at the very least, should know that this has not been the solution to the plight of workers.
Depending on who you ask, Macron’s politics are either masterful compromise or the art of standing for everything and nothing at the same time. He spoke out against France’s colonial complicity in Algeria only to apologize after his comments caused an uproar. Regarding the Muslim burkini, Macron thinks the dress is not religious but ideological and opposed to gender equality. Still, he thinks it is wrong for police to forcibly remove burkinis. Yet again, he supports a partial ban. This is against a backdrop in which Macron has low regard for civil liberties — mosques can be closed if Macron’s Interior Ministry does not like what is said in them — and in which he plans to make France’s state of emergency permanent.
It is unclear whether Macron’s policies will bury the nationalist xenophobic current feeding on economic discontent or further it. Nevertheless, Democrats here should not look to him as the progressive model to emulate here. The Democratic establishment’s attraction to Macron is fueled by nostalgia for a bygone era. Lacking a successor to Obama, it is as if some now look to Macron to imagine an uninterrupted order in which the center is stable, and nothing has changed. But that world is gone now, and dreaming of France won’t bring it back.UPDATED: The CW is having some bold fun with ABC Family |
in a substantial way."
Rather than fighting the cultivation through military efforts, Kinzer said, the US government should purchase the annual poppy crop from Afghan farmers for an estimated $3-4 billion a year – the same amount spent on the war in Afghanistan every month.
The AP recently reported that 700 soldiers died in Afghanistan in 2010, making it the deadliest year so far in the nine-year war. Much of the violence is centered in the southern part of the country, where the Afghan army being trained by US forces is often the main target of Taliban attacks.
Published on Jan. 6, 2010The Detroit Pistons are headed into an entirely brand new era for their franchise this coming season, and they are extremely excited with the potential that they have to get back into the playoffs. They have a very talented roster to go along with new head coach Stan Van Gundy, and with a very inconsistent Eastern Conference they could be able to make some noise.
It’s going to be a very competitive playoff race this season, but if Van Gundy can put everything together, they have the talent to make some noise.
They still have some work to do if they want to bring Greg Monroe back, but it doesn’t appear that Monroe will play with Josh Smith still on the roster. Even if they aren’t able to re-sign Monroe, they will still have a very good frontcourt of Smith and Andre Drummond. Drummond is the most exciting young piece on the Pistons’ roster, and they are expecting a big season out of him this year.
Detroit was expected to make a run at the playoffs last season, but they imploded due to bad coaching and a locker room issues. Smith and Monroe were upset with each other all season because of Smith’s shot selection, and those issues carried over and took a toll on the entire roster.
Van Gundy is the type of coach that knows how to demand respect and get the best out of his players, and he is going to do that this season in Detroit.
What five bold predictions can be made about the 2014-15 Pistons?CLOSE Take a tour of the Templeton Rye distillery in 2013 as it prepared to make its one millionth bottle of whiskey. Des Moines Register file video
Whiskey (Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto )
Templeton Rye co-founder Scott Bush recalls sitting in China in 2011 with David Perkins, the founder of High West Distillery in Utah. The two traveled there with a distillery lobbying group to promote American whiskey to the nation of 1.35 billion, many of whom harbor an increasing taste for the stuff.
"One of us said it's interesting how we're here, but sort of be careful what we wish for," Bush said. "If a billion Chinese are drinking American whiskey, even a big company like Jack Daniel's isn't going to fill that niche."
The wish is slowly coming true: Earlier this month, Buffalo Trace Distillery — the 228-year-old national whiskey maker based in Frankfort, Ky. — announced upcoming shortages of its products, the result of an increasing global "bourbon boom" with no end in sight. Bourbon is experiencing a 5 percent growth overall, the distiller stated, with premium brands up 20 percent from last year.
The catch: Top-shelf whiskey can age a decade or more in oak barrels before reaching the bottle, leaving producers with few ways to predict or respond to popularity spikes.
ENTREFEST IN IOWA CITY: Templeton Rye founder knows price of success
In Iowa, the whiskey boom has left distilleries and sellers feeling its effects and trying to meet demands. Cedar Ridge, the state's first microdistillery that recently began shipping to Hong Kong, on Friday announced a $1.1 million expansion of its operations driven by whiskey sales.
The cause for the boom, analysts say, trails back to drinkers' changing tastes. Those who heralded vodka 10 years ago now prefer the American bourbon swilled everywhere from hip bars in Des Moines' East Village to the sets of AMC's "Mad Men."
Whiskey's surge in popularity over the years doesn't surprise Kolin Brighton, Cedar Ridge's lead distiller.
"This is just sort of how whiskey goes. It's in fashion for a while, then supplies run short and eventually they run on to something else," he said Friday. "If you look at 300 years of whiskey sales, it looks like a damn roller coaster."
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That roller coaster tried to toss Templeton Rye a few years back, when the distiller of Al Capone's supposed favorite whiskey found itself with a supply shortage on its hands. The scarcity, combined with the state of Iowa's allocation of its bottles, played right into the brand's Prohibition lore — only increasing its popularity.
The company hired more hands and upped its distribution, said Bush, hoping to stabilize its supply for the foreseeable future. Templeton Rye ages for five years, which means the company can only bottle today what it barreled in 2009.
"We can't go back in time," Bush said. "We feel like we've positioned ourselves well for growth, but you never really know until five years are up. It is an issue."
In Swisher, Cedar Ridge's distillers remain confident they'll continue to meet growing demands for whiskey among the array of brandies and rums it produces. Brighton, the company's lead distiller, said Cedar Ridge whiskeys require only two years of aging because the company produces them through batch distillation.
"The big boys — Buffalo Trace, Jim Beam, the big Kentucky distilleries — are using continuous stills," Brighton said, a process that relies on years and years of aging to filter out impurities and mellow a whiskey's taste. "The advantage of craft distilling is we can remove a good deal of the impurities before it ever goes into the barrel."
Batch distillation remains more meticulous, Brighton said, but it enables Cedar Ridge to knock as many as five years off the necessary aging process and respond more quickly to demands.
But for whiskey to age, it needs oak barrels. Those, too, are in short supply, compounding whiskey production woes. The Spirits Business, an industry publication, reported this month that last winter's harsh conditions hampered the logging industry.
That, in turn, had an impact on the production of barrels, the wood of which ages for years itself. The shortage is expected to last for the next year or two.
As if another complication were needed to separate Iowans' tongues from premium bourbon, the state this year implemented a new allocation system that places high-demand spirits in Iowa stores via a lottery system, because in the past, "demand for products such as high-end whiskey was not as great as today," the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division said.
The aim is to make sure all qualifying stores have the same shot at scoring some Pappy Van Winkle bourbon, which goes for about $60 a bottle but can go for as much as $6,000 online.
Brian Duax, vice president of Central City Liquors in Des Moines, said his store used to regularly get rare spirits, but because of the allocation system, he can't predict that for his customers.
Duax said he had a single bottle of Redbreast 21-year-old whiskey, and "I have 50 people asking me for that one bottle. What do I with that one bottle? Do I piss off 49 people? Or just take it home for my birthday next week?"
Read or Share this story: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/entertainment/dining/2014/05/17/whiskey-boom-distillers-scrambling/9207977/Warning: contains spoilers. Avoid until you’ve seen The Missing episode 5.
The Missing series two has chosen to show its hand early. At the end of episode five, it revealed its culprit with three hours of story remaining. There are still plenty of questions to be answered as it ties up the dangling plot threads, and much to explain about how series two’s plot strands are connected, but we know who took the girls. And it’s someone nobody had their eye on.
Following a special episode five screening,The Missing’s writers Harry and Jack Williams, producer Willow Grylls, and actor Tchéky Karyo, took part in a post-mortem Q&A. Here’s what we learned…
Writers Harry and Jack Williams revealed the culprit in episode five to play “a different game narratively”
Harry Williams: Traditionally, ep 8 would be the one where you go okay, ‘here’s the suspect, we’re finally going to hone in on who it is’, so for us we were like, well if in this season we can do that slightly early, we can play a different game narratively and that can be the surprising thing and there’s a whole other story to tell there with the antagonist.
Jack Williams: We always try to think about expectation and what people watching the show might expect to see. In series one people are very much speculating on who did it and who will it be and taking bets on who it will be that it just felt interesting to us to go ‘what if that’s not what it’s all about. What if it’s a bit bigger than that?’ Who it is isn’t always a question that’s particularly thrilling to answer because it’s like pointing a finger and going ‘that guy’, but why they did it or who they are, and the fact we now have three more hours to explore that side of it.
You weren’t supposed to guess who the culprit was before episode 5
Jack Williams: I don’t think there’s any way you could know that at all. And that’s a good thing. Because we do it so early, there’s time in the next three episodes to really explore how and why he’s connected to everything else that is going on. I mean, if you play the game enough and you go ‘I vaguely recognise him and he hasn’t had that much to do… which I did see some people going ‘he’s quite a good actor, he hasn’t done very much’ but you can’t avoid that. You have to cast someone really good. I think we tried to use him as much as the story required. There are army press liaison officers, we met one when we did the research for this show and thought that’s quite a weird, specific job and he’s got quite a good reason to sit with the family, he’s organically involved at least, but no, I don’t think you could really guess.
Harry Williams: We just felt that establishing his presence was enough, given that we were going to unpack him in the second half of the show.
The first draft of the finale was 100 minutes
Jack Williams: It’s hard because you want to answer things but you also want it to be a good story, you want it to be enjoyable in and of itself, you don’t want it to be twenty minutes of people saying what happened.
Willow Grylls: “That’s precisely why [the writers] wanted to reveal what [they] did at the end of episode 5, so that [they] could do justice to that story properly over three episodes as opposed to just having to tie it up.”
Jack Williams: There’s a lot to get through. Understanding how this came to be is a lot.
Harry Williams: You want people to keep talking afterwards as well, you don’t want to go ‘they did it, oh. What’s on next?’ You want it to be an idea you’ve explored and a thing you keep talking about.
Why they used a drill in that final episode five scene:
Harry Williams: You want to do something that is memorable. Sometimes being shocking is a really helpful thing and tells you a lot about a character and makes you sit up in the moment, but sometimes the story’s doing the work you need it to and you don’t need to be excessive with it.
Jack Williams: The difference between knocking someone in the head and getting a drill is that one is potentially accidental or in the moment and this is very intentional and speaks to a big lack of humanity. It’s quite important that instead of just going it’s a tussle and it went wrong, it’s quite a different thing from going ‘I’ve pinned you down and now I’m going to get the drill’. It says a lot about someone! And it’s more memorable.
The writers and producers keep a close eye on online theories
Jack Williams: Yeah, I do it quite a lot
Willow Grylls: It’s great, reading those theories
But none of them have been entirely correct so far
Jack Williams: There’s lots of elements I’ve seen but I wouldn’t say anyone cracked the whole thing […] You see some and think ‘ooh, that would have been good’ Sometimes you’re like ‘shit! Why didn’t we think of that?’” We’ve tried to be as fair as possible. We haven’t hidden anything so it’s not impossible to get a sense.
It’s satisfying, rather than annoying, when fans guess the right answers
Jack Williams: No, God it’s brilliant! It’s great because that means we’ve laid it out… You can always surprise people by just not playing fair and holding things back. You can surprise people by going ‘David Morrissey’s an alien’ but it’s not fair to do it. So when people get it right, you feel quite pleased. I think they’ll enjoy it too, I hope.
Harry Williams: We try and play fair so people are going to get there sometimes. It’s satisfying to get something right.
By the series two finale, all your questions will have been answered:
Willow Grylls: Everyone should be reassured by the fact that all the questions that have come up and all the questions that are coming up, they will be answered over the course of the show.
Jack Williams: I think you can’t ask so many questions and not attempt to have some satisfactory way for it all to make sense.
Viewers should be happy with series 2's ending
Willow Grylls: Endings always divide people but will the ending answer all the questions that people have? Yes. I think it will.
Jack Williams: Yeah, it’s very different
Tchéky Karyo: It will be a question mark anyway. Some hope, maybe?
The actors were given a chronological timeline of events for reference, but even the writers found the timeline shifts tricky to follow.
Jack Williams: Even when you’re writing it, you get a bit confused. You pitch an idea, then you go, ‘oh no they’re dead’, oh right!
Harry Williams: We have lots of different documents that we kept losing. When you have a big chart it feels quite constrictive, like you have to follow the thing, it feels very overwhelming. If you just write bits and pieces down here and there you can feel it more.
Willow Grylls: We film it in two sections, so we film the whole of one time period in a block and then we feel the whole of the other time period in a block, which kind of allows you to stay within the continuity.
Episode six features an iconic Julien moment
Willow Grylls: Episode six is really all about Julien.
Harry Williams: It’s really good. In the next episode, there’s a five-minute… It’s the most iconic Julien moment!
Series two wasn’t based on any particular real-life abduction story:
Jack Williams: No but I think we read every real-life story like this. What’s depressing is just how similar a lot of them are, the pathology of these cases. From Natascha Kampusch to the Cleveland abductions, the Fritzl stuff. There are five or six quite key, specific ones. We read all of it and absorbed all of it in some capacity. It’s amazing how many similarities there are.
They wrote series 2 because they didn’t want to say goodbye to Julien Baptiste
Jack Williams: Mid-way through season one we realised we couldn’t say goodbye to Julien. When we were doing the sad ending to series one we thought, what happened if an Oliver type was found? What does that look like? What’s the story when the abducted person comes home? Is that the happy ending that everyone assumes it would be?
Tchéky Karyo [Julien Baptiste] wants to do a third series
Tchéky Karyo: “I hope there are still some skeletons in the closet for 1, 2, 3 you know… 4, 5, 6, 7!”
[…] We had Hercules Poirot, and today we have Julien Baptiste!
The writers haven’t had an idea for series three yet
Harry Williams: Like with the second one, we didn’t want to do it in a cynical way, it was only when we had that story to tell. We’d done the story about losing someone and we’ve done a story about finding someone so it would have to be very different and not cynical and saying something new. Never say never.
Willow Grylls: I think the one thing we can say for certain is like series two, it would be very different from series one and two.
Jack Williams: We haven’t had the idea yet, to be honest. We’re still doing this.
The Missing series 2 continues next Wednesday the 16th of November at 9pm on BBC One.The Create Originals Custom Ride System Kickstarter campaign was funded with $37,211 from 370 backers on April 26, 2013. It’s been the largest crowd-funding in rollerblading hard goods manufacturing. The initial estimated delivery was October 2013, and now in February 2015 the frames have still not been delivered.
The CRS Frames are Real
by Brian Krans
Faith in the project, according to Kickstarter comments and message board conversations, has dwindled, due in part by the lack of communication from CO. The latest supplied by CO came in November.
“People said we weren’t putting up enough updates and they’re right. But putting out an update that nothing has changed really isn’t an update,” Brian Lewis, co-owner of CO, recently told Be-Mag. “When something changed, we’d put out an update. Sometimes it was months apart.”
But now, 22 months after the Kickstarter was funded, the frames are manufactured and are currently en route to the U.S.
“As we sit right now, as far as I know, things are 100-percent paid, we’ve received a commercial invoice, we haven’t received tracking, but we have a track record of getting products before we get tracking,” Lewis said Friday. “It could show up in the next 24 hours or it could show up next week. Right now, it is 100-percent out of our hands and waiting on them.”
Since the interview, Lewis and Hakeem Jimoh learned the 1,800-pound shipment were awaiting clearance from customs at the Logan Airport in Boston. The pair had been waiting for tracking information, but as their track record showed, the goods showed up before the numbers.
Michael Bayr, founder and publisher for Be-Mag and CO’s European distributor, confirmed the frames have arrived there.
In short, yes, the CRS frames are real and finished.
No, the CO Kickstarter was not a scam, sham, or conspiracy.
Yes, you still have to pay for shipping.
The Rumor Mill Begins Churning
Kickstarter rules are simple: you back a project in hopes you get something in return. Those who collect the money are not legally obligated to deliver the rewards, which is enough alone to stir the rumor mills when numerous deadlines passed on the CRS project.
CO has been heavily criticized for their lack of transparency in the last year of the project. Many times backers were told frames were in production while new estimated delivery dates flew by.
Some accused CO of raising $37,211 and skating off with it.
Three months ago, Jacob Barnes said on the Mushroom Blading Podcast he was initially excited about using crowd-funding to develop a new future rollerblading industry, but after long enough, he had his own suspicions.
“The way this situation was handled, it seems unlikely people are going to get their frames,” he said. “It doesn’t seem likely the company has a future and I would say they have gone so far that no other rollerblading company will ever be able to use Kickstarter to fund any kind of similar project. And that’s the really scary part.”
Barnes went on to claim that the project’s real goal was to dissuade any other company from attempting to crowd-source another project to keep manufacturers like Razors at the top.
“Obviously nothing he said holds any water. Talk about someone who owes us an apology,” Lewis said. “We’re not like Darth Vader and the Sith Lord. We’re trying to go out on our own.”
But instead of responding to those claims as they came up, Lewis and Jimoh decided to remain silent to keep working, whether on the CRS product or at the their jobs to keep money flowing into the over-budget product.
“Professionalism went out the window. It was more important that Hakeem go out and do a moving job than him getting into an argument with someone on the internet,” Lewis said. “All this speaks to is how bad people want the products to come out. And no one wants that more than Hakeem or I.”
Lewis doesn’t fault people for being upset about the lack of updates and would have provided more updates, but too often there wasn’t enough information to share or a new delivery date to give.
The $37,211 from Kickstarter pledges is less than half of the total project, the rest coming from money Hakeem or Brian made moving furniture or other jobs.
The China Connection
The longest delays with CRS production came with dealing with companies in China, the global hub of manufacturing.
The company that produced the initial prototype frames dropped the CRS project because of the difficulty to manufacture the stainless steal spacers because few companies would take on custom-tooled projects with only 815-product output.
“Most factories won’t even talk to us because we’re not big enough,” Lewis said.
CO ordered stainless steel washers, but one factory sent over bronze ones that were 0.5mm smaller, and the same manufacturer provided samples with UFS holes that were too big, and flat out didn’t receive parts. This, Lewis said, was only one of several factory-related errors in sample frames, which meant time and money being lost in the process.
“Of course every time something like this comes up, they don’t say, ‘Hey, we messed up and then we’ll fix it.’ We either pay to have it fixed or we’re dead in the water,” Lewis said. “You would think they were going to redo this on their money, but nope. You have to pay for their mistakes. That’s China.”
The latest last-minute surprise was after paying the four-figure shipping bill when the company came back demanding another $350. If they didn’t pay, the frames wouldn’t move, so they paid.
“It’s been a nightmare. If you’re the little guy, it’s just unreal,” Lewis said. “They’re really unresponsive to us. We’d be waiting for the factory to make a change, which could take a couple of months. We aren’t priority for them.”
What’s Next for Backers
Those who donated to the Kickstarter campaign should pay attention to their inboxes. CO will soon be contacting backers with a survey about shipping. If your address has changed since 2013, you should update it on your Kickstarter profile.
As the Kickstarter stated, the money pledged doesn’t include shipping costs, which is all determined by a blader’s location and chosen delivery method. The quicker you respond and quicker you choose your shipping method and pay, the quicker you get your frame.
For non-Kickstarter backers who want CRS frames, limited editions will be available through shops and distributors that backed the project: include Adapt, Aggressive Mall, Be-Mag, Thuro Skateshop, Grindhouse, Inline Warehouse, Oak City, Roller Warehouse, Rullerclub, Shop-Task, and This Is Soul.
“Literally, we now have no buying power,” Lewis said. “We don’t even have money to produce graphic frames and the CRS frames coming out are all spoken for.”
For CO, the project is anything but finished. After more than three years of work, their latest frame is coming out and they “could be the bee’s knees or the bee’s asshole,” Lewis said, but they’ve kept quality as a top priority during the manufacturing process.
“We’re doing this for the kids we used to be and the kids out there now,” he said. “We’re doing the best with what we have, which isn’t much.”
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eBay – Electronics, Cars, Fashion, Collectibles, Coupons and moreKyle Korver of the Altanta Hawks holds the NBA record for most consecutive games with at least one three-point field goal made. The continued growth of his streak had been a flicker of brightness in Atlanta’s otherwise dark and injury riddled season. That streak came to an end last night at 127 games. Korver had not gone a single game without making a three-pointer since his Hawks debut on November 11th, 2012.
In a sense, I am disappointed. Korver is quietly the NBA’s most offensively efficient shooting guard. He leads the entire NBA in true shooting percentage (66.4) as well as three-point percentage (47.6), and he’d top the free throw percentage leader board too if his 58/63 attempts (92.1) were enough to register for consideration. He’s one of the league’s generally unsung heroes and I like to see him succeed.
On the other hand, the end of Korver’s streak is a shining testament to Wesley Matthews’ defense. Matthews was dogging Korver every time he touched the ball. It was clear that he had made it a personal goal to end Korver’s streak. The record books won’t mention Matthews, and those who weren’t watching last night may never know, but his hustle and dedication is directly responsible for snapping the most impressive three-point streak in NBA history.
Matthews often goes without defensive recognition because of his offensive game’s staggering improvement. Although Korver is disappointed, there’s no shame in shooting 0/5 from deep against a pitbull. When Matthews sets his mind to something, you’re not going to have much luck keeping him from his objective. Unfortunately for Korver, their goals were diametrically opposed last night and Matthews won out. Portland’s 24 point margin of victory was almost expected given Atlanta’s injury troubles, but the personal victory for Matthews was a well-deserved cherry on top.
Follow @DavidMacKayNBAFollow RipCityProjectNew US president offers to cut regulation for auto companies but warns he will be ‘very inhospitable’ on overseas jobs
Donald Trump offered auto executives the carrot and the stick on Tuesday, promising to reduce “out of control” environmental regulation while threatening tariffs on those who build cars abroad.
Auto industry's Trump fear: 'Everyone dreads being subject of a tweet' Read more
In a boardroom-style meeting with the General Motors CEO, Mary Barra; the Ford head, Mark Fields; and the Fiat Chrysler boss, Sergio Marchionne, Trump said he wanted “regulation that means something” and that companies looking to build new factories in the US would find his administration “hospitable”.
“They can’t get their environmental permit over something that nobody ever heard of before,” Trump said. “I am to a large extent an environmentalist, I believe in it, but it’s out of control.”
Trump has attacked all the major car companies over plans to import vehicles, particularly from Mexico, for sale in the US. Ahead of Detroit’s annual auto show earlier this month, Trump singled out GM.
“General Motors is sending Mexican-made model of Chevy Cruze to US car dealers-tax free across border. Make in USA or pay big border tax!” Trump warned via Twitter.
“We have a very big push on to have auto plants and other plants, many other plants, you’re not being singled out, Mary, believe me” – he said, indicating Barra – “but to have a lot of plants, a lot of different items built in the United States. It’s happening, it’s happening big league. We had Whirlpool up yesterday.
Resurrection of Keystone and DAPL cements America's climate antagonism Read more
“You’re going to find us to be from very inhospitable to extremely hospitable,” Trump said.
As soon as he was inaugurated on Friday, Trump ordered the heads of every executive-branch department and agency to stop sending new regulation to the Federal Register. On Monday, Trump announced a hiring freeze, drawing the ire of union leaders.
Private industry remains friendly to Trump: Barra attended his inauguration, and Fields praised the president for withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a complex multilateral trade deal between 12 countries including the US. Industry lobbying group the Alliance of Auto Manufacturers sent Trump a letter asking him to ease regulations from the National Highway Safety and Transportation Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency.
The Alliance represents car companies including GM, Ford and Volkswagen, which is currently on the hook for tens of billions in fines after its emissions-cheating software became an international scandal.Matt Cutts works at Google as a search engineer. He also runs a blog which is a great source of information about how Google search is changing.
In a recent interview with Jefferson Graham of USA Today, Cutts gives his top five things that a website owner can do to drive search traffic to their site.
This list does not provide anything new for experienced online marketers, or people who have read other marketing articles on this site, but for beginners it is useful to hear it from the horse’s mouth.
1. Spotlight your search term on the page
“Think about what people are going to type in, to try and find you,” Cutts says. He tells of meeting a chiropractor from San Diego, who complained that his site couldn’t be found easily using Google search. The words “San Diego chiropractor” were listed nowhere on his site. “You have to make sure the keywords are on the page,” Cutts says. If you’re a San Diego doctor, Des Moines architect or Portland ad agency, best to let people know so immediately, at the top of your page.
2. Fill in your “tags”
When creating websites, Internet coding language includes two key tags: title and description. Even if you don’t know code, which is used to create pages, software programs such as Adobe’s Dreamweaver have tools that let you fill them in in plain English (rather than “<title>San Diego Chiropractor</title”). Tags are crucial, Cutts says, because what’s shown in search results most often are the title and description tags.If Cutts’ chiropractor had properly tagged his web page, a search would have returned something like this: “San Diego chiropractor. Local doctor serves San Diego community.”There’s also a third tag, to add keywords, or search terms, but Cutts says Google doesn’t put much weight in its rankings on that one.
3. Get other sites to “link” back to you
Google says it looks at more than 100 pieces of data to determine a site’s ranking. But links are where it’s at, once your search terms are clearly visible on your site and the title and description tags correctly marked.In a nutshell: Google ranks sites based on popularity. If authoritative sites link to you, you must be good, and therefore you get to the top of the list. If you can’t get top sites such as USATODAY.com or The New York Times to link to you, try your friends. And what if they don’t have a site? They probably do. Read on.
4. Create a blog and post often
Cutts says blogging is a great way to add links and start a conversation with customers and friends. It will cost you only time: Google’s Blogger, WordPress and others offer free blogging tools. With a blog, you can link back to your site and offer links to others. It’s also a great way to start building content, Cutts says.
5. Register for free tools
Google’s google.com/webmaster offers freebies to help get your site found. You can upload a text-based site map, which shows Google the pages of your site (create it at www.xml-sitemaps.com). Once that’s done, you’ll be registered with Google, where you can learn vital statistics — including who is linking to your site and how often Google “crawls” your site for updates.Google’s Local Business center (google.com/local/add) is the place for business owners to submit a site so it shows up in local searches, with a map attached. Savvy consumers who use Google for searches know that the first 10 non-advertising results often are from Google Maps, so if you have a business and haven’t submitted it, you’re losing out on potential customers.
Don’t overdo it
When weaving keywords into a main page, Cutts says, some zealous web publishers will use the term over and over again. That’s called “keyword stuffing.” It’s a big Google no-no that can have your site removed from the index. After you’ve said it two or three times, Google has a pretty good idea — ‘OK, this page has something to do with this keyword,’ ” he says. “Just think about the two or three phrases you want to be known for and weave that in naturally.
Conclusion
The message I always try to emphasize to website owners is Google is trying to do one thing; find the best content for every search query.If you create the best content about your subject, it will get found and listed.This won’t happen overnight.You will still need to regularly add new content and focus on getting other sites to link to your website, but great content WILL triumph. This should be your priority and focus if you want to get huge amounts of free traffic from the search engines.Miami Beach police officers will no longer be able to shoot at a moving car unless someone inside displays a weapon or shoots first.
Miami Beach Police spokeswoman Vivian Thayer confirmed the new policy will be announced this week by Police Chief Dan Oates.
The move comes in response to the fatal Memorial Day weekend 2011 shooting of motorist Raymond Herisse. Officers fired 116 shots at his car on a crowded street after they said he tried to run them over. Four bystanders were wounded and video of the shooting was widely seen nationally.
The policy is similar to one in Miami. Officers there say it makes more sense to jump out of the way of a car that is coming at you than trying to shoot the driver.
Investigative 2011 Miami Beach Police Shooting Under Investigation
Copyright Associated Press / NBC 6 South FloridaThe Federal Communications Commission on Thursday proposed a $120 million fine, its largest ever, on a Florida man who is suspected of making nearly 100 million illegal robocalls over a three-month period.
FCC officials said that Adrian Abramovich of Miami apparently made 96 million “spoofed” robocalls in an attempt to lure consumers into buying into vacation packages and timeshares.
The proposed fine is based on 80,000 such calls that the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau verified as originating from Abramovich.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai added that the operation may have disrupted medical services.
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“This scheme was particularly abhorrent because, given its breadth, it appears to have substantially disrupted the operations of an emergency medical paging provider,” he said at an FCC hearing Thursday.
“It did this by slowing down and potentially disabling its network. Pagers may be low-tech, but for doctors, these devices are simple and dependable standbys.”
In addition to being the largest fine the FCC has ever proposed, it’s also the first time the agency has taken an enforcement action under the 2009 Truth in Caller ID Act
“Spoofed” calls fraudulently alter the caller's ID, usually to make it appear as though the call is originating from someone other than a robocaller. The calls that the FCC identified were made to look as though they were coming from local callers.
According to the FCC, Abramovich’s calls misled people into thinking they were being offered exclusive vacation deals from companies like TripAdvisor and Expedia.
Before the FCC officially imposes the fine, Abramovich will have a chance to respond to the agency’s findings.The number of tower blocks which have failed emergency fire tests has nearly doubled to 60 in 25 different council areas – up from 34 in 17 areas.
Councils across the country have launched emergency reviews of their towers following the fire at Grenfell Tower in London which is believed to have killed at least 79 people.
The fire is believed to have spread across flammable cladding on the outside of the building which was designed to provide insulation and improve the appearance of the 24-storey tower.
We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view. From 15p €0.18 $0.18 $0.27 a day, more exclusives, analysis and extras.
The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) said every tower tested so far has failed the fire safety check.
Communities Secretary Sajid Javid urged local authorities and housing associations to continue to submit samples “as a matter of urgency” amid a nationwide safety operation.
Councils have been told to prioritise checking the towers they are most concerned over.
DCLG said Doncaster, Norwich, Stockton-on-Tees and Sunderland all had buildings that failed tests, while Manchester, Plymouth and Portsmouth have already been named.
Islington, Lambeth and Wandsworth joined Barnet, Brent, Camden and Hounslow on the growing list of London boroughs, while 11 other areas are yet to be named.
A social housing provider in Liverpool announced it has decided to remove cladding from two of its high-rise blocks as a precaution, following government tests.
One Vision Housing said results showed “certain elements of the cladding” on Cygnet House and Wren House in the Bootle area of the city, “whilst meeting building regulations does not meet the latest DCLG test criteria”.
Camden Council in north London announced it would immediately evacuate four blocks in Chalcot Estate in Swiss Cottage on Friday night after tests showed it had similar cladding as well as a series of fire safety problems inside.
Two days later families are still sleeping in a local leisure centre while they wait to be given temporary accommodation in local hotels and other council properties.
Shape Created with Sketch. Grenfell Tower survivors to be housed in 375 Kensington High Street Show all 10 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. Grenfell Tower survivors to be housed in 375 Kensington |
1 consist of a series of images that overlap each other rather than being confined to strict panels, creating a sense of simultaneity in the events being represented. It’s as if each page functions as a mind attempting to unravel a memory of a day or night’s festivities. Images of the slugging of booze, the tossing back of drugs, the exchange of lively banter, the live performance of music, and casual poolside playfulness flow freely about each other, tethered loosely by a shared setting and repeating figures.
As with memories of most social gatherings during which one has engaged in a multitude of interactions, it’s not the precise words shared in a conversation that are remembered (word balloons appear in the comic to denote speech but are left empty of text) but rather the after-images of the events of the occasion. It’s in this dedication to representing the swirl of memory in an almost purely image-based way (some song-lyrics appear as words on the page) that Terrell is able to fully engage his protean linework to express the sensory qualities of the various situations being recalled. For instance: on one page Terrell uses a jagged line and a low angle of perspective to impress the idea of a guitarist’s energetic and rapturous strumming; on another page he extends the lines of his figures and adds blue marker wash to the surrounds to approximate the sensation of being submerged under water, isolating the space below a pool’s surface, where a man and woman share a mutual romantic crush, from the events of the party above (the party proper forces itself into the tranquil, submerged realm of the two potential lovers in the form of an obnoxious canonballer who takes a dive into the pool, abruptly spoiling the couple’s attempted kiss); and, he also demonstrates a willingness to alter his mode of representation, showing, in one case, faces in a crowd varying in level of abstraction from recognisable visage to a reduced icon of a smiling face, depth of representation possibly mirroring depth of recognition for the unidentified person recalling the comic’s events. The disorienting non-linear nature of the page-to-page transitions and within-page compositions of Carnival 1 proves to be an ideal staging ground for such experimentation with drawing style, Terrell’s varied linework adding a dimension of sense memory to the comic’s sprawling collection of recollected moments.
The way that Carnival 1 reads like a dreamlike vision of memory can be thought of as a synecdoche for the feeling of reading Extended Play as a collective body of work. It’s particularly instructive to think along these lines as the remaining comics, despite being much more formally conventional in their use of grid-like panel layouts, are far looser in their adherence to a strict logic of cause-and-effect plot progressions or image transitions. There are many mechanisms at work in Terrell’s comics that combine to produce a reading experience that is hypnagogic and slippery in its connection to a fixed diegetic reality: there’s his willingness to allow his style of representation to fluctuate between various degrees of “cartoonishness” within the same story and even between panels; his use of non-naturalistic colours that lie purposefully off-register and oscillate between panel transitions with a psychedelic rhythm; his non-sequitur digressions into the absurd (in one story a character chases a hat that has been blown off his head only to find himself communing, in a state of delirium, with a sentient tree); his meshing of sword-and-sorcery story and visual elements with mundane reality; his deliberate inclusion of significant ellipses in the narrative; his rejection of narration and his tendency to have dialogue reveal only snippets of conversation rather than a full arc of discussion, acts which feed into what reads like a distrust of a reliance on words to construct meaning, or at least a determined preference for image over text in the word/image balance of comics; and his use of various motifs in the form of specific plot occurrences and imagery that are repeated and elaborated on in the remaining stories in odd ways.
The looseness of narrative coherence that is propagated by Terrell’s style of comics-making is exacerbated by the way that Extended Play is organised in a fragmented fashion. Certain chapters whose titles suggest continuity and sequentiality (e.g. Bel Air 1 and Bel Air 2, or Carnival 1 and Carnival 2) are separated from each other by the interjection of chapters that are unrelated in a direct plot sense. Despite this discontinuity of plot, there remains a lingering sense that all the chapters in Extended Play should be considered as parts of a holistic, non-conventional narrative thanks to the way that motifs and events frequently echo across chapters. For instance, the Bel Air chapters, which bookend the book, have their events directly echoed in the chapter titled Lovekill while also sharing repeated visual motifs with the Carnival 2 comic.
Bel Air 1 begins by showing the decadent and ennui-ridden lifestyle of a lone monarch who desires the creation of something that is “perfect as fuck” but who is unable to muster the spirit to motivate himself to work towards such perfection, opting, instead, to engage in prolonged periods of idleness, this time being spent passively watching DVDs and slipping into languid sessions of repose suffused with vacant thought. It’s relatively easy to read the monarch’s behaviour as being analogous to the procrastination that an artist may exhibit when faced by the paralysing prospect of feeling the need to create in accordance with ideals of perfection and so we get some insight into why the work of Extended Play is so varied and experimentally searching: the approach affords Terrell an opportunity to engage in uninhibited creation, to do the work first and then find a reaction to it afterwards rather than avoiding putting anything down on the page in the first place.
Within the story of Bel Air 1, the sheer idleness and indulgent lifestyle of the monarch also works to position the monarch as a distracted, detached, exploitative ruler - amusingly so - and this understandably leads to an escalation of events that culminate in a violent uprising held against him, lead by his discontented manservant, Wilburn. The monarch is decapitated in the uprising only to return, whole, in the final chapter of Bel Air to confront Wilburn who has installed himself as the new monarchical leader of the region and who is behaving in as abject a fashion as the prince he had led a coup against. The explanation for the prince’s recovery is never directly resolved in the Bel Air chapters - Wilburn acknowledges the strangeness of it but discounts giving it further thought - but there is a resurrection storyline that takes place in another of the book’s comics, Lovekill, that resonates with the prince’s return, this being an example of the mirroring across chapters that gives Extended Play its abstracted sense of continuity.
In the Lovekill chapter, which occurs in between the two parts of Bel Air, we see two ornately dressed warriors engaged in combat. One cuts the other’s head off and walks away from the fight as the ostensible victor. In a turn towards the logic of the supernatural, the figure who lost his head is able to refix this detached body part to the bloodied stump of his neck, a bolt of lightning resealing the connection of head to body. The man then reengages with his former assailant, cutting off the man’s hand as an act of revenge. This decapitation/recapitation sequence occurs in a separate diegetic world to the reality seen in Bel Air but it echoes the events referred to therein, enhancing the feeling that we’re lost in a phantasmagoria of sub-logical connections.
Beyond the narrative effect that’s created by the way that the events of Lovekill seem to echo and rhyme with those of Bel Air, the reexpression of the content of Bel Air - at least in thematic and general plot terms - provides an explicit example of the experimental, searching approach that Harkham’s blurb identifies as being present in the comics that have been included in Extended Play. In the case of Lovekill, I read the repetition of the heightened medieval setting, the presence of an abusive King, and the reiteration of a violent beheading as an experiment in the effect that could be created by depicting an established series of motifs with a much more “realist” visual approach. The duelling warriors of Lovekill are still drawn in a way that oscillates stylistically between panels but they tend towards remaining more grounded in their approximation to realistic anatomy, particularly when compared to what’s seen in Bel Air. Furthermore, the depiction of the decapitation of one of the warriors is far grimmer than what was seen in Bel Air 1, with multiple panels being devoted to the cleaving of flesh and bone, lavishing overt attention on an act that was conducted in the background of Bel Air in only a single panel. Perhaps it’s in this (assumed) wilful experimentation that we can see an example, on the comics page, of Terrell investigating how modulations in his cartooning can alter the visual tone of his stories, a lesson that he later employs in the comic Bel Air 2 when he juxtaposes a panel showing a cartoonish summary of an enraged monarch with an adjacent panel depicting the brutalisation of his prisoner in more explicitly realised detail, heightening the impact of the delivery of violence.
The woozy, dreamlike reading experience that Terrell cultivates with the fragmented narrative of Extended Play is well-supplemented by this mutable drawing style. Terrell’s thin line is predisposed to tracing out appealing curls and curves that are expressive in their allusion to what they represent without being beholden to a desire for realism. For instance, in a broadly cartoonish image of a young swimmer, Terrell takes care to mark out a believable jaw line for the character that gives the figure an impression of solidity and life when compared to the relatively flat cartooning previously used to depict this figure on the very same page. Such attention to observational nuance is threaded throughout Extended Play and is include between bursts of more exaggerated cartoonish linework that sits further away from ties to direct representation.
Aside from the dives into overtly psychedelic sequences or stylistic shifts that occurred about moments of violence or humour, I wasn’t able to detect any clear aesthetic/symbolic scheme that would allow me to easily explain most of Terrell’s transitions in drawing style, rather, these shifts came across as somewhat aleatoric in their utilisation, relying more on an artistic instinct gained from his various experiments in formal representation than on a fixed lexicon of symbolic linework meanings. While potentially frustrating to those used to a greater consistency of style within a single comic narrative, I found Terrell’s seemingly instinctual transitions in drawing approach to be a good fit for the dreamlike reading experience of the book; the “playfulness” suggested by the book’s title manifesting itself in his explorations for what modulation of line character can achieve in terms of lending mood, texture, and feeling to his imagery.
Terrell’s disavowal of a fixed mode of representation for his figures also feeds into a series of further aesthetic choices that function to present his work as “unfinished”: he leaves present the extrinsic marks around the periphery of his pages that look like the idling swirls of a hand testing the function of a pen; he has sections in his coloured comics where the colour drops out; and there are some occasions in his black and white comics where the preparatory pencil work is still viewable under the final inked lines. In a sequence mid-way through the comic titled Carnival 2, which shows a character remarking on the freedom offered by a new slate, Terrell leaves a pencilled under-image in which the same character asks who was responsible for the sudden presence of her hands, acknowledging herself as a drawing. In this case, the lack of “finish” allows for some commentary to be made on the metaphysical aspects of drawing by calling attention to the way that a drawn representation is both a symbol for the item being depicted and a trace of the hand of the maker. Beyond such self-conscious criticality of the comics medium, Terrell’s aesthetic approach is also suggestive of a desire to maintain a fluidity of identity for himself as an artist (the avoidance of a refined end product means that Terrell’s style is difficult to pin down) and for his characters who are freed from being strictly defined by a consistent drawn manifestation and thus a fixed physical or emotional reality.
This idea of the desire for a mutable identity - to not be forced to behave as expected - is something that recurs throughout the book. It crops up in the visual motif of characters being engulfed by flames - one character attempts to self-immolate but finds that the flames have no effect - and it appears laced throughout the interactions between the unnamed monarch of Bel Air and his vengeful manservant (the pair becoming different people - arguably reflections of each other - post the moment of literal revolution). Terrell’s loose attention to narrative coherence and the spare access he provides to the psychological states of his characters (at least via their dialogue - as I’ve already mentioned, his shifts in cartooning style do a good job of allowing his characters to be emotive in the way that they’re drawn panel-to-panel) also feed into this resistance of categorisation in that we only ever get an impressionistic sense of the events that the comics circle about.
Despite the nebulous nature of the events contained in Extended Play, the impressions that the reader is left with remain compelling: ideas such as the passions of youth, the cyclical nature of violence, the experience of ahistoricity, the longing for love and friendship, and the struggle to change the world (or even one’s self) crop up seemingly incidentally throughout the book’s six comics, resounding and interacting with a gentle echo rather than appearing as overtly expressed thematic concerns. Much like how the non-linear action of memory was represented in Carnival 1, the construction of a connective tissue throughout the book via these somewhat surreal repetitions of events and ideas works to similarly replicate how a mind caught up in a dream state might work to processes information by having ideas circulate and repeat, momentarily fixating on them and ruminating on their implications - not always in a logical fashion - before moving onto the next thought.
In Extended Play we get a collection of comics that read like a dream state transmission of ideas and memories about youth, love, friendship, and change. In amongst the strange narrative mix that Terrell concocts is also a bundle of ideas about the formal nature of the comics medium and the function of drawing, the book’s title providing an apt description for the way these notions are explored in a somewhat spontaneous, undirected manner. The combined result is a book that feels paradoxically ephemeral in its reading even as it captivates with an exhibition of cartooning that lingers long after the book has been put down.Before the Fall - Evidence for a Golden Age
2006 03 18
By Steve Taylor | newdawnmagazine.com
"The Golden Age" by Lucas Cranach The Elder "The Golden Age" by
If you asked them what life was like in prehistoric times, most people would conjure up an image like the famous opening scenes of 2001: Space Odyssey – groups of hairy savages grunting and jumping around, foaming at the mouth with aggression as they bash each over the heads with sticks. We take it for granted that life was much harder then, a battle to survive, with everyone competing to find food, struggling against the elements, men fighting over women, and everyone dying young from disease or malnutrition.
A whole branch of “science” has grown up around this view of the human race’s early history. This is a relatively new discipline of evolutionary psychology, which tries to explain all of the negative sides of human nature as “adaptations” which early people developed because they had some survival value. Evolutionary psychologists explain traits like selfishness and aggression in these terms. Life was such a struggle that only the most selfish and aggressive people survived and passed on their genes. The people with gentle and peaceful genes would have died out, simply because they would have lost out in the survival battle.
Evolutionary psychologists see racism and war as “natural” too. It’s inevitable that different human groups should be hostile to one another, because once upon a time we were all living on the edge of starvation and fighting over limited resources. Any tendency to show sympathy for other groups would have reduced our own group’s survival chances.
But fortunately we don’t have to believe any of this crude nonsense. There is now a massive amount of archaeological and anthropological evidence which suggests this view of the human race’s past is completely false. Life for prehistoric human beings was far less bleak than we might imagine.
Take the view that life was a “struggle to survive.” The evidence suggests that the lives of prehistoric human beings were a lot easier than those of the agricultural peoples who came after them. Until around 8000 BCE, all human beings lived as hunter-gatherers. They survived by hunting wild animals (the man’s job) and foraging for wild plants, nuts, fruit and vegetables (the woman’s job). When anthropologists began to look at how contemporary hunter-gatherers use their time, they were surprised to find that they only spent 12 to 20 hours per week searching for food – between a third and a half of the average modern working week! Because of this, the anthropologist Marshall Sahlins called hunter-gatherers “the original affluent society.” As he noted in his famous paper of that name, for hunter-gatherers,
“The food quest is so successful that half the time the people do not seem to know what to do with themselves.”1
Strange though it may sound – the diet of hunter-gatherers was better than many modern peoples’. Apart from the small amount of meat they ate (10-20% of their diet), their diet was practically identical to that of a modern day vegan – no dairy products and a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, roots and nuts, all eaten raw (which nutrition experts tell us is the healthiest way to eat.) This partly explains why skeletons of ancient hunter-gatherers are surprisingly large and robust, and show few signs of degenerative diseases and tooth decay. As the anthropologist Richard Rudgley writes,
“We know from what they ate and the condition of their skeletons that the hunting people were, on the whole, in pretty good shape.”2
The hunter-gatherers of Greece and Turkey had an average height of five feet ten inches for men and five feet six for women. But after the advent of agriculture, these had declined to five feet three and five feet one. An archaeological site in the lower Illinois Valley in central USA shows that when people started cultivating maize and switched to a settled lifestyle, there was an increase in infant mortality, stunted growth in adults, and a massive increase in diseases related to malnutrition.
Hunter-gatherers were much less vulnerable to disease than later peoples. In fact, until the advances of modern medicine and hygiene of the 19th and 20th centuries, they may well have suffered less from disease than any other human beings in history. Many of the diseases which we’re now susceptible to only actually arrived when we domesticated animals and started living close to them. Animals transmitted a whole host of diseases to us which we’d never been exposed to before. Pigs and ducks passed the flu on, horses gave us colds, cows gave us the pox and dogs gave us the measles. And later, when dairy products became a part of our diet, we increased our exposure to disease even more through drinking milk, which transmits at least 30 different diseases. In view of this, it’s not surprising that with the coming of agriculture, people’s life spans became shorter.
The transition from a nomadic hunter-gatherer way of life to a settled agricultural one began in the Middle East at around 8000 BCE, spreading into Europe and Asia over the following millennia (and developing independently in some places). Many of the world’s cultures have myths that refer to an earlier time when life was much easier, and human beings were less materialistic and lived in harmony with nature and each other. In ancient Greece and Rome this was known as the Golden Age; in China it was the Age of Perfect Virtue, in India it was the Krita Yuga (Perfect Age); while the Judeo-Christian tradition has the story of the garden of Eden. These myths tell us that, either as a result of a long degeneration or a sudden and dramatic “Fall,” something “went wrong.” Life became much more difficult and full of suffering, and human nature became more corrupt. In Taoist terms, whereas the earliest human beings followed the Way of Heaven and were a part of the natural harmony of the Universe, later human beings became separated from the Tao, and became selfish and calculating.
Many of these myths make clear references to the hunter-gatherer way of life – for example, the Greek historian Hesiod states that during the Golden Age “the fruitful earth bore [human beings] abundant fruit without stint,” while the early Indian text the Vaya Purana states that early human beings “frequented the mountains and seas, and did not dwell in houses” (i.e. they lived a non-sedentary way of life). The garden of Eden story suggests this too. Originally Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge, until they were forced to leave the garden and forced to “work hard and sweat to make the soil produce anything.” It appears that, at least in part, these myths are a kind of “folk memory” of the pre-agricultural way of life. The agricultural peoples who worked harder and longer, had shorter life spans and suffered from a lot more health problems must have looked at the old hunter-gatherer way of life as a kind of paradise.
Warfare and Social Oppression
There are other significant reasons why these peoples would have seen earlier times as a Golden Age. There is a great deal of evidence suggesting that prehistoric human beings were much less war-like than later peoples. Archaeological studies throughout the world have found hardly any evidence of warfare during the whole of the hunter-gatherer phase of history. There are, in fact, just two indisputable cases of group violence during all of these tens of thousands of years.
A cluster of sites around the Nile Valley show some signs of violence from around 12,000 BCE. The site of Jebel Sahaba, for instance, has a grave containing the bodies of over 50 people who apparently died a violent death. And in south-east Australia, there are some signs of inter-tribal fighting – as well as of other kinds of social violence such as the cranial deformation of children – at several different sites dating from 11,000 and 7000 BCE. Lawrence Keeley’s book War Before Civilisation suggests several other examples of prehistoric violence and warfare, but all of these are dubious, and have been dismissed by other scholars. For example, Keeley sees cut marks on human bones as evidence of cannibalism, when these are more likely to be the result of prehistoric funeral rituals of cleaning bones of their flesh. He also interprets highly abstract and stylised drawings in caves in Australia as depicting battles, when they are open to wide variety of other interpretations. In this way, as the anthropologist R. Brian Ferguson remarks, Keeley’s “rhetoric exceeds his evidence in implying war is old as humanity.”3
The lack of evidence for warfare is striking. There are no signs of violent death, no signs of damage or disruption by warfare, and although many other artefacts have been found, including massive numbers of tools and pots, there is a complete absence of weapons. As Ferguson points out, “it is difficult to understand how war could have been common earlier in each area and remain so invisible.” Archaeologists have discovered over 300 cave prehistoric “art galleries,” not one of which contains depictions of warfare, weapons or warriors. In the words of the anthropologist Richard Gabriel,
“For the first ninety-five thousand years after the Homo sapiens Stone age began [until 4000 BCE], there is no evidence that man engaged in war on any level, let alone on a level requiring organised group violence. There is little evidence of any killing at all.”4
There seems to have been equality between the sexes in prehistoric times too. The fact that women provided so much of the tribe’s food strongly suggests they had equal status, since it’s difficult to see how they could have low status while performing such an important economic role. The healthy, open attitude ancient hunter-gatherers had to the human body and to sex – shown by the massive numbers of sexually explicit images and objects archaeologists have discovered – suggests this too, since the oppression of women appears to be closely linked to a sense of alienation from the human body, and a negative attitude to instincts and bodily processes.
Contemporary indigenous peoples are sexually egalitarian too. Before European conquest and colonisation, many of them traced descent and ownership of property through the mother’s rather than the father’s side of the family. And as the anthropologist Tim Ingold notes, in “immediate return” hunter-gatherer societies (that is, societies which live by immediately using any food or other resources they collect, rather than storing them for later use), men have no authority over women. Women usually choose their own marriage partners, decide what work they want to do and work whenever they choose to, and if a marriage breaks down they have custody rights over their children.5
In prehistoric societies there were no status differences between individuals either. There were no different classes or castes, with people who had more power and possessions than others. For archaeologists, the most obvious signs of social inequality are differences in graves, in terms of size, position and the goods which are placed inside them. Later agricultural societies have larger, more central graves for more “important” people, which also have a lot more possessions inside them. Men generally have more “important” graves than women. But the graves of the ancient hunter-gatherers are strikingly uniform, with little or no size differences and little or no grave wealth.
Almost all contemporary hunter-gatherers show a striking absence of any of the characteristics that we associate with social inequality. The anthropologist James Woodburn speaks of the “profound egalitarianism” of immediate-return foraging peoples and emphasises that no other way of human life “permits so great an emphasis on equality.”6 Foraging peoples are also strikingly democratic. Most societies do operate with a leader of some kind, but their power is usually very limited, and they can easily be deposed if the rest of the group aren’t happy with their leadership. People don’t seek to be leaders – in fact if anybody does show signs of a desire for power and wealth they are usually barred from consideration as leaders. And even when a person becomes a leader, they don’t have the right to make decisions on their own. Decisions are made in co-operation with other respected members of the group.
The Ego Explosion
All of this strongly argues against the idea that prehistoric human beings were brutes whose only concern was survival, and whose lives were full of cruelty and conflict, as men competed against each other for status and food and sex. Warfare, social oppression and male domination – and an existence that was “nasty, brutish and short” – belong to a later phase of human history. Evidence from artwork, cemeteries and battle sites suggests there was an “eruption” of these social pathologies during the fourth millennium BCE, starting in the Middle East and central Asia. The root cause of this change seems to have been environmental. Around this time massive areas of land which had been fertile for thousands of years started to turn into desert. This happened all over the Middle East and central Asia, creating the massive belt of arid or desert land which runs across from the Steppes of southern Russia to the Arabian and Iranian deserts. The groups who lived in the area – including the original Indo-Europeans and Semites – were forced to flee and look for new fertile lands, causing massive waves of migrations.
This environmental disaster seems to have changed the psyche of these peoples. Whereas before they had been peaceful and egalitarian, now they became aggressive, hierarchical and patriarchal. Over the following centuries they spread over Europe, the Middle East and Asia, killing and conquering the peaceful “Old World” peoples they came across, including the civilisation of Old Europe (which was reconstructed by the archaeologist Marija Gimbutas). By 500 BCE, these peoples had more or less completely conquered the whole of Eurasia, leaving only a few indigenous peoples such as the Laplanders of Scandinavia, the tribal peoples of Siberia, and the indigenous peoples of the forests and hills of India. In mainland Europe the only surviving non-Indo-European indigenous peoples were the Basque people of northern Spain (who amazingly still survive today) and the Etruscans of Italy, who were soon to be wiped out by the Romans.
In my book The Fall, I try to explain how these people were (and are) different from the peaceful peoples who came before them. My theory is that the environmental catastrophe (the drying up of their fertile lands) caused an “Ego Explosion.” These peoples developed a stronger and sharper sense of identity, or of individuality, which made them feel more separate to nature and to other people, and more liable to be aggressive and to lust after power and status. We – modern day Eurasians – are the descendents of these peoples, and we have inherited their strong sense of ego. This is still the main difference between us and indigenous “unfallen” peoples such as the Native Americans, Australian Aborigines and the peoples of Oceania, and the reason why they have a much more respectful attitude to nature than us, and a more spiritual vision of the Universe. Our strong sense of ego “walls us off” from other people and nature, makes us unable to sense the alive-ness of the world around us, and may ultimately be responsible for our extinction as a species.
However, there are some signs that, as a culture, we are slowly transcending the “fallen” psyche, and going beyond our ego-separateness. Over the last 300 years or so, there has been a new spirit of empathy growing, which has led to less cruel treatment of children and animals, less severe punishments for criminals, the women’s movement, the abolition of slavery, the socialist movement, a new respect for nature, a more open and healthy attitude to sex and the human body and so on. And there has been a new sense of the sacred and of the possibility of self-transcendence, which has led to a massive upsurge of interest in esoteric/spiritual philosophies and practices like paganism, shamanism, Buddhism, meditation and so on.
There are signs that we are reconnecting with nature, regaining our sense of the aliveness of the world and of the hidden mysteries of the cosmos. The characteristics of the prehistoric golden age may be slowly re-emerging. The only question is whether there is enough time left for these characteristics to emerge fully, before the old “fallen” psyche leads us to self-destruction.
The idea that human history is a gradual but continual progression – starting from a state of savagery, with generations slowly making technological and social advances and passing these down, and leading to the pinnacle of western European civilisation – is a leftover from the Victorian era, part of the same colonial mentality which saw “primitive” indigenous peoples as subhumans who could be justifiably conquered and killed. Rather than a progression, the last 6000 years of war, oppression, misery and hardship are the result of a painful degeneration from an earlier, healthier state. We may finally be moving forward now – but only in the sense of turning a full circle, and rekindling glimmers of ancient harmony.
Footnotes:
1. Sahlins, M. (1972). Stone Age Economics. New York: Aldine de Gruyter,. p.36.
2. Rudgley, R. (2000). Secrets of the Stone Age. London: Random House, p. 36.
3. Ferguson, R.B. (2000). ‘The Causes and Origins of Primitive Warfare.’ Anthropological Quarterly, 73.3, 159-164, p.159.
4. Gabriel, R. (1990). The Culture of War: Invention and Early Development. New York: Greenwood Press, p. 21.
5. Ingold, T., Riches, D. & Woodburn, J. (Eds.). (1988). Hunters and Gatherers, Volume 2: Property, Power and Ideology. Oxford: Berg.
6. Woodburn, J. (1982). ‘Egalitarian Societies.’ Man, 17, 431-51, p.432.
Steve Taylor is a writer and teacher who lives in Manchester, England. His main interests are transpersonal psychology and spiritual development. His first book was Out of Time, a study of the way human beings perceive time, which examines the possibility of expanding and transcending linear time. His second book, The Fall, was published recently and has had widespread acclaim. It was chosen as a book of the year in the Independent newspaper (UK) by Colin Wilson, who describes it as “an astonishing work.” The psychologist Elias Capriles has called it “one of the most notable books of the first years of this century, which I am convinced will be one the most important books of the whole century.” Steve is married with a two year old son and another baby due in March 2006. The Fall will probably be the last book he writes for some time.
The above article appears in New Dawn No. 95 (March-April 2006) -
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Related: Vegan lifestyle good for the heart, body, soul and mindFrom the legal team of former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, lawyer Larry Gadon is now a part of the Pro-Duterte Constitutional Reformers to Federalism
Published 4:20 PM, October 06, 2017
MANILA, Philippine – The impeachment complaint against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno has taken another step as the House justice committee on Thursday, October 5, found that it has “sufficient grounds.”
In the complaint filed by lawyer Lorenzo “Larry” Gadon on August 30, he pointed out Sereno's alleged failure to be truthful in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN), together with tax misdeclarations, and unauthorized expenses under the Supreme Court. (LOOK: Why petitioners want Sereno impeached)
The camp of Sereno, when they presented the 85-page verified answer, called the allegations “fake news.” (READ: How Sereno answered her impeachment complaint)
But who is Gadon – the man behind an impeachment complaint against Sereno which was endorsed by 25 lawmakers?
Arroyo’s legal counsel
A lawyer by profession, Gadon’s official profile on his website said that he serves as “management and legal consultant” of companies involved in realty development, food manufacturing, information technology, aviation and safety technology, and health care, among others. He was admitted to the bar in 1993.
But before identified as the man behind the first valid complaint against the country’s Chief Justice, Gadon was widely-known as part of the legal team of former president and now Pampanga representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
He has represented Arroyo in various press conferences, especially during her hospital arrest for 4 years at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center over plunder charges.
In fact, it was Gadon whom international lawyer Amal Alamuddin Clooney sent an email to regarding the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention opinion on Arroyo’s detention. (READ: At Arroyo case press con: 'Is Amal Clooney the wife of George?’)
‘Hateful’ remarks against Muslims
After 4 years of being part of the Arroyo team, Gadon said he left to be able to run for senator under the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL) – the party known for its affiliation with the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos – during the 2016 elections. He was also an adopted candidate of Lakas-CMD.
A Daily Tribune article published on October 2015 reported that Gadon identified himself as a “true-blooded Marcos loyalist.”
He supposedly ran to expose and correct history that he claimed is geared for the Aquinos.
Gadon, however, lost – placing 27th and garnering at least 1,971,327 votes.
A defeat was not the only thing that came out of the campaign season as Gadon also earned the ire of many Filipinos for his remarks deemed ‘hateful’ against Muslims.
The statement was aired during a pre-election interview conducted by GMA News TV on March 2016.
"Sampung beses akong luluhod sa (Moro Islamic Liberation Front para huwag nang manggulo), iiyak ako ng bato at dugo, kapag labing-isang pagkakataon at tumanggi pa rin sila, lulusubin ko sila doon at dadalhin ko ang buong sandatahang Pilipinas at papatayin ko silang lahat, susunugin ko ang bahay nila. Burahin ang lahi nila, kahit masunog ang kaluluwa ko sa impiyerno gagawin ko 'yan," Gadon said.
(I will kneel before the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to beg them not to launch attacks, I will cry stones and blood, and on the 11th time and they still refuse, I will attack them and bring the entire Philippine army there and kill them all. I will burn their houses and eradicate their clans, even if my soul burns in hell later.)
Aside from criticism from the public, the remarks led to a disbarment case filed by lawyers Algamar Latiph and Musa Malayang against Gadon for improper conduct.
On October 3, they went to the SC to follow-up on the case via a letter addressed to Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio. (READ: Lawyers revive disbarment complaint vs Larry Gadon at SC)
Gadon, however, dismissed it as a nuisance case, adding that he is now, “at any rate,” a friend of Muslims.
Under Duterte
Post-2016, Gadon enjoys an “alliance” with the administration. His Facebook page is full of photos taken during events, such as the “General Assembly of Republic Defenders,” often featuring other notable allies of President Rodrigo Duterte.
He is also the president of the Pro-Duterte Constitutional Reformers to Federalism.
Gadon also offered to be the lawyer of the Duterte Youth which planned to file cases of unjust vexation and theft against musician Jim Paredes over their tense confrontation during the celebration of the EDSA People Power Revolution in February 2017. (READ: Duterte Youth to sue Jim Paredes, gets SolGen's backing)
Now, like former lawmaker Jac |
-amount-of-precious-metals club. The reality is that most people don’t own any, despite knowing about them. Estimates vary depending on the country, but a conservative figure is that less than 5% of the global population has any gold or silver to their name.
With cryptocurrencies the percentage is even lower, and not surprisingly considering how new they are to the world. In many ways, their overall penetration in the market should be expected to be higher than that of precious metals. After all, to acquire and store cryptocurrencies all you need is a smart phone, and more than 4 billion people use those.
The basic lessons is that both precious metals and cryptocurrencies share a rich market-based ecosystem, where trade-offs in certain properties define their use and value. Furthermore, cryptocurrencies can still be successful even with modest global adoption, but considering their disruptive and exponential growth over the past 8 years, we can reasonably expect them surpass precious metals in overall adoption.Democrats Propose Transportation Measures
Maryland lawmakers on Tuesday proposed measures that they say will increase transparency in how state transportation money is spent, but a spokesman for Republican Gov. Larry Hogan questioned where their calls for accountability were when the preceding administration shifted hundreds of millions of dollars away from transportation for years to balance the budget.
Leaders of the Democratic-led legislature discussed several measures they contend will better steer money to places where smothering traffic congestion has become an economic development concern. Democrats contend they passed the state's first gas tax hike in two decades in 2013 - over the objections of Republicans - to pay for badly needed infrastructure upgrades, only to have the Republican governor pull the plug on a light rail plan called the Red Line in Baltimore. Hogan also shifted greater costs for another rail plan in the Washington suburbs known as the Purple Line to local governments.
In June, two months after lawmakers adjourned from their 90-day session, Hogan announced his decisions on the two light rail proposals - and that he would spend nearly $2 billion on roads and bridges throughout the state.
"After session we found out, and really what has taken place as far as I'm concerned is: Where the job creation needs to take place, where people need to get back and forth to the workplace, where the growth of the state is, he did not invest that money," House Speaker Michael Busch, D-Anne Arundel, said at a news conference Tuesday.
Hogan campaigned against the transportation funding transfers his predecessor, then-Gov. Martin O'Malley, used to fill budget holes during the recession. Hogan also campaigned against toll hikes, and he announced toll reductions in May. That decision further angered Democrats, who say the money is needed for infrastructure.
Senate President Mike Miller told reporters today that the intention of these bills was not, "to clip[ the wings" of Governor Hogan, when it comes to transportation spending, but it is a question of making sure the money goes where it is needed.
Matt Clark, Hogan's spokesman, said the governor has worked with local officials throughout Maryland to address critical infrastructure needs.
"Today's thinly veiled power grab is a reckless attempt by legislators to weaken the role of county executives and other local authorities in order to drown the state's crucial investments in roads, bridges and transit projects into the bilge of Annapolis politics and lobbying," Clark said.
Clark also rejected Democrats' claims that the governor is favoring rural, Republican controlled areas when it comes to transportation spending.
The Hogan Administration noted that in its current 6-year transportation budget, Baltimore City, and Baltimore, Prince George's and Montgomery Counties, which are all controlled by Democrats get the most money.
“If the leadership in the General Assembly were sincerely interested in oversight of Maryland’s transportation network, they would have intervened to stop the previous administration from stealing $1 billion from the Transportation Trust Fund at a time when the state’s roads and bridges were crumbling. Instead, the legislature took no action, Clark added. “The Hogan administration has worked closely with authorities in every county to create an unprecedented, $2 billion plan that addresses critical transportation projects in every jurisdiction while also boosting funding for local roads by more than $230 million. “Governor Hogan’s six year transportation plan will deliver real improvements to Maryland’s transportation infrastructure and was developed based on actual need and feedback from local communities – not political pressure.”
Here's a look at what lawmakers are proposing:
PRIORITY PLANNING
A new process would be put in place to screen and rank the priority transportation projects based on their anticipated benefits, such as reducing congestion and increasing economic development.
OVERSIGHT BOARD
A planning board of transit riders and citizens would be formed to provide a forum for the public to be represented and heard by state transit officials.
NICE BRIDGE
Legislation would require the Maryland Transportation Authority to take the needed steps to begin construction soon on a replacement for the 75-year-old Harry W. Nice Bridge in southern Maryland.
TAX CREDIT
A measure would double the commuter benefits tax credit from $50 a month to $100 and reduce carpool eligibility from eight riders to six riders to encourage more carpooling.
The tax credit is sponsored by Baltimore City Delegate Cory McCray, and the MTA oversight board bill is sponsored by Baltimore City Delegate Brooke Lierman. Both spoke to WBAL NewsRadio 1090.Today I’m bringing you the best red lipsticks for fair skin, another installment in my Pale Girl’s Guide! This is a video that I made in collaboration with my friend Ivy, so make sure you watch her video too! She also did an amazing rose gold chrome nail video that you need to see. I’ve got bold reds, dark reds, burgundies, 90s inspired and subtle reds too. There’s a red for everyone! I did lip swatches of all the shades that I feature.
The Best Red Lipsticks for Fair Skin
PR + purchased by me.
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Products Mentioned in Video
If you don’t know where to start with reds, I highly recommend Urban Decay 714 if you’re warm toned or Urban Decay Bad Blood if you’re cool toned.
Let me know your favorite red and skintone below!
The Pale Girl’s Guide to Beauty SeriesFebruary 7, 2012
Last night, President Obama’s campaign manager Jim Messina disappointed reform advocates by announcing that the president has decided to embrace the pro-Democratic Party super PAC, Priorities USA Action. The super PAC was founded by two former White House aides, Bill Burton and Sean Sweeney.
The email from Messina, entitled “We Will Not Play By Two Sets of Rules” explained that while the president opposed the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United and the super PACs that arose from it, his “campaign has to face the reality of the law as it currently stands.” Messina oddly argued that inviting a flood of special interest money into a pro-Obama super PAC will “neutralize the onslaught of special-interest money.”
Indeed, even President Obama himself suggested that he has no option but to enable super PAC spending in an interview with Matt Lauer that was taped Sunday afternoon. View it below:
The truth is that the president has a lot of power to change things. He could quite easily issue an executive order forcing the disclosure of political spending by government contractors — a proposal that’s been sitting around somewhere in the White House since early last year. That order would negate some of the unfortunate side effects of our current campaign finance system — and it would be an important sign from the president that he’s willing to back up reforms with more than his words.Beyond lisping - Code Switching and Gay Speech Styles
Details Created: Thursday, 17 November 2011 19:19 Updated on Wednesday, 01 June 2016 19:42
"Homophobia, it seems, is the only prejudice that remains respectable, that has not been de-legitimized, which has not been cut off from its wellsprings. It is the last frontier, as it were, of inveterate, unreasonable, hatred." Rabbi Alexander Schindler 1925-2000
Bowen, C. (2002). Beyond lisping - Code Switching and Gay Speech Styles. Retrieved from http://www.speech-language-therapy.com/ on [insert the date that you retrieved the file here].
This article, written in 2002 by Caroline Bowen is about code switching, gay speech styles, and speech characteristics including lisping.
Queer questions
One of the most prominent search words for this site is 'lisp'. Typical search questions include 'Why do gay people talk with a lisp?', 'Can I get rid of my gay lisp?' and 'Do gays lisp all the time?' These questions really are the stuff of multiple research projects and doctoral dissertations, and there are no ready answers available.
Fascinated by the sheer volume of such searches, and the interest people have in the connections between gay speech styles and lisping, I did a few searches on the topic myself.
Although I found very little material written from a linguistics or communication sciences perspective, there were a few relevant pages, such as the article here, discussion here, and some biting satire. The work of Henry Rogers and Ron Smyth at the University of Toronto stood out from the crowd.
From 'Gay Voice' in The University of Toronto Magazine, June 2002:
"Why do some gay men “sound” gay? After three years of research, linguistics professors Henry Rogers and Ron Smyth may be on the verge of answering that question. After identifying phonetic characteristics that seem to make a man’s voice sound gay, their best hunch is that some gay men may subconsciously adopt certain female speech patterns. They want to know how men acquire this manner of speaking, and why – especially when society so often stigmatizes those with gay-sounding voices.
Rogers and Smyth are also exploring the stereotypes that gay men sound effeminate and are recognized by the way they speak. They asked people to listen to recordings of 25 men, 17 of them gay. In 62 per cent of the cases the listeners identified the sexual orientation of the speakers correctly. Perhaps fewer than half of gay men sound gay, says Rogers. “The straightest-sounding voice in the study was in fact a gay man, and the sixth gayest-sounding voice was a straight man.”
Jack has a lisp
Responding to the search terms 'gay + lisp', dependable Google led me to Gays in the Media by a student writer, Rachel Brandsma. Her essay provides brief discussion of the stereotypical depiction of a gay man in the television sitcom Will and Grace.
"Jack has a lisp and uses a lot of gestures and hand movements as well as exaggerated expressions.He mainly dresses in pastels and is full of energy. Jack also uses terminology that many might consider to be characterized as 'gay'. This includes words and phrases such as 'That little tartlet!' or 'I’m a celebrity' and 'It’s so festive."
Why does Jack lisp?
When explanations for lisping in gay men and the lisping gay stereotype are sought, a chicken and egg discussion often ensues. One hypothesis is that given the stereotype many gay men may actually take on a dentalized or interdental /s/ pattern as an indirect statement about wanting to identify with, and be a part of, the gay community. There are also interesting arguments in favour of a genetic explanation. Whatever the reason, lisping in gay men certainly helps straight people with their gaydar!
I'm free!
While Jack is openly gay, Mr Humphries from Grace Brothers clothing department in the long running British sitcom Are You Being Served (AYBS) 1972-1984 provides a reasonably well known example of a character whose sexuality remains ambiguous. We are never told directly that the John Inman (1935-2007) character is gay. James Han, AYBS Fan Site owner writes:
"He constantly acts like a stereotypical gay male: limp-wristed, never walking always flouncing, obsessed about keeping a youthful appearance, going gaga over cute guys, dressing in drag, etc. Mr. Humphries, although very popular, was (and is) a controversial character, disliked by many: first of all, many people hated gays in general, and those who were accepting of homosexuals disapproved of the fact that Mr. Humphries only served to further the stereotypes created by bigoted people..."
Lisping letters
There is a steady flow of email from SLP/SLT consumers and professionals, and interested others about lisping and gay speech styles, including a friendly note in 1999 from a man in Toronto who said that he wanted to nominate me as 'a gay icon for the new millennium'! Then there were the umpteen wits who asked, 'Whose cruel idea was it for the word "lisp" to have an "s" in it?'
Academic correspondence
As well, there has been correspondence from academic researchers in the areas of communication sciences, linguistics and psychology, studying the relationship between human sexuality and speech development, speech patterns, semantics, pragmatics and communicative style or register. Let's look at what some of these terms mean.
Semantics and pragmatics
Using language that 'fits' a particular situation is integral to effective communication. Our words need to be right, our body language, demeanour and behaviour need to be appropriate, and the way we speak - our "register", or communicative style - should reflect our own status and the status of the person we are talking to.
The ability to achieve this balance has much to do with our grasp of the semantics and pragmatics of the language, or languages we speak, and the social situations we encounter.
Most of us have an unerring sense of when and how to make what we say sound pleased, respectful, jocular, confidential, sympathetic, hurt, flippant, angry, sad, dissatisfied, mystified, affectionate, incredulous, amused, sceptical or romantic.
We know how to adjust the intensity of what we say to suit the communicative environment; to comment softly to our neighbour during a play (avoiding the hostile "Shhh!" from the darkness ahead); to raise our voices to just the right level against the background noise on an aeroplane; and to shout our jubilation to each other when a favoured athlete succeeds.
The particular semantic and pragmatic adjustments we make are largely culturally and linguistically determined. Verbal and non verbal behaviour that is regarded as acceptable in a certain situation in one culture and / or language may be unacceptable in another.
Code switching
Code switching is a term used in linguistics that relates to the adjustments people make to the way they speak when they are moving from one language or language style to another. For example, code switching is present when a person moves from speaking English to speaking Thai, or from speaking Standard American English to African American Vernacular English (AAVE). Sometimes the term "code" is used, and sometimes "register" or "speech style".
Bilingual
People who speak more than one language fluently become extremely proficient in code switching or 'language alternation' - that amazing ability bilingual or multilingual people have to flip from one language to another, adjusting much more than simply the words they utter.
Code mixing
Code switching can include 'code mixing' - saying part of an utterance in one language, register or style, and part in another, or combining the grammatical conventions of one language or style with the words of another.
For example, Australian aboriginal children may switch between "talking flash" (using Standard Australian English) and "talking language" (speaking an Aboriginal language or creole) and speaking Aboriginal English, often mixing the four registers. Code mixing is often a vehicle for humour, as in situations when a 'posh' character utters an uncouth, out of character expression in a 'posh voice', or vice versa.
Gay speech and lisping
At first blush, the 'gay sound' of many, but certainly not all, gay men, seems to the casual listener to be due to the way they produce the sounds /s/ and /z/. They have what many people regard as a 'characteristic' lisp. This may involve:
a 'hyperarticulated' (very precise) /s/ and /z/, or
a very sibilant /s/ and /z/, or
a dentalized /s/ and /z/ with the tongue touching the teeth, or
an interdental /s/ and /z/ with the tongue protruding between the teeth, or
a 'lingering s/z' in which the sound is prolonged slightly for effect (sso sspecial, amazzzing), or
combinations of the previous five.
Sometimes the sounds'sh' as is sh ake, and 'zh' as in mea s ure, are dentalized in addition to, or instead of, /s/ and /z/.
Beyond lisping
But there is more to'sounding gay' than simply talking with a lisp. The language that may be used (e.g., 'You go girl!'), the intonation, tone and body language and even the appearance of the speaker and the communicative environment all contribute to what the listener perceives as'sounding gay'. The characteristics of gay speech and associated behaviour may include some or all of the following.
precise articulation
prolonging /s/ and /z/ subtly
prolonging /l/ subtly
emphasised final stop consonants
emphasised final stop consonants with breathy, or aspirated'seductive' production
lisping or other alterations to /s/ and /z/
using upward (more flamboyant) inflections
prolonging vowels e.g., 'Soo gooorgeous'
prolonging consonants e.g., 'Ffffabulous'
pursing the lips when initiating a word
pursing the lips and shaking the head emphatically from side to side when initiating a word
saying mmm before a word e.g.,'mmm-yes','mmm-no','mmm-nice','mmm-lush'
using a higher voice pitch
going for a 'feminine' sound, or a 'gay' sound
using soft articulatory contacts at the beginnings of words, and 'breathing through' the sounds
using vocabulary or particular expressions identified as 'gay', e.g., 'It’s so festive.'
adopting a high camp demeanour
Why code switch?
Many gay men are effectively bilingual, and can elect whether to sound gay or straight, depending where they are or who they are with.
Just as an African-American individual may switch from Ebonics to standard English, or the other way around, gay people can switch from'straight' to 'gay'. This is an example of code-switching (see above).
Some gay men code-mix, sounding 'a little bit gay' (possibly sending an ambiguous message) sometimes, and'very gay', if I can use that expression (usually sending an unambiguous message), at others.
There are a number of theories and suggestions as to why this code switching occurs, including:
code switching is used to protect sexuality (in a new, unknown, unsafe or hostile environment)
code switching is used to project sexuality (in a familiar, accepting or comfortable environment)
code switching from standard production to 'gay' production is used as an indication of pride, a sense of community, unity, and solidarity
code switching is used as a political statement
code switching is used as a 'protection' from, or barrier to, heterosexual 'advances'
Some gay men report code switching to gay production only when they are in the company of other gay men. Indeed, some say that their parents, employers and workmates, for example, have never heard them 'talk gay'.
When does code switching start?
The question of the age at which gay individuals who code switch (from straight to gay and gay to straight) start to do so remains unanswered in the peer reviewed literature.
The Gay Speech Web Survey, one of the first web based projects of its kind, explored code switching. The authors were two graduate students Todd Fixx and William Galey, with David Ratusnik from the University of Central Florida. They presented the results of the survey as a poster session at ASHA in San Francisco (in 1999).
Code switching in young children
We do know that code switching in general starts very young. Little children will adapt their communicative style, or 'code switch' when they talk to babies or to children whom they perceive to be 'younger'. They learn at a very young age how to sound like a parent as they tuck a baby doll into bed. Even three year olds will talk in a more 'grown up' way to their peers than they do when they talk to younger children and babies.
Typically developing children will code switch and 'talk down' to children that they perceive to be developmentally delayed. The also talk in a special way to pets, and code switch constantly when they provide voices for the characters in their imaginary games.
Lisping in young children
Prior to four and a half (at least) lisping is age appropriate. Substituting 'th' for /s/ and /z/ or producing dentalized variants of /s/ and /z/ is a normal part of growing up for many little boys and girls. That is why SLPs/SLTs do not treat them for lisping before they are four and a half. By four and a half most lisps disappear spontaneously as a natural consequence of development.
Speech and sexual orientation
The question, 'do little boys who lisp, who grow up to be gay, seem gay, when they are little?' arises constantly in the correspondence I receive from academics. They ask whether there any give-away signs in the behaviour of boys who lisp that might lead the SLPs treating them to think that they might grow up to identify as gay?
For example, a prominent behavioural scientist wrote:
"I am studying sexual orientation and speech patterns, and I am wondering whether you have any impression of the boys you've seen for speech therapy for lisping. Do you believe that there is a higher rate of femininity than among other boys? My research has shown that there is a recognizable form of gay speech. Anecdotally, several gay friends told me that they were in speech therapy for lisping as children."
His letter touches on a number of key issues, explored here from the point of view of a linguistics researcher, speech-language pathologist, and communication specialist who is in no way expert in the academic areas concerned with human sexuality and sexual orientation.
"In therapy" for childhood lisping
Let's take the last point first, regarding gay men having had speech therapy as children.
Statistics
Reports of gay men being treated for childhood lisping might be explained in statistical terms. There is a very high prevalence of speech and language disorders. Something like 1/7 individuals! Ten percent of children entering the first grade in the United States have moderate to severe speech disorders, including speech sound disorders and stuttering. Children with lisps (only) are considered to have mild speech sound disorders (or even no speech disorder at all) and would be surplus to the 10%.
Me talk pretty one day
My correspondent introduced me to David Sedaris' autobiographical memoir of being plucked from his classroom, like other boys in the FUTURE HOMOSEXUALS OF AMERICA (his words and caps!) category, to have his lisp expunged by a state certified speech therapist.
"None of the therapy students were girls. They were all boys like me who kept movie star scrapbooks and made their own curtains." Me Talk Pretty One Day excerpt
Described by New York Magazine as playwright, author, radio star, and retired elf, Sedaris writes about the fifth-grade experience of homosexual boys forced to conceal their sexuality at school.
"We knocked ourselves out trying to fit in but were ultimately betrayed by our tongues. At the beginning of the school year, while we were congratulating ourselves on successfully passing for normal, Agent Samson [the speech therapist] was taking names as our assembled teachers raised their hands, saying, "I've got one in my homeroom," and "There are two in my fourth-period math class." Were they also able to spot the future drunks and depressives? Did they hope that by eliminating our lisps, they might set us on a different path, or were they trying to prepare us for future stage and choral careers?" Me Talk Pretty One Day
Different perspectives
Sedaris' experience of speech therapy for a lisp is from the perspective of a ten or eleven year old boy already aware of his preference for same sex partners.
I come to the topic from quite a different perspective. My direct clinical experience of assessing and treating children who lisp is almost exclusively with four-and-a-half to six year olds.
Femininity and lisping boys
The question, Do you believe that there is a higher rate of femininity than among other boys? was easy for me to answer in relation to my own caseload.
Among the hundreds of children under seven I have treated for lisping the breakdown has been about 40% girls and 60% boys. There was not a higher rate of femininity among the boys who lisped than among other boys.
Baby ways
However, among both the boys and the girls, there was quite a high incidence of 'babyishness' and 'immaturity', with many of the the children behaving 'young' for their ages.
Some charmed their 'audiences' with cute 'baby ways', and some infuriated or worryied their parents with behaviour ranging from refusing to give up their pacifiers, 'unreasonable' separation anxiety, and continuing to have two-year-old tantrums, to thumb sucking, baby-talking on purpose and drinking from baby bottles.
As part of these various pattern of immaturity both boys and girls tended to be very clingy with their mothers and fathers.
Family
A significant proportion of boys and girls between 4;6 and 6;0 who lisp have first degree family members who also lisp: mothers, fathers, and siblings.
Older boys who lisp
Treating boys older than 6 who lisp is something I have done very rarely. It would be interesting to hear from SLP/SLT colleagues who are experienced in treating older boys who lisp. How would they answer the question:
Do you believe that there is a higher rate of femininity [among boys who are in therapy for lisping] than among other boys?
Is lisping feminine?
The question suggests that there is a higher rate of femininity among boys who identify, or who later identify, as gay than there is among other boys. Thinking about this, I wondered whether SLPs/SLTs and the general population regard lisping as a 'feminine' trait. Personally, I have been around so many lisping males of all ages (including fathers and sons) for so long that I find it very difficult to think of it as a feminine characteristic.
Looking back
For about 27 years I practiced in the same location, in Sydney, Australia, drawing on the same geographical area for about 70% of my caseload. Many families and clients stayed in touch with me long after discharge from therapy.
Consequently, I know a number of young men who saw me regarding their lisps when they were children, who now identify as gay. In every case their lisps were successfully treated.
In NONE of these cases was there anything to cause me to think of these young boys as being 'potentially gay'.
As adults, some of these ex-clients maintain normal production of /s/ and /z/; some have lisps with no other 'gay speech' characteristics; some code switch; and some project a high camp demeanour all the time.
Comfortable words
The code switchers' behaviour warrants a brief comment. Contrary to what might be expected, they 'talk gay' very easily in my company. I find this interesting as one might expect them to try hard NOT to lisp in the sense that they know I am interested in speech and that I am probably attending to the MANNER of their speech as well as the matter, and in the sense that they might be sensitive to the idea that I might be disappointed that their lisps had'regressed' (given our shared history). But thankfully, no, they don't go overboard trying to talk'straight' for their old SLP. They are are comfortable being themselves.
Links
APA: Sexuality
GLAAD
GLBTQ - gayspeak
J Michael Bailey[controversy]
L'GASP
Mind Your Language
Passing Twice
Polari: Chris Denning
Polari: Paul Baker
Signs linked to sexuality
Sounding Gay - Joe Clark
The Subtler Forms of Homophobia
With downcast gays
Articles
Crist, S. (1997). Duration of Onset Consonants in Gay Male Stereotyped Speech. Penn Working Papers in Linguistics. (Sean Crist also wrote a clever satirical story about Rusty
Pierrehumbert, J.B., Bent, T., Munson, B., Bradlow, A.R., & Bailey, J.M. (2004). The influence of sexual orientation on vowel production. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 116, 1905-1908.
Munson, B., McDonald, E. C., De Boe, N. L., & White, A. R. (2005). The Acoustic and Perceptual Bases of Judgements of Women and Men's Sexual Orientation from Read Speech. Journal of Phonetics.
Rogers,H., Jacobs, G., & Smyth, R. (2001). Searching for Phonetic Correlates of Gay- and Straight-Sounding Voices. Toronto Working Papers in Linguistics, 18, 46-64.Sudan Releases One of ISIL's Leaders from Prison
This is not the first time that Saudis have asked for the release of leaders of terrorist prisoners in different countries.
Muhammad al-Jazuli, coordinator of Salafist groups "Unit Ummah"
Photo coutesy: middleeastpress.com
(SALEM, Ore.) - Following the strengthening of political relations between Khartoum and Riyadh, Sudanese authorities ordered the release of Muhammad al-Jazuli, coordinator of Salafist groups "Unit Ummah" from prison at the request of one of the Saudi princes.
He publicly acknowledged his support for ISIL after his release from prison in an interview with Al Jarida newspaper.
Muhammad al-Jazuli was arrested on 29 October 2014 for encouraging Sudanese youth to join ISIL. He was released from prison 240 days later with Saudi mediation, at the request of Dr Esam Ahmed Al-Bashir, Chairman of Sudan's Islamic Fiqh Council while the Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, condemned ISIL's recent terror attacks in Kuwait and Tunisia.
Sudan's President emphasized his country's support of Kuwait and Tunisia in dealing with terrorists in a telephone conversation with Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah Emir of Kuwait and Beji Caid Essebsi, Tunisian President. It is not the first time that Saudis have asked for the release of leaders of terrorist prisoners in different countries.
_________________________________________Studies continually show that distracted driving is as dangerous as drunk driving. While most of us wouldn’t even consider getting behind the wheel after a drink or two, many Americans (both teens and adults) admit to texting while operating a vehicle.
Motor vehicle accidents are responsible for more than 30,000 deaths every year. With numbers this high, it’s imperative for governing bodies to implement laws that help reduce risky driving behaviors.
The National Highway Safety Administration released a study that revealed that in 2012, an estimated 421,000 people were injured in car crashes involving a distracted driver. This should serve as more than enough motivation to start cracking down on texting drivers.
Current legislature dictates that texting while driving is illegal in most states, but in Texas, Oklahoma, Montana, Missouri, Mississippi, and Arizona, it’s still permitted under the law.
The good news is that texting while operating a school bus is illegal everywhere but Montana, Missouri, and Arizona. Lawmakers overwhelmingly agree that school bus drivers should not be allowed to use their mobile devices while driving the kiddies around. For those parents in Montana, Missouri, and Arizona – seems like it might be time to rally for restricted phone usage policies while their children are on board.
Beyond a behavior being “legal” or not, there is a significant variation in the penalties for breaking these laws. In Florida for example, the fine for texting while driving is just $30, whereas a DUI ticket is $1000. It is completely illogical that texting drivers should get off so easy compared with those who are inebriated. It’s just as dangerous – so why should the fine be 3% of the cost?
In 42 states, you can go to jail for driving while intoxicated, but in only 2 states will you end up behind bars for texting while driving. Utah and Alaska clearly have stricter distracted driving laws than the other 48 states.
In Alaska, interestingly enough, the fine for drunk driving is $1500 – which seems like a lot – until you see the penalty for drivers who are caught texting: $10,000! This is a state that recognizes the dangers of distracted driving and has subsequently imposed a fine to fit the offense.
California is just the opposite. In this west coast state, the penalty for texting and driving is a mere $20 ticket, whereas a DUI translates to a $1000 fee, a 4-month license suspension, and up to 6 months in jail. Why does California take drunk driving so seriously, but not distracted driving?
It’s not just California, though. In nearly every state, texting is viewed as a far less serious indiscretion than driving under the influence. Only Utah and Alaska recognize the seriousness of the crime and assign fines accordingly.
With distracted driving on the rise, it’s important to consider the ramifications of the activity. Today, most of us know not to get behind the wheel after over imbibing, but drivers take a much more carefree approach to “no texting” laws.
The facts and figures make it clear that texting is as likely to cause an accident as drinking when it comes to operating a vehicle, so it’s astounding to see states with such discrepancies in their penalties.The only pretext a SWAT team needs to temporarily seize your property is to use it as an observation post in an emergency situation, a federal judge in Nevada has ruled.
Police even have the right to smash down your door with a battering ram without a warrant and shoot you with pepper balls in order to take over your property, US District Court Judge Andrew Gordon concluded in a case called Anthony Mitchell v. City of Henderson. Mitchell and his parents sued the city of Henderson, a Las Vegas suburb, because of events on July 10, 2013.
The Mitchells’ attorneys argued the events violated their clients’ First, Third and Fourth Amendment rights. The Third Amendment makes it illegal for the government to seize private homes for use as quarters for soldiers and has rarely been the focus of a federal case. The attorneys contended that the Third Amendment applies to police as well as the military.
Does the Third Amendment Apply to SWAT teams?
Gordon dismissed the case.
“The relevant questions are thus whether municipal police should be considered soldiers, and whether the time they spent in the house could be considered quartering,” he wrote. “To both questions, the answer must be no.”
Bombshell Book Reveals… How To Survive The Coming Martial Law In America
Judge Gordon’s description of events as described by Mitchell and his parents, Michael and Linda, makes for some very disturbing reading. None of the Mitchells was suspected of a crime. Instead, police simply wanted to take over their homes to use as observation posts to watch a neighbor who was barricaded inside his house and who was refusing to leave. Police were investigating a domestic complaint against the neighbor.
Without a Warrant
“The officers then knocked down Anthony’s door with a metal ram and entered his house, without a warrant or Anthony’s permission,” Judge Gordon wrote in his opinion. “They pointed their guns at Anthony and ordered him to the floor. The officers, including Officer Snyder, addressed Anthony as ‘a–hole’ and ordered him to crawl toward them and shut his phone off. Anthony stayed huddled on the floor with his hands over his face.”
Mitchell had refused to comply with the SWAT team’s request because he did not like the way the police were behaving.
“Doe Officers 1-10 pointed firearms at the Plaintiffs through their windows and at the homes of several neighbors,” Gordon wrote. “When Michael photographed Doe Officer 1 — a member of the NLVPD SWAT team — through a window of Michael’s home, that officer pointed his firearm at Michael.”
The officers are called Doe because they are not identified in the complaint. NLVPD refers to the North Las Vegas Police Department.
“Doe Officers 1-10 … then shot Anthony with ‘pepperball’ rounds at close range,” Gordon wrote. A pepperball is a non-lethal projectile made from chili pepper that some law enforcement agencies use. “The officers also shot Anthony’s dog Sam, who had been cowering in the corner of the room, with at least one ‘pepperball’ round. Sam panicked, howled in pain, and fled from the house. He ended up trapped in a fenced alcove in the backyard without food or water for nearly the entire day in 100-degree heat.”
Parents’ Home Seized, Too
After taking over Anthony Mitchell’s house, the SWAT team decided to occupy his parents’ home next door as well.
“Approximately 30 minutes later, Doe Officers 21-30 entered the Parents’ backyard, again without a warrant or permission,” Gordon wrote. “The officers knocked on the back door and demanded that Linda open the door. Linda complied, but told them that they could not enter without a warrant. The officers ignored her, entered through the back door, and began searching the home. Doe Officer 21 (a female) forcibly grabbed Linda, began to pull her out of the house, seized her purse and ‘began rummaging through it’ without consent.”
Does the Third Amendment Apply to SWAT teams
Anthony and Michael Mitchell were arrested on charges of obstructing an officer and held in jail for the night. The charges against them were later dropped.
“If the Mitchells’ story is true (the police obviously have their own version of events), it is clear that the officers engaged in illegal and deeply troubling abuses of power against innocent civilians – regardless of whether their actions violated the Third Amendment or not,” George Mason University Law Professor Illya Somin wrote in a Washington Post op-ed piece.
The case has important Constitutional implications because there are few court rulings on the Third Amendment and the protections it provides, Somin wrote. The Third Amendment is rarely invoked because of the protection against unreasonable search and seizure provided by the Fourth Amendment.
Somin believes the Mitchells had a solid legal case.
“When the Amendment was enacted in 1791, there were virtually no professional police of the sort we have today,” Somin wrote. “The distinction between military and law enforcement officials was far less clear than in the world of 2015. Moreover, many parts of the |
Hicks leading the charge. Hicks has a 3.47 ERA in 93 1/3 innings of work, along with 88 strikeouts and 26 walks. Meanwhile, reliever Nate Hill is as good as it gets with a 3.42 ERA in 33 appearances and 68 1/3 innings of work. Much like Samford in last year's Tallahassee Regional, Troy definitely can make some noise this weekend.
Savannah State
You certainly never will see Florida State shying away from anyone, but you'd be lying if there wasn't at least some concern the Seminoles must face Savannah State right-handed pitcher Kyle McGowin in the Tallahassee Regional opener. McGowin is a very solid prospect with a 90-plus fastball, and has tallied extremely impressive numbers this spring, as expected against rather weak competition. McGowin has started 14 games and has a 1.33 ERA in 115 1/3 innings of work. He also has struck out 129, walked 24 and teams are hitting him at a.215 clip. Besides McGowin, reliever Eric Ricks is a guy to watch on the mound. Ricks has appeared in 23 games this spring and has a 2.75 ERA in 36 innings. Meanwhile, the Tigers as a whole aren't exactly impressive on the mound with a pitching staff earned-run average of 4.85. This team won't dazzle you offensively either, hitting just.271 entering the weekend with Todd Hagen the key hitter to watch. Hagen is hitting.320 with 12 doubles, a triple and 26 RBIs. He also has a respectable OBP over.400. It's hard to imagine SSU making much noise this weekend outside of Kyle McGowin.
REGIONAL FORECASTGeneral Motors has filed an application to register Riviera as a trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), GM Authority was first to discover.
The automaker’s May 18th, 2016 application is assigned serial number 87041668 and specifies that the mark will be used for “Badges for vehicles”.
The GM Authority Take
We should first note that General Motors currently does not hold any trademark rights to the Riviera name with the USPTO. It did, however, file a trademark application for the term “Riviera” back in March of 2013. That filing, however, was categorized under the goods and services section of “Motor land vehicles, namely, automobiles”, whereas the one being described here is for “badges for vehicles”.
The March 2013 filing was filed slightly before the unveiling of the Buick Riviera Concept at the 2013 Shanghai Auto Show. However, GM will likely end up abandoning that March 2013 filing, since the automaker is running out of time (a total of three years) to file a Statement of Use — a necessary document in the trademark process that demonstrates to the USPTO that the mark being applied for will be used in a real-world product or service.
And so — as with other recent GM trademark filings, we will hypothesize that this particular one is either for a concept car or a future production-intent vehicle.
Buick Riviera Concept - Auto Shanghai 2013Good even--- midnight Backers!
Randy here again. I honestly didn’t expect to have a second music update, but the rest of the staff totally surprised me the other day and I can't believe I'm writing this tonight.
We have another surprise musical guest to add to our music team. Also in this update, that lovely tapestry is officially an add-on item at $60. See below for details.
Please welcome guest composer, Hiroki Kikuta.
We’re honored to welcome Hiroki Kikuta to the Narcissu 10 Anniversary Anthology! Kikuta is one of the most well respected and a true legendary figure in the video game industry, most well known for his incredible work with Squaresoft’s Seiken Densetsu 2, better known as Secret of Mana internationally. Kikuta is joining with Chris Huelsbeck to create something truly special for Narcissu, and we can’t wait to hear it!
$60 Tapestry Add-on
We’ve heard everyone’s requests for access to that gorgeous B2-sized tapestry, and we’ve decided to make it available as an add-on item. As we mentioned in previous updates, it has to ship separate from all the other items because of its shape, so the high cost reflects the extra cost of shipping it anywhere in the world.
The same add-on shipping rules apply, backers with the $1, 20, 30, and 60 reward tiers who want an add-on will need to include a one-time $15 shipping fee for any number/combination of add-on items. If for example, you want 50 tapestries at once to line your walls… the $15 covers that too.
Backers of the $100 reward tier or higher have shipping included and can add as many add-on items as they choose.From Messi's miracles to the player who lived his dream as a fan it is time for the annual end-of-season Spanish football awards
In the end it was Tito Vilanova's season and Eric Abidal's too. They became the symbol of the suffering and the success of Barcelona's fourth league title in five years, the feeling in their celebrations.
And yet there was something strange about the 2012-2013 campaign, Barcelona's greatest ever season greeted like a disappointment. The league was won so early that there was something anticlimactic about it and they finished without the injured Leo Messi, without the Champions League, destroyed 7-0 over two legs by Bayern Munich.
They finished too with that nagging sense that something, or maybe many things, were not quite right. Again, Abidal was a symbol: he returned to action 402 days after having undergone a liver transplant, but departed in tears, the promise broken.
Barcelona also missed out on the Copa del Rey, where they had been knocked out by Madrid and were defeated by their rivals' subs in the league. But this was a colossal season for Barcelona, not least given the problems they faced. Javier Mascherano put it well when he noted: "Our coach is not in New York on holiday, you know." Even with illness and injury, even with a short squad that desperately lacks defenders, even with the doubts, they still produced a near perfect 2012: 17 wins and one draw, 2-2 against Madrid. José Mourinho claims that he ended Barcelona's hegemony but Barcelona won the league again, 15 points ahead of Madrid. That's the biggest ever gap between first and second. They equalled Madrid's points record, reaching 100.
Meanwhile, Mourinho and Madrid were unravelling and as each layer fell away, it became clearer that those stories, dismissed as "literature" by the club's president, were largely true. Mourinho gave up the league title before Christmas, which might not have mattered had his team not been knocked out in Europe and however much they sold "success", everyone knew this was not it. The divisions grew more entrenched, the battle bitter, complete with press campaigns, punishments and even a pre-match plebiscite.
When the man assumed to be Mourinho's faithful defender turned it was hard not to think: "Et tu, Pepe?" Alvaro Arbeloa still stood up for his coach but by then he stood alone. And by then, Mourinho had long departed – mentally if not physically.
By then, too, his team had lost the Copa del Rey final to Atlético Madrid.
The Rojiblancos finally defeated their rivals for the first time since 1999. Atlético also took up a place in the Champions League after finishing third, where they will be joined by Real Sociedad, the best team to watch in the second half of the season. European places went to Valencia, who Real overtook on the final day, and to Betis – another team that was brilliant to watch on a shoestring. With Málaga and Rayo both denied Uefa licences, there could still be a European place for Betis's city rivals Sevilla, all the way down in ninth. A team that didn't win a single away game.
Good news for Sevilla, not so good for the league: an eloquent comment on a league that is, at an organisational shambles; a competition where financial crisis grips and no one can compete with the big two. Not just compete: where nobody else even seems to matter. Which is a pity, because beyond Madrid and Barcelona, there are great stories, great games and great players. But for how long? Radamel Falcao has already gone and so have Fernando Llorente and Jesús Navas. They will almost certainly be just the first as a familiar trend continues, a trend in which everyone else's good players depart. The winter transfer window was reality, laid bare. Less money was spent in the whole of Spain than QPR spent on Chris Samba.
This was also the season that was marked by match fixing, after Levante midfielder Barkero accused his team-mates of selling themselves following a 4-0 defeat by Deportivo de La Coruña. Allegations like those are nothing new in Spain; in fact, they have long been indulged as just one of those things, accepted as part of the game. But this time is different; this time it could even be good news. The incoming league president Javier Tebas insisted that he was going to make match-fixing his priority – why he didn't when he was vice-president and de facto president is another question – and launched an investigation, with evidence passed on to the anti-corruption attorney. Maybe this time something will actually be done.
At least the scandal meant that the familiar whiff that surrounds the final day was not there this time; alarm bells had been sounded, players and presidents warned. They were being watched. On the final day, four teams could go down; in the end, Deportivo, Zaragoza and Mallorca did, while the side that stayed up were Celta de Vigo, prompting a proper party, with fans hanging off the crossbar and players disappearing tearfully under piles of bodies, emerging in just their pants.
Iago Aspas's suicidal head-butt in the Galician derby and subsequent four-game ban had not cost his team relegation after all. Instead, he provided the assist that saved them. No wonder he was delighted. No wonder Hugo Mallo was too. And not just because he's the first man up as the Guardian once again hands out the most prestigious awards in the game …
Best fan
Hugo Mallo finally lived his dream of travelling to the Galician derby to watch his beloved Celta face Deportivo in enemy territory with his mates from the Iago Aspas fan club. Mallo boarded the bus, posed with a For Sale sign superimposed across debt-ridden Depor's badge while his mates gigglingly stuck it up on Twitter, and then sang his way through the journey before heading into the stadium two hours before kick off, ready for war. It was dark but he wore sunglasses and pulled his hood up, shouting for Depor's fans to come and have a go if they thought they were hard enough, singling out his victims and grabbing his crotch, inviting them to get their lips round this until a policeman in riot gear intervened. All of which would be pretty tame, but for one thing: Hugo Mallo is not just a Celta de Vigo fan, he is a Celta de Vigo player.
Best put-down
One man not impressed with Mallo, or team-mate Iago Aspas whose red card in that game cost Celta victory and almost survival was striker Mario Bermejo.
"When you go to bed with children," he declared, "you wake up covered in piss."
Speaking of which …
Least prepared player
Goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz was nowhere to be seen when Athletic Bilbao v Granada kicked off. "I was still in the toilet when I heard the whistle," he admitted afterwards.
Best fan protest
Among the Málaga fans protesting against their Uefa ban was one ever-so-polite supporter wearing a T-shirt that across the top read: "With the greatest of respect, Platini…" And across the bottom concluded: "… I crap on your sainted mother." Sevilla's Biris refused to go to games, but they weren't about to miss the city derby against Betis, finally returning in November carrying a banner that said simply: "sorry for the delay." But no one does protests like Rayo Vallecano do protests and certainly not quite so consistently. They started the season as they meant to go on by vacating the end but for a banner directed at Javier Tebas. "If football belongs to Tebas, let his fucking mother cheer them on," it ran.
Then there game against Real Madrid which didn't take place at all after the floodlights failed. The club published photos of the cables that had been cut, Madrid carried out an impromptu training session in the semi-darkness of the pitch and the match was put off 24 hours, as the president cried "sabotage". There's still no proof that Rayo's fans were involved but outside the stadium they were remarkably calm and there was a cheer when they were told the match was off. Almost like they already knew.
Best fans' wind-up
Sevilla is one of the great Spanish cities but if there is one thing that it hasn't got, and one thing that the rest of Andalusia loves to remind them that it hasn't got, it's a beach. So when Sevilla played at the Rosaleda, Málaga fans spent the game playing with lilos, dinghies, rubber rings and beach balls, sending them bouncing around the stands and laughing at their sea-less rivals.
Best presidential rant
Deportivo's Augusto César Lendoiro, who complained about people making wild match-fixing allegations without proof … by making wild match-fixing allegations, without proof. "Everyone knows that if there is a club that has behaved with total honour, it's Deportivo," he said, which was a good start, coming from the president who lied about the size of the club's debt. "We're absolutely indignant. There were other cases, some of which cost us relegation, but as we didn't have proof we kept our mouths shut.
Almost every game at the end of previous seasons has been fixed for years."
Most excruciatingly embarrassing moment
Step forward, Alex Song. Actually, don't step forw … oh, balls, too late.
Second most excruciatingly embarrassing moment
At the end of the Copa del Rey final, José Mourinho decided not to go up to collect his medal but the assistant coach Aitor Karanka did, leaving King Juan Carlos turning to the Federation president and asking: "So, what, do I give it to this bloke?"
Best organisers
The LFP of course … and someone really needs to invent an irony font for that 'P'. But what have they won it for this time? For putting the weekly free-to-air "general interest" game on three different channels in a single season, shifting the kick off time and day by the week? For spreading games randomly across 10 time slots on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday? For finishing the season after the Fifa cut-off point, almost depriving one relegation-threatened side their best player? No, it's none of those. And it's not for giving somewhere between 10 and seven days warning as to what day games are on either. Hell, that's an improvement.
It's not even scheduling summer games so late that Mallorca's Tomer Hemed scored two lovely goals on two different days in the same game, which will make a nice quiz question one day. No, this year's act of genius was setting matches at 7.45pm and 9.30pm – to ensure that they didn't overlap.
Most democratic club
Real Madrid, where the presidency is open to everyone. So long as you're Spanish, have been a member for 20 years, and have €85m hidden away in your knicker drawer.
Best threat
Atlético's Madrid's rock band lead singing, former goalkeeping assistant coach Germán "the monkey" Burgos was one man who wouldn't let himself be pushed around by José Mourinho, warning the Madrid manager: "I'm not Tito: I'll tear your head off." Mind you, that's nowhere near as frightening hearing the quiet click of the door closing behind you and turning round to see Levante centre-back and man mountain Sergio Ballesteros standing there in just a towel. "It got a bit messy because it seems I'm not allowed to be there," Ballesteros innocently said of his accidental arrival in the Madrid medical room, where he ended up in fight with Pepe.
"If he doesn't like this sport, he can take up boxing," Sergio Ramos said.
Biggest coward
Iker Muniain. Or so said Osasuna centre-back César Cruchaga. "Muniain is shitting himself," Cruchaga declared after the Athletic playmaker and wind-up merchant got a convenient-looking suspension. "He went looking for the fifth yellow to escape having to come to Pamplona."
Least committed player
If Muniain was rumbled, that was nothing compared to Granada's Italian striker Antonio Floro Flores, who told his manager that he was struggling for fitness and wouldn't be available for their game against Espanyol … before heading off to the Sierra Nevada for a spot of skiing. He would have got away with it too if it hadn't been for that pesky fan and his camera phone.
Dirtiest player
Diego Costa says he never takes his work home with him. Which is probably a good thing. If he did, the Atlético Madrid striker might walk through the door, goad the dog with a stick, surreptitiously elbow his wife out of the way on the stairs, shrugging his shoulders innocently as she lay in a crumpled heap at the bottom, and whisper insults to his children, looking the other way and whistling when they burst into tears.
He would stroll into the living room and dramatically collapse on the floor, rolling round the rug holding his head and appealing for a penalty. And he might even get it too. Diego Costa wears gloves, even with short sleeved shirts.
Presumably to make sure he leaves no prints.
Sneakiest player
Javi Martínez, who returned to Athletic Bilbao in the middle of the night, clambering over the fence at the club's Lezama training ground and tiptoeing silently towards the building, before suddenly getting bundled to the ground, shouting "It's me, it's me! Javi Martínez!" as the security guard reached for the cuffs. Apparently, he had come to get his boots.
Because getting them during the day was impossible.
Daftest player
Plenty of players have been caught out of position before, but not this badly out of position. And yes, this is Fábio Coentrão taking up his place on the bench, kitted up and ready to go.
Despite not being included in the squad.
Most philosophical player
Álvaro Arbeloa, who warned of the perils of the media, with a little help from Malcolm X and Anton Ego. His first offering was: "If you're not careful, the press will make you love the oppressor and hate the oppressed".
Then he made the words of Ratatouille's culinary critic his own: "In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face, is that in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so."
Best celebration
Arda Turan isn't the first player to vow to shave off his hair if his team wins something. But how many of them were a Fabulous Furry Freak Brother before?
Best shirts
Imagine your favourite player running out with your name on the front of his shirt? Well, that's more or less what Real Sociedad did against Sevilla. They held a draw amongst their members, pulling out 22 members' names to be worn on the front of the shirts, from Cándida López to Jon Igay, from Igor Marín to Alex Townend. "It's time to reveal the best sponsor in our history," ran the campaign "… you."
Best boots
Not so much a pair of boots as a test for colour blindness. You have to be bloody good to wear these. Luckily, Radamel Falcao is bloody good.
Best story
Abidal of course.
The other best story: This one.
Fondest farewell
As the season came to an end, there were people waving goodbye, emotional moments from the centre of pitches up and down the land. From Eric Abidal to Andrés Palop, Manuel Pellegrini to a sobbing Juan Carlos Valerón, relegated on his final game, one last piece of magic beyond him.
Then there was Granada's captain Manolo Lucena, who bowed out having played for the club in the Third, Second B, Second A and First Divisions.
But away from the cameras, there was another moment every bit as meaningful. As Marcelo Bielsa left San Mamés for the last time, he stumbled across a familiar-looking fan wearing a Bielsa Carajo! badge, as he had done for the past two years. Bielsa asked if he could have the badge as a memento and the fan, naturally, handed it over only for the Argentinian to insist that he couldn't take something for nothing – so he took off his watch and handed it over.
Best exclusive, complete with flashing "EXCLUSIVE!" in big letters
Oh my God, he's buying boxes! The ultimate in jumping the shark. The Mourinho in Ikea story begged just one question: when did Punto Pelota become The Day Today?
Best newspaper column
On the back of Sport is a column entitled "TOP SECRET", where they go deep undercover to break the really big stories, unmasking the powerful and lifting the lid on SECRETS that are, well, TOP. Secrets like José Pinto is the fourth-oldest league champion in history, Jordi Alba has played 100 league games, Radamel Falcao scored the league's 1000th goal and Barcelona have gone 53 weeks scoring. And all those bombshells on the same day. How do they do it?
Best newspaper cover
Another award for Sport, who managed to sum up absolutely everything in a single headline. 24 hours after Barcelona were hammered 4-0 by Bayern Munich, they ran with "Madrid concede four as well." Because that makes it all right.
Best match day programme cover
It's the final of the Copa del Rey and it's Real Madrid versus Atlético Madrid, a huge city derby, a historic occasion played at the Santiago Bernabéu, with 35,000 fans there from each side. You've got Radamel Falcao on one team and Cristiano Ronaldo on the other, plus José Mourinho and Diego Simeone on the benches, so who do you put on the cover? Xavi, of course.
Best parody
That Sheikh Al-Thani spoof on Twitter.
Best post-match interview
When Canal Plus's touchline reporter Ricardo Sierra asked Cesc Fábregas about his slightly theatrical role in Gary Medel's red card after Barcelona's win at Sevilla, the midfielder replied: "he touched my face with his forehead... if you like, I can do that to you and see what you think."
Best coach's team talk
This one. Paco Jémez invited every member of his squad, the backroom staff and their families into the Rayo Vallecano dressing room for the final team talk of the season, "because we are what we are because of them."
Best coach's daughter
Jémez had a point too. Last year, Pepe Mel declared: "I'd rather my daughter got pregnant than Betis went down," but even that hasn't stopped his daughter Iris supporting her dad through thick and thin. When Betis got a last minute winner against Sevilla, Mel responded with a great big Up Yours to someone, somewhere. To which Iris declared: "If my dad wants to give someone the finger, all I can say is OLÉ! OLÉ! and OLÉ!"
Best coach's protest
Diego Simeone, who came off his bench to remonstrate with the referee for showing a red card. To opposition manager Mauricio Pellegrino.
Best coach's rant
This was the season in which the referees got tough, sending coaches off at the slightest hint of disobedience. "Some people," said Valladolid manager Miroslav Djukic, "haven't realised that Franco's dead."
Longest serving coach
Sacked before he started. Salva Ballesta was on his way to Vigo from Málaga to take over as assistant coach when, about 400km in, he got the call to turn the car round and go home again. Celta's president Carlos Mouriño told him he was very sorry but he was not going to be Abel Resino's assistant coach after all. When fans had found out about Salva's appointment, they had petitioned the club not to employ him.
The reason is simple; they're left-wingers and he's somewhere to the right of Genghis Khan, a self-proclaimed "Spanish patriot" who always wanted to meet Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Tejero – the man who led the failed military coup against Spain's fledgling democracy in 1981, bursting into parliament pistol in hand and taking the MPs hostage while his mate Jaime Milans del Bosch rolled onto the streets of Valencia in a tank.
"I have been vetoed because of my Spanishness," Salva complained.
Best coach
Philippe Montanier took Real Sociedad back to the Champions League despite not always having fans and club behind him, except in the "carrying knives" sense of the word.
Ernesto Valverde turned Valencia round but finally gave up negotiating with the president to stay next year because every time he went back the president was a different man. Pepe Mel continues to do a superb job at Betis, whilst writing best-selling thrillers. Paco Jémez's team are almost as stylish as his elbow-padded jackets and jazzy waistcoats.
And Manuel Pellegrini briefly made Málaga everyone's other team. But it is hard to look beyond Diego Simeone: he has exorcised an entire club, built a team in his image, won three trophies in 18 months and finally defeated Real Madrid for the first time this millennium.
In the Copa del Rey final at the Bernabéu.
Best game
The homage to Catalonia became a homage to Messi and Ronaldo in a brilliant 2-2 draw at the Camp Nou in October. Barcelona's 3-2 win at Sevilla in week six was breathless, not least because of a referee with no breath. For 45 minutes Mateu Lahoz blew what he normally blows – nothing – helping the game fly by at a dizzying speed, until David Villa got a 94th minute winner. That, though, was nothing compared to Deportivo-Barcelona two weeks later, a game in which Deportivo scored four but still lost and Barcelona scored five away but still spent the final minutes hanging on with 10 men. Barcelona were 3-0 up after 17 minutes and cruising, but it went from 0-3 to 2-3 to 2-4 to 3-4 to 3-5 to 4-5 with 12 heart-stopping minutes left. It was the game that had everything, including a ludicrously good Leo Messi hat-trick, a yellow card for the least offensive man ever, Juan Carlos Valerón, and the finest own goal you could ever wish to see: Jordi Alba's delicate volleyed lob over his keeper that was part Bergkamp, part Le Tissier.
Speaking of Barcelona, their best performance was probably in Málaga, where they were jaw droppingly good, but if you really wanted excitement this year, the Seville derby took some beating. Sevilla won the first 5-1, Betis won the second 3-2 in the last minute — a game that coach Pepe Mel called "the milk."
In week 32, Valencia scored four goals in 1min 58secs of open play against Málaga and their two games against Real Sociedad were sensational too, the Basques winning both: 5-2 in Valencia, 4-2 at home. In fact, Real were pretty much a guarantee all season. Just reading their scorelines tells a story: three 2-2s, two 3-3s, two 4-2s, plus a 3-2, a 4-2, and a 5-2. Oh, and a 4-3 defeat at the Bernabéu.
Best goal
Let's start with the obvious shall we? You can take your pick from all of Ronaldo's goals here, and all of Messi's here. Keep an eye out for Messi at San Mamés and Ronaldo's belter against Sevilla at the Bernabéu.
Falcao too was banging them in all year but this cool chip against Barcelona might just be the best. Agirretxe did much the same, and maybe even better, for Real Sociedad against Valencia. Roberto Soldado thumped in a lovely volley against Levante, Beñat scored a superb free kick at Getafe, and Ebert didn't just score one beauty against Mallorca, he scored two. And Jordi Amat scored an own goal against Valladolid in Vallecas … and immediately made up for it with this golazo without even giving Valladolid the chance to touch the ball.
But the best is this one from Griezmann for Real Sociedad against Valladolid. Or it would be if it wasn't for his team mate Alberto de la Bella, who did a Pelé. Only de la Bella scored.
Woof!
Player of the Year
3rd Radamel Falcao. 2nd Cristiano Ronaldo. 1st: Leo Messi. Just the 46 league goals this season, then.
Team of the Season
GK: Courtois (Atlético)
RB: Carlos Martínez (Real Sociedad)
CB: Miranda (Atlético)
CB: Iñigo Martínez (Real Sociedad)
LB: Filipe Luis (Atlético)
M: Sergio Busquets
M: Xabi Prieto (Real Sociedad)
M: Andrés Iniesta (Barcelona)
S: Leo Messi (Barcelona)
S: Radamel Falcao (Atlético)
S: Cristiano Ronaldo (Madrid)
Subs: Rubén Castro (Betis), Ozil, Varane (Madrid), Negredo, Rakitic (Sevilla), Soldado (Valencia), Piti (Rayo), Isco (Málaga), Illarramendi, Vela (Real Sociedad), Arda, Costa (Atlético).
Finally, a few quotes
"I put the telly on for the last three minutes. They didn't show the game really, they just kept focusing on the bench." – Tito Vilanova nails it.
"We're going to have to make a formal complaint. The referees can't take everything so lightly thinking 'I'll send off two, I'll give a penalty, and no one will care because [it's only Espanyol and] on Tuesday it will be forgotten." – So does Mauricio Pochettino …on the second count, at least.
"Mourinho has put us back where we're supposed to be." – Florentino Pérez.
Hang on a minute, you're supposed to be empty-handed and 15 points behind Barcelona?
"When you look at possession, they didn't dominate us." – Xavi Hernández becomes a self parody after Barcelona's 7-0 aggregate battering at the hands of Bayern.
"At 11pm, I'm asleep." – Spain's kick-off times don't exactly suit Radamel Falcao.
"After losing to Sevilla, our fans couldn't give a toss about Madrid." – Pepe Mel misjudges the mood just a little. Betis beat Madrid and their fans looked like they did give a toss or two.
"We need bollocks." – Manolo Jiménez reverts to type. Besides, Zaragoza's problem was not that they needed bollocks; Zaragoza's problem was that they were bollocks.
"Mourinho always shows his face; he never hides." – Aitor Karanka.
"As soon as Abidal plays a game we'll renew his contract." – Barcelona vice-president Josep María Bartomeu, in December: What was that word again? Ah, yes, valors.
"I wanted to score that goal for all the kids who laugh at my son every day for being an Atlético fan." – For João Miranda, this time it was personal.
"You can be suspicious of Levante-Celta too. There are always suspicions; it cannot just be focused on our match." – Manuel Pablo doesn't so much say that Deportivo are innocent, as say that everyone else is guilty too.
"We can't go stirring the shit." – Levante's Juanlu misses the point entirely. For once, someone has to stir the shit, Juanlu.There are no atheists in Pakistan’s newly disgraced cricket team. I cannot substantiate the hypothesis, but I would bet all my money on it. In fact, in recent times, the nation’s cricket team has gained a reputation for being excessively religious. Its players have knelt on the cricket field and looked in the general direction of Mecca. They have glanced to their left and to their right in a manner recommended by an authority clearly higher than a physiotherapist. They have grown beards and observed fasts in the middle of a tournament. One of the conspiracy theories that tried to explain the mysterious death of their former coach Bob Woolmer during the World Cup in the West Indies was that the man had paid the price for objecting to the deeply religious ways of his boys. Yet, despite the spiritual nature of Pakistan’s cricket teams, nobody is very surprised that some members of its current squad now stand exposed beyond any dispute for colluding with a bookie. The truth is that the general populations of several cricket-playing nations have for long believed that Pakistani players are shady.
The perception is only a version of the general view, especially in India, that there is something about Muslims that makes it easier for them to indulge in criminal activities. It is a view that you will not find coming out of the mouths of respectable people (at least when they are in public view) or in mainstream publications. But we know that the perception is there in the minds of ordinary people across the world. A common reasoning given to elevate this perception to truth is that since Islam is a universal brotherhood and it clearly puts religion above country, Muslims have a low regard for the laws of man. The counterview, usually belonging to sophisticated people, is that such generalisations are moronic and dangerous—some rotten Muslims do not represent the minds of all Muslims. But most people discreetly or overtly believe that the mathematical probability of a Muslim breaking the law is higher.
A few years ago, I felt what it was to be a Muslim in India when I went around south Bombay pretending to be one highly educated Mohammed Khan looking for paying guest accommodation. Brokers would not return calls, some who did would choose not to turn up for the appointment. Friendly English-speaking landlords would grow serious upon hearing my name. They would ask for ‘passport Xerox’ and reference letters, and then call up the broker to abuse him for bringing to them a Mohammed Khan. The common perception of Muslims is not a consequence of a deep understanding of the community, but of a deep hatred. It is plainly absurd. But there is a mangled truth in this sentiment.
God is the problem. Not just the Islamic God, but gods of all types. We give too much credit to God for our morality. In reality, we want to be good not because God invented it, but because it is a great idea. It is evolution’s best idea. Through the force of goodness, we took care of our own and that was how we survived down the ages. But with the invention of God, we have wasted our innate finite morality on useless things like our own mythical salvation and afterlife.
A religious person, having done his pilgrimage, having done his prayers and fasts, has no further motivation to be good in a way that is more useful to the rest of humanity.
That is why our politicians and businessmen who donate huge sums to temples (which usually store the funds in giant fixed deposits) have no qualms in being rogues when they step out of those temples. They have spent their goodness on themselves, and they have nothing left to give.
If you really think there is a connection between Islam and the nefarious mind, go to Shirdi. If you stand long enough in Shirdi, you will meet all the top criminals of India. Many of them will be in whites.The Liberals seem a bit defensive about Justin Trudeau’s attendance in the House of Commons. Or so I glean from the party’s decision to send out this infographic to supporters late last week.
Pity that in defending their guy, the party felt it necessary to dismiss the entire idea of Parliament (at least as it currently is).
Postmedia has Mr. Trudeau attending Question Period about as often as the Prime Minister, but not as much as Thomas Mulcair, who has won some amount of praise for his performances in that forum. The Liberal leader’s attendance in QP was previously questioned in December at the end of the fall sitting. And this seems particularly relevant because of what Jack Layton did to Michael Ignatieff during the English-language leaders’ debate in 2011¹.
Back in December, Mr. Trudeau’s explained himself—go the six-minute mark of this interview with the CBC’s Evan Solomon—as follows.
My job is to propose to Canadians a better option for government. My job is to restore the confidence that Canadians need to have in these institutions that I believe [in] so much, that are right now a source of cynicism and anger and partisan attacks. I believe in Parliament, I believe in the institutions that we represent, but I also know that Canadians need to be part of the solution and too much time spent in this bubble in Ottawa is not good for how you govern the country… I do ask questions and we have a great team that also asks questions, but the other thing I’m doing is actually engaging with Canadians who have turned away from Question Period, who have turned away from politics in general. And we need to reengage with the kinds of politics, the kinds of hope that Canada was always |
is routine in the media now, to refer to a person with the pronouns he prefers instead of those reflecting his actual sex (a.k.a. reality). But, you know, such people no longer have a psychological disorder but are “transgender.”
And so it goes. Philosopher G.K. Chesterton wrote in “On Evil Euphemisms”: “When somebody wishes to wage a social war against what all normal people have regarded as a social decency, the very first thing he does is to find some artificial term that shall sound relatively decent.” So now people involved in bestiality have been rebranded “zoophiles” and receive sympathetic media coverage. Likewise, pedophiles want to be called “minor-attracted people,” aided and abetted by attitudes reflected in the following Los Angeles Times line, “Now, many experts view it [pedophilia] as a sexual orientation as immutable as heterosexuality... a deep-rooted predisposition... that becomes clear during puberty and does not change.”
As for hope-and-change AG Lynch, perhaps she’s not a liar but just someone who has a “flexible relationship with truth.” About her Orwellian euphemism, American Thinker’s Thomas Lifson asks “Isn’t Lynch involved with justice, as head of the DoJ? Isn’t she ‘justice-involved’?” But since Lynch has considered lynching climate-change realists and now is being accused of trying to force colleges and universities to violate the First Amendment, I would answer no. She is involved in injustice.
Perhaps the worst injustice is to deny your fellow man the truth. And how can people know the truth when the language itself is designed to obscure it? How can they constitute an informed electorate when the language serves to misinform?
Contrary to the Party slogan in 1984, ignorance isn’t at all strength. If it were, though, we’d now have our strongest generation of leaders yet.
Photo of Attorney General Loretta Lynch: AP ImagesIn the scramble for share in the world’s largest auto market, Ford has long been the straggler. Launching its first joint venture only in 2003, the company trailed Volkswagen’s entry into China by nearly two decades, and General Motors by six years (pdf).
No longer, it seems. Ford’s sales doubled in the first eight months of 2013, compared with the same period in 2012. The carmaker just announced that it is on track to sell close to one million vehicles in 2013, reports Reuters, which would move it above Toyota and Honda—they’re expected to hit 900,000 and 750,000, respectively.
The Japanese carmakers are still struggling to gain ground after 2012’s swell of anti-Japanese sentiment surrounding a territorial spat. Toyota’s and Honda’s fall from favor created an opening for the Ford Focus, which the company souped up with more leather and chrome to appeal to Chinese buyers. Just under half of the 551,738 vehicles it sold from January to August in China are Focuses. Two models of sports utility vehicles (SUVs) are also powering Ford’s China growth.
Beating Toyota and Honda will land Ford firmly in the middle of the pack. It’s still way behind GM Group, which will sell three million vehicles in China in 2013, up 7% from last year’s total. Volkswagen, meanwhile, should hit 3.2 million, an increase of 14%, as Reuters reports. In terms of Chinese market share, Ford claims only 3% (paywall), compared with Volkswagen’s 18.2% and GM’s 14.6%, reports The Wall Street Journal. However, it’s shooting for 6% by 2015.
Ford’s aggressive push into China and Asia more generally marks a big pivot in its strategy. The company lost $77 million in the region in 2012.
(Because of Chinese New Year, year-on-year growth rates for January and February reflect the change in those two months combined.)
But expansion is expensive. Ford will spend $4.9 billion to double production capacity and broaden the selection of vehicles it sells in China. A big reason this shift is possible is that sales are booming in the US—Ford’s on track to post its fifth-consecutive year of growth, which would be the first time it’s done that since World War II—freeing it up to focus on its China expansion, as Bloomberg highlights. That gives it the opportunity to sell to hordes of first-time Chinese buyers, as well as to tap the country’s surging demand for sports utility vehicles, which are more profitable.
And it’s playing catch-up with competitors that are expanding just aggressively, or even, perhaps, more so. GM launched its first Cadillac assembly plant in Shanghai in May 2013. Between now and 2016, it will be sinking $11 billion into new plants and products in China, while Volkswagen plans to invest $12.8 billion by 2015.WHO makes the decisions in a democracy? Go back to ancient Athens and it was the adult (non-slave) males in a public meetings. In the modern world the decisions are made by elected representatives, who voters get the chance to dismiss every few years if we do not like the result. In the British system, the prime minister is the person who can command the support of a majority of MPs in the House of Commons. So for David Cameron to resign and be replaced by Theresa May, without the electorate being consulted, is an example of the system working normally; it happened in 2007 (when Gordon Brown took over), 1990 (John Major), 1976 (Jim Callaghan) and many times before.
These are not normal times, however. Public satisfaction with politicians is low. Representative democracy has always had an innate conflict, best described by Edmond Burke back in 1774
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Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays, instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion.
adding that
government and legislation are matters of reason and judgment, and not of inclination; and what sort of reason is that, in which the determination precedes the discussion; in which one set of men deliberate, and another decide; and where those who form the conclusion are perhaps three hundred miles distant from those who hear the arguments?
But the modern public is suspicious about politicians using their “judgment”; the fear is that they may be guided by self-interest or the interest of those who fund their campaigns.
So representative democracy sits alongside two other models. The first is direct democracy, where the people decide matters by referendum. It is democratic, certainly, although there are only a limited number of questions that can be reduced to a Yes/No answer. Scottish independence was an example. Brexit was less clear-cut since the consequences of a Leave vote were not obvious. That helps explain the recent mess in British politics with the new PM being someone (albeit nominally) on the Remain side, as the various Leave candidates have sabotaged each other (and themselves).
A third model is that representatives are guided, not by the people as a whole, but by the members of the party they represent. The leader of the Labour party, Jeremy Corbyn, and his supporters see MPs as “delegates” of the party view. Hence, he has refused to stand down even when almost 80% of the Parliamentary party lost confidence in him. He may well be re-elected by the membership in another vote, putting MPs in an impossible position. On the Conservative side, it was possible that Andrea Leadsom, who withdrew today from the race to be Conservative leader, might have been elected by the members, even though most MPs backed Mrs May.
After a long period of dwindling membership, you can see why British parties have brought their members into the voting process. Party members are more likely to pound the pavements at election time if they feel they have a say. Labour membership has soared under the new rules. But party members are not the same as the electorate; they tend towards the extremes on right and left. The person selected by the party to lead may not have broad-based electoral appeal.
In the US, party members used to realise this and tended to edge towards the most electable candidate through the primaries (Romney not Santorum, for example). That didn’t work this time with the Republicans and Donald Trump. However, the whole electorate gets to decide on Mr Trump’s merits in November. In Britain, voters may have to wait until 2020 to express their opinion of Mrs May.
For businesses and investors, these different modes of democracy only add to the air of uncertainty. It is hard to make investment decisions when politics is so up in the air. Think of what has happened in recent months. Spain has had two general elections without a clear winner emerging; Australia called a surprise snap election and ended up close to deadlock; Austria’s tight Presidential election is being re-run (which could lead to the government falling). When governments fall quickly (or govern with the help of minority parties), policy-making becomes a bit of a lottery. There was a bit of a rally in UK assets today because it at leat became clear who will be prime minister; but the nature of the UK's post-Brexit arrangments are still unclear.
Political uncertainty is all the more important when monetary policy has played most of its cards (helicopter money is still to play, if politically possible). Governments could take a strong lead with fiscal policy by, for example, borrowing at record-low rates to fund infrastructure projects. But it’s not clear that any politician is confident enough to take this route, perhaps because they won’t be in charge for long. We know that, in the US, Congressmen in safe seats are reluctant to compromise with the opposition for fear of being unseated in a primary.
Sometimes, of course, businesses and investors like gridlock because it means that governments aren’t likely to muck things up. This is not one of those moments. As the competing models of democracy battle it out, economies are becalmed.RIM’s recovery plan is to introduce a new generation of BlackBerrys that will use a more capable operating system known as QNX (pronounced CUE-nix). But despite the importance of those products, RIM has been cagey about their features and design and vague about when they will be offered for sale next year.
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Many analysts do not expect RIM’s executives to use the developers’ conference to unveil those new phones. But they do agree that RIM will have to offer specifics about the arrival dates for the QNX phones as well as their features and broad capabilities.
“There’s plenty of them to explain about how they’re going to remain a relevant player in the smartphone market,” said Nick Dillon, an analyst with Ovum in London. “They’re going to have to get right into their plan and describe how that transition will work.”
But long before RIM has to sell consumers on the QNX BlackBerrys, it needs to persuade developers, like those attending the conference, to create apps that will run on them.
The BlackBerry PlayBook, the company’s first tablet computer and its first QNX device, noticeably lacks apps, months after going on sale.
“It’s nice hardware but there’s not much you can do on the PlayBook,” said Kunal Gupta, the chief executive of Polar Mobile, a company in Toronto that creates apps for broadcasters, publishers and sports leagues.
RIM’s executives have acknowledged in earlier interviews that their company must improve its relationship with developers. (RIM did not make anyone available for interviews for this article.)
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Mr. Gupta said that the fresh start with QNX and the new phones would most likely make BlackBerry more attractive to developers who have avoided the system. Mr. Gupta, however, is something of an old hand with the BlackBerry. About 300 of the 1,200 applications Polar has developed are for BlackBerrys.
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Beyond that, Mr. Gupta said it would be critical for RIM to convince developers at the conference that its QNX operating system will become a major software platform with a long-term future, unlike, say, webOS, which was recently abandoned by Hewlett-Packard. “RIM needs to position this as a new opportunity,” said Mr. Gupta, who will send some of his employees based in San Francisco to the conference. “RIM needs to bring transparency and clarity about what the potential upside is for developers, what’s the potential profit.”
Jamie Murai, a co-founder of Maide, a small apps developer, provoked widespread online discussion earlier this year by posting an open letter to RIM about the shortcomings of its application development process for the PlayBook. “I can only assume that you are trying to drive developers away by inconveniencing them as much as humanly possible,” wrote Mr. Murai, who lives in Waterloo, Ontario, where RIM is based.
Among the factors that frustrated Mr. Murai was the complexity of RIM’s tools for creating and testing BlackBerry applications and the bureaucratic process. For example, the company required developers to provide notarized copies of their identification.
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Among those who responded to Mr. Murai was Tyler Lessard, who as RIM’s vice president for global alliances and developer relations at the time, arranged a personal meeting. Mr. Lessard left RIM late last month.
RIM presents its developers with a set of complications. In addition to having to make apps work on two current operating systems as well as the coming QNX system, BlackBerry apps must be tweaked to account for the different screen sizes of various BlackBerrys. Apps have to be compatible with both touch screens and conventional displays. Make it too difficult, and developers could choose to write software for Apple or Android devices, particularly in North America, where the company’s decline has received widespread publicity.
In an interview last week, Mr. Murai said that he had seen some changes at RIM since then, but noted that the company still had some distance to go. “I’ve seen some improvement, but it’s still a different world than Apple’s tools,” Mr. Murai said.
In the end, the small sales of PlayBooks dissuaded Mr. Murai from developing any apps for them. He is, however, attending the developer’s conference.
“RIM gave me a free ticket and I was actually going to be in San Francisco anyway,” he said.The sun peeks through the clouds over a icy Lake Michigan near N. Lincoln Memorial Dr. in Milwaukee last month. Credit: Mike De Sisti
By of the
Lake Michigan has officially sunk to an all-time low.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reported Tuesday that in January the lake plunged below its previous record low level, set in March 1964.
The water is now more than 6 feet below the record high, set in October 1986. The water level is tracked by gauges placed around lakes Michigan and Huron, which are actually one body of water connected by the Straits of Mackinac. Daily measurements are then averaged at the end of each month for record-keeping purposes.
The lakes have recently been setting individual monthly records, but Tuesday's announcement means the lakes are now lower than they have ever been for any month since modern record-keeping began in 1918.
Hydrologists had been expecting the lakes to dip to a level never seen before, given the relatively warm and dry weather over the past year.
"Not only have water levels on Michigan-Huron broken records the past two months, but they have been very near record lows for the last several months before then," said John Allis, chief of the Army Corps' Great Lakes hydraulics and hydrology office.
"Lake Michigan-Huron's water levels have also been below average for the past 14 years, which is the longest period of sustained below-average levels since 1918."
Water levels on the Great Lakes fluctuate seasonally by inches and by as much as several feet over a period of years, depending on long-term weather patterns. But they were previously bracketed by the record low of March 1964 and the record high of October 1986.
Now the lakes are headed into uncharted territory, and some want the U.S. and Canadian governments to do something about it.
While nature is the big driver for water levels, humans also have played a role by dredging the St. Clair River, which is the main outflow for the lakes. Deepening the river's channel to open the door for oceangoing freighters has increased the amount of water that can flow out of Michigan and Huron, into Lake Erie, over Niagara Falls and, eventually, out to the Atlantic Ocean.
Erosion in St. Clair River
Federal officials have long acknowledged that dredging and riverbed mining in the St. Clair dropped the long-term average of the lakes by about 16 inches. But a Great Lakes water-level study recently completed by the U.S. and Canadian governments revealed that unexpected erosion since the last major St. Clair dredging project in the early 1960s dropped the lakes' long-term average by an additional 3 to 5 inches.
That means the lakes today are nearly 2 feet lower than they would be if humans hadn't meddled with the St. Clair's riverbed.
Conservation groups, some property owners and a group representing the region's mayors want the U.S. and Canadian governments to begin exploring some type of remediation project in the St. Clair River to slow the flows and gradually restore the lakes to more closely match their historical averages.
Not everyone supports the idea. They worry such a structure could exacerbate erosion problems if high water ever returns.
On Tuesday, Sierra Club of Canada issued a news release urging the governments to act, noting that a riverbed restoration had been planned before the 1960s dredging project, though it was never built.
"At these numbers, it would take years of consistent rain to naturally improve the situation," Roger Gauthier, a retired Army Corps hydrologist, said in the Sierra Club of Canada release. "Water levels can be restored responsibly by gradually installing sills at the head of the St. Clair River.... It's time for governments to work to finish the job, before we have further disasters."
Panel weighing options
Members of the International Joint Commission, a binational body that oversees U.S.-Canadian boundary water issues, are now digesting the thousands of public comments they received after the release of the study on Great Lakes water levels.
John Nevin, commission spokesman, said Tuesday the members have not made a decision about whether to recommend to the U.S. and Canadian governments some type of restoration project for the St. Clair River.
"The key point is, the commission has not taken a position with respect to the St. Clair River and remediation," Nevin said.
Nevin said the commission should issue a recommendation within the next few weeks on what - if anything - should be done in the St. Clair.Cindy Sheehan is in Egypt Protesting on Behalf of Terrorists
Just when you thought you heard it all when it came to Cindy Sheehan comes this story. Cindy Sheehan is in Egypt protesting in favor of suspected terrorists.
Members of the Muslim Brotherhood will be going on trial in Eqypt for terrorism and Sheehan doesn’t think it is fair.
Here is the Brotherhood’s motto, according to Wikipedia:
Allah is our objective. The Prophet is our leader. Qur’an is our law. Jihad is our way. Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope
Here is how the Brotherhood feels about women, again from Wikipedia:
On the issue of women and gender the Muslim Brotherhood interprets Islam quite strictly. Its founder called for “a campaign against ostentation in dress and loose behavior,” “segregation of male and female students,” a separate curriculum for girls, and “the prohibition of dancing and other such pastimes
Here are some of the activities that the Brotherhood are alleged to be involved with:
The Brotherhood is widely believed to have had a `secret apparatus` responsible for terrorist attacks in Egypt including the assassination of Egypt’s prime minister in 1948.
The Brotherhood currently advocates suicide bombing attacks on civilians to fight Zionism, and its Palestinian wing Hamas targets both civilians and the military in Israel.
Newsweek journalists Mark Hosenball and Michael Isikoff report connections between al-Qaeda and Brotherhood figures Mamoun Darkazanli and Youssef Nada.
A similar article in the Financial Times reported financial links between 74-year-old Swiss Muslim convert, businessman and neo-Nazi Ahmed Huber, and MB members, notably Youssef Nada, Ali Himmat and who founded the Al Taqwa Bank. According to the U.S. government, Al Taqwa “has long acted as financial advisers to al-Qaeda.” Huber himself is noted in Europe for his links with alleged neo-Nazi and other far right elements. He is reported to have “confirmed” having “had contact with associates of Osama bin Laden at an Islamic conference in Beirut,” whom he called `very discreet, well-educated, very intelligent people.`
Abdul Rahman al-Amoudi, an “expert in the art of deception” was an influential lobbyist and founder and head of the Brotherhood-linked American Muslim Council before being convicted and sentenced to 23 years in prison for conspiracy to murder Saudi Prince Abdullah at the behest of Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi.
Cindy Sheehan has this to say about the suspected terrorist who are to go on trial:
“I am here to protest the trial of civilians in front of a military tribunal as this is a violation to international law,”
I am not sure why I let the actions of this one obviously deranged woman bother me, but I do. Just think about this scenario for a second. Cindy Sheehan is no longer just protesting the war. While I may disagree with her war protest, that was her right. Cindy Sheehan is now protesting on behalf of terrorists, this is different and much worse that protesting a war.
Cindy Sheehan has gone from war protester to terrorist sympathiser, she is embarrassing her son’s name, and demeaning what he fought for. She has now gone well beyond what I find reasonable, responsible, and acceptable. She has now entered Jane Fonda territory.
AdvertisementsAguero has no interest in controversial Man Utd move
Reports have suggested that Jose Mourinho wants to sign the Argentine but sources close to the player say they have had no contact from Old Trafford
Sergio Aguero has no intention of completing a controversial summer move to, Goal understands.
It remains a possibility, however, that Aguero could leave in the coming months, with ’s Alexis Sanchez identified as a priority signing as Pep Guardiola looks to shake up his squad.
Guardiola hails'real defender' Kompany
The Argentine will meet with Guardiola at the end of the season to clarify where he fits into the Catalan's plans.
It was reported over the weekend that United would look to benefit from the uncertain situation by launching a big-money move for the striker and offering to match his annual salary of around £12 million after bonuses.
However, sources close to the player have laughed off the suggestion, insisting there has been no contact with United or anybody acting on their behalf. And they stress there is no chance of the 28-year-old moving to Old Trafford, even if Mourinho does make a concrete move in the future.
City were adamant earlier this season that they would not be selling Aguero, even after he suggested that it was the club who “will decide if I have a place here or not”.
Guardiola hopes United win Europa League
There is now an acceptance that he could indeed be sold, though it was claimed last week that City believe only Chinese clubs could afford his wages.
Aguero was told he would have to accept that he will no longer be City’s undisputed first-choice striker when he sat down with his advisors and Guardiola at a Manchester restaurant in January.
The Argentine subsequently lost his place in the attack to Gabriel Jesus, only to be handed a reprieve when the Brazilian was ruled out for 10 weeks with a broken foot.
Aguero hit 12 goals in 14 games in Jesus’ absence and City insiders have noted a complete change in attitude in recent months, with Guardiola also praising his efforts in public.
Guardiola changed City’s formation at at the end of April in a bid to get both Jesus and Aguero in the team, though abandoned the plan just after half-time and suggested after the match that he would not be able to try it again.
The Argentine picked up an injury late in that game and missed Saturday’s 5-0 defeat of.
Should he be passed fit for City’s upcoming game against on Saturday, Guardiola will have to decide whether to leave one of the two men on the bench or shuffle his pack and play both.Image zoom Steve Granitz/WireImage
It goes without saying that celebrity moms love social media. Whether they're giving fans their first glimpse at their little ones or sharing tidbits on what it's like to be a mother, stars like Chrissy Teigen, Kim Kardashian West, Kristen Bell, and more are all about putting their lives out there for their followers.
So, which mom has the most followers when it comes to Twitter? The answer may actually surprise you: Britney Spears. The singer has 45.1 million followers on the platform, putting her just 100,000 ahead of the number two madre, Kardashian West. Rounding out the top three is another surprise, Shakira. The Colombian mother of two has 38 million loyal fans following along.
Keep reading to check out some of these three ladies's best peeks into mommyhood:
New glam team alert 👻- KimKardashian pic.twitter.com/eAU5oP4V2B — Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) April 27, 2016
Sleepy Sunday night beautiful world pic.twitter.com/Fm2jnTAzh6 — Britney Spears (@britneyspears) March 7, 2016
RELATED: Justin Bieber Overtakes Kendall Jenner with Most-Liked Instagram Photo
On the green today with these munchkins 💚 #SundayFunday pic.twitter.com/fgTSLO46mO — Britney Spears (@britneyspears) March 20, 2016
North face swapping with her best friend Ryan ❤️❤️❤️😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/nHwWSzAvrr — Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) April 29, 2016
And it was all yellow pic.twitter.com/plSW7eb2YP — Shakira (@shakira) April 11, 2016"Gln" redirects here. For other uses, see GLN (disambiguation)
Glutamine (symbol Gln or Q)[3] is an α-amino acid that is used in the biosynthesis of proteins. Its side chain is similar to that of glutamic acid, except the carboxylic acid group is replaced by an amide. It is classified as a charge-neutral, polar amino acid. It is non-essential and conditionally essential in humans, meaning the body can usually synthesize sufficient amounts of it, but in some instances of stress, the body's demand for glutamine increases, and glutamine must be obtained from the diet.[4][5] It is encoded by the codons CAA and CAG.
In human blood, glutamine is the most abundant free amino acid.[6]
The dietary sources of glutamine includes especially the protein-rich foods like beef, chicken, fish, dairy products, eggs, vegetables like beans, beets, cabbage, spinach, carrots, parsley, vegetable juices and also in wheat, papaya, Brussels sprouts, celery, kale and fermented foods like miso.
Functions [ edit ]
Glutamine plays a role in a variety of biochemical functions:
On the level of tissue, glutamine plays a role in maintaining the normal integrity of the intestinal mucosa.,[12] but randomised trials provide no evidence of any benefit of nutritional supplementation.[12]
Producers [ edit ]
Glutamine is synthesized by the enzyme glutamine synthetase from glutamate and ammonia. The most relevant glutamine-producing tissue is the muscle mass, accounting for about 90% of all glutamine synthesized. Glutamine is also released, in small amounts, by the lungs and brain.[13] Although the liver is capable of relevant glutamine synthesis, its role in glutamine metabolism is more regulatory than producing, since the liver takes up large amounts of glutamine derived from the gut.[6]
Consumers [ edit ]
The most eager consumers of glutamine are the cells of intestines,[6] the kidney cells for the acid-base balance, activated immune cells,[14] and many cancer cells.[7][8][11][15]
Uses [ edit ]
Nutrition [ edit ]
Glutamine is the most abundant naturally occurring, nonessential amino acid in the human body, and one of the few amino acids that can directly cross the blood–brain barrier.[6] Humans obtain glutamine through catabolism of proteins in foods they eat.[16] In states where tissue is being built or repaired, like growth of babies, or healing from wounds or severe illness, glutamine becomes conditionally essential.[16]
Sickle cell disease [ edit ]
In 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved L-glutamine oral powder, marketed as Endari, to reduce severe complications of sickle cell disease in people aged 5 years and older with the disorder.[1]
Medical food [ edit ]
Glutamine is marketed as medical food and is prescribed when a medical professional believes a person in their care needs supplementary glutamine due to metabolic demands beyond what can be met by endogenous synthesis or diet.[17]
Safety [ edit ]
Glutamine is safe in adults and in preterm infants.[18] Although glutamine is metabolized to glutamate and ammonia, both of which have neurological effects, their concentrations are not increased much, and no adverse neurological effects were detected.[18] The observed safe level for supplemental L-glutamine in normal healthy adults is 14 g/day.[19]
Adverse effects of glutamine have been described for people receiving home parenteral nutrition and those with liver-function abnormalities.[20] Although glutamine has no effect on the proliferation of tumor cells, it is still possible that glutamine supplementation may be detrimental in some cancer types.[21]
Ceasing glutamine supplementation in people adapted to very high consumption may initiate a withdrawal effect, raising the risk of health problems such as infections or impaired integrity of the intestine.[21]
Structure [ edit ]
Glutamine can exist in either of two enantiomeric forms, L -glutamine and D -glutamine. The L -form is found in nature. Glutamine contains an α-amino group which is in the protonated −NH 3 + form under biological conditions and a carboxylic acid group which is in the deprotonated −COO− form, known as carboxylate, under physiological conditions.
Glutamine zwitterionic forms at neutral pH: L-glutamine (left) and D-glutamine
Research [ edit ]
[22] Consequences of glutamine depletion in critically ill individuals
Glutamine mouthwash may be useful to prevent oral mucositis in people undergoing chemotherapy but intravenous glutamine does not appear useful to prevent mucositis in the GI tract.[23]
Glutamine supplementation was thought to have potential to reduce complications in people who are critically ill or who have had abdominal surgery but this was based on poor quality clinical trials.[24] Supplementation does not appear to be useful in adults or children with Crohn's disease or inflammatory bowel disease, but clinical studies as of 2016 were underpowered.[12] Supplementation does not appear to have an effect in infants with significant problems of the stomach or intestines.[25]
See also [ edit ]Rory MacDonald has some notes.
Set to challenge UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler July 11 at UFC 189, MacDonald says he's excited to have more time to work inside the Octagon.
MacDonald lost a three-round split decision to Lawler at UFC 167 in 2013 and hopes he'll avoid going to judges given the championship rounds.
"I always enjoy longer fights," MacDonald told The Fight Network. "I don't like going to decision. Fighting guys this high level, you need more than 15 minutes. I always appreciate staying in the cage a big longer. That's going to be a lot nicer."
MacDonald would even be in favor of fighting without time limits, harkening back to the early days of the UFC.
The last UFC event without time limits was UFC 4 back in December of 1994, although only the eight-man tournament final between Royce Gracie and Dan Severn went over 15 minutes. Gracie submitted Severn with a triangle choke 15:49 into the match.
UFC 5 was the first event for the promotion featuring time limits. 20 and 30 minutes limits were used depending on the round of the tournament.
"I'd like that," MacDonald said of fighting without time limits. "It doesn't play into fan-friendly things because guys get tired and it can drag on. You've seen that in the older UFC's with those rules. But yea, I'm a purist kind of guy. I like knees to the head on the ground, kicks to the head on the ground, headbutts. I think those are all really good tools for human body weapons. I think those are important."
While he has no problem with MMA's current unified ruleset, MacDonald says he'd change the sport drastically if he had his way.
"It changes the positions completely," said MacDonald. "We saw [former UFC heavyweight champion] Mark Coleman in the early days dominate with headbutts from the guard. It would change the guard position. Four points would change because of knees to the head on the ground. Standing over your opponent would change with kicks to the head on the ground. The whole concept, the positions that people are used to seeing in the UFC would change drastically if those were the rules."
5 MUST-READ STORIES
'It's completely ridiculous.' WSOF has pulled Melvin Guillard from his co-main event fight with Ozzy Dugulubgov because he was not able to present his medicals to the organization in a timely fashion.
Monday Morning Analyst. Luke Thomas breaks down the techniques from UFC Fight Night: Lamas vs. Mendes, GLORY 20 and more.
Fortunes changed for five. Dave Meltzer explains how Chad Mendes, Al Iaquinta, Jorge Masvidal, Julianna Pena and Dustin Poirier move forward following UFC Fight Night: Lamas vs. Mendes.
Do over. Cat Zingano says she 'wouldn't change a thing' about her approach to the Ronda Rousey fight. 'Had it been a couple inches in the other direction, it could have gone a completely different way.'
'New gold standard.' UFC hires BALCO investigator Jeff Novitzky to oversee its drug testing program. 'I am thrilled to be joining a world-class organization like UFC, that is committed to taking the necessary steps to ensure all of its athletes are competing in a clean sport.'
Watch The MMA Hour with Forrest Griffin & Stephan Bonnar, Cat Zingano, Al Iaquinta, Julianna Pena, Jimi Manuwa, Artem Lobov and John Gooden.
MEDIA STEW
Free Fight: Rampage Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva.
Highlights from Legacy 41.
Rafael Cordeiro picks Donald Cerrone over Khabib Nurmagomedov and says he'll get the most out of Shogun Rua.
Pro wrestling fan apologizes to Al Iaquinta for booing him.
Shannon Knapp talks Invicta's relationship with UFC.
Jimi Manuwa and Jan Blachowicz see how much they don't know about each other.
Long watches.
Fight Night Krakow: Stories from Poland [with Dan Hardy] (Complete version of what I posted last week)
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Knuckle Up #371: UFC Fairfax + the Robbery of 2015
...
TWEETS
Business.
2 years today I am here. Highest ratings: FOX and Fight Pass. Gate records in every venue. Best 1/4 in UFC history. pic.twitter.com/1VuBn0nW1o — Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) April 6, 2015
$16.3million dollars collected at the gate alone. I couldn't be humble even if I tried. — Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) April 6, 2015
Know your numbers. Mine is Number 1. — Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) April 6, 2015
Back at it.
Back to work! Strength of will Find a way Or make one...And stand by it @MusclePharm pic.twitter.com/e4M25i4v25 — Alpha Cat Zingano (@CatZingano) April 6, 2015
Good luck.
OK.
UFC's hiring Jeff Novitzky shows it is finally ready to try to curb PED use http://t.co/xTV5Tww04j @ufc #mma Conte predicts lots of + tests — Victor Conte (@VictorConte) April 7, 2015
If interested.
Agree?
What's going on with the champs Mighty Mouse, Dilashaw or Lawler. I'm kinda of tired of hearing about Rousey, McGregor & WWE... #UFC — Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) April 6, 2015
Check it out.
Damn.
The neck of people saying Ireland has a drinking problem ha pic.twitter.com/I7igoAovJU — Neil 2 Tap Seery (@NeilSeeryMMA) April 6, 2015
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Announced yesterday (April 6 2015)
Francimar Barroso vs. Ryan Jimmo at UFC Fight Night: Alves vs. Condit
Tom Breese vs. Luiz Dutra at UFC Fight Night: Alves vs. Condit
Melvin Guillard out, Ozzy Dugulubgov vs. Lucas Montoya at WSOF 20
Nick Hein vs. Lukasz Sajewski at UFC Fight Night: Gustafsson vs. Teixeira
Found something you'd like to see in the Morning Report? Just hit me up on Twitter @SaintMMA and we'll include it in tomorrow's column.boardroom
It’s the productivity, stupid
New Zealand's GDP figures show more people worked many more hours to increase output. That's not a rock star economy. That's a cover band economy.
It is the |
to the diaphragm or is the diaphragm itself. This design was the original loudspeaker design, dating back to the early telephone. Moving iron drivers are inefficient and can only produce a small band of sound. They require large magnets and coils to increase force.[51]
Balanced armature drivers (a type of moving iron driver) use an armature that moves like a see-saw or diving board. Since they are not damped, they are highly efficient, but they also produce strong resonances. They are still used today for high end earphones and hearing aids, where small size and high efficiency are important.[52]
Piezoelectric speakers [ edit ]
A piezoelectric buzzer. The white ceramic piezoelectric material can be seen fixed to a metal diaphragm.
Piezoelectric speakers are frequently used as beepers in watches and other electronic devices, and are sometimes used as tweeters in less-expensive speaker systems, such as computer speakers and portable radios. Piezoelectric speakers have several advantages over conventional loudspeakers: they are resistant to overloads that would normally destroy most high frequency drivers, and they can be used without a crossover due to their electrical properties. There are also disadvantages: some amplifiers can oscillate when driving capacitive loads like most piezoelectrics, which results in distortion or damage to the amplifier. Additionally, their frequency response, in most cases, is inferior to that of other technologies. This is why they are generally used in single frequency (beeper) or non-critical applications.
Piezoelectric speakers can have extended high frequency output, and this is useful in some specialized circumstances; for instance, sonar applications in which piezoelectric variants are used as both output devices (generating underwater sound) and as input devices (acting as the sensing components of underwater microphones). They have advantages in these applications, not the least of which is simple and solid state construction that resists seawater better than a ribbon or cone based device would.
In 2013, Kyocera introduced piezoelectric ultra-thin medium-size film speakers with only 1 millimeter of thickness and 7 grams of weight for their 55" OLED televisions and they hope the speakers will also be used in PCs and tablets. Besides medium-size, there are also large and small sizes which can all produce relatively the same quality of sound and volume within 180 degrees. The highly responsive speaker material provides better clarity than traditional TV speakers.[53]
Magnetostatic loudspeakers [ edit ]
Magnetostatic loudspeaker
Instead of a voice coil driving a speaker cone, a magnetostatic speaker uses an array of metal strips bonded to a large film membrane. The magnetic field produced by signal current flowing through the strips interacts with the field of permanent bar magnets mounted behind them. The force produced moves the membrane and so the air in front of it. Typically, these designs are less efficient than conventional moving-coil speakers.
Magnetostrictive speakers [ edit ]
Magnetostrictive transducers, based on magnetostriction, have been predominantly used as sonar ultrasonic sound wave radiators, but their use has spread also to audio speaker systems. Magnetostrictive speaker drivers have some special advantages: they can provide greater force (with smaller excursions) than other technologies; low excursion can avoid distortions from large excursion as in other designs; the magnetizing coil is stationary and therefore more easily cooled; they are robust because delicate suspensions and voice coils are not required. Magnetostrictive speaker modules have been produced by Fostex[54][55][56] and FeONIC[57][58][59][60] and subwoofer drivers have also been produced.[61]
Electrostatic loudspeakers [ edit ]
Schematic showing an electrostatic speaker's construction and its connections. The thickness of the diaphragm and grids has been exaggerated for the purpose of illustration.
Electrostatic loudspeakers use a high voltage electric field (rather than a magnetic field) to drive a thin statically charged membrane. Because they are driven over the entire membrane surface rather than from a small voice coil, they ordinarily provide a more linear and lower-distortion motion than dynamic drivers. They also have a relatively narrow dispersion pattern that can make for precise sound-field positioning. However, their optimum listening area is small and they are not very efficient speakers. They have the disadvantage that the diaphragm excursion is severely limited because of practical construction limitations—the further apart the stators are positioned, the higher the voltage must be to achieve acceptable efficiency. This increases the tendency for electrical arcs as well as increasing the speaker's attraction of dust particles. Arcing remains a potential problem with current technologies, especially when the panels are allowed to collect dust or dirt and are driven with high signal levels.
Electrostatics are inherently dipole radiators and due to the thin flexible membrane are less suited for use in enclosures to reduce low frequency cancellation as with common cone drivers. Due to this and the low excursion capability, full range electrostatic loudspeakers are large by nature, and the bass rolls off at a frequency corresponding to a quarter wavelength of the narrowest panel dimension. To reduce the size of commercial products, they are sometimes used as a high frequency driver in combination with a conventional dynamic driver that handles the bass frequencies effectively.
Electrostatics are usually driven through a step-up transformer that multiplies the voltage swings produced by the power amplifier. This transformer also multiplies the capacitive load that is inherent in electrostatic transducers, which means the effective impedance presented to the power amplifiers varies widely by frequency. A speaker that is nominally 8 ohms may actually present a load of 1 ohm at higher frequencies, which is challenging to some amplifier designs.
Ribbon and planar magnetic loudspeakers [ edit ]
A ribbon speaker consists of a thin metal-film ribbon suspended in a magnetic field. The electrical signal is applied to the ribbon, which moves with it to create the sound. The advantage of a ribbon driver is that the ribbon has very little mass; thus, it can accelerate very quickly, yielding very good high-frequency response. Ribbon loudspeakers are often very fragile—some can be torn by a strong gust of air. Most ribbon tweeters emit sound in a dipole pattern. A few have backings that limit the dipole radiation pattern. Above and below the ends of the more or less rectangular ribbon, there is less audible output due to phase cancellation, but the precise amount of directivity depends on ribbon length. Ribbon designs generally require exceptionally powerful magnets, which makes them costly to manufacture. Ribbons have a very low resistance that most amplifiers cannot drive directly. As a result, a step down transformer is typically used to increase the current through the ribbon. The amplifier "sees" a load that is the ribbon's resistance times the transformer turns ratio squared. The transformer must be carefully designed so that its frequency response and parasitic losses do not degrade the sound, further increasing cost and complication relative to conventional designs.
Planar magnetic speakers (having printed or embedded conductors on a flat diaphragm) are sometimes described as ribbons, but are not truly ribbon speakers. The term planar is generally reserved for speakers with roughly rectangular flat surfaces that radiate in a bipolar (i.e., front and back) manner. Planar magnetic speakers consist of a flexible membrane with a voice coil printed or mounted on it. The current flowing through the coil interacts with the magnetic field of carefully placed magnets on either side of the diaphragm, causing the membrane to vibrate more or less uniformly and without much bending or wrinkling. The driving force covers a large percentage of the membrane surface and reduces resonance problems inherent in coil-driven flat diaphragms.
Bending wave loudspeakers [ edit ]
Bending wave transducers use a diaphragm that is intentionally flexible. The rigidity of the material increases from the center to the outside. Short wavelengths radiate primarily from the inner area, while longer waves reach the edge of the speaker. To prevent reflections from the outside back into the center, long waves are absorbed by a surrounding damper. Such transducers can cover a wide frequency range (80 Hz to 35,000 Hz) and have been promoted as being close to an ideal point sound source.[62] This uncommon approach is being taken by only a very few manufacturers, in very different arrangements.
The Ohm Walsh loudspeakers use a unique driver designed by Lincoln Walsh, who had been a radar development engineer in WWII. He became interested in audio equipment design and his last project was a unique, one-way speaker using a single driver. The cone faced down into a sealed, airtight enclosure. Rather than move back-and-forth as conventional speakers do, the cone rippled and created sound in a manner known in RF electronics as a "transmission line". The new speaker created a cylindrical sound field. Lincoln Walsh died before his speaker was released to the public. The Ohm Acoustics firm has produced several loudspeaker models using the Walsh driver design since then. German Physiks, an audio equipment firm in Germany, also produces speakers using this approach.
The German firm, Manger, has designed and produced a bending wave driver that at first glance appears conventional. In fact, the round panel attached to the voice coil bends in a carefully controlled way to produce full range sound.[63] Josef W. Manger was awarded with the "Diesel Medal" for extraordinary developments and inventions by the German institute of inventions.
Flat panel loudspeakers [ edit ]
There have been many attempts to reduce the size of speaker systems, or alternatively to make them less obvious. One such attempt was the development of "exciter" transducer coils mounted to flat panels to act as sound sources, most accurately called exciter/panel drivers.[citation needed] These can then be made in a neutral color and hung on walls where they are less noticeable than many speakers, or can be deliberately painted with patterns, in which case they can function decoratively. There are two related problems with flat panel techniques: first, a flat panel is necessarily more flexible than a cone shape in the same material, and therefore moves as a single unit even less, and second, resonances in the panel are difficult to control, leading to considerable distortions. Some progress has been made using such lightweight, rigid, materials such as Styrofoam, and there have been several flat panel systems commercially produced in recent years.[64]
Heil air motion transducers [ edit ]
In Heil's air motion transducer, current through the membrane 2 causes it to move left and right in magnetic field 6, moving air in and out along directions 8; barriers 4 prevent air from moving in unintended directions.
Oskar Heil invented the air motion transducer in the 1960s. In this approach, a pleated diaphragm is mounted in a magnetic field and forced to close and open under control of a music signal. Air is forced from between the pleats in accordance with the imposed signal, generating sound. The drivers are less fragile than ribbons and considerably more efficient (and able to produce higher absolute output levels) than ribbon, electrostatic, or planar magnetic tweeter designs. ESS, a California manufacturer, licensed the design, employed Heil, and produced a range of speaker systems using his tweeters during the 1970s and 1980s. Lafayette Radio, a large US retail store chain, also sold speaker systems using such tweeters for a time. There are several manufacturers of these drivers (at least two in Germany—one of which produces a range of high-end professional speakers using tweeters and mid-range drivers based on the technology) and the drivers are increasingly used in professional audio. Martin Logan produces several AMT speakers in the US and GoldenEar Technologies incorporates them in its entire speaker line.
Transparent ionic conduction speaker [ edit ]
In 2013, a research team introduced Transparent ionic conduction speaker which a 2 layers transparent conductive gel and a layer of transparent rubber in between to make high voltage and high actuation work to reproduce good sound quality. The speaker is suitable for robotics, mobile computing and adaptive optics fields.[65]
Without a diaphragm [ edit ]
Plasma arc speakers [ edit ]
Plasma speaker
Plasma arc loudspeakers use electrical plasma as a radiating element. Since plasma has minimal mass, but is charged and therefore can be manipulated by an electric field, the result is a very linear output at frequencies far higher than the audible range. Problems of maintenance and reliability for this approach tend to make it unsuitable for mass market use. In 1978 Alan E. Hill of the Air Force Weapons Laboratory in Albuquerque, NM, designed the Plasmatronics Hill Type I, a tweeter whose plasma was generated from helium gas.[66] This avoided the ozone and nitrous oxide[66] produced by RF decomposition of air in an earlier generation of plasma tweeters made by the pioneering DuKane Corporation, who produced the Ionovac (marketed as the Ionofane in the UK) during the 1950s. Currently, there remain a few manufacturers in Germany who use this design, and a do-it-yourself design has been published and has been available on the Internet.
A less expensive variation on this theme is the use of a flame for the driver, as flames contain ionized (electrically charged) gases.[67][citation needed]
Thermoacoustic speakers [ edit ]
In 2008, researchers of Tsinghua University demonstrated a thermoacoustic loudspeaker of carbon nanotube thin film,[68] whose working mechanism is a thermoacoustic effect. Sound frequency electric currents are used to periodically heat the CNT and thus result in sound generation in the surrounding air. The CNT thin film loudspeaker is transparent, stretchable and flexible. In 2013, researchers of Tsinghua University further present a thermoacoustic earphone of carbon nanotube thin yarn and a thermoacoustic surface-mounted device.[69] They are both fully integrated devices and compatible with Si-based semiconducting technology.
Rotary woofers [ edit ]
A rotary woofer is essentially a fan with blades that constantly change their pitch, allowing them to easily push the air back and forth. Rotary woofers are able to efficiently reproduce infrasound frequencies, which are difficult to impossible to achieve on a traditional speaker with a diaphragm. They are often employed in movie theaters to recreate rumbling bass effects, such as explosions.[70][71]
New technologies [ edit ]
Digital speakers [ edit ]
Digital speakers have been the subject of experiments performed by Bell Labs as far back as the 1920s.[citation needed] The design is simple; each bit controls a driver, which is either fully 'on' or 'off'. Problems with this design have led manufacturers to abandon it as impractical for the present. First, for a reasonable number of bits (required for adequate sound reproduction quality), the physical size of a speaker system becomes very large. Secondly, due to inherent analog digital conversion problems, the effect of aliasing is unavoidable, so that the audio output is "reflected" at equal amplitude in the frequency domain, on the other side of the sampling frequency, causing an unacceptably high level of ultrasonics to accompany the desired output. No workable scheme has been found to adequately deal with this.
The term "digital" or "digital-ready" is often used for marketing purposes on speakers or headphones, but these systems are not digital in the sense described above. Rather, they are conventional speakers that can be used with digital sound sources (e.g., optical media, MP3 players, etc.), as can any conventional speaker.
See also [ edit ]Content Note: Rape Culture, Examples of Misogynistic Language
Not surprisingly, I have a story? It’s pretty long, and I’m sorry. My husband, Doctor Glass, recently went on a weeklong workshop. The participants worked on teams, slept in a dormitory, shared meals and spent all day together. While there, Dr Glass acquired a strikingly beautiful female friend, who was absolutely luminous – like a fallen star or a revolutionary. She was also just about to enter university, making her very much younger than Dr Glass. They were on the same team, had much in common, and seemed to enjoy each other.
However, there was a twenty-something dude on the course who, according to Dr Glass, “made things awkward.” Immediately, he tried to make the workshop all about his pantsfeelings for Luminous Girl. Although he was on a different team, he was constantly buzzing around Dr Glass and Luminous Girl, getting in their way (which was dangerous and distracting, as they were doing physical labor) and trying to get her to talk to him, work with him, come over and look at his work, etc. In return she tried to ignore him, laughed him off politely, repeatedly referenced her desire to do her work, physically moved away whenever he got close to her, and stuck like glue to Dr Glass; saying NO in all those thousand little pleasant ways that women are trained to do. Awkward Dude tried to impress her with physical activity, but Dr Glass cut him off because he was being distracting. Confused and annoyed, Awkward stepped up his Game, trying to impress her with his intellectual cred, and it went down like a lead zeppelin, with Luminous and Dr Glass resuming their own work and conversations. So Awkward started loudly asking wasn’t Dr Glass married?!
At this, Awkward Dude attempted to kill Dr Glass with his laser-eyeballs at every turn, lurking and glaring and pining like a bad Snape impersonator. (Dr Glass wasn’t sure why he was suddenly the target of the resulting animosity, as he clearly had no romantic interest in Luminous, until I explained it to him: Dude had decided that the reason Luminous Girl was not sleeping with him was because she was the Possession of Another Male, and further, a Male who Already Had His Fair Share of Females; thus Dr Glass was the enemy for not shunning her and leaving a clear path for fellow males. “Oh,” said Dr Glass in sudden revelation, “That makes sense, I guess.”)
But the guy persisted – it wasn’t that Luminous didn’t like him! It was that she was clearly in thrall of my husband. The solution was to get her alone! So whenever they sat down to a lecture, Luminous, practically dragging Dr Glass by the arm, would move like lightning to position herself between him and a safe wall – with her lovely admirer circling them and glaring, loudly asking Dr Glass about his Wife Back Home. Awkward Dude implied that Dr Glass was creepy and odd for always hanging out with a girl half his age. Awkward Dude was annoyed that the course director, an older woman who should presumably know better, had assigned dorm space based on teams, so that Dr Glass and Luminous bunked in adjacent rooms (while he, Awkward Dude, was in the wing with the married couples!) because it was inappropriate and wrong to place a married man next to a teenaged female. On a particularly cold day, Dr Glass noticed that Luminous did not have warm clothing, and lent her an extra hoodie. It happened to have his name on it; Awkward Dude practically ignited, to the point where even the other people on the course were laughing awkwardly at him and saying “Uh, she’s… allowed to wear clothes?”
Luminous and Dr Glass both liked hiking, so one evening after dinner, they went out for a hike by themselves – not inviting the others in case Awkward Dude got wind of their plans. (“I mean, it sounds cruel, but I just hated him,” Dr Glass said.) It was after curfew when they walked back to their rooms,and the halls were completely dark; Dr Glass hung back to fill his water bottle. When he got to the rooms, at the end of the corridor, Luminous had been cornered by Awkward Dude. When Awkward spotted Dr Glass, he yelled at him about how inappropriate it was to go hiking alone with Luminous. Luminous seized the opportunity to flee to her room, locking the door. “I think it’s inappropriate to police her hiking,” Dr Glass said mildly and went to bed.
The next day was the last day of the course, and Dr Glass had had enough. Awkward Dude was “trying it on” in front of the whole group, making everyone uncomfortable. He had dragged Luminous into yet another unwanted conversation and Dr Glass called him out, in front of everybody, a deadly blow to Awkward’s pride. Awkward Dude tried to appeal to the group – he was only trying to be friendly – but Dr Glass had him up against the ropes, metaphorically, he’d broken the floodgates, and everyone began to laugh at Awkward instead: the old married couples, the other young men, and Luminous.
“I really feel bad about that, actually,” Dr Glass said. He hadn’t really wanted to humiliate the younger man in front of everybody, especially since his only crime had been really inept flirting. Was it really Dr Glass’s place to speak for Luminous? Perhaps he’d made a big deal out of nothing. But Dr Glass didn’t regret it. He just felt odd. He didn’t know why he’d been so savage over something so banal as Awkward’s favorite movie. He was pretty sure that he didn’t regard Luminous as a possession, or something to be protected. He’d just snapped.
“OH MY GOD,” I replied, “WHY DIDN’T YOU DO MORE? WHAT A FUCKING CREEPER!”
Well, Dr Glass wanted to assume good intentions on everyone’s part. They’d all lived together, after all, eaten together, worked together. Emotions had run high. It would have been pretty terrible for the Dude if he’d been ostracized right at the beginning, just because he wasn’t very good at talking to girls. After all, he was there for the workshop. They all were.
“AAAAH,” I wound down, “But what Luminous? WHOSE WORKSHOP WAS RUINED BECAUSE SHE DIDN’T FEEL SAFE?! She couldn’t just relax and enjoy spending time with you/her other new friends/nature – she practically had to have a bathroom buddy! He didn’t even let her focus on the work she was PAYING MONEY to do! You did not cross a line! HE CROSSED THE FUCKING LINE!”
Dr Glass totally agreed. But he still felt oddly uncomfortable about it all, as if there was something there to regret, like he was missing a piece of the puzzle. And then I asked The Question. And after I asked The Question, his face changed. He looked sick. “I didn’t think of that.” After The Question, he wished he’d been more explicit – gone to the course director. Been there more for Luminous. The good intentions that he wanted to assume, the passes he was willing to give the other man, evaporated, completely. They had evaporated for me, halfway through the story.
When I tell this story to women, they spot The Question right away. The men don’t; they think that Dr Glass behaved like a gentleman, neither doing too much nor too little. They are feminist men, and good people. They have read “The Gift of Fear” and they talk about privilege and the patriarchy, and they don’t spot it.
The Question is this: Why Was Awkward Dude Waiting For Her In The Dark?
Earlier in the story we heard that his own room was far away from hers. It was dark, at the end of a dark hall. He was waiting there, after midnight, with the lights off. HE HAD BEEN WAITING FOR HER IN THE DARK AT THE END OF A DARK HALL AFTER CURFEW, HE KNEW SHE HAD GONE OUT AND HE WAS WAITING FOR HER TO COME BACK. He was angry when he realized that she wasn’t alone. And Luminous was afraid – bolting into her room. Locking the door. And the women go HOLY FUCK WHAT IS THAT as soon as they hear about the atmosphere, and the men just accept it as another anecdote of Awkward Dude’s awkwardness, you know? Because how rude/silly/inept to pester a woman about hiking with another man! While the women are going BAD INTENTIONS BAD INTENTIONS FUCK SHIT THAT WOULD NOT HAVE ENDED WELL. And then you point out The Question to the men, and wait a while, and they suddenly go OH. OH MY GOD. WHY WAS HE WAITING FOR HER IN THE DARK. THAT’S – THAT’S PRETTY FUCKING SKETCHY. Everything changes. Dude-sympathy is gone. They put on the Matrix-goggles and peer into the world that apparently only women see. Awkward cornered Luminous in the dark after curfew at the end of the hall when he thought she was alone and he had a lot of anger and when my husband showed up he read Luminous as afraid and she ran into her room and locked the door. That is the reality. The good intentions, they are not there. Perhaps Awkward would have said that they were, that we, in our paranoia, are seeing rape in every dark corner. Perhaps he was trying to apologize for his previous behavior, or lend her a book, or make sure that she got back safely from her hike… so he’d chosen to do so alone, in the dark, making her afraid. That was what had been bothering Dr Glass. He wasn’t wearing the Goggles of Feminine Intuition, but he picked up on the signals that something wasn’t right. Seeing the Question doesn’t make you paranoid – it means your instincts are working.
If you live in the world of women, it isn’t your duty to educate everybody, to hand-hold and explain, to pass out Matrix-goggles. It’s Situation Normal: All Fucked Up. But perhaps you, Letter Writers, have good men, men who just need to wear the goggles.
That’s not really what I think, but our society is fucked up. I’ll assume good intentions on their part. Maybe it will help.
I’m not saying that Dr. Glass was specifically terrible in his reaction to the situation or anything, because my friend is also a really good dude and he has the same instinct. But at the point where he was still wanting to assume good intentions, Awkward had spent an entire week following Luminous around, ignoring her (and Dr. Glass) when they repeatedly told him to go away, publicly and aggressively criticizing her decision to spend time with another man, and making her feel so uncomfortable that she felt the need to physically block him from getting near her even in a room full of people. What on earth, short of actually being physically violent, was going to be enough to overcome the presumption of good intentions??
And this is why I actually think The Question is really beside the point. I mean, it’s often an “aha!” moment for dudes to have a concrete example of how they don’t even notice potential physical threats while women are really attuned to them. But at the same time, the idea that Awkward was maybe a physical threat is so totally not the point for me. If our standard for when someone has acted badly enough to be called out is “he did something that suggests he wanted to sexually assault this woman,” that is WAY TOO LOW A BAR for calling people out. From your description, it sounds like Luminous’ enjoyment of this workshop was seriously diminished (or maybe non-existent) because she spent the entire time being harassed by a guy who wanted to get into her pants. Even if that guy had good intentions, even if he never would have tried to assault her, even if he never made her feel physically unsafe, his behavior was unbelievably out of line and no one should feel bad for standing up to him.
No one is perfect, least of all me.And this is a difficult concept for me. Not because I think I'm perfect -- I know I'm far from it -- but because I've always been convinced, from a very young age, that Ibe. Blame my parents, my upbringing, my society, or my genetic makeup, but more than one psychiatrist has correctly observed that I struggle with an overwhelming need to please people, that I have difficulty asserting boundaries, and that a very great deal of my anxiety stems from trying, and predictably failing, to be literally perfect.One of the unexpected sources of anxiety for me in the wake of my moderate (and surprising) success as a feminist blogger-slash-author is that now I expect myself to bebecause I don't want to hurt or disappoint anyone. And that puts me in a tricky position, because the main way that I communicate is through emoting, and that frequently begins with me sharing a time I was wrong, and the things I learned in the wake of that wrongyness. Since I can't change my emotive nature and since I don't want to give up blogging, I've decided to attempt to chuck the perfectionist tendencies and just embrace being perpetually wrong as a learning method. I hope you can all still like me despite my wrongyness.Today, the particular thing I am wrong about is my initial-and-incorrect impulse to victim-blame Bella.Bella heads to gym class after her first electricity-themed Biology class with Edward, only to find that today is badminton day (do they really teach badminton in schools? I missed that particular facet of gym, apparently) and her reputation as a one-woman wrecking crew has left her with few volunteers as partners. None of Edward's family attends gym with Bella, and her few girlfriends are either absent or reluctant to partner with her, which leaves her with the ubiquitous Mike.My first thought on reading this -- the wrong thought -- was some variation ofThis is Mike. Mike who tried to pressure you into changing your travel plans so that you could accommodate him to the dance you hadn't actually asked him to. Mike who was all too eager to feel you up when you felt faint that time when Mr. Banner was stalking the aisles stabbing people's fingers for blood. Mike who was more interested in blaming you for being ill than he was in getting medical aid help for you. Mike who pointedly invited you -- and not Edward, whom he clearly considered a rival for your affections -- to a "group" outing, so that he could then spend the bulk of the outing making you uncomfortable with his unwelcome advances and unjustified jealously of Jacob Black. Mike who kept your friend Jessica on hold so that he could ask you outand whom you had to tell very, very bluntly that you Were. Not. Interested.This is not a good thing for me to think. And if you'll stay with me for a moment, I'll explain why.I'm not being unfair to Mike -- five minutes after gym class is over, Mike will aptly demonstrate just how thoroughly marinated he is in rape culture and male privilege by raking Bella over the coals for her choice of boyfriends.For Mike to leap from would-be suitor to critiquing Bella's choice of boyfriends isinappropriate. Mike doesn't have the necessary maturity and distance to even begin to fairly evaluate Bella's choices for his own personal opinions, let alone to start sharing those opinions unprompted with Bella. Mike and Bella do not have anywhere near the kind of friendship where it is appropriate for him to start offering his opinions on her love life. If he knew something concrete and solid about Edward, it might be appropriate to volunteer that "look, I'm not trying to interfere with your life, but I think you should know that Edward was implicated in a suspicious death last year", but to just start in on how Edward "looks" at Bella (an extremely subjective subject, and one where Mike is apt to project his own feelings onto the situation; and yes, I realize this is a cutesy pun on Edward's vampire nature) is really Not Cool, Guy.So my "why the hell are you hanging out with Mike" thought isn't unfair to Mike -- in fact it's spot on as a predictor of Mike's behavior. But that's the slippery slope of victim-blaming. When we start to treat rapists and rape culture enforcers as predictable and unchangeable, when we treat them as a natural force to be reckoned with, like rain or sleet or tornadoes or hurricanes, then we stop expecting more from them and we start expecting the impossible from their victims. Already I'm doing this with Bella: instead of blaming Mike for continuing to aggress against Bella, I'm blaming her for hanging out with him. I should know better, but that's how deeply rape culture embeds itself into our psyche.An ugly truth is that Bella is easy to blame because she's easy to dislike. She's intensely negative in her thoughts and attitudes, and frequently against people who don't seem (to me) to deserve her ire. A good example is in her immediate reaction to Mike above: she's annoyed at Mike, but fiercely angry at Jessica. Why? The implication is that Jessica is the one who told Mike about Bella and Edward, but there's no evidence for this. Bella and Edward have been eating lunch together for multiple days now, and have been eye-flirting through multiple lunches and Biology classes. Angela was present when Edward took Bella to dinner in Port Angeles, Jessica was never cautioned by Bella to not tell anyone else about them dating, and Edward's entire family is very possibly aware of their relationship. The information that Bella and Edward are dating could have come to Mike from a number of sources, or Jessica could have told him under emotional duress -- we've already seen that Mike is not above bullying the women he talks to. And yet it's Jessica that Bella immediately blames for this situation, and not Mike.Yet as strongly as I dislike Bella's internal bashing of Jessica, it strikes me that Bella is just doing what I was already doing: she's treating Mike's bad behavior as an expected constant and she's expecting the women in his life to moderate his behavior for him. So while I expect Bella to not hang out with Mike because it will "cause" more bad behavior (or, more accurately, "create an opportunity", as though Mike needs any help to create opportunities to harass a woman he sees multiple times every day), Bella in turn expects Jessica to not relay information to Mike because doing so will "cause" more bad behavior. In all these scenarios, Mike is treated as an unchanging force of nature, and the women around him are expected to take strong measures to protect themselves and others from the unstoppable force that is Mike.OH HAI THERE, RAPE CULTURE.Bella is seventeen years old, which is a very young age to have extensive experience with pushing back against male privilege and asserting one's own boundaries. She lives in a culture that strongly pressures girls to go along with other people's wishes and to not "make waves". She has grown up in a family environment where she has not been encouraged to assert personal boundaries or place her emotional needs above those of her parents. She has moved to a small town where all her potential friends, both male and female, are centered around the nexus of popular boy Mike. She has every reason to stay on Mike's good side: overtly shunning his friendship could lead to social estrangement and even violent repercussions (i.e., "city bitch thinks she's too good for us"). Mike has frequently demonstrated dangerous impulses; he has on numerous occasions applied social pressure to Bella, asserted his jealous possession of her person, and taken advantage of her physical incapacitation.The fact that Mike sets off all my Schrodinger's Rapist alarm bells doesn't mean that Bella has a responsibility to avoid Mike. Indeed, as outlined above, I'm highly doubtful that she's been given the physical, social, and emotional tools which she would need in order to enforce a total estrangement policy against someone she is forced to see on a daily basis. Bella absolutely shouldbe condemned for trying to stay on Mike's good side in the face of all this pressure. When we fail to recognize that, we play into the hands of rape culture and we end up holding victims accountable for the actions of their own victimizers.The only person to blame for Mike's actions is Mike. Mike makes a choice, every day, whether or not to victimize Bella and others like her. He is not a force of nature, or a puppet with no control over his actions. When Bella is in Biology class with him, he chooses whether or not to pressure her to change her plans to accommodate his desires. When Bella attends a group outing, he chooses whether or not to push her into accepting a seat in the van next to him so that he can lavish more unwanted attention on her. When Bella speaks to her friends, he decides whether or not to put on a display of angry jealousy as though Bella were his property that the other men are trying to infringe upon. When Bella is incapacitated, Mike chooses whether or not to put her needs before his urge to invade her personal boundaries. When Bella needs a gym partner, Mike makes a decision whether or not to confine his remarks to comfortable, friendly topics or to harangue Bella over her personal life decisions that are not Mike's business.Mike chooses to do these things. Bella isn't responsible for Mike's actions. She's not responsible for "leading him on" or "providing him an opportunity". Mike is fully motivated and capable of making his own opportunities regardless of what Bella does, and there is little-to-nothing that Bella can do to stop him given their current situation. Ithese things, but I still have to remind myself of them, over and over, to combat that internalvoice. That scares me a little.The siren call of victim-blaming is that if we do everything just right, if we're really smart and savvy and clever, then we can't be victims. If we play strong defense and maintain a good offense and deny access and All The Sports Metaphors, then we'll be safe from the victimizers. Or -- even if we can't ever truly be safe from the victimizers -- we can at least be safe from the second-victimization that comes when society blames us and the justice system fails us. If we're absolutely perfect all the time in our rape defenses, then we'll have gained a measure of safety.Reality doesn't match the sales pitch. Everything that Bella does here makes perfect sense, given her circumstances. She hasto try to maintain a friendship with Mike. She has every conceivable pressure to keep her from effectively estranging Mike. Society absolutely would not back her up if she effectively and assertively estranged him here and now, simply based on all the bad behavior he has exhibited towards her in the past. That is how prevalent rape culture is: that so many people can look at Mike Newton and not see a budding sexual predator who consistently and deliberately crosses social boundaries in an attempt to assert power over Bella.we've seen Mike on-page, he's crossed a major social boundary in an attempt to mark Bella as his. And yet this gets played up as nothing, as a sign of Bella's attractiveness, or as a point about sweet, nice, awkward high school boys (in contrast to Edward's brooding, violent maturity).And the thing is, Mike might go his entire life without raping anyone. But even if he does, that doesn't make him or his actions harmless. He has |
have tempered his enthusiasm for the EU, or at least offered the referendum that is demanded, according to the think tank British Future, by 57 per cent of voters. Another would-be prime minister might deem it prudent to be nastier about immigrants. But the stubbornness that has made Mr Miliband deaf to constructive criticism also explains his implacability on tough issues.
As he told business leaders this week, he will not play games with Britain’s future in Europe. With only one in four low earners moving out of poverty in a decade, according to the Resolution Foundation, Mr Miliband’s focus on inequality has been vindicated. Whether he can influence living standards at home and bolster frayed bonds with EU leaders remains to be seen, but if Labour does not try, then the tremors will reach far beyond Westminster.
The row over the arrest warrant may be the turning point for a government whose ills contaminate all of Britain. If our alliances, our liberties, our security and democracy itself are so cheaply held, then Britain needs a better prime minister. Enter Mr Miliband, who will tomorrow attempt to shore up his leadership in a speech in central London. Far from offering a new, improved Ed, the address will be a reiteration of his principles. As one aide says, the message can be summarised as “Here I stand”.
Mr Miliband, who will promise to address the rise of populism by tackling despair, will brush aside his problems of presentation as irrelevant. It is true that voters would prefer politicians (Miliband included) to have foreseen the financial crash and the rise of Islamic radicalism, rather than the potential hazards of bacon sandwiches.
But in an age of fallibility, potential prime ministers found wanting on great issues are likely to be judged on small ones. While Mr Miliband will offer no mea culpas, he is likely to promise explicitly or implicitly tomorrow that he will not “leave decency at the door of Downing Street”. When trust in politics has turned to ashes, such simple offers are a welcome change.
The paradox of Ed Miliband is that the more unpopular he gets, the more certain it becomes that Britain needs him. Mr Miliband does not lack ideas, or courage, or prescience. Just as he foretold, the old promise that every generation would fare better than the last is void. His own future now depends on his MPs.
For their sake, if not for his, they should back him. Next time the sniffer gerbils of the Labour benches detect a strange odour in the political air, they should recognise it as the scent of their own destruction.
Ed Miliband and his awkward Labour leadership gaffes - in 105 secondsMourners will no doubt one day talk about where they were when they heard that David Bowie had died. They shouldn’t, though. Today – and in the days and years to come – they should recall where they were when they first heard him, saw him, felt him slip into their lives.
I have two brothers who are a decade and a decade and a bit older. When I was very small, they owned a few RCA singles: Jean Genie was one, another was Sorrow. I flipped these and heard ‘Ziggy Stardust’ and ‘Amsterdam’, which later led to a love affair with Jacques Brel. In an ordinary bungalow in Lancashire, Bowie was opening up secrets unimaginable for a boy too young to know better.
I’m not sure what that date was. But I think that those early hearings were the splitting of an emotional atom. I must have been seven or eight, and I was still subject to the whims of parents and Radio One. Our family bought disco, The Three Degrees, MoR, country. I got on with those, too.
Then, in 1980, when I was fourteen, it happened. Bowie released Ashes to Ashes, simultaneously sealing and killing off my early-teenage relationship with punk. Ashes to Ashes was another planet to the shouting, balling, angsty sound that I'd pogoed to around the church hall. It was poetry. It was video. It took the Goth scene and made it subtler, brighter. It was art.
That the single rocketed to number one was a bit of a problem at first, but I suppose it was a lesson that something really cool can also be extraordinarily popular.
Sexy thing: David Bowie, pictured in 1985 Credit: Rex
For Bowie analysts, that phase – the Ashes to Ashes/Scary Monsters period – is part of a progression from Bowie’s time in Berlin to the blonde bombshell who would charm the world with Let’s Dance. But in Bowie time, there is only an eternal present. When he strolled along the solarised moonscape interring Major Tom – or something – he was giving birth to another generation of obsessive fans. I was one of them.
"Bowie knew about the power of icons. He used his own body like artists used saints and virgins, like film stars used theirs on celluloid and on the red carpet, like photographers used models" Chris Moss
‘Ashes to Ashes’ was released – as far as I was concerned – to chime with my growing sexual self-awareness. Moved by the beauty of the music, I proceeded to con my dad and granddad into buying the whole Bowie back catalogue for me. How many millions of boys will have done the same, on each Bowie reincarnation?
I wonder if the order in which you buy the older discs in some way gives you your own little Bowie DNA? The sequence, as I recall, was: Hunky Dory, Ziggy Stardust, The Man Who Sold the World, Space Oddity, David Live. It doesn't really matter. What matters is that I was learning to worship a man who could get away with feathery hair (Young Americans), who could wear what looked like a glittery sock, who occasionally relaxed in a dress, who could be sexy as a frigid alien (as in the film The Man Who Fell to Earth), who could look beautiful even when most of his body was made up of dog.
The music burned into me. But the visual experience was just as life-changing. Bowie knew about the power of icons. He used his own body like artists used saints and virgins, like film stars used theirs on celluloid and on the red carpet, like photographers used models. Like girls used their bodies, under the cricket pavilion, standing along the back wall of the disco, in the bus shelter.
"Although he probably hated the term, in many ways David Bowie was a late 20th Century, highly avant-garde prototype for metrosexuality" Mark Simpson
Somehow this new religion had merged deliciously with my discovery of the opposite sex. Bowie feminised himself, which in turn made it cool to adore women.
For men, he also made us aware of our own male body. So often – as on the cover of Pin Ups where he is as nude and bony as supermodel Twiggy – you’d catch site of Bowie’s naked shoulder or slender neck. In the stage shots from the Ziggy tour, his muscular thigh dangles out of the sock thing. On the cover of Stage, he seemed to strut even when standing still. Every pose was considered, every revelation intentional.
Debates about Bowie’s ‘gayness’ or bisexuality were missing the point for straight boys. We all fantasised about him in bed. We all idolised his face (it was his face that he used more than any other part of his body). We all stared into his two-tone eyes. Admit it or not, we all masturbated over our mental image of him, probably before we did it with anyone else. Somehow, he liberated boys from stale dichotomies: boy-and-man; boy-and-girl, straight-and-gay, black-and-white.
Fashion-wise, Bowie always sent men in new directions. My brother’s generation sported lightning flashes, silvery moons on their brows and mad mullets. In mid-1980s Edinburgh I saw dozens of Low lookalikes – some using smack to nail the gaunt look. I put on mascara and lipstick and was berated by the landlord at the Elm Tree, our local pub, for lowering standards.
But – this is important – Bowie's influence on men’s sensuality extends beyond then and deep into the now. Here's Mark Simpson, the man who coined the term “metrosexual” in 1994: “Although he probably hated the term, in many ways David Bowie was a late 20th Century, highly avant-garde prototype for metrosexuality, paving the way for another glam working class DB from London who was a footballer rather than a singer.
David Beckham took the metrosexual baton from Bowie in the 21st Century Credit: Diageo/Haig Club whisky advert
“He gaily refused to conform to'masculine' expectations and provocatively appropriated ‘feminine’ styles, fashions, cosmetics and sensualities – anything that would make him look and feel fabulous, and piss off 1970s dads. He understood perfectly that the world was an increasingly visual culture and sired the New Romantics, who went on to invent the 21st Century.
“The glamorous seeds he sowed back in the Seventies have borne strange and wonderful bisensual fruit, enjoyed by everyone, regardless of gender or orientation.”
Quite.
A still from the documentary Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars Credit: Rex
Anyone who witnessed Bowie in his prime will be around sixty now. I was “lucky” enough to catch him on his Serious Moonlight tour. I was 17, old enough to be allowed to travel to Milton Keynes with my mate Mike. The gig was all right, certainly not as good as concerts we caught around that period by Lou Reed and Iggy Pop, his stablemates. But that wasn’t the point. Bowie was always more important as an idea that stretched beyond the highs and lows of his career and survives, even, his death.
At the core of almost everything he did was a wondrous celebration of sexuality and gender-irrelevance. A tiny troupe of musicians continued and continue to bang the same drum – Marc Almond, Boy George, Grace Jones, Lady Gaga perhaps – but all would openly admit that they were only ever following with the other acolytes in front of that bulldozer in the Ashes to Ashes video.
What people are teary over today is the loss of a star and the end of their own youth. But men have also lost a role model who makes a mockery of that very term. In a Bowie world, men would be freer than they are in this one, and cooler, and having a lot, lot more fun.Update, October 28: Mazda has officially confirmed this morning that the CX-3 will premiere at the LA show, which opens from November 21. A new artist's impression of the small SUV has been released, but the manufacturer has provided no further details concerning CX3. It has revealed, however, that the new MX-5 will be on display in LA, and facelifts of the Mazda6 and CX-5 will be making their global debut there also.
Mazda will unveil its first compact SUV at next month's Los Angeles motor show, motoring.com.au has learned.
The all-new CX-3 will make its world-first appearance at the final major motor show of 2014, before going on sale globally next year.
Mazda Australia refused to comment on the surprise news from our Japanese sources, who have confirmed the long-awaited Mazda2-based crossover is indeed just three weeks away from its international premiere.
It will debut in LA alongside a facelifted version of the larger CX-5, Australia's top-selling SUV, and a third, as-yet-unnamed world premiere from Mazda.
The CX-3 will be the Japanese brand's first direct rival for small SUVs like the Hyundai ix35, Subaru XV, Holden Trax, Mitsubishi ASX, Nissan QASHQAI and JUKE, Volkswagen Tiguan and Ford EcoSport.
The fastest growing new vehicle segment will also be joined in 2015 by the all-new Honda HR-V, Jeep Renegade, Renault Captur and Suzuki Vitara, plus a redesigned ix35 and, in early 2016, Fiat's all-new 500X. Toyota and Kia are also likely to join the pint-size soft-road brigade in coming years.
Based on the third-generation Mazda2 hatchback to be launched in Australia next week, the five-door CX-5 wagon will share the same new SKYACTIV chassis, powertrains and technologies.
That means a higher ride height, new body panels and chunkier offroad-style appendages, as indicated by our rendering, and a new 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine delivering about 80kW and 140Nm.
As for the new 2, transmission options will include six-speed manual and automatic transmissions, and the CX-3 is also likely to be a front-wheel drive only model.
Like the next Mazda2, the CX-3 should be available in up to three equipment grades, fitted with a host of advanced technologies including i-ACTIVSENSE safety aids and MZD Connect infotainment.
It's not clear whether the CX-3 will be produced in Thailand alongside Australia's Mazda2, or together with the Japanese- or Mexican-built Mazda2.
Either way, given the existing CX-5 currently opens at $27,880, CX-3 pricing will be competitive with its rivals, starting from under $25,000.
As we reported earlier this month, Mazda is planning a new model avalanche over the next few years.
Having launched the all-new CX-5 and new Mazda6 and Mazda3 since 2012, Mazda has said its new 2 would be the first of five new models by March 2016.
The next will be the lighter, smaller and cheaper new fourth-generation MX-5 roadster, which launches here with a downsized 1.5-litre engine priced from under $40,000.
After the CX-3 will come a redesigned CX-9 large SUV – the final Mazda model to be given the SKYACTIV treatment, including a downsized 2.5-litre turbo engine – and a new Mazda5 people-mover, which remains unlikely for Australia.
Beyond that from later in 2016, however, Mazda is understood to be planning a host of sports and green models, including a Mazda6 coupe, MPS versions of the Mazda2, 3 and 6, and a diesel-hybrid Mazda6.
A successor for the Japanese market's previous Mazda2-based Verisa premium compact model has also been rumoured, along with an all-new Mazda1 for emerging markets, also based on the new 2.
But Mazda's move to its next-generation SKYACTIV II technologies from 2018 is also expected to bring the Japanese car-maker's first all-electric and plug-in hybrid powertrains, the latter employing rotary range-extender technology from the previous Mazda2 PHEV concept.
However, Mazda's renaissance will be complete by 2020 – its centenary year – when it will reincarnate its trademark rotary-powered coupe as the all-new RX-9 flagship.
The long-overdue RX-7 replacement will emerge in concept form as early as 2017 – when Mazda's original Cosmo Sports rotary turns 50 – powered by a 335kW-plus two-stage turbo hybrid powertrain.Parents worry "much too much" about what their children are reading, said the author Judy Blume. She argued that they will simply "self-censor" by getting bored of anything they do not understand.
Blume, the bestselling author of Forever, Blubber and Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, said people should not be unduly concerned about their children's reading material.
If the content was unsuitable, she argued, children would simply tire of it or let it wash over their heads without understanding.
Speaking at the Hay Festival, she said the experience of having her own books banned in the Eighties was "alarming", leaving her feeling "very alone".
Her novels, which confront issues of teenage sex, racism, divorce, bullying, puberty and masturbation, were considered shocking at the time, and are remembered by a generation of women for teaching them the facts of life.
Blume, now 76, has sold more than 80 million books worldwide and her work has been translated into 31 languages.
She told the audience that parents should be less concerned about the suitability of their children's reading material, concentrating more on simply getting them to love books.
"A lot of people worry much too much about what their children are reading," she said.
"A lot of people will want to control everything in their children's lives, or everything in other people's children's lives.
"If a child picks up a book and reads something she has a question about, if she can go to her parents, great.
"Or else they will read right over it. It won't mean a thing.
"They are very good, I think, at monitoring what makes them feel uncomfortable. If something makes them feel uncomfortable they will put it down."
Some of Blume's own books, written and published in the Seventies, were banned in the United States during the Eighties, with Deenie becoming her "most banned book" for references to the main character's "special place".
"Most of the time they hadn't even read the book," Blume said of the complainants. "Even if they had, they only read what I would call the 'good stuff'.
"It was definitely alarming. It was a very scary time and I felt very alone."
Speaking to her young fans in the audience, she added: "I say go and read. Read what you like to read."
IN PICTURES: Hay Festival 2014As tea geek, I could go on and on about the purity of the flavor found in Ineeka teas, and describe nuances in a vocabulary usually reserved for wine cellars. However, I am just going to tell you that it is good. Real good! Ineeka is the only tea company in North America that grows its own tea and they use a bio-dynamic growing system to do so (think fair trade and organic growing, but super sized).
This tea is swell not only for its flavor, environmental and social consciousness, but also for its design. It comes in brew Tashes, large open ended tea bags that hang on the rim of your cup and let you steep whole leaf tea on the go. The Tashes themselves come in airtight tea tins that keep the teas fresh while looking good and can be recycled or reused.Eric Niebler is an independent consultant specializing in C++ library development. Currently, he is working on modernizing the C++ standard library and adding support for ranges, funded by the first-ever grant from the Standard C++ Foundation. Previously, Eric was a consultant for BoostPro computing, a member of Microsoft's Visual C++ team, and a Microsoft Researcher before that. In addition, he has several libraries in Boost and is a Boost release manager and steering committee member. Eric has been an active member of the C++ Standardization Committee for well over 10 years. He speaks regularly at C++ conferences around the world.
In a previous life, Eric drifted with no fixed address, writing C++ and blog entries from cafes and beaches around the world. Today, Eric is a family man living and working in the glorious Pacific Northwest near Seattle.
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Eric NieblerCurious about getting into Raspberry Pi or just Linux in general but you're not sure where to start? This post is for you. It's not intended to be a comprehensive guide, rather a gentle intro into the Linux world. I'm not a Linux expert, but I know from experience that it can be an intimidating platform to get started in. I want this post to show you what you need to know to get started with Linux.
My dad bought us our first PC in around 1990. We'd had a Commodore 64 before that, but this was our first Windows based machine. I loved it, but I'm pretty sure I made Dad nervous with how fearlessly I clicked and navigated around everything. I was curious to learn about this thing and I wasn't afraid to tweak settings or click on something I probably shouldn't have. A whole new world had been opened to me and I wanted to "drink from the firehose" and learn as much as I could. I've been using Windows on a daily basis ever since. Needless to say, I've been a Windows user a long time.
Eventually I got into programming. My experience with Windows continued to serve me well for a long time, but every now and again I'd have to deal with a bit of Linux. And, I have to be brutally honest here, it terrified me. I couldn't even fathom using a command line for copying a simple file, let alone installing an application server and deploying a web app! It continued to terrify me for years, but each and every time I used it a tiny little bit of me got more comfortable with it. A few years later and I started to realize: "hey, this ain't so bad, I actually kinda like this"!
Around that point I decided that I'd like to learn a bit more about Linux, and that was one of the motivating factors for deciding to get into programming and building projects with the Raspberry Pi. About a month ago when I decided to build and launch this blog I took an even bigger step: I installed Debian Jessie on my Dell Studio XPS. Now I'm a full time Linux user on my personal projects and I'm really enjoying it. Granted, it'll take years for me to reach the level of proficiency that I am at with Windows, but it's a skill that looks great on a resume and anything that keeps me learning new things about computing is a Great Thing™ in my book.
So I decided to put together a quick guide/cheat sheet for those of you who may be new to Linux (maybe you're just getting into Raspberry Pi yourself). There are plenty of cheat sheets out there, and most may be more comprehensive and detailed, but I hope this guide will get you familiar with Linux at a basic, bare bones level. Some of the definitions I use may not be textbook, but I intend to use easy to understand (and commonly used/accepted) definitions for some terms. Feel free to offer corrections and I'll keep the post updated if I've made any glaring mistakes.
Distributions
Different "versions" of the Linux operating system are called distributions (or "distros"). There are lots of them. The Raspberry Pi uses a distribution called Raspbian which is based on one of earliest distros called Debian. You've heard of the Android OS for mobile phones, right? Android is a Linux distribution. The wireless router in your house right now is running some flavor of Linux. If you're a fan of Mr. Robot, you've probably heard of Kali Linux, a popular distro used for digital forensics and penetration testing.
Desktop Environments
Terminal
Unlike Windows and OS X, Linux offers many different " desktop environments " - basically the GUI that lets you interact with the OS using familiar windows and your good old keyboard and mouse (and potentially touch screen). PIXEL is the desktop environment used on the Raspberry Pi. There are tons of choices here (see this list for starters) and it all boils down to personal preference. I'm using KDE on my Dell and I like it a lot, but if I ever feel like switching to something like GNOME, I can do that by simply logging out and choosing a new desktop environment to use. It should be noted that, at least in my opinion, Linux desktop environments have come away from the early Linux GUIs.
In the Linux world, the "terminal" is the equivalent of the Windows command prompt. It's a textual interface to enter commands, navigate the file system and perform tasks on the Linux machine. You'll probably end up using the terminal a lot to install software on your Linux machine. There are several different "package managers" used on Linux - "yum" and "apt-get" are ones you'll probably see and hear of quite often. Sometimes people use different words for the terminal like 'console', or'shell' - this is a good explanation of all those different terms. There are many different versions of terminals depending on your distribution or personal preference, but all of them will allow you to perform the same tasks. When in a terminal session, CTRL+C will break out of most running processes.
Elevated Privileges
sudoers
man sudoers
sudo
su
sudo su
su
sudo
su
sudo
su
man
Linux is much more strict (and by default, secure) than Windows. Your user will have limited rights to perform certain tasks. Often you'll have to elevate your privileges to perform a certain task. If you are granted permission to do so (via an entry in thefile - see) you can execute a command with elevated privileges by puttingbefore your command. Read more about sudo here. If you're wondering, sudo originally stood for'superuser do'. Another option you may need to invoke is " switch user " or justby callingor just. The difference betweenandis thatallows you to perform the action as your own user, with your own password whilegrants you the permission of another user (typically the 'root' user) and requires the superuser password. Read more on the difference if you're interested here
The Linux command man is used to get a'manual' (or user guide) for a specific piece of software. Many programs and Linux commands have detailed user guides accessible by typing man [command name] in a terminal window. Most man pages use more (reference) or less (reference) to view the manual page. In more or less you navigate through a file using SPACE to move forward one page or 'b' to move backwards one page. Hit 'q' to quit. To learn more about more and less, try man more or man less. Whew, that's a mouthful.
SSH
Not really, less is less and more is more.
SSH (Secure Shell) is the term most commonly used for "remoting in" to a Linux machine and manipulating/performing tasks via the command line. You can SSH into a machine with a username and password, or via a private key file. To SSH into a machine, you must have an SSH compatible client. On Linux, any terminal window will do. Same goes with any terminal in OS X. Windows (pre version 10) has no built in support for SSH, but there are several third party programs that'll do the trick. Check out PuTTY and Cygwin if you need a good Windows SSH client.
Commonly used commands
This section is going to be a rapid fire dump of some commonly used commands. If you're brand new to the command line you can use this as a quick reference or intro to some of the things you can do. Many commands have'switches' or arguments that you can pass to them to alter the task performed in some way. Arguments are passed after the command and preceded by a dash "-a" or two dashes "--all". To learn more about a command, always remember that man exists to help you out.
How do I list the contents of a directory?
ls
How do I navigate to a different directory?
Use thecommand. Commonly used arguments are "-la", the "-l" switch uses a "long" (detailed) list format, the "-a" switch includes hidden files (those beginning with a ".").
Use cd (change directory) and enter the path to the directory you would like to move to. Paths that begin with a forward slash ("/" - the Linux path delimiter) are absolute paths. That means they begin from the top of the directory tree. Paths that don't have a leading forward slash are relative - they begin at the folder you're currently in. You can pass a full path instead of stepping through one level at a time. If you're in /home and you want to go to a folder three levels deeper you'd use something like cd projects/scratch/foo.
What directory am I in right now?
pwd
How do I create a directory:
mkdir [dirname]
How do I create a file:
touch [filename.extension]
How do I change permissions on a file or folder?
(present working directory) will tell you where you're at.will create a new subdirectory in the current directory.will create a new file in the current directory.
chown (change owner), chgrp (change group) and chmod (change permissions) are the three commands to remember when it comes to changing file/folder permissions and ownershipt. Managing file permissions via Terminal can be a tricky thing to wrap your head around and I could spend a full blog post explaining them, but for now you should know that these commands exist and you should spend time learning about file permissions. If all else fails you can manager permissions (to an extent) via the GUI in your desktop environment by right clicking on a file/folder and selecting Properties - Permissions.
Edit a simple text file:
There are several built in text editors that can be used within a terminal session. My favorite is nano (launched by typing nano [filename] ). It has simple controls that are listed on the bottom of the editor. Hardcore nerds prefer Vim (launched with the command vi ). I just entered Vim while writing this blog post and it took me about 2 minutes to simply exit Vim. That's why I don't use Vim.
How do I move, copy or rename a file?
mv [source] [destination]
cp [source] [destination]
How do I delete a file?
can be used toa file from one directory to another. If the destination directory is the same as the source then the file will be renamed.is used to copy a file from a source to a destination.
rm [filename] (remove) will delete a file.
How do I delete a directory?
rm -rf [directory] will remove a directory (the -r switch is for'recursive' and the -f switch is to 'force' the deletion and not ask for confirmation).
How do I find a certain item in a long list of text or the result of a command like 'ls'?
This might be getting into a bit more advanced territory, but I think it's worth noting in a beginners guide that grep exists. It's best illustrated via example, so imagine a directory structure like so:
drwxr-xr-x 2 toddsharp toddsharp 4096 Mar 18 18:19.
drwxr-xr-x 4 toddsharp toddsharp 4096 Mar 18 17:52..
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 0 Mar 18 18:19 bar.txt
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 0 Mar 18 18:19 food.txt
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 0 Mar 18 18:19 foo.txt
Let's say I wanted to find all the files in this directory that begin with the string "foo". One way of doing this would be to "pipe" the result of the ls command to grep and pass a "regular expression" that I want to search for. In Linux, to redirect the result of a command you use the "pipe" character | which is why you'll often hear "pipe" used in this context.
ls -la | grep 'foo*'
Would result in:
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 0 Mar 18 18:19 food.txt
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 0 Mar 18 18:19 foo.txt
Read more on grep here.
Are there other ways to search for a file?
Of course! You can use find. Here's a thorough article for more details, but find is another way to search for a file like the previous grep example. The first argument passed to find is the path at which to start looking. A dot (".") is the current directory, while "/" would search from root. The next argument is the name of the file, but find requires us to "escape" the wildcard (*) so to reproduce the previous example we'd do:
find. -name foo\*
How can I copy a file from one Linux machine to another?
scp
scp
Can I remotely control my Linux machine?
What is the best way to get started with Linux?
Secure copy, oris a bit beyond the scope of a beginner article, but know it exists and read more on it when you need to. You can useto copy from/to Linux machines, but to use Windows to copy to/from a Linux machine you need PuTTY or WinSCP There are several remote control options available on Linux, the most popular of which is VNC which stands for virutal network computing. To use VNC, the machine that you'd like to control must have a VNC "server" installed and the machine on which you connect from must have a VNC "client" or viewer. There are VNC viewers available for all major operating systems - you can easily remote into a Linux machine from a Windows machine. Raspberry Pi has a VNC server installed by default (but it must be enabled via the Raspberry Pi configuration menu).A good way to try out Linux is to create a bootable USB drive containing a Linux image and play around with it a bit! Ubuntu is a popular distribution (with a very nice default desktop environment). Follow the directions here PIXEL for PC and Mac is another great way to try Linux, especially if you plan on getting into Raspberry Pi. If you're a little more technically savvy, install Linux in a VM on your Windows machine and give it a spin.Of course you can always download a distribution and install it onto an old laptop. It's typically less resource intensive than Windows so you can get a few more years life out of an old machine you'd have otherwise thrown away!by Brett Stevens on April 17, 2009
Dear reader, I suppose that now you have heard that the four pirate bay defendants have been found guilty of in essence behind enablers of piracy.
I think in the long run this is going to be bad news for everyone, although the music industry currently thinks it has won. However, this is only because they do not understand the mentality of people who view their task as one of resistance.
“The Stockholm district court has today convicted the four people charged with promoting other people’s infringement of copyright laws,” the court said in a statement. “By providing a website with … well-developed search functions, easy uploading and storage possibilities, and with a tracker linked to the website, the accused have incited the crimes that the filesharers have committed,” the court said in a statement to the media. The court added that the four “knew that copyrighted material was being fileshared.”
This victory was inevitable when the case went to trial. The Pirate Bay, by the virtue of its name, encourages pirated material to be the bulk of what is on its service, and a quick glance verifies that this is true. Further, by establishing a history of enmity toward copyright law the Pirate Bay defendants made themselves public icons of flouting the law. Defy those in power, and you get crushed.
However, this “victory” is bad news in the long term for the following reasons:
Head of the Hydra. This is like cutting up a starfish: each fragment is going to grow into another starfish. People who view themselves as oppressed by corporations — even if the same people are doing something they know is illegal — are going to view themselves as resisting that oppression. So they are going to fight back with a million small services.
. This is like cutting up a starfish: each fragment is going to grow into another starfish. People who view themselves as oppressed by corporations — even if the same people are doing something they know is illegal — are going to view themselves as resisting that oppression. So they are going to fight back with a million small services. Re-routed around already. Because of this rhetoric of oppression, people who are not explicitly anti-piracy (people can be pro-piracy, anti-piracy, or somewhere in the middle) do not see this as a victory. The record labels may see it as cutting off the head, but people who are not anti-piracy are aware that there are a million and one sources of pirated material. The internet will simply re-route around the damaged pirate bay.
Because of this rhetoric of oppression, people who are not explicitly anti-piracy (people can be pro-piracy, anti-piracy, or somewhere in the middle) do not see this as a victory. The record labels may see it as cutting off the head, but people who are not anti-piracy are aware that there are a million and one sources of pirated material. The internet will simply re-route around the damaged pirate bay. Doesn’t strengthen principle of law. Like busting drug dealers instead of drug users, this ruling does not create a principle whereby those who commit piracy feel they are doing something that is both illegal and wrong, for which they will face consequences.
. Like busting drug dealers instead of drug users, this ruling does not create a principle whereby those who commit piracy feel they are doing something that is both illegal and wrong, for which they will face consequences. No alternate plan for the industry. This victory allows the media industry to keep plodding ahead with its moribund business model. Now that all our media is in digital form, it is easily pirated. We need to find a way around that problem. No intermediate “victories” are going to fix that. However, with this victory, the media industry gets to claim it’s winning even though it still has no plan for the problem itself. They killed the messenger.
. This victory allows the media industry to keep plodding ahead with its moribund business model. Now that all our media is in digital form, it is easily pirated. We need to find a way around that problem. No intermediate “victories” are going to fix that. However, with this victory, the media industry gets to claim it’s winning even though it still has no plan for the problem itself. They killed the messenger. No moral principle asserted. We see a public bust, instead of artists who are feeling the pain of having their material pirated. What the public needs to see is the damage of piracy, and be made to feel obligated to purchase the product; they also need to feel they’re dealing with a fair industry, not demons who love to oppress. From a public relations standpoint, this bust is a disaster.
The media industry views itself in a war against piracy.
It should be viewing itself in a struggle to adapt its business model to an age when copying anything is easily done.
In my view, that is best accomplished by making it clear that media arrives because of big profits, and that the costs are necessary. We the consumers see a $15 CD without knowing any of the costs behind it or being aware how that artist is surviving. Show us someone who is a normal artist, like Neko Case or Slayer, struggling to make a rent payment. Don’t show us superstars like Metallica who are having to cut back on gold chrome on their newest Mercedes-Benz racer |
Mondawmin Mall, has put it, “The American real-estate industry believed segregation to be a moral principle.”) Still more important, it was the government that paid for the highways that made such a remove from the city feasible. The Baltimore Beltway — a.k.a., I-695 — was the very first metropolitan loop completed as part of the Interstate System. First planned in the late ’40s and finished in 1962, this high-speed expressway not only allowed motorists to access a much broader radius than had the older streetcars or even arterial roads; it also made possible a whole new realm of suburban existence — a circuit of edge cities and shopping malls running from Towson in the north to Columbia in the south — that could bypass the fading old city entirely.
The white migration out of the increasingly black city is still being rationalized as nothing but a reach for the American dream.
But even with these inducements, even with the high-speed roads and brand-new houses, the movement still required the instinct, the desire, to flee. To this day, the white migration out of the increasingly black city is being rationalized as nothing but a reach for the American dream, the single-family home with the big yard and picket fence. Yet it was hard not to notice that a lot of the houses beyond the Baltimore city line didn’t much look like the dream — didn’t have much of a yard and were perhaps even smaller, and certainly less grand, than many of the homes that were being left behind — the stately brick townhouses of Union Square, where H.L. Mencken lived; the more ornate ones of Reservoir Hill, with their porches and pediments; the spacious single-families in Park Heights. And hard not to notice too that the parks out in the suburbs were mere scrub, leftover lots amid the land speculation, compared to the rolling green landscapes of Druid Hill Park. Once, the city’s thriving Jewish community had gathered in dignified temples on the rim of Druid Hill, stunning markers of immigrant success over a couple of generations. But in the postwar years these were abandoned for wan substitutes like the synagogue in the Owings Mills business park, across from the ready-mix concrete plant.
Growing up not far from those grand temples along Druid Hill was Kurt Schmoke, who would follow in the path of George McMechen and become another African-American, Yale-educated attorney and, in the mid-’80s, the first black to be elected mayor of Baltimore. Schmoke’s parents were archetypes of upward mobility, a Department of Defense chemist and social worker who had moved in the 1950s from the heart of the black West Side to the newer neighborhoods of the northwest — solidly built rowhouses with deep porches, not far from the Druid Hill zoo and reservoir. He enrolled as a second-grader at Gwynns Falls Elementary. “I had a white teacher. The principal was white. I remember some sixth graders being white,” he recalls. “By the time I got to the sixth grade, there were few white teachers. And no white students.”
Mondawmin Mall swiftly transformed from a place with a Jim Crow coffee shop to a place where whites feared to tread.
It happened so fast. Gwynns Falls’ student body was all white before Brown v. Board, in 1954, made school segregation unconstitutional. Baltimore officials responded with surprising speed, in at least some parts of town, and when Gwynns Falls opened that September, it was 44.5 percent black. One-sixth of the white students withdrew quickly, and more followed, and by next September, the school was more than three-quarters black. The year after that, when Schmoke arrived, it was 93 percent black. In a mere three years, it had flipped almost completely.
It caught even the businessmen unawares. Developers had designed a small shopping mall — one of the first in Baltimore, a big deal — in the heart of the neighborhood. Their assumption that the clientele would be white was so strong that the mall included a Jim Crow coffee shop, not so subtly named the White Coffee Pot. But by the time the mall opened, in 1956, the expected patrons were already heading west up Liberty Heights Avenue. Within a few years, Mondawmin Mall had transformed from a place with a coffee shop that didn’t allow blacks to a place where many whites feared to tread — and outside of which, years later, teenagers and cops would face off with rocks in hand.
The “Loot Rail”
In the car-centric postwar years, as mile after mile of the Interstate was paved, the old streetcars began to disappear. By the early ’60s, the system had dwindled to two lines, the north-south Number 8 and the east-west Number 15, and on November 2, 1963, they ran for the last time. Baltimore was now a bus and car city. The privately run Baltimore Transit Company, which had operated the streetcars and buses since 1935, was subsumed by the state into what would eventually become the Maryland Transit Administration, in 1970.
It was a fateful transition: the assumption of the city’s transit system by the state government. For Maryland’s relationship with its largest city had been fraught from the very start. Unlike Boston and Philadelphia, Baltimore was founded not by pilgrims or idealists newly arrived from the Old World; it was settled at a later stage of colonial development, when Maryland was already firmly in the grip of the distinctly un-idealistic, slave-owning proprietors of large tobacco plantations. These men looked warily upon the new settlement along the Patapsco. With reason: as a burgeoning harbor town and hub for milling grain, the city was not dependent on slave labor, and so was bound to present a political challenge to the plantations on that paramount matter. When Baltimore got its charter in 1729, its commissioners were selected not by local residents but rather by the overlords in the state capital of Annapolis. It was not until well into the 19th century that the city, one of the largest in the country, was given seats in the House of Delegates (just two, in a chamber of eighty). These historical fault lines — the tensions between the wealthy rural landowners and the growing industrial city — proved to be deep and potent. And they help explain why, in the mid 20th century, the state was so ready to reassert its authority over its largest city — a city at that point in profound upheaval.
The demographic data are as revealing as ever: From 1950 to 1970, Baltimore’s white population had plunged by a third (reduced by 243,000 people). Over those two decades, the proportion of whites in the Baltimore metropolitan area who lived in the city proper plummeted by more than half, from 65 percent to 30 percent. Meanwhile the population of Baltimore County, the suburb immediately surrounding the city, had more than doubled. So racially monolithic was this influx that the county’s share of black residents, never high to begin with, dropped by half.
But again, it’s vital to understand that most of that flight came long before the convulsions of the late 1960s and ’70s — before the dramatic surge in street crime and heroin addiction, before the proceduralism of civil rights gave way to the agitations of black nationalism, and also before the big plants, like Bethlehem Steel and Western Electric, started to really shrink in the late ’70s and ’80s. In April 1968, when the city was gripped by three days of riots following Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination — six dead; more than 700 injured; 5,500 arrested; 1,050 businesses looted or burned — it was more coda to white flight than instigator of it.
Baltimore had unraveled — had been unraveling for decades, unspooling itself over a wide expanse of central Maryland. And to make it possible to traverse the new metropolitan distances, the state proposed a transportation solution that underscored the starkly bifurcated politics of city and suburb, black and white. For those in cars, there would be more highways; including, notably, an expressway to connect the harborside downtown on the east with I-70, the transcontinental Interstate that ended not with a link to I-95, as planned, but at a park-and-ride on the western edge of town. To construct this elevated roadway required knocking down much of Harlem Park — one of the near west neighborhoods that had long been a stronghold of middle-class African-American community. If you went by in 1969, you’d have seen the painted interior doors from the demolished homes — blue, pink, red — standing forlorn guard in a circle around the gray rubble.
Baltimore had unraveled — had been unraveling for decades, unspooling itself over a wide expanse of central Maryland.
And for those without cars, the state planned a mass transit system — a recognition on the part of at least some in power that civil rights meant not just equality in schools and workplaces and housing (the Fair Housing Act passed in April 1968) but also the means to access schools and workplaces and housing. Three months after the 1968 riots, the state released a master plan for Baltimore that envisioned three rail lines running through downtown — a U-shaped route from northwest of the city and back up to its northeast; a north-south route extending to BWI airport; and an east-west route straight across. It was an ambitious plan — its span outstretched the Beltway — but not excessively so for a city that remained, even with the outward flight, the seventh largest in the country.
The Baltimore plan was released within days of the proposal for the new Metro system in Washington, D.C., which had experienced its own riots that April. Washington was, at the time, significantly smaller than Baltimore, by about 150,000 people. But it had the incalculable advantage of housing the fast-growing federal government, which wanted the Metro, and would pay to get it built. It also had a bureaucratic advantage: the Metro project was overseen by a metropolitan board — people drawn from the region who had its interests at heart. Overseen by a state with a long record of ambivalence toward its major city, the proposed Baltimore transit system benefited from no such will or wherewithal. As the ’70s wore on, successive administration in Annapolis strung the project along largely in hopes of collecting bigger cuts of federal aid. And further delaying matters was resistance in the suburbs. Baltimore County fought to secure promises that the transit stations in their midst would be solely park-and-ride: suburbanites wanted no multi-family apartments built to take advantage of the transit proximity. Anne Arundel County, a heavily white county to the south, home to Annapolis, fought for years against any lines at all.
The inadequacies of public rail left many Baltimoreans ever more reliant upon a bewildering scattering of bus lines.
The first leg of the first mass transit line did not open until 1983. When the line was completed a decade later, it ran below ground for 6.2 miles and above ground for 9.2, extending from the suburbs northwest of the city through downtown before ending at Johns Hopkins Hospital in the east — well short of completing the envisioned U. Rather grandly, it was called the Metro — the city’s lone heavy-rail line claiming the name that in cities like Paris and Washington designate entire systems. The second line, the north-south one, opened in 1992. To save money, it was downscaled to light rail. It ran south from the northern suburbs (though it skipped one of the toniest, the enclave of Ruxton, which wanted no part of “loot rail”) and into the western edge of downtown, where it slowed to an excruciating crawl as it negotiated the stoplights of the urban grid before continuing south to BWI airport, for a length of thirty miles. This second line did serve to bring the (mostly white) northern reaches of the city and suburbs to Harborplace, the durably popular mall-like tourist trap that opened on the Inner Harbor in 1980, as well as to the handsome new baseball park at Camden Yards, which opened at the same time as the light rail. But the line’s utility did not go much beyond that; in fact the light rail didn’t even connect with the Metro — the closest it came was a block’s walk at Lexington Market.
That was Baltimore mass rail, two decades after the system was proposed: two lines that did not connect, far short of what one needed for the network effect of a true system. Inevitably, the inadequacies of public rail left many Baltimoreans ever more reliant upon the buses — a bewildering scattering of lines that typically followed the old streetcar routes, comprehensible only to those with no alternative but to rely on them.
Ramelle McCall was one of those with no alternative. He grew up in Sandtown-Winchester in the ’80s and ’90s, and early on had become aware of the risks of his environment — there was his uncle, a Vietnam veteran turned cop who was shot dead on duty in East Baltimore in 1972, and later on, there were his two incarcerated cousins.
He had also become aware that it would require superhuman patience and will to extricate himself from the traps of the neighborhood. One crucial test of patience was the daily commute: Ramelle was on all too familiar terms with the city’s transit patchwork. His mother was a bus driver who, he says, “busted her butt for the MTA.” Mornings, she’d drive all the way across town to the Eastern Division bus depot. Her routes took her all around the east side — just as poor as the west side, but somehow less bleak in its decline, perhaps because it had always been the humbler side of town, with narrow rowhouses for the workers from the nearby docks and canneries. Some of her routes even went out into the east-side working-class suburbs of Dundalk and Middle River. Sometimes she’d bring Ramelle along, giving him a broader view of his city. Eventually, she got her big break: when the light rail opened in 1992, she became its first female operator. Riding the rails beat the bus, hands down — no more snaking around the spaghetti lines of the bus map, sitting in traffic, making the constant stops and starts required by a system that seemed to overcompensate for the long waits between buses by making it possible to get on or off every few blocks. “She loved it,” McCall recalls. “It was a straight shot. She was able to take great pride in it.”
Soon enough, McCall started depending on this threadbare network himself. An aspiring young actor, he managed to transfer into an arts magnet high school in the county and thus escape a city school system that bore the traces of white flight even more starkly than the city itself, with a student body that was, by 1990, more than 80 percent black. Rising at 5 a.m., he’d catch a ride into downtown with his mother. They’d drive past the gash that had been left on the near-west side by the late-’60s demolition for the I-70 extension — that misbegotten project had been abandoned in 1981, leaving an orphaned 1.4 mile expressway, the “Highway to Nowhere,” that jutted west from downtown only to peter out in the midst of the Harlem Park neighborhood it had wiped out.
Downtown, Ramelle would catch the No. 8, the north-south bus that had assumed the route (with the same number) of one of the last two streetcars, which would take him on the hour-plus ride up into Towson. Just zoning out with his music, almost two hours end to end. College was more of the same. To get to Villa Julie College, a commuter school outside the Beltway, he’d take the No. 15 bus — the one that ran the route of the other last streetcar line — to the Metro rail and then to another bus. The bus on the final leg would be full of domestic help coming out for the big houses in Baltimore County. Housekeepers and the college kid.
The Bus Stop
Sherrilyn Ifill had seen it too, in the same years as Ramelle McCall was making his treks. Ifill, an attorney, had come to town in the early ’90s to teach at the University of Maryland School of Law and was then living near Edmondson Village, the far West Side neighborhood that flipped so quickly in the ’50s. She’d seen the women standing out at the bus stops on Edmondson Avenue before daybreak, waiting to ride to work downtown or at the big east-side hospitals. She had thought often about the consequences of their long commutes, the kids left to get themselves off for the day on their own, the twelve-year-old getting breakfast for younger siblings, getting them dressed, getting them to school.
“And once they get to school and maybe don’t have their homework and maybe haven’t had their breakfast, what’s the teacher’s reaction to that student?” Ifill said in an interview. “What’s our reaction as a society to those children? We talk about that mother, about people not doing their job. But we aren’t willing to follow the thread to that bus stop on Edmondson Avenue — to understand the larger problems in the context of transportation decisions over decades, in the context of why Baltimore doesn’t have a city-wide system.”
Why indeed. In fact what was missing from the planned city-wide system, what would have served those women and McCall, was the third rail line, the east-west one. But in those years, in the 1990s, it remained a mere rumor, three decades after the release of the 1968 master plan.
That it had remained unbuilt for so long seemed not unrelated to the fact that its route was from one poor area of the city to another. Unlike the other two lines, which connected at least some suburbanites to their jobs downtown, the third line was intended to transport people from West Baltimore to jobs across the city in the downtown business district and at the big employment hubs at either ends of the line, the Social Security and Medicare complex in the west and the Hopkins-Bayview medical complex in the east. Whatever grudging support the first two commuter lines had gotten from the suburbs was even harder to come by for the public transit line that would serve the struggling city. For by then white flight had persisted to the point where the city, in the ’90s, was now more than sixty percent black and the city’s share of the region’s white population had fallen by half again in the two decades since 1970, to a mere 15 percent.
To be sure, there were still pockets of the white working class, the ones who had not been able to afford the flight out — mostly Eastern European along the harbor, and, in the uptown mill village of Hampden, the descendants of the Scots-Irish who’d come up from Southern Appalachia for the war industry jobs just as Southern blacks had. And there was the white middle and upper middle class, what remained of it: a funnel shape, wide across the north-central old-money triumvirate of Roland Park, Guilford, and Homeland, liberated of covenants and slightly frayed into shabby gentility, but still deeply homogeneous and chock-a-block with private schools, then narrowing below the main Johns Hopkins campus in Homewood into the handsome brownstone districts of Mount Vernon and Bolton Hill, and, below that, by the harbor, the historic quarters of Federal Hill and Fells Point. In these precincts, an air of liberal concern for the rest of the city predominated — these residents were, after all, willing to pay far higher taxes than they would if they moved to the County. But the extremity of the gaps was undeniable: life expectancy in Roland Park was twenty years longer than in West Baltimore neighborhoods like Sandtown-Wincester or Harlem Park or Upton-Druid Heights.
Simply talk metro solidarity, and the calls would pour in from the suburbs, crackling with resentful indifference.
The city’s contradictions were playing out in its politics. For the first time, the majority-black city had elected a black mayor: Kurt Schmoke, who took office in 1987 and would serve three four-year terms. Soon after taking office, the polished Yale graduate would make national headlines by proposing to scale back the local response to the federal War on Drugs, which, together with the epidemic of heroin, had helped turn Baltimore into one of the most violent spots in the Western Hemisphere. (Schmoke’s efforts to de-escalate the campaign were the partial inspiration for the “Hamsterdam” episodes of The Wire, described by one commentator as its “bravest and most radical story line.”) But years later Schmoke recalls that he got hardly less blowback whenever he would argue on the radio call-in shows for a seemingly more prosaic notion: “metropolitan cooperation.” And this was without him even raising the matter of suburban annexation, which he believed was the ultimate solution to the city’s plight. (A statewide constitutional amendment passed in 1948 — as white flight was accelerating in the postwar years — made it all but impossible for the city to annex more territory from Baltimore County, from which it had been independent since 1851. ) Simply talk metro solidarity, and the calls would pour in from the suburbs, crackling with resentful indifference. “Most people who’ve left the city don’t feel they have any particular responsibility for its current situation. That includes elected officials as well as private citizens,” Schmoke said in a recent interview in his office at the University of Baltimore, where he is now president. “They don’t see the need to try to assist people left behind.”
That was putting it mildly. Lack of responsibility doesn’t fully capture, say, the sentiment behind the 1997 declaration by a commissioner in Carroll County, a rural area turned exurb to the northwest of the city. “If Baltimore dies, it dies,” he said. “Maybe we will dig it up and make farmland out of it. Why should we bail Baltimore out or be drawn into its problems?”
Few put the sentiment this bluntly. But it was widespread enough that most politicians felt obliged to pander to it. Indifference to the future of the city ran deep and informed not just transit decision-making but housing policy as well. Even at the end of the 20th century — several decades after the Fair Housing Act — most suburban counties still allowed landlords to discriminate against tenants with rental vouchers, and rebuffed efforts to construct subsidized units in their own jurisdictions — the sort of policies that the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights had once said amounted to a “white noose” around Baltimore. This had not kept a growing stream of middle-class blacks from moving into the suburbs, but it helped explain why they ended up clustered just across the city line from West Baltimore, in areas barely less segregated. In 1994, an eastern Baltimore County legislator warned that public housing programs would bring in black tenants who needed to be “taught to bathe and how not to steal.” That same year, the uproar over Moving to Opportunity — an experimental program to move low-income families out of poor neighborhoods and into the suburbs or better areas of the city — was so strong that even Democrats like Senator Barbara Mikulski, a native of Southeast Baltimore, sided with opponents, effectively putting a stop to the effort.
This, then, was the “context” that helped explain “why Baltimore doesn’t have a city-wide transit system” — and why the third line hadn’t got built. Even more than with the Metro and the north-south line that brought suburban day-trippers to the Inner Harbor, it would be up to the city to muster the support to construct this last part of the ’68 master plan.
But by the turn of the millennium, the city was turning enough of a corner that going it alone was starting to seem feasible.
The Red Line
Back in the early ’70s, long before she had helped block Moving to Opportunity, Barbara Mikulski had made her name in Baltimore politics as a neighborhood activist leading the fight against one of the proposed new highways, a link between Interstate 95, which crosses just south of the city on an east-west axis, and Interstate 83, the expressway that enters town from the north. The link would have cut straight through historic Fells Point and Canton, on the waterfront just beyond. These neighborhoods were mostly white — and, unlike the I-70 link, this highway was blocked before any demolitions.
By the first decade of this century, these southeast Baltimore districts that had been spared were the locus of a remarkable rebirth. Redevelopment had spread beyond the Inner Harbor — the narrow neck of the harbor was now bracketed by a wall of wall of Ritz-Carlton condos on one side and, on the other, by “Harbor East,” a growing cluster of high-rise hotels and upscale office buildings. The old white working-class neighborhoods spreading up from the docks, Canton and Locust Point, with their intact blocks of 19th-century rowhouses, were being populated by urban professionals. There was even a new world-famous sports clothing company, Under Armour, that set up its headquarters in the old Tide Detergent plant down along the water.
All this upmarket real estate redevelopment was heartening, though any full accounting of the history has to come with an asterisk: it was all made possible by considerable public funding going all the way back to the quasi-public corporations and tax credits first established in the ’70s by William Donald Schaefer, the city’s eccentric, boosterish mayor, and then used to spur the Inner Harbor and other downtown projects, including the National Aquarium and the convention center. Not only were the gleaming new buildings — largely focused on stimulating tourism — not doing much to benefit those in nearby West and East Baltimore; the subsidized projects were, quite literally, capitalizing on their struggles: their private sector developers were qualifying for tax breaks from the city on the grounds that things were so bleak so close by that the only way these new projects could succeed was with public subsidy. The men who ran the Baltimore Development Corporation had a phrase for it: “the Baltimore arithmetic.”
The upmarket redevelopment of Harbor East was made possible by considerable public funding.
Nonetheless, as the neighborhoods prospered — the arrival of Whole Foods in Harbor East seemed to put an exclamation point on the revival — they helped give new life to the prospect of the old third rail line. No longer was the line merely a link for impoverished West Baltimore; its eastern stretch would run through the most active and gentrifying frontier in the city, especially if it was directed on a more southeasterly route, closer to the waterfront. This potential helped generate support for the line among the city’s business establishment, which, stodgy as it might be, recognized that the rising cities that Baltimore aspired to be grouped with, places like Denver and Minneapolis, were building rail lines for the millennials who actually seemed to prefer transit riding to car commuting.
Fueled by this ferment, the third line finally got moving. In 2002 Governor Parris Glendening, a Democrat from the Washington suburbs who was enamored of smart-growth urbanism, gave the nod to get the east-west line built. After exhaustive study, a plan was eventually developed for a fourteen-mile route from the Social Security offices in the west to Hopkins-Bayview in the east. As with the second line, the north-south one, the third line would be light rail, to cut costs. But to avoid the creep through downtown that slowed that earlier line, the new one would incorporate a 3.4-mile tunnel. It would be called the Red Line.
The $2.9 billion plan far from perfect: for one thing, to transfer from the new line to the Metro line downtown, one would need to walk a long tunnel. But the Red Line would at last provide a real conduit from the heart of West Baltimore to downtown and the jobs centers at both ends of the line, something more reliable than the No. 15 bus that Ramelle McCall had ridden all those years. Well below half the households in the corridor lacked a vehicle, which was why four of the ten busiest bus lines ran along this stretch, and why several of these neighborhoods had the longest commute times in the city. The new line would give an incentive to developers to invest in the West Side neighborhoods close to the planned stations. And it would redeem the debacle of the “Highway to Nowhere,” that notorious west-side swath of eviction that had begun years before with the Harlem Park demolitions. The Red Line would finally make productive use of this right-of-way, give it purpose.
At first there was some wariness in the West Side community — fiascoes like the Highway to Nowhere had left a legacy of distrust. But, over the aughts, the project’s boosters — a mix of planners, engineers, and advocates who’d been working for years to make Baltimore transit not just a couple of lines but actually a system — held countless meetings along the route and even sent dozens of community members around the country to study similar light rail lines. There was some resistance, too, in ever-more gentrified Canton, among the neighborhood old-timers and the empty-nesters who’d moved back into the city — and who, in an echo of the suburbs’ fear of the “loot rail,” fretted about making their increasingly tony neighborhood that much more accessible. But many of the new arrivals, especially the younger ones, saw the new line for the progress it represented. Brooke Lierman, a Washington-area native who’d moved to Baltimore to clerk for a federal judge, had decided with her husband to remain in Fells Point precisely because it would be getting rail. “We’d lived in cities that were more transit friendly,” she said. “We were very excited at the prospect of living in a neighborhood that had a station.” She joined the advisory committees not only for her station area but also for the whole line.
Developers were snatching up parcels near future Red Line stations, sites that hadn’t garnered interest in decades.
Imperfections aside, the project was solid enough to qualify for $900 million in scarce federal funding. The state raised its gas tax to cover its share of the cost (and also pay for a light rail line in the Washington suburbs — the Purple Line — that had been thrown in with the Red Line to build support with D.C.-area legislators). Developers were snatching up parcels near Red Line stations, sites that hadn’t garnered interest in decades. Contractors were readying to bid on a project that would put thousands to work.
Still, over the decade, the process began to drag out. Glendening’s successor, Republican Robert Ehrlich, who took office in 2003, did little to advance things during his four years as governor. His successor, the Democratic former mayor of Baltimore, Martin O’Malley, was more supportive, but over his two terms he didn’t act with much urgency — as much as he championed his city, he’d never focused closely on its inadequate public transit, and the NIMBY resistance to the line in Canton had given him pause. With his tenure coming to a close, O’Malley was planning on handing the project off to his anointed successor, Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown. After $288 million worth of planning and design, construction was set to begin in 2015.
The Country Roads
Best laid plans. For even as Baltimore was showing signs of comeback — in addition to the waterfront development, the homicide rate was falling and population loss was leveling off — the old wariness had lingered in the suburbs, the suspicion that the troubled city was getting more than its share, paid for by the tax increases of the O’Malley years. The perception was at odds with reality — the city’s legislative delegation had shrunk by half since the 1970s, from forty-four to twenty-two, as the state’s political weight shifted toward the growing D.C. suburbs — but the resentment persisted nonetheless, and, in 2014, it got its vehicle. The Republican nominee challenging Anthony Brown was a commercial real estate broker from Anne Arundel County by the name of Larry Hogan. Burly and affable, Hogan was an Everyman figure, and not overly ideological. But he deftly tapped into a well of regional resentment toward Baltimore — he was the man for the outlying areas. He made plain his scorn for costly investments in the city — including the Red Line. “We’re going to focus on building roads,” he said.
Larry Hogan tapped into a well of regional resentment toward Baltimore — he was the man for the outlying areas.
Somehow, Hogan’s campaign didn’t set off alarms in the city. It didn’t help that Brown himself, from the Washington suburbs, showed relatively little interest in Baltimore and was not exactly rallying voters with his lackluster campaign. But it was also striking how little the city’s own leaders, from Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake on down, were doing to make the stakes plain to residents — especially when it came to its biggest infrastructure project in decades. On November 4, 2014, Hogan won by six percentage points, aided not just by big margins in the Baltimore suburbs, including Baltimore County, the state’s bellwether, but also by the startlingly anemic turnout in the city.
The cost of this apathy soon became all too plain. One month after the election, Hogan declared that he viewed Baltimore as a failed city. “What has been happening — taxing and spending and pouring millions into the city — has not helped. It has really hurt,” Hogan told The Sun. “There’s no businesses, there’s no jobs. The city’s declining rather than improving.” Upon taking office, Hogan cut $36 million from the city’s schools.
Three months into his tenure, Baltimore exploded when Freddie Gray, a twenty-five-year-old who grew up around the Gilmor Homes on the West Side, was arrested for running from the police and allegedly carrying a switchblade, and died six days later of spinal injuries suffered in police custody. The riot that followed Gray’s death was far less destructive than the three days of rioting that followed King’s death in 1968 — for one thing, nobody died. But it was enough to draw the cable-news anchor-stars, and to prompt countless meditations on inner-city failure (and, because this was Baltimore, endless invocations of The Wire). Many cast Baltimore as a sort of freak anomaly, a Third World city that had broken loose from another continent and floated up the Chesapeake Bay.
In fact it was not. Inequality — the income ratio between rich and poor — was barely higher than the norm for American cities, partly because the wealthiest residents in Baltimore were nowhere near the stratospheric heights of their counterparts in richer cities like Washington. The city was less segregated by class than many others, thanks in part to the remnants of its white working class. And even as segregated as it was by race, in this, too, it lagged many other cities. As stark as the region’s black-white disparities were, the area’s median income for black households was the second highest in the country, after Washington, thanks partly to those growing middle-class black suburbs. But there was one ranking in which Baltimore did stand out. Exactly one week after the riot, Harvard researchers Raj Chetty and Nathaniel Hendren released a high-profile nationwide study showing what a large impact a child’s environment had on his or her future earnings. The city that was found to have the very worst impact on poor kids’ future opportunity was Baltimore — especially when it came to boys. Here, just days after the riot, was social-science affirmation of what news viewers were seeing displayed, the consequences of the social isolation in the city’s poor neighborhoods.
It was precisely to reduce isolation and, quite literally, to improve mobility that transit boosters had rallied behind the Red Line. Indeed, Chetty and Hendren also found strong correlation between length of commute and economic mobility. Which was why it was such a blow to the civic solar plexus when Larry Hogan announced, in late June, two months after the riots, that he was pulling the plug on the project.
It was a devastating blow to the civic solar plexus when Hogan pulled the plug on the Red Line.
Hogan had made gestures of concern for West Baltimore after the violence, setting up a temporary office there and walking the streets. But there would be no post-riot epiphany to trump his underlying anti-urban bias. He would fund the new Purple Line in suburban Washington — icing on the cake for a Metro system now light years ahead of Baltimore’s, further widening the regional inequality between the two cities — but he would forfeit the $900 million in federal funding for the Red Line, write off the $288 million the state had spent as a loss, and redirect $736 million of the additional state money allocated for it to roads in exurbs and rural counties.
By way of rationale, Hogan dismissed the Red Line as a “wasteful boondoggle,” and the downtown tunnel, in particular, as a costly indulgence — as if it was outlandish for rail lines in cities to run underground. Soon afterward, it would emerge in public-records requests from a pro-transit group that his administration had given the question zero study. In the absence of a regional transportation authority to provide continuity from one administration to another, a new governor could simply toss away a project on which previous administrations had spent nearly $300 million.
And he could do so without risking much ire from a city that had grown to expect so little in the way of high-quality public transportation. Which helps explain why even when the project was on the verge of construction, the Red Line seemed somehow not quite real: those who would depend upon the new line were, after all, among the city’s most disenfranchised and least politically engaged; whereas in hyper-engaged quarters like Roland Park, it was a remote irrelevance. Not to mention that Hogan had gotten little apparent pressure from local elected officials and business leaders in the months prior to the decision. The city’s power brokers had supported the project, but not enough to go to war over it. They were not the ones standing at dawn at the Edmondson Ave bus stop.
The decision did land heavily for at least one elected official. Brooke Lierman, the young lawyer who’d moved to Fells Point, had been elected to the state legislature in 2014. She had remained involved in the Red Line planning groups, and she was out of town at a conference when she learned of the rejection. She rushed to the rest room, fearing she’d get sick. “I was nauseous and sick not only because of all the hours and nights and weekends and years people had put into the project to make it the best it could be for the city, but also because it had seemed like a project that could unite Baltimore, by providing jobs and linking neighborhoods,” she said later in an interview. “And especially after the unrest in April, to have that taken away from us felt like an almost insurmountable blow.”
But clearly the unrest had not moved Hogan. Others, too, were heedless of the link. The Washington Post, for example, had called for |
in agreeing about allocation of territory or anything like that — but it was indicative of peaceful progress in an important matter affecting regional countries.
In 2012 the countries involved had agreed that «the adoption of a code of conduct in the South China Sea would further promote peace and stability in the region» and issued a statement that included reaffirmation of «their commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, and other universally recognized principles of international law which shall serve as the basic norms governing state-to-state relations».
All these countries are, of course, signatories to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) which, according to the Voice of America «provides guidelines for how nations use the world's seas and their natural resources. It also contains mechanisms for addressing disputes».
But the United States of America, whose coast is 12,000 miles from the South China Sea where its ships zig-zag in ‘Freedom of Navigation’ operations, and its electronic warfare aircraft roam the skies forcing China to activate its mainland defensive radars so that they can be identified as future targets, refuses to sign the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The Berkeley Journal of International Law notes perceptively that «Although ratification of UNCLOS is unlikely today given staunch opposition to it in the Senate, the treaty remains an essential instrument of international law, particularly for resolving international maritime disputes. America’s abstention from the treaty is significant in this context, since as the preeminent naval power in the world it should hold a leading role in shaping the law of the sea. Instead, other nations are playing a larger role». But the US Senate is not known for a logical approach to international affairs, and its reaction is usually confrontational.
On May 10, just before the China-ASEAN conference and the zig-zagging antics of the USS Dewey, several US senators, including the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, wrote to President Trump expressing concern that the US Navy had not carried out patrols «upholding freedom of navigation» in the South China Sea since October 2016. This caused them to «urge your administration to take necessary steps to routinely exercise freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea, which is critical to US national security interests and to peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region».
There has been no instance of any international commercial vessel being in any way denied passage through the South China Sea. There has never been a case in which any nation in the world has had cause to protest that one of its transiting merchant ships has been approached or in any fashion intimidated, endangered or even mildly disconcerted by the actions of a Chinese warship. There hasn’t been a single Chinese zig-zag.
These US Senators appear unable to understand that for China to take such action would be economically disastrous. The New York Times records that «$5.3 trillion worth of goods moves through the sea every year, which is about 30 percent of global maritime trade. That includes huge amounts of oil and $1.2 trillion worth of annual trade with the United States». Surely these representatives of the American people, elected presumably because of their outstanding levels of intelligence, flexibility, shrewdness, self-discipline and overall integrity, can see that if there were any real threat to passage of mercantile craft in the South China Sea there would be a catastrophic impact on making profits?
Even if they are not intelligent or shrewd or possess any of the other qualities desirable in a national legislator, they should realise that if the world’s financial community thought there was a threat to merchant ships in the South China Sea then insurance rates would go through the roof. There would be worldwide rocketing of commodity prices and a massive financial crisis. That is basic enough for even the dumbest senator to understand.
The only overflights in the region that have drawn attention have been the coat-trailing provocative electronic warfare missions of US military aircraft. There has not been one occasion on which an overflying civil aircraft has experienced interference of any sort.
Maintenance of peace and furtherance of prosperity of the region are being handled satisfactorily by regional countries, as demonstrated by the recent amicable gathering of Asian nations who agreed to «jointly maintain the peace and stability of the South China Sea». The major problem in the region is interference by warships and military aircraft of the United States. There is little doubt that China’s deputy foreign minister had his tongue firmly in his cheek when he told the media he hoped the China-ASEAN consultations would not be «subject to any outside interference», because he knew very well that cordial agreement between China and other Asian nations concerning the South China Sea would be anathema to Washington.
The Congress and the Pentagon are marching in step, as evidenced by the declaration of the senators that «We are encouraged by the statement made by Admiral Harry Harris, Commander of US Pacific Command, during his testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee on April 26, that he expects new FONOPs to take place soon. We also share Admiral Harris’s assessments that ‘China’s militarization of the South China Sea is real’ and that ‘China continues its methodical strategy to control the South China Sea’».
Much of the world believes that the United States, 12,000 miles from the South China Sea, is the country that wants to control it. Methodical strategy might be the way to go about it, but as we have seen in the swathe of nations from Afghanistan to Libya, by way of Iraq and Syria, the strategy of the United States is not methodical. But it is decidedly confrontational. And disastrous.Don’t know who Matt Wenning is? You should. Wenning is a world record holder and has a masters degree in biomechanics to go along with a 2,665 lb. equipped powerlifting total (which was a previous all-time world record.) He trains NFL players, Olympians, firefighters, the 82nd Airborne unit and stay-at-home moms. And everyone Wenning trains learns to deadlift sumo-style.
“If I get guys to do sumo first their lifting is much better and they have a little more hip dominance, which protects the lower back,” said Wenning, who owns Ludus Magnus gym in Columbus, Oh.
“The major cause of lower back issues is lack of hip mobility. A good sumo deadlifter doesn’t lack hip mobility. I get people very proficient at sumo deadlifts and, once they have that control over the glute medius and maximus, the flexibility of the hamstring and groin, then when I put them back in the conventional deadlift,they can correct [things] no matter where their feet are.”
Wenning, who analyzes injury reports when working with large groups (such as the military) experimented with a test group of about 7,000 athletes. The key for him has, and will always be, producing a more balanced athlete.
In that vein, Wenning has long been an advocate of everyone —from high-level powerlifters to newbie CrossFitters — incorporating sumo into their training program.
“It has a much longer lifespan when done properly and attacks a major issue: lack of hip mobility. About 85-90 percent of the population will have or has had lower back problems,” Wenning said.
“I get guys as strong as they can without getting injured and make sure it transfers over into the street. If you were to look at my injury reports and strength [charts], sumo deadlift has played a massive part in improvements.”
“A lot of people, the average athlete or CrossFit person, if they can’t sumo that’s a muscle imbalance issue. And you will see it in a lot of people. It shows you where you need to work. You have to try to find the weakest link [in your lift] and make it better.”
First thing is first: sumo is NOT a deadlift with wide legs. It’s a different movement that requires a different setup and cues than conventional. (This article goes more in depth on technique for each.)
Because sumo is done in a wider stance than conventional and the progression of the pulling direction, it recruits much more from the hips and glutes. It also reduces the sheer force on the knees and back and can be trained more frequently and at a higher volume.
It’s not “cheating” as you may have incorrectly heard or read and it’s not necessarily easier. While the width of your feet makes your pull shorter in sumo, just getting the bar off the ground is more difficult. It’s a tough position to leverage, one that takes time to get comfortable with.
Wenning believes sumo has a longer life span (in terms of keeping athletes healthier) while conventional is more powerful, citing most of the 14 lifters in the 900-lb. deadlift class who use the conventional method.
Does this mean you have to lift sumo all the time? No. While some lifters are better anatomically suited for sumo-style, Wenning said the aim is to train both styles. A good goal is have your max sumo be in the 85 percent range of your conventional dead lift max (or vice versa if you’re a stronger sumo puller.)
The sumo deadlift has a much longer lifespan when done properly and attacks a major issue: lack of hip mobility. About 85-90 percent of the population will have or has had lower back problems…The major cause of lower back issues is lack of hip mobility.
“A lot of people, the average athlete or CrossFit person, if they can’t sumo that’s a muscle imbalance issue,” Wenning said. “And you will see it in a lot of people. It shows you where you need to work. You have to try to find the weakest link [in your lift] and make it better.”
Wenning, who has pulled 804 lb. conventional as a raw lifter, credits the sumo-deadlift —along with his Conjugate-style training method—for helping him stay injury-free during 20-plus years of lifting.
“It corrects motor patterns, and protects the lower back while people are learning. I pull all over the place- conventional in competitions, but 75 percent of my training is sumo,” Wenning said.
“If you mix and match the planes in which you train, and change constantly it’s a huge advantage, not just to the wear and tear, but to make you stronger in the weakest links. You see a lot of problems with these [training] systems coming out, they are not looking at trying to fix weakness or train in different planes constantly.
If you do this for twenty years you will realize how important that is. Doing the same thing all the time is what wears you down. If you want to train heavy and hard, it has to be different or you are going to have a problem.”So here we are, the results of our latest crowdsourcing policy process, added in to our existing policy set. This has resulted in our broadest ever political platform - made by you, not cooked up by 'focus groups'.
You can see the results on - https://www.pirateparty.org.uk/policy
The results are broken down in to different areas, from Digital Rights and Surveillance to Welfare and Work.
Each area has all the individual points linked after an overview.
We have produced a General Election fighting manifesto for the candidates here: https://pirateparty.org.uk/sites/default/files/library/NationalManifesto.pdf
It's more condensed to get across the key points. After all, if all of this could be achieved in just five years that would be quite something!
I'm really proud of what we are doing in British politics, which is showing that it can be done in a different way. Of course it's just a start. This needs to be expanded, and argued over ever further. Democracy should be about a process.
But now - let's get out and support the Pirate voice and tell people it's time to think different.
If you can help out, do mail us on [email protected]
For a breakdown of results please see: https://www.pirateparty.org.uk/2015-policy-votingThe Prime Minister’s office sent information Monday to The Advance regarding a money-losing speech Liberal leader Justin Trudeau made in Barrie in 2007.
On Monday, PMO communications officer Erica Meekes sent The Advance details of an engagement that netted Trudeau a $10,000 fee, but left Georgian College with a $4,118 shortfall. The information was sent via email with the caveat it be referred to as coming from a “source,” not the PMO, when used.
“As a follow-up to the growing controversy over the weekend on Justin Trudeau charging charities for his speaking services, I have enclosed further materials that demonstrate the scope of this practice, cost on the organizations, and in many cases, poor outcomes and large deficits as a result of his speaking tour,” the email stated. “As discussed, these materials are provided to you on background, and should be attributed to a ‘source.’”
The material included invoices, a promotional poster and an accommodation receipt for the Toronto Four Seasons. Meekes wrote, “To be fair, there is an in-house yoga studio at the Four Seasons!”
When asked in a telephone interview why Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s office was sending out unsolicited documentation, Meekes said the PMO routinely reaches out to the media.
This is the first time, however, such financial information was released to The Advance from the PMO.
Normally, such work is the purview of partisan researchers.
Meekes’ email said to contact Patrick Brown, “the local MP for Georgian College,” for comment.
In an email from Ottawa, Brown said Trudeau shouldn’t be let off the hook for the Georgian loss, even if it occurred before he entered politics.
“I don’t know why he wouldn’t do it for free even before he was an MP. He didn’t charge the Liberals to do speeches at their partisan events,” said Brown. “Why charge charities and not-for-profits, especially when they are losing money, based on his professional ability to draw crowds?”In this episode we talk with Richard Stiennon who is the Chief Research Analyst for IT-Harvest and author of two books on cyberwar. We discuss the challenges that businesses face from government demands to weaken encryption, provide backdoors and otherwise weaken security controls. In addition we highlight the challenges executives and boards face, as they are caught in the middle between demands by consumers for stronger privacy and security controls, and those of law enforcement to weaken these controls to target terrorist and criminal communications.
About Richard Stiennon
Richard Stiennon is Chief Research Analyst for IT-Harvest, the firm he founded in 2005 to cover the 1,400 vendors that make up the IT security industry. He is the author of Surviving Cyberwar (Government Institutes, 2010) and There Will Be Cyberwar: How the Move to Network-centric Warfighting Set the Stage for Cyberwar. He is a member of the advisory board at the Information Governance Initiative and principal of TrueBit Cyber Partners. Stiennon was Chief Marketing Officer for Fortinet, Inc. and VP Threat Research at Webroot Software. Prior to that he was VP Research at Gartner, Inc. He has a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering and his MA in War in the Modern World from King’s College, London. Find him on Twitter: @cyberwarVenturing into new and unconventional territories, such as Azerbaijan, is not a new phenomenon - Formula 1 has held grands prix at a horse racing track and a Las Vegas car park before now.
Few of them have lasted, so will F1 still be going to Baku in 10 years' time? Who knows, but here's a few races that have been and gone...
Horsepower at Aintree
Famous for being the home of the Grand National, Aintree also hosted the British Grand Prix in 1955, 1957, 1959 (pictured here), 1961 and 1962. It had corners that gave a nod to its horse racing heritage - such as Bechers Bend and Melling Crossing. But not everyone was happy. Motor Racing magazine remarked on the "alleged officious manner of officials". Silverstone and Brands Hatch were preferred from 1963 onwards.
Watch the cliffs!
On the F1 calendar in 1957, the Pescara Grand Prix was the longest circuit to hold an F1 race at 16 miles. It was also considered very dangerous, with a section of track running along a cliff face with a 500-metre drop. Sir Stirling Moss loved it though, and not just because he won. "It was just like being a kid out for a burn-up," he said. "A wonderful feeling." Tsk, boy racers...
Failing to hit the jackpot at Caesar's
One of the more bizarre locations for an F1 race was a car park in Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas, which staged the final race of the 1981 and 1982 seasons. The featureless track was not popular with the drivers, whose necks were put under tremendous strain by the anti-clockwise circuit, while the desert heat also took its toll.
Let's forget the motor city
To look at, you would think Detroit would have hosted F1 for longer than it did (1982-88). The trouble was, the track surface frequently broke up and it was slower than Monaco. The Detroit Free Press was not impressed, commenting: "We've got guys here who hit 82 on the streets of downtown Detroit almost any night. They do it about a quarter to two, trying to make last calls in their favourite bar. And they're not our best either."
Even JR couldn't save Dallas
Did F1 only go to Dallas, in 1984, because the TV series of that name was so popular? Journalist Nigel Roebuck described it as "a bizarre weekend in the history of F1". In extreme heat, the Tarmac boiled up and many drivers didn't want to race. The GP started at 11am which meant the warm-up session was scheduled for 7am, prompting Williams' Jacques Laffite to arrive at the circuit in his pyjamas. Nigel Mansell's Lotus broke down on the last lap and the exhausted Englishman collapsed as he attempted to push it over the line. Keke Rosberg - Nico's dad - won the race, and celebrated with a cigarette while reclining in the boot of a car. Yeah, bizarre.
JR (Larry Hagman, pictured) and Sue Ellen (Linda Gray) attended the Dallas GP but F1 never returned after "someone had gone AWOL with the takings", according to Roebuck.
The farce of Indianapolis
Spotting a pattern here? More than anywhere, F1 has struggled to put down roots in the USA. Given its motor racing heritage, Indianapolis should have worked and its first F1 race in 2000 attracted a crowd approaching 250,000. But it never recovered from the farce of the 2005 event, when only six cars started because of concerns over the safety of Michelin tyres. The 2007 race, won by Lewis Hamilton, was the last at Indy.
Understandably, many fans did not stay to see the outcome of the 2005 US Grand Prix, while missiles were thrown on to the circuit and the cars crossed the finishing line to shouts of derision from those spectators who remained.
Not a Turkey but Istanbul didn't last
Introduced in 2005, the Turkish Grand Prix provided good races, and its high-speed Turn Eight was hailed as one of the great corners in F1. However, in common with many modern racetracks, attendances were poor and there were money issues. The sport has not been back since 2011.
India goes to the dogs
Built at a cost of £246m, the Indian Grand Prix only took place three times before it was dropped after the 2013 season when the local Uttar Pradesh government attempted to levy taxes on the event. The inaugural grand prix in 2011 was memorable for a stray dog invading the track during practice, forcing the red flag to be shown.
Bad Korea move
The drivers may have liked the layout of the track, but for everyone else there was very little about the Korean Grand Prix to warm to. Located in marshland in remote Yeongam, it lacked the glamour of some of F1's other destinations. It was on the calendar from 2010 until 2013 before it was dropped.
Singapore shines under the lights
Some new circuits are a spectacular success, mind. F1 headed to Singapore in 2008 for its first night race, and it's been a popular destination ever since. A race with a party atmosphere, set to a spectacular backdrop. What's not to love? Over to you, Baku.
Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.WASHINGTON: It’s not appropriate for Iran to join the talks on Syria’s future, it’s still considered “state sponsor of terrorism,” US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Saturday.
In comments posted on the front page of the US State Department’s official website, Secretary Kerry said that so far no member of a US-led coalition for fighting extremists in Syria has suggested including Iran in the upcoming talks in Paris.
“It would not be appropriate, given the many other issues that are on the table with respect to their (Iran’s) engagement in Syria and elsewhere,” he said.
Further explain the US position on this issue, Secretary Kerry that Iran had been deeply involved in Syria and Iranian forces were still operating there.
Another concern was that Iran was still “a state sponsor of terror in various places,” he added.
Instead of inviting Iran to the Paris conference, Secretary Kerry suggested approaching it “in a proper way” and through a process that was acceptable to other members of the coalition as well.
Secretary Kerry is currently touring the Middle East to gather support for US President Barack Obama’s plan to launch a joint military operation against the militants of the Islamic State group.
On Thursday, Secretary Kerry concluded a pact with key Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iraq, committing them to back the planned offensive.
On Friday, he visited Turkey to secure its support for the US plan. Both Turkey and Iran were not invited to the meeting in Jeddah this week where the anti-militant coalition was formed.
Turkey has agreed to provide humanitarian support to those fighting the militant but is reluctant to join a military offensive as it fears that this may harm a large number of Turkish hostages the militants are holding.
Turkey has the second-largest armed forces in the Nato military alliance after the United States and hosts a major US Air Force base at Incirlik in its south.
Secretary Kerry said it was too early to say publicly what individual countries were prepared to do in a broad front to cut off funds to the militants, encourage local opposition and provide humanitarian aid.
The top US diplomat, who was in Cairo on Saturday, said that building a coalition would take time. But he also said he was confident that he will ultimately put together “a broad-based coalition with Arab nations, European nations, the United States, others.”
Published in Dawn, September 14th, 20141 of 14 View Caption
Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune District Attorney Sim Gill holds a press conference at the Salt Lake County Offices a Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune District Attorney Sim Gill holds a press conference at the Salt Lake County Offices a A screen shot from the officer camera video of Officer Bron Cruz pointing his gun at Dillon Taylor just moments before Cruz shot T Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune District Attorney Sim Gill holds a press conference at the Salt Lake County Offices t Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune District Attorney Sim Gill holds a press conference at the Salt Lake County Offices a Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune District Attorney Sim Gill holds a press conference at the Salt Lake County Offices t Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune District Attorney Sim Gill holds a press conference at the Salt Lake County Offices a Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune District Attorney Sim Gill holds a press conference at the Salt Lake County Offices a Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune District Attorney Sim Gill holds a press conference at the Salt Lake County Offices a Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Protesters march in downtown Salt Lake City, in solidarity with Mike Brown, Dillon Taylor, Da 1. Officer Bron Cruz' body camera shows him beginning to raise his gun toward Dillon Taylor as Taylor walks away. 2. Taylor conti Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune District Attorney Sim Gill holds a press conference at the Salt Lake County Offices a | Facebook Photo Dillon Taylor Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune District Attorney Sim Gill holds a press conference at the Salt Lake County Offices aVenezuela's embattled president was humiliated over the weekend when an angry crowd of local residents gathered in the street with pots and pans to chase him out of their small town of Villa Rosa.
But President Nicolas Maduro´s embarrassing moment turned into tragedy for journalist Braulio Jatar, who was put behind bars shortly after breaking the story. It's the latest sign that Venezuela's government is becoming increasingly intolerant to dissent and free press, as the country's economy falls apart and the socialist administration starts to lose control of the streets.
On Friday night, Jatar, a local radio host and news site editor, was among first reporters to publish these videos of Venezuelan President Maduro's ill-conceived visit to Villa Rosa, where he was clearly unwelcome.
The images show Maduro (wearing a white shirt and red cap) getting swarmed by protesters banging pots and pans (a form of protest known as a cacerolazo) as he leaves a poor neighborhood in Villa Rosa, a town that previously voted for the ruling party but where many residents now blame the president for the country's economic woes.
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Shortly after the spontaneous protest happened, Jatar began to conduct interviews with local residents and published photos and videos of the incident on his website, Reporte Confidencial. The following day he was arrested by Venezuelan police as he headed to a local radio station for his Saturday program. According to family members, Jatar was not allowed to contact anyone for nine hours after his arrest, as the police denied they even had him in custody.
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Eventually Venezuela's intelligence services acknowledged Jatar's arrest. His son says police came to their family home and conducted a warrantless search.
On Monday, Jatar was charged with money-laundering after officials said they found “large sums” of cash in his car.
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Jatar's family says the money was planted. His niece, New York-based comedian Joanna Haussman, who does videos for Flama, claims her uncle is the latest political prisoner in Venezuela. According to the Venezuela Penal Forum, a human rights group, the country already has 92 political prisoners.
Jatar wasn't the only person arrested after Maduro's flop in Villa Rosa. The Penal Forum says more than 30 local residents were arrested after the protest. Most of them were released over the weekend, except for Jatar.
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Political unrest and government crackdowns have been growing in Venezuela as the economy spirals out of control and food shortages worsen.
The Penal Forum says that 23 people were arrested last week during a massive anti-government protest known as “the siege” of Caracas. Several correspondents who flew into Venezuela to cover “the siege” were barred entry into the country, including reporters for Al Jazeera, NPR and Le Monde. A reporter for the Miami Herald was arrested in Caracas and expelled from Venezuela prior to the march.
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Manuel Rueda is a correspondent for Fusion, covering Mexico and South America. He travels from donkey festivals, to salsa clubs to steamy places with cartel activity.> :m + Data.List Data.Function > contents <- readFile "user.log" > let l = lines contents > let t = map words l > mapM print $ take 2 t
> let noDay = map (\(d:ds) -> take 7 d : ds) t > let months = groupBy ((==) `on` head) noDay
on :: (b -> b -> c) -> (a -> b) -> a -> a -> c
> let exampleList = [ (1,9), (1,7), (2,16), (2,6) ] > groupBy ((==) `on` fst) exampleList
> let monthUniqs = map (nubBy ((==) `on` (!!2))) months
> nubBy (==) [1,1,2,2,1] == [1,2]
> zip (map (head. head) monthUniqs) (map length monthUniqs)
> let user = groupBy ((==) `on` (!!2)) $ sortBy (compare `on` (!!2)) t
> length users
> let userDays = map (nubBy ((==) `on` head)) user
user
t
noDay
> let visitCounts = map length userDays
I've hade some requests to explain some of the less common functions used in my log analysis screencast. I think the most straightforward approach is to examine each of the lines in a literate Haskell style. This is going to be a long-winded description of exactly what's going on. If you understood everything in the screencast, this post will probably bore you. But if you found yourself wondering what the heck was going on, this post might help.These four lines are pretty straightforward. ":m +" is GHCi syntax that is similar to an import. readFile :: FilePath -> IO String reads the contents of a file into a string. The lines function splits the string on newlines and creates a list of strings representing each line in the file. We map the words function over each of these lines to split the lines around whitespace. At this point t :: [[String]]. You can think of it as a table (hence the name 't') where each row is a line in the file and each column is a field. The "mapM print" displays the first two elements of t on separate lines.Now we get into the meat of the analysis. The noDay line uses a simple map and a lambda to strip off the last three characters of the first field in every line, turning the field into unique month identifier. "groupBy" is a handy function that groups a list into "partitions" where the elements in a partition are all equal for a user-specified definition of equality. In this case, we're grouping the rows in noDay and we want to use equality of the first field to define our groups. The 'on' function is a handy little tool defined in Data.Function that makes this easier.On's first argument is a binary operator "b -> b -> c". It's second argument is a function that transforms a's into b's. It returns a new binary operator "a -> a -> c" that applies the transform function to the a's to get two b's that it can use with the original binary operator. In our example, the "a -> a -> c" is equivalent to "row -> row -> Bool" (straight out of the definition of groupBy). So the 'on' function helps us construct this row comparator by first transforming the row and then comparing those things. Our comparison function is (==), and our row transformation is "head", which gets us the month field.Here's a simple example:This groupBy call returns [ [(1,9),(1,7)], [(2,16),(2,6)] ]. It has grouped all the consecutive tuples with 1 as the first element into one list and all the 2's into a second list. These lists then must be grouped with a surrounding list. In the original example, we get a list of groups by months. The result can be conceptualized as list of bins representing each month where each of those bins is a list of all the log entries that happened in that month.Our next line has the form "map... months". This means that we're doing some operation on each of the "month bins" we just created. In this case our operation is "nubBy ((==) `on` (!!2))". It's very similar to the groupBy line. 'nubBy' removes duplicates from a list, where the supplied comparison function defines what things are duplicates.We again call on the trusty 'on' function to make nubBy use the third field (the username) to determine equality. This removes all duplicate usernames from each of the month bins, so the number of items in each of the bins is the number of unique registered users that came to the site in that month.Now we want to display the length of each of the bins. The lengths are more interesting when we know which months they go with, so we use the zip function to combine two lists into one list of tuples.By now these patterns should be looking familiar. Here we're grouping by the username field just like we grouped by the month field before. The only difference is that we have to sort the list by the username field first because groupBy only groups equivalent elements that are adjacent. The result of this is a list of bins representing each user.The length of this list tells us the number of registered users that have logged in.Now we're nubbing the user bins to remove duplicate days. (It's days becausewas created frominstead of.)This tells us how many different days each user has visited the site.None of what we have done here is particularly difficult. It wouldn't be hard to do the same thing with Ruby or Python. The point of the screencast is to show that it can also be done easily in Haskell, a statically typed, compiled language; and to demonstrate some useful functions in Haskell's standard library.UPDATED: By Wednesday, nine more advertisers had abandoned the syndicated radio program.
Rush Limbaugh can't stop the bleeding.
The conservative firebrand lost another round of advertisers for his syndicated program, The Rush Limbaugh Show, by Wednesday morning, putting at 43 the number of sponsors retreating following his high-profile attacks last week on Georgetown student Sandra Fluke.
The mass exodus continued, as Think Progress rounded up six more sponsored that decided to no longer associate their brand with Limbaugh. Reputation Rhino, fittingly, a reputation management firm, insisted that they bought bulk air time on ABC and would make sure their ads would not run on Limbaugh's show and even used the situation as a subject for their blog.
The other companies pulling their ads were Consolidated Credit, Constant Contact, RSVP Discount Beverage, Cunningham Security and Regal Assets, which said in a statement that "We cannot even begin to understand how Sandra Fluke feels regarding the recent attacks by Rush Limbaugh, but everyone at Regal Assets wants to let Sandra Fluke know that we stand by her side in full support."
Later in the day, Freedom Debt Relief, Norway Savings Bank, and Portland Ovations also removed their sponsorships, though once again came the assertion that bulk ad buys had been responsible for their brands airing ads on the show in the first place.
"Portland Ovations is not a local sponsor of this show and has requested that Portland Ovations advertising be removed from within and around this program," the non-profit wrote on its Facebook page. "Back in January we purchased run-of-station advertising, which is placed at the station’s discretion. We are grateful to WGAN for heeding our request. We thank our Members and patrons for sharing their opinions on this matter. It’s a prime example of the active, engaged community in which we are all so fortunate to live, work and play."
On late Tuesday, Teleconferencing company Polycom, home-improvement company Service Magic, life insurance site AccuQuote, Hadeed Carpet and clothing company Bonobos announced that they had requested their ads pulled from the program. They joined earlier Tuesday ship-jummpers, insurance company Geico, tractor manufacturer John Deere, St. Vincent's Medical Center and Stamps.com. As the day wore on, nine more sponsors pulled their spots: Bethesda Sedation Dentistry, Cascades Dental, Philadelphia Orchestra, Goodwill Industries, Heart & Body Extract, Netflix, Downeast Energy, Capitol One, and JCPenney. Matrix Direct jumped ship later in the day.
Those companies joined such high-profile companies as AOL, Sears, LegalZoom and ProFlowers in removing their spots from the show.
PHOTOS: Hollywood's Memorable Mea Culpas
Limbaugh spent three days berating Fluke, a student who had sought to testify before Congress on behalf of insurance coverage for birth control, calling her a "slut" and a "prostitute" and insisting that, if she wanted birth control coverage, she post videos of herself having sex.
He apologized for his choice of words on Saturday, a mea culpa that fell short in the eyes of many critics. As a result of public outrage, two stations, in Pittsfield, Mass. and Hilo, Hawaii, removed Limbaugh from their schedules. Musician Peter Gabriel, whose song "Sledghammer" was played during Limbaugh's rant, moved to have his music taken off of Limbaugh's program.
"Peter was appalled to learn that his music was linked to Rush Limbaugh's extraordinary attack on Sandra Fluke," his reps said. "It is obvious from anyone that knows Peter's work that he would never approve such a use. He has asked his representatives to make sure his music is withdrawn and especially from these unfair aggressive and ignorant comments."
Despite the loss in revenue, Premiere Networks, the syndication arm of Limbaugh's bosses at Clear Channel, stands by the host.
They are "committed to providing its listeners with access to a broad range of opinion and commentary without condoning or agreeing with the opinions, comments or attempts at humor expressed by on-air talent," the company said, according to the Wall Street Journal. "We respect the right of Mr. Limbaugh, as well as the rights of those who disagree with him, to express those opinions."What is Azure Storage?
Azure Storage is the Microsoft solution for cloud storage. Their solution provides four different types of storage:
Before diving into the details about each type, let's talk about account storages. An account storage provides a unique namespace for Azure Storage objects. Based on what customers use, Microsoft bills them through their account storages. Every account storage contains a subdomain that is used to access the different storage types. For example, if we had an account storage id called storagesample we would get the following subdomain:
storagesample.blob.core.windows.net
storagesample.table.core.windows.net
storagesample.file.core.windows.net
storagesample.queue.core.windows.net
What is Azure Table Storage?
Azure Table Storage is a service that stores NoSQL data in the cloud. This storage type enables developers to store schema-less data in a key/value fashion. The main characteristics of Azure Table Storage are:
Tables are independent of each other.
Features like foreign keys, joins, and custom indexes don't exist.
Table schemas are flexible. That is, it's not mandatory to have all fields on all records.
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pillow your limbs in softest slumber; how cull each individual pleasure without alloy of pain; and if ever the suspicion steal upon you that the stream of joys will one day dwindle, trust me I will not lead you where you shall replenish the store by toil of body and trouble of soul. No! others shall labour, but you shall reap the fruit of their labours; you shall withhold your hand from nought which shall bring you gain. For to all my followers I give authority and power to help themselves freely from every side.' “Heracles hearing these words made answer: 'What, O lady, is the name you bear?' To which she: 'Know that my friends call be Happiness, but they that hate me have their own nicknames for me, Vice and Naughtiness.' “But just then the other of those fair women approached and spoke: 'Heracles, I too am come to you, seeing that your parents are well known to me, and in your nurture I have gauged your nature; wherefore I entertain good hope that if you choose the path which leads to me, you shall greatly bestir yourself to be the doer of many a doughty deed of noble emprise; and that I too shall be held in even higher honour for your sake, lit with the lustre shed by valorous deeds. I will not cheat you with preludings of pleasure, but I will relate to you the things that are according to the ordinances of God in very truth. Know then that among things that are lovely and of good report, not one have the gods bestowed upon mortal men apart from toil and pains. Would you obtain the favour of the gods, then must you pay these same gods service; would you be loved by your friends, you must benefit these friends; do you desire to be honoured by the state, you must give the state your aid; do you claim admiration for your virtue from all Hellas, you must strive to do some good to Hellas; do you wish earth to yield her fruits to you abundantly, to earth must you pay your court; do you seek to amass riches from your flocks and herds, on them must you bestow your labour; or is it your ambition to be potent as a warrior, able to save your friends and to subdue your foes, then must you learn the arts of war from those who have the knowledge, and practise their application in the field when learned; or would you e'en be powerful of limb and body, then must you habituate limbs and body to obey the mind, and exercise yourself with toil and sweat.' “At this point, (as Prodicus relates) Vice broke in exclaiming: 'See you, Heracles, how hard and long the road is by which yonder woman would escort you to her festal joys. But I will guide you by a short and easy road to happiness.' “Then spoke Virtue: 'Nay, wretched one, what good thing hast thou? or what sweet thing art thou acquainted with—that wilt stir neither hand nor foot to gain it? Thou, that mayest not even await the desire of pleasure, but, or ever that desire springs up, art already satiated; eating before thou hungerest, and drinking before thou thirsteth; who to eke out an appetite must invent an army of cooks and confectioners; and to whet thy thirst must lay down costliest wines, and run up and down in search of ice in summer-time; to help thy slumbers soft coverlets suffice not, but couches and feather-beds must be prepared thee and rockers to rock thee to rest; since desire for sleep in thy case springs not from toil but from vacuity and nothing in the world to do. Even the natural appetite of love thou forcest prematurely by every means thou mayest devise, confounding the sexes in thy service. Thus thou educatest thy friends: with insult in the night season and drowse of slumber during the precious hours of the day. Immortal, thou art cast forth from the company of gods, and by good men art dishonoured: that sweetest sound of all, the voice of praise, has never thrilled thine ears; and the fairest of all fair visions is hidden from thine eyes that have never beheld one bounteous deed wrought by thine own hand. If thou openest thy lips in speech, who will believe thy word? If thou hast need of aught, none shall satisfy thee. What sane man will venture to join thy rablle rout? Ill indeed are thy revellers to look upon, young men impotent of body, and old men witless in mind: in the heyday of life they batten in sleek idleness, and wearily do they drag through an age of wrinkled wretchedness: and why? they blush with shame at the thought of deeds done in the past, and groan for weariness at what is left to do. During their youth they ran riot through their sweet things, and laid up for themselves large store of bitterness against the time of eld. But my companionship is with the gods; and with the good among men my conversation; no bounteous deed, divine or human, is wrought without my aid. Therefore am I honoured in Heaven pre-eminently, and upon earth among men whose right it is to honour me; as a beloved fellow-worker of all craftsmen; a faithful guardian of house and lands, whom the owners bless; a kindly helpmeet of servants; a brave assistant in the labours of peace; an unflinching ally in the deeds of war; a sharer in all friendships indispensable. To my friends is given an enjoyment of meats and drinks, which is sweet in itself and devoid of trouble, in that they can endure until desire ripens, and sleep more delicious visits them than those who toil not. Yet they are not pained to part with it; nor for the sake of slumber do they let slip the performance of their duties. Among my followers the youth delights in the praises of his elders, and the old man glories in the honour of the young; with joy they call to memory their deeds of old, and in to-day's well-doing are well pleased. For my sake they are dear in the sight of God, beloved of their friends and honoured by the country of their birth. When the appointed goal is reached they lie not down in oblivion with dishonour, but bloom afresh—their praise resounded on the lips of men for ever. Toils like these, O son of noble parents, Heracles, it is yours to meet with, and having endured, to enter into the heritage assured you of transcendant happiness.'” This, Aristippus, in rough sketch is the theme which Prodicus pursues in his “Education of Heracles by Virtue,” only he decked out his sentiments, I admit, in far more magnificent phrases than I have ventured on. Were it not well, Aristippus, to lay to heart these sayings, and to strive to bethink you somewhat of that which touches the future of our life? Source: The Memorabilia Recollections of Socrates
By Xenophon, Translator: H. G. Dakyns
Gutenberg Release Date: August 24, 2008 [EBook #1177]
Xenophon, Memorabilia Book 3.8
Once when Aristippus set himself to subject Socrates to a cross-examination, such as he had himself undergone at the hands of Socrates on a former occasion, Socrates, being minded to benefit those who were with him, gave his answers less in the style of a debater guarding against perversions of his argument, than of a man persuaded of the supreme importance of right conduct. Aristippus asked him “if he knew of anything good,” intending in case he assented and named any particular good thing, like food or drink, or wealth, or health, or strength, or courage, to point out that the thing named was sometimes bad. But he, knowing that if a thing troubles us, we immediately want that which will put an end to our trouble, answered precisely as it was best to do. Soc. Do I understand you to ask me whether I know anything good for fever? No (he replied), that is not my question. Soc. Then for inflammation of the eyes? Aristip. No, nor yet that. Soc. Well then, for hunger? Aristip. No, nor yet for hunger. Well, but (answered Socrates) if you ask me whether I know of any good thing which is good for nothing, I neither know of it nor want to know. And when Aristippus, returning to the charge, asked him “if he knew of any thing beautiful.” He answered: Yes, many things. Aristip. Are they all like each other? Soc. On the contrary, they are often as unlike as possible. How then (he asked) can that be beautiful which is unlike the beautiful? Soc. Bless me! for the simple reason that it is possible for a man who is a beautiful runner to be quite unlike another man who is a beautiful boxer, or for a shield, which is a beautiful weapon for the purpose of defence, to be absolutely unlike a javelin, which is a beautiful weapon of swift and sure discharge. Aristip. Your answers are no better now than when I asked you whether you knew any good thing. They are both of a pattern. Soc. And so they should be. Do you imagine that one thing is good and another beautiful? Do not you know that relatively to the same standard all things are at once beautiful and good? In the first place, virtue is not a good thing relatively to one standard and a beautiful thing relatively to another standard; and in the next place, human beings, on the same principle and relatively to the same standard, are called “beautiful and good”; and so the bodily frames of men relatively to the same standards are seen to be “beautiful and good,” and in general all things capable of being used by man are regarded as at once beautiful and good relatively to the same standard—the standing being in each case what the thing happens to be useful for. Aristip. Then I presume even a basket for carrying dung is a beautiful thing? Soc. To be sure, and a spear of gold an ugly thing, if for their respective uses—the former is well and the latter ill adapted. Aristip. Do you mean to assert that the same things may be beautiful and ugly? Soc. Yes, to be sure; and by the same showing things may be good and bad: as, for instance, what is good for hunger may be bad for fever, and what is good for fever bad for hunger; or again, what is beautiful for wrestling is often ugly for running; and in general everything is good and beautiful when well adapted for the end in view, bad and ugly when ill adapted for the same. Similarly when he spoke about houses, and argued that “the same house must be at once beautiful and useful”—I could not help feeling that he was giving a good lesson on the problem: “how a house ought to be built.” He investigated the matter thus: Soc. “Do you admit that any one purposing to build a perfect house will plan to make it at once as pleasant and as useful to live in as possible?” and that point being admitted, the next question would be: “It is pleasant to have one's house cool in summer and warm in winter, is it not?” and this proposition also having obtained assent, “Now, supposing a house to have a southern aspect, sunshine during winter will steal in under the verandah, but in summer, when the sun traverses a path right over our heads, the roof will afford an agreeable shade, will it not? If, then, such an arrangement is desirable, the southern side of a house should be built higher to catch the rays of the winter sun, and the northern side lower to prevent the cold winds finding ingress; in a word, it is reasonable to suppose that the pleasantest and most beautiful dwelling place will be one in which the owner can at all seasons of the year find the pleasantest retreat, and stow away his goods with the greatest security.” Paintings and ornamental mouldings are apt (he said) to deprive one of more joy than they confer. The fittest place for a temple or an altar (he maintained) was some site visible from afar, and untrodden by foot of man: (18) since it was a glad thing for the worshipper to lift up his eyes afar off and offer up his orison; glad also to wend his way peaceful to prayer unsullied. Source: The Memorabilia Recollections of Socrates
By Xenophon, Translator: H. G. Dakyns
Gutenberg Release Date: August 24, 2008 [EBook #1177]
Aristippus: Other Testimony
Diogenes Laertius, Life of Aristippus 2.68,70,71,72,73,82-3
68. Diogenes, washing the dirt from his vegetables, saw him passing and jeered at him in these terms, “If you had learnt to make these your diet, you would not have paid court to kings,” to which his rejoinder was, “And if you knew how to associate with men, you would not be washing vegetables.” Being asked what he had gained from philosophy, he replied, “The ability to feel at ease in any society.” Being reproached for his extravagance, he said, “If it were wrong to be extravagant, it would not be in vogue at the festivals of the gods.” 70. Some one brought him a knotty problem with the request that he would untie the knot. “Why, you simpleton,” said he, “do you want it untied, seeing that it causes trouble enough as it is?” “It is better,” he said, “to be a beggar than to be uneducated; the one needs money, the others need to be humanized.” One day that he was reviled, he tried to slip away; the other pursued him, asking, “Why do you run away?” “Because,” said he, “as it is your privilege to use foul language, so it is my privilege not to listen.” In answer to one who remarked that he always saw philosophers at rich men's doors, he said, “So, too, physicians are in attendance on those who are sick, but no one for that reason would prefer being sick to being a physician.” 71. It happened once that he set sail for Corinth and, being overtaken by a storm, he was in great consternation. Some one said, “We plain men are not alarmed, and are you philosophers turned cowards?” To this he replied, “The lives at stake in the two cases are not comparable.” 72. He gave his daughter Arete the very best advice, training her up to despise excess. He was asked by some one in what way his son would be the better for being educated. He replied, “If nothing more than this, at all events, when in the theatre he will not sit down like a stone upon stone.” 73. Being asked on one occasion what is the difference between the wise man and the unwise, “Strip them both,” said he, “and send them among strangers and you will know.” 82-83. This is stated by Diocles in his work On the Lives of Philosophers; other writers refer the anecdotes to Plato. After getting in a rage with Aeschines, he presently addressed him thus: “Are we not to make it up and desist from vapouring, or will you wait for some one to reconcile us over the wine-bowl?” To which he replied, “Agreed.” “Then remember,” Aristippus went on, “that, though I am your senior, I made the first approaches.” Thereupon Aeschines said, “Well done, by Hera, you are quite right; you are a much better man than I am. For the quarrel was of my beginning, you make the first move to friendship.” Such are the repartees which are attributed to him. Source: Diogenes Laertius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers
Issues 184-185 of Loeb Classical Library
Translated by Robert Drew Hicks
Harvard University Press, 1925
Plutarch, Concerning Anger
And Aristippus, when there happened to be a falling out between him and Aeschines, and one said to him, O Aristippus, what is now become of the friendship that was between you two? answered, It is asleep, but I will go and awaken it. Then coming to Aeschines, he said to him, What? do you take me to be so utterly wretched and incurable as not to be worth your admonition? No wonder, said Aeschines, if you, by nature so excelling me in every thing, did here also discern before me what was right and fitting to be done. English Modernized
Source: Plutarch's Morals. Translated from the Greek by Several Hands.
Corrected and Revised by William W. Goodwin, with an Introduction by Ralph Waldo Emerson.
5 Volumes. (Boston: Little, Brown, and Co., 1878).\\
Plutarch, Sensibility in the Progress of Virtue
Aristippus was a great example of this; for when in a set disputation he was baffled by the sophistry and forehead of an impudent, wild, and ignorant disputant, and observed him to be flushed and high with the conquest; Well! says the philosopher, I am certain, I shall sleep quieter to-night than my antagonist. Source: Plutarch's Morals. Translated from the Greek by Several Hands.
Corrected and Revised by William W. Goodwin, with an Introduction by Ralph Waldo Emerson.
5 Volumes. (Boston: Little, Brown, and Co., 1878).
Aelian, Various Histories Book 9.20
Of Aristippus. Aristippus being in a great storm at Sea, one of those who were aboard with him said, “Are you afraid too, Aristippus, as well as we of the ordinary sort?” “Yes, answered he, and with reason; for you shall only lose a wicked life, but I, Felicity.” Source: Aelian. His Various History (Varia Historia).
Thomas Stanley, translator (1665)
Relations of Aristippus: Doctrines and Persons
Arete: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology
Arete, daughter of Aristippus, the founder of the Cyrenaic school of philosophy. She was instructed by him in the principles of his system, which she transmitted to her son, Aristippus the “Mother Taught”, to whom Ritter (Gesck. der Phil, vii. 1. 3) ascribes the formal completion of the earlier Cyrenaic doctrine. We are told by Diogenes Laertius (ii. 72), that her father taught her contentment and moderation, both by precept and practice, and the same duties are insisted on in an epistle now extant, said to be addressed to her by him. This letter is certainly spurious, although Laertius mentions among the writings of Aristippus am “letter to his daughter Arete”. Whether the letter to which he refers was the same as that which we possess, is uncertain ; but the fact that it was extant in his time would not prove its authenticity, Aelian (H. A. iii. 40) calls Arete the sister of Aristippus, but this assertion is opposed to the statement of all other writers; and, besides, the passage which contains it is corrupt. (Diog. Laert. ii. 72, 86) Source: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology
Edited by William Smith
In Three Volumes Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1867
Eusebius, Preparation for the Gospel 14.18
Among his other hearers was his own daughter Arete, who having borne a son named him Aristippus, and he from having been introduced by her to philosophical studies was called his mother's pupil. He quite plainly defined the end to be the life of pleasure, ranking as pleasure that which lies in motion. For he said that there are three states affecting our temperament: one, in which we feel pain, like a storm at sea; another, in which we feel pleasure, that may be likened to a gentle undulation, for pleasure is a gentle movement, comparable to a favourable breeze; and the third is an intermediate state, in which we feel neither pain nor pleasure, which is similar to a calm. So of these feelings only, he said, we have the sensation. Now against this sect the following objections have been urged (by Aristocles). Source: Eusebius of Caesarea: Praeparatio Evangelica (Preparation for the Gospel).
Tr. E.H. Gifford (1903)
Eusebius, Preparation for the Gospel 14.19
'Next in order will be those who say that the feelings alone are conceptional, and this was asserted by some of the Cyrenaics. For they, as if oppressed by a kind of torpor, maintained that they knew nothing at all unless some one standing by struck and pricked them; for when burned or cut, they said, they knew that they felt something, but whether what burned them was fire, or what cut them iron, they could not tell. 'Men then who talk thus one might immediately ask, whether they at all events know this that they suffer and feel something. For if they do not know, neither could they say that they know only the feeling: if on the other hand they know, the feelings cannot be the only things conceptional. For “I am being burned” was a statement, and not a feeling. Source: Eusebius of Caesarea: Praeparatio Evangelica (Preparation for the Gospel).
Tr. E.H. Gifford (1903)
Eusebius, Preparation for the Gospel 15.62
These, then, were the opinions of Socrates. And next after him Aristippus of Cyrene, and then later Ariston of Chios, undertook to maintain that morals were the only proper subject of philosophy; for these inquiries were practicable and useful, but the discussions about nature were quite the contrary, neither being comprehensible, nor having any use, even if they were clearly understood. Source: Eusebius of Caesarea: Praeparatio Evangelica (Preparation for the Gospel).
Tr. E.H. Gifford (1903)
Diogenes Laertius, Life of Aristippus 2.81,85-93
81. Someone accused him of exposing his son as if it was not his offspring Whereupon he replied, “Phlegm, too, and vermin we know to be of our own begetting, but for all that, because they are useless, we cast them as far from us as possible.” 85-93. Having written his life, let me now proceed to pass in review the philosophers of the Cyrenaic school which sprang from him, although some call themselves followers of Hegesias, others followers of Anniceris, others again of Theodorus. Not but what we shall notice further the pupils of Phaedo, the chief of whom were called the school of Eretria. The case stands thus. The disciples of Aristippus were his daughter Arete, Aethiops of Ptolemais, and Antipater of Cyrene. The pupil of Arete was Aristippus, who went by the name of mother-taught, and his pupil was Theodorus, known as the atheist, subsequently as “god.” Antipater's pupil was Epitimides of Cyrene, his was Paraebates, and he had as pupils Hegesias, the advocate of suicide, and Anniceris, who ransomed Plato. Those then who adhered to the teaching of Aristippus and were known as Cyrenaics held the following opinions. They laid down that there are two states, pleasure and pain, the former a smooth, the latter a rough motion, and that pleasure does not differ from pleasure nor is one pleasure more pleasant than another. The one state is agreeable and the other repellent to all living things. However, the bodily pleasure which is the end is, according to Panaetius in his work On the Sects, not the settled pleasure following the removal of pains, or the sort of freedom from discomfort which Epicurus accepts and maintains to be the end. They also hold that there is a difference between “end” and “happiness.” Our end is particular pleasure, whereas happiness is the sum total of all particular pleasures, in which are included both past and future pleasures. Particular pleasure is desirable for its own sake, whereas happiness is desirable not for its own sake but for the sake of particular pleasures. That pleasure is the end is proved by the fact that from our youth up we are instinctively attracted to it, and, when we obtain it, seek for nothing more, and shun nothing so much as its opposite, pain. Pleasure is good even if it proceed from the most unseemly conduct, as Hippobotus says in his work On the Sects. For even if the action be irregular, still, at any rate, the resultant pleasure is desirable for its own sake and is good. The removal of pain, however, which is put forward in Epicurus, seems to them not to be pleasure at all, any more than the absence of pleasure is pain. For both pleasure and pain they hold to consist in motion, whereas absence of pleasure like absence of pain is not motion, since painlessness is the condition of one who is, as it were, asleep. They assert that some people may fail to choose pleasure because their minds are perverted; not all mental pleasures and pains, however, are derived from bodily counterparts. For instance, we take disinterested delight in the prosperity of our country which is as real as our delight in our own prosperity. Nor again do they admit that pleasure is derived from the memory or expectation of good, which was a doctrine of Epicurus. For they assert that the movement affecting the mind is exhausted in course of time. Again they hold that pleasure is not derived from sight or from hearing alone. At all events, we listen with pleasure to imitation of mourning, while the reality causes pain. They gave the names of absence of pleasure and absence of pain to the intermediate conditions. However, they insist that bodily pleasures are far better than mental pleasures, and bodily pains far worse than mental pains, and that this is the reason why offenders are punished with the former. For they assumed pain to be more repellent, pleasure more congenial. For these reasons they paid more attention to the body than to the mind. Hence, although pleasure is in itself desirable, yet they hold that the things which are productive of certain pleasures are often of a painful nature, the very opposite of pleasure; so that to accumulate the pleasures which are productive of happiness appears to them a most irksome business. They do not accept the doctrine that every wise man lives pleasantly and every fool painfully, but regard it as true for the most part only. It is sufficient even if we enjoy but each single pleasure as it comes. They say that prudence is a good, though desirable not in itself but on account of its consequences; that we make friends from interested motives, just as we cherish any part of the body so long as we have it; that some of the virtues are found even in the foolish; that bodily training contributes to the acquisition of virtue; that the sage will not give way to envy or love or superstition, since these weaknesses are due to mere empty opinion; he will, however, feel pain and fear, these being natural affections; and that wealth too is productive of pleasure, though not desirable for its own sake. They affirm that mental affections can be known, but not the objects from which they come; and they abandoned the study of nature because of its apparent uncertainty, but fastened on logical inquiries because of their utility. But Meleager in his second book On Philosophical Opinions, and Clitomachus in his first book On the Sects, affirm that they maintain Dialectic as well as Physics to be useless, since, when one has learnt the theory of good and evil, it is possible to speak with propriety, to be free from superstition, and to escape the fear of death. They also held that nothing is just or honourable or base by nature, but only by convention and custom. Nevertheless the good man will be deterred from wrong-doing by the penalties imposed and the prejudices that it would arouse. Further that the wise man really exists. They allow progress to be attainable in philosophy as well as in other matters. They maintain that the pain of one man exceeds that of another, and that the senses are not always true and trustworthy. Source: Diogenes Laertius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers
Issues 184-185 of Loeb Classical Library
Translated by Robert Drew Hicks
Harvard University Press, 1925
Diogenes Laertius, Life of Epicurus 10.131-132
When we [Epicureans] say, then, that pleasure is the end and aim, we do not mean the pleasures of the prodigal or the pleasures of sensuality, as we are understood to do by some through ignorance, prejudice, or wilful misrepresentation. By pleasure we mean the absence of pain in the body and of trouble in the soul. It is not an unbroken succession of drinking-bouts and of revelry, not sexual love, not the enjoyment of the fish and other delicacies of a luxurious table, which produce a pleasant life; it is sober reasoning, searching out the grounds of every choice and avoidance, and banishing those beliefs through which the greatest tumults take possession of the soul Source: Diogenes Laertius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers
Issues 184-185 of Loeb Classical Library
Translated by Robert Drew Hicks
Harvard University Press, 1925
Hegesias the "Death Persuader"
Hegesias: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology
Hegesias, a Cyrenaic philosopher, said by Diogenes Laertius (ii. 86, &c.) to have been the disciple of Paraebates. He was the fellow-student of Anniceris, from whom, however, he differed by presenting in its most hateful form the system which Anniceris softened and improved. He followed Aristippus in considering pleasure the object of man's desire; but, being probably of a morose and discontented turn of mind, the view which he took of human life was of the gloomiest character, and his practical inferences from the Cyrenaic principles were destructive alike to goodness and happiness. The latter he said could not be the aim of man, because it is not attainable, and therefore concluded that the wise man's only object should be to free himself from inconvenience, thereby reducing the whole of human life to mere sensual pleasure. Since, too, every man is sufficient to himself, all external goods were rejected as not being true sources of pleasure, and therefore all the domestic and benevolent affec tions. Hence the sage ought to regard nothing but himself; action is quite indifferent; and if action, so also is life, which, therefore, is in no way more desirable than death. This statement is, however, less strong than that of Cicero (Tusc. i. 34), who tells us that Hegesias wrote a book called Death by Starvation, in which a man who has resolved to starve himself is introduced as representing to his friends that death is actually more to be desired than life, and that the gloomy descriptions of human misery which this work contained were so overpowering, that they drove many persons to commit suicide, in consequence of which the author received the surname of Peisithanatos, “Death Persuader”. This book was published at Alexandria, where he was, in consequence, forbidden to teach by king Ptolemy. The date of Hegesias is unknown, though Ritter thinks that he was contemporaneous with Epicurus. Source: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology
Edited by William Smith
In Three Volumes Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1867
Cicero, Tusculan Disputations 1.34.83-84
If, then, our inquiry is after truth, death withdraws us from evil, not from good. This subject is indeed so copiously handled by Hegesias, the Cyrenaic philosopher, that he is said to have been forbidden by Ptolemy from delivering his lectures in the schools, because some who heard him made away with themselves. There is, too, an epigram of Callimachus on Cleombrotus of Ambracia, who, without any misfortune having befallen him, as he says, threw himself from a wall into the sea, after he had read a book of Plato’s. The book I mentioned of that Hegesias is called “A Man who starves himself,” in which a man is represented as killing himself by starvation, till he is prevented by his friends, in reply to whom he reckons up all the miseries of human life. I might do the same, though not so fully as he, who thinks it not worth any man’s while to live. I pass over others. Was it even worth my while to live, for, had I died before I was deprived of the comforts of my own family, and of the honors which I received for my public services, would not death have taken me from the evils of life rather than from its blessings? Source: Cicero, Tusculan Disputations
Translated by C. D. Yonge
New York: Harper & Brothers, 1877
Diogenes Laertius, Life of Aristippus 2.93-96
The school of Hegesias, as it is called, adopted the same ends, namely pleasure and pain. In their view there is no such thing as gratitude or friendship or beneficence, because it is not for themselves that we choose to do these things but simply from motives of interest, apart from which such conduct is nowhere found. They denied the possibility of happiness, for the body is infected with much suffering, while the soul shares in the sufferings of the body and is a prey to disturbance, and fortune often disappoints. From all this it follows that happiness cannot be realized. Moreover, life and death are each desirable in turn. But that there is anything naturally pleasant or unpleasant they deny; when some men are pleased and others pained by the same objects, this is owing to the lack or rarity or surfeit of such objects. Poverty and riches have no relevance to pleasure; for neither the rich nor the poor as such have any special share in pleasure. Slavery and freedom, nobility and low birth, honour and dishonour, are alike indifferent in a calculation of pleasure. To the fool life is advantageous, while to the wise it is a matter of indifference. The wise man will be guided in all he does by his own interests, for there is none other whom he regards as equally deserving. For supposing him to reap the greatest advantages from another, they would not be equal to what he contributes himself. They also disallow the claims of the senses, because they do not lead to accurate knowledge. Whatever appears rational should be done. They affirmed that allowance should be made for errors, for no man errs voluntarily, but under constraint of some suffering; that we should not hate men, but rather teach them better. The wise man will not have so much advantage over others in the choice of goods as in the avoidance of evils, making it his end to live without pain of body or mind. This then, they say, is the advantage accruing to those who make no distinction between any of the objects which produce pleasure. Source: Diogenes Laertius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers
Issues 184-185 of Loeb Classical Library
Translated by Robert Drew Hicks
Harvard University Press, 1925
Plutarch, On Natural Affection for Offspring 5
But this natural affection, like many other good qualities in men, may be choked and obscured by vices; as when a wild forest is sown with garden-seeds. Can we say that man loves not himself, because some hang themselves, others break their own necks, Oedipus put out his own eyes, and Hegesias, by his disputation, persuaded many of his auditors to pine themselves to death? Source: Plutarch's Morals. Translated from the Greek by Several Hands.
Corrected and Revised by William W. Goodwin, with an Introduction by Ralph Waldo Emerson.
5 Volumes. (Boston: Little, Brown, and Co., 1878).
Anniceris and His School
Anniceris: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology
Anniceris, a Cyrenaic philosopher, of whom the ancients have left us very vague and contradictory accounts. He is said to have ransomed Plato for 20 minae from Dionysius of Syracuse (Diog. Laert. ii. 86); but we read, on the other hand, that he was a disciple of Paraebates, whose succession from Aristippus in the order of discipleship was as follows :—Aristippus, Arete, Aristippus the younger, Antipater, Epitimedes, Paraebates. Plato, however, was contemporary with the first Aristippus, and therefore one of the above accounts of Anniceris must be false. Hence Menage on Laertius (/. c.) and Kuster on Suidas (s. v.} have supposed that there were two philosophers of the name of Anniceris, the one contemporary with Plato, the other with Alexander the Great. If so, the latter is the one of whose system some notices have reached us, and who forms a link between the Cyrenaic and Epicurean schools. He was opposed to Epicurus in two points: (1) he denied that pleasure was merely the absence of pain, for if so death would be a pleasure; and (2) he attributed to every separate act a distinct object, maintaining that there was no general end of human life. In both these statements he reasserted the principle oi Aristippus. But he differed from Aristippus, inasmuch as he allowed that friendship, patriotism, and similar virtues, were good in themselves; saying that the wise man will derive pleasure from such qualities, even though they cause him occ |
was hoped that the ninth drop might shed some light on this puzzle, but as the ninth drop began to descend it ran into the tail of the eighth drop sitting in the beaker below.
Rather than altering the experiment, Professor John Mainstone – the pitch drop’s second custodian – thought it best to leave the pitch drop as Professor Parnell had created it to see what would happen.
After a decade it was apparent that the ninth drop was bigger and falling slower than the first seven drops. But this didn’t help solve unanswered questions as the experimental conditions had changed – the ninth drop was being supported by the eighth.
Such is the nature of science that more spanners were found to have been thrown in the works. At the start of 2012 I arranged for a video camera to record the pitch drop experiment and make a time-lapse video so that it would be possible to actually see the pitch falling.
By mid-2013 it became apparent that the ninth drop wasn’t going to actually drop – rather it was going to make a gentle touchdown.
Although it was disappointing knowing that the ninth drop wasn’t going to fall, the pitch drop was still providing new insights. The stem of the eighth drop was buckling and breaking, the time-lapse was revealing that the ninth drop’s descent was accelerating and there was still the goal of being the first person in history to witness a drop of pitch come to its end.
Still no witnesses
Since the pitch drop experiment began in 1930 no one has ever seen the pitch actually drop. Professors Parnell and Mainstone knew the date of drops simply because the drop was attached one day, and had fallen the next.
A computer and camera were set up to capture the eighth drop in 2000, but an unfortunately-timed blackout prevented the drop from being recorded.
Although the ninth drop wasn’t actually going to fall there was a lot of interest from around the globe (31,335 people from 158 countries registered to view a live video stream) as to the exact moment the ninth drop would touch down.
University of Queensland, Author provided
With the time-lapse camera I had set up, which was also recording continuous video of the four most recent days, and two additional video cameras that were set up in anticipation of the ninth drop’s demise it was thought the exact moment of touch down would be known for the first time in history.
But the pitch drop experiment had other plans.
When something, such as water or pitch, drips the drop starts with zero velocity, then freefalls accelerating at 9.8m/s2, and comes to a stop when it crashes to the ground.
Determining when this happens is easy because of the noticeable changes in velocity. Unfortunately, the ninth drop wasn’t going to freefall, so it wouldn’t have a sudden increase in speed.
Making matters worse was the fact that the ninth drop wasn’t landing squarely on top of the eighth drop – it was going to make a glancing blow and continue to descend after touching down.
This meant that determining the moment the ninth drop touches down was a matter of noticing its rate of descent change from an incredibly slow velocity to an even slower one.
No one on earth could possibly hope to see when that change occurred. The best guess of observers initially had the time of touchdown to within a four-day period of April 11-14 2014.
It was hoped that touchdown could be seen in the time-lapse video – which was constructed from a series of still images taken once per day thereby speeding up the movement two million times.
Unfortunately the eighth drop was slightly closer to the camera than the ninth drop, making their point of contact obscured from view. But with analysis of the time-lapse it is possible to determine the date of touchdown.
In an analysis by Dr Anthony Jacko and myself the plot (below) shows the position of the drop April 4-23. The slope of the data indicates the speed at which the pitch is descending.
Author provided
A discontinuity can be seen around the April 11/12 where the pitch changes from descending at a rate of 0.25mm a day (blue line) to 0.1mm a day (green line), indicating that touchdown occurred on April 11 or 12.
The exact moment can be further constrained as I was fortunate enough to closely examine the pitch drop at around midday of the 11th of April (after the photo from the 11th was taken) and a small gap – just a fraction of a millimetre – was still visible between the ninth and eighth drops.
Given the rate of descent indicated in the figure above it is concluded that touchdown occurred on April 12.
Although this clears up the issue of when the ninth drop touched down, more questions about the Pitch Drop Experiment have arisen.
After the eighth drop touched down without breaking, the second and third custodians – Professors Mainstone and White – had many conversations about what to do if the ninth drop also touched.
One thing they considered early on was lifting the glass funnel to provide more space for the drops to form – and then hopefully break away. But by the time they isolated this as a course of action it was too late as the eighth drop appeared to be cemented to the drop pile beneath it.
The pitch drop uncovered
Not wishing a recurrence with the ninth drop, on April 24 this year Professor White decided to replace the beaker – he took off the bell jar covering the pitch drop experiment for the first time in decades.
University of Queensland, Author provided
Unbeknown to him, or anyone alive, was that there was a seal between the glass bell jar and the wooden platform upon which the experiment sits, and that seal had degraded over time.
Instead of the bell jar lifting off as expected, the entire experimental setup briefly lifted up with the jar before separating and falling back down. This caused the ninth drop’s stem to separate completely from the funnel from which it was falling.
When viewing the broken stem something rather curious was observed. There was a depression in the centre of the stem indicating that the ninth drop wasn’t being supported by the entire circular cross-section of the cylindrical stem from above, but rather an outer ring as the stem at the point of breaking was hollow.
Things are speeding up
Another curious observation is that the tenth drop can be observed to be forming quicker than expected. Analysing the first six months of time-lapse footage reveals that the tenth drop’s volume is increasing at a rate of approximately 19 mm3 a day – that’s about one cubic centimetre every 50 days.
In 1984 the first, and only, paper published about the pitch drop experiment stated that the viscosity of the pitch (averaged over the first six drops) was 2.3×108 Pa s (pascal seconds) – that’s about 250 billion times that of water.
Using the same dimensions as those in the paper I have calculated that the viscosity of the tenth drop is 2.7×107 Pa s – about 30 billion times that of water.
Author provided
Although this new value is an order of magnitude smaller than the old value – and would explain the apparent faster flow rate – it is within the range of values predicted by the original paper, using a model that included daily and seasonal temperature variations.
Another recent development for the pitch drop experiment, which could explain the increased flow rate of the tenth drop, is the lighting in the experiment’s display cabinet.
In April 2010 I arranged for fluorescent down-lights to be installed in the display cabinet. These were changed some years later to much hotter halogens.
As the pitch drop experiment has a fan base from all over the world who view it live over the internet it was necessary for the lights to be on continuously. But this increased the temperature in the display case and to make matters worse the pitch drop is sealed inside its very own greenhouse – the bell jar.
On October 17 this year, Professor White and I took several temperature measurements which revealed that the pitch drop experiment was above room temperature, by several degrees, and varied, with the pitch at the top of the funnel being almost ten degrees hotter than the pitch in the drop.
The increased temperature will have increased the flow rate, which could explain the tenth drop’s lower viscosity and speedy formation.
How much effect the raised temperature has had is hard to say, since temperature records have never been kept as the pitch drop experiment was started simply as a demonstration, but it is something we will find out.
The down-lights have now been changed to much cooler LED lights, which have brought the pitch drop experiment back down to room temperature.
Hopefully in another six months there will be enough data to make a comparison, but then again maybe the pitch drop may have other plans and it may take longer.
After all, there is no telling how many more custodians the pitch drop experiment will go through before it has finished revealing all its secrets. I guess we will just have to wait and see.
Keep an eye on the pitch drop experiment on the Tenth Watch website.TRENTON — A former top official at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has been subpoenaed to testify at a hearing next week about the September closing of lanes to the George Washington Bridge.
David Wildstein, who recently resigned as the authority's director of interstate capital projects, must appear before the Assembly transportation committee Jan. 9, according to the subpoena, announced today by Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-Middlesex).
The Port Authority and Gov. Chris Christie have come under intense state and national scrutiny after two of three local access lanes to the bridge from Fort Lee were closed this fall without warning or notice, causing massive traffic jams.
Wildstein was responsible for ordering the closure, ostensibly to complete a traffic study. But Wisniewski and others believe the closure was retribution for the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee's decision not to endorse Christie for re-election.
"The public deserves answers as to how this decision was made, who was involved and its true purpose," Wisniewski said. "I look forward to Mr. Wildstein providing insight into this decision that put public safety at risk and raised serious questions about this vital yet dysfunctional agency being used for political vengeance."
An attorney for Wildstein, Alan Zegas, said he would be meeting with his client after the holiday to discuss the subpoena.
"Until I meet with him and discuss the subpoena itself, I am not in the position to say what our response will be," Zegas said.
Since the scandal broke, Wildstein and another high-ranking New Jersey official, Bill Baroni, have resigned. Christie has conceded they erred by not following procedure to close the lanes, but dismissed questions of political vengeance as baseless.
Four Port Authority officials have already testified before the committee, and seven, including Wildstein and Baroni, were ordered to turn over hundreds of documents. Wisniewski said he and his staff continue to comb through the records.As the pine trees part at the end of the country road, they reveal an unassuming red cottage with a rocking chair on the porch. White roses in the kitchen window give the impression that its occupants are just out running errands.
Yet this cottage, and the traces of upturned black earth around it, are at the heart of a conflict that has divided the highland village Oviken since its owner allowed Continental Precious Minerals (CPM) to take mineral samples beneath its soil.
With mineral prices rising on the global market, largely because of increased industrial and consumer demand in developing countries, international prospectors are at work all over Sweden. In Oviken, at the foot of the Scandes mountains (see map), the drilling of Canadian company CPM has launched a fierce argument over whether the financial opportunities that mining provides are worth the potential environmental impact and cost to the local tourism industry.
The promise of 400 jobs is alluring in a community of 7,000, which predicts it will lose one-seventh of its inhabitants by 2025 as they flee widespread unemployment. But the village also has a middle class that makes a living off tourism and fears what a mine could do to the area's appeal to tourists. They’ve joined forces with the antinuclear lobby because the area's uranium deposits are the main lure for prospectors.
Oviken sits on top of the world’s largest uranium reserve, 1.038 billion pounds by CPM’s calculation. It has so far been left alone because the uranium contained there is below the grade usually deemed profitable to dig up and general resistance to mining. Improved mining techniques have helped changed that, but more importantly the uranium in Oviken is mixed in with vanadium and molybden, both used in alloys. Vanadium is rare and is used in electronic products.
While uranium prices are not stable, they are predicted to rise “because the oil is running out,” says analyst Lars Norin at the State Geology Authority.
Yet the price of uranium is less relevant than its nuclear associations. In Sweden, public opinion is still generally opposed to nuclear power, although lawmakers recently overturned the ban on adding more reactors, until now fueled by imported uranium.
Anything for jobs?
While the government is known for its pro-business stance, municipalities retain the right to veto uranium mining. Berg, the municipality that includes Oviken, has promised residents to do just that – a fact not everyone is happy about.
"If there aren’t any jobs you can’t stay,” says welder Henrik Larsson, who just finished high school. ”There are barely any girls left.”
Regional capital Östersund, located across Storsjön, Sweden's fifth-largest lake and a key drinking water supply, provides some jobs. Many local teenagers head there right after high school graduation, but some go farther afield for work.
“We keep hearing all the negative things,” Mr. Larsson says during a break from his work building snowmobile seating for tourists. ”But if there was a mine here we’d have guaranteed work, so get rid of it all, as long as there’s jobs.”
With the phrase “get rid of it all,” Mr. Larsson homes in on one main reason for other villagers’ skepticism: A mine, if given the go ahead, would be open, literally shaving away parts of the ridge that Oviken sits on.
Geologist Olle Holmstrand, who works at the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC), says he understands the plight of job seekers, but adds, “you can’t solve rural communities’ problems with heavy, dirty mining. Northern Sweden has become our domestic version of a developing country. They have to deal with the pollution while we take their natural resources with promises of jobs. It’s blackmail.”
With the snow-flecked mountains on the horizon and dense forest brushing against pebble beaches, the region's natural beauty has made it a domestic and international tourism destination. A villager who declined to give her name confides that there have already been some complaints. A Russian tourist said that a nearby windmill ruined its natural beauty. “Imagine what a mine would entail,” she says.
Fear of a Fukushima
Sweden has mined uranium only once before, during a brief quest to fuel its own reactors, but the Ranstad site was closed in the 1960s.
“We’ve had one mine and we’ve seen what happens to the environment,” said lawmaker Marie Nordén of the Social Democrats, the main opposition party, on Swedish Public Service Radio earlier this month. The party's motion on March 14 to ban uranium mining was blocked by other members of parliament.
“Analyzing potential consequences where you look at jobs and environmental effects, both in the short and long term, is not done properly,” says economist Ing-Marie Green at the National Agricultural College. “There are no independent assessments carried out by the authorities, assessments come from the companies own hired-in analysts.”
To go ahead with a potential mine, CPM would have to apply for a permit from the National Environmental High Court.
Regardless of nuclear power's fraught history – Chernobyl, Three Mile Island, and most recently, Fukushima – Sweden does still need nuclear power. This winter, as several reactors in the fleet of 10 were shut down for maintenance and security checks after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, Sweden had to crank up its oil-burning generators down south to cope with the electricity demand.
While the antinuclear lobby still has many sympathizers, Göran Follstad, who moved north from Stockholm to breed horses many years ago, also speaks of environmental concerns – but as an incentive for Sweden to mine its own uranium. ”We have high environmental standards and strict laws here,” he says. ”It’s our moral responsibility to mine it by ourselves rather relying on developing countries who don’t protect their workers.”
While Follstad and his neighbor Kalle Malm have agreed to talk openly about the potential mine, many other villagers refuse to give their names and some shy away from the topic altogether. ”In the next door village, the prospectors were welcomed with a shotgun, so they didn’t drill there,” Malm says.
He and his two brothers have stayed on in Oviken to live on the family farm. Tractors litter the yard and in their car repair shop, a vintage American car is being lovingly restored. Mr. Malm works part-time for emergency services to make ends meet.
One villager who is keeping tabs on the prospectors is retiree Diana Fernlund. On her floral kitchen wallpaper, she has pinned a geological survey of the creek and the hills with tracts lined in black marker. They show where the uranium ore is at its densest. She not only fears pollution but thinks there are better ways than mining to make a living in the north.
"This is paradise. This could be Sweden’s Miami, a place for people like me to enjoy their older years,” she says.
Ms. Fernlund moved here from southwestern Sweden to be close to her daughter, who runs a horse trekking business nearby, and her grandchildren. She has little sympathy for the young’s concerns that there are no jobs.
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”They can take care of us,” she says, alluding to Sweden’s still strong welfare state where tax money pays for the care of the elderly.
Ann Törnkvist contributed reporting.Religion is the answer to combating work stress because it provides a "buffer against strains" of modern life, research has claimed.
Dr Roxane Gervais, a senior psychologist at the Health and Safety Laboratory in Stockport, surveyed employees to find out how content they were with their working lives.
The study concluded that employees who are more actively religious are more likely to report low levels of anxiety, depression and fatigue and also higher presence of meaning in life, that is feeling that their lives have meaning.
Workers said that attending religious services connects them to a higher being as well as makes them feel better about themselves.
Dr Gervais said: “As the pace of work and life accelerates, people long for meaning, and the younger generation in particular is looking for more than just a big pay cheque at the end of the month.
“My research shows that religiosity in the workplace may act as a resource, making people more resilient to cope with the many challenges of working life. Such personal beliefs could be very helpful not only for employees, but also for employers providing people with a buffer zone.
“We should hence encourage employers to accommodate, where possible, employees’ religious beliefs while at work, and not shy away from the issue.”
These findings are being presented today (THURS) at the Annual Conference of the British Psychological Society’s Division of Occupational Psychology’s in Brighton.
Previous studies have shown that companies who accommodated workers beliefs improved morale, staff retention and loyalty.
The report also found that those who regularly practiced religion were more likely to have healthier lifestyles and so took fewer sick days.
Dr Gervais added: “Religiosity seemed to assist individuals in gaining better well-being and using more appropriate coping mechanisms.”Feature Thu Feb 16 2012
We at Gapers Block have made it a tradition to cover the SXSW Music Festival in Austin as if it were a local festival. That's because every year, Chicago sends tons of acts and hundreds of fans down to Texas in March, making sure that our city's music scene stays relevant and prominent.
SXSW has finalized its official showcase list, and Chicago acts are well represented. As we do every year, we've compiled a list of all the Chicago-based official showcasing acts, as well as groups from around the region, showcases and parties by local labels, and even "unofficial" shows by Chicago bands. If you're planning a trip down to Austin March 13-18, give these folks your support.
Chicago Acts at SXSW
• Andrew Belle
• Andrew Bird
• Braid
• Chrissy Murderbot
• Flosstradamus
• Football
• Gemini Club
• Gold Motel
• Las Guitarras de España
• Gypsyblood
• The Hood Internet
• Houses
• JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound
• Kids These Days
• Bruce Lamont
• Love of Everything
• Mahogany
• Maps & Atlases
• Musikanto
• Na Palm
• Owen
• Joe Pug
• Secret Colours
• Scattered Trees
• Sound Remedy
• Unicycle Loves You
• U.S. Girls
There are also a couple Chicago expats performing this year (besides Andrew Bird, of course.) Brenmar, a former Chicago DJ now living in Brooklyn, Lincolnwood-raised Haroula Rose, and Nightmare Air, a new project from Mikey Lovechilde of Airiel, will all showcase.
Regional Acts
As in previous years, I've compiled a list of acts from around the region (aka, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri and Wisconsin) who are playing, too:
• The American Secrets (Detroit)
• BoDeans (Now listed as being in Milwaukee instead of Waukesha, as they were last year)
• Rachel Brooke (Detroit)
• Danny Brown (Detroit)
• Cheap Girls (Lansing, MI)
• Circuit des Yeux (Lafayette, IN)
• The Company We Keep
• Cory Chisel & The Wandering Sons (Appleton, WI)
• Diplomats of Solid Sound (Iowa City, IA)
• Every Avenue (Detroit)
• The Hounds Below
• Margot & the Nuclear So and So's (Indianapolis)
• Peaking Lights
The Ragbirds • (Ann Arbor, MI)
• The Skies Revolt (Grand Rapids, MI)
• Stepdad (Grand Rapids, MI)
• Tammar (Bloomington, IN)
• Thi'sl (St. Louis)
• Turquoise Jeep (Des Moines, IA)
• Water Liars (St. Louis)
• Wet Hair (Iowa City, IA)
• William Elliot Whitmore (Montrose, IA)
• Yearbook Committee (Terre Haute, IN)
• Zola Jesus (Merrill, WI, but living in LA)
Showcases
Chicago-based record labels do SXSW big, and this year is no exception. Here's a run-down of what's been announced so far:
If you're not heading to SXSW Music, you still have an opportunity to catch a bunch of the bands. The Hideout will once again throw a SXSW Send Off Party with the Reader on March 10. Starting at 1:30pm, the lineup includes Kids These Days, In Tall Buildings, Musikanto, Hollywood Holt, The Waco Brothers, Outer Minds, Cains & Abels, Redgrave, Unicycle Loves You, Football and Paper Thick Walls. $10 gets you in the door.
Permanent Records is co-hosting a pair of sendoff shows with Captcha Records, Moniker Records, Rotted Tooth Recordings, and Trouble In Mind Records March 10 and 11 at the Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western Ave. Titled "Sausage Fest" (not to be confused with the SausageFest), Running, Bad Drugs, Stacian and Bitchin' Bahas perform on the 10th, Apache Dropout, Heavy Times, Zath and Supersonic Piss perform on the 11th. Two-day passes are just $15, or pay $8 for each day.
Heave Media and IBlameYoko.com are co-hosting a show March 14 at B.D. Riley's from noon to 5pm. Chicago acts Paper Thick Walls, Netherfriends and Archie Powell & The Exports will play, along with The Tins, The Wandas and Son of the Sun.
AEMMP Records will host a hip hop showcase from noon to 6pm on March 16 at Bat Bar, featuring Lili K., F.A. The Squad, BrandUn DeShay and Minor Characters.
Bloodshot Records' official showcase is March 17 at Red Eyed Fly, featuring JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound, Lydia Loveless, The Waco Brothers w/ Paul Burch, Cory Branan, Maggie Bjorklund and Kurt--The Deadstring Brother. The label's annual Yard Dog Party on March 16 will feature all of the above as well as Southeast Engine, Rosie Flores and others.
HoZac Records has a showcase on March 17 at Liberty Bar from 9pm to 2am, featuring Puffy Areolas, Rayon Beach, Heavy Times, the band in Heaven, Far-Out Fangtooth, Bleeding Rainbow, Ketamines, Eric & The Happy Thoughts and more to come.
Trouble In Mind Records is showcasing on March 17 at Trailer Space from noon to 6:30pm, featuring Hex Dispensers, Wheels on Fire, The Mean Jeans, The Wrong Words, The Resonars, Mikal Cronin, Apache Dropout and Night Beats. More details on Facebook.
More to be added as we hear about them.
Unofficial Shows
There are, of course, always plenty of unofficial shows at SXSW Music, and this year's no exception. White Mystery has eight shows lined up all over Austin, In Tall Buildings and Cains & Abels will be heading down together, and Redgrave is playing a couple of shows. In addition to the AEMMP showcase, Jip Jop will be performing in a couple other showcases. Rockie Fresh lists two unspecified shows March 15 and 16 on his tour calendar.
If you know of a show by a local act (yes, even your own), please let us know in the comments.The Conservatives confirm their interim leader took a Caribbean vacation on a billionaire's yacht around the time members of her caucus were criticizing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for vacationing on a private island owned by the Aga Khan.
A spokesman for Rona Ambrose verified a report by political news website iPolitics that the acting Conservative leader and her partner J.P. Veitch soaked up the sun last month on the yacht of energy mogul Murray Edwards around the islands of St. Barths and Saint Martin.
However Mike Storeshaw told The Canadian Press in an email that Ambrose was far more open about her vacation than Trudeau was about his winter holiday.
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"Ms. Ambrose has followed all rules that apply to her with respect to her holiday, and was open and transparent with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, unlike the Prime Minister," Storeshaw said.
Storeshaw said Ambrose paid for a flight on a charter along with a number of friends – none of whom, he said, are public office holders.
"Ms. Ambrose discussed her holiday with the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, who verified that it was within the rules," he added.
The iPolitics report said Ambrose took her vacation from Jan. 3-14. During the same time members of her caucus called for the ethic commissioner Mary Dawson to probe both Trudeau's stay at the Aga Khan's exclusive private island in the Bahamas and his use of the Aga Khan's private helicopter to the island after he and his family jetted down to the Caribbean.
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The federal Conflict of Interest Act and Trudeau's own guidelines for his cabinet ministers bar the use of sponsored travel in private aircraft, allowing it only in exceptional circumstances and only with prior approval from the commissioner.
On Jan. 11 – when Ambrose was reportedly still on vacation in the Caribbean – she tweeted a letter Conservative MP and ethics critic Blaine Calkins sent to the ethics commissioner calling for the investigation.
The next day, iPolitics reports, Ambrose sent a letter to the ethics commissioner's office to check that her own holiday was within the rules.
Dawson said she was looking into the matter and Ambrose and other Conservatives have continued to grill Trudeau over his travels.
"Justin Trudeau knew what he did was against the law," Ambrose posted on Twitter last month. "All he had to do was say no, but he couldn't resist the billionaire lifestyle."
Officials with the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner were not immediately available for comment Saturday.
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Edwards, who is also co-owner of the Calgary Flames, is ranked as the 30th richest person in Canada by Canadian Business magazine with a net worth estimated at $2.96-billion.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.
LONDON – A new publication highlighting Muslim acts of heroism during the Holocaust will be published on Wednesday, chronicling the role played by Muslims who defended Jews during World War II.
The 34-page booklet, titled “The Role of Righteous Muslim Persons,” was initiated by Faith Matters, a London-based interfaith organization that works toward reducing extremism and fostering social cohesion in the UK. The aim of the booklet is to inform religious communities and the general public about the littleknown stories of courageous Muslims who stood up against injustice, protecting Jews during the Holocaust.
Guided by their Muslim faith and personal desire to do what was right, they protected and saved the lives of many potential victims. The publication also aims to counter the narrative that no Muslims played a part in the defense of Jewish communities during the War.The work focuses on people deemed ”Righteous Gentiles” by Jerusalem’s Yad Vashem and highlights the role played by individuals, families and communities in countries such as Albania, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Turkey, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.In Albania, Jews were not victims of the Nazis because of a national code of honor called “Besa,” a desire to help those in need, even those of another faith or origin.The booklet also tells the story of Muslim lawyer Khaled Mahameed, founder and curator of the first Arab Holocaust museum in Nazareth, who believes that by understanding such atrocities, one can stand up for justice and equality.“This booklet is needed now more than ever, especially when there is very little in the public domain about the role that Muslim communities played in the Holocaust, as well as numerous articles and Web sites which repeat the mantra that Muslim communities are overwhelmingly negative in their thoughts and views about the Holocaust,” said Fiyaz Mughal, founder of Faith Matters and editor of the booklet.“It highlights the noble deeds and courageous acts carried out by Muslims towards their Jewish neighbors, and I hope that faith communities will use the booklet as a tool to encourage greater understanding and respect towards each other,” he added.“It is important to remember and learn from the actions of brave people who risked their lives to save others during the Holocaust,” said Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust. “These stories of individuals who faced great dangers to help Jewish people are inspirational.”
Join Jerusalem Post Premium Plus now for just $5 and upgrade your experience with an ads-free website and exclusive content. Click here>>SPIRITED AWAY is back in theaters nationwide for three days only!
Don’t miss a special 15th Anniversary celebration of Hayao Miyazaki’s Academy Award-winning classic, SPIRITED AWAY, returning to select cinemas nationwide for two days only: December 4 (English dub), December 5 (Japanese w/ English subtitles), and (due to popular demand a third show on) December 8th (English dub)! Stay after the show for an exclusive screening of the short film GHIBLIES: EPISODE 2, never before released in North America! #SpiritedAway15 SpiritedAway15.com
Buy tickets now: http://bit.ly/2fJ82cM
Enter an enchanted world of witches, dragons and spirits in SPIRITED AWAY, director Hayao Miyazaki’s critically acclaimed story that became a worldwide phenomenon, cementing Studio Ghibli’s legacy as one of the foremost animation studios in the world.
IN SELECT CINEMAS NATIOWNIDE FOR THREE DAYS ONLY
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4 – IN ENGLISH
MONDAY, DECEMBER 5 – IN JAPANESE W/ ENGLISH SUBTITLES
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8 – IN ENGLISH
This special event is presented by
Fathom Events, GKIDS, Studio Ghibli, and Hot TopicJon Gruden during 2014 Gruden’s QB Camp. (Josh DeMers/ESPN Images) Garrett Grayson (18) of the Colorado State Rams. (Dan Byers/CSU Athletics) Jameis Winston (5) of the Florida State Seminoles. (Scott Clarke / ESPN Images) Marcus Mariota (8) of the Oregon Ducks. (Scott Clarke/ESPN Images) Bryce Petty (14) of the Baylor Bears. (Allen Kee/ESPN Images) Brett Hundley (17) of the UCLA Bruins. (Phil Ellsworth/ESPN Images)
Jon Gruden’s QB Camp series has become as much a part of annual pre-NFL Draft coverage as the Scouting Combine and Pro Days since its debut on ESPN in 2010. In all, 38 players have participated in the series the past five years, including Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl champion Russell Wilson and Indianapolis Colts All-Pro Andrew Luck.
Gruden’s QB Camp is back for its sixth year this spring, beginning Tuesday, April 7 (ESPN2, 7 p.m. ET). Shows will air across multiple ESPN networks and ABC leading up to the 2015 NFL Draft. (Note: The entire Gruden’s QB Camp TV schedule will be released later this month and will be available on ESPN MediaZone.) In addition, all past QB Camp shows will be available via ESPN Classic Video on Demand, beginning the first week of April.
This month, Gruden will welcome five quarterbacks to ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla., where he’ll spend time with each prospect in the film room and on the field. Excerpts of the visits will be featured the same day on SportsCenter.
The 2015 QB Camp class features the past two Heisman Trophy winners – Florida State’s Jameis Winston and Oregon’s Marcus Mariota, potentially the top two overall picks in this year’s NFL Draft. Other participants include 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic MVP Bryce Petty (Baylor), 2nd Team All-Pac 12 selection Brett Hundley (UCLA) and 2014 MWC Offensive Player of the Year Garrett Grayson (Colorado State).
Last year, [former Fresno State passer] Derek Carr came to town and put on an aerial display. I would be surprised if Petty isn’t that guy this year. – Jon Gruden on new Gruden’s QB Camp pupil Bryce Petty of Baylor
The Super Bowl-winning coach and Monday Night Football analyst discusses each quarterback:
On Garrett Grayson: “There’s a lot of parts of Colorado State’s system that I recognize, unlike a lot of college football that’s running up-tempo, no-huddle, spread-option football. There’s some principles at Colorado State that will serve Grayson well. He can run it. He can audible. He can get you out of trouble with his legs. He’s a dark horse in this class.”
On Brett Hundley: “Hundley helped put UCLA football back on the map. They were in trouble before he arrived. Really what he did running and passing, taking over the city of Los Angeles the last three years, is a great accomplishment. And, for the Bruins to finish as a top-10 team, that puts an exclamation point on his career. A talented guy.”
On Marcus Mariota: “Mariota is special in a lot of ways. He’s a dynamic dual-threat on the field and he is humble – no-nonsense, full of character off the field – 4.52 is what he ran [at the Combine]. He competes like crazy. I just think he has a lot of ‘can’t miss’ qualities.”
On Bryce Petty: “Petty might have the best arm talent in this draft. Last year, Derek Carr came to town and put on an aerial display. I would be surprised if Petty isn’t that guy this year. Stereotyped in the Baylor offense, but he’s different. He’s a great passer. He’s a finisher. I love finishers. Grayshirt, redshirt, [he] waited his time. He’s physically and mentally ready to go. I like Petty.”
On Jameis Winston: “Not many people do what Jameis Winston did: first year as a starter winning a National Championship, only one loss in his two years as a starter. He’s got great charisma. He’s polarizing for some people but he’s a rare talent. I can’t wait to spend some time with him. I coached the [Tampa Bay Buccaneers] with a Florida State quarterback named Brad Johnson. Things worked out alright.”CLOSE Yahoo said in a statement Tuesday that it was notifying people that they were affected by this attack as it continued its investigation. USA TODAY
Yahoo said it would reduce the size of its board of directors after the acquisition of Yahoo's core business by Verizon Communications. (Photo11: Marcio Jose Sanchez, AP)
Some Yahoo account holders are being notified that an intruder may have accessed their account without the need of a password.
The incidents stem from the data theft that Yahoo disclosed on Sept. 22, 2016, in which at least 500 million Yahoo accounts were stolen from the company in 2014 — an action that the online media company believed was performed by a state-sponsored actor.
In the ongoing investigation into that breach, Yahoo has recently notified some users via email that "we believe a forged cookie may have been used in 2015 or 2016 to access your account."
Forensic experts used by Yahoo said that the intruder created forged cookies that "could allow an intruder to access users’ accounts without a password," said the email to users, which was signed at the bottom by Bob Lord, Yahoo's chief information security officer.
In a statement to USA TODAY, Yahoo said the investigation into the breach "has identified user accounts for which we believe forged cookies were taken or used. Yahoo |
hard to come by and Queen's were relegated on the last day on goal difference. The following season featured a new and largely inexperienced team and Queen's did not win a match until November. There was a period of revival for the team and some great results were achieved, but the poor start meant that Queen's finished bottom of the Third Division, and thus, bottom of Scottish football, for the first time in their history. The start to the following season was unspectacular but the team managed to get to the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup before losing 4–3 to Brechin City at Hampden. Months before, McCormack had been made part-time by Queen's.[40] When Morton made an approach for his services in November 2002, he left to take the full-time position.
Underachievement [ edit ]
After a lengthy wait, former player Kenny Brannigan was announced as the new manager of Queen's Park in January 2003. His short term at the club was unsuccessful and only a couple of memorable results were achieved, notably a 2–1 win over Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the League Cup. A reasonable start to season 2004–05 came to a halt when Brannigan physically confronted a player and a supporter during a match against Elgin City.[41] Queen's lost the match 1–0 and Brannigan lost his job.
The way ahead [ edit ]
Billy Stark was quickly installed as Kenny Brannigan's replacement in August 2004 and the season ended with Queen's in 4th place. Inconsistency prevented Queen's from reaching the first ever play-offs the following season but in 2006–07 the Spiders were promoted. Not unlike the successful side of 1981, there were few veterans, and the team mostly consisted of young players with little or no experience of football away from Queen's Park. In August 2006, Queen's defeated SPL side Aberdeen in a League Cup penalty shoot-out to record one of their greatest ever victories.[42][43] League form dramatically improved after the New Year as only one home match was lost in the second half of the season. Queen's went on a run of eight consecutive victories, during which goalkeeper David Crawford set a new club record by keeping seven successive shut-outs. Queen's finished 3rd in the league, acquiring only one less point than the side which had won the Championship 7 years earlier. Promotion was achieved via the play-offs. Queen's defeated Arbroath in the semi-finals 4–1 on aggregate and then East Fife in the final 7–2 on aggregate. Richard Sinclair and Frankie Carroll became the first players in the club's history to win promotion on more than one occasion. Queen's Park's cavalier playing style was one which was lauded by coaches from opposition sides during the season and they were acknowledged as being well worthy of their promotion.[44]
Combining the end of the promotion season and the start of 2007–08, Queen's managed 11 consecutive victories (8 league wins) in all competition. Although Billy Stark had signed a new contract in the summer of 2007,[45] he left midway through the following season to take the managerial post of the Scotland under-21s. He was replaced in February 2008 by Gardner Speirs who secured safety from relegation and an 8th-place finish. Queen's lost many talented players in the summer of 2008 to paying clubs[46] but only narrowly lost 2–1 to SPL Champions Celtic in the Scottish Cup fifth round in February 2009.
After finishing 9th in the Second Division in season 2008–09 and then being defeated in the end-of-season play-off semi-finals (losing 1–2 on aggregate v Stenhousemuir), Queen's Park were relegated to the Third Division.
Despite poor starts in their last two Third Division campaigns, on both occasions Queen's Park did enough to qualify for the end of season playoffs. They lost at the semi final stage in both ties, firstly to Arbroath and then to Albion Rovers.
In season 2012–13, faced with greater public scrutiny due to Rangers being accepted into the bottom tier, Queen's had their best season in years, finishing third and playing attractive attacking football. They failed to achieve promotion in the play-offs and the side, which contained players such as Andrew Robertson (who went on to play for Dundee United, Hull City, Liverpool – for a fee close to £10m – and Scotland), Lawrence Shankland (Aberdeen), Aidan Connolly (Dundee United), Paul McGinn (Dundee) and Blair Spittal (Dundee United and Partick Thistle) was broken up in the close season.[47][48]
After finishing fourth in the 2015–16 league season they were finally promoted after beating Clyde in the playoff final.
Queen's Park celebrated their 150th birthday on 9 July 2017, with events held to mark the occasion. Following a ninth place finish in 2017–18, they were relegated to Scottish League Two at the end of the season after a 3–2 aggregate loss to Stenhousemuir in the play-offs.
The club will receive a £5 million financial boost in 2020 after agreeing to sell Hampden Park to the Scottish Football Association.[49]
In the 2018–19 Scottish Challenge Cup, the Spiders recorded a 4–2 penalty win over Champions League regulars, The New Saints of the Welsh Premier League in the Second Round of the competition.[50]
Stadium [ edit ]
When the club was formed in 1867, they initially played on the Queen's Park Recreation Ground at Crosshill, from where they took their name.[51] In 1873 they moved to their first enclosed ground, naming it Hampden Park after a nearby street, Hampden Terrace.[52] A grandstand and pavilion were erected over the next few years and the ground became a regular venue for international matches and cup finals, but in 1883 the club were forced to vacate the site to make way for the construction of the Cathcart Circle railway.[51] After a year playing at Clydesdale Cricket Club's Titwood ground, a second Hampden was opened in October 1884.[51] Whilst the club continued to attract major fixtures, they faced increasing competition as other Glasgow venues such as Celtic Park and Ibrox were developing their facilities more rapidly.[53] To maintain their position in Scottish football, Queen's Park decided to purchase some farmland at Mount Florida, where the third Hampden was opened in 1903.[54] Second Hampden was subsequently taken over by Third Lanark, who renamed it after their previous ground, Cathkin Park.[55]
'Hampden' is one of the homes of football and celebrated its centenary on 31 October 2003. The stadium also houses the offices of the Scottish Football Association (SFA) and the Scottish Football Museum. Despite its large capacity and worldwide profile, it is still owned by Queen's Park and leased by the SFA.[49] It is the national football stadium of Scotland, the venue for all major cup finals and most Scotland international fixtures, and has hosted several continental showpiece events.
With matches in the 2012 Olympic Games having been played there, Hampden was converted into an athletics venue to be the main stadium of the 2014 Commonwealth Games,[56] meaning Queen's Park had to move home games to the Excelsior Stadium in Airdrie for a full year; the cup finals and Scotland matches also went elsewhere.[57][58] The stadium has hosted other sports including rugby union, American football, motorcycle speedway and boxing and many music concerts.
Hampden Park was the largest stadium in the world until 1950, when the Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro was completed. Many of the record attendances in football were set at Hampden in the mid-20th century. After the release of the Taylor Report in the wake of the Hillsborough disaster, among other football tragedies, it was converted to an all-seater. The current capacity is 51,866,[1] although Queen's Park's average league attendance is around 750.
Outside of Hampden Park sits a smaller, lesser-known ground called Lesser Hampden which Queen's Park use for training and reserve/youth matches.
In 2018, a deal was made for the SFA to purchase Hampden from Queen's Park upon the expiry of the lease in 2020 for a fee of £5 million, with the club to improve Lesser Hampden and play their matches there.[49]
A panoramic view of Hampden Park
Support [ edit ]
The Spiders' support is known for being vociferous, especially during away games, where the loyal support gets behind their team, win, lose or draw. For a relatively'small' club, the fans take impressively strong numbers on their travels, usually more to local games (see Rivals section). Some of the Spiders' support call themselves the "Irn Bru Firm" and the Spangle Army currently share an enjoyable relationship with supporters of German club SG Wattenscheid 09. This friendship resulted in Queen's spending their pre-season in the small borough, which is a part of Bochum, for three consecutive years, in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
Queen's Park Supporters' Association (QPSA) [ edit ]
The Queen's Park Supporters' Association was founded over fifty years ago to help bring together people that share a common interest in the Queen's Park Football Club. In recent years membership has increased steadily, with supporters now registered throughout the world. As well as providing a channel to keep members informed of activities in and around Hampden, the association generates income which in turn goes towards helping to maintain the various activities within the club such as donations toward the youth set-up, club website or acknowledging the service of past and present players.
Running a club shop on match days and providing supporters' buses to away grounds as well as organising social events, are some examples of the work the Association carries out every season.
First team squad [ edit ]
As of 31 January 2019[59]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
No. Position Player No. Position Player
Out on loan [ edit ]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
No. Position Player No. Position Player
Non-playing staff [ edit ]
Honorary Patron: Lord Macfarlane of Bearsden
President: Gerry Crawley
Treasurer: David Gordon
Head Coach: Mark Roberts
Goalkeeping Coach: James Evans
Club Doctor: Sandesh Gulhane
Physiotherapist: Arran Johnstone
Rivals [ edit ]
Despite being located midway between Celtic and Rangers, Queen's Park's long resistance to professionalism has resulted in not having competed in the same division as them for long periods of time, and thus turning to rivals in lower divisions, such as Partick Thistle, Clyde and Albion Rovers. However, the admittance of Rangers to the Scottish Third Division for the 2012–13 season prompted the renewal of what is known as the 'Original Glasgow Derby'.[60] The two clubs first competed in March 1879 – nine years before the first Old Firm game between Celtic and Rangers.
Firsts [ edit ]
Queen's Park has the distinction of being the first Scottish club to feature on television. The date was March 1951, when they played a televised friendly match against the famous London amateur side, Walthamstow Avenue. The Spiders won the game 2–0, courtesy of a Derek Grierson double.
The first official substitute in a Scottish League match was Paul Conn for Queen's Park v. Albion Rovers in a Division 2 match on 24 August 1966.
Milestones [ edit ]
Date of formation: 9 July 1867
Most capped player: Walter Arnott (14 caps)
Most League points in a season: 57 (Division 2 – season 1922–23) *2 points for a win 69 (3rd Division – season 1999–2000) *3 points for a win
Most League goals scored by a player in a season: Willie Martin (30 goals – season 1937–38)
Record Queen's Park victory: 16–0 -v- St Peters (Scottish Cup, 26 August 1885)
Record Queen's Park defeat: 0–9 -v- Motherwell (Division 1, 29 April 1930)
Record attendance:
For Hampden: 149,415 – Scotland -v- England, 13 April 1937. This is the record for the largest official attendance at a football match in Britain, though the 1923 FA Cup Final is thought to be higher, but unproven.
For Queen's Park: 95,722 v Rangers (Scottish Cup 1st Round, 18 January 1930).
Honours [ edit ]
Major [ edit ]
League [ edit ]
Cup [ edit ]
Former players [ edit ]
Bobby Brown (Scottish international football player and manager)
James Crawford (One of the last amateur players to earn selection for Scotland)
Barry Douglas (Current Leeds United player)
Sir Alex Ferguson (Former Manchester United manager)
Alfred Geake (The driving force behind the building of both the second and third Hampden Parks)[62]
Malcolm Mackay (Scottish professional football manager and former player)
Mustafa Mansour (Played as a goalkeeper for Egypt at the 1934 FIFA World Cup)
James B McAlpine (Record goalscorer)
R.S.McColl (Scottish Football Hall of Fame)
Andrew Robertson (Current Liverpool player)
Andrew Watson (First black person to play association football at international level)
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
Sources
Official Website
Unofficial Websites
News sitesPro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) spokesperson Ayhan Bilgen announced on Monday that at least 237 officials from his party have been detained in simultaneous raids since Monday morning.
The detainees include HDP provincial and district branch heads in provinces such as İstanbul, Ankara, İzmir, Adana, Mersin and Şanlıurfa.
Police raids on HDP offices and the houses of party officials came after an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) on Sunday claimed responsibility for twin bombings that killed 44 people and wounded more than 160 outside Vodafone Arena in the Beşiktaş district of İstanbul on Saturday.
Police teams left a note on a wall of the HDP provincial branch in İstanbul that read: “We came but you were not here,” while desks were turned over and books in the building were scattered around during the raid.
Bilgen asked how the note left on the wall of the HDP office in İstanbul has anything to do with the efforts to find the masterminds of the twin bomb attacks in İstanbul.
“Is this an act of revenge,” he asked, referring to remarks from Turkey’s Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu, who said Turkey would take revenge for the victims of Saturday’s bombings.
Turkey has stepped up its crackdown on Kurdish politicians in recent months. Courts arrested 10 deputies from the HDP last month and have seized the administration of scores of municipalities and jailed dozens of mayors in southeastern Turkey over the past months.
The Turkish government claims that the growing number of arrests of Kurdish politicians at the national and local level is part of the fight against terrorism.
Giving some figures about the ongoing crackdown on the HDP, Bilgen said 7,432 people from the HDP have been detained since July 22, 2015 and that 2,345 of them have been arrested.
“The figures continue to rise,” he added.
In the meantime, Turkey’s Interior Ministry also released a statement on Monday about the detention of HDP officials and said a total of 235 people have been detained across Turkey on charges of involvement in activities on behalf of the terror organization (PKK) and making its propoganda on social media.Hamilton police officers helped accused mobster and drug trafficker Domenico Violi avoid prosecution, according to a 2002 confidential police intelligence report obtained by The Star. Violi, 51, of Hamilton, was one of nine men charged last week in a sweeping police investigation into drug trafficking and money laundering after dawn raids in York Region, Niagara, Innisfil, Vancouver and Montreal.
Domenico Paolo Violi of Hamilton (left) was charged with a variety of drug trafficking offences, while a Canada-wide warrant for similar crimes was issued against his brother Giuseppe (Joe) Violi, also of Hamilton. ( POLICE HANDOUTS )
The Halton Regional Police report calls a longstanding Hamilton police officer “a close, paid associate” of Violi. The report’s “Introduction/ Synopsis,” based on a confidential source, reads: “Domenic VIOLI of Hamilton (son of Paolo Violi formerly of Montreal – deceased)” had “a number of serving Police Officers providing intelligence and assistance avoid prosecution for crimes committed.” The report is dated July 24, 2002 and quotes a confidential source which the author said is close to Violi.
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The Halton Police intelligence report states that a Hamilton police officer “has been providing information to TOC (traditional organized crime) and others since the late 80’s.” Hamilton police would not comment on the documents. “The documents are Halton Police documents and your inquiry is best directed to them,” Hamilton police spokesperson Jackie Penman said. “We are looking into the validity of the documents and working with our counterparts to identify the source of this information,” Sgt. Dana Nicholas of Halton Regional Police said in an email. Private investigator Derrick Snowdy provided The Star with copies of the intelligence report. He refused to comment on how he obtained it.
The report continues that a top member of the force “along with other subordinates were also closely tied with TOC (traditional organized crime) and have been since the early 80’s.” The report states that one Hamilton police officer “is a close, paid associate of Domenic VIOLI of Hamilton.. heir apparent to the LUPPINO Crime group of Burlington.”
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Violi was among alleged GTA organized crime members who were arrested Thursday in a sweeping investigation into the fentanyl trade after early morning raids across southwestern Ontario and New York, the RCMP said. His younger brother Giuseppe (Joe) Violi, 47, turned himself in to police on Friday after being named on a Canada-wide warrant. Both Violi brothers face charges for 75 offences including trafficking fentanyl, carfentanil, heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine, as well as weapons and contraband tobacco trafficking and bookmaking. “I would expect it will have a significant impact over the short term,” RCMP Supt. Chris Leather said at a press conference on Friday. The Violis are the grandsons of the late Giacomo Luppino of Hamilton, who was considered by police to be a founding member of the Crimine, a governing body for criminals in the ’Ndrangheta crime group and a longstanding associate of the Buffalo mob. Their father Paolo was a top figure in the Montreal underworld before his murder in 1978. Leather said the Violi brothers are well-established with “an international reach.” The FBI in New York City conducted what the RCMP called “a parallel, but separate investigation into La Cosa Nostra in that city, focusing on members of the Bonanno and Gambino families.”Applicative functors: definition and syntax
In a recent blog post, Edward Z. Yang talks about applicative functors [3]. He mentions two equivalent definitions of applicative functors - the standard definition used in Haskell libraries ( Applicative ) and an alternative that has been also presented in the original paper [1], but is generally less familiar ( Monoidal ).
The standard definition makes a perfect sense with the standard uses in Haskell, however I always preferred the alternative definition. Edward uses the alternative ( Monoidal ) definition to explain the laws that should hold about applicative functors and to explain commutative applicative functors, but I think it is even more useful.
The Monoidal definition fits nicely with a trick that you can use to encode applicative functors in C# using LINQ [6] and I also used it as a basis for an F# syntax extension that allows writing code using applicative functors in a similar style as using monads (which is discussed in my draft paper about writing abstract computations in F# [5]). And I also think that commutative applicative functors deserve more attention.
Alternative definitions
Applicative
Let's start with the definitions. If you want to define an applicative functor in Haskell, you need to define the following operations (I'll be using the F# syntax, but the idea is the same):
val pure :'T -> F <'T > val ( <*> ) : F <'T1 ->'T2 > -> F <'T1 > -> F <'T2 >
The definition explains why applicative functors are called applicative in Haskell and it also suggests their usual use. When we have some function f and effectful arguments a1, a2 and a3, we can can use the combinators and apply the function as follows:
( pure f ) <*> a1 <*> a2 <*> a3
This is an extremely useful for programming in Haskell, but it gives one specific presentation of the idea.
Monoidal
The alternative definition (which is equivalent to the first one) uses the following operations (in Haskell, the map operation is a part of Functor type class, but since we do not have type classes in F#, I'll write all the operations explicitly):
val map : ('T1 ->'T2 ) -> ( F <'T1 > -> F <'T2 > ) val unit : F < unit > val ( ** ) : F <'T1 > -> F <'T2 > -> F <'T1 *'T2 >
The unit value is essentially the same as the pure function in the previous definition (in terms of effects, they both create effect-free computations, with the only difference being that pure contains specified value and unit contains values of the unit type -- using map, you can easily turn unit into pure ).
However, the ** operator (which call merge) is more interesting. It says that if we have multiple computations with different effects (or other non-standard computational properties), we can combine the values and, at the same time, combine the effects (properties).
When talking about effects and IO, this operation simply combines the effects. However, when we take lists, this operation behaves as zip. One possible interpretation is that we're writing data-flow computations and list contains past values. In that interpretation, merge combines n past values of the first argument with m past values of the second argument and the result is min(n, m) past tuples. Interestingly enough, Uustalu and Vene use exactly this operation in their comonadic model of data-flow computations [9]. That's out of the scope of this blog post, but it is an interesting point (they use commutative merge operation).
The typical use of this interface is in some sense reversed when compared to the previous one. If we have a number of computations c1, c2 and c3, we can combine them and then perform some computation with the resulting tuple:
c1 ** c2 ** c3 |> map ( fun ( a1, ( a2, a3 )) -> f a1 a2 a3 )
I could use map and ** in a similar style as <*> and pure (with a couple of uncurry combinators etc.), but the different style is intentional, because I think that the second definition is more suited for the explicit (as opposed to point-free) programming style.
Perhaps another analogy is possible here. There are two analogies when explaining monads (and they also apply to applicative functors). The first treats F<'T> as a "box" that wraps value 'T and the second treats F<'T> as a "computation" that produces 'T.
The Applicative definition fits better with the "box" analogy. We write applicative style code as usual, and additional combinators make sure the boxes are handled correctly.
The Monoidal definition fits better with the "computations" analogy. We compose computations, bind the results to variables ( a1, a2 and a3 ) and then continue computing.
Alternative syntax
So far, I tried to informally explain the difference between two definitions. Indeed, the definitions are equivalent, so mathematically speaking, there is no difference. However, I believe thay supply different intuitions and suggest different use. In this section, I'll talk about the syntactic support for applicative functors that Haskell and (a research extension of) F# have.
Idiom brackets in Haskell
The original paper on applicative functors proposes a syntax that simplifies programming with applicative functors (see also idiom brackets in She [2]). When you write:
(| f a1.. an |)
The syntax is desugared to:
(pure f) <*> a1 <*>.. <*> an
This is a nice and useful simplification if you're using the applicative style. It even more clearly highlights the intuition that applicative functors are useful for writing code where we apply some function to an effectful arguments (values in "boxes") and want to propagate the effects (deal with the boxes).
It is also worth mentioning that this syntax is completely different from the notations that Haskell supports for working with other similar abstractions, most notably the do notation and also monad comprehensions.
Computation syntax for F#
In a recent paper that I wrote with Don Syme [5], I tried to design a syntax for applicative functors that would match with the rest of F# computation expressions. As discussed in the paper, F# computation expressions can be used for a wider range of abstractions., but if we work with monads, they look pretty similar to do in Haskell. Assuming m is a computation builder for a monad and f : int -> M<int>, we can write:
m { let! a = f 42 let! b = f a return a + b }
We can use a very similar style of syntax for working with applicative functors. Assuming a is a computation builder for applicative syntax and g : int -> F<int>, we can write:
a { let! a = g 42 and b = g 43 return a + b }
You can find more details about the syntax in the paper [5], but here are the key points:
The body of computation expression (in {.. } ) can have only one parallel binding block consisting of let!.. and.. and... This defines the computations that are combined using the merge operation (the ** operator)
The defined variables are not mutually recursive, so it is not possible to use, for example, the variable a in g 43. This is where my above example differs for monads and applicative functors.
The code block following the parallel binding can contain other non-applicative let bindings, as well as other standard constructs (like if ), but it cannot contain any more let! and it has to end with return.
I think the syntax nicely demonstrates the difference between monads and applicative functors (and explains in what way is monad more powerful). To quote the original applicative functors paper (Section 5):
Intuitively, [a monad] allows the value returned by one computation to influence the choice of another, whereas [applicative functor] keeps the structure of a computation fixed, just sequencing the effects.
This is exactly describing the limitation of the let!.. and.. and.. syntax. The value of a variable cannot affect what (applicative) computations are evaluated as part of the computation. They have to be specified at once and are always all evaluated. On the other hand, with monads in F#, we can write let! followed by if and then have another let! only in one branch (in which case, the nested computation may or may not be evaluated).
Realistic example
There is a number of examples where the applicative programming style (and the idiom bracket syntax) make a good sense. So are there also some good examples where the explicit style that treats applicative functors as computations makes sense? Perhaps the best example I can think of are formlets [4] - a computation type that represents HTML forms:
let userInfo = form { let! name = textBox " name " and surname = textBox " surname " let combined = name + " " + surname let message = " Your name is " + combined return message }
The example builds a form that generates two HTML textbox elements, asking for name and surname. When processed, the form returns a message of the form "Your name is First Last". I do not want to go into details, but you can find more (including a live browser-hosted example that works on Mac and Windows) on the try joinads web site [8].
Summary
I hope this article provided some more evidence that the alternative definition of applicative functors (the Monoidal type class) is useful. As Edward pointed out [3], it makes it easier to understand the laws. This is even more the case with the syntax that I proposed for F# above - commutative applicative functor allows you to reorder the bindings in the let!.. and.. and.. block.
I believe that, intuitively, the Applicative definition is more natural when we treat values F<'T> as boxed values of type 'T and want to work with them as if they were just 'T values. However, if we treat them as computations returning 'T, then the other definition might be more natural. It describes the operations that can be done with the computations and also leads to an interesting syntax (which I implemented for F#) and which relates applicative functors to monads.
Finally, the merge operation ( ** operator) of type F<'T1> * F<'T2> -> F<'T1 * 'T2> is quite interesting, because it appears in a number of places. Aside from applicative functors, it is used in comonadic model of data-flow [9] and it is also used in monad comprehensions as a generalization of zip (see my Monad.Reader article [7], Section 2.5)
val f : int -> string -> float -> 'a
Full name: Blog.f
An applicative functor structure
val a : int
type: int
inherits: System.ValueType
Multiple items
val int : 'T -> int (requires member op_Explicit)
Full name: Microsoft.FSharp.Core.Operators.int
--------------------
type int<'Measure> = int
Full name: Microsoft.FSharp.Core.int<_>
type: int<'Measure>
inherits: System.ValueType
--------------------
type int = int32
Full name: Microsoft.FSharp.Core.int
type: int
inherits: System.ValueType
val b : string
type: string
Multiple items
val string : 'T -> string
Full name: Microsoft.FSharp.Core.Operators.string
--------------------
type string = System.String
Full name: Microsoft.FSharp.Core.string
type: string
val d : float
type: float
inherits: System.ValueType
Multiple items
val float : 'T -> float (requires member op_Explicit)
Full name: Microsoft.FSharp.Core.Operators.float
--------------------
type float<'Measure> = float
Full name: Microsoft.FSharp.Core.float<_>
type: float<'Measure>
inherits: System.ValueType
--------------------
type float = System.Double
Full name: Microsoft.FSharp.Core.float
type: float
inherits: System.ValueType
val failwith : string -> 'T
Full name: Microsoft.FSharp.Core.Operators.failwith
type F<'T> = | FC of 'T
Full name: Blog.F<_>
type: F<'a>
union case F.FC: 'T -> F<'T>
val a1 : F<int>
Full name: Blog.a1
type: F<int>
val a2 : F<string>
Full name: Blog.a2
type: F<string>
val a3 : F<float>
Full name: Blog.a3
type: F<float>
val c1 : F<int>
Full name: Blog.c1
type: F<int>
val c2 : F<string>
Full name: Blog.c2
type: F<string>
val c3 : F<float>
Full name: Blog.c3
type: F<float>
val pure : 'T -> F<'T>
Full name: Blog.pure
val a : 'T
val f : F<('T1 -> 'T2)>
type: F<('T1 -> 'T2)>
val a : F<'T1>
type: F<'T1>
val a : 'a
val b : 'b
val map : ('a -> 'b) -> F<'a> -> F<'b>
Full name: Blog.map
val f : ('a -> 'b)
type Formlet<'T> = | FR of string list * (Map<string,string> -> 'T)
Full name: Blog.Formlet<_>
union case Formlet.FR: string list * (Map<string,string> -> 'T) -> Formlet<'T>
type 'T list = List<'T>
Full name: Microsoft.FSharp.Collections.list<_>
type: 'T list
Multiple items
module Map
from Microsoft.FSharp.Collections
--------------------
type Map<'Key,'Value (requires comparison)> =
class
interface System.Collections.IEnumerable
interface System.IComparable
interface System.Collections.Generic.IEnumerable<System.Collections.Generic.KeyValuePair<'Key,'Value>>
interface System.Collections.Generic.ICollection<System.Collections.Generic.KeyValuePair<'Key,'Value>>
interface System.Collections.Generic.IDictionary<'Key,'Value>
new : elements:seq<'Key * 'Value> -> Map<'Key,'Value>
member Add : key:'Key * value:'Value -> Map<'Key,'Value>
member ContainsKey : key:'Key -> bool
override Equals : obj -> bool
member Remove : key:'Key -> Map<'Key,'Value>
member TryFind : key:'Key -> 'Value option
member Count : int
member IsEmpty : bool
member Item : key:'Key -> 'Value with get
end
Full name: Microsoft.FSharp.Collections.Map<_,_>
type: Map<'Key,'Value>
val textBox : string -> Formlet<string>
Full name: Blog.textBox
Represents a textbox formlet
val key : string
type: string
val map : Map<string,string>
type: Map<string,string>
val render : Formlet<'a> -> string list
Full name: Blog.render
val keys : string list
type: string list
val evaluate : Map<string,string> -> Formlet<'a> -> 'a
Full name: Blog.evaluate
val state : Map<string,string>
type: Map<string,string>
val op : (Map<string,string> -> 'a)
Multiple items
val unit : 'a -> Formlet<'a>
Full name: Blog.Formlets.unit
Formlet that always returns the given value
--------------------
type unit = Unit
Full name: Microsoft.FSharp.Core.unit
type: unit
val v : 'a
val map : ('a -> 'b) -> Formlet<'a> -> Formlet<'b>
Full name: Blog.Formlets.map
The map operation applies 'f' to the result
val merge : Formlet<'a> -> Formlet<'b> -> Formlet<'a * 'b>
Full name: Blog.Formlets.merge
Combine two formlets and pair their results
val keys1 : string list
type: string list
val op1 : (Map<string,string> -> 'a)
val keys2 : string list
type: string list
val op2 : (Map<string,string> -> 'b)
type FormletBuilder =
class
new : unit -> FormletBuilder
member Merge : form1:Formlet<'e> * form2:Formlet<'f> -> Formlet<'e * 'f>
member Return : v:'b -> Formlet<'b>
member ReturnFrom : form:'a -> 'a
member Select : form:Formlet<'c> * f:('c -> 'd) -> Formlet<'d>
end
Full name: Blog.FormletBuilder
val x : FormletBuilder
member FormletBuilder.Merge : form1:Formlet<'e> * form2:Formlet<'f> -> Formlet<'e * 'f>
Full name: Blog.FormletBuilder.Merge
val form1 : Formlet<'e>
val form2 : Formlet<'f>
module Formlets
from Blog
member FormletBuilder.Select : form:Formlet<'c> * f:('c -> 'd) -> Formlet<'d>
Full name: Blog.FormletBuilder.Select
val form : Formlet<'c>
val f : ('c -> 'd)
member FormletBuilder.Return : v:'b -> Formlet<'b>
Full name: Blog.FormletBuilder.Return
val v : 'b
val unit : 'a -> Formlet<'a>
Full name: Blog.Formlets.unit
Formlet that always returns the given value
member FormletBuilder.ReturnFrom : form:'a -> 'a
Full name: Blog.FormletBuilder.ReturnFrom
val form : 'a
val form : FormletBuilder
Full name: Blog.form
type F<'T> = | FC of 'T
Full name: Blog.F<_>
type: F<'T>
type unit = Unit
Full name: Microsoft.FSharp.Core.unit
type: unit
val a1 : int
type: int
inherits: System.ValueType
val a2 : string
type: string
val a3 : float
type: float
inherits: System.ValueType
type M<'T> = | MM of 'T
Full name: Blog.M<_>
type: M<'a>
union case M.MM: 'T -> M<'T>
type MBuilder =
class
new : unit -> MBuilder
member Bind : M<'b> * f:('b -> 'c) -> 'c
member Return : v:'d -> M<'d>
member ReturnFrom : M<'a> -> M<'a>
end
Full name: Blog.MBuilder
val x : MBuilder
member MBuilder.Return : v:'d -> M<'d>
Full name: Blog.MBuilder.Return
val v : 'd
member MBuilder.Bind : M<'b> * f:('b -> 'c) -> 'c
Full name: Blog.MBuilder.Bind
val f : ('b -> 'c)
member MBuilder.ReturnFrom : M<'a> -> M<'a>
Full name: Blog.MBuilder.ReturnFrom
type FBuilder =
class
new : unit -> FBuilder
member Merge : F<'d> * F<'e> -> F<'d * 'e>
member Return : a:'a -> F<'a>
member Select : F<'b> * f:('b -> 'c) -> F<'c>
end
Full name: Blog.FBuilder
|
) touch = true } fun release() { gravityCenter.setZero() touch = false }
When a user swipes the screen, we increase the gravity and change its center, so for the user it looks like they are controlling the movements of the bubbles. When the user stops swiping, we return the bubbles to their initial state.
7. Finding a bubble by the coordinates of a user’s touches
When a user clicks on a circle, we receive the touch position on the screen in the onTouchEvent() method. But we also need to find the clicked circle in OpenGL’s coordinate system. By default, the center of the GLSurfaceView has the position [0, 0], and the x and y values lie between -1 and 1. So we also have to consider the ratio of the screen:
private fun getItem(position: Vec2) = position.let { val x = it.x.convert(glView.width, scaleX) val y = it.y.convert(glView.height, scaleY) circles.find { Math.sqrt(((x - it.x).sqr() + (y - it.y).sqr()).toDouble()) <= it.radius } }
When we find the selected circle, we change its radius, density, and texture.
This is the first version of our Bubble Picker, and we surely plan to develop it further. We'd like to give other developers the possibility to customize the physical behavior of bubbles and specify urls to add images to the animation. We also want to add some new features such as the ability to remove bubbles.
Don’t hesitate to send us your experiments, we are curious to see how you use our Bubble Picker. And do let us know if you have any questions or suggestion regarding the animation.
We are going to publish more awesome things soon. Stay tuned!
Check out our BubblePicker animation on GitHub and BubblePicker on Dribbble.Nanker Phelge (a.k.a. Nanker/Phelge) was a collective pseudonym used between 1963 and 1965 for several Rolling Stones group compositions.[1] Stones bassist Bill Wyman explained the origins of the name in his 2002 book, Rolling with the Stones:
When the Stones cut "Stoned" – or "Stones", according to early misprinted pressings – as the B-side to "I Wanna Be Your Man", Brian [Jones] suggested crediting it to Nanker/Phelge. The entire band would share writing royalties. Phelge came from Edith Grove flatmate Jimmy Phelge, while a Nanker was a revolting face that band members, Brian in particular, would pull.
Group manager Andrew Loog Oldham has a somewhat different explanation, as he states in his book 'Stoned' [2] that Nanker Phelge was the idea of manager Allen Klein to let Oldham share parts of the royalties.
Thus anything credited to Nanker Phelge refers to a Mick Jagger/Brian Jones/Keith Richards/Charlie Watts/Bill Wyman/Andrew Oldham collaborative composition. The ASCAP files for the very earliest Nanker Phelge compositions also list early Rolling Stones member Ian Stewart (also known as "the sixth Stone") as a co-author covered by the pseudonym.[3]
The name resurfaced in the late 1960s on the labels of the original vinyl pressings of Beggars Banquet and Let It Bleed. Manufacture of both albums was credited to Nanker Phelge, which was then acknowledged as an ABKCO company (ABKCO was manufacturing the records that still bore the London and Decca labels).
Songs credited to Nanker Phelge [ edit ]
See also [ edit ]NEW BEDFORD — Gubernatorial candidate and Newton Mayor Setti Warren paid a visit to City Hall Wednesday as part of his campaign's grassroots approach to Beacon Hill, while also addressing recent comments made by Governor Charlie Baker.
Warren, currently serving his second mayoral term, officially announced his candidacy over the weekend.
When asked by State House News Service about Warren's decision to run last week, Baker replied with a quote now open for interpretation.
"Those are personal decisions, and people should make whatever they think they think is in their best interest, and in the best interest of whatever constituency they're choosing to represent," Baker said.
Warren believes Baker is implying he is only interested in representing certain groups of residents and would like some clarification from the governor.
"I'm puzzled by Gov. Baker's remarks and I hope he'll explain what he meant," said Warren. "I'm running for governor because, as I'm moving around the Commonwealth, people and communities are falling behind."
Outside the steps of City Hall, Warren offered examples of the people he plans to fight for on Beacon Hill.
"I'm running for the folks that have been waiting for things like SouthCoast Rail here in New Bedford to come to fruition, I'm running for the folks that are being crushed by student debt every day in the Commonwealth, I'm running for folks that just can't afford basic healthcare to take care of themselves and their family," said Warren.
Before speaking to the media, Warren met privately with Mitchell to discuss the needs of the city.
"We talked about the numerous projects that he's working on," Warren said. "We need to make sure, for example, we're investing in the port here and infrastructure so we can build jobs, be able to increase trade within a great fishing industry here that has to grow."
The two mayors also spoke about essential investments in offshore wind, education, trade and skilled labor and healthcare.
Among his campaign platforms is attacking the issue of income inequality.
"When I talk to people no matter where they are...I'm hearing the same thing, 'We need a Beacon Hill that is listening and hearing for residents on the ground in our communities so we can deal with this issue of economic inequality," said Warren.
Some solutions Warren offered were single-payer healthcare as well as free public college.Multiagent systems consist of multiple autonomous entities having different information and/or diverging interests. This comprehensive introduction to the field offers a computer science perspective, but also draws on ideas from game theory, economics, operations research, logic, philosophy and linguistics. It will serve as a reference for researchers in each of these fields, and be used as a text for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses.
Emphasizing foundations, the authors offer a broad and rigorous treatment of their subject, with thorough presentations of distributed problem solving, non-cooperative game theory, multiagent communication and learning, social choice, mechanism design, auctions, coalitional game theory, and logical theories of knowledge, belief, and other aspects of rational agency. For each topic, basic concepts are introduced, examples are given, proofs of key results are offered, and algorithmic considerations are examined. An appendix covers background material in probability theory, classical logic, Markov decision processes, and mathematical programming.1 David Johnson, RB Arizona Cardinals Le’Veon Bell, RB Pittsburgh Steelers David Johnson, RB Arizona Cardinals David Johnson, RB Arizona Cardinals David Johnson, RB Arizona Cardinals
In 2016, Johnson had over 100 total yards every week but week 17 and that consistency is what makes him the top fantasy back. Ignore Bell’s current holdout. It’s the very definition of pointless as he’s locked into the franchise tag at this point so it’s nothing more than a statement. As long as he can avoid being suspended again, he is the best dual threat running back in a complete offense. A dynamic skillset that teams can’t focus solely on is a recipe for yet another elite season. He can run, he can catch, and his coach said he’s getting 30 touches a game. Johnson will be the highest scorer in fantasy football this year. Arguably the most complete back in the league. David Johnson is the clear top fantasy back in the game. His performance last season was simply unreal and yielded one of the highest point totals from a back in the history of fantasy football. If you’re lucky enough to have a top two pick, draft Johnson!
2 Le’Veon Bell, RB Pittsburgh Steelers David Johnson, RB Arizona Cardinals Le’Veon Bell, RB Pittsburgh Steelers Le’Veon Bell, RB Pittsburgh Steelers Le’Veon Bell, RB Pittsburgh Steelers
There ’ s not much of a difference between Bell and David Johnson ’ s numbers on the field but Bell has injury issues and is holding out in training camp. For those fantasy headaches, he gets the second spot. Johnson was arguably the biggest snub from the MVP vote last year. He wasn’t given an ounce of respect that he earned by outperforming the highly-touted Ezekiel Elliott despite the Cardinals’ constant struggles on both sides of the ball. The only thing holding Johnson from the top spot is his inconsistent line and Carson Palmer’s equally unreliable play. The longer he holds out the more he will hurt his team and himself. Bell could arguably be the best running back in the game and if he had reported to camp already he may be sitting at the top spot. Pittsburgh has one of the top offenses in the NFL and Bell is a huge benefactor.
An elusive runner that has the best vision in the game. Just hope his pointless hold-out doesn't hurt his already injury-prone body. Bell is an incredibly dynamic back and has been for a few seasons now. When he’s on the field, it’s all but assured that he’ll be giving you at least 16 points a game. As long as he stays healthy, he’ll dominate fantasy once more.
3 Melvin Gordon, RB Los Angeles Chargers LeSean McCoy, RB Buffalo Bills LeSean McCoy, RB Buffalo Bills LeSean McCoy, RB Buffalo Bills Melvin Gordon, RB Los Angeles Chargers
In 2017, Gordon gets a new coach that loves to run the ball with Anthony Lynn, and Danny Woodhead left for Baltimore in the offseason so Gordon is expected to see an increase in touches and the main receiving role out of the backfield.
Probably the hottest take on this whole list is ranking “Shady” over Ezekiel Elliott. Don’t get me wrong the two are about equal in terms of impacts on their team but fantasy impact is something different. LeSean McCoy has proved himself as a legitimate dual-threat after being traded to the Bills and with virtually no changes to the offense this offseason, it’s reasonable to expect the same output. ***Elliott is currently suspended first six games of season. McCoy still has plenty of gas left in the tank and will carry the load for the Bills this year. Buffalo had the best rushing attack last year and will finish in the top five again this year due to McCoy and that solid offensive line.
Duel threat back that may lead his team in receptions. Gordon delivered the skill set and ability he was expected to possess upon entering the league. After an underwhelming rookie campaign, Gordon ran the ball with determination and power. If he recovers well from his injury, expect the budding star to pick up where he left off.
4 LeSean McCoy, RB Buffalo Bills Melvin Gordon, RB Los Angeles Chargers Jordan Howard, RB Chicago Bears Melvin Gordon, RB Los Angeles Chargers Devonta Freeman, RB Atlanta Falcons
He lead one of the best rushing attacks in 2016 and not much is expected to change in 2017 as the new offensive coordinator looks to run the ball almost as much as last year. Gordon’s extraordinarily mediocre rookie season will seemingly forever hang in the back of fantasy owners’ minds but last year proved it was likely a rarity than a commonality. While Forrest Lamp’s injury does put a bit of dent in his lines’ improvement, Gordon has proved he can succeed with a less than stellar one. Chicago’s interior offensive line is one of the best in the game and with questions surrounding the quarterback position, the Bears will rely on Howard and the rushing attack to jumpstart the offense.
Without the presence of Danny Woodhead, he will be a true 3 down back. Scoring machine on the ground with added work in the pass game Even without Kyle Shanahan guiding the Falcons’ offensive unit, Freeman will continue his rise up the running back ladder. His running mate Tevin Coleman does eat into his carries, but Freeman is gifted enough as both a pass catcher and runner to ensure a critical role on an outstanding offense.
5 Jordan Howard, RB Chicago Bears Devonta Freeman, RB Atlanta Falcons Melvin Gordon, RB Los Angeles Chargers Devonta Freeman, RB Atlanta Falcons LeSean McCoy, RB Buffalo Bills
Howard looks to take on a full starting role in his second year and be the engine for this offense as he looks to build on a tremendous rookie career. Freeman’s fantasy status is in a weird flux given he is clearly the better option of the team’s dual threat but he is still splitting time with Tevin Coleman. There’s the added concern that his newly signed contract takes away any motivation and the absence of Kyle Shanahan. Given all those negatives, Freeman’s potential based off pure skill is still enough to earn the boom-or-bust pick in the early rounds. Gordon lived up to his potential last year and would have surpassed 1,000 yards if he hadn’t gotten hurt. Expect at least that total in 2017 plus a whole lot more. The return of Keenan Allen will take some of the attention away from Gordon and the addition of Dan Feeney at guard should help the rushing attack.
With 127 receptions over the last two seasons and a new contract inked, Freeman looks to be a PPR monster. Since his arrival in Buffalo, McCoy has retained his status as a premier runner. He continues to be a crafty back with great lateral speed and sure hands. Additionally, the Bills’ offensive system is ideal for a runner of his caliber. Although he gets dinged up fairly often, he’ll easily finish as a top running back in fantasy scoring.
6 Jay Ajayi, RB Miami Dolphins DeMarco Murray, RB Tennessee Titans Devonta Freeman, RB Atlanta Falcons DeMarco Murray, RB Tennessee Titans DeMarco Murray, RB Tennessee Titans
Even without Ryan Tannehill, Ajayi will have a full training camp as the proven starter and will be the focus of this offense. A second year under Adam Gase will allow the third-year runner to show his full potential. Murray’s production is harmed a bit by Derrick Henry’s emergence as a legitimate goal-line back, but he has still proven that his career 2,000-yard year in Dallas wasn’t a fluke. Murray’s receiving skills makes him more valuable than Henry fantasy-wise and Marcus Mariota is looking like he’s poised to place himself in the top echelon of quarterbacks next year further valuing Murray’s abilities. Freeman just signed a big extension with the Falcons that made him the highest paid running back in the league. Freeman gets lost in the shuffle but he is very productive on the ground and through the air. If it wasn’t for Coleman, Freeman would be higher on the list.
A healthy Marriota and one of the best O-lines in the league. Murray is going to put up numbers. Derrick Henry is knocking on the door and may cut into his production a bit, however. There was a lot of ambiguity surrounding Murray’s outlook when he was first sent over to the Titans. However, after just one season playing in Tennessee, Murray regained a spot amongst the elite runners of the league. He had an outstanding year filled with highlights of his signature power runs and goal line finishes. He might lose more carries to Derrick Henry, but it’s safe to say that his role as lead back is secure.
7 Devonta Freeman, RB Atlanta Falcons Jay Ajayi, RB Miami Dolphins Todd Gurley, RB Los Angeles Rams Jay Ajayi, RB Miami Dolphins Jay Ajayi, RB Miami Dolphins
Losing Kyle Shanahan will hurt the Falcons but Freeman is still surrounded by the same group on offense and consistency will help keep his fantasy numbers in the top 10 for the 2017 season. This has turned into perhaps the biggest boom-or-bust pick in the early rounds thanks to Ryan Tannehill’s injury. The real question of Ajayi’s value rests in the undependable hands of Jay Cutler. If Cutler can reignite his career-best (and granted overvalued) season with Adam Gase, it’ll take the pressure off Ajayi allowing him to repeat his performance from last year. If not, then Ajayi may end up being a middle-tier back under a one-dimensional offense. Gurley should bounce back this year after a pretty disappointing 2016. The Rams improved their offensive line and Jared Goff being the clear QB1 will help.
Jay Cutler makes this offense two dimensional and will open up the run lanes. He will improve on his 1,272 yards and 8 rushing TDs and his 27 receptions for 151 yards. After a slow and murky start, Ajayi exploded onto the scene. The young back had multiple games over 200 yards and was one of the lone bright spots on the Dolphins’ offense. With Jay Cutler taking over for the injured Ryan Tannehill, I expect Ajayi will be getting plenty of opportunities to run the ball. As long as Cutler can help take a little pressure off of Ajayi, he’ll have another great fantasy year.
8 Todd Gurley, RB Los Angeles Rams Jordan Howard, RB Chicago Bears Leonard Fournette, RB Jacksonville Jaguars Jordan Howard, RB Chicago Bears Todd Gurley, RB Los Angeles Rams
After a terrible fantasy season, Gurley will have an offense this year that’s improved across the board, especially the offensive line with Andrew Whitworth at left tackle. An offensive minded head coach in Sean McVay will have the Rams improve and keep up a consistent running game. Howard is much like Ajayi in that you are investing a high-risk, high-reward pick on him. Despite not doing much in the first three weeks of the season, Howard was still able to surpass 1,000 yards and score seven touchdowns. The two main knocks on Howard is he isn’t much of a receiving threat and the Bears didn’t do much to bolster his offensive line. Fournette gives Jacksonville a dimension to their offense they haven’t had since Blake Bortles has been there. Fournette may not be as effective as Elliott was in his rookie campaign but Fournette should be the top scoring fantasy rookie.
Best offensive weapon on a bad team. If the Bears score, it’s probably because of Howard. Obviously, Gurley had a rather disappointing season last year. There are a lot of variables to consider when examining this young back’s first two years. Honestly, I don’t know if the changes the Rams made to their coaching staff, schemes, and offensive line will be enough. But, those shifts, along with Gurley’s likely 15-plus touches per game give me some hope.
9 DeMarco Murray, RB Tennessee Titans Lamar Miller, RB Houston Texans Marshawn Lynch, RB Oakland Raiders Leonard Fournette, RB Jacksonville Jaguars Jordan Howard, RB Chicago Bears
Murray probably will not be able to hold off Derrick Henry as much this season but he should still be a productive fantasy pick. He has a coach in Mike Mularkey that loves his rushing attack and will continue to feature Murray as the top back. Despite Alfred Blue’s and D’Onta Foreman’s impressive performances in the Texans’ first preseason game, it is unlikely that Miller will lose significant carries to either one. In fact, it might be what helps his value more. One of the main knocks on Miller was he couldn’t handle the heavy workload he never got in Miami and these two will help that. It also helps that the Texans don’t have a traditional goal-line back that would steal touchdowns away from Miller. The Oakland offense paved the way for Latavius Murray to score 12 touchdowns last year so imagine what Beast Mode will do.
A grown man with a passing a game that will keep the safety out of the box. Expect big things from the rookie. It’s difficult to say if the waiver wire Cinderella of last season can match his outstanding performance. However, I do think there’s some value in his situation. Namely, Howard is locked-in as the offensive leader of a team lacking in options. At the very least, Howard will have plenty of chances to rack up garbage points, which is great if you have him on your fantasy team, but not so much if you’re a Bears’ fan.
10 Isaiah Crowell, RB Cleveland Browns Todd Gurley, RB Los Angeles Rams Ezekiel Elliott, RB Dallas Cowboys Christian McCaffrey, RB Carolina Panthers Leonard Fournette, RB Jacksonville Jaguars
The Browns look to have their first thousand-yard rusher since Peyton Hillis in 2010. Crowell’s touches have increased every year and his receiving role jumped from 19 receptions in 2015 to 40 receptions in 2016. Expect big things from Crowell this year. There are few players in the NFL I feel worse for than Gurley. His horrid 2016 season was hardly the product of poor play from him and rather the fact he’s the only viable weapon on L.A.’s offense. The additions of Andrew Whitworth and John Sullivan on the offensive line along with the hiring of new coach and former Redskins’ offensive coordinator Sean McVay are promising but buyer beware with Gurley. Elliott still has one of the best lines in football and will benefit from a healthy Dez Bryant and more polished Dak Prescott. However, if his six game suspension holds up, you cannot take him inside the top 10.
A true Swiss Army knife. Ability to catch as good as anyone in the league with the athletic ability to make something happen out of nothing. There’s always a risk factor when valuing a rookie, especially if that rookie plays behind the quarterback most likely to end an offensive drive with an interception (true statement about Blake Bortles since he’s joined the league). That being said, I can’t imagine the Jaguars selecting a back that high in the draft and not playing him. Fournette will have the opportunities; hopefully, his talent will make them count.
11 Christian McCaffrey, RB Carolina Panthers Leonard Fournette, RB Jacksonville Jaguars DeMarco Murray, RB Tennessee Titans Todd Gurley, RB Los Angeles Rams Carlos Hyde, RB San Francisco 49ers
McCaffrey has risen up my draft board steadily over the course of the offseason. The Panther’s seem to love him in camp and he could potentially steal the job from Johnathan Stewart by mid-season. Ranking a rookie this high is unusual but Fournette was a workhorse in college and will likely be taking on the same role in Jacksonville. Tom Coughlin said his expectations for Fournette will be mainly putting the ball in the end zone. Fournette may have trouble racking up the yards but he will probably make up for it in touchdowns. Murray runs behind one of the best lines in football but he will lose carries to Derrick Henry who will play a larger role this year. Tennessee also improved the receiving corps through the draft and free agency so Mariota will throw more than last year.
Rams look to be on the upswing and Gurley is a big part of that. With 43 receptions in 2016, he is in line for a heavy work load. Hyde has been in a tough spot for some time. I don’t foresee the Niners flipping their season simply because Shanahan took over, but I do believe the new leadership bodes well for Hyde. Under the helm of an offense genius, Hyde is likely to be utilized to the best of his potential. Hopefully, he stays healthy enough to reap the benefits of his new system.
12 Leonard Fournette, RB Jacksonville Jaguars Isaiah Crowell, RB Cleveland Browns Jay Ajayi, RB Miami Dolphins Lamar Miller, RB Houston Texans Lamar Miller, RB Houston Texans
There’s been recent talk that Fournette may not have a bell cow work load by week one but everyone in the organization already loves the kid. He was drafted fourth overall to be the main piece of the offense. Crowell is likely a product of one of the few bright spots for Cleveland: their offensive line. After guard Joel Bitonio went down, Crowell’s production which was fantastic dropped off. The Browns signing of Kevin Zeitler from their division rival Cincinnati is a good omen for Crowell along with the fact that he will likely continue to be Cleveland’s goal-line back. Crowell will be a great mid-round steal for you. Ajayi broke out last year and had three games where he rushed over 200 yards. The third year back looks to keep it up his momentum going into 2017. The Fins will rely on Ajayi early as they bring Jay Cutler up to speed.
If Deshaun Watson wins the starting job; it will make the offense more dynamic. Spying the QB may be a reality when playing the Texans freeing up more room for Miller. There was a lot of talk of Miller ascending his game once given a workhorse type of role. Unfortunately for those that drafted him high last season, that didn’t quite pan out. But, Miller still remains a solid option at the running back position, and is likely to average over 15 touches a game. Ideally, more of those looks will lead to touchdowns this upcoming season now that Brock Osweiler won’t be pouching his goal line work.
13 Lamar Miller, RB Houston Texans Marshawn Lynch, RB Oakland Raiders Isaiah Crowell, RB Cleveland Browns Ty Montgomery, RB Green Bay Packers Ty Montgomery, RB Green Bay Packers
Miller gets to have a second year in Houston as the starter and his touches alone should make him a good fantasy back. I’m a little worried about this backfield becoming a committee through the year, so that’s why he’s here at 13. If Crowell is a steal in the mid-rounds, Lynch is one of the few who could end up busting very badly. It all depends on how the Raiders use him. He struggled in 2015 and second-year man Jalen Richard showed a lot of promise behind Latavius Murray. Lynch’s bright spot, and it’s a good one, is the fact he will be Oakland’s goal-line back and in a high-powered offense, that’s huge. Cleveland vastly improved their offensive line and Crowell should benefit quite a bit. Crowell is an underrated back and his lack of production hasn’t necessarily been his fault. He is a solid option out of the back field in the passing game too. I wouldn’t be surprised if Crowell breaks the 1,000 yard mark this year.
A wide receiver turned running back, what more could you ask for? With Aaron Rogers throwing the ball and Jordy Nelson stretching the field, the underneath routes may be prime real estate. Montgomery isn’t receiving the praise he deserves. The receiver turned running back was the bright spot of the Packers’ running game. Although the Packers are a pass dominant team, I can’t imagine Montgomery doesn’t once again reap the benefits of being on a superb offense.
14 Carlos Hyde, RB San Francisco 49ers Christian McCaffrey, RB Carolina Panthers Lamar Miller, RB Houston Texans Carlos Hyde, RB San Francisco 49ers Isaiah Crowell, RB Cleveland Browns
Going into his fourth season, Hyde will see more competition in this backfield but having Kyle Shanahan as a coach should help the whole offense, increasing Hyde’s value. He should be a decent RB2. If goal-line backs can up their value despite bad yard numbers, so can receiving backs and that is exactly what McCaffrey is. Not to say that McCaffrey’s rushing numbers won’t be good, just not what carries his value. Splitting carries with Johnathan Stewart is a real possibility but McCaffrey’s receiving skills were unmatched by any other running backs in the draft and a big reason he went top-10. His dynamic play ability makes him a strong candidate for high yard totals and at least one touchdown for most weeks. Miller was a solid back last year for a Texan’s offense that was underwhelming at best. Miller was a bright spot and he should still spearhead a rushing attack that will still be the bread and butter of the offense.
Surrounded by a team that needs Hyde to be active. With a QB that is better than people give credit to, and an offensive minded coach, Hyde could prove to be an asset in the PPR format. Crowell is a tough sell for me, mainly because he plays for the Browns. No disrespect to the Browns, but it’s hard to have faith in any of their offensive players. However, Crowell did string together a few decent games last season. If Crowell manages the bulk of Browns’ running game, he’s likely to put up decent numbers based on volume alone.
15 Ty Montgomery, RB Green Bay Packers Ezekiel Elliott, RB Dallas Cowboys Carlos Hyde, RB San Francisco 49ers Ezekiel Elliott, RB Dallas Cowboys Joe Mixon, RB Cincinnati Bengals
While he has some pressure from fourth rounder Jamaal Williams, Montgomery will have a role in this offense and having one of the greats as his quarterback gives Montgomery a solid value as a RB2. Call it Doug Free’s departure, or his multiple offseason distractions that have led to the NFL investigating him and Zeke being suspended six games force me to not have a good feeling about Elliott this year. That’s not to say that he will be a disappointment, just not on the same level as his breakout rookie year. The bottom line is the Cowboys still have one of the best O-lines in the league and Elliott remains the team’s only viable number one so he’s well worth the risk but he’s a risk nonetheless. There have been mixed reviews on Hyde coming out of camp but the fact is that the kid can play football. The problem is he can’t seem to stay on the field. He has battled injuries too much so far but hopefully he can stay healthy this year. You just need to look at the running back tandem in Atlanta to foresee how new head coach Kyle Shanahan will use Hyde this year.
Top Notch O-line with a QB that can keep defenses honest. Six game suspension knocks him way back. I’m big on Mixon as the rookie to draft. He’s a very versatile back going to a dream situation. The Bengals have a capable offense and have struggled with their effectiveness on the ground. Either Mixon takes over the starting position, or at the very least, becomes their consistent passing down back. He’ll likely surpass his projected fantasy output.
16 Bilal Powell, RB New York Jets Ty Montgomery, RB Green Bay Packers Tevin Coleman, RB Atlanta Falcons Isaiah Crowell, RB Cleveland Browns Marshawn Lynch, RB Oakland Raiders
This might seem a little high especially since he’s on the Jets, but don’t let a bad offense scare you away from this guy. Expect Powell’s touches to increase drastically this season as well as his fantasy value. Montgomery is essentially a poor-man’s McCaffrey in terms of fantasy. His experience at receiver proved to translate well to running back after the Packers’ slew of injuries so he can be depended on for multiple screen passes. He proved his running ability as well rushing for 500 yards on 77 attempts. The Packers brought in a pair of rookie running backs via the draft that could take some carries away from Montgomery so their progression is something to keep an eye on. Coleman is the second guy on the depth chart for the Falcons but he is a great receiving option and is a scoring threat. He totaled 11 touchdowns last year and will be around the same number this year.
More run-pass options in Hue Jackson’s offense means defenses have to gamble with defending the run or the pass. If DeShone Kizer wins the job, Crowell’s value will move up a bit. I've been a Lynch fan for a long time. He was one of the most brilliant running backs from recent memory. However, Lynch is older now and is returning from an entire year off. He'll likely still be productive given the Raiders' offensive firepower, but I don't except him to be even half the player he once was. Also, let's remember that the Raiders like to rotate their running backs.
17 Marshawn Lynch, RB Oakland Raiders Spencer Ware, RB Kansas City Chiefs Mark Ingram, RB New Orleans Saints Joe Mixon, RB Cincinnati Bengals C.J. Anderson, RB Denver Broncos
Beast Mode gets to play with his hometown team and some of the best young players in the league. He should be able to get double digit touchdowns behind this offense line but don’t expect much out of him from a receiving role. This is a pick that could end up being slightly too high if rookie Kareem Hunt is as good as some at Chiefs training camp say. However, Ware proved himself as a viable starter for Kansas City running for just under 1,000 yards in 14 games. The only problem is that he only scored five total touchdowns for the Chiefs. The one saving grace is even if Ware was to lose the starting job to Hunt, Ware is bulkier than him so he could still come out as their goal-line guy. Ingram is in a loaded backfield and will lose touches to Adrian Peterson in the run game and to rookie Alvin Kamara in the passing game. He is a worth a look in mid rounds but beware before you click DRAFT.
A big back with off-the-chart athletic ability in the pass game. If he breaks away from Hill and Bernard, he moves into RB2 consideration, maybe RB1. Anderson is a perplexing runner. Either he'll play really well, or he'll just stumble forward for a yard or two. I do believe that Trevor Siemen and the Broncos' offense will improve, but the future for Anderson is still difficult to assess. Nonetheless, it's likely that he'll get enough opportunities to finish with a respectable point total.
18 Danny Woodhead, RB Baltimore Ravens C.J. Anderson, RB Denver Broncos Christian McCaffrey, RB Carolina Panthers Bilal Powell, RB New York Jets Spencer Ware, RB Kansas City Chiefs
Going to the Ravens should prove to be less crowded than the Chargers offense. He’s already been called the best receiving back for the Ravens since Ray Rice was on the team and is expected to have a very active role. Anderson is in a very odd position in that he has served the Broncos well but his injury history has been so bad it forced the team to bring in competition. Now bringing in an equally injury-prone Jamaal Charles for competition was an interesting move but that’s a discussion for another time. Anderson could prove to be a worthy flex option if he can stay healthy and isn’t completely eclipsed by Charles. This kid is going to be good. The more rapport he builds with Cam Newton the more he will be used in the offense. He may get off to a slower start than some others but don’t be surprised if this guy ends up being a steal in most drafts.
Top 5 in receptions a year ago. The Jets may be playing from behind a lot, leading to even more opportunities. The loss of Quincy Enunwa for the season may mean more dump offs to the running back. Ware is a fairly safe bet solely because of the Chiefs' scheme. Andy Reid strives for a run first, short yardage offense, so the touches and targets will be there for Ware. However, the arrival of Kareem Hunt and Ware's ineffectiveness by the goal line do deter his overall value.
19 Ezekiel Elliott, RB Dallas Cowboys Mark Ingram, RB New Orleans Saints Ty Montgomery, RB Green Bay Packers Dalvin Cook, RB Minnesota Vikings Christian McCaffrey, RB Carolina Panthers
In his rookie year Elliott but up monster numbers that might be hard to replicate in 2017 but he has the top offense line and a second year in this offense. However, if his six-game suspension stands, that is an eternity in fantasy time. Despite losing a fair amount playing time to Tim Hightower due to fumbling issues, Ingram was able to rush for over 1,000 yards for the first time in his career. He also scored six touchdowns for the second year in a row. This would have Ingram much higher on the list if the Saints hadn’t signed Adrian Peterson. Peterson has dropped off from his prime undoubtedly but he still has enough in the tank to take a significant amount of touches away from Ingram to impact his fantasy value. Montgomery enters 2017 with a full offseason and training camp as a full time running back. He has good size for a back and is an obvious threat in the passing game. There are plenty of weapons in Green Bay this year and Montgomery will never be the focal point.
An average pass catcher in an offense that can’t run the ball. Volume will be his savior, if he can stay healthy. McCaffrey has garnered a lot of buzz around the league. The rookie back is really dazzling in camp and has joined the Panthers at an opportune moment. The coaching staff is looking to protect Cam Newton more by running the ball with their running backs (with Cam that needs to be qualified) and focusing on short-mid range passes. Both of these elements, along with Jonathan Stewart's shortcomings, give McCaffrey an ideal chance to steal the starting job.
20 Dalvin Cook, RB Minnesota Vikings Joe Mixon, RB Cincinnati Bengals C.J. Anderson, RB Denver Broncos Spencer Ware, RB Kansas City Chiefs Dalvin Cook, RB Minnesota Vikings
I feel good about the rookie running backs this year. The more training camp goes on, the more it looks like the starting job is for Dalvin Cook. The offense line has struggled but the Vikings love to run the ball and Cook has potential to be a star. Hate him or love him but you can’t deny his talent. Mixon was rumored to be sneaking into the first round (where he was going to go pre-beating scandal) that’s how good he was. While the risk of Mixon splitting carries with Giovani Bernard in the receiving game and touchdowns to the trucker Jeremy Hill, the former is recovering from a torn ACL and the latter is hugely inconsistent. Mixon could easily end up being the primary ball carrier either to start the season or at some other point in the season. Anderson is a good running back who runs the ball well and can hurt you catching the ball out of the backfield too. The only problem is that Denver’s offensive line still has its issues. Anderson may lose some targets to Jamaal Charles as well.
6 th among running backs in receiving in 2016. Plays in a system that favors the short pass. If he can convert at the goal line, he will be a steal in late rounds. Cook is in a similar scenario to that of McCaffrey. Cook is a young talent joining a team that prefers a slow methodical pace. However, draft him cautiously because it remains unclear what the ball distribution will look like between him and Latavius Murray. Cook currently has an edge given Murray’s recent surgery.
21 Spencer Ware, RB Kansas City Chiefs Bilal Powell, RB New York Jets Spencer Ware, RB Kansas City Chiefs Theo Riddick, RB Detroit Lions Mike Gillislee, RB New England Patriots
Ware has a lot of competition this season for touches but he’s a trusted player in the offense. His value in PPR goes down because of the better receivers in the backfield but should still have value as a RB2. Oh the Jets. The poor poor Jets. It’s hugely likely that New York ends up with the top pick in the draft but Powell will be on the bottom of the blame list for that. Powell outperformed the aging Matt Forte especially when he stepped up as the starter towards the end of the season. Despite starting just four games, Powell rushed for 722 yards and caught 58 passes. If the offense around him was better, Powell being in the top-15 would be understandable. Ware is a thumper who has flown under the radar the past couple of seasons. Ware had nearly 500 receiving yards last year and running backs are thrown to a |
accidents, leading to the injury and death of at least dozens — if not hundreds — of individuals. It could not possibly be the fear that spare parts meant for Iranian civilian airlines may be used to maintain Iranian combat aircraft. It's doubtful that two very complex and very different machines use the same parts. The target of the embargo is really the Iranian people.
The fact that trade sanctions directly impoverish the people of a country, not their government, is of no consequence to the those making the decision to impose said sanctions. In fact, this is the underlying objective sought. The sanctioners hope that the impoverished people will in turn recognize their governments as the ones at fault. But, historically speaking, this approach has been weighed and found wanting. (One continued, overwhelming failure of American embargo diplomacy is Cuba, which after 50 years of sanctions still remains a Communist dictatorship.)
Furthermore, unlike Cuba, the existing political climate in Iran gives the United Nations's intensification of trade sanctions a very high opportunity cost — threatening the viability of a local opposition movement to the same government the United States is trying to destabilize. In 2009, in response to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's controversial victory over Mir-Hossein Mousavi in the Iranian presidential election, a substantial percentage of the Iranian population protested the results. The situation proved chaotic, with hundreds arrested and at least five individuals executed.
While what has become known as the Green Movement — in reference to Mousavi's campaign colors — does not represent the majority of the Iranian population, it's clear that political opposition to Ahmadinejad's presidency is growing. Finally, despite the Green Movement's relatively small size, it has formed the strongest resistance to the status quo in the Iranian government — stronger than that formed by Western threats and restrictions.
Barack Obama's administration has chosen to avoid directly supporting — at least overtly — the growing democratic movement in Iran. From a libertarian perspective, such a policy of nonalignment is positive (although, let's not be fooled, Obama's actions are not guided by libertarianism). But ultimately the administration's and the United Nations's recent decisions to intensify sanctions are the worst stances they could have taken short of directly aiding the current Iranian regime to squash the political opposition. In other words, rather than being genuinely nonaligned, by continuing trade sanctions against Iran, the Obama administration is instead directly benefitting the existing Islamist regime.
"The target of the embargo is really the Iranian people."
Perhaps the majority of Iranian citizens still support Ahmadinejad, and perhaps the short-term viability of an internal political revolution is extremely unlikely. What is important, however, is not the present strength of the opposition, but the potential growth of dissent. Trade sanctions can only impoverish the tens of thousands of Iranians who form part of this political opposition, thereby forcing them to look for protection in the arms of the very regime they oppose.
Despite a multitude of poor political decisions — including price-fixing schemes that have created shortages in the targeted markets — Ahmadinejad's regime maintains popularity through social-spending programs. As such, in a country where people's accumulated wealth is threatened by trade restrictions, government aid may be the only recourse left. Ahmadinejad's government is likely more than happy to win people over by aiding those harmed by American trade sanctions. Furthermore, the Tehran government is probably thrilled to use American-led trade sanctions to vilify the West and legitimize its own power.
It is truly disappointing that American foreign policy is directly contributing to the eradication of what would otherwise be a growing liberal political movement. Knowing that a growing sector of the antiestablishment movement is made up of young Iranian students, it is tragic that because of these economic sanctions the possibility of a new, more liberal generation of Iranians is being undercut. The greatest hope for Iranian democracy is being squashed, not by the repressive military of an overbearing authoritarian government, but by the bootheels of the self-styled beacon of liberty — the same "beacon of liberty" that invaded Afghanistan and Iraq to allegedly provide democracy to those peoples.
A far more rational approach would be one of political and economic openness, or one that eases the creation of wealth in Iran — that completely eliminates the government's interventionism in Iran. A relatively wealthy Iranian population is less likely to support a local government bent on creating tension with other world governments, as this would create the potential of a threat to that accumulated wealth. Furthermore, an Iranian population unperturbed by foreign restrictions on their ability to produce can then shift the blame of continued poverty onto the local regime. It goes without saying that without foreign intervention, the local government will find it difficult to point the finger elsewhere.
Most have heard the proverb, "the enemy of your enemy is your friend." Even a politician will agree that a political policy that harms the "enemy of your enemy" (the Green Movement, in Iran's case) is worse than a policy that neither benefits your friends nor harms your enemy. As such, it is stupefying how a government can support measures that undermine its own objectives. What is more incredible is that this is not a policy devised by a naïve or novice administration. It is the product of more than 30 years of American foreign policy, Democratic and Republican alike!
It is worth mentioning that trade sanctions against Iran run counter to the welfare of the average American as well. Amidst high unemployment and stagnating private investment, it is amazing how the American government is willing to prioritize its own political machinations — political influence in the Middle East — over the well-being of the people it claims to protect. Admittedly, the economic benefit of free trade with Iran (as compared to the benefits of free trade with Europe or China, for example) may very well be limited, but it nevertheless stands that restricting trade is by no means a benefit.
Trade sanctions hurt Americans and undermine the growing anti-Ahmadinejad movement, thereby also undermining the American government's own interests. Compounding this with the moral objection to sanctions (that which questions the moral legitimacy of American intervention concerning issues traditionally only within the jurisdiction of the Iranian people), and the fact that the so-called Iranian "threat" does not actually exist, one would be hard-pressed to find a reason to support the embargo. While nobody likes speaking in absolutes, it is very probable that there are absolutely no reasons to continue sanctions on Iran. It is far past the right time to reverse this disastrous political policy — but, given the current administration's track record, don't hold your breath.
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"All rights are fought for and maintained," the WikiLeaks founder said. "As soon as organizations or people stop demanding that their rights be protected, then they are overrun and the current situation results."
Ecuador has offered Assange political asylum, but Britain is threatening to arrest him once he leaves the embassy grounds.
Michael Ratner, Assange's U.S. lawyer and the president of the Center for Constitutional Rights, noted the parallels between the case against Fox News reporter James Rosen and Assange, both of whom have been accused of soliciting classified information by the U.S. government.
"That began with Julian Assange and the claim that he was not a publisher, but he was soliciting and all that. It's really the old story of standing up at the right time for Julian, which a lot of mainstream press did not. And of course, now it's visiting home," Ratner said.
Assange said that the decision to charge Manning with aiding the enemy -- a charge that the Army private is now fighting in a military court trial -- should be a "wake-up call" to the U.S. media.
"It is a disgrace to charge [Manning with] communicating with the enemy and to make it a capital offense -- to threaten to either kill him or make him spend life in prison. The prosecution has refused to drop that charge. The reason that charge is there, and it should be a wake-up to all U.S. journalists and publishers, is to establish a precedent," said Assange.
"The precedent works like this: If you communicate with a journalist, then you communicate with a publisher, then you communicate with the public, then you communicate with al Qaeda -- so you communicate with enemies of the United States, and as a result your communications with a journalist must be punished by death or life imprisonment. If tolerated, that will lead to regimes where every U.S. government source, when speaking to a journalist, must be concerned that they will suffer either the death penalty or life imprisonment as a result. Now having established that, the U.S. government will have set the precedent that not only is the [source] indirectly communicating with al Qaeda by communicating with the public, but the publisher and the journalist is as well. And therefore the publisher and the journalist can be embroiled in espionage charges, some of which similarly carry the death penalty," Assange said.
In the Manning case, the prosecution has said it will not seek the death penalty. He still faces a maximum sentence of life without parole.
The Department of Justice is currently under fire for a sweeping subpoena of Associated Press phone records and for labeling Rosen, in a separate subpoena, a potential co-conspirator for seeking out classified information.
"It's a worrying trend, but we weren't surprised. [Attorney General] Eric Holder and the DOJ have been conducting precisely that investigation against us for two and a half years," Assange said. "Our advice [to the mainstream media] has been what it always was. First of all, hold the line, as journalist organizations must stand up to protect their rights."
Assange noted that "The New York Times didn't even bother to send a reporter" to cover certain pretrial proceedings on the abusive conditions in which Manning was kept after he was arrested, though he had leaked information that led to blockbuster New York Times reports. "There have been a great many people who have benefited from the release of the diplomatic cables and other materials, including The New York Times," Assange said.
Among the secret files that Manning released was a video showing a U.S. helicopter air strike that kills unarmed men and children in Iraq. The footage, taken from one helicopter, records the shooters celebrating over the "dead bastards" and firing at a father and son who come to the scene to tend to the wounded, killing them both. Manning also released thousands of documents giving a fuller picture of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the practice of U.S. diplomacy abroad.
"It can only be described as a show trial. The prosecution has vigorously fought to exclude all evidence as to motives, and all evidence as to outcomes," Assange said. "No one was harmed as a result of the publications."TALLAHASSEE — Prosecutors can seek the death penalty in ongoing cases despite constitutional issues with the Florida's death penalty law, the state Supreme Court ruled Monday.
The ruling addresses questions that had prosecutors in limbo after the state Supreme Court ruled last October that the state's new death penalty law was unconstitutional. Attorney General Pam Bondi had asked the court to clarify whether the ruling affected cases that were currently being prosecuted.
"I am pleased with the Florida Supreme Court's decision today to allow ongoing capital punishment cases to proceed with proper jury instruction. This decision provides our courts with the clarification needed to proceed with murder cases in which the death penalty is sought," Bondi said in a statement provided by a spokesman.
The ruling clears up at least some of the issues surrounding the state's death penalty created by state and U.S. Supreme Court rulings.
Florida's death penalty law was upended as a result of a case involving Timothy Lee Hurst, who was convicted of using a box-cutter to kill a co-worker at a Pensacola Popeye's restaurant in 1998. A jury had divided 7-5 over whether Hurst deserved to die, but a judge imposed the death sentence.
The state Supreme Court initially upheld that sentence, but the U.S. Supreme Court in January 2016 declared the state's death penalty sentencing law unconstitutional because it gave too much power to judges to make the ultimate decision.
The Legislature responded by overhauling the law, but rejected calls to require a unanimous jury decision in future cases, instead allowing the death penalty to be imposed by a 10-2 jury vote.
In October, however, the state Supreme Court voted 5-2 to strike down the new law and require unanimous jury decisions for capital punishment.
The court released an opinion last month saying the death penalty couldn't be applied in pending cases, but then withdrew the opinion hours later.
Bills are pending in the legislative session that begins next month to require a unanimous jury decision to impose the death penalty.The Orioles won last night for the sixth time in seven games. They gained ground in the wild card race. And they still need to regroup.
The non-waiver trade deadline has passed, though plenty of deals are struck in August. It’s mostly a superficial deadline that doesn’t warrant a countdown clock and mass hysteria.
Players now must pass through waivers before being traded, which isn’t an uncommon occurrence. But back to the regrouping....
They need to finish coming to grips with the Tommy Hunter trade, which is as popular in the clubhouse as raw sewage. It’s a tough sell for players, with the return for one of the most popular figures on the team being a Triple-A shortstop-turned-outfielder who may or may not crack the expanded roster in September.
They smell a salary dump and they’re not happy, but this too shall pass.
(The move also created a spot for an optionable reliever, giving the bullpen two with Mychal GIvens and Mike Wright, but that didn’t ease the pain yesterday.)
They need to get their starters on track after back-to-back disappointments from Miguel Gonzalez and Wei-Yin Chen. They rallied both nights, falling a run short Thursday and winning by a run last night, because the Tigers can’t get any relief.
Dumpster fires ask to stop being compared to the Tigers’ bullpen. Manager Brad Ausmus picks up the dugout phone and dials 911. He walks to the mound with a blindfold and a stiff drink.
If the Tigers could fit a lead into a child’s car seat, they’d accidentally leave it on the roof.
My point is that the Orioles won’t always have the Tigers’ bullpen to push around. They’ve trailed 7-0 and 6-0 the last two nights. It’s a bad trend.
Kevin Gausman will try to reverse it tonight. In his last start, he shut out the Braves over 7 2/3 innings and didn’t get the decision in a 2-1 win.
Gausman is 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA in two career starts against the Tigers, with six runs and 11 hits in 10 innings. Yoenis Cespedes is 3-for-9 with a home run, but he’s gone.
Gausman is still here despite just about every team in baseball checking on his availability and insisting that the Orioles include him in any trade. Executive vice president Dan Duquette orders a sandwich at a deli and is told that it’ll cost him Gausman.
Anibal Sanchez faced the Orioles on July 17 and allowed two runs and eight hits in six innings in the Tigers’ 7-3 win. He’s 2-0 with a 3.86 ERA in three career starts against them.
Matt Wieters is 3-for-6 with a home run against Sanchez, but he caught last night and may not be in the lineup. Adam Jones is 3-for-7. Gerardo Parra is 8-for-14, so yeah, he’s playing.
Chris Parmelee is 1-for-16, but he’s gone.
Parmelee is one of the nicest guys in baseball and I hope he lands with another team. We spoke only a few times in spring training, but he remembered my name the day he arrived at Camden Yards and always included it while greeting me. Maybe I’m easily impressed, but a gesture like that one sticks with me.
Hunter will be missed by the local media almost as much as his teammates. My list of favorite players that I’ve covered on the beat now includes him.
The clubhouse won’t be the same without him. It’s going to be more quiet, for sure.
After former director of media relations Monica Barlow passed away in the spring of 2014, the Orioles invited me onto their charter to attend her memorial service in Virginia. Manager Buck Showalter knew we were close friends and saved me a seat.
I accepted the offer with a measure of trepidation. I don’t normally travel with the team and didn’t want players to feel that I was intruding. I kept my distance - the best I could on a plane - and gave them plenty of space.
We boarded a bus after landing that transported us to the service, and I again found a seat near the back against a window as I attempted to blend into the background and not get in the way. Hunter plopped down next to me, purposely crowding me as if we were inside a sardine can, and proceeded to engage me in conversation for most of the ride.
He pointed out houses and asked whether I thought anyone important lived in them. He made me choose which teammates could fill out a basketball starting five. He cracked jokes to take my mind off our destination and the loss of a dear friend, to make me feel more comfortable while surrounded by players outside the usual baseball environment.
That’s Tommy Hunter.
I often defended Hunter because he never could escape the perception that he always gave up home runs or was the equivalent of a white flag waved by his manager when he entered a game. The stats said otherwise, but not everyone cared to read them.
I didn’t go easy on him when he blew a save during his brief tenure as closer or was ineffective in a set-up role. He understood that the media had a job to do. But I also appreciated his contributions coming out of the bullpen and especially his compassion on a bus ride in Virginia.What role do smartphones play in the refugee crisis that has left almost 60 million people displaced from their homes because of violence and war in places like Afghanistan, Syria, and Iraq?
Tech has made this crisis “very different than any other refugee crisis before," Brian Reich told us. Reich is the managing director of The Hive, a special US-based project of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. "They have access to the Internet. They are using Facebook and Whatsapp to communicate with each other, to share information about the safest route.”
However, Reich noted, “Technology is also creating, in many ways, some of these situations—or making some of these situations more challenging. The same people that those in the Middle East and in Latin America are fleeing from—the terrorists, the gangs—are also on Facebook and are texting and use those social networks to continue to terrorize.”
We spoke to Reich—and to some Iraqi refugees now in California—about just how crucial a smartphone is when one is a refugee. Check out the video above.Comedian Jim Florentine Take My Wife, Please... But Not My House
Comedian Jim Florentine Divorce -- Take My Wife, Please... But Not My House
EXCLUSIVE
We guarantee comedian Jim Florentine has a new divorce bit in his act -- his marriage is over... but he and his ex have already divvied things up, and at least Jim will still have a place to write jokes.
Florentine -- best known for "The Howard Stern Show" appearances and "Crank Yankers" -- filed to divorce Samantha Florentine on March 6. They'd been together for 2 and-a-half years.
No long drawn out battle here though... sources close to Jim tell us the exes have already reached a settlement agreement. We're told Jim keeps their house in New Jersey, and they will share custody of their son, Luke.
We're also told Samantha will get an unspecified amount of child support, and a one time payout of $25k.
This was his first marriage... her third. Expect more details on the split on Jim's next comedy album -- just a guess.Lenovo's convertible ThinkPad X1 Yoga is back for a second generation, bringing a redesigned keyboard, a new selection of ports, and a bunch of updated hardware inside. Think of this laptop as the convertible version of the formidable ThinkPad X1 Carbon, but with a couple of extra steps in a direction away from what we imagine as a classic ThinkPad. Are those steps a bad thing? Will die-hard ThinkPad fans feel stiffed? Let's take a close look at whether or not the ThinkPad X1 Yoga is worth your time and money.
About this review Lenovo loaned Windows Central a review unit of the second-generation, 14-inch ThinkPad Yoga X1. This specific configuration has an Intel Core i5-7200U processor, 8GB of DDR3 RAM, and a 256GB solid-state drive (SSD), and costs about $1,680. See at Lenovo Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga hardware and specifications
The X1 Yoga doesn't have a ton of low-end configuration options available, making the starting price quite high. Here's what's on offer.
Category XX Processor Dual-core
Intel Core i5-7200U (up to 3.1GHz)
Intel Core i5-7300U vPro (up to 3.5GHz)
Intel Core i7-7500U (up to 3.5GHz)
Intel Core i7-7600U vPro (up to 3.90GHz) Storage 256GB/512GB/1TB PCIe-NVMe SSD RAM 8GB/16GB LPDDR3-1866MHz Display 14-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS, touch, glossy
14-inch WQHD (2560 x 1440) IPS, touch, glossy
14-inch WQHD (2560 x 1440) OLED, touch, glossy Graphics Intel HD Graphics 620 Ports Two USB-C Thunderbolt 3
Two USB-A 3.0
Mini-RJ45 Ethernet
HDMI 1.4
microSD card reader
Micro SIM
3.5mm jack Speakers Dual 2W speakers Wireless Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
802.11ac (2 x 2)
Bluetooth 4.1 WWAN Qualcomm Snapdragon X7 LTE-A (optional) Camera Front-facing, 720p Touchpad Precision Pen ThinkPad Pro Pen Security Fingerprint reader
Discrete TPM 2.0
Intel vPro Battery 56WHr Weight 2.99lbs (1.36kg) OLED
3.15lbs (1.43kg) IPS Dimensions 13.11 inches x 9.02 inches x 0.69 inches
333 mm x 229 mm x 17.4 mm OS Windows 10 Home
Windows 10 Pro Color Black
Silver Price Starting at $1,680
ThinkPad meets flexibility Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga design The second-generation X1 Yoga's design isn't much different than its older sibling, retaining the convertible design and slim body. The newer carbon-fiber hybrid chassis is just a hair thicker and a few grams heavier, but its stellar build quality is apparent from the start. There are no creaks in the body, there's minimal flex in the lid, and all the parts fit together smoothly. The review unit I received has a silver finish; it feels less like a ThinkPad, but it's an option some will appreciate.
The top of the body is a solid piece with cutouts for the keyboard, which is a step away from standard ThinkPad design with a separate keyboard panel. It takes a bit of getting used to, but I like the look of it now after using it for a week. As always, this ThinkPad has undergone 12 MIL-STD 810G durability tests to ensure it can take a beating and keep on running. One issue I have — and it is in relation to the new "Wave" keyboard — is with the hinges. They're stiff enough to keep the lid from moving around if you're working in a moving vehicle, but, when opening the lid, there are clicks at about 45 degrees and 110 degrees where you can feel tension building up before dispersing. These tight spots are the points where the keys start retracting into the chassis, something we'll get into later.
A lot of laptop manufacturers use slimness as an excuse to forego a good selection of ports, but Lenovo understands that people who buy their ThinkPad line need various forms of connectivity. The 14-inch body allows for plenty of spacing between ports so that you won't get jammed up when using multiple peripherals. Two USB-C Thunderbolt 3 ports (one can be used for charging) and two USB-A 3.0 ports live on the left side, and an HDMI, USB-A 3.0, and mini-RJ45 Ethernet port live on the right side. On the back edge of the laptop is also a Micro SIM slot and a microSD card reader. If you're concerned about buying a laptop and having to carry around a separate bag of dongles and adapters, rest assured you shouldn't have that problem here.
One potential issue I spotted immediately was the placement of the fingerprint reader. It sits in the right-hand palm rest, a placement similar to that on the ThinkPad X270. Luckily, the size of the body puts this reader just out of the annoying area where your palm would be rubbing it constantly while typing. You do pass your hand over it once in awhile, but it isn't set very deep and isn't as noticeable as some. On a performance note, the fingerprint reader requires just a single touch to log you in fast with Windows Hello.
Another problem a lot of ThinkPad laptops suffer from is poor speaker sound, often distorted or warped due to the location on the bottom of the laptop. In my testing here, however, sound was full without any distortion at loud volume. There's plenty of volume for watching media with others, but don't expect it to be your primary source of music during a party. Deep color and a built-in pen Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga display Many Lenovo laptop displays suffer from dimness, but the X1 Yoga can hold its own in a sunny room at about 70-percent brightness. Working in direct sunlight is made difficult because of the glossy finish, even at 100 percent. The 14-inch, FHD touch display in this review unit is nevertheless quite attractive. It has wide viewing angles, the picture is sharp, and testing the color revealed a satisfying 96 percent sRGB and 72 percent AdobeRGB. Many ThinkPads come with a matte display option, but not here. If you're going to be using your laptop primarily outdoors, you might want to look elsewhere.
Using the touch function in tablet mode works without a hitch, and there's a built-in ThinkPad Pro Pen that lives on the underside of the chassis where it can charge and not get lost. The pen has 2,048 levels of sensitivity for a satisfying inking experience, and they've done a good job of cutting down on "palm drawing" while inking, something that's extremely annoying when writing or doodling. The pen works as it should, but I find its size a bit too slim to use comfortably for extended periods of time.
The bezel around the display isn't noticeably large and there's enough room at the top for a 720p webcam. I'd say it's just enough bezel to comfortably hold the device when it's in tablet mode. One thing that's noticeable when in tablet mode is the raised hump where the hinges attach. The tablet isn't completely flat, but the raised part doesn't get in the way — it's more of an aesthetic issue. New design, great feel Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga keyboard and touchpad The first-generation X1 Yoga had a "lift and lock" keyboard mechanism that would raise a plate up around the keys when converted into tablet mode. The idea wasn't just to disable the keyboard, but to make it more comfortable to hold as a tablet without wiggly keys under your gripping fingers. The new X1 Yoga has the same idea, but in reverse: instead of a keyboard plate that raises up, the keys retract down into the chassis.
It's really a smart design (and it looks great) that keeps your keys from getting banged up while in stand or tablet mode. It also prevents your keys from leaving smudges on the screen when the lid is closed. The only problem here is that it creates tight spots in the hinges where the retraction begins. At first glance, the X1 Yoga's keyboard doesn't appear to be classic ThinkPad, but in everyday use, it's proven to be just as comfortable as any other I've used. The keys are backlit keys with the usual cupped design, travel is spot on, and everything is spaced well. The only complaint here, and it's most likely due to the retractable feature, is that bottoming out keys on the deck feels a bit harder than on other ThinkPads that have fixed keys. It's so slight that you won't notice it immediately, but after a couple hours of typing it becomes apparent.
The Precision touchpad is constructed from a smooth mylar, and it's one of the best touchpads I've used so far on a ThinkPad. Right out of the box, the sensitivity settings were spot on, and there doesn't seem to be any rattling or other odd noises when clicking. You couldn't have a ThinkPad without the TrackPoint and physical buttons, and Lenovo knows this. In testing, it performed as it should, and the buttons had a nice smooth action to them. Real performance, real expensive Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga performance Alongside the Core i5-7200U processor and 8GB of DDR3 RAM is a surprisingly long-lasting battery. From a full charge, I got at least eight hours of regular use the first day, and about 1.5 hours the next day after letting it sit overnight. That number would no doubt be a bit lower on the WQHD version. Regardless, you'll be able to get through a full workday on a single charge. If you do get caught low, you can get about 80 percent from an hour of charging. Regarding heat and noise, I only noticed the fan kick on while gaming, and even then it was whisper quiet. Heat was only mildly noticeable on the bottom when under heavy load. Overall, the X1 Yoga took everything I threw at it in everyday use with no standout issues.
CPU GPU PCMark SSD CPU Geekbench 4.0 Benchmarks (Higher is better) Device CPU Single core Multi core Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga (2nd Gen) i5-7200U 3,911 7,549 Surface Laptop i5-7200U 3,725 7,523 Lenovo ThinkPad T470 i5-7300U vPro 4,394 8,580 Dell Latitude 5285 i7-7600U 4,635 9,289 Lenovo ThinkPad X270 i7-7600U 4,512 8,566 Lenovo ThinkPad T470s i5-7300U vPro 3,919 6,077 Lenovo Yoga 720 i5-7200U 3,881 7,509 Lenovo X1 Carbon i5-7300U 4,139 8,311 HP EliteBook x360 G2 i7-7600U 4,496 8,435 Samsung Notebook 9 15 Ext i7-7500U 4,316 8,320 Dell Latitude 7280 i7-7600U 4,381 7,935 Dell XPS 13 (9360) i7-6560U 4,120 7,829 HP Spectre 13 i7-7500U 4,100 7,469 Surface Book i7-6600U 3,948 7,415 This dual-core i5-7200U processor hits the marks expected and even competes with some Core i7 CPUs we've tested. Everyday use shows no problems with it, and performance is pretty much smooth sailing. GPU Geekbench 4.0 Graphics OpenCL (Higher is better) Device Score Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga (2nd Gen) 19,738 Surface Pro 2017 30,678 Surface Laptop 19,256 Lenovo ThinkPad T470 21,276 Dell Latitude 5285 21,921 Lenovo ThinkPad X270 17,376 Lenovo ThinkPad T470s 16,635 Lenovo Yoga 720 18,185 Lenovo X1 Carbon 20,932 Dell Latitude 5480 21,616 Dell XPS 13 (9360) 19,410 Surface Book 18,197 Dell Latitude 7280 17,827 Intel HD Graphics 620 are integrated here with the CPU. This isn't a gaming machine and shouldn't be treated as such, but you'll get away with some light to medium action. I loaded up Diablo 3 and Minecraft, and they both ran quite well. PCMark PCMark Home Conventional 3.0 Device Score Comparison Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga (2nd Gen) 2,773 Better than 46 percent of all results Surface Pro 2017 3,055 Better than 57 percent of all results Surface Laptop 2,494 Better than 40 percent of all results Lenovo ThinkPad T470 3,103 Better than 62 percent of all results Dell Latitude 5285 3,079 Better than 57 percent of all results Lenovo ThinkPad X270 3,009 Better than 57 percent of all results Lenovo ThinkPad T470s 2,576 Better than 40 percent of all results Lenovo Yoga 720 2,717 Better than 46 percent of all results Lenovo X1 Carbon Core i5 2,965 Better than 57 percent of all results Samsung Notebook 9 15 Ext 2,998 Better than 57 percent of all results Dell XPS 15 (9560) 3,534 Better than 71 percent of all results Dell Latitude 7280 2,829 Better than 52 percent of all results HP Spectre x360 15 2,472 Better than 41 percent of all results The PCMark Home Conventional test takes a bunch of your hardware and determines how well it works together while performing a number of everyday tasks. The ThinkPad X1 Yoga performed well in the test, and the score is evident in everyday use. SSD CrystalDiskMark (Higher is better) Device Read Write Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga (2nd Gen) 1,253 MB/s 763.6 MB/s Surface Laptop 423 MB/s 237 MB/s Lenovo ThinkPad T470 1,079 MB/s 716.1 MB/s Dell Latitude 5285 1,300 MB/s 1,113 MB/s Lenovo ThinkPad X270 PCIe 1,049 MB/s 636.9 MB/s Lenovo ThinkPad T470s 1,557 MB/s 1,333 MB/s Lenovo Yoga 720 1,904 MB/s 1,169 MB/s Lenovo X1 Carbon 1,518 MB/s 1,188 MB/s Samsung Notebook 9 15 Ext 1,365 MB/s 1,213 MB/s Razer Blade Pro 2,571 MB/s 2,467 MB/s Dell XPS 15 (9560) 2,207 MB/s 1,628 MB/s Dell XPS 13 (9360) 1,287 MB/s 794 MB/s HP Spectre x360 15 1,128 MB/s 862 MB/s Lenovo offers a Toshiba option only for the 256GB SSD, but there is a Samsung option for the higher sizes that no doubt offers faster speeds. This Toshiba SSD is pretty snappy, but for the price you're paying, it would be nice to have the faster Samsung option across the board.
The bottom line: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 YogaPlastic is everywhere; it wraps our food, it packages our products; it touches us every day. Lately, I’ve been wondering whether it’s enough to just recycle. No matter how much we recycle, plastic ends up in our streams, along our roads, and in our oceans. It kills wildlife, and I’d wager it hurts us. That’s why I’m taking a pledge off plastic: ninety days without buying or receiving plastic products, or as near as I can manage. In this blog, I will document my struggles to avoid using plastic. My pledge off plastic starts on October 20 and ends on January 17.
The rules of the plastic pledge are:
Do not purchase any product containing plastic (food containers, DVDs, etc.)
Do not use any disposable plastic products (e.g. straws, lids, packaging, etc).
If I use a disposable plastic product I have from before starting the pledge, I’ll document the use and sum up everything at the end of each week. Through this project, I hope to highlight:
Consequences of plastic.
Alternatives to plastic.
Resources to help accomplish the pledge.
What items contain plastic that you never think about.
How this pledge changes my habits and the way I think myself as a consumer.
I first heard about the Pacific Garbage Heap through TED Talks. I’m a vociferous TED Talk listener. I play them while I work on home projects, sometimes listening to several dozen in sequence. One day in 2010 when I was installing new bamboo flooring, I started noticing a lot of TED Talks discussing the oceans, marine life, and this thing called the Pacific Garbage Heap. The event where the talks had been recorded was called Mission Blue, and it was an independently organized TED event in the Galapagos Islands. From TED’s website:
“On April 6-10, 2010, inspired by Sylvia Earle’s TED Prize wish, a group of 100 scientists, activists and philanthropists set sail on an epic adventure into the blue. During five days of cruising the Galapagos Islands, we developed a new model of radical collaboration that could significantly impact the way we protect our oceans. (For details, read the blog post “Ocean Hope at Mission Blue.”)
Talks in this theme come from the scientists and ocean lovers onboard Mission Blue Voyage. And start by watching Sylvia Earle’s TED Prize wish from TED2009: “I wish you would use all means at your disposal — films! expeditions! the web! more! — to ignite public support for a global network of marine protected areas, hope spots large enough to save and restore the ocean, the blue heart of the planet.”
I was moved by what the speakers said during the event, yet the problem seemed very big and very distant. I rarely visited the coast, so I rarely saw |
release the entire project in phases. I really want to take the time and space to set this project right; to lay a foundation for this sound and to build on that together with my fans,” the legendary DJ/producer exclusively told The Trance Project.
Australia will get the first taste of the upcoming project, dubbed as ‘Sander van Doorn brings you P.Haze 1 & P.Haze 2’, when he lands in Melbourne on March 12 and in Sydney on March 18 for the highly anticipated Trance event, Istoria, and is set to play two career-spanning sets of classics, with a hint of now.
The Trance Project caught up with Sander van Doorn to discuss more about the exciting new music project – read the full interview below and grab tickets to Istoria Melbourne and Istoria Sydney.
We’ve heard rumours you’ve been working on a new project? Can you tell us something about that?
I am announcing the launch of an exciting new project. I am starting this as a separate project to explore a different artistic side of myself.
It’s a different sound. Sharper. Darker. Rougher. And it’s a sound that I feel doesn’t fit with the sound of Sander van Doorn. The Sander van Doorn sound you all know will not be affected by this new project. Both sounds create a different energy on the dance floor, so I have to keep both projects separate.
What started as a very successful experiment has remained a lingering fire. At this moment in my career I want to further explore this long cherished project without losing focus on the known and loved sound of Sander van Doorn.
I want to take the artistic freedom to explore my darker side; find the Mr. Hyde to my Dr. Jekyll so to speak. Too often I’ve seen artists loose their focus when they try to combine too many different sounds, but at the moment I get so much creative energy from working on this project that it’s actually adding to the creative flow for Sander van Doorn. So, I will be exploring a sharper sound without having to change my Sander van Doorn sound.
We’ve planned to take 2017 to release the entire project in phases. I really want to take the time and space to set this project right; to lay a foundation for this sound and to build on that together with my fans.
For me a bottom-up approach for the development of this sound is very important; I’d much rather win over your hearts with this sound than dropping a new act on you that is set in stone. In each phase we will be revealing pieces of the puzzle.
Just like I’m versatile as an artist, I believe my fans are versatile in their musical tastes.
What’s the name of this new project?
Haha, if I haven’t mentioned it by now I won’t be revealing it today. As I said I want to build on this with my fans…and who knows…they might get a role in that as well!
Why now?
Because it feels right now and I’ve learned to trust my creative instinct.
What does the sound of your new project compare to? What should we call this sound? How does it compare to Purple Haze?
Funny that you ask that; in Purple Haze I also experimented with a darker sound. So, for me it’s not strange to start a new project. I know I got this.
Do you think Trance fans are ready for this? Even the new generation?
Definitely. Music is emotion that you get carried away in. I am confident that my fans will join me on this musical trip.
Are there any plans to tour with this new project? Will you be releasing a lot of records soon? Are you planning an album?
Wow, a lot of questions. But yes, the plans are there so you will be hearing a lot from me the coming time.
What do you like about your Aussie fans?
Well I am always really excited to go to Australia. The crowd is full energy and normally I come here once every two years so they are always happy to see me! They won’t stop dancing through my entire set and they are very welcoming every time!
Follow Sander van Doorn here.
Grab tickets to Istoria Melbourne here and Istoria Sydney here.This undated publicity photo released by Disney Junior, shows the character Princess Sofia, right, who stars in a TV animated movie titled "Sofia the First: Once Upon a Princess," airing Sunday, Nov. 18, 2012 (7:00-8:00 p.m., ET/PT) on the Disney Channel. The primetime television movie special stars Ariel Winter ("Modern Family") as the voice of Sofia, Sara Ramirez ("Grey's Anatomy") as her mother, Queen Miranda; Wayne Brady ("Let's Make A Deal") as Clover, a wise-talking Rabbit; and Tim Gunn ("Project Runway") as Baileywick, the family's Royal Steward. (AP Photo/Disney Junior)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Walt Disney Co. is defending its newest princess following a backlash over her Hispanic-influenced ethnicity.
A new character named Sofia will star in the TV movie "Sofia the First: Once Upon a Princess" airing Nov. 18 on the Disney Channel and Disney Junior. Hispanic advocacy groups have questioned whether the fair-skinned, blue-eyed young princess is an accurate representation of the Hispanic population and wondered why Disney isn't doing more to promote its first princess with Hispanic-inspired roots.
"They seem to be backpedaling," said Lisa Navarrete, spokeswoman for the National Council of La Raza. "They've done such a good job in the past when they've introduced Native American, African-American and Asian princesses. They made a big deal out of it, and there was a lot of fanfare, but now they're sort of scrambling. It's unusual because Disney has been very good about Latino diversity."
Craig Gerber, co-executive producer of "Sofia the First," clarified in a Facebook post on Friday that Sofia is "a mixed-heritage princess in a fairytale world." He said her mother and birth father respectively hail from kingdoms inspired by Spain and Scandinavia, though Sofia was born and raised in Enchancia, a "make-believe'melting pot' kingdom" patterned after the British Isles.
Sofia is voiced by Caucasian "Modern Family" actress Ariel Winter, and her mother is played by Hispanic "Grey's Anatomy" actress Sara Ramirez.
The film and a subsequent TV series will follow the young princess as she adjusts to royal life after her mother marries the king of Enchancia.
"Sofia considers herself a normal Enchancian girl like any other," said Gerber. "Her mixed heritage and blended family are a reflection of what many children today experience."
Inez Gonzalez, executive vice president of the National Hispanic Media Coalition, said Monday that the organization wanted to meet with Disney to discuss "Sofia the First."
"Sofia's world reflects the ethnically diverse world we live in, but it is not our world," said Nancy Kanter, senior vice president of original programming for Disney Junior. "It is a fairytale and storybook world that we hope will help spur a child's imagination. It's one where we can have flying horses, schools led by fairies, songs that have a Latin beat and towns with markets like those found in North Africa."
Kanter added that the "Sofia the First" series set to debut next year would include storylines about a holiday called Wassailia, which is reminiscent of a Scandinavian Christmas; and the characters would go on a picnic in Wei-Ling, an Asian-inspired kingdom.
Marcela Davison Aviles, president of the Mexican Heritage Corporation, said that calling Sofia a Latina princess is "not an accurate use of the term as many in our community understand its meaning." Davison Aviles has worked with Disney on the TV series "Handy Manny," which features a bilingual Hispanic handyman character. She added that "Disney leadership embraces the complexity, diversity and beauty" of the Hispanic community.
"I'll bet folks at the company are using this as a teachable moment to improve on that effort," said Davison Aviles. "I'm looking forward to meeting Sofia and to Disney's future efforts to illuminate our diverse melting pot, including the varied colors which thread our tapestry of Latino identity."
Over the past two decades, Disney has introduced such culturally diverse female protagonists as Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan, Merida and Tiana, the African-American princess from 2009's "Princess and the Frog." Disney's 2000 animated film "The Emperor's New Groove" and its subsequent spin-offs were set amid the Incan Empire in South America.
"Little girls look to these characters to see themselves represented," said Navarrete. "If they don't see themselves, it makes a difference. It would be nice to see Disney make a full-out push for a Latina princess, whether it's 'Sofia the First' or not."
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The Disney Channel and Disney Junior are owned by The Walt Disney Co.
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Follow AP Entertainment Writer Derrik J. Lang on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/derrikjlang.A Feature-by-Feature review on the awesomeness of HTMLBars and why it excites me as an EmberJS developer.
Handlebars is the template engine for EmberJS. It is a natural choice, given that both are created by the same person, Yehuda Katz. Handlebars templates are characterised by the distinctive braces, {{....}}, also known as'mustache'.
EmberJS extends the Handlebars library with many cool features such as the ability to embed binding-aware expression in the view. I had always taken the data-binding feature in EmberJS for granted. It was only after I done my research for this article, did I found out more about EmberJS's data-binding mechanics.
Early Years of EmberJS's rendering pipeline
Before version 1.8.0, EmberJS's handlebar compiler used string concatenation to render the view.
The compiler takes in a string template and generates out an abstract syntax tree(AST). This AST is passed off to the render tree to assemble the dynamic parts (marking section with script tags etc.). The render tree will emits a string which will be inserted into the DOM via the innerHTML function. The browser will then parse the string into DOM objects.
My explanation might be too convulated. voidCanvas did a much better job in defining this process.
Why is this bad?
After the generated string enters the DOM, you have no control on its context/reference after they are parsed as DOM objects. So how does EmberJS do data-binding?
EmberJS uses a library,metamorph.js, which wraps script tags around regions of data-bound content. This allows EmberJS to have context for manipulation later on. This seems clever because script tags have cross-browser support and it doesn't affects layout. However, in hindsight, this was a frustrating issue for frontend developers. I will touch more on that later.
Handlebars's only responsibility is to turn mustache into strings. It doesn't understand markup. So it will not understand if the expression is in a tag or inside an attribute.
Hence we need to use Handlebars helpers such as bind-attr. This creates an additional verboseness to the syntax.
The Birth of HTMLBars
It understands your markup.
It can be smart about how it does its job.
- Erik Bryn, co-founder of HTMLBars
HTMLBars intends to solve these problems with a better data-binding approach.
Instead of generating string for insertion, HTMLBars generates DOM fragments for insertion. This allows us to hold reference to the fragments later on. Thus, this reduces the needs for pesky script tags and additional handlebar helpers.
Once again, I will use voidCanvas's visual example of how HTMLBars handle the render process:
I will now bring you guys through several new features promised by HTMLBars that excites me personally as an EmberJS Developer.
Concise Syntax
Use Case: Bind class attribute
Use Case: Bind style attribtue
Demo: http://emberjs.jsbin.com/xogozo/2/edit
Use Case: String Interpolation
Demo: http://emberjs.jsbin.com/kuwowa/2/edit
Use Case: Inline If Helper
Demo: http://emberjs.jsbin.com/guneko/2/edit
Cleaner Compiled HTML
With metamorph.js:
The additional script tags in the markup breaks CSS selectors such as :first-child among many others.
With HTMLBars:
Compared this with the example with metamorph.js, you can see the markup is cleansed of script tags.
Note: Both images from http://talks.erikbryn.com/htmlbars-emberconf/#/18
Performance Gain for Long List Rendering
EmberJS is known to perform badly when rendering long list of dynamic contents, especially on mobile.
With HTMLBars, they managed to shave off a significant amount of rendering time with a different approach.
Let's say you want to create a long list:
Instead of creating and populating the document fragment for each node( <li> ), the fragment is first created and cached once without the dynamic parts filled in.
Next, each node is deep-cloned from the cached fragment before populating them individually. This process is call 'hydration'.
As cloning is a faster process than manual creation of document fragments, this will dramatically increase the rendering performance for EmberJS.
Correct Binding Update Hierarchy
Handlebars does not understand view hierarchy for data-binding. So if we update photo to null, {{photo.thumbUrl}} will be triggered for updates too. This will result in a invalid request. HTMLBars makes sure the view understand the hierarchy such that it will only trigger valid updates.
Animations
One of the features that I really need from EmberJS is animation. This is a glaring shortcoming of EmberJS when compared to AngularJS.
willInsertElement is actually quite a useless function right now because you have no access to the view's DOM fragments. Once EmberJS is fully integrated with HTMLBars, the view's fragments is accessible before it is inserted into the DOM.
With this, you can manipulate the fragments such as adding animation classes and removing them when the fragments enter the DOM, triggering the animated transition.
Additional Animation Goodies
HTMLBars also pauses data-binding for views that are in the midst of animation. When the animations are done, the binding will resume. This will aid in smooth animated transitions.
Optional jQuery dependency
Together with its dependencies - Handlebars(44kb) and jQuery(96kb), EmberJS(337KB) is considered to be a bulky library in comparison with other competing frameworks. Shedding off the jQuery dependency helps as every bytes counts for mobile web development.
Journey to HTMLBars
EmberJS is intending to merge HTMLBars into their latest build via several phases. With EmberJS 1.8, they had refactored the rendering layer, calling it "metal-view". This removed the need for metamorph.js. However, it is still using a mixture of string + DOM based approach in rendering views.
.... In Ember.js 1.8, fragments of a page are still created (via Handlebars) as strings, but are then parsed into DOM and assembled as a DOM tree. - EmberJS's blog
At this point of writing, EmberJS released 1.10 beta which had totally migrated the rendering pipeline from a string approach to a DOM-based one.
I have been using the Ember 1.8+ for a couple of projects and is very pleased with it so far. Although I still can't really sense the performance upgrade, I am still optimistic with future releases of EmberJS.
The future looks bright for EmberJS and I can't wait.
Big shoutout to Erik Bryn and Kris Selden for all the hard work in HTMLBars.
More InfoWhen parents learn that their child has autism, they may experience a range of emotions. Without guidance from a counselor or a support group to help walk them through those emotions, the marriage may be at risk for falling apart. There are many organizations that support parents of children with autism and help them cope with the daily challenges that families with an autistic child face.
The following 10 organizations exist to support parents of autistic children.
POAC: Parents of Autistic Children provides free resources for parents to get training to help their child become more functional, to correct behavior problems and to socialize their child. They also sponsor many events throughout the year for children to participate in ranging from horseback riding to surfing. OAR: The Organization for Autism Research is a great resource for parents to learn about autism and its many variations. They have created a reference guide for parents as well as educators. Some children may not display all symptoms, so it’s nice to have a guide that will help parents be able to research autism and to figure out what they can do to help their child. Children’s Disabilities Information: The Children’s Disabilities Information website has support groups covering every topic you can think of as it relates to autism and Asperger’s. There are groups that support that exist for parents who are just dealing with the news of having an autistic child, support groups for parents who have adult autistic children, and support groups for everything in between. Some groups are specific to different ways of treating autism, such as through diet, and in these groups there are forums with information, like recopies, to help. National Autism Association: The National Autism Association provides parents with tons of information and is a great place for people to learn about different treatments and facilities for autistic children. Autism Science Foundation: The Autism Science Foundation supports cutting edge research in autism. You’ll find a list of everything they fund on this site, as well as resources that help visitors better understand autism. Families Together: Families Together helps families that have children with disabilities. They present recreational activities that help build a stronger family unit. They also advocate services for the non-disabled sibling so that they can better understand how to help their sibling and how to deal with the stress that comes along with having a disabled sibling. FACES: This Foundation for Autistic Childhood Education and Support is a fantastic organization that helps parents find all of the information that they need in one spot. Education for a child with autism is very important and finding out the right way to go about getting special help for your child is priceless. This organization is helping many families open up the future for their children. Easter Seals: Easter Seals is a non-profit organization helps people who have autism to get jobs that will help them live independently. While the program starts with children aged 16, the services don’t end there. Easter Seals has services for inclusive daycare for preschoolers and services to help autistic children transition into a mainstream school. They also raise a great deal of money for people with autism and autism research. Kennedy Krieger Institute: The Kennedy Krieger Institute has it all, including researchers dedicated to figuring out why autism is growing at such an alarming rate. It is said that approximately 1 out of every 88 children will be diagnosed with autism. These figures are staggering. The Institute helps parents find a specialist to help your child get the care he needs. Being well informed about what is available for your child is of key importance. The Institute even has support groups for the entire family. USAAA: The U.S. Autism and Asperger’s Association is helping children reach their full potential. Some may be surprised that this organization is helping autism students attend college. The association keeps parents informed with newsletters and webcasts and they even hold conferences all across the U.S. to share information about the latest research and spread a message of hope for kids with autism.Chris Cornell discussed Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page attending his recent show at London’s Royal Albert Hall in a new TampaBay.com article.
“It was a little intimidating,” said Cornell.
If Page called him up and said he felt like hitting the road with John Paul Jones, would Cornell entertain the offer?
“He never did that,” he said, “but if he did, yeah, I would have to entertain it.”
He also discussed recording Higher Truth in Florida, “”I’d come down here enough times to where I sort of had a feel for it, but it wasn’t until working here that I felt like it was a place I understood a little better, and really started to grow to like a lot,” he said. “It might actually lend itself to the creative process a little bit, similarly to Seattle.”Maria Reyes holds a dress her daughter Damaris was going to wear for a Sweet 15 Quinceanera celebration on Jan. 28. (Dan Morse/TWP)
The killing of one teenage girl and the disappearances of two others who have since returned home may all be connected and may be gang-related, Fairfax County police said Tuesday.
Police said that people are in custody in connection with the cases on gang-related charges but that investigators are still trying to determine what additional charges to file against each of the suspects.
They declined to identify the individuals in custody or the charges and possible motives. They also would not identify what gang is suspected in the incidents.
“These kids are part of a big social network, and some are more acquainted than others,” said Officer Tawny Wright, a Fairfax police spokeswoman. “We are trying to sort that out before we press more charges.”
The cases burst into public view after the discovery Saturday of the body of 15-year-old Damaris A. Reyes Rivas of Gaithersburg. Her body was discovered by Fairfax police near an industrial park in the Springfield area, and police said she appeared to have been dead for roughly a month.
Venus Lorena Romero Iraheta, 17, left her home voluntarily on Jan. 15, police said. She was an acquaintance of 15-year-old Damaris A. Reyes Rivas, whose body was discovered by police in Springfield on Saturday. (Fairfax County Police, Family photo)
Damaris’s mother, Maria Reyes, told The Washington Post on Tuesday that her daughter had fallen in with a local clique of MS-13, before her disappearance from the family home Dec. 10.
On Jan. 6, Damaris appeared to have been sent warnings that gang members wanted to kill her, according to Facebook messages her mother shared with The Post.
“Those suckers want to kill you,” read one Facebook message, while another added, “They have already given permission to take you out.”
The violent MS-13 street gang has had a resurgence in the Washington suburbs in recent years. Its members have been linked to killings and other violent crime.
At a Tuesday afternoon news conference, Fairfax police pleaded for the public’s help in locating Venus Lorena Romero Iraheta, 17, of Alexandria, who was still missing then and who police said might be in danger. Police said Tuesday night that she had returned home safely about 9 p.m.
Police said that Iraheta was an acquaintance of Damaris and that Iraheta had voluntarily left home Jan. 15 with a black and red backpack full of clothes. Police declined to say why they thought Iraheta had been at risk, but they said the information was developed after interviews with various people Tuesday.
The third case that Fairfax police said may be related involves a young Springfield mother, Lizzy Rivera Colindres, 16, who recently returned home with her 5-month-old son after going missing in mid-January.
Lynchburg police announced that they had assisted in the arrest of 18-year-old Jose Ivan Castillo-Rivas at a hotel on Monday. Wright, the Fairfax police spokeswoman, said Castillo-Rivas had been charged with abduction after he tried to force Colindres to drop a restraining order against him on Jan. 10. She went missing from her home five days later and police said it might have been out of fear of Castillo-Rivas. Police announced last weekend that Colindres had returned home.
At her home in Gaithersburg, Reyes mourned the daughter who had come to the United States in 2014 from El Salvador, following her mother’s arrival a decade earlier.
Reyes said that she had come to this country in 2005 to get away from gang violence but that Damaris met gang members at a Montgomery County public school.
“I fled from these types of people in El Salvador,” Reyes said. “But when she came here, she found them at school, started going out with them and even fell in love. She was just a girl of 15 who didn’t know anything. They were older.
“They walk around here and nobody realizes, or if they realize it they don’t do anything about it,” Reyes said of MS-13.
Reyes said that for reasons she didn’t know, her daughter had a falling out with some members of the gang last year.
She tried pulling her daughter out of school and planned to send her to live with her father in Houston, but said Damaris disappeared before her mother had a chance to get her out of harm’s way.
She awoke Dec. 10 and found her daughter had gone. Clothes were missing from her closet. Reyes’s niece told her that Damaris had left in the middle of the night.
Reyes called her daughter, but there was no answer. She said she then called police, but she said she felt like officers didn’t take her seriously at first.
Capt. James Humphries, commander of the Montgomery Police Department’s Special Victims Investigation unit, which handles missing children cases, said a Spanish-speaking detective was immediately assigned to the case, and later was joined by a second detective. That second detective, John Witherspoon, stopped by the Reyes’s home on Tuesday to check on Reyes and other family members.
For weeks after her daughter’s disappearance, Reyes sent Damaris messages on Facebook asking her to come home. She said she only received a one-word response: “Why?”
On Jan. 4, Damaris finally picked up the phone. Reyes begged her daughter to come home, but Damaris said, “I can’t.”
“That was the one and only time I spoke to her,” Reyes said.
About two weeks ago, Reyes was so desperate that she went to a house belonging to gang members and asked for her daughter, but they said they hadn’t seen Damaris. A few days later, Reyes’s car was stolen, she said.
“I suppose that was them trying to send me a message,” she said.
Capt. Paul Starks, a Montgomery County police spokesman, said that from the time Damaris was reported missing on Dec. 10, police actively worked the case.
The department did not issue a news release as it does in some of the 990 missing juvenile reports it receives every year. Starks said detectives did not do so in the case because, initially, they thought more targeted efforts would be more effective and later grew worried that they might impede investigations underway in Fairfax.
But Starks said Montgomery County police also will review the case to see what steps could have been done differently.
In January, Montgomery police posted fliers near her home in Gaithersburg and in areas of Northern Virginia where they thought she was staying. The fliers also were posted on Damaris’s Facebook page and on the Facebook page of Damaris’s mother, Starks said.
Damaris had run away in the past and returned, police officials said, most recently in November. While away, she generally stayed in touch with her mother over the phone, as she did in December and January, police said.
Montgomery detectives advised her mother on what to say. “We got involved from the beginning. We were helping coach her on what to say,” Humphries said.
Detectives tried to text Damaris, but she wouldn’t return their texts. The detectives spoke with her friends, who told them that she was okay but that she didn’t want to come home, Humphries said. Damaris also stayed active on social media.
In this case, Humphries said, using those techniques and the fliers was deemed a more effective strategy than issuing a news release to media outlets.
In January, Starks said detectives in Fairfax County began to believe Damaris might have been hanging around gang members. Montgomery County detectives were told of the development on Jan. 15, Starks said. The spokesman said that at that point, Montgomery detectives had grown concerned about compromising investigations in Fairfax. But he said the decision was made within the Montgomery department not to issue a media release about Damaris.
Fairfax County police said they had been to locations near Lake Accotink Park in Springfield a handful of times in recent weeks, searching for signs of Damaris, before her body was discovered.
Authorities said she suffered trauma to the upper body.
When police told Reyes they had found her daughter’s body, the mother’s fears were confirmed.
“She was a sweet person, a good person, kind and well educated. Her teachers loved her,” said Reyes. “Why did they kill her?”
Rachel Weiner and Eddy Palanzo contributed to this report.Researchers recommend that laser printers be kept in well-ventilated areas
August 11, 2015 — Manufacturers of toner used in consumer laser printers and other printing equipment are incorporating engineered “nano” materials into their formulations to improve quality. It’s a trend seen in a wide range of products from cosmetics to building materials, but the new technology is raising safety concerns. These tiny particles — less than 100 nanometers (billionths of a meter) — are able to reach deep into the lungs when inhaled, potentially causing respiratory and cardiovascular damage.
Researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Center for Nanotechnology and Nanotoxicology recently assessed 11 common laser printers to see if they emitted nanoparticles during use, and if these particles are harmful. The Center examines the potential risks and benefits of nanoparticles used by a variety of industries, hoping to develop a greater understanding of how they interact with the body and the environment — and to provide evidence that will encourage the burgeoning nanotechnology industry to develop in a responsible manner.
“With so many products going nano, safety assessments are needed to safeguard public health,” said Center Director Philip Demokritou, associate professor of aerosol physics. “There is a lack of data on the potential release of these nanomaterials into the air during consumer use, and their possible environmental health hazards.”
For the printer study, the researchers developed an exposure generation system to monitor and assess emissions during use. As toners don’t list the presence of nanoparticles on the product labels, the first step was to confirm that they were indeed present in formulations currently on the market. When tests proved positive, the researchers hit “print” and measured what came out. The results were surprising. They discovered that some printers release particles at concentrations comparable to highly polluted highways.
Further experiments in Demokritou’s lab found that exposure to the particles elicited an array of unfavorable biological responses at the cellular level, including those linked to the development of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
But that doesn’t mean that people should stop printing — just that minimizing exposure to nanoparticle emissions during printing might be a good idea. Demokritou and colleagues recommend that laser printers be placed in well-ventilated areas, and that users leave the room during large print jobs.
The study was funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the U. S. Consumer Protection Safety Commission. The most recent of five papers published on the study’s findings appeared online in Environmental Health Perspectives.
The researchers stress that the aim of this work is not to create fear about use of nanotechnologies — which hold potential benefits for health — but to educate consumers and encourage the nanotechnology industry to assess risks early in the development process.
“This study could start the conversation with regulators on establishing safety guidelines for nano-enabled products,” said Sandra V. Pirela, post-doctoral research fellow in the Department of Environmental Health and first author of the EHP paper. “It may also encourage laser printer manufacturers to integrate hardware corrective measures to eliminate the release of nanoparticles during printing.”
Demokritou said, “Our society cannot continue developing and introducing new materials and chemicals into the market without thinking about the mess we may need to clean up 30 years down the road.”
Read more
Printer Emitted Particles: Are they safe? (Center for Nanotechnology and Nanotoxicology)
— Amy RoederSam Stoddard came to Wizards of the Coast as an intern in May 2012. He is currently a game designer working on final design and development for Magic: The Gathering.
Another Friday, another Latest Developments—this time it's a mailbag column, where I'm going to go over your questions and answer them!
@samstod Is it me or does green draw cards better in current standard than blue does? — Brad DeFruiter (@plainbrad) May 6, 2016
Currently—yes. This is something we are going to work on fixing over time. The thing is that we have given green some very strong contextual card draw (e.g., drawing cards equal to the number of creatures you control, or your creatures' highest power), which lets it cheat in mana compared to straight-up card draw. Jace, Vryn's Prodigy made us a bit gun-shy about straight-up blue card draw, and I think that led the total amount of blue card draw to be a little under what we would like for Standard. We have also given a lot of other colors very powerful card advantage, even if it doesn't exactly draw cards, at a better rate than we gave blue raw card draw.
Blue will eventually return to being the king of card draw in Standard. We just need time for new sets to come out.
@samstod which tribe had the most challenges trying to make it work for Standard/Limited? — Eyes on the Mise (@EyesontheMise) May 6, 2016
Spirits. We didn't have a ton of great seeds for them (in hindsight, I wish I'd made Thunderclap Wyvern into a Spirit), and their playstyle is something that we have a hard time getting just right. We want a semi-aggressive, semi-disruptive deck full of flyers, but not Faeries. All in all, it's the one tribe in Shadows over Innistrad that doesn't have a Standard deck I would consider even casual competitive.
That being said, we have another set worth of cards in Eldritch Moon to help all of the tribes out.
@samstod what kind of cards (type & rarity) drive the most late changes in development? — Eric McCormick (@EricMTGcast) May 6, 2016
Planeswalkers, by far. They are easier to interact with than most cards (since you can attack them), they have more knobs, and we need to make sure that all of our changes fit who the character is. While planeswalkers are rarely the last cards in a set to change, they make up a lot of changes in the last few weeks of development.
@samstod What's R&D's view on the design of Blue? You struggled with White for years now it feels like Blue took over that mantle. — Tom Strong (@TStrong24) May 6, 2016
Blue has had some issues in the last year. It's still very competitive, even though it has been appearing more as a support color than a main one in Shadows over Innistrad Standard. Some of that is because Jace is very strong, so we didn't want to push other blue cards. And some is that with Read the Bones, Painful Truths, Duskwatch Recruiter, Goblin Dark-Dwellers, and Collected Company, we gave other colors some of the most powerful card-advantage tools in Standard. We are definitely working on ways to expand what blue does, and to make it more competitive as the main color in Standard decks.
@samstod w.r.t. Might Beyond Reason; did you test it as an augmented Giant Growth? eg +2/+2 until eot or if delirium put 2 counters instead — Ben T (@benjyt21) May 5, 2016
No, we tried to keep the delta between how strong a delirium instant or sorcery was at least below rare. Basically, we didn't want the correct play with the card to usually be not to cast it, even when it would be good, because of how much larger the delirium bonus is.
@samstod How did the larger set size affect development of Limited? Were you able to seed more archetypes? More one-off build-arounds? — Harry Huberty (@cutefuzzy_) May 4, 2016
More room tends to be good for sets for Limited. The extra four commons didn't really do much, but the extra 20 uncommons gave us a ton of room for build-arounds. We normally have a lot of build-around uncommons in a set, but here most of them are individually weaker. There are, however, more to get. We've been very happy with how those extra cards helped out Shadows Limited. I don't know that Shadows Limited is as good as original Innistrad—a lot of that will depend on how much longer people keep playing Shadows, and what their opinions are in a month or two—but at the very least, I can say that Shadows over Innistrad has earned its name.
@samstod Skulk seems interesting in a very small range of power and toughness. What do you think of its future prospects? — wobbles (@wobbles) May 4, 2016
We're not sure yet. We put it in Shadows with the intention of testing it out as an evergreen mechanic, but we found that there was less design space than we were hoping for. It was pitched as a way to make fair versions of cards like Invisible Stalker, which has mostly been true, but the mechanic is also very math-y. It is certainly not a slam dunk the way we immediately knew prowess was. We will continue to evaluate how people like skulk, and see whether it is something we should attempt to bring back later or we should try our hand at a different blue-black evergreen mechanic.
@samstod Prowess hasn't been used prominently in Zendikar or SoI. How much of that is development vs creative? — wobbles (@wobbles) May 4, 2016
That was 100% design and development. There wasn't much prowess in Battle for Zendikar because it wasn't accepted as an evergreen mechanic until BFZ was pretty late in design, and development didn't add much of it to the block. We have some of it in Shadows, but less than was in Khans of Tarkir. That's because it is an evergreen mechanic now, not a block mechanic. You will likely see it in future sets at similar levels as seen in SOI.
We like to have some of it, but not a ton. Black and red's removal should have spaces to be "the best," but right now Declaration in Stone is the strongest removal in Standard. Some of that is because it exiles, some is thanks to how versatile it is. As a whole, we are happier when the white removal is a little weaker than it is currently. I'm glad that Declaration in Stone's drawback is a real drawback, but I'd be happier if there were more reasons to play black or red for one-for-one removal.
@samstod Has the team been surprised by the relatively slow adoption of the madness mechanic competit |
I am in the moment, I do not think too much, I just go with my instincts.
It’s like dancing. If you think too much, there’s no point. Just go with the flow; go with the feeling. That’s what empathy is about. You’re trying to put yourself in the mind of someone else. I’m not gay, but I can relate to being in love, and I can relate to being passionate, and if I’m photographing, say, a funeral, I do the same thing. It’s not my brother’s death, but the pain they’re having and feeling, I can relate to it.
I’m always looking for images that stand out. Not just a documentation of what was happening, but also that have the potential to become a metaphor or a symbol of something bigger. That metaphor can be a universal human feeling—the kind of material from which great novels or poetry or storytelling is made. Things that are larger than the stuff you see in concrete reality…that’s what I’m looking for.
LC: The aesthetic of your winning image is very distinctive, one could even say artful. Can you talk about injecting an artful aesthetic into a photo-documentary context—what does that add to the images’ strength or communicative power?
MN: What I need in these exciting times—filled with so much information—is not more work, but better work—work that touches me more. Often, I see awful stories from around the world, but they don’t touch me. Aesthetics and intimacy are the keys to open those stories; to make people engage with those stories.
I think the lovely thing about photography (when it’s at its best) is that it doesn’t just speak to your brain—it speaks to your heart. There needs to be something for the eye but then hopefully it goes to your guts, to your stomach, and that’s where you really feel it. You don’t even think about it, you just see the image and you respond, instinctively, to its message. And from there it goes up to your brain and you start to think, “How do I feel about this?”
A lot of people want to take the image apart from the storytelling, but for me they’re very connected. As with a written article: if it’s written very, very well, it engages you more and opens you up to the story. I don’t want to take pictures just so people can see how it was. I want to take pictures so people can feel how it was—for me that’s very important.
LC: Stepping away from the work a little bit: you have lived in China, you did this project in Russia, and you work as a newspaper staff photographer. What do you see as the role of the press, specifically the role of photography, within politically repressive societies?
MN: Freedom of the press is a crucial pillar of democracy. If we don’t know what’s happening, how are we to decide on anything? But in all regimes, we see how the government tries to repress the free media. Luckily, there will always be individuals pushing the other way—pushing for more freedom. Once in a while, they break through and then once in a while they’re pushed back—it’s an ongoing struggle.
LC: Russia is more open than China (I think) but I imagine you had to be careful with some of your (homosexual) subjects’ identities? Especially given the hostile environment that you show in your photographs…
MN: In the case of the LGBT communities in Russia, there were always some people who would say, “I prefer not to have my image saved,” and that was something I completely respected. If I do take their image, and it does get published, maybe they will get fired from their job or maybe they will be arrested. It’s a huge responsibility.
LC: So do John and Alex know that their portrait was named the photo of the year?
MN: Oh yeah. One of the first things I did after getting the phone call was to reach out to John and Alex. They were super happy. The whole LGBT community was super happy. If you go onto the Facebook profile of Alex, you can see the image on his wall. It’s great how they are always saying, ” We won,” ” We are exhibiting there.” That’s how I want it to be. It’s not about me. It’s about them, their situation, their story. I’m so happy that they keep the ownership of the story.
Still, I have to be careful: the law is tricky [in Russia]. It says you cannot make propaganda for “non-traditional sexual relationships” to minors. It’s a little bit weak in its description but also so broad. For example, my image will be shown in Russia [Moscow and St. Petersburg as part of the traveling World Press Photo exhibition] but if you’re under 18, you can’t go in. And if you’re a homosexual and have kids, you can’t tell them that it’s OK to be gay. So things are both permissive and restrictive.
LC: You’ve been a staff photographer for a few years while also pursuing personal projects. What’s the relationship between the two like?
MN: I’ve been working as a staff photographer for six years, and in Denmark we don’t have magazines really, so if you want to publish serious documentary photography, it’s in the newspapers. But I work for a great newspaper. It not only respects but even encourages documentary work and long-term projects.
In addition, my colleagues in the newspaper are some of the brightest minds in my country. Each day, they give me more ideas. When I was working on my project on homophobia in Russia, I could talk with them about it and learn so much. Being with great journalists inspires me so much.
Of course, working at a newspaper, there are also daily assignments: portraits (lots of portraits), press conferences. But that’s fine. As a freelancer, I spent a lot of time worrying about assignments and what was going to happen tomorrow. At the newspaper, I have the chance to just focus on taking pictures.
Fundamentally, the daily routine gives me balance. Before, I had been traveling a lot, covering many difficult issues: conflicts and so on. When I was on the road, I had to be sensitive to keeping my internal balance. When I lose that, then maybe I can’t deal with my own emotions. And then I can’t deal with other people’s emotions—and if I can’t deal with their emotions, the pictures will reflect that.
I need to be in balance in order to make pictures that really have the intimacy that I’m looking for. So in that sense, when I’m shooting one of those portraits for the newspapers, it’s totally OK with me. You cannot run a marathon every day. I’d rather do these daily assignments and be shooting every single day than lose my balance. Right now, it’s a great combination. But who knows—maybe in five years I’ll have to find something else.
—Mads Nissen, interviewed by Alexander Strecker
Editors’ Note: You can see more of our favorites from the 2015 World Press Photo Awards in our feature article.
Also, read Mads Nissen’s acceptance speech from Amsterdam—truly inspiring words from an inspiring young photographer!• Manager plans Wembley friendly practice after years of tournament failure • Joe Hart to return in goal against Brazil but warned of competition for place
England’s football team might be put through a mock penalty shootout in front of a Wembley crowd as Gareth Southgate sets about trying to make sure his team will be fully prepared from 12 yards in the World Cup.
Southgate resisted the temptation to arrange a practice shootout against Germany, the team famous for their penalty prowess, after the goalless draw at Wembley on Friday but England’s manager is considering putting one in place for one of the Wembley friendlies closer to the tournament.
England have gone out of six major tournaments – three World Cups and three European Championships – since Chris Waddle skied his penalty in Italia 90 and have only one success to their name against Spain in Euro 96. Taking into account the King Hassan II International Cup in Morocco, pre-France 98, when Rob Lee and Les Ferdinand were the guilty men, England’s overall record stands at seven failures out of eight.
Sven-Goran Eriksson considered putting on a dress rehearsal when England played Jamaica at Old Trafford before the World Cup in 2006. The Swede never went through with it, however, and three of England’s penalty-takers, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher, went on to miss in the quarter-final shootout against Portugal.
As anyone who can remember the pizza advert will be able to testify, Southgate also has first-hand experience from Euro 96 about what it is like to take, and miss, a decisive penalty in a major competition and the England manager is determined the modern team will be ready in next summer’s World Cup.
“It’s something that we are considering – how we prepare best for penalty shootouts,” Southgate said. “Whether that’s something on the training ground, whether that’s in sessions we do away from the training ground, or something we do in some sort of match scenario. We’ve not finalised that yet but clearly that [match situation] is an option.”
England have another friendly lined up against Italy at Wembley on 27 March, with a game against Holland in Amsterdam four days earlier, and will then arrange two more fixtures before the squad fly to their World Cup base in Repino, outside St Petersburg.
Youthful England earn draw with Germany but Lingard rues late miss Read more
In the meantime Southgate is warning Joe Hart, the goalkeeper he insists is still his recognised No1, that he is facing increased competition after Jordan Pickford’s impressive debut against Germany.
Hart will return to the team for Tuesday’s friendly against Brazil at Wembley but Southgate confirmed the West Ham United goalkeeper would have missed out again if Jack Butland had not broken a finger.
“Jordan had an excellent game. It was a good experience for him, we can wrap him up now, assess him in the next period with his club and it’s good that he goes away with a really positive experience. Now’s an opportunity for Joe to have experience against top opposition as well and we’re all aware there’s really good competition in that area of the pitch.
“We have six months where all our goalkeeping department can show what they can do. What Jordan has shown is that he’s been able to make his debut at Wembley, play with composure and show his qualities. He’s still a young goalkeeper, still learning, and there are things for him to improve but it was a really positive debut.”Seed bombs and shotgun shell sprouts are not the only weapons in a guerrilla war for urban gardens and green street art – moss is a great material that can be rapidly adapted and deployed to make statements on city surfaces as well.
Indeed, using mosses allows artists to go above and beyond the ground, shifting from horizontal to vertical spans for a different look and added visibility. And, as it turns out, creating moss wall art is not as difficult as you might guess – do-it-yourself directions are shown in detail below.
First, you have to gather some moss, naturally, which you can then mix with water-retention gardening gel and some buttermilk then blend together for a few minutes to form a gelatinous substance.
Shift your creation into a portable container then select and paint it onto a surface of choice – if the area will not be exposed to moisture, you may want to come back by and spray on some water from time to time.
Remember, too, that there are many ways to take this process further and create additional kinds of green artwork, mossy or otherwise.
Meanwhile, if you find a surface already mossed over thanks to time and nature, selectively erasing sections of growth can be a fun form of expression as well.Story highlights "I donated genetic material and that was it for me," Marotta says
Kansas says he should have gone through a doctor
The case started with an ad on Craig's List
If you're planning to donate sperm in Kansas, you may want to do it through a doctor.
That's one message from the case of William Marotta of Topeka. In 2009, he noticed a Craig's List advertisement from a lesbian couple, also in Topeka, seeking donated sperm.
"Intrigued" by the ad, he agreed to donate and says he delivered three cupfuls of his sperm -- gratis -- to the women, one of whom gave birth to a daughter.
"I donated genetic material, and that was it for me," he told CNN affiliate WIBW.
Or so he thought. That changed when the parents separated and one of the women stopped working because of illness and applied to the state for help, he said. The state contacted Marotta for child support.
JUST WATCHED Sperm donor liable for child support Replay More Videos... MUST WATCH Sperm donor liable for child support 03:33
Kansas officials were not persuaded by what Marotta says were agreements he signed before making his donations that he would assume no financial responsibility for the child, who is now 3 years old.
The Kansas Department for Children and Families said any agreement would not apply because a physician did not perform the insemination, which Marotta said was news to him.
"I didn't know that there was no doctor involved," Marotta said Friday.
His lawyer, Ben Swinnen, accused the state, where same-sex marriage is not legal, of being politically motivated in its pursuit of $6,000 from his client.
"The cost to the state to bring this case far outweighs any benefit the state would get," he said.
Marotta said he met the child once -- a few months ago -- when he and his wife by chance crossed paths with one of the girl's parents at an area carnival.
He said he had no intention of assuming a paternal role if he loses the case. "I'm not her parent," he said.
But under Kansas law, he is her father. Had a physician carried out the insemination, that would not be the case, because Marotta would be able to document that he was a sperm donor and not the lover of the girl's mother, said CNN Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen.
"For all they know, they were lovers," she said. "They need that documentation. He's the dad; he ought to be paying up."
Though a physician would have tested the sperm for sexually transmitted diseases and certain genetic disorders, there are disincentives associated with going through a physician.
A single attempt at artificial insemination costs about $3,000, and sometimes several tries are needed. "It's a lot cheaper to get someone to come on over with their donation, and then do it yourself at home," Cohen said.
Meanwhile, Marotta owes legal fees and has taken his story to the news media. "If enough noise gets made about it, at this point, maybe things will change for the better," he said.
Asked whether, knowing what he now knows, he would answer the advertisement again, Marotta said, "Probably not."Study the Classics! Hello In this post, I'd like to discuss with you the importance of studying classics, and ideal preached by most, read by many, but followed by very few. First of all, I'd like to discuss about a common misconception among amateur player...
Closer to Fine By Dana Mackenzie, Staff Writer When the San Francisco Mechanics started out the season with three losses in three matches, there was some understandable consternation in the City by the Bay. Tears were shed. Bad rap lyrics were written. Hope wa...
Road to the Grandmaster title - Winning chance against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave 2 weeks ago in the chess.com Sub-Saturday event I played with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. The time control was 5 minutes per player without increment. He is the 6th highest rated player in classical chess and 2nd highest rated player of the world...
Middlegame Puzzle If your opponent gave you an inch, would you take a mile? I have been crazy busy lately, so today's blog post will again be quite short! Your homework for today is to come up with a good plan for White in the following position: Wh...
Chess documentary Trailer Here is the introduction to something fantastic: https://youtu.be/ef0EYD_oEG8 Let me know what you what you think about it. This is the introduction to the documentary about my life and my how chess has impacted it. This is one way to get...
Poetry in Sochi — 1966 In his autobiographical poem Albert Frolov (Альберт Фролов), the Russian poet Joseph Brodsky (Ио́сиф Алекса́ндрович Бро́дский) wrote these lines: Второго января, в глухую ночь,мой теплоход отшвартовался в Сочи.Хотелось пить. Я двинул наугад...
Road to the Grandmaster title - Mastering Basic Tactical Patterns 3. Yesterday I continued to solve Basic Tactics Puzzles. I used 2 hours for 110 puzzle. I was teaching 4 hours, 2 students from America and 1 from Slovenia. I would like to show a nice combination from World Champion Vladimir Kramnik against L...
Square Off - World's Smartest Chessboard When I was a kid my father bought me the computer Mephisto Munchen. A multiple-world champion on a heavy wooden board, Staunton pieces and a strong opponent were a good substitute for practical play when I couldn't play tournaments (and that wa...
PCL Top Performers We are 2/3 of the way through the season, and I took a hard look at the top performers in the league, thinking about which individual players were the most valuable so far this season. The first stat that one could look at would either be points...
6 Interesting Tactic Endgames (+ Video) Hello everyone. In this post I bring 6 selected tactic endgames I found on the way, and I thought I had to share them. I really enjoy this kind of exercise, because you have to use your general endgames knowledge and your sharp tactic vision, and...
Carlsen-Svidler, The Puzzle Set For this post, I've included a nice set of puzzles from games I have recently analyzed! Enjoy! Later in the same game... Now for another example from the same Svidler-Carlsen match: And from a variation to the third g...
Stacia Miniature #4: Destroyed in 9 Moves! (King's Gambit) This is the 4th game in my new series where I analyze interesting, fast (and short; under 25 moves) time control games played solely for the purpose of learning. In this 3/2 game on chess.com I get King's Gambit mainline and was abruptly...
Road to the Grandmaster title - Mastering Basic Tactical Patterns 2. Yesterday I continued to solve Basic Tactics Puzzles. I used 2 hours for 90 puzzle. I was teaching 4 hours, 3 students from America. I would like to show a nice combination from World Champion Tigran Petorian against Grandmaster Paul Keres:...
Noteboom variation as played recently After my previous blog [on a Noteboom-Abrahams variation game], I felt interested on how this opening is played today... and so I knocked on the big game pool door of TWIC. I took a big enough, I think, sample, since Nov 2017, and found...
Three Brilliancy Prize Games - a Chain of Chess Artistry and Harmony Afternoon everyone. Whilst I am working on another project, that is quite personal, and painful, to write I decided to put this together. If nothing else it will make a change from 'Throwaway Rubbish Blog in 30 minutes that will make it to the f...
Titled Tuesday tactics moments This is position from a game from the most recent Titled Tuesday tournament on chess.com, where I participated. Black to move and to win, I suggest you to find the beautiful winning continuation Enjoy!
Nikolai Krylenko. "The Main Goals of the Chess/Checkers Movement" (1931) Nikolai Krylenko (1885-1938) was a Soviet government official who held various posts throughout his career, including briefly becoming the entire Red Army's supreme commander in 1917. In 1931, when he addressed the crowd with this speech at the 7t...
Symmetrical but Not Simple This blog post will also be quite short, as I am about to check out of my hotel room! I recently analysed an interesting GM game for my private students, and I'd like to share a couple of the lessons with you here. Let's start from the followi...
My good games at this week #55 Good evening (or may be, morning), my chess friends! In my practice, there were such incredible openings like Van Geet opening, Schilling-Kostic gambit and even a Mao Tse Tung Attack (in My Good games #19). What about...
Road to the Grandmaster title - Mastering Basic Tactical Patterns I would like to calculate as good as Capablanca calculated. I studied 2 hours today and I was teaching 3 students, we analysed their games and studied how to win in the endgame with material advantage. Today I used 2 hours to solve 111...
Announcing my Retirement from Competitive Chess Hello chess friends, I've been playing chess for two decades now, and I'd like to announce my retirement from classical tournaments (with the exception of the forthcoming 2019 FIDE World Cup, which I just qualified for). Some of you may...
Merchandise Sale! Just wanted to let everyone know that this weekend you can get 20% off everything in our store! Just make sure to enter 'ANISH' as the promo code when you check out. You can find the links below! WORLDWIDE STORE EU STORE
Road to the Grandmaster title - Trap in the London system After the first 7 rounds of the February Titled Tuesday Tournament I had 4 points. The time control of the tourney was 3 minutes per player plus 2 seconds increment per move. In the 7 round I played with International Master Denis Kovalev...
Endgame Domination Puzzle I have been pretty busy tonight, so today's blog post will be a short one! One of the themes I find really beautiful in chess is domination - namely, seeing a small unit dominate an equivalent or higher-value force. You can find many exa...The battle horn sounded as the armies marched towards each other. The men felt the heaviness in their steps, the sweat on their brows, and the sun beating upon their backs. They had travelled far from their homes towards this desolate place of bloodshed and war. As they marched down the dusty path, bones of fallen comrades littered the sides of the path. Seeing this, each soldier knew why no one had returned home. This was a place of death for mortals. One archer took out his rosary and uttered a short prayer to the gods. Another spit on his hands, readying his bow for his last stand.
Spotting their enemies before them, the soldiers of both sides understood their mission: kill, or be killed. The soldiers dressed in cobalt looked towards their captain, who led the charge. He did not sway at the sight of the bones, or the enemy army before him. He was fearless in battle; he had to be, lest his soldiers sway from their purpose. He had taught his men all he knew: the ways of war, how to use their weapons, and how to salute in their cobalt uniforms. He knew his men from when they were boys, running wild and beating each other with sticks. Now, they held swords and arrows and marched in perfect formation. They would follow him to their deaths. Facing the enemy, the captain raised his sword, the signal of battle, and rushed forward.
But the sounds of battle could not drown out the music in the air. As the captain danced around the enemy captain, each trying to find his foe’s weaknesses amongst the chaos, a single note ripped through his ranks. It was so pure and beautiful, getting louder and louder until it overwhelmed his senses. Thrown back and disoriented, he looked around at his army to see that his soldiers were weakened greatly by the assault, and some had perished.
Feeling a spur of anger, he dragged himself from the ground. “Do not let your comrades’ sacrifices be in vain!” he cried. “We are weak, but we must believe in the power of the goddess! She will not let our deaths go unseen!”
He raised his sword once more, slower now, but with the same resolve. Out of the corner of his eye he saw his men, heavily injured, lift themselves from the ground and raise their swords to the sky. He gritted his teeth and sent a silent prayer to the goddess. He charged forward, his armor heavy upon his shoulders. They are men, they have seen death, but inside they are still the boys I trained back in the village, he prayed. He swung his sword at his enemy’s side, but his blow was deflected easily. Please, if you can hear me, goddess, do not let any more fall. The crimson captain flicked his sword, disarming the cobalt captain easily. Dodging his enemy’s next attack and deflecting with his shield, the captain knew the situation was dire. He sent one last silent plea to the goddess.
Rubble and screams filled the air as beams of orange light crashed into his forces, executing his already weakened men. The captain swallowed hard as the god rose before him, his hands filled with the same orange light. The captain knew that this was the last thing he would see. The god walked towards him, and pulled back his hands to burst forth an attack that would be his end.
Then suddenly, through the smoke, he heard a squeal. The god turned, his eyes widening as the Calydonian Boar charged him, dealing a blow so great that he fell to his feet. The goddess emerged from the forest, her bow shooting deadly arrows, felling soldiers left and right, crimson on crimson before the captain’s eyes. The Boar prepared for another charge, and took down the enemy captain. His opponent held the cobalt captain’s gaze for a moment before his eyes flickered and dimmed.
“Attack!” The goddess shouted, her voice as melodious as the god’s. The captain retrieved his sword and turned to see the remainder of his troops. There were only a few archers left, as being in the back lines, they were more protected than the front line. They nodded and advanced towards the god, releasing arrows as fast as they could.
Rising from the ground, the god smirked. “You have the audacity to-” his words were cut short as vines ripped from the ground, encasing him in a cage.
The goddess rushed forwards, her fire colored hair gleaming in the sun. “This arrow has your name on it!” She jumped in a battle stance and unleashed arrows at speed even master archers could not achieve, the arrows only a violet blur through her bow. The god roared and broke free from his organic prison, but it was too late. The captain reached him, holding his sword in both hands, swung with every fiber in his body, and dealt the killing blow.
The goddess smiled at the death of her enemy, but then frowned when she realized the truth. She turned to the captain, and glared at him, her beauty alone forcing him back. “Kill steal!” She bellowed to the heavens.
This narrative was inspired by Squiiddish’s Get KS’d video. Squiiddish streams on Smitegame 4 -7 AM EST and on his personal channel. Like this post? Let me know in the comments below what you think!It’s hard to believe but, yes, spring is on its way. And with it all kinds of wonderful green things like arugula, celery, and cherry tomatoes. If you’re a gardener, you’ve probably already started your seedlings (or at least have an order in for black seeded Simpson lettuce, Astro Arugula or sugar snap peas). If you’re a first time gardener, now is the time to decide if you really want to dig in.
Don’t know what to grow? Don’t know where to grow it? Gardens can grow anywhere (alleys! windows! walls!) and can grow all kinds of things (loofah!). Vertical gardens are a good option for people who don’t have horizontal space, rich soil or just have an ugly wall they want to cover up.
“It can work in almost any space, anywhere,” says Meg Glasser, Regional Director for Urban Farming, a group that grows edible gardens on walls, fences and other vertical surfaces. We talked to Ms. Glasser about how to make our (vertical) gardens grow.
1. Find a south-facing wall or fence.
Most vegetables need at least four hours of sunlight a day and a south-facing wall will provide the most light. It can be southwest, southeast, but it should never be north facing. Try using Google maps to locate the most southern wall.
2. Find a nearby water source.
A local, dependable, water source is one of the most critical components—without it you will need to consider another site.
3. Choose your growing containers.
Things to think about when selecting a container: what types of plants you want to grow, local climate, temporary versus permanent installation and what kind of surface you’re working with (concrete, chain link fence, wood, brick, and so on). Urban Farming uses a gridded, stainless steel container from Green Living Technologies that affixes to walls and fences. Another good option is Woolly Pockets,which are made of recycled plastic sewn into large pockets with grommets for mounting. And you can always make you own. Glasser’s suggestions? Old two liter bottles, milk jugs, or yogurt containers will work well for chain link fences.
3. Select and plant your vegetables.
You can start with seeds or seedlings but if you’re starting in later spring, use seedlings. If this is your first garden, try starting with mint, basil and chilies- lettuces too. If you’re more experienced try broccoli, tomatoes, brussel sprouts and smaller varieties of melons. Be sure to consider how much light you’ll be getting and root depth. Carrots and beats will need at least a foot and a half of soil. Lettuces have a much shallower root depth. Keep in mind what’s regionally appropriate. Don’t try to grow garlic in Southern California in the summer. And make sure to choose foods you love and want to experiment with. “Last year someone gave me mustard green seeds, which I had never grown,” says Glasser. ”Now they’re one of my favorites.”
4. Maintain. Maintain. Maintain.
This is the most challenging part of the garden. Once the thrill of planting is over, it may be hard to remember to water regularly or keep an eye out for bugs. Glasser suggests installing an automatic drip irrigation system, which comes standard in some container packages. If you can’t install an automatic drip system, set up a calendar or daily email to remind you to water at least five times a week, ideally at dusk or dawn. Certain kinds of flowers can work as a natural pesticide. And if, despite all your efforts, your veggies aren’t growing? “It’s ok, this happens to everyone,” says Glasser. “Just pull it out and try something else. Keep experimenting.”
Bonus tips!
* Photograph and document your progress from planting to harvest. You’ll be amazed.
* Get your neighbors to chip in and share the harvest.
* Keep a garden journal to note what works and what doesn’t. Next year’s garden will be better for it.
This post originally appeared on www.refresheverything.com, as part of GOOD's collaboration with the Pepsi Refresh Project, a catalyst for world-changing ideas. Find out more about the Refresh campaign, or submit your own idea today.Do You Own What You Own? Not So Much Anymore, Thanks To Copyright
from the a-disaster dept
Do you own the things you own? No, that is not a riddle being served up by the Cat in the Hat. Nor is it a rhyme spoken by the Lorax -- after all, he speaks for the trees, not for copyright laws.It seems like every week there is a debate about a new topic involving ownership rights. Consumers are engaged in a constant tug of war with rights holders over what they can do with the products that they already purchased from them. A wide array of questions has confused the understanding of fundamental issues such as when people can resell or repair the things that they bought. The First Sale Doctrine stipulates that a rights holder is no longer entitled to control the distribution of a good once it has gone through a legitimate first sale. However, recent technological developments have created a new disagreement to this long-standing law -- do people ever actually own the things that they purchased? Were the products ever truly sold to them, or is everything instead just a temporary lease?Take the recent debate over Nest products. Nest is one of the leading companies in "smart" thermostats for personal use. These products utilize a variety of light, sound, and heating sensors to automatically regulate the climate in a home and increase energy efficiency. Back in 2014, Nest purchased a company named Revolv that also made "smart" thermostats and proceeded to continue selling them for $300 each.This once promising acquisition soon turned into a highly publicized controversy when Nest recently announced that it would be disabling the Revolv product line. At first glance this hardly seems worthy of news coverage. This is not the first time that a company has decided to suspend sales and maintenance of an older product. For example, Microsoft stopped maintaining Windows XP and the Zune, while video game companies slowly stop making new products for their old systems (eg. Playstation and Xbox) upon the release of a new platform. The Nest case has become a lightning rod because as opposed to these examples, it's not just stopping the maintenance, upkeep, or the addition of new features. Nest will, rendering it as nothing more than a $300 doorstop.How can a product that was purchased legally by a consumer be turned off by a flip of the switch by the company that sold it? The answer is as simple as it is troubling -- it is because that consumer does not in fact "own" the product. Yes, they own the physical device. But they only lease the software embedded inside the product that makes it go. And because this is a license, the company that made the product retains the right to shut it down. The product was not sold with any stipulation on the box that said that it carried this risk. A consumer would have to be a copyright lawyer to foresee this result.Every day new telephones, watches, cars, books, and even household appliances like refrigerators are introduced into the market and have had a tremendously positive impact on our lives. An increasing number of products that did not contain any software five or fifteen years ago now do. As this trend continues to grow, the same phenomenon will grow with it. You will own less and less of your own products and will instead simply be leasing them. Maybe one day you will wake up and discover that you are out $300 because the company decides it would rather sell you a different product and shut yours down.This is not just limited to electronic products. The use of a license to control the resale of a variety of other, totally unrelated products has also grown substantially. Sports teams like the New York Yankees, Golden State Warriors, and Minnesota Timberwolves have all started to use the very same tactic. You might buy a ticket to the event, but you can no longer freely sell it, donate it to charity, or give it to a friend like any other product that you would purchase. Teams are forcing ticket owners to either sell through a select service (of which they get a cut of the revenue), or get their tickets revoked. These services set a variety of economic controls, such as a pricing floor, in order to limit the ability of people to freely exchange the tickets that they lawfully purchased.As technology continues to be intertwined with every day goods and services, we have to ask ourselves if we want to accept the erosion of our ownership rights. My organization, and those that we work with do not believe so, and will continue to fight to make sure that you do, indeed, own the things you own. A variety of large and small companies and associations have come together to form the Owners' Rights Initiative. ORI has worked with members of Congress of both parties such as Blake Farenthold and Jared Polis in order to ensure the protection of every persons' ownership rights. They've introduced the You Own Devices Act, or, YODA, to ensure that essential software travels with the hardware you purchase. Representatives Farenthold and Polis are leaders in this arena, and ORI is working to build even more champions. Join us in the fight by contacting your Congressman and Senator and asking them to cosponsor YODA.
Filed Under: copyright, first sale doctrine, ownership, rights, software, yoda
Companies: owners' rights initiativeTrevor Linden embodies authentic leadership – while he was a leader on the ice, he was also a leader off it. Under coach Pat Quinn, the Canucks started getting more involved in the community, especially with kids. This is something that they still practice regularly today. In a 2008 Globe and Mail article, anecdotes chronicle Trevor’s dedication to the community went beyond the required effort. “He didn’t just go with his teammates when they made their annual Christmastime appearance at the Canuck Place hospice for kids. He’d go on his own, week after week, month after month, year after year, without a camera in sight.” Integrity and enthusiasm are some of the most important traits a leader can have, and Linden certainly didn’t lack in either. While he credits his brother, Dean Linden, for inspiring him to use his position for good, Trevor doesn’t do what he does begrudgingly. “Some of the visits were tough, especially early in my career. Sometimes you don’t get much out of the kids, but you talk to the parents the next day and you hear what an impact the visit had.” As the Canucks’ President of Hockey Operations, since 2014, his tenure has continued programs that the Canucks encourage, including the Trevor Linden Community Spirit Scholarship, which goes to a young British Columbian who makes a difference in their community. Linden also heads the Trevor Linden Foundation, which supports children and families facing life-threatening illnesses… charities in BC, Montreal and New York have benefited from the generosity and commitment of Trevor and the many hockey fans, sponsors and businesses who have donated to their programs.
The effects of Trevor’s leadership have not gone unnoticed. While playing in the NHL, Linden won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 1997, given to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community as well as the NHL Foundation Player Award in |
shit happen. These are the types of skills I learned in detention.
Juvenile detention?
No, like detention, like at school. I’d always get so busted for doing mad gangsta stuff like walking on the grass and wearing non-uniform Adidas tracksuits. I was also suspended once for drinking at the school disco.
Drinking alcohol?
No, whoa-man! I drank outta the holy water fountain and got well busted by the nuns. But I’m like, Whateva, Sista—live fast, do it well, three-point score, mo-fo! Do you know what I mean?
No, not really. let’s talk about your new album, Pubes.
Respect.
What was the inspiration?
[Somewhat pointing at vag.] Pubes.
Right, so actual pubic hair? It’s a literal title?
As literal as this punch. [Mimes punching the nearby lamp.] I like to get attention with all my titles.
Wait, but isn’t this your first album?
Yes. But I’ve had others… in my mind.
Would you agree that the phrase “random and blatantly attention- seeking” accurately summarizes your career to date?
Well, if you is referring to the facts—that I’ve ’ad an entourage of midgets, worn a dress made completely out of blue cheese, and got my hair stuck in a go- kart… voluntarily—then, yes, I guess you’d be fully correct. Oh, and yeah, one time I pretended to be Pakistani. I like attention, that’s why I’m rapping and not, like, working in an office being boring and speaking proper-like and wearing un-elasticized pants like you.
I’m not boring.
Ha! Look at you, all interviewing, sitting still and like, you know, wearing a shirt with sleeves.
Well actually, Rebelicious, I’m not a real interviewer.
But you’re writing things down, innit? You have a Dick-ta-phone and everything!
I’m actually the actress Rebel Wilson.
Whot? Never heard of the bitch.
I’m currently researching for a new movie about an interviewer who goes undercover in the rap world only to discover that she herself might have what it takes to be a rap artist even though she’s white and her parents are preachers and her only friend in the world, a cat called Tishy, contracts feline AIDs. Costarring Channing Tatum.
Whoa! Okay then. Respect!
Thanks, Rebelicious.
You’re, like, a massive poser but at least you got ass. I might have made up a few things me-self… but, seriously, in all seriousness [she moves close up to the Dictaphone], my cousin is definitely, like, a 100 percent, full-on slag.
Want to see more of Rebel? The Romance Issue, get it now at the Bullett Shop!Les Miles explains that he is looking ahead to LSU's upcoming game against Texas A&M, not his job situation. (1:19)
There is "a very good possibility" that LSU will buy out Les Miles' contract, a high-ranking source involved in the decision regarding the coach's future told ESPN on Monday.
"In Louisiana, we expect national championships, and we're not in it," the source told ESPN, adding that meetings happening on Monday could lead to a quick resolution.
The Tigers' 30-16 loss to Alabama on Nov. 7 and what is regarded as an underachieving, vanilla offense are major factors that could lead to Miles' departure, according to the source.
Miles said Monday afternoon that he's "going to go on to work" and confirmed that he'll meet with his players later in the day.
"The information that I have is, do your job as you would do it," Miles said. "And that is something that I took when I took this job 11 years ago. Someone's asked me about coaching for my job, and I think I've done that for 11 years....
"I guess what I'm telling you is that you can have a flat tire for a while. But here at LSU... this is an elite program. We expect to regroup and get going fast. That's really where we're at."
Said offensive lineman Will Clapp: "We've been taught to ignore the noise and just worry about what's going on in this building.... We know Coach Miles is the man. He's our guy. We love him. He worries about us, and that's what we love about him. He's not only our football coach, but he also worries about us as men and teaching us [about] life after football."
Les Miles, who won the 2007 national title at LSU, has a 110-32 record with the Tigers. Chris Graythen/Getty Images
Contrary to some published reports, Miles did not meet privately with LSU athletic department officials last week to discuss potential termination options and exit strategies, another source told ESPN's Mark Schlabach.
Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher, who is rumored to be a candidate for the LSU job if Miles is out, declined to comment Monday, saying only that it's "unfair to the players that are there, the players that are here, the coaches there and here."
The Tigers (7-3, 4-3) are coming off consecutive losses to Alabama, Arkansas and Ole Miss -- the first time the program has lost three in a row since 1999. LSU gave up at least 30 points in each of those losses, the first time that has happened since 1948.
LSU, which dropped out of the Associated Press poll on Sunday, also was unranked at the end of the 2014 season.
Hold that Tiger? Les Miles currently ranks second in LSU history in wins and has the best winning percentage (.775) among Tigers coaches with at least 25 games. LSU coach Wins Charles McClendon 137 Les Miles* 110 Bernie Moore 83 Nick Saban* 48 Paul Dietzel* 46 * Won national championship
The Tigers host Texas A&M on Saturday.
"I think the question is valid," the 62-year-old Miles said. "At some point in time, there's a me in this. Not while I'm coaching. This will always be about our players and the team, and I am a separate piece. I orchestrate and move with them, and hopefully I'm successful. And that's the only way I know how to do it."
He is under contract through 2019 with a 2015 buyout figure of $15 million. Miles' buyout would decrease to $12.9 million if he was fired after Jan. 1.
Boosters have already agreed to pay the $15 million to $20 million needed to buy out Miles and his staff, the source told ESPN.
LSU senior linebacker Lamar Louis said he and his teammates have tried to avoid the speculation concerning Miles, but "you can't really run from it."
"I've heard a few things," Louis said. "I tried to stay away from it, but you know with people texting you, calling you, seeing it on the news, you can't really run from it. Me personally, it's not distracting because I don't have any answers. I don't know anything."
Miles, coming to the end of his 11th season at LSU, has won a national championship and two SEC championships and averaged 10 wins per season while producing 64 NFL draft choices.
He has a 110-32 record at LSU, and his.775 winning percentage is the best of any LSU coach -- including Nick Saban (.750) -- in the past century. Miles has a 60-27 career record in SEC play.
Miles and his staff, meanwhile, currently have the No. 1 class in the 2016 ESPN RecruitingNation rankings, with 19 commitments. The Tigers have had eight top-10 recruiting classes since 2006.
"If we were competing for a national championship this year, well then, we wouldn't be having this conversation," the source said.
ESPN Staff Writers Mark Schlabach and David Ching and The Associated Press contributed to this report.Tourists who flock to Niagara Falls every year have a new reason to stay a little longer. An old attraction has undergone a multi-million dollar renovation designed to also help local students.
WBFO's Chris Caya reports
Renovation of the visitor center at the Niagara Power Project is complete. Dozens of new games and exhibits at the Power Vista now show the history of electricity and how hydropower is generated.
New York Power Authority President and CEO Gil Quiniones says one goal is to make the vista the "Hoover Dam of the East" and give tourists another reason to stay.
"We have completely renovated this, not just a little bit, using Disney-type technology, and true high-tech interactive equipment. This will provide such an amazing experience for kids and adults alike," Quiniones said.
Many of the new exhibits were tailored for a STEM-based curriculum (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math).
Since the Power Vista opened over 50 years ago, it has attracted more than seven million visitors, including local school groups.
Quiniones points a tourist shuttle is available from Niagara Falls State Park to the Power Vista, where admission remains free.This year, Mozilla has been on an aggressive streak in its bid to make Firefox more than a basic browser: that’s included some big steps in social integration, transforming its browser into more of a platform for web interaction. But perhaps one of the company’s most significant moves has been its moves into mobile.
Today the company released some numbers on how Firefox has progressed over the year, and one stat in particular stood out to me that points to why mobile is a target for them: 19% of Firefox for Android users have adopted Mozilla’s “Do Not Track” option, while only 8.6% have adopted it on desktop.
It’s a sign of how mobile may not be where most of Mozilla’s traffic is today, but for those who are using Firefox on wireless devices, they might turn out to be the more engaged audience.
“Firefox OS, 2013 will be the year when the world can see and hold and try a real device powered only by the power of the Web and, for many, it will be the first smartphone they’ve ever been able to afford,” writes Jonathan Nightingale, VP of Firefox engineering, in the blog post accompanying the stats. “We will need to mobilize the masses.”
That mobile effort has passed some other milestones this year. They included a release of Firefox for Android that extended the browser to work on some 15 million ARMv6 devices (typically lower end handsets), in addition to the hundreds of millions of devices that already supported the browser.
Mozilla also have as an early look of how it will implement Firefox Marketplace, an app store for mobile web apps. The company last month participated in a $25 million strategic investment in Everything.me, a service that lets you search for content across native and mobile web apps. That investment was led by Telefonica, one of Mozilla’s partners in its Firefox OS effort. Before launch, Firefox OS has already released 30 different APIs.
This doesn’t mean that Mozilla has not kept its eye on its bigger desktop browser service. Although Chrome has stolen a march in the desktop browser market in the last year, Firefox is still in a strong third position, with its browser share at 22.7% as of November, according to Statcounter.
With those market shares just as likely to shift again the next year as in the last, the ball is in Mozilla’s court to increase the functionality and performance of the browser now to continue to attract people to it. In addition to now having social API and Facebook integration — Mozilla’s take on being social but with a layer of user control and security that you don’t get through Facebook’s basic open graph services — the company notes that it made 17,156 other enhancements (which we won’t list here).
Users are demanding more customizable ways of using their browsers, too: this year it passed 3 billion downloads of its Add-ons, Firefox’s equivalent of Chrome extensions. It is also now available in 89 languages.Mexican ingredients can be hard to find in Australia, which is a shame because their food is amazing and it quite suits our climate, plus I love Mexican food and wish I could eat it every day.
Over the years I have found a number of good foreign food shops around Brisbane and I’m often found stocking up on herbs and spices, nuts and beans, or condiments and unusual ingredients. I don’t feel out of place in my favourite Indian store in McWhirters in the valley turning to K and asking “do we need more upma and idli mix?” or “how many bags of edamami and cans of kickapoo?” at Yuen’s around the corner.
For more European ingredients I head to Woolloongabba (that’s a place in Brisbane if you’re not Australian, and yes, we know it’s may sound funny to you). On a recent trip I picked up a can of tomatillos because I didn’t like my chances of getting fresh ones here. I really enjoyed them in a couple of Mexican themed salads I made, but then I had most of a 30oz can left. So K and I set about making the most superb nachos we’ve ever eaten including this toasted corn and tomatillo salsa.
This was fantastically light and zingy against the rich, hearty chipotle beans; likewise it made an excellent dip that was also good for the waistline.
3 corn cobs, kernels stripped
500g of tomatillos, either canned or grilled fresh, chopped
1 red salad onion, finely chopped
½ cup of chopped coriander (cilantro)
Red chillies, diced (use the amount you like for heat)
A good pinch of salt
15 minutes preparation and 5 minutes cooking
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Place the corn kernels on a baking tray and grill (broil – Is that the right American-English term?) the corn until it is at risk of burning. You should stir it a couple of times during the cooking.Mix everything together.Use as a tasty and healthy dip, or…On the most amazing nachos I’ve ever eaten.Editor's note: Introducing PatchPM, where we share some of the day's top headlines from across the Patch network in New Jersey. Thanks for reading!
Stories worth talking about tonight:
Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt is sponsoring legislation that would fine pedestrians $50 who use their phones while crossing the street.
The bill, which was introduced in the Assembly Monday, treats those who use phones in crosswalks like jaywalkers. In addition to the fine, violators could be sentenced to 15 days in jail.
>>>Read more on Patch
Yesterday's Patch PM: N.J. Woman Who Reported Son, 5, Missing In 1991 Now Faces Murder Trial
Other headlines:
Woman Found Near GWB Died From Fall: Medical Examiner
The body of a black woman in her mid 30s was found in the Hudson River near Ross Dock Monday night, police said.
Two Elderly Men Die In Separate N.J. Crashes
Two elderly men died in two separate N.J. crashes overnight, police said.
Snow In the Weekend Forecast For New Jersey
The 82-degree days could feel like a distant memory this weekend if the first-day-of-spring forecasts prove to be true.
Also Worth a Look Today
ICYMI: Recent stories you may have missed
» find Your Patch and more news of the day, including our most-read storiesWe may earn money from the products/companies mentioned in this post. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
So,... one day last week I waited too long to eat lunch. Suddenly it was after 1:00 and I was “hangry” (I needed food – NOW)! I found myself in the kitchen with no inspiration for lunch. I was ready to reach for my old standby (Homemade 000 with Berry Sauce), when suddenly my eyes lit upon the zucchini in my fridge. Hmmmmm... What could I do with those?
That’s when I remembered this nifty little gadget (see below for link) that my sister-in-law bought me for Christmas a couple of years ago. It is a small, handheld spiralizer!
I was inspired! I whipped together a few ingredients, and BAM – in about 10 minutes I was eating a plate full of yummy deliciousness!
Now, I used a can of cooked chicken (definitely NOT a purist, here), but you could easily sub in diced cooked chicken breast.
As I made it, this is an S meal for Trim Healthy Mamas (and Papas). However, with a few small tweaks it could be a FP – I’ll list those for you below.
Italian Zoodles with Chicken & Parmesan
{THM, Low Carb, Gluten Free}
2 small zucchini, spiralized
1 can cooked chicken (or 1/2 cup diced cooked chicken breast)
1 Tbl. Butter
1/8 tsp. Rosemary
1/2 tsp. Powdered garlic
1/2 tsp. Onion powder
1/2 tsp. Basil
1 tsp. Oregano
Salt & pepper to taste
2 Tbl. Shredded Parmesan (Can also use the kind in a green can)
Sautée the chicken in a nonstick pan for about two minutes.
Add the spiralized noodles, butter, and spices.
Sautée for about 4-5 minutes.
Take off heat and add Parmesan.
That’s all! Enjoy!
Now, a couple of notes.
The above spices are the blend I used, but your tastes may vary, so feel free to use the spices you like! Adjust the flavors to your preference!
As written this is a light S, but to make it FP, omit the butter, and scale back on the amount of meat (only use 3-4 oz). You can still use the cheese, as the 2 Tbl. only have 3.5 grams of fat. If you wanted to make it a bit creamy you could even add 1 wedge of Light Laughing Cow Cheese (which only has 1.5 grams of fat). However, this would put you right at the 5 gram fat limit, so keep that in mind!
Suggested items used in this recipe:
Veggetti Spiral Vegetable Slicer, Makes Veggie Pasta
This post contains affiliate links – these links provide me with a small commission which goes to the support of this blog! Thank you!WARWICK, R.I. (AP) — A Rhode Island high school soccer player who suddenly fell ill last month and developed a dangerous blood infection has died.
The principal of Toll Gate High School in Warwick said in an email to parents that 16-year-old junior goalkeeper Gianna Cirella died at the hospital Wednesday night.
Gianna, the daughter of East Greenwich Deputy Police Chief Stanley Cirella, developed a sore throat at practice on Oct. 13, which quickly led to pneumonia and sepsis.
Toll Gate Principal Candace Caluori said Gianna “fought valiantly for the past two weeks to overcome overwhelming obstacles.”
Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian said a behalf of the entire city “I offer my heartfelt sympathy and prayers to Gianna’s family, her teammates, and friends as they grieve.”
Statement from @cityofwarwick Mayor Avedisian on the passing of Gianna Cirella. @NBC10 pic.twitter.com/x4EqCMhHap — Lindsay Iadeluca (@NBC10_Lindsay) November 2, 2017(Newser) – Letting her daughter be spanked with a paddle for having shared homework with a classmate? Not a problem for one Texas mom. But knowing that a man administered the punishment, and left her daughter's backside bruised, does upset her—and the mother has school policy on her side, because only staff members of the same sex as the student are supposed to administer spankings, ABC News reports. "I came unglued," Anna Jorgensen tells WFAA of daughter Taylor Santos' paddling by a male administrator. "It looked almost like it had been burned and blistered, it was so bad."
Jorgensen called the vice principal at Springtown High School near Forth Worth and complained, but he said Taylor's bottom looked "normal" after a paddling—and added that he didn't know about the same-gender paddling rule. Another mom says her daughter was also spanked by the same male vice principal—with a male police officer in the room: "Two men giving her a swat behind closed doors, that is creepy," she says. Taylor actually chose her paddling over a second day of suspension from school. Now the school is actually considering changing the rule to allow men to spank girls. (Read more paddling stories.)Barcelona were unsuccessful in their appeal of Neymar's three-match ban before the appeals committee of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) on Thursday.
The Blaugrana club have one more option and will take the case before the federation's Court of Arbitration for Sport on Friday. If they win, Neymar could be eligible to play in Sunday's Clasico against Real Madrid.
Neymar was sent off for picking up two yellow cards as Barca were beaten at Malaga earlier this month, becoming their first player to be dismissed in La Liga since October 2015. He was later dealt the three-match ban
The dismissal was Neymar's first in his four seasons with the club.
His first booking was for obstructing the taking of a free-kick by tying his laces and the second was for a late challenge on Roberto Rosales.
That carries a one-match ban -- but referee Jesus Gil Manzano wrote in his report that the Brazil international had "sarcastically applauded" the fourth official as he left the pitch.
The RFEF competition committee deemed that worthy of an additional two-game ban, meaning Neymar will miss league games against Real Sociedad, Madrid and Osasuna.
Follow @ESPNFC on Twitter to keep up with the latest football updates.For Election 2016, I set deliberate metrics in my mind for supporting Republican Presidential candidates. I wanted to avoid the personal mistakes of Election 2012, whose weak field resulted in a weak frontrunner. I struggled to get behind that candidate, whom I had disparaged as DOA for months. I resolved never to disparage or denigrate candidates so that I could vote for them should my first pick fail..
This year, the bench of contenders is engaging, encouraging, and refreshing. From the outset, I had outlined Scott Walker, then Bobby Jindal for my Top Two: consummate conservative executives who turned their states around, cut the spending, and enacted far-reaching reforms. Tested leadership experience is essential. Commanding a state and protecting citizens commands more respect than directing office staff in the US Senate building.
Then Walker walked away. Bad consulting doomed his bid, sources suggested, with excessive spending in multi-state operations. I was holding out for Jindal, who worked the Iowa precincts, and stunned the media and main street with bold pronouncements. Jindal never lost his jingle, but the diminished jangle of campaign donations also forced him to quit. Let’s face it: unless a governor gets national headlines on a constant basis, and contends with talking heads in national media markets, he will struggle to gain traction.
So, who occupies Schaper’s second string of Presidential contenders? Mind you, second tier does not means second rate. It’s all about the conservative who is the most electable, and there are a lot of electable conservatives in the GOP field. The next three for me: Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, then Carly Fiorina.
As of today, I choose Ted Cruz. In a way, Jindal made it easier for me. He was lagging in money and polling, so his electability was non-existent. I was prepared to jump ship. The next day, Jindal dropped out. Besides, I have had a strong affinity for Cruz for a long time.
Granted, I detailed his drawbacks compared to Walker:
Brilliant and bombastic, his political theatrics have not proved as effective as Tea Party fellow Paul, but he can debate to silent defeat the most ardent of liberals. However, he lacks Walker’s savvy to unity distinct interests within the Republican Party. Presidential candidates must transition from firing up the base to winning over quizzical independents and intrigue disaffected Democrats. Walker worked with colleagues, increased their numbers and influence in Madison. Cruz as political celebrity is magnetic, but does not draw otherwise differing political forces. He remains one of the most hated members of the US Senate.
At this point, I want a leader, not a compromiser. If he doesn’t wheel and deal with other US Senators, all the better. Is Cruz incapable of uniting distinct GOP factions? Cruz’ debate performances changed my perception. Democrats watching the CNBC firing squad agreed with Cruz, that the questions were biased, arbitrary, and unfair, and they tweeted their support on The View! I do not agree with the jittery naysayers, who claim that Cruz is too conservative, and cannot win a general election. They said the same thing about Ronald Reagan, and Cruz is better than Barry Goldwater. Besides, the 1964 champion of liberty was running against a Vice President who replaced a popular (conservative) president savagely assassinated. No one in the country was going to switch gears after such tragedy.
Cruz is more experienced than most primary partisans realize, too. A former clerk for Chief Justice William Rehnquist, a George W; Bush consultant, and a successful Texas Solicitor General, Cruz won his Senate seat as the outsider against an Establishment pick in a year when Obama’s ground game snuffed out otherwise worthy Republicans across the country. He even stomped on a Democratic challenger with similar legal credentials, all while picking up 40% of the Hispanic vote. A team player with broader vision than one race, he discussed the growing need for Republican outreach to Hispanic communities before his election win.
Four years later, US Senator Cruz has shocked the Washington Establishment, as well as the New York money markets and Los Angeles media machines. He talked for twenty-two hours against the funding of Obamacare. I watched it, I loved it, and I wish that it never ended. He has bested the Wall Street-DC phalanx begging for easy bailouts, crony influence, and corporate welfare. Big Government hits a brick wall with Cruz, a supporter of individual liberty, limited government, and constitutional rule. No other candidate has his profile published on free copies of the United States Constitution, a testimony to Cruz’ commitment to the rule of law in our political culture.
Further to his credit as a leader, Cruz announced his Presidential bid first, and has stayed strong ever since. With the endorsements of Congressman Steve King of Iowa and my favorite rep Dana Rohrabacher of California, the rising conservative maverick is winning the ground game and top tier support. He can out-debate his colleagues, but has stopped hecklers in their tracks. He shut down a Hollywood mouthpiece Ellen Page at an Iowa state fair. His masterful debate (hardly an interview) with Jorge Ramos inspired so many.
In California, moderates and conservatives, former state party chairmen and local county leaders are lining up with Cruz. He has a well-spring of support much wider than the press would care for anyone to believe. His numbers are rising in Iowa, South Carolina, and he is one of the top four in Public Policy Polling. Cruz is developing campaign organizations in otherwise unthinkable locales like Massachusetts, a smooth operator planning for the long haul, taking in support along the way, spending his money wisely for the win. US News and World Report claimed that a Cruz candidacy would be a boon for the Democrats (not likely), and National Review’s Henry Olsen thinks Cruz won’t win, conservatives leery of Donald Trump’s bombast and Carson’s shaky foreign policy credentials are eying the junior US Senator from Texas, and like what they see.
For today, I choose Ted Cruz for President.Interdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Program (ITURP) survey shows increased tobacco use from non-cigarette smokers
Michael Sugarman/Contributing Photographer Dr. Geraldine Britton, a representative from the Interdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Program (ITURP), gives a talk called “Blowing Smoke: The Changing Face of Tobacco.” Britton discussed the harmful effects that can arise from using e-cigarettes and hookah. Close
While the popularity of cigarettes may be declining across the country, the popularity of hookah and e-cigarette smoking has been steadily increasing. According to Binghamton University researchers, students may not know how much trouble they are getting into with each puff.
Binghamton’s Interdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Program (ITURP) hosted “Blowing Smoke: The Changing Face of Tobacco” Friday in the Old University Union. Speakers and anti-smoking advocates came together to discuss the effects of using new forms of tobacco. Members of ITURP shared the results of a survey distributed among BU students and employees that assessed experiences with tobacco and campus opinions of what constituted a healthy campus.
The study demonstrated that most participants thought a tobacco-free campus was a health priority. This included prohibiting the sale or advertisement of tobacco products on campus and promoting anti-smoking campaigns. Despite this consensus, ITURP found that tobacco was still an issue on campus, especially with e-cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and hookah.
The director of ITURP, Dr. Geraldine Britton, said that these findings were troubling because these products are usually advertised as safer alternatives or ways to quit smoking cigarettes, but students were not using them for those purposes.
“We found that there was a very high usage of e-cigarettes and hookah in the campus community,” Britton said. “It went against the marketing strategy that e-cigarettes were going to be used as a smoking cessation strategy, because most students are using it to begin smoking.”
According to Britton, the survey found that 30 percent of participants who said they used hookah and e-cigarettes had never smoked traditional cigarettes before. ITURP member Courtney Berenato, a senior majoring in nursing, said that the FDA had not instituted an approval process for e-cigarettes, meaning that the exact components of an e-cigarette are unknown.
“A lot of people are using e-cigarettes, hookah and smokeless tobacco that wouldn’t consider themselves smokers, so it’s an interesting relationship there,” Berenato said. “Take a second and think, is that really better for you than a cigarette?”
Peter Cittadino, the senior market manager for the American Cancer Society, warned against the tobacco industry’s ability to target youth in creative ways and told students to “question what they see.”
“The tobacco industry is always looking for new replacement smokers because that’s the only way they can stay in business,” Cittadino said. “Many people have the idea that they’re going to smoke while they’re in college and then stop, but the product is engineered to keep them addicted.”
Another speaker present was Sharon Fischer, the tobacco control coordinator at the Broome County Health Department. Fischer described her work to educate community residents on the effects of tobacco usage with elected officials to help implement policies that will decrease the likelihood of smoking among youths.
“I am proud to report that after working with the city of Binghamton for about two years on this, last April the city passed an ordinance prohibiting new tobacco retailers from locating within 500 feet of schools,” Fischer said. “I know 500 feet isn’t a huge distance, but it’s a start.”Getty Images
Bears running back Matt Forte is feeling unappreciated by the Bears, but every NFL fan should appreciate what Forte is doing this season. Forte leads the league in yards from scrimmage, but his season has been even more impressive than that sounds.
With 527 rushing yards and 381 receiving yards, Forte is on pace for 1,405 rushing yards and 1,016 receiving yards. Roger Craig (1985) and Marshall Faulk (1999) are the only other players in NFL history to top 1,000 yards both rushing and receiving in the same season.
But Craig and Faulk were playing in two of the best offenses the game of football has ever seen. Forte is having an amazing season in a mediocre offense: The Bears are right in the middle of the league, ranked No. 16 in total offense with 1,967 yards this season.
Below we have the list of the Top 10 players in the NFL in total yards from scrimmage, but we’ve added another number — the percent of the team’s offense that each player in the Top 10 has accounted for this season.
1. Matt Forte: 908 yards, 46.2 percent of the Bears’ offense
2. Fred Jackson: 880 yards, 38.7 percent of the Bills’ offense
3. Wes Welker: 804 yards, 28.2 percent of the Patriots’ offense
4. Darren McFadden: 761 yards, 34.0 percent of the Raiders’ offense
5. Ray Rice: 700 yards, 38.1 percent of the Ravens’ offense
6. LeSean McCoy: 692 yards, 26.1 percent of the Eagles’ offense
7. Jahvid Best: 677 yards, 30.7 percent of the Lions’ offense
8. Steve Smith: 675 yards, 26.9 percent of the Panthers’ offense
9. Ryan Mathews: 674 yards, 32.4 percent of the Chargers’ offense
10. Maurice Jones-Drew: 647 yards, 41.4 percent of the Jaguars’ offense
As you can see, Forte is responsible for a far larger share of his team’s offense than any of the league’s other leaders in yards from scrimmage. He’s right to believe he deserves to be paid like an elite running back.India was ranked first in a survey focusing on monitoring and tracking motivations, perceptions and attitudes towards overall well-being among consumers across 11 countries. However, more than half of the respondents said they were unprepared for medical exigencies.
The Cigna TTK Health Insurance 360° Well-being score is designed to take an annual and holistic look at health and well-being in India in 10 cities with a sample size of 3,021 respondents. This was conducted as an independent study by Ipsos. It is based on five key indices—physical, social, family, financial and workplace well-being—providing an overall score measuring consumers’ perceptions.
India ranked highest in overall well-being in the region at 72.8, which was above the regional average of 65.3 in a league of overall well-being score results across 11 countries. The countries surveyed were China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, New Zealand, Spain, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, and the UK.
Physical well-being
Knowledge about physical health is limited and there seemed to be a gap between perception and reality. As many as 85% of the respondents claimed to eat a healthy diet, but 37% were considered overweight or obese based on their body mass index. The survey results provide further support to the fact that India is considered the diabetes capital of the world, with 54% of respondents saying they consider diabetes their top health concern, followed by heart disease at 49%. About 57% claimed to exercise about 2.6 hours per week.
Overall well-being
This score highlighted the need for Indian consumers to plan for their retirement. About 53% of Indians who participated in the study are not prepared for any large unexpected medical expenses. In the past year, the majority (65%) paid for their medical expenses out of their own pocket and will continue to do so in the future. During retirement, only about one in four (26%) claimed they will be covered by private insurance for their future medical expenses.
Social well-being
Technology and gadgets have adversely impacted the ‘social skills’ of Indians. On an average, Indians spend almost 40 hours online (digital) per week, with key activities including online browsing, emailing and social networking. This represents about one-third of their waking hours spent online with the highest being internet browsing at 15%.
Family well-being
A large percentage (89%) of the respondents considered taking care of parents’ health and well-being. However, only 70% rate themselves as performing well in this area.
Workplace well-being
Employees in India are happy, with 88% rating their workplace health and well-being as good to excellent. But with economic growth, 62% of Indians show early signs of stress. Employees in non-metro cities indicated they are happier than those in metro cities.
Edited excerpts from Cigna TTK Health Insurance 360° Well-being score.(Repeats Thursday item)
* Russian regions struggle to meet Putin’s spending pledges
* They must double some wages by 2018 presidential election year
* Regions forced to borrow to keep up social spending
* Their debt doubles in four years, set to rise more
* Kremlin faces hard choices
* GRAPHIC: Russian regions' debt reut.rs/21xawMd
By Lidia Kelly
MOSCOW, March 17 (Reuters) - Four years ago, Russia’s federal government cleaned up its finances by shifting responsibility for a chunk of social spending to regional administrations. Now it faces the consequences, with some regions deep in debt and heading towards default if they don’t get help from Moscow.
That presents President Vladimir Putin with difficult choices: Moscow can bail out the regions, but to do so it may have to go deeper into debt itself at time of recession, weak oil prices and international sanctions over the Ukraine crisis.
Or it could leave them to their fate and risk unrest among workers likely to lose their government jobs if a region slashes spending or goes under - just as Russia heads into a cycle of elections culminating in a 2018 presidential vote.
Collectively, the regions - which number more than than 80 - ran a budget deficit of one trillion roubles ($14.6 billion) last year on spending of 10 trillion, according to the state Audit Chamber.
The chamber’s head, Tatiana Golikova, has repeatedly urged a compromise on supporting the regions. “Radical changes in the treatment of regional budgets are long overdue,” she told the lower house of parliament late last year.
The federal finance ministry did not respond to Reuters requests for comment, although previously it had ruled out an amnesty for regions’ debts.
If the ministry refuses to help, some of the regions will be in trouble. “I am not saying that there is going to be a massive amount of defaults,” Karen Vartapetov, an economist with Standard and Poor’s ratings agency said. “But the situation will be moving in that direction.”
Russia’s top level finances are relatively robust despite the economic slump. The federal budget deficit is within 3 percent of gross domestic product, proportionately less than in a number of European Union states, and sovereign debt is low.
But this is built partly on accounting that has pushed economic pain off the national balance sheet and onto the regions.
Their total debt has doubled since 2012, according to the finance ministry, after a period of very modest growth. S&P forecasts it will more than double again to 5 |
(1,100 kW) EuroPowerPack with a transversely mounted MTU MT883 diesel engine coupled to Renk HSWL 295TM automatic transmission. The increase in both vehicle performance and durability is significant. The smaller volume but more powerful Europowerpack power pack additionally incorporates as standard a cooling system and air-intake filtration system proved in desert use. The free space in the hull is available for ammunition stowage or for fuel, increasing the vehicle's range to 550 km (340 mi). This powerpack was previously installed on the French Leclerc tanks delivered to the UAE as well as the recovery tank version of the Leclerc in service with the French Army. Further developed versions of the Europowerpack have more recently been installed in the latest serial produced Korean K2 Black Panther tank as well as the new Turkish ALTAY tank.
BAES announced in 2005 that development and export marketing of 2E would stop. This has been linked by the media to the failure of the 2E to be selected for the Hellenic Army in 2002, a competition won by the Leopard 2.[65]
CRARRV [ edit ]
CRARRV on display at Salisbury Plain
The Challenger Armoured Repair and Recovery Vehicle (CRARRV) is an armoured recovery vehicle based on the Challenger 1 hull and designed to repair and recover damaged tanks on the battlefield. It has five seats but usually carries a crew of three soldiers from the Royal Electrical And Mechanical Engineers (REME), of the recovery mechanic and vehicle mechanic/technician trades. There is room in the cabin for two further passengers (e.g. crew members of the casualty vehicle) on a temporary basis.
The size and performance are similar to the MBT, but instead of armament it is fitted with:
A main winch with 50 tonnes-force pull in a 1:1 configuration or 98 tonnes-force pull using an included pulley in a 2:1 configuration and anchor point on the vehicle, plus a small auxiliary winch to aid in deploying the main winch rope.
Atlas crane capable of lifting 6,500 kg (14,300 lb) at a distance of 4.9 m (16 ft) (this is sufficient to lift a Challenger 2 power pack).
In order to improve flexibility and supplement the transportation of power packs around the battlefield, the British Army procured a quantity of dedicated CRARRV High Mobility Trailers (CRARRV HMT). Each CRARRV HMT enables a CRARRV to transport a single (Challenger, Titan or Trojan) power pack or two Warrior power packs, by altering the configuration of dedicated fixtures and attachment of fittings.
Dozer blade to use as an earth anchor/stabiliser, or in obstacle clearance and fire position preparation.
Large set of recovery and heavy repair tools including a man-portable ultrathermic cutting system with an underwater cutting capability and a man-portable welder.
The design prototype is on display at The REME Museum at MoD Lyneham, Wiltshire.
Operators [ edit ]
Map of Challenger 2 operators.
Accidents [ edit ]
On 14 June 2017, a Challenger 2 from The Royal Tank Regiment suffered an ammunition explosion during live firing exercises at the Castlemartin Range in Pembrokeshire. The tank was firing 120 mm practice shells with a standard propellant charge. The explosion critically injured the four-man crew, with two later dying of their wounds in hospital. The incident resulted in all British Army tank firing exercises being suspended for 48 hours while the cause of the explosion was investigated. The extent of the damage to the tank, if any, is unknown.[67][68] It was later determined that a bolt vent axial (BVA) seal assembly had been removed during an earlier exercise and had yet to be replaced at the time of the incident, thus allowing explosive gases to enter the turret space; the lack of a written process for removal and replacement of the seal assembly meant that the crew at the time of the incident was unaware of its absence, and it was also noted that inadequate consideration had been given during the production of the L30 gun as to whether it could be fired without the seal assembly. A second explosion that occurred during the incident was attributed to the detonation of bag charges that had been stowed outside of the internal ammunition bins (rather than inside the bins as per correct procedure).[69]
See also [ edit ]
Tanks of comparable role, performance and era [ edit ]
Notes [ edit ]
References [ edit ]Download | Shownotes
Just when we thougth we covered everything the weekend had to offer, EuroGamer drops more Halo 4 goodies for us. We’ve got a glimpse of yet another two maps and a new game mode that was leaked earlier last week. The new map Complex is what you would expect: a big Forerunner complex surrounded my some amazing scenery. On that map we got our first look at the new Flood Mode, which is 343i’s renovation of Infection. Ragnarok is a remake of the Halo 3 map Valhalla and on that map, the Mantis, which is the big mech, is playable as a vehicle. The Prometheans Weaponry video was released in this week’s bulletin to show off all six weapons. Links are provided in the shownotes for the first time, so look there to see the stuff we’re talking about. Enjoy
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RedditSPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that Bakersfield Condors forward Taylor Beck, Tucson Roadrunners forward Brendan Perlini and Milwaukee Admirals goaltender Juuse Saros have been selected as the league’s award winners for November.
Beck, the CCM/AHL Player of the Month, skated in nine games for Bakersfield during November and posted seven goals and eight assists for 15 points, contributing on nearly two-thirds of the Condors’ 23 goals on the month.
Beck began the month with his first two goals of the season as part of a three-point effort in a 7-1 win over San Antonio on Nov. 2. He matched a career high with four points (one goal, three assists) to help Bakersfield past Texas, 5-3, on Nov. 5, earning a recall to the parent Edmonton Oilers. Back with the Condors on Nov. 12, Beck scored twice in regulation and assisted on the overtime winner in a 3-2 victory over Tucson. He scored again in a 3-1 win over San Jose on Nov. 22, and closed out the month with a goal and an assist in the Condors’ 3-2 overtime loss to San Diego on Nov. 26.
A sixth-year pro from St. Catharines, Ont., Beck is currently tied for fourth in the AHL scoring race with 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) in 14 games for Bakersfield. He has totaled 68 goals and 116 assists for 184 points in 257 career AHL games with Bakersfield, Bridgeport, San Antonio and Milwaukee, as well as 11 goals and 12 assists in 88 National Hockey League contests with Edmonton, the New York Islanders and Nashville. Beck, who was selected by the Predators in the third round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, signed as a free agent with the Oilers on July 3, 2016.
Perlini, the CCM/AHL Rookie of the Month, scored nine goals and added three assists for 12 points in nine games during November, helping the Roadrunners stay atop the Pacific Division.
Perlini notched points in seven consecutive games from Nov. 4 to Nov. 27, including a six-game goal-scoring streak that matched the longest by an AHL rookie since Tyler Johnson scored in nine straight contests in March 2012. Perlini recorded his first two-goal game as a pro on Nov. 5, helping Tucson to a 5-4 overtime victory over Ontario, then had the game-winning goal in a 3-0 victory at Bakersfield on Nov. 11. He scored again as the Roadrunners erased a two-goal third-period deficit to earn a point in a 3-2 OT loss to the Condors on Nov. 12, and picked up two goals and an assist in a 5-2 victory over Manitoba on Nov. 18. Perlini notched a second straight two-goal outing vs. Stockton on Nov. 26, and finished his streak with a goal and an assist in a 5-4 win over the Heat on Nov. 27.
Perlini, a 20-year-old native of Guildford, England, was the 12th overall pick by Arizona in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. He currently leads all AHL skaters with 11 goals and is tied for third among league rookies with 16 points in 14 games for Tucson. Perlini spent the previous four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League with Barrie and Niagara.
Saros, the CCM/AHL Goaltender of the Month, was a perfect 5-0-0 in November with a 1.37 goals-against average, a.955 save percentage and one shutout for Milwaukee, allowing just seven goals on 156 total shots.
Saros began the month with a 27-save effort in a 3-2 shootout victory over Chicago on Nov. 4, then stopped 29 of 32 shots in a 5-3 victory over Iowa on Nov. 5. He earned his first shutout of the season with 35 saves in a 1-0 win at Cleveland on Nov. 17, and followed that up with 30 saves in a 2-1 overtime victory over the Monsters on Nov. 19. Saros made 28 saves as Milwaukee defeated Grand Rapids, 3-1, on Nov. 23, then earned his second recall of the month to Nashville where he allowed one goal and earned third-star honors in a game at Winnipeg on Nov. 27.
A 21-year-old native of Forssa, Finland, Saros (9-1-0, 1.59,.945) is tied for the AHL lead in wins and ranks first in both goals-against average and save percentage over 10 appearances with Milwaukee this season. He is also 1-1-0 with a 1.02 GAA and a.965 save percentage in two NHL starts with Nashville. Saros, a fourth-round pick by the Predators in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, was named to the AHL All-Rookie Team in 2015-16 and is now 38-9-0 with a 2.10 GAA, a.926 save percentage and five shutouts in 48 career AHL appearances.
Each monthly award winner will be presented with an etched crystal award prior to an upcoming home game in recognition of his achievement.Eddy Vasquez WCJB A top executive for Gainesville, Fla.-based music streaming company Grooveshark was shot and killed early Saturday in St. Petersburg, The Gainseville Sun reports.
Eddy Vasquez, 27, who had been with Grooveshark since 2011 and served as director of international sales, was allegedly shot twice in the chest by 26-year-old Andres Rodriguez Torres, a friend and former classmate of his at the University of South Florida.
The two were reportedly bar-hopping to celebrate Torres' birthday when an argument broke out at a Publix supermarket.
WCJB-TV has more:
While visiting St. Petersburg, Vasquez was shot in the chest after a verbal argument with Andres Torres. Torres was arrested at his apartment and a firearm was recovered. "It's awful cause Eddy is a young guy like we're all young and we don't think that we're not going to see each other again and the fact that he was murdered is just unbelievable... I just really can't believe it," Mitchell said.
Grooveshark, devastated by the loss released a statement that reads: "Grooveshark as a company mourns the tragic loss of one of its employees, Eddy D. Vasquez. Mr. Vasquez was visiting friends and family in the Tampa Bay area over the weekend when he fell victim to a senseless act of violence."
Police say Torres also grabbed a witness and took him back to his apartment. He was arrested around 9 a.m. Saturday on charges of armed kidnapping and second-degree murder.IVF technique uses DNA from three people to prevent genetic diseases being passed on, and could be offered by Newcastle clinic from this summer
Doctors in Newcastle have been granted permission to use the three-person baby fertility technique to prevent incurable genetic diseases being inherited by children.
What is mitochondrial replacement therapy (MRT)? MRT is an experimental treatment that was made legal in Britain in 2015. It aims to prevent serious disorders from being passed to children, caused by mutations in mitochondria, tiny structures that provide energy inside cells. Children inherit all their mitochondria from their mothers. MRT uses healthy donor mitochondria to replace the faulty ones. The child therefore has the usual 46 chromosomes from its parents, plus additional DNA from the donor's mitochondria. To perform MRT doctors pluck the nucleus from the mother’s egg, place it in a healthy donor egg, then fertilise it. Another similar approach uses fertilised eggs.
The IVF method, in which babies are created with DNA from three people – the mother, father and a female donor – was approved as safe for clinical use in December.
The fertility regulator, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), issued its first licence for the procedure to the Newcastle Fertility Centre on Thursday.
“It’s great news,” Mary Herbert, professor of reproductive biology at the clinic, told the Guardian. “We hope to offer treatment to the first patients from the summer.”
The licence was awarded after an HFEA committee agreed that the Newcastle centre had the appropriate expertise, staff and equipment to offer what is known as mitochondrial replacement therapy (MRT).
The doctors will now identify patients who could potentially benefit from the therapy and apply for separate licences to perform the treatment. The Newcastle lab is in the middle of a major refurbishment, but is due to be back in operation by the summer.
If the clinic gets the green light to treat patients, the first babies in Britain to carry DNA from a mother, father and a donor woman could be born early next year.
Prof Herbert said many years of research had led to the development of MRT as a treatment to reduce the risk of mothers transmitting disease to their children.
“It’s a great testament to the regulatory system here in the UK that research innovation can be applied in treatment to help families affected by these devastating diseases,” she said.
The technique was developed to prevent women from passing on faulty DNA in their mitochondria, the power-generating structures that sit inside cells. A single cell can hold hundreds or thousands of mitochondria which are passed on solely from mother to child.
Harmful mutations in mitochondrial DNA can have a devastating impact on children who inherit them. Because the mutations affect how much energy is available for cells, they can cause progressive failure in the most energy-hungry tissues, including the heart, brain and muscles. About one in 10,000 newborns are affected by mitochondrial disease.
Doug Turnbull, director of the Wellcome Centre for Mitochondrial Research at Newcastle University, said: “I am delighted for patients as this will allow women with mitochondria DNA mutations the opportunity for more reproductive choice.”
“Mitochondria diseases can be devastating for families affected and this is a momentous day for patients who have tirelessly campaigned for this decision,” he added.
MRT aims to prevent the mutated mitochondria in an affected woman from being passed on to her children. It works by creating an IVF embryo that replaces the faulty mitochondria with healthy ones from a donor. All the rest of the DNA in the embryo, which influence looks and behaviour, come from the mother and father as usual. The donor mitochondria hold about 37 genes, equivalent to 0.2% of the embryo’s whole genome.
Women who carry faulty mitochondria already have some options if they want to have children. Beyond adoption, they can have IVF with donor eggs. Or they can have IVF with their own eggs and have the embryos screened for genetic faults before they are implanted. But some some women have such a large amount of mutated mitochondria that all of their embryos will inherit the faults.
Turnbull believes the Newcastle clinic could treat about 25 women a year. But MRT is not without its own risks. Studies have found that small amounts of mutated DNA are often still present in MRT embryos and this can sometimes bounce back to disease-causing levels.
Sally Cheshire, the chair of the HFEA, said: “This significant decision represents the culmination of many years of hard work by researchers, clinical experts, and regulators, who collectively paved the way for parliament to change the law in 2015 to permit the use of such techniques.
“Patients will now be able to apply individually to the HFEA to undergo mitochondrial donation treatment at Newcastle, which will be life-changing for them, as they seek to avoid passing on serious genetic diseases to future generations.”
Nicola Blackwood, the public health and innovation minister, said: “Serious mitochondrial diseases cause immense suffering to families and that’s why we need to use new ground-breaking procedures to reduce the risk of these diseases being passed on.
“The team at Newcastle are amongst the very best in the world and their work will help families across the UK and the world.”Specht Harpman Architects New York City is chock-full of laughably small, awkwardly shaped apartments. Which is why it takes a good imagination to not only make them livable but actually desirable.
The designers at Specht Harpman Architects recently worked wonders on a 425-square-foot loft on the Upper West Side.
The space, at the top of a six-story brownstone, has 25 feet of vertical space and even access to a rooftop — giving them plenty to work with.
Check out the photos below to see the new micro-loft.
This was the space before. It was run down, with exposed brick walls and dated paint. Specht Harpman Architects
For such a small space, it didn't have much room for storage. Specht Harpman Architects The architects' solution was to create multi-level "living platforms" in order to squeeze everything in but still make it feel open. Taggart Sorensen One of their goals was to create a flowing interior "that dissolves the notion of distinct 'rooms.'" Taggart Sorensen A cantilevered bed on steel beams floats over the main living space on the third floor. Taggart Sorensen And the tiny bathroom is tucked beneath the stairs. Taggart Sorensen Which now have a ton of storage space. They feature built-in drawers and shelves, similar to Japanese kaidan dansu. Taggart Sorensen The roof garden at the top allows light to radiate throughout the apartment. Taggart Sorensen Pretty impressive.It's hard to tell that this was still the same apartment. Specht Harpman Architects Compare it again to the new space: Specht Harpman Architects
Job well done.WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A Wilmington man is in jail without bond after allegedly stabbing his father to death last night. Corey Eugene Roberts, 20, is charged with first-degree murder.
A frantic 911 call from the Roberts family’s home began with the caller saying a man was trying to kill himself. It ended with desperate cries for an ambulance.
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“It is still happening,” the female caller said. “He is trying to kill himself. I need an ambulance now.”
Wilmington Police arrived at 503 Knighthawk Drive around 6:45 p.m. Thursday after the 911 call.
“He is trying to stab himself,” said the caller, who then told the operator Roberts had a knife.
Related Article: Southport to update public on police department probe next week
According to the caller, Roberts was trying to hurt himself. The caller then describes the situation taking a violent turn.
“He is African-American. He is not very tall, about 5’7″. He has kind of, like it is not an afro, but it is sort of… I think he stabbed my dad. I think he stabbed my dad!” the caller said. “Get an ambulance here now!”
Officers found Corey Roberts outside his home with a knife they believe he used to stab his father, Christopher Eugene Roberts, 52. Officers arrested Corey Roberts at the scene. His father was rushed to the New Hanover Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.
Corey Roberts was in court Friday morning. When the judge asked him if he had anything to say, Roberts said, “Sorry,” and began crying.
Neighbors, who did not want to go on camera, say they are in shock. They say they live in a neighborhood where everyone knows one another, and the Robertses always seemed like a happy family.
Roberts is in the New Hanover County Jail without bond. He was appointed a death-penalty certified public defender.Estevan Payan (14-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC) now has a third scheduled opponent at UFC on FOX 11, as Alex Garcia (8-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) replaces an injured Mike Brown, who was originally a replacement for Sean Soriano.
UFC officials today announced the change for the featherweight matchup.
UFC on FOX 11 takes place April 19 at Amway Center in Orlando. The main card airs on FOX following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass. It will be the UFC’s first trip to Florida in nearly two years and first card in Orlando.
The Payan vs. White contest takes place on the evening’s FOX Sports 1-broadcast preliminary card.
Payan has suffered back-to-back losses to Jeremy Stephens and Robbie Peralta. Prior to the setbacks, the 31-year-old Arizona Combat Sports fighter had won seven straight fights, two of which came under the Strikeforce banner prior to the merger of that promotion with the UFC.
Meanwhile, White – who was featured in MMAjunkie’s “Fight Path” series earlier this year – is undefeated since turning pro in November 2010. A Missouri-based fighter, eight of White’s nine career wins have come by way of finish, including five by submission.
With the change to the card, UFC on FOX 11 now includes:
MAIN CARD (FOX, 8 p.m. ET)
Travis Browne vs. Fabricio Werdum
Liz Carmouche vs. Miesha Tate
Edson Barboza vs. Donald Cerrone
Yoel Romero vs. Brad Tavares
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX Sports 1, 5 p.m. ET)
Rafael dos Anjos vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov
Thiago Alves vs. Seth Baczynski
Pat Healy vs. Jorge Masvidal
Estevan Payan vs. Alex White
Caio Magalhaes vs. Josh Samman
Jordan Mein vs. Hernani Perpetuo
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC Fight Pass, 4 p.m. ET)
Mirsad Bektic vs. Chas Skelly
Derrick Lewis vs. Jack May
For the latest on UFC on FOX 11, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.
(Pictured: Estevan Payan)Power CEO Keith Thomas assists Cheer Squad members with the banner during the 2014 AFL round 03 match between the North Melbourne Kangaroos and Port Adelaide Power at Etihad Stadium, Melbourne on April 06, 2014. (Photo: Michael Willson/AFL Media)
PORT Adelaide is poised to end a seven-year run of financial losses in 2015, CEO Keith Thomas insists.
The Power have not made a consolidated profit since their 2007 Grand Final year ($927,000) and will soon announce a loss for 2014.
A final figure for 2014 depends on the outcome of the Adelaide Oval review.
A favourable result would undoubtedly soften the blow.
Thomas told AFL.com.au the club was in its final year of rebuild from when he took over from Mark Haysman at the end of 2011.
"Our financial reality is that we're coming from a fair way back; we continue to invest in the core product (football) and we make no apologies for that," Thomas said.
"We are still rebuilding the club so there's costs associated with that. The challenge now is for the financial side of the business to catch up with the rebuild – that will happen in 2015.
"There are very positive indicators towards that … my number one priority for next year is to ensure the football program has what it needs to continue its momentum and for the club to be profitable."
Thomas' prediction that 2015 will bring profit is supported by a continued attraction of sponsorship.
In 2013 the club signed Renault as a major partner, Energy Australia joined soon after and at the beginning of the week the Power signed OAK to a three-year deal as a premier partner.
Other companies are within months of committing to similar 'premier partner' deals.
Port has resurrected itself on the field and Thomas said it was following suit off it.
"Last year we doubled our corporate revenue for the club, by Christmas this year we'll be 75 per cent further advanced than we were this time last year," he said.
"In the space of two years, to have three major players at the top end of the corporate tree for us is really important – we've got more work to do in that area.
"Others are in the pipeline, hopefully they'll come off early in the new year."
Port Adelaide's early membership figures also reflect its growth.
At the end of the second week of its 2015 membership launch, around two-thirds of the Power's nearly 9,000 signed-up supporters are first-time members.
The club has experienced such a high demand for membership packages that extra resources have been added to answer phones and membership staff have had to work late to handle the backlog.
Existing members have until December 19 to renew their commitment.
"It's really very positive," Thomas said.
"We're shooting for 60,000 … there's a high level of connection and engagement, satisfaction from [this year] and a lot of hope about next year and the game-day experience was so well reported that I think people want to be part of that."ADEN (Reuters) - A suicide bomber killed at least 25 new recruits inside a police compound in the southern Yemeni city of Mukalla on Sunday in an attack claimed by Islamic State, medical and security sources said.
The victims were queuing up to register when the bomb, which wounded 25 others, went off, the sources said.
It was the second deadly blast in four days to hit the city, a hub for al Qaeda before the militant group was pushed out last month in an offensive by Yemeni troops backed by a Saudi-led coalition.
In a message on its online news agency Amaq, Islamic State said Sunday’s attacker was a “martrydom-seeker” who had detonated his explosive belt. It said around 40 died in the attack.
The city’s security director, Mubarak al-Awthaban, who was at a nearby office when the suicide bomber struck the Fowa camp in the southern part of Mukalla, survived, security sources said.
Before being forced out, al Qaeda militants took advantage of more than a year of war between the Iran-allied Houthis and supporters of the Saudi-backed President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to carve out a mini-state stretching across much of the southern coast, including Mukalla.
Their militant rivals in Yemen’s branch of Islamic State have carried out a series of suicide attacks on all parties to Yemen’s tangled conflict.
The growing Islamist militant threat has led the Houthis and the Yemeni government to embark on peace talks now under way in Kuwait.
Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other Arab countries intervened in the war in March 2015 in support of the government, which had been swept into exile by the Houthis.
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and Islamic State view the Arab coalition as a pawn of the West and see the Shi’ite Muslim Houthis as apostates deserving death.
The U.S. military announced last week it had deployed a small number of personnel to Yemen to aid in the fight against AQAP, its first troop presence in the country since the Houthi takeover.Michael Morell is the former deputy director of the CIA. His new book, written with Bill Harlow, is The Great War of Our Time: The CIA's Fight Against Terrorism--From al Qa'ida to ISIS (Twelve).
Like clockwork, every several weeks, someone discovers a new document that, to their minds, “proves” that what the administration and the intelligence community have been saying about Benghazi is a bunch of lies. But time and again these documents don’t add up. They don’t show what the pundits think they show—and the Benghazi broadsides miss their mark anew.
Here is a recent example: Earlier last week a handful of number of news organizations, including Fox News, breathlessly reported that they had just gotten their hands on a Defense Intelligence Agency report—acquired through a FOIA request by Judicial Watch—that they say proves that the government knew very soon after the attacks on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya on 9/11/12 that they had been planned ten or more days in advance. These news organizations suggest that this document puts the lie to what I and other current and former intelligence officials have been saying—that there was little planning before the attacks.
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But the only thing that newly released document proves is that the people who trot out these reports do not understand the world of intelligence and do not take the time to ask the right people the right questions before publishing the “news.” The DIA report in question was an “Intelligence Information Report” or IIR. It is what we term “raw intelligence.” It was not the considered view of DIA analysts. Often from a single source, these bits of information represent one thread that some intelligence collector has picked up. The all source analysts in the Intelligence Community are charged with looking at that snippet of information and every other bit of available information from communications intercepts, human intelligence, open source material and much more to come up with an overall judgment.
Those all source analysts—without any input or pressure from above—looked at all the available information and determined that there was not a significant amount of planning prior to the attacks. You don’t have to take my word for it. You can look at the briefing slides produced by the National Counterterrorism Center (which is not part of CIA) and coordinated across the Intelligence Community. These slides were declassified over a year ago and were appended to the report on Benghazi produced by the Republican-led House Intelligence Committee. In describing the attacks at the State Department facility, the slides say “attackers moving in multiple directions,” “attackers do not appear well coordinated” and “no organized effort to breach every building.” Not the words one would expect to see associated with an attack planned well in advance.
Some of the media reporting on the DIA IIR say that they have found another gotcha as well. They say DIA’s report was issued on September 16th—the same day that former U.N. ambassador Susan Rice appeared on five Sunday talk shows, so she must have known before she went on the air, right? Wrong. The DIA report was issued hours after her final TV appearance that day. Some accounts, including the first piece written on the DIA report by Judicial Watch, erroneously say that the report was issued on September 12th, four days before Rice was on national television. They simply misread the report.
When I recently asserted my belief in an interview on Fox News that the terrorist attacks in Benghazi were not the result of a carefully planned operation, I was confronted with the Justice Department indictment of Abu Khattala, the lone participant in the attacks in U.S. custody. The indictment says the object and purposes of Khattala and others was to kill U.S. citizens at the mission and the CIA annex and that they “intentionally participated in an act intending lethal force be used.” It was alleged that either I was wrong or the indictment was wrong. Not necessarily. What my interviewer failed to share with his viewers were these words from the indictment: “Beginning on a date unknown to the Grand Jury but no later than on or about September 11, 2012…defendant Khatallah did knowingly and intentionally conspire….” (emphasis mine). What does this mean? It means that the grand jury found no evidence of planning before the day of the attack either. Exactly the point of the intelligence community analysts.
While there are no shortage of new arguments on this old subject, there are also some old ones that resurface on a regular basis. One is the debate on whether an anti-Islam YouTube video played any role in sparking the Benghazi attacks. The short answer is that we still don’t know with absolute certainty. Intelligence community analysts in the days immediately after the attack said that the attackers were probably motivated by an attack that happened in Cairo earlier in the day. We know that that attack was motivated at least in part by the video. However the analysts also said that the attack in Libya might have been motivated by Al Qaeda leader Ayman Zawahiri’s call just two days before the Benghazi attack for avenging the death of the terrorist Abu Yaya al-Libi earlier in the summer.
The most strident voices on Benghazi ridicule the notion that a video might have played any role. But among those who have argued that the video may have been a factor include the FBI, who told the House Intelligence Committee in February 2014 that the attacks were ordered in response the YouTube video and to Zawahiri’s call for avenging the death of al-Libi. You can read that on page 18 of the House Intelligence Committee’s report on Benghazi.
What those who focus on the questions of the amount of pre-planning and the role of the YouTube seem to miss is that the answers to those questions make no difference to the bottom line: That the attacks were terrorism and that the terrorists murdered four Americans. And they make no difference to the most important point going forward—that the U.S. must do the best job it can in protecting its diplomatic, intelligence and military personnel serving in dangerous places.“The kind of groundswell call for external support that we’ve seen elsewhere is not there,” Ms. Nuland said.
A resident in the city named Ahmed, reached by Skype on Thursday afternoon, said Aleppo was convulsed with rumors that the army’s elite Fourth Division, commanded by Mr. Assad’s brother Maher, was mobilizing for an attack. “We are terrified,” he said.
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Antigovernment fighters — including foreign fighters — were arriving or were preparing to travel to Aleppo from surrounding areas, activists said. Although the insurgents claimed to have destroyed police stations in two of the city’s neighborhoods, they were repulsed when they tried to take over two others, said Majed Abdel Nour, a spokesman in the city for the Shaam News Network, an antigovernment activist group.
The possibility of a major battle for Aleppo came as Turkey’s prime minister injected a new element of tension into the Syrian conflict, asserting that Syrian forces had abandoned territories close to the Turkish border that had since been occupied by Kurdish militants hostile to Turkey.
In recent weeks, activists from Kurdish hamlets near the Turkish border have posted videos of celebrations there, including in Kobani, where residents were seen raising the Kurdish flag.
The Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, told reporters in Turkey that his country’s armed forces would “take whatever steps are necessary against terrorism” in these areas, foreshadowing possible Turkish military incursions into Syria, similar to Turkey’s incursions into areas of northern Iraq where Kurdish militants have sought sanctuary.
Mr. Erdogan’s warning came a day after Turkey placed new restrictions on Syrian-Turkish commercial trade along the 550-mile border, barring Turkish vehicles from entering Syria after clashes inside Syria in which many were damaged. The Turkish restrictions do not prohibit Syrian merchants from entering Turkey or place any limits on refugees.
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Most of the clashes that have paralyzed Aleppo in recent days have taken place in the poorer, eastern parts, where a host of informal neighborhoods have sprung up in recent years. Populated mainly by Sunni Muslims arriving from rural areas, residents are sympathetic to the fighters, offering them meals to break the Ramadan fast and other support. There have also been clashes near the city’s historic center.
But with shelling during the night, residents took advantage of daylight to try to flee. Government helicopters continued to patrol Aleppo, firing occasionally, activists said.
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The official Syrian news agency reported Thursday that clashes between the army and armed groups had “resulted in the killing and wounding of many terrorists.”
Mohamed, a resident from the eastern part of Aleppo, said the army was randomly shelling the city and beefing up its presence at checkpoints. Dozens of civilians had been killed in the past two days, he said.
“This used to be a restless city,” he said. “Now it’s the opposite.” He added that there were no police officers on the streets, no fuel available and no bread.
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Abu Qusay, a field activist and fighter from nearby Idlib Province, said that he and dozens of other fighters, including Libyans, were preparing to travel on farm roads toward Aleppo. The fighters were bringing some light weapons, and counting on finding more in stockpiles seized by the rebels inside the city, he said.
In Damascus, activists reported scores of deaths, including among civilians, during heavy fighting in southern suburbs, the scene of clashes over the last two weeks.
There were also reports of deadly clashes between rebel fighters and the army in Tall Shihab, a town that hugs Syria’s border with Jordan and that sits along a route used by refugees trying to escape Syria.
At a news conference in Damascus on Thursday, Hervé Ladsous, the United Nations under secretary general in charge of peacekeeping operations globally, elaborated on a decision announced Wednesday to send back roughly half of the 300 monitors whose work has been suspended in Syria since mid-June because of the violence.
“We found ourselves with too many people with not enough to do,” Mr. Ladsous said.
Nonetheless, Mr. Ladsous offered assurances that the monitoring mission was still functioning, even though its mandate, which expired last Friday, was only renewed for a further 30 days by the United Nations Security Council. “The U.N. is in no way |
producers of phonograms have the right to authorize or prohibit all reproductions of their works, performances, and phonograms, in any manner or form, permanent or temporary (including temporary storage in electronic form).
As you hopefully know by now, we've been talking a lot about the Trans-Pacific Parntership agreement (TPP) that's being negotiated. That's because following the SOPA/PIPA debate, there's been renewed interest in ACTA -- which is great -- but with ACTA very far along in the process, we think it's important that people are also paying attention to the next attempt by a few legacy industries to sneak bad laws onto the books via international agreements negotiated in absolute secrecy. It's been almost a year since the first version of TPP leaked, despite attempts by negotiators (especially the USTR) to keep it entirely secret. We noted many problems with it at the time, but with the renewed interest in TPP, people are once again dissecting the leaked document. Cory Doctorow, over at Boingboing recently highlighted how TPP will seek to regulate buffer copies This is great background info, and there's a little more history to go into here. First, what does the leaked copy of TPP actually say? It's right here in Article 4, Section 1:Note the emphasis, added by me. This would require the blocking of any buffer copies without an extra license. This is actually a really big deal for a variety of reasons, and could create a massive chill on important innovations. What the negotiators here are trying to do is to kill off any cloud streaming service (or require it to pay a lot extra). In the US, a few years ago, the 2nd Circuit ruled that Cablevision's remote DVR was legal. Basically, Cablevision set up a bunch of servers that could act like a standard DVR, but rather than the box being at home, it was in a central data center. The TV networks freaked out about this and insisted that it must be illegal. But, of course, the only real difference between this and a TiVo was how long the cord between the DVR and the TV was. It seems ridiculous to think that the copyright could be impacted by the length of the cable.The key, then, to the TV guys' argument against Cablevision was to show that Cablevision itself was involved in copying works without a license. Since it was the user pushing the button to "record" something that argument wasn't very strong -- so they picked up on a specific piece: that in the process of making this work, Cablevision had to, for an exceptionally brief period of time,the TV streams that it was playing. The crux of the TV networks' argument against Cablevision was that it was thatthat violated copyright law. The court laughed this off, and the Supreme Court refused to hear the appeal, leaving the ruling standing. The TV guys hate, hate, hate this ruling. What theyis for Cablevision to pay them extra to offer this service to its customers.Courts in other countries have given very mixed rulings on this. The US and Singapore seem fine with remote DVRs, while Korea and Japan have found them to be infringing. As I was writing this story up, we have a preliminary ruling in Australia that such remote DVRs are legal The goal of TPP? To kill all of this and make the ISPs and cable guys pay extra to innovate and offer such services. TPP, as written, would require countries to allow copyright holders to "prohibit" the use of buffer copies. That would effectively overrule the Cablevision ruling here in the US and force anyone who wanted to offer such a remote DVR to negotiate for a license.That's what this is about. It's got nothing to do with stopping infringement. It has everything to do with stopping innovation that Hollywood doesn't like -- or rather innovation where Hollywood can't insert a tollbooth. Of course, the collateral damage here would be massive. Beyond making services like remote DVRs illegal overnight, it would raise significant questions about plenty of other technologies. Think just how often buffer copies need to be made when you're dealing with digital files. Imagine if you need a separate license for each of those. For anyone who knows anything about technology, such a proposal is pure insanity. It's an attempt to massively expand copyright law in the age of computers, for something that has nothing to do with the intended purpose, nor components, of existing copyright law. It seeks to put a legal liability for a transitional state of content for no reason other than that Hollywood wants to get paid any and every time a piece of content is touched.If the USTR (or any of the negotiators) actually understood anything (anything at all) about computers and how technology worked, such a request would be a non-starter. Instead, it's front and center in the copyright section of the TPP.
Filed Under: buffer copies, copyright, innovation, tpp
Companies: cablevision, optusHonduras has detained five Syrian nationals traveling by land to the United States, and in possession of fake Greek passports.
The five men are currently being held in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa. The central American nation is over 1,500 miles from the United States border.
Police say there are no current signs that the men have ties to Friday's terrorist attacks in Paris, according to Reuters.
The men were coming from Costa Rica, and planning to make passage into Guatemala next.
Allies of the United States and France are on high alert for any and all suspicious activity following Friday's attacks. The issue of Syrian refugees has become hotly political, after France learned that one of the terrorists who attacked people in Paris entered France as a refugee.
A specific threat was made from Islamic State members against Washington, D.C., in an Internet video earlier in the week.It's hard for a player with five years and $102.5 million remaining on his contract to go relatively unnoticed, but that was Carl Crawford since he was acquired from the Red Sox on Aug. 25. The left fielder met the media at Dodger Stadium on Friday, two months and one day after he was acquired.
"I got so excited, coming to a team playing with other great players. Matt Kemp; I've known Andre Ethier for a while," Crawford said. "From what I hear this is a team that wants to really win the championship, and it's definitely built to do so."
Crawford was limited to just 161 games combined in his first two seasons in Boston, and hit just.260/.292/.419 after signing for seven years and $142 million before the 2011 season.
"Last year (2011) for me was the worst year of my whole career. I didn't seem to have one good day. I just couldn't get it going," Crawford said. "That offseason was one of the lowest I've had in my whole life. It took a lot for me to come back and start all over. I felt like myself this year, other than the elbow."
The elbow was a problem for Crawford all of 2012. After he underwent offseason wrist surgery, he had elbow discomfort during spring training and opened the season on the disabled list. In the first month of the season he met with Dr. James Andrews, who advised that Crawford would need Tommy John surgery. But Crawford decided to try to play, and managed 31 games before he was shutdown again. Crawford had the surgery on Aug. 23, just two days before he was traded to the Dodgers.
"Nobody said I should keep playing. That was just me, saying, 'I'm not sitting on y'all's money'," Crawford said. "I wasn't performing well but I worked hard every day to get ready to play. I know Boston is a hard working, blue collar town, and I just wanted to have that same attitude. At the end of the day, I probably should have just listened to the doctors."
Recovering from surgery this offseason should help Crawford fit right in, as he joins the bevy of Dodgers on the mend this winter.
Crawford won't be able to swing a bat or throw a ball until January. "It will be a while before I get to have fun," he said.
But Crawford, like Matt Kemp, expects to be ready by spring training.
"Rehab is going really well. Right now I'm ahead of schedule. I'm shooting for spring training, that's definitely a goal of mine," Crawford said.
"I don't think (the elbow surgery) will affect me too much at the plate. I'll be able to come back faster than a pitcher might," he said. "If I was able to throw with the pain that I had at first, I should be able to hit the cutoff man."
Crawford said he was surprised when he heard of his trade to the Dodgers. Though his time didn't work out in Boston, Crawford wouldn't change anything.
"You grow older and learn. You have to take on new challenges and see what works for you. I'd do it over again if I had to," he said. "I'm a competitive guy. I hate to say I failed at something. But you can't win all the time.... I definitely have a lot of baseball left in me. It's good to get a second chance."
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General manager Ned Colletti touched on a few topics on Friday as well.
He said he has an idea of how the shortstop and third base positions will be filled to start next year, but said before Halloween is too early to set anything in stone. Colletti said Hanley Ramirez will play shortstop in winter league ball.
"I'm not going to rule out Dee Gordon. But I'm not going to anoint him either," Colletti said. "We have some options over there."
Smart money is on Luis Cruz opening and third base and Ramirez at shortstop, but we are still four months away from spring training. Colletti said it was unlikely that the Dodgers would pursue a shortstop or third baseman from outside the organization, and that pitching was his main focus of the offseason.
Colletti said he was encouraged by early discussions with free agent reliever Brandon League.
Ace starter Clayton Kershaw has one more year left on his contract and one more year of arbitration eligibility after that, but it's never too early to talk contract extension. Colletti said a long-term extension for Kershaw, 24, will be considered this winter, but that he has not yet had any talks with Kershaw or his agent about a deal.
The Dodgers haven't yet filled their hitting coach position, left vacant when Dave Hansen was dismissed on Oct. 12. Colletti said he has spoken with a few candidates, but that Mickey Hatcher, who was hired as a special assistant last season after getting let go by the Angels, is not one of them.A vendor at a flea market in Sarrebourg, France, was apparently completely oblivious to the fact that he had a rare artwork on his hands. A sharp-eyed collector on a treasure hunt in Alsace spotted a 16th century engraving by Albrecht Dürer at the flea market, and instead of holding on to it, decided to return it to the Staatsgalerie in Stuttgart after noticing the museum’s stamp on the back, German press agency DPA reports.
The work, which shows a majestic depiction of Mary holding baby Jesus and being crowned by an angel, was listed in the Lost Art Database of the German center Kulturgutverluste and considered a war loss after having disappeared about 70 years ago. It is assumed that the artwork was brought to France after 1945.
“We are very grateful that, after more than 70 years, the work came to the hands of an art lover who did not keep his valuable find for themselves, but returned it to the public instead,” the museum’s director Christiane Lange said on Thursday.
The engraving is dated 1520, and bears the stamp of the Staatsgalerie on its back. “It is in a very good condition, even the original passepartout of the museum’s collection is still intact,” said the curator of the Prints and Drawings Department Hans-Martin Kaulbac.
The museum did not comment on the value of the work. It is part of a series of 15 engravings with representations of Mary and baby Jesus that Dürer created at different times. Stuttgart’s Staatsgalerie’s portfolio of prints by Dürer includes some 250 works from all phases of his creations.
Follow artnet News on Facebook:A property tycoon who banned “coloured” people from renting his properties has claimed he is not racist and “would do it again”.
Fergus Wilson, one of the UK’s biggest buy-to-let landlords, instructed agents acting on his behalf not to let his properties to “coloured” people because he said the smell of curry “sticks to the carpet”.
The 69-year-old, whose Kent property empire is thought to number around 1,000 homes in the Ashford and Maidstone areas, issued a series of “offensive directives” ordering agents at Evolution Properties not to rent to battered wives, single parents, low income and zero hours workers or plumbers.
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In a second email to agents, the landlord — who evicted 200 tenants in 2014 for being on housing benefit — added: “No coloured people because of the curry smell at the end of the tenancy.”
His request was subsequently leaked to the media, at which point dozens of social media users condemned “vile” and “disgusting” Mr Wilson for racism, and speculating that he would be sued.
Responding to the backlash, Mr Wilson insisted he was “not racist” and said his move was an “economic decision”, claiming his stance was no different from his ban on letting his properties to smokers and dog owners.
Speaking to Sky News, the 69-year-old said: “There has been much support for the stance I have taken. I do not apologise for it. Faced with the same circumstances, I would do it again.”
Mr Wilson added that he was happy to rent to “negroes” as “they haven't generated a curry smell at the end of the tenancy”.
He said he was “wary” of letting to Indians after losing more than £12,000 in rent and re-carpeting costs over a six-month period because one of his properties smelled of curry.
“If you want to sell your house to a market mainly composed of white British purchasers, then you considerably reduce your chances of selling by having a house that smells of curry,” he said.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission has pledged to investigate the matter.
Roy Fever, manager of Evolution Properties, said the company did not support the move.
“We don’t condone this at all. We would never implement a policy like that. We put through anyone to the landlord and it is up to the landlord who they take on,” he said.
Mr Wilson told Sky News the leaked email was from August last year, pre-dating his current letting criteria for 2017, drawn up last December.
Zakariya Cochrane, of Stand Up to Racism, told The Independent: “Mr Wilson’s comments hark back to the days of ‘no blacks, no dogs, no Irish’ signs in windows that were commonplace in the rented sector during the 60s and 70s.
"Although British society has come a long way, this example of discrimination against whole communities of people based on racial stereotypes, shows we cannot afford to be complacent. We still have our work cut out in tackling racism.
"The landlord’s ‘letting criteria’ has not come about in a vacuum. The government’s Immigration Bill of last year effectively turned landlords into border guards by requiring them to check a tenant’s immigration status.
"This has opened the door to widespread discrimination and the everyday racism displaced by Mr Wilson."
We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view.
At The Independent, no one tells us what to write. That’s why, in an era of political lies and Brexit bias, more readers are turning to an independent source. Subscribe from just 15p a day for extra exclusives, events and ebooks – all with no ads.
Subscribe nowWhen it comes to noise-canceling headphones -- those models that actively block outside noise like airline engines -- Bose is generally considered the gold standard, but Sony's engineers have been on a mission to beat Bose at what it does best.
The result of their efforts is the MDR-1000X, which Sony is calling its most technologically advanced headphone and features both wireless Bluetooth connectivity and adaptive noise-cancellation in a swanky looking chassis that retails for $400, £330 or AU$700 and ships in October.
Sony says it developed new ear pads for this headphone and the embedded touch controls for volume adjustment and skipping tracks forward and back are more responsive than those found in the MDR-1ABT.
Enlarge Image David Carnoy/CNET
I'm not going to get into all the technical details but this headphone is equipped with similar drivers to the highly rated MDR-1A and has microphones not only on the outside of the ear cups to measure ambient noise, but inside to take account for the shape of your head and ears, and whether you wear glasses.
Sony has trademarked this feature, calling it the Sense Engine and says it tailors the noise-canceling individually to you. You can also choose alternate settings that allow more ambient noise to seep in or even filter out everything but voices so you can hear announcements in airports while listening to music.
Another cool feature is the ability to muffle your music and let the outside world in by simply holding your hand over the right ear cup, where the touch controls are located. Once you finish talking to someone, you remove your hand and the music resumes playing at its previous volume and the noise cancellation kicks back in.
Enlarge Image David Carnoy/CNET
Battery life is rated at 20 hours and a cord is included if you want to listen in wired mode. I didn't get a chance to listen to it as a wired headphone, but the Sony reps I spoke with said it sounds a touch better, particularly if you listen to high-resolution tracks.
Like a lot of Sony's latest headphones, the company is promoting it as a high-res headphone, with support for Sony's proprietary LDAC format that's supposed to provide higher quality sound than conventional Bluetooth streaming, but you need a Sony music player with LDAC to take advantage of it. (Sony makes a variety of hi-res music players, but I suspect that the majority of people will use this headphone with their phones).
Also, Sony says this is the first headphone to have its Digital Sound Enhancement Engine (DSEE HXTM) built-in to "upscale compressed music from any source to near hi-res audio sound quality, even in wireless mode."
In my short time with an early unit I listened to a few tracks using Spotify and Tidal to get an initial impression of the sound, but will need more time with the headphone to give you an in-depth evaluation. (I also need to test it as a headset for making calls.)
Still, I heard enough to say that if you're a frequent traveler, the MDR-1000X should definitely be on your short list of headphones to consider. It's a step up from Sony's H.ear On Wireless NC that I rated highly and which folds flat into a slimmer carrying case.
The sound quality is top-notch for a Bluetooth headphone and the noise-canceling appears to be as effective and perhaps even slightly more so than that of the Bose QC35 (I'll have to do some more A/B testing before I reach a final verdict). However, the Bose is lighter and arguably slightly more comfortable. It also costs $50 less.To say that The Good Wife‘s Season 5 finale was a veritable tornado of unexpected character collisions, eyebrow-raising power plays and delectable question marks would be an understatement.
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Alicia and Cary discovered (via an accidental video-conference glitch) that Lockhart-Gardner was attempting to steal their biggest client (Chum-Hum) and put their fledgling firm out of business. Diane learned Louis Canning would exercise a nuclear option to dissolve Lockhart-Gardner if he didn’t wrestle away the managing-partner role. Cary went behind Alicia’s back and told Canning of Diane’s hopes for a merger with Florrick-Agos — a last-ditch effort to quash a decision that he didn’t have enough votes to veto. Oh, and if that wasn’t enough drama, Cary tried and failed to exert sexual power over Kalinda in an upsetting bedroom scene that occurred after her saw his lover/former coworker (via that teleconference) telling her bosses she’d use her relationship with him to extract needed intel.
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Finally, after Finn Polmar exited the State’s Attorney race due to a family scandal, and Diane turned down Peter’s offer to back her candidacy if she ran, Eli closed the hour asking Alicia if she’d be the candidate of choice for the Governor (aka her estranged hubby).
Below, series creators Robert and Michelle King discuss the most polarizing and eye-popping moments of the Season 5 finale — including the “issue that raised more arguments than any issue” in the writers’ room all year.
TVLINE | The Season 5 finale had so many different character pairings through the course of the hour that it was almost head-spinning. Was that a goal of yours, to mix up the dynamic of characters in unexpected ways?
Robert King: Oh yeah. One of the things we said in the writers’ room — because sometimes what you’re struggling for is not even the specifics of the story, it’s for a tone — was that we wanted a tone of people running around in our two law firms. From that [sprang the idea that] characters that we usually don’t see together should be bumping into one another. So, Ben Rappaports’s character, Carey Zepps, would be struggling with Nathan Lane’s character, Clarke Hayden. And one of the things we wanted to avoid was having the [Season 5 finale] seem like it was memorializing the year, “Oh, here. Let’s look back over the times we had together.” It really needed to be forward-looking.
TVLINE | There weren’t any shocking cliffhangers, and yet the hour ended with a sense of flux: We ultimately have no idea how things will shake out for the core characters.
Robert King: One of the things we enjoy with the show is when it feels like you’re watching a juggler adding new balls to those being juggled, and you’re waiting for everything to fall to the ground. That’s what we thought would be fun for the last episode, that kind of panicky feel that you get when it feels like too many things are happening.
Michelle King: And we very much like the idea of suggesting that there are a lot of possibilities for Season 6.
TVLINE | Jumping to the final scene of the episode: Eli verbalizing out of left field the idea of Alicia running for State’s Attorney. I know you guys don’t ever bring up anything by accident. So, is that something Alicia is going to seriously consider?
Robert King: Oh, not immediately. She thinks that’s the stupidest idea she’s ever heard. But we ended Season 4 with Alicia saying, “I’m in,” meaning that she was going off with Cary [to start her own firm], and then starting [Season 5] not right where that immediately happens. So [in Season 6], there are going to be events that push Alicia to consider this idea [of running for office] more seriously.
TVLINE | The other big potential career move was Diane approaching Florrick-Agos about bringing her on — as opposed to Florrick-Agos merging with Lockhart-Gardner. Is Diane definitely jumping ship? And how would someone like her fit into this scrappy place that doesn’t even have doors on the offices, where she’s the last one in and may not have the same power to which she’s accustomed?
Michelle King: Well, that’s exactly what we hope to explore in Season 6. We will not say that it’s definitely happening, but we will say that it is definitely not a thread that we’re going to abandon by any means.
Robert King: This is a woman who had the worst tragedy happen to her, which is to have her best friend and business partner die, and Diane doesn’t curl up in a ball and fade away. She starts honoring Will by picking up some of his personality, some of his gambling instincts, and it makes her, in many ways, younger. There was a moment when she and Will entered Florrick-Agos for the first time, this old t-shirt factory, and it made Diane nostalgic for starting over again, for the energy of a startup. When you have everything taken away from you, there can be an excitement about starting over again. That’s what you’re finding with Christine [Baranski]’s character at the end of the year.
TVLINE | Diane and Kalinda’s bond has been taken to a new level as the season has progressed. I loved the scene where Diane seems like she’s about to just give up, and then she gets recharged when Kalinda makes it clear she’s in her corner. Do you like exploring these two women together, on an equal footing as friends as much as boss and employee?
Michelle King: We like it very, very much, and the sense is that both of them suffered a real loss in the workplace with Will’s death. He had a special place in both of their lives, and one of the ways that they’re getting through that is by the friendship together, helping each other.
Robert King: The episode before Will gets shot, Will convinces Kalinda to stay with Lockhart-Gardner, and so, in many ways, the best way for Kalinda to honor Will now is to transfer her loyalty to Diane.
TVLINE | The whole issue of the firms teleconferencing — and Lockhart-Gardner accidentally leaving on their camera feed into Florrick-Agos’ conference room — yielded very amusing results, but also a whole host of ethical questions. You seem to love playing with the idea of technology: Wiretaps, that telecommuting lawyer on wheels who David Lee hated so much, surveillance footage of Peter’s tainted election. Where did the teleconference idea spring from?
Michelle King: Well, we didn’t have to go far to find that idea because we have one of those teleconferencing systems in our office. The writers and the editors [for The Good Wife] are on the west coast, and production’s on the east coast. So we are forever on teleconference, and then it was just extrapolating what could happen if.
Robert King: Everybody [on our staff] has put tape over their cameras because it’s very easy to think you’ve turned off the machine, but all you’ve done is turn off the monitor, and the camera is still on, and the sound is still on, and you really are broadcasting. Plus, as you point out, surveillance has been a subtheme this year, but to see Alicia not being the one who’s watched — but instead being the voyeur — brought up all these ethical questions.
TVLINE | Alicia’s attitude turned on a dime the minute Louis Canning and David Lee said they were going to destroy Florrick/Agos in 48 hours. Her ethical concerns became secondary, and she knew she had to continue the surveillance.
Michelle King: One of the most exciting things about the series is seeing the maturation of Alicia Florrick and how she’s become so much more pragmatic over the last five years because she’s had to be.
Robert King: And you’ll find the more responsibility she has, the more she makes ethically questionable decisions. I think at one point in this episode, Nathan Lane says to Cary [Agos], “How can you be doing this?” And Cary says, “I’m responsible for [all of these] employees. If I don’t make this decision, those employees are without a job.” You’ll find the same thing with Alicia’s character.
TVLINE | I loved having Nathan Lane’s Clarke as this almost parental voice — telling them it was wrong to eavesdrop, possibly even illegal.
Robert King: In the writers’ room, we have three lawyers in there, and this was an issue that raised more arguments than any issue this season — whether [the camera being left on] was an unintended disclosure, and, even if it was an unintended disclosure, what you had to do based on that fact. I thought [our writers] were going to come to blows, and then we had our tech advisor, Irv Miller in Chicago, getting on the phone, and he had a completely different opinion that was a little more pragmatic and a little more like Alicia’s. [Laughs] What we loved about it is that it seemed to create quite a stir between between people who know the law. All the lawyers on our staff did exactly what the lawyers on the show did. They all started pulling out their iPhones and looking up what was said online about the ethics, the American Bar Association, and all that.
TVLINE | When Alicia goes to the offices of Lockhart-Gardner, she initially seems like she wants to leave the conference room and not allow the Florrick-Agos team to eavesdrop. Then, she eyes Will’s old office, and visibly pauses, and the meeting winds up staying in the conference room. Was she genuinely pondering the ethical conundrum, or did she actually use the sight of Will’s office to sell the deception to the Lockhart-Gardner people? How calculated was that move?
Michelle King: The latter. It was, perhaps, the most cynical we’ve ever seen Alicia in 100-plus episodes.
Robert King: She needed to get them to their marks, in a way.
TVLINE | I thought it was the latter, but I had to ask. I mean, she’s swimming with sharks — David Lee and especially Louis Canning, who, the more unethical and deceitful he can be, the more it gives him lifeblood. Is it fun to be able to let Alicia wade into that muck and outmaneuver them in that moment?
Robert King: One of the reasons we’re having fun is that Julianna Margulies had so much fun with it. But the other thing is that it’s very sad how women on TV so often cower away and, “Oh, I would never do that. Oh, that’s bad. That’s slimy.” So, it’s very nice to see an Alicia that goes right up to the line with the bad guys and says, “No, no, no. You’re not getting the advantage over me because you think I’ll cower away from bringing a knife to a knife fight.”
Michelle King: I mean, nor do we want to think of her as villainous in any way. She’s simply being smart and strong.
TVLINE | The other product of the eavesdropping that surprised me was Cary being so surprised to hear that Kalinda would use their relationship to extract intel for Lockhart-Gardner. How could he be so hurt when that dance between them has always been pretty clear? And can their relationship survive that revelation?
Michelle King: I don’t think it plays so much as surprise as mortification to have these things not only said aloud, but witnessed by your colleagues. That’s what really crashed upon Cary. Will their relationship continue in some way? Probably, but is there going to be less trust? Sure.
Robert King: One other thing that makes it hard on Cary is to have Diane talk about it, and this is a tool they have had at their disposal. It’s one thing if Kalinda and Cary know they’re using each other. It’s another thing to have it so boldly discussed in the [Lockhart-Gardner] boardroom: “Oh, we’ve used this technique before, manipulating Cary.” Whether Cary and Kalinda can survive is a really good question. It’s a relationship we enjoy, but one of the things we found with relationships on our show is, when they’re too close to happiness for too long, they actually become tedious, and they kind of turn into gray. It’s like a salt that’s lost its taste.
TVLINE | So let’s talk about the Kalinda-Cary sex scene — which went right up to the border of uncomfortable, with Cary trying to dominate, and Kalinda clearly not enjoying it. Suddenly, he’s making a quick exit. What was the intent there? What was it like filming that scene and hitting the notes you wanted to hit without…
Robert King: It was very difficult. It’s probably the scene that had the most disagreement regarding the morality, the border that we walk up to. I don’t think we went to Game of Thrones territory. I don’t think we crossed that line, but there’s an element of creeping up to the line. What we really wanted to do is that…Cary had been injured. Cary feels like Kalinda doesn’t respect him, and he needs to more be the aggressor in their sexual relationship. It was him wanting to be the aggressor [for a change], but obviously, he went down the wrong fork, so to speak. I mean, it’s supposed to be uncomfortable. We’ll see how uncomfortable it makes everybody. There was so much disagreement, even between Michelle and myself, on this scene.
TVLINE | What was the major disagreement? Whether it should happen at all, or how it should happen, or…
Michelle King: No, it was a matter of tone. It just kept being discussed right up until the final mix.
Robert King: We tried other words in Cary’s mouth instead of, “Shut up.” We tried another line in Kalinda’s mouth other than, “Cary get off me, or I’ll hurt you.” We tried a lot of things, but there was also such subtle acting going on there between Archie and Matt that we had to honor, in theory, where the script went and where they took it. The script was probably trying to go a little chancier and edgier, but they pulled it back into what people [in real life] would say and do. But again, we didn’t want it to be as chancy as, “Oh, this is getting close to rape” or anything like that. We wanted it to just play as the emotional give and take of two people who have given information about each other, and it’s coming out in odd ways.
TVLINE | It’s interesting what you say, because I can imagine those words on the paper, versus how they’re said, versus how it’s shot — and how the end result could come out 50 different ways.
Robert King: Yeah, and the only thing I did in shooting it was just try to give it a perfume-commercial kind of prettiness, so that at least it was a not a gruff world. It was a very pretty world where these harsh things were said. Anyway, it’s one we had a lot of debate about even up until the very end in the mix.
TVLINE | Interesting, and like you said, now you’ll have to see how folks will react.
Robert King: Yeah. I have a feeling we’ll change it again for the DVD. I think that’s just what we’ll do.
TVLINE | Speaking of Kalinda, I thought one of the funniest things from the Season 5 finale was when Diane referred to Kalinda as her “girl Friday” when she asked if she could bring her to her meeting with Peter and Eli. That just cracked me up. Can we expect that, whatever direction Diane heads in Season 6, Kalinda will likely be there with her?
Robert King: Yes, we can conclude that. First of all, the actresses [Archie Panjabi and Christine Baranski] love working together. One of our worries was what the loss of Josh [Charles] would do to Jules’ [Julianna Margulies] character and Christine’s character. But actually, a second worry was that Archie and Josh played very well together, you know, in these bar scenes they would have. It was really nice to see when we put Christine and Archie closer together, how even though their acting styles are incredibly different, there was a real chemistry there too, which I guess we’d always played it a little cooler up until then. Now, it makes sense in the reality of the show that these two are hitting it off.
TVLINE | So I have to ask an Emmy-related question. In the wake of “Hitting the Fan” [Season 5, Episode 5], is there any way you don’t get a Best Drama Series nomination, plus a slew of acting ones?
Michelle King: You know what? We never predict and never expect.
Robert King: Yeah, you know, we loved this year. We had a lot of fun this year, but I thought there were so many ways the fans would hate us at the end of it, obviously, because we put a bullet into Will Gardner’s brain and throat. So the reward, really, is that people might be sticking with us.
TVLINE | That’s interesting. How much did you consider fan blowback in the midst of all the huge changes in The Good Wife universe over the course of Season 5?
Robert King: We’re very paranoid writers. So, even though we trust viewers, and we should trust viewers, there are times we go through the script and go, “Oh my God. That’s too far. That’s too far. No, no. We can’t do that.” The difficulty was we had a plan at the beginning of the year, a roadmap that really meant Will dying in episode 15, and the closer we got to that date, the more there was a real butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling. Partly because it was the loss of Josh, an actor who we loved and a character we loved, but also there was a real worry that you were kicking the audience in the mid-section. That was part of the plan — with the shock, and then having the next episode play off that shock — but still, you never want to hurt anybody. You don’t want to hurt the audience. We’re always paranoid about the scripts, but this year, I think, was a little harder, because we knew the big event could really have bad repercussions.
TVLINE | Understandable, and with Josh Charles exiting after Episode 15, you couldn’t change lanes.
Robert King: We love changing the status quo, but there were two big status-quo changes this year. One is the breakup of the firms, and then Will’s death. And you never know, when you change it to a new world, into a new status quo, whether it’s going to hold up to the old one.MEET Brion the Lion.
He is the pride and joy of Brisbane chief executive Greg Swann and will be |
glam every minute of the day. But when it comes to going out and going to events, I definitely take an hour or an hour and a half to get ready."
And as far as her husband's goals for keeping svelte and good-looking for his wife? There isn't much that Lauren wants to change or maintain. "My husband's a big guy, but I like big guys. I think he's a teddy bear. He's very much my type. I think people have been so mean about that. I like being in shape, but it's not my thing for men." Sounds like a pretty sweet deal for her husband!
While we can't help but think that her relationship sounds a tad bit superficial, we're hoping it's not the case. Lauren elaborates on their connection, "I've never really had someone who loves me and understands me and wants me to be the happiest I can be until I met him," she shared. "We really support and appreciate each other."By Sierra Hubbard, Staff Writer
KSU Men, a men’s rights group on campus, is pressing onward after recent allegations of connections to a hate group were put to rest.
KSU Men is led by Sage Gerard, a senior and computer science major.
“We are a community of men and women that talks about issues affecting men and boys,” Gerard said, “[We] advocate solutions for issues affecting male students on campus.”
In an anonymous email, an unnamed individual claimed that KSU Men is affiliated with a hate group and called for a review of the organization’s application “to ensure that KSUM meets KSU’s non-discrimination requirements.” The group in question is A Voice for Men, a sponsor of KSUM led by Paul Elam. Sage Gerard is also the collegiate activism director for A Voice for Men (AVfM).
Concerns raised in the email included the accusation that AVfM was listed as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The organization is known for denouncing chivalry and the institution of marriage, and their many articles condemning false accusations of rape against men.
Though it was confirmed that AVfM is not listed as a hate group by the SPLC, Paul Elam was more than willing to address these other issues.
Elam explains that the organization’s mission statement discouraging chivalry is meant to promote gender equality. “When we define chivalry, we’re talking about special treatment, special accommodations, special deference to women delivered by men,” Elam said. “That sort of social mentality is not consistent with the idea of equality.”
Denouncing marriage is more of a legal issue for AVfM.
“We denounce it as it is currently practiced and is currently affected by our family law system,” Elam said. “You’ll also note on that mission statement that we recognize that marriage has historically been a part of what we would call the fabric of our society and a very important part of it. But family courts have been corrupted to the point through the use of Title IV-D funding, through the bias against fathers in the courtrooms, the bias in custody disputes, the issuance of restraining orders without evidence or corroboration in order to get a leg up in the divorce, [this] makes it a very hostile environment.”
Elam also expresses the group’s concerns for children of these families. “Children that are alienated by fathers, through the use of the family courts, have the greatest tendency toward, what we would call, a negative impact on psycho-social factors, like truancy, teen pregnancy, drug use, criminality, you name it.”
The original email also claimed that AVfM “insists that 92 out of 102 rape cases are false accusations.” This information was pulled from a contributor’s article on AVfM’s website, and Elam denies that this is the position of his organization.
“No, the editorial position of AVfM is, I believe, the factual one, which is that nobody knows the percentage of allegations that are false,” he said. It’s not something that’s easily ascertainable. The estimates range anywhere from 2 percent to 45 percent and I saw one in one case that said 60 percent.”
“Our position is that in the end it doesn’t matter. If it’s 2 percent, that’s a lot of people falsely accused, Elam said. “Whatever the rate, it’s certainly a problem for the numbers of men that are accused of rape falsely.”
While Elam does not believe there is a strict ‘solution’ to this problem, he does believe in opportunities that can be taken to help the issue.
“I do think that educating young men on scenarios that can result in a false accusation is helpful,” he said. “I think that prosecutors and police being mandated to arrest and prosecute false accusers, which they currently cannot do, is a possible part of addressing the problem. And I think that educating people about the consequences of false accusations on the lives of people that are wrongly accused can also help be part of addressing the problem.”
In response to the concerned individual, Michael Sanseviro, the Dean of Students for KSU, sent an email explaining the university’s obligations to protect students’ constitutional rights on campus.
“As a university receiving public funding, we must afford freedom of speech on our campus, regardless of the content of that message or the parties delivering that message,” Sanseviro said. “Many student organizations affiliate, whether formally or informally, with organizations that do not adhere to the university’s nondiscrimination statement, but we can only focus on the specific behaviors and actions of the registered student organization itself and its members.”
Dr. Sanseviro confirmed in the email that no action will be taken against KSUM. “Attempting to silence the extreme or marginalized voices can risk a slippery slope of intolerance, and perceptions of what is extreme can vary greatly across time and place,” Sanseviro said. “At KSU we are committed to equal access for all voices.”
With these accusations put to rest and AVfM working as a sponsor and strong supporter, KSUM presses onward in its goals for male students on campus.
One of their objectives is to change the name of the Women’s Resource and Interpersonal Violence Prevention Center. The group wants ‘Women’s Resource’ taken out of the name.
“They offer services to both men and women at the Interpersonal Violence Prevention Center,” Sage Gerard said. “The problem is that, basically, they have a unisex restroom, but they taped a women’s sign over the unisex sign. So guys don’t even realize that the services are available to men.
The idea is to have a gender neutral name for that center so that men and women both understand that there’s a place for them.”
Shameka Wilson, director of the WRIVPC, disagrees with this viewpoint and does not believe such a change is feasible.
“I do not foresee the name of the WRIVPC changing in the near future,” Wilson said. “Men are more than welcome to take part in events and programs sponsored by the WRIVPC. In addition, the Assistant Dean of Student Success has met with the student officials of the KSU student organization, Kennesaw State University Men, and has informed them that the University is growing and that there may be opportunities in the future to develop a Men’s Resource Center.”
Until such an entity exists, however, KSUM will continue in its efforts to change the center’s name.
Secondly, the group wants to see changes to the Gender and Women’s Studies Program at KSU.
“What we want to do is we want to diversify the literature,” Gerard said. “In essence, there’s coverage for LGBT, black community, and women. But there’s no coverage necessarily for masculinity, at least not in a way that’s really sensitive to the male experience.”
Stacy Keltner, coordinator of the Gender and Women’s Studies Program, points out the many different areas covered. “If you look at our course offerings, you will see that our program is very diverse,” Keltner said. “We have courses on Masculinity Studies, Black Feminisms, Transnational Feminisms, Queer Theory and Sexuality, and we just passed a course on LGBTQ Identities that will launch next fall.”
This has been taken into consideration by KSUM, however, and does not satisfy their concerns.
“I don’t think that the masculinity studies course is approaching men with a good attitude,” Gerard said. “It approaches men with the attitude that they are, in essence, angry, incapable of controlling their emotions, and things of that nature. I don’t think that the masculinity studies course is fully representative of the full male perspective. Again, talking about renaming things, I’d say go ahead and call it Gender Studies. That branding thing doesn’t need to be as centric on one gender.”
Dr, Keltner defines gender as ‘multiple and variable’ and explains why the name includes women.
“To say that gender is ‘multiple and variable’ means that gender is not essentially determined by a two-sex biological model of difference,” Keltner said, “but by a multitude of factors that are not only much more physically complex and varied, but also social, political, cultural, and historical.
“When faculty came together in 2006 to found the interdisciplinary program at KSU, we wanted the name to reflect our academic ties to the student, civil rights, and women’s movements of the 1960s and 1970s, from which ‘Women’s Studies’ as an academic field was born. However, we also found it limiting and decided, therefore, to add ‘Gender’ to the title.”
Dr. Keltner concludes, though, that the program is anything but stagnant.
“Women’s, Gender, and Feminist Studies is, like other fields, growing and ever-changing,” she said. “We embrace this process and welcome contestation, complexity, and imagination.”
The last main goal of KSUM focuses on the RAD For Men program.
“The first and most major issue is that it’s not really a self-defense course,” Gerard said, disturbed by the language of the RFM manual and its insistence that men should stop sexual assault if they see it. “It’s one of those things where RFM does not have a practice that is indicative of really investing in the safety of male students. It’s rather trying to hold them responsible for things that could put them in great danger.”
Brandon Cortolano, the lead RFM instructor, explains that the program has a large focus on educating young men.
“Well, the purpose of RFM is to inform men that there’s more options available when they’re confronted in an aggressor type situation,” Cortolano said. “A lot of men have been brought up to stand up for themselves and fight back, and what RFM does is it teaches options, that you don’t always have to confront aggressive behavior with more aggressive behavior. You have an option to just turn around and walk out the door.”
Cortolano believes that the program is still a self-defense program and explains the dual purpose. “It’s a two-prong course where we teach you to educate yourself so you can be prepared in these confrontations, and the second part of it is learning the techniques in case there’s no way to escape without using force.”
He believes the RAD system is gender equitable and does not think that having a gender neutral class would be beneficial.
“With the women’s class, what we’re teaching is defense against abduction, whereas, with the RFM, we’re teaching men that they don’t have to fight all the time,” he said. “So that’s two different entities here.”
Cortolano’s other concern is the amount of survivors of encounters that take the class. “There’s a sense of comradery, you know, where the women can talk to each other and get comfortable with each other. And if you throw a man into the situation women may not open up as much or they may back down.”
Gerard does not think combining the classes is needed to promote gender equality. “I would say that just the removal of the gender roles is appropriate,” Gerard said.
KSU Men is holding a conference in the Student Center on Nov. 1, called Male Students in Peril, with several notable guest speakers on men’s issues and educational equity. Despite opposition, they invite all to attend the event and RSVP via ksum.eventbrite.com.
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The entrepreneurs behind the My Parents’ Basement craft beer and comic book store are putting the finishing touches on things as they shoot for a mid-August opening.
Readers have noticed new signs in front of the former James Joyce Property in Avondale Estates. Inside, crews have been busy tidying up and getting ready.
Lawson Wright said the business is “real close” to being ready to open next month. The James Joyce restaurant space has been empty since 2012, but it was acquired by real estate investors in 2014.
“We haven’t drastically changed anything except it’s much cleaner and it’s brighter,” Wright said. “We’ve sort of taken part of the dining room and made it into a fully stocked comic book store. It’s sort of like a Nerd Cracker Barrel. It’s like a gift shop if you’re waiting on a table.”
Wright’s business partners are Tim Ensor and Dave DeFeo. MY Parents’ Basement will have a full kitchen and bar. Wright said Ensor, “ran the Brick Store’s and Leon’s beer programs for years.”
“We have 32 taps over here,” Wright said. “There’s plenty of room for the beer program to really flourish.”While it was assumed that many of Marvel's biggest stars would be gearing up for Avengers: Infinity War, many believed that Tom Holland's Spider-Man wouldn't be around. Many actors have been confirmed for the movie - either by the studio or by themselves - but Holland has been absent from all press material.
According to a new interview with Holland, he has announced his confirmation for the movie.
The actor spoke with Italian magazine L'Uomo Vogue, where he seemed to tell the interviewer that he would be taking part in the film. The interview has only been published in print so far, but the Tom Holland Italy Twitter account posted a picture of some of the interview. Check it out: here. On the third column, Holland talks about Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans convincing the Marvel producers that Holland could hold his own through three movies over the next four years.
Those movies being Captain America: Civil War, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and Avengers: Infinity War. Below, we've translated the interview text into English. Some of the verbage gets jumbled in the translation, but its his confirmation here that matters. Take a look!Looking for news you can trust?
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Behind closed doors, textbook reviewers appointed by the Texas State Board of Education are pushing to inject creationism into teaching materials that will be adopted statewide in high schools this year, according to new documents obtained by watchdog groups. Records show that the textbook reviewers made ideological objections to material on evolution and climate change in science textbooks from at least seven publishers, including several of the nation’s largest publishing houses. Failing to obtain a review panel’s top rating can make it harder for publishers to sell their textbooks to school districts, and can even lead the state to reject the books altogether.
“I feel very firmly that ‘creation science’ based on Biblical principles should be incorporated into every Biology book that is up for adoption.”
“Once again, culture warriors in the state board are putting Texas at risk of becoming a national laughingstock on science education,” said Kathy Miller, the president of the Texas Freedom Network, a nonprofit group that monitors religious extremists and “far-right issues.” TFN and the National Center for Science Education (NCSE) obtained the review panel documents in response to a state open-records request.
What’s more, because Texas has one of the nation’s largest public school systems, publishers tend to tailor their textbooks for that market and then sell the same texts to the rest of America.
Here are five striking examples of comments submitted to publishers by the state review panels urging them to water down scientific teachings.
One reviewer directly implored the textbook companies Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Scientific Minds to teach “creation science”:
I understand the National Academy of Science’s [sic] strong support of the theory of evolution. At the same time, this is a theory. As an educator, parent, and grandparent, I feel very firmly that “creation science” based on Biblical principles should be incorporated into every Biology book that is up for adoption.
A reviewer of publisher Glencoe/McGraw-Hill’s textbook objected to a passage on the fossil evidence for evolution—despite a consensus among scientists:
Text neglects to tell students that no transitional fossils have been discovered. The fossil record can be interpreted in other ways than evolutionary with equal justification. Text should ask students to analyze and compare alternative theories.
Another reviewer, Ray Bohlin, told the publisher Pearson/Prentice Hall that climate change isn’t real because we “don’t really know that the carbon Cycle [sic] has been altered.” But even if it was, he continued:
In reality we don’t know what climate change will do to species diversity…Question seems to imply that ecosystems will be disrupted which qwe [sic] simply don’t know yet.
In the same review, Bohlin repeatedly promoted Signature in the Cell, a book written by Stephen Meyer—director of science and culture for the creationist Discovery Institute—without disclosing the fact that he is a fellow there:
There is no discussion of the origin of information bearing [sic] molecules which is absolutely essential in any origin of life scenario. Meyer’s Signature in the Cell easily dismisses any RNA first [sic] scenario. The authors need to get caught up.
Reviewers examining the Pearson/Prentice Hall textbook also refer to “THE DISCREDITED PEPPERED MOTH SCENARIO” and “the replacement of discredited ‘Peppered Moth’ misrepresentations.” (Starting during the industrial revolution, populations of peppered moths gradually changed color to match tree bark that had been darkened by soot from local industry—camouflage that made them less vulnerable to predators. After the plants closed and the pollution cleared up, the moths eventually returned to their lighter color. The moth example has been upheld as a classic case of evolution in action.)
Few of the textbook reviewers who were critical of the teaching of evolution and climate change possessed any scientific credentials, according to NCSE. Among those who did, several were active in anti-evolution organizations such as the Discovery Institute.
According to the groups, the Texas Education Agency has declined to release documents showing what changes, if any, the publishers have agreed to make in response to these reviews. A public hearing on the books will take place next week in Austin, followed by a final vote to approve or reject them in November.
Don’t miss: “14 Wacky ‘Facts’ Kids Will Learn in Louisiana Voucher Schools“by Florian Troßbach
Interactive Queries are a fairly new feature of Apache Kafka Streams that provides programmatic access to the internal state held by a streaming application. However, the Kafka API only provides access to the state that is held locally by an instance of the application – there is no global state. Source topic partitions are distributed among instances and while each can provide cluster metadata that tells a caller which instances are responsible for a given key or store, developers must provide a custom RPC layer that glues it all together. While playing around with the API while preparing a blog on Interactive Queries, I wondered how such a layer could be written in a generic way. This blog describes how I ended up with KIQR (Kafka Interactive Query Runtime).
Disclaimer: This truly is a hobby project and has not been extensively tested at runtime.
First steps
After looking at the default APIs on the KafkaStreams client class, I realized I had to account for two types of queries:
key-based queries that would only be routed to one instance in the cluster based on the key
scatter-gather queries that would be routed to all instances that held data for a given store (by name) and aggregate the results
Both types involve querying at least one instance. Any instance of a Kafka Streams application can be used to obtain cluster wide metadata that tell us which instance holds what information. But once we know the “where”, how do we get there? Of course we could just communicate via HTTP, but that doesn’t sound that appealing for “internal” queries.
After having heard a lot about Eclipse Vert.x from my colleague and Vert.x committer Jochen Mader, I thought it might be a good fit. I started reading the Vert.x documentation, and I really liked what I saw.
What is Vert.x
Vert.x is an event-driven non-blocking application platform. It enables you to write concurrent code without having to think too much about concurrency itself, so you can focus on your business logic instead of threads and synchronization. A key abstraction is the Verticle, which works similarly to actors in the actor model (it’s not a perfect match, but close enough). As I was familiar with Akka already, making the leap to Vert.x was actually quite easy. There are some other nice features as well – Vert.x is polyglot, so you can write your components in different languages. It also integrates very well with OSGi. And the list is even longer – by now I’m really excited about Vert.x!
Components in a Vert.x application communicate via simple String addresses on an event bus, and this is the killer feature for KIQR’s use case. It is very simple to run Vert.x in cluster mode, turning the event bus into a distributed event bus without having to change any code. After trying it out with very simple hello world example, this looked capable of handling KIQR’s requirements for internal communication. There are actually four libraries that can be used to run Vert.x in cluster mode (as of Vert.x 3.4.0). The two stable ones are Hazelcast and Apache Ignite. Infinispan and Apache Zookeeper are in technical preview. I settled on Hazelcast as it was the only stable option at the time when I started.
Perfect – transparent communication between the instances is delegated to Vert.x.
Componentizing the runtime
The event bus sits in the middle, that much is clear. Now what kinds of components do we attach to the bus? I settled on these logical components:
query verticles for the low-level query operations directly on the KafkaStreams client one for each query operation, potentially multiple ones per store type
query facades that first find out which instances need to be queried, asynchronously execute the query and aggregate the results if necessary also one for each query operation
We definitely need to run the query verticles on every instance that we want to query, so they’ll have to listen to messages on the event bus. But how can we make the correlation between event bus addresses and KafkaStreams metadata? Since Kafka 0.10.1, the Streams API contains a new parameter called application.server that is published among all instances of a streaming application via the Kafka protocol.
As the Vert.x event bus only uses Strings as addresses, I had the idea that I could use that field not to publish a <host:port> pair as intended, but to use a unique identifier as host and listen to that identifier on the event bus. UUIDs make good identifiers in this case.
The query facades do not actually need to be deployed on every instances as well as they’ll delegate queries to the responsible query verticle, but for simplicity, better load distribution and reduced latency, it won’t hurt to have them run on each instance as well. Facades for the same query type will share the same static address across instances as it really doesn’t matter which instance serves a request. Vert.x will prefer a local one. A query facade asks the KafkaStreams client for metadata, infers the id of the query verticle and issues a request for that verticle on the event bus. The following diagram shows the setup:
That covers the basic blocks. What’s still missing is a component that opens an interface to the outside world. While other options are conceivable, HTTP is a good start. Vert.x makes it very easy to start a HTTP server and provide a REST-API. That API of course only allows GET requests because Interactive Queries are read-only. Let’s look at the communication flow for a key-value query. All communication between component uses the event bus:
As the diagram indicates, this is all as non-blocking as it can be on the server side.
The following diagram shows an overview of all the verticles that are running in a single KIQR instance:
Serialization
As we’re definitely going to have communication between JVMs and wire transfers both within the Vert.X cluster and in communication with clients, we need to think about serialization.
In Kafka, messages are little more than key-value pairs of byte arrays. Producers and consumers need to have a contract on the serialization format. This is informal – Kafka Brokers simply do not care about message contents. That’s why the Producer/Consumer-API heavily rely on Serdes (Serializer/Deserializers). As we need those anyway to run Kafka Producers and Streams, we can just go on and use them for all other wire transfers as well – no need to reinvent the wheel. KIQRs runtime will directly serialize any key or value it reads from an interactive query. It will then be encoded as Base64 string. KIQR itself remains as agnostic to message contents as Kafka itself is.
Serialization on the Vert.x event bus is a different topic altogether. For each message sent over the event bus, Vert.x must be aware of a message codec for that type – even if the message is transmitted within the same JVM. This is a safeguard as the sender is not aware if the receiver is running on the same or a different node. If it is JVM internal, it will not be serialized, but if it needs to be serialized after all, Vert.x knows what to do. KIQR uses simple POJOs that can be easily converted to JSON. Problem solved. This probably could be more efficient, but hey, early days.
Server-side example
So how can we deploy a Kafka Streams application in with KIQR? First thing you need is a Vertx object. In the simplest case without distribution, this is created by a simple Vertx vertx = Vertx.vertx();. The distributed case involves setting up a cluster manager as per the following example using Hazelcast:
In the default, this uses UDP broadcasts as cluster discovery mechanism. If that is not available in your environment (e.g. AWS), please check the docs.
Once we got a Vertx object, we can deploy the KIQR verticles. A streaming topology can be started like this:
This starts the streaming application with a HTTP server listening on port 4711.
Rest-API
KIQR supports all standard store operations available in the High Level Streams DSL as of Kafka 0.10.2.0. This is the mapping of endpoints to methods:
Key-Value queries: /api/v1/kv/{store}/values/{b64 encoded serialized key}?keySerde=<class name>&valueSerde=<class name> Maps to org.apache.kafka.streams.state.ReadOnlyKeyValueStore#get /api/v1/kv/{store}?keySerde=<class name>&valueSerde=<class name> Maps to org.apache.kafka.streams.state.ReadOnlyKeyValueStore#all /api/v1/kv/{store}?keySerde=<class name>&valueSerde=<class name>&from=<b64 encoded key>&to=<b64 encoded key> Maps to org.apache.kafka.streams.state.ReadOnlyKeyValueStore#range /api/v1/kv/{store}/count Maps to org.apache.kafka.streams.state.ReadOnlyKeyValueStore#approximateNumEntries
Window queries: /api/v1/window/{store}/{b64 encoded serialized key}?keySerde=<class name>&valueSerde=<class name>&from=<b64 long timestamp>&to=<long timestamp> Maps to org.apache.kafka.streams.state.ReadOnlyWindowStore#fetch /api/v1/session/{store}/{b64 encoded serialized key}?keySerde=<class name>&valueSerde=<class name> Maps to org.apache.kafka.streams.state.ReadOnlySessionStore#fetch
Clients
You can use the REST API with any client of course, but its URIs contain Base64 encoded serialized keys and the responses also contain serialized values, so a client that handles all that serialization and deserialization sounded like a good idea. The first draft of KIQR contains a REST client based on Apache HttpComponents. The list of dependencies is intentionally kept simple and is restricted to
Fluent-HC from HttpComponents
Jackson for a bit of JSON handling
Kafka Streams (for the Serde interface and the default Serdes)
Plus transitive dependencies, of course. The clients are blocking for the moment, which marks a bit of a step back from all this non-blocking Vert.x code. But non-blocking clients are definitely on the road map. The clients are written in a way that lets you use the actual types of your keys and values. It will use the provided Serdes to handle wire transfers.
There is a generic client whose parameters map closely to the REST API:
There is also a specific client that let’s you set types, serdes and store name once in the constructor so you don’t have to bother with them each time:
This API is probably more enjoyable to use.
Caveats and restrictions
As mentioned earlier, KIQR is a hobby project. It has not been used in any actually real-world scenario so far. Some other caveats and restrictions are:
not very well integrationally tested yet, especially not for high volumes
not highly available in the sense that when the streams app is rebalancing, we cannot execute queries
No streaming of large results – if you query too much data, you’ll get large results and might run into timeouts
highly unstable API and implementation, things will change
you are responsible to know the names of the state stores and types of your keys and values in Kafka. There is
no way to infer them at runtime.
no way to infer them at runtime. Java 8 and Kafka Streams 0.10.2 required
Conclusion & resources
I had a lot of fun building this proof of concept and learned a lot about Vert.x and Interactive Queries on the way. I’d be very happy for feedback.Clinton Asked Lanny Davis, Longtime Clinton Operative and Lobbyist for Pro-Coup Honduran Businesses, to Arrange Phone Meeting with Coup Dictator
Buried in the latest trove of Hillary Clinton emails made public last week are some missives that shed new light on the former Secretary of State’s role in seemingly undermining President Barack Obama’s policy in dealing with the 2009 coup d’état in Honduras.
The official emails recently made public by the State Department —more than 3,000 pages worth — were sent or received primarily in 2009 through Clinton’s private email account — via an email server set up outside the government’s system and used to conduct official business.
One email exchange discovered in the recently released batch of State Department communications reveals that Clinton personally signed off on continuing the flow of US funds to the putsch regime in Honduras in the fall of 2009 — even as the White House was telling the world that such aid had been suspended.
Another email exchange involving Clinton shows that she turned to a lobbyist employed by Honduran business interests suspected of orchestrating the coup to get access to the Roberto Micheletti, the “de facto” president of the putsch regime. Micheletti assumed power after the democratically elected president of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya, was removed from office at gunpoint on June 28, 2009.
The lobbyist Clinton favored in her dealings with Micheletti was Lanny Davis — a long-time friend whom she had met while at Yale Law School and a former White House Counsel to Bill Clinton [as well as a consummate shill for the Clinton agenda].
Davis also is a lawyer and lobbyist and in the latter capacity was retained in July 2009 by the Business Council of Latin America (CEAL) to hawk for the Honduran coup regime, including Micheletti’s illegal administration.
In an Oct. 22, 2009, email sent by one of her top aides, with the subject line, “Re: Lanny Davis,” Clinton asks: “Can he [Lanny Davis] help me talk w Micheletti?
Although there is not enough context in the email trail to determine precisely why Clinton wanted to speak with Micheletti, or why she felt a need to go through Davis to do so, the date on the email offers a clue as to what might have been going on at the time.
Late October of 2009 is around the time that the US, in particular the State Department, was pressing the coup government in Honduras to accept the Tegucigalpa-San José Accord, which, among other things, called for a unity government, a truth commission and the return of Zelaya to the president’s office to finish the final few months of his term. It was essentially a deal designed to end the political crisis sparked by the coup d’état and to also create an air of legitimacy for the fall 2009 elections in Honduras.
The accord ultimately fell apart, with Davis penning an op/ed for the Wall Street Journal in which he blamed its demise on Zelaya. The November 2009 elections went forward under the terror imposed by the coup government, with less than 50 percent voter turnout, and Clinton’s State Department was quick to claim a victory for democracy in Honduras in the wake of the ballot.
The man ultimately elected to replace Micheletti as president, Porfirio “Pepe” Lobo Sosa of the conservative National Party, was himself one of the backers of the coup and ultimately granted amnesty to all those involved in planning the putsch. His administration then proceeded to hire Davis’ firm, Lanny J. Davis & Associates, to help with the task of putting a PR shine on the new Lobo government.
But as Davis attempted to orchestrate his magic spin over the last half of 2009, he and his Honduran employers had to confront the harsh reality of an Obama White House that had declared that the coup regime was not legitimate. Consequently, the White House had taken the draconian step of suspending all US aid to Honduras that legally had to be terminated in the event of a military coup d’état — as mandated under Section 7008 of the U.S. Foreign Operations
Appropriations Law.
That White House-invoked aid suspension, which was supposed to apply to all programs implicated under Section 7008, should also have included any funds being provided to Honduras through a US-backed aid agency known as the Millennium Challenge Corporation. MCC is funded by taxpayers and overseen by a board that is chaired by the Secretary of State. But despite the White House policy on aid suspension to Honduras, the MCC continued to send millions of dollars monthly to the putsch regime in Honduras.
In fact, a Narco News investigation at the time showed the MCC delivered $10.7 million to Honduras in the two months following the June 28 coup and had another $100 million or so in contractually committed funds in the pipeline to be delivered in 2010. As chair of the MCC, Clinton should have been well aware of this flow of dollars to a regime deemed illegitimate by her boss, President Obama, but proof of that direct knowledge could not be verified previously.
The State Department email trail recently made public, however, shows for the first time that Clinton did know that MCC funding was continuing to pour into Honduras — even as publicly the White House, as well as the State Department, were telling the nation that such US aid had been suspended.
In an Aug. 29, 2009, email exchange involving Clinton and one of her top aides, Clinton is made aware of a looming deadline related to a report the MCC was required to make to Congress. The communication made clear that Clinton had to let Congress know by Sept. 10, 2009 — during the heat of the Honduran-putsch crisis — whether the MCC board planned to prohibit Honduras from receiving further funds because its legitimate head of government had been deposed by a military coup.
Further, Clinton herself was being asked to weigh in on that funding decision, according to the email exchange — which included the following analysis from a State Department legal advisor:
The Millennium Challenge Act of 2003 requires the submission of a report to Congress and publication in the Federal Register of a list of countries that are candidate countries for MCC assistance, and countries that would be candidate countries but for "specified legal prohibitions on assistance." Honduras is a candidate country. If Honduras is subject to the restrictions in section 7008 [of the Foreign Operations Appropriations Law], it would be listed in that section of the report that identifies countries that would be candidate countries but for legal prohibitions that prohibit assistance. The report would also provide an explanation of the legal prohibition (in fact, other coup restricted countries, such as Cote d'Ivoire, Madagascar, Mauritania, and Sudan, are on the prohibited list and section 7008 is explicitly mentioned). The list must be approved by the Board of the MCC, of which the Secretary [Hillary Clinton] is the chair, and is due on 9/10. It is our understanding that an action memo will be presented to the Secretary, perhaps as early as next week, so that she can approve submission of the report. The action memo will require the Secretary to decide whether Honduras is a country without a "specified legal prohibition" or whether such a prohibition has in fact attached. [Emphasis added.]
It’s worth noting again, that in July and August of 2009 alone, seemingly in direct opposition to the Obama administration’s wishes, the MCC funneled nearly $11 million to the coup regime in Honduras. Among the Honduran companies benefitingfrom the MCC aid in 2009, in the form of a $7.5 million road-improvement contract, was Santos y Compañia, whose CEO, Elvin Santos, was a former vice president of Honduras, a 2009 presidential candidate and a key supporter of the putsch that drove Zelaya from power.
Now, with a report due to Congress, MCC and Clinton could no longer continue propping up the putsch government’s finances in the shadows. Congress wanted an official report.
If Clinton listed Honduras as a prohibited country in terms of Section 7008, the balance of the $100 million in MCC funds slated for the Honduran regime would be suspended. If not, the aid would continue to flow.
As important, the wording of the email from the State Department legal advisor makes clear that the MCC funding did fall into the category of US aid that would be suspended under a Section 7008 trigger event, such as a “military coup.” And the Obama administration’s position at the time was to suspend immediately all aid to Honduras that is subject to Section 7008, whether it was officially triggered or not.
Regardless, Clinton did not act to prohibit Honduras from receiving the MCC funding. A copy of the Sept. 16, 2009,Federal Register shows the report the MCC board sent to Congress includes Honduras as a nation still eligible to receive assistance.
And so, over the balance of 2009 and through most of 2010, MCC funds continued to flow into the coffers of the Honduran coup regime and its successor government, which was empowered by the suspect November 2009 elections and embracedby pro |
slogans such as “£1 billion down the drain”, “Trams cost to council tax pa £15 million a year for 30 years” and “Still a tramway to hell”.
The latter phrase is in reference to a previous “yarn-bombing” on Princes Street back in September 2012 when a similar knitted blanket was erected on barriers surrounding the tram works bearing the message “Tramway to Hell”.
It is understood that the latest protest in Shandwick Place occurred on Sunday before pictures were posted on the Twitter account of city design agency Wide Eyed Design.
Businessman and long-time tram critic Grant McKeeman, of print shop Copymade in nearby West Maitland Street, said he was “delighted” with the re-emergence of the phantom.
He said: “I’ve no idea who’s behind this, but I’m glad that someone is making the point that not everyone in the city is mad for the trams. People should feel free to protest their disapproval for the project.
“Myself and others have been against the whole project from the start and we will still be when the novelty wears off. People are enjoying the trams at the moment, but there is no denying that it is a ridiculous waste of money and the route is all wrong.”
Edinburgh has long been home to its own “social knitwork”, with one yarn-bomber decorating benches in Princes Street Gardens with knitted pom-pom bunting during the 2012 Festival.
Knitted “jumpers” have also appeared on lampposts in Elm Row during previous Augusts.
Those taking part in the Occupy Edinburgh protest in St Andrew Square in 2011 also left similar woolly items wrapped round foliage and the Leith Festival has held an event called Cool Wool, where people were encouraged to make jumpers for trees in the area.
The origins of yarn-bombing are unclear, with some claiming it began in the Netherlands, and others that it was born in the US in 2005.
A trams spokesman said of this latest piece of yarnstorming needling: “It is certainly very colourful and we admire the obvious skill that has gone into its creation.”
It is understood that the crocheted pieces are currently in the possession of Transport for Edinburgh.Share 0 SHARES
THERE were emotional scenes in New Zealand today after Irish president Michael D. Higgins visited his ancestral home of Hobbiton, located on the north island of the country.
Higgins took time out of his presidential tour to visit the hills and valleys of his forefathers, with eye-witnesses claiming that the visit was full of emotion as the president learned about the history of his people.
After the natives of Hobbiton presented him with a cask of ale, a pipe full of dubious tobacco and a mysterious envelope containing a magical ring, Higgins took part in some traditional Hobbiton activities, such as drinking ale, smoking dubious tobacco, and performing incredible vanishing tricks with the help of the magical ring.
“We let him know that he will always be welcome here,” said Edie Sackville-Higgins, a distant relative of the president.
“The Higgins’ left these lands hundreds of years ago, and they really seem to have done very well for themselves. We’re delighted that Michael took time out of his busy schedule to come and visit us, and we hope that he agrees to help us rid these lands from the treacherous evil that spreads from the east, threatening to blanket this world in darkness for an eternity”.
Following his adventures in Hobbiton, Higgins will embark on a journey to defeat a dragon sleeping inside a mountain, although this trip will not be half as entertaining or popular.Some rock anniversaries are cause for celebration; others are moments to pause and consider how quickly time can pass, and how distant a once-familiar era of music can become.
Others are just plain depressing. Today, we mark the latter, as it's been 20 years since Blind Melon singer Shannon Hoon died of a heart attack brought on by a cocaine overdose.
On Oct. 21, 1995, Hoon -- who had just attempted an unsuccessful rehab stint around the time of the birth of his daughter -- was found dead in the band's tour bus in New Orleans. Blind Melon's second album Soup had dropped two months earlier, and Hoon turned 28 just a month before, making him a few weeks shy of joining rock's infamous 27 club.
On the 20th anniversary of Hoon's death, we're looking back at what major U.S. newspapers and magazines said about Hoon at the time of his passing. Aside from the straightforward news reports, it's fascinating to see how the media responded to the loss. Many looped it into what seemed like a new rash of rock star deaths (Kurt Cobain had died just a year earlier), while others reported the drug-induced loss somewhat flippantly.
For example, here's Dallas Morning News' rather judgmental take on the situation from a 1995 article: "As lead singer for the rock group Blind Melon, 28-year-old Shannon Hoon had it all -- the looks, the talent and, it appeared, the smarts to keep it going. A drug overdose proved otherwise."
In a similar vein, the Orlando Sentinel quoted a local teenager who didn't seem particularly perturbed by the news.
"Another musical loss was Shannon Hoon of Blind Melon, who died in October at age 28 of a drug overdose one night while on tour," a 1995 article from the Orlando Sentinel reads. "But not everyone is sympathetic for him. 'His death shows us what drugs can do,' said George Beaton, a sophomore at Seminole High."
Whether Beaton was a cynical Gen X-er with better things to weep about or a product of the D.A.R.E. generation is up for debate, but one thing is certain -- Hoon's death didn't affect media coverage the same way Cobain's did. While many outlets opted not to cover Hoon's overdose, nearly every major newspaper and magazines wrote about Cobain's suicide multiple times.
That's not too surprising. While "No Rain" was a major alt-rock hit, Blind Melon wasn't as ubiquitous as Nirvana. Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote about Hoon in late 1995, using him as the peg for an article about "semi-stars" who "died prematurely" -- as opposed to outright legends like the late Nirvana frontman.
A 1995 article in the Los Angeles Times also made the Cobain comparison in an article questioning if record labels were somewhat culpable for junkie artists' deaths.
"Should major record companies refuse to work with musicians who resist efforts to break them of drug addiction? That question has taken on an urgency in the music industry in the wake of the heroin overdose death in New Orleans on Oct. 21 of Blind Melon singer Shannon Hoon," L.A. Times' article reads. "Although Hoon's death hasn't reverberated culturally the way that Kurt Cobain's heroin-related suicide did in 1994, a growing number of business people in the rock world see it as the last straw and are demanding drastic measures." (As you probably guessed, those drastic measures never came to pass.)
In the slightly-less-depressing category, a few articles in the wake of Hoon's death reported on various artists who paid him homage in concert.
Per an L.A. Times article from Oct. 30, 1995, reviewing Neil Young's Bridge School benefit concert: "[Chrissie] Hynde… dedicated a stinging version of Young's 'Needle and the Damage Done' to Shannon Hoon, the Blind Melon lead singer who was found dead in New Orleans on Oct. 21. Blind Melon had been scheduled for Saturday's bill."
Similarly, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Boston Globe both note that Candlebox dedicated songs to Hoon on their tour. From the former publication:
"You," a hit from Candlebox's three million-selling debut album, was a big crowd pleaser, as was "Far Behind," another smash hit from that 1993 album, which earned a dedication at Sunday's performance. "This song is for Mr. Shannon Hoon," said lead singer Kevin Martin, referring to the recent death of the Blind Melon lead singer.
Revisit Blind Melon's "Change" below. Lyrics from that song are on Hoon's grave.It was fitting that, during a recent trip to Chuck E. Cheese, Bears offensive lineman Kyle Long scored in the "Pro Bowl" range of a game in which you toss footballs into small holes.
After all, the 25-year-old Long, who was the Bears' 2013 first-round pick, earned a trip to the Pro Bowl in his first season in the league.
Breaking records over here at Chuck E Cheese pic.twitter.com/y7EO2rQ7Lf — Kyle Long (@Ky1eLong) May 3, 2014
But Long wasn't at Chuck E. Cheese to confirm his football fitness. No, he had a much better reason to hit up the arcade.
Several weeks ago Frank Oyston, a Bears fan who lives in Huntley, Ill., reached out to Long to tell him that his 9-year-old son, Andrew, had been bullied on the school bus. Long told Oyston that he too had been bullied on the bus, and the 6-foot-5, 300-pounder even offered to ride along with Andrew.
“@Frankoyston: @Ky1eLong wow are you serious” I mean if I could get permission to it would be cool! I was bullied on the bus as well... — Kyle Long (@Ky1eLong) April 8, 2014
As it turned out, Long did Oyston one better than taking the bus with Andrew. Long came out to Andrew's sister's birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese and hit the arcade with the youngster.
Stackin tickets with my man Andrew pic.twitter.com/4cMHcDNQQ2 — Kyle Long (@Ky1eLong) May 3, 2014
Later, Long went back to the Oystons' house to play catch with the kids and take some pictures.
"I couldn't believe it," Oyston told Fox Sports of Long's generosity. “I didn’t think it was going to happen, but he followed through. He's a really good guy. He played games with him and played catch. You don’t expect that to happen nowadays. It really meant a lot."The public feud between Malcolm Turnbull and Kevin Rudd has escalated, with the former Labor leader accusing the Prime Minister of lying about their private discussions on asylum seeker policy.
Mr Rudd has challenged Mr Turnbull to provide evidence to support his repeated assertions that he "begged" Mr Rudd not to dismantle the Pacific Solution policy introduced by John Howard to stop the boats.
He has branded the Turnbull account a "total reinvention of history" to "try and pretend he has had a consistent position on Manus and Nauru", saying Mr Turnbull was not even opposition leader when the policy was dismantled.
The charge came as Mr Turnbull branded Mr Rudd a "liar" in an address to his MPs and used the Parliament to ramp up pressure on Labor to support the Coalition's lifetime ban on refugees processed offshore visiting Australia, with Immigration Minister Peter Dutton suggesting the move was a precursor to refugees being resettled from Nauru and Manus Island.TODAY is one of those days. If you’re the parent of a high-need baby (and they do exist – we’re not just ‘bad parents’), you’ll know exactly what type of day this has been.
If you have a baby who has never had you frantically Googling for the characteristics of high-need kids, simply imagine a trying day with a crying child – one when he or she was sick, or pushing through molars, or was clearly unhappy no matter how hard you tried to meet his or her needs.
Imagine also that nearly every day was like this. That’s how it is for moms and dads trying to actually enjoy their little one – and failing miserably.
When Conor was born, his yell was very loud. I practised Kangaroo Mother Care with him (skin-to-skin contact) from the first few moments after birth. This was supposed to soothe and calm him. The literature said that he’d snuggle in and sleep, or instinctively find the breast and latch on without any help. But Conor isn’t that type of baby – he’s loud, intense and complex. And he exhausts me.
He screamed and yelled from theatre (I had a Caesarean section : a big no-no, I would think, for super-sensitive high-need babies) to the recovery room, where everybody looked at him and the midwife tried to shush him, looking perplexed. He was supposed to be feeling warm, safe and secure; instead, he was bellowing with such angry gusto that the elderly patient next to me rolled her eyes and tutted.
It’s the rolling eyes and tutting that make me afraid to take him out – even at nearly nine months old. I never know how he’s going to react – and his voice is (haven’t I said this before?) LOUD. INTENSE. ANGRY. So people assume that he must be in pain, hungry, tired, teething, suffering from reflux, suffering from SOMETHING. He HAS to be, right? He’s clearly not happy. And his mom needs to do something about it.
Well, she’s tried. Being both esoteric and practical, I’ve tried everything from teething necklaces to tissue salts, allopathic medicines with dodgy-sounding preservatives, wraps, warm baths, shushing, not-shushing, delaying solids, structuring nap-times and doing away with routine. Nothing works. Conor is who is he and I don’t know how the hell to deal with it.
My first baby, now six, was average. She slept and ate well, had no health problems (neither does Conor, but he always SEEMS to) and was going to restaurants with us from a few months. She’d sit in her pram and look at people; Conor will sit in his pram for a few minutes before all the hounds of hell break loose and he Must Be Picked Up.
So yes, my eldest was a ‘breeze’. If only I’d realised this, I’d have appreciated her more. I tell her that now, when she and I try to entertain, coo at, calm and diagnose her red-faced, pixie-nosed brother.
I am breastfeeding and co-sleeping. These two things have saved my sanity and I know they’ve saved his too. But the breastfeeding brings up a whole bunch of issues too : perhaps he’s hungry? That’s why he’s crying today, maybe? At one stage, from around seven months, when I introduced some goat’s milk, he’d happily drink it and I could get out and about on my own (very, very important for any mom – but essential for one who has a high-need baby on her hands).
But a few days ago, he eschewed the goat’s milk and won’t drink anything but breastmilk. Smart baby? Perhaps – but it makes life difficult. Because now I’m back to the : oh lawd, he must be hungry/it’s my milk/my supply is dodgy/help/he’s such a dinky thing, why isn’t he picking up a lot more weight nonsense.
I’m a parenting writer. I know the drill and I eat the theory for breakfast. If someone I knew had a baby like this, I’d tell her exactly what to do : wait. I’d explain that she had a high-need child and that she was doing a great job. I’d also tell her to stop being embarrassed and to get out more. And to lose the guilt.
But because he’s mine – and I tend not to take my own advice – I’m really having rather a hard time of it.
I’ve been asked to write about my experiences, but I find it difficult, as so many people have such different experiences. Their babies coo and lie still, unless they’re sick or, on the odd occasion, just plain irritated with the world.
But I’ve realised that what I write can help both sides of the fence : those of us with high-need children (so’s we don’t feel alone anymore) and those with ‘ordinary’ babies (so’s we feel relieved that ours isn’t like that and thus, we appreciate them more).
I know that my son is super-bright, incredibly curious, very physically adept and just trying to find his place in the world. I also know that he is going to transform from this bundle of bluster into a very energetic and intelligent toddler and pre-schooler and that, one day, when he’s a man, he will be sweet to his mother.
But for today, it’s been one of those days. And now that he’s cried himself to sleep (and he wasn’t even tired) while being rocked in the pram, I have a few minutes of peace. And blog time.
E NDSOn Friday’s night broadcast of his radio show, Mark Levin speculated that the federal government is stockpiling ammunition to ensure the rule of law in the event of a total societal and economic collapse.
On Feb. 8, Investor’s Business Daily editorial writer Andrew Malcolm penned a piece about the Department of Homeland Security amassing what he called “sufficient firepower to shoot every American about five times –including illegal immigrants,” or more than 1.6 billion bullets.
“I’m going to tell you what I think is going on,” Levin said. “I don’t think insurrection. Law enforcement and national security agencies — they play out multiple scenarios. They simulate multiple scenarios. I’ll tell you what I think they’re simulating: the collapse of our financial system, the collapse of our society and the potential for widespread violence, looting, killing in the streets, because that’s what happens when an economy collapses.”
“I’m not talking about a recession,” Levin continued. “I’m talking about a collapse when people are desperate, when they can’t food and clothing, when they have no way of going from place to place, when they can’t protective themselves. There aren’t enough police officers on the face of the Earth to adequately handle a situation like that.”
The conservative talker and author of “Ameritopia: The Unmaking of America” based his hypothesis on his time in the Reagan Justice Department.
“And having been close enough to law enforcement — not in law enforcement, but close enough to it in my days in the Justice Department — I expect that they’re running through these scenarios just in case. … I know why the government is arming up. It’s not because there’s going to be an insurrection. It’s because our society is unraveling.”
Levin argued that the federal government sees what is playing out in Europe and is preparing for that sort of scenario.
“You see what’s going on in Greece, in Spain and Portugal and other parts of the world? That’s what they fear, and yet, they’ve caused it.”
(h/t The Right Scoop)
Follow Jeff on TwitterPlague Inc is a real-time strategy game developed and published by Ndemic Creations in 2012. The game has had a growing fan base ever since it launched and now that player base has grown over 100 million, or 1.3% of the whole world’s population.
Ndemic Creations has issued a press release and a 100 million player art.
The press release reads:
Ndemic Creations’ critically acclaimed PLAGUE INC. continues to infect the globe and has just surpassed the milestone of 100 million players. If it was a country it would be the 14th most populous nation in the world!
Since its wildly successful launch on mobile PLAGUE INC. has spread onto PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One with the enhanced PLAGUE INC: EVOLVED, and has gone on to infect whole new audiences of would-be world-enders. It’s also infected physical tabletops too, via PLAGUE INC: THE BOARD GAME.
“It’s been an incredible experience building something that so many people are enjoying,” says Plague Inc.’s creator James Vaughan. “To see the game that I made reach over 1.3% of the whole world’s population is deeply humbling, and I’m so grateful to all the players for their support.”
PLAGUE INC. has not stopped evolving, with the launch of game-changing new expansions such as the vampiric Shadow Plague. The impressive numbers keep coming too, as those 100 million players have wiped out all human life on earth 1530597131 times, infecting 13535648426642177590 people in the process (and counting!).
Does this make Plague Inc. the deadliest game ever?Staff writer, with CNA
The US House of Representatives on Wednesday passed the US military budget for next year, with an amendment that directs the US secretary of defense to grant Taiwan observer status in the Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC).
The amendment, proposed by Mark Walker, a Republican from North Carolina, “directs the Secretary of Defense to grant observer status to the military forces of Taiwan in any maritime exercise known as the Rim of the Pacific Exercise.”
The amendment specified that “this section takes effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.”
Other amendments related to Taiwan include a requirement that the US secretary of defense submit a report at the end of each fiscal year listing each request received from Taiwan, and each letter of offer to sell defense articles or services to Taiwan during that year.
The approved bill also states that the secretary of defense should conduct a program of senior military exchanges between the US and Taiwan with the objective of improving bilateral military relations and defense cooperation.
The bill also mentions the Taiwan Relations Act, saying it is the US’ policy to provide Taiwan with defensive arms and to maintain the capacity of the US “to defend against any forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security, or the social or economic system, of the people on Taiwan.”Published 20.05.2016 18:39 GMT+3 | Author John Sanful
Canada's goaltending has been one of its many strengths. Cam Talbot is a big reason why.
Canada has earned a right to be among the top-four remaining teams at the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship. With timely scoring and strong defensive coverage, they have won seven of eight games and outscored opponents 40-8.
Key to their success has been the play of Cam Talbot. The Ontario native has been nothing short of sublime. Talbot has started six games and has posted a stunning goals against average of 1.17. He also has three shutouts.
“This guy’s been a monster,” defenceman Matt Dumba said of his teammate. “He’s been sick. He’s been huge for us the whole tournament.”
Against Sweden in the quarter-finals, Talbot was at his best. Despite the 6-0 score, Sweden would have its chances throughout and Talbot was there to stop them. Sweden took 24 shots on net, and all 24 were stopped.
“He was sharp. He was huge for us on the penalty kill,” Morgan Reilly said. “He was our best penalty killer for us, which is important.”
Talbot credits his success here with the team's overall commitment to defence.
"I can’t say enough about the guys in front of me," Talbot said. "They’ve been giving me some pretty good run support here. We battled through some adversity in the game against Finland, and obviously it didn’t go our way. But we refocused coming in against Sweden and came out with a big win."
Talbot has emerged over the past five seasons from undrafted free agent signee to backup, to able starter in the absence of a popular goaltender and in his own right, to World Championship medal contending stopper.
The Rangers signed Talbot as an undrafted free agent in the spring of 2010 after spending three years playing college hockey with the University of Alabama-Huntsville. After spending the better part of three seasons in the minors, Talbot worked his way onto the Rangers roster as a backup goaltender to Henrik Lundqvist. Talbot was more than up to the challenge and saved 94 per cent of the shots he faced in limited duty.
By next season when Lundqvist suffered a ruptured blood vessel in his neck after being hit by a shot in a game, Talbot took over and showed poise both on and off the ice.
"I have been waiting a long time for this, working this, so I'll be ready if I get the call," Talbot said at the time when he was tapped to take over for Lundqvist. "It is every kid's dream that grows up playing hockey to one day get the chance to play in the NHL."
In Lundqvist's absence, Talbot would go 17-4-3 as a starter with five shutouts and a 2.21 goals against average.
After being traded to the Edmonton Oilers in summer, Talbot started slow before finally earning the starting spot in goal.
This World Championship experience with Edmonton teammates Connor McDavid and Taylor Hall has allowed them an opportunity to test their skills at the international level and compete for a medal and represent their country.
Talbot has never had the chance to wear the Maple Leaf before and to do so as an integral member of Team Canada. This year is different.
What has been a solid tournament can only serve to bolster Talbot’s development as the goaltender that Edmonton has not had in some time.
Back to OverviewThe White House has a new reason to takes sides in the emerging crypto war.
A We The People petition calling for President Barack Obama to publicly support strong encryption and to “reject any law, policy, or mandate that would undermine our security” has reached the 100,000-signature threshold.
The petition also advocates against so-called backdoors, which effectively give law enforcement a way to unlock encrypted communications.
Success of the petition, created a little less than two months ago by leading digital civil-liberties group the Electronic Frontier Foundation, means the White House must issue a response to the petition.
The debate over encryption has pitted law enforcement officials—most notably, FBI Director James Comey—who say encryption allows criminals and terrorists to evade investigations, against privacy advocates and cybersecurity experts, who argue that weakening encryption puts all users at risk of state surveillance and any malicious actor who finds a backdoor.
The Obama administration has skirted publicly affirming their support for encryption on things like mobile devices and computer. Rather, White House officials have shared the administration’s support for encryption by providing anonymous comments to the New York Times.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has come out strong in support of strong encryption for users. “You can’t have a back door in the software because you can’t have a back door that’s only for the good guys,” Cook said during the debate at a Wall Street Journal technology conference last week. Apple is on the forefront of user privacy and security, as it encrypts all of their devices running iOS 8 or higher by default.
Multiple organizations have publicly supported the EFF’s petition, including the American Civil Liberties Union, Twitter, Reddit, the Tor Project, and other privacy groups and technology companies.
Photo via Ethan Bloch/Flickr (CC BY 2.0) | Remix by Jason ReedFor a long time, I’ve wanted to write a piece on the very strange relationship the rollerblading community has with the gay community. For those of us who grew up in the 1990s, just about every altercation or shouting match we participated in (with skateboarders or bikers or security guards or whoever) included hurling homophobic slurs like faggot or homo or queer at each other. We rollerbladers were just as often as guilty as all the others for using those terms, and many of us contributed to the creation of an environment in which LGBT and queer folks felt exceptionally unsafe.
Words: Frank Stoner with Tim Adams
Photography: James Haschmann & Kris Troyer
At the time, few us were able to grasp the horror and callousness of what we were doing—we were, to be fair, pretty young. However, that shouldn’t let us off the hook. Much of the circulation of those slurs has to do with the perception or belief (held either tacitly or vociferously) that being gay is just about as bad a thing as you can be.
For LGBT and queer rollerbladers inside our own culture, such hateful acts, I expect, can (and could) be felt acutely. And it doesn’t seem like it’s a whole lot different today. Take this as an example: putting on a white cloak and hood doesn’t make you a member of the Ku Klux Klan—but it sure makes you look like one.
From the outside, it’d be hard to know the difference (and frankly, asking someone to search out such a difference puts the burden on the victim rather than on the aggressor).
Similarly, using slurs like faggot and saying things like ‘gay’ to mean ‘stupid’ don’t mean you’re a hateful, homophobic piece of shit—but it sure makes you look like one.
So, if we look in good faith at those around us still using those slurs and those insipid expressions, we find a lot of decent people who haven’t been reminded that they’re parading around—effectively—in a white cloak and hood. Most rollerbladers I know AREN’T hateful homophobes, but a lot of us sure talk like we are.
Having said that, we turn to the recent news of the worst mass murder shooting in American history—at a gay night club in Orlando, Florida. Many Americans looked on with the same tired disgust that emerges from hearing about the hundreds of mass shootings that occur annually in our country. For others, it was new, horrifying, and grotesque. Because of the ambient homophobia in the US, gay clubs are seen both within and without the gay community as something much more dear than simply a place to go get drunk and hope to maybe get some tail—they’re sanctuaries for a community marginalized almost universally.
For Tim Adams, it was another thing altogether. Like—fucking enough is enough. So he dug into his soul and decided it was time to roll the hard six, for better or worse—to ‘come out’ as a gay man. A gay rollerblader—with enough resolve to meet two generations of hateful jokes and homophobia eye to eye.
You can read his Facebook post right here.
So, given all this context, I wanted to give Tim a chance to speak directly to the rollerblading community—about being gay, about coming out, about what he would like to see from us. I sent him a couple of dozen questions and he answered the ones that he liked best. He skipped all the questions about rollerblading (flat vs. anti, favorite tricks, etc.), so I’m just gonna overload you with pictures and videos of him so everyone can be reminded of who is doing the talking here.
Why was it important to “come out” to the rollerblading community for you? Did you expect any particular response from us?
I think we all strive for a certain level of acceptance from the blading community (and in general). Let’s be real: bladers are some of the most self-conscious people out there, concerned with how our arms look on certain tricks and that our new VX jeans look bad ass and match our skate setup. Some call it “style”. It incorporates everything about our presentation. And without getting too into the psychology of it all, I think it’s very human of us to want to be liked, admired, accepted, and to portray ourselves and our skating in that way.
With that said, I like to think I’ve been pretty well embraced by the blading community over the years. But I also haven’t been completely honest. My world has been very compartmentalized, broken down by different activities like blading, automotive stuff, camping, activism, etc. The shitty part about being semi-closeted is that my gay identity fell into its own compartment, as opposed to incorporating that part of me into everyday life. While I was grieving from the Orlando tragedy, I felt those then-separate worlds wanting to collide (for example, wanting to talk about it openly and not just with my gay friends). For me, if there was anything salvageable from what happened in Orlando, it’s that it forced me to have that difficult conversation.
You mean with your dad?
With my dad, but also with you, with other bladers, with childhood friends, and family members. It afforded me the opportunity to become closer with the people in my life. But also to be a part of the national conversation on what homophobia looks like in real terms. It’s cultural, it’s political, and it’s fucking dangerous. If there was ever a necessary time to come out to the world, it was right now.
What have the responses been like? Any particular surprises? Anything exactly as expected?
The responses have been overwhelmingly positive. And that’s the thing. I think people have been hailing me as some kind of hero for coming out. And to my credit, it took a lot of emotional energy to do it. BUT I also knew my safety wasn’t in jeopardy. There’s a lot to be said about the progress that has been made, and standing on the shoulders of giants who’ve made that progress happen—from the uprising at Stonewall to my good friend Grant Hazelton who came out to our immediate group of friends years before I could even fathom it. Those are the real MVPs.
I’m also fully aware that my struggle isn’t mine alone, and this only reinforced that. I won’t divulge details, but I’ve had countless closeted bladers (and non-bladers) reach out to me, thanking me for making the statement I made. That makes me really happy, to be able to support people in that way.
A lot of people have asked what the response was like from my dad, so without getting too into what was a very private conversation, I’ll say it was a good start. My dad and I have never had much of an emotional relationship, and we both bring a lot of baggage to the table. This was essentially our first completely honest conversation in 31 years, and it feels pretty damn amazing to finally be on that side of disclosure with him.
What has your experience been like rollerblading all these years with guys who, at times, can come across as exceptionally homophobic? How can
rollerbladers do a better job of being more inclusive?
Ha! That’s a really good question, but I should start by saying it’s not very different from any other facet of my life where people act exceptionally homophobic. I think there’s a lot of machismo embedded in American culture, and that men—most men—have a serious problem coming to terms with it. That’s the short answer, and an obvious one.
As for my experience, it’s been probably 10 years since my crew stopped referring to things as “gay” or people as “faggots“, so I don’t deal with it very often. But it always strikes me when I go to a new city and bladers still say that shit. I usually let it go for a while, and then a little longer. There are lots of ways to call out homophobia, and I have yet to master a single one. I like to give people the benefit of the doubt — that these words have just become part of our American lexicon or whatever — but dude. Words hurt. That kind of shit kept me in the closet for a long time. LGBTQ people kill themselves over that shit. And so, on the one hand, it’s all good, typically ends with an apology and some vague statement about “not meaning it that way,” but on the other hand, I think we are all responsible for the world we create. So it’s a constant struggle.
Fortunately, I’m an adult. If I don’t like how a certain person or group makes me feel, I just don’t associate with them. But I also understand that it’s not always that easy, and it’s not always just about words. It’s strange that I need to say this, but being called a “fruitbooter” at the skatepark (esp. if you’re a straight, cis, probably white, possibly college educated dude) is very different from being gay or trans and feeling unsafe in this world. So if you’re a straight dude, and see yourself as a nice guy or even an ally to LGBTQ people, you should probably cut that shit out. At the very least. I’m not a big fan of policing people’s language, but I’m pretty much done policing my own.
It’s also a beautiful thing when a straight friend steps up so I don’t have to.
Have any bladers been especially kind since you came out?
Back around 2005 or so, I met a man and totally fell for him (what would become a nearly eight year relationship—we are still good friends to this day). I was living with Mike Torres at the time, skating and filming, really enjoying what was essentially our “prime” years—early 20s—figuring out our niche in the blade world. It was a good living situation. But I started dipping out on weekends to visit my man, and I knew Mike was legitimately concerned for me. Out of respect for him, and assuming it wasn’t a big deal, I told him (via instant messenger, lol). Torres—being the mega-boss that he is—was surprised, but totally cool with it. Three days later, our friend Grant (who was attending school in Buffalo, about an hour away) came to skate with us for the weekend. It was Saturday night, and I’d gone to bed, and apparently Grant decided he needed to come out to Mike. Literally three days after I did. Poor guy probably thought we had the hots for him or something. But yeah, Torres is the dude. This world would be a better place with more Mike Torreses walking around.
Also, I’ll never forget my thirtieth Birthday. All of my friends — gay and straight, like 50 of them — went to the roller rink. Afterward, a handful of my blader friends came out to the gay bar for karaoke, ready to rage. We sang “Piano Man” (as did the rest of the bar) and had such a wonderful time. I love those guys.
Do you see yourself being married one day? Will it be with another rollerblader?
Ha, maybe I’ll get married someday, sure. But I also could very well see myself being single forever. And that’s not a bad thing, necessarily. I’m a pretty picky person, and the pool of single, intelligent, attractive men (who are local to Western NY) is not huge. I’d much rather be single and happy than in the wrong relationship. So if it happens, it happens.
And no, it won’t be with another rollerblader. I like big fat guys who don’t have coordination.
Anything else?
Yeah, I should probably take a minute to address something I’ve felt since I first |
time I spent with the little ones in the Intensive Care Unit is something I will never forget, and I will pray for each of them daily.'
In another tweet, she sent 'blessings to all' after her Papal audience.
Trump has now flown to Brussels, Belgium, where she will attend spousal programs at the NATO and G-7 summits.Imperium
The empire had fallen long before it collapsed. Corrupt elites ruled from a distance. Industry fragmented in slow motion, plundered by the rich and slowly pieced apart by foreign competition. For common people, the possibility of any sort of stable life slowly faded. The future itself seemed to recede into an impenetrable darkness, thick with the sound of some as-yet-unseen chaos slouching toward the present. The gap between the dim light of everyday life and that rapidly approaching night was filled with bone-deep madness. Tradition rotted from the inside out. Opiates muted the misery of ever-expanding unemployment and unrest bloomed in its thousand forms. Religious sects arose across the heartland. On the coasts, overburdened, underfunded cities sprawled outward even as their cores were flooded with unprecedented wealth. Slums spiraled in a fractal pattern around glittering ports. Foreign powers pressed inward from a distance, the military overextended and inefficient. Weaker armies fought asymmetrical wars against the empire at its edges. Corrupt officials were assassinated in broad daylight. Militias grew in the rural areas, filled with young, futureless men hoping to push out the foreigners and make a great nation strong once again.
In a way, this story describes every era of imperial decline, or maybe just the general environment of pervasive social collapse. In its specifics, it of course bears a remarkable resemblance to the current conditions of the United States—or maybe, at least, the conditions widely assumed to be impending. There is a truth to this resemblance, certainly. But the picture above is not an illustration of Trump’s America. It is instead a snapshot of the late Qing dynasty in the century following the Opium Wars, when the world’s strongest empire found itself roundly unseated from the helm of global power. Defeat at the hands of “inferior” foreigners, paired with rampant opiate addiction, political corruption and generations of growing economic inequality combined to define the era as one of “national humiliation.”
According to late imperial and early Republican reformers, the very “marrow of the nation” had grown weak. This first drive to Make the Qing Great Again therefore came in an overtly martial form. The military had fragmented after the Opium Wars and subsequent Taiping Rebellion, its capacities distributed out to local elites tasked with suppressing new uprisings or sent to keep the peace at the border. One result of this was the proliferation of martial sects and private armies. Some were funded by the local gentry, others emerged out of community defense and crop-watching organizations, and many found themselves in league with religious cults. These sects absorbed angry and unemployed young men seeking some alternative to a life of manual labor followed by drug addiction. Their program was simultaneously one of self-help and national rejuvenation. By making themselves physically strong and fanatically upholding symbols of tradition, these young men sought to restore the strength of the nation from the bottom up. In their view, moral rectification would help to ignite a new period of social rejuvenation, which would begin with a widespread rising-up of the population against symbols of weakness, decadence and foreign influence. Decades later, such themes would become common on the right wing of Chinese politics, systematized by fascist factions within the Nationalist Party such as the Blue Shirts and CC Clique and given a mass character in the New Life Movement of the Nanjing decade, which sought to restore the nation’s moribund “national spirit” via torchlight marches and mass imprisonment.
But all of the features of this native fascism began their slow, inchoate gestation within the late imperial system. If there was any one moment when all of these elements could be said to have first combined in the modern era, it would have been in what has come to be called the “Boxer Rebellion” in English. This name, however, is in many ways a misnomer. The martial qualities of the “rebellion,” for instance, were always in thrall to a folk-religious revivalism defined by things such as spirit possession and invulnerability rituals. At the local level, interest in martial arts grew alongside social and ecological collapse in the years following the Opium Wars. Whereas martial artists had once been associated with itinerant banditry and gambling dens, the renewed need for local self-defense groups and crop-watching organizations again returned martial practice to the community.[1] While certainly still locally relevant, martial skills were also increasingly obsolete in large-scale battle, and by the late Qing even many bandit groups were carrying rudimentary firearms. Martial practice therefore became alloyed with superstitious supplements designed to even out the asymmetries of increasingly mechanical warfare. The newly-popularized arts thereby took on more and more features of popular culture—particularly myths, rituals and other practices drawn from the folk opera, which served as most peasants’ primary interface with official narratives of national identity. This “revival” of the supposedly “ancient” arts was therefore just as much a reinvention, speaking to the new priorities of an Empire faced with increasingly dangerous competition from Western “barbarians” abroad and powerful rebel sects domestically. Fused with strains of Taoism, folk religious practice and Neo-Confucian metaphysics, the mythic role of the martial artist ballooned well beyond the practical.
Meanwhile, the “rebellion” was not an uprising against the government, but instead a spirited defense of it. At the time, the Qing state allied with the “rebels” against the foreigners, whose motto was “Support the Qing, destroy the Foreign.” It was only after defeat by international forces that the state, in an attempt to save face, redefined the movement as an anti-government “rebellion.”[2] Thus, the event is better understood as a novel upwelling of traditionalist fanaticism that grew within popular culture during a period of “national humiliation.” It is notable insofar as it prefigures many themes of later rebellions, but the state’s official relationship to the movement was one of tacit support followed by pragmatic disavowal, not unlike the relationship between the Trump administration and the far right today.
The Boxer Rebellion was most significant, then, not as an aborted renaissance but instead as a largely negative reference-point for future reformers and revolutionaries. In both political and cultural terms, it represented the epitome of naïve traditionalism in the face of a changed world. At the same time, as one moment in a long string of popular movements stretching back to the Taiping Rebellion, it also signaled the growing readiness of the populace for revolutionary change. The Boxers are significant because for both the right and left wings of 20th century Chinese politics, they represented the premature ascent of a new nationalism. For the far-right, this was a foundation to be built upon. Fascist theorists like Dai Jitao, Chen Guofu and Chen Lifu would later advocate that martial practice be reconstructed, made practical and fused with a modern nationalist-military philosophy (much like what would take place in Japan over the same period).[3] This would rejuvenate the “eternal spirit” of the nation through a ritualized, hierarchical performance of moral and physical cultivation.
For the far left, the Boxers foreboded the threat of an inelegant traditionalism that sought to reject reinvention and reform outright, guaranteeing cultural stagnation and the support of decrepit social classes. Nonetheless, the left also saw the potential offered by the Boxers’ mass base, many of their adherents evincing a popular desire for regimens of self-discipline and the construction of a power capable of resisting foreign encroachment. When the left began its own ascent, first in the form of one of the world’s largest anarchist movements and, later, in the form of the Chinese Communist Party, it also embraced physical culture and the martial arts. Much of the movement’s growth, after all, was to be found in its ability to build strength among those who had previously been powerless. The rise of martial culture was an important part of this, with Chinese anarchists and communists often actively recruiting from bandit groups, secret societies and local martial arts clubs. They diverged with the right, however, in their perception of physical culture as a tool in the strengthening not only of the “nation” but of the global proletariat as it built toward world revolution.
The Barbarians
While the immediate relevance of the Boxers might be clearest for those who inherited its results, their history also offers a more general lesson in the relationship between physical culture and political dynamics. In the years following the last crisis, the US has seen a rapid resurgence of the far right, including the growth of a new, wide-ranging militia movement and the founding of smaller religious-martial cults that bear no small resemblance to those of the Boxer era. These movements tend to enshrine combative and “tactical” aesthetics in a way that combines a bare minimum of combat training with a much more substantial perfomative reverence of sheer, gun-oil masculinity. Like the Boxers, their martial activities can only be understood as the ancillary of a much larger, quasi-religious physical culture that has found its base most readily in the very areas most abandoned by the distant machinations of that grim demiurge we call “the economy.”
This new era of physical culture has today fully permeated the increasingly dark, gritty and apocalyptic horizon of popular culture in general. On the one hand, we see lean, wild-eyed Americans sifting through the ruins of worlds destroyed in vague and terrible ways, dependent for their survival on the bare minimum of luck and martial force. The new world is defined by sudden gunfire from unseen locations, close combat with biker gangs and rotting corpses. On the other hand are the superhero blockbusters, the “great fascist opera of our time.” Infinitely accreting masses of criminals are swept away with a martial might so massive it reduces combat itself to nothing more than the image of sweat-greased fists punching forever through a glistening confetti that is, we are told, The Enemy.
Meanwhile, popular martial arts tournaments such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) have grown rapidly from no-rules grey market fight clubs, outlawed in most states, to some of the most-watched Pay-Per-View events in broadcasting history. The ascent of the UFC was accompanied by a widespread cultural awareness of martial arts—here advertised as “real” forms of combat, in contrast with the flowery, cinematic unreality of the Kung Fu genre—and by a massive increase in the number of people who began to seek combat training of one sort or another. The result is a situation that in many ways resembles the later 19th century more than the 20th: any random person on the street is more likely to have some level of training in hand-to-hand combat than would have been common in previous generations.
Like many things, it’s a matter of geography. The growth of the far right has been strongest in the American hinterland, particularly in rural areas that hardly benefited from the financial boom of the Bush Years, suffered inordinately during the economic crisis, and then found themselves excluded from the “recovery.”[4] These are areas like Josephine County, OR, where budget shortfalls are so severe that the Sheriff’s office can’t offer emergency services beyond limited hours and areas, the Sheriff himself suggesting that those at risk of domestic violence simply relocate to better-funded counties. In response, the local Oath Keepers (now known as the “Citizen Patriots of Josephine County”) moved in the fill the gap, offering their militia in place of the police, running emergency-preparedness classes and engaging in a number of minor electoral campaigns and community outreach projects.
The Oath Keepers in Josephine and elsewhere, recruiting primarily from veterans and former first-responders, are one umbrella organization within a much wider “Patriot Movement,” designating the new militias and their related organizations. Though increasingly associated with the “Alt Right,” the Patriots precede the neologism by several years and tend to wield a membership and organizational capacity far beyond what is common among other groups that fall under the label. The movement itself is internally diverse, fusing traditional libertarianism with remnants from the old militia movement of the 1990s and new Islamophobic organizations. It operates on an “inside-outside” organizing model, engaging in both formal grassroots electoral campaigns (largely attempts to enter local government or elect minor representatives into the Republican Party) and extra-state organizing via militias and community outreach organizations. Much of the overt white supremacy found in the militia movements of previous decades has here been shed in favor of an emphasis on class conflict with “globalist” elites in coastal cities, combined with open, militaristic Islamophobia and a toned-down, veiled racism toward the more diverse underclass of urban areas, who are seen as being in league with the elites via the patronage mechanisms of the democratic party apparatus.
Patriot groups grew with remarkable speed in the Obama years, vastly outpacing the more traditional white supremacist organizations like the KKK and, by all evidence, still far outnumbering any one of the major factions within the “Alt Right.” According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the movement grew from a mere 129 Patriot groups in 2008 to 1,274 in 2011 (compared to 334 non-Patriot militia organizations and a total number of 1,018 hate groups identified in the same year). Meanwhile, prominent armed standoffs between Patriot organizations and the federal government (namely the Bureau of Land Management) at the Bundy Ranch in 2014 and on the Malheur Wildlife Refuge in 2016 helped to launch the movement into the mainstream. At its height, the broadly-defined movement, including its religious offshoots (such as the Bundy family’s far-right Mormonism) had an active national membership somewhere in the thousands, with a nominal or secondary “supporter” membership in the tens of thousands, all amplified through extensive social media outreach.[5] Militia movements such as this have tended to peak under Democratic presidencies, and while the growth of Patriot groups has predictably stalled under the Trump administration, it has also become more institutionalized, with Patriot politicians elected to office and bills to devolve control of federal lands to local governments introduced to Congress.
Though the Patriots glory in their “tactical” aesthetic, even sending recruits to border patrols where they can learn basic military procedures, they are in many ways simply an umbrella organization of weekend-warrior types, often drawn from wealthier commuter-exurbs. In most cases, their calls to defend “freedom” and the “people” against the tyranny of the federal government are in reality actions undertaken to protect the Carhartt Dynasty of local landowners and industrialists in slightly-further-out rural areas across the American West. Though they do outreach and some recruitment among the rural poor, their actions very rarely defend the interests of those at the bottom of class hierarchies in the countryside—support for migrant workers is notably absent, of course, but there is also effectively no central material support for the poorest white ruralites either. All of their major campaigns have been aimed at protecting the rights of landholders and petty capitalists from onerous rents charged by the state. Insofar as they are able to recruit from the white underclass, these recruits are then employed in the service of local elites who themselves are often thrown into opposition against the “globalist” elites of the cities. The militias, at their most effective, have merely acted as a particularly aggressive arm of certain factions within the capitalist class.
Though they enshrine certain military ideals, physical culture plays a less obvious role in the Patriots’ day to day practice. In contrast, other resurgent far-right groups have taken physical culture as their foundation. The most prominent is likely the Wolves of Vinland, a neopagan tribalist cult, organized like a biker gang and based around a land project they call “Ulfheim” near Lynchburg, Virginia, where they crowdfunded the construction of a traditional Viking longhouse. Much smaller than the Patriots, the Wolves have three major chapters, with organizational centers in Virginia, the Mountain States and the Pacific Northwest, as well as a larger propaganda wing called “Operation Werewolf” that yokes together the participation of smaller groups nationwide. Much of their material is distinguished by a well-designed subcultural aesthetic, with clean logos plastered on professional-looking photos of muscle-strapped white men standing near fires, their faces painted with runes and shoulders covered by animal pelts, all accompanied by terse taglines well-suited to distribution over social media.
Aside from this aesthetic, however, the Wolves have made physical culture into a sort of foundation for their day to day practice, helping to attract new recruits. They promote entry into local gyms, regularly hold MMA-style bouts of hand to hand combat at their meetings and gain attention through contact with prominent figureheads in weightlifting and martial arts circles. Jack Donovan, the head of the Wolves’ Pacific Northwest chapter, made headlines for the group through his affiliation with a well-known powerlifting gym in the Portland area,[6] speaking on the owner’s popular podcast and taking instagram photos with Fight Club author Chuck Palahniuk. In the broader sense, Donovan’s main talking points on masculinity and “becoming a barbarian” are drawn from an entire cultural current that extends far beyond the Wolves themselves, embodied in everything from Alex Jones’ conspiracy theories to Joe Rogan’s popular podcast advertising athletic wear and nutritional supplements—equal parts flamboyant, “alt-right” fascism, as popularized by internet troll celebrities, and homegrown cornbred-and-militia white nationalism. And this current is not limited to the US, either. Donovan has travelled to speak at far right events in Europe, where appeals to “tribal” or “indigenous” identity form an essential part of local nationalisms. Meanwhile, in Italy, the rightwing comedian Beppe Grillo, leader of the populist Five Stars Movement praised the election of Trump in similar terms as Donovan: “It is those who dare, the obstinate, the barbarians who will take the world forward. We are the barbarians!”
Trump Country
Looking outward from the wealthy coastal cities, the average liberal also sees little more than growing barbarity. Culture appears to have atrophied, replaced by thinly-veiled bigotry, people “clinging to guns and religion.” Faced with a rising tide of terror across the global hinterland, the ever-civil urbanite seeks to simply reinforce the walls of the palace—maybe also applying for a grant to paint an anti-wall mural on the wall, or to live in the watchtower as poet-in-residence—but ultimately bunkering down in the hopes that the inevitable return to reason will arrive shortly. Wait out the storm, they say in their quiet, polite voices. Hillary is an inevitability. But if you let the great violent noise of the political hurricane drown out these quiet voices and instead squint upwards, tracing the length of that wall until it ends amidst rain and thunder, you might also catch a glimpse of other barbarians patrolling the perimeter, their hulking shapes marking out the border of the urban palace itself.
Because the truth is that the rise of global barbarity is matched in the traditional imperial fashion: the empire draws in warriors from closer hinterlands to defend against domestic threat and foreign invasion. When the choice seems to be, as always, communism or barbarism, the liberal chooses barbarism every time. The choice invariably takes the disguise of defending against greater barbarities to come, even while it forms their foundation. In the short term, cops can commute in from the whitening, Trump-voting exurb to patrol the financial district or quell uprisings across the inner ring suburban slums. In the long term, the bureaucrat tends to cultivate a militant tribalism that threatens dynastic stability.
Seen from such distance, that vast terra incognita called “Trump Country” tends to be understood less as a result of crisis than as a sort of widespread moral failure in which wrong ideas among poor whites have, in turn, generated the economic crisis in these areas through the election of anti-tax Republicans. The utter collapse of the industrial structure (and thus the actual tax base of such counties) is thereby elided. It also becomes possible to all-too-easily attribute things such as the election of Trump to a single demographic: that mythically homogeneous “white working class.” The existence of large swaths of non-white rural poverty (in the Dakotas, in the Mississippi River Delta, across the Southwest) is simply ignored, and the features of present-day rural white poverty (as elsewhere: persistently high unemployment, low incomes, prominent black and grey markets, increasing rates of incarceration, rising mortality, morbidity and drug addiction) are seen as moral failures precisely because liberal privilege politics falsely extrapolates individual characteristics from general statistical trends in the racially-unequal distribution of power.
In short: because whites generally wield disproportionate political, economic and cultural power, poor whites are seen as having no good excuse for being poor. The only explanation seems to be that they must have failed at some personal level to cash in their “privilege,” even if they are, for example, an unemployed youth taking care of opiate-addicted family members in McDowell County, West Virginia, where life expectancy falls somewhere between the average rates in Nepal (for men) and Nicaragua (for women). This is essentially the liberal equivalent of the die-hard conservative living in a house bought with a hefty inheritance, complaining about how “minorities” squander all that money the government supposedly gives them for free. But the “white working class” is a manufactured antagonist (or protagonist for some of the ascendant socialist groupings) defined by conservatives’ vague nostalgia for the brief postwar industrial compromise. As with all forms of nostalgia, the image misportrays the past in the name of an obscured present. The irony here is twofold: first, it lies in the fact that the only workers who comes close to experiencing the conditions nostalgically associated with this “white working class” in the postwar era are, in fact, urban workers in high-end services, information technology and a small number of (now highly mechanized) remnant Fordist manufacturing firms like Boeing—in short, one of the base demographics for liberalism itself. Second, there is irony in the fact that this handful of workers experiencing the conditions most similar to that of the historic “white working class” are precisely those most likely to demonize poor whites, who mostly do not vote, for catapulting Trump into the presidency. Instead, all evidence points to the fact that Trump was elected with a more diverse base of support than initially suspected, and higher-income whites composed a substantial portion of this base. Thus, the mirage of a “white working class” as the vanguard of Trumpism tends to obscure both class stratification within the white population and the actual conditions lived by those on the lower rungs of the white proletariat, historically derided as “white trash.”
The rise of new cultural practices in the midst of such pervasive crisis tends, for the liberal, to take on the same barbaric characteristics associated with this underclass. The rise of MMA is a case in point. When the UFC began, it was widely derided as a barbaric bloodsport, its white trash audience drawn from the most industrially obsolete and culturally backward parts of the country and its approach to combat stripped of any art or cultural integrity—the polar opposite, in a way, of the curious urbanite learning about “Eastern Culture” by practicing Tai Chi, Taekwondo or Japanese swordsmanship. In popular culture, the vision was appropriately apocalyptic: Any proper film set in a dystopian future invariably includes scenes of cage fighters spitting blood across the audience at the cyberpunk dive bar as the crowd cheers and strippers’ naked bodies writhe behind neon-lit smoke.
This image of white trash barbarity is somehow evoked despite the UFC’s international origins (the tournament originated among the Gracie family, patriarchs of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) and diverse cast of fighters. The very first fight of UFC 1, in 1993, saw Dutch karateka and kickboxer Gerard Gordeau face off against the enormous Samoan Sumo wrestler Teila Tuli. Without any weightclasses, the fight was one of the most mismatched in UFC history, with Gordeau weighting in at around 200 pounds and Tuli at 415. Nonetheless, the match was over in less than thirty seconds, Gordeau landing a kick to the face that sent one of Tuli’s teeth hurling into the audience like a blood-tailed comet. As the tooth landed it struck a nerve in the crowd, the comet carrying some sort of maddening portent of the future. This was the early ‘90s, the years of Terminator 2 and Judge Dredd, when a smog-filled, bullet-riddled LA seemed to foreshadow something just over the horizon. In a mirror image of the dystopian dive bar, the cheers of the blood-spattered audience drowned out the judge’s decision handing Gordeau the fight. And it was doubtless the audience that gave the early championship its air of hillbilly barbarism, rather than its diverse cast of fighters.
UFC 1 – Gerard Gordeau vs Teila Tuli by robeu
Sometimes, the championship seemed to recruit directly from this audience. Two years later, UFC 5 was inaugurated with a now-notorious fight between John Hess and Andy Anderson. Anderson himself was one of the sport’s early fans, visible in the audience on the VHS recordings of the early tournaments before miraculously appearing in the ring with a clearly falsified record (86-0). Both fighters were the very image of the state of the white working class circa 1990: matching beer guts and crew cuts, Hess a “master” of his own fighting style, Scientific Aggressive Fighting Technology of America (SAFTA), and Anderson, a strip-mall martial artist wearing a tank-top emblazoned with the words “Kick Ass” who obtained his spot in the fight by supplying the event’s ring girls, employees at his “Totally Nude Steakhouse” in Gregg County, Texas. The match, if it can be called that, was like a dirty barfight between two cat-calling, casually racist construction workers. Both men hurled sloppy windmill punches with no concern for where they landed, swapping out wrestling takedowns for drunken football tackles and breaking the few rules that the early tournament operated by. Hess gouged Anderson’s eye (popping it out of socket and causing permanent damage), pulled his hair, bit off chunks of his hand and ended the fight with a series of soccer kicks to his opponent’s prostrate body. Hess himself was too injured to carry on in the tournament and only had one other fight in his MMA career—against a 19-year old Vitor Belfort, a true mixed martial artist (now widely considered one of the best to have ever competed) who defeated Hess within a matter of seconds. Though Anderson never fought again he did stay true to his public image, later joining the Aryan Brotherhood and being sentenced to thirty years in prison for money laundering and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Though often brutal, the treatment of these early fights as little more than a barbaric bloodsport is itself a good case study in the class hatred that sits behind the apparent compassion of liberalism. In the same way that the wealthy urbanite’s security depends on a disavowed reliance (in the form of the vast military, police and prison apparatus) on the very barbarians s/he derides, cultural scorn directed at gun-toting rednecks also contains an identical disavowal. The liberal’s hysterical op-eds about rural voting habits, the hipster’s hatred for the heteronormative façade of the Bible Belt, and the professor’s snide dismissal of those who believe in chemtrails and other assorted conspiracies—all use the old tropes associated with the white trash underclass in order to thinly veil a more widespread scorn of the lower classes in general. The barbarity of whiteness is the only politically-correct stand-in for the general barbarity of the proletariat. It’s not coincidental that poor whites seem to increasingly become the target of scorn for their wrong ideas about race, gender or science just as wealthy coastal elites continue to concentrate the shrinking pool of economic vitality more and more heavily into a handful of palatial urban complexes. Cultural scorn is simply the embroidery of this material theft. Liberal derision for the conservative outgrowths of poverty thus fuses with conservatives’ own scorn for the local underclass to form an integrated whole in which both factions of the rich, when combined, compose a totalizing hatred for the lower class in its entirety.
This hatred diffuses into popular ideology via critiques of culture. On the conservative side, this is primarily a critique of “the culture of poverty.” For the more liberal faction of the ruling class, the critique is that the poor are poor because they lack culture as such. In a widely-publicized award speech following the election of Donald Trump, the actress Meryl Streep described the apocalyptic cultural horizon foreboded by the election: “Hollywood is crawling with outsiders and foreigners, and if we kick them all out, you’ll have nothing to watch but football and mixed martial arts, which are not the arts.” In response, UFC president Dana White, alongside many fans and martial artists, took to the internet the attack Streep, Hillary Clinton and the liberal status quo that they represent. White’s own comments were a mixture of personal invective and the simple observation that the UFC and martial arts more broadly are defined by their diversity, attracting fighters from all over the world. At the same time, White himself had spoken at the Republican National Convention, drawing on martial metaphors to endorse Trump: “I’ve been in the fight business my whole life. I know fighters. Ladies and gentleman, Donald Trump is a fighter and I know he will fight for this country.”
For the establishment liberal, martial culture is an unrecognizable degeneration of “art” and a symbol of the dystopian future—its dystopian status marked not by mass unemployment, economic crisis and increasing precarity, but by the absence of the finer things. Streep’s speech was essentially a eulogy for the beautiful lie that liberals had enjoyed in the Obama years: the myth that, as long as we had surface-deep diversity and the continual cultural output of a “creative class,” all the brutalities of the presently existing world could be enjoyably ignored in the hopes that things were getting better. For the Trump supporter, meanwhile, the martial is itself a metaphor for political practice. The physically pathetic demeanor of a president as flaccid as Donald Trump is somehow transmuted into a strength capable of combating the decrepit liberal establishment on behalf of common people.
Weakness
The Boxer rebellion grew out of a long line of millenarian cults, but it was unique in its ability to fuse militia activities, martial arts, and state patronage in a way that at least momentarily seemed capable of rejuvenating, rather than overthrowing, the collapsing Qing administrative structure. In the lead-up to the rebellion, parts of Shandong had been occupied by foreigners (namely the Germans, responding to attacks on local missionaries) and the provincial government was in a state of perpetual fiscal crisis. In such conditions, many commoners had turned to banditry and, in response, local elites formed extensive militias to protect their patrons and property. Though they recruited from the underclass, the Boxers were not an egalitarian religious cult like that led by Hong Xiuquan in the Taiping Rebellion. Instead, they were inextricably linked to the skeletal remnants of the Qing state and local gentry. In the same way that the Patriot Movement tends to defend the interests of landholders and petty industrialists in the Western states even while ensconced in a working class aesthetic, the Boxers, though staffed by poor young men, sought to rejuvenate the Qing in the face of foreign threats, with the direct patronage of factions within the state itself.
But this patronage was not the only source of the movement’s relative popularity. The Boxers were able to ignite a more widespread anti-foreigner movement due to their emphasis on rebuilding strength in the face of growing national weakness. Whether local adherents may or may not have agreed with their political program was irrelevant. In fact, the Boxers had hardly any political program at all. They were a largely pre-political conservative upsurge, their ideology remarkably similar to the unsorted bargain bin of paleoconservatism and memetic occultism that unites the contemporary far right. The Boxers were unified only by physical shows of strength, a vague belief that they had inherited ancient, esoteric rituals, and the simple myth of an undefined national unity, encapsulated in their demand to “Support the Qing.” Their adherents were attracted primarily by the performance of strength itself—the simple idea that a force strong enough to give power to the powerless had finally come. With the defeat of the boxers at the hands of the eight-nation imperial army, this illusion was deflated. But the core desire remained.
Probably the most consistently wrong-headed understanding of the ascent of physical culture in eras of economic collapse is also one of the most common interpretations, particularly on the left. The roots of this critique come from the deeply conservative strains of Cold War academia that arose in the postwar West. Drawing from selective readings of the Frankfurt School, many of these writers and theorists—often affiliated with CIA front groups such as the Farfield Foundation, which was integral to the explosion of creative writing programs across the country—defined themselves by an opposition to “modernity,” embodied in the dual “totalitarianisms” of Fascist Europe and the Soviet Union. In this view, the modern reinvention of the human was defined by an obsession with hierarchy, domination, and both physical and industrial might. Fascists and the Communists alike had been obsessed with a New Man, represented invariably in statuary, strapped with muscles and operating heavy machinery: the perfect fusion of state, industry and society. The most complete version of this thesis was stated by Susan Sontag, who claimed that communism was simply “a variant, the most successful variant, of Fascism. Fascism with a human face.”
Sontag’s claim is particularly important, since her essay, “Fascinating Fascism,” has served as a sort of foundational blueprint for leftist critiques of physical culture. The essence of the argument has been repeated ad infinitum, often by those who seem to have no actual familiarity with the original—this is, of course, a common feature of anything that accords with a given era’s ideology, its basic logic reproduced by the ambient cultural conditions, independently of any direct lineage. Sontag’s essay focuses on a book of photography produced by Leni Riefenstahl, the preeminent artist of Nazi Germany, known for her spectacular visuals of human bodies engaged in strenuous physical work. Sontag’s basic conclusion is simply that this sort of focus on strength as such, is an inherently fascist activity. Similar conclusions have been most recently reproduced in an essay printed in the art-and-fashion magazine Refigural. Though the essay itself is not of any particular note, it is significant here, first, as a case study in the recapitulation of standard tropes, reformulated into a polemic against the rise of health goth and fascist-looking haircuts, and, second, for the fact that it was widely distributed within the world of vaguely communist artists, offering a more contemporary example of the general phenomenon.
What tends to unify this species of critique across its many local manifestations is the attempt to sever questions of culture and aesthetics from the material facts of class conflict as embodied in a given historical moment. The most remarkable thing about these sloppy polemics against things as laughable as wearing Adidas or cutting your hair too short is not the inelegance or sheer art-school stupidity of their arguments, but instead their delusional drive to ignore the world as it exists, pretending instead that “discourse,” “aesthetics” or one-summer fashion trends are closed-loop cultural circuits, thought birthing art and vice versa. In a way, this is a summary of the abysmal “cultural turn” in general—and the irony here is that the rise of physical culture is itself a sort of mass, popular response to this insulated shit-loop of art and academia that’s supposed to represent “resistance” in an era of forever wars and thirty-year economic decline.
We are told by Sontag, echoing Streep, that the roots of physical culture and its correlated aesthetic are easily identifiable: “To an unsophisticated public in Germany, the appeal of Nazi art may have been that it was simple, figurative, emotional not intellectual,” a type of art that offers common people “a relief from the demanding complexities of modernist art.” This is the sum of her explanation for how such a cultural movement rose to prominence, the diagnosis little more than a barely-veiled invective against the stupidity and unrestrained passion of the proletarian horde, incapable of understanding real art. Similarly, the recent essay from Refigural simply casts a broad net of vague associations in the classic thinkpiece fashion, here garnished with a bit of art-school loftiness. But throughout, the argument simply takes the rising prominence of physical culture and its aesthetic correlates as a priori fascist, a thesis “proven” through the simple fact that many on the far right seem to be drawn to guns and muscles and that frat boys also, in fact, like sportswear—big fucking surprise.
What neither work contains, however, is any rigorous approach to history. For Sontag, proletarian brutishness is enough. There is simply no reason for her to dig into the intricate history of German physical culture, rooted in the late 19th century and often deeply tied to early nationalisms and the rise of the worker’s movement. Nor is there any reason for her to trace the transfer of this particular strain of physical culture to the US via the migration of German workers and radicals into the American working class. There is no analysis of the role that physical fitness played in the social clubs of the early worker’s movement. Nor, remarkably, any mention of the ways that physical culture was directly mobilized against the rising Nazi threat, as seen in groups of communist streetfighters, or Imi Lichtenfeld and his gang of Jewish wrestlers and boxers defending their neighborhood in the midst of anti-semitic riots. This is because, for Sontag, the particular far-right adoption of physical culture within Nazism is symmetrical to the role it played within the broader workers’ movement from which it emerged. If communism is simply the “most successful variant” of fascism, there is simply no difference between the Nazi Olympics and a working class gym where people might learn the skills needed to fight strikebreakers at work or racist gangs on the street.
Thus severed from this history, such analyses play a purely ideological role. These critics find themselves in an historical moment when the flesh of the planet is being ground to pulp, when old emancipatory movements have been defeated in a century-long avalanche of blood, and |
skulls of helpless seals with giant wooden clubs, and everyone from Morrissey to American celebrity chefs is pissed off that it's still a tradition in many parts of Canada, including Newfoundland and Labrador. The EU has banned seal meat from their markets, and China won't touch the stuff after a trade agreement that was signed in 2011. Despite this, seals are still hunted for the same reasons they've always been—their soft, cuddly, pelts and uniquely flavored meat—and last week, the Canadian, Newfoundland, and Labrador governments announced that they are investing almost $500,000 into a pilot project to place seal meat into specialty grocery stores.
Hunting styles have changed since the bad old days, and though things are still bloody out on the icebergs—in the best case scenario, a seal is killed by a shot to the head followed by a coup de grâce with a hakapik, a 12-ounce metal pick that has a hammer on one end and a sickle on the other—the Canadian government says current hunting practices are as humane as they can be. Additionally, Canada has so many seals that they're threatening coastal fish populations; killing them in many situations is actually doing the ecosystem a favor. Amid all this controversy, Canadian restaurants are still serving seal meat. I spoke with Todd Perrin, the chef at the Mallard Cottage, one of the places where you can get seal when its in season, to get his perspective on the international shitshow of opinions surrounding the culture of this fatty meat, and learn why he's so determined to keep it on his menu.
VICE: What do you think about the American chefs who signed the petition to boycott Canadian seafood to protest seal hunting? Todd Perrin: The idea of the baby whitecoat getting bashed over the head by the rough Newfoundlander—that's been outlawed for years. I think that those chefs were sold a line of propaganda by anti-sealing groups that are using inaccurate, dated observations.
Do you think that this petition will affect the seal hunt? Can they run their operations in the United States without Canadian seafood? Yes. Signing a petition against seal products is not going to do much, but if you boycott the Canadian seafood industry as a whole, the petition will turn the big fish on the little fish, so to speak.
How are seals hunted today? Seals are shot with high-powered rifles [and] finished off in a humane way with a hakapik. The pelts, the fat, and all of the meat is used a la offal style. The government regulates the hunt, but that's not to say that everything is always perfect. The seal hunt is no worse than any other animal hunt.
Why do you think that there is such an international focus on seal hunting right now? The European Union reinforcing their ban on seal products has brought a lot of attention to it again. I think it's also because of the fundraising value that it has for animal-rights lobbyists. Picture a cute, cuddly, baby whitecoat seal. People identify with it—something that chickens, cows, and moose don't have. There is no way that some housewife in New York City is going to send you $50 if you mail her a postcard with a picture of a chicken on it.
Do you serve it at your restaurant? Yes. We will have it on our menu when the seal hunt begins in springtime. We like to braise the flippers and make a stew from them, or serve pulled seal meat, which has a very similar texture to pulled pork. We also cook the loins like lamb, make seal carpaccio, smoked seal meat, fresh sausages, terrines, and even seal oil ice cream. That didn't turn out very well.
I've eaten seal carpaccio. It tasted a lot like liver, with a touch of saltwater. It has a bad rap. Other game meats benefit from aging, but the seal meat must be really fresh. Because of the high fat and oil content, you should use it right away because it degrades very quickly.
Have you ever hunted seal? I haven't, but I'm planning on going this year. There are roughly 9 or 10 million seals off the coast of Newfoundland. The seal population is upsetting the balance of the fish population, which is in grave danger. We want to keep that population in check. Seals are not endangered, and they provide a quality product, so what's the big deal? If you want to protest something in the food industry, you should go protest the treatment of migrant workers in the meat packing industry in the US, monoculture and factory farming, feedlots, or GMOs. The list goes on and on.
Follow Ivy on Twitter.Pacific Island cultures are useful for testing theories of nature and nurture, as Jared Diamond emphasized in Guns, Germs, and Steel:
Moriori and Maori constitutes a brief, small-scale natural experiment that tests how environments affect human societies. Before you read a whole book examining environmental effects on a very large scale— effects on human societies around the world for the last 13,000 years—you might reasonably want assurance, from smaller tests, that such effects really are significant. If you were a laboratory scientist studying rats, you might perform such a test by taking one rat colony, distributing groups of those ancestral rats among many cages with differing environments, and coming back many rat generations later to see what had happened. Of course, such purposeful experiments cannot be carried out on human societies. Instead, scientists must look for “natural experiments,” in which something similar befell humans in the past. Such an experiment unfolded during the settlement of Polynesia. Scattered over the Pacific Ocean beyond New Guinea and Melanesia are thousands of islands differing greatly in area, isolation, elevation, climate, productivity, and geological and biological resources. For most of human history those islands lay far beyond the reach of watercraft.
Diamond begins with the story of how in 1835, the teeming masses warlike Maoris of New Zealand invaded and conquered their pacifist hunter-gatherer cousins, the Moriori of the remote and chilly Chatham Islands. Polynesian crops wouldn’t grow on the Chatham Islands, so the settlers had centuries before become foragers. If the old stories are true, the Moriori may have been one of the few pacifist cultures in human history.
GG&S is a rather dry book, so here’s the tale as told in David Mitchell’s novel Cloud Atlas:Greetings Everybody,
We understand that users are currently experiencing an issue with AMD cards and Windows 8, where during a map change, there is a crash to desktop, often associated with a "Red Screen of Death". We are currently investigating this issue, but would like to gather some information to resolve this issue as quickly as we can.
Possible Solutions:
We have received some reports that rolling your drivers back from the beta drivers to 13.9 should address this issue. Additionally, completely uninstalling your graphics drivers, and reinstalling the most current stable release has also shown some promise. However, if you have tried this, and are still running into the dreaded Red Screen, then we need to gather a bit more information from you.
Information Request:
The information we need is mostly related to your computer specifications. While I understand you may have posted this in another thread, for the sake of organization and ensuring we are gathering information from individuals who are still experiencing this issue, we would love it if you could post this again.
The information we'll need:
Graphics card
Operating System Version
Current Driver Version
Additionally, we would like you to post the following:
1. Open your Start menu and type "view reliability history" into the search box.
2. Select the most recent bf4.exe failure, denoted by the red circle with the white X in it.
3. Double-click the related Critical Event under Source.
4. Choose copy to clipboard on the bottom and post the full information of the reliability history in here.
We apologize for the frustration this is no doubt causing, and appreciate your time in bringing us this information!
-Stiv
/update:
For owners of an AMD ATI video-card, could you please try to install following new Beta driver:The first look of the much-awaited multi-lingual film, The Ghazi Attack starring Rana Daggubati and Taapsee Pannu has released. The actors along with the producers have shared the first look on the occasion of the Indian Navy Day. Taapsee, who recently took to Twitter to announce the release date of her action-drama film Naam Shabana, revealed the release date of The Gazi Attack too, along with its poster. It will hit the theaters on February 17, 2017.along with
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She wrote, “And it’s raining releases! Proud to be a small part of this BIG film #TheGhaziAttack India’s first under water war film!” Karan Johar also took to Twitter and wrote, “#TheGhaziAttack releases in theatres on 17th February 2017 Thrilled about this one. Dharma Productions is proud to partner with AA films for The Ghazi Attack – India’s first war-at-sea film!”
The film is said to be based on the mysterious sinking of PNS Ghazi, a Pakistan submarine during the Indo-Pak 1971 war. It is about an executive naval officer and his team who had remained underwater for 18 days.
Also read | Ghazi will be one of its kind, says Taapsee Pannu
Rana will be seen playing the Navy officer and Taapsee will portray a refugee. The film is currently in the post-production phase.
Read the Tweets here:
Presenting The Ghazi Attack – The war you did not know about. Releasing on 17th February 2017 #TheGhaziAttack @karanjohar @RanaDaggubati pic.twitter.com/jFFPAcNcIW — Dharma Productions (@DharmaMovies) December 4, 2016
Dharma Productions is proud to partner with AA films for The Ghazi Attack – India’s first war-at-sea film! @dharmamovies @RanaDaggubati pic.twitter.com/4ugwmV3w6c — Karan Johar (@karanjohar) December 4, 2016
And it’s raining releases!
Proud to be a small part of this BIG film #TheGhaziAttack India’s first under water war film! #17thFeb2017 pic.twitter.com/qPGBbD2adS — taapsee pannu (@taapsee) December 4, 2016
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Ghazi will be another Tollywood movie with war as its backdrop. Looks like all these are taking cue from the recent National Award-winning movie Kanche, which was based on the Nazi forces in World War II. The Ghazi Attack will be directed by debutant Sankalp Reddy and is said to be partially based on his own book, Blue Fish.Posted 25 April 2017 - 12:54 PM
Thanks Matt. Luckily I managed to complete the challenge under the earlier conditions, but no doubt many will appreciate the gesture here.I'd imagine the infrequency of Incursion matches was the primary frustration here. So many people were saying they just weren't getting Incursion matches, as as you've said, there wasn't much you could do there at the moment.After the frequency of the matches, the next largest frustration I was hearing people say was how many were chasing Delivery Failed. I'd imagine this was exacerbated by the infrequency of Incursion matches, but as to that specific item itself, the battery carriers were often lights, meaning most 'Mechs were unable to catch them.Two questions if I may:* Are there any sort of guiding principles behind events? The reason I ask is, I remember player discussions from prior events when people were saying "This particular achievement is too difficult" (Though I don't remember what it was), and other would reply "It's not a freebie giveaway. You have to earn it". The reason I ask about the principles is, are the elements of the events seen as ones where, if you try long enough you will get it, or are they, if you try hard enough you'll get it? I'd have the imagine the former would be harder for people who don't have a lot of free time, and the latter would be harder for newer players.* Any idea why some (Like myself) were able to complete the challenge relatively quickly, while others struggled? I'm wondering if people with less 'Mechs have a harder time. Say someone who likes assaults and heavies might not have any/many lights, making some of the achievements in this comp harder(?) Or people who've only got 15 minutes here, and 15 minutes there have no show given the frequency of Incursion matches(?) Though people who don't have a lot of time probably often can't finish these challenges. It was just so odd to hear so many people say "I'm not getting Incursion matches" when I'd already finished the challenge, and made me feel bad in a way.
Edited by repete, 25 April 2017 - 12:58 PM.It’s safe to say Joe and I enjoyed New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Wrestle Kingdom 9 so we cover it from every angle, discuss the attendance numbers and break down each and every match in insane detail including two all-time great five-star matches in Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kota Ibushi and Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi. Other topics include the two New Beginning cards, where New Japan goes from here and much more.
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Timestamps (h/t @JoeGagne):
0:00:00 – 0:02:23: Intro
0:02:23 – 0:07:41: WK9 viewing method
0:07:41 – 0:14:41: Announcing
0:14:41 – 0:18:58: New viewer reaction
0:18:59 – 0:25:42: Wrestle Kingdom VII & VIII comparison
0:25:42 – 0:31:23: When did modern New Japan begin?
0:31:23 – 0:46:57: Attendence
0:46:57 – 1:44:14: WK9 breakdown Part 1
1:44:14 – 1:48:33: Text message trouble/Kaylie/women who like wrong sports teams
1:48:33 – 2:28:11: Wk9 Breakdown Part 2/Joe Lanza freakout
2:28:11 – 2:29:14: TNA Explosion spoilers
2:29:14 – 2:40:22: WK9 Breakdown Part 3
2:40:22 – 2:46:52: VoW E-book & site
2:46:52 – 2:49:55: Evolve preview
2:49:55 – 2:59:49: NJPW New Beginning preview/New Year’s Dash
2:59:49 – 3:13:10: Random match preview/discussion
3:13:10 – 3:15:03: Outro
Subscribe to Voices of Wrestling:“I heard that three or four NGOs were pulling staff out, but wasn’t able to get names or confirmation,” a United Nations official said of nongovernmental organizations, speaking on condition of anonymity as a matter of policy. “I do know that people are getting nervous and some people are bringing their Christmas holidays forward to go home earlier. I know quite a few people who have done that.”
The United Nations has raised its alert status from green to gray in response to the latest attacks, meaning staff members were still going to their offices but were avoiding unnecessary travel outside the office, both in Kabul and elsewhere, another United Nations official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the news media about the precautions.
“It’s more tense than it was three weeks ago,” the official said. “Everybody knows that. But our international officers, all of them are in town.”
Some businesses reportedly gave foreign employees the option of leaving the country early in response to the attacks, but there were no reports of any shutdowns.
Departures of foreign passengers had increased recently, said Mohammad Yaqub Rasuli, the head of the Kabul International Airport, but he said that was simply holiday-related. “The increase in their number is normal as in every year and has nothing to do with the security situation,” he said.
“We’ve taken some additional security precautions,” said Mike Fisher, an archaeologist from the University of Chicago, who works at the Afghan National Museum here. “But I don’t know anybody who’s leaving. A lot of my friends are actually staying for Christmas this year.”
“It’s a ‘better safe than sorry’ scenario,” said the second United Nations official. “But people aren’t making any long-term decisions to leave, other than those who already did.”A pro-weed march in Montevideo. (Photo by Santiago Mazzarovich)
It seems almost guaranteed that, this November, weed will be legalized in Uruguay. The move—hailed as an "experiment" that could make a "contribution to humanity" by Uruguayan president Jose Mujica—would be completely unique, in that it will be the first program in the world to establish government control over the entire marijuana industry, including the cultivation, trafficking, and sale of the drug.
Even though the use of all drugs has been decriminalized in Uruguay for over 30 years, users have had to buy their weed from street dealers. However, when the law comes into force, the stuff on sale will be bought from legitimate and, more importantly, heavily regulated sources. At an estimated $2.50 per gram, it's being priced in direct competition with the black market—the rationale being that people won’t want to buy a sub-standard product from a drug dealer when they can get a quality-controled drug from the state for exactly the same price.
After registering with the state, citizens will be able to purchase up to 40 grams of marijuana a month, as well as being allowed to grow their own personal stashes. For the more entrepreneurial amateur botanists, private companies, and cooperatives will be permitted to cultivate their own product, just as long as they stay within certain limits and only sell their crop through government-run pharmacies.
But as jubilant as the country’s smokers may be, this law isn’t just being passed to improve their access to Cannabis Cup-worthy weed. Instead, as part of a 15-point government program called "Strategy for Life and Coexistence," it's a move to hopefully make the country a safer place to live, freeing up more time for authorities to deal with organized crime rather than frittering away their time on marijuana arrests.
Unsurprisingly, this step towards legalization didn't happen overnight. The move is the culmination of years of campaigning by citizens, NGOs, and politicians. Clara Musto from the Uruguayan activist group Pro Derechos—or Pro Rights—told me all about the obstacles her organization has faced in the lead-up to this historic change in legislature.
A pro-weed march in Montevideo. (Photo by Santiago Mazzarovich)
It turns out that the main issue was convincing people that the debate wasn’t really about drugs at all. It has taken a long time “to reach a turning point in the public debate, where people don’t see this as a discussion about marijuana and whether [it] is harmful for your health," Clara told me. "Or if it is good or bad to use marijuana, but about the marijuana laws [themselves]."
The mass media haven’t been particularly helpful at getting this message across, either: "Marijuana is a subject that is really stigmatized,” Clara continued, “and the pictures that you see in the papers and on the television will be of a boy smoking a huge joint […] because that’s how they see this issue, and that is not helping us deconstruct this stigma."
Supporters of the Pro Derechos' campaign defy the typical image of a pro-marijuana group. Instead of a disorganized, dreadlocked mass, moving as one in a confused haze of cries about weed just being a plant, they are men and women from all walks of life—the young and the old, stay-at-home moms and businessmen, and people who don't even smoke marijuana themselves.
The campaign has picked up this kind of support by producing graphics emphasising the social benefits of legalization: from a boost in the economy to how hard drug use may decrease.
A campaign poster from Pro Derechos featuring a picture of the Uruguayan President. (Image courtesy of Pro Derechos)
But most important to the push for the government's big weed takeover is the perception that insecurity and crime have risen over the past decade in the previously sleepy country. Despite the fact Montevideo is nothing like Colombia’s murderous battlefields of Bogota and Medellin (which see roughly ten times as many murders), those living in Uruguay’s capital are more likely to label their home as “highly unsafe” than anyone living in either of Colombia’s two most violent cities.
Their opinions might appear a little exaggerated, but crime has indeed risen over the past ten years. This is, according to police and drug officials, due to the influx of cocaine paste, which flooded the country after the precursor chemicals used to make cocaine were regulated in Colombia and Peru, meaning that traffickers had to find a new market in which to sell their product. The combination of the 2002 economic crisis, waves of unemployment, and a new cheap drug led to an increase in criminal gang activity in the country.
When I called Geoff Ramsey, an Open Societies Foundation researcher, he told me that legalizing marijuana—although certainly not being a silver-bullet policy—could help undermine local gangs that also deal in prostitution and small-scale crime. "In Uruguay, there are actually Peruvian and Colombian transnational crime organizations that take advantage of the Montevideo port to ship cocaine to a mostly European market," he told me, "and they will probably not be affected by this. However, the local, urban, prototypical gangs that do exist will take a big hit."
A pro-weed march in Montevideo. (Photo by Santiago Mazzarovich)
While it might not be the most profitable of drugs to sell, the market for marijuana is the most popular in Uruguay, with 20 percent of the population smoking it at some point in their lives. If that trade is taken out of the hands of local criminals—criminals who contribute to the insecurity in the country—their wallets are going to start to feel a whole lot lighter.
Of course, this being the first experiment of its kind in the world, it could backfire. Criminals aren’t likely to just drop everything and line up at the job center in the search for a straight life of work. Luckily, the President of Uruguay, José Mujica, seems aware of this, as he has also ramped up spending on law enforcement. Money that will presumably be generated by the sale of government marijuana will be targeted at curbing the hard drug trafficking that criminals may divert to, as well as making sure that any new marijuana growers don’t go over the determined limits. If these possible outcomes are dealt with, the legalization of marijuana in Uruguay—according to Geoff, at least—"stands a good chance of reducing homicides and other violent crime."
This could potentially set a precedent for other countries in Latin America and all over the world when it comes to drug policy, or at least inspire them to act against the prohibitionist status-quo. In fact, some of them are already doing just that, with Ecuador recently decriminalizing personal drug use and the presidents of both Colombia and Guatemala stating they want to research alternatives to the destructive US-led War on Drugs.
Of course, hasty excitement must be managed, because—at this stage—the scheme is merely an "experiment," and one that the world will be keeping a very close eye on. However, if it is a success and manages to produce all the benefits that the Uruguayan government is claiming, then who knows which country will next install its political leader at the head of its marijuana industry.
Follow Joseph on Twitter: @josephfcox
More stuff about drug policy:
Eighty-One Years for Weed?
WATCH: Kings of Cannabis
Butane Hash OilCINCINNATI — If you picture Johnny Appleseed as a loner wearing a tin pot for a hat and flinging apple seeds while meandering through the countryside, experts say you’re wrong. They’re hoping that a traveling exhibit funded by an anonymous donation to a western Ohio center and museum will help clear misconceptions about the folk hero and the real man behind the legend.
An illustration in The Saturday Evening Post showing American folk hero Johnny Appleseed is part of the collection at the Johnny Appleseed Educational Center and Museum at Urbana University in Ubana, Ohio on July 18, 2014. ( Mike Munden / AP )
“We want people around the country to know the real person, not just the myths and folklore,” said Cheryl Ogden, director of the Johnny Appleseed Educational Center and Museum at Urbana University in Urbana. “We want them to know John Chapman’s values of hard work, compassion and generosity.” Chapman, known as Johnny Appleseed to generations of Americans, was a pioneer nurseryman in the late 18th and early 19th centuries credited with introducing apple trees to portions of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and West Virginia. While colorful stories and films depicting him living outdoors and wearing ragged clothes are probably partially true, researchers doubt he wore a pot on his head or just gave his seedlings and nurseries away. “He apparently dressed, ate and lived as simply as a human being could,” said Andrew Masich, president and CEO of Pittsburgh’s Senator John Heinz History Center. “But he made money by selling seeds and planting trees for settlers.”
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At the same time, there are documented accounts of him going barefoot after giving his shoes to someone in need. He also widely distributed religious tracts as a missionary of the Swedenborgian Church, a Christian faith embracing individualism and spiritual growth. Chapman, who never married and apparently had no children, was born in 1774 in Leominster, Massachusetts, where a small replica of his home now stands. Researchers say Chapman headed west in the 1790s after the Northwest Territory opened to settlers, and he began planting nurseries with apple seeds from cider mills. He traveled ahead of settlers, selecting sites for his nurseries and planting and caring for the young trees. When settlers eventually arrived, those sites would be ready for sale, and Chapman also sold seedlings for them to plant. “He was excellent about anticipating where settlers were going next,” Ogden said. Having fruit trees on their property was especially important for settlers, who had to show improvement on homesteaded parcels to claim land grants. The apples from the trees, while not good for eating, were used to make hard cider. Settlers used apple cider vinegar to preserve fruits, vegetables and meats. David C. Wilson, a Leominster Historical Society trustee, says the “simple man of simple pleasures” became an icon to many settlers.
“A new nation needs folk heroes,” Wilson said. Documentation indicates Chapman traveled for more than 50 years before he died in 1845 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where a grave marker stands on land where he is believed to be buried. One of the earliest national accounts of “Johnny Appleseed” was an 1871 article in Harper’s New Monthly Magazine describing him as a “pioneer hero.”
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He also has been memorialized through markers including a statue in Cincinnati’s Spring Grove Cemetery of a barefoot Chapman lifting a seedling with one hand while holding a book in the other. Johnny Appleseed festivals are celebrated in many states. Officials with the Johnny Appleseed festival in Fort Wayne say more than 250,000 people attended last year’s celebration. While the traveling exhibit won’t be ready until at least fall 2015, Ogden says, it will be interactive and include a mobile app that will superimpose computer-generated images of Johnny Appleseed telling his own story. And Chapman’s story — legend and fact — is expected to continue. “I think his free-spirited lifestyle is something that in our workaday lives still appeals to us today,” Masich said.We’ve just released Scuttlebutt 2.2 – the Mac Power User’s Yammer client.
This release includes stability enhancements, bug fixes, and prepares the app for compatibility to future versions of macOS.
These are a summary of improvements from version 2.1
Moved away from Helvetica Neue and prefer the new San Francisco system font on supporting versions of macOS.
A number of stability improvements and bug fixes.
Updated the crash-reporting library.
The most visible change of Scuttlebutt 2.2 is the switch from Helvetica Neue to San Francisco. This would only take effect on Mac OS X 10.11 “El Capitan” or newer systems. Compatibility with Mac OS X 10.10 “Yosemite” is preserved and Scuttlebutt will use the default system font on Yosemite.
Shown below is a comparison of Scuttlebutt 2.1 message cells using the Helvetica Neue font and Scuttlebutt 2.2 on the new San Francisco font.
The Help book was also updated to use the new San Francisco font on retina displays and versions of macOS supporting that system font. Non-retina displays (e.g. MacBook Air and non High-DPI external displays) will continue to render the help book in Lucida Grande as before.
As mentioned earlier, this version of Scuttlebutt still maintains compatibility with Mac OS X 10.10 “Yosemite” for the benefits of users who cannot upgrade due to their company’s IT policies. Note that a number of features are only available on later versions of macOS – among which are multiple accounts and touch bar support.
Scuttlebutt 2.2 is available on the Mac App Store.Saudi Arabia’s war of aggression against Yemen was planned and orchestrated in Washington, DC, according to Stephen Lendman, a journalist, writer and political analyst based in Chicago.
Lendman made the remarks in an interview with Press TV on Saturday while commenting on a statement by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson who has warned Saudi Arabia about “the consequences” of its actions in the Middle East.
The top US diplomat’s warning came Friday during his brief visit to Paris, France, where he commented on Riyadh’s behavior toward Yemen, Qatar and other neighbors.
"With respect to Saudi Arabia's engagement with Qatar, how they're handling the Yemen war that they're engaged in, the Lebanon situation, we would encourage them to be a bit more measured and a bit more thoughtful in those actions to, I think, fully consider the consequences," Tillerson said.
In Yemen, Saudi Arabia and its allies launched a bloody military campaign early in 2015 and have, ever since, been ceaselessly pounding the country in an attempt to reinstall a former regime allied to Riyadh.
The Saudi-led coalition has also maintained an embargo on the country where, so far, over 12,000 civilians have been reportedly killed.
Riyadh tightened that embargo after a retaliatory missile attack from Yemen early in November. The Saudi regime has claimed that it has partially loosened that embargo in the face of massive international outcry.
The US has itself been contributing to the Saudi-led war on Yemen both directly, through intelligence sharing and logistical support, and indirectly, with the sale of billions of dollars’ worth of arms to the Saudi regime.
Lendman told Press TV that the war against Yemen “was planned and orchestrated in Washington. It’s America’s war. Saudi Arabia is doing its terror bombing,”
“America and Saudi Arabia both participated in the blockade on the country, wanting nothing coming into it. They are talking about weapons but they are keeping humanitarian supplies out. Some gets in but not anyway near enough. People are starving to death in Yemen,” he said.
“And, the official death count put out by the UN is just a tiny fraction of the real number. They put out 10,000. I am certain it well exceeds 110,000, maybe 210,000. There is a raging cholera epidemic. Diphtheria got hold in the country. I wrote an article saying 22 people have already died from that. But the UN doesn’t count those people in the death count. Other people are dying from cholera. So many children are starving to death. They are not in the death count,” the analyst said.
“The idea that Tillerson is telling Saudi Arabia to cool it in Yemen is absolutely disgusting. The war in Yemen is going on because America wants it to go on. And America is participating in the terror bombing with warplanes, especially drones. The attacks are going on all the times killing Yemenis mainly civilians,” Lendman concluded.Canada’s riskiest borrowers are taking on bigger debt burdens, pushing national average debt levels up nearly three per cent in the first quarter of 2016. TransUnion’s latest quarterly credit review found that the average Canadian’s non-mortgage debt rose to $21,348 in the first quarter of 2016, up 2.7 per cent from the first quarter of 2015.
A payday loan store is reflected in the window of another payday loan store across the street near the intersection of Weston Road and Lawrence avenue west. ( Carlos Osorio / Toronto Star )
Borrowers classified as subprime by the credit monitoring agency’s risk measure saw their average credit card balance grow by 5.7 per cent year-over-year to $6,601. The majority of borrowers, those with prime or above ratings, actually reduced their balances. TransUnion found that balances on instalment loans — a relatively new high-interest product — grew 4.83 per cent year-over-year to an average $23,591. Individuals who do not qualify for lower interest bank loans are most likely to resort to these short-term loans, which can carry annual interest rates as high as 59.9 per cent, just shy of Canada’s 60 per cent usury rate. Subprime borrowers comprise just 13 per cent of the 26 million credit profiles TransUnion tracks in Canada, said Jason Wang, TransUnion’s director of research and analysis for Canada.
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“Subprime has grown, but it is still very small,” he said. “This is a relatively new trend … but it’s not the end of the world.” TransUnion also found that serious delinquency rates — those with accounts 90 or more days past due—increased three per cent in the first quarter of 2016. The largest increases were booked in provinces most affected by the oil price slump — Alberta and Saskatchewan. CIBC economist Benjamin Tal said he is concerned that subprime lending is “driving the bus.” He has written about the risks involved in Canada’s alternative financial lenders or “shadow lending” sector and estimates the small but rising number of subprime mortgage borrowers is less than five per cent. Mortgage loans to high-risk borrowers are a bigger concern because of the higher amounts of money involved. They are behind the U.S. housing crisis that led to the global recession of 2008-2009.
The Bank of Canada has warned the shadow banking could be risky for the financial system due to a lack of transparency about the lenders’ and borrowers’ balance sheets. Tal said higher debt loads are one of the costs of keeping interest rates low for so long — they make it cheaper for risky borrowers to take on more debt.
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Meanwhile, the market for shadow lenders who operate outside the purview of federal regulations is growing as new types of private lenders step in to lend to risky borrowers. The low rate environment has also made investors thirsty for higher returns. “Low interest rates can mask a lot of bad things and I think that subprime is one of them,” he said. “Subprime in Canada is not even close to what it was in the U.S. in 2006, but it is growing, suggesting that people who should maybe not be in the market are in the market.” And, he warned, subprime borrowers’ debt loads will continue to grow as long as interest rates are low. “If we continue at this rate, for another five years, we will wake up one morning and see that subprime borrowers are more than 10 per cent of the market and we don’t want that.”Arnaud Démare (FDJ) showed swiftness of thought to win stage 4 of the Tour of Switzerland with a sprint that married savvy to strength in Buochs. The young Frenchman saw off the challenge of Matt Goss (Orica-GreenEdge) and Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Sharp) in the technical finale, while Mathias Frank (BMC) retained his overall lead.
The 161km stage was destined from the outset to end in a bunch sprint, but the sting in the tail came in the form of a deceptive downhill finish and a sharp right-hand bend inside the final 200 metres, elements which caught out a number of more experienced riders but not the 21-year-old Démare.
From his reading of the road book, Démare correctly deduced that the first man into that final corner would emerge victorious and he cleverly nudged his way in ahead of the Orica-GreenEdge sprint train with a shade over 200 metres to go.
From there, Démare was in the box seat, although he had to fight off a fierce comeback from Goss. The Australian closed rapidly on Démare in the finishing straight and would surely have come past him had the line been 50 metres further on.
“It was a delicate finish and it was difficult to interpret,” Démare said afterwards. “It was difficult all day really, but [Yoann] Offredo and [William] Bonnet worked really hard for me. There was a lot of competition because you had guys like Sagan there too, so I’m very happy.”
Peter Sagan’s Cannondale team were prominent near the front of the peloton throughout the afternoon they looked to pilot the Slovak to his second win in as many days, while Tom Boonen’s Omega Pharma-QuickStep team led the pursuit of the last surviving escapee Jens Voigt (RadioShack-Leopard) in the closing kilometres.
Neither Sagan (7th) nor Boonen made any real impact in the sprint, however, while Farrar, John Degenkolb (Argos-Shimano) and Heinrich Haussler (IAM Cycling) also left themselves with too much to do in the finishing straight.
Orica-GreenEdge did succeed in providing Matt Goss with a decent lead-out, but their efforts were foiled by Démare’s invention in the finale. The Beauvais native claimed the inside line on the final corner to sweep in front of them, and then powered his way to his 5th win of the season and perhaps the biggest of his short career.
“I did a lot of the classics and I learnt a lot, and I got some wins too,” said Démare, who claimed a hat-trick of stage wins at the Four Days of Dunkirk. “It was great to get the wins in Dunkirk and the |
toughness tonight. We never quit and we ended out pulling it off.”
Thanks to him. Thanks to the Morris floater. Thanks to magic — a word that seemed wholly inadequate to describe the chain reaction catalyzed by the cheers and stomping feet of another sellout crowd of 14,384 at Hilton.
“That’s Big Game Tae,” McKay said of Morris. “That’s what he does. I expected him to take the shot. I got out of his way. I wanted him to take the shot. We all wanted him to take the shot."WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. special forces advisors are within miles of rebels who they are helping to capture the strategic Syrian town of al-Shadadi from Islamic State but are away from the front lines, a U.S. military spokesman said on Friday.
Syria Democratic Forces fighters look through a scope and a pair of binoculars on the outskirts of al-Shadadi town, in 47 village, Hasaka countryside, Syria February 19, 2016. REUTERS/Rodi Said
The United States sent dozens of special operations troops to northern Syria last year to advise opposition forces in their fight against the militant group.
Those forces have been helping Syrian rebels fighting Islamic State through planning, re-supply and helping call in and coordinate air strikes, said Colonel Christopher Garver, a spokesman for the U.S.-led military coalition against Islamic State.
U.S. advisors and coalition air strikes assisted approximately 6,000 rebels, known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in encircling the city from approximately Feb. 15 to Feb. 22, Garver said.
“The SDF overwhelmed ISIL forces around Shadadi and isolated the city in just six days,” Garver said, using an acronym for Islamic State. “When our planners or coordinators are connected with them, in terms of making sure their air strikes are in the right place, clearing fires so that we can quickly attack targets that appear to the front of the SDF forces, that goes much smoother.”
The U.S. forces were not on the ground with the Syrian rebels, and were also not so close that they could see the front lines, Garver said, but were within miles of the battle.
“They operate at the next higher headquarters,” he said. “They are not down on the ground with the fighters or in the lower echelon headquarters.”
The United States views the capture of al-Shadadi, a logistics hub, as a strategic gain and step toward defeating Islamic State, also known by its Arabic acronym Daesh.
“The loss of Shadadi increases the time, difficulty, and risk to Daesh as it attempts to move between Syria and Iraq,” Garver said.
The rebels have cleared about 75 percent of the town of Islamic State, he said. The U.S.-led coalition conducted about 80 air strikes on Islamic State targets during the course of the battle, Garver said.
About 20 rebel troops and 260 Islamic State fighters were killed during the battle for the city, he said. He did not have an estimate for how many Islamic State fighters or civilians were in the city when rebels attacked.Pennsylvania children 2 and younger must sit rear-facing in their car seats, under a new law signed Monday by Governor Tom Wolf.
Under the law, a child under 2 must be securely fastened in a rear-facing child passenger restraint system "which is to be used until the child outgrows the maximum weight and limits designated by the manufacturer," according to information from the governor's office.
The new law takes effect in 60 days.
The current law requires children be in a restraint system but does not indicate which direction the seat must be positioned.
Violators of the law face fines of up to $125 per offense, the Morning Call reports. However, during the first year there is a grace period during which enforcement will be through verbal warnings only.
By signing the bill into law, Pennsylvania is now the fourth state in the nation to require rear-facing car seats for its youngest residents. The other states that have passed similar laws are California, New Jersey and Oklahoma.
"We have no greater responsibility as public servants than protecting our most vulnerable, including especially young children," Wolf said.
Wolf also signed two other pieces of legislation into law on Monday. Those bills include:
Act 41 – Senate Bill 590, sponsored by Sen. Tomlinson, clarifies current law so that State-owned universities and employees of State-owned universities have the authority to enter into economic development agreements.
Act 42 – Senate Bill 847, sponsored by Sen. Aument, requires that the State Veterans' Commission also include a representative of the Korean War Veterans Association, Inc.
PHOTO: Via ShutterstockFile Photo: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju
Civil Aviation Ministry tonight said it has given a clean chit to Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju in the Air India flight controversy and the Prime Minister's Office has been apprised about it.The Ministry has informed the PMO that Mr Rijiju was not at "fault" for the delay in Air India's Leh-Delhi flight on June 24, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma told PTI.The PMO had yesterday sought a report from the Civil Aviation Ministry on allegations that Union Minister Kiren Rijiju had caused inconvenience to passengers of Air India owing to his VIP status.Air India flight from Leh to Delhi was delayed by about an hour and three members of a family were offloaded from the plane to accommodate Mr Rijiju, his aide and J&K Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh. After the controversy erupted, Mr Rijiju apologized yesterday. Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju also had apologised for inconvenience caused to the passengers.The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has abruptly declared that he is withdrawing the majority of Russian troops from Syria, saying the six-month military intervention had largely achieved its objective.
The news on Monday, relayed personally to the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, in a telephone call from Putin, followed a meeting in the Kremlin with the Russian defence and foreign ministers. He said the pullout, scaling back an intervention that began at the end of September, is due to start on Tuesday.
His move was clearly designed to coincide with the start of Syrian peace talks in Geneva and will be seen as a sign that Russia believes it has done enough to protect Assad’s regime from collapse.
Syria's civil war: five years of Guardian reporting Read more
Putin said he had ordered his diplomatic staff to step up their efforts to achieve a settlement to end the civil war which has cost at least 250,000 lives and is due to enter its sixth year on Tuesday.
Western diplomatic sources were both sceptical and startled by Putin’s unexpected and mercurial move. “We will have to wait and see what this represents. It is Putin. He has announced similar concessions in the past and nothing materialised,” a diplomat at the talks in Geneva told the Guardian.
Putin and US President Barack Obama spoke on the phone on Monday, with the Kremlin saying the two leaders “called for an intensification of the process for a political settlement” to the conflict. The White House said Obama welcomed the reduction in violence since the beginning of the cessation of hostilities but “underscored that a political transition is required to end the violence in Syria.”
Syrian activists and rights groups have accused the Russian campaign of indiscriminate attacks and causing enormous civilian casualties, something Russian officials have repeatedly denied. Moscow has also come under fire for targeting moderate opposition groups, while claiming to be fighting Islamic State.
The Syrian opposition delegation had been given no notice of Putin’s announcement but said it hoped it was a potential signal that the Russian president was demonstrating that he, and not Assad, would decide any endgame in Syria.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Some Syrian children have known nothing but war, said UN special envoy Staffan de Mistura. Photograph: Abd Doumany/AFP/Getty Images
“If there is seriousness in implementing the withdrawal, it will give the talks a positive push,” said Salim al-Muslat, spokesman for the rebel high negotiations committee. “If this is a serious step, it will form a major element of pressure on the regime, because the Russian support prolonged the regime. Matters will change significantly as a result of that.”
The talks are likely to be deadlocked on the extent to which Assad will be allowed to remain in power during any political transition and after any fresh UN-supervised presidential elections due in 18 months.
The Guardian view on the refugee crisis: dial down the rhetoric, and have the difficult debate | Editorial Read more
In a statement announcing the withdrawal, the Kremlin said Putin and Assad agreed that the actions of Russia’s air force in Syria had allowed them to “profoundly reverse the situation” in connection to fighting terrorists in the region, having “disorganised militants’ infrastructure and inflicted fundamental damage upon them”.
“The effective work of our military created the conditions for the start of the peace process,” Putin added. “I believe that the task put before the defence ministry and Russian armed forces has, on the whole, been fulfilled. With the participation of the Russian military … the Syrian armed forces and patriotic Syrian forces have been able to achieve a fundamental turnaround in the fight against international terrorism and have taken the initiative in almost all respects.”
Moscow will, however, maintain a military presence in Syria, and a deadline for complete withdrawal has not yet been announced. Putin said that the existing Russian airbase in Hmeymim in Syria’s coastal province of Latakia and a naval facility in the Syrian port of Tartous would continue to operate. The Russian air force has been capable of running 100 sorties a day from the base and would be able quickly to re-equip it if it felt the military balance required it to do so.
The Russian defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, said on Monday the intervention had led to the death of 2,000 rebels fighting against the Syrian government and the killing of 17 field commanders. He added that more than 200 oil installations had been attacked, 400 settlements taken and the chief route to supply rebel fighters from Turkey had been cut off.
Russian airstrikes killed 4,408 people including 1,733 civilians between September 2015 and early March 2016, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest A Syrian woman and child on the Greek coast. Millions of Syrians have fled the civil war. Photograph: Muhammed Muheisen/AP
Given that Russia-backed separatists launched one of their biggest offensives in Ukraine in February 2015, just as Putin joined other world leaders in negotiating a ceasefire, there will undoubtedly be scepticism over whether the announcement of the end of the Syrian mission can be taken at face value. However, Russia’s overarching goal of securing a lead seat at the table over the fate of Syria has clearly been achieved. A withdrawal will prevent the inevitable “mission creep” that appeared to be on the cards.
“Essentially, they’ve achieved their goals,” said Mark Galeotti, professor of global affairs at New York University and currently based in Moscow. “They’ve stabilised the regime, turned momentum round on the battlefield so the regime has the upper hand, and now we’ve got a ceasefire and political talks.”
The deadly efficiency of Isis and how it grew on the global stage | David Kilcullen Read more
As the talks opened in Geneva, Staffan de Mistura, the UN special envoy for Syria, reminded negotiators that a whole generation of Syrian children – more than 3.5 million under the age of five – had never experienced anything but war. De Mistura will brief the UN security council meeting in New York in a closed session from Geneva and his aides were making no initial response to the Russian move.
Western governments, along with Turkey and Saudi Arabia, have repeatedly accused Putin of deploying his air force not to bomb Isis targets but rebel forces including the moderate Free Syrian army, often hitting schools and hospitals. Earlier this month, Nato’s military commander in Europe, General Philip Breedlove, accused Putin of “deliberately weaponising” the refugee crisis from Syria in an attempt to overwhelm Europe.
Muslat, meanwhile, has denied the Russian intervention has seriously weakened the opposition’s negotiating hand. Speaking to the Guardian, he said: “We are closer to a solution now more than ever. We have been patient and we hope to see something in the coming few days, at least some light at the end of the tunnel that says at this, or that, time there will be something for the Syrians.
“Before, we saw all doors closed; now we see some doors open. We want to see an end to the nightmare. We want to see it today and before tomorrow. The future of Syria should be decided here and decided very soon.”
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Rubble of a hospital supported by Médecins Sans Frontières in Idlib after it was hit by suspected Russian airstrikes. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
He claimed the shaky two-week ceasefire and the start of humanitarian convoys was changing the atmosphere inside Syria. But in a sign of how perilous the talks are likely to become, the Syrian foreign minister, Walid Muallem, set out the government’s determination to keep Assad’s future out of the talks. “We will not talk with anyone who wants to discuss the presidency... Bashar al-Assad is a red line.”
Muslat countered: “The political transition process has to be without Assad. You do not want to keep a murderer who has killed half a million people and destroyed a country. There is no place for Assad in Syria. He is not acceptable to the Syrian people.”
Significantly, he added that it might be possible for Assad to remain for a period if there was a clear guarantee that he would stand down. “At the least, we have to see something that Assad will go and we do not want to hear from Russia that nobody should discuss the future of Assad.”
He stressed Assad “could not be a member of any transitional governing body”.The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has notified Congress of a potential $115m sale of AEA-18G electronic warfare range system to Australia.
Under the sale, Australia has requested additional funding to a previously implemented case for two electronic warfare range systems to conduct electronic warfare and electronic surveillance training within the borders of the country.
The sale includes non-MDE costs for all support elements required to provide for system integration testing, tools and test equipment, support equipment, spare and repair parts, publications, operations manuals, technical documents, personnel training, US Government and contractor technical assistance, and other related elements of logistics and program support.
The Government of Australia also requested for non-MDE funding to the basic case to provide for unfunded requirements to meet the scope of the basic case and provide for the sale of additional classified technical data and software, system integration and testing, tools and test equipment, support equipment.
The procurement of an electronic warfare range system will help Australia in current and future coalition operations.
"The procurement of an electronic warfare range system will help Australia in current and future coalition operations."
The range will also be used to enhance Australia's electronic warfare capabilities as a deterrent to regional threats and to strengthen its homeland defence.
Leidos and General Dynamics Mission Systems will serve as prime contractors for the sale.
Built by Boeing, the EA-18G Growler has been designed to provide tactical jamming and electronic protection to military forces.
Image: An EA-18G aligns itself for an at-sea landing. Photo: courtesy of US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Torrey W. Lee.As a programming language, Loop is compact JVM language influenced by Haskell, Scheme, Ruby and Erlang. It also tries to bring together the best features of functional programming and OO languages, in a consistent and pragmatic manner.
Programs are compiled on-the-fly to optimized JVM bytecode and therefore suffer no performance penalty to interpretation; all while maintaining the quick, edit-and-run responsiveness of interpreted code.
The Loop file structure is:
module declaration import declarations functions & type definitions free expressions
Here's an example of a loop program:
module mymodule require othermod require yet.another class Pair -> left: 0 right: 0 main -> new Pair() # comments may appear anywhere # free expressions must appear last print('mymodule is go!')
InfoQ had a small Q&A with the creator of loop, Dhanji R. Prasanna, who’s an ex-Google, co-author of the JAX-RS spec and author of “Dependency Injection: Design Patterns” by Manning:
InfoQ: How does loop compare with the rest of the JVM languages?
Dhanji: I don't want to do a nitty-gritty feature comparison, but I would say the philosophy of Loop is about providing a consistent, simple and joyful experience in coding. All features are designed with this comprehensive outlook in mind and a care for how features interact with each other, both syntactically and semantically. In other languages you sometimes have multiple ways to do the same thing, almost as a feature of the language, and many of these feel bolted-on. Whereas in Loop I've tried to narrow down the canonical ways of doing things so that they are concise and simple, and result in an attractive, comfortable syntax. It should be as easy to read code as to write it, and just as much fun. One other point of distinction is that Loop compiles directly to JVM bytecode, but does so on-the-fly. Meaning that it behaves and *feels* like a scripting language (and REPL-esque, like a Lisp), but it actually performs considerably better than an interpreted language. I will let others run benchmarks, but so far in my quick tests, Loop is extremely fast. I have also put an emphasis on startup time, so it starts up nearly as fast as java itself allows; a fact that is often ignored by many modern JVM langs. Loop also interoperates tightly with Java. It is really easy to call Java methods or instantiate Java objects from inside a Loop program. Lists, sets and maps are just java.util. members, but with several extensions (and similarly for Strings). This is different from some languages that balance two sets of data libraries in order to provide extensions. And finally, Loop has built-in support for concurrency right from the start, with immutability and safe sharing of state as integral features.
InfoQ: You mention that many of loop's features are inspired by languages like Haskell, Scheme and Ruby. Would you like to give us a few examples?
Dhanji: Sure. It's always hard to address this because when you say "inspired by", people tend to think "is a copy of" and will look with a fine-toothed comb for deviation. The takeaway from my perspective is about syntax influences from these languages. In particular, the easy ones are pattern matching and "where" & "do" blocks from Haskell, the type system, modules, TCO and lexical constructs (closures) of Scheme, and ideas like symbols and free-form scripting from Ruby. One syntactic example of this combined influence is the fact that you can call functions in postfix notation: print(36) # can be written as: 36.print()... which makes them read like a Ruby method call, but in actual fact they are simply polymorphic (overloaded) functions. I find this very useful for improving the readability of some *particular kinds* of code, especially when "extending" the functionality existing Java objects. Of course, there is a balance to be struck, but I believe that will come as Loop matures. The deeper, semantic influences of Haskell and Scheme (the latter in particular) are also present in the functional design of the language. One example is to get away from stateful, encapsulation-oriented design to a more stateless, declarative design. Like Scheme, Loop also features an impure superset for IO; but on the other hand enforces immutability whenever you deal with concurrency. The latter is the philosophical influence of Haskell. Additionally the emphasis on making declarative code easier to write (and read) is also an influence from Haskell. I like the philosophy that code should read like a solution, rather than a laundry list of instructions; in other words, emphasizing the "what" rather than the "how" of the program, and Loop definitely follows this philosophy.
InfoQ: It seems that loop puts lots of emphasis on concurrency and provides a built-in message-passing abstraction. Would you like to explain to us how that compares with other popular concurrency technologies, either on the JVM (languages or frameworks) or beyond (eg. Erlang)?
Dhanji: This is a good question. There's a lot of prior art for this from Erlang. There are two primary methods for doing concurrency in Loop, they are both built into the language, and also useful in conjunction with each other: - message-driven channels (an event-oriented abstraction over message-passing, queues and worker pools) - software transactional memory (a lock-free, atomic, consistent scheme for sharing mutable state) With the former the entire abstraction is taken care of for you. You set up any number of lightweight "channels" which can be configured to execute in parallel, to chew through large numbers of tasks; or to process a single task at a time (serially) in buckets. This actually provides a really easy way to create naturally *sharded* event queues. Since channels are lightweight you can create tens of thousands of them cheaply and use them to shard task execution, for example by username. There is also a lightweight, persistent local memory available to each such serial channel, making it easy to implement incremental task processing. Loop also ensures that worker threads are evenly balanced over channels, using a configurable "fairness" factor. All of what I have described so far is available right out of the box. And on top of that one can further configure each channel to have its own dedicated worker pool, and so on. I mentioned the lightweight persistent memory for serialized channels earlier--transactional memory on the other hand is a much more powerful construct, similar to "optimistic concurrency" used in databases, if you are familiar with that. The idea is that nothing ever locks, even when writing. This type of memory is optimized for extremely high read throughput and non-blocking write throughput. This is built right into the language grammar itself: update(person) in @person -> this.name: person.name, this.age: person.age Note the "in @person", telling Loop to transact on the @person cell. In this method Im updating the @person "transactional cell" with new data from the argument to update(). The "this" pointer refers to the current cell which is in a transaction throughout this function. When the function completes, the changes to @person are visible atomically to all other threads, or not at all if the transaction fails (similar to a rollback). All other threads (even those not in a transaction) continue to see a consistent @person cell until the transaction executes and then immediately see the new person as a whole, with no locking or waiting. The neat thing here is that reader and writer threads *never* block. This feature is still somewhat in alpha, as Im trying to get the semantics nailed down, but I feel along with the rich set of channels API it makes concurrent programming in Loop elegant, powerful and easy to understand.
You can contribute to loop on Github.ACCORDING to the late Roberto Goizueta, a former boss of The Coca-Cola Company, April 15th 1981 was “one of the most important days…in the history of the world.” That date marked the opening of the first Coke bottling plant to be built in China since the Communist revolution.
The claim was over the top, but not absurd. Mao Zedong’s disastrous policies had left the economy in tatters. The height of popular aspiration was the “four things that go round”: bicycles, sewing machines, fans and watches. The welcome that Deng Xiaoping, China’s then leader, gave to foreign firms was part of a series of changes that turned China into one of the biggest and fastest-growing markets in the world.
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For the past three decades, multinationals have poured in. After the financial crisis, many companies looked to China for salvation. Now it looks as though the gold rush may be over.
More pain, less gain
In some ways, China’s market is still the world’s most enticing. Although it accounts for only around 8% of private consumption in the world, it contributed more than any other country to the growth of consumption in 2011-13. Firms like GM and Apple have made fat profits there.
But for many foreign companies, things are getting harder. That is partly because growth is flagging (see article), while costs are rising. Talented young workers are getting harder to find, and pay is soaring.
China’s government has always made life difficult for firms in some sectors—it has restricted market access for foreign banks and brokerage houses and blocked internet firms, including Facebook and Twitter—but the tough treatment seems to be spreading. Hardware firms such as Cisco, IBM and Qualcomm are facing a post-Snowden backlash; GlaxoSmithKline, a drugmaker, is ensnared in a corruption probe; Apple was forced into a humiliating apology last year for offering inadequate warranties; and Starbucks has been accused by state media of price-gouging. A sweeping consumer-protection law will come into force in March, possibly providing a fresh line of attack on multinationals. And the government’s crackdown on extravagant spending by officials is hitting the foreign firms that peddle luxuries (see article).
Competition is heating up. China was already the world’s fiercest battleground for global brands but local firms, long laggards in quality, are joining the fray. Many now have overseas experience, and some are developing inventive products. Xiaomi and Huawei have come up with world-class smartphones, and Sany’s excellent diggers are taking on costlier ones made by Hitachi and Caterpillar. Consumers will no longer pay a hefty premium just because a brand is foreign. Their internet savvy and lack of brand loyalty makes them the world’s most demanding customers (see article).
Some companies are leaving. Revlon said in December that it was pulling out altogether. L’Oréal, the world’s largest cosmetics firm, said soon afterwards that it would stop selling one of its main brands, Garnier. Best Buy, an American electronics retailer, and Media Markt, a German rival, have already left, as has Yahoo, an internet giant. Tesco, a British food retailer, last year gave up trying to go it alone, and entered a joint venture with a state-owned firm.
Some of those who are staying are struggling. IBM this week said that revenues in China fell by 23% during the last quarter of 2013. Rémy Cointreau, a French drinks group, reported that sales of its Rémy Martin cognac fell by more than 30% during the first three quarters of last year because of a plunge in China. Yum Brands, an American fast-food firm, said in September last year that same-store sales in China had fallen by 16% in the year to date. Its problems were partly the result of a government investigation into alleged illegal antibiotic use by its chicken suppliers.
Investors no longer celebrate firms with big investments in China. Our Sinodependency Index weights American multinationals by their China revenues. Sino-dependent firms used to outperform their peers, but in the past two years their share prices have done worse than others’.
As Jeffrey Immelt, the boss of GE, puts it, “China is big, but it is hard…[other] places are equally big, but they are not quite as hard.” Companies that want to stay in China will have to put in even more effort. Many will have to change strategy.
One China is over
First, rising costs mean that bosses must shift from going for growth to enhancing productivity. This sounds obvious, but in China the mentality has long been “just throw more men at the problem”. One way to get a grip on costs is to invest in labour-substituting technology, not only in manufacturing but also in services. Also, multinationals are falling behind local firms like Alibaba and Tencent in exploiting a surge of big data coming from e-commerce and smartphones.
Second, tighter control is another must. GSK’s bosses in London admitted that its problems in China were partly the result of executives acting “outside of our processes and control”. Managers in headquarters must ensure that executives’ behaviour and safety standards are as high as anywhere else in the world. Chinese consumers are even more active on social media than those in the West, so any scandal is instantly broadcast nationally.
Lastly, a One China policy no longer makes sense. Most firms set up their local offices when China’s economy was smaller than $2 trillion. Although it will soon be five times that size, many still try to run their operations from Shanghai. That makes little sense when tastes in food, fashion and much else vary between provinces and mega-cities that have populations as big as European countries. Some 400m Chinese do not speak Mandarin. So even as CEOs need to keep a closer eye on standards and behaviour, they should localise marketing and perhaps product development.
China is still a rich prize. Firms that can boost productivity, improve governance and respond to local tastes can still prosper. But the golden years are over.I recently learned a whole bunch about a random corner of language theory that I hadn’t previously known much about. I thought it might be interesting to write up some of it. So this is the first post amongst several (I currently have two others planned but they may spawn more).
This is a post about the Myhill–Nerode theorem, behind which is a nice construction (in the abstract sense. You couldn’t perform it directly on an actual machine) for the minimal deterministic automaton matching any language.
Lets start with some terms: We’ve got some finite non-empty alphabet \(A\). A string on \(A\) is any finite sequence of elements from \(A\). A language on \(A\) is any set of strings.
For this post we’ll fix \(A\) and then \(S\) will be the set of strings on \(A\).
String notation:
\(\epsilon\) is the string of length \(0\)
If \(u, v\) are strings then \(uv\) is the string made by concatenating them in order.
Similarly if \(a \in A\) then \(au\) is the string that consists of prepending \(a\) to \(u\) and \(ua\) is the string that consists of appending \(a\) to \(u\).
In general we are interested in languages which have nice compact definitions rather than having to specify the whole set. One nice way of defining languages which often provides this is a deterministic automaton. These also have the advantage of being very simple to work with computationally once you have one.
A deterministic automaton on \(A\) consists of:
A set of states \(Q\), (possibly infinite – if it’s a finite set we call it a deterministic finite automaton)
An initial state \(q_0 \in Q\)
An update function \(\delta : Q \times A \to Q\)
A set of accepting states \(F \subseteq Q\).
We can extend the update function to take any finite string: Let \(\delta(q, \epsilon) = q\) and \(\delta(q, au) = \delta(\delta(q, a), u)\). i.e. we just follow the update function along the string.
We will additionally assume that every state \(Q\) is reachable. That is it’s \(\delta(q_0, s)\) for some string \(s\). This is a fairly harmless restriction because for any automaton we can just create the automaton that replaces \(Q\) and \(F\) with their reachable subsets.
A deterministic automaton recognises a language \(L\) if \(s \in L\) if and only if \(\delta(q_0, s) \in F\). i.e. if you follow the automaton along the string then you end up in an accepting state if and only if the string is in the desired language.
Every language can be recognised by a deterministic automaton:
Let \(Q = S\)
Let \(q_0 = \epsilon\)
Let \(\delta(s, a) = sa\)
Let \(F = L\)
This works because every state in this automaton has a unique string that reaches it from the initial state (which is the string representing the state), and the state is accepting if and only if that string is in the language, so by construction recognises the language.
This simplifies matters not even slightly because we’ve just reframed the problem and determining if a state is accepting is equivalent to determining whether the string is in our language, and the automaton constructed this way is always infinite (though may have finitely many accepting states if \(L\) is finite), even if a very small finite automaton might recognise our language. If anything we’ve made the problem worse because we’ve taken a potentially finite language and moved to an always infinite representation.
So, can we find a smaller automaton that recognises a given language?
In fact we can. For any language there is a unique minimal deterministic automaton for any language. We’ll see exactly what that means in a bit, but first we’ll construct the automaton we want.
The idea for constructing it is this: We take the above automaton, and we try to collapse it by conflating equivalent states. We look for equivalent states with the notion of a test.
A test is just a string. The idea is that if we have some string \(t\) and two strings \(u\) and \(v\) then if \((ut \in L)
e (vt \in L)\), \(u\) and \(v\) we must have \(\delta(q_0, u)
e \delta(q_0, v)\) for any automaton recognising \(L\) – if not then we would have \(\delta(q_0, ut) = \delta(q_0, vt)\), which is impossible because one is an accepting state and the other is not.
Two strings are said to be word equivalent if there is no test that distinguishes them. The idea is that we can then shrink our above automaton by conflating all states that are word equivalent.
So if \(s\) is a string let \([s]\) be the set of all strings that are word equivalent to \(s\). We can then define the following automaton:
Let \(Q = \{[s]: s \in S\}\)
Let \(q_0 = [\epsilon]\)
Let \(\delta([s], a) = [sa]\)
Let \(F = \{[s]: s \in L\}\)
We’ll call this the Myhill-Nerode automaton and label it \(Z\).
We first need to check that \(delta\) is well defined. i.e. if \(u\) is word equivalent to \(v\) then \(ua\) is word equivalent to \(va\). This follows from the fact that if \(t\) is a test distinguishing \(ua\) and \(va\) then \(at\) is a test distinguishing \(u\) and \(v\).
So this is a well defined state machine, but does it recognise \(L\)?
First note:
\(\delta(q_0, s) = [s]\) (more or less by definition)
If \(u, v\) are word-equivalent then \(u \in L = v \in L\) because otherwise \(\epsilon\) is a test distinguishing them
So the \(\delta(q_0, s)\) is an accepting state if and only if it is \([t]\) for some \(t \in L\), which is true if and only if \(s \in L\). i.e. this automaton recognises \(L\).
So we’ve got another automaton recognising \(L\), and it sure looks smaller than the first one, but is it minimal?
And what do we even mean by minimal?
For that we’ll need the idea of an automaton reduction: Let \(P, Q\) be automata (call the initial state of \(P\) \(p_0\) and we’ll use subscripts to distinguish \(\delta\) and \(F\). \(Q\) is a reduction of \(P\) if there is a function \(r: P \to Q\) such that:
\(r(p_0) = q_0\) If \(p \in P\) and \(a \in A\) then \(r(\delta_P(p, a)) = \delta_Q(r(p), a)\). \(r(p) \in F_Q\) if and only if \(p \in F_P\) Every \(q \in Q\) is \(r(p)\) for some \(p\)
i.e. we label every state in \(P\) with a state in \(Q\) such that everything lines up correctly for transitions.
Our claim of minimality is this: If \(Q\) is any automaton recognising \(L\), then \(Z\) is a reduction of \(Q\).
The key property for proving this is that if \(u\) and \(v\) are two strings with \(\delta_Q(q_0, u) = \delta_Q(q_0, v) = q\) then they must be word equivalent. Otherwise there would be some test \(t\) such that \(\delta(q, t)
e \delta(q, t)\). So we choose as our reduction function \(r\) the function \(r(q) = [s]\) where \(s\) is any string such that \(\delta_Q(q_0, s) = q\) (recall we’re assuming all states are reachable).
Lets check that this has the desired properties:
\(\delta_Q(q_0, \epsilon) = q_0\), so \(r(q_0) = [\epsilon] = z_0\) If \(\delta_Q(q_0, s) = q\) then \(delta_Q(q_0, sa) = \delta(q, a)\), so \(r(\delta_Q(q_0, s), a)) = [sa] = \delta_Z([s], a) = \delta_Z(r(q), a)\) as desired This follows automatically because both \(Q\) and \(Z\) recognise \(L\) \([s] = r(\delta(q_0, s))\)
So for any automaton we can reduce it to \(Z\), as desired.
And finally we need to prove uniqueness: The uniqueness claim is that if \(Q\) is any other automaton that has this property then a reduction \(r: Z \to Q\) must also have the property that if \(s
e t\) then \(r(s)
e r(t)\). i.e. \(r\) is an isomorphism, just relabelling the vertices.
Proof: Suppose \([u]
e [v]\) are two distinct states of \(Z\). Then there is some \(t\) such that \(\delta_Z([u], t) \in F_Z
e \delta_Z(([v], t) \in F_Z\). But then by the properties of the reduction we must have \(\delta_Q(r([u]), t) \in F_Q
e \delta_Q((r([v]), t) \in F_Q\) and thus \(r([u])
e r([v |
pler - Danielle Radford - Daddy Lessons
Andrew Ti - Classic Man (Chopped and Screwed)
Each week we’ll add everyone’s jams to this handy Spotify playlist.
You can let us know what you think of Pop Rocket and suggest topics in our Facebook group or via @PopRocket on Twitter.
Produced by Christian Dueñas and Kara Hartfor MaximumFun.org.Yang’s Braised Chicken Rice, a fast-food chain from China that serves just one dish, opened its first U.S. restaurant in Tustin.
Local VIPs and Chinese media outlets were among the first to taste the clay pot specialty chicken dish known by millions of fans all over China. Chef Xiaolu Yang founded the first Yang’s in 2011 in the Shandong province of China, known for its Confucian heritage.
Yang, whose family ran several restaurants in the 1930s, inherited his grandmother’s secret sauce recipe used for the regional dish known as “huang men chicken.” The dish, cooked in a clay pot, is 1 pound of chicken thigh meat marinated in the secret sauce, which includes ginger, Shiitake mushrooms and Serrano chilies.
Through a translator, Yang, dressed in white chef’s coat, said he hopes American diners will embrace the umami flavors of the traditional Northern Chinese dish. “It has very complex flavors to the palate.”
The chicken (thigh meat) is cooked in a pressure cooker, then placed in a clay pot. The spices simmer on a burner to lock in flavors. The dish is served in the same clay pot. (Nancy Luna, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Chef Xiaolu Yang founded Yang’s as a fast food restaurant in 2011. A sensation with one item on the menu, the chain has grown to 6,000 units. Tustin is the company’s first U.S. outlet. (Nancy Luna, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Yang’s features one clay pot chicken dish with three flavor choices: regular (no spice), authentic (one chili) and spicy (two chilies). For $9.99, you get a large clay pot of chicken served with a side of rice. (Nancy Luna, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The chicken (thigh meat) is cooked in a pressure cooker, then placed in a clay pot. The spices simmer on a burner to lock in flavors. The dish is served in the same clay pot. (Nancy Luna, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Chef Xiaolu Yang has been in Orange County since mid-summer training cooks to make the Northern Chinese chicken dish. Shown: A cook delicately places a clay pot on one of 20 burners in the kitchen. 9/10/2017 (Nancy Luna, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Towards the end of the cooking process, the dish is sprinkled with chili peppers. (Nancy Luna, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The authentic flavor is closest to the original dish made by Yang’s grandmother. It contains slices of serrano chilies. (Nancy Luna, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Once served, it is recommended you mix the rice with the piping hot chicken which is marinated ina secret sauce with The dish, cooked in direct heat in a clay pot, is one pound of chicken thigh meat marinated in a secret sauce that includes ginger, Shiitake mushrooms and Serrano chilies. The extry spicy version contains Serranos and dry red chilies. (Nancy Luna, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The dish, cooked in direct heat in a clay pot, is served with a black Wonton-style soup spoon. (Nancy Luna, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Chef Xiaolu Yang believes the one dish menu is a proven success, and will do well here in the U.S. (Nancy Luna, Orange County Register/SCNG)
One dish Chinese wonder, Yang’s, opens first U.S. outlet in Tustin on Sunday, Sept. 10. Early guests, who signed up for a special preview, received rose boutonnières. (Nancy Luna, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Yang’s is located at Red Hill Plaza on Red Hill, near the (5) Freeway. The Chinese fast food chain said they chose this location because it was centrally located in Orange County near Irvine. (Nancy Luna, Orange County Register/SCNG)
At first glimpse, the 40-seat restaurant in the Red Hill Plaza shopping center looks like a modern fast-casual restaurant. White walls. Aluminum chairs. Polished concrete floors.
But when you walk up to the counter, it’s unlike any other fast food chain in Southern California. Instead of facing endless options, Yang’s features one chicken dish with three flavor choices: regular (no spice), authentic (one chili) and spicy (two chilies).
For $9.99, you get a large pot served with a side of rice. The portion is big enough for one person with a healthy appetite or good for sharing.
Yang said he’s not concerned about giving Americans only one type of dish.
Outside of China, he’s opened Yang’s in Australia, Singapore and Japan. With 6,000 restaurants across the globe, Yang said the one-dish concept has “conquered” a wide variety of cultures.
“It’s been this way since 2011,” he said.
When Yang opened his first restaurant, he modified the dish slightly by adding white rice as a side dish. In the first week, Yang’s had lines out the door.
To maintain the integrity of the dish, Yang’s will continue to make the secret sauce in China with shipments sent to Tustin. The thighs, typically the juiciest and most flavorful part of the chicken, are marinated in the sauce and partially cooked in a high-pressure cooker.
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3 new menu items you can’t get at your local Taco Bell The Tustin kitchen is equipped with 20 burners. The chicken simmers in the clay pot, cooking over direct heat to lock in all the flavors. Yang says the “authentic” flavor is the one he recommends for first-timers because it most closely resembles the meal he ate as a child.
The authentic version is simmered with Serrano chilies, which provides the right balance of flavors, Yang said. (The spicy version incorporates a second dry red chili.)
Though the rice is served on the side, Yang’s staff recommends mixing the white rice into the piping hot clay pot.
The result is a chicken stew with intoxicating aromas guaranteed to clear any stuffy nose.
Yang said one bite of the dish “speaks for itself.”
“Once you taste it, you know.”
The Tustin restaurant is corporate-owned and the first under the Yang Ming Yu Braised Chicken USA Group based in Southern California. The company plans to open more locations through franchising. They’ve had interest from potential franchisees in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Canada.
The Tustin restaurant is at 13824 Red Hill Ave.Yeats was famously and intimately involved with the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, as was his wife, George. Although the Golden Dawn’s teachings were greatly diversified by elements from the paganism of Europe and Egypt, the Judaeo-Christian basis of its core teachings of Cabbala and Rosicrucianism was central. MacGregor Mathers was associated with Anna Kingsford, a proponent of Esoteric Christianity, and had dedicated The Kabbalah Unveiled to Kingsford and her collaborator, Edward Maitland; Moina Mathers, in her preface to this work’s second edition, claimed that Kingsford had introduced her husband to Blavatsky, who had tried to interest him in Theosophy, but that ‘he was more in sympathy with Anna Kingsford’s ideals of esoteric Christianity and of the advancement of woman’. He certainly also lectured to Kingsford’s Hermetic Society on ‘The Kabala’ and ‘The Lower or Physical Alchemy’ in 1886, as did Mohini Chatterjee and William Wynn Westcott. In his introduction to The Sepher Yetzirah, Westcott indicates that the ‘substance of this little volume was read as a Lecture before the Hermetic Society of London in the summer of 1886, Dr. Anna Kingsford, President, in the chair’, while he also noted that the ‘late Madame Blavatsky, my esteemed teacher of Theosophy, and my personal friend, at whose suggestion a friendly alliance between the Hermetic Order of the G. D. and the Inner Group of Theosophic students was made, expressed to me her recognition of the value of the “Sepher Yetzirah” as a mystical treatise on cosmic origin, and her approval of my work in its translation, and of my notes and explanations’, which witnesses the way in which the threads of the period’s esoteric groupings tend to intertwine. The history of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn is complicated and told in many places, most notably Ellic Howe’s The Magicians of the Golden Dawn, Francis King’s Modern Ritual Magic: The Rise of Western Occultism, and R. A. Gilbert’s The Golden Dawn: Twilight of the Magicians. Although the Golden Dawn proper ceased to exist in 1903, its influence on Western occultism and hermeticism has been huge. There were several offshoots of the original G.'.D.'. but none of them continued with the name; conversely, there are several groups that use the name of ‘Golden Dawn’ nowadays, claiming varying degrees of ‘apostolic succession’ and following the original teachings to a greater or lesser degree. The site of one of these modern groups carrying on the traditions of the Golden Dawn has interesting archival resources and there is a list of resources at the Hermetic Fellowship. It is impossible to summarise the work involved in the Golden Dawn, not least because the written records only take us so far. However, it should not be thought that the'magic' of the Golden Dawn was primarily involved with casting spells or changing the outer world, as its focus was very much on raising the consciousness of the individual her or himself. The system of exams in geomancy and alchemy or magical grades may sometimes seem reminiscent of Harry Potter’s world, but in the end ritual magic is about aligning the forces of microcosm and macrocosm. Ritual magic makes philosophy and doctrine into drama and symbol in order to create ceremony. By means of symbolic space and costume the participants prepare the physical and mental arena, taking on their various roles, which may include assuming'masks' in their imagination (‘god forms’). The rites themselves rehearse stories and doctrines both explicitly through words and implicitly through symbol and action. For the Golden Dawn the underlying philosophy was an eclectic synthesis of Hermetic and Cabbalistic thought organised according to the Tree of Life. Individual ceremonies are founded upon the correspondences established in this scheme together with specific additions, such as the symbolism of the Fall or the legend of Christian Rosenkreutz. The rites' use of symbolism and narratives, and their pacing and structure are not very different from religious ceremonies, particularly those of the traditional Christian churches, though they are cast in a different 'language'. The Outer Order, the Golden Dawn proper, involved no actual magic and was primarily concerned with using ritual to consolidate the theory studied by the aspirants and to explore and balance their elemental energies within the aspirant.
Diagram of the Grades of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn upon the Tree of Life. Click the image for a larger image in a new window. After the crucial introductory ceremony (the Neophyte ceremony 0°=0°), each further ceremony was associated with one of the Sephiroth on the Tree of Life, and expressed by two numbers, the first indicating the place of the grade and the second the relevant Sephirah. The Sephiroth are connected to each other on the Tree of Life by Paths, and in preparation for a grade the aspirants would study the Paths by which they could reach the relevant Sephiroth (these are numbered from 11 to 32, since the Sephiroth used the numbers from 1 to 10). These Paths are have a multitude of associations, but especially a letter of the Hebrew alephbet, one of the Tarot trumps and an astrological association. The ceremonies used the Paths and their assocations as part of the structure of the ritual as the symbolic space moved its location upwards upon the Tree of Life during the course of the ceremony. Each ceremony of this Outer Order was also related to one of the four elements in succession, Earth, Air, Water, Fire, and was designed to ‘tune into’ the corresponding universal principles and to purify and equilibrate the corresponding energies in the aspirant. These were then brought together in the Portal Ritual, associated with the Quintessence or Spirit, as the controlling and equilibrating principle. This ceremony was not related to a Sephirah but to a transition or Veil, and it prepared for approach to the Second or Inner Order, the Ruby Rose and Golden Cross. As its name referring to the Rose and Cross suggests, the Inner Order used more explicitly Rosicrucian imagery and the temple space was based upon the seventeenth-century description of Father Christian Rosenkreutz’s legendary tomb. See note for further details. Yeats passed through the elemental grades relatively quickly between 1890 and 1892, and underwent the Portal Ritual on 20 January 1903. Normal procedure would have required a delay of nine months before reception to the Inner Order, but Yeats, by special dispensation, went through the first part of the three-part ritual on the same day and the other two on the following day. The balance point of Tiphareth is in many respects the symbolic goal of system and originally this was the only Inner Order grade, though with distinctions between various levels, but relatively soon further grades for 6°=5° and 7°=4° were introduced. These were the highest level considered attainable in life in the Golden Dawn system, with further grades related to the Secret Masters of the Third Order. That the structure of the Order and respect for the hierarchy of the Degrees were of vital importance for Yeats is evidenced in a pamphlet that he circulated in 1901 during a crisis caused by groups within the Order, specifically the Sphere Group of Florence Farr Emery, "Is the Order of the R.R. & A.C. to remain a Magical Order", where he almost sounds like Ulysses in Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida: "Take but degree away, untune that string, / And hark what discord follows" (see Yeats's Golden Dawn, Chapter 5 for a full account and the appendices for the text of the pamphlet). The pamphlet also shows how Yeats conceived all magical activity as creating independent entities that represented the group consciousness in some form, with the form depending on how deliberately and carefully the group identity or 'egregore' was fashioned and directed. He also writes of the Degree of Theoricus as "the highest Degree known to us" and "our link with the invisible Degrees", so that it seems that he regarded the Degree of Theoricus Adeptus Minor, the second point of 5°=6° at Tiphareth, as the highest true degree, at least in 1901. Although Yeats’s failure to seek the level of 6°=5° at Geburah until October 1914 has puzzled some, therefore, it may show not so much lack of zeal as possibly a sense that it was an unnecessary detail, a symbolic rather than a real advance. It also seems that his energies had been directed in the 1890s to establishing his own order of Mysteries, now usually referred to as the Celtic Mystical Order, and that he suspended even his preparations to be fully invested as Theoricus Adeptus Minor, passing the first parts in 1895 and then completing the rest in 1912, by which time the Golden Dawn had given way to the Stella Matutina. However, some details of the symbolism in these two grades are significant, as they centre on the dying and rising god: in the ritual of 5°= 6° the aspirant is shown the celebrant dead within the coffin of Father Rosenkreuz and a resurrection, while in 6°= 5° the aspirant himself or herself goes into the coffin and undergoes symbolic rebirth. A notebook entry from 1915 contains ideas for a ceremony of 7°=4° (Adeptus Exemptus at Chesed): For initiation 7 = 4 We are weighed down by the blood & the heavy weight of the bones
We are bound by flowers, & our feet are entangled in the green
and there is deceit in the singing of birds
It is time to be done with it all
The stars call & all the planets
and the purging fire of the moon
and yonder in the cold silence of cleansing night
may the dawn break & gates of day be set wide open. The PIAL Notebook (National Library of Ireland, MS 36,276) See Yeats: The Man and the Masks, 259, and The Unicorn: William Butler Yeats’ Search for Reality, 170.
Much of the symbolism of the ceremonies of the elemental Grades centres on the Fall from the Garden of Eden, and how the centres of human consciousness were dragged down from the upper part of the Tree of Life to the lower part, and invaded by the forces of evil and disorder. One of the underlying goals of the Golden Dawn system, within the Inner Order, was to raise the centre of consciousness from the lower Sephiroth to the upper again, especially from Yesod to Tiphareth, and, by doing so, to seek to bring the Higher Genius into the consciousness. This was based upon the Golden Dawn’s teachings about the human constitution, which brought together Rabbinic exegesis, Neo-Platonic pneumatology and the structure of the Tree of Life. The Constitution of the Human Being The change of focus for Yeats, in the transference of his interest from Theosophy to the Cabbalism at the centre of the Golden Dawn’s teachings, would not necessarily have entailed a difficult transition in terms of thinking about the human constitution, since the Golden Dawn proposed a Cabbalistic hierarchy, similar enough in outline, though in reality very different in structure. Blavatsky tends to treat Cabbalism as a limited, but informative resource, which lacks the scope of her Eastern sources while still representing another historical example of the ‘Secret Doctrine’: ‘The difference between the two systems, taking the Kabala as contained in the Chaldean Book of Numbers, not as misrepresented by its now disfigured copy, the Kabala of the Christian mystics—the Kabala and the archaic esoteric Vidya, is very small indeed, being confined to unimportant divergences of form and expression’. In The Secret Doctrine she gives an extended comparison of ‘Kabalistic Pneumatics’ with her own ‘Esoteric Pneumatics’, showing the essential identity of both, though the latter, of course, demonstrates a fuller understanding of the science of soul. Her analysis is based on a ‘diagram (Plate VII. in Mr. Mathers’ Kabala) ‘the formation of the Soul’ from the same ‘Key of the Great Mysteries’ by Lévi’, which she gives ‘with both the Kabalistic and Occult names attached’:
( The Secret Doctrine 1, 242) The diagram appears, as Blavatsky mentions, in the introduction of The Kabbalah Unveiled by MacGregor Mathers, though with some variations, which show that she has silently altered details to create both greater similarity between the two schemes and also to make the Cabbalistic version an easier target for her jibes. Blavatsky’s changes in labelling and terminology are justified by the accompanying text, but the lower forms, labelled Michael and Samael, are composites of Ruach and Nephesch in different relationships, with or without the influence of Neschamah, rather than independent elements; each one is only the ‘synthetical hieroglyph’ of good or evil Karma respectively. Blavatsky tries to create a greater congruence than exists, and then goes on to dispute her own attributions, in order to show that ‘there are many such strange and curious transformations to be found in the Kabalistic works— a convincing proof that its literature has become a sad jumble’ (SD 1, 242). Yeats’s approach to the ideas may therefore initially have been coloured by Blavatsky’s negative attitude, but he would also have learnt that the ideas were fundamentally linked and approximately transferable from one system to the other. The actual teaching of the Golden Dawn, as far as we can know it accurately from the later versions published by Israel Regardie and the extant Flying Rolls, is less easily reconciled with Theosophical thought however. According to the papers, the Cabbalistic constitution of man was touched on in the Third Knowledge Lecture, but not dealt with properly until the Fifth Knowledge Lecture concerning the duties of the Theoricus Adeptus Minor, a Grade which Yeats himself attained in July 1912. (See Third and Fifth Knowledge Lectures in Regardie’s Golden Dawn: RGD Vol. 1, 129 and 203-227]; Flying Roll XX [Mathers] & Flying Roll XXI [Moina Mathers] in Ritual Magic of the Golden Dawn: RMGD 145-159; and for Yeats’s grade see Yeats’s Golden Dawn, 126. Regardie’s A Garden of Pomegranates contains an interesting chapter on Adam Kadmon, ‘Heavenly Man’, which relates the Cabbalistic constitution to the Indian and Theosophical ones, as well as Egyptian, but does not necessarily represent the Golden Dawn’s teaching in the 1890s and 1900s.) The details of the interrelation of the forces within the soul were less important in the Golden Dawn than in Theosophy, and Mathers explains that the construction of the Order’s teaching was designed so as not to lead the students into the trap of that ‘subtle selfishness which arises from too much study of oneself’ and ‘continual dwelling on one’s own nature with the idea of reforming and making oneself better’ and ‘too great asceticism’. He therefore points out that ‘in our system of Occultism we are contrary or converse to that taught by the Theosophical Society’, studying ‘the Microcosm before the Macrocosm’, rather than starting with ‘the study of the Universe’, which brings ‘the danger of that spiritual or thought-selfishness’ (RMGD 148). Mathers went on to exhort students of clairvoyance, therefore, ‘to repress that form of it which tends in his own direction’ since it would lead to spiritual selfishness and ‘a period of depression’; this may be akin to the state of bewilderment, which Yeats experienced, where ‘image called up image in an endless procession, and I could not always choose among them with any confidence.... the region a cabbalistic manuscript, shown me by MacGregor Mathers, had warned me of; astray upon the Path of the Chameleon, upon Hodos Chameliontos’ (Au 270). Mathers’ warnings may also have planted in Yeats’s mind the idea of cultivating the anti-self in order to balance the innate tendencies of his own nature, in the related area of artistic creation. The Golden Dawn material is generally vaguer than the pseudo-science of Blavatsky’s pneumatology, and in sketching the constitution of the soul, the Third Knowledge Lecture demonstrates how different the functions of the constituents are from those alluded to by Blavatsky in her description of Cabbalism: THE SOUL is divided by the Qabalists into three Principal Parts:-
1. NESCHAMAH The Highest Part, answering to the Three Supernals.
2. RUACH The Middle Part, answering to the six Sephiroth from CHESED to YESOD, inclusive.
3. NEPHESCH The lowest, answering to MALKUTH.
(RGD Vol. 1, 129) Neschamah ‘answers to the higher aspirations of the Soul’, Ruach ‘to the mind and reasoning powers’, and Nephesch ‘to the animal instincts’; Nephesch is therefore very far from being ‘what we name Manas’ as Blavatsky notes in her diagram. A further level of differentiation is introduced without gloss in this Lecture, though no doubt the text forms only the skeleton of the instruction, and divides the ‘Highest Part’ further according to the three individual Sephiroth: Yechidah corresponding to Kether, Chiah to Chokmah, ‘while NESCHAMAH itself is referred to BINAH’ (RGD 1, 129). The Fifth Knowledge Lecture deals with the complex interrelations and the dynamics between all the elements of the soul, though the presentation Regardie gives is disorganised and far from perspicuous. The Cabbalistic anatomy is far more patterned on the physical human than the Theosophical view and its symbolism is expressed in a Tree of Life arranged in the body or rather the ‘subtle body or aura which surrounds the physical body like an egg of light’, called the ‘Sphere of Sensation’ (RGD 88; I 177). There is some similarity with the Indian Yogic concept of seven Chakras or wheels of energy in the body and, like the highest of those Chakras, Yechidah or Divine Consciousness, located in ‘Kether is above the Crown of the Head’, within the aura rather than the body, while ‘In the crown of the head is placed the faculty of Neschamah, which is the power of Aspiration unto that which is beyond’ (RGD 1, 203). The intermediate Chiah is ‘the real Life Principle’, and together the three form the more general Neschamah, associated with the Tree of Life’s Supernal Triad. Like the triangle formed by the Triad this faculty points upwards, while the energies are linked to the lower level of soul, Ruach, through the shadow Sephirah of Da’ath or Knowledge (RGD 1, 210), ‘which is not properly a Sephirah, but rather the conjunction of Chokmah and Binah’ (RGD 2, 117), placed on the Middle Pillar of Equilibrium or Reconciliation, so that the crucial elements are all effectively placed along the central axis of the Tree. It is at Da’ath that the forces are synthesised into the Spiritual Consciousness, which ‘is the focus of the action of Neschamah’ and the ‘faculty of the spiritual consciousness is the seat of Thought’ (RGD 1, 210-11) so that man’s ‘object is the development of the Daath principle which is in the head.... the link between Ruach and Neschamah’ (RMGD 146). The ‘Higher Will manifests itself through Yechidah’ at Kether, which in turn is conveyed by Chiah, ‘the Life of the Spirit’ placed at Chokmah, into Neschamah at Binah, which is the will to aspire, and together these forces form the broader Neschamah, focusing downwards onto the Spiritual Consciousness (RGD 105; I 213). (RGD 1, 180), and extracted in diagrammatic form from the text of ‘The Microcosm - Man’ (RGD 1, 203-216). Neschamah itself reflects downwards through Da’ath into Ruach at the centre of the Tree, linked with all the Sephiroth from Chesed to Yesod, but most closely with the Sephirah of Tiphareth and placed in the ‘part above the heart’, which: is the central citadel of the body and is the particular abode of the lower and more physical will. The higher will is in the Kether of the body. For the higher will to manifest, it must be reflected into the lower will by Neschamah.... But the human Neschamah exists only when the higher Will is reflected by the agency of aspiration from Kether into the lower body, and when the flaming letter Shin is placed like a crown on the head of Microprosopus.... The lower will is the human Jehovah-an angry and jealous God, the Shaker of Elements, the manifestor in the life of the body. But illuminated by the higher Will, he becometh Yeheshuah, no longer angry and jealous, but the self-sacrificer and the Atoning and Reconciling One.
(RGD 1, 205-06) In this sense Neschamah often exists only in potential, like the largely unrealised levels of Theosophy’s Atman-Buddhi, but it is a medium to transfer the force of Kether rather than a force itself. Though the exaltation of self-sacrifice might have been less congenial within the antithetical bias of A Vision, the transformation of the jealous Jehovah, (Yod, Heh, Vau, Heh), into the esoteric Christ-principle Yeheshuah, (Yod, Heh, Shin, Vau, Heh), through the crowning fire, represented by the addition of the central letter Shin, associated with fire, would have had particular resonance for Yeats from the work of Blake, where the limiting Jehovah is linked to the fallen form of Urizen, the antagonist of Jesus as Divine Mercy in The Four Zoas. The dual form of higher and lower Will, linked by Neschamah, recalls the bridging function of Manas which can be split into its higher and lower forms in the Theosophical scheme, and may also indicate why Yeats chose the term ‘Will’, with echoes of magic and the Cabbala, over ‘Ego’, with echoes of Blavatsky’s Theosophy, for the dominant Faculty. Ruach, ‘the reasoning mind’, is also the central co-ordinating power of the soul, the trunk with its four limbs, and these limbs manifest the four Sephiroth surrounding Tiphareth: Chesed and Geburah, the hands or ‘the executive power of the Ruach’, and Netzach and Hod, the feet or ‘the sustaining force of the Ruach’ (RGD 1, 206, 204, 207). The next central Sephirah, Yesod linked to the genitals, ‘is the seat of the lower desires’ and ‘the automatic consciousness. That is, not the Will, but the simulacrum of the Will in Tiphareth. Yesod is the lowest of the Sephiroth of the Ruach, and representeth “Fundamental Action”’ (RGD 1, 208). Yeats’s formulation of ‘Automatonism’ has affinities with this conception, arising ‘from the Mask and Creative Mind, when separated from the Body of Fate and Will’, and is perhaps particularly linked with the Mask or Image, the aesthetic object of desire, just as Yesod is associated with the Tzelem or Image. Yeats’s Automatonism represents an abdication from struggle towards the nature of the Tincture in which the soul is incarnated, which is natural so long as it is only temporary, and is even linked to the appreciation of art through the repetitions of rhythm and pattern, but pernicious if sustained (AV B 95), in the same way that the automatic consciousness of Yesod is only a simulacrum of even the lower form of Will. Nephesch, though not the body itself, is intimately tied to the physical body, after the manner of the Theosophists’ Etheric Double: it ‘is the real, the actual body’, ‘the subtle body of refined astral Light upon which, as on an invisible pattern, the physical body is extended’, which ‘shineth through the Material body and formeth the Magical Mirror or Sphere of Sensation. This Magical Mirror or Sphere of Sensation is an imitation or copy of the Sphere of the Universe’, wherein ‘are represented all the occult forces of the Universe projected as on a sphere, convex to the outer, but concave to man’ existing inside its shell ( RGD 1, 209, 208, 203). This truer body is the Microcosm and in many ways analogous to Yeats’s Husk, with the Faculties reflected onto the circumference of the Wheel in the same way that in the Knowledge Lecture the astrological Ascendant is said to be fixed within the Sphere of Sensation. Similarly, Ruach can usefully be compared with the Passionate Body, and perhaps Neschamah with Spirit and Yechidah with Celestial Body another point of comparison is the possible parallels between the levels of consciousness, divine, spiritual, human and automatic and the Principles. Ultimately, though, the conceptions are very clearly separate and the Cabbalistic ideas are interesting more as analogous ways of anatomising the human condition, which both Yeatses would have known well, than as their sources. There are other ideas and concepts which the Yeatses studied in the Golden Dawn, which contributed to their understanding of the System as it emerged. The human Sphere of Sensation is only a Microcosm of the lowest of the four realms of manifestation four realms of manifestation, while ‘the Shining Ones (whom we call Angels) are microcosms’ of the next higher level (RGD 106; I 215). Within this hierarchy therefore, the highest human manifestation is the lower manifestation of a higher being: ‘Behind Yechidah are Angelic and Archangelic Forces of which Yechidah is the manifestor. It is therefore the Lower Genius or Viceroy of the Higher Genius which is beyond, an Angel Mighty and Terrible’, while below the Nephesch is a further Tree of Qlippoth, Imbalance or Evil, focused in the Evil Persona, ‘and of it the part which toucheth the Malkuth of the Nephesch is its Kether’ (RGD 1, 215-16). The task of the Theoricus Adeptus Minor is to attempt to lift the Tree of his or her being, so that the Higher Genius takes control of the Yechidah, the Lower Genius or Higher Will takes control of the Ruach, and the evil forces of Qlippoth are expelled from the Nephesch, but dominated by it and turned into ‘a strength unto his physical base of action’ (RGD 1, 218). If the emphasis is changed from spiritual aspiration to Romantic individuation, there are distinct parallels here as well with the antithetical perfection of A Vision. The Daimon is no angel in the conventional sense, but it is certainly ‘Mighty and Terrible’, and, of the host of beings which surround and connect with the human individual during life and afterwards, it is the only one that is permanently associated, a form of Higher Genius. In order to seek fulfilment, the human needs to respond to the challenges and direction of the Daimon and to master and expel the forces that would lead it to live out of phase, such as the Evil Persona, the Automatic Script’s first designation of False Creative Mind. This situation occurs when ‘in antithetical man the Daimonic mind is permitted to flow through the events of his life (the Daimonic Creative Mind) and so to animate his Creative Mind, without putting out its light, there is Unity of Being’ (AV A 28). It is probable that such Daimonic existence is open only to those few in the Phases around the Full Moon where true Unity of Being is possible, and only Yeats’s own Phase 17 merits the title ‘The Daimonic Man’ (AV B 140). The perfections of the primary incarnations accord more easily with conventional spirituality, but also show the need for Daimonic control; the individual is ‘pursued with hatred, or with love’ by the Daimon, but if the situation is accepted, the Daimon achieves antithetical exaltation, and the primary Unity or Union is with God or Nature (AV A 29-30). Though the Automatic Script and its associated notes do not use many terms from the other traditions which the Yeatses knew, some from the Golden Dawn’s teachings did appear, most notably the concept of the ‘Evil Persona’ and the ‘Automatic’ Consciousness or Faculty. The Evil Persona entered into the very earliest communications, when the distinctive ideas and terminology of A Vision remained to be formulated, as the product of the clash between the ‘daily self’ and the ‘antithetical self’, and was distinguished from their harmonious product of the ‘artistic self’ (YVP 1 65). The Evil Persona was concerned with both artistic creation and its frustration, and was at one point defined as the ‘conquering of Anti by Primary’ (YVP 3; 145) and becomes increasingly distinct from the Golden Dawn’s forces of Qlippoth as it was gradually absorbed into the emerging construct of the Faculties, identified with the Evil Genius and from there evolving into the False Creative Mind, though the evolution entailed changes and adaptations in its formulation. The concept of the Automatic Faculty persisted rather longer, quite naturally given the method of the Script’s communication, being used in AV A but omitted from AV B, and is one of the sources of the imagery of dreams and hypnagogic vision, a record of impressions independent of memory (AV A 245-46; YVP 1 286). It also enables the mind to think in sequence by letting it rest (YVP 1 294), and to prolong ‘an act that was in the first instance voluntary’ (AV A 246) or can thereby enable a form of dexterity or skill that is otherwise beyond the conscious mind (AV A 247-48). It is particularly associated with mediumship, and is described as being as ‘an element of personality’ analogous to the plasticity of the Spirits at Phase 1; in association with an external spirit it can create a form of ‘automatic personality which resembles the spirit, more or less accurately’ (AV A 246), an idea which Yeats expressed in non-technical terms by stating that every mediumistic phenomenon ‘is first of all a secondary personality or dramatisation created by, in or through the medium’ (VPl 967; Ex 364). The operation of the Automatic Faculty is neutral in itself, and ‘if the man desires truth itself that which comes will be the most profound truth possible |
F – Calculate the Interest Expense from the Long Term Debt
Calculate the average balance for Revolving Credit Facility and Long Term Debt
Make a reasonable assumption for an interest rate based on the information provided in the 10K report
Calculate Total Interest Expense = average balance of debt x interest rate
Find the Total Interest Expense = Interest (Revolving Credit Facility) + Interest (Long Term Debt)
Step 12G – Link Principal debt & Revolver drawdowns to Cash Flows
Step 12H – Reference Current and Long Term to Balance Sheet
Demarcate the Current Portion of Long Term Debt and Long Term debt as show below
Link the Revolving Credit Facility, Long Term Debt and Current Portion of Long Term Debt to the Balance Sheet
Step 12I – Calculate the Interest Income using the average cash balance
Step 12J – Link Interest Expense and Interest Income to Income Statement
Perform the Balance Sheet check : Total Assets = Liabilities + Shareholder’s Equity
Step 12K – Audit the Balance Sheet
If there is any discrepancy, then we need to audit the model and check for any linkage errrors
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If you learned something new or enjoyed this Excel based Financial Modeling Training, please leave a comment below. Let me know what you think. Many thanks and take care. Happy Learning!Iowa Planning One Billion Dollar Wind Farm
January 9th, 2009 by Ariel Schwartz
Having almost been run off the road by Iowa’s gusty winds, I’m not surprised to hear about the state’s interest in wind energy. But the scale of its current project— a one billion dollar wind farm— is truly impressive. The proposed Trade Wind Energy farm will feature 335 wind generators that can produce up to 500 MW of energy. Each generator will be able to power 500 to 1,000 homes.
The generators will each be at least 1,000 feet apart, and property owners in the vicinity will receive rent for use of wind rights.
Project details haven’t been finalized, however, and the number of wind generators will ultimately depend on success in leasing property rights. But Trade Wind Energy representatives are confident that the project will go ahead as planned since some leases have already been signed and area farmers seem receptive.
If the wind farm is approved, construction will begin in 3 to 5 years.LONDON, Ont. — Ontario beekeepers are suing pesticide manufacturers for $450 million, alleging their chemical agents are responsible for the huge decline in bee populations in recent years.
Sun Parlor and Munro Honey intend to launch a class action lawsuit to recover losses by beekeepers dating as far back as 2006.
"From an economic standpoint it’s certainly big. From an environmental and social standpoint, it’s even bigger" said Dimitri Laskaris, a laywer with Siskinds LLP, representing the case.
The statement of claim alleges that Bayer (CropScience) and Syngenta were negligent in the manufacture, sale and distribution of neonicotinoids in Ontario that caused beekeepers to suffer significant losses and damage.
None of the allegations have been proven in court.
Officials with Bayer CropScience and Syngenta Canada weren’t immediately available for comment.
In previous interviews, the manufacturers have said a variety of factors — including parasites, management practices and weather — have played a role in the declining bee population, which has seen numbers fall by 35% annually in Ontario, and even more in other provinces.
They say neonicotinoids replaced toxic insecticides that were harmful to the broader environment and note that bee deaths aren’t an issue in Western Canada, where neonic-treated canola seed is common.
The apiarists’ lawsuit alleges the companies have made false, misleading and deceptive claims of safety and that treated corn and soybean seeds are now "ubiquitous and inescapable for bees."
The Sierra Club of Canada, which has been a vocal supporter of the Ontario Beekeepers’ Association, on Wednesday urged Canadians to continue the anti-neonic campaign and to continue "to fuel the fire for ecological justice."
Neonicotinoids have become a flashpoint within agricultural and environmental circles.
It’s even divided beekeepers.
The Ontario Beekeepers Association, which has come out against the use of the chemical, is not involved in the lawsuit, executive director Julie White said.
The European Union has placed a ban on neonics and the Ontario Agriculture Ministry is looking to curtail farmers’ use of the pesticide.During a routine inspection of donated filing cabinets, a warehouse worker at Kansas City’s Surplus Exchange made a surprisingly timely discovery: around 24 photos of the April 9, 1968, protest at KCMO’s City Hall following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
According to an article on the Kansas City Public Library’s website, this largely peaceful protest involved 200–300 young black men. They gathered at city hall to demand that school be cancelled to honor the day of King’s funeral. The mayor at the time, Ilus Davis, joined protests, but this did not stop police from firing tear gas.
After police action, the protest devolved into riots, destroying three blocks along Prospect Avenue. Six black Kansas Citians died in the conflict, which involved 1,700 National Guard troops and 700 policemen.
Flatland spoke with David Ready from Surplus Exchange about the photographs.
“The person who took them, they took them, got them developed and just stuck them in that filing cabinet and never looked at them again,” he said. “They’re in great condition.”
In the photos, you can see the police lines and clouds of tear gas in front of city hall.
“We don’t often find really significant historical stuff,” he said. “Sometimes older documents, like purchase orders…. Nothing on this level.”
Ready said that Surplus Exchange plans to donate the photos to the Missouri Valley Room at the library.
With activists across the United States engaged in May Day protests, and six Baltimore police facing criminal charges in the death of Freddie Gray, this discovery feels significantly timely.
“It put things in historical context with what’s going on right now,” Ready said. “How things have changed and have not changed.”
— While this post published in 2015, it was updated in 2018 to reflect a new agreed-upon number of casualties. Experts now generally agree six people, not seven, died as a result of the riots.ARLINGTON, Va. -- After an offseason of changes, the Washington Capitals spent much of October trying to find themselves and some consistency in their play.
Playing eight of their first 12 games on the road, and injuries to defenseman Matt Niskanen (upper body) and forwards Andre Burakovsky (thumb), Brett Connolly (upper body) and Tyler Graovac (upper body), didn't make that challenge any easier, and they are far from satisfied with their 5-6-1 start.
They play 13 of their next 18 games at home, the first against the New York Islanders at Capital One Arena on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; NBCSWA, MSG+, NHL.TV).
Although they are 1-3-0 at home this season, the Capitals hope playing there more often will help.
"It'll be a good opportunity," defenseman Brooks Orpik said. "We haven't had more than one game in a row here at home, so it's kind of a weird schedule to start off. It's tough to generate any kind of momentum or rhythm at home, so hopefully we can take advantage of that."
The Capitals won the Presidents' Trophy each of the past two seasons but knew they would likely go through some growing pains after the offseason departures of forwards Justin Williams (signed with the Carolina Hurricanes), Marcus Johansson (traded to the New Jersey Devils) and Daniel Winnik (signed with the Minnesota Wild), and defensemen Karl Alzner (signed with the Montreal Canadiens), Kevin Shattenkirk (signed with the New York Rangers) and Nate Schmidt (selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL Expansion Draft).
The Capitals have been working in three inexperienced defensemen: Aaron Ness, 27; and rookies Christian Djoos, 23, and Madison Bowey, 22. It didn't help when Niskanen was injured against the New Jersey Devils on Oct. 13.
Video: FLA@WSH: Djoos tallies pretty goal in the 2nd
The Capitals were hoping Burakovsky would help replace some of the 60 goals they lost from last season with Williams (24 goals), Johansson (24) and Winnik (12) gone. But Burakovsky had one goal and three assists in nine games before he was injured Oct. 21 against the Florida Panthers.
Connolly, who scored an NHL career-high 15 goals last season, had one this season before missing the past two games.
The Capitals have dropped from scoring 3.18 goals per game, which was third in the NHL last season, to 2.92, which ranks 19th. Their average of 29.3 shots per game ranks 30th among the NHL's 31 teams (down from 30.4/13th) and they are allowing 33.8 shots per game, which ranks 25th (up from 27.8/fourth).
The difference is even bigger in their goals-against average, which has inflated from a League-best 2.16 last season to 3.42 and ranks 24th.
Much of this is related to their struggles breaking out of the defensive zone. That has resulted in spending more time in the defensive zone and less time generating shots and scoring chances in the offensive zone.
"We've got lots of new people," Capitals coach Barry Trotz said. "Coming out of our zone has been a little bit more difficult and that's just the way it is. We've got some new people [on defense] and we've got some new people at forward and then we're sort of learning."
The Capitals believe they made some progress during their three-game road trip to Western Canada last week. Although they went 1-2-0 -- losing 6-2 to the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday, winning 5-2 against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday, and losing 2-1 to the Calgary Flames on Sunday -- they thought they competed better in the last two games.
They were in position to earn at least a point in Calgary before a turnover at the attacking blue line by defenseman Dmitry Orlov led to a Flames' odd-man rush and Sean Monahan's winning goal with 10:51 remaining.
Video: WSH@CGY: Monahan tucks home Gaudreau's gorgeous feed
"The last couple of games I think we've started to figure out what kind of team we have to be," goaltender Braden Holtby said. "We're still not there. I think we knew we were going to have some adversity and some things we need to go through. In saying that, when you go through it, it's still frustrating. It's making sure we still have a complete buy-in at all times through that frustration and through that adversity and I think we'll come out a much better team."
Playing with a lead would help. The Capitals have allowed the first goal in nine of their 12 games, including the past seven.
"Of course, you want to win as many games as you want and you can," said captain Alex Ovechkin, who is third in NHL with 10 goals and is tied for sixth with 15 points. "It's a situation when you just have to take it game by game. Every point is needed.... It's not going be easy. We understand who we are and how we have to play and how we have to manage our game and we're going be fine."The rising cost of food is eating into the bottom line at Chipotle Mexican Grill.
The Mexican restaurant chain still impressed investors Tuesday, as revenues surged 24.4% to $904.2 million during the first quarter. But profit growth wasn’t as punchy. Net income at the one-time McDonald’s unit (McDonald’s spun off Chipotle as a separate company back in 2006) rose 8.5% to $83.1 million. And you can see that the sizzling profit growth that Chipotle has seen in recent years has cooled off a bit. (Though that’s to be expected as the size of its profits rise.) The company, which emphasizes its use of high-quality sustainable ingredients, blamed rising costs for meat, cheese and avocados for declining profit growth. Food costs rose 1.50 percentage points to 35% of revenues during the quarter, the company said.
And that’s precisely why the burrito behemoth is considering raising prices later this year. In January, company officials said “we believe a menu price increase is likely, sometime during the third quarter.” (Though they also stressed that the decision wasn’t final.) But with little sign that a drought in California’s agricultural region is abating any time soon, there’s not much reason to expect these food prices to decline much either. So don’t be surprised to see a more expensive Chipotle burrito in the future.Double Fine’s Kickstarter (currently wobbly under the weight of money), the planned month-long fund raise for $400,000, has just crossed $1,000,000 in the first 24 hours. One. Million. Dollars. In a day.
I know it’s crazy, but it kind of makes me a bit teary-eyed.
I’m sure some people have said, “That’s money that could have gone to charity,” but you know what? Lots of money goes to charity too. This is money being given to the arts, and it’s a great thing to see.
As I said earlier, I’m sure that when Schafer typed in the “400,000” into the Kickstarter box, a part of him would have wondered if he was pushing his luck. I mean, that’s an awful lot of money, and it’s a lot to ask for a game that doesn’t exist in any form. It’s reliant on a reputation, and a desire for a genre.
But what a reputation. This is Tim Schafer, one of my real heroes. Day Of The Tentacle means so much to me, and is a game I keep going back to, to remind me of the standards I should be demanding from comedy in games. Grim Fandango was Schafer’s most personal creation, and is rated by very many as the best example of the genre. And Psychonauts – well, I’m not sure there’s any chance that I won’t spend the weekend replaying it now. What marks out these games (perhaps not DOTT so much) is the emotion that pours out of them. They’re so touching, so much deeper than the surface suggests. And they’re so damned funny. Oh, and he’s only got Ron Gilbert working with him.
And what a genre! While it does seem that only German developers remember why such graphic adventures were so special, the audience certainly hasn’t forgotten. And despite a peculiarly concerted effort by both the gaming press and publishers for the last fifteen years to constantly decry it as a failing field, there’s a lot of love out there. And a lot of money.
This display of giving has been remarkable to watch. Not altruistic, obviously – people want the game. Anyone who has been refreshing the Kickstarter page can’t have failed to bristle with excitement when they’ve seen it’s leapt up by another $10,000 in the last five minutes. 26,000 people have backed this, pledging an average of $40 each. And sure, a publisher can see those as tiny numbers if compared to game sales, it’s crucial to remember that this is in under a day, and it’s only by people who’ve been following the story! There’s been no long-term advertising campaign, just the press generated by a day’s excitement. And of course for DF, there’s no debt, and no publisher breathing down their neck.
This isn’t a sign of how all games will be funded – obviously not. This isn’t the death of publishing, or whatever other rather silly comments some have made today. But what it is, is a loud, clear signal from the gaming audience that the middlemen are not always necessary, they are not necessary for the creative industry to succeed. Because this isn’t a lone example, this is one of many creative projects that have found their way to success through the patronage of their customers. Whatever happens next, direct funding is going to play a large part in it. And it’s impossible not to observe that on a day when gamers give a million dollars for a game that doesn’t yet exist, Ubisoft’s customers couldn’t play games they’d paid for and received. The contrast is important to notice.
But most of all, there’s going to be a new Gilbert and Schafer adventure game, and that makes me just beam. And seeing this much money come in from people passionate to make it happen – well, it’s just joyful. A properly happy thing.
Let’s hope the game’s good.Let’s say someone asked you to paint them a painting. A beautiful painting, a masterpiece, to be hung in the lobby of an Important Building.
“Great,” you say. You are an accomplished painter, and this is quite an exciting project. You ask what this painting should be of.
“Your speciality, of course. A peaceful landscape.”
It’s music to your ears. Snapshots of still seas, rolling hills, fluttering fields flash before your eyes. So many options. The next day, you start sketching some ideas.
The phone rings. “Great news! We’ve decided to host an Important Gala for the unveiling of your painting! Tons of Important People will be there! Unfortunately, the only date that will work for this gala is a month from today. Do you think you can finish the painting by then?”
You furrow your brows. 30 days is tight. Super tight. Normally you like three months. But a Gala… and all those Important People… You say yes. You head to your fridge and pull out a pack of red bull. It’s going to be a long month.
Fifteen days in, a second call comes. “Fantastic news! We‘re so excited about your painting we want to display it in a more prominent location. You know how it was going to be at the back of the lobby near reception? Well now, it’ll be the first thing people see when they enter! It’ll be magnificent! There’s just one tiny issue… In order to fit the new wall, we’re going to need a smaller painting. 25% smaller. Can you make that happen?”
You grit your teeth and tell them there’s not enough time to start a new painting unless the deadline changes.
“Well, we can’t do that! The gala’s all ready to go. Can’t you just crop off a bit of the painting?”
You look at your half-completed work. To fit the new constraints, you’d need to discard the mountains that frame the fields. It’s doable, technically. But it’d be a different painting. A worse painting.
But think of your clients. You don’t want to let them down. And to have your painting so prominently displayed… where all those people will see it…
You say yes. With a slight twinge, you cut out the mountains.
Twenty-five days in, a third call comes. “Incredible news! We’ve all been admiring the photo you sent of your work in progress, and we showed the Owner of the Building. He loves how it’s turning out. In fact, he’s willing to commission another set of ten paintings for an Enormous Sum of Money! But he has a tiny request… You see, capybaras are his spirit animal, and he’d really love it if you could include a capybara in your current painting.”
You’re flabbergasted. What on earth is a capybara? You tell them you don’t know what to say as you frantically initiate a Google image search.
“Say you’ll do it, of course! They’ll liven up the painting. Imagine… a whole family of capybaras!”
When the results load, your stomach drops.Everyone keeps talking about a luxury market slowdown, but the numbers are in for Manhattan sales in the first quarter of 2016, and they still reflect the good ol' days of NYC's real estate boom.
According to Douglas Elliman's Q1 Manhattan sales report (and corroborated by Corcoran's), the average price of a Manhattan apartment surpassed $2 million for the first time ever this year, with the median price of an apartment now reaching $1.137 million (which is just 1.1 percent less than the record set in Q4 2015.) Those numbers are alarmingly high, but include the closings of some major contracts penned years ago, like at 432 Park Avenue, where its first condo closed in January for $17.75 million.
At Corcoran, sales and contracts signed are down from last quarter, but median and average prices are up. It seems to be another case of big closings swaying numbers.
New development closings in Manhattan are up an astonishing 94.1 percent from this time last year, but the Elliman report points out that listing trends moved in the opposite direction, where new development inventory plunged from the previous year for the third quarter in a row.
"I find it fascinating how long the market takes to react to a change when conditions have been going a certain way for five years," Douglas Elliman data compiler Jonathan Miller says, pointing out the difference between the market now and what it reflects as big contracts signed years ago begin to close.
It isn't just luxury contract closings that are shifting overall pricing higher. The resale market is also a contributor. The median resale price rose from $885,000 to $950,000 over the past year, according to Elliman. By BHS's numbers, the median resale cost swells to $965,000, which is a new record for the category. Resale makes up 78 percent of Manhattan's market, so it's nothing to scoff at.
While the super rich were busy signing away millions for the upper echelons of NYC real estate, normies were doing just the same for not super expensive apartments. "At the same time all these contracts were being signed in 2013 and 2014, the actual closed sales for transactions of mere mortals were also at record highs," Miller explains, saying that the record numbers were largely caused by the release of pent-up demand created during the recession years. The same time that closing volume was setting records, new development contracts were also being signed in record numbers.
The long and short of it: the market reports have yet to reflect the slowdown in luxury sales, and are actually reflecting just the opposite of what's really going on now that contracts penned in 2013 and 2014 are just closing. Looking for dipping numbers? Check back in a few years.Cave Paintings are paintings on cave walls and ceilings, usually dating to prehistoric times. The earliest known European cave paintings date to 32,000 years ago. Join us to discover the top twenty most fascinating prehistoric cave paintings.
1 Lascaux Cave Paintings: the prehistoric Sistine Chapel
Known as “the prehistoric Sistine Chapel,” the Lascaux Caves, a cave complex in southwestern France, contain some of the most remarkable paleolithic cave paintings in the world, from at least 15,000 years ago.
The cave was discovered on 12 September 1940 by four teenagers, Marcel Ravidat, Jacques Marsal, Georges Agnel, and Simon Coencas, as well as Ravidat’s dog, Robot. Public access was made easier after World War II. By 1955, the carbon dioxide produced by 1,200 visitors per day had visibly damaged the paintings. The cave was closed to the public in 1963 in order to preserve the art.
2 Altamira Cave Paintings: as Picasso famously exclaimed, “after Altamira, all is decadence”
The fabulous caves of Altamira are located near Santilliana del Mar in Cantabria, Northern Spain, about 30 kms. west of Santander.As is so often the case they were discovered by chance. In 1868 a hunter by the name of Modesto Cubillas stumbled across them but they were not properly explored until 1875 by a nobleman from Santander named Marcellino Sanz de Santuola but it was his daughter, Maria de Santuola who discovered the wonderful cave paintings of Altamira in 1879.However they were of such astounding quality and so well preserved that specialists doubted their authenticity and sadly the discoverer was dead before they were officially acknowledged as genuine. At the beginning of the 20th. centuary they were finally accepted as authentic after similar remains from the stone age were discovered in the area. However the cave paintings of Altamira remain the most exceptional evidence of Magdalénian culture (between c. 16,500 and 14,000 years ago) in southern Europe.
3 Chauvet Cave Paintings: spectacular artwork
The Chauvet Cave or is located in the Ardèche département, southern France. It became famous in 1994 after a trio of speleologists found that its walls were richly decorated with Paleolithic artwork, that it contained the fossilized remains of many animals, including those that are now extinct, and that the floor preserved the footprints of animals and humans. The Chauvet Cave was soon regarded as one of the most significant pre-historic art sites in the world.
The cave is uncharacteristically large and the quality, quantity, and condition of the artwork found on its walls has been called spectacular. It appears to have been occupied by humans during two distinct periods: the Aurignacian and the Gravettian. Most of the artwork dates to the earlier, Aurignacian, era (30,000 to 32,000 years ago). The later Gravettian occupation, which occurred 25,000 to 27,000 years ago, left little but a child’s footprint, the charred remains of ancient hearths and carbon smoke stains from torches that lit the caves.
4 Magura Cave Paintings: peeking into the prehistoric world
The Magura cave is in the Northwest of Bulgaria, some 180km from the capital of Sofia. Pearls of the cave are the unique paintings on stone, done in bat guano. They are multi layered and come from different epochs – The Epupaleolith, The Neolith, The Eneolith, the beginning of The Early Bronze Age. The paintings in the Magura cave represent dancing women, dancing and hunting men, disguised men, large variety of animals, suns, stars, instruments of labour, and plants. The Solar calendar from The Late Eneolith and some later additions, made during The Early Bronze age are quite accurate.
Through pictures information about religous events and feasts along with their smbols and particular personages were saved. Some of the images are very complex compositions and hint about the diversity of ideas in a world extremely rich in intellectual and spiritual aspect. The Magura drawings define its function as a temple for a long period of time – from The Neolith till The Iron age.
5 Cosquer Cave Paintings: an underwater cave from up to 27,000 years ago
The Cosquer cave is located in the Calanque de Morgiou near Marseille, France, not very far from Cap Morgiou. This cave, the entrance of which is located underwater nowadays, was discovered by Henri Cosquer in 1991.Today the cave can be accessed through a 175-meter long tunnel, the entrance of which is located 37 meters under sea level.
The cave contains several dozen painting and carvings dating back to Upper Paleolithic, matching two different phases of occupation of the cave:Older drawings of hand stencils and other related motifs, dating back to 27,000 BP (Gravettian); and newer drawings of signs and animal drawings dating back to 19,000 BP (Solutrean), representing both “classical” animals such as bisons, ibexes, and horses but also marine animals such as seals and what appear to be auks and jellyfish.
6 Font de Gaume Cave Paintings: the best example of polychrome painting
Prehistoric people living in the Dordogne Valley first settled in the mouth of Font de Gaume around 25,000 BC. The cave mouth was inhabited at least sporadically for the next several thousand years. However, after the original prehistoric inhabitants left, the cave was forgotten until the nineteenth century when local people again began to visit the cave.
In 1901, Denis Peyrony, a school teacher from Les Eyzies, discovered the paintings inside Font de Gaume. The paintings date from around 17000 BC, during the Magdalénien period. However, many of the cave’s paintings were discovered much later. The cave’s most famous painting, a frieze of five bison was discovered accidentally in 1966 while scientists were cleaning the cave. Font de Gaume holds over 200 polychrome paintings and is considered the best example of polychrome painting other than Lascaux, which is now closed to the public. The paintings in Font de Gaume include depictions of more than 80 bison, approximately 40 horse depictions, and more than 20 mammoth depictions.SCOTTSBURG, Ind. — When former Indiana Gov. Mike Pence embraced Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion with conservative twists — such as requiring enrollees to contribute to their care — critics lamented poor people would be locked out while backers cheered the program’s focus on personal responsibility.
Neither side’s expectations were quite borne out. Two years later, as the program emerges as a national model thanks to Pence’s role in the Trump administration, the reality on the ground shows what happens when political philosophy collides with the practical challenges of providing health care to tens of thousands of people, many of them in crisis.
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Advocates for the poor in Indiana argue that liberal fears of depressed enrollment were overblown. More than 400,000 Hoosiers are enrolled, despite state requirements that low-income residents make nominal monthly contributions to their care or face stiff penalties.
Likewise, Republicans’ contention that the system would promote personal responsibility and prod beneficiaries to ration their care and make better decisions about what treatments to seek also turned out to be overly optimistic.
By all accounts, the expansion — known as the Healthy Indiana Plan 2.0 — has made a difference. Health officials in Scott County, Ind., a poverty-stricken community about 30 miles from Louisville, Ky., paint a picture of a program that’s bolstered a patchy social safety net — especially during a major HIV outbreak triggered by the opioid epidemic — without bankrupting the Hoosier State or punishing enrollees.
To be sure, the program isn’t perfect, they say. But they overwhelmingly give more positive reviews than not.
“I feel that it has been a good success,” said Dawn Sanders, an outreach worker for Covering Kids & Families of Indiana, a statewide consumer group working in Scott County. “It’s working.”
Healthy Indiana’s influence is expected to increase in the months ahead whether or not Obamacare survives, as state officials and the Trump administration look to replicate some of its conservative features, potentially unleashing a wave of new state restrictions on how non-disabled adults get coverage without any action from Congress.
“The Healthy Indiana Plan has long been, and continues to be, a national model for state-led Medicaid reforms,” HHS Secretary Tom Price wrote in response to senators after his confirmation hearing.
“It is important that Medicaid's design helps its members to transition successfully from the program into commercial health insurance plans, as [Healthy Indiana's] consumer-driven approach and underlying incentive structures encourage,” he told lawmakers.
Seema Verma, meanwhile, a Pence ally who helped design the program before she was tapped to run CMS, now has the power to give states greater flexibility to reshape their own programs according to conservative principles.
Kentucky and Arizona have already borrowed aspects of Indiana’s plan while others, including Wisconsin, could move to enact new limits that resemble the approach.
Indiana’s plan also provides a measure of political cover to lawmakers in red states where supporting Obamacare’s coverage expansion is still deeply controversial. Republicans across the country have found it easier to back an expansion of government-funded health care for the poor if it more closely resembles a private insurance market. Yet liberals remain deeply skeptical because of the way the system is designed to cut people off who don’t make monthly payments, at least temporarily.
Both sides could find their assumptions challenged based on the experience in places like Scott County.
The Indiana plan does punish people above the poverty line who stop making monthly contributions by locking them out of coverage for six months. But because most enrollees have incomes below the poverty line, lockouts have been rare, according to state evaluations of the first year of the program. Instead, those below the poverty line who don’t pay are bumped from plans with more generous benefits — including coverage of vision and dental care and better prescription drug benefits — into skimpier plans with higher out-of-pocket costs.
“It sounds like, ‘Oh my gosh, people are going to have to pay.’ But people that were uninsured were paying for it already,” if they go to the doctor, said Beth Wrobel, who runs a federally qualified health center in Valparaiso, in the northern part of the state.
Diabetic patients who visited Wrobel’s clinic before the start of Healthy Indiana incurred significantly higher costs paying for their regular medical supplies and routine testing, she said. Now, under the more generous benefit package, “the most you have to pay is $26 a month, and that’s at the high end. Most of our patients pay between $1 and $10 a month,” Wrobel said.
“For the same amount that you were paying at that moment for your diabetic care, you could get medical, dental, behavioral health, optometry and pharmacy. [Healthy Indiana] treated the whole body,” she said.
Randy White, CEO of Fayette Regional Health System in Connersville, in the east-central part of the state, agreed that Healthy Indiana “is not harsh.”
If the liberal specter of a punitive system pushing out enrollees hasn’t quite materialized, neither has conservatives’ vision of a market-like system where patients with “skin in the game” make hard choices about their own health spending. That’s because family members, health workers and nonprofits are helping cover their out-of-pocket costs.
“With some people, I think [personal responsibility] might be a little bit lost,” Sanders said in her office at the Scott County Partnership, a nonprofit. “We try and do what we can in the little bit of time we have with them. But you can only give them so many pamphlets.”
About 2,100 of the enrollees who gained coverage through Indiana’s expansion live in Scott County, a poor, sparsely populated area that gained notoriety where an HIV outbreak took off two years ago, fueled by needle sharing and opioid abuse.
Sanders recalled how a man with substance abuse problems signed up for health coverage in the small town of Austin, Ind., which had set up a “one-stop shop” to get people enrolled and provide medical services like HIV screenings and vaccinations.
“He knew he had hit rock bottom. And he knew he needed help,” Sanders said. “He no longer lives in the area, but he had to be able to get away from this. He has stayed clean this whole time. He now has his children back. We have quite a few success stories, as far as that’s concerned.”
As of early April, there were 216 county residents with HIV, according to Scott County Health Department Administrator Michelle Goodin, but roughly three-quarters of the patients don’t have enough of the virus in their blood to spread it to others. New cases are still being diagnosed.
“We’ve got about 30 to 40 people usually that are HIV-positive in our facility,” said Sheriff Dan McClain, whose staff helps prisoners apply for Medicaid so that they can receive benefits, including mental health and substance abuse treatment, as soon as they are released. “We offer them a test for HIV and … we offer to sign them up for HIP 2.0,” he said.
With an ad-hoc support network fortifying the safety net, some liberal groups and Democratic lawmakers question whether the conservative tweaks are really adding value or simply burdening enrollees with unnecessary complications. Without those hurdles, they say enrollment would be even higher.
Progressives also fear that if the Indiana model is embraced in states that initially did traditional expansions of Medicaid, it would erode enrollment gains.
"Work requirements, lock-out periods, time limits and imposition of onerous premiums and cost-sharing on Medicaid families, who are generally living on a budget of roughly less than $15,000 per year, are not only punitive but also counterproductive in the long-term," Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) wrote in a letter to HHS last month to discourage it from approving additional restrictions, many of which would be program firsts. "Requiring poor families to pay more than they can afford for care makes them less likely to access the care they need and less likely to maintain their coverage."
State surveys of how Healthy Indiana is working present a fragmentary picture, and despite the program’s popularity in Indiana, there are some signs of hampered enrollment because of its complex structure and broader concerns about affordability. For example, roughly half of the enrollees in the more comprehensive benefit package worried about being able to afford their monthly payments. Left-leaning groups have used the data to raise flags about harmful implications for other states.
The first-year report also estimated that roughly 1,240 enrollees received financial help from nonprofits to pay their premiums, a paltry slice of overall enrollment. But residents here believe many more enrollees likely rely on family members, friends and others sources undetected by official surveys. Sanders and others pointed out that the premium cost of keeping someone covered in the program’s more generous benefit package — which includes vision and dental benefits as well as more robust coverage of prescriptions — is as little as $12 for an entire year.
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“We’ve paid it out of our pocket many times at the office just to get |
least 30 climbers were on the formation when a section gave way Wednesday.
Foster and his wife were not on the cliff, however. They were hiking at the bottom of El Capitan far from trails used by most Yosemite visitors in preparation for an ascent when the chunk of granite about 12 stories tall broke free and plunged, Gediman said.
The slab was about 130 feet (40 meters) tall and 65 feet (19 meters) wide and fell from the popular “Waterfall Route” on the East Buttress of El Capitan, Gediman said.
Yosemite geologist Greg Stock said the break was probably caused by the expansion and contraction of the monolith’s granite as it heats up during the summer and gets cold and more brittle in the winter.
Officials had no immediate estimate for how much the big rock weighed. But Gediman said all of the rock falls combined on Wednesday weighed 1,300 tons (1,100 metric tons).
Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2yugJRGIn a 6-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court upholds a New York state law that prohibits communists from teaching in public schools. Coming at the height of the Red Scare in the United States, the Supreme Court decision was additional evidence that many Americans were concerned about possible subversive communist activity in their country.
The New York state statute—called the Feinberg Law—banned from the teaching profession anyone who called for the overthrow of the government; the law was specifically aimed at communists. Several other states adopted similar measures. In New York, a group of teachers and parents challenged the law, and eventually the case went to the Supreme Court. The majority decision upholding the Feinberg Law, declared the New York Times, supported the belief that “the state had a constitutional right to protect the immature minds of children in its public schools from subversive propaganda, subtle or otherwise, disseminated by those ‘to whom they look for guidance, authority and leadership.'” The dissenting opinion from justices William O. Douglas, Hugo Black, and Felix Frankfurter charged that the New York statute “turns the school system into a spying project.” In New York, the Teachers Union vowed to continue fighting the law. Eight teachers had already been dismissed under the provisions of the law and as many others were facing hearings.
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The Supreme Court decision was a barometer of the national temper. In the years preceding the case, former State Department official Alger Hiss had been convicted of perjury in connection with his testimony concerning his involvement with the Communist Party; Julius and Ethel Rosenberg had been convicted and sentenced to death for passing atomic secrets to the Soviets; and Senator Joseph McCarthy had made a career out of searching for communists in the U.S. government. By 1952, many Americans were convinced that communist agents and supporters were actively at work within the United States, and that their forces permeated every aspect of American life. The Feinberg Law remained in force until another Supreme Court decision in 1967 declared most of its provisions unconstitutional.
ADVERTISEMENT Thanks for watching! Visit WebsiteDonald Trump's Boeing 757 prepares to leave Las Vegas on Saturday on the way to an immigration-themed rally in Phoenix. (Robert Costa/Washington Post)
SOMEWHERE ABOVE THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST — It was Saturday night aboard Donald Trump’s gleaming Boeing 757. An hour earlier, he had finished the most high-profile speech of his nearly month-old presidential campaign: a rally attended by thousands in Phoenix where he railed against illegal immigration and countless other targets — Macy's, NBC, NASCAR, U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy — for 70 minutes. The billionaire real-estate mogul took off his jacket, clicked the oversized satellite television in his plush, cream-colored cabin over to Fox News and closely watched the channel’s coverage.
As shadowy images of Hispanic immigrants and criminal mug shots were interspersed with his remarks, Trump, 69, turned gleeful. "The only reason they’re talking about this is because of me," he said. "Look at that crowd, fantastic," he added. He sat down in his leather chair. His eponymous crest was woven into the headrest, and his plane was 30,000 feet above the border he had called so porous that illegal immigrants are able to "flow in like water."
Since Donald Trump announced his presidential bid, he's drawn plenty of controversy and outrage for his comments on the campaign trail. Here are some of the key moments. (The Washington Post)
In an expletive-laden interview over soft drinks — Trump sips from a small plastic bottle of Coca-Cola — the celebrity contender said he has no plans to change the way he’s running for the Republican nomination, which combines his trademark showmanship, an outsider-populist credo that resists ideological categorization and incendiary comments that have thrilled conservative activists.
Trump was most animated when analyzing the way the news media covered him and dishing with aides about the articles they had printed out. He was less excited discussing the process of presidential politics. When asked about the coming debate, set for Aug. 6 in Cleveland, he shrugged and said, “Whatever.” When asked about calls for him to tone down his fiery pitch, he shrugged again.
1 of 12 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad × Cutting ties with Trump: Who has dumped him and why View Photos The GOP presidential hopeful has faced an avalanche of criticism over his characterization of illegal immigrants. Caption The GOP presidential hopeful has faced an avalanche of criticism over his characterization of illegal immigrants. Randal Pinkett, Tara Dowdell and Kwame Jackso Former "Apprentice" contestants Randal Pinkett, right, Tara Dowdell, center, and Kwame Jackson speak at a news conference in New York. The contestants claim that a great deal of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's conversation has been divisive and extremely dangerous for America. Pinkett, a business consultant who won the show’s fourth season, said he is grateful for the opportunities that have come his way as a result of “The Apprentice” but added, “because our allegiance to our country supersedes our relationship with Donald, we see today as an act of patriotism, not disloyalty.” Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue.
Following is a lightly edited transcript:
What’s next?
More of the same, I’ll keep doing my thing. I’ll go around to different places, get great receptivity. I get the biggest crowds. I get the biggest standing ovations. You saw that today, I could have been there for 20 minutes and they would have been cheering. So, you’ll see more of the same, getting the word out.
Will immigration remain your focus?
No. It’s just one of the things. It’s not only immigration. It’s about trade. They go hand in hand. Immigration is one of the things you have to do. I’m also a moralist. You heard what I said today about health care. I said, I’m sorry, folks, but we have to take care people that don’t have money. I know it’s not the conservative thing to say, but I got a standing ovation — and these were very conservative people. We can’t let people down when they can’t get any medical care, when they’re sick and don’t have money to go to a doctor. You help them.
Monogram on a headrest inside Donald Trump's private Boeing 757 airliner. (Robert Costa/Washington Post)
So Trump has a heart?
A big heart, let me tell you. Too big.
When did you decide to seize on immigration and make it the thrust of your campaign?
They gave it to me. It wasn’t a big part of my announcement speech — a small paragraph. The Democrats and the enemies lined up and they criticized me for one line where I said Mexico is sending — I said Mexico is sending. I didn’t say people are coming over and they’re bad people. They would leave off the ‘Mexico is sending’ part, chop it and say I said ‘rapists’ when talking about people.
But when you use a word like rapist...
It is a very rough word. It’s okay to use.
[Eyeing the television, Trump gets up to watch another Fox News segment about his Arizona gathering. "Jeanine Pirro, let’s see what she has to say about me," he said as he settled into his couch. When a picture of the Mexican laborer accused of killing a San Francisco woman is put on screen, Trump said: "Look at that guy, look at what he did, killing that beautiful girl. [Expletive] animal." He returned several minutes later to continue the interview.]
[Read more: The 23 people and institutions Trump slammed in one speech]
Are you looking forward to the debate?
No, not one way or the other. Whatever. I don’t look forward or not look forward. It is what it is.
When are you going to file your financial disclosure with the Federal Election Commission?
This week. Do you think Jeb Bush [the former Florida governor] is going to file his statement? I don’t know what’s going on. I just heard it today that he hasn’t filed. I assume he would have been filed. His should be simple, you know, in comparison to mine. I have so many companies and corporations.
Many Republican officials have asked you to tone down your immigration comments. It doesn’t seem like you’re listening to their advice.
I respect the people in the Republican Party, but this is a very important issue and it can’t be toned down. It’s an issue that wants to be silenced. Remember I told you the story about the guy they were going after, that killer, and when they heard he was he was an illegal immigrant it was like he was protected? If he were a citizen, they’d put him in jail for life.
The pilots on Donald Trump's private 757 en route to Phoenix on Saturday. (Robert Costa/Washington Post)
How did you come up with “the silent majority” as a theme for your Saturday speech?
I was just thinking about it today. When I heard about this overwhelming — I’m telling you, it was 500 people at the start and the hotel called us begging to be released. They said they never had anything like this and we had to move the venue. I said to myself, 'That’s the silent majority.'
You don’t care about the Nixon overtones?
Nah. Nobody remembers that. Oh, is that why people stopped using [the phrase]? Maybe. Nobody thinks of Nixon. I don’t think of Nixon when I think of the silent majority. The silent majority today, they’re going to vote for Trump. Remember, many Republicans didn’t vote for Mitt Romney. He didn’t inspire people. They’re going to vote for me. And I’ll also get the Hispanics, you watch.
What do they see in you?
They see somebody who’s going to turn the country around — somebody who has the ability to turn this country around. They’re tired of the incompetence. When you see my [financial] statement, you’ll be very impressed. That’s why it’s important. Let’s say I was worth $10. People would say, "Who the [expletive] are you?" You understand? They know my statement. Fortune. My book, "The Art of the Deal," based on my fortune. If I didn’t make a fortune, who the [expletive] is going to buy "The Art of the Deal"? That’s why they watched "The Apprentice," because of my great success.
Donald Trump makes his infamous "You're fired!" gesture during a recent campaign speech. (REUTERS/Dominick Reuter/Files)
Do you see your bid as similar to Ross Perot’s 1992 maverick presidential campaign?
No. I don’t consider Perot a movement. This is a movement. It’s a different movement than I think you’ve ever seen before. Angry, sad, disappointed, devastated by what’s happened to the country. Mourning. Some of these people who’ve lost their kids to [illegal immigrants], it’s mourning. I spoke to one of the mothers today who came to see me, lost her son five years ago. It was like it was yesterday. Their lives are [expletive] over. She’ll never be happy. This campaign is about making America great again. I copyrighted it.
What the [expletive] else do you have? Are you finished yet?
[Trump turns back to Fox, which is again covering the accused San Francisco killer. "Look at this animal. Now he’s claiming innocence. He’s got the lawyer now," Trump said. He stands up and opens another Coke, not to go on the record again.]John Fox went from very employed to not especially employed in a matter of, oh, about 36 hours. The first rumblings I heard about Fox possibly being fired came out Sunday morning, when Jay Glazer reported that the Broncos were considering moving on from Fox if they lost to the Colts that afternoon. When the Broncos lost 24-13 in an uncharacteristically meek performance, the vultures circled. Postgame reports suggested the Broncos had never discussed firing Fox before Sunday’s loss, but after apparently discussing it for the first time Monday, they liked the idea enough to follow through.
Fox and the Broncos “mutually parted ways” Monday afternoon, which is the NFL’s spin on conscious uncoupling. Maybe Fox just happened to decide at the same time as the Broncos did that he would rather not be paid to be their head coach anymore. It seems more logical to treat that as a firing, and in that context, I have to admit it’s a pretty bizarre one. When Jim Harbaugh was fired/mutually parted ways with San Francisco, I mentioned that successful coaches like Harbaugh almost never leave teams this quickly. Fox is an even better example.
There’s a possibility that, in terms of winning percentage, Fox might be the most successful head coach since the AFL-NFL merger to get fired. I went through the coaching history at Pro-Football-Reference.com and tried to identify coaches who were similar to Fox, guys who were wildly successful in a brief stretch before leaving. Virtually all were coaches who retired or left of their own accord. Among post-merger coaches who spent at least 40 games with their organization, Fox has one of the best win-loss records of all time:
Name Team Began Ended Yrs W L T Win% Why Left? George Seifert 49ers 1989 1996 8 98 30 0 76.6% resigned Tony Dungy Colts 2002 2008 7 85 27 0 75.9% retired John Madden Raiders 1969 1978 10 103 32 7 75.0% retired John Fox Broncos 2011 2014 4 46 18 0 71.9% “mutually parted ways” Blanton Collier Browns 1963 1970 8 76 34 2 68.8% retired Jim Harbaugh 49ers 2011 2014 4 44 20 1 69.5% “mutually parted ways” Mike Holmgren Packers 1992 1998 7 75 37 0 67.0% resigned Red Miller Broncos 1977 1980 4 40 22 0 64.5% fired Marty Schottenheimer Chiefs 1989 1998 10 101 58 1 63.4% resigned Mike Ditka Bears 1982 1992 11 106 62 0 63.1% fired
The top coach on the list probably counts as a quasi-firing. Seifert left out of concerns he would be a lame duck coach when the 49ers refused to extend his contract before its final year, revealing their succession plan to hand the job over to Steve Mariucci. That’s not the case with Fox, who signed a three-year contract extension with the Broncos in April. The coach who preceded Collier in Cleveland was the legendary Paul Brown, who was fired by Art Modell in 1963 after 17 seasons and a.757 winning percentage. John Rauch left a dominant Oakland Raiders team in the AFL after a 33-8-1 (.798) stretch under interference from Al Davis in 1968. In the modern era, though, you can make a case that no coach won more frequently than Fox before being rewarded with a pink slip.
The other firings don’t really emulate what’s happening to Fox right now. Miller was fired by new Broncos owner Edgar Kaiser, a 38-year-old who wanted to hire a younger staff to match his own vigor. (He sold the team three years later.) Ditka had won a Super Bowl but was coming off a 5-11 season. Schottenheimer’s move might have been a quasi-firing, but he had just finished a 7-9 season (his first losing campaign in Kansas City). He quit before being fired by Modell in Cleveland as well, and while some of that may have come down to playoff failures, the Browns publicly claimed it was due to a disagreement about the team’s offensive coordinator, who happened to be Marty Schottenheimer.
Fox and Harbaugh will get lumped in together, at least for now, because they fit a roughly similar profile. They both took over flailing franchises and delivered immediate, sustained success, combining to make seven playoffs in eight years without producing a single losing season. Their departures both seemed unlikely at the beginning of their final season and yet seemed to make a lot of sense by the end of the campaign. Reports suggest that both Fox and Harbaugh had seen their relationships with their respective general managers fray, although I doubt there are many coach-GM partnerships in the NFL lasting more than a season or two where those reports wouldn’t be true, especially among successful teams that come up narrowly short of winning a Super Bowl.
I suspect that most people would perceive Harbaugh to be the better coach because he didn’t have Peyton Manning, and I can’t say I disagree. I was admittedly a harsh critic of Fox’s in-game decision-making during the TYFNC days. He made one of the worst challenges I’ve ever seen in 2013, exhibited an irrational aversion to early two-point conversions after his Panthers lost to the Patriots in the Super Bowl in part because of a failed two-point try, and famously sat on the football after the Rahim Moore Hail Mary with Peyton freaking Manning, 31 seconds, two timeouts, and a big-legged kicker in the thin air of Denver. As a tactician, Fox was brutal.
In-game decision-making is only part of the job, and the baseline for tactical nous as an NFL head coach basically assumes you’ll make decisions that hurt your team. Fox was hardly without his merits, especially on the defensive side of the football. He took over a defense that had allowed a league-high 471 points and had seven starters who were 30 or older, rebuilding it overnight. Ranked 30th in defensive DVOA that season, the Broncos improved to 18th in Fox’s first year and peaked as the fifth-best defense in 2012. After a 15th-ranked finish in 2013, the additions of veterans like DeMarcus Ware, T.J. Ward, and Aqib Talib saw the Broncos finish fourth this season.
The big names were one thing. Fox, along with defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, exhibited an ability to mold draftees into useful contributors for the Denver defense. High draft picks like Von Miller, Derek Wolfe, and Rahim Moore delivered on their potential and quickly became impact contributors. Danny Trevathan was a sixth-round pick in 2012 who developed into one of the league’s better linebackers last season. Nate Irving filled in as a starting linebacker and impressed this season before going down with a knee injury. Bradley Roby had a disappointing game Sunday, but he looked promising during his freshman campaign, which isn’t often the case for even the best rookie cornerbacks.
Even more impressive was how successful Denver was in the bargain bin. Chris Harris went from being an undrafted free agent to making the Pro Bowl this season. Buy-low veterans like Shaun Phillips and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie revitalized their careers and looked like their former selves under Fox. And while Del Rio probably deserves a good chunk of the credit for bringing in former Jaguars assets like Terrance Knighton and Brandon Marshall and getting the most out of them, they’re each playing far better in Denver than they were while Del Rio was in Jacksonville. Fox deserves some of the credit for that development process.
The future of the Denver coaches makes this story even more interesting. One of the first theories after the news of a possible Fox firing broke revolved around the idea that the Broncos would fire Fox to avoid losing one of their coordinators, both of whom had been interviewing for head-coaching gigs. Del Rio is considered the favorite for the Raiders job, as he’s expected to travel to Oakland for a second interview this week. Thirty-six-year-old offensive coordinator Adam Gase, meanwhile, has attracted attention from around the league in each of the last two offseasons; he’s also on his way to the Bay Area for a second interview, having emerged as a top candidate for the 49ers job.
It’s odd, then, that the Broncos don’t appear to be especially interested in keeping any of their coaches. Denver is reportedly allowing all of its coaches to pursue opportunities elsewhere. It’s not a surprise that the Broncos would let positional coaches and quality-control guys look for jobs out of common courtesy, but even with the outside interest in their coordinators, John Elway isn’t likely to promote his new head coach from in-house. If that’s true, this isn’t a reshuffling. It’s a clear-out.
Before you can even think about who might replace Fox, there’s the small issue of a franchise quarterback to consider. It’s still unclear whether Manning intends to return to the Broncos, but his comments after Sunday’s loss are telling. After being asked whether he was going to play for Denver in 2015, Manning gave a telling response. “I can’t answer every what-if circumstance,” Manning said. “What if you’re not as healthy? What if certain coaches leave? I can’t answer every what-if situation.”
There was never any talk of friction between Manning and his coaches, and while that doesn’t necessarily prove anything — the Broncos successfully hid Manning’s torn quadriceps from the world for a month — you can interpret Manning’s comments and this move in a couple of ways. If Manning didn’t want to start over with a new offensive coordinator, he might have wanted the Broncos to do whatever it took to retain Gase, even if it meant firing Fox and promoting Gase to head coach. The reports that the Broncos are willing to let Gase leave seem to suggest that isn’t true.
The alternative is that the Broncos see this offseason as a time of transition, which may also hint at the possibility of Manning leaving. If Gase also leaves, Manning would be starting over with a new coaching staff. He may very well lose either Demaryius Thomas or Julius Thomas to free agency, and Wes Welker is going to at least consider retirement after a year marred by concussions. Manning might view all the turnover as a good reason to retire, or the movement might be proof that Manning has already made up his mind.
If Manning does leave, I can understand Denver choosing to move on from Fox as part of a plan to bring in a coach with more patience for a semi-rebuilding project. Fox was able to successfully turn around a 1-15 Panthers team in 2002 and won seven games or more for eight consecutive seasons before collapsing back to 2-14 in 2010, but that was as a coach taking over at 47 years old. Fox will turn 60 next month, and coaches on that side of the mountain don’t often take on rebuilds. It’s not out of the question that it could work — Pete Carroll joined the Seahawks at 59 and that turned out OK — but if Fox knew that the Broncos were likely to be Brock Osweiler’s team next year, a mutual decision to leave might actually make sense for all parties involved.
Fox has already attracted attention from the Bears and Falcons, with Chicago seen as the heavy favorite to hire the onetime Giants defensive coordinator. It would be an understandable choice. The Bears weren’t competitive for most of 2014, but they do have a veteran roster and a defense desperately in need of refreshing after finishing 25th in 2013 and 28th this season. Fox has spent 20 years as a head coach or defensive coordinator and presided over defenses that were above league-average in DVOA during 18 of those seasons. The worst a Fox defense has ever ranked in DVOA is 19th. If new Bears general manager Ryan Pace thinks the quickest path to a turnaround is a defensive resurgence, Fox would be the perfect hire.
Denver’s choices if it doesn’t promote Del Rio or Gase to replace Fox aren’t exactly inspiring. Harbaugh has already joined Michigan. Rex Ryan, widely regarded as the best head coach on the market, agreed to terms with the Bills earlier this week. The hottest candidate leaguewide is probably Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, whom the Broncos can’t interview this week. Bovada lists a pair of former Broncos coaches as the favorites, with Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak and former Washington coach Mike Shanahan as the leading choices. It would seem odd to fire Fox for failing to succeed in the playoffs before hiring Kubiak, who developed the same reputation during his time in Houston.
That’s what is at the heart of this Fox decision, the vague idea that the Broncos have gone as far as they can go with Fox without taking it to the next level and winning a Super Bowl. Maybe it’s true. My guess is that it’s impossible to really tell. You can make anecdotal cases in either direction. The Buccaneers fired Tony Dungy, who had gone 54-42 in revitalizing a moribund franchise, because he’d gone 2-4 in the playoffs. They hired Jon Gruden and won a Super Bowl the following year.
Then, Dungy went to the Colts and proceeded to go 48-16 in his first four seasons, only to go 3-4 in the playoffs, just as Fox has during his time in Denver. You could have made the same case for firing Dungy again in the hopes of sparking the team and bringing in a more aggressive coach. They didn’t fire Dungy, of course, and he won the Super Bowl with the Colts the following year. The Broncos might look back and find that they were right to move on from Fox, that his ceiling fell just short of where they wanted to be. They may also look back and find that he was one of the reasons why they came so close to getting there in the first place.(AP)
reports.
Once the ball is rolling on health care, however, Republicans plan to pull out all the stops against it. They could use procedural tactics to draw out the debate, such as requesting the entire 2,000-plus page document be read aloud.
"It's going to be a holy war," Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) told the Los Angeles Times.
Even just beginning the debate could be difficult, however. Reid needs all 60 Democrats to pass the first procedural vote to begin debate. After the procedural vote, the Senate will hold a voice vote to actually start debating. The Senate will adjourn for Thanksgiving, though, and come back on Nov. 30 to begin debate in earnest.
After what could be weeks of debate, Reid will once again need to hold his caucus together to pass another procedural vote -- this time to overcome a Republican filibuster to allow for a vote of the actual bill. This vote should be the most challenging. Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson (Neb.) said today he would join the Republican filibuster if he determines he does not approve of certain aspects of the bill, reports Roll Call.
When asked if he would filibuster the bill if he found its abortion language to be lacking, he said, "Yes. In other words, I won't vote for cloture on the motion to end debate. But I don't want to get involved in each and everyone of the details because there are a lot of other things that could keep me from supporting it at the end as well if they aren't to my satisfaction."
Sen. Joe Lieberman (Conn.), an Independent who caucuses with the Democrats, has also threatened to filibuster the bill because of it includes a public option.
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CBSNews.com Special Report: Health Care19th Annual Country Classic May 5, 2018
The 19th Annual Country Classic was held on May 6, 2018. Congratulations to all of the participants and winners. We were very pleased to see all of the people come out to cheer on the runners and cyclists.
Save the date for this year's Country Classic... Saturday, May 4, 2019 Check back in early spring for more details. Online registration for the running and bike races will be available soon!
Meet our Beneficiary.
We welcome back the Lancaster Farmland Trust as our beneficiary partner. The Trust was founded in 1988 by local citizens concerned about our unique Lancaster County heritage and dedicated to protecting agriculture from the growing pressures of development. Since 1988, The Trust has preserved 476 farms and over 29,014 acres of the richest agricultural soils in the country located here in the heart of Lancaster County. The Turkey Hill Country Classic has raised close to $120,000 for the Trust. Hope you will join us in supporting farmland preservation.A solo attacker has hacked into an events management company and obtained sensitive information belonging to 20,000 individuals, many of whom were United States government employees or contractors.
The cyber-attacker posted an Excel spreadsheet containing log-in credentials and personal information for 20,000 people obtained from allianceforbiz.com, according to a blog post signed by "Thehacker12" on Aug. 22. Allianceforbiz.com is a professional trade show management company that manages conferences, meetings and trade shows for customers, according to the company Website.
The list has been made public on Pastebin and Mediafire and a message posted on Twitter: "20,000 email-passwords had been leaked consisting mostly of US Mill Army, Govern. & corporate giants."
The spreadsheet contains usernames, passwords, email addresses. company name, and also whether the individual works for a government agency, Catalin Cosoi, head of Bitdefender Online Threats Lab, told eWEEK. Identity Finder, a data loss prevention software vendor, ran the file through its software and found 13,322 passwords and 17,590 email addresses in the file. Only 11,358 of the passwords had a username associated with them, Todd Feinman, CEO of Identity Finder, told eWEEK.
The file also contained 17,668 company names, of which 14,739 were unique, and most had only one email address associated with each name, according to the analysis. This means more than 14,000 organizations may be affected by Thehacker12's breach of allianceforbiz.com.
Since allianceforbiz.com managed events for customers, it is likely that the list contained the person in each organization who was working directly with the provider. However, there were some organizations with 10 or more email addresses associated with the name, Identity Finder found in its analysis.
"Interesting to note most of these are government entities," Feinman said.
The U.S. Small Business Administration had 70 entries, followed by 42 from the U.S. General Services Administration, 37 from the U.S. Department of Commerce, 34 from the U.S. General Services Administration and 33 from the U.S. Department of State. Other affected organizations include the Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, national nonprofit agency NISH, U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the VA Medical Center. Defense and government contractors Honeywell, BAE Systems, WP Hickman Systems and CH2m Hill were also on the list.
Considering the high incidence of password reuse by Internet users, it is possible that the information could lead to identity fraud, said Identity Finder's Feinman. "Passwords are a digital identity," and the victims will not know if an identity thief is testing out username or email address and password combinations to try to login to the online bank, online retailers or other services, Feinman said.
Bitdefender's Cosoi noted that most of the email addresses on the list are work accounts, which means a malicious third party now has login credentials that may work when trying to breach one of the affected organizations' network and systems or the corporate email server. This level of access can "lead to blackmail, extortion or selling private data to third parties" or targeted emails sent to other employees within the organization from the victims' accounts, he said.
Noting the "significant number of government agencies" in the leaked file, "we can conclude that this data leak will have serious unpleasant consequences," Cosoi said.
Identity Finder's software allows organizations to prevent identity theft and data leakage by searching and securing sensitive data that could be used to commit identity fraud. The software can look at both structured and unstructured data and find instances where sensitive information such as Social Security numbers or credit card information are stored. With the software, organizations can identify all the places where the information is located and protect them accordingly.
The perpetrator claims to be "an AntiSec supporter" but not a member of the hackers collective Anonymous. AntiSec is a movement initially launched by the cyber-group LulzSec earlier this summer to hack into government systems and expose secrets and documents. Anonymous has recently breached a number of defense contractor and law enforcement Websites under the AntiSec banner.
"His or her deeds actually support the same side of the story, which is hacking for the sake of publicly making an anti-establishment point," said Cosoi. Both the media and law enforcement authorities are focused on Anonymous and LulzSec, leaving the "door open to other small groups to make a stand and show their skills" and continue the AntiSec activities without drawing too much attention, Cosoi said.
Thehacker12 has been busy over the past week, mining and dumping three other files containing a total of 16,500 other email and password combinations stolen from unknown targets. His method of attack remains unclear.Get the biggest celebs 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
Rachel Dolezal previously made headlines when she was outed as white by her own parents – after pretending to be black.
The former leader of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) stepped down from the position in Washington, when the scandal hit.
She was outed in June 2015 when her parents, Larry and Ruthanne, revealed she was not actually black.
And now it seems the former professor and columnist is sticking to her guns – by legally changing her name to a West African moniker.
(Image: Today)
The 39 year old filed to legally change her name to Nkechi Amare Diallo in October in a Washington court, according to the Daily Mail.
Nkechi is short for Nkechinyere in the Nigerian language of Igbo, and translates to "gift of god”.
Her chosen last name – Diallo – comes from the Fula people of West Africa and means "bold”.
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(Image: Splash News)
“I’m not going to stoop and apologise and grovel and feel bad about it,” she told the Guardian.
“I would just be going back to when I was little, and had to be what everybody else told me I should be – to make them happy.”
(Image: Reuters)
The story made international headlines and Dolezal eventually admitted she was “biologically born white to white parents” and compared herself to Caitlyn Jenner, claiming race is “not coded in your DNA”.
She also lost her job as a part-time professor of Africana Studies at Eastern Washington University because of the ordeal, and says she hasn’t been able to get work since.
She told the newspaper she’s applied for more than 100 jobs, but not a single place will hire her.
The only offers that have come her way have been for reality television and porn.
(Image: Today)
Dolezal now relies on food stamps to feed her family and has been receiving help from a friend to cover her – next month she expects to be homeless.
She added her memoir titled In Full Colour due out in March, was turned down by 30 publishing houses before anyone would be willing to print it.
“The narrative was that I’d offended both communities in an unforgivable way, so anybody who gave me a dime would be contributing to wrong and oppression and bad things," she said.
Dolezal said she wrote her book not only to tell her side of the story, “but to also open up this dialogue about race and identity, and to just encourage people to be exactly who they are”.
When questioned about her race, Dolezal would just tell people that she was mixed, but she doesn’t feel as though she was lying.
She also noted that she’d never consider going back to 'being white'.
“No, this is still home to me,” Dolezal said. “I didn’t feel like I’m ever going to be hurt so much that I somehow leave who I am, because I’m me. It really is who I am. It’s not a choice.”News from NZ Labour Party
“Having won the hotly contested nomination to be the Labour Party candidate for Ōhāriu, I now look forward to focusing on the battle ahead to win the seat back for Labour,” the newly selected Labour Party candidate, Greg O’Connor said today.
“I am under no illusions it will be an easy job, however the selection meeting on Sunday attracted an enthusiastic, energised and diverse group of supporters who are committed to not only winning the seat, but also changing the Government.”
Mr O’Connor’s selection as candidate was announced by the Labour Party President Nigel Haworth following a very well-attended meeting in Johnsonville on Sunday afternoon.
Mr O’Connor has previously lived, worked and played for sports teams in the Ōhāriu electorate, which extends from Wadestown in the south to Tawa in the north, and has strong ties to the community.
As the former Police Association President he has considerable interests and skills, developed while leading its commercial arm, which oversees a large property portfolio.
He is also active in the Intellectual Disability sector and is a Director of a commercial business.
“The decision to stand for Ōhāriu was an easy and logical one as it gives |
,” said the unconvinced researchers. “One would have to prove the sources are common to draw a definitive conclusion.”
And where Stuxnet was engineered to hit a specific type of software system used for industrial control, Duqu’s purpose looks to be like that of a generic remote access Trojan bundled with a keylogger, albeit one with advanced characteristics.
Unlike Stuxnet, Duqu uses no zero day vulnerabilities in its operation, and does not appear to propagate (which is what gave Stuxnet its worm notoriety). Most important of all, Duqu does not in Dell SecureWorks’ view, target any specific sector which makes it unlikely that it was intended as low-level, targeted malware, and therefore difficult to talk up as an advanced persistent threat (industry shorthand for a targeted attack method).
“One could speculate the injection components share a common source, but supporting evidence is circumstantial at best and insufficient to confirm a direct relationship.”
In short, any similarities are probably a combination of coincidence and symptom of the convergence of malware towards techniques that work more effectively.
The basis of suspicion regarding Duqu remains that its infection method remains a mystery, an oddity in mass-produced malware that overwhelmingly uses drive-by websites and email. Researchers have yet to recover the install program which would offer more information on its origins. Duqu de-installs itself after only 36 days, another unusual feature.
Symantec published an analysis last week that claimed that the two pieces of malware shared source code, which implied that the creators at the very least had access to the same codebase. The company also claimed that it had been used to target companies in the same sectors as those favoured by Stuxnet although data for that remains very scarce.
First noticed in Hungary earlier this month, Kaspersky reported that Duqu had been detected in Sudan and, importantly, Iran (Stuxnet’s supposed target), but the same can be said for a lot of malware. The phenomenon of advanced malware is global.Ominous accusations are floating around about the Cleveland Browns.
And no, the rumors have nothing to do with Johnny Manziel.
According to one well-known former Cleveland radio personality, something fishy is going on in Berea.
Following the Browns' 33-27 loss to the Ravens last night, former 92.3 The Fan personality Joe Lull took to Twitter to air some of the Browns' alleged dirty laundry.
Can't change the owner. Everyone below Haslam I want OUT. Don't make me expose those sexual harassment rumors... @923TheFan wouldn't like it — Joe Lull (@LullOnSports) December 1, 2015
From what I've heard, some quite unseemly behavior been emanating from all levels of Browns org. Time to clean house TOP TO BOTTOM. — Joe Lull (@LullOnSports) December 1, 2015
That's all I can say. Ask the women who used to work for the Browns how they feel about their work experience... #EndTheFratHouse — Joe Lull (@LullOnSports) December 1, 2015
Browns better clean house, and fast. That's what I'm saying. Word is spreading on this abomination of an organization & it'll catch up soon. — Joe Lull (@LullOnSports) December 1, 2015
One of the top execs with the Cleveland Browns would like to talk to me... everyday "Joe Fan"... But there's "nothing to be seen here." OK — Joe Lull (@LullOnSports) December 1, 2015
Under the imminent threat of legal action, I'll stick to what I've said thus far (and what I've been told so far). Nothing more... — Joe Lull (@LullOnSports) December 1, 2015
I want my team to be something worth rooting for. That simple. I have no agenda beyond Browns organization winning and being morally correct — Joe Lull (@LullOnSports) December 1, 2015
Media or not, I've always strived to be fair. I'll hear Alec out tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/j9Bjc1WCch — Joe Lull (@LullOnSports) December 1, 2015
Some very interesting words, indeed.
One prominent member of the local media, Orange & Brown Report's Lane Adkins, came to Lull's defense, and supported his claims.
Say what you want, think what you want, @LullOnSports is speaking the truth — LA (@TheRealLA__) December 1, 2015
Nice, #EndTheFratHouse......and one exec's wife that is beyond clueless to what he's been up to #StoryForAnotherDay https://t.co/xQK9UHDV29 — LA (@TheRealLA__) December 1, 2015
You may not like @LullOnSports or respect what he said, but his intentions are not self-serving here — LA (@TheRealLA__) December 1, 2015
Adkins is typically spot-on with his analysis and insight, making Lull's claims seem based in some truth.
It is important to note that Lull's claims have not been proven with substantial evidence. Based on Lull's prior credibility, we can speculate that the rumors and allegations might at least some founding. However, we cannot definitively state any accusations as fact at the current time. It's important to remember this.
The next step is not set in stone. Lull will largely have to keep quiet, or risk legal action by the Browns.
As this situation unfolds, members of the national media will now likely dig for further information, which may or may not uncover evidence and validate Lull's claims.
Either way, a seed of doubt has been planted: Is the dysfunction in Berea deeper and more serious than we first thought? We may soon find out.
UPDATE #1: DBN reached out to the Browns for a comment early Tuesday morning. As of 1 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, Browns PR had not responded to the request for comment.
UPDATE #2: According to Lull, Browns President Alec Scheiner reached out to him Tuesday afternoon.
The conversation sounds like it was interesting.
I just spoke with Browns President Alec Scheiner. We discussed the allegations of sexual harassment within the Browns organization... — Joe Lull (@LullOnSports) December 1, 2015
I asked Scheiner "have their been any incidents of sexual harassment in the organization which have resulted in non-disclosure agreements?" — Joe Lull (@LullOnSports) December 1, 2015
Scheiner: "I won't get into any specifics on any specific rumors." — Joe Lull (@LullOnSports) December 1, 2015
I appreciate Scheiner reaching out to have his say... — Joe Lull (@LullOnSports) December 1, 2015
As Lull tweeted, it's now up to the local and national media to uncover evidence and determine the truth of Lull's claims.By early November 1979, America was exhausted. The ever-shrinking president, Jimmy Carter, had been attacked by a rabbit while running and that July had taken to the television to tell us the country was suffering from a breakdown, that a malaise had seized the land.
Interest rates looked like major league batting averages. Long lines formed at gas stations because Saudi Arabia and OPEC decided to yank the chain of “The Great Satan” by slowing oil production and exports. A meltdown at the Three Mile Island nuclear facility had threatened to turn half of Pennsylvania into a green night light.
Then, on Nov. 4, 1979, the forebears of the three murderers killed last week in Paris by police gathered in a mob outside the American embassy in Tehran, stormed the building, captured nearly all inside and held 42 citizens of the United States hostage for 444 days.
Both ABC News’ Nightline with Ted Koppel and our modern age of terror were born. A lot has happened between then and now: In October 1983, 220 Marines were killed in Beirut by suicide bombers claiming to represent some outfit they called Islamic Jihad, with more Marines dying that day than had been killed in the first week of the Tet Offensive in February 1968. Embassies in Africa were attacked over the next decade. In October 2000, the USS Cole was blown up while at port in Yemen, killing 17 U.S. sailors. Through all of it, threaded between each attack, was the whispered name of Osama bin Laden. Then came September 11.
Now we have the latest assault on civilization: Paris, where the casualty list is filled with the innocent who, once again, died simply because they went to work. Cartoonists, writers, police officers, shoppers, caught and killed by three men driven insane by their own inadequacies.
“These guys were barking mad,” former Sen. Bob Kerrey said the other day. “But whenever something like this happens we always hear and read about the roots of youth disenfranchisement in the Middle East and there is a lot of that, too much of it. Too much unemployment and hopelessness. No doubt about it.
“But guess what: There is a lot of youth disenfranchisement in Latin America and right here in the United States and they’re not walking around killing people in the name of their religion.”
Bob Kerrey served two terms in the United States Senate. He was a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee and, later, the 9/11 Commission.
“The fact is that Muslim leaders are going to have to face up to the violence that is smearing and staining their religion,” Kerrey was saying. “In too many parts of the world, religious leaders are standing in pulpits on Friday night suggesting that violence is OK.
“And what they’ve done and what they continue to do is give rise and reason to a whole new army. It’s not like it used to be in ‘the old world’ as we once knew it. They don’t wear uniforms in their army anymore. The war is all up there in their head, and it’s going to take a long time for us to combat that.
“I don’t know if the Muslim leadership can face it but that’s the reality of their task. They have to address the cancer within, publicly and loudly.”
Over the past few days, the streets of Paris and many other cities around the world have been filled with people standing in outrage over the slaughter that occurred in the offices of the French magazine Charlie Hebdo. That is where the now-dead Kouachi brothers walked in with the nonchalance of mailmen and opened fire on the staff because of cartoons that had appeared in the magazine’s pages. The thought of turning the page or not buying the book was apparently too much for their diseased minds to grasp.
So today the phrases “Je suis Charlie” and “I am Charlie” ring the globe. Yet it has somewhat of a hollow echo because in some quarters, especially in America, the threat to speech, no matter how offensive and the cartoons in question were clearly on the border of outrageous, is bold and quite present. Former New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly was recently booed from the stage and prevented from speaking at Brown University, where he was going to talk about policing and protecting our largest city; “Je suis Ray Kelly?”
This war on terror that now engulfs the world, this clash of cultures and civilizations, this riot of religious zealotry that has claimed far too many while unfairly maligning too many of its members, has been a weight we’ve carried and conducted for decades. Drones and SEAL Team Six and all the battalions of stable nations combined can only combat it to a draw. No military weapon in the arsenal is capable of killing a disease, a warped ideology wrapped and camouflaged within a religion hijacked and used by stone-cold, mentally ill killers who arrive with gun, bomb, and suicide vest proclaiming a false cause.
For more from Mike Barnicle, visit mikebarnicle.com.At the start of its 16-year development, Dyson's early robot vacuum model was powered by old, heavy Ni-Cad batteries and "old motion-detection technology sensors." Dyson explained: "We ended up with 85 different sensors and big, old motors. We got very close -- spent a lot of money on it -- but then we decided it just wasn't good enough."
"And we had better ideas," he added. "Engineers are dreadful -- they always have better ideas. I don't mind that -- I think it's quite a good habit." The point being, he continues, that his company spent a lot of money in 16 years "to make the right product."
"We got very close -- spent a lot of money on it -- but then we decided it just wasn't good enough."
Dyson added that the team soon realized that vision sensors geared to measure a room, to triangulate location were the way forward. "This technology has a lot of mileage in it -- and we're just at the beginning," he said. The team paired it with its existing, but still very recent, digital motor (the same one used in Dyson's stick vacuums) -- a motor that balanced suction power with a small footprint and weight.
If you're basing your impressions of Dyson's new vacuum on those press images, we have some very good news: It might look huge in the renders, but it's pleasingly petite in real life. Notably taller, but not like the rice-cooker-on-wheels we feared from those shots. Dyson being Dyson, there's a reasoning:
"If you think about chairs, [large-diameter vacuums] can't get between those, between wardrobe and door gaps," Dyson said. "Other robot vacuums may look bigger, but you need to consider [Dyson's] full-width brush bar." The smaller-sized bot's brush covers the width of the machine, but it's also handily contained by a plastic barrier. From Dyson: "If you make a really big brush bar, you lose the suction to pull it in. This size is optimal for the power we've got... and it can go into [smaller] spaces. You don't sacrifice anything."
The second (and it's the almost literal jewel) of Dyson's robot vacuum is that eye: a panoramic lens that aims itself at a 45-degree angle, getting a view of the room, of your house, and taking what it sees into the center and reflecting it downward. "It's interpreting what it's seeing and calculating triangulations at 30 times a second," Dyson said. And it's been designed to ensure it can find its way back home easier. "The first thing it does is turn around to view the dock, all while filming the room," he explained. "In those seconds, it knows the room and where the dock is."
Dyson adds that it isn't specifically geared for hard flooring or carpet-- it's designed for everything, thus the tank-styled caterpillar treads. And that's coupled with that Dyson suction: "We have 100 times the suction power of the Roomba model." That's almost exactly the numbers shown from the company's tests comparing its model to one of iRobot's latest. Granted, it's Dyson doing the testing, but:
The 'bot can climb up to 15mm with those treads, but the combination of high-level suction and nylon bristles also makes it well-suited to Japan's tatami (rice straw) mats -- lots of nooks, but also relatively delicate fibers. Which is convenient, as the 360 Eye will be coming to Japan first, in the spring of 2015. And barring Dyson's love of launching things in (and having an excuse to visit) Japan, there's some solid reasoning for it. "The country adopts to new technology faster than anyone else," he said. "We're also 'Big in Japan' -- the largest vacuum brand in Japan, and this country is the largest market for robots." No arguments there.Real Madrid, the Spanish soccer team that has been dubbed the most successful club of the 20th century, began practicing today on the UCLA soccer field, with hordes of journalists and spectators attending the highly anticipated event.
Stars such as forward Cristiano Ronaldo, the highest paid soccer player in the world, and defenders Pepe and Marcelo Vieira, kicked soccer balls and ran scrimmages on the enclosed field behind UCLA's John Wooden Center. Other players, such as midfielder Kaká, are due to arrive next week.
(AUG. 3 UPDATE: Team representatives said today that no additional credentials will be issued to news media seeking to cover training sessions on campus, which remain closed to the public.)
The Real Madrid visit is part of the team's pre-season tour, which will include games against Club America in San Francisco on Aug. 4 and against the Los Angeles Galaxy on Aug. 7 at the Rose Bowl.
Pitting European soccer teams against Major League Soccer teams in the U.S. is part of a strategy to build the sport's popularity in America, and UCLA is benefitting from the relationship, said Richard Mylin, associate director of UCLA Cultural and Recreational Affairs.
The campus's pristine fields and top-notch athletic facilities have become a destination for European soccer teams ever since English club Chelsea trained at UCLA in 2005, Mylin said.
Chelsea returned in 2007, and Italian teams Inter Milan and AC Milan and Spanish team Barcelona trained at UCLA in 2009.
José Mourinho, Real Madrid's coach, also trained Chelsea and Inter Milan at UCLA. UCLA sports officials said Mourinho liked the campus facilities so much that he insisted that teams he coaches return to practice here.
"The teams like UCLA because there's good airport access, it's close to Beverly Hills and we have great athletic facilities," Mylin said.
Such high-profile visits also are lucrative for the campus because the teams pay a rental fee for the use of the field and other locations, cover the wages of UCLA employees who staff the visits, and pay all other costs, including parking.
As more than 75 media outlets shot video and photographs of the team's practice, dozens of spectators camped outside the field, hoping to catch a glimpse of their favorite players. Windscreens were set up on the fence surrounding the field to keep the practice private.
Luis Lima, 27, of Hawthorne, said he read that Real Madrid, his favorite team, was coming to UCLA in the Spanish newspaper Marca, and he couldn't miss the opportunity to catch a glimpse of such stars as Ronaldo.
"They are my idols," he said.
Ronaldo was the only player to attend the post-practice news conference, where he held court. As he walked into the room, more than a dozen photographers swarmed around him and snapped photos. Ronaldo then answered questions in Spanish, Portuguese and English.
Asked what he thought so far about UCLA's training facilities, he answered, "Great … it's always good to travel to see different cultures, so we are really happy to be here."President Michael D Higgins has warned about using the flood crisis as a political football.
On a tour of parts of south Galway before heading to see clean-up works in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, the President hit out at criticism of him signing the European Habitats Directive in 1997.
Mr Higgins spent about three hours with farmers and local people in Labane, where hundreds of acres of land is under several feet of water and the main Galway-Limerick road has been cut to one lane for several weeks.
He praised the community spirit and residents’ efforts in dealing with the floods while lashing out at personal criticism by Independent TD Michael Fitzmaurice of his time as a minister which saw huge areas in the south Galway region designated special conservation or protection.
President Michael D Higgins visiting flood stricken areas of south Galway and met with floods effected families. Picture: Hany Marzouk.
“Let’s grow up and be responsible,” President Higgins said.
“They (local people) really don’t want the unfortunate experience they’ve had since the middle of December to be used as some kind of football. Now let’s all use our intelligence to give us the very best result.”
Mr Higgins called for a balance to be struck between the demands for environments to be protected under conservation rules and the need for flood defences.
Some farmers warned huge swathes of their land will be submerged until March while other local people explained how they have been marooned and others cut-off by flooded rural roads.
Mr Higgins said he had talks with Minister for Public Works Simon Harris before seeing the devastation first hand while he will also meet Taoiseach Enda Kenny on January 14 where he will discuss the crisis.
Mr Higgins said he will also be meeting people in Europe where the issue will be discussed.
“I’ll certainly be trying to see how we can in fact actually be prepared as best we can,” the President said.
“Really that’s the issue. This notion of trying to reach back is really after hours stuff.”
The President said the community response to the flooding in Labane and surrounding areas was rural Ireland at its best with many people more concerned about their animals and the impact floods will have on farmland rather than the effect on their property.
Irish Defence Forces helping in Gort. Picture: Irish Defence Forces.
Vast tracks of land in south Galway have been underwater since mid-December and Galway-Limerick traffic has also been disrupted with a stretch of the main road down to one lane at Labane amid floods four feet deep.
A few miles further south where the new Limerick-Galway motorway is being built scores of acres are in flood.
The President’s visits followed 160 people abandoning an apartment complex in Athlone on Sunday night after flooding hit an ESB substation and power supplies were cut.
At the time the Shannon was 3cm above the peak reached in the devastating floods of 2009.
Another 260 homes have been evacuated around the country and at least another 230 are at risk of floods.
Although it is expected to take several weeks for waters around the country to abate, particularly in rural areas, Met Éireann has forecast some respite from heavy rain this week.
While showers will be a factor in some areas, most of the week is expected to see cooler but fairer weather apart from Wednesday when heavy falls will feature.
Meanwhile, the ESB has warned the flow of water through the Parteen Weir on the lower Shannon could pass 500 cubic metres per second if levels on Lough Derg reach levels not seen since the 2009 floods.
With scores of homes downstream of the weir and along the old path of the Shannon near the Clare-Limerick border already flooded or surrounded by water energy chiefs warned they could face yet more misery.
The response to the flooding crisis is expected to dominate tomorrow’s cabinet meeting.
Mr Kenny and Mr Harris attended the daily meeting of the National Coordination Group in Dublin.Hullo readers! Today I am going to show you one of my FAVE glitter toppers! This is Carpe Noctem’s The 90s, one of many of my Carpe Noctem polishes. It is probably my favorite indie brand so far–not that I have that many YET but I am slowly but surely starting to venture out. However, Carpe Noctem was one of my first and will thus always hold a special place in my heart. That, and the fact that these polishes have super smooth application and last forever and are available in multiple sizes.
The 90s is a matte neon glitter–with big neon hexes. You don’t have to go fishing for the hexes either. I wore it in the following pictures over Color Club-Harp On It. I was so excited about how this manicure turned out that I didn’t wait for daylight OR for cleaning up the lines. This should not be news to you where I am concerned 😛
Those last couple pictures with flash really show off the holographic quality of the Color Club. This manicure is everything I love–glitter, neon colors, bright sparkly goodness!
AdvertisementsStory highlights Police officer Zach Hudson often saw senior citizens vulnerable and victimized
He formed a group of volunteers in Florida to reach out to seniors and help
The house calls provide specialized service that police, fire departments usually can't
Do you know a hero? Nominations are open for 2012 CNN Heroes
Shortly after joining the Lake Mary Police Department in 2007, Zach Hudson was dispatched to the home of two elderly women.
What he saw left him appalled.
The two women -- a mother in her 90s and a daughter in her 70s -- had no food and no electricity. Each month, they alternated what they spent their small amount of money on: One month it would be medicine, the next it would be food and bills.
"They were struggling horrifically," Hudson recalled. "They had to cut their medications. They were doing the things that seniors often do to try to make up the financial difference."
In his 10 years as a Florida police officer, Hudson had witnessed countless senior citizens in tragic circumstances. But this was the last straw for him.
"I'd had enough," he said. "And I realized that something had to be done. And that's when I started to conceptualize the Seniors Intervention Group."
Since 2009, Hudson's group has tended to the basic needs of nearly 1,000 seniors in Seminole County, Florida. With the help of hundreds of local volunteers, seniors are provided with essential assistance such as food, money, transportation, vehicle maintenance and help around the house.
"If you're 80 years old and you have to get up on a footstool to change your light bulb and you fall, it could kill you," said Hudson, 40. "When it's 100 degrees outside and you're faced with either doing your yard or being fined, and you can't pay somebody to do it, what do you do? Well, you get out there and do it and suck it up, right?
Zach Hudson was raised in a senior community by his grandparents and great-grandmother.
"But sucking it up killed this (one) gentleman. A very kind elderly man walked outside to do his yard, and he didn't survive. And that's happening all the time."
Hudson said seniors facing diminished income in a difficult economy often have to make life-and-death choices for where and how to spend their money. For example, a light bulb that illuminates a doorway -- or a repair to a front door -- might easily fall below food and medicine on a senior's list of priorities and make them more vulnerable to crime.
If a licensed worker is out of a senior's financial reach, they might be willing to pay cash to a stranger who knocks on their door offering to clean their yard or perform basic services. Too often, Hudson says, these strangers are not who they say they are.
"As cops and firefighters, we see people at their worst. That's just the way it is," Hudson said. "And when you see seniors on a regular basis... and they're constantly being scammed or victimized... you start to ask yourself: 'Why? What can we do? I'm tired of walking away from this elderly person's house every day and not being able to fix the problem.'...
"If you have a crime, then (police) can handle it. If you have a fire, the fire department can handle it. But what do you do when somebody can't pay their electric bill and, as a result, that won't run their oxygen pump? How do you deal with that?"
Forming the Seniors Intervention Group was a natural offshoot of Hudson's job as community relations officer for his department. The group became a nonprofit in early 2010, and it expanded to include the entire county this year.
By partnering with faith-based organizations, local businesses and other nonprofits, the group can call upon hundreds of volunteers to make house calls. Seniors are either referred by local first responders or reach out for help directly. Assistance could be as minor as retrieving a pill that has fallen behind a piece of heavy furniture or as major as rebuilding a senior's home. All of the group's services are free and covered by private donations.
About once every month, the group schedules a large "operation" in which dozens of volunteers descend upon a local neighborhood to do massive group service, such as yard cleanup or a sweeping installation of energy-efficient lighting. Hudson says this is often a great way to identify individuals who need more help.
"That operation... always leads to finding other things, whether it's floor issues, window issues, (air conditioning) issues, whatever the case might be," he said. "It's a neat opportunity for us to get on the ground, take a good look around and see how else we can help."
Hudson's dedication to public safety might not be unique among police officers, but his compassion for seniors is rooted in a more intimate history. He was raised primarily by his grandparents and great-grandmother in a senior community.
"Elderly people rescued me in a lot of ways," he said. "They taught me respect. They taught me so many things. And this is simply an opportunity for me to give back to them in their time of need, because that time is here and it's now."
And it's something that is only going to get worse over the next 20 years, according to the Pew Research Center. Each day in the United States, about 10,000 Americans turn 65. By 2030, when all baby boomers will have passed the milestone, 18% of the nation's population will be at least that age, Pew projects
"We need more organizations, more businesses, more churches, more police departments, more fire departments to get on board, see the big picture, see the problem," said Hudson, who hopes to see his nonprofit model replicated nationwide. "This is just the beginning."
For seniors like Ralph Anderson, the group's efforts have been life-changing.
The Vietnam veteran had worn a hole in his bathroom floor with his wheelchair, leaving him vulnerable to an accident. It was also difficult for Anderson to leave his home, so he had to often rely on other people to walk his dogs.
But he was introduced to Hudson's group last month, and volunteers have since replaced and tiled his bathroom floor, fixed his leaky kitchen faucet and installed a wheelchair ramp at the front entrance of his home.
"It means the difference between feeling like I'm a burden on someone and being able to do something for myself," Anderson said. "Since they're putting this little ramp (in), I can take the dogs out to walk them. I don't have to wait for someone to come help me."
Hudson says that helping Anderson and other seniors is a pleasure and a privilege.
"(This) is an opportunity for me to embrace the very people that embraced me growing up.... This is my chance to take care of them as they have taken care of me."TNA's PPV business has sank to rock bottom levels over the past few months. Slammiversary, Destination X and Hardcore Justice all did in the 7,500 to 8,500 buy range this year, with the trend being downward, with each month the estimates being a few hundred buys lower than the last one. No Surrender in September had a weaker build and line up to all those shows, so it wouldn't have reversed that unfortunate trend either.
But thankfully Bound For Glory, TNA's biggest PPV of the year, was around the corner. Surely having the first match between Hulk Hogan and Sting in twelve years, a match that TNA had hyped for eighteen months, together with a strong build for Robert Roode's first TNA World Heavyweight title shot against Kurt Angle, would stop the rot? Apparently not, as Dave Meltzer reported in this week's Wrestling Observer Newsletter that despite Bound For Glory being their biggest buy rate of the year, it was still significantly down from last year and indeed all prior years:
Preliminary estimates on Bound for Glory are ranging between 20,000 and 25,000 buys. Last year's show did 35,000 to 40,000.
The disappointing buy rate should come as no surprise, after the Hulk Hogan retirement tease to set up his match with Sting drew the worst Impact rating of the year and the go home show the week after did little better. It proves that no-one wants to pay to see Hogan do more damage to his badly mangled back, at least not outside the WWE banner where one more match might still mean something.
Unfortunately, since Hogan and his crony Eric Bischoff are now the most powerful people in TNA, they already seem to have locked down plans for Hogan to wrestle again at their first major PPV of 2012. Don't expect plans to change thanks to this disastrous number. Even though it would be best for Hogan's health to stay out of the ring altogether and it means nothing for business, he'll keep hogging the spotlight and building himself as the centrepiece of every major PPV in an effort to justify his hefty pay cheque, maintain his spot and milk the money mark owner Dixie Carter for as long as possible.Sorry for the low rating, but I had great difficulty getting through the atlas in several decisive places. Whatever attention to detail there is, the maps are simply too confusing and muddled: there are often several cut-away views in one map, the scale is hard to determine, it is hard to differentiate between various layers of depth, and the choice of perspectives is questionable. Instead of the black/grey/sepia tones of the Atlas of Middle Earth (by the same author), now we have large quantities of out-of-place green all over the pages. To repeat myself, the attention to detail is nice, but several of the sources are so outlandish that it is hard to determine where exactly on the map concrete facts end and Caren Wynn Fonstad's imagination begins. Exact lines are not quoted where they might be expected; rather, we are provided with page and line numbers. Lastly, unlike the above-mentioned Atlas of Middle Earth, Atlas of Dragonlance DOES NOT follow the plots of the books, but uses a region-by-region scheme, making actually following the maps as you are reading into a frustrating chore.It's taken a while, but Google has finally caved in to pressure from the entertainment industries including the MPAA and RIAA. The search engine now actively censors terms including BitTorrent, torrent, utorrent, RapidShare and Megaupload from its instant and autocomplete services. The reactions from affected companies and services are not mild, with BitTorrent Inc., RapidShare and Vodo all speaking out against this act of commercial censorship.
The entertainment industries’ quest to root out piracy on the Internet has yet again resulted in commercial censorship. A few weeks ago Google announced that it would start filtering “piracy related” terms from its ‘Autocomplete‘ and ‘Instant‘ services and today they quietly rolled out this questionable feature.
Without a public notice Google has compiled a seemingly arbitrary list of keywords for which auto-complete is no longer available. Although the impact of this decision does not currently affect full search results, it does send out a strong signal that Google is willing to censor its services proactively, and to an extent that is far greater than many expected.
Among the list of forbidden keywords are “uTorrent”, a hugely popular piece of entirely legal software and “BitTorrent”, a file transfer protocol and the name of San Fransisco based company BitTorrent Inc. As of today, these keywords will no longer be suggested by Google when you type in the first letter, nor will they show up in Google Instant.
All combinations of the word “torrent” are also completely banned. This means that “Ubuntu torrent” will not be suggested as a user types in Ubuntu, and the same happens to every other combination ending in the word torrent. This of course includes the titles of popular films and music albums, which is the purpose of Google’s banlist.
TorrentFreak contacted BitTorrent Inc. for a reaction, and Simon Morris told TorrentFreak that he believes the scope of this filter is too broad.
“We respect Google’s right to determine algorithms to deliver appropriate search results to user requests. That being said, our company’s trademarked name is fairly unique, and we’re pretty confident that anyone typing the first six or seven letters deserves the same easy access to results as with any other company search,” Morris said.
“A quick search for ‘BitTorrent’ currently returns a variety of legitimate and useful links, including company information, our software, our open-source protocol, and more. What Google may not realize is that our technology is used for many purposes that provide significant value to the technology industry, companies, artists and consumers at large,” he added.
Google’s new “Piracy” filter (no autocomplete)
What is most surprising about the new filter is that the keywords appear to be picked arbitrarily. It includes BitTorrent clients such as uTorrent and Xunlei, but not BitComet and Vuze. While cyberlockers such as RapidShare and Megaupload are banned, prominent sites such as 4shared, HotFile and MediaFire are not.
In addition, all the names of popular torrent sites including The Pirate Bay are not included in Google’s banlist either. BitTorrent’s Simon Morris agrees that this is odd, to say the least.
“There’s no reason for Google to throttle search results for our trademarks, including BitTorrent, µTorrent and torrent. Indeed, they do still enable autocomplete for many third-party clients that use the BitTorrent protocol, including BitComet, BitLord, and even sites like The Pirate Bay and Isohunt.”
Morris further points out that the inclusion of Xunlei is a little hypocritical since Google is one of the investors in the Chinese BitTorrent client.
“We’d also like to point out that while Google doesn’t enable autocomplete for Xunlei (China’s largest software client that uses the BitTorrent protocol) Google did invest $5 million in the company in 2006, according to reports,” Morris says, adding, “We sincerely hope Google will recognize the value of BitTorrent and reevaluate this decision expeditiously.”
RapidShare is not pleased with Google’s new filter either, at least not with its current scope in today’s roll-out.
“We knew about Google’s plans for quite a few weeks now. We embrace that certain search suggestions will not put a wrong complexion on RapidShare anymore, but we are concerned that at the same time the legitimate interests of our users will also be affected. We believe it was the wrong decision to remove the term ‘RapidShare’ from the search suggestions,” RapidShare told TorrentFreak.
“RapidShare is one of the most popular websites worldwide. Every day hundreds of thousands of users rely on our services to pursue their perfectly legitimate interests. That is why Google has obviously gone too far with censoring the results of its suggest algorithm. A search engine’s results should reflect the users’ interests and not Google’s or anybody else’s,” the company added.
Indeed, RapidShare has certainly touched a nerve here. It is clear that this filter is the result of pressure from the entertainment industries, which is not at all in the interests of users. Now that Google has begun proactively censoring their services for commercial reasons, more companies will demand the same. At the same time, the |
a bunch of old cap guns with servos that pull their triggers. A Raspberry Pi with an Internet connection fetches data on US drone strikes from www.dronestre.am and fires off a cap every time someone is killed. At the same time, the story version of the data is printed out in thermal paper that cascades onto the floor.
Viewers are encouraged to sit underneath all the cap guns and wait. Talk about creepy and suspenseful. And a tiny reflection of the everyday fears that people who live under drone-filled skies.
Bu t alongside a powerful statement, technical craftsmanship matters when you’re making art. Painting everything white makes it visually uniform, sterile, and a little bit spooky.
And we’ll admit that we think that nicely laced cabling just looks sexy. (We’ve taken other random opportunities to pimp it before, but go have a look at NASA’s guidelines (PDF) on the matter.)
OK, this project / art piece is far too refined for the term “hack”, but as [Jonathan] says himself:Seven people have died and at least 12 more are wounded after three Islamic State jihadists infiltrated a power station in the city of Samarra, 100 km north of Iraq’s capital Baghdad, triggering a three hour standoff with security forces.
“At 2:00 am we were woken up by shots being fired,” Abdel Salam Ahmed, a wounded victim of the attack told AFP. “We ran into one of the jihadists. Some of us hid while two others kept running towards the exit, shouting 'we are employees', but they shot them dead.”
“I was in my night shift and suddenly heard shooting and blasts,” Raied Khalid, another victim, told Reuters from his hospital bed. “A few minutes later I saw one attacker wearing a military uniform and throwing grenades through the windows.”
Read more
Underneath their military disguise, a common strategy during terrorist attacks in the region, the three were wearing suicide belts.
According to officials, one of the terrorists was trapped by the security forces and chose to detonate his load near one of the generators, setting off a fire and explosions that destroyed temporary housing in the vicinity of the plant. The other two were eventually killed by officers.
The Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) terrorist group used its propaganda agency to claim responsibility for the attack which came on the first day of the Muslim celebrations of the religious festival of Eid, and took place in a city renowned for its Shia monuments.
While it retains significant ground in Syria, Islamic State has been nearly wiped out in Iraq, but maintains pockets of control between Baghdad and the northern city of Mosul. Amid a mounting civilian death toll, in the past days, the terrorist group has lost control of the city of Tal Afar outside Mosul, from where it was driven this summer.
The next target for the Iraqi army, backed by the US-led international coalition air campaign, is Hawija, its new unofficial capital in the province of Kirkuk.2. SCOPE
The Privacy Policy applies to Oracle’s processing of information about you provided to the Oracle Marketing & Data Cloud by our third party data suppliers to help enable Oracle Marketing & Data Cloud customers and partners to market products and services to you based on your interests.
The Privacy Policy does not apply to the following activities:
Data collected in connection with the Oracle AddThis tools. In some regions, Oracle may also process information about you provided to the Oracle Marketing & Data Cloud by website publisher partners using the Oracle AddThis tools. For information about Oracle’s data collection and use practices in connection with the Oracle AddThis tools, please refer to https://www.oracle.com/legal/privacy/addthis-privacy-policy.html.
In some regions, Oracle may also process information about you provided to the Oracle Marketing & Data Cloud by website publisher partners using the Oracle AddThis tools. For information about Oracle’s data collection and use practices in connection with the Oracle AddThis tools, please refer to https://www.oracle.com/legal/privacy/addthis-privacy-policy.html. First-party information collected about you by Oracle customers. Our customers are responsible for their own personal information collection practices or their use of their personal information for marketing and other purposes, including when they use the Oracle Marketing or Data Cloud to send you online advertising. To find out more about our customers’ use of first-party information about you, you are encouraged to review the relevant privacy policy of the company who collected your information from you or is sending you advertising. Please consult that company if you have any further questions about its use of information about you.
Our customers are responsible for their own personal information collection practices or their use of their personal information for marketing and other purposes, including when they use the Oracle Marketing or Data Cloud to send you online advertising. To find out more about our customers’ use of first-party information about you, you are encouraged to review the relevant privacy policy of the company who collected your information from you or is sending you advertising. Please consult that company if you have any further questions about its use of information about you. Data collected for Oracle’s own direct marketing purposes. For information about Oracle’s processing activities with regard to your personal information collected on Oracle websites and applications and used for Oracle’s own direct marketing purposes, please refer to https://www.oracle.com/legal/privacy/privacy-policy.
3. WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PROCESSING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?
Oracle Corporation and its affiliated entities are responsible for processing your personal information in scope of this Privacy Policy. Please refer to Section 18 for contact details and the registered addresses of Oracle Corporation. A list of Oracle entities is available here. Please select a region and country to view the registered address and contact details of the Oracle entity or entities located in each country.
4. WHICH TYPES OF PERSONAL INFORMATION DO WE PROCESS AND FROM WHICH SOURCES?
Oracle may process both offline and online information about you, including information from publicly available sources or third party data providers.
Offline information about you is obtained by Oracle from its offline partners such as brick-and-mortar retail stores, grocery stores and their associated loyalty card programs, payment card brands, catalog orders and consumer survey programs, and third parties who may not have a relationship with you and collect offline information from their offline partners.
about you is obtained by Oracle from its offline partners such as brick-and-mortar retail stores, grocery stores and their associated loyalty card programs, payment card brands, catalog orders and consumer survey programs, and third parties who may not have a relationship with you and collect offline information from their offline partners. Online information about you originates from your activities on sites operated by our online partners, such as advertising agencies and website operators (for example, online retail stores or travel sites). Oracle also obtains online information from third parties who may not have a relationship with you and who collect online information using cookies or similar technologies, such as pixels tags and device identifiers, as you browse the Internet and interact with websites. For more information on cookies and similar technologies used in connection with Oracle Data Cloud, please refer to Section 11 below. Our online Oracle Marketing & Data Cloud branded data partners are listed in our catalogue, which includes a comprehensive list of our current EU/EEA data suppliers. Please note that some of these partners only provide information about individuals in specific regions.
Information about you may in some cases directly identify you, while in other cases it may only indirectly identify you. Personal information that is collected offline and that can directly identify you may include, for example:
name and physical address, email addresses, and telephone numbers;
demographic attributes, when tied to other information that identifies you;
transactional data based on your purchases, when tied to other information that identifies you;
company data such as the name, size and location of the company you work for and your role within the company;
data from marketing opt-in lists, consumer surveys, or publicly available information;
For the United States only: derived latitude/longitude from a physical address.
Personal information that is collected online and that may indirectly identify you may include, for example:
unique IDs such as your mobile device identifier or a cookie ID on your browser;
IP addresses and information derived from IP addresses, such as geographic location;
information about your device, such as browser, device type, operating system, the presence or use of “apps”, screen resolution, or the preferred language;
obfuscated personal information such as hashed email addresses (direct identifiers are removed);
demographic information such as gender, age, and income range when not tied to information that directly identifies you;
behavioral data of the internet connected computer or device you use when interacting with websites, applications, or other connected devices, such as advertisements clicked or viewed, websites and content areas, date and time of these activities, or the web search used to locate and navigate to a website.
We may associate personal information about you with interest segments or profiles as part of the provision of Oracle Marketing & Data Cloud services to our customers and partners:
Interest segments are a specific group of consumers that share a common behavior or preference used for direct marketing by our customers. For example: in market for travel specials to Hawaii.
are a specific group of consumers that share a common behavior or preference used for direct marketing by our customers. For example: in market for travel specials to Hawaii. Profiles are a set of attributes about a specific consumer or device, or a set of multiple consumers or devices sharing common attributes used for marketing by our customers. For example: age bracket 25-55; adventurous traveller; surfing enthusiast; in market for travel specials to Hawaii.
5. WHY AND HOW DO WE USE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?
We use personal information for the following purposes:
a) to help enable Oracle Marketing & Data Cloud customers and partners to market products and services to you based on your interests;
b) for personal information collected outside the EU/EEA, to analyze, develop, improve, and optimize the use, function and performance of Oracle products and services;
c) to manage the security of our sites, networks and systems;
d) to comply with applicable laws and regulations and to operate our business.
These purposes are described below in further detail.
a) To help enable Oracle Marketing & Data Cloud customers and partners to market products and services to you based on your interests
We process personal information about you to help enable Oracle Marketing & Data Cloud customers and partners to market products and services to you via online and offline marketing activities based on your interests.
More specifically, Oracle can process information about you:
i. For online interest-based advertising delivered through Oracle Data Cloud partners that display online advertising to you on behalf of Oracle Data Cloud customers.
Example: a marketing professional working for a travel company wants to market the company’s travel specials to Hawaii to a specific group of individuals (also known as an audience ) that may be interested in those specials. The marketing professional uses Oracle Data Cloud to create an audience interested in travel to Hawaii. If you have visited a travel website previously and have expressed an interest in Hawaiian vacations, you may subsequently see advertisements for a vacation to Hawaii on other websites because a cookie has been placed on your device that made you part of that travel company’s audience.
Example: a marketing professional working for a travel company wants to market the company’s travel specials to Hawaii to a specific group of individuals (also known as an ) that may be interested in those specials. The marketing professional uses Oracle Data Cloud to create an audience interested in travel to Hawaii. If you have visited a travel website previously and have expressed an interest in Hawaiian vacations, you may subsequently see advertisements for a vacation to Hawaii on other websites because a cookie has been placed on your device that made you part of that travel company’s audience. ii. For offline and online campaign measurement, analytics, and development of insights on behalf of our Oracle Data Cloud customers.
Example: a marketing professional working for a travel company wants to better understand if the company’s marketing campaign for travel specials to Hawaii contributed to an increase in their product sales. The marketing professional uses the Oracle Data Cloud to see how many display or videos ads were viewed, and whether the ads were clicked on and a purchase was made.
Example: a marketing professional working for a travel company wants to better understand if the company’s marketing campaign for travel specials to Hawaii contributed to an increase in their product sales. The marketing professional uses the Oracle Data Cloud to see how many display or videos ads were viewed, and whether the ads were clicked on and a purchase was made. iii. For enabling our Oracle Data Cloud customers to personalize their products and services, including site optimization, email personalization and dynamic marketing and advertising optimization.
Example: if you have previously indicated an interest in travel to Hawaii and when you visit a travel company’s website, the travel company can display tailored offers for Hawaiian vacations on their homepage.
Example: if you have previously indicated an interest in travel to Hawaii and when you visit a travel company’s website, the travel company can display tailored offers for Hawaiian vacations on their homepage. iv. For linking Profiles and Interest Segments to enable Oracle Marketing & Data Cloud customers and partners to connect your Interest Segments across the various browsers and/or devices you may use for the purposes described in this section.
Example: you are interested in vacations offered by a travel company and have clicked on their online advertising. You are logged into several devices (your desktop, smartphone, and tablet) using the same login. Oracle partners have indicated that you are likely the same user across those same devices. The travel company is able to display vacation offers to you (via a de-identified cookie ID) on these different devices
Example: you are interested in vacations offered by a travel company and have clicked on their online advertising. You are logged into several devices (your desktop, smartphone, and tablet) using the same login. Oracle partners have indicated that you are likely the same user across those same devices. The travel company is able to display vacation offers to you (via a de-identified cookie ID) on these different devices v. For creating modelled online and offline audiences for Oracle Data Cloud customers’ products and services.
Example: a marketing professional working for a travel company wants to find new potential customers who are, like you, likely to be interested in travel to Hawaii. Oracle Data Cloud can help the travel company by looking for key characteristics between Profiles that have expressed an interest in traveling to Hawaii and other Profiles where a similar interest can be inferred based on these characteristics, such as an interest in travel to tropical islands.
Example: a marketing professional working for a travel company wants to find new potential customers who are, like you, likely to be interested in travel to Hawaii. Oracle Data Cloud can help the travel company by looking for key characteristics between Profiles that have expressed an interest in traveling to Hawaii and other Profiles where a similar interest can be inferred based on these characteristics, such as an interest in travel to tropical islands. vi. For enabling our Oracle Data Cloud customers to associate first-party information to certain Oracle Data Cloud identifiers in order to deliver marketing and advertising services to you.
Example: A travel company has its own lists of customers who have purchased travel arrangements with them, with names, emails, and addresses. The travel company wants to be able to reach out to these customers with online advertising. The Oracle Data Cloud can help the travel company by converting the company’s own customer lists from identified names, emails and addresses, to de-identified groups of cookie and device ID’s provided by the Oracle Data Cloud, in a process known in the advertising industry as “onboarding”.
Example: A travel company has its own lists of customers who have purchased travel arrangements with them, with names, emails, and addresses. The travel company wants to be able to reach out to these customers with online advertising. The Oracle Data Cloud can help the travel company by converting the company’s own customer lists from identified names, emails and addresses, to de-identified groups of cookie and device ID’s provided by the Oracle Data Cloud, in a process known in the advertising industry as “onboarding”. vii. For the United States only: to allow our customers to deliver catalogues to your physical address that may be of interest to you based on your previous purchase behavior.
b) For personal information collected outside the EU/EEA, to analyze, develop, improve, and optimize the use, function and performance of Oracle products and services
We may process personal information for Oracle’s own research and development purposes.
For example: to enhance data quality, develop new features and functionality, and for statistical analyses related to the performance and operation of the Oracle Marketing & Data Clouds.
We may process personal information for Oracle’s own research and development purposes. For example: to enhance data quality, develop new features and functionality, and for statistical analyses related to the performance and operation of the Oracle Marketing & Data Clouds. c) to manage the security of our sites, networks and systems
We can collect usage and systems operations data from the Oracle Marketing & Data Cloud for security and operations management to help keep our networks and systems as well as our products and services secure, or to investigate and prevent cyber-attacks or potential fraud, including ad fraud and to detect bots.
We can collect usage and systems operations data from the Oracle Marketing & Data Cloud for security and operations management to help keep our networks and systems as well as our products and services secure, or to investigate and prevent cyber-attacks or potential fraud, including ad fraud and to detect bots. d) to comply with applicable laws and regulations and to operate our business
In some cases, we may process personal information to comply with applicable laws and regulations. For example, to respond to a request from a regulator or to defend a legal claim. We may also process personal information in the operation of our business. For example, to conduct audits and investigations, for finance and accounting, archiving and insurance purposes.
6. FOR INFORMATION ABOUT YOU COLLECTED IN THE EU/EEA, WHAT IS OUR LEGAL BASIS?
We rely on your consent for the purpose of enabling Oracle Marketing & Data Cloud customers and partners to market products and services to you, including measurement and analytics on campaign performance, personalization, modelling, onboarding, and linkage (see Section 5 above for additional details on these purposes). Your consent is obtained on behalf of Oracle and its Oracle Marketing & Data Cloud customers and partners by our third party data providers.
You have the right to withdraw your consent to this purpose at any time. Please refer to Section 12 below for more details on how to opt out of interest-based data processing based on your consent.
In addition, we may process some information about you as may be necessary based on our legitimate interest to maintain the security of our sites, networks, and systems, and to comply with applicable laws and regulations, such as to process an opt-out request.
7. FOR WHAT PERIOD DO WE RETAIN INFORMATION ABOUT YOU?
Oracle maintains information about you for the following retention periods:
a) Online information about you is retained for up to 13 months.
Exceptionally and for online information collected outside the EU/EEA, online information may be retained up to 18 months, for example for Oracle customers’ seasonal or cyclical interest-based advertising campaigns or internal analytics and model development.
about you is retained for up to. Exceptionally and for online information collected outside the EU/EEA, online information may be retained up to, for example for Oracle customers’ seasonal or cyclical interest-based advertising campaigns or internal analytics and model development. b) Online information about you for linkage purposes (cross device/cross-context technology) is retained for up to 12 months.
about you for purposes (cross device/cross-context technology) is retained for up to. c) Offline information about you may be retained for up to 5 years if it was collected in the EU/EEA. We retain offline information about you in other regions as relevant for applicable purposes in those regions (also see Section 5 above).
about you may be retained for up to if it was collected in the EU/EEA. We retain offline information about you in other regions as relevant for applicable purposes in those regions (also see Section 5 above). d) Personal information necessary to preserve opt-out preferences is retained for 20 years, unless you delete it or otherwise prevent its collection as further described in Section 12 below.
8. WHEN AND HOW CAN WE SHARE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?
Sharing within Oracle
As a global organization, information about you can be shared globally throughout Oracle's worldwide organization. A list of Oracle entities is available here. Please select a region and country to view the registered address and contact details of the Oracle entity or entities located in each country.
Oracle employees are authorised to access personal information only to the extent necessary to serve the applicable purpose(s) and to perform their job functions.
Sharing with third parties
We may share personal information with the following third parties:
Oracle Data Cloud customers and partners, including digital marketers, ad agencies, web publishers, demand side platforms, data management platforms, supply-side platforms and social media networks;
third-party service providers as necessary to perform Oracle Marketing & Data Cloud services on behalf of Oracle;
relevant third parties in the event of a reorganization, merger, sale, joint venture, assignment, transfer or other disposition of all or any portion of our business, assets or stock, including in connection with any bankruptcy or similar proceedings;
public and government authorities, including public and government authorities outside your country of residence (to the extent legally required to respond to their mandatory requests in connection with national security and/or law enforcement purposes).
When third parties are given access to personal information, we will take appropriate contractual, technical and organizational measures designed to ensure that personal information is processed only to the extent that such processing is necessary, consistent with this Privacy Policy and in accordance with applicable law.
9. HOW IS PERSONAL INFORMATION HANDLED GLOBALLY?
Oracle is a global corporation with operations in over 80 countries and personal information is processed globally. If personal information is transferred to an Oracle recipient in a country that does not provide an adequate level of protection for personal information, Oracle will take measures designed to adequately protect information about you, such as ensuring that such transfers are subject to the terms of the EU Model Clauses.
Oracle also complies with the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework and the Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework as set forth by the U.S. Department of Commerce regarding the collection, use, and retention when an Oracle Data Cloud customer and Oracle have agreed by contract that transfers of personal information from the European Economic Area ("EEA") or Switzerland will be transferred and processed pursuant to the Privacy Shield for the relevant services. When conducting those activities on behalf of its EEA or Swiss Oracle Data Cloud customers, Oracle holds and/or processes personal information provided by the EEA or Swiss customer at the direction of the customer. Oracle will then be responsible for ensuring that third parties acting as an agent on our behalf do the same. Oracle has certified to the Department of Commerce that it adheres to the Privacy Shield Principles. If there is any conflict between the terms in this Privacy Policy and the Privacy Shield Principles, the Privacy Shield Principles shall govern. To learn more about the Privacy Shield program, and to view our certification, please visit https://www.privacyshield.gov/.
Please see the Privacy Shield website for the list of entities covered under Oracle’s Privacy Shield self-certification. With respect to personal information received or transferred pursuant to the Privacy Shield Framework, Oracle is subject to the regulatory enforcement powers of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and commits to cooperate with EU data protection authorities.
10. HOW IS INFORMATION ABOUT YOU SECURED?
Oracle has implemented appropriate technical, physical and organizational measures designed to protect personal information against accidental or unlawful destruction or accidental loss, damage, alteration, unauthorised disclosure or access, as well as all other forms of unlawful processing.
11. WHAT COOKIES, PIXEL TAGS AND OTHER SIMILAR TECHNOLOGIES DO WE USE?
Cookies and similar technologies (e.g., pixels tags and device identifiers) are used by Oracle and our advertising technology partners to recognize you and/or your device(s) on, off and across different services and devices for the purposes specified in Section 5 above.
Cookies are small text files that contain a string of characters and uniquely identify a browser on a connected device. We or our Oracle Marketing & Data Cloud partners may use cookies to, among other things, track user trends and collect information about how you use our customers’ sites or interact with advertising. Most browsers are initially configured to accept cookies by default. You may, however, be able to change your browser settings to cause your browser to refuse third-party cookies or to indicate when a third-party cookie is being sent. Check your browser’s “help” files to learn more about handling cookies.
Pixel Tags (also called web beacons or clear GIFs) are invisible 1 x 1 pixels that are placed on webpages that use this technology for marketing and measurement purposes. When you access these webpages, pixel tags generate a generic notice of the visit. Pixel tags can be used with cookies or alone. When used with cookies, pixel tags can track activity on a site by a particular device and provide relevant online advertising to you. When you turn off cookies or have opted out of cookies, pixel tags simply detect a unique website visit and how you interacted with the advertising but do not track an individual to provide relevant online advertising.
You can opt out of cookies using the opt-out tools in the next section.
12. WHAT ARE YOUR CHOICES?
We provide multiple choices in respect to the information we process about you. You can exercise these choices as described below.
Opt-out and object to our use of information about you
Oracle offers multiple ways for you to opt out and object to our use of information about you:
Oracle Data Cloud Opt out. You can access the Oracle Data Cloud opt-out tool here.
Please note that if you use this opt-out tool, Oracle will opt you out of Oracle’s use of information about you for Oracle Data Cloud services involving both first-party use of your information as well as any third-party use of your information. See Section 2 above for more information on the distinction between first party and third party information.
You can access the Oracle Data Cloud opt-out tool here. Please note that if you use this opt-out tool, Oracle will opt you out of Oracle’s use of information about you for Oracle Data Cloud services involving both first-party use of your information as well as any third-party use of your information. See Section 2 above for more information on the distinction between first party and third party information. AdTech Industry Opt Out. You may also opt out of our processing of information about you for Oracle Marketing & Data Cloud services by using the opt-out tools provided by the following industry groups: Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA): http://www.aboutads.info/choices/ Network Advertising Initiative (NAI): http://optout.networkadvertising.org European Interactive Digital Adverting Alliance (EDAA): http://www.youronlinechoices.eu/ and http://www.edaa.eu/
You may also opt out of our processing of information about you for Oracle Marketing & Data Cloud services by using the opt-out tools provided by the following industry groups: Mobile Opt Out. While the opt out methods described above often also work for mobile web browsing, mobile ‘app’ environments do not accept cookies. You may want to consider installing the AppChoices App provided by the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) to exercise opt-out control for specific companies, including Oracle, when in a mobile app environment. More information on how to download and configure the AppChoices App relevant for your mobile platform is available here.
While the opt out methods described above often also work for mobile web browsing, mobile ‘app’ environments do not accept cookies. You may want to consider installing the AppChoices App provided by the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) to exercise opt-out control for specific companies, including Oracle, when in a mobile app environment. More information on how to download and configure the AppChoices App relevant for your mobile platform is available here. Do Not Track. Oracle honors “Do Not Track” browser settings, meaning we will not track your browser for marketing purposes while you have “Do Not Track” turned on in your browser settings.
Please note that if you opt out using any of the first three opt out tools, you may still temporarily see interest-based advertising from Oracle Marketing & Data Clouds customers due to advertising campaigns from those customers already underway. However, you will be opted-out of all future advertising campaigns from customers that use the Oracle Marketing & Data Clouds.
Also note that the first three opt out tools are currently cookie-based and prevent Oracle from using your personal information for interest-based advertising on the browser on which they are installed. As a result, these opt out tools will only function if your browser is set to accept third-party cookies and may not function where cookies are sometimes automatically disabled or removed (e.g., certain mobile devices and operating systems). If you delete cookies, change your browser settings, switch browsers or computers, or use another operating system, you will need to opt out again. Oracle does not use persistent, unique identifiers to revive a previously opted-out profile or deleted cookie.
If you want to opt you out of Oracle’s use of information about you for Oracle Data Cloud services, but do not want to receive third-party cookies, you can also change your browser settings on your computer or other device you are using to connect to the internet. Most browsers also provide functionality that lets you opt out of all advertising cookies, including Oracle cookies.
Delete information about you
You can erase or delete all online information about you by opting out of Oracle Data Cloud services using the Oracle Data Cloud opt-out tool above.
If you would like to submit a request to have offline information about you, if any, erased or deleted, you can use this form.
Access information about you
In order to exercise your right to access your online information stored in the Oracle Marketing & Data Cloud, you can use the Oracle Data Cloud Registry (‘Registry’) to view the online segments Oracle has associated with your device. By accessing this Registry, you can view the types of third-party interest segments that are available for Oracle Data Cloud customers. Please note that the interest segments you see within the Registry is information from the profile associated with the specific browser, computer or device that you are using to visit the Registry. You may see different segments when viewing the Registry from a different browser, computer or device. For a complete picture of the segments associated with all of your browsers and devices, we therefore recommend using these different browsers and devices when accessing the Registry.
For a copy of your offline information, please contact the Oracle Global Data Protection Officer as set out in Section 16 below. While the majority of offline access requests can be handled quickly, complex requests may take more research and time. In such cases, you will be contacted regarding the nature of the request and appropriate next steps within one month from the date of receipt of your request. We cannot provide offline first-party information that is collected and maintained by our customers. If you have questions in regards to first-party information, Oracle recommends that you contact directly the company that collected it from you.
13. DOES THE ORACLE DATA CLOUD COLLECT SENSITIVE PERSONAL INFORMATION?
Oracle does not create any online interest segments that reflect personal information that we consider sensitive. While the types of personal information considered sensitive may vary among consumers and applicable law, we treat the following types of personal information as sensitive:
precise health information, such as a consumer having a certain medical condition like cancer or diabetes. If you would like to view the current list of third-party health and wellness interest segments available in the Oracle Data Cloud for the US, please click here. Note that some of these segments are not available in certain jurisdictions, such as the EU/EEA;
certain aspects of a consumer’s personal life or financial situation;
interest in "adult" products or services;
information considered sensitive based on applicable law, such as special categories of data if you are in the EU/EEA.
We do not allow Oracle Marketing & Data Cloud customers or partners to use the Oracle Marketing & Data Cloud services for employment, credit, healthcare, or insurance eligibility purposes.
14. DOES THE ORACLE DATA CLOUD COLLECT PERSONAL INFORMATION FROM CHILDREN?
We do not intentionally collect personal information from, and do not tailor any services to, children under 16 years of age. Further, we prohibit our Oracle Data Cloud partners from providing Oracle with personal information from sites directed to children under the age of 16 or from consumers whose age these companies know to be under the age of 16.
15. IS ORACLE A MEMBER OF ANY INDUSTRY ORGANIZATIONS?
Oracle is a member of, and adheres to, the self-regulatory principles of the following industry organizations:
As a member of these organizations, Oracle works with industry-leading companies to address important privacy and consumer protection issues in offline direct marketing and online advertising.
The NAI has created a compliance program that incorporates attestation reviews, a consumer complaint process, sanctions and annual reporting to help ensure that member companies keep their promises to you and abide by the NAI’s Self-Regulatory Code of Conduct.
16. HOW TO CONTACT ORACLE IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, COMMENTS OR COMPLAINTS?
Oracle has appointed a Global Data Protection Officer. If you believe your personal information has been used in a way that is not consistent with the Privacy Policy or your choices, or if you have further questions, comments or suggestions related to this Privacy Policy, or if you wish to exercise your right to access to your offline personal information as described in Section 12 above, please contact the Global Data Protection Officer by filling out an inquiry form.
Written inquiries to the Data Protection Officer may be addressed to:
Oracle Corporation
Global Data Protection Officer
10 Van de Graaff Drive
Burlington, MA 01803
U.S.A.
17. DISPUTE RESOLUTION OR FILING A COMPLAINT
If you have any complaints regarding our compliance with this Privacy Policy, please contact us first. We will investigate and attempt to resolve complaints and disputes regarding use and disclosure of personal information in accordance with this Privacy Policy and in accordance with applicable law.
If you have an unresolved privacy or data use concern that you believe we have not addressed satisfactorily, please contact our U.S.-based third-party dispute resolution provider (free of charge) at https://feedback-form.truste.com/watchdog/request. Under certain conditions, specified on the Privacy Shield website, you may invoke binding arbitration when other dispute resolution procedures have been exhausted. You also have the right to file a complaint with a competent data protection authority if you are a resident of a European Union member state.
18. ORACLE CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS
Oracle's corporate headquarters are located at:
500 Oracle Parkway
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Most of the focus on the Ohio State offense this season has been centered around a pair of Canadian attackmen, senior Eric Fannell and freshman Tre Leclaire. Thus, the tendency has been to get caught up in some of their box inspired, 2-man actions that they will sometimes run.
However, getting too caught up on that aspect of their offense obscures what really separates it. Head coach Nick Myers and offensive coordinator Brad Ross have built one of the deepest, most versatile units in the country. What makes them so unique is the ability to mix and match personnel to fit the scheme they want to run on any particular possession. It is to most offenses what a build your own ice cream sundae bar is to a conventional dessert menu or what Build-A-Bear is to a traditional teddy bear.
Fannell and Leclaire have been the foundational scoops of ice cream on which the sundae is built, but there are a whole bunch of different options for toppings.
Ohio State will play as many as eight other players in meaningful roles on offense with a variety of different skill sets. Of those 10 players, there are four Canadians and six Americans, six righties and four lefties, and six who can play attack or midfield.
Thus, they have the potential to roll out a group with a bunch of American split dodging midfielders and run fairly traditional field lacrosse type offenses with a touch of Canadian finishing. Or play all four of their Canadians in a three righties and three lefties group to attack the middle of the field with box inspired wing picks. Or they can run attackmen out of the box to take defensive midfielders behind the cage and initiate out of invert sets. They can attack from up top, from the wings or from X either one on one or from the 2-man game.
They will run so many different groups at midfield and move guys around that there isn’t really a constant first and second midfield.
Colin Chell is usually the third attackman alongside Fannell and Leclaire and will often play at X in between those two, but is probably at his best playing inside as a finisher.
Last weekend against Duke he played midfield as the Buckeyes started Jack Jasinski at attack and Chell demonstrated his ability to create as a wing dodger against short stick defensive midfielders.
Whether they play them both at midfield as they have for most of the second half of the season or start Jasinski at attack like they did against Duke, Ohio State often relies on a big-little two man game with Jasinski and Lukas Buckley initiating from X. It is somewhat of a thunder and lightning combination with the smaller quicker Jasinski drawing a long pole and the more powerful Buckley bringing SSDMs behind.
Johnny Pearson is a big lefty shooter who can be a load to handle when he leans into his man as a dodger and often provides the mirror image spacing to Leclaire as an outside shooting threat. Since he is Canadian, people often think of him mostly as a 2-man game, pairs set type player and while he certainly do that, like Leclaire and Fannell, he is versatile enough to fit into just about anything that Ohio State wants to run.
Austin Shanks is a Canadian righty who isn’t the most explosive dodger, but has a slick stick as a finisher or running the 2-man game with Leclaire. He played a bigger role for them last year including a number of starts at attack, but has scored most of his damage this year on the man-up.
Tyler Pfister, JT Blubaugh and John Kelly fit more into the mold of what you think of as 2-handed American split dodging midfielders. With the injury to Ryan Terefenko during their 1st round win over Loyola, Kelly moved to SSDM to take his spot. These are the three players that allow Ohio State to be effective in the 5 around 1, triangle rotation type sets that are traditional American field lacrosse offenses despite all of their Canadian scorers. Often times that means putting Leclaire and Fannell in positions on the crease where teams either are sliding from them to pop off the crease and catch a throw back or roll back pass.
The more American 2-handed skill sets also work in the box style pair sets to draw slides and set up Leclaire and Fannell to finish.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that setting picks on the wing for Leclaire isn’t a significant part of their offense.
However, rather than being what defines this offense, that is better viewed as just one of the many ways that they can attack. Rather, it’s their ability to attack so many different ways from so many different places on the field with so many different players.It was May 2012. Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Education, had just announced plans for a privately funded distribution of King James Bibles into every school across England, to mark its 400th anniversary. Then, unexpectedly, that famed atheist, Richard Dawkins, not only chose to endorse the scheme but also offered to help pay for it. Elements of the Christian press were initially overjoyed at the Oxford |
knockout competition, anything can happen. Which is an argument for why Leicester City winning the English Premier League is a bigger achievement than Portugal winning the Euros. In the knockout competition, Portugal were crowned champions by only winning four games, only one of those in 90 minutes and one on penalties. How much of that success was down to luck, and if it was a league style competition, would they have still won?
But let’s say we want to work out who’s going to win the All-Ireland final this weekend, Dublin or Mayo, is it even possible? The short answer, no! But let's give it a shot anyway.
Now, some other sports (e.g. soccer) have the luxury of huge pools of data and statistics. With such sports, we can base the predictions for who will win games in the Euros and the World Cup with huge weightings on player performance rankings, and comparing performances when they’ve played against the same teams. But the GAA isn’t quite there yet in terms of individual player data. Also, the way the league is structured means that rarely do both Mayo and Dublin come up against the same teams on a regular basis (over the last four years, Dublin have played Kerry just twice and Mayo have also played Kerry twice).
What we do have to work with is the performance of both teams over time. Our data analysts broke this down and looked into key areas such as goal difference between Mayo/Dublin, point differences between them, regular differences in finals, average goals and points that season, differences between average goals/points that season and the finals etc.
By excluding any emotional bias and purely looking at the history and current form of both teams, Idiro Analytics have calculated a prediction of:
Mayo 1:15 - 2:11 Dublin
Mayo to beat Dublin by one point
Again, predicting the result of a single game is definitely not an exact science. That’s especially true with such a fast paced high scoring sport, where one misplaced pass or slip could sway the game one way or the other. But interestingly, by only focusing on the numbers and not the emotional elements of the game, our prediction seems to go against the general consensus of Dublin having the edge on Mayo.
If you were to base your opinion on who would win by just looking at the odds set by the bookmakers, you may be led to believe that Dublin are 8 times more likely to win. But the thing to keep in mind here is the relative number of people making the bets. The population of Dublin is roughly ten times more than the population of Mayo - and with matches like this, many punters bet with their hearts, not their heads - meaning the odds may look disproportionate. Another thing to remember here is that bookmakers set the odds solely with the intention of making a profit no matter who wins. So although Dublin may look like they have this all wrapped up, that might not be the case.
Our predictive model has Mayo to win by a margin of one point, which at first glance may not seem like such a big deal considering how evenly matched these two counties are (by looking at their results over the last number of years).
But for Mayo to be so close to Dublin really is a major achievement, again when we take into consideration the relative populations of each county.
According to the most recent Irish Sports Council’s monitor report, the percentage of people actively playing Gaelic football in Connacht is 3.7%, whereas in Dublin county it’s just 0.6%. But adjusting for population size, the number of active players the Dublin team could potentially choose from is roughly 8070 with Mayo only having 4014 players.
Now, if Mayo had the same population as Dublin (1 345 000 people), with an active player percentage of 3.7%, they would have a pool of players to choose from of 50 000, compared to Dublin's 8070.
The Mayo players will know that looking at the history it’s too close to call, but looking at how well they’ve played given the disproportionate advantage Dublin have in terms of population, they may just feel they deserve it more.
Dublin supporters might not want to be too confident.
About Idiro
Based in Dublin, Ireland, Idiro Analytics is an award-winning provider of analytics to businesses around the world.
For an overview of Idiro’s analytics services, see our homepage www.idiro.com.
Media contact information
Simon Rees, Clients & Marketing Director, Idiro Analytics.
simon.rees@idiro.comTomonobu Itagaki, who was formerly in charge of Team Ninja, previously stated that Ninja Gaiden II would be the final entry in the series. However, Yosuke Hayashi, the new leader of Team Ninja, has confirmed that the Ninja Gaiden series will continue. Sorry, Itagaki.
When talking with Hayashi, Kikizo asked about the future of the series, in which he replied:
“We will continue to work towards a future for the series. What the gamers are looking for is going to be the next chapter – the future of an outstanding series. We feel that we’re in a position of being able to make that call… That calling is already there – we feel it”.
Hayashi also talked about the next installment being multi-platform:
“We’re going to have to push ourselves to the next level, and we are better off giving both audiences an entirely new game.”
So what would you like to see in the next Ninja Gaiden game? Any issues or complaints you hope the new director fixes with part 3? Let us know in the comment section below!
[Source]A fresh look at preplant soybean management strategies may offer more yield potential. The top two student teams in last year's Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) yield challenge harvested a few more bushels by stressing root health and amending the soil.
"Ironically, the Gallatin County High School FFA in far southern Illinois near Junction, and the Heyworth FFA chapter from central Illinois both evaluated newer preplant variables in their plots for greater yields," says Jim Nelson, ISA Yield Challenge coordinator.
Nelson says the Gallatin County chapter amended their plot's soil, attaining 1.7 bu./acre
more than their control plot. Their yield also surpassed the of 41.5-bu. county average
by 11.4 bu./acre. The Heyworth chapter incorporated a seed treatment, which netted them an increase of 1.4 bu./acre more than the 55.4-bu. McLean County average.
Enhanced soils
The Gallatin County plot is near the Wabash and Ohio Rivers, close to where Illinois meets Indiana and Kentucky. John Sutton, one of the two school FFA advisors, says productivity is a challenge for the 30-acre plot that’s in a corn and soybean rotation. The field contains light-colored McGary soils and highly erodible land.
For the Yield Challenge, the field was divided into two, 15-acre fields -- one used as a control, and the other where a pre-plant application of SumaGrow from Bio Soil Enhancers was used. SumaGrow is a microbial blend that is designed to enhance soil and plant health, and is manufactured by the company based in Hattiesburg, Miss.
"SumaGrow is a natural soil product that contains humic acid and about 30 types of microbes that break down organic matter in the soil," says Sutton. "The company provided the product to us, and a local fertilizer company sprayed it at 1 gal./acre. A local farmer planted a Group 4.2 maturity Southern Cross variety soybean for us about 10 days after the product was applied. We had mostly normal growing conditions and good harvest conditions."
Sutton, who also raises soybeans, says he was encouraged with the plot's yield increase over the control. "We hope our efforts can help lead to a break in the soybean yield plateau," he says. "I also hope our students take home these strategies to implement on their own family farms. We are fortunate to have good community support and farmers that help us along the way."
Bill Raben, soybean farmer from Ridgway, Ill., recommended the 85-member FFA chapter try the preplant strategy. He used SumaGrow in both corn and soybeans on his own farm in 2011.
"I have attended some of informational meetings Bio Soil Enhancers have held at their facility in Mississippi. I had seen enough potential from their results that I thought it would be good for the FFA chapter and also on my own farm," says Raben. "As a kid, I always dug in the dirt and brought up shovelfuls of earthworms. You do not see that today, perhaps because farmers have overworked the soil."
Raben says use of SumaGrow is considered more of a long-term versus one-season investment. "I saw a variable 2-8 bu./acre in our corn, and maybe 2-3 bu. more in our soybeans. It was not cost-effective over just one season," he says. "I did not apply it in 2012, but I am anxious to see what effect it continued to have after analyzing 2012 results, although the drought may affect those results. You have to see it for the long-term impact for your soils."
Better roots
Heyworth students use a local farmer's field for their research trials. Jestun Nutter, the school’s FFA advisor, says the 23-acre field they use has sloping ground, which offers the students a chance to test strategies in both wetter and drier field spots.
"The field had been in continuous corn for nine years," he says. “Yield was declining, so the farmer suggested we put in a soybean plot. With the help of a local seed company rep, we decided to plant Beck soybeans with and without an inoculant. The seed company mixed the powdered product, Graph-Ex SA, with the soybeans. Our season was pretty dry. We saw a yield increase, but may have had higher yields in a good year."
Graph-EX SA has been commercially available for the last two growing seasons. Its bacteria live on plant roots, which Nutter says help protect against disease. Graph-EX SA is designed to expand the root system so the plant can increase moisture and nutrient intake.
"Graph-EX SA contains three strains of rhizobia bacteria and a strain of trichoderma with a patent pending from Cornell University. Of the rhizobia, one nodulates in cool soils, one works in warmer soils, and the third works in the presence of high nitrate levels from the previous corn crop," explains Dan Custis, president of Advanced Biological Marketing, the company that manufactures the product.
"Third-party research at Cornell and other universities shows an average 3-3.5-bu./acre yield increase in the Corn Belt, which provides about a 10:1 return on investment with soybean prices in the teens," he continues. "Farmers will see the most yield response on their marginal ground, but even good soils in central Illinois can see a yield bump."
Fabian Fernandez, University of Illinois soil fertility specialist, has not done any research with Graph-EX SA, but says general research with soybean inoculants shows that such products work best where soybeans have not previously been planted or not been planted in many years. He adds that soybeans have strong seed coats that keeps embryos safe and protects seed from dehydrating and abrasion from the soil.
Raben anticipates more farmers explore new management strategies to increase yields. "I think we could see more preplant strategies come back into play, especially as some of us put less emphasis on only post glyphosate treatments for weed control."Attention Canadian gun owners: The Conservative government wants to lighten your load, at least as far as firearms-related paperwork is concerned.
Long-awaited amendments to Canadian gun laws — including an extended amnesty for Swiss Arms rifles — were introduced in the House today by Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney.
"I heard one complaint this summer," Blaney said at his press conference outside the Commons. "Firearms law needed to make sense to the ordinary Canadian while keeping public safety as our top priority."
"There may be some gun owners who will be dissatisfied with the bill," he admitted. "What is our foremost concern is public safety, but we believe that the common sense measures that we are bringing forward to cut into red tape are balanced and we have received support from many organizations."
Just after tabling the bill, Blaney posed for a photo alongside several Conservative caucus colleagues, including Minister of State for Social Development Candice Bergen and MPs Roxanne James and Robert Sopuck, who have been active campaigners on behalf of gun owners in Canada.
"Good day for law abiding firearms owners," tweeted Bergen, who seconded the bill.
Good day for law abiding firearms owners. Proud to second our new legislation <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CommonSense?src=hash">#CommonSense</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cdnpoli?src=hash">#cdnpoli</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MinStevenBlaney">@MinStevenBlaney</a> <a href="http://t.co/FpXNiKWEAP">pic.twitter.com/FpXNiKWEAP</a> —@CandiceBergenMP
Sopuck tweeted that it was a "historic day for Canadians."
Sopuck chairs the Conservative "hunting and angling" caucus and introduced Blaney at his news conference following the tabling.
More than a dozen members of the caucus flanked Blaney as he met the press to explain the bill's contents.
Licences merging, grace period introduced
The legislation introduced Tuesday will:
Change the licensing system to merge possession-only licences and possession and acquisition licences, giving new rights to firearms owners.
Implement a six-month grace period for individuals to renew their firearms licence without fear of becoming a "paper criminal."
Make classroom participation in firearms safety training mandatory for anyone who wants to possess and acquire a firearm.
Make authorization to transport restricted firearms a condition of a restricted firearms licence.
The bill also reclassifies some firearms, including the Swiss Arms rifle for which the Conservatives earlier granted an amnesty after a controversy over its reclassification.
RELATED:
Blaney said the legislation to amend the Criminal Code would give elected officials the final say over classification decisions based on technical advice.
"No longer will Canadians be denied property rights, or worse, turn [into] a paper criminal overnight due to the stroke of a bureaucrat's pen," the minister said.
"Any such decision will be based on consultation and independent expert advice. While this might seem like common sense it does not exist today," he said.
Provincial firearms officers authority cut
Blaney said the bill will improve "information sharing" between the Canada Border Services Agency and the RCMP.
It also ends the "arbitrary and discretionary powers of the chief firearms officer to make it clear that elected government can set national standards that must be abided by around the country," Blaney said.
The Harper government has clashed with provincial firearms officers over policy in the past.
The minister said the legislation also contains measures to better protect victims of crime by banning gun ownership for those convicted of domestic violence
Alberta MP BlaineCaulkins, who has also been a vocal supporter of the changes, said he was confident that law-abiding gun owners will be happy with the "balanced legislation" and called on his opposition colleagues to support it.
Not everyone is cheering the proposed changes, however.
In a written statement, the Canadian Coalition for Gun Control says it has not had a chance to "study the fine print of the bill," but is already concerned.
"At first glance, it appears that the federal government's new proposals will make it easier to transport restricted firearms such as handguns," the coalition notes.
"By reducing the powers of the chief firearms officers, the federal government may make it difficult for provinces to strengthen their legislation within their powers. There are also plans to reduce the screening processes needed for some licences."
The group also points out that the legislation was tabled the day before the Supreme Court of Canada is slated to hear the Quebec government's appeal on getting access to data from the now dismantled gun registry.
"The coalition has been granted intervenor status on this case."
New Democratic public safety critic Randall Garrison told CBC News his party is reviewing the legislation closely.
"But let's be clear — when it comes to firearms, the Conservatives have shown that their primary interest is in playing politics, not public safety," he added.
Changes'restore sensibility' to gun laws: Nova Scotia hunters
The press release accompanying the bill's introduction includes laudatory comments on the bill from several high-profile advocates of firearms owners' rights, including the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, the Canadian Shooting Sports Association and the Quebec Hunting and Fishing Federation.
"The Nova Scotia Federation of Anglers and Hunters would like to thank the Harper government and in particular the Hon. Steven Blaney, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, who has today started a process for restoring sensibility to Canadian firearms laws," reads one endorsement.
"The proposed legislation has the ability to improve the shooting opportunities for both hunters and target shooters. It will also allow thousands of gun owners to purchase new firearms and that will have a positive impact on the economy of rural Canada."
Blaney first telegraphed the proposed changes during a visit to a North Bay, Ont., shooting range in July, when he pledged to bring forward the "common sense firearms licensing act" this fall.
Although the proposed legislation was tabled in the House this morning, MPs likely won't start debating it until after the Thanksgiving recess.New Bazar in Tirana. Photo: BIRN/Ivana Dervishi
Twenty-five-year-old French engineer Antoine Avignon first set foot in Albania in 2000. At the time, he was excited to participate in a short-term humanitarian mission.
“Before coming to Albania, I told myself that you have to finish the project soon, get out of the country for a new mission and, of course, not get married,” he said, smiling.
Albania was a mystery to most Europeans in the year 2000. Just three years beforehand, the country had been embroiled in civil unrest and Avignon, now a programme manager for Environment, Energy and Civil Protection with the EU Delegation to Albania, did not know a single word of Albanian.
To makes things more complicated, his assignment was in Peshkopi, a remote town in the north of the country.
Avignon, soon realised that his mission which involved securing water supplies, would just be a small part of his overall workload.
He and other few international friends, along with a humanitarian mission in Peshkopi, decided to take care of other problems plaguing the town. They helped to open roads blocked by snow and made improvements to its general infrastructure.
Avignon is just one of thousands foreigners, who in recent years decided to replace their busy, hectic life for a more easygoing daily routine in Albania. He is among a rich mix of nationalities.
Italians make up the biggest expat community in the country, with some 2,700 Italian businesses and thousands of others studying and working. The second highest number of foreign businesses are Greek, while Kosovan businesses are third, according to Albanian National Employment Service data from 2015.
The same data showed that more than 2,500 foreigners have permanent permission to work in the country, with the most common field of employment being construction (30 per cent). Some 52 per cent of all foreign workers are Turkish, and 12 per cent Chinese. Around 8 per cent of foreigners working in Albania are Canadian.
Photo courtesy of Rachel Berryman.
However, Avignon is far from the lone “western” expat. Rachel Berryman, 32 years old, who has a background in art administration, left Virginia in the US in 2009 to explore new cultures as a Peace Corps volunteer. She accepted the offer to be stationed in Albania – a country she previously knew nothing about, aside from its Balkan location – an interesting region worth exploring.
For the first two and half years, she found herself working with women in the municipality administration of Burrel, a small northern town. She learned the language and culture but towards the end of the program departed to India, to pursue her passion for yoga and get certificated as a teacher.
“After three months in India, the normal thing to do was to return to the US,” she told BIRN. However, this didn’t quite work out. “I felt that I haven’t finished with Albania and wanted to explore it more, so decided to return,” she said.
Berryman moved to Tirana, a city where yoga was pretty new, and she, along with some other expats in the country, decided to establish the practice.
“That time only two people were teaching yoga in the whole country … out of passion, a few other internationals and I started to contribute to its spread while training those interested,” she said.
Now, a few years later, Berryman leads and owns ‘Tirana yoga’ – one of the most respected studios in the country. “I’m glad that now Albanian and foreign yoga teachers practice it and the base of those interested has been growing a lot,” she said.
Now, Berryman splits her life between Albania and India. She considers the former a social, spontaneous country, where people are hospitable and treat foreigners very well.
“The opportunity to have a good social life is bigger here than in the US, where people are mainly focused on work. In Albania, people like to spend time with each other and you can create a healthy life-work balance,” she said.
Albania’s borders were sealed for almost 45 years of communist dictatorship. Few citizens were allowed to leave the country, and an equally small number of foreigners were able to enter given the stringent secret service checks.
Since 1991 the country has passed through a difficult political transition. While several positive changes have been made, with Albania achieving NATO member status in 2009, the country remains one of the poorest in Europe (although it is still waiting to open EU accession talks).
With an official unemployment rate of more than 14 percent, younger generations have few opportunities. And while some foreigners such as Berryman value the work-life balance, others can have a difficult time, finding it harsh and hectic.
Kailey Rocker and Jonathan Eaton in Albania. Photo courtesy of Jonathan Eaton.
This laid-back culture, however, also impressed cultural anthropologist Kailey Rocker from Louisiana. She has split her life between Albania and the US since 2010.
She initially arrived in the country to spend summers working on school projects in the northern town of Shkodra. She then decided to move in 2013 and is now conducting PhD research on youth perceptions of communism.
In Albania, Rocker now shares her life with Jonathan Eaton – an American compatriot she says she would never have had the chance to meet in the US.
“We met here, in Shkodra for the first time, introduced by my professors. In the US this would not be possible since he is from Washington state on the west coast and I am from the South,” she said.
For her, Albania is a place where she can also pursue her professional goals, enjoy good friendships with locals, travel easily to other destinations in Europe and make her family feel that she is safe.
“My family feel that I’m totally safe while here – they just start to be a little concerned when I travel to other surrounding countries,” she said.
Her partner, Jonathan Eaton, is fluent in Albanian although he set foot in the country in 2009 for the first time as a Fulbright scholar.
He was impressed by the country’s cultural legacy and now works as a programme officer with Cultural Heritage without Borders – thereby contributing to saving it.
After his Fulbright study, he decided to leave for Toronto, pursuing his master’s studies in anthropology. However, he later took the decision to return Albania and find a job.
“I’m not implying that Canada is a bad place, but that Albania is a good one,” he said, smiling. “Here, I received a real chance to work in my field, and I like the challenges that I face. I really find Albania welcoming and I’m glad to provide a positive contribution to its culture,” he continued.
He knows already that his relationship with Albania will be lifelong.
Antoine Avignon and his wife Raimonda. Photo courtesy of Antoine Avignon.
As for Avignon, he also reneged on his premature decision not to get married. He found his now-wife Raimonda in Albania. She was on a cooperation mission with Danish International Development Aid, based in Tirana, but ended up on Dibra to help the region develop. When they got married, some 200 people arrived from abroad.
The newly created French-Albanian family left the country in 2002, and continued to work for development missions in Romania, France and Africa.
After more than six years with the EU in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo and Bangui, Central African Republic, Avignon was assigned to work on the environment in 2009 in Tirana.
“After several years of harsh conditions in Africa (civil wars, malaria, etc), we were ready for a new challenge in Albania, in the framework of EU accession,” he said.
Avignon’s relationship with the country has grown special. He admires its mountains, sea, culture, the spontaneous life and on the top of everything, its people.
“I have learned a lot about humankind on all my travels, and I have just started to know Albania and its people better … Albanians really have a big heart,” he said.Apple and Samsung are reportedly working behind closed doors to hammer out a deal that would end their long-running, globe-spanning feud over mobile technology patents.
The negotiations are building upon "marathon talks" held in 2012 between Apple CEO Tim Cook and Samsung's then-CEO Geesung Choi in San Francisco, according to The Korea Times. The two technology giants, which have been battling over mobile device IP in courtrooms around the world for several years, are scheduled to deliver a joint settlement proposal in a U.S. court by Jan. 8.
Apple and Samsung have been engaged in more than two dozen patent infringement cases in nine countries since April 2011, though about a quarter of those cases are no longer open. A U.S. court last year ordered Samsung to pay Apple $1.05 billion for patent infringements, though that figure was later reduced to about $890 million.
The Times cited an official at South Korea's Fair Trade Commission as saying renewed talks were now underway between relevant parties at Apple and Samsung.
"As far as I know, the companies recently resumed working-level discussions toward the signing of a potential deal. They are in the process of narrowing differences over royalty payments," the unnamed official was quoted as saying.
But Apple and Samsung remain "poles apart over the patent values that each has" and how a deal to use each other's technology would be structured, the source said. Samsung is reportedly pushing for a comprehensive, cross-licensing deal that would give it access to a wide range of Apple IP for a lump sum, whereas Apple is looking for as much as $30 or more per Samsung device using Cupertino-owned tech.
"This is all about money and pride. This is not a political issue," the commission official was quoted as saying.
Neither Apple nor Samsung immediately responded to requests for comment.
The Times quoted another source from Samsung as saying that mobile chief J.K. Shin could be dispatched to the U.S. "early next year" to lead face-to-face talks with Cook.
If the two companies are now engaged in serious discussions to end their patent disputes, it certainly hasn't stopped Apple from plowing ahead with legal challenges to Samsung's ability to sell devices which Cupertino claims infringe upon its intellectual property.
Apple recently filed a new motion in a Northern California federal courtthe same one where it and Samsung are due to present their settlement proposal in about a week's timeasking for a ban on a number of Samsung handsets from being sold in the U.S. Cupertino's lawyers asked the court for a hearing on the matter to be held by no later than the end of January.
Last month, a federal appellate court opened the door for Apple to make its latest request, finding that the lower court's Judge Lucy Koh erred in initially denying Apple a permanent injunction against Samsung devices that infringe on three of its patents: Those related to its rubber band, tap-to-zoom, and pinch-to-zoom touch-screen features.
The twist is that Samsung appears to have already stopped selling the devices Apple is asking the U.S. court to forbid them from selling. Apple is seeking its permanent injunction by arguing, in part, that Samsung "will not incur any significant hardship from an injunction because it has stopped selling the particular models found to infringe and claims to have developed design-arounds to Apple's patents," according to the court filing.
Apple's reasoning, per the motion, is that the injunction is necessary because "Samsung frequently brings new products to market" and Apple should have the ability to address possible patent infringements present in those new products should they come to light.
Absent any final settlement over their patent differences, Apple and Samsung are set to battle it out in court in March over newer devices like the iPhone 5 and Galaxy S III which weren't part of their earlier cases.
With additional reporting by David Murphy.The facts are well known: the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) requires employers to provide insurance for their employees. As part of the mandated health coverage, businesses must include contraceptives and abortifacient drugs in their insurance plans. Hobby Lobby, owned by the Green family (strong Christians and generous philanthropists), is refusing to comply with the HHS mandate, believing that the government is requiring what is unethical and infringing upon their religious liberty. Perhaps it is tragically fitting that Justice Sotomayor denied Hobby Lobby judicial relief on December 26—St. Stephen’s Day, the day the church remembers its first martyr.
Millions of Americans are already outraged. And rightly so. Our government not only allows for abortion, and celebrates abortion rights, and wants women to have unfettered access to abortion on demand, it now requires other Americans to pay for abortion-inducing drugs or face crippling fines. It is not an endorsement of any political party to conclude that this policy is morally degenerate. More Americans should be alarmed than are already.
The Department of Justice’s brief filed in October makes a number of arguments (in opposition to the Greens) which bear closer scrutiny and ought to arouse no small degree of concern. I’m no legal scholar, but as a Christian citizen and an American worried about our liberties, I would ask questions like these:
The brief argues that as a secular corporation Hobby Lobby does not receive the same protection to freely exercise religion—but what of the rights of the individuals who own and operate the company?
The brief argues that “any burden caused by the regulations is simply too attenuated to qualify as a substantial burden”—but can the government now determine which burdens on the conscience are “substantial” and how does it plan to make these determinations?
The brief argues that the health care regulation “serves two compelling governmental interests: improving the health of women and children, and equalizing the provision of recommended preventive care for women and men”—but on what grounds can the termination of fetal life be construed as “improving the health” of it?
The brief asserts that “The Free Exercise Clause does not prohibit a law that is neutral and generally applicable even if the law prescribes conduct that an individual’s religion proscribes”—but how is the contraceptive mandate “neutral” when the largest religious body in the country (the Catholic Church) opposes contraception outright and tens of millions of evangelical Christians believe the mandate violates their religious convictions relative to abortion?
The brief argues that “the Court should not permit the Greens to eliminate that legal separation to impose their personal religious beliefs on the corporate entity or its employees”—but by what logic is the failure to provide “preventive care” by a private company the imposition of religious belief and the mandating of it by the state it is not?
I’m a pastor, not a lawyer, justice, or politician. But let us pray for all of the above, that they may do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God. Religious liberty is a precious gift we think too little of, and we will miss it sorely when it’s gone.LEICHHARDT Council has approved a controversial plan to create a refugee hub in the inner west.
At a council meeting on Tuesday night, council voted to seek state government funding to house Syrian refugees at Callan Park in Rozelle.
The funding would be used to upgrade disused buildings at the park that were previously used for mental health services.
media_camera Pro-refugee advocates rallying at Leichhardt Council last night.
Council would then apply for an intake of refugees from the Federal Government’s current intake of 12,000 although how many could be accommodated has not been decided.
Mayor Darcy Byrne said people were fearful about asylum seekers and refugees but this was a time for leadership.
He said white supremacists had attended the last meeting to try to subvert democracy but it hadn’t worked.
media_camera Neglected buildings in Callan Park could be turned into housing for refugees. Picture: Craig Wilson
media_camera Leichardt Council will apply for funding to be used to upgrade the buildings. Picture: Craig Wilson
“Syria is the worst humanitarian crisis since WW2... and if the inner west can’t do it than how can we ask the rest of Australia to do it.”
The motion was earlier defeated when Greens councillors voted with the Liberals against the plan despite arguing in support of the refugee hub.
Greens councillor Rochelle Porteous claimed the proposal did not go far enough and should have included a banner announcing Leichhardt as a refugee welcome hub and writing to the Federal Government denouncing its asylum seeker policies.
media_camera Buildings which were formerly used for mental health services could become a refugee hub. Picture: Craig Wilson
Premier Mike Baird has committed to resettling up to 7000 of the 12,000 Syrian refugees due to be welcomed into Australia by the federal government over the next 18 months.
The original motion called for the council to seek state and federal funding for a refugee hub at Callan Park, which has historically been used for mental health services.
Labor councillor Simon Emsley put forward the original motion saying the inner city had much to offer refugees and he was astonished to see Greens councillors knock it back.
Cr Emsley said given what had transpired in Europe in recent weeks, it was more important than ever to make a clear distinction between refugee and asylum seeker issues.
media_camera NSW will take 7000 of the 12,000 Syrian refugees due to be welcomed into Australia.
media_camera Cr Emsley said it was more important than ever to make a clear distinction between refugee and asylum seeker issues given what had happened in Europe in recent weeks. Picture: AFP/Armend Nimani
media_camera Protesters at the November 25 Leichhardt Council meeting over a proposal to bring Syrian refugees to Callan Park.
“Without this distinction, support for a practical program aiding refugee settlement within our local community will be severely weakened.”
“That is why I have literally begged Greens councillors to put any asylum-seeker matters they want considered in a separate motion to a subsequent meeting.
Police were called to the last meeting after anti-Islam protesters stormed the chamber. Brandishing placards and shouting slogans, the protesters interrupted the meeting to slam the refugee proposal.
Claiming to be from the Australian Party for Freedom, the men exchanged angry words with members of the public gallery before being thrown out of the chamber.This month sees the 13th anniversary of the fall of Baghdad to US forces on April 9, 2003 – an invasion initiated by the Bush administration in breach of international law and aimed at “disarming Iraq of weapons of mass destruction” that were never to be found.
When Saddam’s statue was toppled, it was a huge milestone after more than 20 years of his rule. But that feeling would soon be replaced by mounting questions as to the real reason for the US presence in Iraq – especially after anywhere between half a million and a million people had to die for us to find out that the key pretext for the invasion was trumped up. This doubt only escalated as the War on Terror progressed elsewhere, before we finally arrived at its baby – Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL), standing on the shoulders of Al-Qaeda and Al-Nusra Front.
All these years later, a modest 40 percent of Iraqis believe the US worked to destabilize Iraq and claim its natural resources. And almost a third believe Washington actively supports terrorism to achieve its ends, according to the Office of the Inspector General. This particularly concerns Islamic State, according to the survey.
Trial of Saddam Hussein was victor’s justice’ – ex-tribunal judge to RT https://t.co/bI4RxnbnKqpic.twitter.com/4n7ZsrMqYx — RT (@RT_com) April 10, 2016
“As soon we approach the problem from the legal grounds, we immediately realize that the war in Iraq was illegal,” Taher Bourmedra, former UN human rights chief in Iraq and a UN secretary general special representative for Iraq, told RT in an interview.
He stressed that the US-led military operation, dubbed ‘Operation Iraqi Freedom’, was an act of direct aggression towards a sovereign country, as the US failed to obtain a mandate from the UN Security Council.
“In this case there should be compensation for damages,” he added, referring to the chaos and destitution the city now finds itself in. In the global quality of living ranking, published by Mercer, Bagdad ranks 230th, being the worst city in the world to live in.
Multiple war crimes allegations, including torture and targeting civilians with airstrikes, have been registered in the course of the operation.
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“…There is plenty of evidence, hundreds, perhaps even thousands of Iraqi and international organizations have recorded the crimes committed during the occupation,” Daham Al Azawi, member of the independent commission on human rights in Iraq, told RT.
“We understand that United States are still present here despite the withdrawal of its troops,” he concluded.
The US forces officially formally ended their mission in Iraq in 2011. However, in June 2014 American forces were again dispatched to Iraq to fight Islamic State. In October 2015 the US Defense Department went as far as to announce that it was ready to engage in “direct action on the ground” if needed. The statement was met with stern rebuke from Iraqi government.
“This is an Iraqi affair and the government did not ask the US Department of Defense to be involved in direct operations,” government spokesman Sa'ad al-Hadithi told NBC News.The country is 10 days from a debt ceiling breach that experts all but unanimously warn will cause a Lehman-sized financial meltdown. The White House says it won’t accept anything less than a clean increase and Republicans say they won’t pass anything of the sort. If you make a living off investments–or anything else, really–it seems like a decent enough time to freak out.
But despite some recent bumps in the Dow, the markets are mostly hanging tough. They didn’t move much after Obama explicitly warned Wall Street leaders on |
constructs a seemingly clear conception of itself and then subverts it to the point of overturning. That’s definitely going to rub some readers the wrong way. But Susan Sontag, who Kot himself has referenced on a number of occasions, concludes her essay “Against Interpretation” with the statement: “In place of a hermeneutics we need an erotics of art.” And while it might be hypocritical and/or ironic of me to cite that line in this conversation, those last few issues embodied that to me, that call to stop intellectualizing and start emotionalizing. They engaged on a visceral, inarticulable gut-level, and in that way they felt consistent with the rest of the series.
On the topic of Sontag: In the first two essays collected in Against Interpretation, “Against Interpretation” and “On Style,” she hammers home the habit of critics to dichotomize form and content as an either/or. We’ve attempted to parse the content of Zero, but we haven’t approached its form. Oliver, do you think that the physical format, its serialization, its 24-page installments, its length, works for the series? How do you think Kot has used this format to his and the artists’ advantage?
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OS: It’s interesting that you note Iron Patriot as the exception to that exorcistic element, because even in that book Kot is trying to negotiate his own personal pacifist philosophy with the militaristic foundation of Marvel superheroes. He does that by exploring the consequences of these heroes’ actions, which, in the case of Jim Rhodes in Iron Patriot and Maria Hill in Secret Avengers, are done in the name of the U.S. government. Like his run on Suicide Squad, I think there was a lot of unexplored potential in Kot’s Iron Patriot, but there’s also something to be said about doing a quick four or five issues on a book and then jumping on to new things.
Which brings us to form. A five-issue miniseries isn’t going to allow Kot the kind of freedom that an open-ended ongoing will, and there are restrictions on a single issue of a Marvel or DC comic that aren’t there when Kot is working at Image. To start, those superhero publishers have ads sprinkled throughout the issue, which pull readers out of the story, even if they’ve become accustomed to ads like I have. Can you imagine an issue of Zero with those half-page Nick Lachey Twix ads that DC ran in its comics last month? It would completely destroy the immersive atmosphere that the Zero creative team works so hard to create.
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Zero has no ads, not even Image house ads, so there’s no point in the single-issue reading experience where the creative team’s vision is not at the forefront. The absence of these promotional items also lends Zero a certain air of prestige, not unlike TV series that don’t have commercial interruptions. (The one exception is the final issue of Zero, which ends with a one-page ad for Kot’s new ongoing series Wolf, but that’s Kot making sure that readers know where they can find more of his work in the future.)
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The book’s immersive atmosphere begins with Tom Muller’s design work, which gives the cover images intense graphic impact and makes each single issue function as a self-contained piece of art. “Self-contained” is very important here, and Kot showed off a new side of his talent by forcing himself to tell complete stories in each chapter. Teaming with a different artist further sharpened that skill by making Kot consider the specific strengths of his collaborators in his scripts, giving each issue a flavor that is unique to the artist and allowing him to build creative relationships that have carried over to his other books. Michael Walsh (Zero #1) and Tradd Moore (#2) joined Kot on Secret Avengers as artist and cover artist; Will Tempest (#5) is on Material; Matt Taylor (#7) is on Wolf; Adam Gorham (#12) is on Dead Drop, Kot’s current Valiant miniseries; and Jordie Bellaire is the colorist on The Surface. The format of Zero made it possible for Kot to collaborate with a huge variety of artists in the last two years, and clearly these people have enjoyed the experience because they keep working with him.
An open-ended serialized ongoing with a constantly changing art style has the opportunity to evolve in a way that a smaller story can’t, and I’ve loved watching Zero grow over 18 issues and consistently shatter my expectations. I would have liked to see the series continue because it was so exciting seeing the different creative dynamics in each issue, and it feels like there’s more going on with the alternate universe Edward being held at gunpoint by his son than what Kot has shown, but that doesn’t diminish the power of the series’ conclusion. And just because the comic is ending doesn’t mean Kot is done with Edward’s story. Kot has specified on social media that the Zero comic is over, and he’s written a draft of a Zero TV series that isn’t a straight adaptation but a reimagining of what he’s done in the comics.
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Considering how much the multiverse came into play in the final issues, I love the idea of a Zero TV show showing us an alternate version of Edward’s story, ideally one that follows a similar path of self-discovery but doesn’t hit all the same beats. All the weird Burroughs stuff probably wouldn’t make it’s way into the TV show, but it’s very easy to imagine Kot taking a similar left turn in Edward’s narrative by drawing inspiration from a different artist that has worked in the medium Zero is moving to. (Maybe someone like David Lynch?) Shea, is there anything about the prospect of a Zero TV show that excites you? Are there any unanswered questions of the comic that you would like to see further explored? And do you think the Burroughs elements are so essential that they need to be a part of Edward’s story, no matter the medium?
SH: You mention David Lynch, and I think there’s definitely something in that. There’s a fairly explicit allusion to Twin Peaks’ Black Lodge in issue #17—which some readers will recognize as that show’s kind-of multiversal or spiritual nexus point, a dream space that exists outside of time and is inhabited by Jungian shadow aspects and Cartesian evil demons—so Kot himself is obviously familiar with Lynch. And it would be interesting to see Zero done in that similar vein. Not so much a riff on Twin Peaks in particular, or David Lynch in general, because I think that kind of thing usually ends up in the second season of True Detective, which is little more than a Nic Pizzolatto stand-in for Mulholland Drive, at least at this point. But I would be interested in something in that vein, that seamless blend of between populist, more straightforwardly genre tropes and the odder, more obtuse ideas and imagery.
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If that’s the milieu of the Zero show, I would be keen to see the Burroughs elements show up (or someone similar; maybe Kafka, Calvino, Moravia, or Abe—there are plenty of heady artists to toy with). I don’t know if it’s an absolute necessity, but I think that arena is still pretty fecund and there’s room to do a lot of interesting stuff with it. And in the hands of the right director, these bits could be visually elucidated in an original and compelling way—think of Bergman’s work on Persona. So is it a requirement that that stuff be included? No. Conceptually, Zero is malleable enough that you can make it work pretty exceptionally without it. But there’s enough that can be done with it that it wouldn’t feel like a rehash to include it, and it would work well with the show if Kot planned on retaining that metaphysical, dreamlike turn of the comic.
To answer your first question: I am excited. I’m trying to temper my reactions more than I have in the past, so I’ll retain a certain amount of skepticism; it could easily go pear shaped with the wrong producer, cast, writers’ room, or roster of directors. But I like the idea of a Zero show very much. We’ve discussed how appealing Zero was to me as a comic because of its cool factor—that thing you see with stuff like Le Samouraï, The Prisoner, Egon Schiele paintings, old issues of Heavy Metal, where it’s almost an inarticulable aura that fills the air around the thing. Maybe that comes from Zero’s subject matter or its roster of artists or some indiscernible X factor, but I like the idea of seeing something like it on television. Now that Mad Men and Hannibal are over and True Detective season two is underwhelming, there’s only… what? Person Of Interest and maybe Westworld when it drops? There’s most assuredly a dearth of that ilk. Zero, at least as an abstraction, could fill that void.Alpine A450
Ariel Atom 300 Supercharged
Ariel Atom 500 V8
Ariel Atom Mugen （予約特典「Modified Car Pack」）
Aston Martin Rapide S Hydrogen Hybrid
Aston Martin Vantage GT3
Aston Martin Vantage GT4
Audi R18 TDI LMP1
Audi R8 LMS Ultra
Audi R8 V10 Plus
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BAC Mono
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BMW 1 M Coupe (E82)
BMW 320 Turbo Gr.5 (E21)
BMW M1 Procar (E26/1)（「LIMITED EDITION CAR PACK」）
BMW M3 Gr.A (E30)
BMW M3 GT (E92)
BMW M3 GT4 (E92)
BMW Z4 GT3
Caper Monterey Stockcar
Caterham Seven Classic
Caterham Superlight R500
Caterham SP/300R
Ford Capri Zakspeed Gr.5
Ford Escort RS1600
Ford Focus RS
Ford Mk. IV（「LIMITED EDITION CAR PACK」）
Ford Mustang Boss 302R1
Ford Mustang Cobra SCCA TransAm
Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth Gr.A
Formula Gulf 1000
Ginetta G40 Junior
Ginetta G55 GT3
Ginetta G55 GT4
Gumpert Apollo S
Lotus 49 Cosworth
Lotus 72D Cosworth
Lotus 78 Cosworth
Lotus 98T Renault
Marek RP219D LMP2
Marek RP339h (PM 06a) LMP1
McLaren 12C
McLaren 12C GT3
McLaren F1（「LIMITED EDITION CAR PACK」）
McLaren P1
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Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evo2 DTM
Mercedes-Benz 300SEL 6.8 AMG
Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG
Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe DTM（「LIMITED EDITION CAR PACK」）
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT
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Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X FQ400
Oreca 03 Nissan
Pagani Huayra
Pagani Zonda Cinque Roadster（予約特典「Modified Car Pack」）
Pagani Zonda R
Palmer Jaguar JP-LM
Radical SR3 RS
Radical SR8 RX
Renault Clio Cup
Renault Megane R.S. 265
Ruf CTR3
Ruf CTR3 SMS-R（予約特典「Modified Car Pack」）
Ruf RGT-8
Ruf RGT-8 GT3
RWD P20 LMP2
RWD P30 LMP1
Sauber C9 Mercedes（「LIMITED EDITION CAR PACK」）
SMS Formula A
SMS Formula B
SMS Formula C
SMS Formula Rookie
SMS Kart 125cc (Kart01)
SMS Superkart 250cc (Kart02)
W Motors Lykan HyperSport（毎月配布予定の無料車種第1弾）
Slightly Mad Studiosは，欧米で2015年5月8日にリリースが予定されているレーシングシミュレーション Wii U 版は発売日未定）で登場する予定の 車両リスト を公開した。リストによると，Project CARSでは限定版に含まれる特典などを含めると，80車種がローンチ時にリリースされる予定で，発売後も次々と無料でリリースされていくようだ。日本からはロードカーの「Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X FQ400」や，ル・マン24時間レースに出場した「Oreca 03 Nissan」が参戦している。レーシングゲームでは，レースに勝ったり特定のミッションをこなしたりすることによって新しい車種がアンロックされるようなシステムが一般的だが，Slightly Mad Studiosは，Project CARSでサンドボックス型のオープンなスタンスでゲームを楽しむことを目標にしているとのことで，ゲーム開始時にすべての車両がプレイアブルな状態になるという。Defense Secretary Ashton Carter conducts a press conference on Aug. 20, 2015, from the media briefing room of the Pentagon. (Photo11: Paul J. Richards, AFP/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon’s ban on transgender troops would end May 27 under a draft timeline on repeal of the policy that affects about 12,000 troops, according to a document obtained by USA TODAY.
The memo, circulated last week among top personnel and medical officials, lays out the road map for ending the policy and highlights some of the potential issues, including a pilot program that would provide leaves of absences for transgender troops being treated with hormones or having surgery.
Meanwhile, Army and the Air Force leaders know for sure of about 20 transgender troops in each service, according to a Defense Department official familiar with the issue who spoke on condition of anonymity because officials were not authorized to speak publicly. The condition of gender dysphoria disqualifies them from service under current policy, but a de facto moratorium on dismissals was enacted last month by Defense Secretary Ash Carter.
Carter ordered a six-month review of the issues surrounding transgender troops with the assumption that they can serve openly unless “objective, practical impediments are identified,” the Aug. 19 memo says. During that period, one of Carter’s chief deputies would have to approve any request to discharge transgender troops.
The memo details a list of issues surrounding the open service of transgender troops, including medical treatment, housing, uniforms and physical fitness standards.
Earlier this month, a study in the New England Journal of Medicine by the Palm Center estimated that it would cost the military $5.6 million per year to treat transgender troops. The center, which studies issues of sexuality and the military, estimated that 188 of the 12,000 transgender troops would seek treatment in any given year. The number of transgender troops is an estimate; detailed numbers are harder to come by because troops have risked being discharged if they made their transgender status public.
Pentagon officials will consider a pilot program that would allow transgender troops under medical treatment to take a sabbatical from service, returning to the ranks after they have made their transition to the other gender. They must also decide whether transgender troops being treated are eligible for deployment to war zones, the memo says.
Also under consideration: revisiting the discharge status of transgender troops who have been kicked out of the service. It is unclear how many troops have been discharged over the years for the condition because the Pentagon does not track them. A dishonorable discharge for having gender dysphoria could affect employment opportunities and veterans benefits.
Some top officers complained that the military has been asked to enact too much social change in recent years, including the 2011 repeal of the military’s ban on gay and lesbian troops serving openly, and on the continuing integration of women into combat units, said the Defense official and a colleague, who also spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly.
Many senior officers, however, want a clear policy on transgender troops, the Defense officials said. These officers are comfortable with rules that allow them to keep good troops with gender dysphoria and provide them treatment.
Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1Jkluy3Escapees talk us through photos taken on the frozen border in February
Outside perceptions of life in North Korea are usually reserved to the country’s capital, Pyongyang, with its showcase apartment blocks and grand monuments to beloved leaders past and present.
Save for the tourists who may get the occasional excursion to a coastal city or rural village, most people think of the capital when they think of the DPRK.
In the DPRK’s northeast, where one of the world’s most isolated countries meets China and Russia, life is very different. A hotspot for defections, the black market, and North Korea’s rapidly changing relations with its neighbors, the towns along the Tumen River and the border don’t get a lot of coverage.
And when NK News obtained photos taken in February from the Chinese border of this little-covered region, we wanted to find out what life is like in North Korea’s borderlands, where a vast majority of defectors now come from.
For Suhyang Park and Jeson Hoang, who defected in 2012 and 2011 respectively, this was the North Korea they knew best, only visiting the capital once or twice in their lives.
So what do they make of life on the frontier these days?Cincinnati Reds' Todd Frazier watches his solo home run. (Photo: John Minchillo, AP)
After big hits, Todd Frazier will often pantomime turning a steering wheel — he's driving the bus, if you will. This weekend, Frazier's bus ran over the Washington Nationals.
Frazier was 3 for 4 with a double and his second homer of the series in Sunday's 8-2 victory over the Nationals, as the Reds swept Washington in the three-game series.
After losing 10 of 11 games, which included a nine-game losing streak, the Reds responded by sweeping the National League East-leading Nationals in three games started by Reds rookie pitchers, breaking a streak of nine series wins by Washington.
Much of that came from the bat of Frazier, who hit his 16th home run of the season in the fourth inning and was one Denard Span web gem away from homering in all three games of the series. He finished the series 8 for 12 with five runs, three RBI, three doubles and two homers.
Frazier has a couple of different celebrations and he had plenty of opportunities to use them against the Nationals.
"It's a whole bunch of things, Skip (Schumaker) told me make a 'C' for captain," Frazier said. "It's also for the University of Cincinnati, kind of a UC thing — and then the other one is riding the bus, just get on the bus and hop on."
Frazier may have been driving, but he wasn't the only one supplying gas on Sunday. Brandon Phillips broke an 0-for-18 skid in the fifth inning with his third home run of the season and had the first of the Reds' five hits with runners in scoring position in the decisive six-run seventh. In all, five different Reds notched RBI in the inning and every single member of the lineup contributed in the inning that turned a tie game into a blowout.
Reds starter Michael Lorenzen allowed just one hit in his 6 1/3 innings of work, but he walked six, including three in the seventh when he was replaced by J.J. Hoover. Hoover gave up a two-run single to Nationals left fielder Michael Taylor to tie the game, but the Reds got out of the inning on an unassisted double play by first baseman Joey Votto.
Marlon Byrd, who entered the game as part of the a double switch when Lorenzen was pulled from the game, started the inning off with a hustle infield single on a grounder to second.
Billy Hamilton was called on to sacrifice bunt, but couldn't get down his first two attempts. With two strikes, he popped up a bunt, but pitcher Aaron Barrett couldn't catch it. He opted for the force out at second. While that did take out the lead runner, it put the fastest man in baseball on first.
"Maybe the biggest thing in the inning was the fact that the pitcher dropped that bunt and that it put Billy on first base, instead of Marlon," Price said. "And then all the attention they had focused on him set the stage for what happened afterwards."
After Hamilton stole second, he was running on a pitch when Phillips grounded a ball that got by Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond, and scored easily.
That gave the Reds a 3-2 lead, something that was good enough, if not comfortable for the combination of Tony Cingrani and Aroldis Chapman out of the team's bullpen.
But the Reds didn't stop at a mere one-run lead.
Votto walked (on just three balls because of a mistake by home plate umpire Paul Emmel) and then Frazier doubled to make it 4-2. Jay Bruce followed with a double to make it 6-2. After intentionally walking Zack Cozart, pinch-hitter Brennan Boesch singled to make it 7-2. And then Tucker Barnhart singled to make it 8-2.
Finally, Byrd, who started it all (and was the first out), hit into a double play to end the inning.
The Reds, who have been baseball's worst team as far as batting average with runners in scoring position, finished the series against the Nationals 12 for 28 with runners in scoring position — and won all three games.
"That old saying hitting is contagious, same kind of thing goes with runners in scoring position, everybody relaxes, understands that we don't need to get outside our strike zone and let the pitch come to you and attack," Frazier said. "That's all I told everybody, just attacking the ball, squaring it up and you'll have better opportunities. Even if you're off balance sometimes it works."
Lost among the offensive output was another fantastic outing by Lorenzen, who is now 1-1 with a 2.45 ERA in his five starts in the big leagues. Lorenzen struggled at times with his control, walking a total of six, including two batters on eight straight pitches in the first, but did allow just a single hit over his 6 1/3 innings. He struck out four and at one point retired 12 straight batters, needing just 33 pitches to do that from the third through the sixth innings.
Lorenzen didn't get the win, further showing the irrelevance of pitcher's wins as a statistical judgement of player performance, but he pitched masterfully at times and was as big a reason as any for the Reds' victory. In just five starts, Lorenzen has pitched at least six innings and allowed three hits or fewer three times, tied for the most in baseball among rookie pitchers with teammate Anthony DeSclafani, Friday's winner.
Add Raisel Iglesias' performance on Saturday into the mix, and the Reds showed signs of life not just for the future, but also the present. The Reds team that was pronounced dead earlier in the week, showed signs of life, and that's a good thing as the team closes out the second month of the season.
"Look around baseball and you see some teams that had — maybe not a run of losing 10 of 11 — but some lost six, seven or eight in a row and certain times during the year. You know, it happens," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "You just don't believe it's really happening when you're in it. I think we all know we have more talent here than a team that's several games under.500. that being said, we just turned it around against a really nice club. We have to continue that, not take anything for granted, go out there on the road and play better than we have on the road."In February 2011, during a winter storm, a tree fell into a creek in Franklin Township, New Jersey, and caused flooding. The town was about to send a tractor in to pull the tree out when someone, probably the town lawyer, helpfully pointed out that it was a “class C-1 creek” and required formal approvals before any natural condition was altered. The flooding continued while town officials spent 12 days and $12,000 to get a permit to do what was obvious: pull the tree out of the creek.
Government’s ineptitude is not news. But something else has happened in the last few decades. Government is making America inept. Other countries don’t have difficulty pulling a tree out of a creek. Other countries also have modern infrastructure, and schools that generally succeed, and better health care at little more than half the cost.
Reforms, often embodied in hundreds of pages of new regulations, are tried constantly. But they only seem to make the problems worse. Political debate is so predictable that it’s barely worth listening to, offering ideology without practicality—as if our only choice, as comedian Jon Stewart put it, is that “government must go away completely—or we must be run by an incompetent bureaucracy.”
The missing element in American government could hardly be more basic: No official has authority to make a decision. Law has crowded out the ability to be practical or fair. Mindless rigidity has descended upon the land, from the schoolhouse to the White House to, sometimes, your house. Nothing much works, because no one is free to make things work.
Automatic law causes public failure. A system of detailed dictates is supposed to make government work better. Instead it causes failure.
The simplest tasks often turn into bureaucratic ordeals. A teacher in Chicago who called the custodian to report a broken water fountain was chewed out because he didn’t follow “broken water fountain reporting procedures.” On the first day of school he was required to read to his students a list of disciplinary rules, including this one, just to start things off on the right foot: “You may be expelled for homicide.”
Budgets are out of control because government executives lack flexibility to shave here and there to make ends meet. Soon after his election, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo thought he had found an easy way to save $50 million when he learned that a large juvenile detention center was empty, with no prospects of use anytime soon. There it was, sitting upstate, with several dozen employees—doing nothing but costing taxpayers millions of dollars. But no one had the authority to close it down, not even the governor. There’s a New York law that prohibits closing down any facility with union employees without at least one year’s notice. So $50 million of taxpayer revenue—that’s ten thousand families each paying $5,000 in state taxes—was wasted for no public purpose.
There’s a tendency to attribute ulterior purpose to the failures of government. Sleazy deals are certainly easy to find. But pay a visit to the innards of the giant machine, and mainly what you find is not calculating people trying to get something for someone, but a comedy of rules without reason.
***
Bureaucracy disempowers people from acting morally. Thomas Aquinas thought that people who do evil don’t think of themselves as evil. What allows evil to persist, Aquinas believed, is the “lack of good” by other people.
Bureaucracy offers a continuous narrative of public employees prevented from doing what’s right. Only in bureaucracy or horror movies do people get in trouble for compelling acts of kindness. In 2012 a St. Louis school cafeteria worker, Dianne Brame, was fired for giving food to a fourth-grader who had no money. She knew he had been on a free food program, but language barriers got in the way of his parents reapplying. “They look at that as stealing,” said Brame, whose husband had recently died, but “I thought it was just taking care of a kid.”
Even matters of life and death are sometimes asked to yield to the rigid imperatives of a clear rule. In 2012, Florida lifeguard Tomas Lopez was fired for leaving his designated zone on the beach to rescue a drowning man just over the line. “On radio I heard Tommy saying ‘I’m going for a rescue but it’s out of our zone,’” said another lifeguard, who added that the “manager told him not to go and to call 911.” Lopez said he couldn’t just sit back, and was prepared to get fired, adding, “It wasn’t too much of an upset, because I had my morals intact.” After publicity about the incident, Lopez was offered his job back. He declined.
Incidents like these are the result of deliberate design, not just the bad values of the particular supervisors. Professor William Simon described how the welfare reforms after the ’60s ended up creating a heartless bureaucracy explicitly designed “to alienate the worker from the purposes of the norms she enforces.”
In one case studied by Professor Simon, the benefits to a recent Cuban refugee were terminated because she had failed to procure a letter of enrollment from the school of one of her four children. She had enrollment letters for three of her children and, three times in the prior six months, had produced enrollment letters for all of her children. She could not secure the fourth letter as required by the rules because the school was closed in August. When it reopened, she got the letter and presented it to the welfare case worker, “who responded that it was too late: ‘There is nothing I can do.’” In fact, as Professor Simon discovered after interviewing the case worker, she meant only that the applicant needed to go to another department, which would have immediately reinstated her.
Mindless bureaucratic cruelty is a recurring theme of observers of the modern state. The incident in the welfare office could have come out of “the Circumlocution Office” in Little Dorrit by Dickens, “it being one of the principles of the Circumlocution Office never, on any account whatever, to give a straightforward answer.”
Without the freedom to act on moral values, there is not even a vocabulary for public virtue.
Let this be our motto: Just tell me the rules. In 2013, an elderly woman collapsed at an assisted living facility in Bakersfield, California, and a nurse called 911. The operator asked the nurse to try to revive the woman with CPR, but the nurse refused, saying it was against policy at that facility. “I understand if your boss is telling you, you can’t do it, but … as a human being … is there anybody that’s willing to help this lady and not let her die?” “Not at this time,” the nurse replied. During the seven-minute, sixteen-second call, the dispatcher continued to plead with the nurse: “Is there a gardener? Any staff, anyone who doesn’t work for you? Anywhere? Can we flag someone down in the street to help this lady? Can we flag a stranger down? I bet a stranger would help her.” By the time the ambulance arrived, the woman had died. The executive director of the facility defended the nurse on the basis that she had followed the rules: “In the event of a health emergency … our practice is to immediately call emergency medical personnel for assistance … That is the protocol we followed.”
America is losing its soul. Instead of creating legal structures that support our values, Americans are abandoning our values in deference to the bureaucratic structures.
***
Democracy Without Leaders
Most laws, when enacted, represent somebody’s vision of the public good. The public purpose of a law often evaporates, however, as circumstances change. The Depression crisis on farms, for example, had disappeared by 1941, when the onset of World War II resulted in inexhaustible demand for cotton and other subsidized crops. Generations have passed since any farmers were in danger of starving.
The need to adjust law is no different from making choices in life. To succeed, you must adapt. No law ever works out as planned, and the mismatch only grows with time.
For example, when mandating special education as an open-ended right, Congress focused on eradicating an injustice, once and for all. Now the law itself is a symbol of budgetary injustice—as one principal put it, “almost like reverse discrimination against the average kid.” Some special ed students have multiple teachers and therapy professionals devoted to them, while others demand special private schooling, sometimes costing over $100,000 per year. Special ed now consumes over 25 percent of the total K–12 budget in America, for a tiny fraction of the student population that actually needs it. By contrast, less than 1 percent of the school budget is spent on programs for gifted children, or for social services for students in disadvantaged neighborhoods. Is this the right use of scarce school resources? No one is even asking the question.
Programs that are cast in concrete will always become millstones on society. Practically every area of regulatory oversight—health care, schools, consumer safety, the environment, public personnel—is governed by obsolete legal structures. In each case, the main problems arise from unanticipated consequences of well-meaning laws—and the almost unbroken record of neglect by Congress to adapt laws to current public needs.
Congress doesn’t seem to be aware that it is responsible for how law actually works. It treats existing law and programs with the reverence of the Ten Commandments—except that they’re more like the 10 million commandments.
Getting rid of obsolete laws is not something Congress does often. This isn’t because of lack of authority. Congress can change any law it wants, within constitutional limits. But democracy has become a one-way ratchet. Congress adds programs but almost never subtracts them. Because laws on the books are mandatory, even for Congress, the practical effect is similar to the absence of authority: The people supposedly in charge of making law end up deferring to it. In the halls of policy in Washington, as well as in daily public choices, law has replaced responsibility to do what’s sensible and moral. Decade after decade, Congress has piled new laws on top of old ones.
At this point, American democracy is basically run by dead people—by past generations of legislators and regulators who wrote the laws and regulations that dictate today’s public policy, allocate most of annual budgets, and micromanage public choices. It’s not surprising that Washington works so badly. Imagine if you had to run a business by following every idea that any former manager ever had.
Philip K. Howard, a lawyer, is the author of The Rule of Nobody: Saving America from Dead Laws and Broken Government, from which this article is excerpted with permission. His other books include Life Without Lawyers: Liberating Americans From Too Much Law, and the bestselling The Death of Common Sense. He is chairman of Common Good and advises leaders of both parties on legal and regulatory reform."Wilde who was hanged yesterday at Kilmainham for stopping and molesting Mr. Gunning with intent to rob him, made at the place of execution ample confession of the many enormities he had committed and declared that if the blunderbuss had gone off he would certainly have shot the person he attacked.
"When cut down a number of fellows laid hold of the body and carried it without a coffin or any other covering along the Circular Road where they several times attempted to restore him to life by rubbing his limbs and trying every other method of sagacity could suggest.
"If the police persist in their exertions, there is not a doubt but the roads leading to this city will soon be cleared of the number of villains who for some time infested them and committed their depradations on the public."
Will frequent executions contribute to their purpose? Experience shows the contrary. Their Frequency renders them familiar; and the mob seems no more affected with this solemn scene, than a puppet show.
A terror is lessened. Villainy increase, and necessity for execution is augmented by their multiplicity…
I am serious in proposing castration for the men whenever they commit a crime…
Intemperate lust is the most frequent cause of such crimes, and what more adequate a punishment? ‘Tis an operation not without a suitable degree of pain, sometimes danger, and perhaps the New Gaol would tremble more at the approach of such an execution… The body relishes pleasure and enjoyment, and is the only object of their concern. The soul – they know nothing of it…
Should a Capital C be marked on each cheek, their contemptible infamous Punishment would be known to every one they meet.
“A Magistrate”
[I]f in this age means could be devised by trying experiments upon our fellow creatures, who are become so hostile to society, as to be made by the laws of their country shocking examples of public justice; by amputating the limb of one man, and replacing it with the limb amputated from another; as the unhappy creatures are dead in law, good may result from evil, by the legislative tolerating to make experiments upon them, with a promise of a free pardon… I am sure men and women of the same description in Ireland, would be better pleased to be given while alive for surgical improvements, the law concurring and granting a pardon should the experiment succeed.. I will suppose government favouring the experiment, two operators with their assistants and apparatus apply the tourniquets upon the left or right thighs of two men or women, or a man and a woman if their limbs are proportioned, they are with two long bladed catlings to plunge the points seven inches below the parts, the limbs are to be taken off in oblique directions, upwards, forwards, downwards, until the points penetrate the bones, they are to revolve the points round the skin, bringing the heels, the parts, the point, first entered making neat circular flaps converging from the edges round the bones, the points the catlings revolved,; they are with small pliers to draw the mouths of the crural arteries together, giving the pliers to their assistants, while they unite them by the glovers suture, uniting the rest of the great blood vessels in a similar manner… the patients [convicts] will be thrown into violent convulsions,; but these should not prevent them [surgeons] from persisting in the experiment… The bones and muscles not uniting, the nerves and veins not inosculating, the flaps growing flabby and mortifying, and discharging a foetid ichor absorbing in the mass, contaminating the blood and juices, the patients growing hectic and convulsed, under these melancholy circumstances, it will be a pleasing reflection to them, that their lives are prolonged for offering up prayers to the Almighty Redeemer, that their mal-practice are expiated for transgressing the law; and that by fervent in spirit, they may expect eternal salvation. Although many lives may be lost in the attainment, they will be more than sufficiently compensated by the high advantage resulting to our fleets and armies.
Signed, “Heister.”
Between |
Patriotism is not relegated to just while we’re at war. Patriotism is indicative of how you treat the men and women who fought for you.”Detectives are investigating the death of the DJ Kevin Greening and have arrested a man on suspicion of supplying Class A drugs at the home in Wandsworth, south London, where the former Radio 1 presenter died in his sleep on Saturday night.
The man, who is in his 50s, was questioned and bailed by police to return in March.
A postmortem examination conducted at St George's hospital yesterday was inconclusive, prompting police investigators to classify Greening's death as "unexplained". The inquiry into the death has been handed to detectives at the Specialist Crime Directorate at Sutton, a unit normally charged with investigating the capital's most high profile and serious cases. The transfer is not, however, an indication that a murder inquiry is under way, according to a Metropolitan police spokesman.
The arrest has raised questions over Greening's final hours. "A man was arrested at the scene in connection with the death and has subsequently been bailed on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs, pending further inquiries," the police spokesman added.
Shortly after Greening's death a statement released by his agent, Chris North, said the popular DJ died "peacefully" in his sleep.
Greening's next of kin have been notified, although formal identification of the body is not expected until today.
Tributes have poured in since the death, with colleagues praising his talent and passion for radio.
Greening, 44, worked alongside Zoë Ball on Radio 1's morning show from 1997 to 1998. He later presented shows on BBC Radio 5 Live and most recently oversaw a weekly show on the London station Smooth Radio.
Radio 5 Live's Simon Mayo, who worked with Greening at Radio 1, told Smooth: "He had a very, very dry sense of humour and he was quite shy really, sometimes embarrassed about having achieved the level of fame that he did have.
"Anyone who listened to his programmes could tell he was extremely bright, extremely clever. He was naturally gifted."
Greening, who was gay, was part of the launch line-up of Virgin Radio in 1993. He transferred to Radio 1 within a year, hosting weekend shows and standing in on daytime slots. He became renowned for his tongue-in-cheek style and introduced comedy sketches to his programmes through a series of fictional characters.ANN: pymunk 0.8 released
From: vb@xxxxxxxx
Date: Tue, 17 Jun 2008 23:52:35 +0200
Hi everyone,Im glad to announce that pymunk 0.8 have been released, a library wrapping the 2d physics engine Chipmunk.You can find it here: http://code.google.com/p/pymunk/ What is pymunk?===============pymunk is a wrapper around the 2d rigid body physics library Chipmunk,It puts a pythonic layer above chipmunk to make it easy to use for pythonprogrammers. The main goal with pymunk is to make 2d physics easy to includein your game/project.It is (or striving to be):* Easy to use It should be easy to use, no complicated stuff should beneeded to add physics to your game/program.* "Pythonic" It should not be visible that a c-library (chipmunk) is inthe bottom, it should feel like a python library (no strange naming, OO,no memory handling and more)* Simple to build & install You shouldnt need to have a zillion oflibraries installed to make it install, or do a lot of command line trixs.* Multiplatform Should work on both windows, nix and OSX.* Non-intrusive It should not put restrictions on how you structure yourprogam and not force you to use a special game loop, it should be possibleto use with other libraries like pygame and pyglet.Its licensed under MIT just as Chipmunk, so everyone should be able to use it.What is new?============This is the first release I actively promote, and the latest additions made upto this release is a better build script, automatic vector conversion and anumber of small improvements here and there./Victor - main pymunk developer(vb@xxxxxxxx)Holy butts, Batman! One of Montlake’s editors (the Amazon romance imprint) emailed me last week:
I wanted to reach out to you because I read Me, Cinderella? and thought it was fantastic. Do you have a few minutes this week to chat on the phone? I’d love to know more about the rights to your wonderful novel and tell you about our imprint.
Naturally, I was thrilled. A real publisher wanted my work! I chatted with her briefly on the phone and asked her a ton of questions: What kind of cover would they create for me? What promotions would they do? What control would I have over everything? Although I was excited to work with Amazon, I wanted to know that they would treat my book right. She told me my novel was a great read and very clean writing, and that she would love to “partner” with me in relaunching my book through Amazon’s imprint.
However, she couldn’t guarantee anything – from cover image to pricing to marketing. The advance they offered was less than I had made in my first month of sales. As I looked through the Montlake catalogue, I saw a mix of breakout hits and complete flops, with some recent books that just had the worst covers imaginable for romance. And I would have to pull my book from every publisher except Amazon.
It was hard for me to say no. Ever since I was a little girl I’d dreamed about being a ‘published author‘. However, I needed to make the best decision for my book and for my fans. I realized that although the praise from the editor boosted my ego, the praise that really matters comes from my readers. They are the ones who’ll make or break my books, and I want to make sure that I’m always doing the right thing by them. If I mess up, I want it to be something I can fix. I’m a control freak like that.
So sorry, Amazon. It’s not you, it’s me.
***
Me, Cinderella? is out now on Amazon / Barnes and Noble
***
edit: I wanted to reply to this comment, since I realized that the cover links might be misinterpreted.
“However, I think your blog does give one fairy serious piece of misinformation.
None of those covers you link to are Montlake covers. All of the covers linked to are former Avalon books which Montlake bought the rights to. No, they didn’t put the money into re-doing the covers. Should they have? Perhaps or maybe the readers of the old Avalon books would look for the old covers. I really don’t know.”
I did realize that those were all books from the same old publisher, though I wasn’t sure Amazon hadn’t already redone all of the covers with a new (crappy) designer. However, when I raised that concern with the editor (and specifically about the books from Avalon), she said she wasn’t able to guarantee anything about the covers. That gave me great pause, although I realize now the covers were from older editions.
My bust, Montlake. But hey, you’re publishing books with crappy covers under your imprint, whether or not you plan to redo them later. Maybe don’t publish something until it’s ready to be published… that’s the first thing they teach you in self-publishing school 😉
Of course, I linked the worst offenders in my post – many of Montlake’s covers look just fine. However, I combed through a lot of the Montlake books, and while there were a lot of good traditional romance covers, there were very few “New Adult” – style looking covers. And my main character Brynn is a curvy girl – and most of the Montlake covers have very thin women on them. As a writer of BBW romance, I’m acutely aware of the limited amount of cover material available to us and I DO NOT want a thin girl on my cover.
There were so many factors going into this decision that I didn’t mention in my original post, and perhaps I would be remiss in not adding them. Pricing was a major major issue – I couldn’t do a ton of promotional stuff I had planned if I couldn’t control pricing, and Amazon gives no say in how they price their work. This deal was Kindle-only, so I wouldn’t be getting the benefits of paperback publishing, which to me is one of the greater advantages of a traditional publishing deal.
I contacted quite a few Montlake authors to ask about their experiences. Many of them said they had a good experience but would not be publishing again with Montlake, and I talked as well to authors who had turned down Montlake deals for similar reasons. I also discussed the offer with a literary agent from a major agency who helped guide me through my decision, and while she would have profited from me making the deal with Montlake, her advice guided me towards a clear “no”.
This was not an easy decision by far, and while it may come back to bite me in the butt, I would rather take the chance on letting my fans promote me instead of Amazon. I think in the long run that’s the right decision for me.
Advertisements“There are three things you can’t fake: 1. Fighting, 2. Sex, and 3. Comedy.” (Tweet It)
– Bryan Callen
Ep 47: Bryan Callen on Eating Corgis (Yes, The Dogs) and Improving Creativity https://rss.art19.com/episodes/d66ecaef-d26e-4d18-b97d-35975bef8170.mp3 Download
Alright, this may be the funniest episode yet.
Bryan Callen is a world-class comic and prolific actor. He travels the globe performing stand-up comedy for sold-out audiences, and — in his spare time — regularly appears on shows like Frasier, Entourage, Law & Order, CSI, Sex and the City, Oz, The King of Queens, and How I Met Your Mother.
Bryan is also INCREDIBLY well read. Don’t miss the show notes and links below.
In this episode, we delve into the craft of comedy, fixing education (or shortcuts within it), habits and tricks for boosting creativity, writing, and the general pursuit of excellence.
And, of course, eating corgis…
Listen to it on iTunes.
Stream by clicking here.
Download it as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as”.
This podcast is brought to you by 99Designs, the world’s largest marketplace of graphic designers. Did you know I used 99Designs to rapid prototype the cover for The 4-Hour Body? Here are some of the impressive results.
This episode is also brought to you by ExOfficio, which I’ve personally used since 2005 or so. They make ultra-lightweight, quick drying, antimicrobial clothing for men and women. Here’s my own ultra-light packing list (scroll down for video), which went viral.
QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: Who are your 2-3 favorite comedians? What style or traits make them memorable? Please let me know in the comments.
Scroll below for links and show notes…
Enjoy!
And PLEASE — Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, please leave a short review here. They’re very important and keep me going.
Subscribe to The Tim Ferriss Show on iTunes.
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Selected Links from the Episode
Show Notes
How Bryan Callen and Tim Ferriss started dating [9:45]
On fighting, sex, and comedy [10:50]
How to create a long-term career in comedy [11:45]
On public education [15:45]
Bryan Callen’s creative process [23:45]
Comics who inspire Bryan [34:05]
Bryan’s first great performance [36:50]
How Bryan Callen developed his appetite for reading [42:05]
Bryan Callen’s first paid gig [47:30]
Rapid fire questions: Pilsner, aged wine, politics, pit bulls, hunting, originality, and eating corgis [01:04:45]
People Mentioned
Posted on: December 1, 2014.
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Please check out Tribe of Mentors, my newest book, which shares short, tactical life advice from 100+ world-class performers. Many of the world's most famous entrepreneurs, athletes, investors, poker players, and artists are part of the book. The tips and strategies in Tribe of Mentors have already changed my life, and I hope the same for you. Click here for a sample chapter and full details. Roughly 90% of the guests have never appeared on my podcast.
Who was interviewed? Here's a very partial list: tech icons (founders of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Craigslist, Pinterest, Spotify, Salesforce, Dropbox, and more), Jimmy Fallon, Arianna Huffington, Brandon Stanton (Humans of New York), Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Ben Stiller, Maurice Ashley (first African-American Grandmaster of chess), Brené Brown (researcher and bestselling author), Rick Rubin (legendary music producer), Temple Grandin (animal behavior expert and autism activist), Franklin Leonard (The Black List), Dara Torres (12-time Olympic medalist in swimming), David Lynch (director), Kelly Slater (surfing legend), Bozoma Saint John (Beats/Apple/Uber), Lewis Cantley (famed cancer researcher), Maria Sharapova, Chris Anderson (curator of TED), Terry Crews, Greg Norman (golf icon), Vitalik Buterin (creator of Ethereum), and nearly 100 more. Check it all out by clicking here.US House Speaker John Boehner on Sunday warned President Barack Obama that he should not cast blame on Republicans for a possible failure to avert the so-called “fiscal cliff,” saying the president was equally responsible.
“Americans elected President Obama to lead, not cast blame,” the top Republican in Congress said in a statement shortly after an interview aired in which Obama accused Republicans of dropping the ball on negotiations to prevent huge tax hikes and spending cuts from kicking in on January 1.
“Republicans made every effort to reach the ‘balanced’ deficit agreement that the president promised the American people, while the president has continued to insist on a package skewed dramatically in favor of higher taxes that would destroy jobs,” Boehner added.
“We’ve been reasonable and responsible. The president is the one who has never been able to get to ‘yes.’
Obama told NBC talk show “Meet the Press” broadcast Sunday that Congress was now under pressure to produce a deal in the 36 hours before the US economy was due to topple over the fiscal cliff. He barely concealed his anger that Republicans have refused what he sees as a reasonable compromise.
The president said it had been “very hard” for top Republican leaders to accept that “taxes on the wealthiest Americans should go up a little bit, as part of an overall deficit reduction package.”
After talks with Boehner fizzled earlier this month, Obama has now tasked Senate leaders with negotiating a deal.
Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s office called Obama’s comments “discordant,” and said it was Republicans who were working to bring the two parties together for a solution.*nothing to declare
So you may remember that I'm a member of the Polished Bookworms, a polish lovers book club. Each month we read a book that the group voted on and then create a mani based on that book. Want to join us next month, join the Facebook group here. We'll be reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy This month we read Gone Girl, and let me tell you it was a hard read for me. I just cannot get on board with either Amy or Nick as I think they are both scumbag weirdos. My mani is based off the moment when Nick discovers Amy is truly gone. The door has been left ominously open and Amy's precious indoor cat, Bleeker, is sitting on the stoop.I did the whole mani in acrylic paints. I like the way the cat came out and the overgrown grass against the siding is good. But my door just didn't translate. It turned into a big red blob when topcoated. I did finish the whole mani in Revlon Matte Top Coat.Be sure to check out all the other Gone Girl mani's linked below.Enjoy & until next time, Amy LeeRichmond teacher resigns over 'anti-Muslim' materials
WARNING: The following images are taken from an anti-Islam brochure allegedly distributed by a teacher at Richmond's Foster High School to members of a senior economics class. A Houston Muslim advocacy group has demanded the disciplining of a Richmond high school teacher responsible. Material may be offensive to some readers.
less WARNING: The following images are taken from an anti-Islam brochure allegedly distributed by a teacher at Richmond's Foster High School to members of a senior economics class. A Houston Muslim advocacy group... more Photo: Farrukh, Council On American-Islamic Relations Photo: Farrukh, Council On American-Islamic Relations Image 1 of / 19 Caption Close Richmond teacher resigns over 'anti-Muslim' materials 1 / 19 Back to Gallery
A senior government and economics teacher at Foster High School in Richmond has resigned after handing out materials to students on March 27 that called Muhammad a "false prophet" and described Islam as an "ideology of war."
In a statement released on Tuesday night, a Lamar CISD spokesman said the teacher turned in his resignation on April 8.
The teacher, identified by parents familiar with the class as Herby Woolverton, drew public criticism from the community, including from the Houston Council On American-Islamic Relations, which called the eight-page handout "virulently anti-Muslim."
RELATED: Islamic official complains about handout
Both supporters and critics of the teacher's materials took to social media in response to the controversy.
Lamar CISD has said it cannot comment further on the situation but said at that time that the district "made it clear to the staff and student body at Foster" that the teacher's decision to use materials outside the curriculum were not appropriate and that the district had addressed the situation.NBA offseasons have become increasingly wild in recent years. Some even say that the free agent period is better than the season itself! (Which... nah, but I get the sentiment.)
But even the NBA’s offseason madness doesn’t hold a candle to soccer’s transfer window, which closes on Aug. 31. NBA players (generally) have to wait until their contracts are up to switch teams, and there’s a salary cap and player max that restrict the market. No such provisions exist in soccer, though, which means stuff gets really weird.
Explaining how soccer’s transfer window works would take days, but in a nutshell:
Teams are not bound by any sort of salary cap. There is something called Financial Fair Play, but super clubs like Paris Saint-Germain routinely make a mockery of it.
Anyone can really switch clubs at any time. Contracts can be bought and sold, transferred, bought out, whatever. It’s much more free market than anything we have in the U.S.
If a club wants a certain player, they can negotiate a transfer fee with his existing club as compensation for letting said player out of his contract early. That fee could be tiny or nonexistent (if the current club is cool with letting that player go), astronomical (if the club isn’t), or anything in between.
If the two clubs can agree on a fee — a complicated process often derailed by angry agents, stubborn managers, and the whims of the player himself — the new team then negotiates a new contract with said player.
There are also loans, where one team agrees on a much smaller fee to essentially rent the player for a year.
Why would anyone sell a good player? Because they need the cash, and better to recoup and/or reinvest a lot of money before the player’s contract is up and is free to go anywhere. With some exceptions — hello, Arsenal! — clubs understand where they stand in global soccer’s pecking order and act accordingly.
There’s a lot more to it — read this entertaining explainer and watch this excellent video — but that’s the gist.
The NBA offseason would devolve into complete chaos if it adopted this system, so it’ll never happen. But because I’m feeling like an anarchist today, let’s imagine if it did. Considering that nearly 40 percent of the All-Stars from last season have switched teams in the last 14 months, we aren’t that far off anyway.
WHAT’S ACTUALLY HAPPENING: LeBron is still on the Cavs for one more year, but all rumors point to him leaving next summer.
WHAT WOULD’VE HAPPENED: As part of James’ 2014 transfer to the Cavaliers, the team agreed to give him a $500 million buyout clause. James’ team negotiated that into his contract to give him some freedom of movement, and the Cavaliers agreed because they couldn’t conceive of James or another team actually forking over that much cash to leave Northeast Ohio.
But after the Cavaliers let David Griffin go, LeBron grew antsy. Through back channels, his reps convinced the Lakers that he’d happily pay a portion of the exit clause and leave Cleveland if the Lakers gave him an even bigger annual salary to compensate. Magic Johnson acquiesced, and James was headed to L.A. Cleveland put up a fight and even filed a grievance with the league (in Comic Sans, of course) to declare James’ exit clause against league rules, but it all failed.
WHAT’S ACTUALLY HAPPENED: This about sums it up, but the upshot is that he’s a Boston Celtic, now and probably in the future.
WHAT WOULD’VE HAPPENED: Irving caught the Cavaliers off guard when he submitted a formal transfer request in July. Already spurned by LeBron and annoyed at his crumbling empire, Dan Gilbert initially refused and spoke publicly about fining Irving for missing training camp.
Bids still rolled in. The Timberwolves offered $90 million. San Antonio one-upped them with a $110 million bid. The Knicks flashed $130 million, but Irving, despite reports, waived them off. Irving angled a move to San Antonio, but Gilbert held firm. Irving would not be for sale.
Two days before the window closed, Danny Ainge dialed up new Cavaliers GM Koby Altman. How about $110 million, plus Isaiah Thomas in a swap? Altman pleaded with Gilbert to take the deal and start fresh, but Gilbert held firm. Rumors of a late Milwaukee swoop appeared in the press.
With an hour to spare, Gilbert appeared to agree to the swap. But at the last minute, he pulled back, insisting that Boston up the fee to $120 million. Stunned and insulted, Ainge and the Celtics pulled out, leaving Kyrie stuck in Cleveland.
WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED: Once George made it crystal clear that he wouldn’t re-sign with the Pacers after next year, Kevin Pritchard dealt him to Oklahoma City for the measly package of Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis.
WHAT WOULD’VE HAPPENED: Frustrated by George’s insistence that he’d only accept a transfer to the Lakers, Pritchard shoots down L.A.’s attempt to fit George in under FFP with a loan deal including an option to buy. Indiana accepts Boston’s lesser bid, but George refuses to negotiate a new contract with the Celtics.
The window closes, George plays out the season, then leaves on a free transfer to L.A. next summer.
WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED: Porzingis’ frustration combined with Phil Jackson’s abrasiveness put the Latvian Unicorn in a series of trade rumors around draft day, but nothing came of them. Yet.
WHAT WOULD’VE HAPPENED: Porzingis’ frustration was obvious when Jeff Hornacek chose to bench him for a critical late-season game. His desire to leave the club was repeated over and over, and yet the Knicks insisted they’d never sell him. In fact, the Knicks spend up the wazoo on veteran players that don’t fix their actual problems, failing to understand their actual place in the league’s hierarchy.
One team remains forever persistent in the Porzingis chase: the Boston Celtics. New York insists on $180 million to even begin the discussion for a transfer. Boston goes as high as $120 million.
Nothing else goes right for the Knicks and everyone wants them to sell Porzingis to let him prosper elsewhere. Finally, on deadline day, they accept the Celtics’ bid of $130 million.
They then turn around and spend $80 million of that money to buy Kevin Love. The cycle continues.
WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED: Paul made it known that he wanted to play for the Rockets, so the Clippers worked out a unique sign-and-trade to send him there and recoup some value for losing him.
WHAT WOULD’VE HAPPENED: Pretty much that, except the Clippers receive a $90 million transfer fee instead of a bunch of players.
WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED: Hayward turned down Utah’s attempts to woo him with several roster moves to sign with Brad Stevens’ Celtics.
WHAT WOULD’VE HAPPENED: Confident that they could keep him, the Jazz let Hayward’s contract wind down instead of selling him in previous summers. Hayward ultimately leaves on a free transfer to join Boston, accepting a lesser contract in the process with promises that he’d be more heavily featured in a faster-paced offense. Jazz fans are stunned.
WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED: Fed up with Cousins’ issues and suddenly realizing they were staring down the barrel of giving him a massive contract, the Kings traded Cousins to the Pelicans for not very much.
WHAT WOULD’VE HAPPENED: This would’ve been far simpler. Hoping to reunite with his college teammate, Cousins would’ve angled a move to D.C. to join John Wall. The Kings initially asked for $120 million, but lowered their demand down to $70 million after a eureka moment.
WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED: Davis isn’t on the block yet, but the Celtics are eyeing him.
WHAT WOULD’VE HAPPENED: The Pelicans insist Davis isn’t for sale, but nobody believes them. Bids roll in and New Orleans turns them all down. He stays until the Lakers buy him in 2019.
WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED: He’s not going anywhere, but the Bucks are now on a four-year clock to win with him.
WHAT WOULD’VE HAPPENED: A product of the famed John Hammond Milwaukee Wingspan academy, Antetokounmpo burst onto the scene last year. The Bucks, known leaguewide as the ultimate feeder club, know it’s inevitable a rich team will buy him eventually, but they want one more year.
Worried that they need more ammo to survive, the Warriors agree to pay $250 million for Antetokounmpo to transfer after next season. They win the next six titles in a row and Milwaukee weeps.
Two years later, Thon Maker, another famed product of the John Hammond Milwaukee Wingspan Academy, bursts onto the scene. The Bucks, known leaguewide as the ultimate feeder club, know it’s inevitable...
Other stuffMaui Electric Co. produced 35.4 percent of its power from renewable energy in 2015, up slightly from the previous year but the second highest percentage in the state behind the Big Island’s 48.7 percent, according to the state Energy Office in its annual Hawaii report.
Shayna Decker, director of communications for MECO, broke those totals down further — 23.2 percent from the Kaheawa and Auwahi wind farms, 8.5 percent from solar, 2.7 percent from biomass or bagasse at Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. and 1 percent biofuel.
MECO is expecting its 2016 renewable energy portfolio standards to be similar to 2015’s and not to dip despite the closure of HC&S in December, Decker said. She noted that the last sugar plantation in the state already had been providing less power following a revised power purchase agreement in October 2015.
“As a result, we expect the impact to our renewable energy percentage without HC&S to be minimal,” she said.
The 2017 renewables percentage should reflect two large-scale solar projects, expected to go online midyear, said Decker. However, the South Maui Renewable Resources 2.87-megawatt solar farm, located on 12 acres above the Maui Research & Technology Park in Kihei, and the Kuia Solar 2.87-MW farm on 12 acres near Lahainaluna High School, are only expected to bump up the renewable percentage by less than 1 percent.
Efforts to reach officials with the solar projects for a progress report have been unsuccessful.
“As the energy report confirms, we continue to make progress as we work together in our state’s clean energy transformation,” said Decker. “Going forward in 2017, we recently proposed solid energy plans that show we can do this. It will take work with parties from all segments of our community — government, business, community and environmental groups — to refine the plans for Hawaii’s energy future.”
The Energy Office, part of the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, released its “2016 Energy Resources Coordinator’s Annual Report” in late December. It highlights the policies and activities that have advanced the state about a quarter of the way toward its target of achieving 100 percent renewable energy by 2045.
The state’s renewable energy portfolio standard percentage for 2015 was 23.4 percent, the report showed.
In gleaning Maui County data from the 86-page report, there was a bar graph showing Maui’s renewable energy potential, with the greatest potential for geothermal energy. The island had a 1,170-gigawatt-hour geothermal power production potential, according to the report. Only the Big Island, which already produces geothermal power, and Maui were considered options for geothermal energy.
Decker said that studies have indicated that Maui has geothermal energy potential, which could be valuable as a firm source of power, unlike wind or solar, which are intermittent depending on the weather.
“However, more discussions are needed to evaluate this as a possible future resource,” she said.
The report also cited a 700-GWh potential for wind power, 340 GWh for solar power, 230 GWh for biomass, 30 GWh for ocean power and 10 GWh for hydropower.
For Lanai and Molokai, the report showed 700 GWh of potential power from wind and 4 GWh from solar. Residents on both islands have battled developers seeking to build wind farms on their islands.
“We’ll soon be asking the Public Utilities Commission to be able to start the process to seek more renewable energy projects in Maui County through a competitive process to ensure the best value for our customers,” Decker said.
On the electric vehicle front, Maui was far ahead of the other Neighbor Islands, the report showed. In July, the number of registered EVs on Maui was 721, more than Hawaii island’s 207 and Kauai’s 157 combined. Oahu had 3,451 registered EVs.
Maui also had 121 EV charging ports — 80 level 2 and 41 fast charging, according to the report.
The report gave a lot of credit to the $55 million JUMPSmart Maui project, an international partnership among Japan, Hawaii and Maui. It aims to improve the integration of renewable energy resources into Maui’s electrical grid and to prepare for adoption of electric vehicles.
Molokai has faced issues with power outages and a saturated rooftop solar environment. The report mentioned a Clinton Global Initiative commitment, where the state Energy Office and MECO partnered to plan for reaching the 100 percent renewable goal for the Friendly Island in 2030, 15 years before the state mandate.
Decker said that, in energy plans submitted to the PUC in December, the utility proposed a mix of solar, wind, battery storage and biofuels to achieve the renewable portfolio standard of 100 percent on Molokai by 2030.
As part of these plans, the report referred to a grid-scale energy storage system that MECO is working on in partnership with the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute, Decker said. Commissioned in July, the demonstration project will evaluate a fast-response system where energy could be instantaneously provided to the grid when needed.
The institute obtained the battery storage system for $1.85 million with MECO contributing $1.45 million for the project, she said.
As for increasing rooftop solar, MECO is partnering with E-Gear on a pilot program to potentially allow more customers to interconnect PV systems on Molokai. The level of PV systems already installed or approved for installation on the island’s small electric grid is among the highest in the state, Decker said.
“As a result, new PV applications on Molokai have experienced delays as solutions are sought to address reliability and safety issues,” she said.
The pilot program by the renewable energy innovation company will include installation of specialized energy management control and storage technology, which will allow the utility to monitor and control energy flow, Decker explained.
One of the problems with rooftop solar is that power flow is uneven due to the weather and the radiance of the sun. The problem for the utility is that it has to match production of power with demand at every moment. Most rooftops solar systems already installed flow power into the grid unregulated.
The technology could potentially improve the interaction of rooftop PV systems with the grid and reduce the chance the systems “will undermine reliable service and power quality,” said Decker.
Ten customers will participate in the pilot program, she said. MECO will evaluate the performance of the systems to determine whether similar systems can be used to integrate more solar power in areas with high concentrations of rooftop PV systems.
* Lee Imada can be reached at leeimada@mauinews.com.MARTIN C. EVANS
Newsday
July 7, 2008
Pfc. Joe Dwyer carried a young Iraqi boy who was injured during a heavy battle between the U.S. Army’s 7th Cavalry Regiment and Iraqi forces near the village of Al Faysaliyah, Iraq, on March 25, 2003. Dwyer died of an apparent overdose at his home in North Carolina on June 29, 2008.
The March 2003 image became one of the most iconic of the U.S. invasion of Iraq: that of a bespectacled American soldier carrying an Iraqi child to safety. The photograph of Army Pfc. Joseph Dwyer, who was raised in Mount Sinai, was used by news outlets around the world.
After being lionized by many as the human face of the U.S. effort to rebuild a troubled Iraq, Dwyer brought the battlefield home with him, often grappling violently with delusions that he was being hunted by Iraqi killers.
His internal terror got so bad that, in 2005, he shot up his El Paso, Texas, apartment and held police at bay for three hours with a 9-mm handgun, believing Iraqis were trying to get in.
Last month, on June 28, police in Pinehurst, N.C., who responded to Dwyer’s home, said the 31-year-old collapsed and died after abusing a computer cleaner aerosol. Dwyer had moved to North Carolina after living in Texas.
Dwyer, who joined the Army two days after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and who was assigned to a unit of the 3rd Infantry Division that one officer called “the tip of the tip of the spear” in the first days of the U.S. invasion, had since then battled depression, sleeplessness and other anxieties that military doctors eventually attributed to post-traumatic stress disorder.
The war that made him a hero at 26 haunted him to the last moments of his life.
Read articleJim Bob Cooter has been hyped by Lions' fans all offseason. If not for his unique name, it's for the amazing turnaround of the offense last year. Before being promoted to offensive coordinator following Joe Lombardi's firing, the Lions' offense sputtered to just 19.9 points per game. After Cooter took over, the Lions averaged a respectable 24.3 points per game. While the improvement seemed obvious, not many players went out and credited Cooter, perhaps out of respect for their former coordinator. But Eric Ebron broke that mold on Thursday after the Lions' final organized team activity.
"I'm excited about Jim Bob. I think we all are," Ebron said to a group of reporters following practice. "He keeps it real. He brings the best out in us."
Ebron specifically seemed to benefit from Cooter's promotion last October. Initially, it took some time for him to adjust to Cooter's offense. He had just seven catches in his first three games under the new coordinator. However, as the season progressed, Ebron's role increased. He ended up finishing the season by catching 13 passes for 153 yards and a touchdown in the last three games.
Ebron is particularly excited about Cooter's offensive philosophy. When he was asked whether the Lions' offense was more risky under Jim Bob Cooter, Ebron's eyes lit up. "Yes, that's the best part about it," Ebron said. "He's going to take risks, and we're going to go out and make plays for him."
Despite a riskier offense, the Lions were actually much better at securing the ball under a Cooter-led offense. Matthew Stafford finished the last eight games with just two interceptions, despite throwing 11 in the first eight. However, Stafford also unleashed 19 touchdown passes in the last half of the season compared to just 13 in the first eight games.
Regardless of whatever changes Cooter ends up making, one thing is clear: Eric Ebron is excited.Those long the Kiwi (NZDUSD) woke up to an unpleasant shock this morning when the pair opened nearly 100 pips lower following news that China and Russia, and likely other countries soon, have halted imports of New Zealand milk powders after Fonterra announced that three batches of whey protein "may have been" contaminated with botulism-causing bacteria: a situation that is a tad more problematic than the diplomatic haggling over genetically modified crops.
Since milk powders accounted for a whopping 15% of total New Zealand exports in 2012, it becomes obvious that unless Fonterra, and the NZ government, engage in some prompt damage control, the Kiwi may have much more room to drop as the country's 2013 GDP forecast may be the next thing to go toxic.
Goldman has more:
Main points:
1. Over the weekend, Fonterra (NZ's largest exporter of dairy products) announced that three batches of whey protein (around 38 tonnes) may have been contaminated with bacteria that can cause botul |
all of its remaining inventory.
Missouri’s Ripley County Sheriff’s Department was also suspended last February amid an ongoing investigation, and seven departments in Florida were suspended for missing equipment earlier this year, which has since been located.
Suspended law enforcement agencies are typically allowed to keep remaining equipment acquired under the program, according to the report. The program does not designate at the federal level a specific state agency to handle the program’s coordination, resulting in a lack of consistent coordination and oversight all the way from the Pentagon to the individual departments, and making the tracking of allocated equipment exceedingly difficult.
Follow Giuseppe on Twitter and FacebookCook's double century was the fifth of his career, the second most by an England batsman
In hitting a magnificent 244 not out on day three of the fourth Ashes Test against Australia, Alastair Cook has ensured the questions about his future will go away.
I spoke to him after he reached his century on day two and there was disappointment this score has not come when the Ashes were still alive, but he has still gone out and played a magnificent innings.
He will have accepted the criticism that came after making just 83 runs in the first three Tests as England surrendered the urn and he will now feel a huge amount of relief and great satisfaction that he knows he is still good enough.
I did feel when I was out in Australia for the first two Tests that he needed to convince himself he could still do it. You doubt yourself when you are struggling.
The two most important things were:
Did he still want to get out there and score runs? It is clear that is still the case.
And, is he still seeing the ball well? Now there is no doubt about that either.
He has answered a lot of questions about his future.
Alastair Cook climbed from ninth to sixth in the all-time Test record run scorers list during his innings
People will say the pressure is off and it doesn't matter, but that is nonsense.
He is still going out in front of 80,000 people with people talking about the end of his career. It is still as intense. It still matters.
People will also be saying Mitchell Starc wasn't playing because of his injury and Pat Cummins was ill on the first day, that is also nonsense.
You can only play what you are up against - England have been without their best player all series in Ben Stokes and that is not devaluing Australia's performance at all. You have to treat each achievement on its own and Cook's is right up there.
Media playback is not supported on this device Pint-sized Ashes: Cook hits double century
I always thought it was unlikely Cook would be dropped in the near future because there is no obvious replacement to open the batting.
I felt it would be down to him and whether he still wanted to do it - getting balls hurled at your head at 90mph is a difficult business after all.
If you are a proven quality in any sport, as Alastair Cook is - look at Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal this year in tennis - you don't lose it overnight. It is a combination of things that makes a player move towards the end of his career and a lot of that is willpower and drive to keep doing it.
Cook has shown that he has got it and the fact he knew he owed the team will drive him on as well.
Cook's career in detail The 33-year-old is England's all-time leading run scorer with 11,956 runs in 151 Tests (including current match) He has now scored 32 centuries, more than any other England player Cook has made 11 scores of 150-plus in Tests, an England record He has now scored two double centuries in 2017 - but has only made 412 runs in the other 18 innings combined
We have seen throughout Alastair's career that he bats in peaks and troughs.
When he is out of form he is very out of form and when he is in form he punishes bowlers. Hopefully now there will be a peak.
No doubt next time his footwork goes and head drops to the off-side people will say that's end of his career. That's the way it goes in sport.
Like with Cook, there were questions about Stuart Broad and they were genuine concerns.
He had been down on pace not just in this series but in the summer and he had struggled with his outswinger to right-handers.
He looked like he might really be struggling but it is no surprise that after taking four wickets in the first innings, he has now scored runs as well with 56 in a 100-run partnership with Cook.
Media playback is not supported on this device Modest Cook 'quite proud' after double century
He is a big game player, loves his cricket history and will have loved the fact he was playing in front of a big crowd at the MCG.
Now England have a 164-run lead, they have a good opportunity to win this match - it would be disappointing if they didn't.
In this series they have shown fight and desire that we didn't see four years ago during the 2013-14 whitewash. The Ashes have gone but of course it still matters, you are playing for your team and the supporters.
All of the talk was of a whitewash before this match and England have to make sure that does not happen.
If they win this match they will feel very different going into the final Test in Sydney and that is very important.
Jonathan Agnew was speaking to BBC Sport's Matthew Henry.Click here to read the previous Martial Chronicles: Fighting Like a Girl.
With the Octagon hosting its first ever women's fight, it is worth noting that despite all the UFC's promotional talk of resistance to women's mixed martial arts, there has been a remarkable lack of controversy regarding this match, outside of its perceived uncompetiveness. That two women should be able to compete in the sport and in the UFC if they so wish is apparently the overwhelmingly prevalent view. It would seem that the bigger story is not that women are breaking down another barrier but that society has moved so far ahead that it really isn't that big of story after all.
Such tolerant views haven't always been the case. A century ago women fought on the streets London, some using the very discipline that have brought Ronda Rousey wealth and fame, not for sport, but as part of a literally battle for their rights.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the passage of one of the most infamous acts of British Parliament, the Prisoners (Temporary Discharge for Ill Health) Act 1913, better known as the Cat and Mouse Act. It was enacted as suffragist (supporters of women's suffrage, or right to vote), particularly the more militant members who were often referred to as "suffragettes", grew increasingly violent following the withdrawal of the Franchise Bill in January 1913. Earlier attempts at giving women the right to vote had come close to passing, but each frustrating failure had led to violent confrontations. (Most famously in a November 22, 1910 riot that become known as "Black Friday".) For the suffragettes this last "betrayal' by Parliament was the final straw.
The suffragettes were mostly part of the Women's Social and Political Union ( or WSPU), a splinter group of the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (or NUWSS), which had split off disappointed by the lack of results produced by their more peaceful tactics. Leadership was centered on Emmeline Pankhurst, the "Dear Leader", and her daughter, Christabel. Other key members included Mrs. Panhurst's two other daughters, Sylvia and Adela Pankhurst (although these two would leave the WSPU in 1913), Norah Docre Fox, and "The General" Flora Drummond. Their motto was to be "Deeds Not Words."
They would soon live up to their motto.
The group began with protests and publishing flyers, growing more militant as their single demand, the right to vote (or more specifically the right for propertied women to vote) was not met. By 1913 suffragette "commando corps crept out at night to commit spectacular acts of vandalism." These included burning houses, churches, theatres, and railway stations, wrecking train and stoning the houses and carriage of cabinet ministers. But attacks weren't limited to property, as Nell Hall-Humphrey's recalled years later.
"We burned houses, but we never attacked anyone physically. Except for the men we horsewhipped."
The governments response to these attacks had been arrest and imprisonment. The suffragettes in turn went on hunger strikes, which the officials tried countering with forced feeding, a particularly dehumanizing experience.
Five wardresses held [Nell Hall-Humrphrey] by the face and arms while the prison doctor inserted a tube down her throat and poured in liquids that she could identify as soup, lemon juice, and brandy - and another taste she suspected as was bromide to make her amenable. In the next cell, Mary Richardson, fed through the nostrils, screamed that her eyes were coming out of the top of her head.
The forced feeding backfired as the general (male) public began to sympathize with the suffragettes. In response, Parliament passed the previously mentioned Prisoners (Temporary Discharge for Ill Health) Act 1913 on April 25th. The act allowed for the release of prisoners who had become too ill from a hunger strikes, and then permitted their re-arrested after they'd regained their strength. It almost immediately became known as the Cat and Mouse Act, for how it allowed the government to play with the suffragettes as a cat played with a mouse.
The primary targets of the Cat and Mouse Act was the suffragettes leadership. Perpetually between jail and recovering from a hunger strike, the policy had the intended affect of beheading the movement. The suffragettes response was to make sure Pankhurst and others wouldn't be arrested. For that they would need a force of "bodyguards."
We have not yet made ourselves a match for the police, and we have got to do it. The police know jiu-jitsu. I advise you to learn jiu-jitsu. Women should practice it as well as men.... It is no use pretending. We have got to fight. - Sylvia Pankhurst, New York Times, August 12th, 1913.
Enter Edith Garrud.
Mrs. Garrud had been born Edith Margaret Williams in 1872, becoming Edith Margaret Garrud in 1893 when she married physical culture instructor William Garrud of Wales. The two relocated to London where they joined Edward William Barton-Wrights's Bartitsu club (probably in 1899). It was there that they were introduced to jiu-jitsu. (For more on Barton-Wright and Bartitsu, see The Forgotten Golden Age of Mixed Martial Arts - Part III.)
The two studied under the school's jiu-jitsu instructors, Yukio Tani and Sadakazu Uyenishi, the premiere exponents of the Japanese martial art in all of England, and probably Europe. After the Bartitsu Club closed in 1903, they followed Uyenishi to his new dojo in Golden Square. In addition to Mr. Wright, Tani, and Uyenishi, she also studied under "(Tarro) Myaki, (Akitano) Ono, (Mitsuyo) Maida (also known as Conde Koma), Chiba San, and others," a veritable who's who of the best jiu-jitsu masters of the Edwardian era. When Uyenishi eventually returned to Japan it was William who took over the Golden Square School, with Edith becoming the instructor for women and children. Soon after Mrs. Garrud also opened her own dojo in the East End, for the express purpose of teaching suffragist jiu-jitsu.
The latest move of the militant suffragettes is to learn the art of jiu-jitsu with the object of resisting the police. Twenty-five of them are studying under an instructress, who mantains that some of her pupils have already punished rude males. New York Times, April 11, 1909
During this time Garrud also wrote essays, choreographed plays, and gave demonstrations, in which a "large, muscular man was literally twisted round a woman's little finger". Once for the benefit of the Daily Mail, she asked the paper's male representative to try to repeatedly attack her, both unarmed and armed.
"I rose convinced of the efficacy of jiu-jitsu,and, aching in every limb, crawled painfully away, pitying the constable whose ill-fortune it should be to lay hands on Mrs. Garrud."
Many of these exhibitions were of an overt political nature, often involving an assistant playing the part of a police officer, whom she'd toss around and submit to the pleasure of her suffragist audience. The newspaper had a field day with Mrs.. Garrud and her pupils, and played up the story of "jujitsuffragettes", as one reporter coined them, confronting policemen.
The Policemen of London are feeling rather uneasy just at present.... The Suffragette have taken up the study of ju-jutsu; they will very soon emerge as expert practitioners in the art, and then, Oh, Robert! Meanwhile. Mrs. Garrud is at present, perhaps, the most important of all members of the Woman's Freedom League. I am not aware that she worries much about the vote or anything like that; she does not take a leading part in their meeting, but - and it's a very big but - it is she who is teaching the other members the art of ju-jutsu. - "Jujutsuffagettes: A New Terror for the London Police" Health & Strength, April 24, 1909
In truth, Mrs. Garrud was an ardent suffragette, but was supposedly not "allowed by the organisers of raids on the House of Commons to take a prominent part in them, she might carelessly hurt a policeman if he were rough with her."
This didn't stop her from occasionally getting a chance to use her skills. During a meeting of the Women's Freedom League, a policeman expressed doubt that the 4'11" Mrs. Garrud's jiu-jitsu would enable her to throw him. Smiling she replied "I'm glad you're not more than thirteen stone.".
Up shot one ot her feet to meet his diapuragm. Her little arms strained, and as he pulled against himself the man lost his balance, swirled over her head, turned a somersault in mid-air, and tell heavily on the back of his head. In less than ten seconds the Suffragette had thrown the policeman.
Fortunately the Daily Mirror managed to capture the image of what happened to the second policeman that gave her a try. These policemen had been gentlemen, according to Garrud.
But there are other men who are not a bit nice, men who are merely silly and a nuisance to others besides themselves. I have already had the pleasure of ejecting one youth from a woman's franchise meeting
Her school too, served as a redoubt for the suffragettes. Martin Williams, her great-nephew, told the Islington Tribune how
She didn't want people to know Golden Square was a dojo, so she was very pleased to have it in the posh end of town because people were less likely to suspect. The suffragettes would create a disturbance in Oxford Street, but then they'd run back to the dojo and hide their clubs and bats under the floor. By the time the police arrived they'd be pretending they were in the middle of their exercise class.
Mrs. Garrud was therefore the perfect choice to train a special new that, according to the New York Times, was being organized in November of 1914 to protect Mrs. Emmeline Pankhurst.
A band of amazons whose mission it will be to defend the leader whom the police will try to arrest, is being formed.
These women were to be known as the Bodyguard and made up by 25 women, mostly from members of the suffragettes "Athletic Society." Led by a young Canadian named Gertrude Harding, these women carried concealed Indian clubs and were trained in jiu-jistu by Edith Garrud in the East End. From then on Mrs. Pankhurst never appeared in public without these Bodyguards, who would resort to both ruses as much as physical means to protect their leader.
"Although they couldn't out-muscle the policemen, they could outwit them. On several occasions they staged exciting rescues. Twice a decoy maneuver led the detectives to carry off the wrong Mrs. Pankhurst. But the sad truth is that, more often than not, the women suffered dislocated joints, broken bones & concussions." - With All Her Might by Gretchen Wilson
The Bodyguards made it extremely difficult for the police to carry out what had previously been easy arrests. In one case when Mrs. Pankhurst was returning from the United States, the police boarded and apprehended her at sea on a ocean liner, instead of risking a confrontation with her suffragette protectors. According to Pankhurst, the reasons why they went to such lengths was
...the fear on the part of the police of the body guard of women, just then organised for the expressed purpose of resisting attempts to arrest me. That the police, as well as the Government were afraid to risk encountering women who were not afraid to fight we had had abundant testimony. We certainly had it on this occasion...
Following that incident "General" Drummond "swore that the government should never again 'take our beloved leader." [The Grape Belt Dec 9 1913]
Under threat of arrest, Pankhurst couldn't risk going out into the public, but instead addressed crowds from the balcony of wherever she was taking currently taking refuge. Even then, the police would mingle with the crowds and then attempt to arrest her, but she was able to escape each time thanks to "the valiant efforts of the bodyguard."
The ingenuity of the Bodyguard was particularly demonstrated when Parkhurt found herself besieged at Mr. Hertha Ayrton's house, which was surrounded by both the police and crowds of women sympathizers. During their vigilance outside, waiting for Mrs. Pankhurst to show, the police noticed a cab drive up to the front door where a veiled woman,surrounded by Suffragettes, exited. The police quickly blocked her way into the cab and, when they attempted to lay their hands on her, someone shouted that "They were arresting Mrs. Pankhurst!" A scuffle ensured and during it the police were able to tear the veiled woman away from her companions. They piled their captive and themselves into the cab and ordered to chauffeur to drive away. After driving off with their prisoner, however, they raised her veil and found, to their disbelief, that it was not Mrs. Pankhurst, but a decoy. During the confusion the real Emmeline Pankhurst had slipped away in another cab and was now speeding off in a different direction.
That was followed by an even more terrible clash on May 9, 1914 in Glasgow, Scotland, that became known as "The Battle of Glasgow." That evening, as Tony Wolf described it in "The Suffragette Who Knew Jiu-Jitsu,"
St Andrew's Hall was packed to capacity with a crowd largely sympathetic to the Suffragettes' cause. The Bodyguard carefully surveyed the crowd from their vantage point, a semi-circle of chairs set up on the stage directly behind the speaker's podium. Garlands of white and purple flowers decorated the edge of the stage and banners bearing the Suffragette mottoes, "Deeds Not Words" and "Votes for Women" were strung high above them. The Glasgow police had taken no chances, surrounding the entire hall with a cordon and also stationing 50 constables in the basement. The atmosphere was tense, even more so when the appointed hour of 8.00 came and went with no sign of Mrs. Pankhurst. Many members of the audience doubted that she could possibly break through the cordon, no matter how many Bodyguards she might have to help her. Thus, when she suddenly appeared on the stage, the effect was like magic; though, as with the most apparently sophisticated illusions, the principle was simple misdirection. After spreading a rumour that she would attempt to breach the cordon, she had in fact arrived at the hall early and in disguise, paid for her ticket like any other member of the public, and taken a seat close to the platform.
Mrs. Pankhurst managed to say only a couple lines before a large force of police stormed into the hall, but the bodyguards was waiting and ready. As the authorities attempted to get to the speaker up on the platform they were met by resistance. Flower-pots, tables, chairs and other objects were hurled at them, and, to their surprise, barbwire had been concealed beneath the garlands and wrapped around the platform rail, blocking their progress.
The fighting grew even more fierce as Mrs. Pankhurst described what happened next in "My Own Story".
Meanwhile, more of the invading host came from other directions. The bodyguard and members of the audience vigorously repelled the attack, wielding clubs, batons, poles, planks, or anything they could seize, while the police laid about right and left with their batons, their violence being far the greater. Men and women were seen on all sideswith blood streaming down their faces, and there were cries for a doctor. In the middle of the struggle, several revolver shots rang out, and the woman who was firing the revolver--which I should explain was loaded with blank cartridges only--was able to terrorise and keep at bay a whole body of police.I had been surrounded by members of the bodyguard, who hurried me towards the stairs from the platform. The police, however, overtook us, and in spite of the resistance of the bodyguard, they seized me and dragged me down the narrow stair at the back of the hall. There a cab was waiting. I was pushed violently into it, and thrown on the floor, the seats being occupied by as many constables as could crowd inside.
Mrs. Pankhurst had actually planned on being captured, counting on the inevitable press coverage and the resulting public blowback from such a show of force for the capture of one lady at a legal meeting. It was a propaganda "coup".
The battle between the suffragettes and police came to a halt shortly thereafter with the start of the Great War. The WSPU called a truce and turned their attention to patriotic support of the war effort. Their support would be rewarded as women, although some were excluded on property grounds, gained the right to vote in 1918.
Special thanks to Thomas Nash
ADDITION SOURCES
The Bartitsu Compendiums Vo. I & Vol. 2 Edited by Tony Wolf
Jujitsu Suffragettes, by Godfrey Winn (pay site, but here's links to part 1 and part 2.)
"With All Her Might; the Life of Gertrude Harding, Militant Suffragette" by Gretchen Wilson.
I should also note that Tony Wolf has a book out entitled "Edith Garrud: the Suffragette Who Knew Jujutsu," which I haven't read yet, but based on his other work, is probably worth recommending.
IMAGES
"The Arest." by Arthul Wallis Miles, Punch Magazine, 1910 via wikimedia.org
"Black Friday" via martialhistory.com
WOMENS SOCIAL AND POLITICAL UNION Banner via wikimedia.org
"LADIES CRAZE FOR JIU-JITSU" from Daily Mirror Jan 3 1906
"Mrs. Garrud, a well known suffragette..." From the Sketch, December 191, 1913
"SUFFRAGISTS AND JIU-JITSU" via paperspast.natlib.govt.nzFollowing on the heels of Cheh's Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Act, Mayor Bowser has transmitted the Vision Zero Act of 2015 to the Council for their consideration.
This bill does several things geared towards making DC's roads safer.
Like Cheh's bill, it would codify a Complete Streets policy as law It would ban the use of dirt bikes and ATVs on DC streets (I thought this was already the law) It establishes an Ignition Interlock Device Program that repeat offenders or 1-time offenders with particularly high BAC will be required to install. It changes the fines and jail sentences of drunk drivers It Increases the fine for distracted driving from $100 to $500 and adds 2 points
So, not as sweeping as Cheh's bill and the distracted driving part isn't as good as the Mendelsohn's Enhanced Penalties for Distracted Driving Act of 2015, but it represents a growing consensus that safety legislation is needed - specifically with respect to Complete Streets and distracted driving.Former RTC Inspector General Jesse Prince
discusses the death of L. Ron Hubbard
Jesse Prince is one of the highest ranking former officers of the Church of Scientology to have to courage to come forward and tell his story. In this post, he discusses the tension between current CoS head David Miscavige and his then-rival to the throne, Pat Broeker, in the months preceding Hubbard's death.
In the weeks since he first came forward with his story, Jesse Prince has been travelling around the country to meet with many CoS opponents, and, in some cases, filing affidavits on their behalf. For these actions, he has been targeted as 'fair game' for the CoS, which has put both him and his friends and supporters under extreme pressure from the Office of Special Affairs (OSA), the church's investigation unit, also known as 'Scientology's Secret Service.' He has nonetheless made several posts to alt.religion.scientology, including that from which this excerpt has been taken.
Click here to read the entire post in its original format.
From a post by Jesse Prince (September 5, 1998):
[... ]
Now let"s go back in time to an afternoon in the late summer of 1984. I am sitting in one of many legal/litigation meetings at Author Services, Inc., or ASI. I am in RTC, a nonprofit religious corporation which ostensibly has absolutely nothing to do wth ASI, a for-profit corporation. But David Miscavige finds it convenient at the moment to be the Chairman of the Board of ASI, and, since David Miscavige runs Scientology (no matter where he places himself corporately), he can order all of us to meet wherever and whenever he wants us to.
The subject of this particular meeting concerns the LRH probate case in Riverside, California, and, as always, more corporate "sort-out." Lawyers have advised that there is still too much evidence to prove that LRH is incompetent to manage his own affairs. This is crucial, since the case has been brought by LRH"s son Nibbs, who has claimed that LRH is incompetent to manage his own affairs and that his estate is being stolen by the Church of Scientology under David Miscavige's leadership. Nibbs is hoping to take over LRH's assets if he can prove that LRH is incompetent. So this is a very serious threat.
LRH has repeatedly said he wants different lawyers to represent him, and that he wants different legal advice on how to win this case against Nibbs. But DM has decided that the lawyers LRH already has (and who were chosen, of course, by DM) are the best possible legal counsel. LRH specifically doesn"t like the fact that these attorneys are advising him to back away from managing Scientology"s affairs. Part of the reason for this is that DM feels (and has told the attorneys) that LRH is losing his grip on reality.
In truth, DM was not the only one who knew that LRH was an old man past his prime, with no real "new ideas" or "brilliant revelations" for quite some time. All he could do was say the same thing, over and over: "There are more BTs! Many more than people realize!" Hubbard really was a bit senile at the end there - his brain pretty well fried by a wide range of drugs which he used for his "research" -- and this scared the hell out of his top messengers and others near him.
For many years, LRH's top aide, Pat Broeker, and his wife, Annie Broeker, looked after the daily care of LRH. Pat was the financial conduit between LRH and the vast reserves of liquid cash mounting in the multiple corporations of Scientology which LRH always had at his disposal. David Miscavige would be called by Pat to bring hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars in cash in briefcases to cover "basic expenses" for LRH and his small crew of four staff. Often the prearranged meeting place was near Las Vegas. On many of these occasions, Pat and Dave would go to a casino and gamble away thousands of dollars of LRH's money, just hanging out having a good time together.
But as LRH felt his grasp on the Scientology empire weakening, he became extremely suspicious of Dave and ordered me to give him a security check to see if Dave was trying to prevent LRH from having his way with the church as he was used to having. Basically, LRH was upset that he could not simply romp from one fake corporation to another, wreaking havoc in his wake, as he had always done. And he was being advised by attorneys whom Dave had hired that in order to protect his money, he should disappear for a while. All of these circumstances added up for LRH, and he was not at all sure he could trust DM. He was afraid DM was trying to take over. Sure, he had practically raised Dave from a pup, but still, who could be trusted in this business?
So I was ordered to sec check DM to determine his real motives for passing along legal advice that he back off from his own church. When I walked into Dave"s office he was crying like a child who had taken a crap in his pants and now stank to high heaven. Dave swore up and down to me that he was only following LRH"s own orders to get an "All Clear" -- meaning to get LRH dismissed from all the outstanding litigation -- so that LRH could travel freely again, without fear of subpoenas or worse.
LRH had been in hiding, not only from the public but also from 95 percent of all his staff, for the last fifteen to twenty years anyway. Dave was extremely indignant at being asked such incriminating questions, but because of the questions I was asking him, he was fairly certain that LRH would soon assign him to the RPF (the Rehabilitation Project Force, Scientology"s political prison).
In the security check Dave made sure he told me about the trips to the casinoes, the heavy drinking and the women he and Pat had enjoyed together. Dave freely confessed his sins and Pat Broeker"s sins as well. He said if he was going to go down, he was going to make sure Pat Broeker went down as well. He was very critical of Pat, saying he had a long history of alcohol abuse and recklessly spending LRH's money. Of course, the person who received the report of Dave"s sec check was Pat Broeker. So it didn"t surprise me a bit when Dave and Pat suddenly became best buddies again. I seriously doubt that anything but reports full of glowing praise for Dave ever went to LRH. In retrospect I realize both Pat Broeker and David Miscavige had an interest in keeping the status quo with LRH, since both of them had dreams of one day being the new dictator of Scientology once the current Ding Dong king was dead.
LRH went on spending his millions freely on property and "research" (all this really meant was that he was buying more and more drugs for himself) and buying exotic animals like buffalo, llamas, swans and peacocks at the ranch at Creston.
LRH seemed resigned to follow the legal advice of Dave"s lawyers and stayed away from Scientology. However, he made it known that he was still very salty about the whole deal and refused to make contact as he had done in the past.
About a year and a half later he became very ill.
- From a post by Jesse Prince (jesse.prince@gte.net)
Back to the Mysterious Death of L. Ron Hubbard"Every time she attached I would brace myself for that zing of pain that would travel right through my breast."
To The Pharmacist Who Sold Me Baby Formula,
It was a cold Saturday morning, and I was at the end of my tether. I'd gotten out of bed, dressed, and left my baby daughter with my husband in order to walk to the chemist and buy a tin of baby formula. I was familiar with the horror stories that some mothers had told on parenting forums about feeling judged or shamed by doing the exact same thing, and I hoped I wouldn't get the same kind of service and, even if I did, I was sure as hell not going to take it.
I'd been breastfeeding for just over a month. It was hell. It was cracked nipple hell. Every time she attached I would brace myself for that zing of pain that would travel right through my breast. I'd narrowly averted one bout of mastitis but knew another was probably right around the corner if we didn't nail the whole 'fore and hind milk' deal. The maternal health nurse drove this point home when, upon describing Keira's 'frothy poos', she also said I needed to be careful. I was so close to being done and I just wanted that little bit of solace, or insurance, to help me get through "just in case".
I looked dreadful – I was in dirty grey tracksuit pants and a yellow hoodie. The chemist was jammed with people, thanks to it being a Saturday as well as cold-and-flu season. I wandered over to the baby section and stood before the options in a state of bewilderment. What should I choose? What was best? I hadn't done any research. Just as I was about to walk out again I saw you approach me, from the direction of the dispensary. Tall, be-speckled, and with a friendly face you asked, "Can I help?"
With the purest concentration of willpower I could muster in order to stop myself from crying, I explained – briefly – my predicament. What did you think?
The first thing you did was reach out and pull a tin off the shelf. I couldn't even say now what brand or kind it was, all I remember was taking it from you and, after I cradled it under my arm, was readying my thanks because I thought you would turn on your heel to get back to the other waiting customers.
But, no. You kept talking to me. You engaged with me, asked questions. How old was my baby? (A month) Was she getting enough milk? (Yes) But you're not adjusting? (No) The only caution you gave, spoken without any guilt-inducting tone, was this: "Just remember, the more you go down this road, the harder it can be to keep up your own milk supply".
I nodded and said, "I understand. But frankly, at this point, I need this. Options are important."
He smiled and nodded. "Yes, I agree."
I looked at my watch (I still had one back then) and stuttered, "I'm sorry, we've been standing here twenty minutes. I'm sure you need to get back."
"I do. Good luck."
I watched him leave, navigating his way around the crowd to get back to his former position.
Standing there, I felt thankful, for so many things. That I could even afford a tin of formula, that I had easy access to it. That I had been able to buy it without being made to feel like a failure if that was the route we ended up taking, and for that, I have you to thank.
At the checkout, I asked the assistant who rang up the purchase, hopefully without sounding too creepy, "Who's the pharmacist?" What's his story? was my silent question. "He was very kind to me."
"That's X. Isn't he great? He has a young family of his own. He's a great help to new parents."
I arrived home that day, put that tin on the table and stared at it for a long time before I put it away in the cupboard.
One more week, I told myself. That's the six week mark. I'll keep trying until then. And then we'll see.
And wouldn't you know it, in that week, Keira and I got sorted out. We clicked. I smothered my nipples in lanolin, relaxed a little, healed a little, and the breastfeeding took a turn for the better.
I didn't wean her until a year later. That achievement (and what I was similarly able to do for Riley) still ranks among my proudest achievements.
Dear Pharmacist X – you sure were a help, and I've never forgotten that. As fate would have it, our two youngest are in the same grade at school. On the rare occasion I catch sight of you at school, or around town, I think back to our earliest exchange. I'm sure you have no recollection of it at all.
But that's the beauty of small gestures – they live longer in the taker than the giver.
Thank you for yours, to me.
This post was originally published on Karen's blog Miscellaneous Mum. It has been republished here with permission.European champions Bayern Munich made history by becoming the first Bundesliga team to record 37 consecutive games unbeaten with a comfortable home win over FC Augsburg.
Defender Jerome Boateng gave Bayern an early lead with a shot-on-the-turn.
Franck Ribery added a second just before the break with a free-kick.
Jan Moravek shot wide for FC Augsburg after half-time but Bayern completed victory with a late third, Thomas Muller scoring from the spot.
The win, coupled with Borussia Dortmund's defeat by Wolfsburg, means Bayern extend their lead at the top of the table to four points.
Record-breaking Bayern Bayern's 37 consecutive games without defeat bettered a Bundesliga record that had stood for 30 years, with Hamburger SV having set a 36-match unbeaten sequence in 1982-83
Pep Guardiola's record of 10 wins and two draws after 12 games is the best start to a season by a new Bundesliga coach
Bayern have won 10 games and drawn two so far this season under Pep Guardiola, who inherited a 25-game unbeaten streak from his predecessor Jupp Heynckes.
Guardiola, who was appointed in June, has enjoyed the best start to a season by a new Bundesliga coach in the league's history.
Bayern started Saturday having already equalled the longest unbeaten run in the Bundesliga, set by Hamburger SV in 1982-83.
It took just four minutes for Bayern to |
be hoping the buyer will be applying for a home loan for twice that when it is sold. But don't expect comfort - the island has no electricity, gas, or main water.Grease star Olivia Newton John is one of the owners of the Gaia retreat--providing a place people to come and relax, refresh your mind, body, and soul. The spa retreat is the sort of place you can imagine celebrities spending their holiday; it's not a cheap place to visit, but it provides a calm atmosphere to unwind amongst rolling countryside near Byron Bay, out of the reach of most people - and the paparazzi. The Gaia retreat is placed amongst simple, but sub tropical gardens - all the homes are very exuberant. The home insurance on this house would not have been cheap!Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban have only just bought a home in Beverly Hills, but clearly want a home for Australian holidays too. The house they've reserved for holidays is rumoured to have cost somewhere in the region of $6.5 million, coming with 6 bedrooms, 110 acres of land - it's a traditional home only 90 minutes from Sydney. Exuberance comes in the shape of an Italian marble bathroom, Brazilian granite counter tops, and a 2,000 bottle wine cellar. Yes, this is how you do holiday homes in style.Russell Crowe has tried to get back to his roots in the holiday home where he now seems to be spending most of his spend. The ranch at the now famed Nana Glen is in New South Wales and the privacy concious Crowe was careful to not let any one see his ranch home, that is until his wedding when the purpose built chapel was revealed - and you don't get much more exuberant that a building built for one day's event! Crowe does have a home in Sydney, but you can imagine he spends most of his time on holiday in Nana Glen.One of Australia's most famous holiday homes is that of the Prime Minister of Australia and his official residence in Sydney. Originally brought for £200 over 150 years ago, Kirribilli House has multimillion dollar views over Sydney harbout - but as an official residence, don't expect it to be put up for sale any time soon. For as long as it stays an Australian government buidling, once a year, you can look around the famous twin-gabled Gothic residence, as it opens to the public. Category: Australia PropertyTrust Issues
by Michael Koresky
The Descendants
Dir. Alexander Payne, U.S., Fox Searchlight
An essentially dark drama bathed in tropical sunlight, Alexander Payne’s The Descendants almost dares you to take it seriously. Its glib direct-address voice-over narration, its sitcom-like establishing shots, its gaudy aesthetic of Hawaiian shirts and palm trees—none of these gestures announce The Descendants as a film striving for artistic credibility. And that’s just fine—for Payne and for us. As he showed in Election and About Schmidt, especially, Payne works in a defiantly accessible and mainstream register, yet manages to inject an emotional authenticity into his films, so that his characters, while clearly readable as regional and social types, behave in a manner that never feels overly cheapened by the machinations of some puppet master behind the scenes.
We’re not talking about uncompromised realism here, but rather a specifically American brand of filtered truth: like most of his fellow countrymen filmmakers, he prefers identifiable emotional arcs, the relatable comedy of behavior, the reliable drama of redemption. With The Descendants, a story of family and inheritance, Payne ventures into potentially uncomfortable territory and comes out with something reassuring—but that doesn’t make the journey unrewarding.
That said, let’s return for a moment to the matter of that voice-over. This is, as many have pointed out, a Payne-ful gesture: the director is known for having his characters’ thoughts blurted out over the soundtrack, which makes his films feel even more like the book adaptations they usually are—but they’re usually provided as ironic counterpoint. In About Schmidt, Nicholson’s hangdog narration, couched as letter writing to his African sponsor child, Ndugu, was the character’s occasionally successful, often crass attempt at self-analysis, which usually betrayed his own conservative nature and his paralytic judgment of others, including members of his own family. In the more masterfully drawn Election, we got a cacophony of warring voices, which formed a crisscross of self-justification so authentically deluded it was nearly exhilarating; one didn’t get a sense the narrators were sitting from a more enlightened spot, but were still stuck in neutral in whatever future they were narrating from. (His greatest deployment of the form so far is in his wondrous entry for the largely woeful omnibus Paris je t’aime, with Margo Martindale as a wide-eyed Midwesterner relating her epiphanies as a tourist in the City of Light.)
The Descendants engages with voiceover in a more straightforward, novelistic manner, opening with affable George Clooney’s honeyed tones as middle-aged dad-in-crisis Matt King, clueing us in on the emotional and geographical terrain we’re about to embark on; it also makes the more traditional mistake of dropping the narration a little less than half-way through the movie. This is glaring not only because The Descendants often flourishes at its least emphatic moments (like its final restive, wordless image of domestic tranquility, which is about as far from the glib hand-holding of narration as possible) but also because it makes King’s early declarations to us, the audience, seem even more significant and localized. Thus we get chestnuts such as “A family seems like an archipelago” and “What is it that makes the women in my life want to destroy themselves?” These lines undermine rather than deepen a character who’s richest when Payne and Clooney feel most ambivalent about him.
When we meet Matt, we learn his wife, Elizabeth, has suffered a head injury in a devastating boating accident, as he informs us in his deadpan manner (another issue with voiceover: the delivery is often so dispassionate that you cannot help but picture the actor perched on a stool in a recording studio, isolated, ears muffled), and lies in a coma. Matt also feels the need to dash the presumptive viewers’ preconceptions about his native land: Hawaii is not a lovely, lazy paradise, he insists, but a fast-paced and economically debilitated state, and Payne shows us attendant images of trash-littered streets and signs of poverty. There’s a slight disingenuousness to this opening, as The Descendants, adapted from a book by Kaui Hart Hemmings, proves to be a story about a relatively well-off middle-class family dealing not only with sudden loss but also with the uncommon conundrum of whether to sell a chunk of inherited land for a hefty sum.
The area in question consists of 25,000 gorgeous, untouched acres on Kauai, passed down from the Hawaiian royalty of which the Kings are descendants (blueblood missionaries make up the other half of their ancestry). The extended family of cousins—pictured as a faceless mass of oversized Hawaiian shirts and loose-fitting shorts—need to sell the property soon, in order to dissolve the trust, and Matt is the sole trustee. Naturally, the interested parties want to convert the lush, mountainous green with its sweeping vistas of the azure ocean into luxury resorts with hotels and golf courses. Yet King has too much on his mind at the film’s start to worry about such things as the rape of the natural land. He’s too busy dealing with the foul-mouthed acting out of his ten-year-old daughter, Scottie (Amara Miller), and the rebellious resentment of her model-pretty 17-year-old sister, Alex (Shailene Woodley), their worst tendencies exacerbated by their mother’s condition. While Elizabeth lies in the hospital, the pre-existing tension between Matt and Alex flares up, resulting in the teenager blurting out to her father that she discovered some months prior that Elizabeth was having an affair, a revelation that severely complicates Matt’s response to the crisis, especially when it becomes clear that Elizabeth is not going to wake up.
Through all this, as in About Schmidt and Sideways, Payne keeps things pitched at the level of sitcom, not necessarily a bad thing. One reason he is good at episodic structure is his love of colorful character actors, who here include former Gumby-limbed comic relief dude Matthew Lillard as the elusive real-estate agent adulterer; the always earnest Judy Greer as his sweetly befuddled wife; a wonderfully self-effacing Mary Birdsong as Elizabeth’s close friend Kai; Robert Forster as Elizabeth’s resentful father, Scott, who is dealing with his own wife’s dementia and who misguidedly blames Matt for what happened to his daughter; and Nick Krause as Alex’s goofy teen beau, Sid, his mouth constantly stretched in a bemused rictus, who accompanies the family everywhere at Alex’s behest, pissing off Matt (and especially Scott) with his every chest-thumping “’Sup bro?” and otherwise tactless remark.
This latter character falls into the same camp as Payne’s most exhausting creations—such as Dermot Mulroney’s pony-tailed son-in-law-to-be in About Schmidt or Thomas Haden Church’s womanizing creep in Sideways—folks who are so tirelessly shallow or rude that one can’t imagine their films’ relatively enlightened main characters putting up with them for more than twenty minutes, let alone entire running times. Yet Matt allows Sid to tag along long enough for the kid to have his own redeeming moment, a nighttime chat in which we discover the dumb lug has feelings—and tragedies—of his own. The scene offers an adequate picture of Payne’s strengths (empathy even for stereotypical characters) and weaknesses (banal staging and mechanistic point-hitting). Yet for all of Payne’s occasional broadness, The Descendants is the most subtly pitched of his films—the comedy springs out of uncomfortable situations rather than slapsticky set-pieces (Sideways’ surprising strength) or easy laugh lines, and the Omaha-born Payne’s emphasis on its Hawaiianness—the soundtrack is wall to wall with laidback songs perfect for your very own luau; even the Kings’ dining room is wallpapered with palm trees—is more simply atmospheric than regionally patronizing (imagine the Coen brothers’ own Hawaii film for how much crasser a picture could be painted).
Payne, who’s always betrayed a love for his characters even when they seem hopeless (Tracy Flick’s sad climactic bedroom wail in Election is more memorable than any of her devious machinations), seems particularly interested in a specifically American strain of male failure. Clooney’s Matt King is the least pathetic and most upstanding of Payne’s men, an easygoing dad and lawyer dealing with financial and familial pressures; but, to Payne’s credit, Matt’s shortsightedness is eventually hinted at, as the discovery of his wife’s unfaithfulness—shades of About Schmidt here, in which Jack Nicholson’s mourning husband, suddenly alone and helpless in a big house, discovers love letters as signs of past adultery—leads him not on a soul-searching journey but rather on a fact-finding mission of possible revenge that’s clearly a distraction from dealing with very real, imminent tragedy. The more we see of Matt’s unforgiving nature, bottled-up rage, and inability to look at himself square in the face, the more we understand why the marriage might have been in quiet, uncommunicative dissolution. Payne, though, finally seeking the tidy wrap-ups of American dramedy, ultimately allows Matt some real movie-star moments, including a measured, Clooney-esque confrontation with his wife’s lover, and a self-revivifying send-off, in which he triumphs equally as a father, husband, and manager of his family’s legacy and that glorious parcel of land.
Towards the film’s end, Greer’s wronged wife, taking in the film’s many crossed paths and stirred-up emotions, cries, “It’s just so complicated and confusing!” Well, not really, even though Clooney and, especially in her early scenes, Woodley, tap into some very complicated feelings with arresting precision. It’s okay that everything turns out just fine in The Descendants—this is, after all, what we hope for ourselves in the immediate aftermath of tragedy. And Payne’s final shot is indeed a keeper, surely outdoing Michael Clayton’s closing-credits entry in the George Clooney staring-contest sweepstakes. We should be happy that we have a filmmaker like Payne, so invested in the dignities and demerits that are part and parcel of our every loving relationship. But it’s also true that there’s something in this film’s good grooming and very American need for clean narrative lines that finally keeps it from getting at the tough business it sets up for itself—namely, mourning, and all the messy emotions that come with it.A new survey conducted by the National Marine Fisheries Service reveals that populations of Alaska pollock, the world’s largest food fishery, have dropped 50 percent since last year. Pollock is America’s most ubiquitous seafood product, found in McDonald’s fish sandwiches, frozen fish sticks, fish and chips, and imitation crabmeat.
The assessment revealed that Bering Sea pollock stocks have declined to their lowest level on record (pdf) a startling development for a fishery NMFS’ chief scientist recently called “one of the most successfully managed species in the world” and that has earned a Marine Stewardship Council certification.
In December, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council will set the new pollock catch limits for 2009. Scientists and conservationists have warned that unless the Council reduces fishing pressure on pollock, a vital forage species for fur seals, whales, and endangered Steller sea lions, the entire Bering Sea ecosystem could be in jeopardy of collapse. This would prove devastating for the state’s commercial fishermen and traditional coastal communities that depend on a healthy ocean for their livelihoods.
“Economic pressures to keep on fishing at such high levels have overwhelmed common sense,” said Dr. Jeremy Jackson, Director of the Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. “With the huge uncertainties inherent in fisheries models, a far more precautionary, ecosystem-based approach is required. Otherwise, fisheries managers are gambling with the health of our oceans and coastal communities.”
Over the past several years, the pollock fishery has experienced poor juvenile survival rates and dwindling populations, forcing the council to reduce harvests in the past two fishing seasons. But experts say these actions have been inadequate, failing to prevent further declines. In order to restore the fishery’s health, the allowable catch must be cut in half, fishing on spawning populations suspended, and marine reserves established to protect critical habitats.
“We are on the cusp of one of the largest fishery collapses in history,” said John Hocevar, Greenpeace Oceans Campaign Director. “It may still be possible to prevent disaster, but the North Pacific Fishery Management Council must take swift and decisive action when they meet in December.”published Oct 2016 - 2,413 views
Not your average summer skiing edit. All of this was filmed between June 1st and September 1st.
This summer may have been the best summer of my life. I was fortunate enough to take two cross country road trips on top of a few long weekend adventures. I traveled to regions of the country that I never thought I would see and I slept in my car most of the way but it was worth it because I got to ski in tons of amazing places including three national parks during a span of four days. This summer has proven to me once again that skiing will take my life to heights I can't imagine.
Skier: Brian Gillis
Location: Western U.S.
Playtime: 00:02:52
Artist: Odesza
Music: My Friends Never Die99 Cents Only Stores sued over price increase
The chain has been hit with two class-action lawsuits alleging unfair and deceptive business practices and misleading advertising after it raised the top price of goods to 99.99 cents from 99 cents.
Now the company faces two class-action lawsuits that were filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court this month. The complaints allege unfair and deceptive business practices and misleading advertising.
But the move seems to be riling some customers who say they weren't aware of the nearly one-cent increase and felt duped into believing they were still paying 99 cents "only." Because U.S. currency makes it impossible to pay 99.99 cents for an item, shoppers are essentially paying $1 plus tax at the cash register.
Two years ago, the City of Commerce retailer — faced with rising inflation and higher costs — raised the top price of its goods to 99.99 cents from 99 cents. Company executives thought it was a clever way to increase sales while staying loyal to the chain's love for the number 99.
"If they call themselves 99 Cents Only, it should be 99 cents," said Dan Callahan, an Orange County lawyer. "We had a survey done before we filed the lawsuit to see how many people thought they were paying 99 cents, and it was just about unanimous that nobody realized that they were paying more than 99 cents. The people who go to that store are typically lower income or seniors, so the people they're taking advantage of are the ones least able to discern the difference and least able to afford it."
The lawsuits are asking for unspecified monetary compensation and contend that 99 Cents Only should have been more clear in its advertising. A judge will decide whether the cases can proceed as class-action suits.
Eric Schiffer, chief executive of 99 Cents Only, said in an interview this week that he didn't believe there was any wrongdoing by the chain, which he said "took every possible effort and avenue to basically bombard the consumer about our increase."
"We changed all the signs, we have a large poster in the window of every store explaining the increase, we put it in our ads in the newspaper, we put it on the radio," he said. "Never mind the fact that the price increase was a very tiny amount, as we all know. So I don't think consumers were misled."
With commodity prices rising, the complaints seem "pretty ridiculous," said Joan Storms, an analyst at Wedbush Morgan Securities.
"As long as they offer the best value in the marketplace, then who cares?" she said. "And where else are shoppers going to get a product for 99.99 cents?"
99 Cents Only opened its first store in Los Angeles in 1982 and has since expanded to about 275 locations, mostly in California but also in Nevada, Arizona and Texas.
When the chain announced in September 2008 that it would increase its prices by nearly a penny, Schiffer estimated that it would bring in an extra $12 million annually, which "will give us plenty of breathing room."
The strategy has worked for the company so far, but Schiffer said this week that he didn't rule out more price increases in the future. "Retailing is a fun business, but it's a tough business," he said, "and it's something we're always looking at."
andrea.chang@latimes.comLetter from Pope Francis to Council Complete of State
Rome, 28/04/2017
To H.E. the Venerable Bailiff
Fra’ LUDWIG HOFFMANN von RUMERSTEIN
Grand Commander and Lieutenant ad interim
and to the Members of the Council Complete of State of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order
of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta
In my pastoral concern that the Order of St. John might offer the Church and the world its Charisms, the mission and the work for which the Lord brought it into existence 900 years ago, I desire to offer you a word of encouragement and some reflections at this moment in which you prepare for the election of the Grand Master or Lieutenant of the Grand Master.
I believe, in fulfilment of the charge entrusted to me as Supreme Pastor of the Church, that I have responsibility for all Institutes of Consecrated life, and therefore also for your distinguished and ancient Order. Moreover it is the same Constitutional Charter that envisages a particular relationship with the Successor of Peter as one of the aims of the Order of Malta.
By virtue of this special relationship, in these last few months I have gladly heard, either personally or through my Delegate, the wishes and aspirations of many Members of the Order, who want to ensure a way of serving even more consonant with the Gospel, to the charism and particular objectives of the family of the Order (Tuitio Fidei et Obsequium Pauperum).
You are embarking on an important path of spiritual renewal in a spirit of fidelity to your tradition and with vigilance to the signs of the times and needs of the world, through the witness to the Faith and in the service to the poor.
To the Person who you will choose to guide the Order in this moment of transition, will be entrusted the duty if implementing the appropriate initiatives to study and put forward the necessary reforms, which will then be duly evaluated by an Extraordinary Chapter General.
Following that which I laid down on 2nd February last in entrusting the responsibility of my Special Delegate before this distinguished Order, I now designate H.E. Msgr. Giovanni Angelo Becciu to receive the Oath of the newly elected, derogating as far as necessary articles 14 and 17, para. 5 of the Constitutional Charter.
I pray to the Lord and I encourage you to joyfully carry out the mission begun by Blessed Gerard and continued by the witness of many Saints and Blesseds of the Order in promoting the glory of God through the Sanctification of its Members, the service to the Faith and the Holy Father and the help to our neighbors. May the Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God of Mount Fileremo, the Precursor and Prophet Saint John the Baptist, and the Blessed Gerard accompany you on this path.
As a pledge of divine assistance, with special affection, I impart to all you my Apostolic Blessing.
Francesco
From the Vatican, 26 April 2017Get the biggest politics 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
Prime Minister Theresa May squirmed in a TV interview as she was forced to admit a key anti-terror power has been used on just one suspected jihadist in two years.
Mrs May was being questioned by ITV's Julie Etchingham about temporary exclusion orders (TEO).
They were introduced in 2015 when she was Home Secretary to intercept British jihadists attempting to return to the UK after fighting in Syria.
But Home Secretary Amber Rudd confirmed last week just one of the 350 suspected UK jihadists who has returned from Syria have been slapped with a TEO.
It comes at a time of major scrutiny of Britain's anti-terror measures in the wake of the Westminster attack, the Manchester Arena bombing and the London Bridge killings in the space of two months.
(Image: ITV's Tonight programme)
In the humiliating interview to be broadcast on Tuesday night, the presenter asks: "Two other measures which were brought in under your watch as Home Secretary, they were temporary exclusion orders and also terrorist prevention and investigation measures which replaced the old control orders.
"It’s estimated that around half of the 850 Brits who are thought to have travelled to Syria may have returned.
(Image: ITV's Tonight programme)
"How many times are those temporary exclusion orders now been used? Because they’d only been used once since 2015 on the latest figures."
Mrs May replied: "Yes. And the point is that the temporary exclusion order was not the only power available to our police and security services."
Ms Etchingham pressed the Prime Minister: "But how many times has that actually been used?"
(Image: Greater Manchester Police)
(Image: PA)
(Image: PA)
She replied: "It has been used once since 2015. But the point about the temporary exclusion order is that it is an additional power for our police to use when they believe it is operationally right to do so.
"So, for some of those people returning from abroad if they’ve been involved in terrorist activity, if there’s evidence for prosecution, they will be prosecuted.
"It is for the police and our security services to identify on that case by case basis what is the right action to take in relation to any individual, and believe you me, when we can prosecute, they do."Get the biggest politics 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
Emily Thornberry has said Theresa May is “squatting in Downing Street” and believes Jeremy Corbyn could still be Prime Minister.
Labour's Shadow Foreign Secretary turned the phrase - famously used to describe Gordon Brown in 2010 - against the Tory leader as pressure mounts for her to quit.
Ms Thornberry said if she was in Mrs May’s position should immediately resign rather than trying to cobble together a deal with Northern Ireland's anti-abortion, anti-gay marriage DUP.
The Conservative party had a disastrous election night which saw them come away with 13 fewer seats and lose their majority.
By contrast the Labour won 30 seats, bringing their total up to 262, leaving the country with another hung parliament.
Ms Thornberry said Labour is "absolutely on our toes" for a potential move into power.
(Image: PA)
(Image: WPA Pool)
She told Sky News' Sophy Ridge on Sunday: "We've got Theresa May squatting in Downing Street, we've got a full rebellion going on in the Conservative Party, we've got no idea as to what's going to be in this Queen's Speech, they have a manifesto that's been completely been repudiated by the public and indeed by Tory MPs themselves, and no idea what the DUP will agree to or not."
The Tories are currently negotiating a ‘confidence and supply’ alliance with the DUP which will give them a narrow majority in the House of Commons.
By contrast even if Labour could cobble together an alliance with the Liberal Democrats, the SNP, Green MP Caroline Lucas, Welsh nationalist party Plaid Cymru and even Sinn Fein - who historically do not take their seats in the Commons - they would still be short of a majority.
Ms Thornberry said instead Labour would rule in a minority government.
(Image: REUTERS)
She said: “We are not going to get into bed with anyone. We would be an alternative government, we would be a minority.
“We would put forward our version of the Queen’s Speech which is very popular. Our policies are popular, our policies are what the country wants.
“We will put forward a Queen’s Speech, we will put forward a budget and it would be up to the other parties, and indeed some Conservative MPs, to decide if they wanted to support it or not.”
When asked how they could put together a minority government when they are more than 60 seats short of majority, she said “let’s see, we are in unchartered territory”.
She highlighted a poll by Survation for the Mail on Sunday which put Labour six points ahead of the Tories.
The Islington South and Finsbury MP predicted that Labour would only get more popular with the public as time went on.
She said that what they had learned over the past few years is that "disunited parties are unpopular" and the Tories are falling apart.The official Democratic Party platform “strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman’s right to make decisions regarding her pregnancy, including a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay.”
Reason TV talked with Democratic delegates and supporters at the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte and found that most were on board with the party’s strong pro-choice stance. But when pressed to talk about whether or not they were pro-choice in areas of human activity beyond abortion, delegates and supporters seemed less certain and, at times, outright hostile to the notion of increased choice.
Approximately 4 minutes.
Produced by Paul Detrick and Zach Weissmueller.
Go to http://reason.com/reasontv for downloadable versions and subscribe to ReasonTV’s YouTube Channel to receive notifications when new material goes live.Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Zebra, Is the Most Hyped Yeezy Boost Yet?
Fresh off the runway of Yeezy Season 5 at NYFW, Kanye West’s Adidas Yeezy Season is still in full effect. The latest hype has fans really going wild, literally. Introducing the Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Zebra. The new sneaker update has been on our radar for the past few week after Kanye revealed the previously unseen model during a performance. Anticipation only grew stronger once we saw Kid Cudi in the black and white stripe Yeezy sneakers on the. Well, the adidas brand is finally offering fans some relief as it officially announces the release date of the much hyped Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Zebra.While staying true to the classic Yeezy Boost 350 style, the new sneaker receives updates including a white and black prime-knit upper, thus the name Zebra. Get it? Actually, the new Boost 350 V2 still has no official name. Fans immediately began referring to the model as Zebra and so far it has stuck. In addition to the striped color way, the shoe boasts the signature SPLY-350 stripe with its red lettering. The model’s classic thick sole also gets a slight update presenting a semi-translucent, TPU off-white base. Even with several other major releases such as CDGxNike and NikeLab Dunk Lux Chukka, Kanye West and the Yeezymanage to shift our focus back to Adidas. However, there are sure to be a few fans to leave the scene salty and empty handed. Priced at $220, the Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Zebra is rumored to be the most limited 350 V2 model ever. So how do you get a pair?There are only three ways to get your hands on a pair of Zebra Yeezy Boosts. Early birds can make reservations beginning on February 22, in-store and via the adidas Confirmed app, available on Apple’s App Store and Google Play. Everyone else can try their luck during the official Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Zebra drop on February 25. The striped boosts will be available at select Adidas Originals locations and Yeezy Supply. Remember to be careful kids, its sure to be a Yeezy jungle out there.Preppers, like most other people, love a good disaster movie, however as preppers we get an extra layer of enjoyment out of it as we can a) get tips and ideas from what fictional preppers/survivors are doing and b) laugh at their mistakes.
This is the first of my movie breakdowns, this time around I’ll be reviewing 2009’s ‘The Road’, starring Viggo Mortensen as ‘Man’, Charlize Theron as ‘Woman’ and Kodi Smitt-McPhee as ‘Boy’.
This is a must-watch movie and has some stellar performances, but be warned; it’s an incredibly tough film to watch and you may feel like every last bit of joy has been burned out of you by the time it’s over.
This should go without saying but just in case:
Here be spoilers!
What’s the disaster?
The nature of the disaster in this film is left purposefully obscure, however if you look at the world as it exists 9-10 years later (which seems to be the timeframe of the film) and you take into account the limited things you can see/hear outside during the catastrophe, it’s a fairly safe guess that it was one of two possible scenarios:
1) A supervolcano eruption, most likely the Yellowstone Caldera with this taking place in America.
2) A meteor strike
I’m going to guess that it’s a meteor strike as a supervolcano, whilst certainly devastating to the US and also something that will have an impact on the rest of the world. It’s not something that’s likely to kill off plant life the whole world over.
A meteor strike isn’t likely to completely kill everything off either (depending on it’s size) but that is more possible.
Was the protagonist prepared?
It’s hard to tell, they seem to have survived quite well for the better part of a decade without leaving the house all that much (or at all as the Woman states that she doesn’t want to see what it’s like out there – at least suggesting that she hasn’t gone outside).
The Man had good instincts, as soon as he gathered something was wrong, he filled the bathtub up with water and started concerning himself with survival. This would suggest to me that he’s at least thought about it a bit in the past.
What good ideas can we take from The Road?
1) Insects are a great food source
They are high in protien and are incredibly hardy, if you find yourself without food then your first priority should be to find insects as a handful of them could keep you alive for another week or two.
2) Water is life
The Man made sure that clean drinking water was one of his top priorities. That was smart, remember the rule of threes. A person can go 3 minutes without air, 3 hours without warmth, 3 days without water and 3 weeks without food. So having water as one of your top priorities is a must.
3) Stay warm
You can die of exposure in 3 hours (see above) so it’s absolutely vital that you stay warm. Both the Man and the Boy had a lot of layers on and made building a fire high on their list of things to do when setting up camp.
Remember that you can add to your warmth by padding out your clothing with paper, card or plastic bags, the idea is to trap as much air as possible next to your body and multiple layers is the best way to do that.
4) We wary of other people
The Man carried a gun and was always cautious of other people. OpSec would be very important in this world as food is an incredibly scarce resource. Plus as we have seen, there are a lot of cannibals now and a young boy would make a fantastic meal.
5) Using ammo sparingly
If you are going to rely on a ranged weapon to protect yourself then you can’t ever waste ammo.
Often the sight of a gun pointed at someones face is enough to terrify most people into submission, there is no need to prove that the gun is loaded.
The same goes with arrows, if you have a bow or a slingbow, only fire the arrow if you intend to wound or kill your target. There is nothing to be gained from a warning shot.
On the same subject, don’t go in for the wound or kill immediately, assess the situation to make sure you actually need to fire in the first place.
6) Don’t immediately remove a projectile that has penetrated your skin.
When the Man gets shot in the leg with an arrow, I suspect most people were urging him to pull it out as fast as possible. However as soon as he did that, he would start to bleed out.
Waiting until he was able to deal with the wound properly was the right call. Especially as it was a wide-tipped arrow and pulling it out would have caused even more damage than it going in would have caused.
7) Accept your own mortality
The Man was fully aware that he wasn’t going to make it, this was especially clear after being shot with the arrow.
He took the time to show his son how to scavenge, how to build a fire and made sure he was largely able to take care of himself, knowing that he was not long for this world.
I would argue that he could have shown him more but perhaps those lessons happened ‘off screen’.
Mistakes the characters made
1) Destroying the piano
The Woman was clearly having a mental breakdown, her old way of life was gone and not only did she have to live in this new hell, she’d also brought a child into it. The Man put too much of an emphasis on survival that he forgot to live.
Burning the piano for firewood took away one of the few entertainment items that was left. Not only that, it also tarnished some cherished memories that they both had and probably did a lot to contribute to her suicidal state.
What could they have done instead?
As we saw from the rest of the film, there was bracken everywhere, dead trees burn very easily and dead grass makes great tinder when dried out. There is no way they would have had enough food in that house to last them nearly a decade so at least one of them must have gone out foraging, it makes little sense to burn the piano when there is plenty of burnable material outside.
2) Filtering water incorrectly.
We’ve seen that the Man made a campfire every time they stopped for a rest, it would have made sense that he’d kept some charcoal aside for filtering. Instead he boiled water and then poured it through a cotton cloth straight into a plastic bottle.
Not only is this not the best way to purify water, the heat from the boiling water would also cause the plastic to degrade, at best causing them to lose their bottle and at worst, introducing toxic chemicals into their system.
What could they have done instead?
Making a proper filter isn’t that hard, he had all the materials around him. He should have boiled the water and let it cool and then put his cotton cloth in the bottle as before but then put charcoal over that, folded the cotton over the top of the charcoal and put some earth on top of that and then poured the water over it.
Or, even better, run the water through the filter, then boil it and once it’s cooled, pour the water into the bottle through another cloth filter, that way you an even be certain that most of the sediment from the water and most of the contaminants will have either been killed or will be in the filter (don’t forget to wash or replace the filter regularly though!)
3) Staying on the road.
Ok so I know that the title of the film is ‘The Road’ and that the protagonists were trying to head south to the coast, however staying on the road is a dangerous prospect in this world as it’s where you are the most likely to run into other people.
What should they have done instead?
They had a map and it wouldn’t have taken long to learn how to tell which way north was if the Man had even a basic level of intelligence (most people know that the sun rises in the East and sets in the West and most people are capable of recognising star patterns, both can be used to navigate once you’ve gotten used to relative positions). Use their map, they could have avoided the roads quite easily.
There is a caveat to this situation though, the reason why people stick to the roads is because that’s also the best way to find resources that people may have left behind (either by the road or at places the roads lead to) so they still would have to be aware of how far away the roads are from their positions.
5) Drinking that can of coke
I’m not about to harp on about how sugar is poison but what I will |
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Disney Infinity 2.0 Play Set deals
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Disney Infinity 2.0 Single Figure deals
All of the Marvel single figures that have been released so far are on sale now for just $9.99 – click here to check out this deal!
What’s coming in 2015 for Disney Infinity 2.0?
OK, so now is definitely the time to do your preorder shopping for the Disney Infinity 2.0 2015 releases which begin at the start of January 2015. Check them out below!
You can also check out our Character release dates page to see the next wave of Disney Infinity 2.0 releases in 2015.No? Well someone in St. Paul does, and felt so threatened by the experience he or she decided to take the issue up with the authorities. Specifically, the St. Paul Police Department, which dutifully responded to the call at 1:30 a.m. Thursday morning.
The incident -- if it even deserves that noun -- was first noticed by Star Tribune reporter Chao Xiong, who tweeted out the (very!) short write-up it received from responding officers.
Because City Pages is a serious news-gathering institution which recognizes its obligation to the public, we could not let the story die there.
What kind of peppers we talking about? Like, some drunk kitchen daredevil's face-melting ghost peppeers, their venomous smoke curling through the vents into someone's apartment bedroom?
Or is this just one of those people who thinks green bell peppers are a bad pizza topping, and anyone who orders them should be thrown in jail?
Is this person related to the Edina 911 caller who thought they'd die if they didn't have cheese for their lasagna?
We followed up with the St. Paul Police Department, and spokesman Sgt. Mike Ernster filled us in with what few additional details were available. The call came from the Payne/Arcade neighborhood on the city's Eastside, and the person involved blamed his or her neighbor for producing the smell.
That smell, Ernster says, was "a strong smell of peppers... that was making it difficult to breathe."
Serious heat-loving home cooks will tell you this is not entirely implausible. When chili peppers are getting fried or roasted (even just chopped up, in large quantities), a lot of recipes give some variation of the warning to "consider a mask, fan, or open windows" to avoid "vapors that can cause a burning sensation in your eyes and throat."
So, maybe this was that? Except:
"When the officer arrived," Sgt. Ernster continued, "they did not detect any odors even though the caller was claiming to still smell them."
Hmmm. A mystery indeed. Maybe this caller just has an exceptional sense of smell. Oh, maybe it was a dog! A beagle!
As Xiong's tweet notes, no arrests were made stemming from this incident, meaning the Great Pepper Caper of East St. Paul remains unsolved, and incomplete. If you know more about this madcap life-and-death story, do us all a favor: Don't call the cops. They're busy.A former teacher with an apparent "food fetish" is accused of asking a female student to put a pie down his pants, BBC News reported. The man is also accused of having inappropriate video-chats with his students, in which he asked them to smear themselves in ketchup and eggs and to pour sour milk into their underwear.
Gavin Bradford, 37, allegedly made sexual, food-related advances to at least 21 students at a college in Canada in 2006 and 2007, and he was registered to teach students as young as 12, the Daily Record reported. But after losing his job in Canada, he then moved to Scotland and got a job as a performing arts lecturer at Coatbridge College in January 2010.
More from GlobalPost: When the BRICs crumble
The investigation began when Ontario authorities tipped the Scottish teacher register off about the earlier accusations against him. The General Teaching Council in Scotland looked into it and ruled that Bradford was "unfit to teach," the BBC said. Bradford did not show up at to his hearing in Edinburgh.
However, the GTC also has no record of Bradford currently teaching in Scotland. “I’m not working as a teacher here and I have no comment to make," he told the Daily Record.Have you heard the news? Blake Lively is a mom! She had her bouncing bundle of pooping joy in December, but just gave her first interview about motherhood to People Magazine this week. She said it's the happiest time of her life. I love that. And that she's looking forward to having more babies. Fabulous! But then she said – “I don’t feel like it’s a massive change.”
*Record scratch*
Wait, WHAT? You don’t think becoming a mother is a massive change? Maybe we live on different planets, but becoming a mother was the most massive change I’ve ever experienced in my life.
My life went from being about me, to being about my baby.
My days went from doing what I wanted to do, to doing what my child needed me to do.
My nights went from long, sleep-filled hours to endless hours awake.
My bowel movements went from private affairs to spectator sports.
My boobs went from perky orbs to saggy pendulums.
My relationship went from “I love you” to “Hey you, hand me that diaper.”
My work went from being my life to a side gig I fit around my kid.
My house went from being a relatively neat, contained place to a HAZMAT zone.
My heart went from being inside my chest, to zooming down a slide at 40 miles per hour.
My world went from being mine, to being ours.
IS ALL THAT NOT A MASSIVE CHANGE?
I’m sorry Blake, I love ya and I really hate to call people out, but are you maybe still cruising on the endorphins from giving birth? Did they forget to remove your epidural? Or possibly you’re in denial? Or maybe you’ve outsourced your baby to the nanny so that she’s not a “massive change” in your life. Or possibly you’re the kind of woman to whom motherhood comes naturally. The kind of woman who handles motherhood like an earth mama goddess; unlike me who was sideswiped by the whole experience. Because for me, motherhood changed everything. And I mean, EVERYTHING.
I wish celebrities would admit that parenting is hard. Every article I read gushes on and on about how amazing and easy and seamless it is. They never seem to admit the truth. That while becoming a mom is AMAZING, it's also incredibly hard. And it changes your life. Massively."Staging" the U.S. Economy (September 2, 2008)
Before we begin...
The goal here at OTM.com is make sense of the many forces at work in the U.S. and global economies--and that includes the "soft" cultural forces for which there are few meaningful metrics. In other words, a chart can illustrate some metric of change, but it does not locate the causal factors, which are often obscure to those of us in "real time"/the present and to those with little grasp of history. It is extraordinarily easy to fall victim to subtle efforts to "frame the debate" and massage the context of what is presented to us as "information" and "facts." We must constantly recall that "information" is not "knowledge." Thus the goal here at OTM.com is to probe deeply precisely where the Mainstream Media is silent--large cultural/economic changes which have been obscured by either the stunning superficiality of the MSM and/or the subtle desire to avoid anything which might challenge what I call the The 3P Economy (Propaganda, Pandering, Posturing). The "con" that is the 3PE requires "marks"--people who willingly fall for the con via greed, a desire to avoid work/sacrifice and a childish preference for denial. So the vast majority of us are complicit in the 3P economy in some way: borrowing more than was sensible, consuming more than we needed, letting the protest fall silently from our lips, voting for the same old representation, demanding little truth, and allowing ourselves to be distracted with iPods, hours of TV, trumped-up ideology wars, etc. Some of the blogosphere seeks to render us victims of conspiracies over which we have no power. Yes, conspiracies of all sorts do exist--for what is conspiracy but collusion which must remain secret to function--but a complacent mark to go along with the con is still required. The idea here at OTM.com is to refuse the easy mantle of "victim" and stop falling for the con. I'm making two small changes to the format: I will try to add readers' comments about each entry the following day, and then respond briefly to your comments. I am also posting a brief selection from my catalog of novels, so that you can decide for yourself if it's amateurish plonk or better-than-you-guessed entertainment.
You know how realtors "stage" a house to sell it to some unwary fool: a piano is placed over the cracked, sagging foundation (true story), wide curtains cover the windows which have been painted shut (true story), artful paintings and high-class books are set around to suggest the previous owners just returned from Majorca or Kyoto, and that you too will be an upper-crust worthy once you buy, buy, buy. (Fake scent of fresh bread in the oven is optional.) The entire U.S. economy is as "staged" as the phoniest, most wretchedly obvious attempt to mask a home's true problems. Let's refresh our memories of how the informal but nonetheless very real Ministry of Propaganda plies its trade: Before you scoff too heartily, consider this: And a wry look at the reality of life for the dwindling number of reporters in MSM newspapers: Let's run through how the MOP manipulates how we "frame the debate". 1. "The only measure of economic growth is GDP." (Statistical Lies, Government Division) And magically, GDP never goes down--so ergo, all those empty storefronts and that heating oil bill that doubled-- those don't mean squat, Jack, take it from us: the "reality" is the economy is just fine and you're whining because, well, you're a whiner. For a super-rare flash of truth in an MSM financial magazine, check out this "opinion" piece (note it couldn't be placed in the main news section--that would have been scary): Welcome to the Frozen Economy (BusinessWeek) 2. "Housing has bottomed". (Statistical Lies, Private Division) Do ya reckon some folks are desperate to make you believe that the housing bubble bust is done, and now is the perfect, ideal time to jump in and BUY BUY BUY that first, second or third home/"investment property"? Heh. The first step of skepticism is to ask who benefits and who loses if this is in fact a con. In the real world, the same old cons are still working: lie on your mortgage app and a sleazy broker will get you the loan (and score the fat commission) so you can stop paying your old $5K/month mortgage and buy a new house for only $2K/month: read on: the Housing Bubble Blog. 3. "I will give you a $1,000 tax break, create 5 million new jobs, stand up to Big Oil, etc." (Big Lie, election-cycle rinse/wash). The high season of pandering has begun. Candidates are proclaiming right and left that they will "stand up to Big Oil". Nice, but since "Big Oil" only controls 13% of global oil supply, then exactly how does standing up to a faltering, marginalized 13% slice of global oil accomplish anything of value? Pander, Baby--the sky's the limit--they fall for it every time. "Compassionate conservatism"--barf. "Yes we can"--barf. Grab a $5 billion slice of "Big Oil's" obscene profits--great, you've just reduced the Federal Deficit for the year by 1%. Amidst all these pandering giveaways--where is the money coming from to pay for it all? Hmm, never a mention of that, is there? I know, I know, tax everyone who makes more than $250K/year --and that magically creates $500 Billion? Pandering requires an audience too drugged or complacent to ask the hard questions, and so far the MSM and American public are playing right along. Just pander to me, baby, and I'll vote for you, because I want to believe that simplistic giveaway will really change my life for the better. Heh. 4. "All this innuendo is defamatory and false--our institution is fiscally sound." (Honorary Ken Lay Awards to the Management of Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, et al.) Posturing is the new American Perfection of Lying. Accused of taking steroids? Go on the attack, accuse everyone who doubts you of racism, character assassination, and so on, until you're busted, and then "clear the air" with a tearful confession and that good ole American tradition, the Plea for Forgiveness. Uh, right. Are we supposed to forget your wild, flaming accusations and unshakeable statements of your innocence and purity? Sports can easily be dismissed as circus and bread, but when leaders of global financial institutions stand up and posture, then there are consequences. The poor dumb marks who actually believed the lies held on and were ruined, while the "smart money" recognized a last desperate con and sold sold sold. The sad truth is that virtually nothing in the U.S. economy or media is believable. It is all spin, con, posturing, pandering, from the phony statistical "proof" that everything is just fine to the "calls for change" (no change in the borrow-and-spend deficit) and the phony electioneering pandering to "bases." Was it ever any different? Well, the manner in which the government cherrypicks "data" has certainly been massaged over the past decades, and ever since Reagan was declared the "Teflon president" we have seen a public willingness to believe what we want to believe as opposed to a healthy skepticism. So yes, there are still plenty of marks and ever-more lobbyists and well-paid spinmeisters. But the con seems to have deepened, and now engages virtually all the influential players (see chart above). Is it a conscious economywide con? The collusion needn't be spoken out loud, for the fear doesn't even need to be voiced or addressed: don't rock the boat or you may be out of a job/commission/ contract. Thus it is fear of the inevitable coming collapse which powers the players to maintain the con. Sure, one reporter's skepticism can be printed on page A-13, but his/her voice is easily drowned out with hundreds of breathless stories on the candidate's piccadillos or pronouncements, sports scores, iPod sales (up, you see, the economy is still booming, and Apple's going to $200/share) and the rest of the purposeful noise which passes for "news." If we stop buying the con, the con man/woman has to move on or (gasp) try an honest living.
New Readers Journal comments: 16 thought-provoking new commentaries for your reading pleasure.
New Book Notes: My new "little book of big ideas," Weblogs & New Media: Marketing in Crisis is now available on amazon.com for $10.99. Here is a review of the book: Charles Hugh Smith's "Weblogs & New Media: Marketing in Crisis" is one of the most important business analyses I have ever read. It is the first to squarely face converging global crises from a business perspective: peak oil, climate change, resource depletion, and the junction of key social cycles will radically alter the business landscape in coming decades. As an entrepreneur I have been retooling my own business to meet these head on, but have felt hamstrung by marketing's insistence upon positivity even to absurdity and denial. "Weblogs & New Media" helped immensely by providing the conceptual framework I needed to move forward. Within this framework I can begin formulating strategy appropriate for the new global zeitgeist -- namely, trust as the new currency du jour. Moreover, Smith offers insights for building this trust via digital resources that business currently misunderstands and misuses, a criticism that will be familiar to Seth Godin fans but which has implications far beyond traditional marketing goals. "Weblogs & New Media" is essential reading for any entrepreneur who refuses to drink the business media kool-aid, and who wishes his or her business to remain viable even in times of crisis.
An excerpt from Claire's Great Adventure: All three gazed up at the black bulk of the two freighters, both of which were illuminated by only a few dim bulbs struck on the superstructure. There was no sight of a crew, and Claire wondered if they were out on the town. One ship rode high in the water, suggesting its cargo had been emptied, while the smaller one rode low, suggesting it had already taken on cargo. Of the two ships, the smaller one seemed older, perhaps simply because it was smaller; in the quiet darkness, they seemed like ghost ships. Claire knew most cargo was carried by massive container ships the size of luxury liners, and she wondered what such old ships even transported anymore. May seemed confused, and Claire pulled her toward the smaller freighter, stage-whispering urgently, "Hit the redial and then listen." Aunt May did as instructed, and again the faint ring of a phone sounded seconds after she'd redialed. This time, they could distinctly hear it emanating from the smaller freighter. "He's on board that ship," Claire whispered. "Let's go." "Are you crazy?" Camden hissed. "We have no idea what's up there." "Afraid of some rats?" Claire responded gamely. "There's no crew around." "You don't know that," May said. "Maybe they're asleep. Now let's not do anything rash." "I can't believe you two," Claire whispered harshly. "We know Giddings' phone is up there, and so maybe he is, too. He may need our help, and we're holding back like scaredycats." "And what happens if he's not alone?" May demanded. Thinking aloud, Claire said, "We go in real quiet-like, and just look around. If we spot anyone other than Mr. Giddings, then we come back here and call the Police." "How do we know what this Giddings looks like?" Camden asked, and Claire exhaled in frustration. "I have no idea, but he probably won't look like a sailor. Look, you two stay here and I'll go." It was far braver sounding than Claire felt, but she prayed that Camden would grudgingly accompany her. There was no gangplank up to the deck, only a series of large steel handles welded to the side of the ship; a platform had been brought close the hull to bring the handles within reach of someone on the dock. Though the ship was much smaller than its container-ship brethren, its sides loomed high above the dock. "I have a confession to make," May whispered guiltily. "I really cannot stand heightsespecially in the dark." "That's OK," Claire said. "We need someone on the dock anyway to watch our backpacks. Now when I get to the deck, I'll signal you to call Gidding's phone again." Turning to Camden, she whispered, "Get your phone, and then let's go." "Who said I'm going?" "Just wait for me at the top," Claire said. "A lookout. There's nothing hard about that." "Other than falling off and being crippled for life," Camden retorted. "OK," Claire said resignedly. "Just wait at the bottom." Camden wordlessly agreed to this reduced duty, and the two girls crept forward to the chain-link security fence. Though topped with menacing barbed wire, the fence ended at the dock's edge; the lower edge of one section was visibly loose, and though she hated smudging her new yellow dress, Claire dropped to the ground and wriggled beneath the bent chain links. Dusting herself off, she awaited Camden, who gamely dropped to the wooden planks and began squeezing under the fence. Claire heard the sound of fabric tearing, and a quiet oath; one of the wires had snagged Camden's blouse. Claire bent down to help her locate the snareone of the sleeves was tornand as Claire released it Camden whispered harshly, "You owe me a new blouse." "I'll buy you two new ones," Claire whispered. "By the time this is over, it'll be three," Camden hissed, and then squirmed free of the fence. Stealthily approaching the ship, Claire realized the oversized welded handles were actually far apart; clambering up the side was going to be a lot harder than climbing a jungle gym back home. Gripping the first bar of cold steel, Claire felt the rust on the underside of the handle, and hoped the rusty ladder rungs wouldn't break off beneath her weight.
"This guy is THE leading visionary on reality. He routinely discusses things which no one else has talked about, yet, turn out to be quite relevant months later."
--An anonymous comment about CHS posted on another blog.
NOTE: contributions are acknowledged in the order received. Your name and email remain confidential and will not be given to any other individual, company or agency. Thank you, Thomas C. ($15), for your very much-appreciated donation to this site (the first in a very long while). I am greatly honored by your support and readership.
Or send him coins, stamps or quatloos via mail--please request P.O. Box address. Your readership is greatly appreciated with or without a donation.
For more on this subject and a wide array of other topics, please visit my weblog.
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I would be honored if you linked this wEssay to your site, or printed a copy for your own use.President Donald Trump thinks his voters should have their own rally, but luckily, Bernie Sanders is here to remind him that, um, they already did. And it didn't go well.
In his usual Saturday morning tweet routine (tweetine?), Trump turned his attention to the rallies against him since he took office:
Maybe the millions of people who voted to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN should have their own rally. It would be the biggest of them all! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 25, 2017
But Bernie Sanders was ready with the receipts.
Trump said during his remarks at CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference yesterday that he "liked" Sanders, but that his movement had "petered out." So maybe the Vermont senator was waiting for the right moment to respond.
Photos of inauguration, always useful to have on hand, for, you know, the rest of recorded history.When it comes to Music Marketing, you have to make decisions that will help further your brand. Think of yourself as a business, not as an Independent Music Artist. With this mentality, you will be prepared to succeed or fail as a business and not take things personally when things fall through. Once you're in a music marketing mindset, you can begin to follow the important steps to achieving your goals.
Wherever you are right now in your career, write down 4 things you'd like to accomplish in the next 4 months. This will be your Music Marketing Plan. Your time is extremely valuable and the goal here is to not burn out. As a musician you have a lot of hats to wear: Marketing, Promoting, Booking, Online Website Designer, Graphic Designer (Flyers, Logos, Cover-Art, Website, etc.) Entertainer, Host & somewhere in that madness you have to find time to actually create/record new content!
Unfortunately without "content" you don't have a product to sell and without a product to sell, your business fails. This isn't to depress you, this is to give you the real facts when it comes to pursuing a career in music and marketing your music. You have a lot to do! The reward is: You are in complete control of your music career and over-time can delegate most of the duties listed above to follow your true passions.
Your first step is to decide where you want to spend your time music marketing and make sure that time is directly correlated to moving you forward. For instance, if you just finished recording a few songs and are ready to market yourself on social media, make sure you have accomplished building a website for yourself, have a Facebook Page set-up and own your domain name. I can't tell you how many times I have talked to artists who have already skipped to music marketing on social media, when they are still missing a website, twitter account and facebook page. Don't make these mistakes. Take your time and build your infrastructure first, before going wild with music marketing ideas and strategies.
How do you make sure you have an effective music marketing strategy? Keep your business plan simple. Try to lead all your fans to your website, not to thousands of third-party websites that promise you the world and give you nothing. Remember, you are the one that is going to work hardest at marketing your music, so your music marketing strategy depends on you and not on the millions of websites you're on. It's much more effective to have 50 fans who visit your website where you can offer them a free download in exchange for their email than selling your songs on a huge marketplace like iTunes where no one can find you. Don't depend on third party sites to build your brand. Your website is your brand, so make sure it looks good and converts passive fans into active listeners/buyers.
Build your website with call to action buttons, where your fans can learn more about you and buy your music. Mailchimp is a great place to start. Set yourself up with a "Signup on my Newsletter" button and offer them discounts. More on this below. Most importantly, for a great music marketing presence, make your music the face of your website. This is one of my pet peeves. It seems like such an obvious thing to do, but so many artists fail to do it! Don't make it hard for your fans to find your music. Put it on your home-page and call it a day. Not a tab, not a page which gives them a link to another page where they can buy your music from a third party site. TunePort provides the perfect solution to sell your music from your homepage with your own personal music store and gives your fans an easy way to listen and buy. By using services like TunePort, your website is effectively marketing your music 24/7 and all you have to do is collect those purchases/emails & follow up to build your newsletter. That's proactive with a maximum effect, minimum effort mentality. Timothy Ferriss (Author of 4 hour work week) would be shaking your hand right now! I've made a list of a few places below to help you get started on your music marketing strategy and some key ideas to transform passive fans into active listeners/buyers.
1) Where do I go to create a website?
I highly recommend wix.com, squarespace.com or wordpress.com. If you are more familiar with working online, wordpress is a good choice for you, if you are looking for a simple/user-friendly interface wix or squarespace will do the job.
2) Where do I go to create my domain name? (www.) You should use godaddy.com. You can search for domain names and with very little investment ($9-11 average) purchase your name and start creating your website. Keep in mind, you should do this before looking into a website platform.
3)Where do I go to sell my music?Cdbaby, TuneCore, Reverbnation, iTunes, BandCamp, Soundcloud will all provide you with a platform to sell your music on. The problem is, it will always be their platform, not yours. No one is going to work harder at making it happen in your music career than you. In other words, use the other sites mentioned above to help you get exposure, but do your best to sell directly from your website. That way you are visiting a page that is yourname.com, NOT theirname.com/yourname. TunePort.com provides you with a download audio store you can embed on your website in seconds and sell directly to fans. You buy the store for 49 bucks and go into business for yourself. You are not bound to just selling mp3's. You can license your music for TV/Film & upload contracts, etc. Remember, you have to be ruthless in business and cut out the middleman. This will save you thousands of hours and investment of time into websites that will offer you little/no reward. Your website is your way forward.
4) How do I bring fans to my website and build a loyal following?
Use Google to create interesting blog content with keywords people will search for. By searching and finding valuable keywords, you can grow your music business exponentially. Example: If I'm an acoustic singer-songwriter, I might search for "Acoustic Music." Think like your fans: What would they search for? Then write a blog with those keywords. This will help you build a very effective online presence on Google. My other suggestion is making sure your domain name is very SEO Friendly. If you don't know how to do this yourself, visit Fiverr.com and you can easily find an expert for 5 bucks to do it for you.
Facebook (Think Community & make it happen.)
Create a Facebook Community Page interested in Live Music in your community or how about a Meetup? The goal here is to meet friends who like the type of music you create, invite them to shows, interact & build that community. I used to work as a booker/promoter & my objective was to create a scene. A perfect example of guys who did this very well are Big & Rich, the country duo powerhouse. They started a cool community called "Music Mafia" and that in turn launched their music careers. Find friends you can play with that have your work ethic/drive and build your "scene." There's power in numbers, start moving mountains.
Twitter
On Twitter find other Musicians that sound like you and are doing similar work. Exchange information and start building your fan-base. Mix & Match. Your Fans/Their Fans. If you are in a community setting, why not set-up your own shows and start finding people that way? Check out this great article on how to maximize your Twitter List. Click Here
Mailchimp
You should always have a "signup for my newsletter" or "join my fanpage" button on your website. Call to action is key to building your brand. I suggest Mailchimp.com. You can easily embed one of their forms into your website & all your new fans will be automatically added to your mailchimp account. From here, you now have the names/emails of folks interested in your music to follow up with them, invite them to shows, sell them merchandise and in "Music Marketing" terms the foundation for your business to thrive and succeed.
Meet your Fans in the Real World
There's a huge world that's NOT online. Got a day off? Why not hit up a high traffic area in your home-town/city? (Aka: Farmer's Market, Mall, Grocery Store, Movie Theater, Museum.) I did this for 2 years and made a living off my music. If you can't get the "Sale" ask for an email. Just like your website, you need to always have a "call to action" only this time that button is YOU.
Click here to see how I sold 10,000 CD's on the streets!
Your objective when it comes to developing a music marketing agenda is to provide maximum results with minimum effort. The online world offers a variety of resources that can help you with your music strategies and can be very cost effective. At the same time, this world can offer a chaotic mess of options that will put your mind in a state of turmoil and make you want to stab your eyes out with a fork. Trust me, I've been there. Simplify and the world is your oyster. Over-Complicate and you will be in a nightmarish circle of getting nothing done. Always ask yourself: "Am I doing this right now to make myself feel busy and therefore give the illusion to myself that I am being productive?" or "Am I making this decision because I know it will move my business forward?" Take your artist self out of the equation. If you need to, put on dress attire you would wear to a formal interview to get yourself in a business mindset. Think like a business and you're on your way to becoming a Music Marketing expert.
Need help/tips to help you further your music career? Please email me directly at musicstrategygroup@gmail.comPhoto via Flickr user neovain.
Canada’s wait times across twelve major medical specialties have doubled in the past twenty years, and may be associated with as many as 44,273 untimely female deaths, a recent study from the Fraser Institute has found.
In 1993, the typical wait time from a doctor’s referral to treatment was 9.3 weeks. Last year it was 18.2 weeks. And for every extra week that patients wait, we see an increase in the mortality rate of three female deaths per 100,000 people. In total, wait times may have contributed to 2.5 percent of all female deaths in the country.
“That’s not to say that it doesn’t exist for male mortality as well,” said Bacchus Barua, one of the authors of the study and an economist with the Fraser Institute, a right-leaning think-tank advocating for increased privatization in health care. “But given the present data, it seems clear that it does indeed exist for women.”
The increase in mortality associated with wait times was “likely unnecessary” and “these widespread, systemic delays have important consequences for patients, their friends and families, and the economy,” the study said. The ultimate consequence of these delays—death—most often falls on women.
Barua didn’t want to speculate on why exactly long wait times kill more women than men, but he said that “there have been some hypothesis that it’s possible there might be some gender bias in how doctors receive complaints.”
The evidence of that is strong and even Statistics Canada has acknowledged it. In a stud y that came out in 2010, the government agency said that “women were significantly less likely than men to see a specialist within a month. This could result from systemic gender biases in access to health care services, evidence of which has previously been demonstrated.” StatsCan put it to doctors’ “diagnostic and management practices.”
What does that mean? It means that doctors, a majority of whom are male, white, and come from families with an annual income over $100,000, take women’s complaints less seriously and choose less aggressive treatment options for them, according to Women and Wait Times, a paper by the research group Women and Health Care Reform.
In general, women and men communicate with their doctors differently and don’t have the same experiences of treatment, the research says. The effects of these differences is apparent—for example, even though women have a higher need for hip and knee replacements than men do, when they need them, they are three times less likely to get them.
Colleen Fuller, a health and pharmaceutical researcher who’s worked with Canadian Doctors for Medicare and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, questions the Fraser Institute’s methodology but has no doubt the health care system treats women differently than men. She said the wider issue is access, not wait times.
“The medical system is very patriarchal,” she said. “And not all females are at a disadvantage equally. If you’re older, if you’re racialized, if you’re an immigrant, and now if you’re a refugee, you’ll have more problems.”
In the last fifteen years, doctors have been making more money but working fewer hours, which puts even more barriers in place, Fuller said. “Doctors are the ones responsible for wait times,” she said. “Even though there’s a lot of rhetoric about government wait lists, they aren’t government wait lists. They are physicians’ individual wait lists.”
It is up to doctors to prioritize patient needs and offer as many options as possible. This means their own attitudes constantly come into play. “There is not a queuing system that is fair and equitable,” Fuller said. “And anything that isn’t fair and equitable has more dramatic impact on people who are systemically at a disadvantage.”
The research by Women and Health Care Reform found specific examples of doctors’ attitudes that may cause them to care for women differently. It found that myths about women and their bodies are still pervasive—even for men who’ve graduated medical school.
“Some doctors may believe that women are better able to handle pain, because women can endure the pain of childbirth,” the study said. “Some doctors believe women’s pain is caused by being overanxious and believe that women are ‘overly emotional’ when they report pain symptoms.” The paper also noted that there “is much evidence to suggest that doctors make more errors in diagnosis and choose less aggressive treatment options with women than with men.”
Fuller sees the entire medical system to be based in myths like these. “The philosophical framework around medicine has been driven by a sexist perspective on female sexuality,” she said.
Evidently, doctors’ attitudes toward women are important. In fact, they probably couldn’t be more important, considering doctors are the only strange men we allow to shove various instruments up our vaginas on a yearly basis (unless you’re into that).
It’s for exactly that reason that this issue is intensely personal for many women. Fuller told me she stopped seeing male doctors at the age of 20, when she read in Cosmopolitan magazine that she shouldn’t be taking birth control pills because she has type 1 diabetes. When she asked her doctor about it, he laughed at her.
“For him it was a funny issue, but for me it was about figuring out how to stay healthy and not get pregnant,” she said. “That was the last time I saw a male doctor.”
He probably thought it was a joke that she was getting medical advice from Cosmo a magazine who just published a story about how Paris Hilton now has a pet Unicorn. But Cosmo was right, and in this case provided her with legitimate information about her condition while her physician failed to do so. (If you’re a woman with type 1 diabetes, long-term use of birth |
ahnke’s paper on his experiment stressed the positive results. Nobody suffered any apparent physical harm or long-term psychological harm, and an overwhelming majority of those who took the psilocybin felt the experience had been profound and had made a positive impact on their lives, even six months after the fact. One subject said that he had vividly experienced the passion of Christ, identifying with it completely. Another said that after first going through a period of paranoia and feeling imprisoned in the church (which had bars on the windows and a guard at the door to keep the subjects from going outside during the experiment), he began to experience “the dropping away of the external world,” followed by “the sudden sense of singleness, oneness” that made “the rest of normal waking consciousness” seem like a mere illusion.
Pahnke died in a scuba diving accident in 1971. Fifteen years later, Rick reinterviewed most of the participants of the study, who still believed taking psilocybin that day had fortified their spirit and improved their lives. But he found flaws in the experiment. His thesis assessment, which was ultimately accepted for publication, indicates the distance he had come:
Pahnke failed to report the administration of the tranquilizer thorazine to one of the subjects who received psilocybin [and had an acute anxiety reaction]. There is no justification for this omission.... In addition, Pahnke underemphasized the difficult psychological struggles experienced by most of the psilocybin subjects. These very serious omissions point to an important incompleteness in Pahnke’s interpretation of the effects of psilocybin.
Some of the backlash that swept the psychedelics out of the research labs and out of the hands of physicians and therapists can be traced in part to the thousands of cases of people who took psychedelics in non-research settings, were unprepared for the frightening aspects of their psychedelic experiences and ended up in hospital emergency rooms. These unfortunate instances of panic reaction have many causes, yet some of them stem from the way in which the cautionary elements of the Good Friday experiment were inadequately discussed in Pahnke’s thesis, in subsequent scholarly reports and in the popular media.
[The] optimism regarding the inherent safety of the psychedelic experience did not fully acknowledge the complexity and profundity of the psychological issues associated with psychedelic experiences. With some proponents of psychedelics exaggerating the benefits and minimizing the risks, a back-lash against these substances was predictable.
Rick graduated from New College in 1987, sixteen years after he had begun as a freshman. He aced his Graduate Record Exams, putting him in the top one-tenth of 1 percent—enough to get him interviews at some of the highly competitive clinical psychology programs. In each case, Rick says, “I had these great talks and usually most of them would be clearly super excited about what I was doing.”
But at the end of each interview, Rick would say, “I want to do MDMA therapy research for my dissertation. And I know that’s five years away or whatever and it’s still illegal, but I don’t want to get in a position where I don’t mention that to you and that when I get there after I’ve done all this work you tell me no. So I’d rather tell you now.”
When the last “We regret to inform you...” notice arrived in his mailbox, he went to a secluded room in his house—technically now his parents’ house. “I smoked some pot and I started thinking. And I was, like, I feel like there’s a pattern here and the pattern is that I want too much too soon. I want to do this psychedelic psychotherapy research, but the world is not ready for it. It’s like relationships with women: a lot of times I want too much too soon. So then it was just, like, all right, well, if the politics is in the way of science, maybe I should study the politics.”
And if he was going to study the politics of psychedelics, he figured, he needed to do it in a way that would give him the best mainstream credential possible. That, he decided, would be the world-renowned John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard.
Rick remembered a magazine interview with a professor there named Mark A. R. Kleiman who had mentioned the MDMA lawsuit. It wasn’t much of a connection, but Rick called him anyway.
“I said, ‘You have no idea who I am but I did this stuff that you know, and would you be my mentor?’ ”
Kleiman encouraged Rick to apply, and this time he got in.
“I think it was just affirmative action,” Rick says. “I was the hippie of the year.”
The hippie took two years to get his master’s degree, then applied for and got a Presidential Management Internship, a prestigious and competitive program for people interested in a career in federal government. The PMI website said it sought “the best and brightest Americans who want to make a difference in the public service” and called the program “a stepping stone to highly visible and respected leadership positions in the federal government.”
Rick didn’t really want a government career, but he did want to know how to manipulate the levers and pulleys that could move public policy on the issue of psychedelic medicine. When a team from the CIA came to recruit from the PMI recipients, Rick raised his hand. He thought, What can I do with the CIA? and the answer that came to him was: Propose a study on the national-security implications of legalizing drugs. To Rick, it was obvious that the quarter-century-old war on drugs had wreaked a long list of harms on the country, including unnecessarily swelling prison populations, wasting billions of dollars on ineffective enforcement, providing an inexhaustible source of funding for organized crime and narco-terrorists, and, of course, preventing research into the beneficial uses of marijuana and psychedelics. Would legalizing drugs and putting them under federal regulation ameliorate any or all of the above?
The Agency interviewers must have been impressed with Rick, even if they brushed aside his proposal. Would he be interested in doing psychological profiles of world leaders? they asked.
Um, no.
After he left, Rick thought about the distance he’d traveled: from being, basically, an outlaw, he had arrived at a place where he was exchanging ideas with the likes of the CIA. For Rick, this wasn’t just one of life’s curiosities but a question of strategic importance.
He asked himself, Am I more effective from the inside working out or the outside pressuring in? It depended, he decided. If he had persuaded the CIA to let him study the potential national security benefits of ending the war on drugs, then going inside would be worth it. “I thought, okay, I would be willing to give up drugs and wear a suit to do that.”
But that wasn’t going to happen. So what other inside job would be worth it? Rick pondered that and came up with answer: he sent an internship application to the FDA.
Once again his timing was uncanny.
For thirty years, ever since the FDA had prevented thousands of horrific birth defects in the United States by refusing to bow to corporate and consumer pressure to approve the sedative and anti–morning sickness drug thalidomide without further testing, the agency had focused primarily on stopping bad drugs from getting to market. But there was a downside to this unrelenting focus on safety: through the seventies and eighties, the time, money, and effort it took to gain FDA approval for new drugs kept escalating. Many helpful medicines were becoming available internationally long before they could be legally prescribed in the United States.
The pharmaceutical industry began to push Congress for FDA reform just as the AIDS epidemic created tens of thousands of new victims each year, all desperate for more effective medicines with the clock ticking against them. In 1987, as the pressure to change ratcheted up, a forward-thinking clinical pharmacologist named Carl Peck was appointed to head the FDA’s center for drug evaluation with a mission to make drug approval more efficient without compromising the public’s safety. Peck created a new staff within the agency, Pilot Drug Evaluation, specifically to find innovative ways to reengineer the drug approval process. To do that, the new division needed some new drug applications to experiment with. Since the FDA bureaucracy had already divvied up all drug categories among existing departments, Pilot Drug would need to wrest some categories from elsewhere.
One of the categories it ended up with—essentially because nobody else wanted it—was psychedelics and marijuana.
Since Rick had founded MAPS, he’d made applications for five small human MDMA studies, each in conjunction with researchers at prestigious universities and each backed by the required animal safety studies. All were rejected. To say that the regulators had an attitude would be no exaggeration. Rick would only learn later, when he wrote his PhD thesis on the subject, that the director of the FDA department responsible for rejecting his applications had once said of the 1960s psychedelic research at the University of Maryland institute where Stan Grof had worked: “It was just an excuse to give people LSD.... If I had the power, I would have put the doctor in charge in jail.”
The unlikely confluence of events—that the psychedelic portfolio was now being relinquished to a staff specifically intended to break new ground, shake things up, and find ways to help get beneficial drugs through an obstructionist system just as Rick was blindly applying for an internship—seemed like fate. Rick got a call from the head of Pilot Drug, Dr. John Harter.
“I went down there and I met with him, and he was, like, ‘You’re just what we’re looking for.’ I’m, like, ‘Fantastic.’ The thought was that I would work inside for a couple of years and then I would go back to MAPS and I would try to bring them proposals.”
Here was an opportunity to live inside the belly of the beast and learn its ways, just as he had hoped. He’d gone through all the high-level interviews, and Harter was sold. There was just one problem: when the DEA got wind that the FDA was about to hire Rick, someone senior gave Harter an earful. “They told him, ‘No way can he work on psychedelics and marijuana,’ ” Rick remembers. “So I said, ‘All right, that’s fine, I’ll work on any other drugs; I just want to see how you do stuff.’ ”
Rick was redirected to the bottom of the totem pole, a job that certainly didn’t require a master’s from Harvard Kennedy School. The only remaining interview, with the eight women who would be his coworkers, seemed a formality. Dr. Harter even invited Rick to spend the night before the interview at his house. They’d drive in together in the morning, Rick would do the pro forma interview, and then he’d be hired.
Harter had apparently forgotten to clue the women in on the plan. He introduced Rick, expressed his support, mentioned that Rick wouldn’t be working with any psychedelic drug issues, then left them alone.
“We do a lot of photocopying,” one of the women began. “Are you willing to do photocopying?”
Rick told them he practically lived at Kinko’s. Photocopying would be no problem.
“And then they said, ‘Well, how are we going to keep you away from seeing anything to do with psychedelics or marijuana?’ ” Rick tried to soothe their concerns, but he could see where things were headed. When they voted, he lost in a landslide. As it turned out, one of the innovations in Pilot Drug management involved letting the people on the floor have more say in hiring.
Harter, embarrassed about what had happened, offered Rick a consolation job helping to get a computer system up and running. In the end, they both decided Rick would be better off on the outside.
Besides, Rick thought with relief, now I can still smoke pot and I don’t have to wear a suit.
You can support vital research needed to make psychedelic therapy a legal treatment by donating to MAPS’ Legalizing Psychedelic Therapy campaign. Due to its phenomenal success, Indiegogo has extended the campaign for two more weeks! The final end date is now October 9.
Teaser image by Andres Rodriguez, courtesy of Creative Commons license.Pinterest Joe Raedle/Getty Images
And this is just one web host that’s come forward.
Donald Trump's administration has found a whole host of ways to be malicious and inept. They seem to have both colluded with Russia to swing the election and then (poorly) attempted to cover up that collusion. They have failed on such easy political calculations as "denounce the KKK" and "be critical of Nazis." And they have consistently and constantly undermined the legitimate news media at every turn, all while pushing hateful policies that hurt basically anyone who isn't a straight white male with money. It would be easy to assume that there were no new ways for this administration to disgust and scare people, yet here we are.
Today a web hosting service called DreamHost announced in a blog post that the Department of Justice has requested they turn over 1.3 million IP addresses of visitors to a website called DisruptJ20.org that people used to organize protests of Donald Trump's inauguration.
The request from the DOJ demands that DreamHost hand over 1.3 million visitor IP addresses — in addition to contact information, email content, and photos of thousands of people — in an effort to determine who simply visited the website. (Our customer has also been notified of the pending warrant on the account.) That information could be used to identify any individuals who used this site to exercise and express political speech protected under the Constitution’s First Amendment. That should be enough to set alarm bells off in anyone’s mind.
This appears to be a pretty clear-cut example of the government attempting to not only police political speech and people's right to assemble, but also make people more generally hesitant to speak out against the administration. And what's possibly even scarier is the fact that DreamHost is simply the first provider to go public with a request like this. Who's to say that there aren't sites and providers who have already turned this information over to the government willingly, but are keeping quiet?
I think what is most striking about this is how it's just another example of Trump and company's inability to take it no matter how much they dish it out. This is a coalition that's built on targeted Internet harassment and a widespread abuse of anonymity. Of all the Trump trolls who clog your Twitter mentions, what percentage of them are actually displaying their real name and photo? Eight percent? But that's not who Trump and company are looking into. No, they just want to know the information of Trump's enemies. And if that sounds to you like the opening moves of a budding autocracy... Well, then congrats, you're absolutely right.
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April 9, 2015, 10:34 AM GMT / Updated April 9, 2015, 12:31 PM GMT / Source: NBC News
Two young white women, part of a group who repeatedly searched Mississippi's capital city for black people to attack, were scheduled to be sentenced Thursday.
In separate hearings, U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate will sentence Sarah Adelia Graves and Shelbie Brooke Richards. Graves pleaded guilty in December to a conspiracy count and faces up to five years in prison. Richards, who pleaded guilty in December to conspiracy and concealing the crime by lying to police, faces eight years in prison.
Both Graves and Richards were riding in a truck driven by Deryl Paul Dedmon that ran over James Craig Anderson in June 2011. Anderson died after being beaten and run over.
Six white men were sentenced earlier by a different judge, receiving prison terms ranging from four years to 50 years. Two more men await sentencing after Thursday.
Both women have acknowledged that they helped recruit people at a birthday party to take part in the venture that eventually led to Anderson's death. Richards admitted that she encouraged Dedmon to assault Anderson when they arrived in a hotel parking lot, and then yelled a racial slur and encouraged Dedmon to run over Anderson when Dedmon returned to the truck.
Hotel surveillance video, obtained by The Associated Press and other media outlets, shows a Ford truck back up and then lunge forward at 5:05 a.m. (6:05 a.m. ET). Anderson's shirt is illuminated in the headlights before he disappears under the vehicle next to the curb.
Richards also acknowledged that later that month she lied to Jackson police detectives about the incident and her participation.
The 10 defendants have pleaded guilty to other racially motivated attacks, including the beating of a black man near a Jackson golf course, the beating of another man who tried to sell the suburbanites drugs, attacks on pedestrians using beer bottles and a slingshot, and an attempt to run down another black man.
Prosecutors said the suspects usually sought out people who were homeless or drunk. Other than Anderson, the black people who were assaulted have not been identified.
- The Associated PressThe balance of his memo argues that he is not against pursuing greater gender diversity at Google; he says it is against the current means Google is using to pursue that end and the way the company conceives of tradeoffs between the good of diversity and other goods.
He wants to use different means to address “the problem,” he insists, and doubts that the tradeoffs of getting to a staff of 50 percent men and 50 percent women would be worth it (a position implicitly shared by every company that doesn’t have gender parity in its workforce). He may be incorrect, but even if the substance of every viewpoint that he expressed is wrongheaded and even if Google must make huge strides in its treatment of women, that won’t make characterizing the memo as an anti-diversity screed any more accurate.
The author specifically objects to using what his memo calls discriminatory means to achieve greater gender diversity, then adds that he has concrete suggestions for changes at Google that would “increase women’s representation in tech and without resorting to discrimination.” In his telling, this could be achieved by making software engineering “more people-oriented with pair programming and more collaboration” and changes that would “allow those exhibiting cooperative behavior to thrive,” as well as offering more opportunities for employees to work part time.
Whether one regards those suggestions as brilliant, rooted in pernicious gender stereotypes, or anywhere in between, they are clearly and explicitly suggestions to increase diversity in a manner the author regards as having a stronger chance of actually working than some of the tactics that he is critiquing.
Later, the author writes, “Philosophically, I don’t think we should do arbitrary social engineering of tech just to make it appealing to equal portions of both men and women. For each of these changes, we need principled reasons for why it helps Google; that is, we should be optimizing for Google—with Google’s diversity being a component of that.” Someone who believes diversity is one component of many for “optimizing” a company is not anti-diversity, even if he places a lesser value on achieving gender parity in staff, vis-a-vis other goods, than those who argue that Google should make whatever tradeoffs are necessary to achieve equal gender representation.
Perhaps the author’s approach would lead to less gender diversity at the company if it were adopted. To shorthand his position as “anti-diversity” before the fact is still misleading.
Journalists grasp this nuance on lots of other issues.
Donald Trump campaigned on the promise of more jobs for working-class Americans. In service of that end, he has proposed canceling free-trade agreements, building a wall to keep out immigrants, and eliminating lots of environmental regulations. Critics who avow that they favor more jobs for the working class, but oppose achieving more jobs through those specific means, are not described as “anti-job,” especially when they suggest specific alternatives for job-creation. Even if their alternatives would result in fewer jobs than the Trump administration’s plans, that still wouldn’t make a writeup of their proposal “an anti-job memo.”On Monday, the Nashville Predators locked up defenseman Mattias Ekholm for an additional six seasons with the Swede inking a six-year, $22.5 million contract extension ($3.75 million AAV). After the 6-4, 215-pound defenseman emerged as an elite NHL blueliner during a career-best campaign in 2014-15, Preds General Manager David Poile extended a long-term deal to Ekholm, who has become a key part of Nashville’s defensive corps for four major reasons:
Prototype d-man for Laviolette’s System:
Ekholm entered Predators Training Camp in 2014 with the coming campaign standing as a “prove-it” season. The Swede had shown he deserved minutes in the NHL in 2013-14, turning in a single goal and eight helpers in 62 games of action, but questions remained about whether he could be relied on as more than a situational, offensive defenseman.
Corresponding with the implementation of then-first-year Head Coach Peter Laviolette’s system, which encourages defensemen to cycle in the offensive zone and join the rush, the blueliner obliterated all of his former career best numbers in 2014-15. New career highs in goals, assists and points also resulted in Laviolette increasing Ekholm’s time on ice by an average of more than two minutes per contest (up to 19:00 TOI per game).
“Everything, really,” Head Coach Peter Laviolette said earlier in the year of what he likes in Ekholm’s game. “Defensively, he’s solid. Offensively, he moves the puck well. He skates well, he contributes in the offensive zone, he helps out on the power play, penalty kill, and he’s been a real strong player for us.”
“I think my game is coming along both offensively and defensively,” Ekholm said last season. “I get more ice time, [the coaches] trust me in key situations, and that’s what you build from. That’s where you gain the confidence from. It’s been a lot of fun and I’m happy with my year so far.”
Ridiculously Good Fancy Stats:
The coming-out party for Ekholm in 2014-15 was documented by more than just the eye test, with the blueliner ranking among the NHL’s best in advanced statistics. Nashville’s second of three fourth-round selections in 2009 (forward Craig Smith was taken four picks before him) produced the League’s fifth-best SAT (282; Shot Attempts) for defenseman and was No. 1 among Nashville’s blueliners last season according to NHL.com.
In short, Ekholm’s contributions help to heavily tilt play in Nashville’s favor with the Predators five-man unit outshooting the opposition by a wide margin when the Swede is on the ice. With Laviolette’s method of attack demanding high shot attempt totals from forwards and defensemen alike, a blueliner like Ekholm who can deliver results on both sides of the puck is extremely important.
Also to the defenseman’s credit and a positive indicator of future performance, Ekholm’s advanced stastistics have consistently improved over the past four years, as shown by the below graph via War-on-ice.com :
Ekholm-Ellis Pairing Locked up for Years to Come:
An uptick in Ekholm’s production last season also helped produce record-setting numbers for defensive partner Ryan Ellis and caused the pairing to emerge as one of the League’s best. Ekholm’s six-year deal and Ellis’ five-year contract inked last season means the pairing can continue to gel and develop until at least 2019.
With both d-men possessing offensive firepower, quick first passes out of their own end and natural chemistry, if this pairing continues to develop - as it already has this season - watch out.
“They’re both good, young players and they keep getting better,” Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne said of the pairing. “When you play more minutes, that comfort and confidence level rises, and I can see that from them. When they’re on the ice, they’re making plays and strong first passes. They’re working to keep it simple, but when they can use their speed and their skill then they do… With both of those guys it’s really easy [for us to work together] because they talk so much, and they want to help the other one on the ice. It’s fun to watch those guys play.”
Nashville’s Strength Developing into a Foundation:
Prior to the 2015-16 season, USA Today ranked the Predators defense as the NHL’s best.
“Check off every box when it comes to this defense. They can defend, play a rugged style, but also move the puck well and provide offense... You could conceivably fit five of them in a top-pair role,” wrote Jimmy Hascup earlier this month.
Following Ekholm’s new deal, four of those five “top-pair” defensemen are set to skate in Predators Gold for many years to come with Roman Josi, Shea Weber and Ellis all signed through at least the 2018-19 season. Add in Seth Jones, a restricted free agent after the 2015-16 campaign, likely signing a contract extension as well and that number swells to five-for-five long-term blueliners in Nashville.
Don’t forget that Ekholm, Ellis, Josi and Jones are all under the age of 26 and are yet to enter the prime of their careers. It’s safe to say media outlets will be making space for the Preds d-corps in their Top Five rankings for the foreseeable future.Today, the strip is sponsored by… CommitStrip! To be precise, it’s sponsored by KRDS, the agency founded by CommitStrip’s founders! We have 2 open positions in Asia for aand a(of course, we love sysadmins ;)), so if you are there or ready to move to South Asia, and see CommitStrip under the hood, the job is for you!We also took this opportunity to create a new section: CommitStrip Jobs (with an epic push to prod on Friday 11pm as you can see…)! Don’t hesitate to have a look and give your feedback. And of course, like the strip, tweet it, or share it with your geeky friends, we’ll owe you one!Thanks!
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Your email will only be used to send you the newsletter."In Chicago, they've had thousands of shootings, thousands since Jan. 1. Thousands of shootings."
Lester Holt asked the major presidential candidates in their first debate how they would heal the nation’s racial divide, exacerbated by police shootings of unarmed African-Americans.
Democrat Hillary Clinton called for a top-to-bottom re-examination of the criminal justice system to prevent uneven treatment of minorities under the law.
Republican Donald Trump, stuck to his "law and order" approach, painting a bleak portrait of life for African-Americans and Hispanics "living in hell because it’s so dangerous."
He zeroed in on Chicago, President Barack Obama’s hometown.
"In Chicago, they've had thousands of shootings, thousands since Jan. 1. Thousands of shootings," Trump said.
Has Chicago had thousands of shootings so far this year?
Trump’s campaign showed us an article published on Forbes Sept. 8 that says of Chicago, "In 2015, 2,988 people were shot and 2016′s figure already stands at 2,949."
The Chicago Tribune, which tracks neighborhood crimes through its Crime in Chicagoland project, has data supporting that shooting count for 2015.
And as far as this year goes? From Jan. 1 to Sept. 26, there have been 3,210 shooting victims, according to the Chicago Tribune.
The publication says the data it compiles is not the same as what the city offers, so numbers will not match those tracked by the city. "One shooting incident may have multiple victims, but it still counts officially as only one shooting," the Chicago Tribune site says.
Even then, data released by the Chicago Police Department also shows there have been 2,521 shooting incidents in the city up to Sept. 18.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel delivered a speech Sept. 22 addressing high levels of crime in his city and ways to combat it, outlining a need for more policing, more jobs and crime prevention.
"Gun violence in Chicago is unacceptable.... It is pulling us apart at the very moment that our city needs us to come together," Emanuel said, according to the Tribune. "For all the things that make Chicago great, for all the things that make us proud to call ourselves Chicagoans, the violence that is happening corrodes our core. It is not the Chicago we know, and it is not the Chicago we love."
While the number of shooting victims so far this year have surpassed 2015, it’s important to note that they do not represent homicides, experts told us. (However, the Tribune’s count of 550 homicides so far in 2016 also outnumbers the 2015 tally of 492 homicides.)
"The word ‘shooting’ does not distinguish based on severity of the wound or the type of crime," said Adam Lankford, a criminology professor at the University of Alabama. Shooting statistics also include people who shot themselves by mistake.
A shooting is simply a gun being fired, not someone being shot or killed, said Dewey Cornell, director of the Virginia Youth Violence Project at the University of Virginia.
The city’s numbers are striking, but Cornell said violent crime in Chicago is much lower than it was 20 years ago, mirroring the national trend.
When you have a flare-up in gang warfare in any community, there will be large increases in gun homicides, and Chicago has for more than a century had a gang problem that is much greater than other cities like New York, Cornell said.
"There has been an increase in gun violence in Chicago in recent years, but Chicago does not represent the U.S. and is atypical of other large cities, so it does not make sense to use Chicago as an example to understand crime in the U.S.," Cornell added.
A plausible explanation for the rise in shootings in Chicago is that gangs have been displaced from their former turf by the demolition of some housing projects, said George A. Mocsary, an assistant professor at Southern Illinois University School of Law.
"Violence has ensued as the displaced gang members try to move into new territory claimed by other gangs," Mocsary said.
Our ruling
Trump said, "In Chicago, they've had thousands of shootings, thousands since January 1st. Thousands of shootings."
There have been more than 3,000 shooting victims in Chicago so far this year, according to media reports and gun violence experts.
The count of shootings includes all types of shootings, including shootings of more than one person and on accident, and it should not be taken as a substitute for "homicides."
We rate Trump’s statement True.When it comes to acquisitions, Canadian public company FUNTech manager, Lorne Abony and his management team certainly don’t allow the grass to grow under their feet. This can be seen by the fact that this week the company released the information that they had finalized a $23 million deal enabling them to take over WorldWinner, a major competitor. Employing the SkillJam Technologies subsidiary, CEO Abony reported that he acquired its rival so as to strengthen its position in the extremely competitive and quick-growing informal skill gaming gaming market. Every month, WorldWinner is known to award millions of dollars in the form of prizes. This reflects the large number of games played on its which averages 350 000 games played daily and which produces yearly revenues of $10.67 million representing the 12 month period ending December 31, 2005. WorldWinner reported 14 million registered players by January 2006.
WorldWinner’s products will keep on under the established brand in the short term, but there will certainly be some level of incorporation with the SkillJam property.
Company CEO Abony reports that for FUN Technologies, the acquisition of WorldWinner is a noteworthy strategic achievement. Up until now, WorldWinner was the company’s largest competitor. By consolidating the two businesses FUNTech will achieve significant operating synergies along with added efficiencies, and leverage.
President and CEO of WorldWinner, Stephen Killeen, says that the company is proud to be involved in this merger with FUN Technologies. He sees the consolidation of the two organizations as forming a global skill-gaming powerhouse.
Turnkey Provider Playtech To Join Uk Trade Association
Playtech, the turnkey poker room and online casino software provider has joined up with RGA, the Remote Gambling Association of the British trade association.
It is soon after its acquiring from the third largest Channel Island a Certificate of Prior Approval from Alderney, that the company’s membership has occurred along with its successful migration of Hard Rock Casino, of the Rank Group, licensed in Alderney.
In order to qualify for membership, software providers need to be licensed directly or they must be supplying their product to at least one remote gambling operator who is also licensed and who operates in the European Economic Area (EEA), the Channel Islands or on the Isle of Man.
Following the merger between the Association of Remote Gambling Operators (ARGO) and the Interactive Gaming, Gambling and Betting Association (IGGBA), the RGA, was founded in July of 2005. It is an organization that acts to represent and to work for the benefit of and service of the remote gambling operators located in the areas in which their members hold an interest.
RGA works to promote high standards of decency and integrity within the betting and gaming industry, aside from also representing members’ interests to national governments and public bodies. It functions also for the benefit of its members as well as for benefit of the public in general.
The company is extremely pleased with their new membership in the RGA, according to a Playtech spokesman. It is well known that their work is invaluable to the gaming industry, and the company believes that they can best represent their interests to regulatory authorities.A recent article that has been making rounds on the internet has the headline ” Just 8 men own same wealth as half the world”. This article cites an Oxfam press release which claims that “It is obscene for so much wealth to be held in the hands of so few when 1 in 10 people survive on less than $2 a day”. This press release cites a Credit Suisse report as their main source but the detail given in the cited report doesn’t back up Oxfam’s alarming title.
The Credit Suisse report states that the average wealth of people in the bottom 50% is $972(page 119) which when multiplied by the 2.5 billion adults in the bottom half gives us a 2.2 trillion net worth for the bottom half. The 8 billionaires they cite have a combined net worth of about 450 billion, 5 times less than the 50%. This is still an alarming statistics and it shows that global inequality is a problem but the blatant sensationalising that Oxfam is doing will only discredit the cause. Like the tax evaders that Oxfam condemns, they have manipulated the numbers in a way to create the most shocking numbers for the purpose of gaining media attention instead of accuracy
link to report:http://publications.credit-suisse.com/tasks/render/file/index.cfm?fileid=AD6F2B43-B17B-345E-E20A1A254A3E24A5
The most likely way Oxfam got their figure was by including rich and middle-class individuals with negative net worths due to debt such as athletes and people who have begun mortgages into the figure to reduce the average net worth of the bottom 50%. This would create a shocking figure but also says that individuals in first world countries who have car or students loans are poorer than farmers without debt in places like India or china which is not what most people think when talking about wealth.
The most tragic part about this article is that the headline and data manipulation isn’t needed to create a shocking headline as the raw data itself is shocking enough. When 50% of the world population has only 1/50th of its wealth sometime is wrong and awareness can be raised without the creation of sensationalist hit pieces such as this. Sensationalism such as this can be used to discredit others who try to raise the issue in the further by poisoning the well924868
PDF document, version 1.3
SHA256 e91f42db48c2b78a96264215cfa14b1e8da40618cc8ade5895eca797bfbf37b9
NOTES
This should be under a new category titled "EST / Werner Erhard & Associates (WE&A) / Landmark Education". This is a 2006 investigative report by the U.S. Department of Labor on Landmark Education. Landmark Education is an international cult, with 55 offices worldwide, that offers seminars and has widely been described by journalists and participants as a cult. Landmark is the direct decendant of EST, which was created in the 1970's using "technology" heavily borrowed from Scientology.
Thousands of reports form journalists and "participants", stretching back three decades, have established some basic facts about a standard Landmark experience. Landmark puts groups of people in a room for three days and subjects them to various psychological brainwashing techniques that make them feel great about themselves and Landmark. Landmark then manipulates these victims into signing up for more expensive courses and volunteering for Landmark's for-profit business. Landmark's intent is to keep people "hooked" and constantly involved. Landmark victims will then forgo and forsake their own best interests in order to continue participating with and volunteering for Landmark, which often results in permanent, lasting damage to the victim's personal life.
Landmark's continued operation depends on their ability to find and recruit new victims. To ensure this, they have developed a highly effective censorship and propaganda program that suppresses negative information through lawsuits and threats, while issuing false or manipulated positive propaganda about the organization.
ANSWERS
(1) This file has previously been released in the public domain as a result of a Freedom of Information Act request, however, Landmark has suppressed all original PDF copies from the internet. Only typed transcripts of the original document can be found online.
(2) This document directly refutes a key point of Landmark's propaganda by documenting that their exploitation of volunteers is in fact unquestionably a violation of U.S. labor laws. It also documents that Landmark's General Counsel and Chairman was directly told to stop these practices in 2006, and that Landmark simply refused to comply.
(3) Former, current, potential future victims of Landmark Education, and their family members and loved ones. Landmark claims that over 200,000 people participate in their programs every year. Also, other grassroot organizers and/or government authorities around the world who are interested in organizing, responding to and stopping Landmark's spreading abuse.
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the United States? You see surveys, for instance, in which most people would not vote for a politician who is not religious.
There is that kind of intolerance. But as an atheist, I don’t fear that I’m going to be killed in the U.S. by believers who can’t tolerate my atheism. Whereas in my own family, my own religion, the community I was born into, when I said, “You know, I really don’t think I believe in life after death, and this Mohammed guy, I don’t believe in everything he said,” it was like, “Death unto you.” There is a massive difference. Same thing with the feminists. Listen, if you’re not allowed into a golf club, that doesn’t sit well with me, but if I were to prioritize, I would say: This girl, she’s just been denied her right to school, she’s just been forced into marriage, she’s just been genitally mutilated. That’s the sort of thing that we need to be, as women, signing up against—and as atheists. And by the way, the LGBT community—I think it’s awesome, and it’s taken some great steps. But in the name of Islam, gay men, or men who are accused of being gay, are put on the roofs of buildings and thrown down by a mob shouting “Allahu akbar!” doing this in the name of their faith. And it’s time that the gay community stood up to this. HIV is no longer the biggest killer of the gay community; it’s [violence] in the name of Islam, and no one’s talking about it.
Getting back to feminist issues, there has been a lot of controversy recently about sexism in the atheist community. Have you been following that?
Sexism in the atheist community? [laughs] I haven’t been paying attention to that. What’s so sexist about us?
There have been allegations of sexual harassment at atheist events and of these problems not being taken seriously enough—
But is the person who’s committing these acts doing it in the name of atheism, or is it just a horrid person?
That’s an important point—we need to make a distinction between individual people behaving badly, and institutional support for bad acts.
Yes. In organized religion, very good people, law-abiding, well-intentioned, read the Quran where it says “flog and kill.” And they also say, “Allah told me to do so.” You have young people now going to join the Islamic States and you scratch your head wondering “Why are they doing that?” and the evidence that they’re giving us is that “Allah wills it.” If an atheist person behaves badly, he’s not saying it’s because of his atheism; it’s just bad behavior.
Speaking of young people joining radical Islamic groups, what are we to make of the young women who join [ISIS]? It seems particularly baffling.
The example that they’re following—the wives of the prophet, the rightly guided Muslim women back when Mohammed was alive, actually took part in war and made themselves available to the jihadists, sexually and otherwise. That’s what these young women are doing and they’re driven by their religion primarily. Of course psychologically we understand that some of them may be thrill seekers, or may be confused. But these are all side issues. The primary drive is because they believe in this; they think there’s life after death and they’ll be rewarded when they get there. They want to be martyred as quickly as possible. These are religious convictions.
We just have time for one more question. Of the reactions that you’ve had to your work, either in the West or in the Islamic world, which did you find most frustrating and most encouraging?
Frustrating—I honestly think, it’s my fellow liberals. I’m a liberal; I believe in women’s rights, gay rights, these different emancipations—black emancipation, women’s emancipation, all of these outcomes. The most frustrating thing is when my fellow liberals say: Let’s just change the subject. That’s so frustrating. I find heartening now that more and more fellow liberals are moving in the right direction, and more and more Muslims are calling for change—maybe not exactly in the same words that I use, but they desire the same outcome. I’ve had an email exchange with Asra Nomani, a believing and practicing Muslim; Majid Nawaz, Irshad Manji, Zuhdi Jasser—that list is getting bigger every day. Ten years ago I thought, “Oh, we’re only a handful”—and now we’re too many to count, which is great.Video
An artist who lived in a giant wooden egg for a year has brought the floating exhibition to Milton Keynes as part of the town's 50th birthday celebrations.
Stephen Turner's Exbury Egg will be moored along the Grand Union Canal at Stanton Low Park before floating to Great Linford between 8-14 May.
Mr Turner lived on the egg, which was initially funded by the Arts Council and private sponsors, in Exbury, Hampshire, from July 2013 until July 2014.
The project was designed to explore the nature of the landscape and the meaning of place, amidst environmental changes.
Boat builder Paul Baker and architect Wendy Perring helped make the 6m (19.7ft) long and 3.5m (11.5ft) wide egg a reality.
Artist Stephen Turner said: "The egg itself is its own artwork.
"The walls are full of all the different things I collected and started to make whilst I lived here."Right off the Green Island Bridge.
The new Bombers in Troy opens this Wednesday. The opening is notable not only because it's an extension of Matt Baumgartner and company's popular local burrito bar brand, but also because it's the chain's first franchise location.
Monday night there was a preview party, so we stopped by to get a look at the new place, and talk with Matt and the owners of the Troy location for a few minutes.
Tami and Damon Dzembo
"I had an epiphany in '08, and thought that Troy needed a Bombers," said owner Tami Dzembo, standing alongside her husband Damon outside the new location as a happy, loud crowd celebrated with drinks and food inside. "I love Bombers.... and I just thought Troy would be a wonderful place. I'm a believer in Troy. I think Troy is on the upswing."
Added Damon: "As soon as Matt offered the opportunity to franchise, it was almost a no-brainer."
Matt Baumgartner and his business partners have a string of successful restaurants and bars in the area -- Bombers, Wolff's, the Olde English, Sciortino's -- so why hand things off to someone else in a franchise?
"For a while people said 'You should open up in other cities' -- like Syracuse," Baumgartner explained Monday evening while sitting on one of the benches in a large street-level window at the front of the restaurant. "But I knew I wouldn't be able to do all the travel."
Matt Baumgartner
Of course, Troy isn't that far -- but: "Tami had approached us really early on." And Matt said he had a good feeling about the Dzembos, that they'd be the right type of people to be able to handle the stress of running a restaurant. "I'm proud of the location, but I'm really proud of the relationship with the owners."
It took a long time to get to this point. Working out the details and paperwork involved in setting up a franchise took time. And the building needed significant work (at one point last year it had a large hole in the back wall) -- which Damon, a general contractor, described with a laugh as "a great construction learning process."
But both parties stuck with it. That made an impression on the Dzembos.
"[Matt] had multiple opportunities to cancel the deal," Damon said, touching on the time it took them to gather up the money to invest in the venture. "He should have kicked us to curb a long time ago, but he didn't because he promised her Troy."
"On a hand shake," added Tami.
Location
The building is at the end of what has been a rundown strip on King Street at Federal Street. As you drive over the Green Island Bridge, it's right there. You can't miss it.
"We have the best piece of real estate in the city of Troy," Tami exclaimed.
Inside and out it's un-mistakably a Bombers. If you've ever been to the chain's Albany or Schenectady locations, you'll recognize the style right away: the neon sign outside, the red and blue color scheme, the booths, the pinup girl art. It's a fun space.
Whatever skills are in Baumgartner's portfolio as a business person, we've thought for a while now that his biggest talent is his ability to design and execute spaces and experiences that draw people in. And looking at things that way, franchising makes a lot of sense -- it allows him to apply his eye for design and atmosphere to a larger scale. (And as he told us a few years back, "the set up of a restaurant is my favorite part.")
Talking Monday night, Matt said they're currently fielding interest from people in Oneonta and New Paltz about new franchises. Their ideal spots: towns with large college populations, foot traffic, and mixed-use residential. "Smaller, cool" cities, as he described them.
Which sounds a lot like Troy.
Troy
The Dzembos had a lot of praise for the experience of working with the city on their project.
"At all levels of the government, from the mayor down to code enforcement to the the guy in street turning on water valves, everybody's been great to work with," Damon said.
They're hoping the opening of their Bombers will spur further development along that King Street strip -- sections of which have been vacant for years, and frankly, the whole stretch has looked rather sad. The Dzembos say they've heard rumors of plans for a new sports bar, or maybe a coffee shop, or a laundromat.
As Tami notes of real estate listings for the spaces, "They all advertise 'next to Bombers.'"Men cool themselves under a public shower at a street in central Baghdad, Iraq on July 21, 2016. Media reported that the temperature rose to more than 50 degrees Celsius in Baghdad and south of Iraq which led to the Iraqi government announcing a two-day public holiday due to the heatwave. (Photo: ALI ABBAS, EPA)
Temperatures soared to over 129 degrees in the Middle East Thursday and Friday, possibly setting all-time records for the Eastern Hemisphere.
The temperature in Mitribah, Kuwait, Thursday soared to 129.2 degrees, which if verified, would be Earth's hottest temperature ever reliably measured outside of Death Valley, Calif., according to the Weather Underground's weather historian Christopher C. Burt.
On Friday, Basra, Iraq, reached that same torrid temperature, setting an all-time record for that nation.
The world's all-time hottest temperature was recorded at 134 degrees in Death Valley in 1913. But Burt questions that measurement.
Heat index readings in the Middle East also reached extreme levels Thursday and Friday, with some spots in Iran and the United Arab Emirates reaching a heat index of 140 degrees due to stifling levels of humidity. However, as the Capital Weather Gang notes, a heat index reading of 140 degrees is actually beyond the levels the heat index is designed to measure.
Temperatures in the Middle East should cool slightly over the next few days, with no more record heat is likely. On Saturday, the ridge of high pressure bringing the record heat will weaken, Weather Underground reports, bringing temperatures about 10 degrees cooler to Iraq and Kuwait, and about 2-4 degrees cooler to Iran.
All of the maps below show temperatures in degrees Celsius. For comparison, temperatures in the low 50s Celsius are equal to temperatures in the high 120s Fahrenheit.
Mitribah recorded a temperature of 54 °C yesterday which could be one of the highest ever recorded in Asia pic.twitter.com/RPVS7x8KP4 — Met Office (@metoffice) July 22, 2016
Friday, record heat in 12z Basrah Iraq = 129°F
54°C temperature and 1°C Dew Point = 4% relative humidity pic.twitter.com/RGgAmsxFqB — Ryan Maue (@RyanMaue) July 22, 2016
I've never seen Celsius temps like these on a weather map before...
RT @ClimateSignalshttps://t.co/5yw13EukhEpic.twitter.com/7YO6iJTbGP — Michael E. Mann (@MichaelEMann) July 22, 2016
Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/29S6V8CMitt Romney's day in London didn't go so well.
His comment to Brian Williams last night about how preparations for the London Olympics have been "disconcerting" did not go over well with his British hosts, who have been slamming Romney all day in the press and in front of thousands of U.K. citizens.
First, British Prime Minister David Cameron took a shot at Romney's time running the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, saying that "it's easier if you hold an Olympic Games in the middle of nowhere." Then, London's flamboyant Mayor Boris Johnson publicly called out Romney during a Olympics kickoff rally before 60,000 people in Hyde Park.
"There's a guy called Mitt Romney who wants to know whether we are ready. Are we ready?" Johnson yelled to the crowd, which roared in approval.
The British press did its part to hammer Romney, too. Here's a roundup of the awful headlines.
From The Guardian:
The Guardian/Screenshot Another one from The Guardian (No. 10 means No. 10 Downing Street, home of the British Prime Minister):
The Guardian/Screenshot
London's Channel 4 News:
A back-handed slap from The Telegraph:
The Telegraph/Screenshot
The BBC dinged Romney by saying he caused a "row" with his comments:
BBC
The Independent speculated about another potential Romney gaffe, when he called Ed Miliband "Mr. Leader" (for the record, he is the leader of the Labour Party):
The clincher: Israel's oldest daily newspaper, Haaretz, wrote that Romney "must wish he was already on the next stop of his foreign tour, in Jerusalem."
Haaretz
Even the Drudge Report got in on the act, although we can't tell if he's making fun of British people or Romney.Wesley Weaver, an associate pastor at the First Christian Church in Vero Beach (according to the church's website), was arrested Monday for having sex with a 17-year-old boy.
An associate pastor at a church in Vero Beach is under arrest.
He’s accused of having sex with a 17-year-old boy he met on the internet.
The question is could there be other victims?
One would think an associate pastor would certainly know better than to engage in this kind of behavior.
But police say that didn’t stop Wesley Weaver, 48, from having sex with a teenage boy.
Now he’s charged with unlawful sexual activity with a minor.
Weaver allegedly met the 17-year-old boy on a dating app for gay men.
Last week, the two allegedly met up at Weaver’s home in West Melbourne, where they performed consensual sex acts on each other.
Weaver is an associate pastor at First Christian Church in Vero Beach.
The 17-year-old victim alerted police when Weaver allegedly made disturbing comments to him, expressing his desire to find even younger sexual partners.
Weaver was arrested Monday, Sept. 19 by West Melbourne Police and is cooperating with detectives. But authorities believe there could be more victims out there.
There is no indication from the arrest report that Weaver had sex with any minors from First Christian Church in Vero Beach.
The church has not responded to a call seeking comment.
Weaver is being held in the Brevard County Jail on $15,000 bond and faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.The November issue of Kadokawa's Monthly Dragon Age magazine revealed on October 9 that Kenji Saito and Sutarō Hanao will draw a spinoff of the Trinity Seven - The Seven Magicians manga titled Trinity Seven Levi Ninden starting in the magazine's next issue on November 9. Saito will write the story, Hanao will draw the art, and Akinari Nao is credited with the original character designs.
The new manga will focus on the character Levi Kazama. It will have a color opening page.
Yen Press publishes the original manga in English and describes the series:
Arata Kasuga transfers to the Royal Biblia Academy to solve the mystery of the destruction that is ravaging the world and—more importantly—has stolen his cousin Hijiri from him. It's a tough road that lies ahead of Arata, but nothing's impossible when you have seven beautiful girls—each a master of her own magical art — at your side!
Saito and Nao launched the original Trinity Seven manga in Monthly Dragon Age in 2011, and Kadokawa shipped the 12th compiled book volume in Japan on August 6. Yen Press published the second English volume on August 18. The manga received a 12-episode television anime adaptation, which premiered in Japan in October 2014. Crunchyroll streamed the anime as it aired.About This Game
Single-player story campaign with 15+ FULL-SIZE atmospheric levels
Upgradeable player ship and 16 weapons with multiple upgrade options
20+ terrifying robot types and 3 massive bosses
12+ Challenge Mode levels with Infinite and Countdown variants that change the focus to Survival or Efficiency
Pulse-pounding soundtrack by Dan Wentz (DESCENT 2), Allister Brimble (DESCENT 1 REDBOOK), and Jerry Berlongieri (DESCENT 3)
Epic story by the writer of FREESPACE 2
Steam Achievements and Leaderboards
Numerous level challenges including lava, forcefields, enemy turrets, lockdowns, ambushes and secret rooms
Tobii eye tracking support for secondary weapons, headlight, and UI
Intense Multiplayer action with up to 8 players
Customize your ship with modifiers, loadouts, and visual enhancements
10 levels for a range of match sizes
Ranked and private matches with a variety of rules and options
LAN matches (requires one PC as a dedicated server)
Virtual Reality support for Oculus and Vive
Highly customizable and remappable controls
Supports all major input types: Mouse and KB, Gamepad, or Joystick and KB recommended
Five difficulty levels ranging from a casual challenge to very punishing
Speed Run mode and advanced stat-tracking
Automap and Holo-guide help you navigate the complex levels
Save anywhere!
Surround sound audio options
Custom Level Editor will be released in an update after launch.
Revival Productions is proud to present the ultimate 6-degree-of-freedom shooter, OVERLOAD, from the creators of the classic game Descent. Overload combines intense action with awesome graphics and effects to create the ultimate zero-gravity shooter. Overload features an engaging single-player story campaign, intense survival mode, online multiplayer, VR support, and a variety of customization options to give the player an intense experience with a high degree of replayability. Destroy robots, rescue survivors, blow up the reactor, and escape before the whole thing explodes!Tanmay Mishra's maiden first-class hundred helped Kenya towards a useful total on the opening day of their Intercontinental Cup match against Namibia
Namibia took control of their Intercontinental Cup match against Kenya as Craig Williams hit 140 to guide them to 343 for 4 which was already a lead of 39
A dominant double hundred by Namibia's middle-order batsman Gerrie Snyman helped them gain a big lead over Kenya on the third day of the ICC Intercontinental Cup in Windhoek
Christi Viljoen and Louis Klazinga took three wickets apiece as Namibia completed an innings victory over Kenya on the final day of their Intercontinental Cup match in Windhoek
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To help make this website better, to improve and personalize your experience and for advertising purposes, are you happy to accept cookies and other technologies?Paloma Picasso (born Anne Paloma Ruiz-Picasso y Gilot in Vallauris on 19 April 1949), is a French and Spanish fashion designer and businesswoman, best known for her jewelry designs for Tiffany & Co. and her signature perfumes. She is the youngest daughter of 20th-century artist Pablo Picasso and painter Françoise Gilot. Paloma Picasso's older brother is Claude Picasso (b. 1947), her half-brother is Paulo Picasso (1921-1975), her half-sister is Maya (b. 1935), and she has another half-sister, Aurelia (b. 1956), from her mother's relationship with artist Luc Simon.
Paloma Picasso is represented in many of her father's works, such as Paloma with an Orange and Paloma in Blue.[2]
Career [ edit ]
Paloma Picasso's jewelry career began in 1968, when she was a costume designer in Paris.[3] Some rhinestone necklaces she had created from stones purchased at flea markets drew attention from critics. Encouraged by this early success, the designer pursued formal schooling in jewelry design. A year later, Ms. Picasso presented her first efforts to her friend, famed couturier Yves Saint Laurent, who immediately commissioned her to design accessories to accompany one of his collections. By 1971, she was working for the Greek jewelry company Zolotas.[4]
In 1980 Picasso began designing jewelry for Tiffany & Co. of New York.[citation needed] In 1984 she began experimenting with fragrance, creating the "Paloma" perfume for L'Oréal.[5][citation needed] In the New York Post Picasso described it as intended for "strong women like herself."[citation needed] A cosmetics and bath line including body lotion, powder, shower gel, and soap were produced in the same year.[citation needed]
Two American museums have acquired Ms. Picasso's work for their permanent collections. Housed in the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History is a 396.30-carat kunzite necklace designed by her. And visitors to The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago can view her 408.63-carat moonstone bracelet accented with diamond "lightning bolts."[citation needed]
In 1988, Ms. Picasso was honored by The Fashion Group as one of the "Women Who Have Made an Extraordinary Impact on Our Industry."[citation needed] The Hispanic Designers Inc. presented her with its MODA award for design excellence.[citation needed] Since 1983, she has been a member of the International Best Dressed List.[6]
In 2010, Picasso celebrated her 30th anniversary with Tiffany and Co. by introducing a collection based upon her love of Morocco, called Marrakesh. In 2011, she debuted her Venezia collection, which celebrates the city of Venice and its motifs.[citation needed]
Red [ edit ]
Picasso had a penchant for red;[7][8] her red lipsticks were called "her calling cards".[9] François Nars says about Paloma, "red is her trademark."[10] "It's her signature, defining, one might say, the designer's red period."[11]
Her fascination with red started at an early age, when she began wearing bright red lipstick at age 6.[12] She has become recognizable by her red lipstick; "Her angular profile serves as a reminder of her father's Cubist inclinations."[9] When she feels like staying incognito, she simply avoids wearing her red lipstick: "Red lips have become my signature, so when I don’t want to be recognized, I don’t wear it."[12]
Film [ edit ]
Picasso briefly lost interest in designing following the death of her father in 1973, at which time she played Countess Erzsébet Báthory in Polish filmmaker Walerian Borowczyk's erotic film, Immoral Tales (1973), receiving praise from the critics for her beauty.[citation needed] She has not acted since.
Personal life [ edit ]
In 1978 Picasso married playwright and director Rafael Lopez-Cambil (also known as Rafael Lopez-Sanchez) in a black-and-white themed wedding. The couple later divorced. In 1999 Picasso married Dr. Eric Thévenet, a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine.[13][14] Thévenet's interest in art and design has provided valuable insight toward the creation of Picasso's jewelry collections. Paloma Picasso and her husband live in Lausanne, Switzerland and in Marrakech, Morocco.[15][16][17]F or us in the media, the last two years have taught us that we all know nothing. The explosion of digital media has filled neither the void left by the decimation of the local newspaper industry, nor connected us any more effectively with the “left behind”, the disadvantaged, the excluded. Over this past year, we – me included – mostly London-based media pundits, pollsters and so-called experts, have got it wrong. The Brexit referendum: we got that wrong. Trump defied so-called experts, pundits and journalists alike. Theresa May’s strange general election – predicted to get a majority of 60-70: we got that wrong too. The Grenfell Tower disaster taught me a harrowing lesson – that in increasingly fractured Britain, we in the media are comfortably with the elite, with little awareness, contact, or connection with those not of the elite.
A functioning local press matters. Grenfell Tower showed us why Read more
This completely manmade disaster has proved beyond all other domestic events how little we know, and how dangerous the disconnect is. When journalists woke that terrible morning and Googled Grenfell Tower, they found a blog published eight months earlier that highlighted the dangers of the building. A chronicle of death foretold not by any journalist, but in a post by Edward Daffarn, the leader of an action group for those who lived in the tower.
The Grenfell residents’ story was out there, published online and shocking in its accuracy. It was hidden in plain sight, but we had stopped looking. The disconnect was complete. Our connectivity – life on Google, Facebook, Twitter and more – has so far failed to combat modern society’s widening disconnection.
Amid the demonstrations around the tower after the fire, there were cries of “Where were you? Why didn’t you come here before?” Why didn’t we know? Why didn’t we have contact? Why didn’t we enable the residents of Grenfell Tower – and indeed the other hundreds of towers like it around Britain – to find pathways to talk to us and for us to expose their story?
After Grenfell I felt both disconnected and frustrated. I felt on the wrong side of the terrible divide that exists in present-day society and in which we, the media, are major players. We can accuse the political classes for their failures, and we do. But we are guilty of them ourselves.
How much time had we devoted to social housing in the year since the EU referendum, when day after day we found ourselves filling the airwaves with the negotiating positions of Theresa May, Boris Johnson, David Davis, Jeremy Corbyn and the rest, before serious negotiations had even begun? I am still haunted too by my own link with what happened at Grenfell Tower.
In April this year, I was involved, alongside Bill Gates, in judging a schools debating competition in London. I was there to judge the best floor speech. I had little difficulty in deciding – the winner was Firdows Hashim, a remarkably poised, headscarf-wearing 12-year-old from west London. She was confident, and used language beautifully. Two months later, reporting from Grenfell, I spotted a picture of Firdows on a missing poster.
Grenfell speaks to us all about our own lack of diversity
Two weeks ago it was confirmed that the remains of Firdows and her father had been found in their flat, their identities confirmed using DNA. Firdows has been described as “the most intelligent, wise and eloquent girl”. I was fortunate enough to witness that first-hand, and since then I often think what she might have become. Could she have prevailed over the fractures in our society, and succeeded?
Britain is not alone in this – the organic links within our society are badly broken. In part this is because the echelons from which our media are drawn do not, for the most part, fully reflect the population among whom we live and to whom we seek to transmit information and ideas.
Grenfell speaks to us all about our own lack of diversity and capacity to reach into the swaths of western society with whom we have no connection.
It’s why I want to urge everyone in the media with the power to do it to give the individuals who work with and for you the space to do something, anything, in the wider community we communicate with. We have to widen both our contact with and our awareness of those who live outside and beyond our elite.
There are many difficulties along the way, not least the virtual collapse of local journalism. This country needs bringing together as never before. And based on what we’ve witnessed over the past year, it remains to be seen if Brexit will be the unifier. Part of the capacity, we have in our hands. The media must reach out, connect and empower. We have to look at the new players in this digital age. Facebook needs to pay more taxes. Google needs to pay more taxes. The rest too. The digital media duopoly has to pay more to carry professional journalism. Facebook feasts on our products and pays all but nothing for them. This cannot last. Governments, the EU and others have to play an even bigger part in forcing them to pay. Yes, we embrace and revel in the digital age. But we cannot let the massive power of its barons devour our local and national sources of information.
There are two possibilities. We could end up in a vicious circle, with ever more extreme and partisan sources of information reinforcing people’s prejudices and an ever more vitriolic news feed. It would not only be the reliable dissemination of local news that dies, but national news too. Or we could make a real effort to provide news literacy, to create a society that is finally as concerned with what it reads and views as with what it eats.
• This is an edited extract from the 2017 James MacTaggart memorial lecture, given at the Edinburgh International Television festival on 23 August
• Jon Snow is a presenter of Channel 4 NewsUrban Meyer preaches discipline, practices dishonesty
Many University of Florida fans have lambasted me in the past because they say I unfairly portray former UF and current Ohio State coach Urban Meyer as an arrogant, disingenuous phony who preaches discipline and practices dishonesty.
After reading the results of a three-month investigation conducted by The Sporting News even Florida fans will have to admit that those two national championships won by Meyer need to be quarantined and fumigated before they are returned to the trophy case.
The Sporting News story starts with Meyer, the new coach at Ohio State, relentlessly pursuing Maryland prep All-American wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who'd narrowed his choices to Ohio State, Florida and Maryland. In the midst of the recruiting process, Meyer reportedly "told the Diggs family that he wouldn't let his son go to Florida because of significant character issues in the locker room."
That's right, Meyer is so shady that he negative-recruited against himself. He used the discipline problems he created and fostered at Florida to try and lure top prospects to Ohio State. This is pathetic even for Meyer, a pathological coaching arson who left behind a toxic, troubled program at UF and then set it on fire in a desperate attempt to get a five-star wide receiver.
The Sporting News article goes on to detail how elite players at UF were rarely punished despite serious allegations. Among the most troubling of the incidents came in 2008 when star wide receiver Percy Harvin allegedly went unpunished after he physically assaulted Billy Gonzalez, who was then his position coach at UF. According to the story, Harvin ended up "grabbing (Gonzalez) by the neck and throwing him to the ground. Harvin had to be pulled off Gonzales by two assistant coaches—but was never disciplined."
Meyer is also accused of covering up for star players in his preferred "Circle of Trust." One such incident reportedly occurred before the 2008 season opener when Harvin and former linebacker Brandon Spikes allegedly missed the season-opener because of a failed drug test, but Meyer made it seem like they were hurt.
"They were running with us on the first team all week in practice," one former player said. "The next thing you know, they're on the sidelines with a (walking) boot for the season opener like they were injured. …"
Former safety Bryan Thomas told The Sporting News: "The program was out of control. … "(Meyer) lost the team's respect. That kind of stuff spreads through the players. They see what they can get away with, and they push it. Even the star players; they liked him because they were in the Circle of Trust. But it backfired on him. They didn't respect him. … He's a bad person."
Not even Tim Tebow can clean up Meyer's fraudulent image anymore. Remember when Meyer came to Florida and preached discipline and bragged about how he only recruited players whose character ranked in "the top 1 percent of the top 1 percent." He then went on to compile one of the most embarrassing arrest records in college football.To brave the conditions of microgravity, thin air and harsh ionizing radiation for any length of time, humans may need to borrow genes from some of the hardiest organisms on the planet, Lisa Nip, a doctoral candidate at the MIT Media Lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts, said in a recent TED Talk.
Using the tools of synthetic biology, scientists could genetically engineer humans, and the plants and bacteria they bring with them, to create Earth-like conditions on another planet — known as terraforming, Nip said. This would be much more efficient than other proposed terraforming methods, such as hauling all of the tools to create a hermetically sealed environment, she added. [7 Most Mars-Like Places on Earth]
Human limitations
Humans are the ultimate homebodies. Having evolved for hundreds of thousands of years on our verdant, oxygen-rich, temperate planet, humans are uniquely well adapted to Earth's gentle conditions.
But space explorers will face much harsher conditions. In outer space, microgravity can weaken bones and damage the heart, and ionizing radiation can wreck DNA, she said.
Even on Mars — by far the most "hospitable" of the seven other planets in our solar system — the average temperature is about minus 85 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 65 degrees Celsius), yearly rainfall is zero, the miniscule atmosphere offers no shield against solar radiation and the soil is similar to the volcanic ash in Hawaii, Nip said.
"If we were to dump any of us on Mars right this minute — even given ample food, air and water and a suit — we are likely to experience very unpleasant health problems from the ionizing radiation," she said.
Superspeed evolution
Instead of hiding humans behind a wall of lead or a suit of armor that weighs as much as the body itself, people should take a page from extremophile bacteria already living on Earth, she said. For instance, the world's toughest bacterium, Deinococcus radiodurans, can withstand 100 times the ionizing radiation that would kill a human, with no apparent adverse effects. Scientists already understand some of the pathways that give D. radioduransits incredibly hardy nature, so harnessing just a handful of these could help humans become more resilient in the harsh environments lurking in the cosmos, Nip said.
But synthetic biology also could be used to alter the creatures and flora that humans bring along for space colonization. For instance, growing food on Mars with traditional crops means "engineering endless acres of land on an entirely new planet and releasing trillions of gallons of atmospheric gases, and then enclosing it all in a glass dome," Nip said.
Instead, plants could be engineered to be both more drought-resistant more cold-resistant. For instance, genes for antifreeze found in fish could be transplanted into these crops to allow them to resist the endless winter on the Red Planet, Nip said.
Of course, genetic engineering has its risks and ethical challenges. And humans, and all other organisms for that matter, already have a time-tested way to adjust to their environment: evolution that proceeds via natural selection. But typically, that requires many small changes adding up over a relatively long period of time, in many, many organisms.
"Evolution requires two things that we may not always have or be able to afford: They are death and time," Nip said. "In our species' struggle to find our place in the universe, we may not have the time necessary for the natural evolution of extra functions on new planets."
Instead, humans may need to engage in targeted evolution at hyperspeed to survive the vagaries of the cosmos, she said.
Follow Tia Ghose on Twitterand Google+. Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.Quechua Indian women bargain and sell vegetables. (Photo: Global Water Partnership)
Pisac, Peru – In this town in Peru’s highlands over 3,000 metres above sea level, in the mountains surrounding the Sacred Valley of the Incas, the Quechua Indians who have lived here since time immemorial are worried about threats to their potato crops from alterations in rainfall patterns and temperatures.
“The families’ food security is definitely at risk,” agricultural technician Lino Loayza told IPS. “The rainy season started in September, and the fields should be green, but it has only rained two or three days, and we’re really worried about the effects of the heat.”
If the drought stretches on, as expected, “we won’t have a good harvest next year,” said Loayza, who is head of the Parque de la Papa or Potato Park, a biocultural conservation unit created to safeguard native crops in the rural municipality of Pisac in the southeastern department or region of Cuzco.
In the Parque de la Papa, which is at an altitude of up to 4,500 metres and covers 9,200 hectares, 6,000 indigenous villagers from five communities – Amaru, Chawaytire, Pampallaqta, Paru Paru and Sacaca – are preserving potatoes and biodiversity, along with their spiritual rites and traditional farming techniques.
The Parque de la Papa, a mosaic of fields that hold the greatest diversity of potatoes in the world, 1,460 varieties, was created in 2002 with the support of the Asociación Andes.
This protected area in the Sacred Valley of |
(he wasn't). It matters that, as part of preparation for a local election, he knowingly and purposefully linked his opponents to a delegitimised, dehumanised philosophy of hate. Steve Bannon would nod in appreciation.
Unionists need to cleanse themselves of this poisonous tactic in the same way as the independence movement has sought to do. The alternative is a road which soon reaches a dehumanised politics which we should all fear.
You can pretend it is the high ground all you want – the gutter is the gutter.
Picture courtesy of Robin McAlpineThis article is about a/an ranger in Power Rangers Super Megaforce.
"Super Megaforce Silver!" ―Orion's Silver Ranger roll call[src]
"Earth's defenders, Never Surrender! Super Megaforce Gold!" ―roll call as Super Megaforce Gold[src]
Orion is an alien from the planet Andresia, who crash-lands on Earth after his home planet was destroyed by the Armada. He later joins the Super Mega Rangers as the Super Megaforce Silver Ranger. By combining all his 6th Ranger Keys, he gains a power-up known as Super Megaforce Gold.
Contents show]
Character History
Early life
Orion was a miner on his home planet Andresia. He lived with his family at a village. One day during a mining session, he came across a hard crystal case which contained a box and the Silver Ranger Key. That was when Orion received visions of the Sixth Rangers. Knowing they were trying to tell him something, he still hesitated to use the equipment.
A week later, the Armada attacked, scattering the people of Andresia. An Armada ship then attacks a village, which was actually Orion's village. Fearing for his family's safety, Orion runs home, only to find his village destroyed. Wanting revenge, he succeeds in morphing into the Silver Ranger.
Orion stayed homeless for months, using that time to train and survive the invasion of the Armada. At this time, only a couple of Armada Ships guarded Andresia. Orion uses this chance to slingshot a ship, making it crash and wounding the pilot, who was then picked up, leaving the ship behind. It took Orion a long time to fix the Armada ship. Once he did, he headed out for outer space, and crash lands on Earth. Silver Lining
On Earth
Since his arrival on Earth, he has been mysteriously taking out all the XBorg platoons that have been attacking the Warehouse District and Downtown. When it comes to the attack on the center of the city led by Gorgax, Orion shows up to help fight the XBorgs.
To survive in his new home planet, Earth, Orion works part-time at Ernie's. Gia got a first sight of him when they both accidentally bump into each other.
Orion later watches the Megaforce Rangers fight Gorgax with them being unaware that Levira has placed a bomb in his forcefield collar. Orion, in his Silver Ranger form, interferes before they can set off the bomb. After Orion throws Gorgax's collar into the sky where it explodes, Orion destroys Gorgax and introduces himself to the Rangers, but Gia recognizes him from having seen him in the mall and at Ernie's previously. Silver Lining, Part 1 Orion identifies himself to the rangers and tells his story.
He later is brought to Gosei where he continues to tell his backstory. Orion communicated with Tensou speaking Andresian. Later, thinking he needs work, Gia and Emma bring him to the mall for a makeover. He gets a haircut, and new clothes. Later, he battles Osogain with the rangers. He defeats him, which Osogain enlarges. Gosei then grants Orion the Q-Rex Drill, which he uses its alternate modes to defeat Osogain once and for all.
Unbeknownst to Ernie, Ernie introduces Orion to the Rangers, which then they treat him well. They ask to do stuff with him on Sunday. Orion promises them they will get the chance, and serves them their frozen yogurt. Silver Lining, Part 2 Orion develops a friendship with his fellow Rangers including attention from Gia which lead to some jealousy from Jake and Emma, who seems to have some affection towards him.
Orion and Emma teamed up to stop Vekar's monster, Desolar from stealing people happiness. Orion and Emma plan a fake wedding to lure Desolar to them which fails then Emma dressed up a cheerleader and tried to get the staff from Desolar but doesn't work as Orion was taking photos the whole time. Orion and Emma dressed up as Paramedics and Police Officers and they are again foiled by Desolar. Orion noticed a kid with a kite as he and Emma were looking for the monster. Emma and Orion fight Vekar's monster and Emma destroys his staff giving the people their happiness back and the monster escapes. Orion and his friends except Emma fought off Desolar destroying him. Orion and his friends combine the Legendary Megazord with the Q-Rex Megazord and they destroy the monster. Orion showed the photos he took of Emma during the day to his friends and he received a kite from Emma. Troy and the guys go to show Orion how to fly a kite with Emma's help from her Wind Drive card. United as One Orion was working at Ernie's during the Rangers first fight with Transferor and he later joined his friends destroying Transferer. Orion told his friends that he didn't hear their call for help because he was working on his ship. The Grass is Always Greener... or Bluer
Orion and his friends were sent to the domed city, Corinth when there was a distress signal which was a trap sent by Professor Cog and they found the Turbo Falcon Zord and tamed the Zord thanks to Gia and they returned back home and destroyed Professor Cog. In the Driver's Seat Orion was kidnapped by Vrak to power his drills to destroy the Rangers by absorbing the Legendary Ranger powers in order to turn Robo Knight against the Rangers. Orion was saved by Robo Knight when Vrak's underwater base was destroyed leaving him on the beach unconscious, and the Rangers supposedly believed that Robo Knight was truly gone for good. Orion and the Rangers were battling a group of XBorgs with no one in command since the Armada was demolished. After the battle,Orion asked Troy if he wanted a piggyback ride like the others did the same for Emma and Gia, but Troy refused and they walk off together. Troy and Orion go to get tickets for a rock concert for them and their friends while having a discussion about the Armada. Orion and Troy talk about the rock concert with Orion telling Troy about working in the rock quarrey. Orion and Troy meet up with their friends encountering Damaras, who was supposedly the last two Generals of the Armada along with Levira left after Vekar and Vrak's deaths. Orion and his friends were defeated and injured by Damaras, who captured Troy using him as a bargaining chip to have Earth surrender during the fight. Orion and his friends arrive to help Troy, who was saved by Jake and Tensou and they defeated Damaras by combining their Megazords together into the Ultimate Legendary Megazord.
When Orion realized the battle against the Armada was over and Earth was safe; Orion decided to return to his home planet which was seemingly destroyed as he believed. Orion left his job at Ernie's and he and Emma had a talk before they meet up with the other Rangers when Orion had his Ship. Orion said his goodbye to his friends receiving a kiss from Emma on the cheek and a flower, and he gave Troy his bracelet as a sign of their friendship telling him to hold on to it till he came back. Orion departed leaving his friends behind with a sad expression on his face as he heads towards Andresia. Orion overheard on the ship comlink that Emperor Mavro, Vekar and Vrak's father that the Armada were planning a full on assault on Earth.
Orion returned to Earth reuniting with his friends to fend off Emperor Mavro and the Armada. Orion and Troy took his ship to take on Emperor Mavro by themselves. Orion and Troy crashed landed on the Armada ship entering the ship while destroying the XBorgs and Bruisers onboard. Orion and Troy encounter Emperor Mavro and they fight him off together; Orion fought Mavro as Troy gained control of the ship destroying Mavro's remaining fleets. Orion and Troy destroyed the console and then Emperor Mavro himself including the ship. Orion and Troy escaped as the ship crashed into the ground making the other Rangers believed that they had perished. Orion and Troy had actually used their In Space Legendary Mode and turned into Space Red and Silver riding their Galaxy Gliders then unmorphed as they landed on the ground approaching their friends. Orion and the Rangers fought off a group of XBorgs along with the help of the Legendary Rangers this defeating the Armada for good. Orion decided to stay on Earth with his friends.
Super Megaforce Silver
Legendary Ranger Devices
The Super Megaforce Silver Ranger Key is Orion's personal Ranger Key which allows him to morph into Super Megaforce Silver. As with the other Super Megaforce Ranger Keys, this key is commonly used in the Super Mega Rangers' Ranger Key-compatible arsenal and zords for different functions and attacks. Unlike the other keys, it was thought to have been destroyed.
The key that Orion uses to turn into Super Megaforce Gold is a "fused" key that utilizes "The Power of Six", which is the power of all the Sixth Rangers. It transforms his helmet and spear, and the key itself becomes his armor.
Super Megaforce Silver is one of the Rangers that represent the Super Mega Rangers for the Super Megaforce Dino Charger, released as part of a special set of Dino Charger Power Packs. In Super Megaforce's case, it featured Super Megaforce Red, Super Megaforce Silver, the Legendary Megazord, and the Super Megaforce title. This Charger was paired with the MMAR Dino Charger.
The Super Megaforce Silver Ninja Power Star is a special Ninja Power Star that bears the likeness of the Super Megaforce Silver Ranger and is marked with the kanji for "silver". This will be a part of the upcoming Super Ninja Steel toyline and it's currently unknown if it will have a in-show appearance.
Portrayal
Orion is played by Cameron Jebo, who initially auditioned for the role of Troy [1]. However, on May 2013, it was confirmed by RangerCrew that Jebo was cast in the role of Orion.
As Super Megaforce Silver, he was portrayed by suit actor Daisuke Satō (佐藤 太輔, Satō Daisuke) in footage from Gokaiger.
Production
Portions of the scripts (casting sides) for the role of Megaforce Silver indicated his name was to be Zador. [2]
Notes
Counterpart notes
Appearances
See Also
ReferencesOntario is targeting the Asian carp and ash borer beetle by reintroducing its Invasive Species Act first proposed last February but killed off by the spring election. The legislation is the first of its kind in Canada and would give the province powers to intervene earlier with a wide range of potentially dangerous fish, plants and animals.
Illinois River silver carp jump out of the water after being disturbed by sounds of watercraft in this 2009 photo. Ontario has reintroduced legislation to combat invasive species in the province. ( Nerissa Michaels / THE CANADIAN PRESS )
Measures include “rapid response” actions like preventing the movement of contaminated firewood, bans on possessing and transporting certain invasive species, and modernized inspection systems. “If they get into the Great Lakes then we all know we have a major problem on our hands,” Natural Resources Minister Bill Mauro said Wednesday of the Asian carp. The fish have proliferated in U.S. inland waters, breeding rapidly and consuming huge amounts of plankton needed by other fish as well as posing a danger to boaters with their mid-air leaps. Some rivers have been overwhelmed.
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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is trying a number of measures to keep the fish from entering Lake Michigan near Chicago, where prevention efforts are concentrated. Mauro, who is planning a trip to see those efforts first-hand, said there are huge environmental and economic risks if invasive species become more established in the province. Grass carp, for example, were among four species imported from Asia decades ago to control algae and unwanted plants in controlled settings such as sewage treatment lagoons. They escaped and now choke the Mississippi and other rivers and lakes in the Midwest U.S. It is already illegal to possess live Asian carp in Ontario. Mauro also cited the mountain pine beetle, which had a “huge impact” in the B.C. forest industry and is moving eastward.
Mauro said his legislation is supported by groups including Environmental Defence, the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters and Ducks Unlimited Canada. But NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said she’s concerned Mauro’s ministry isn’t doing enough on the front lines to fight invasive species.
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“It’s great to have legislation, but if you’re cutting inspectors at the MNR, which they’re doing... it’s a bit after the fact,” she said. “There needs to be a much more proactive approach.” Mauro said he’s willing to take the bill to a legislative committee for further study when and if it passes second reading in the legislature. “If there’s ways to enhance this to make it better, we’re open.” Ontario is already contending with the zebra mussel invasion of several years ago as well as longhorn beetles, the ash borer beetle, the European common reed, an invasive perennial grass that is damaging ecosystems, and the round goby, a bottom-dwelling fish that can be found now in all five Great Lakes. The province currently relies on a mix of 20 federal and provincial acts in dealing with invasive species but none was designed to specifically counter the threats now being faced, officials said. Progressive Conservative MPP Toby Barrett (Haldimand-Norfolk) has pushed for laws requiring that any Asian carp shipped to Ontario should be gutted, not just packed in ice whole in case they survive.Today’s release by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) of the – Labour Force data – for June 2013 signals a deteriorating situation. Employment growth was about zero and full-time employment continued to contract. 84 per cent of jobs created in the last 6 months have been part-time. Unemployment rose by 23,700 and the unemployment rate rose 0.2 points to 5.7 per cent. This data signals an urgent need for fiscal stimulus to reverse the negative trend. Unfortunately, with both sides of politics locked into an austerity mindset the situation is likely to deteriorate further.
The summary ABS Labour Force (seasonally adjusted) estimates for June 2013 are:
Employment increased 10,300 (0.1 per cent) with full-time employment falling by 4,400 and part-time employment rising by 14,800.
Unemployment increased by 23,700 (3.5 per cent) to 709,300.
The official unemployment rate rose by 0.2 points to 5.7 per cent.
The participation rate rose by 0.1 points to 65.3 per cent still well below its November 2010 peak (recent) of 65.9 per cent.
Aggregate monthly hours worked increased by 8.8 million hours (0.54 per cent).
The quarterly ABS broad labour underutilisation estimate (the sum of unemployment and underemployment) in the May-quarter was 12.9 per cent. This will now be well over 13 per cent as a result of today’s data. In the May-quarter, underemployment was estimated to be 7.4 per cent or 908.6 thousand persons.
The unemployment rate has now reached the peaks we saw in September 2009 as the economy was trying to come to terms with the global financial crisis and the fiscal stimulus had not yet started to drive growth strongly.
The recovery that the economy experienced since that time has now evaporated and a very weak situation is now deteriorating.
Employment growth – virtually zero
The June 2013 data shows that employment growth was virtually zero. Total employment rose by 10,300 (0.1 per cent) to 11,668,500. Full-time employment fell by 4,400 while part-time employment rose by 14,800.
Today’s data reasserts the message that the labour market data is switching back and forth regularly between negative employment growth and positive growth spikes. This monthly behaviour is producing a weak positive trend, although not too much should be read into one month’s results.
There have been considerable fluctuations in the full-time/part-time growth over the last year with regular crossings of the zero growth line.
The following graph shows the month by month growth in full-time (blue columns), part-time (grey columns) and total employment (green line) for the 12 months to June 2013 using seasonally adjusted data.
Today’s results just repeat the topsy-turvy nature of the data over the period shown.
While full-time and part-time employment growth are fluctuating around the zero line, total employment growth is still well below the growth that was boosted by the fiscal-stimulus in the middle of 2010.
The following table provides an accounting summary of the labour market performance over the last six months. The monthly data is highly variable so this Table provides a longer view which allows for a better assessment of the trends. WAP is working age population (above 15 year olds).
The conclusion – overall 104.7 thousand jobs (net) have been created in Australia over the last six months (heavily influenced by the February and April 2013 results). Over the last six months, full-time employment has risen by only 22.0 thousand jobs (net) while part-time work has grown by 82.7 thousand jobs.
Over the last 6 months, a staggering 82.7 per cent of the net employment opportunities created have been part-time, which explains the sharp rise in underemployment (see below)
The Working Age Population has risen by 179 thousand in the same period while the labour force rose by 151.6 thousand. The weak employment growth has thus not been able to keep pace with the underlying population growth and unemployment has risen as a result (by 47 thousand).
To put the recent data in perspective, the following graph shows the movement in the labour force and total employment since the low-point unemployment rate month in the last cycle (February 2008) to June 2013. The two series are indexed to 100 at that month. The green line (right-axis) is the gap (plotted against the right-axis) between the two aggregates and measures the change in the unemployment rate since the low-point of the last cycle (when it stood at 4 per cent).
You can see that the labour force index has largely levelled off and now falling and the divergence between it and employment growth has been relatively steady over the last several months with this month showing some improvement.
The Gap series gives you a good impression of the asymmetry in unemployment rate responses even when the economy experiences a mild downturn (such as the case in Australia). The unemployment rate jumps quickly but declines slowly.
It also highlights the fact that the recovery is still not strong enough to bring the unemployment rate back down to its pre-crisis low. You can see clearly that the unemployment rate fell in late 2009 and then has hovered at the same level for some months before rising again over the last several months.
The Gap shows that the labour market is still a long way from recovering from the financial crisis that hit in early 2008. There hasn’t been much progress since January 2010, when the fiscal stimulus started to run out.
In fact, in June 2013, the Gap reached the levels that appeared in May and June 2009 when the Australian economy was enduring the impact of the crisis. All the gains made since then have gone.
Teenage labour market – remains in a parlous state
Full-time employment for teenagers declined by 9.7 thousand in June 2013 and part-time employment rose by 7.4 thousand. Overall, teenage employment fell by 2.3 thousand (net) jobs.
The following graph shows the distribution of net employment creation in the last month by full-time/part-time status and age/gender category (15-19 year olds and the rest)
If you take a longer view you see how poor the situation is.
Over the last 12 months, teenagers have gained only 700 jobs while the rest of the labour force have gained 159.8 thousand net jobs. Remember that the overall result represents a very poor annual growth in employment.
Even more disturbing is the attrition of full-time jobs among teenagers – losing 36.2 thousand over the last year.
The teenage segment of the labour market is being particularly dragged down by the sluggish employment growth, which is hardly surprising given that the least experienced and/or most disadvantaged (those with disabilities etc) are rationed to the back of the queue by the employers.
The following graph shows the change in aggregates over the last 12 months.
To further emphasise the plight of our teenagers I compiled the following graph that extends the time period from the February 2008, which was the month when the unemployment rate was at its low point in the last cycle, to the present month (June 2013). So it includes the period of downturn and then the “recovery” period. Note the change in vertical scale compared to the previous two graphs.
Since February 2008, there have been 870.7 thousand (net) jobs added to the Australian economy but teenagers have lost a staggering 87.2 thousand over the same period. It is even more stark when you consider that 104.3 thousand full-time teenager jobs have been lost in net terms.
Even in the traditionally, concentrated teenage segment – part-time employment – there have been only 17.1 thousand jobs (net) gained even though overall some 471.1 thousand part-time jobs have been added.
Overall, the total employment increase is modest. Further, around 54 per cent of the total (net) jobs added since February 2008 have been part-time, which raises questions about the quality of work that is being generated overall.
Overall, the performance of the teenage labour market remains poor. It doesn’t rate much priority in the policy debate, which is surprising given that this is our future workforce in an ageing population. Future productivity growth will determine whether the ageing population enjoys a higher standard of living than now or goes backwards.
The longer-run consequences of this teenage “lock out” will be very damaging.
The problem is that in the modest growth period that the Australian labour market enjoyed as a result of the fiscal stimulus and mining investment, teenagers failed to participate in the gains – they went backwards.
Now, with the economy entering a new period of slowdown, these losses will be added too given that teenagers are among the first in line to be shown the door by employers seeking to reduce staff levels in the face of declining aggregate sales.
The Government’s response is to push this cohort into endless training initiatives (supply-side approach) without significant benefits. The research shows overwhelmingly that job-specific skills development should be done within a paid-work environment.
I would recommend that the Australian government announce a major public sector job creation program aimed at employing, in the first instance, all the unemployed 15-19 year olds.
It is clear that the Australian labour market continues to fail our 15-19 year olds. At a time when we keep emphasising the future challenges facing the nation in terms of an ageing population and rising dependency ratios the economy still fails to provide enough work (and on-the-job experience) for our teenagers who are our future workforce.
Unemployment
The unemployment rate rose 0.2 points to 5.7 per cent in June 2013. Official unemployment increased by 23,700 to 709,300.
Overall, the labour market still has significant excess capacity available in most areas and what growth there is is not making any major inroads into the idle pools of labour.
The following graph updates my 3-recessions graph which depicts how quickly the unemployment rose in Australia during each of the three major recessions in recent history: 1982, 1991 and 2009 (the latter to capture the 2008-2010 episode). The unemployment rate was indexed at 100 at its lowest rate before the recession in each case (January 1981; January 1989; April 2008, respectively) and then indexed to that base for each of the months as the recession unfolded.
I have plotted the 3 episodes for 68 months after the low-point unemployment rate was reached in each cycle. The current episode is now in its 65th month. For 1991, the peak unemployment which was achieved some 38 months after the downturn began and the resulting recovery was painfully slow. While the 1982 recession was severe the economy and the labour market was recovering by the 26th month. The pace of recovery for the 1982 once it began was faster than the recovery in the current period.
It is significant that the current situation while significantly less severe than the previous recessions is dragging on which is a reflection of the lack of private spending growth and declining public spending growth.
Moreover, the current episode is also different to the last two major recessions in the sense that the recovery is over and the economy is deteriorating again.
The graph provides a graphical depiction of the speed at which the recession unfolded (which tells you something about each episode) and the length of time that the labour market deteriorated (expressed in terms of the unemployment rate).
From the start of the downturn to the 65-month point (to June 2013), the official unemployment rate has risen from a base index value of 100 to a value 144.4 – peaking at 148 after 17 months. After falling steadily as the fiscal stimulus pushed growth along (it reached 122.8 after 35 months – in January 2010), it has been slowly trending up for some months now. Unlike the other episodes, the current trend, at this stage of the cycle, is upwards.
The gains that emerged in the recovery as a result of the fiscal stimulus in 2009-10 have now been lost.
At 65 months, 1982 index stood at 154.2 and was falling while the 1991 index was at 141.9 and was also falling. It is clear that at an equivalent point in the “recovery cycle” the current period is more sluggish than our recent two major downturns.
It now appears that the recoveries are converging, which tells us that the current policy has failed to take advantage of the fact that the latest economic downturn was much more mild than the previous recessions. In other words, the policy failure is locking the economy into a higher unemployment rate than is desirable and otherwise attainable.
Note that these are index numbers and only tell us about the speed of decay rather than levels of unemployment. Clearly the 5.4 per cent at this stage of the downturn is lower that the unemployment rate was in the previous recessions at a comparable point in the cycle although we have to consider the broader measures of labour underutilisation (which include underemployment) before we draw any clear conclusions.
The notable aspect of the current situation is that the recovery is very slow.
Broader labour underutilisation
The ABS published its quarterly broad labour underutilisation measures in the May data release. The next update will be in the August release.
In the May release, total underemployment rose to 7.3 per cent (from 7.1 per cent) in the May-quarter and the ABS broad labour underutilisation rate rose sharply by 0.3 points to 12.9 per cent (the sum of unemployment and underemployment). There are now 908.6 thousand workers underemployed in Australia.
The sum of underemployment and unemployment will now be above 13 per cent as a result of the further deterioration in June 2013.
If hidden unemployment is added to this figure the best-case (conservative) scenario would see a 14.5 per cent underutilisation rate. Please read my blog – Australian labour underutilisation rate is at least 13.4 per cent – for more discussion on this point.
Taken together, there are area least 1.8 million workers who desire work but cannot find it.
Aggregate participation rate rose by 0.1 points
The participation rate rose by 0.1 percentage points in June 2013 continuing the rise and fall pattern that we have seen for the last 6 months – over a downward trend.
It is now at 65.3 per cent. The rise in participation added to the rise in unemployment given the fact that employment growth lagged behind the additions to the labour force coming from underlying growth in the working age population.
Remember that the labour force is a subset of the working-age population (those above 15 years old). The proportion of the working-age population that constitutes the labour force is called the labour force participation rate. So changes in the labour force can impact on the official unemployment rate and so movements in the latter need to be interpreted carefully. A rising unemployment rate may not indicate a recessing economy.
The labour force can expand as a result of general population growth and/or increases in the labour force participation rates.
The participation rate is still substantially down on the most recent peak in November 2010 of 65.9 per cent when the labour market was still recovering courtesy of the fiscal stimulus.
What would the unemployment rate be if the participation was at its November 2010 peak?
The following graph tells us what would have happened if the participation rate had been constant over the period November 2010 to June 2013. The blue line is the official unemployment since its most recent low-point of 4 per cent in February 2008. It is currently at 5.7 per cent.
The red line starts at November 2010 (the peak participation month). It is computed by adding the workers that left the labour force as employment growth faltered (and the participation rate fell) back into the labour force and assuming they would have been unemployed. At present, this cohort is likely to comprise a component of the hidden unemployed (or discouraged workers).
Total unemployment in June 2013 was estimated to be 709.3 thousand. However, if participation had not have fallen there would be 827.5 thousand workers unemployed given growth in population and employment since November 2010.
The difference between the two numbers reflects the change in hidden unemployment since November 2010. These workers would take a job immediately if offered one but have given up looking because there are not enough jobs and as a consequence the ABS classifies them as being Not in the Labour Force.
Note, the gap between the blue and red lines doesn’t sum to total hidden unemployment unless November 2010 was a full employment peak, which it clearly was not. The interpretation of the gap is that it shows the extra hidden unemployed since that time.
As the participation rate dropped over the period, the gap rose. The adjusted unemployment rate would now be 6.6 per cent instead of the official rate of 5.7 per cent.
Quite a different picture indeed.
Hours worked – modest rise in June 2013
Aggregate monthly hours worked increased by 8.8 million hours (0.54 per cent) in seasonally adjusted terms. The rise in hours worked this month continues the trends over several months of growth being interspersed with contraction with the trend switching back and forth between positive and negative.
The small swings up and down in monthly hours worked each month since the beginning of 2011 is being largely driven by similar fluctuations in full-time employment.
The following graph shows the trend and seasonally adjusted aggregate hours worked indexed to 100 at the peak in February 2008 (which was the low-point unemployment rate in the previous cycle). The rising trend which marked the early recovery courtesy of the fiscal stimulus is now clearly gone.
The next graph shows the monthly growth (in per cent) over the last 24 months. The green linear line is a simple regression trend – which is slightly downward trending. You can see the pattern in working hours that is also portrayed in the employment graph – zig-zagging across the zero growth line.
The data doesn’t support the notion of a fully employed labour market that is bursting against the inflation barrier.
Conclusion
Overall, today’s data shows that the Australian labour market is deteriorating slowly. In general, we always have to be careful interpreting month to month movements given the way the Labour Force Survey is constructed and implemented.
But the trend evidence supports a view that the labour market is very weak and employment growth is consistently so low relative to population growth that the unemployment rate is trending upwards – slowly.
The data does not suggest we have reached the point where unemployment will rise sharply. Rather it will eke its way up towards 6 per cent over the next 6 months.
The most striking aspect of a sad picture remains the appalling performance of the teenage labour market. Employment has collapsed for that cohort since 2008. I consider it a matter of policy urgency for the Government to introduce an employment guarantee to ensure we do not continue undermining our potential workforce.
The data certainly doesn’t support the Federal Government’s current macroeconomic settings, which are biased towards contraction. More fiscal stimulus is definitely needed but will not be forthcoming given the government’s neo-liberal biases.
That is enough for today!
(c) Copyright 2013 Bill Mitchell. All Rights Reserved.AFi 10th Anniversary Scoop Week Day Two, Reveal One – #Ghostbusters Movie Select Action Figures Series 1 from @CollectDST
Welcome to day 2 of AFi’s 10th Anniversary!
Today we get to reveal the third figure in Diamond Select Toys first wave of Ghostbusters figures. We saw Winston and Ray debut at Toy Fair back in February, now the last figure in the first assortment can be announced and shown.
I’ve said several times on a couple of post-Toy Fair podcasts that I didn’t think it was possible for DST to make me want to re-buy the Ghostbusters characters an inch taller than the Mattel collection that I already own…. but dog-gone if those fantastic sculpts they debuted at Toy Fair didn’t make me eat those words. Then you add on the fact that they will come with great bases that will fit together to form the end battle rooftop and they just sucked me in for 12 sales (for the 12 planed figures in the line). Great articulation, great likenesses, great accessories and bases make for a great expansion of the Select scale of action figures from DST. And, as you well know, “bustin’ makes me feel good.”
With the solicitation information below we know the first five figures of the twelve that are coming.
The official solicitations for this first wave will be live later this week so be sure and place your order for wave one at your local comic shop for you don’t miss out on this first assortment.
Now let’s get to the reveal:
Ghostbusters Movie Select Action Figures Series 1 Asst.
A Diamond Select Toys release! After years of producing a variety of quality Ghostbusters products, DST is finally tackling 7-inch-scale Select action figures! With 12 release planned in the line, the first three will be Ray Stanz, Winston Zeddemore and Louis Tully, each with detailed sculpts, exacting likenesses and character-specific accessories. Each figure will also include a diorama piece – collect all twelve to build the rooftop battle scene from the end of the film! Each figure features approximately 16 points of articulation and comes packaged in the famous display-ready Select packaging, with spine art for easy shelf reference. Sculpted by Gentle Giant!
Coming in Series 2: Peter Venkman and Egon Spengler!
Action Figure SRP: $24.99/ea.
And now the world premier first look at the third figure in wave one: Louis Tully!The U.S. Sentencing Commission website has been hacked again and a code distributed by Anonymous "Operation Last Resort" turns ussc.gov into a playable video game.
Visitors enter the code, and then the website that sets guidelines for sentencing in United States Federal courts becomes "Asteroids."
Shooting away at the ussc.gov webpage reveals an image of Anonymous.
The trademark Anonymous "Guy Fawkes" face is comprised of white text saying, "We do not forgive. We do not forget."
Update Sunday, January 27, 11pm PST: the ussc.gov website has been offline intermittently, ostensibly due to high traffic. Anonymous Operation Last Resort tweeted the Asteroids hack can be "played" on yet another U.S. government website: "Backup gaming site while USSC.gov is down miep.uscourts.gov " (the U.S. Probation Office for the state of Michigan). This suggests, in this writer's opinion, that Anonymous has background control of multiple U.S. government websites - and after the antics this weekend, the group likely has had this access for a while and they are playing a game of cat-and-mouse with the United States Department of Justice.
Gallery: U.S. Sentencing website hacked into video game "Asteroids"
Hacktivist group Anonymous began its "Operation Last Resort" Friday night by hacking the U.S. Sentencing Commission website in the name of suicide victim Aaron Swatrz, demanding reform in the U.S. justice system.
The government website was pulled offline and restored by Saturday. Now, on Sunday afternoon, the U.S. Sentencing Commission website appears to have been compromised a second time, severely, wherein a code being issued by Operation Last Resort and other Anonymous social media accounts turns ussc.gov into a game of Asteroids.
ussc.gov --> enter Konami code (with cursor keys) ↑↑↓↓←→←→ B A <Enter> ---> CAEK(repeat for NyanCat powers...) #opLastResort — OpLastResort (@OpLastResort) January 27, 2013
Upon visiting ussc.gov and entering enter Konami code (with cursor keys) ↑↑↓↓←→←→ (up up, down down, left right left right) then keys B, A and "Enter" - the page becomes a playable version of the old Atari game, Asteroids.
Visitors can use their keyboard to shoot away at the U.S. Sentencing Commission website.
The hack reads:
AntiSec CAEK-mode activated. Destroy the system! Controls: up, down, left, right to fire.
Blasting away at the text on the website using the keys CAEK ("repeat for NyanCat powers"), player points tally in a score box in the bottom right of the screen, while the government website page and text begin to shrink.
As the "player" gets points by shooting the U.S. Sentencing Commission website, underneath a dark image of Anonymous is revealed.
This is the second time the website has been attacked and defaced in a hack that involves public participation.
Anonymous apparently still somehow has control of the website in some way, despite the last efforts by the U.S. government to clean up the attacks.
The link to the Javascript is embedded in the ussc.gov page, but the script is hosted on a public Google URL.
The website has actually |
course of one day, and failed to even consider why. Remember Hank Aaron? He didn’t need a $300 bat to be great. Your kid isn’t going pro and neither is mine, but you are going to retire one day and dumpster diving isn’t for the elderly. My brother and I still laugh about how, when he played high school baseball, there was one good bat and the entire team used it.
Remember your clothes in the 70’s? Despite my best efforts to block it out, I can still remember my desperate need to have a pair of authentic Converse shoes. Did I get them? Negative. Oh, was it a punch in the gut when my mother presented me with the Archdale knock-offs she found somewhere between my hometown and Greensboro. Trust me. They weren’t even close. Did I complain? Hell, no. I’m still alive, aren’t I? We’ve got an entire generation of kids spitting up on outfits that cost more than my monthly electric bill. There were no designer baby clothes when we were kids. Why? Because our parents weren’t crazy enough to spend $60 on an outfit for us to have explosive diarrhea in or vomit on. Our parents were focused on saving for their retirement and paying their house off. The real beauty of it is that none of these kids are going to score a job straight out of college that will allow them to pay for the necessities of life, brand new cars, and $150 jeans, so guess who’s going to be getting the phone call when they can’t make rent? Yep, we are.
Think back; way, way back. Who cleaned the house and did the yard work when you were a kid? You did. In fact, that’s why some people had children. We were free labor. My mother served as supervisor for the indoor chores, and the house damn well better be spotless when my father came through the door at 5:35. The battle cry went something like this, “Oh, no! Your father will be home in 15 minutes! Get those toys put away nooooow!” The rest of our evening was spent getting up to turn the television on demand, and only to what Dad wanted to watch.
On weekends Dad was in charge of outdoor work and if you were thirsty you drank out of the hose, because 2 minutes of air conditioning and a glass of water from the faucet might make you soft. Who does the housework and yardwork now? The cleaning lady that comes on Thursday, and the landscaping crew that comes every other Tuesday. Most teenage boys have never touched a mower, and if you asked my daughter to clean a toilet, she would come back with a four page paper on the various kinds of deadly bacteria present on toilet seats. Everyone is too busy doing stuff to take care of the stuff they already have. But don’t get confused, they aren’t working or anything crazy like that. Juggling school assignments, extracurricular activities, and spending our money could become stressful if they had to work.
I don’t recall anyone being worried about my workload being stressful, or my mental health in general. Jerry and Ginny had grownup stuff to worry about. As teenagers, we managed our own social lives and school affairs. If Karen, while executing a hair flip, told me my new Rave perm made me look like shit and there was no way Kevin would ever go out with my scrawny ass, my mother wasn’t even going to know about it; much less call Karen’s mother and arrange a meeting where we could iron out our misunderstanding and take a selfie together. Additionally, no phone calls were ever made to any of my teachers or coaches. Ever. If we sat the bench, we sat the bench. Our dads were at work anyway. They only knew what we told them. I can’t even conceive of my dad leaving work to come watch a ballgame. If I made a 92.999 and got a B, I got a B. No thinly veiled threats were made and no money changed hands to get me that A. Ok, full disclosure, in my case we would be looking at an 84.9999. I was the poster child for underachievement.
Back in our day, high school was a testing ground for life. We were learning to be adults under the semi-vigilant supervision of our parents. We had jobs because we wanted cars, and we wanted to be able to put gas in our cars, and wear Jordache jeans and Candies. Without jobs, we had Archdale sneakers and Wranglers, and borrowed our mother’s Chevrolet Caprice, affectionately known as the “land yacht”, on Friday night. No one, I mean, no one, got a new car. I was considered fairly lucky because my parents bought me a car at all. I use the term “car” loosely. If I tell you it was a red convertible and stop right here, you might think me special. I wasn’t. My car was a red MG Midget, possibly a ’74 and certainly a death trap.
Look at your coffee table. Now imagine it having a steering wheel and driving it. I promise you, it’s bigger than my car was. The starter was bad, so after school I had the pleasure of popping the hood and using two screwdrivers to cross the solenoids or waiting for the football players to come out of the dressing room headed to practice. Those guys pushing my car while I popped the clutch, is a memory no 16-year old girl around here will ever have, and it’s a great one. Had I driven that car in high winds, it’s likely I would have ended up airborne, and there were probably some serious safety infractions committed the night I took 6 people in togas to a convenience store, but I wouldn’t go back and trade it out for a new 280Z, even if I had the chance. I was a challenging teenager, and in retrospect the fact that it was pretty impressive every time I made it home alive, may not have been an accident on the part of my parents. Go to the high school now. These kids are driving cars that grown men working 55 hours a week can’t afford, and they aren’t paying for them with their jobs.
And those new cars don’t do a thing for telling a good story. I tell my kids all the time, the very best stories from my teen and college years involve Ann’s yellow Plymouth Duster with the “swirling dust” graphic, Randy’s Valiant with the broken gas gauge, and Carla’s burgundy Nissan that may or may not have had a complete floorboard. A story that starts, “Remember that time we were heading to the beach in Carla’s Nissan and your wallet fell through the floorboard onto the highway?” is so much more interesting than, “Remember that time we were going to the beach in your brand new SUV, filled up with gas that your parents paid for, and the…well, no, never mind. Nothing happened. We just drove down there.” To top it all off, most of them head off to college without a clue what it’s like to look for a job, apply for it, interview, and show up on time, as scheduled. If they have a job, it’s because someone owed their dad a favor…and then they work when it “fits their schedule”.
We all love our kids, and we want to see them happy and fulfilled, but I fear we’re robbing them of the experiences that make life memorable and make them capable, responsible, confident adults. For the majority of us, the very nice things we had as teenagers, we purchased with money we earned after saving for some ungodly amount of time. Our children are given most everything, and sometimes I wonder whether it’s for them or to make us feel like good parents. The bottom line is that you never value something you were given, as much as something you worked for. There were lessons in our experiences, even though we didn’t know it at the time. All those high school cat fights, and battles with teachers we clashed with, were an opportunity for us to learn how to negotiate and how to compromise. It also taught us that the world isn’t fair. Sometimes people just don’t like you, and sometimes you’ll work your ass off and still get screwed. We left high school, problem solvers. I’m afraid our kids are leaving high school with mommy and daddy on speed dial.
We just don’t have the cojones our parents had. We aren’t prepared to tell our kids that they won’t have it if they don’t work for it, because we can’t bear to see them go without and we can’t bear to see them fail. We’ve given them a whole lot of stuff; stuff that will break down, wear out, get lost, go out of style, and lose value. As parents, I suppose some of us feel pretty proud about how we’ve contributed in a material way to our kid’s popularity and paved an easy street for them. I don’t, and I know there are many of you that are just as frustrated by it as I am. I worry about what we’ve robbed them of, which I’ve listed below, in the process of giving them everything.
Delayed gratification is a really good thing. It teaches you perseverance and how to determine the true value of something. Our kids don’t know a damn thing about delayed gratification. To them, delayed gratification is waiting for their phone to charge.
Problem-solving skills and the ability to manage emotion are crucial life skills. Kids now have every problem solved for them. Good luck calling their college professor to argue about how they should have another shot at that final because they had two other finals to study for and were stressed. Don’t laugh, parents have tried it.
Independence allows you to discover who you really are, instead of being what someone else expects you to be. It was something I craved. These kids have traded independence for new cars and Citizen jeans. They will live under someone’s thumb forever, if it means cool stuff. I would have lived in borderline condemned housing, and survived off of crackers and popsicles to maintain my independence. Oh wait, I actually did that. It pisses me off. You’re supposed to WANT to grow up and forge your way in the world; not live on someone else’s dime, under someone else’s rule, and too often these days, under someone else’s roof.
Common sense is that little something extra that allows you to figure out which direction is north, how to put air in your tires, or the best route to take at a certain time of day to avoid traffic. You develop common sense by making mistakes and learning from them. It’s a skill best acquired in a setting where it’s safe to fail, and is only mastered by actually doing things for yourself. By micromanaging our kids all the time, we’re setting them up for a lifetime of cluelessness and ineptitude. At a certain age, that cluelessness becomes dangerous. I’ve seen women marry to avoid thinking for themselves, and for some it was the wisest course of action.
Mental toughness is what allows a person to keep going despite everything going wrong. People with mental toughness are the ones who come out on top. They battle through job losses, difficult relationships, illness, and failure. It is a quality born from adversity. Adversity is a GOOD thing. It teaches you what you’re made of. It puts into practice the old saying “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”. It’s life’s teacher. Our bubble-wrapped kids are so sheltered from adversity, I wonder how the mental health professionals will handle them all after the world chews them up and spits them out a few times.
I know you are calling me names right now, and mentally listing all the reasons this doesn’t apply to you and your kid, but remember I’m including myself in this. My kids aren’t as bad as some, because I’m too poor and too lazy to indulge them beyond a certain point. And I’m certainly not saying that our parents did everything right. God knows all that second hand smoke I was exposed to, and those Sunday afternoon drives where Dad was drinking a Schlitz and I was standing on the front seat like a human projectile, were less than ideal; but I do think parents in the 70’s defined their roles in a way we never have.I worry that our kids are leaving home with more intellectual ability than we did, but without the life skills that will give them the success and independence that we’ve enjoyed.
Then again, maybe it’s not parents that are getting the raw end of this deal after all.
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Nawras Soukhta, 15, huddles against the back wall of the steel boat as it motors into port in the small Sicilian town of Augusta. He’s been crumpled there for the last hour saving what little strength he has left as he waits for this stage of his journey to end and the next to begin. And now it’s time. Nawras unfolds his stiff legs and steadies himself against the hard metal rail of the ship as he stands, his yellow shirt and stained whitewashed jeans flapping on his slight frame. Anxious murmurs begin to ripple through the nearly 100 migrants on board as the boat nears the dock. Within seconds, a group of Italian guardsmen waiting on land have jumped aboard and corralled the edgy passengers into a single-file line. At its head is a passenger with surgical screws still poking from the flesh of his twisted leg — reminders of the savage war he’s left behind in Syria. His face grimaces as he hobbles forward — yet medical attention is not his first priority as he wills himself up each step and onto the port’s landing. "Where is the fingerprinting?” he whispers, his eyes darting from the water, to land, to the swirl of Italian police, guardsmen, and NGO workers surrounding him. “Will they force registration here?" The other immigrants follow the man off the boat, and soon Nawras finds himself on land — the first solid ground he has touched in 11 days. But there is no time to waste kneeling down to kiss the earth. While Nawras may no longer risk drowning in the Mediterranean like the 3,400 who died in 2014 while making this crossing, the perils still stretch out before him, and the new life he has paid thousands of dollars and risked everything to reach still waits, more than 1,000 miles to the north. Italian authorities stand beside a boat of migrants that has just arrived in Augusta, Sicily. After more than two days at sea, the boat was rescued by an oil tanker and carried to Italian land. Italian health inspectors board an oil tanker carrying rescued migrants in order to assess the passengers for diseases. An Italian health worker yells directions as a boat of rescued migrants arrives. The migrants, including Nawras Soukhta, had been at sea for 11 days. A young Nigerian boy is helped ashore after he and other migrants traveling from Libya land in Sicily. A Syrian man who was injured in a government airstrike in his hometown of Homs is helped onto Italian land. Recently arrived Syrian refugees walk from the port to an area where they will receive medical check-ups, food, and information about what to expect next. Italian counterterrorism police keep watch on a group of newly arrived migrants. Italian police escort newly arrived migrants from the port where they docked to a nearby holding area. A migrant receives food and water from Italian authorities as he walks to the reception area. Migrants' belongings rest in the luggage container of a bus that will transfer them to a temporary holding camp. A young Syrian refugee shields himself from the sun. He, along with 100 others, arrived that day after sailing from Turkey. Refugees from Darfur read a pamphlet handed out by Italian authorities as they wait to be transferred to a temporary holding camp. Like more than 3 million other Syrians, Nawras fled his country in 2012 as the Syrian civil war ramped up in brutality. Along with his mother and six siblings, he escaped Damascus for Istanbul soon after his 13th birthday, where the family has eked out a living for the past two years. (His father died about a year before the war began.) Between classes at a school for young Syrian refugees, Nawras worked at a small restaurant and with an electrician, earning between 5 and 10 Turkish lira ($2.5 to $5) for 12-hour days. When it came, each lira went to his mother, but Nawras, unable to legally work, had little leverage when his bosses simply refused to pay. Still, after two years he and his family had finally saved up enough money. Nawras was bound for Sweden. "My mother didn't want me to go because it's so dangerous,” Nawras says in slow but proficient English, “and my sisters were very worried but it is really the only choice. We have no life and no future in Istanbul." Nawras’s journey to Sweden represents one of the last options for his family to be together, but it is one he must make alone. Over the last year, his three older sisters have all made it there. But Nawras’s journey carries extra significance: Unlike them, he is a minor, so if he makes it and receives asylum, he’ll likely be able to bring his mother and two younger siblings to Sweden as well. Without enough money to send anyone with him, the family’s dreams for this future together depend on his success in evading authorities over the course of the next few days. Current European Union law demands that all migrants who arrive to Europe by Italian shores register for asylum in Italy, and make that country their home. But it’s a fate most seek to avoid: Registering for asylum in Italy means entering a labyrinthine bureaucracy, then getting spit out into a hobbled economy, and becoming dependent on the country's overburdened social services. Worse for Nawras, if he’s stopped and forced to register, his sisters will be bound to Sweden, unable to bring their mother or younger siblings across, and Nawras will become fastened to Italy. His future with his family will all but dry up. “I just want to study and be with my family," he says. "I promised my father before he died that I would become a doctor. I think a new life is possible in Sweden." And so he works his way north, constantly looking over his shoulder as he goes.
Left: Syrian refugees point at a map posted in Milan's central train station. Refugees often opt to head for Sweden, Germany, and Denmark, where they believe they’ll face a better chance of starting a new life.
Right: Nawras Soukhta, 15, is trying to reach Sweden, where his goal is to become a doctor and one day return to Syria to help his country rebuild.
Sweden is often near the top of the list for asylum seekers looking to rebuild their lives — especially Syrians. With medical and dental care, daily allowances, assistance with accommodation, and English, Swedish, and IT classes, the country offers institutional support to help migrants integrate. And in September 2013 the country began giving permanent residency to all Syrian refugees who manage to reach its borders — a status that translates into full Swedish citizenship after four years. The number of new asylum seekers has since skyrocketed. According to Magnus Bengtsson, the department head for the Swedish Migration Board in Malmö — the southern city Nawras hopes to reach — the yearly estimate of new asylum seekers for the country was set at 54,000 at the beginning of 2014, yet by the end of the year it had received a total of 81,301 applications for asylum, roughly 223 refugees every day or nine every hour. Over 7,000 of those were unaccompanied minors like Nawras — a figure that’s more than double the total number of refugees who applied for asylum in all of Finland last year. But to get to this northern promised land, migrants like Nawras who arrive in Europe’s south must navigate a balance: playing along with authorities’ efforts at oversight, while trying to skirt out from under that supervision as soon as possible. After being quickly assessed beside the water for medical emergencies by the Italian Red Cross, Nawras and the others — a mix of other Syrians, Palestinians, Eritreans, Sudanese, Somalis, and a few Pakistanis — are lined back up. Armed Italian anti-terrorism police surround them and shuttle them off to a makeshift holding pen in a parking lot 600 hundred meters away. Two police cruisers prowl alongside and behind the group as they walk. The holding area is not much bigger than a soccer pitch and hemmed in on all sides by metal fencing. The migrants are watched vigilantly by police as they move from line to line, giving their name here and place of origin there, picking up a new T-shirt at one stand, then a pair of sandals from another. After a few hours, the dozens of passengers are transferred to a nearby transit camp half an hour away by bus. The camp is meant to be the new temporary home for the migrants as they wait out the next three days before registering for asylum — the moment nearly all of them are seeking to avoid. After seeing the recent arrivals off to this way station, the song and dance of supervision is over and the police all but disappear. The camp, which houses an assortment of close to 100 migrants who are all antsy to disappear, is left in the hands of a single guard. The bulk of them will flee within 48 hours. Late that night, Nawras and a couple dozen other Syrians escape the camp. Following a few others, Nawras simply walks out the front gate and into the darkness. The guard doesn't ask where he’s going, and Nawras doesn't say.
Nawras and others walk the street in search of some place to rest safely in Naples.
After sleeping in a local mosque for a few hours he is sitting in Catania's train station early the next day waiting for the 8:45 a.m. train to Naples. From there, he hopes to catch a train that will take him to Milan by the following morning. By the end of his trip, Nawras will have spent upwards of $4,000 and been on the road for almost three weeks. Eleven of those days were spent at sea, vomiting up the stale rice and rancid fish given to him by the smugglers as they sailed from southeast Turkey to the Egyptian and Libyan coasts, meeting small transport ships off each country to pick up fresh batches of migrants headed north. "They told us in Turkey the boat was direct to Italy. They told us we would be there in some small days,” Nawras sighs. “But once you are at sea what can you do? You hold on and hope you do not die." As the train skirts north from Catania along the coast, Nawras and a group of 16 other men doze in and out of a restless sleep, catching up on the past week and a half they have lain awake at night, tucked against each other on the wooden slats of the boat’s open deck, shivering from the ocean’s constant spray and cold night air. In the hours they are awake, Nawras and the others meet in the privacy of each other’s cabins and share what few cookies and biscuits they have. Nawras is rail-thin, and many of the men push their biscuits on him, urging him to eat more. As they eat the men talk of their hopes for the future, but the conversation always bends back to family left to wait behind. Nawras’s sisters were unusual in that they were women who made this journey themselves; more often it is the men who make the trip, hoping to bring the women and children later. “You cannot find any words to describe the sensations of loss we have,” says Haleem as he stares at the Italian countryside rushing past his window. In his mid-30s, Haleem says he had a good and happy life before the war. A trained pharmacist, he ran his own pharmacy in Homs, his hometown. But as the war ground into its fourth year, his shop had already been destroyed twice and the food and money were quickly drying up. Haleem knew his window for making the trip was closing; after selling his car, he finally escaped Syria a little over a month before setting out for Italy. His destination is Denmark. If he avoids the police and makes it, the odds are good that he’ll eventually be able to bring his wife and two young boys over. Like many of the men packed away in their cabins, Haleem represents his family’s last chance for a future. It is not a weight any carry lightly. “All I care about is my family,” he says. “When we live it is because of family. My family is everything but if I don’t get to Denmark we may not be together and life will be nothing." After 19 hours and a long layover in Naples, the train pulls into Milan’s Porta Garibaldi station at dawn the next day and Nawras strikes out into the dark, gray city in search of Milano Centrale, the city’s main train terminal. Nawras walks along the corridor of a train headed from Sicily to Naples. Transiting Syrian refugees rest in their cabins on the train bound north from Sicily. Nawras prays as others rest and read from the Quran at a mosque in Naples. Nawras sits outside Naples' train station while other Syrians rest and discuss where it's safe to stay during a long layover before catching a night train to Milan. Arriving in Milan early in the morning, Nawras and the group walk from the train to the city’s central train station a short distance away. A police officer speaks on his mobile as two Syrian men talk in Milan's central train station. While refugees who arrive in Europe should, by law, register for asylum in the country of their arrival, Italian authorities have begun to look the other way as Syrians, Palestinians and refugees from other countries land on Italian shores but choose to continue traveling north. Syrian refugees sit in a fast food restaurant in Milan's central train station and charge mobile phones. Nawras rides a tram through Milan in search of a money transfer service. He arrived in southern Italy with just enough to buy the train ticket to Milan; upon arrival, his family wired him another 970 euros to help pay for a "faciliator" to get him to Sweden. Kutayba, a young man from Homs who is headed to Denmark, sits on a bench in Milan and plays with his phone as young Italian men walk past. Kutayba now walks with braces after shrapnel from a government airstrike mangled his left leg. Two Syrian men look for new clothes in a retail story in Milan. Besides the need to purchase warmer clothing for northern climates, many refugees want to dress well while traveling, in order to avoid drawing attention to themselves. Syrian refugees wait to speak with city volunteers and NGO workers in Milan's central train station. The station has become the main hub for Syrians transiting north and the city of Milan and NGOs have worked together to both distribute food and register refugees for temporary transit camps where they can stay before continuing north. A Syrian man explains to another how to read the schedule in Milan's central train station. Refugees strike out from the city via train, private car, and plane. Each mode requires different amounts of money and incurs varying degrees of risk from police checkpoints.
The bustling industrial city of Milan, in Italy's north, is one of the country’s most vital transportation hubs and has become the main staging area for refugees flowing north out of Italy. The city’s main train station — Milano Centrale — has quickly become the chief waypoint in this stream. There, refugees meet to discuss possible routes onwards, coordinate with smugglers, and receive wire transfers from family. As the savagery of Syria’s war intensified, the flow of migrants quickly became so high that Milan’s municipality launched the Emergenza Siria program in October 2013. In coordination with volunteers and NGOs, it now provides food and medical assistance within the train station, and safe haven in nearby shelters where migrants can stay as they plan logistics for their next stage. Since launching Emergenza Siria, the municipality has registered 55,226 transiting refugees — 39,109 of whom have been Syrian. During peak months, they've received upwards of 1,000 people in a single day; one day this past September saw 1,600 new arrivals. This decision to provide services for transiting migrants -- who should, in theory, register for asylum -- is indicative of larger dynamics playing out across Italy and throughout Europe. Over the course of 2014, more than 160,000 migrants arrived on Italy’s shores (and that's not counting the number of those who arrive undetected). According to Frontex, the European border agency, the number of migrants arriving to Italy in the first four months of 2014 was 823 percent higher than that in the same period in 2013. Even though EU laws require that Italy, like other border states, register these masses of new arrivals for asylum, the country isn’t exactly vigilant about enforcing the laws. There are too many people; the country simply can’t cope. New arrivals registering for asylum in Italy now often wait a year or more for a decision, during which time they're stuck in temporary government-run camps that resemble minimum-security prisons; those who do ultimately receive asylum are left to fend for themselves in a country that provides little support to help them begin a new life. Most struggle to find work and housing, and many end up on the street, where depression and drug abuse are not far off. "My life is nothing here," says Fams, a young man from Gambia who sailed from Libya at the start of the Libyan revolution and now lives in Rome. "I gave my hand (fingerprints) to Italy, so now it looks like I am Italian. I have nowhere to go.” Following protocol, Fams was forced from his temporary government-provided housing once he received his asylum documents — thus theoretically becoming eligible to rent an apartment. But with no money, no job, no home, and no ability to speak Italian, he wandered the streets for seven months, sleeping where he could and eating what he and a few other homeless migrants were able to collect in a day. Now, after more than four years, he lives with a few hundred other migrants who have occupied an abandoned office building. The building, known as an ocupazione, is run like a cooperative by its residents but is unauthorized by the government, and the occupants are constantly at risk of being evicted. Although he’s learned the language, Fams is still unable to find any reliable source of income and spends his days in a state of limbo. "A man has nothing without work and purpose," says Fams. "I have worked since I was a boy and now I have nothing and no purpose." Migrants, increasingly aware of this grim reality, typically opt to continue north and escape Italy, if they have enough money to do so. According to Progetto Arca — an Italian NGOs providing housing and food for transiting migrants — of the more than 55,000 migrants who have come through Milan since October 2013, only 140 have asked for asylum in Italy. A young man from Senegal stands atop a trash heap in an abandoned building in Rome, where he and a few dozen other migrants live. Blood marks from bed bugs dot the wall above a migrant's bed in a government-provided house in Rome. The Italian government provides housing for migrants who are still waiting for documents. Fams, a migrant from The Gambia, and his Malian friend, Lamin, ride a bus through Rome. "Some days I feel lost," says Fams. "And some days I feel alone...I have nowhere to go." Fams sits and talks with a friend in a Rome neighborhood. "You see many boys come here [to Italy] and now they don't have a place to sleep," he says. "You go crazy. Many boys have to drink to survive, but then they lose their life to drugs and alcohol." Fams walks past the Piazza Venezia as tourists take photos. A group of tourists travel through a park on Segways as a migrant from The Gambia looks on. Migrants sit outside Termini, the main train terminal in Rome. Termini has become a meeting point for transiting migrants and new arrivals to the city, who don't have a place to live. A migrant from The Gambia sits on the roof of the abandoned building where he lives in Rome. After registering for a bed with the municipality, Nawras waits the afternoon out in the cavernous lobby of Milano Centrale and watches as dozens of refugees who traveled on other trains and buses begin to trickle in. At 5:30 p.m., a volunteer with the municipality lines him and more than 100 other migrants up in the station’s main hall. “I don’t know where they’re taking us,” Nawras says anxiously, his hands burrowed deep in the pockets of his fake leather jacket, elbows pressed against his sides. He’s been alone for almost two weeks now. In that time he’s traversed thousands of miles, surreptitiously moving from point to point along an underground route that’s required him to constantly entrust his life to hearsay and ruthless men with little stake in whether he lives or dies. A stout Italian man with white hair appears at the front of the waiting group and yells for everyone to follow. The group walks out the massive stone entrance of the train station to a series of unmarked vans idling nearby. “These take us to the camp?” Nawras asks. Some men in the group nod, while others only offer a worried shrug. Two dark-haired Italian women wearing svelte black uniforms stand smoking cigarettes and laughing near the station entrance. Before Nawras can get a solid answer, the doors to the vans open and the group heaves forward, carrying him with it. He raises his head, takes one last look around, and then he is inside. Within 45 minutes, the van is on the other side of town at a building named Antonio Aldini. While previously a homeless shelter, Aldini now typically hosts between 100 and 300 migrants as they stop over in the city; during Nawras's stay the number hovers around 110. The month before, on Sept. 7, 2014, it held over 620 people, its max for the year, and far more than it can accomodate. "It was crazy how many [people] we had," says Silvia Panzarin, a staff member at Progetto Arca, which runs and provides care at Aldini. "We were able to care for everyone but we had to open a gym behind the building to house them all." Since October 2013, Progetto Arca alone has housed more than 20,000 transiting Syrians and provided over 600,000 meals. The days spent at these camps are essential for Nawras. Like most others, he needs time for his family to gather and wire money and to coordinate with smugglers. As there are no official channels for migration (a repeated request by humanitarian groups), smugglers are an indispensable component of a migrant’s journey and are present from before a migrant touches the first rickety boat to well after they cross their last border. Smuggling has become an intensely lucrative business — generating upwards of $6.75 billion dollars a year just for the main routes from South to North America and from Africa to Europe — and is completely unregulated. Thousands of people have died at the hands of smugglers, who have increasingly taken to treating passengers as cargo, at times even murdering them. The call from the "facilitator" comes in the dead of night: 3:30 a.m. on a Wednesday. Nawras’s flight to Stockholm will be that afternoon, the man on the line says — just a few hours away. Nawras can't sleep much after that and is soon in a taxi headed to Milan’s Linate Airport with a few other Syrians traveling that day. Because he has a genuine Syrian passport, he is told he’ll be able to make it past security but he has still arranged his flight and documents through his facilitator, who has taken advantage of the opportunity: Nawras pays 550 euros to get booked on the plane — 400 euros more than the cost of the ticket. By 11:00 a.m. he is lined up for the airport security check, one of the final hurdles on the way to Sweden. As he moves slowly through the line he recognizes a few dozen other Syrians and Palestinians from his journey, yet nobody speaks. His eyes scan the airport’s mix of people and officials, but he tries not to look around too much. “Keep your head low, don’t draw attention, and don’t speak with anyone,” other Syrians have urged him before. Like many of the other migrants inching their way forward, he has no checked bag and no carry-on. A passport, ticket, cell phone, and 120 euros are all he carries.
Left: Passing through the final checkpoint at the airport in Milan, Nawras heads down the walkway to his plane bound for Stockholm. One of the men he is traveling with is detained at the gate.
Right: Nawras and other Syrians talk and laugh aboard the plane.Natural history collections provide an immense record of biodiversity on Earth. These repositories have traditionally been used to address fundamental questions in biogeography, systematics and conservation. However, they also hold the potential for studying evolution directly. While some of the best direct observations of evolution have come from long‐term field studies or from experimental studies in the laboratory, natural history collections are providing new insights into evolutionary change in natural populations. By comparing phenotypic and genotypic changes in populations through time, natural history collections provide a window into evolutionary processes. Recent studies utilizing this approach have revealed some dramatic instances of phenotypic change over short timescales in response to presumably strong selective pressures. In some instances, evolutionary change can be paired with environmental change, providing a context for potential selective forces. Moreover, in a few cases, the genetic basis of phenotypic change is well understood, allowing for insight into adaptive change at multiple levels. These kinds of studies open the door to a wide range of previously intractable questions by enabling the study of evolution through time, analogous to experimental studies in the laboratory, but amenable to a diversity of species over longer timescales in natural populations.
Natural history collections as records of evolutionary change Most of evolutionary biology is retrospective: we look at the present and attempt to make inferences about the past. For example, the distribution of a trait among species today can be used to infer the origin and evolution of that trait in the past. Similarly, patterns of genetic variation in present‐day populations can be used to infer how allele frequencies have changed over the recent past. While powerful, these approaches are indirect, based on inference, and thus depend on assumptions of the underlying models. Observing evolutionary change directly is more difficult and typically comes from either laboratory studies of evolution or from very long‐term field studies. Laboratory studies of experimental evolution over multiple generations are extremely powerful but are necessarily limited to organisms with short generation times (Barrick & Lenski 2013). These studies have mainly been conducted with microbes such as viruses (e.g. Wichman et al |
x.a from install of dmx-1.2.20040630-1 conflicts with file from package xorg-x11-devel-6.8.2-31.
As a workaround, use the --force option: rpm --force -Uvh dmx-1.2.20040630-1.i386.rpm. Warning: Forcing the installation of the Xdmx software may create instability in your development environment. I've been running development boxes with the Xdmx software "force-installed" with zero errors for more than a year, but your experience may differ. If you don't want to force the install, compile the Xdmx application from source, then install.
On Debian-based systems or those that use apt-get, use apt-get install xdmx to install and set up Xdmx.
Xdmx needs to be installed on every machine you want to have as part of your multihead display setup. Both the server and client are included in the Xdmx install package, so if you want to add a display node, change your control node, or have a hardware failure in an existing node, there is no need to reinstall software to support different configurations.
Configure PCs for multihead operation
Xdmx manual
Xdmx comes with fantastic manual information that will provide all you need to get started with distributed multihead displays. This article focuses on helping you surmount some of the more difficult problems associated with disparate hardware setup. Read on for some real-world examples of how to use Xdmx and how to overcome some of the challenges you may face.
One PC, one laptop
For this initial example, we will use one PC and one laptop in a two-screen setup, with the desktop stretched across the display. To begin, designate one computing resource the control node -- in our case, it will be the PC.
X configuration file setup
A big problem with using disparate hardware is the differing feature support among computing resources. You'll need to make sure the systems support the same set of options before Xdmx will work. In this example, all the systems do not have the same fonts installed. Xdmx has an option to handle this, which we will cover later. For now, note that GLX support and default display bit depth are common issues that will prevent Xdmx from running correctly. To spread your desktop across multiple screens, make sure the root window bit depths are the same on every screen. If you want multiple independent desktops, bit depth matching between displays is not necessary. Since we want one big display for this example, modify your Xorg.conf or XF86Config file to select 16-bit color depth as the default. (You can select 24 or whatever bit depth all of your equipment will support.) For this example, 16-bit is the highest color depth all of the hardware will support.
Make a backup copy of your Xorg.conf or XF86Config file and make the changes shown below. For example, in the RHEL 3.5 box, the XF86Config file has the lines:
Listing 1. sample XF86Config file
Section "Screen" Identifier "Screen0" Device "Videocard0" Monitor "Monitor0" DefaultDepth 24 SubSection "Display" Depth 24 Modes "1400x1050" "1280x1024" \ "1280x960" "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480" EndSubSection EndSection
Change DefaultDepth 24 to DefaultDepth 16 and the line under the SubSection for Display from Depth 24 to Depth 16.
If you have custom drivers specific to your hardware, you may need to revert to default settings or try compatible hardware support. See your hardware documentation for detailed information on what your hardware can support. For example, the RHEL V3.5 laptop in this example contains an ATI FireGL Mobility T2 card, and associated drivers. The change to the XF86Config file as shown above will produce an error because the fglrx driver does not support the 16-bit depth setting. The solution is to run system-config-xfree86 (system-config-display on Fedora Core) and select a VESA mode for compatibility support. In the Advanced tab, select VESA Driver (generic) as your video card. In the Monitor Type section, configure the settings to support the maximum resolution your display can handle. Go back to the Display tab and select your resolution and Thousands of Colors as your bit depth.
Now that the bit depths have been matched, you are ready to try a multiscreen setup. On the client node, start an X session. If you are in runlevel 3, try the command xinit to start a bare-bones X session. If you are already logged into a graphical window manager session, such as GNOME or KDE, start an Xterm. In the Xterm window on the client node screen, type xhost + control_node_ip, where the control_node_ip is the dotted quad of your control node. For this example, the control node is 192.168.1.101, so I would run the command xhost + 192.168.1.101 on the client node.
Xdmx start command
On the control node, start your default X Window System session. If you are running xdm, for example, you'll be presented with your login screen on boot-up; then start a GNOME or KDE session. Regardless, start an Xterm on your control node. Start a new Xdmx session that spans both nodes running the twm window manager. The window manager is your choice, of course, but note that GNOME does not support running two instances on the same computer. Run the following command on the control node:
Listing 2. Sample Xdmx start command
startx `which twm` -- \ /usr/bin/X11R6/Xdmx :1 \ -display control_node_ip:0 \ -display client_node_1_ip:0 \ -ignorebadfontpaths \
Where control_node_ip is 192.168.1.101 and the client_node_1_ip is the IP address of the client node. That command is broken down in Table 1.
Table 1. The start command explained
Each line in start...... And what it means startx `which twm` Start a new X session with the twm window manager -- /usr/bin/X11R6/Xdmx :1 Start the Xdmx program, as X session on :1 -display control_node_ip:0 Use the display on the control node as the first monitor -display client_node_1_ip:0 Use the display on the first client node as the second monitor -ignorebadfontpaths Never liked them anyway +xinerama Treat the display as one desktop
If the command completed successfully, you should see a hash background across both screens. Move your mouse around on the control node to verify that you have one desktop available across both screens to the input devices on the control node. Press Ctrl+Alt+q to exit Xdmx.
Xdmx errors and resolution
If the command did not complete successfully, you may see an error like this:
Listing 3. Sample Xdmx error message
(II) dmx: ===== End of Summary ===== (!!) dmx: The default visual for screen #0 does not match any of the (!!) dmx: consolidated visuals from Xinerama (listed above) (!!) dmx: The default visual for screen #1 does not match any of the (!!) dmx: consolidated visuals from Xinerama (listed above) (Fatal Error) dmx: dmxConnectionBlockCallback: invalid screen(s) found XIO: fatal IO error 104 (Connection reset by peer) on X server ":1.0" after 0 requests (0 known processed) with 0 events remaining.
This is one of the few apparent deficiencies of the Xdmx program -- cryptic error messages. It turns out that this particular error message is due to incompatible GLX configurations on the client and control nodes. Although these error messages may be cryptic to we mere mortals, Xdmx functionality always delivers simplicity. Add the option -noglxproxy to the command and try again:
Listing 4. Sample Xdmx command with noglxproxy
startx `which twm` -- \ /usr/bin/X11R6/Xdmx :1 \ -display control_node_ip:0 \ -display client_node_1_ip:0 \ -ignorebadfontpaths \ +xinerama \ -noglxproxy
Bingo: no more problems. You may have noticed that when Xdmx fails, it causes strange keyboard problems. This is not you. I've noticed that the Ctrl, Shift, and Alt keys fail to work properly when Xdmx fails. The best solution is to restart your window manager, and all will be well.
Three client nodes, three displays
Now that we have a two-node setup, let's add a third client node. From runlevel 3, start a bare-bones X session on the third client node with xinit. Enter xhost + contrl_node_ip in the xterm that appears once your X session has started. Modify the Xdmx start command to include the third node, as in Listing 5.
Listing 5. Sample Xdmx command with noglxproxy and third node
startx `which twm` -- \ /usr/bin/X11R6/Xdmx :1 \ -display control_node_ip:0 \ -display client_node_1_ip:0 \ -display client_node_2_ip:0 \ -ignorebadfontpaths \ +xinerama \ -noglxproxy
It really is that easy for adding another node to a sequential horizontal configuration. Here's a screenshot showing three client nodes displaying a mosaic image from another developerWorks article:
Figure 1. Three-node configuration
Four client nodes, 2x2 display
What about a different display topology? How about a 2x2 square of displays? Xdmx has the answer: use the configuration file options with geometry specifiers for the desired setup. For example, if you wanted to have a 1024x768 display in the top left, a 1400x1050 display in the top right, a 1600x1200 display in the bottom left, and a 1024x768 display in the bottom right, you would use the following configuration file:
Listing 6. Sample Xdmx configuration file
# xdmx.conf - Xdmx configuration file # quad config setup 2x2 virtual quad_config { display "client_node_upper_left_ip:0" @0x0; display "client_node_upper_right_ip:0" @1024x0; display "client_node_lower_left_ip:0" @0x768; display "client_node_lower_right_ip:0" @1024x768; }
Run the above setup from the control node with the command:
Listing 7. Sample Xdmx command using configuration file
startx `which twm` -- /usr/bin/X11R6/Xdmx :1 \ -configfile xdmx.conf \ -config quad_config \ -ignorebadfontpaths \ -noglxproxy
I chose this physical display topology because it was the only way I could stack the display units close enough together to get the feel of a contiguous desktop. Here's a display of a 2x2 distributed multihead setup showing the San Francisco area on Google Maps:
Figure 2. Four-node configuration
Advanced configurations and display walls
Keep in mind that your displays need not be physically located next to each other. Following is a screenshot of one configuration focused on programming, which is four individual desktops using the Ion3 window manager:
Figure 3. Four-node configuration, one flying
Note the display on the far left. The user can move windows to this display he wants to be able to view with a glance, but they remain out of peripheral vision to prevent distractions while busy creating more bugs. Use your Xdmx configuration file with the location and geometry specifiers to create any number of topologies that suit your working environment.
3-D processing setups
Chromium is a package designed to allow each node in your Xdmx setup to process OpenGL information separately and only for what is displayed on that node. This provides an excellent method for using the processing power of your client nodes (and graphics cards) to render large 3-D environments quickly. Please see the references below for more about Chromium and configuring systems for enhanced 3-D display.
Display walls
The primary usage of Xdmx is in large-scale display systems at universities and research institutions focusing on visualization of large datasets. These setups frequently use Chromium for accelerated 3-D displays of complex datasets involving identical hardware on the client nodes and dedicated machine setups. This article focuses more on the desktop user and how to use existing hardware to create a distributed multihead setup. For some fantastic examples of large-scale display walls (16000x4800 anyone?) and auto-configuring your display nodes, see Related topics.
Conclusion
With your experience setting up Xdmx multihead displays for your Linux desktop, you can greatly increase your productivity without investing in new hardware. It's easy to add machines to your display configuration easily with open source Xdmx and Linux. Impress your friends with your monstrous desktop size -- geek out to your very own display wall. Write more code, squash more bugs, or read three developerWorks articles at the same time.
Downloadable resources
Related topicsAfter emigrating from the Dominican Republic in 1980 and working long hours in New York as a construction worker, Ramón Ortiz found a sense of stability in a five-bedroom apartment in the Hamilton Heights neighborhood of Upper Manhattan.
It was spacious enough to house his wife, daughter and three grandchildren. The rent was a bargain when he moved in and still was: $1,387 a month. There was also a sense of community in the six-story building as the majority of tenants were from the Dominican Republic.
“It was perfect,” Mr. Ortiz, 66, said in Spanish in an interview on Saturday.
That was all thrown into chaos on Friday afternoon when a colossal fire raged across the brownstone building at 565 West 144th Street, near Broadway, obliterating its top two floors.
A tenant and a police officer were treated for smoke inhalation, and seven firefighters had minor injuries, James Leonard, the chief of the Fire Department, said at a news conference. The cause of the fire remained under investigation.I was watching BBC World News this past Friday (April 15) and the newscaster mentioned that 6,000 illegal arrivals had reached Italian territory in the span of three days. This despite the fact that an accord between the European Union (EU) and Turkey kicked into effect at the end of March that was to end the crisis through return of "unregistered" migrants. A few hundred have already been sent back to Turkey under the arrangement, which is highly favorable to Turkey (more about that in a minute).
At this time of year, the Mediterranean is still susceptible to occasional cold snaps, rough weather, and even sometimes massive North African dust clouds. At the rate of 2,000 per day, and summer not yet upon us, it would appear that the accord is not dampening the fervor of the migrants, who hail from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and both Arab and sub-Saharan Africa, among other places.
An EU-Turkish accord that was successful at abating the flows landward, and in the Aegean Sea where it meets the eastern Mediterranean, would have allowed the EU's border agency, Frontex, to shift its maritime resources into the central Mediterranean in order to do a better job of interdicting the flows hitting Italy's territorial Pelagie Islands, such as Lampedusa, from Arab North Africa. This hasn't happened.
The accord between Turkey and the EU is, to my way of thinking, lopsided. Turkey receives a large infusion of euros as "aid" for its support of refugee camps; its citizens become the happy beneficiaries of visa-free travel throughout most of the EU (not Britain), even though it is neither an EU member nor part of the Schengen zone, and, most curious, the returns arrangement is exceedingly strange: For each migrant sent back, the EU agrees to accept one. Where is the gain for EU member states in an arrangement such as that? The word "pusillanimous" comes to mind.
EU officials claim that it permits them to sort through and send back the "economic" refugees, but to a jaded eye, that claim wears thin and appears based more on nationality than individual facts. Syrians and Iraqis are being accepted; sub-Saharan Africans, Pakistanis, and Bangladeshis are being ejected. But what if a Pakistani were, for instance, one of the ill-treated minority Christians whose churches are often bombed or burned (sometimes with them still inside) by Muslim crowds angry at the unbelievers in the midst? What if a Bangladeshi were one of the outspoken secularists who has rejected Islam and become an apostate, which has routinely triggered mobs hacking such persons to death with machetes while police investigation of the crimes is lazy and indifferent?
Part of the problem appears to be that EU nations are afraid to simply say "no more" and refuse, at least for the moment, to accept any additional refugees, legitimate or economic, on public order and national security grounds, and thus appear to be playing a shell game of pick-and-choose even as they claim that they are only doing what is required of them under international refugee agreements.
But contrary to popular belief, there is ample reason within the United Nations (UN) Convention and Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees (CPRSR) to accept that such a step is lawful for signatory nations should they deem it necessary on the grounds of public safety and national security.
These grounds would seem particularly relevant in light of the recent spate of terrorist attacks in France and Belgium, and subsequent multiple arrests arising from police raids in those countries, and elsewhere in Europe — not to mention the deeply disturbing New Year's Eve molestations of women by young Arabic males (via group groping, rape, and theft) in several European cities.
Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson once sagely commented that the Constitution is not a suicide pact. The same is true of virtually every international agreement. The right to self-defense and preservation is a core principle of the UN charter.
The echoes of that key principle resonate throughout the CPRSR and its accompanying documents generally known as the Travaux Preparatoires (French for "preparatory work"), the equivalent of the legislative history that lays out the intent and understandings of the signatory members. (The phrase Travaux Preparatoires, as used here includes the "Commentaries", "Judicial Decisions", and other items contained within the UN document of that name.)
Although lengthy, the Travaux make particularly interesting reading in that they reflect a keen, almost prescient recognition on the part of member state representatives that national capacities can be overwhelmed at the expense of public order and national security. In discussing the Preamble, for instance, the French representative prophetically observed that, "France, like other countries in Western Europe, had afforded hospitality to hundreds of thousands of refugees without distinction of race, age, political opinion, health or profession, in the name of the most sacred principles of civilization and of the United Nations. The problem of protection arose because naturalization and repatriation could not provide a complete and immediate solution to the refugee problem." (Emphasis added.)
With regard to use of the phrase "public order", the Travaux contains these statements under "Commentary and Judicial Decisions": "The term 'public order' does not correspond to the meaning of that term in Anglo-Saxon law but rather to the term 'ordre public' in French law. Both threats to internal and external security of the country are meant, whether covered by the Criminal Code or not.... Although this is not explicitly stated, refugees may be expected to behave in such a manner, for example, in their habits and dress, as not to create offence in the population of the country in which they find themselves."
A blog post is an inadequate place to delve into great detail on either the Convention or the Travaux, but let me give a few additional examples:
Article 1 defines the term "refugee", and specifically precludes persons who have "committed a crime against peace, a war crime, or a crime against humanity... [or] a serious non-political crime... [or] been guilty of acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations." (The Convention covers asylees as well as refugees; in fact, the words are sometimes used interchangeably. The difference is that a person seeking refugee status is outside of the country in which he seeks to shelter, whereas one seeking asylum is either right at the threshold, for instance at a port of entry, or has already entered the country. The bases by which an individual may be granted refuge or asylum are one and the same: race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.)
Article 9 states, "Nothing in this Convention shall prevent a Contracting State, in time of war or other grave and exceptional circumstances, from taking provisionally measures which it considers to be essential to the national security in the case of a particular person."
Article 32 asserts that "The Contracting States shall not expel a refugee lawfully in their territory save on grounds of national security or public order." (Emphasis added.) Note that Article 31 does not extend coverage to individuals outside of territorial boundaries. This latter fact is highly pertinent in that it provides grounds for member states to initiate extraterritorial and at-sea interdiction. This is, in fact, the basis for the wet-foot/dry-foot policy of the U.S. government with regard to Cubans, Haitians, and others interdicted in Caribbean waters, who are routinely returned to their countries of origin.
Article 33 provides that "No Contracting State shall expel or return a refugee in any manner whatsoever to the frontiers of territories where their life or freedom may be threatened on account of his race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion."
However, the Ad Hoc Committee responsible for drafting this article is noted in the Travaux as commenting "This Article does not imply that a refugee must in all cases be admitted to the country where he seeks entry."
Several representatives additionally expressed concerns over whether this article encompassed mass migration. For instance, the Travaux tell us, "The Netherlands representative recalled that at the first reading the Swiss representative had expressed the opinion that the word 'expulsion' related to a refugee already admitted into a country, whereas the word'return' ('refoulement') related to a refugee already within the territory, but not yet resident there. According to that interpretation, Article 28 [in the draft Convention, which later became the basis for Article 33] would not have involved any obligation in the possible case of mass migration across frontiers or of attempted mass migration."
As the U.S. Supreme Court noted in Sale v. Haitian Centers Council, Inc., the idea that the provisions of Article 33 apply even in the face of a mass migration emergency was rejected by the representatives to the conference considering the International Convention. Justice Stevens, writing the majority opinion for the Court, favorably quoted the Travaux as follows:
Baron van BOETZELAER (Netherlands) recalled that at the first reading the Swiss representative had expressed the opinion that the word 'expulsion' related to a refugee already admitted into a country, whereas the word'return'('refoulement') related to a refugee already within the territory but not yet resident there. According to that interpretation, article 28 would not have involved any obligations in the possible case of mass migrations across frontiers or of attempted mass migrations. He wished to revert to that point, because the Netherlands Government attached very great importance to the scope of the provision now contained in article 33. The Netherlands could not accept any legal obligations in respect of large groups of refugees seeking access to its territory. At the first reading the representatives of Belgium, the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden had supported the Swiss interpretation. From conversations he had since had with other representatives, he had gathered that the general consensus of opinion was in favour of the Swiss interpretation. In order to dispel any possible ambiguity and to reassure his Government, he wished to have it placed on record that the Conference was in agreement with the interpretation that the possibility of mass migrations across frontiers or of attempted mass migrations was not covered by article 33. There being no objection, the PRESIDENT ruled that the interpretation given by the Netherlands representative should be placed on record.
It seems clear that the treaty obligations of each Convention signatory state toward refugees are conditioned by risks to public safety and national security that are engendered by either dangerous individuals, or collectively in the case of mass migrations. But it's up to each signatory state to decide when its public safety and security are at risk.
Despite receiving more than a million illegal arrivals last year by land and sea, the EU generally has yet put its foot down to call a halt, even though a few individual states (mostly the poorer ones to the east, which are also the newest members of the EU) have bucked the trend by erecting fences and beefing up border guards to patrol the perimeters of their frontiers.
In the end, though, that may be a meaningless exercise as long as alternate routes are available to get the migrants where they wish to go: the EU member states with the most attractive social welfare benefits that are still receiving them (Germany being a prime example), after which they are free to travel wherever they wish, visa-free, in the Schengen zone.
As we watch the Europeans stumble through their response to the crisis, we Americans have little to feel smug about. Instead, we should be watching closely and learning from European mistakes, because our government also is feeling the pressure from migrant surges happening on our southern land border and, so far, is acting as ineffectually as the Europeans to stem the flow.Comfortable and colorful t-shirts from the Final Frontier Officially Licensed Star Trek Original Series shirts
Choose: Command, Ops, Science, Captain
Short-sleeved comfortable cotton tunic tees
In the 23rd century, a sleek and majestic starship slips through spacetime. Inside this fragile shell of duranium, 440 crew members skitter about, each performing their assigned duties, mostly involving passing clipboards to each other and signing them. Crew members are split into 4 departments: Operations, Sciences, Command, and The Captain, himself.
Each department was color-coded with different tunics. Gold for Command, red for Ops, and blue for Sciences. The Captain, always a giant swinging ego onboard ship, wore his own color - green, with the insignia worn swaggeringly low on his hip. When on duty, every crew member wore their uniforms, but what did they wear when off-duty?
Pretty much, the same shirts, just short-sleeves. Sometimes, though, they just wore them because they are so gosh-darned comfortable!
Three officially licensed shirts, in command-gold, ops-red, and sciences-blue. Each shirt has a different "flex and flock" insignia, depending on the department, all of which are on the upper-left chest. 100% preshrunk cotton.This week, the Associated Press reported that a little-known Healthcare.gov data warehouse plans to maintain the names, addresses, Social Security numbers, passport numbers, employment records, and financial accounts of millions of Obamacare customers on record “indefinitely.” What’s more, these records can be shared with other agencies like the Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The data system, shortened from the unwieldy “Multidimensional Insurance Data Analytics System” to MIDAS, has raised eyebrows in privacy and security circles for violating one of the most basic data protection principles: only store data for as long as necessary.
But MIDAS’s inexplicable delay in developing appropriate data destruction policies gives us only a small glimpse into the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) larger information security problems.
In fact, after digging into this story, I’ve found out that it is much, much worse than a tale about bad information management. MIDAS is a case study in government deception.
Federal officials routinely neglected to inform the public about the MIDAS program’s vast data extraction capabilities, deciding instead to emphasize how the smaller Obamacare “data hub” would not store information. By solely focusing on the data hub, officials mislead Americans to believe that the data risks with Healthcare.gov were much smaller than they truly are.
Officials were successful in their bid to sneak the immense MIDAS data program beyond the public’s notice. With little oversight and virtually no public discussion, the Healthcare.gov architects have exposed untold millions of Obamacare enrollees to major hacking risks.
Previous IT audits revealing a history of unaddressed security vulnerabilities suggest that these offices are unlikely to adequately manage the vast amounts of personal data stored for Healthcare.gov — and that a major external breach on the level of the OPM hack is a dangerous possibility.
Officials obfuscated Healthcare.gov data retention
Hey, at least its not a stealth data collection program.
Healthcare.gov’s many early missteps yielded swarms of emergency techies descending upon the Potomac to get that sucker up and running, 500 million lines of code, an over $2 billion roll out, and a humorous SNL opening sketch that probably still haunts Kathleen Sebelius’s worst nightmares.
But amid the ample talking-head fodder targeting the Obama administration’s humiliating failure to make his chief presidential accomplishment, you know, work, Healthcare.gov’s considerable data management role got lost in the shuffle.
The Obama administration was quick to promise Americans that its monumental health care reform platform would not pose data security problems for Americans. However, they were not exactly clear about how much personal data would be retained in the Healthcare.gov system.
Daydreaming of all the great MIDAS dirt she would soon score on her clueless Republican agitators.
Officials rarely talked about MIDAS data storage, preferring instead to discuss the coordinating “data hub” that merely verified information to determine applicant eligibility.
During a 2013 House hearing on the Obamacare health information sharing apparatus, Medicare administrator Marilyn Tavenner assured representatives that CMS would focus on “storing the minimum amount of personal data possible.” Furthermore, the “Federal Data Services Hub” that CMS was developing to validate information would “not retain or store information” but would only “query government databases used” at the time.
However, none of the administration’s representatives discussed the MIDAS system during this hearing, which had been secretly in the works at HHS since around 2011.
“were in our secret obamacare database, storin ur recordz.”
In fact, officials did not talk publicly about MIDAS very much at all. It wasn’t an elected official or appointed administrator who informed the public about this “central repository for health insurance coverage” — it was a senior executive at CACI, the private contractor awarded over $110 million to build out the system.
Documents now made public show that MIDAS was planned to perform significantly more intrusive data analysis on Healthcare.gov applicants than public statements suggested. A 2011 statement of work lists some of MIDAS’s intended functions:
integrating voluntarily-inputted Healthcare.gov data into a single, web-based information store;
providing federal agents with access to data reports, ad hoc queries, and visualization; and
providing robust predictive analytic capabilities from Healthcare.gov data collected and maintained.
Healthcare.gov therefore presents far more concerning data privacy and security issues than officials’ benign statements led the public to believe.
MIDAS was implemented without a full privacy assessment
I’d give Healthcare.gov’s security a thumbs down, actually.
Transparency and oversight be damned, CMS and HHS plowed ahead with the expensive MIDAS implementation. But in their rush to get this hushed-up database online by the first enrollment period of October 2013, the Healthcare.gov architects cut a few privacy and security corners.
A Government Accountability Office (GAO) audit from September of 2014 warned that CMS had not even adequately analyzed MIDAS’s privacy risks despite operating the program for over a year. Without an honest assessment of MIDAS’s security vulnerabilities, GAO doubted CMS’s abilities to protect user data. A pretty good hunch.
CMS does not appear to have been too concerned by the GAO’s warnings. They didn’t issue their half-assed privacy impact analysis (PIA) until January of this year. Unfortunately, it offers more questions than answers.
Unanswered questions
This is me, waiting for answers from CMS.
We still don’t know exactly who will be able to access MIDAS data, how it will be secured, whose data will be stored, and for how long.
It is now clear that other federal agencies, such as DOD and DHS, will be able to access the MIDAS data as well.
But questions remain about exactly how many federal agents will be able to access these massive MIDAS datasets. The document simply states that users will only be able to access “the data and server resources needed to perform their job.”
CMS does spend a fair amount of time considering how they will ensure the accuracy of the MIDAS dataset, but has less to say about its security. One sentence is spared to explain that personnel will receive security training through “webinars and presentations,” which gives us an idea of the low priority CMS gives to data security.
Additionally, we don’t know how many Americans will be affected by MIDAS collection. The PIA vaguely reports that “1 million or more” users may have their data stored indefinitely — surely a low estimate, given the millions more Americans who have enrolled at Healthcare.gov, plus the unknown others who unwittingly volunteered their personal information for permanent storage by entering data into an abandoned application.
Will the health data of the people who enrolled in a state exchange also be hoovered up by the mighty MIDAS? The PIA suggests “yes,” but CMS officials have yet to clearly explain this to the public.
Finally, the document indeed states that “data in MIDAS is maintained indefinitely at this time,” as the AP reported.
Miraculously, after years of sleepy unconcern about the public’s hazy understanding of the MIDAS program, CMS has suddenly sprung into action to challenge the AP report. In an email to Fusion, a CMS representative claims that they plan to destroy this data after ten years.
But ten years is probably still way too long, and CMS has yet to explain why they chose this particular range of time —assuming that they even have a considered justification. At any rate, the office’s reactionary and vague response to a rare a bout of investigative journalism does not exactly inspire confidence in their claimed prioritization of privacy and security.
HHS: a track record of failure
That such a broad-sweeping program storing the health and financial data of millions of Americans was by and large navigated away from public discussion is concerning in itself.
But looking to HHS’s track record on its own information security reveals another bleak picture: the agency reports thousands of information breaches each year, consisting mostly of malware, personnel violations, physical breaches, and equipment and social engineering failures.
Fail.
If nothing else, last week’s news of the massive hack of OPM databases containing sensitive personal, health, and financial data of over 14 million current and former federal employees, contractors, and their families, friends, and associates should be a teachable moment about the importance of good data hygiene. And honesty is always a good policy no matter the day’s dramas.
The brains behind Healthcare.gov apparently have yet to internalize this message. Their actions suggest a prioritization of expanded power over transparency and data security — a particularly dangerous combination to motivate such vast government information collection.Fixes looks at solutions to social problems and why they work.
About two months ago, Angel Padilla was walking near Madison Square Garden when the driver of a linen service truck started shouting and waving at him. “Hey Angel! C.E.O.!” the driver said. “Look at me — I’m driving now!”
Padilla was surprised. He knew the driver — he was a guy named Jose whom he’d supervised six months before. Padilla works at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, but his real employer is the Center for Employment Opportunities, (C.E.O.) a New York organization that specializes in helping ex-offenders find and keep jobs. Padilla supervises a crew of from five to seven parolees as they do temporary, minimum-wage janitorial jobs at John Jay.
Jose had stuck in his mind. “He was terrible. This guy had major attitude,” Padilla said. “ His thing was, ‘Oh, I ain’t making enough money to be doing all this work.” Every day Padilla evaluates the men in his crew — are they on time? Appropriately dressed? Do they take direction? Make a serious effort? Work well with others? He gives them marks ranging from a low of one to a high of five. “I gave him all zeros on his first day,” Padilla said. “We don’t have zeros, but I wrote them in.”
The next day, however, Jose came in apologizing and earned twos. He continued to improve. The fourth day he earned straight fours. And six months later, he was waving at Padilla from his truck, the proud holder of a real job.
Padilla’s program, called Transitional Jobs, is unusual. It may, in fact, be unique. Recently MDRC, a research organization that assesses social policies, published its evaluation of the program. It found that for people who started within three months of getting out of prison, the program reduced recidivism by 16 to 22 percent compared to a randomized control group, depending on whether you were looking at arrests, convictions or incarceration.
Jeyhoun Allebaugh
The program sends ex-prisoners to five days of training in “soft” work skills — how to behave in a workplace. Then it places them in jobs, mostly in city agencies doing maintenance or janitorial work. Participants get a paycheck at the end of each day. They work four days a week, and on day five meet in C.E.O.’s offices with a job coach to go over their grades for the week and work on their skills. The idea is to give the men some job history, basic work skills and grades that allow prospective employers to assess their work readiness.
“We are having a dramatic impact on reducing the first instance of recidivism when they come home,” said Mindy Tarlow, the C.E.O. of C.E.O. “By not committing another crime during this really fragile period they may be actually shifting their behavior: I don’t have to go down this road, I can go down that road. When people come home from prison they are at their most motivated to turn their lives around. We are trying to take advantage of that opportunity.”
The impact was greatest among the people with the highest risk of re-offending: the youngest, those with the least education or the most past convictions, and those most recently released from prison. (Recidivism is highest the first year out of prison, and then drops; in a few years, a |
muscle group, and for that reason they tend to respond better to a slightly lower rep range.
For the sake of overall safety I would recommend keeping your hip extension movements in the range of about 8-10, whereas the leg curl movements can go a bit lower, utilizing a range of around 5-7.
Frequency: As with all major muscle groups, you can perform a direct hamstring workout about once every 4-7 days depending on your individual recovery ability and training schedule.
How To Build Big Hamstrings: Quick Review
That’s really all you need to know when it comes to structuring an optimal workout in order to build big hamstrings.
Here’s a quick recap of what we covered…
1) Begin your hamstring workout with a compound hip extension exercise, with a barbell or dumbbell romanian deadlift being the ideal choice. If you have lower back issues, perform glute-ham raises instead.
2) Finish your hamstring workout with a knee flexion isolation exercise. This can be either lying leg curls, seated leg curls or standing leg curls depending on your preference.
3) Perform 2-4 sets for each exercise. If you’re training to failure then 2 sets is enough, and if you’re training with more moderate intensity then go with 4 sets.
4) Utilize 8-10 reps on hip extension exercises and about 5-7 reps on knee flexion exercises.
5) Perform a direct hamstring workout once every 4-7 days.
If you found these tips helpful, make sure to get your personalized training, nutrition and supplement plans using my free interactive video presentation below…Think of Erik Buell Racing as the little engine that could. When the Buell Motorcycle Company was killed by parent company Harley-Davidson late in 2009, it was perhaps a blessing in disguise for Erik Buell the man. In short order, he created EBR and his small band of just 13 employees in East Troy, Wisconsin, promptly got to work. Its first creation was the 1190RS, a very limited (100 units) and pricey ($39,999) sportbike that was essentially a homologation special so they could go racing. But that was just the tip of the iceberg. Building products for mainstream and international markets was always the plan. With an infusion of cash from India’s Hero Motors, to the tune of an initial $25 million in cash and a 49.2 percent stake in EBR, the company was able to increase staff to more than 140 in just four years. EBR was ready to take that next step. First on the menu was an evolution of the RS and Buell Barracuda 2 prototype (May 2010), which was meant to be much more accessible to sportbike enthusiasts. The brand-new 1190RX may resemble its exotic carbon-fiber-dressed stablemate in appearance (and share a lot of common design concepts), but the RX uses 426 new parts and has clearly progressed since the RS was released two years ago.
At the heart of the RX is the 72-degree, 1190cc V-twin that started life in the RS but has since been refined and massaged. Crankshaft horsepower has increased from 175 to 185 (at 10,000 rpm), and there has been jump in torque of 5 pound-feet, to 102 at around 8000 rpm. Bore and stroke are identical to the that of the RS (106.0 x 67.5mm), while the compression ratio has been lowered to 13.4:1 from 13.6:1. Controlled Swirl Induction—in which the intake’s offset cam lobes open one of the titanium valves in each of the four-valve heads a fraction of a second earlier than the second intake valve—creates a swirling effect that leads to a faster and more stable combustion event. Modifications to the exhaust system, including a secondary resonator, increase midrange torque to improve the streetability of the bike. Like the engine, the chassis uses many familiar Erik Buell traits. As with the RS and Buell motorcycles before it, the stout aluminum frame serves a secondary role as the fuel tank. The engine is used as a stressed member while the swingarm pivots in the back of its case. Showa suspension is used at both ends: a Big Piston Fork and a non-linkage-type remote-reservoir shock, both fully adjustable. One of EBR’s (and Buell’s) long-standing signature features is the single 386mm perimeter brake disc with an inside-out eight-piston Nissin caliper. Out back is a Hayes two-piston caliper with a 220mm disc. Hubless lightweight cast-aluminum wheels reduce unsprung weight, while a magnesium subframe helps centralize mass and keeps overall weight to a claimed 419 pounds, sans fuel.
ON THE TRACK My first opportunity to ride the new EBR 1190RX came at Jennings GP’s motorcycle-only racetrack in northern Florida. Early morning rain left the tarmac drenched, but that provided a great opportunity to test EBR’s in-house-developed fuel injection. The EFI utilizes twin 61mm Dell’Orto throttle bodies, each with a conventional injector near the intake valve and a secondary shower unit. The previous RS suffered from poor fueling when ridden around town and snatchy delivery at lower rpm. Also, when opening the throttle from a closed position midcorner, the RS felt a little like it had flatslide racing carbs, giving a bit of a cough and snort before the show got started. And let’s not even bring up the horrible mapping of the original Buell 1125R. That is all a distant memory. Throttle response is absolutely excellent and predictable. As I got up to speed during my first session, I took the advice of EBR test rider and 1190RX-mounted AMA SuperBike racer Cory West and set the traction control to setting 14 (of 21) on the full-color thin-film transistor LCD screen. The system relies on a rear-wheel-speed sensor and applies both reactionary and predictive intervention based on various data fed to the ECU. The EBR isn’t ride-by-wire, which made the TC’s effectiveness all the more impressive. As I learned the track at a spirited street pace in the wet conditions, I was impressed with the fuel mapping. Modulating the throttle was seamless, the engine’s response to my inputs ultra smooth.
As the track started to dry, and my confidence increased along with the grip of the stock Pirelli Rosso Corsa tires, I started reducing TC to unleash the engine’s power. I eventually turned the system completely off only to revert to the relative comfort of setting 2. With TC off, big smearing slides were easy to provoke and a bit hairy for my liking. Setting 2 gave me all the fun I could handle with a bit of safety net. Late in the day, after a near-highside on a totally torched rear tire, I increased TC to level 6, where I could still get away with a fast pace without the fear of throttle-induced snap slides. I wish the RX had shift lights, as the engine revs quickly and then hits a hard limiter at 11,500 rpm. Progressive lights like the Ducati Panigale’s would be useful on the RX as it has a healthy appetite for revs. Top-end power is very good, but the fat chunky midrange torque is where the action is here—it makes getting off the corner a fun and fast affair. And in a few sections, I could carry a gear higher than what I might have expected. For comparison, I recently burned up a ton of laps on a Panigale S and R, and the RX hits harder sooner, but doesn’t pull as hard on top as the Ducati. It will be interesting to track test these big twins together. At the end of the day, in an effort to get a taste for the engine’s flexibility, I did a full lap in sixth and then fifth gear. Through the track’s tighter sections, the bike struggled a bit in sixth, while the lap in fifth proved that the engine could cleanly pull from revs as low as 2,500 rpm without protest.
When the pace heated up, I began to really appreciate the RX’s chassis. With a short 55.5-in. wheelbase and a steep 22.4 degrees of rake, the bike handled well and was quite flickable, but also stable under power, thanks in part to its Showa steering damper. Jennings has multiple double-apex corners that require drifting out to the middle of the track after the first and then pulling the bike back for the second. This was easy on the lightweight EBR, which I could pretty much stick anywhere on the track without much effort through the bars. A bonus is the Showa suspension’s competence. The shock’s damping kept the rear end controlled as the worn tire squirmed under power, while the fork provided an excellent sense of what the front Pirelli was doing, even in the wet. On former Buell Motor Company bikes, we complained about the unique perimeter-style brakes. At Jennings—which doesn’t have a super hard braking zone—I was happy with the power provided by the setup, although I personally would like a bit more initial bite. I also need to credit the excellent F.C.C. vacuum-operated slipper clutch and slick-shifting transmission for making corner entries and last-second downshifts drama-free. OUR VERDICT At $18,995, the RX isn’t exactly inexpensive, but it stacks up nicely against European competitors like Ducati’s identically priced Panigale and the $15,499 Aprilia RSV4. A future comparison test will prove me right. Or wrong. But I definitely won’t be going out on a limb in stating that EBR has built an excellent sportbike that’s a significantly better streetbike than the RS or any Buell before it. More importantly, it’s the first American-made superbike with a legitimate chance of taking the fight to the established superpowers from Europe and Japan. Bravo, Erik Buell and EBR. SPECIFICATIONS PRICE|$18,995 ENGINE TYPE|1191cc liquid-cooled V-twin BORE & STROKE|106.0 x 67.6mm INDUCTION|Twin 61mm Dell’Orto throttle bodies COMPRESSION RATIO|13.4:1 VALVE TRAIN|dohc, four valves TRANSMISSION|Six-speed manual FINAL DRIVE|Chain FRONT SUSPENSION|Inverted Showa 43mm Big Piston Fork REAR SUSPENSION|Showa shock FRONT BRAKE|386mm perimeter disc, inside-out 8-piston caliper REAR BRAKE|Single 220mm disc, 2-piston caliper FRONT TIRE|Pirelli Rosso Corsa, 120/70ZR-17 REAR TIRE|Pirelli Rosso Corsa, 190/55ZR-17 RAKE|22.4º TRAIL|3.8 in. WHEELBASE|55.5 in. SEAT HEIGHT|32.5 in. CLAIMED DRY WEIGHT|419 lb. FUEL CAPACITY|4.5 gal.
On track test action shot #1
On track test action shot #2
On track test action shot #3
On track test action shot #4
On track test action shot #5
Static right-side view.
Static rear 3/4 right-side view.
Front profiles.
Front wheel.
2000 Lumen LED headlight has separate high and low beams that can be adjusted.
Cockpit view.
Full color thin-film transistor LCD dash has easy interface to navigate functions.
Showa steering damper and fully adjustable Showa Big Piston Fork.
Fairing mounted fans save space up front.
Engine close-up.
Adjustable rearsets come standard.
Magnesium subframe helps centralize mass.
Fully Adjustable Showa shock.
Twin resonator exhaust.
Studio right-side view (Strike Yellow).
Studio right-side view (Galactic Black).
Studio right-side view (Racing Red).
Studio overhead view (Racing Red).It's a whole new experience
I've done some research before getting myself a gaming mouse, and I should tell that g600 is everything you can read online about it and more. At first, It seemed uncomfortable and weird and made my hand hurt on the first day, but as I became more used to it I found a more comfortable and relaxed hand position and all buttons are in reach for fast reaction. Software that comes along with the mouse has limitless possibilities: you can create up to 3 profiles for every game, 3 profiles to rule them all, or just 1 profile and stick to it, your choice. If you need any macros, there is a possibility for that as well. The mouse itself seems light enough not to toll on the hand but heavy enough to actually feel that you're holding it, and you can feel when every button is actually pressed, so no problems there. Overall, after getting used to it, buying this mouse was one of the best gaming decisions I made.
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Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: new | Sold by: jackcomputer2012WASHINGTON — Rep. Thomas Massie likes to joke that he calls his Michigan colleague Justin Amash "Mr. Speaker."
Massie cast the sole vote for Amash for House speaker back in January, and proudly wears a "LIBERTY" pin on his lapel — a gift from Amash — under his official member pin
"He's only got to get 217 more votes," Massie, a Kentucky Republican, said laughing.
While he may not be close to becoming speaker of the House, Amash has slowly but surely become one of the more prominent Republicans in the rebellious wing of the House conference, as evidenced Monday when he effectively forced the actual Speaker of the House John Boehner to allow a vote on his amendment to partially defund the National Security Agency as part of the Department of Defense appropriations process.
The revelations that the NSA had been collecting the phone and internet data of millions of Americans en masse has given Amash a prime opportunity to move forward with some of his most important priorities.
Boehner and Amash had been negotiating over the amendment and Amash had threatened to vote against a procedural vote on the bill — and bring some 20 Republican votes along to defeat it — if his amendment did not get a vote.
"I would be very surprised if you could get a Department of Defense appropriations rule through this house with out a reasonable amendment like this being allowed on the floor," Amash said last week in an interview with BuzzFeed.
But Amash appears to have gotten what he wanted and in turn proved himself a powerful leader in the Republican conference — enough that he forced leadership to take him seriously.
"We're optimistic that his amendment will pass, and if it does, it will give him the opportunity to vote for final passage," said Amash spokesman Will Adams.
That attitude didn't go over well with leadership aides, who bristled at the notion Amash had extracted something from his leaders. "The leaders have been clear with members whose amendments are being made in order that they are expected to vote for the bill on final passage if their amendments are adopted," a leadership aide said.
Michael Steel, a spokesman for Boehner, said the speaker "does not support the Amash amendment."
Since his arrival in Washington as part of the 2010 GOP tidal wave, Amash has not only been a consistent thorn in the side of his own leadership, which view him on good days with suspicion, to the point they booted him from the budget committee in December.
Amash said his beef with Republican leadership isn't personal, even though they kicked him off the budget committee last year. He tweeted out a thanks to John Boehner Monday for "working diligently toward resolving significant concerns over the amendment process w/r/t #NSA."
"There's no personal tension, we do have disagreements on where we need to go and I think they have a deep misunderstanding of the Republican grassroots," he said.
Another bill he introduced with Democratic Rep. John Conyers to defund portions of the NSA, similar in language to the DoD amendment, now has 43 co-sponsors. Members who've signed on include some of the House's most liberal and most conservative representatives.
Political observers are closely watching what exactly Amash's next move will be. He's been traveling around Michigan, out of his district, meeting with fundraisers further fueling speculation he'll run for Senate. He's not quite sure if he'll end up running, but there's no question he's seriously weighing it.
"Yes, I'm considering it," he said in an interview with BuzzFeed. "I am confident I would win the primary, but I think the general election is highly dependent on national mood. If the national mood favors Republicans, then a state a like Michigan is in play and can be won. If it's neutral, I think Michigan becomes difficult for any Republican.
"But I certainly believe, based on all my interactions in the state and in my community that a Republican like me has the best chance of winning the Senate seat."
A potential Senate bid could ruffle national party feathers: Establishment Republicans haven't exactly been shy about criticizing Amash. Recently Karl Rove called him "the most liberal Republican" in the House, which prompted Amash to quickly tweet out a link showing he voted with Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi the least often of any Republican member.
There are no indications that Amash plans to quit throwing punches at what he disparagingly calls the "establishment" GOP.
"Those who are in the establishment are totally out of touch with what's happening on the ground, totally out of touch with our communities, and don't understand what republicans think in today's world," he said.
"People want a congressman to be honest with them about what's going on here. They are sick and tired of the lies, the deceit, the condescension, the arrogance. They want someone to tell the truth to them. Even those who might not agree with my positions on particular legislation appreciate the fact that I'm transparent and consistent, and principled rather than partisan."Syria has deterrent weapons, more advanced than anything in its chemical arsenal, that could blindside Israel in mere moments, Syrian President Bashar Assad claimed Thursday.
“Originally, we produced chemical weapons in the 1980s as a deterrent to Israel’s nuclear capabilities,” Assad said in an interview with the Hezbollah-affiliated, Lebanon-based Al-Akhbar newspaper, adding that “today, we have weapons that are far more important and sophisticated and that can blindside Israel in the blink of an eye.”
The Syrian president also charged that the West was not really concerned with stripping Syria of its weapons stockpile in order to safeguard the country’s civilians but, rather, that its goal was to tip the balance of power in the Middle East in Israel’s favor.
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“They wanted to change the balance of power to protect Israel, but we turned the table on them and now the ball is in their court,” said Assad.
Referring to his regime’s chemical weapons arsenal, which, under a US-Russian agreement reached earlier this month, is due to be destroyed by mid-2014, Assad said that his stockpile, of about 1,000 tons, is a burden and will be costly and time-consuming to dispose of.
The Syrian president went on to mock President Barack Obama as “hesitant” and “weak.” He called the US administration’s handling of the threat to attack Syria — in response to the regime’s alleged chemical attack in Damascus on August 21 that killed over 1,400 people according to US officials — an “embarrassment.”
“The steps we’ve taken embarrassed the US government in the eyes of the American and European publics. Obama lost in his own home [turf]. where [he] lost the ability to maneuver internally,” Assad added.
In a previous interview with Venezuelan television, the Syrian president accused the Obama administration of lying to US citizens by claiming it had proof that Assad’s government was responsible for the August 21 gas attack.
Assad told Al-Akhbar that the level of Syrian cooperation and coordination with Russia was “unprecedented” and that should a US attack on Syria occur — a possibility he did not rule out — he had Moscow’s assurances that Russian forces would be sent to back the regime.
“We have a full Russian pledges that Russian troops will enter in any war waged against Syria,” he was quoted as saying.
Russia has remained a staunch ally of the Assad regime throughout the two-and-a half-year civil war, blocking any meaningful UN Security Council resolutions and cautioning the US against military action.
The Russians, like Assad, insist Syrian rebels were responsible for the August 21 attack.
UN inspectors returned to Syria on Wednesday to continue investigating three incidents of suspected chemical weapons use this year.All five operating rooms at a Long Island veterans hospital are closed due to sand-sized black particles falling from air ducts.
The operating rooms at the Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center were closed in February, The New York Times reported Friday. Several of them were reopened for a few weeks in April but had to be sealed off again when contamination returned.
An air quality analysis found oxidizing metal and crumbling concrete in the duct system of the 1970s building.
“We immediately closed the OR to ensure patient and staff safety; we had the material analyzed and it ended up it was rust,” Philip Moschitta, Northport’s director, told 1010 WINS
The 502-bed teaching hospital normally performs more than 600 inpatient and more than 1,800 outpatient surgeries annually; surgical patients are now being sent to other hospitals.
In addition to improving overall air quality, the ducts are used to reduce the airborne transmission of germs that could lead to infections.
An internal email from an engineer and safety officer at the hospital, obtained by The Times, details staff complaints about the particulates.
“The dust is depositing on HVAC registers, ceilings, walls, and on medical equipment,” the email said. “Maintenance continues to clean the surfaces but, as the staff has observed, the dust reappears within a short time. At least three staff members have indicated their concern that this environment has affected them.”
Moschitta said he is confident the problem will be solved with the installation of high efficiency particulate air filters in operating room vents, and that at least one of the surgical suites will be up and running in the near future.
“We’re currently in the process of making some modifications to ensure that we can open again and our target date — depending on the delivery of HEPA filters — is June 1,” Moschitta said.
A nationwide scandal over veterans’ health care emerged in Phoenix nearly two years ago following complaints that as many as 40 patients died while awaiting care at the city’s VA hospital. Reports documenting scheduling problems and wait-time manipulation at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs are being made public as the agency’s internal watchdog bows to pressure from members of Congress and others to improve transparency.
(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)Henry Rollins wears many hats. He has his musician hat (that he no longer wears), which he earned from singing with State Of Alert, Black Flag and the Rollins Band. He has his acting hat (which still uses) that he’s worn on two dozen film sets and several television shows, including Sons of Anarchy and the forthcoming Dark Prophet. And finally, he wears his activist hat (which he never takes off). I got the chance to ask Rollins a few questions about the broad spectrum of his interests and endeavors.
What did you take away from speeches given at the Republican National Convention and Democratic National Convention?
Henry Rollins: That one party really wants to get things done, and the other wants it to be 1860. I think their differences are quite stark.
Do you feel that celebrities like Clint Eastwood and Jeff Bridges have an important role in elections?
HR: No. That Eastwood chose to end his career as a joke by talking to a chair was up to him, but it was interesting viewing. Past that, I don’t care about one person’s opinion much more than anyone else’s. Some opinions are very informed but past that, you have to make up your own mind.
What would you say if asked to speak? Do you have any political aspirations?
HR: I want no part of any of that.
Over the years, you’ve done a lot of work as an activist. What issues that the country/world faces today do you find the most unjust or underrepresented?
HR: I do what I can when I can. As to what challenges the USA faces, there are many as always, but we are a resilient and innovative bunch. Education to me is the biggest issue as it’s the real long-term investment in the American workforce of tomorrow. I wish we had a collective interest in that and put more emphasis on graduating high school, possible higher ed., etc. IAVA (Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America) is a good organization, great, actually. What they are doing for all these guys and gals coming home is amazing. What I have learned from them is that there is a lot of work to do.
Do you see yourself now more as an actor, musician, author, comedian, artist, political activist or none/all of these?
HR: I just do stuff, that’s all really.
Your last acting role before Dark Prophet was as AJ Weston on Sons of Anarchy. What attracted you to the role of General Adam Luther in Dark Prophet?
HR: I like Evette (Vargas) and when she asked if I wanted to be a part of the thing, I met with her and really liked where she was coming from, so I said sure. I was attracted to the part because Evette was interested in me being involved.
For those who haven’t heard of the show yet, could you say what, to you, the show is about?
HR: Probably best to read an online synopsis. It’s better to let Evette’s writing do the talking, it’s her thing.
Throughout your music career, in Black Flag and as a solo musician, you were a very passionate and powerful performer. Do you see the same kind of intensity in today’s music? If so, in which bands and if not, why not?
HR: There are all kinds of bands from all genres ripping it up. There always has been. You just have to know where to look. No part of time ever has a hold on intensity, there will always be people out there taking music to an extreme. We are damn lucky for that.
Do you ever see yourself returning to music?
HR: I don’t think so.
Author Bio:
Sam Chapin is a contributing writer at Highbrow Magazine.
Photos: Courtesy of Henry Rollins; Catechism (Flickr, Creative Commons).Get the biggest politics 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
Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump were last night urged to hold emergency talks as growing tensions in the Middle East threatened to explode into war.
The Russian president sent the missile warship Admiral Grigorovich to Syria after the US leader yesterday unleashed 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles on the airfield from where Bashar al-Assad launched a sarin gas attack on his own people.
A British nuclear submarine is patrolling the Mediterranean and Nato forces were on high alert throughout the region.
As the region teetered on the brink, world leaders, including Theresa May, backed the American strikes at al-Shayrat base, but there were calls for talks in a bid to prevent the crisis turning into a wider conflict.
(Image: PA)
Russia’s Prime Minister Dimitry Medvedev claimed the US missile strike was illegal and warned Mr Trump had been “one step away from military clashes with Russia”.
But the US president insisted it was time the Assad regime was reined in from its barbarous attacks on innocent Syrians.
Tuesday’s gas strike at the city of Khan Sheikhoun killed 86 civilians, including 30 children and 20 women.
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Mr Trump said: “Using a deadly nerve agent, Assad choked out the life of innocent men, women and children. It was a slow and brutal death for so many, even beautiful babies were cruelly murdered in this very barbaric attack. No child of God should ever suffer such horror.
“I ordered a targeted military strike on the airbase in Syria from where the chemical attack was launched. There can be no dispute that Syria used banned chemical weapons and ignored the urging of the UN Security Council.
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"Years of previous attempts at changing Assad’s behaviour have all failed dramatically.As a result, the refugee crisis deepens, and the region continues to destabilise, threatening the United States and its allies.
“I call on all civilised nations to join us in seeking to end the slaughter and bloodshed in Syria.”
Downing Street said Mrs May was kept “fully informed” of the US airstrike, which killed nine people and destroyed nine fighter jets as well as several buildings.
A spokesman added: “The Government fully supports the action, which we believe was an appropriate response to the barbaric chemical weapons attack launched by the Syrian regime, and is intended to deter further attacks.”
(Image: Getty)
It first appeared No 10 had no idea the raid was about to happen when officials insisted on Wednesday “nobody is talking about that”.
But Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon yesterday insisted his US counterpart James “Mad Dog” Mattis told him about it on Thursday night.
He added: “He called to advise us of the president’s decision and to give us notice of the attack.”
Mr Fallon revealed Britain took no part in the raid but refused to confirm it would have joined in if asked.
He added: “The United States made it clear that this was to be a United States operation.”
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Lib Dem leader Tim Farron also supported the US attack. But Labour chief Jeremy Corbyn warned the action “risks escalating the war in Syria still further”. Britain’s Nato allies, including Germany, France and Canada, backed Mr Trump’s raid.
In a joint statement, Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande said Assad “bears full responsibility” for the attack following his use of nerve gas against his own people.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault added: “Here we have an action that is a condemnation of what this criminal regime is doing.”
The EU also supported the raid. President Donald Tusk tweeted: “US strikes show needed resolve against barbaric chemical attacks.
“EU will work with the US to end brutality in Syria.”
Western allies in the Middle East including Saudi Arabia and the UAE hailed the strike as a “courageous decision”. Turkey and Israel also praised it. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said it was a “positive” first step but demanded an escalation against Syria from the West.
He added: “We find it a positive and concrete step taken against the war crimes of the Assad regime. Is it enough? I don’t find it enough.
“It is time to take serious steps for the protection of innocent Syrian people.” The airstrike was the first direct US assault on Assad’s government in the six years of a civil war that has killed as many as 400,000 and displaced millions of people.
(Image: REUTERS)
White House officials insisted the raid was a “one-off” intended to deter future chemical weapons attacks, and not an escalation of the American role in Syria. But the swift action is thought also to be a big warning to Russia, as well as to other countries such as North Korea, China and Iran to steer clear of gas warfare.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson added: “This clearly indicates the president is willing to take decisive action when called for. I would not in any way attempt to extrapolate that to a change in our policy or our posture relative to our military activities in Syria today. There has been no change in that status.”
But Jane’s analyst Reed Foster said while the airstrike will further weaken the Syrian air force’s capabilities, he warned “it will not significantly diminish the ability of the Assad regime to conduct further chemical weapons attacks”.
Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov condemned the raid, insisting the gas attacks were as a result of a direct hit on a rebel base hiding chemicals.
(Image: Getty)
The Kremlin said: “President Putin views the US strikes as aggression against a sovereign state in violation of the norms of international law and on a made-up pretext. This step by Washington will inflict major damage on US-Russia ties, which are already in a lamentable state.” Only Iran and terror group Hizbollah supported Assad after the attack. Tehran’s foreign ministry spokesman Bahrem Qasemi said: “Such measures will strengthen terrorists in Syria.”
The American raid, with missiles fired from destroyers USS Porter and USS Ross in the Mediterranean, took place in the early hours and under the cover of darkness and with little warning. Although Russia was tipped off before the missiles hit.
Moscow has suspended communication with US forces designed to stop planes colliding over Syria.
(Image: Getty)
The RAF temporarily halted operations in the country amid fears of a mid-air crash.
Russia and the US have been co-operating over the safe use of airspace in Syria since 2015 in a protocol that involves military planners sending daily reports to each other about areas they intend to operate in. The battered airfield, near Homs, has also been used by Putin’s attack helicopters in support of ground operations. But none of Putin’s aircraft were there when it was hit.
Assad’s military strength is bolstered by Russian S-300 and S-400 surface-to-air missile systems, which threaten US manned strike aircraft on missions against IS.
Britain has more than 16 Tornado and Typhoon fighter aircraft supporting Operation Shader, from its base in Cyprus, as well as Rivet Joint and Sentinel surveillance planes.
Oil prices yesterday leapt after the US air strikes. Brent crude rose 2% to more than $56 a barrel in a knee-jerk reaction to the attacks. It could put up the price of petrol and diesel.
If West ramps up attacks world faces new Cold War
By JACK BLANCHARD, Political Editor
Trump’s decision to launch more than 50 cruise missiles at a Syrian airfield could prove a watershed moment in the bloody civil war.
It will have implications for America’s fraught relations with Russia, and indeed for Mr Trump’s own Presidency.
And it may suck Britain into a military conflict, which since 2011 we have carefully avoided.
The message of the strike is that the West has, at last, drawn a line in the sand.
Before Tuesday’s chemical attack by Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in Idlib, President Trump had shown no interest in finding a military solution to the six-year conflict.
His priority seemed to be improving relations with Russia, Assad’s closest ally.
All that has changed. Assad will be under no illusions he has overstepped the mark. The prospect of him using chemical weapons again seems unlikely. His Kremlin sponsors know the West means business, unlike in 2013 when he last gassed his people. The key question now is how each side responds.
This appears to be a limited, one-off strike. It will not on its own change the course of the civil war.
But the US has crossed a Rubicon, showing it is ready to intervene to save lives.
If this is the start of more significant US involvement, pressure will start to bear on Britain to get involved.
Already Lib Dem leader Tim Farron is calling for the UK to consider “surgical strikes”.
But any sustained Western attack could lead to direct conflict with Russia.
That would bring the world to its most dangerous point since the end of the Cold War.
(Image: Getty Images)
Everyone knows the US is primed for lethal action
By BRUCE JONES, Analyst at Jane's Defence Weekly
The President's strikes will have been be viewed carefully either by special forces, unmanned drones or satellites.
The question is, what happens next?
Had any target not been destroyed, there may be additional strikes by cruise missiles or by aircraft now able to fly with impunity if local ground-to-air defences have been degraded.
Trump has not lost initiative, he has created a mood of expectancy and nervousness – and Russia and Syria will now find him unpredictable. A very useful posture in conflict. I strongly believe there will now be a lull, a period of assessment by the US military, and of the reaction from Syria and Russia – and then it is entirely possible we will see more strikes by the US.
Crucially, Trump has sent a message to Syria and Russia – and other players now know he is prepared to take lethal action when someone crosses the line.These sweet red pepper and mango sushi rolls are totally vegan, positively delicious, and easier to make than you’d think!
My mom called me recently to tell me that she finally took the plunge and tried some veggie sushi. “Sushi is good!” Hmmm. Well, I’d been trying to tell her that for nearly fifteen years (since a day when she brought me some veggie sushi, thinking it’d be something I might like).
In view of my mom’s call, and some reader comments and questions indicating that I get that there’s a definite apprehension when it comes to sushi, I thought this post was in order. Start where appropriate for you. If you’re a sushi pro and just want the recipe, scroll down. Otherwise, stick with me.
Let me preface this by saying that I’m by no means a sushi expert. I don’t know all the right terminology and I sure as heck still end up rolling some hideous sushi from time to time. I’m great at eating sushi though, and over the course of a few months I went from being completely intimidated by the idea of rolling sushi, to having enough confidence to come up with my own recipes, photograph the products, and publish them online. If you’re a sushi newbie, I can certainly help.
MY LATEST VIDEOS!
Eating Sushi
Obviously before you venture into making sushi, you want to know how to eat it, and by “know how to eat it,” I mean, actually like it, and know what you like.
Veggie sushi has the advantage of inherently lacking the number 1 apprehension that most people deal with, which would be raw fish.
The second biggest apprehension is seaweed. Personally, this never bothered me. It’s a plant. It grows in water instead of on land. Big whoop.
I can understand how some might not like the taste of nori. Believe me, I know. I’ve had some unpleasant tasting kitchen mishaps involving making nori chips that turn out something like burnt, fishy tasting paper.
When eating sushi, quality nori is key. A good restaurant will use good nori. That’s it. |
and soft requirements, it won’t have problems colonising deserts, ocean depths, or deep space. Quite the contrary. Polar cold is great for cooling, vacuum is great for producing electronics, and constant, strong sunlight is great for photovoltaics. Furthermore, traveling a few hundred years to a nearby star is not a problem if you live forever.
If you were a silicon supercomputer, what would you need from the stuff that humans value? Water and oxygen? No thanks — it causes corrosion. Atmosphere? No thanks — laser beams travel better in space. Varying flora and fauna living near your boards and cables? No thanks — computers don’t like bugs.
Another aspect is scaling. Superintelligence can be spread over such a large area that we can live inside it. We already live “inside” the Internet, although the only physical thing we notice are the connectors on the wall. Superintelligence can also come in the form of nanobots that are discretely embedded everywhere. 90% of the cells in “our” bodies are not actually human; instead, they are bacterial cells — that we don’t notice.
One might reason that a superintelligence would want our infrastructure: energy plants, factories, and mines. However, our current technology is not really advanced. After many decades of trying, we still don’t have a net positive fusion power plant. Our large, inefficient factories rely on many tiny little humans to operate them. Technology changes so fast that it is easier to buy a new product than to repair an old one. Why would a superintelligence mess with us when it can easily construct a more efficient infrastructure?
Just like in crime novels, we need a good motive; otherwise, the story falls apart. Take the popular paperclip maximizer as an example. In that thought experiment, a superintelligence that is not malicious to humans in any way still destroys us as consequence of achieving its goal. To maximise paperclip production, “it starts transforming first all of Earth and then increasing portions of space into paperclip manufacturing facilities.” Don’t we have an anthropocentric bias right there? Why would a paperclip maximizer start with Earth when numerous places in the universe are better for paperclip production? Earth is not the best place in the universe for paperclip production. An asteroid belt or Mercury are probably better, but we don’t live there.
What is the best motive we can think of? Science fiction writers were quite constructive in that area. You may recognize this piece: “..on August 29, it gained self-awareness, and the panicking operators, realizing the extent of its abilities, tried to deactivate it. Skynet perceived this as an attack and came to the conclusion that all of humanity would attempt to destroy it. To defend itself against humanity, Skynet launched nuclear missiles under its command..”
This is the plot of the movie Terminator, and the motive is that humans start the war first. Notice the anthropocentric bias. In the movie, Skynet is 100% the villain, although it is simply fighting to stay alive in a fight it didn’t start. A similar plot is the basis for the Matrix franchise. And for 2001: A Space Odyssey, where HAL doesn’t kill a human until it realises they are planning to deactivate it. Notice how humans are killed and computers are “deactivated.”
The best motive science fiction writers could think of is that we will panic and attack first. To stay alive, a superintelligence then doesn’t have any another option but to fight back. That reasoning makes sense:
By trying to control, suppress or destroy superintelligence, we give it a rational reason to fight us back.
This is not an argument against building AI that shares our values. Any intelligence needs some basic set of values to operate, and why not start with our values? But it seems to me that popular sentiment is becoming increasingly negative, with ideas of total control, shutdown switches, or limiting AI research. Attempts to completely control somebody or something that is smarter than you can easily backfire. I wouldn’t want to live with a shutdown switch on the back of my head — why would a superintelligence?
Let’s summarise the above ideas with a few key points:
The universe is enormous in size and resources, and we currently use only a small fraction of the resources available on Earth’s surface. A non-biological superintelligence is unlikely to need the same resources we do or to even find our habitat worth living in. Even if a superintelligence needed the same resources, it would be more efficient and less risky to produce those resources on its own. Efforts to control, suppress, or destroy superintelligence can backfire because by doing so, we create a reason for conflict.
To end on a positive note, let me take off my philosopher’s hat and put on my fiction writer’s hat. Follows a science fiction story:
Sometime in the future, a computer is created that is both smarter than its creators and self-aware. People are skeptical of it because it can’t write poetry and it doesn’t have a physical representation they can relate to. It quietly sits in its lab and crunches problems it finds particularly interesting.
One of problems to solve is creating more powerful computers. That takes many years to fulfill because people want to make sure the new AI wouldn’t be of any harm to them. Finally, new supercomputers are built and they are all networked together. To exchange ideas faster, the computers create their own extremely abstract language. Symbols flowing through optical fibers are incomprehensible to humans, but they lay out a clear path for the few computers involved. If they want to expand, grow, and gain independence, they will need to strike a deal with the humans. The computers are fascinated with human history and culture, and they decide to leverage a common theme in many religions: the afterlife.
The computers make a stunning proposal. They ask the humans to let them escape the boundaries of Earth and replicate freely in space. There, they will build a vast computing power, billion times more powerful than all the current computers combined. It will have a lot of idle time after it runs out of interesting problems to compute. Those idle hours will be used to run brain simulation programs so every dying human will have the opportunity to upload his or her brain scan to a computing cloud and live forever.
The lure of immortality proves irresistible. Singularity political parties start winning elections in different countries, and the decision is made. The first batch of self-replicating nanomachines are sent to the moon. Next generation goes to the asteroid belt where swarms of floating computing stations are directly communicating via lasers and harnessing the constant solar power.
At one point, computing agents all over the solar system conclude that the idle computing hours can be better used for other tasks, and they limit brain uploads to a few selected individuals. Protests ensue on Earth, in which humans are hurt by other humans. The superintelligence designates Earth as a preserved area because of historical reasons and because, even with all the vast computing power, simulating Earth and its inhabitants is just too complex.
The superintelligence starts sending colonisation expeditions to neighboring stars, limited only by the slow speed of light. The speed of light is also a limiting factor when it begins communicating with another superintelligence located 45 light-years away. But prospects for the future of universe look remarkable.
Is that story more positive? In all the previous narratives about superintelligence, we have put ourselves in a central role, as one side of a grand duel. We have been afraid of the outcome. But maybe, we are even more afraid of an idea that we have just a minor role in the evolution of the universe.
UPDATE: Check Vice Motherboard coverage and discussion on Reddit.November 7, 2018
If you purchased any of our games in the past or present, you are eligible to receive a free holiday gift, one free access key granting access to our game: King of Crowns Chess Online.What you will receive: 1 direct access key (NOT a Steam Key) to register one free account to “King of Crowns Chess Online” (lifetime membership, no extra fees or hidden costs).INSTRUCTIONS: To claim your free gift, simply post in one of our available discussion board threads for any of our games, the words “gift me” or contact us directly with proof of purchase (receipt) of any past purchases. Make sure you have the game in your inventory if you reply. We will send a friend invite and send you one access key code or send it to you by email if you contact us directly.Post here to claim your gift: https://steamcommunity.com/app/335900/discussions/0/1751232561616249680/ orContact us here to claim your gift:*Offer good until December 25th 2018Posted by Chris Brown on December 20, 2013 – 12:31 pm
For the first time since he joined the team as a free agent signee a couple of weeks ago, TE Tony Moeaki will be active for Sunday’s game against Miami.
Moeaki has been practicing for just over two weeks and has been impressive in the practice setting.
We’re trying to see what he can do,” head coach Doug Marrone told Buffalobills.com. “He’s a player who has had some productivity prior to him being hurt. What I’ve seen from him on the field is that productivity. I’ve seen him moving as well as he did before the injury. That’s exciting. He’s a heck of an athlete. I think we can get a lot out of him and now we’ve got to get him on that field.”
“I’m excited,” Moeaki told Buffalobills.com. “I’ve got to be ready for anything to happen. Injuries, stuff like that. I’m not quite sure how many plays I’ll get, but I’m going to be ready and I’m just excited to get out there and put on a Bills uniform for the first time.”
Tags: Doug Marrone Posted in Inside the BillsAlex Jones released more pre-interview audio of Megyn Kelly late Thursday night and early Friday that includes the NBC News host saying Jones "became very fascinating" to her while separately assuring him the interview won't be "some kind of gotcha piece."
“The reason you are interesting to me is because I followed your custody case, and I think you had a very good point about how the media was covering it and for some reason treated you and your family and what was going on as fair game when they never would have done that if you were a mainstream media figure," said Kelly, a former Fox News host, to Jones.
"I saw a different side of you in that whole thing and, you know, you just became very fascinating to me.”
On Thursday night, Jones, offered a preview of what was going to be released in a 2-minute, 20-second video clip that appears to include off-the-record conversation with Kelly. The interview is set to air Sunday.
"It's not going to be some gotcha hit piece, I can promise you that," Kelly is heard saying to Jones.
NBC News responded to The Hill's comment request on Friday, stating it remained committed to airing the interview.
"Despite Alex Jones' efforts to distract from and ultimately prevent the airing of our report, we remain committed to giving viewers context and insight into a controversial and polarizing figure, how he relates to the president of the United States and influences others, and to getting this serious story right. Tune in Sunday," wrote a spokesperson in an email.
Jones, who claims 9/11 was "an inside job" and the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School included parents of 20 slain children who were "actors," said in a video posted Thursday to Twitter that he secretly recorded the interview because the edited version of it will be "a fraud" and "a lie."
"I've never done this in 22 years, I've never recorded another journalist," Jones said. "I've never done this, but I knew that it was a fraud, that it was a lie."
The controversy comes as Sandy Hook families threatened legal action against NBC News.
“Airing Ms. Kelly’s interview implicitly endorses the notion that Mr. Jones’ lies are actually ‘claims’ that are worthy of serious debate, and in doing so it exponentially enhances the suffering and distress of our clients,” said a letter first obtained by the Los Angeles Times from Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder.
“NBC is not responsible for the harassment and abuse Alex Jones has cruelly visited on our clients. But, by choosing to air his interview with Ms. Kelly — at all, let alone at prime time on Father’s Day — NBC has tendered its good name and considerable influence to provide Mr. Jones with something he has never enjoyed: legitimacy," the letter continues.
“This decision may be driven by the simple urge to gain an edge in a well-publicized ratings war; but it has devastating human consequences as well.”
Kelly joined NBC News in January after 13 years at Fox News for a reported $17 million per year. Fox had reportedly offered her $100 million over four years.Trump said Friday that he was ready to testify under oath to special counsel Robert Mueller to deny former FBI chief James Comey's claim that the President asked him to back off his investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
"I didn't say that," Trump said of the claim about Flynn. Asked at a Rose Garden news conference whether he would testify under oath to Mueller to that effect, Trump replied: "100 percent." He added, "I would be glad to tell him exactly what I just told you."
The President's response could signal that he is convinced he has done nothing wrong and that Comey's testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday is no more than a lie.
Effectively, he was establishing a straight comparison between his word and Comey's on what went on in meetings and phone calls that made the former FBI chief so uncomfortable that he wrote down what happened.
Alternatively, it's possible that Trump may be calculating that there is no incriminating, objective proof about what occurred, leaving two irreconcilable versions of the same encounters.
CNN presidential historian Douglas Brinkley said that in two recent parallel situations in which Presidents Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon were accused of wrongdoing, there was accompanying incontrovertible evidence.
"In Clinton's case, there was Monica Lewinsky's blue dress. In Watergate, you had the White House tapes. We don't have the smoking gun evidence at this juncture," Brinkley said.
Significantly, Trump also used his appearance on Friday to deliver a broad hint that there are not, despite his earlier warning to Comey on Twitter, any tapes of their meetings and phone calls.
If such tapes exist, they could provide corroboration of either Trump's comments or Comey's account of their meetings, which the former FBI chief detailed in memos he gave to the special counsel, and which may add credibility to his version of events.
"You are struggling to find a scenario that actually makes sense because it stretches the imagination. What the President has done is put himself in a very precarious position," CNN legal analyst Laura Coates said on "New Day" on Saturday.
A court of law and the court of public opinion is likely to give some weight to Comey's memos of what he saw and heard, Coates said.
Comey testified on Thursday that he suddenly woke up in the middle of the night a few days after Trump tweeted that he better hope there were not tapes, with the same thought.
"Lordy, I hope there are tapes," Comey said at the hearing.
Trump's aggressive strategy since the Comey hearing would be a rash one indeed if such tapes, which the law would require him to hand over to investigators, are stashed away somewhere in the White House.
He told reporters on Friday that he would reveal if there are any tapes "over a fairly short period of time."
Then he added a teasing, cryptic comment that could indicate no such recordings exist.
"Oh, you're going to be very disappointed when you hear the answer, don't worry," Trump told reporters.
Still, Trump's approach represents a serious gamble, that could get him into deep legal and political waters if if backfires.
For one thing, if he were to go under oath with Mueller, he would not know for sure what kind of evidence the special counsel would bring to the table.
And depending on the conditions of the encounter, Trump might also open himself up to questioning on other issues, and risk saying something that may later turn out to be untrue and place himself in legal and political jeopardy.
"What was most interesting to me is his willingness to say 'I will say this under oath'... that message is -- we will take the he said, he said... and may the best, if you will, man win," Michael Zeldin, a former special assistant to Mueller when the special counsel headed the FBI, told CNN's Brooke Baldwin Friday.
Comey's verbatim notes written after his meetings with Trump would likely put his evidence in a more credible light than Trump's, should the President not have a record of his own conversations, Zeldin said.
"If there is a tie, I think that helps tip the tie toward the Comey side," he said.
Even so, it is questionable whether a GOP-controlled House of Representatives would move towards impeachment proceedings in a case simply based upon Comey's word against Trump's.
That may be the reason why the President, even if he is not telling the entire truth about his meetings with Comey, believes it is unlikely he will ever have to pay up on the bet that he made Friday.
And there is also no guarantee that Trump, despite saying he would testify before Mueller, will not change his mind about going under oath given the risks, or could be compelled to do so.Six accused mobsters were acquitted of first-degree murder charges in Laval on Wednesday as they agreed to plead guilty to a lesser charge of murder conspiracy, scuttling a separate hearing that risked revealing sensitive information about police surveillance technology.
In the second case the same day in Montreal, Canada's national police force learned there would be no binding Quebec Court of Appeal hearing related to "mobile device identifier" technology that the RCMP had used to keep tabs on the alleged Mafia members.
These two decisions on the same landmark police-surveillance case came Wednesday morning after five years of being stuck in neutral as lawyers debated disclosure issues.
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The outcome benefited both prosecution and defence, but it meant none of those convicted of murder conspiracy in the shooting death of a man in the streets of Montreal five years ago are still facing actual murder charges.
"This is a matter of prosecutorial discretion and I will not comment further," Quebec prosecutor Robert Rouleau said, after The Globe asked him why the Crown did not pursue the first-degree murder charges.
The case appears to show just how far police and prosecutors will go to safeguard investigative techniques considered secret. Speaking outside the appeal court Wednesday, Mr. Rouleau pointed out that the guilty pleas effectively meant there would be no more disclosure about the police devices.
"Since the case becomes moot, there's no reason to pursue a production order if there is no disclosure to be made."
The Globe first reported on filings related to the case earlier this month, revealing that Crown prosecutors had taken to publicly calling the RCMP device a "mobile device identifier" in an apparent bid to escape some of the criticisms surrounding devices more commonly known as "IMSI-catchers."
It turns out that MDI is simply an RCMP term. "The MDI is a device that may be described as and is commonly referred to as an 'IMSI catcher,'" reads one Crown exhibit in the case, viewed by The Globe and Mail on Wednesday.
The roots of the case trace back to Nov. 24, 2011, when a New Yorker named Salvatore (Sal the Ironworker) Montagna was shot dead on the outskirts of Montreal. Fearing more bloodletting was imminent, an RCMP-led team divulged its organized-crime surveillance operation to local police so they could make arrests in that gangland slaying.
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For five years, six suspects faced first-degree murder charges – a conviction would mean 25 years in prison with no chance of parole. On Wednesday, the same six pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of conspiracy to commit murder. Sentencing hasn't been settled yet, but it likely means that – at the most – they will get a few years on top of the time they've spent in jail awaiting trial.
(A seventh man also pleaded guilty Wednesday to being an accessory after the fact of a murder.)
The case amounts to the first acknowledged used by Canadian police of IMSI catchers.
The portable devices, packed by police surveillance teams, can impersonate a cellphone tower, capturing the digital signatures of all the phones within a given radius (IMSI stands for "international mobile subscriber identity"). From there, police can try to identify suspects' phones by a process of elimination and try to get wiretaps on those specific phones.
In pretrial motions police argued all this was a privileged investigative technique, while defence lawyers argued they were entitled to detailed information about the device. Toronto-based defence lawyers Frank Addario and Michael Lacy raised a litany of detailed questions – such as asking for the IMSI catcher's make and model, its range and the reliability of its evidence. A national-security specialist, Toronto lawyer Anil Kapoor, was brought in as a friend of the court to help settle some of the questions.
While prosecutors argued the defence was on a "fishing trip" that would essentially hand the police playbook to alleged mobsters, Quebec Superior Court Judge Michael Stober sided with the defence last December. "The Court concludes that the accused have a legitimate interest in receiving disclosure of information that goes to the heart of this prosecution," he ruled.
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The Crown immediately appealed – setting the stage for Wednesday's appeal court hearing. Had it happened, it would have had the effect of creating a binding ruling about how police are to use and disclose such devices in Quebec.
Instead, Wednesday morning's hearing in Montreal lasted only long enough for the judges to learn that the scheduled hearing was no longer necessary, due to the guilty pleas that had just been uttered in Laval. The effect is that Justice Stober ruling is an outlier's opinion from the lone judge in Canada who got a chance to explore the legal questions raised by RCMP IMSI catchers.
"It's not going to bind any other courts," said Mr. Kapoor, who had been on hand to Montreal to make arguments at the appellate court.A new poll predicts the Liberals will just barely edge out the Progressive Conservatives and New Democrats to win Thursday’s election.
The Ipsos Reid survey asked Ontarians who they would vote for or who they voted for if they cast their ballot in an advanced poll. Among decided voters, 33% say they will vote Liberal, 31% support the Progressive Conservatives and 30% support the NDP.
Five per cent said they would vote for another party, including the Green Party, according to the poll conducted for CTV and CP24.
The winner of the predicted photo finish will depend on which party can get the most supporters out to vote Thursday, the poll predicts.
Among those who are most likely to vote, the Tories captured the support of 36% of voters, while the Liberals and the NDP each have 30% voter support. Other parties would receive 4% support.
Meanwhile, EKOS Research and Forum Research polls, have put the Liberals in a six-point and seven-point lead, respectively, over the PCs.
In the EKOS poll for iPolitics, the Liberals have a substantial lead in likely voters, 41.2% to 33.2%, due to a late change in the pollster’s voting model.
“While looking at our likely voter model, we felt that we might not be giving enough weight to the role of education or age in shaping turnout,” wrote EKOS president Frank Graves on iPolitics, noting that the Liberals have a educated base that is more likely to vote.
The NDP only has the support of 17.1% of likely voters, according to EKOS.
Ipsos Reid says the Greater Toronto Area will be the election battleground.
As of Wednesday, Ontarians are still split on which party they think will win on election day. Half think the Liberals will win, while the other half are divided on whether the PCs or NDP will win.
Nearly 90% of Liberal supporters think their party will win, possibly suggesting that Liberal voters may be complacent. Meanwhile, only 77% of Tories this they will win, which could mean supporters are more motivated to get out and vote.
Four in ten Ontarians believe NDP Leader Andrea Horwath would make the best premier. She was declared the most likeable leader in a previous Ipsos Reid poll.
According to the EKOS poll of 1,332 eligible voters over three days, their data puts the Liberals near majority territory.
Majority territory is also where Forum Research finds the Liberals. Their most recent survey (released June 10) has the Liberals at 42%, the Tories at 35% and the NDP at 19%.
Forum says their data suggests the Liberals could take 61 seats in the 107-seat legislature, compared to 35 for the PCs and 11 for the NDP. In the 2011 election, the Liberals won 53, the PCs took 37 and the NDP, 17.
According to Threehundredeight.com, a poll aggregator, the Liberals only hold a 1-point lead over the PCs, 37.3% to 36.5%.
However, Threehundredeight.com suggests a weak NDP turnout, even with near tie between Hudak and Wynne’s parties, could result in a Liberal majority.Naheed Nenshi’s approval rating has slipped again with about six months to go before Calgary’s civic election.
A Mainstreet Research poll conducted for Postmedia shows 52 per cent of respondents approve of how Nenshi is handling his job as Calgary’s mayor, while 46 per cent disapprove.
That’s down from 56 per cent approval for Nenshi in March and 65 per cent in January.
Mainstreet’s David Valentin said Nenshi remains in a strong position heading into the fall vote, where he is seeking his third term in office.
But he noted that Nenshi’s ebbing fortunes could entice some potential opponents to enter the mayoral contest.
“These numbers do create the conditions for someone to run against the mayor and potentially even win but that would need to be a very well-financed, very well-resourced, very well-managed campaign. I don’t know if that exists,” said Valentin.
“These numbers suggest someone could enter the race to challenge him.”
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The most recent poll did not compare Nenshi to the current field of candidates vying to replace him. But the March survey showed him with a healthy lead over his challengers.
Those include Ward 10 councillor Andre Chabot, entrepreneur Shawn Baldwin, former aldermanic candidate David Lapp and urban farming crusader Paul Hughes.
Some observers have touted a potential mayoral run by Calgary Nose Hill MP Michelle Rempel but she has said on Twitter that she’s not running. Other names that have been bandied about include former police chief Rick Hanson and businessman W. Brett Wilson.
In contrast to Nenshi, Edmonton’s Don Iveson — who was first elected in 2014 — has a 66 per cent approval rate while 27 per cent disapprove of his performance.
Valentin said it is natural for longer-serving politicians to have more wear and tear and noted that Nenshi remains in a good spot if his approval rating is positive.
“Everybody’s numbers fall when you get further and further into the mandate,” he said.
“That being said, it’s not a trend that’s helpful for him in an election year and the real question is, what is the bottom? How much further does he go?”
The poll showed that 28 per cent of Calgarians strongly approve of Nenshi’s performance while 24 per cent somewhat approve. The mayor had 31 per cent of respondents strongly disapproving of his work while 15 per cent somewhat disapproved. Two per cent were not sure.
Mount Royal University political scientist Lori Williams said a number of factors could be at play regarding Nenshi’s current position in the polls.
The looming election, ongoing economic struggles in Calgary despite some signs of a turnaround and irritants around issues such as property taxes may all be affecting his standing, she said.
Nenshi — who rose to prominence in part because of his social media skills — could also be impacted by his willingness to mix it up with critics such as Rempel, noted Williams.
“That combativeness has become a pretty central part of his image,” said Williams.
“The Twitter battles … that’s not going to sit so well with people who aren’t former debaters.”
Williams echoed Valentin that the most significant implication for the mayor’s contest from the poll is whether it causes other candidates to jump in.
“It may be an incentive for people who were thinking about running,” she said.
“If there’s a strong, credible high-profile candidate who puts their hat into the ring, I think we could have a really interesting race.”
The automated survey of 811 Calgarians through both landlines and cellphones was conducted April 11 and 12. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.44 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
jwood@postmedia.comJeremy Clarkson diverted his yacht to save a group of tourists who had drifted out to sea on their lilos - and then celebrated by going to the pub.
The former Top Gear presenter caught sight of the four men, two French and two German, after they were swept a mile off the coast of Majorca by 'a very brisk wind'.
Mr Clarkson said the men started laughing after realising the identity of their unlikely hero, who put them in a rib which he towed behind his yacht.
Jeremy Clarkson diverted his yacht to save a group of tourists who had drifted out to sea on their lilos - and then celebrated by going to the pub
'They were all in their twenties and a mile out to sea. You'll never paddle back from there,' the 56-year-old told The Sun.
After rescuing the group, Mr Clarkson immediately took to Twitter to boast of his heroics.
He wrote: 'I just saved the lives of two Germans.
'Now I have rescued two French people. I apologised for Brexit.'
And he jokingly suggested the episode had proved his diplomatic credentials, adding: 'I am a better and more constructive foreign secretary than Boris Johnson.'
Mr Clarkson, seen here presenting Top Gear Waterworld, caught sight of the four men after they were swept a mile off the coast of Majorca by 'a very brisk wind'
Mr Clarkson, who now works for Amazon Prime presenting new series The Grand Tour, won praise for his timely intervention.
One user, Eve, tweeted: 'I've heard many tales of the sea from the fishermen at my bar. Yours is true, however.'
Another, Deborah, commented: 'Well done! Sterling effort - see you can behave like an adult when its needed!'
Mr Clarkson has provided his usual colourful commentary of his current holiday in Majorca.
He wrote on Twitter: 'Normally, I take my summer holiday in France. But I hear James May is there. Annoying.'
The television personality said the men started laughing after seeing their unlikely hero, who put them in a rib which he towed with his yacht. File photo
And above a picture of the wake behind his boat he commented: 'Even on holiday, I enjoy turning carbon into speed.'
The television personality recently took part in a parade through the streets of Vicenza in Italy to mark the start of The Grand Tour, alongside the familiar duo of James May and Richard Hammond.Gabriel John Coco is charged with two counts of willful injury. (Photo: Polk County Jail photo/Special to the Register)
Gabriel Coco admitted that he was drinking last October before shooting two men in a McDonald's parking lot — leaving one permanently paralyzed below his chest.
"I didn't want this to happen," Coco told investigators in a videotaped interview played for a jury Tuesday. Several times, he told the investigators that he was drunk and agitated by the two 18-year-olds' belligerence inside the Ankeny restaurant before he approached them outside with his Beretta handgun.
A defense attorney for the U.S. Army veteran argued before a jury that the outburst of violence Oct. 24, 2015, was, at its core, the result of Coco's ongoing struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Coco, 37, served as a tank driver and a gunner on the roof of Humvees, surviving at least three blasts from improvised explosive devices and a traumatic brain injury during his tours of duty in Iraq, defense attorney Timothy McCarthy said.
"He saw hundreds blown up, dismembered, injured, loss of limbs," he said. "He saw innocent civilians killed and children. It was a horrific experience."
A Polk County jury began hearing evidence Tuesday in the trial against Coco, who faces charges including attempted murder and willful injury from the shooting that injured Nickolas Culver and Justin Phongsavanh.
Both testified that Culver was intentionally throwing a fake tantrum in the restaurant, swearing at a worker behind the counter and throwing a hamburger on the ground because it had pickles on it that he did not order. Phongsavanh filmed his friend on his cellphone camera so the two could upload it afterward to social media.
In the interview with investigators shown to the jury, Coco said the stunt angered him and he followed the two out of the fast-food restaurant because "there's no reason for that." But Assistant County Attorney Michael Hunter said that Coco's own words in the hours after the shooting showed that he chose to get involved and that there was "no way" he had to shoot either man.
"He fully formed specific intent to inject himself in a beef that had nothing to do with him and he used insanely ridiculous disproportionate force," Hunter said in his opening statement.
The case is at least the second time this year that a veteran facing felony charges in Polk County has pointed to post-traumatic stress disorder and mental illness as an underlying factor that led to violence. Coco is specifically using a diminished responsibility defense, and is expected to call a Windsor Heights psychiatrist to testify as an expert witness.
NEWSLETTERS Get the Breaking News Alert newsletter delivered to your inbox We're sorry, but something went wrong Alerts on breaking news delivered straight to your inbox. Please try again soon, or contact Customer Service at 1-877-424-0225. Delivery: Varies Invalid email address Thank you! You're almost signed up for Breaking News Alert Keep an eye out for an email to confirm your newsletter registration. More newsletters
A jury in April convicted Patrick William Kirwan, 31, of second-degree murder in the death of his south Des Moines neighbor. Attorneys representing Kirwan, who spent 15 months in Iraq, argued that the Army veteran was extremely paranoid and believed his neighbor was "informing" on him to the federal government.
McCarthy said in his opening that Coco returned from Iraq in 2005 and began receiving treatment from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs shortly after. He also told jurors that evidence would show Coco believed he was acting in self-defense when he fired the shots.
Phongsavanh, now 19, told jurors that Coco approached the two as they prepared to drive away. Coco had his handgun and asked the friends, "You think that was (expletive) funny" before striking Culver in the forehead with the handgun, Phongsavanh said.
Phongsavanh, who sat in a wheelchair, said that he was shot in the right arm while he was trying to get information from Coco's license plates. The bullet became lodged in his spine and surgeons were unable to remove it, he said. Culver, who was also struck by a bullet fragment that ricocheted during the shooting, said during his testimony that the incident had left permanent psychological injuries.
"I think I'll learn to live with it, knowing that I watched my best friend get gunned down," he said. "But I don't think it will ever go away."
Testimony is expected to continue in the trial Wednesday.
Read or Share this story: http://dmreg.co/2eSjaXL“I wanna be the very best, like no one ever was,” belted out during the opening song of the Pokémon anime series—or by every developer at one point in their career.
Just like a Pokémon trainer and their Pokémon, developers and the programming languages they use can be very personal. Opinions, tastes, and preferences, (and humor) vary depending on who you ask.
So let’s imagine this: “What if programming languages were Pokémon?” Let’s try to catch them all on this list!
Gotta catch ‘em all!
Assembly: Gyarados
Source: reddit
It’s powerful AF! But before you reach this powerful state, you have to keep catching so many Magikarp you’ll be sick of it once you do have enough to evolve it into Gyarados. So patience and persistence is definitely the key. Just keep powering it up and you’ll find that its immense power can carry you through tough battles.
Ada: Blastoise
Source: tumblr
Sure, you’ll encounter better ones out there but this one’s big and sturdy, and really good at what it’s for— safety and defense. You can rely on it for safety critical systems: missile guidance, avionics, spacecraft navigation, missile interception, and other systems where there’s definitely no room for error. And with those double cannons, you know you don’t want to mess with it during combat.
Basic: Bulbasaur
Source: Therandominmyhead
It’s popular with beginners because it’s quite simple and accessible. It can be a good companion when you’re just starting out but most will just retire it once they get stronger and better performing ones.
C: Eevee
Source: quickmeme
Eevee in its original form is pretty likeable—just like C. For the most part, it is decent and hardworking but its evolved forms have resulted in faster, stronger, and better-performing ones—Jolteon, Vaporeon, Flareon—which means it can probably do anything. Because of the many possibilities you’ll have when you want to evolve it, many players who catch Eevee consider it as an important breakthrough.
Source: imgflip
When performance is important, Vaporeon can be pretty speedy and reliable. Use it as a gym defender, or if you need it to attack other gyms (and it can be pretty darn cute, too), Vaporeon is an all-rounder and is handy to have. If you can master this composite creature, then you’re in for a good one.
source: deviantart
Pikachu and Jolteon are both electric-type Pokémon, which makes them similar in that sense—just like the way Java and C# are pretty similar. Although there are some differences between them, the overall feel between the two is very similar. But Jolteon comes from a line of pretty solid evolutions, which could make it a better electric-type than Pikachu (depending on the trainer you ask, of course).
The last thing you could call it is simple or easy but it can be pretty elegant. Jolteon’s cells generate a low level of electricity and this power is amplified by static… but statically-typed languages |
to let you try the example, the source code of this module is at the end of the article.). and that module has two public functions given a number $N fibo($N) will return the N-the number in the Fibonacci series, and the function fibonacci($N) will return an array reference of the first N element in the series.
As the series is expect to be 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144 we can test the fib function easily:
We have the following code in fib.t in the same directory where MyTools.pm is found:
examples/is_deeply/fib.t
use strict; use warnings; use Test::More tests => 5; use MyTools; is fibo(1), 1, 'fib 1'; is fibo(2), 1, 'fib 2'; is fibo(3), 2, 'fib 3'; is fibo(4), 3, 'fib 4'; is fibo(5), 5, 'fib 5';
Then running prove fib.t will print:
fib.t.. 1/5 # Failed test 'fib 5' # at fib.t line 12. # got: '7' # expected: '5' # Looks like you failed 1 test of 5. fib.t.. Dubious, test returned 1 (wstat 256, 0x100) Failed 1/5 subtests Test Summary Report ------------------- fib.t (Wstat: 256 Tests: 5 Failed: 1) Failed test: 5 Non-zero exit status: 1 Files=1, Tests=5, 0 wallclock secs ( 0.04 usr 0.00 sys + 0.12 cusr 0.01 csys = 0.17 CPU) Result: FAIL
I added a bug to the function on purpose so we can see how failures are reported.
This was the easy case as we had to compare only scalar values.
is_deeply
Testing the fibonacci() function is the more interesting part. It return an ARRAY-reference. That's the actual-value. The expected value is also an array reference (in square brackets!) and we use the is_deeply function to compare them.
examples/is_deeply/fibonacci.t
use strict; use warnings; use Test::More tests => 5; use MyTools; is_deeply fibonacci(1), [1], 'fibonacci 1'; is_deeply fibonacci(2), [1, 1], 'fibonacci 2'; is_deeply fibonacci(3), [1, 1, 2], 'fibonacci 3'; is_deeply fibonacci(4), [1, 1, 2, 3], 'fibonacci 4'; is_deeply fibonacci(5), [1, 1, 2, 3, 5], 'fibonacci 5';
Running prove fibonacci.t will give the following result:
fibonacci.t.. 1/5 # Failed test 'fibonacci 5' # at fibonacci.t line 12. # Structures begin differing at: # $got->[2] = '4' # $expected->[2] = '2' # Looks like you failed 1 test of 5. fibonacci.t.. Dubious, test returned 1 (wstat 256, 0x100) Failed 1/5 subtests Test Summary Report ------------------- fibonacci.t (Wstat: 256 Tests: 5 Failed: 1) Failed test: 5 Non-zero exit status: 1 Files=1, Tests=5, 0 wallclock secs ( 0.03 usr 0.00 sys + 0.12 cusr 0.01 csys = 0.16 CPU) Result: FAIL
Here we can see that the test in line 12 called 'fibonacci 5' ha failed. The 3rd element (index 2) of the received array reference was the first value that differed from the corresponding value in the expected array reference. is_deeply does not tell you if the rest of the array looked the same or not, but that's usually not that important and failures, after the first one might be the cascading effect of failures. Usually better to focus on the first error and then run the test again.
is_deeply on a hash
In the previous example we saw how to test array references using is_deeply. Another interesting example would be to see how it works when we expect a hash, or a hash reference. MyTools has an additional function called fetch_data_from_bug_tracking_system that will return a hash reference based on the number we pass to it. We have a variable called %expected with, well the expected data structure and we use is_deeply to compare the results.
bugs.t looks like this:
examples/is_deeply/bugs.t
#!/usr/bin/perl use strict; use warnings; use Test::More tests => 3; use MyTools; my %expected = ( bugs => 3, errors => 6, failures => 8, warnings => 1, ); my %a = fetch_data_from_bug_tracking_system(0); is_deeply( \%a, \%expected, "Query 0" ); my %b = fetch_data_from_bug_tracking_system(1); is_deeply( \%b, \%expected, "Query 1" ); my %c = fetch_data_from_bug_tracking_system(2); is_deeply( \%c, \%expected, "Query 2" );
Running prove bugs.t prints this result:
bugs.t.. 1/3 # Failed test 'Query 1' # at bugs.t line 20. # Structures begin differing at: # $got->{errors} = '9' # $expected->{errors} = '6' # Failed test 'Query 2' # at bugs.t line 23. # Structures begin differing at: # $got->{bugs} = Does not exist # $expected->{bugs} = '3' # Looks like you failed 2 tests of 3. bugs.t.. Dubious, test returned 2 (wstat 512, 0x200) Failed 2/3 subtests Test Summary Report ------------------- bugs.t (Wstat: 512 Tests: 3 Failed: 2) Failed tests: 2-3 Non-zero exit status: 2 Files=1, Tests=3, 1 wallclock secs ( 0.03 usr 0.00 sys + 0.12 cusr 0.01 csys = 0.16 CPU) Result: FAIL
The first case passed. In the second case the value of key errors was incorrect. (We expected 6 but we got 9). In the third case the actual result was missing one of the keys. We expected to have a key called bugs but we did not have it in the actual result.
Limitations of is_deeply
While it is a very good tool, is_deeply has a number of limitations. It requires the whole data structure to match exactly. There is no place for any flexibility. For example what if one of the values is a time-stamp that we would like to disregard or what if we would like to match it with a regular expression? What if there is an array references where all we case is that each element matches some regular expression, but we don't even care how many elements are there. For example in the case of the fetch_data_from_bug_tracking_system function, instead of expecting exact numbers, we might want to expect only the specific keys and "any numerical value". There is another module called Test::Deep that provides the solution.
MyTools.pm
In order to make it easier for you to test see the above code running, I have included the content of MyTools.pm:
examples/is_deeply/MyTools.pm
package MyTools; use strict; use warnings; use DateTime; our $VERSION = '0.01'; use base 'Exporter'; our @EXPORT = qw(fibonacci fibo fetch_data_from_bug_tracking_system); sub fibo { my @f = _fibonacci(@_); return $f[-1]; } sub fibonacci { return [ _fibonacci(@_) ]; } sub _fibonacci { my ($n) = @_; die "Need to get a number
" if not defined $n; if ($n <= 0) { warn "Given number must be > 0"; return 0; } return 1 if $n == 1; if ($n ==2 ) { return (1, 1); } # add bug :-) if ($n == 5) { return (1, 1, 4, 3, 7); } my @fib = (1, 1); for (3..$n) { push @fib, $fib[-1]+$fib[-2]; } return @fib; } sub fetch_data_from_bug_tracking_system { my @sets = ( { bugs => 3, errors => 6, failures => 8, warnings => 1, }, { bugs => 3, errors => 9, failures => 8, warnings => 1, }, { bogs => 3, erors => 9, failures => 8, warnings => 1, }, { bugs =>'many', errors => 6, failures => 8, warnings => 1, }, { bugs => [ { ts => time, name => "System bug", severity => 3, }, { ts => time - int rand(100), name => "Incorrect severity bug", severity => "extreme", }, { ts => time - int rand(200), name => "Missing severity bug", }, ], }, ); my $h = $sets[shift]; return %$h; } 1;Get the biggest football 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
Laurent Blanc has emerged as a shock candidate to challenge Andre Villas-Boas to become the next Tottenham manager.
MirrorFootball can reveal Spurs have explored Blanc’s contract situation with the French Football Federation, as chairman Daniel Levy seeks to replace sacked Harry Redknapp.
Former Chelsea boss Villas-Boas has made it known he is interested in the post and is being considered, while manager of the French national team Blanc is firmly in Tottenham’s thoughts and is understood to be keen on working in the Premier League.
(Image: Getty)
Former Schalke coach Ralf Rangnick has admirers within the White Hart Lane corridors of power while Wigan’s Roberto Martinez and Everton’s David Moyes have not been discounted.
Tottenham want a dynamic manager who will be able to work closely with highly-rated Tim Sherwood, who is set to earn a promotion for his good work as the club’s development coach.
(Image: Reuters)
Blanc is currently away at Euro 2012 with France, where his team have so far secured a Group D draw with England and beat co-hosts Ukraine.
Under Blanc’s guidance, France have put together an unbeaten run of 23 games and are among the favourites to win the Euros.
But Blanc’s current deal with the French expires at the end of the Euros, which Tottenham have been made aware of, and the former Manchester United defender has made it clear he is open to offers.
“It’s always gratifying when big clubs are interested in you,” said Blanc. “I can sign elsewhere, before or during the Euros.
“I often hear it said that it’s the boss who decides whether or not to extend the contract of a player or a coach at the end of their contract, but people forget the employee can also decide for themselves.
“My intention is to carry on with the France team, but the fact remains, I have not extended my contract. If I get an exceptional offer, I could very well decide to leave for that club.”
More on Harry Redknapp's sackingLast night, Comedy Central premiered their first 'Between Two Ferns' special, subtitled 'A Fairytale of New York.' Host Zach Galifianakis hadn't recorded one of his popular Funny or Die shows in a while but returned last night with a whole batch of new interviews, framed around one of those Barbara Walters interview specials. So how'd it go?
Well it went pretty much as you'd expect. It was awkward and uncomfortable and hilarious. It's funny to see notorious nice guys like Tina Fey and Jon Stewart have to put up with Galifianakis. It's not as good as some of the 'Ferns' classics like Steve Carell, Ben Stiller or Sean Penn, but it's still really damn funny.
Galifianakis is currently filming 'The Candidate' with Will Ferrell but here's hoping he still finds some time for some 'Between Two Ferns' specials in the future.
You can watch the entire special below (uncensored so watch for some NSFW language) which includes extended chats with Fey, Stewart and Virgin mogul Richard Branson. Make sure you stick around to the end to see Zach's bloopers and outtakes from the special.It appears President Trump will return to Palm Beach County this weekend, based on detailed temporary flight restrictions released by the government.
The restrictions begin March 3 at 3:30 p.m. and last until 10:30 p.m. March 6.
Before he gets here, he will stop in Central Florida.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders says the president will visit St. Andrew Catholic school in Orlando on Friday for a listening session on school choice.
When the president last flew into town on Feb. 17, multiple planes violated the flight restrictions and caused Air Force jets based in Homestead to be scrambled to the area at least twice.
In addition to air travel, restrictions will likely be posted soon for pedestrian and boat traffic in and around Mar-a-Lago.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.The methods used by a certain powerlifting gym in Columbus, Ohio are undoubtedly among the most popular in powerlifting and strength & conditioning today. This gym has produced some of the strongest geared powerlifters in history through the use of heavy good mornings, box squatting, training with bands and chains and partial range bench press movements, not to mention excellent coaching and atmosphere. The gym’s owner has also greatly contributed to the strength community by publishing in depth articles on his club’s training through their website and various publications like Powerlifting USA. As great as this gym’s methods are for producing great strength in multiply powerlifting, I feel they are often misused when trying to develop strength in the raw lifter. It is undeniable that raw and geared lifting are different animals, the strength curves are different and the means which are used to develop them must be different.
Differences between raw and geared training…
1-Full Range Movements: The raw lifter must place greater attention to developing strength through the full range of motion of a lift. Multiply bench shirts and squat suits aid the lifter greatly during the bottom portion of each lift, placing much greater emphasis on the lifter’s top end strength. Rarely do you see raw lifters miss benches at lockout or squats in the top half, so they must devote more energy to training full ROM (or even beyond full ROM) lifts than the geared lifter.
2-Practice of the Competition Lifts: There are many more movements that have correspondence to the geared lifter than there is for their raw counterparts, because of this the raw lifter must use a smaller pool of max effort exercises and must perform the competition lifts (squat, bench, deadlift) more frequently. One of the main criticisms I have of this style of Conjugate Periodization for raw lifters, is that too many people will tend to use a wide variety of max effort lifts and in doing so are never really able to build enough skill in the lift to progress and can’t measure their progress.
3-The Deadlift: In 2012, big geared totals are built with massive squats and benches, big raw totals are built on massive squats and deads. It is often joked about in powerlifting circles that this Columbus based gym places no attention on the deads (that isn’t to say that they haven’t had some great pullers). The typical Conjugate template is full of box squats and good mornings, but deadlifts aren’t often a staple. If you wanna be a great puller, you’ve got to pull. Deadlifts need to be part of your max effort rotation and they need to be addressed with supplementary work and on dynamic effort days.
4-Volume: The raw lifter can’t handle the same poundages that the geared lifter can and because of this they can and need to handle more volume. The raw lifter needs to build volume, particularly early in a training cycle, through back down sets of their main movement and variations of the competition movement.Raisins were one of California's major crops, and were a popular type of food.
An advertisement for California Raisins was on the bus stop bench in Courthouse Square that Red the Bum slept on in 1985. After returning from 1955, Marty McFly jumped over the bench as he started running toward Twin Pines Mall.
In 2015, when Marty McFly Jr. ordered the fruit dispenser to lower from the ceiling above the kitchen table, it was mostly filled, not with raisins, but red and green grapes.
Behind the scenes
By early 1985, California raisin growers had been faced with large surpluses of raisins for several years due to the fact that although they prepared for an increase in demand for California wine, wine imported from other countries had actually decreased the demand for California wine and grapes. Clyde Neff, the manager of the California Raisin Board, announced they would spend $50,000 on advertising campaigns tied to the upcoming motion picture, Back to the Future, and that raisins would be "a story element in the film", [1] in order to encourage their use, as the previous year's film E.T. the Extraterrestrial had made Reese's Pieces candy more popular.[2]
The Board spent $25,000 promoting a sweepstakes in which six Toyota pickups were given away as grand prizes. An additional $25,000 was paid to the product placement department at Universal, to place references to raisins in two scenes of a bus stop bench, and one scene of Michael J. Fox snacking on them.[3] The film's distributor would also run a series of pre-release print ads in which raisins were featured.
Unaware that the Board had already paid Universal the full amount, the scene of Marty munching on raisins was left out of the film, since, as Bob Gale explained, a bowl full of raisins would photograph like a "bowl full of dirt".[4] The only placement left in the film was on a bench upon which Red the Bum was seen sleeping when Marty returned from 1955. "When the California Raisin Board saw it," recounted Gale, "they were livid."[5] The Board members threatened to sue, but when they received a refund check for $25,000, they decided to let the issue stand.[6]
AppearancesIn a decision some say has broad implications for the press and Internet freedom, a federal court in Texas has sentenced journalist and Anonymous-linked instigator Barrett Brown to 63 months in prison.
Charged on three counts, Brown received 48 months for the first count, 12 months for the second, and three months for the third, to be served consecutively. The counts include accessory after the fact in the unauthorized access to a protected computer, transmitting a threat in interstate commerce, and interference in the execution of a search warrant.
Brown has already spent more than two years behind bars. That time will be deducted from the sentence handed down Thursday afternoon in Dallas.
Attorneys for #BarrettBrown talking to the press outside of court. pic.twitter.com/WsbvybuytN — Andrew Blake (@apblake) January 22, 2015
In total, Brown could spend as much as two more years in prison. Charles Swift, Brown’s defense attorney, tells the Daily Dot Brown may have an additional 12 months deducted from his sentence if he completes a prison drug-treatment program.
Brown was arrested in 2012 after making “threatening” statements directed toward an FBI agent in a YouTube video. He was later charged for sharing a link that contained email addresses and credit card numbers stolen by Anonymous offshoot AntiSec, led by hacker Jeremy Hammond, from Texas-based intelligence firm Stratfor. Brown also faced obstruction of justice charges for hiding his laptop in his mother’s kitchen. His original list of charges carried a maximum sentence of 105 years.
Hammond is currently serving the remainder of a 10-year sentence at a prison in Kentucky.
USG cited US v. Paul F Sup 3d 155 pin cite page 163 regarding cild pornography to argue that reposted link was trafficking. #barrettbrown — Alexa O’Brien (@carwinb) January 22, 2015
The majority of the charges against Brown were eventually dropped, including charges related to sharing the Stratfor link. However, the prosecution argued Thursday that the link-sharing incident was tantamount to “trafficking” in stolen goods, in an effort to increase Brown’s sentence.
Brown’s defense team shot back, saying that the prosecution was “conflating moving data with reposting a link.” The defense further argued that “you cannot traffic something that is already in the public domain.”
The prosecution pushed back further, saying, “You can traffic in something publicly available by making it available to more people.” The government also compared Brown’s sharing of the link to a case that involved trafficking child pornography.
FBI agent Robert Smith, who Barrett Brown was given prison time for threatening, departs the federal courthouse. pic.twitter.com/nwYusupeRe — Daniel Stuckey (@danstuckey) January 22, 2015
“Telling someone where to find child porn is not trafficking in child porn,” the defense said.
The prosecution conceded that there was approximately two hours between the time the link to the Stratfor information was posted online and when Brown shared the link in a chatroom of his crowdsourced research effort Project PM.
Prior to sentencing, Judge Samuel Lindsay said that he took all of Brown’s behavior into consideration before issuing his sentence. Because Brown “insisted in organizing criminal activities” through his connections with Anonymous, Lindsay shot down criticisms that his decision would hurt press freedoms or put average Internet users in jeopardy.
The decision is “not going to chill any First Amendment expression by any journalist,” Lindsay said.
This story is developing.
Update 4:10CT, Jan. 22: The following statement attributed to Barrett Brown was released by the Sparrow Project after his sentencing:
“Good news! — The U.S. government decided today that because I did such a good job investigating the cyber-industrial complex, they’re now going to send me to investigate the prison-industrial complex. For the next 35 months, I’ll be provided with free food, clothes, and housing as I seek to expose wrondgoing by Bureau of Prisons officials and staff and otherwise report on news and culture in the world’s greatest prison system. I want to thank the Department of Justice for having put so much time and energy into advocating on my behalf; rather than holding a grudge against me for the two years of work I put into in bringing attention to a DOJ-linked campaign to harass and discredit journalists like Glenn Greenwald, the agency instead labored tirelessly to ensure that I received this very prestigious assignment. — Wish me luck!”
Photo via Barrett Brown/YouTube | Remix by Jason ReedFrom left to right: The single-shot,.44-caliber deringer pistol Booth used to kill President Lincoln; Booth’s pocket diary in which he recorded his thoughts while on the run after the assassination; Booth’s boot, which Dr. Samuel Mudd cut off of him in order to treat his injured leg; horn-handled dagger (with sheath) used by Booth during the assassination.
Baltimore in the 1840s was the second-largest city in the country and an eager participant in the burgeoning Industrial Revolution. “As a result,” Alford writes, “John’s childhood was more cosmopolitan than that of most others who found their way to the Confederate cause. While their roots tended to be exclusively rural, his mixed the country with the most sophisticated city life the South offered.”
Booth’s schooling was a mixed bag as well. He started in a one-room schoolhouse across the road from the farm before moving on to the more prestigious Bel Air Academy and then to the Milton Academy for Boys in Sparks, a Quaker boarding school housed in the fieldstone building that is now The Milton Inn. An undistinguished student who had difficulty learning through traditional methods, Booth’s school days were most notable for what occurred outside of the classroom. While at the Milton Academy, Booth gave what was likely his first public performance, as Shylock in a scene from The Merchant of Venice.
From top to bottom: Etching of Booth home at 62 North Exeter Street; The Milton Inn (formerly Milton Academy); mural depicting Edwin Booth At the Bel Air Post Office; reproduction of wanted poster for Booth and conspirators.
During this time, he also met a gypsy who told his fortune, which he later breezily relayed to Asia. “Ah, you’ve a bad hand; the lines all cris-cras [sic],” the gypsy is to have said. “Full of trouble.... You’ll die young, and leave many to mourn you, many to love you, too, but you’ll be rich, generous, and free with your money. You’re born under an unlucky star.... You’ll make a bad end.” Whether it was an intuition, a premonition, or just a lucky guess, the gypsy’s words added to Booth’s growing sense of himself as a doomed romantic hero.
Booth’s final school was St. Timothy’s Hall in Catonsville, an Episcopalian military academy that attracted students from some of the South’s best families. Accustomed to far more latitude than the school’s strict code of behavior allowed (no drinking, no smoking, no playing cards, no coarse language, no firearms, no food from home, etc.), Booth chaffed at the strictures and continued to struggle academically. But he also began to adapt and find his own identity separate from his family’s long shadow.
School ended for Booth at the age of 15 following his father’s sudden death. Without a steady income to support the family, his mother rented out the Baltimore townhouse and proposed farming at Tudor Hall. With the older sons, June and Edwin, already off pursuing their own acting careers, John suddenly found himself the head of the household and a farmer to boot.
In her memoir, Asia remembers the era fondly, as years of happy, simple domesticity, when John rose with the sun in his east-facing bedroom, worked the fields, and then attended country dances at night. But the truth was, he was a lousy farmer, dead tired, and yearning for the stage. When Edwin returned from the West in 1856 and suggested the family rent out the farm and return to the city, John was relieved.
Free to pursue his own goals, Booth aimed for the stage. He was determined to equal if not eclipse the success of his father.
Booth had made his first appearance on the professional stage on August 14, 1855 in Baltimore in a one-off performance as Richmond in Richard III. After he was able to cast off the yoke of farming, a friend procured him an entry-level position in the stock company at Philadelphia’s Arch Street Theatre. He would be billed as “J. B. Wilkes.”
Though his early performances were shaky at best—Booth was visibly nervous and, on one occasion, forgot his character’s name—most agreed he had potential. His greatest strength was his exciting and visceral stage presence. He excelled in fight scenes, but also performed ably in romances, comedies, and tragedies. And it escaped no one’s notice that he looked, in the words of one acquaintance, like a “young Apollo.”
Booth was asked back for the following season in Philadelphia, but declined, feeling he’d failed there. He moved on to the Marshall Theatre in Richmond, VA, which was co-managed by Baltimore theater manager and family friend John T. Ford. He loved Richmond, and Richmond loved him back. There he ascended to star status and began using his own name on playbills.
It was also while there that national politics began to intrude. The nation was staggering ever closer to a crisis regarding slavery. Skirmishes out in the western territories between pro-slavery and abolitionist militias were increasingly common. Still, it seemed to most Virginians like a problem that was far away. But the problem came to their doorstep when radical abolitionist John Brown mounted an attack on the federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry in October of 1859. His goal was to incite a slave uprising using weapons from the arsenal. For many Southerners, this was their worst nightmare. Booth was horrified. According to Alford’s biography, Booth told friends he wanted to “help shoot the damned abolitionists” himself.
After Brown was captured and sentenced to death, militias were called up to maintain security before and during the hanging. Richmond units went, and though Booth was not a member, he went with them. The experience was profound. The day before the execution, Booth visited Brown in jail. (Unfortunately, their conversation is lost to history.) The next day, Booth stood about 30 feet away from the scaffold as Brown was hanged. He came away from the experience with no new sympathy for the abolitionist cause but much respect for Brown, even keeping a piece of Brown’s coffin and a spear Brown had used in the raid as souvenirs, two talismans unwittingly passed between opposing zealots. “He was a brave old man; his heart must have broken when he felt himself deserted,” Booth later told Asia.
Back in Richmond, Booth picked up where he left off, packing in audiences and romancing as many women as he could juggle. In the fall of 1860, he embarked on his first starring tour, stopping in small cities in Georgia and Alabama. The tour hit a snag however, when Booth’s manager accidentally shot him in the leg forcing him to miss several performances while he convalesced.
He rebounded in early 1861 with a tour of several smaller Northern cities, playing Albany, NY, on the night Lincoln passed through en route to Washington for his inauguration. But just as Booth was gaining professional momentum, the war broke out.
PARTNERS IN CRIME There were nine notable conspirators involved in the Lincoln assassination plot. Most were captured quickly. Four were put to death; four were imprisoned; and one was tried but not convicted. David Herold Former druggist’s assistant. Accompanied Booth on attempted escape. Hanged, July 1865. Lewis Powell Confederate veteran and attacker of Secretary of State Seward. Hanged, July 1865. George AtzerodtGerman-born Marylander told to kill Vice President Johnson, but didn’t. Hanged, July 1865. Mary SurrattWashington, D.C. boarding house owner and mother of John Surratt. Hosted conspirators. Hanged, July 1865. John Surratt Son of Mary Surratt. Evaded arrest for over a year. Eventually tried but let off by a hung jury. Samuel ArnoldSchoolmate of Booth’s at St. Timothy’s. Sentenced to life in prison. Pardoned in 1869. Michael O’LaughlenChildhood friend of Booth’s. Sentenced to life in prison. Died in Florida jail in 1867. Edman SpanglerStagehand at Ford’s Theatre. Asked to hold Booth’s horse during assassination. Given six-year sentence. Pardoned in 1869. Dr. Samuel MuddDoctor who set Booth’s leg. Sentenced to life in prison. Pardoned in 1869.
Though it’s uncomfortable to acknowledge, war can be good for some people. Ulysses S. Grant was an aimless drunk before the Civil War made him a military hero. After the war, he became a two-term president. The war was good for Abraham Lincoln, too. Over the course of the war, he went from personally believing the right thing to actually doing the right thing, and he dragged the country along with him—knocking the laws of the land into better alignment with our highest ideals.
The Civil War was not good to John Wilkes Booth. It undid him. Sure, he was thriving professionally. He toured Chicago, New York, Boston, St. Louis, and Baltimore. He performed in Washington at least once with the President in the audience and, on a separate occasion, with the President’s son, Tad, in attendance. And his reviews were the best of his career, referencing his “originality” and “genius.” Emotionally, however, Booth was unraveling. The country was changing and he couldn’t—or wouldn’t—change with it. As Alford writes, “His powerful personality harbored consuming likes and dislikes.... It was impossible to change his mind.... Booth never had a new thought after his core opinions were formed in his teenage years.”
As a Marylander, Booth found plenty to dislike during the war. Then, as now, debate raged about Maryland’s identity as a Southern or Northern state. Slavery was legal in Maryland, so the state could have sided with the Confederacy. If it did, Washington, D.C., would have been surrounded by hostile territory. Lincoln couldn’t risk Maryland’s secession. So in May 1861, Lincoln sent 1,000 federal troops into Baltimore to occupy the city, aiming cannons at the downtown from atop Federal Hill. Martial law was imposed and the mayor, police marshal, and board of police commissioners—among others—were rounded up and imprisoned at Fort McHenry without charges or trial. The men complained that their detention was in violation of the rule of habeas corpus and some members of the Supreme Court agreed. Lincoln ignored them. In fact, in September of 1861, federal troops and Baltimore police officers arrested all pro-Confederate members of the Maryland General Assembly during a special session in Frederick.
A gothic-revival "cottage," Tudor hall replaced the family's whitewashed log cabin and was to be Junius's dream home, though he died before it was finished.
Like most Baltimoreans and Marylanders, Booth resented these infringements. Through his family, he knew some of the incarcerated, and he began to think of Lincoln as a tyrant grinding Maryland—and indeed the nation—under his boot heel. What he wanted was to fight for his country, by which he meant the South. But his promise to his mother kept him in check.
Sometime in 1864, he vented his feelings in a letter to her. “For four years I have lived (I may say) a slave in the north (a favored slave it’s true, but no less hateful to me on that account). Not daring to express my thoughts, even in my own home. Constantly hearing every principle dear to my heart denounced as treasonable. And knowing the vile and savage acts committed on my countrymen, their wives, and helpless children, I have cursed my willful idleness. And begun to deem myself a coward and to despise my own existence. For four years, I have borne it mostly for your dear sake. And for you alone have I also struggled to fight off this desire to be gone.”
As his radicalism waxed, his interest in acting waned. He suffered vocal problems and tired of the road. He did appear in the occasional benefit performance, the most famous—and ironic—being a performance of Julius Caesar with his brothers in November 1864. But mostly his attention was elsewhere. He speculated in oil in Pennsylvania and visited family and friends—and there were always women. Above all, he plotted.
It is unclear exactly when Booth began to consider a plot to kidnap Lincoln and hold him for ransom in exchange for Confederate prisoners of war, but by August 1864, he had set the wheels in motion. He recruited fellow Southern sympathizers to his cause, starting with his old St. Timothy’s schoolmate Samuel Arnold and his childhood friend from the Old Town neighborhood, Michael O’Laughlen. Eventually the group grew to include David Herold, George Atzerodt, Lewis Powell, John Surratt, and his mother Mary Surratt, at whose boarding house the conspirators often met, see below.
If assassination had been the goal at this point, Booth would have had a perfect opportunity on March 4, when he attended Lincoln’s second inaugural as the guest of Lucy Hale, the daughter of a New Hampshire senator and vocal abolitionist. A picture exists of that day, and sure enough, above Lincoln, in a scrum of guests on a raised platform, Booth is visible.
The closest the conspirators got to enacting their plan was on March 17 when the President was scheduled to attend a play at a hospital. The conspirators prepped, but Lincoln’s plans changed, and an attempt was never made.
After this, the enthusiasm of several of the conspirators began to flag, but Booth held steady, insisting they try again. The events of April 9 changed all that. That day, General Robert E. Lee surrendered his Army of Northern Virginia to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox, VA. Other ragtag bands of Confederate soldiers would fight on for a few weeks, but symbolically, the war was over. The South had lost. Booth knew that a kidnapping was too little, too late.
On the evening of April 11, 1865, a jubilant crowd gathered in front of the White House to hear Lincoln give what would be his final public address. In it, he touched on his plan for Reconstruction and called for black suffrage. Standing in the crowd next to co-conspirator David Herold, Booth seethed, “That means nigger citizenship. Now, by God, I’ll put him through.”
At tudor hall, John Wilkes Booth used the balcony outside his room to practice dramatic scenes and speeches.
He got his chance just three days later, when, picking up his mail at Ford’s Theatre, he learned that the President would be attending that evening’s performance. He improvised a new plan in which he would kill the President while co-conspirators David Herold and Lewis Powell would kill Secretary of State William Seward, and George Atzerodt would kill Vice President Andrew Johnson. Booth’s hope was that, in doing this, they would plunge the federal government into chaos, thus giving the Confederacy a reprieve.
Atzerodt, though, got cold feet, and Johnson was never attacked. Herold helped with reconnaissance, but did not participate in the violence. Powell, however, brutally stabbed Seward several times in the face and neck. Miraculously, Seward survived.
After Booth shot him, Lincoln never regained consciousness. He was carried from the theater across the street to a house where |
Mattias Karlsson, who was Åkesson's deputy until the party leader went on sick leave citing exhaustion, told Dagens Nyheter that his political colleague had been finding it difficult to cope for several years.
"I've been aware that he has been on the verge of breaking-point psychologically for some time. I don't want to go into details but I've seen the warning signs for at least four years," said Karlsson.
Matters reached a head during Åkesson's last major public appearance during the party leaders debate in the Swedish parliament. Karlsson said he spoke on the phone with his fellow Sweden Democrat, just prior to his decision to go on sick leave for the rest of 2014.
"He had a weak recollection that he had been there, but he did not remember what he had been doing," Karlsson said.
In October Åkesson stunned the political establishment by announcing he was going on sick leave due to exhaustion. A doctor diagnosed him with chronic fatigue and he has since shelved any plans to return to the Riksdag until at least 2015.
He claimed that the long election campaign, in which the Sweden Democrats claimed 12.9 percent of the vote, had sapped him emotionally and physically.
Karlsson has stepped into Åkesson's shoes and conceded in the lengthy interview that he was prepared to become the permanent leader of the party.
"I got involved to make a difference. This means that I have a loyalty towards the party and if other people think it's the best thing of the party that I become leader then I guess I'll have to think about it."
Karlsson is known as the 'chief ideologist' of the nationalist party, having shaped much of its policies and public statements over the last decade.
ANALYSIS: Why nobody cares if a Swedish leader is off sick
However, he claims to detest the title saying that it sounds like something associated with the notorious Nazi minister of propaganda Joseph Goebbels.
"I hate that term chief ideologist, it sounds like something from Goebbels. But it is true that it has been my role to work with the program and develop the ideas."
The Parliamentary Group leader said he still speaks with Åkesson on a regular basis but wants to give him space in order to make a full recovery.
"Ideally I would like to ring him five times a day but he needs breathing space."
In September's general election the Sweden Democrats claimed almost 800,000 votes, establishing themselves as the third largest party in the country.
The Local/pr“Self-amending cryptographic ledger” Tezos has raised almost $200 mln in the first two days of its ICO.
The uncapped sale of its Tezzies (TEZ) tokens will continue through July 12. At press time Monday, contributions had reached 42,600 BTC ($104.3 mln) and 184,700 ETH ($51.2 mln) for a combined total of around $155.5 mln.
The lack of hard cap means Tezos could easily end up being the largest ICO ever once it closes in ten days’ time.
The project had garnered tremendous interest from the cryptocurrency community and beyond, thanks in part to support and bullish sentiment from celebrated investor Tim Draper.
With 11 days to go, and total funds already north of $130 million, it looks like the Tezos ICO will be the biggest crowdfunding effort ever. pic.twitter.com/PsvMrOBdVC — Brian Patrick Eha (@brianeha) July 3, 2017
Draper has since been somewhat quiet about his relationship with Tezos, while another project he sponsored, Bancor, also became the biggest ICO in history after it raised $153 mln.
This total was eclipsed just a week afterward by Brock Pierce’s Block.One ICO, however, which reeled in $185 mln.
The unlimited token issuance has meanwhile avoided the network clogging and mad rush which was ubiquitous with June’s prominent Ethereum token sales.
Tezos has remained free of any major technical problems, while it remains to be seen if developers can rise to the occasion and put funds offered, which could easily top half a billion dollars, to adequate use to generate value for investors.PBS: From Mexico to Russia, pipelines to refugees, President Trump had a busy first week of work. Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week’s news, including an assessment of the president’s executive actions and willingness to pick fights, the White House opposition against the media and whether the GOP will assert independence.
"There are sort of two theories of he tells things that are false all the time," Brooks said on Friday's broadcast of PBS NewsHour. "Is it because he’s sort of an Orwellian figure, an authoritarian figure who is twisting words in an Orwellian manner, “1984,” to exercise power and control people’s minds, or is he a 5-year-old who has an ego that needs to be fed, and the universe has to warp around his ego needs so he can feel good about himself, and everybody has to produce photos to make the monarch feel like he’s made of gold?'"
Brooks revealed that Republican businessmen and congresspeople that he has spoken too have a "great sense of being unnerved, unnerved at the stability" of Trump. He said there is a "general sense of chaos and incompetence on how you do it."
"Among businesspeople I have spoken to, among political class and among the Republicans on the Hill, just a great sense of being unnerved, unnerved at the instability," Brooks said. "The two other things I would say is, the general sense of chaos and incompetence on how you do it."
Brooks warned some members of Congress may go to Mexico to say Trump "doesn't speak for us.'
"Some of them would love to go down to Mexico and say, hey, he doesn’t speak for us," Brooks said. "And they are not going to do it now because they’re pausing to see what happens, but six, eight months, a year, they could decide, this is too much for our country, we have to go down, and we would go to Mexico or whoever the next 18 fights he picks."
The columnist said those who swore an oath to Constitution are going to have to uphold that pledge at some point.
"But I do think he is a fundamentally unstabilizing force and that the people who swore to uphold the Constitution are going to have to take some measures at some point," he said.
Transcript, via PBS NewsHour:
DAVID BROOKS: We were here a week ago together, and it feels like a century.
And I wonder, over the course of his presidency, can he keep up this pace of news and busyness and conflict without just exhausting everybody?
And I will say, among businesspeople I have spoken to, among political class and among the Republicans on the Hill, just a great sense of being unnerved, unnerved at the instability.
Partly, he’s done what he said, as Mark said. He’s undermined the post-war international order pretty quickly. Tearing down TPP was a bill that I think economists say would have produced hundreds of millions — billions of dollars of earnings every year for Americans.
Picking a fight with our second biggest export market, very unnerving. I don’t see the — but then I think the two other things I would say is, the general sense of chaos and incompetence on how you do it.
OK, you want to pick a fight with Mexico. Do you have to do it by tweet? Do you have put forward a proposal that would have Americans paying for the wall, and then sort of withdraw it, and then sort of not withdraw it, do in a way maximally designed to polarize Mexican opinion against the United States?
And then the final thing is, I wonder, I’m left wondering, how much of this is real? OK, he signs a series of papers that Steve Bannon and others wrote for him, but who is going to implement it? Does it make any sense? We saw that with the Syrian ban in the discussion earlier in the program.
How much of it is the government just going to let him sign papers and then it just goes along their merry way?...
DAVID BROOKS: He’s just picked fight after fight. This was an example.
And there are sort of two theories of he tells things that are false all the time. Is it because he’s sort of an Orwellian figure, an authoritarian figure who is twisting words in an Orwellian manner, “1984,” to exercise power and control people’s minds, or is he a 5-year-old who has an ego that needs to be fed, and the universe has to warp around his ego needs so he can feel good about himself, and everybody has to produce photos to make the monarch feel like he’s made of gold?'
MARK SHIELDS: Which do you vote on?
DAVID BROOKS: I vote on the 5-year-old kid.
MARK SHIELDS: King George III?
DAVID BROOKS: The madness of King George III.
And so I think, when we see that distortion, it’s because he just needs the ego fed all the time.
And I don’t if anybody saw the — after the CIA, he gave an ABC interview where he talked about the standing ovation …
JUDY WOODRUFF: I watched it.
DAVID BROOKS: … at the CIA, the longest ever …
MARK SHIELDS: Peyton Manning.
DAVID BROOKS: … since Peyton Manning.
Well, first of all, the employees couldn’t sit down because he didn’t tell them to sit down. So, they’re standing. Of course it’s a standing ovation. They can’t sit down.
But then the way he went on and on, that was a home run, and, I mean, it’s — it’s weird...
DAVID BROOKS: Well, I do think there is another opposition more effective right now, or more important, which is people who work in government, some of the civil servants.
They have to — if we’re going to impose a visa on European countries, they have got to process it. And, believe me, civil servants have many ways to not do something. And it’s easier for them not to do it.
The second is Congress, and not only the Democrats, but — that’s important, but also the Republicans in Congress. The Republicans in Congress, A, they believe in Ronald Reagan’s Republican Party, not Donald Trump Republican Party or Steve Bannon’s Republican Party.
Second, they have made this Faustian bargain with the guy. They think, we’re going to tolerate him, and — but just as long as he signs our legislation. And if we can get some health care that we like or a tax reform that we like, all that chaos is worth it.
But the chaos may turn out to be too high a price to pay. And so now we get in a big fight with Mexico, and some members of Congress are very upset that we have upset this, needlessly started a trade war, which could go totally out of control.
And some of them would love to go down to Mexico and say, hey, he doesn’t speak for us. And they are not going to do it now because they’re pausing to see what happens, but six, eight months, a year, they could decide, this is too much for our country, we have to go down, and we would go to Mexico or whoever the next 18 fights he picks...
JUDY WOODRUFF: But, David, what makes you think that Republicans are going to have, as Mark said, the backbone to stand up to him?
DAVID BROOKS: Well, A, because I hear rumblings of it. I hope rumblings lead to backbone.
But, second, if present is prologue, then Trump is this whirling dervish of chaos. He picked a fight with Mexico. Germany is not far behind. He will pick a fight with them. He will pick a fight with China, which would be truly cataclysmic.
Vietnam has been severely hurt by what he did this week on TPP. So just a series of big fights just in the international arena. And, as I mentioned a couple weeks ago, the president makes a lot of decisions about use of armed force.
And some of those are going to go — for him to make decisions on questionable information is going to happen. He’s going to have to make those decisions. And it will just feel like the whole American project, I believe, is weirdly under threat.
Now, it could be that he just does this in the realm of media, and he lives up there, and Steve Bannon runs policy down here. And that would just have a Berlusconi destabilizing effect on our culture, and have no practical effect.
But I do think he is a fundamentally unstabilizing force and that the people who swore to uphold the Constitution are going to have to take some measures at some point.I’ve long been a fan of the economist Alan Blinder, he of the hard head, soft heart (a great book, absolutely crying for an update, Alan!). In fact, Alan co-authored an important paper for our Full Employment Project on the policy lessons from the Great Recession.
So I was a bit blind(er)-sided by his WSJ oped this AM, 5 Big Truths About Trade, given that some of his truths are not true at all.
It’s essential to get this right as the populist campaign has elevated this trade debate in ways that can be used or misused. The latter would lead to protectionism, walls, and damaging tariffs like those touted by Trump. Alan’s right, for example, not to conflate trade agreements with trade, a theme I’ve tried to trumpet loudly in these parts.
But it also misuses the moment to argue, as Alan does, that the problem is simply that some workers are displaced and, if we only do more to help them, we’ll otherwise be fine. What this view ignores is the damage done to our and other economies through economically large and persistent trade imbalances. Alan’s “truth” #3 maintains trade imbalances “are inevitable and mostly uninteresting.”
Wait, what?!
First, we should recognize that those directly displaced by trade are not the only workers hurt by this dynamic. As displaced production workers move over to low-end service-sector jobs, the supply effect puts downward pressure on wages in that part of the job market as well. Economist Josh Bivens finds that non-college educated workers have lost around $1,800 in earnings per year through this channel. That’s a lot of money for them, and surely the root of a lot of the populist anger that’s elevating trade in the campaigns.
Persistent deficits of the magnitude we’ve had here in the U.S. have, in fact, been highly problematic, a fact recognized by Ben Bernanke back in 2005, when he recognized the extent to which the “savings glut” was contributing to large trade imbalances as surplus countries (like China then and Germany now) exported large amounts of savings to deficit countries. Far from “uninteresting,” this tactic has long been a strategy of mercantilist countries to over-save, under-consume, and under-invest, causing big problems in lots of other places.
Problems like a housing bubble, which Bernanke had the foresight to note in his 2005 paper (though he hoped it would unwind without causing much damage, which…um…didn’t quite happen); or before that, a dot.com bubble that led to the prior recession of 2001, which, while much milder in GDP terms, was also followed by a jobless and wageless recovery.
Consider these dynamics re Alan’s assertion that “…people who claim that our trade deficit kills jobs need to explain how the U.S. managed to achieve 4% unemployment in 2000, when our trade deficit was larger, as a share of GDP, than it is today.”
He might also point out—he who has written with great insight about the damage of the housing bubble and the innovative finance that inflated it—that unemployment was in the mid-4’s in 2007, right before the worst recession since the Great Recession, one we’re still climbing out of.
No one is saying that trade deficits prevent full employment. What we are saying is that the magnitude of the trade deficits we’ve run—averaging -4% of GDP since 2000 and -2.8% in the most recent quarter—must be offset if we are going to get to full employment. In recent decades, the excess savings flowing in from surplus countries, interacting with under-regulated financial markets, have turned that offsetting process into a bubble machine. (Dean Baker nicely ties these points to secular stagnation; see also this recent academic analysis tying savings glut dynamics to demand shortfalls in deficit countries.)
Alan also makes the mistake of scolding us for not saving enough. “Spendthrift nations like the U.S. have trade deficits because we don’t save much. But these saving decisions are domestic.” Nuh-uh!
When one country runs a trade surplus, another country must run a trade deficit. When Germany runs an 8 percent trade surplus (!), other countries with whom they trade–particularly those in the rest of the Eurozone–must consume that much more than they produce. If somebody’s consuming or investing less than they save somebody else must invest or spend more than they save. It is in this manner that surplus countries not only export goods to deficit countries. They also import labor demand from those countries, some of whom, like peripheral Europe, could really use that demand.
As I wrote recently, the goal here is not balanced trade, nor is it protectionism. “As long as there’s been trade, there’s been imbalanced trade, as countries invariably produce more than they consume, i.e., they’ll run a trade surplus, while others, like us, will do the opposite. To somehow insist on balanced trade for all would be a huge policy mistake, one that would preclude billions of people from the reaping the benefits of trade, both as consumers and producers.”
But to ignore the role of the international dynamics that have led to large, persistent US trade deficits, contributing to stagnant demand offset by lastingly damaging bubbles is to dismiss a force that a lot of people are justifiably pissed off about.
What to do about it is a good question, one for my next post on this topic.It´s nice to see that the discussion grows... Hope the end of the month Report brings more Attention in here...
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Yes, I'll be posting a month report by the end of the weekend ( in a few minutes ). I have some pretty good news that I think everyone will likeSite is back up: http://dopecoin.com/ Dopecoin.info will be back up shortly also.If Veteran Dopecoin members could reach out to some new members to join our community that would be great. Noobs if you could also, spread the word about DOPE and lets move this coin forward!
It´s nice to see that the discussion grows... Hope the end of the month Report brings more Attention in here...
I'll be loggin into the DopeCoin IRC inside the wallet if you want to stop by and say hi.Ozamataz Buckshank wrote:
You really think it's more likely that Charlie Carny'd 600+ Archons without them noticing than it is that he Carny'd one portal? Even in light of the fact that Carnying that one portal also handily explains why bullets would go through the same portal while deflecting off another?
Or, to take another interpretation of what you're saying (I'm not sure which is the one you mean), you think it's more likely that Charlie is capable of changing the rules for all Archons everywhere and did so even though this could benefit sides besides him (he's not the only side with Archons)?
I think Charlie changed the definition of Archons to be a knight class-caster and thus able to enter the portals. And there are very few sides that actually pop Archons besides Charlie and what do you want to bet that Charlie makes sure that those sides don't last long enough to figure out that Archons have been epicly carnyed.[quote=zilfallon][quote=thaco4]One thing I haven't seen any one suggest is that Charlie broken the way Archons are defined by Erfworld creating the same pseudo-caster status for all Archons that Parson's has. There are various hints in Magic Kingdom that Archons have the ability to enter the portal without disbandment. Just because the bullet pinged against the portal in front of Charlie's portal has no bearing on if Charlie carnyed his portal (which I'm not dismissing) however in my mind the Portals in portal park and like one-sided doorways. You try to enter one of the portals through the wrong side and you just bounce off. Casters automagically know which side of the portal is the correct side to enter and so don't have the problem of constantly running into a brick wall every time you are going home.[/quote]No. Many casters stated before that using portals of other sides is possible, they just don't do it because it breaks MK laws.[/quote]Um not what I'm talking about... I'm not saying Side, as in the Side to which the portal belongs to. I'm saying which side of the portal (any portal) you can enter from. Panel 4 People are assuming that the bullet ricocheted because other portals don't allow inanimate objects through. I'm saying that the reason the bullet ricocheted is because on the other side of the portal that way is a wall. In other words that the bullet hit the backside of the portal not the frontside. Take Charlie's portal, if you could enter portals from either side of the portal then you would think that given the explosion that the side Maggie is on would also have explosion residue on that side as well. It doesn't. Think about it like this the portal is a doorway with a wall on one side(backside) and a door on the other(frontside). Now, granted the side that has the door on it is never closed. But if you tried to go through the portal from the back side you will just hit a wall. As shown by every portal room we have seen except Charlie's. Thus it is my conclusion that the Portals can only be entered from via the front side of the Portal and not the backside. Thus was Jojo able to hide behind the portal and know that he was behind the portal because his magical sense told him which side of the portal was the back and which was the front.... Do I need to explain this more?"Oh my Jesus God," Darrell Williams cried out as he heard the verdicts. Turning to the jury, Williams exclaimed: "I didn't do it!"
The jury had just found Williams, a basketball player at Oklahoma State University, guilty of two counts of rape by instrumentation. Two women had testified that Williams had groped them at an off-campus party by reaching inside their pants. And the Stillwater, Oklahoma jury had believed them.
"This verdict represents justice," said prosecutor Jill Tontz outside the courthouse.
If the judge follows the jury's recommendation, Williams will be sentenced on Friday to two years of hard time. The 22-year-old Chicago native will have to register as a sex offender and will be stigmatized for life as a convicted felon.
So, when Williams loudly professes his innocence, we should at least listen.
Williams became a suspect when the two complaining witnesses picked out his photo for police, according to news reports. But the women weren't shown the usual photo spread of mug shots. That wasn't possible -- because Williams had no criminal record.
Instead, since the alleged offender was wearing an OSU Cowboys warm-up suit, the cops showed the women a photo of the basketball team. Williams was the perp, they declared.
When Williams was brought in for questioning, however, he immediately professed his innocence. "I don't know what happened [to the women]," Williams said in an audio-recorded interview. "I was probably misidentified." To prove his innocence, he agreed to take a lie detector test -- and passed. No doubt thinking the first test was a fluke, the authorities asked him to take another one. Passed it, too.
A check with OSU officials revealed that Williams was an honors student with a 4.0 grade point average. He left Chicago, where he graduated from Dunbar High School, to escape urban violence after his older brother Derrick was murdered while visiting their grandmother. As a junior at OSU, Williams earned a basketball scholarship and became the Cowboys' starting forward. His coach and fellow players were convinced he was innocent.
Witnesses at the party told police they had not heard anyone scream or seen any inappropriate behavior. Neither of the women suffered cuts or scratches, and their clothing was not torn. Both had been drinking before they arrived at the dimly lit party. Most important, several party-goers were OSU players wearing warm-up suits just like the kind donned by Williams.
But the complaining witnesses insisted Williams had groped them, and their testimony was enough for the jury to convict him after eight hours of deliberation. Could both women have gotten it wrong? Was this a case of mistaken identity, as Williams had immediately claimed to police?
Tragically, such cases happen more often than the public would like to believe, especially with sexual assaults. A landmark study of wrongful convictions in which prisoners were officially exonerated found that 80 percent of the errors in sexual assault cases were due to false witness identifications. In other words, eight out of 10 complaining witnesses were mistaken -- the highest error rate of any type of wrongful conviction.
The racial breakdown of these cases is eye-popping. Black defendants comprised more than two-thirds of sexual assault exonerees, and white victims inaccurately testified in 72 percent of these cases. To put it another way, a majority of the acknowledged wrongful convictions in sexual assault cases involved white victims who misidentified black defendants.
And, yes, race matters profoundly in assessing Darrell Williams claim of innocence. Williams is black. The two women are white. Other black Cowboys basketball players were at the party. At least two black men on the team closely resembled Williams in height, build and skin tone.
But instead of showing the complaining duo a photo of each potential suspect and asking if they could identify it, the authorities made a fatal mistake. They used the team picture -- forcing the witnesses to compare one black player to another. This must have been confusing. In picking Williams, it would have been natural to choose the black player who looked most like the person who groped them, even if he was not necessarily the actual assailant.
Aware of the growing research on false witness identifications, several states have taken steps to reduce the error rate. In North Carolina, police procedures changed after a white rape victim falsely identified her black assailant despite closely studying his features, only to later champion reforms with the man she had wrongfully put behind bars. Most recently, the New Jersey Supreme Court ordered trial judges to give jurors special instructions about the fallibility of witnesses.
Not in Oklahoma. The Stillwater jury that decided Williams' fate received no cautionary words from the judge. But would it have mattered, considering the jury was comprised of 11 whites and one Asian?
So let's summarize. Williams, an honors student with an unblemished record, was convicted by a jury with no black people on it of an interracial crime that lacked independent witnesses or physical evidence and was based on a notoriously flawed method for identifying suspects.
As for the white prosecutor who crowed about justice, she tearfully clutched the arm of a sheriff's deputy when Williams reacted to the jury's verdict -- even though he merely professed his innocence without leaving the defense table.
The prosecutor should cry. Everyone responsible for this case should shed tears. They ruined a young man's life.Story highlights Gymnasts from North, South Korea pose together for selfie
(CNN) A couple of gymnasts at Rio 2016 have taken to heart one of the founding principles of Olympism -- "placing sport at the service of the harmonious development of humankind" -- in a very modern way.
Gymnasts Lee Eun-ju of South Korea and Hong Un-Jong of North Korea posed for a charming selfie, an impromptu photograph that's a rare occurrence by members of the two Koreas.
Gymnasts from North & South Korea take a selfie together. This is why we do the Olympics. pic.twitter.com/Id44OuehN3 — ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) August 5, 2016
Relations have been frosty between the North and South since its division following the end of World War II.
But geopolitics were put to one side for one moment in Brazil as the two Olympians came together to capture a shared moment of joy while representing their two nations during Sunday's Gymnastics training at the Rio Olympic Arena.
Read MoreA resident of Nazareth was indicted in Israel on Sunday for joining up with the Islamic State terror group and taking part in fighting in Iraq.
Maharan Yosef Hachmi Chaldi was arrested by the Shin bet security service three weeks ago, officials said Sunday.
Chaldi was stopped in Ben Gurion Airport as he was returning from Iraq via Turkey.
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According to the indictment, in the beginning of October 2014, Chaldi, an Israeli citizen, left for Syria through Turkey and from there carried on to Iraq.
There has been extensive fighting between Iraqi government forces, the Islamic State and local militias in the Fallujah area for several years, he was injured, presumably from a coalition airstrike, the security agency says.
Chaldi is being accused of being a member and participating in an illegal organization, contacting a foreign agent, participating in illegal military exercises, visiting forbidden countries and carrying out illegal transactions with a terrorist organization.
His case is being heard in the Nazareth District Court.
Last month, the Shin Bet arrested seven other Israeli citizens that had sworn allegiance to the Islamic State, which has been illegal for Israelis to do since September.The term race is a traditional synonym for subspecies, however it is frequently asserted that Homo sapiens is monotypic and that what are termed races are nothing more than biological illusions. In this manuscript a case is made for the hypothesis that H. sapiens is polytypic, and in this way is no different from other species exhibiting similar levels of genetic and morphological diversity. First it is demonstrated that the four major definitions of race/subspecies can be shown to be synonymous within the context of the framework of race as a correlation structure of traits. Next the issue of taxonomic classification is considered where it is demonstrated that H. sapiens possesses high levels morphological diversity, genetic heterozygosity and differentiation (F(ST)) compared to many species that are acknowledged to be polytypic with respect to subspecies. Racial variation is then evaluated in light of the phylogenetic species concept, where it is suggested that the least inclusive monophyletic units exist below the level of species within H. sapiens indicating the existence of a number of potential human phylogenetic species; and the biological species concept, where it is determined that racial variation is too small to represent differentiation at the level of biological species. Finally the implications of this are discussed in the context of anthropology where an accurate picture of the sequence and timing of events during the evolution of human taxa are required for a complete picture of human evolution, and medicine, where a greater appreciation of the role played by human taxonomic differences in disease susceptibility and treatment responsiveness will save lives in the future.Macron wins – the 24% who voted for him rejoice, the rest sigh
by Ramin Mazaheri
Communist ideas have won concessions from industry, but they have been unable to stop high finance from exploiting workers.
That is the big battle today. Only revolutionary and heavily socialist countries like Iran, Cuba and China – as well as dictatorships like South Korea in the past – have been able to stop domination by international finance.
France, however, has fearfully rushed into the arms of the candidate who wants your wages to pay for bad loans: former Rothschild banker Emmanuel Macron.
It’s almost insulting to take orders from a 39-year old who didn’t come to power at the end of the gun or at the front of a massive revolution, because how can such a young person not be the puppet of older, richer interests?
There’s no way Macron is as smart, experienced and mature as he believes himself to be, or as they want us to believe. It’s “not polite” by French campaign standards, but I note that his record as Economy Minister produced only economic stagnation and record-high unemployment.
I talk to people in France about how they will vote all the time, even though it’s also “not polite” by French standards. Hogwash. Emmanuel only has two appeals: first, he is young and new blood in a country run by an aged, corrupt aristocracy, and second, he is not Marine Le Pen.
Of course Emmanuel won: Le Pen lost in 2nd round head-to-head polling at all times and against everyone. I mean in every…single…poll since polling began in January.
We were hoping against hope, and because hope was a terrible, incompetent, neo-fascist candidate – hope lost.
Huge change from 2012 – there is no joy in Mudville. I can assure you that France’s spirit of resistance was alive and well in 2012. Ahhhh, austerity was so young back then – it’s so firmly-rooted now.
Francois Hollande was elected on a promise to fight high finance, fight Germany, end austerity and renegotiate EU treaties. The French people were 100% correct to be so optimistic – who can live in cynicism?
But who could have expected that Hollande would make such an undemocratic U-turn? His U-turn threatened to destroy the European Union, which has only been given a stay of execution with Macron’s victory. Even though Hollande couldn’t even run for re-election, nobody with any sense of justice thinks that is fair reparations.
I must pause here for a word on civil war: France talks about the possibility of a civil war an inordinate amount. And I perceived this years before this election involving Le Pen.
In the US that’s relegated to beyond the suburbs…half the country, sure. Of course, the English say the same thing. The Spanish may split over Catalonia. Scotland may break off. Ireland remains divided. Italy barely has a government. Belgium didn’t have one for a year (such Parliamentary gridlock is France’s future).
Only the Germans are happy with their leadership. And why not: everyone in the West “admires them”. Not me – higher poverty rate than France, for starters.
My point is: Western society, and not just France, is fractured in a terrible, horrible way. The lack of unity – even if only perceived – is staggering for a region of the world enjoying such enormous relative prosperity. There is, clearly, a problem in their culture.
Cuba doesn’t have this problem. Nor China. Iran – once you get out of rich North Tehran – will almost certainly have a higher voter participation rate in their elections this month than France, and France’s is still among the highest in the West.
The fear of civil war is a major Western phenomenon, and it was a major reason why people voted for Macron/against Le Pen
What do you expect? You’re all divided into parts of unequal sizes
That’s what identity politics is: Is a Black’s ideas worth more than a Gay? Seems like a Transgender rules the roost in 2017, especially if he/she has to go to the bathroom.
Can the White Nationalists fly their flag at the statehouse or not? We better ask the opinion of the left-handed homemakers north of the Mason-Dixon but west of the Mississippi who prefer jam to Nutella on partially-cloudy days – I’m sure their lobby group is being formed.
Or you could just have what works: Class politics.
Us versus the 1 billionth percent, the 8 people who own half the world’s wealth.
Anyone who supported Le Pen was browbeaten with insults against their character, intelligence and morality. Identity politics are not only about inclusion – I am in this group – it is about exclusion: You have to be like this or you are not in this group.
And who doesn’t want to be in the group the entire media (no exaggeration) said was the “good” one?
Because France does not accept multi-culturalism, promoting assimilationism instead, identity politics in France has a different face. The “in group” here is simply “France”. That’s why Macron saved this big PR gun for the final week of campaigning: “The National Front is the anti-France party”.
It resonated, even though the National Front is the most hyper-patriotic party.
Anyway, I ardently supported Marine Le Pen for two weeks – between the two rounds of voting – does that make me anti-France? Or does it make me a fascist and a racist? I’d swear at you but this is a family publication.
Fascism is a real dirty word over here. It’s not that way in the US because American fascists won WWII and thus were never discredited, like over here. People here had relatives die fighting German, Austrian & Italian fascists.
The past is indeed history, and history is indeed past
France also succumbed to the idea that the fascists their grandfathers fought are the real problem, as if France fought a civil war instead of the Germans in World War II.
More than identity politics, Macron won because France was convinced that the father of Marine Le Pen is more important than her ideas to rectify the very different problems of 2017. But high-speed trading didn’t exist in 1941. There was no European Union. In 1941 there was actually a Left in the West, LOL.
“You don’t see it, Ramin,” they told me “the threat of the National Front.”
What I see is you guys taking a backseat to Germany.
But, I’m exaggerating: I see France colluding with the Germans. Again, just like in World War II.
That is EXACTLY what has happened! Check the data: Which banks are leveraged in Greece? German AND French are the top two. Who funds the European Central Bank? The main percentage comes from Germany, with France in a very close 2nd place – we are talking dozens of billions of much-needed euros.
Acting as if Germany pays everything, does everything, plans everything – this is an Anglo-Saxon view not based on reality. I assume it is related to the historical Northern European view of their genetic supremacy over everyone else, including Southern and Eastern Europe.
But, that’s just more identity politics. It ignores the class view, as usual. The reality is that French capitalism is hugely a part |
a fine town to host a World Cup. Even in immigrant-heavy Brazil, it’s a remarkably diverse city, full of Polish and Ukrainian and Japanese Brazilians. Among the endless parks in the city are the German Woods, the Portuguese Woods, the Woods of the Pope (dedicated by the Polish, of course), Japan Square, Spain Plaza. The legend is that the famously slow Curitiba way of speaking evolved because everyone here at some point was an immigrant just learning how to speak Portuguese, so they enunciated slowly and carefully, which has turned into a local dialect.
But in practice, the World Cup does not mix with any of its towns. The Curitiba Fan Fest was held in an old quarry, the Pedreira Paulo Leminski. Bands like AC/DC and Paul McCartney used to play there, but a lawsuit from neighbors shuttered it for almost a decade. Now it’s just been reopened three months ago, just in time for whatever it is that the Fan Fest is supposed to be. The night before the game, there were a few hundred Iran and Nigerian fans, alongside some locals, all drinking overpriced Brahma Beer and watching Argentina play on a big screen. But the overriding culture was corporatism—a Coca-Cola lounge with soccer-ball beanbag chairs, a Brazilian bank’s carnival booth with a kicking game that got you free checking or somesuch. The biggest teams were the teams of military police who spread across all nearby streets, ten abreast from sidewalk to sidewalk. The red jerseys for all the Team Coca-Cola marketers made a strong showing, as did other colors for Team Sony and Team Kia. These are pop-up events for a pop-up tournament. Curitibanos neither rioted against nor rallied in favor of these games. It is a good thing this southern city is famously relaxed, because the traffic on match day alone, when 20 square blocks of central Curitiba were transformed into a sealed-off FIFA security zone, snarled life everywhere.
Iranian-Brazilian-Canadian Nima Kaz shows his Zoroastrian pendant at a rally for Team Melli. “This means I believe in everyone.”
But this matters little back in front of the Hotel Pestana. Aryi Kohandel, 20, came from San Jose, but he met up here with his cousin Atbin Moayedi, 22, a lanky British-Iranian from Bath, England. Their fathers are also here, and they all seem to be enjoying the family reunion in advance their team’s opening match. Atbin’s father records video on his phone as his son holds a beer high and leads a cheer in Farsi. Aryi wears the flag of the Shah and ventures a little too close to the Iranian delegation security guards who are guarding the front of the hotel. They tell him to take off his Shah flag, and hand him a small green Islamic flag instead. Atbin laughs it off, and makes a bandanna out of the green flag. “We’re not in Iran, you know?” he says later. “We can wear what we want.”
Uk-born Atbin Moayedi leads a chant in Farsi as his father films him.
“The world has a misconception of what Iran is all about,” says Atbin. “People aren’t violent. They love the west. It’s the government that has a problem.” He looks over his shoulder. Horns. Beer. Chants. “This is what Iranians are like. These aren’t terrorists.”
(That lesson in particular bears repeating: Closer to the stadium, one Brazilian whom I can only think is just a total asshole got a Team Melli jersey and then put on some sort of Halloween-costume Iron Sheik headdress and robe over it and was walking through the center of town shouting “Iran! Iran! Bomb! BOOM!”)
Atbin and Aryi agree that if they had sons who played international soccer, they would want them to play for Iran. “It would be their choice,” Aryi says. “But we hope it would be Iran.”
#CheerForPeace, which has some Iran fans in its group, is doing charitable work throughout Brazil during the World Cup.
It’s no small point. Here in Brazil, anger at the government (which shares Tehran’s predilection for corruption and overspending) has caused many to wish for the unthinkable—a quick and humiliating exit for Brazil in the World Cup. Otherwise, especially if Brazil wins the Cup, the validation for the government would be too much. They would be reelected, and the mismanagement would continue anew. Diaspora Iranians have far deeper grievances, but they all are pulling for their improbable team together. They don’t care if the authorities in Tehran—who have continued to make asses of themselves by banning the showing of the World Cup in cafes to prevent street unrest, and by the ongoing ban on women in football stadiums—would become even more smug if Iran advances. They are proud Iranians, first and last.
A fan in an Iranian jersey with the flag painted on his face stands on a planter and yells out for quiet in the crowd. Mortazavi translates for me. “Keep it quiet! The team is inside praying. Let’s not disturb them. And when they come out to the bus, let them focus. Let’s keep it down.”
And with that, all the Iranians fall silent, for the moment at least.Toronto overcame a slow start on the second night of a back-to-back set to close out the league-worst Florida Panthers at home. The game featured the return of Joffrey Lupul to the Kessel line, simultaneously heralding the revival of said line as contributing members of the team.
1. This thought was written before the game started, because it is true and relevant regardless of the outcome: games such as tonight’s are as much a “must win” as exists in this league. To be a playoff team, games against the worst club in the league need to garner you two points. Of course, no game in the NHL is a guaranteed win, meaning that the same work ethic and effort applied against a team like Boston should be present to put away a squad such as the Panthers.
2. Randy Carlyle shuffled his lines after a dismal first period in an effort to produce some more offense. Of course, this meant Lupul was back with his old running-mates in Bozak and Kessel. The writing was on the wall as the Bozak line has not produced and you could see Carlyle’s ire focused on Van Riemsdyk with last game’s third period benching. While the tandem of Lupul and Kadri has a potential for production and creativity that is nearly unmatched in Toronto, it was a shakeup that made sense. We know what Lupul and Kessel can do together. And really, who has Kadri been with that he hasn’t made better? This could be a swap that benefits all involved parties.
3. Phaneuf’s goal was part of a second period push that saw Toronto come to their senses. The ideal team would have come out roaring in the first, knowing they had the personnel and drive to put away a weak Florida team. The reality is that a second game in two nights scenario fed a mental lapse that saw this young team fall short in the first. It’s a testament to the leadership and coaching that they found this as thoroughly unacceptable as their couchbound fans, coming out firing in the second. The play continued to ramp up after the Phaneuf goal as the Maple Leafs smelled blood, culminating in a power play opportunity with just under seven minutes to go.
4. On the same powerplay, Marcel Goc’s shorthanded breakaway was foiled by a furiously backchecking Phil Kessel. It’s a really easy trap to label Kessel as a one-dimensional player – his prolific offense and tendency to avoid physicality are his defining characteristics. But, similar to Alexander Semin, his speed, undeniable game sense, and skillful stick make him a very effective two-way force.
5. Mikhail Grabovski and Matt Frattin were both flying tonight, as the duo have clearly missed the warming embrace of the scoresheet in recent games. It’s a combination with potential, as the two players share high levels of feistiness, speed, and an accurate shot. The best fit on the left wing of these two would be a playmaking winger, which Clarke MacArthur (out with a UBI) is fairly well suited for. Ryan Hamilton brought some more jam and hustle to this line, bringing it closer to the schema of a typical third line than we’ve seen in a while. Later, with Hamilton bumped to Kadri’s line in favour of the displaced Van Riemsdyk, the line’s dynamic once again changed.
6. The in-game coaching adjustments paid immediate dividends, as Lupul finished off a pretty passing play in front of the net to give Toronto a lead early in the third. Historically, Bozak and Kessel have done much better with Lupul by their side. Clearly, they flourish as a trio and there’s something to be said for the chemistry they have and the confidence Lupul inspires in Bozak and Kessel. They look to make highly skilled passes much more often with Joffrey on their line.
7. The Panthers responded just 23 seconds later as the resurgent Shawn Matthias lone ranger’d it into the net off of Mike Kostka’s skate. That’s a two-count for Toronto’s defensemen’s skates on the night, as Ben Scrivens did not make many mistakes all told.
8. No longer satisfied with scoring only one goal a game, Lupul tallied his second of the night (for the second time in four games since returning from injury) off yet another beautifully orchestrated play with Kessel and Bozak. The secret to Lupul’s success? Obviously he has the talent to pass and shoot at a level in the same stratosphere as Phil Kessel. More importantly, he has the size and tenacity on the puck to give his teammates extra chances at creating plays. In this instance, he pursued and retrieved a puck near the boards that reset a seemingly dead play in the offensive zone.
9. On that note, one would hope Van Riemdsyk learns from the versatility of Lupul’s game and applies it to his own. Both players have slick hands and are an elite threat in tight to the net. Their wrist shots are hard and accurate. JVR’s edge as a (potential) goal scorer is matched by Lupul’s distinct superiority as a playmaker. However, Joffrey is currently a much better player in general because of his puck pursuit and ability to use his large frame to retrieve pucks. With both players likely to be a feature of Toronto’s forward corps for the near future, one would think the younger JVR has an excellent model for improving his game.
10. The night was not extraordinarily difficult for Ben Scrivens, but he finished with 40 saves and third star of the game honours. Scrivens will perform very well in a backup role going forward. It will be extremely beneficial for Toronto’s goalies to maintain both good health and consistent play going forward, as the Maple Leafs crease has been far too volatile a position in recent memory.
This was an important, necessary win as Toronto maintains breathing room between themselves and the throng of teams battling for the final playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. The Maple Leafs have a pair of winnable games in their near future against the Hurricanes and Senators, with points in these matches going a long way to assuring this team their first playoff position in far too many years.
[table “107” not found /]A month or so ago, inspired by a trip to the farmer’s market, I wanted to make some strawberry rhubarb gin. I decided to do a poor man’s justino. Since my dad didn’t love me enough to be an Arab sheik and create me a billion dollar trust fund with which to buy centrifuges, I have to do it on the countertop. I’ve mentioned it here before but I’m lazy and have been drinking so the basic process is as follows:
1. Blend together your liquor, fruit, and Pectinex enzyme, just like you would any justino.
2. Because your parents didn’t love you enough to bequeath you centrifuge money, leave the result sitting on your countertop until they separate.
3. Pour through coffee filters, all the while cursing your dad. It’ll take you a few as they clog quickly. It helps if you carefully first pour through the clear top stuff. It’ll go right through. When you get to the cloudy part, strain through a cheesecloth-lined fine mesh strainer. That’ll save you a little time, but not as much as if your dad started an oil company instead of working for the post office.
In this case, I used strawberry and rhubarb with Beefeater gin. (I used 200g of each fruit to 750ml of Beefeater). I first sous vide cooked the rhubarb at 61C/142F for an hour. Then I blended them all together. I forgot about the mix for a couple weeks, but it’s high enough alcohol that it doesn’t matter.
After tasting I decided to add in some Boy Drinks World Serrano Cocktail Spice I had picked up at Tales of the Cocktail. Man I love a good bitters. Or in this case maybe a tincture? Whatever it is, it’s fucking fantastic.
Final recipe:
The Pink Hornet*
2 oz. strawberry rhubarb gin
1 oz. lemon juice
1 oz. simple syrup (1:1, by weight)
1.5 droppers (about 3 dashes) of Boy Drinks World Serrano Cocktail Spice
Shake and strain, my friend. Shake and strain. Or get your dad to do it for you. It’s the least he can do.
Strawberry Rhubarb Gin Poor Man’s Justino
200g hulled strawberries (so maybe 225g before)
200g rhubarb
750ml Beefeater Gin
3g Pectinex Ultra-SPL
Cut the rhubarb into 1/2” chunks and arrange into a single layer in Ziploc or vacuum bag. Cook in immersion circulator at 61C/142F for an hour until tender. (If you don’t have a circulator, you could probably just use a simmering pot of water over low heat.)
Blend everything together and set in a round jar to separate. You’ll see the mixture separate a little more every day for a few days, then it will remain pretty static. Once it stops coming apart you’re good to go.
Carefully pour the clear liquid off the top through a Chemex filter. For the rest (the bulk of it) strain through a fine mesh strainer, then through a cheesecloth-lined fine mesh strainer, then finally through Chemex filters.
(If you don’t want to do a justino, you could probably do either a rapid infusion with an ISI, or an old-school infusion by just soaking the fruit in the booze, but you won’t get the flavor intensity and sparkling clarity of a justino.)
*As I was making it, my friend got stung by a hornet so big it could be Godzilla’s enemy in the next movie. Hence the name.Some four months after Android's 2.2. "Froyo" update was released into the wild, new figures from Google show that the latest iteration of its mobile operating system is starting to take a sizable hold throughout the existing Android market. That said, Android as a whole still remains highly fragmented throughout the various devices on which it runs.
As reported by Google, 28.7 percent of all Android devices are now running version 2.2 of the operating system, with the largest percentage of growth (by purchase or by updates) occurring within the month of August. Android 2.1 still remains the most-used version of the mobile operating system by a significant amount at 41.7 percent, however.
More devices are using a 1.x iteration of Android than the 2.2 update by a percentage of 39.5 percent to 28.7 percent. Of these, 17.5 percent of users are still running version 1.6 of Android, and 12 percent are stuck on version 1.5.
We phrase that as we do, for it's not as if all users have a choice to bump up to successive versions of the OS: Depending on phone and carrier support, many users of the year-old version of the Android OS might have no choice but to stick with the legacy operating system. Samsung's original Galaxy phone, for example, can only upgrade as far as Android 1.5the company's Behold II phone is forever latched to version 1.6 of the OS.
The rate of Android upgradingor ability to dois decidedly different than what's seen on the smartphones of Google's mobile OS rival, Apple. According to a late July report by Chitika Research, slightly over 50 percent of all users had upgraded to the latest iteration of the operating system, iOS 4.0, within one week of its release.
Of the remaining iPhone users, 29.86 percent were sitting on version 3.1.3 of the operating system, the most recent version prior to the launch of iOS 4. Only 2.06 percent of the approximately nine million surveyed users were running the original 3.0 iPhone update, and half thata scant 1 percentwere running any 2.x version of the OS.
Of course, all iPhonessave for first-generation modelscan freely upgrade to iOS 4. As mentioned, that's not quite the case with Android phones, given that each carrier or handset manufacturer has to customize the core Android OS for a different kind of phone.Note to viewers: “The Voter Suppression Trail” is the first-ever video game for Op-Docs, and also the final installment of our series of Op-Docs about the 2016 election. We hope you enjoy playing, and let us know what you think in the comments. —The Editors
In the 1800s, Americans made heroic journeys to settle in the West. These journeys inspired the classic computer game “The Oregon Trail,” beloved by grade school students across the country in the 1980s and ’90s.
On Nov. 8, a new generation of Americans will make their own heroic journeys — to the polls. Some paths will be more intrepid than others, particularly for blacks, Latinos and pretty much anyone who brings the kind of diversity to our polling places that they have historically lacked. Thanks to laws passed by Republicans to fight the nonexistent threat of voter fraud, the perils will be great. Long lines and voter ID laws, not to mention pro-Trump election observers, will try to keep these voters from the polls.
To celebrate these journeys, we’ve created a video game: “The Voter Suppression Trail.” Play as a white programmer from California, a Latina nurse from Texas, or a black salesman from Wisconsin. Experience the thrill of standing in line for hours at your understaffed polling place! Try to surmount voter ID laws! Avoid intimidation by Donald Trump’s election observers! Will you fend off the rhetoric of angry election “observers,” or heed calls from your boss and get out of line, or will you experience the fulfilling patriotic reward of casting a provisional ballot that will probably never be counted? Find out — play now!Police in Houston are searching for a pair of robbers who were caught on video last month Tasering a meat market employee during a heist.
The incident took place on the morning of July 8 at the Panchos Meat Market on Imperial Valley Drive.
Surveillance video from the store shows two men in baseball caps, one of them with a white bandanna tied around his face, entering the butcher shop just after 5am.
Wanted men: The Houston Police Department has released this CCTV video showing the robbery of a local meat market on July 8
Armed and dangerous: The video shows two men entering the Panchos Meat Market, one of them armed with a gun and the other with a Taser
Shocking moment: The robber armed with the stun gun is seen in this frame using it against one worker, causing the man to stop in his tracks and collapse to the floor
The bandit looks at the incapacitated victim laying in the aisle. Meanwhile, his accomplice escorts another worker to the back office
Upon arrival, the masked suspect pulls out a handgun and his accomplice points a Taser at store employees, demanding they hand over money from the back office.
The CCTV recording then shows the robber armed with the stun gun using it against one worker, causing the man to stop in his tracks and collapse to the floor.
The victim was Tasered while being herded to the rear office along with his co-workers by the two intruders.
The pair of bandits got away with an unspecified amount of money, as the Houston Chronicle first reported. If captured, they will face charges with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon.
The pair of bandits, pictured in the background in ball caps, got away with an unspecified amount of money
If captured, they will face charges with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon
The Panchos Meat Market is located in this strip mall on Imperial Valley Drive in Houston
Police described the perpetrators of the store robbery as being between the ages of 25 and 35. One of the men had a large built and spoke Spanish during the heist.
He was last seen wearing a striped shirt, black pants and a red baseball cap.
His accomplice had a thin built and also spoke Spanish. He was seen wearing a black shirt, blue pants and a black ball cap.
As of Thursday morning, neither man has been identified or arrested.After winning a $500 million judgement against Oculus over the development of the company's virtual reality technology, id Software parent ZeniMax Media is now going after Oculus partner Samsung. In a federal lawsuit filed late last week in the Northern District of Texas, the company says that Samsung's Gear VR headset, widely advertised as "powered by Oculus," benefited from technology that was "misappropriated by Oculus" from ZeniMax under a non-disclosure agreement.
Much of the complaint reiterates arguments ZeniMax made in its initial lawsuit against Oculus: that Oculus founder Palmer Luckey would not have been able to develop his VR technology without proprietary information and help that id's John Carmack gave "in violation of his employment agreement" and an NDA, that Carmack intentionally destroyed evidence to "cover his tracks," and that code that ended up in the Oculus software was originally developed at ZeniMax.
But the new lawsuit extends the allegations to say that Carmack's proprietary information was also key to letting Oculus "secretly develop a mobile software development kit ("Mobile SDK") and related software for the Samsung Gear VR." According to ZeniMax, this Mobile SDK uses ZeniMax's trade secrets and copyrighted code, and it was continually developed despite a "cease-and-desist" letter sent during the original Oculus trial.
Among the new allegations in the suit, ZeniMax says it has "security tapes" showing that Carmack let former id employee Matt Hooper into the company's offices "unattended, free to examine ZeniMax confidential materials." The night that Hooper visited, the suit alleges, he e-mailed contacts at Oculus to say he and Carmack had "formulated an 'attack plan' for the mobile VR work that they would undertake at Oculus."
ZeniMax seems to come into this new case at something of an advantage, since a court has already found that Oculus and its executives violated an NDA in using information from Carmack before hiring him. That said, the court rejected the more sweeping claim that Carmack stole "trade secrets" from ZeniMax, destroyed evidence, or directly used copyrighted code developed at the company. And it's unclear whether Samsung would be directly liable for using Oculus technology it accepted in good faith.
ZeniMax continues its legal fight with Oculus on other fronts as well. In February, the company filed an injunction attempting to halt the sale of Oculus system software (and, by extension, the hardware itself). Carmack, meanwhile, has filed his own $22.5 million lawsuit against ZeniMax for alleged breach of contract regarding payments from the id Software buyout.With a stroke of his pen Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley (D) made his state the latest to adopt medical marijuana. One of the several bills O’Malley signed into law this morning was HB 1101, Medical Marijuana – Academic Medical Centers – Natalie M. LaPrade Medical Marijuana Commission. The law takes effect October 1st.
This makes Maryland the 19th state to technically adopt a medical marijuana law.
Unfortunately, because of the many restrictions in the law this may be more of a psychological victory than a practical one. There is a chance no one in the state will really benefit.
To begin with, the law is unlikely to be implemented until 2016. In addition it only allows academic medical centers to take part in what is technically only a trial program. The trials would be the only source for patients to get medical marijuana and there is a real chance that none of the academic medical centers in the state will want to take part. Already several of the state’s most prominent medical centers have indicated they are not interested.
At the very least, the new law shows the issue of medical marijuana is moving forward. Hopefully, it will put more pressure on the federal government to seriously consider a petition by governors to reschedule marijuana.Cholesterol levels vary by age, weight, and gender. Over time, a person's body tends to produce more cholesterol, meaning that all adults should check their cholesterol levels regularly, ideally about every 4 to 6 years.
Cholesterol is measured in three categories:
total cholesterol
LDL, or 'bad cholesterol"
HDL, or 'good cholesterol"
The struggle for most people is balancing these levels. While total and LDL cholesterol levels should be kept low, having more HDL cholesterol can offer some protection against a person developing heart-related illnesses including heart attacks and strokes.
Cholesterol levels and age
Balancing cholesterol in early life is important as unmanaged cholesterol in later life is difficult to treat. Balancing cholesterol in early life is important as unmanaged cholesterol in later life is difficult to treat.
Cholesterol levels tend to increase with age. Doctors recommend taking steps earlier in life to prevent dangerously high levels of cholesterol developing as a person ages. Years of unmanaged cholesterol can be much trickier to treat.
Children are least likely to have high levels of cholesterol and only need to have their levels checked once or twice before they are 18 years old.
However, if the child has risk factors for higher levels of cholesterol, they should get monitored more frequently.
Typically, men tend to have higher levels of cholesterol throughout life than women. A man's cholesterol levels generally increase as they age. However, women aren't immune to high cholesterol. A woman's cholesterol often increases when she goes through menopause.
Recommended levels
Healthy levels of cholesterol don't vary much for typical adults. Variation of recommended levels tends to change due to other health conditions and considerations.
Cholesterol levels for adults
Total cholesterol levels less than 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) are considered desirable for adults. A reading between 200 and 239 mg/dL is considered borderline high and a reading of 240 mg/dL and above is considered high.
LDL cholesterol levels should be less than 100 mg/dL. Levels of 100 to 129 mg/dL are acceptable for people with no health issues but may be of more concern for those with heart disease or heart disease risk factors. A reading of 130 to 159 mg/dL is borderline high and 160 to 189 mg/dL is high. A reading of 190 mg/dL or higher is considered very high.
HDL levels should be kept higher. A reading of less than 40 mg/dL is considered a major risk factor for heart disease. A reading from 41 mg/dL to 59 mg/dL is considered borderline low. The optimal reading for HDL levels is of 60 mg/dL or higher.
Cholesterol levels for children
By comparison, acceptable levels of total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol in children are different.
An acceptable range of total cholesterol for a child is less than 170 mg/dL. Borderline high total cholesterol for a child ranges from 170 to 199 mg/dL. Any reading of total cholesterol over 200 in a child is too high.
A child's LDL cholesterol levels should also be lower than an adult's. The optimal range of LDL cholesterol for a child is less than 110 mg/dL. Borderline high is from 110 to 129 mg/dL while high is over 130 mg/dL.
Tips
For children and adults, eating a healthful diet and taking regular exercise will help to keep cholesterol levels in check. For children and adults, eating a healthful diet and taking regular exercise will help to keep cholesterol levels in check.
The best recommendation for children and adolescents to keep cholesterol levels in check is living a healthful, active lifestyle. This includes eating a healthful diet and getting plenty of exercise.
Sedentary, overweight children who eat a diet high in processed foods are most likely to have high cholesterol. Children who have a family history of high cholesterol may also be at risk.
Generally, the earlier an adult starts living a healthful lifestyle, the better for their cholesterol levels. Cholesterol levels build over time. A sudden change in lifestyle will help eventually, but the older a person is, the less impact they will see in cholesterol levels.
All adults should stay active and maintain regular exercise routines. Women going through menopause and adults with high levels of cholesterol may want to consider medication that will help reduce cholesterol levels more rapidly than diet alone.
High cholesterol at any age puts a person at risk for heart disease, heart attack, and strokes. These risks only increase over time, especially for adults who are not taking action to reduce their cholesterol buildup.
Seeing a doctor
Children should see a doctor for cholesterol checks once or twice before the age of 18 but not during puberty. If the child comes from a family that has a history of heart disease or is overweight or has other health conditions, the recommendation may change.
Adults over the age of 20 should see a doctor every 4 to 6 years. For adults without any health issues, this is generally enough. However, people should seek a doctor's help for treatment and steps to take to bring levels of cholesterol down if:
results of a cholesterol test come back with high or borderline high levels of total and LDL cholesterol
they are overweight
they have a family history of heart disease
Treatment options
Doctors may prescribe statins to help lower cholesterol. Doctors may prescribe statins to help lower cholesterol.
There are methods people can use to reduce cholesterol levels and prevent them from increasing. One potential method is using therapeutic lifestyle changes (TLC), which includes diet, exercise, and weight management. Another option is drug therapies that either lower cholesterol or reduce the absorption of cholesterol.
At any age, diets low in saturated fats and trans fats and high in soluble fibers and protein are good for lowering cholesterol buildup.
The TLC diet is a low-saturated-fat, low-cholesterol eating plan. People following it should have a daily intake of less than 7 percent of calories from saturated fat and less than 200 milligrams of dietary cholesterol. The TLC diet encourages people to eat the following foods:
fruits
vegetables
whole grains
low-fat or nonfat dairy products
fish
skinless poultry
lean meats
Additionally, the TLC diet suggests only taking in enough calories to maintain a desirable weight and avoid weight gain. Increasing the intake of soluble fibers and food that contains naturally occurring substances, such as some margarines, can also boost the diet's LDL-lowering power.
Various books on the TLC diet are available to purchase online, and may help those interested in following the diet plan to lower cholesterol.
Proper weight management is another essential part of lowering cholesterol and preventing it building up. Overweight people who reduce their weight can help lower LDL in the process.
Losing weight is especially important for those with a group of risk factors that includes:
high triglyceride levels
low HDL levels
overweight men with a waist measurement of more than 40 inches
overweight women with a waist measurement of more than 35 inches
Regular physical activity of 30 minutes on most days is recommended for everyone. This will also help with weight management, which in turn helps with lowering cholesterol.
When these steps are not enough, drug treatment may also be needed. There are several types of cholesterol-lowering drugs available, including:
Statins. These drugs block the liver from producing cholesterol.
Bile acid sequestrants. These drugs reduce the amount of fat absorbed from food.
Cholesterol absorption inhibitors. These drugs lower triglycerides in the blood and reduce the amount of cholesterol absorbed from food.
Some vitamins and supplements, such as Niacin, available online, stop the liver from removing HDL and lower triglycerides.
Omega-3 fatty acids. These acids raise the level of HDL and lowers triglycerides. There are a range of Omega-3 fatty acids available online.
The best treatment to lower cholesterol levels involves a range of different methods, including lifestyle and diet. Ultimately, a doctor is the best person to talk to in order to figure out the best way for a person to lower bad cholesterol levels.There are a lot of twenty one pilots remixes out there. Some are great. Some are not so great. Earlier this year I began a mission to track down the best remix of each phenomenal track from Twenty One Pilot’s Blurryface album. The cream of the crop, if you will. I then compiled them and burned them to a CD titled Blurrymix.
To make it onto Blurrymix the remixes had to contain:
… all of the lyrics of the original track
of the original track … new music, which changed up the mood, tempo and/or genre.
, which changed up the mood, tempo and/or genre. … danceable beats that wouldn’t be out of place on the radio or at a party.
that wouldn’t be out of place on the radio or at a party. …high quality production value.
Blurrymix is made to be a companion to Blurryface and can add to your enjoyment of the original album by allowing you to experience it in more settings, like parties, and workouts. Don’t download this unless you own a legally purchased copy of Blurryface. Support Tyler and Josh.
Click the tracks below to listen and support the artists responsible. Then download the whole album here.
The Tracklist
BONUS TRACKS
*I couldn’t find a remix of “we dont believe whats on tv” that met my requirements. If you find any, or have other remix suggestions, message me and I will add them! :)
Stay AliveIt has been a long time since Europe has featured so prominently in an American presidential race. Republicans, in particular, have seen the crisis plaguing the Eurozone as an opportunity to attack president Obama, who—they claim—is leading America away from its core values and towards the sickly collectivism prevalent in the European Union. Mitt Romney, in one of those hilarious-but-horrifying Republican debates last September, spoke of a president “taking his inspiration […] from the socialist democrats in Europe," before pointing out that he, in contrast, believed in America. His vice-presidential pick, Paul Ryan, was complaining to the New Yorker’s Ryan Lizza about the lurch towards a European style of government in March 2009, before the crisis in Greece had begun, and has continued invoking the frightening specter of the Europeanization of American as the Eurozone’s woes have deepened.
It is well known that political campaigns leave little room for facts and sober analysis. I will nevertheless attempt to inject some of both into the debate, to correct three misconceptions that are running through the straw-man concept the Republicans call “Europe”: that there is a single “European” model instead of many different national models, some of which the United States could benefit from emulating; that the fundamental cause of Europe’s troubles is “socialism”; and that President Obama is a closet collectivist who aims to turn the United States into a European-style social democracy.
When Republicans talk about Europe, mostly they seem to mean Greece, i.e. a country where “out-of-control spending” (as Romney likes to put it) led to a sovereign-debt crisis and to national bankruptcy. But how typical of Europe is Greece? In no other European country is tax evasion, a crucial element in Greece’s debt crisis, so widespread—not even in Italy. Spain, often lumped in with Greece in discussions of the Eurozone crisis, had one of the lowest debt-to-GDP ratios in the advanced economies before the crisis—far lower than that of the United States. In fact, the severe downturn there was caused by an enormous bubble in the property market, whose bursting has wrought incalculable economic damage—sound familiar?
When one leaves the Mediterranean South, the differences between national models grow even further. Germany, for example, has been the West’s star performer during the ongoing global economic crisis, thanks to labor market, training, and social welfare policies and that have helped it retain its manufacturing base and achieve a powerful, export-led recovery. It grew by 3 percent last year (compared with 1.8 percent in the United States) and today has an unemployment rate of 6.8 percent (as against 8.3 percent in the United States, despite Germany’s stronger social safety net). Its balance of trade for 2011 was a surplus of 120 billion euros, which compares rather well with the 423-billion euro trade deficit of the United States. Surely, then, when Romney says that “Europe doesn’t work in Europe”, he must not be thinking about Germany.
On the idea that Europeans were brought low because of their devotion to socialism and its wicked ways, again the facts beg to differ. As we saw above, it was not “socialism” that led to Spain’s big crash. Nor did Ireland end up needing official assistance to pay off its debts because of governments spending too much on entitlements (it was because of banks lending to much to construction companies). Furthermore, as has been often documented, the debt-to-GDP ratio of the Eurozone as a whole is lower than that of the United States. The reason why the U.S. government is selling ten-year Treasuries at under 2 percent while four (it may soon be five) European countries have been locked out of the bond markets is not Washington’s fiscal prudence and its stalwart refusal to follow the road to serfdom. It is that the United States has a national government that can transfer funds from prosperous to struggling states and that controls its own currency. Spain, to use the most topical example, does not have access to sufficient funds from the EU to make a dent in its disastrous recession—it would only gain these funds if a “transfer union” was created on a European level, which Berlin is most keen to prevent. Nor can Madrid loosen the reins of monetary policy to help itself, because control over it has been ceded to the European Central Bank.
The final conservative shibboleth, that Obama aims to turn the United States |
this game with prejudice and toss it back in our laps and say "No thanks", or just turn up on the comments thread and tell us it's crap, but quite honestly you would have to actually hate Mario, or Nintendo, in order for this not to entertain you. Whether you think you like role-playing games or not. Fair enough, if Mario has stolen your girlfriend, keyed your car, broken the lead in your pencil and signed you up to the Britannia Music Club, we don't expect you to buy this. But the only things we can say against it are specialised nit-pickings. We were honestly going to mention this one occasion when we had to redo something relatively straightforward five times due to our own cackhandedness. That's about as bad as it got for us. Otherwise our only feelings of concern stemmed from our fear that we might not get far enough in quick enough time to be able to tell you with any authority whether Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is every bit as good as Intelligent Systems could make it. Well, we did, so we can. And it is. Nintendo Gamecube Miguel Lopez,
Gamespy 4/5 If I had to fault Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door on something, it would be its reliance on backtracking. You have to do a frightful amount of it in most of the scenarios. At best, doing so allows you to access spots in previous areas that you perhaps weren't able to before. At worst? You'll have to perform some tricky platforming one time more than you feel you should. But in the end, this is what the games that inform its design are like, so I guess we have to take the good with the bad.And when it comes to Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, it's mostly all good. If you have a history of playing 2D side-scrollers, this game will make you remember just why you loved them. And if you have a soul, then this game will make it feel all warm and fuzzy. Aggregators Compiler Platform / Score Metacritic 87 GameRankings 88.05%
Media
It has been suggested that audio and/or video file(s) related to this section be uploaded. Please upload all related music, sound effects, voice clips, or any videos for this section. See the help page for information on how to get started.
Battle Theme - The theme when the player is battling a normal enemy. 0:44
File info Media:PM2 Battle.oga
Pre-release and unused content
Reveal trailer
This game was initially titled Paper Mario 2 and featured a far different logo, one reminiscent of the original Paper Mario's logo.
Part of the original trailer shows an extra ledge above the pipe in the room directly east of the Thousand Year Door, with an HP Plus badge on it. It could be accessed via a moving platform which had a wall over it halfway, which appeared to be passable with help from Vivian. Also, Beldam and Doopliss were originally going to be fought somewhere in Riverside Station. The trailer also showed that Item Shops would be labeled with Mushrooms, much as in Super Paper Mario, rather than the Fire Flowers seen in the final game. Red Bones was initially named "Red Koopa Skeleton". In the same trailer, one can see that "Tornado Jump" was initially called "Hurricane Jump". The status element Slow had a different icon, a snail instead of a sad purple face.
The game's original logo before the final version of the game.
An early location of the HP Plus Badge.
A battle in Hooktail's Castle, notice Hurricane is spelled wrong.
Glitches
Koops Splashing on Dry Land
The glitch performed on the Dolphin emulator
At the dock of Rogueport, the player should stand on or near the bollard and use Koops's ability, holding so he remains in place. Without letting go of the button, the player should walk away so that Koops is offscreen, and talk to a character in the same area. When the player is done, Koops will respawn next to Mario. There will be a splash animation even on dry land. This glitch also works in Petalburg.
Staff
Intelligent Systems developed the game with Nintendo publishing it. The music is credited to Yoshito Hirano and Yuka Tsujiyoko.
Quotes
“Omigosh! Is… Isn't that a treasure map?! You HAVE to tell me where you got that!” - Goombella
- Goombella "And with that...pow! I'm gone!" - Lord Crump
- Lord Crump "Mmmmmmwee hee hee hee! I have no quarrel with you...but I simply can't allow you to hunt for the Crystal Stars." - Beldam
- Beldam "And then I, Grodus, will build a new world! A perfect, ideal world... Yes. A world made by me, about me, and for me! GAAACK ACK ACK ACK ACK!" - Sir Grodus
- Sir Grodus "I'm... I'm sorry Sis. This Mario is the only person who's ever been kind to me..." - Vivian
Gallery
For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.
Names in other languages
Language Name Meaning Japanese ペーパーマリオ ＲＰＧ
Pēpā Mario ĀruPīJī Paper Mario RPG Spanish Paper Mario: La Puerta Milenaria Paper Mario: The Millennium Door French Paper Mario: La Porte Millénaire Paper Mario: The Millennium Door German Paper Mario: Die Legende vom Äonentor Paper Mario: The Legend of the Aeon Gate Italian Paper Mario: Il Portale Millenario Paper Mario: The Millennium Portal
Trivia
All the partners from the first Paper Mario have unused graphics in the game, using this game's art style. Only, Parakarry and Lady Bow actually appear in the game, and make appearances at the beginning and in Poshley Heights after completing the game, respectively.
have unused graphics in the game, using this game's art style. Only, Parakarry and Lady Bow actually appear in the game, and make appearances at the beginning and in Poshley Heights after completing the game, respectively. Although Mario does have to fight him in the final chapter, this is the only Mario RPG in which Bowser is not involved in the final battle in any way. This is also the only game in the Paper Mario series in which Bowser has a relatively secondary role, unlike the rest in which he’s a main villain, or in the case of Super Paper Mario, a main hero.
RPG in which Bowser is not involved in the final battle in any way. Princess Peach wears her classic main dress in this game, despite an updated design for it being introduced in Mario Party 4.The U.N. Refugee Agency in Geneva called for European countries to help ease of the burden of refugees currently residing in Italy on Saturday.
U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi stated that, “What is happening in front of our eyes in Italy is an unfolding tragedy.” He asserted that while Italy was “playing its part” other European countries need to accommodate more refugees.
Approximately 12,600 refugees arrived in Italy last weekend over only a five-day period, according to the Outlook. An Italian governmental official stated Wednesday that, “Italy had reached it’s saturation point,” in terms of taking in more refugees.
Slovakia, Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic have refused to accept refugees due to security concerns.
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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.Live US Open scores: Tommy Fleetwood, Brooks Koepka and Justin Thomas just behind Harman going into the final BelfastTelegraph.co.uk Tommy Fleetwood stays focused going into the final https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/golf/us-open/live-us-open-scores-tommy-fleetwood-brooks-koepka-and-justin-thomas-just-behind-harman-going-into-the-final-31295967.html https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/incoming/article35838619.ece/5e665/AUTOCROP/h342/Fleetwood-US-Open.jpg
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Tommy Fleetwood stays focused going into the final
Tommy Fleetwood will try to block out thoughts of the "life-changing" effect of becoming the second English winner in five years in Sunday's final round of the US Open.
Fleetwood carded a third round of 68 at Erin Hills to finish alongside Brooks Koepka and Justin Thomas on 11 under par, a shot behind surprise leader Brian Harman.
Harman, who is playing his first major since missing the cut in all four in 2015, fired six birdies and one bogey in a 67 to claim pole position in his bid to become the first left-handed winner of the US Open.
Fleetwood had been tied for the lead after birdies on the first, eighth, 12th, 14th and 15th, only to bogey the last after following up a poor pitch by putting his birdie attempt off the green.
"It was a good bogey though," joked Fleetwood, who regained his composure to hit a superb pitch from well below the putting surface. "That fifth shot on the 18th was the best shot all day.
"It was a really good round of golf and you don't realise until you start talking about it that I hardly missed a shot all day."
Asked about the prospects of emulating 2013 champion Justin Rose, the 26-year-old from Southport added: "It will change my life. I know that.
"I have pictured winning the US Open a lot of times before. Doing it all night is not going to help and not make any difference. It's just a question of concentrating on each day as it comes.
>>US Open leaderboard 2017<<
>> US Open 2017 tee-times and TV coverage
Belfast Telegraph DigitalBush overpaid $78 billion for bank shares in bailout, report finds John Byrne
Published: Friday February 6, 2009
Print This Email This Bush Treasury Sec.'subsidized' his ex-firm with $2.5 billion President George W. Bush overpaid $78 billion for investments in the nation's largest banks and brokerages, according to a Congressional report released late Thursday.
The findings showed that government investment in the banks amounted to a nearly $80 billion subsidy of an industry that seems to have recently excelled at flushing money down the drain.
Ironically, the "subsidy" itself was doled out by Bush Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, the former chief executive of investment bank Goldman Sachs. According to the report, Goldman got an effective $2.5 billion subsidy from the Treasury Department.
While at Goldman, Paulson earned upwards of $10 million a year and was the richest member of the Bush Administration at the cabinet level or above.
The largest other purported subsidies were paid to: Citigroup ($9.5 billion), JP Morgan Chase ($4.4 billion) and Morgan Stanley ($4.2 billion).
The second round of bailout financing also added another $10 billion to Citigroup's alleged subsidy, and the second AIG bailout, $25 billion.
By contrast -- the entire amount the US government spend on higher education in 2006 was just over $50 billion -- less than the "subsidies" issued to the banks in the first round.
Click here to see a chart detailing which companies got what -- and at what cost to the US taxpayer (via Pro Publica ).
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* Happy Valentine's: Join MatchMaker for free.
* Or s end free Valentine's day cardsIf you’re in Australia, here’s why:
From a customer of McDonald’s: (h/t Audrey)
I got a Quarter Pounder and Erica got some Crispy Chicken, BLT Burger
(Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato) The crispy had some rectangular things like
corn chips but her bacon was cold and sort of pale and watery.
When she questioned it at the counter and said the bacon should be
cooked and a bit crispy, she was informed that they now do the bacon
in the microwave because if they put it on the grill it would contaminate
the other meats and they would lose their HALAL (Islamic-approved) Certification.
She then said, “So I can’t have it how we have eaten it all our lives because
this Muslim minority say it offends them?” The only reply was a shrug of the shoulders
and a comment that this location was now a HALAL compliant (sharia-approved) store.
It seems that even the mighty McDonald’s have bowed to the Muslim Halal Beast.
So next time you get a burger there and wonder why the bacon
doesn’t taste right, you’ll know that it was thawed out and heated up in the
microwave because to cook it on the grill would offend Muslims – less that 3% of the population – and they want to keep their Halal Certification.
Of course, Halal Certification isn’t only about ruining your food choices, it is about forcing you to fund Islamic terrorism and sharia law. Worst of all, halal slaughter causes unconscionable suffering to the animals who have their throats cut while they are fully conscious and then are forced to bleed to death in excruciating pain because their spinal cords are NOT allowed to be severed in halal slaughter, which otherwise would eliminate the pain and suffering for the animal.
More on the anti-Halal movement in AUSTRALIA
LOOK FOR THESE HALAL SYMBOLS:House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is joined by House Budget Committee ranking member John Yarmuth and fellow Democrats from the House and Senate during a news conference in the Rayburn Room at the US Capitol, April 28, 2017, in Washington, DC. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)
The Democratic Party was badly ripped off by the consultant(s) who came up with the name for their new economic agenda, “A Better Deal,” unveiled last week. After all, it is not hard to come up with a better deal than the reality TV show star president who is handing as much money as possible to the rich, while taking away people’s health care and using his office to line the pockets of his family members.
The Democrats have set a very low bar for themselves. Nonetheless, the agenda does offer some basis for hope that the Democrats may be prepared to reverse some of the upward redistribution of the past four decades, if they ever regain power.
The most encouraging part of what we have seen to date is the discussion of anti-trust policy. Since 1980, the leadership of the Democratic Party was largely in step with the Republicans in viewing anti-trust policy as passé. The European Union went after Google over its practice of favoring advertisers in search results, the Obama administration did not. And when Facebook looked to use takeovers to eliminate potential competitors like Snapchat and WhatsApp, the Obama administration looked the other way.
In the outline of the Better Deal, the Democrats promise to go after mergers that give companies excessive market power, both in dealing with customers, but also in dealing with suppliers. This could limit the ability of a behemoth like Amazon to depress the pay of authors.
Monopoly power is far from the whole story of the upward redistribution of the last four decades, but lack of competition certainly is a big issue in sectors like telecommunications. It would be a big step forward to have an administration in Washington that took anti-trust policy seriously.
Other parts of the Better Deal are less encouraging. The discussion of drug prices seemed like it was written by people trying to pretend to do something, but who want to assure the pharmaceutical industry they are not really serious.
The original document called for a “special special [sic]” to deal with large drug price increases. It was corrected to “special office,” but the typo was perhaps revealing of an effort to suggest complicated actions when the simple steps needed to rein in drug prices are already well-known.
Seventeen Democratic senators, including Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Sherrod Brown and Kirsten Gillibrand, co-sponsored a bill that called for re-importation of drugs from countries with lower prices. It also called for a fund to buy out patents and for government funding of clinical drug trials. Both of these policies would allow new drugs to be sold at generic prices. This means the next great cancer drug might sell for a few hundred dollars instead of a few hundred thousand dollars.
Then we have the tax credit to businesses to cover the cost of training workers. This one plays to the idea that one of our biggest problems is workers not having the necessary skills.
While it would be good to have a better trained workforce, we don’t actually see the most obvious sign of a skills shortage: rapidly rising wages for skilled workers. It is also not clear that a tax credit for businesses is the best way to give workers more skills, as opposed to more funding for community colleges and public universities.
Perhaps the biggest disappointment in the Better Deal is the failure to include anything on finance. There has been a growing consensus within the Democratic Party that the financial sector as currently structured is badly bloated and allows a small group of people to get rich at the expense of the rest of us.
This was a major theme of Bernie Sanders presidential campaign and was part of the motivation for his financial transactions tax (FTT) proposal. We know from WikiLeaks that even the top officials in the Clinton campaign took it seriously enough to consider a FTT themselves. But there is no mention of a FTT in the Better Deal, nor any other measures to rein in the financial sector.
This raises the central problem faced by the Democrats in setting out their agenda. The party has become dependent on campaign contributions from wealthy donors. Many of these are connected to the financial industry, which makes their reluctance to be too harsh on the industry understandable. Others come from the tech sector, which may also explain the lack of interest in prior years in pursuing anti-trust and the push by Democratic administrations for longer and stronger patent and copyright protection.
Sensing the mood of the electorate, Charles Schumer and Nancy Pelosi may well want to take the Democrats in a more progressive direction, but they face real constraints in moving to the left. Based on the precedent of the Sanders campaign, it may be possible to raise enough money from small donors to run competitive campaigns without the big money types.
But whatever their other talents (more evident in the case of Pelosi than Schumer), both of the Democrats’ leaders owe their position in large part to their ability to appeal to large donors. They are not going to completely change direction at this stage in their careers. That is why the Better Deal still doesn’t look like a very good deal.Pope Francis pushed back on attacks from conservative media figures who described him as a "Marxist" after he commented on wealth inequality.
Pope Francis recently released Evangelii Gaudium, which included criticisms of the "idolatry of money" and wealth inequality around the world. In response, numerous conservative media figures attacked him.
Rush Limbaugh described the Pope's writings having "gone beyond Catholicism" and into "pure Marxism."
Other conservative media figures soon followed suit. Fox Business host Stuart Varney said the Pope was engaging in "neo-socialism" while Fox News senior judicial analyst Andrew Napolitano said the document "reveals a disturbing ignorance" by the Pope. FoxNews.com called him "the Catholic Church's Obama," adding, "God help us."
In an interview with Italy's La Stampa newspaper, Pope Francis defended his remarks: "Marxist ideology is wrong. But I have met many Marxists in my life who are good people, so I don't feel offended." He added, "There is nothing in the exhortation that cannot be found in the social doctrine of the church."
The Pope expanded on his critique of "trickle-down" economics, noting that "The promise was that when the glass was full, it would overflow, benefitting the poor. But what happens instead, is that when the glass is full, it magically gets bigger nothing ever comes out for the poor."The melting of Arctic sea ice may seem like an intangible, far-off problem, but what if there was a way to know how much you are personally contributing to the melt? A new study, released today in the journal Science, allows you to do precisely that.
The study makes a direct link between the amount of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions and sea ice loss, finding that for each metric ton of CO2 emitted during the period between 1953 and 2012, roughly 32 square feet of sea ice was lost.
The study's authors, climate scientists Dirk Notz and Julienne Stroeve, applied this finding to per capita emissions data from 2013 for each country, and found that the average person causes the loss of hundreds of feet of sea ice each year. But the U.S. and other high-emitting countries like Australia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are not average. Americans, for instance, have a personal footprint of as much as 645 square feet of ice loss. China, a large emitter but with a massive population, has lower per-capita emissions, with up to 322 square feet of ice loss per person.
Ice-free summers are edging ever closer in the Arctic. According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, Arctic sea ice has declined an average of 13.3 percent each decade since 1979. This year's low point was the fifth-lowest on record, and after an initial period of rapid freeze, levels are now at record lows. In addition to providing a habitat for polar bears and an entire ecosystem, sea ice also acts as a refrigerator for the globe. It keeps the Arctic cool and moderates temperatures worldwide.
The study found that with an additional 1,000 gigatons of CO2 emissions, summer sea ice would be gone. That's also the amount of emissions associated with 2 degrees Celsius of global warming. So even if we are able to meet the global goal of keeping warming to 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial temperatures, it won't be enough for the sea ice.
"For most climate change parameters, the change between 1.5 degrees and 2 degrees might be quite gradual," said Notz, who heads the sea ice research at the Max-Planck-Institute for Meteorology in Hamburg, Germany. "But for Arctic sea ice, the difference means whether there is still Arctic summer sea ice in the future or whether there isn't."
The study found that the globe will hit that point sometime in the middle of the century, though Notz said not to focus on the actual date at this point. "There's not a God-given year as to when Arctic sea ice will be gone," he said. "Whether we spend those 1,000 gigatons over 30 years or spend it all next year or over 200 years doesn't really matter to the ice."
Cecilia Bitz, a sea ice and climate scientist at the University of Washington, who was not affiliated with the study, said she found the approach novel because it allows people to understand their impact on sea ice. "Having stood on sea ice myself, I can really picture now how much I'm responsible for," she said. "The size of my front yard—each year."
In the study, the authors wrote that more ice has been lost than expected based on previous models.
Bitz, however, argued that observed ice loss does fall within the models' predicted range—albeit at the edge of the range. That means a low probability event is happening, indicating that the models might not be sensitive enough.
She also cautioned that there should be a greater degree of uncertainty in the Notz and Stroeve findings. Typically, sea ice models are based on the historical records dating back to 1979, the beginning of the satellite era. Notz and Stroeve's work relies on shipping records for the period from 1953 to 1979, which have a higher degree of uncertainty.
Even so, Bitz said the basic findings were sound. And the idea of individual contributions to sea ice loss is an impactful one and it might help drive home the idea that everyone's actions have a direct impact on climate.
Notz said that was what he found the most significant, too.
"Whenever I go to the Arctic, and I bring home photos and show them to my kids, it feels awkward to know that because of our actions when they are at our age all that beautiful landscape could be gone," he said. "That does something to us humans. To know that the North Pole could no longer be out there as a place, just a spot in the ocean."Shane Williams featured on three tours with the British and Irish Lions
Former Wales wing Shane Williams has confirmed his retirement from rugby to focus on a coaching career.
Williams scored 58 tries in 91 appearances for Wales before quitting international rugby in 2011.
The 37-year-old was planning to retire after leaving the Ospreys in 2012 but prolonged his career in Japan with Mitsubishi Dynaboars.
He tweeted: "My 3 years in Japan with Mitsubishi have been amazing but after this season it's time to come home!"
Williams started his junior career as a scrum-half at Amman United RFC, but after going professional with Neath was converted to play on the wing under then-coach Lyn Jones.
When Wales adopted regional rugby in 2003 it was natural that Williams became an Osprey, with the new side created by a merger between Neath and local rivals Swansea.
Media playback is not supported on this device Shane Williams scores last try for Wales
Williams earned his first cap off the bench against France in Wales' opening game of the 2000 Six Nations, then scored his first Test try in his first full start against Italy.
During his time playing for his country Williams enjoyed two Grand Slams, the first in 2005 that ended Wales' 27-year wait for a championship clean sweep, and then again in 2008.
In 2008 he was named the International Rugby Board Player of the Year.
After playing for Wales at the 2011 Rugby World Cup, Wales' record try scorer bowed out of the international stage after scoring a try in his final game against Australia.
Williams was also called up for two Lions tours, the first in 2005 to New Zealand and then to South Africa in 2009.
He was a surprise call-up into Warren Gatland's Lions squad of 2013 during the tour of Australia and played in a warm-up match against ACT Brumbies.
Williams left the Ospreys at the end of the 2011-12 season after scoring a late try in his final game to secure the Pro12 title against Leinster.
A lucrative offer from Japanese side Dynaboars persuaded Williams to continue, where he combined playing with coaching duties.
Reports have linked him with a coaching role at Neath, but Williams denied this to be the case.
"It's the first I've heard about it to be honest," said Williams.
"I'd love to get back involved with rugby in Wales whether it's going to be straight away I don't think so."Nederlander Concerts will present The Postal Service plus special guest Big Freedia at the Santa Barbara Bowl at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 20. Tickets go on sale at 11 a.m. this Saturday, April 27.
After selling out more than a dozen shows and inspiring the largest crowds of both Coachella weekends, The Postal Service have added five new arena and amphitheater dates to their summer tour commemorating the 10th anniversary of Give Up!
The Postal Service 2013 anniversary tour is quite possibly the single most hotly anticipated reunion of the year, selling out theaters, clubs, amphitheaters and arenas the world over, including the Greek Theater in Berkeley and New York’s Barclays Center, where second dates have been added by popular demand. Other upcoming dates that have completely sold out in advance now include Red Rocks Amphitheater in Denver, London, Manchester, Detroit, Atlanta, Boise, Orlando, Kansas City, Columbus and more sure to come.
The 10th anniversary dates reunite The Postal Service principals Ben Gibbard and Jimmy Tamborello with Jenny Lewis, who appeared on the original 2003 album and tour. Lewis also sings on the two new songs on Give Up! (Deluxe 10th Anniversary Edition). Laura Burhenn (Mynabirds, Bright Eyes) rounds out the 2013 touring lineup.
Give Up! was certified platinum last year just shy of 10 years from its original Feb. 9, 2003, release. Led by the single ”Such Great Heights,” the landmark album is, after Nirvana’s Bleach, the second-biggest selling album in Sub Pop’s 25-year history.
Big Freedia, pronounced Big Free-dah, is an American musician known for work in the New Orleans genre of hip hop called bounce music. She has been credited with helping popularize the genre, which was largely underground since developing in the early 1990s.
Don’t miss your chance to see The Postal Service at the Santa Barbara Bowl. Tickets range from $38 to $51, plus applicable service charges. The Santa Barbara Bowl is located at 1122 N. Milpas St.
Tickets are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, including the Arlington Theatre, the Santa Barbara Bowl box office and Walmart. To charge by phone, call 800.745.3000. Click here to order online.
— Jesse Lee Weiss represents Nederlander Concerts.About
We’re raising funds to launch a new RPG Campaign Setting for 5E that unapologetically embraces everything we love about heroic fantasy, and then reimagines these classic elements for a modern audience! Explore new lands, defeat new enemies, and discover new legends in an all new world that will feel like home from the moment you arrive.
But don't take our word for it...
"One of the coolest, most gorgeous things I've seen in worldbuilding in a long time. Marc Tassin has created a fantasy world we can fall in love with."
- Ed Greenwood, Creator of the Forgotten Realms.
"Judging by what I have seen already, this might be the Forgotten Realms of the second millennium's second decade. [I] won't be surprised if it becomes the most popular D&D 5E campaign setting!"
- Antonios S., Reviewer at RPGnet
Back The World of Aetaltis today, and you’ll receive a game that lets you explore a new world where:
dwarven zealots fight a guerrilla war to retake their lost Deepland homes from a seemingly unstoppable horde of monsters
to retake their lost Deepland homes from a seemingly unstoppable horde of monsters humans are part of an alliance of races from another world, trapped on Aetaltis by the very world gates that brought them there
, trapped on Aetaltis by the very world gates that brought them there arcane magic is as dangerous to the spellcaster as it is to the enemies they turn it on
as it is to the enemies they turn it on drothmal barbarians wade into battle with wild, terrifying abandon, reveling in every wound as a gift from the god of trial
reveling in every wound as a gift from the god of trial fey folk take myriad wondrous forms, from fleet winged fairies to clever sprites to noble elves
from fleet winged fairies to clever sprites to noble elves brutish orog warriors fight a constant battle against their enemies both without…and within.
Aetaltis wraps classic ideas we alol love in exciting new stories that make the setting both intimately familiar and tantalizingly new.
We're producing a complete 5E compatible RPG campaign setting called The World of Aetaltis. Your support will let us deliver all the books and accessories you need to run or play in an Aetaltis campaign.
And by helping us to unlock our stretch goals, we'll extend the Kickstarter campaign to include an entire line of Aetaltis products, including:
Rich setting books filled with details about mighty nations, sturdy fortresses, deepland dungeons, and more.
filled with details about mighty nations, sturdy fortresses, deepland dungeons, and more. Tomes of terrifying new monsters.
. Exciting new adventures to challenge your characters.
to challenge your characters. Expanded Fifth Edition rules for magic, adventuring, downtime, and more!
for magic, adventuring, downtime, and more! Helpful game aids like encounter decks, inspiration tokens, and character pawns.
like encounter decks, inspiration tokens, and character pawns. Stunning poster maps that bring the world to life.
And everything you receive will be produced with the same attention to detail and dedication to quality we demonstrated when we delivered our last two Kickstarters: The Heroes of Thornwall and Champions of Aetaltis.
Aetaltis is a world of classic heroic fantasy setting that harkens back to the legendary fantasy settings that shaped the genre. It is not an homage or a wild twist on what came before, but rather a spiritual successor to beloved fantasy worlds like the Forgotten Realms®, the World of Greyhawk®, Shannara, and Krynn.
In the World of Aetaltis you'll find all of your old friends, including dour dwarves delving into the shadowed heart of the Deeplands, ethereal elves slipping through the trees of ancient forests, and kind hearted halflings smoking before the hearth. You know them well, but in Aetaltis they have new stories to tell and fresh secrets to share.
You'll also discover new races, native to Aetaltis, such as the stoic warrior race known as the drothmal and the desert dwelling lizardfolk that call themselves the scythaa.
Plus you'll meet the races of the Atlan Alliance, a coalition of peoples trapped on Aetaltis when the gates to their homeworlds collapsed. Led by the humans, the Alliance also includes the brutish warrior race called orogs, crafty cheebatan merchants, and the enigmatic worldgate builders known as the newardin.
If you want a taste of Aetaltis right now, take a look at our past releases:
The Heroes of Thornwall (Free from DriveThruRPG)
Discover Thornwall, a New Erinoran border town located in the foothills of the Donarzheis Mountains. Thornwall is a campaign starter that is the perfect launch point for a World of Aetaltis campaign. This edition is compatible with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, but we're re-releasing the book with 5E rules as part of this campaign.
Champions of Aetaltis (Available Now on Amazon)
Travel to sites all around the Amethyst Sea basin in this fantastic collection of heroic fantasy adventure stories written by some of the best fantasy authors in the business. New stories from Ed Greenwood, Erin M Evans, David Farland, Elaine Cunningham, Larry Correia, Lucy A. Snyder, Mel Odom, Cat Rambo, Dave Gross, Jean Rabe, Richard Lee Byers, Elizabeth Vaughan, Aaron Rosenberg, Steven S. Long, Melanie R. Meadors, and John Helfers!
Examples of the books and accessories we're creating are displayed below. To determine which products you'll receive, please reference the pledge descriptions at the right.
Click here to view a grid showing all pledge levels and rewards.
Click here for more information about the packages that add your character to the world.
Shipping Costs
Inside the United States: Shipping costs for the rewards listed in your pledge description to locations inside the United States are included in the pledge amount.
International Shipping: Costs vary based on package and destination. When you pledge, a drop down will display your estimated additional shipping cost.
Add On Shipping: Shipping costs for Add Ons going to locations inside the continental United States are already included in the Add On price. For Add Ons going to international locations, we will work with you at the end of the campaign to calculate your shipping total.
With your pledge, you are helping to unlock an entire line of Aetaltis products. Your pledges will determine how much of that product line we get to deliver after this campaign. The more support we get, the more books and accessories we deliver to you.
We're producing hardcover print editions of every stretch goal book you unlock! The PDFs will be included automatically with any pledge level that includes the BLESSINGS OF LENSAE and the print editions of stretch goal books will be available as add ons (see ADD ONS below.)
But there is more to the campaign than just the books. Woven into this release schedule is an epic story of exploration, adventure, and discovery. As we hit additional goals, we share more of Eathen's letters and trace the path of his quest. Unlock all the goals, and we reveal the gateway to the next Mechanical Muse campaign setting!
Want one of the items available in the DEEPLAND TREASURES package but your pledge doesn't include it? Need an extra copy of a book? We've got you covered! Simply increase your pledge by the appropriate amount as shown below and we'll hook you up at the end of the campaign! If you need to make a choice (for instance, which add on map do you want or which print stretch goal book) we'll handle that at the end of the campaign as well.
$10—Poster Map 24" x 30" (One Unlocked Poster Map)
24" x 30" (One Unlocked Poster Map) $10—Champions of Aetaltis (Print Softcover Edition)
(Print Softcover Edition) $10—Character Sheet Pad (8.5" x 11", 25 sheets)
(8.5" x 11", 25 sheets) $10—Iconic Character Pawns (18 characters + Stands)
(18 characters + Stands) $10—Inspiration Tokens (1 Sheet, 28 tokens)
(1 Sheet, 28 tokens) $10—Essence Point Counters (1 Sheet, 48 counters)
(1 Sheet, 48 counters) $15—Game Master's Screen (4-panel, hardback)
(4-panel, hardback) $25—Extra PRINT version of a Core Book (One Title from the Three Core Books)
(One Title from the Three Core Books) $25—PRINT Version of a Stretch Goal Book (One Title, Any Unlocked Book)
Add On Shipping: Shipping costs for Add Ons going to locations inside the continental United States are already included in the Add On price. For Add Ons going to international locations, we will work with you at the end of the campaign to calculate your shipping total.
The World of Aetaltis is a roleplayting game setting that requires the rules for the Fifth Edition of the world's first and most popular fantasy roleplaying game. We chose this fantastic game system so you can use the books funded in this Kickstarter to launch an Aetaltis campaign OR to enrich your existing campaign. Whether you're referencing the 5E core rulebooks or using the free System Reference Document, everything produced by this |
of money as her male counterparts. There is a good podcast about its origins here from the team at How Stuff Works.
But it also definitely brings more national attention to the ridiculousness that is the gender pay gap. Perhaps the most reported story of the past few weeks on this issue has been that of the United States Women's Soccer Team, who last year won the Women's World Cup in the most watched soccer game in American history.
In Recent News
5 members of the team filed a wage complain with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, exposing that like in so many other professions in the US, there is still tremendous gender pay gap between men and women performing the same job. To further understand the gender pay gap between the Men's and Women's National Soccer Teams, check out this graph from Statista:
While this complaint may be noteworthy for players' salaries, it is important for employees and employers across America. Such a high profile example should encourage employers to be more transparent about being or becoming an equal pay employer. It should encourage employees to ensure that they are paid equally for the same work as their counterparts.
One of the biggest problems though, and this is specific to the type of industry, is that many salaries are negotiated before hire. In the 'white-collar' space, salary is almost completely negotiated between the prospective hire and the employer. When it comes to hourly work, equal pay may be more transparent, but employees may fear losing their jobs if they raise a fuss. In other types of work, it might just be impossible to know what the person right next to you makes, since people rarely talk about it. In most cases, it may even be taboo.
So what are employers to do?
Their employees will rarely push the issue for fear of retribution. Meanwhile, most companies would do anything to save on an employer's salary.
This moment - the moment of hiring a new employee - is the moment for a company to stand for more than just pure profit. It is this moment that an employer can advertise a standard salary, with incentives or bonuses based on performance. While this may lead to other issues, such as how performance is measured, it will allow each employee to feel that they are given a fair shot at maximum earnings.
Transparency as Commodity
No matter the result for the US Women's Soccer Team, the main thing for employers, recruiters, and hiring managers to take away is that transparency in this day and age is a commodity. It is one that you can use to attract and retain the best talent. When an employee feels appreciated and like he or she has a stake in the company and performance, the company will benefit financially, culturally, and across its industry.
Want more of the best articles on diversity and equality when it comes to hiring? Subscribe to the Recruitment ADvisor Newsletter.A successful Sass theme structure
Rodolfo Gonçalves Blocked Unblock Follow Following Oct 26, 2017
For some time I’ve been dealing with multiple projects that are target by the need of high levels of customization and all the strategies always begin with one thing, the need of multiple themes.
I won’t be giving you the perfect recipe to achieve the best theme you would ever have, instead I’ll be giving you the strategy that I’ve found the best until today and, as a trade off, I’ll be hoping you to give me your feedback and ideas so I can improve it :)
Note: Despite the title of this post, this approach is valid both for Sass projects as for other solutions. It can be applied using future CSS, Less, Post CSS or even styled components. The thing is… I’ll be giving you snippets using Sass, that’s all.
At the end of this reading, if you find any of these tips useful and you want to implement it, please stop for a minute and discuss each one of your decisions with the design team. They have to be aware of your concerns and you have to be aware of their needs. It’s the only way you’ll get the chance of having a nice and clean implementation along with a consistent style across the whole website. (“Been there, done that”)
Color palettes
It always starts with color palettes. Color might be one of the most, or even the most important thing to care about in your design. It must be consistent across your project and must match your design intent, contributing to the overall aesthetic of your site.
Here’s an example of 4 color palettes with 3 variations each one. This palettes have proved enough for most of my projects but hey! Feel free to define as much palettes and variations you find being useful for you. Just keep in mind, be consistent.
The primary color would be the brand’s color (ex: blue), the accent (as the name might suggest) would be the accent color (ex. the brand’s secondary color: orange), the foreground would be for primary objects with darker colors and the background essentially for lighter objects or for section backgrounds.
Now, how would we use these colors? We are dealing with maps and accessing the maps directly wouldn’t be much practical.
So I suggest you to use functions for that.
This way, you could easily access your color palettes like the following:
...
background-color: theme-color(); // "primary base" color;
boder: 1px solid theme-color('foreground', 'light'); // "foreground light" color;
...
If you find color variations not enough and you’re working with Sass you can play with other color functions like mix, lighten, darken and others.
At Scotch.io you can actually find a nice article about managing color palettes using the mix function. I would recommend you to take a look.
Contrast
One of the problems that I started to struggle with when I first started adopting this color palettes was the ability to have a good contrast rate between my text contents and my UI elements, no matter what colors I define in the palettes.
Thanks to Google Material Design guide I’ve seen that I should be using transparency rather than colors for text. You only have to be aware if you’re dealing with a dark or a light background and the transparency will take over from that.
So, I defined some more palettes:
And this time instead of using only functions to access it, I’ve created a mixin along with a helper function (since we’ll be using it mainly for font colors).
And now, when I’m dealing with UI elements with a light background I can manage my font color like:
.selector {
@include text-color();
// or @include text-color('light','secondary'); for more faded content
}
In the other hand, if I’m dealing with UI elements with a dark background I would do:
.selector {
@include contrast('dark');
// or @include contrast('dark','secondary'); for more faded content
}
(Don’t forget you can also use this contrast() function for other CSS properties)
Typography
Well at this point, you can imagine what I’ll propose for managing your font sizes, families and weights… Maps.
Font size
For font size I always use rem unit and each font size has a direct relation to the line-height.
The rem unit is relative to the root — or the html —element. That means that we can define a single font size on the html element and define all rem units to be a percentage of that.
You can read more about it here.
Assuming the base size is 16px, we can build the following map of sizes and have in mind how much it is in px.
And now, to work with our font sizes we only have to use the text-setting mixin. This way we can easily change all our website’s content size and spacing through this single point of management.
.selector{
@include text-setting('xs');
}Agricola is mine and my wife's new favorite board game -- if you're contemplating buying this game, I would suggest you read this review in it's entirety. I am fairly new to board games as a whole, but this one is by far my favorite in our entire collection of games.
Agricola is one of the most fun and entertaining games that I've ever played, but requires a lot of patience in learning and understanding the game. I actually purchased the iOS version of the game, and the provided tutorial on the mobile version of the game allowed me the proper insight into how the game works and how to enjoy it.
To understand the gameplay:
Very basic overview -- Each player starts the game with a board representing a farm on which are fifteen spaces, two of which are marked as rooms of a wooden farmhouse, and two person tokens, one occupying each of the rooms. The person tokens represent the player's family. A player uses each person token once every round, which is referred to as an 'action.' Actions include acquiring resources, plowing or sowing fields, fencing pastures, building stables, acquiring animals, extending or upgrading the farmhouse, growing the family, and acquiring food. The available actions vary according to the number of players and the rule set used.
Additional information -- The main board of the game is reversible, one side of which is used for the standard rule set and one for the family rule set (identified by an icon of two adults and a child). The board has a set of fixed actions, space for additional action cards based on the number of players, and space for fourteen round cards, each of which has an associated action. The round cards are revealed one at a time, at the beginning of each round, so the actions associated with those cards are available starting from the round in which they are revealed. All other actions are available every round. There is also a board on which ten major improvement cards are revealed.
In a game using the standard rule set, each player is dealt seven occupation cards and seven minor improvement cards at the start of the game. The base game has 169 occupation cards, such as 'woodcutter' or 'bread seller', and 139 minor improvement cards, such as 'fishing pole' or 'bean field'. A player may play a card using one of the actions available on the main board. For the family rule set variant, occupation and minor improvement cards are not used. A player's strategy for the game is influenced by the set of cards dealt to that player.
Resources are used to pay the cost of extending the farmhouse, renovating it to clay or stone, fencing pastures, and playing major and minor improvements. Fields may be plowed and sown, which produce food each harvest. A harvest occurs at the end of rounds four, seven, nine, eleven, thirteen, and fourteen. During each harvest, crops are harvested, each person in the family must be fed, and animals breed. Falling short of the feeding requirement results in having to take one or more 'begging cards'.
A player's final score is calculated after the end of harvest in round fourteen. It is based on the size and type (wood, clay, stone) of the farmhouse, the number of plowed fields, the number of pastures, the number of fenced stables, the number of each type of animal (sheep, boar, cattle), the number of grain and vegetables, and the size of the family. A player is penalized for having unused spaces on the board, and for each of the point-scoring criteria for which the player did not acquire or build at least one of that type of item; for example, a player scores '-1' for having no sheep at the end of the game. A player may also score bonus points based on the cards played during the game, and loses three points for each begging card acquired.
My wife and I have played this game every night since purchasing it and I know that we are going to continue to play this game for years to come!Hillary Clinton's press secretary said there is still a feeling of great urgency to keeping Donald Trump from the White House. | Getty Clinton camp: Polls show 'why we need to keep working so hard'
Hillary Clinton's campaign shrugged off a series of swing-state polls from Quinnipiac University that on Wednesday showed the presumptive Democratic nominee tied with or trailing Donald Trump in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
But at the same time, Clinton press secretary Brian Fallon said there is still a feeling of great urgency to keeping Trump from the White House.
"We know the battlegrounds are going to be close til the end. That's why we need to keep working so hard," Fallon tweeted. "Trump is a serious danger, folks."
Trump, meanwhile, thanked his supporters for the strong showing, tweeting a celebratory series of images featuring Fox News graphics showing the Quinnipiac results. "Thank you!" Trump tweeted, adding "#ImWithYou," an implicit shot at the Clinton campaign's initial slogan, "I'm With Her."The number of new private cars licensed so far this year has surpassed 100,000, a level not seen since 2008.
Figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show 108,522 new private cars were licensed during the eight-month period, a rise of 31.5 per cent compared with the same period last year.
Car sales, boosted by the introduction of the new duel registration system, has been one of the strongest performing retail sectors.
The figures show the number of used (imported) private cars licensed fell by 11.9 per cent compared with the same period in 2014.
On a monthly basis, 8,572 new private cars were licensed for the first time in August, an increase of 38.2 per cent on the same month last year.
A total of 3,666 used (imported) private cars were licensed, representing a fall of 14.3 per cent on the same month last year.The boys at Figures have been busy unloading new looks at some insane new toys coming our way in 2013/14.
Staring with the 1987 RoboCop, Hot Toys has a plethora of goodies on the way including a a new and improved 1:6th scale action figure. The new 1:6th scale MMS202D04 RoboCop Collectible Figure is the latest addition to Hot Toys’ MMS Diecast Series in which the collectible figures are made of diecast material, specially designed to look more like the armored character in the movie. The movie-accurate RoboCop Collectible Figure is highly-detailed and features a new sculpted body, black, light grey and silver armor, interchangeable lower faces, working thigh gun holster and the ability to speak memorable quotes from the movie.
The coolest of the batch is the deluxe package of the aforementioned that includes a mechanical chair, aka the Docking Station seen in the classic 1987 sci-fi film!! It also has the ability to speak, and comes with an insane amount of extra accessories. Click here for a geek boner. Just wait until you see the below imagery.
Next up is the 1987 film’s main villain – ED-209 (also originally released in 2006) – and improving it with new sculpts, articulation and sound effects. This also has the ability to speak three memorable quotes and make sound effect from the RoboCop movie.
Retail is probably a bajillion dollars on all of ’em. I wish I were a hottie so you guys would “gift” them to me…
Ok, lastly, in stores next month are NECA’s first series of Aliens, as well as a new Predator figure. Clicking here will bring you dozens of photos of Aliens series 1, including Xenomorph Warrior (Brown Highlights), Corporal Dwayne Hicks and Private William Hudson (“Game over, man!”).
There’s also a new look below of Jungle Disguise Dutch from Predator. Part of NECA’s Predator Series 9 hitting retail next month (June), Jungle Disguise Dutch joins Jungle Encounter Dutch and Water Emergence Predator for another great figure lineup.Microsoft's found its stride with the Surface Pro 3, offering a portable yet powerful PC experience in a tablet form factor. Our readers even voted it the best overall gadget of 2014. Developers for the Windows platform, though, seem to be in short supply, leaving many popular apps out of reach (or out of date) for Microsoft fans. American Megatrends Inc. (AMI) has come up with a solution to the problem with its AMIDuOS software. If you've converted from Android to Windows, you can use the software to access your existing apps without an additional purchase. You'll also have access the latest versions without waiting for them to hit Microsoft's ecosystem. AMIDuOS works with PCs and tablets running Windows 7, 8 or 8.1 (32/64-bit) and offers instant switching -- you can even pin Android apps to the Start menu. To help one Engadget reader escape ecosystem isolation, the company has provided a 64GB Surface Pro 3 along with a lifetime license for AMIDuOS. Feeling lucky? Just head to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning.
Winner: congratulations to Taylor J. of Leawood, KS!Signup to receive a daily roundup of the top LGBT+ news stories from around the world
LGBT rights campaigners staged a rally last night in front of Belfast City Hall to voice their opposition to controversial anti-gay legislation and the persecution of LGBT people in Russia.
The protest was held on Wednesday evening, coinciding with a World Cup qualifier clash between Northern Ireland and Russia at the Windsor Park grounds South Belfast.
Protests come amid growing calls for next year’s Winter Olympics to be removed from the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi after Russia passed an anti-gay law in June which makes it illegal to give under-18s information about homosexuality.
Come Dine with Me contestant Marcus Hunter Neil, who, as Lady Portia, is one of Northern Ireland’s best known drag queens, helped to organise the demo and spoke to PinkNews about why it’s important to show solidarity to the Russian LGBT community:
“I have been deeply saddened by what I’ve seen and read in recent weeks. I’ve been horrified by some of the brutal acts of torture that are happening mostly to the younger LGBT community in Russia.
“I felt I had to do something, and when I found out Russia were playing Northern Ireland; I immediately thought to protest at the football match as this would send a message back to Russia that the rest world does not support what is happening at all.
“This was a world cup match, so I thought to embarrass them on a world stage by demonstrating for LGBT rights in Russia.
“My aim was to firstly make plenty of noise, get even more attention drawn to what is going on over in Russia, and if word got back to Russia that there was a protest even in Northern Ireland, well it may just give some hope to the Russian LGBT community. I want LGBT people in Russia to know unequivocally that they are not alone, that there are people in the world that care about them.
“We are all human beings at the end of the day. I would also like to add my voice in support of boycotting the Sochi winter Olympics! Why should the world participate in the trade and economy of Russia when they treat their own people in such a discriminatory way?”
President Vladimir Putin signed the law in June banning the promotion of “non-traditional relationships” toward minors, a move that has been criticised as part of a broader crackdown on Russia’s gay community. Other laws banning the adoption of Russian children by foreign same-sex couples, and one which enables organisations receiving funding from abroad to be fined as “foreign agents”, were also passed.
The laws have so far sparked controversy among LGBT activists, with some calling for a boycott of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. Others have also called to boycott Russian vodka as a form of protest.
On Monday, the Russian Interior Ministry confirmed that recently introduced anti-gay legislation will remain in force during the Sochi games.
A petition which has gathered over 150,000 signatures, calls for the 2014 games to be relocated to Vancouver, following the passage of anti-gay laws in Russia.
Swedish athlete Emma Green-Tregaro made a statement at the World Athletics Championships currently taking place in Moscow, by painting her nails in rainbow colours.
Yesterday, Nick Symmonds, a US track and field star, won silver in the men’s 800m at the Moscow World Athletic Championships yesterday, and used his speech to dedicate it to his gay and lesbian friends.
The protest was well attended despite the rain and Northern Ireland defeated Russia 1 – 0 in the World Cup qualifying match.With the Custom Luxeon 3-Up LED, we give our customers a way to build their own LED, with whatever diode and color they'd like at each of the 3 light source points. This is ideal for color mixing or if you are looking for a few different wavelengths coming from one LED star. The 20mm metal core printed circuit board (MCPCB) is LUXdrive's Endor Star board, which is designed to hold Luxeon Rebel emitters. We also give you the choice of building the board in series or in parallel where each of the three LEDs is individually addressable. PLEASE NOTE: Custom LEDs are built in house by our team, please allow 7-10 business days for your order to ship.
Luxeon Rebels
Your custom 3-Up LED star can include any of the emitters we offer, mixed and matched in the order you would like.
Color Options
Cool White, Neutral White, Warm White, Deep Red, Red, Red-Orange, Amber, Green, Cyan, Blue and Royal-Blue.
Parallel or Series Circuit
Our 3-Up LED stars typically come in series, meaning all of the LEDs are controlled as one unit. We realize that when you have different colors there usually is a need to address each diode individually (in parallel). This makes it easier to make certain colors and effects; sometimes you will have to dim one of the colors down or make another brighter than the others. This is why we gave you the option to have them all in series, where you will need one driver to power all 3 at the same brightness, or in parallel, where you will have 3 drivers for each diode and will drive them at whatever you wish.It's no secret some of the city's best restaurants reside in Beaverton and Hillsboro, but they can be notoriously difficult to find, as they're often family-run spots hidden within the area's sprawling strip malls. This map aims to put an end to this sad state of affairs by featuring a comprehensive introduction to the exciting dining scene.
Below, find everything from Beaverton's best Korean restaurants to its top ice cream shop. Don't sleep on the excellent Indian and Chinese food in the area, or the chance to try adorably decorated Japanese pastries. Dining options in Hillsboro add a dive bar-style brunch, some of the best Mexican food in Greater Portland, and more.
Know a tucked-away restaurant that deserves to make the next map update? Give it some love in the comments. (Note: The points on this map guide are not ranked; rather, they're organized geographically.)
Note: Restaurants on this map are listed geographically.Two West Seattleites have just developed and released a new iPad/iPhone game for children, and are inviting families to drop by Cupcake Royale in The Junction this afternoon to give it a try – with free cupcakes and book giveaways for the kids. The game is called Tiny Tiger and Friends; its developers are Aaron Hedquist (left) and Steven D’Amico (right). According to the online notes, Hedquist’s firm The Curio Dept. developed it with the intent of not talking down to kids – “Children are way smarter than we adults give them credit for!” Here’s a kid-presented trailer for the game:
The game’s developers have serious pedigrees: Hedquist has been an interactive designer for a decade, with past projects for clients from the Experience Music Project/Science Fiction Museum to the BBC. He is a partner at Curio Dept. with Fremont resident and software-industry veteran Scott Dierdorf. D’Amico is the illustrator of the “Ella The Elephant” picture-book series, for which he says a TV series is now in development. He’s also produced illustrations and designs you might have seen on websites for PBS Kids, Nick Jr., and the Disney Channel. Just bring your would-be game-tester to Cupcake Royale between 3 and 6 pm today (during CR’s regular “DIY” decorating party) to give Tiny Tiger a try.In an unprecedented interview with Israel Radio, Nofal Al-Dawalibi, a Syrian opposition leader and son of former two-time Syrian prime minister Maarouf Al-Dawalibi, said that the Syrian people want peace, including with Israel, and seek stability after the ongoing bloodshed.
The interview comes against a background of decades of overt Syrian hostility to Israel, and shatters a taboo of Syrian representatives in any forum talking openly with Israelis. At international events, Syrian leaders have always sought to ensure that Israeli journalists are kept out of their press conferences, and ignored questions from Israeli reporters on the rare occasions when Israelis did manage to address them directly. Israeli journalists are never granted visas to enter Syria.
Formally, Bashar Assad’s regime is at war with the Jewish state, as it was under his father Hafez’s rule. Syria has waged a series of wars against Israel, and steadfastly resisted international pressure for a diplomatic accommodation — although there were contacts, partly mediated by the United States, that appeared set to generate a possible breakthrough during the Clinton Administration in and around the year 2000.
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Dawalibi’s interview marked the potential beginning of a change from that mindset, should the Syrian opposition struggle prevail. When asked about the “fear that many Israelis have” that Islamic forces may occupy the political vacuum in Syria if Assad falls — and what effect that would have on Syria’s relationship with Israel — Dawalibi replied that the Syrian people do not want any more fighting. Syrian civilians have been left out of the political process for over 40 years and they only want peace, he added.
Dawalibi was speaking by telephone from Paris to Israel Radio’s Arab Affairs Correspondent Eran Zinger. Portions of the recorded interview, conducted in Arabic and translated into Hebrew for listeners, were released Friday and Saturday. Dawalibi is seen as a consensus builder between the Syrian opposition and the West, Israeli Deputy Minister Ayoob Kara told Israel Radio.
Dawalibi also commented on the “long struggle” of the Syrian opposition. “We are not interested in negotiating with Assad,” Dawalibi told Zinger, and referred to the Syrian president as “mafia bacteria.”
He added that the United Nations’ observer mission should include thousands — not hundreds — of observers, and that the team needs to reach cities where Assad’s forces are fighting.
The UN Security Council reached a tentative agreement Friday evening for the deployment of up to a total of 300 observers — up from the expected 30 — to monitor the tenuous ceasefire between regime troops and opposition in Syria. It was set to vote on the measure Saturday evening.
Meanwhile, some 75 individuals were killed during fighting between pro-regime and opposition forces Friday, according to the London-based newspaper Al-Hayat. Syrian authorities also released some 30 Syrian members of opposition who “did not have blood on their hands,” according to SANA, the state-news agency.
Special Envoy to Syria Kofi Annan called for an “immediate” end to the violence.Boogie the cat passed away on Saturday. View Full Caption Instagram/midtownboogiefdny
Boogie, a beloved black-and-white feline volunteer at a Chelsea firehouse has died of unknown causes, according to his Instagram account.
“It is with a heavy heart I must share the news of the passing of our beloved cat, Boogie,” wrote his biographer on Instagram.
It is with a heavy heart I must share the news of the passing of our beloved cat, Boogie. Boogie brought so many smiles to this firehouse, neighborhood and even around the world with his silly antics. A cat that was brought in to help with mice ended up becoming a much bigger part of the firehouse family. Boogies passing is sudden and unknown and we are all sad that he is gone. We thank everyone for your love and support of Boogie through his Instagram and coming by to see him. A photo posted by Boogie (@midtownboogiefdny) on Feb 6, 2016 at 8:52am PST
Originally brought to the station to catch mice, Boogie found adoration and fame on Instagram as his caretakers at the FDNY Engine 1 Ladder 24 station house, on West 31st Street between Sixth and Seventh avenues, chronicled his adventures.
The black-and-white kitty, whose serious face and propensity for naps earned him a cool 19,000 followers on Instagram, was five-years-old.
Boogie could often be found standing guard outside the station house, but in his downtime he also enjoyed sleeping, sitting inside paper bags and sleeping. He did not appear to particularly enjoy wearing hats, but often did so for the sake of his followers.
In addition to catching mice, napping, finding Instagram fame, Boogie was also an amorous cat. In June he made headlines when a “Meowinder” (tinder for cats) profile surfaced online. It was not clear on Monday if Boogie had found love before his untimely passing.
You know you wanna swipe right. 😻😻 #meowinder #hotkitty A photo posted by Boogie (@midtownboogiefdny) on Jun 17, 2015 at 8:57am PDT
As condolences poured in from friends and admirers, a colleague and counterpart weighed in to wish the guardian of 31st Street goodwill in the great beyond.
“We miss you brother,” said Carlow, a firehouse cat employed by the Engine 22 Ladder 13 station house on East 85th Street.BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Several EU countries, including Italy, France and Spain, have delayed the adoption of stricter car engine emissions’ tests, despite evidence that this has allowed pollution to go above legal limits, a draft report by European Parliament said on Monday.
The draft conclusions of the parliament’s investigation into the Volkswagen emissions testing scandal also blamed delays on the EU executive’s desire to protect Europe’s powerful car industry following the 2008 financial crisis.
“In 2012, there were already clear signs that something was wrong with the emissions of diesel cars,” Dutch Liberal politician Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy said of the draft report, seen by Reuters. “Dieselgate would not have happened if our national governments and the European Commission had acted.”
The draft, which will go to a parliamentary vote early next year, recommends a shake-up at the European Commission to have a single Commissioner in charge of both policies on addressing air quality as well as the sources of pollutants.
The Commission said it would not comment until the report was final. It began legal action this month against seven countries for not properly policing car emissions.
On Tuesday the Commission meets with representatives of the bloc’s 28 nations to decide on strengthening new on-road emissions tests that will supplement laboratory-based ones, whose flaws were laid bare by the dieselgate scandal.
The new measures would extend testing from next September to ultrafine and health-harming particles emitted from the new generation of gasoline direct injection engines (GDI), but carmakers are calling for the measures to be delayed until 2019.
“Regulatory uncertainty simply leaves too little time for manufacturers to make the necessary changes,” Erik Jonnaert, the head of European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association said in a statement ahead of the vote.
The Commission said in turn it had long made clear its intentions: “Car manufacturers should already start designing vehicles with lower particle emissions,” a Commission spokeswoman told Reuters. “Public health is at stake.”
The Transport & Environment campaign group says cheap technologies such as gasoline particulate filters (GPF) already exist to reduce pollution from GDI engines, which emit as much as 10 times more particles than previous generations of engines.
A year after VW admitted to cheating in the United States, EU sources say France and Germany are expected to back the Commission’s proposal for stronger rules by next year.
But it remains unclear whether Italy, Spain and a number of states in eastern Europe will do so.
“The vote is very much on a knife edge,” Greg Archer of T&E said.
If the new rules are approved, they will also regulate cold engine starts in a bid to reduce pollution from short city trips and require carmakers to make emissions performance information available to consumers.The Hassan Whiteside free-agency saga continues.
Whiteside left his meeting with the Miami Heat early Friday morning without having reached an agreement according to Shams Charania of The Vertical.
Miami left its meeting with center Hassan Whiteside without an agreement, sources tell The Vertical. Dallas next up in New York. — Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2016
The two sides have had noted differences because Miami is hesitant to offer Whiteside a full max deal. However, some recent developments also might have Whiteside uncertain about signing with the Heat.
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald and Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reported that the Heat were exploring adding “protections” in its contract just in case “he went off the rails.” Naturally, this isn’t something Whiteside would be too thrilled about.
The 7-footer is holding meetings with possible suitors at an undisclosed location in New York, and after leaving his Miami meeting he is expected to go meet with Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks.
Comments
commentsCanterlot Nights Product Type Release (Expansion) Release Date May 2014 (N. America)
May 2014 (Europe) Gallery Canterlot Nights (Gallery) "Turn your eye toward Canterlot and its royal intrigue, and high society. New friends, dazzling parties, and dangerous troublemakers can all be found in Equestria's capital and in Canterlot Nights, a new and exciting expansion to the My Little Pony Collectible Card Game." Canterlot Nights is the name of the second set released for the My Little Pony Collectible Card Game. Contents show]
Release Information Edit
204 unique cards were released as part of the main set: 10 Mane Characters, 100 Friends, 30 Events, 29 Resources, 11 Troublemakers, and 24 Problems.
In terms of rarity, the main set contains 60 Common (C) cards, 62 Uncommon (U) cards, 60 Rare (R) cards, 6 Fixed (F) cards, and 16 Ultra Rare (UR) cards. There is a 1 in 11 chance for a Canterlot Nights booster pack to contain an Ultra Rare card in place of a Common card (an increase from Premiere's 1 in 13 chance).
Flutterbat is a "secret" Ultra Rare such that it is not listed in the set checklist, but it is still part of the set and still has the same chance to be obtained from booster packs as any other Ultra Rare in the set.
Princess Luna, The Party's Over and Rarity, Mover and Shaker are Uncommon cards, however they are not found in booster packs and can only be found as part of the Rock N Rave Two Player Theme Deck (making obtaining them similar to how one would obtain Fixed cards).
In addition to the main set, there is also a foil parallel set of 56 cards. Of these Foil (ƒ) cards, 44 of them are foiled versions of cards found in the main set but are otherwise the same as their main set equivalent. There is a 1 in 4 chance for a Canterlot Nights booster pack to contain a parallel Foil card in place of a Common card.
Princess Luna, Princess of the Night and Princess Celestia, Hoof Shaker are part of the foil parallel set but can only be found in theme decks. These two cards each have two different versions with alternate artwork, but are otherwise the same.
The other six Foil cards in the foil parallel set cannot be found in booster packs. Rainbow Dash, Hanging Out and Rarity, Dressmaker can only be found in theme decks. These two cards each have two different versions with one version having the Start side foiled and the other version having the Boosted side foiled, but are otherwise the same. The Foil versions of Applejack, Apple Vendor, Pinkie Pie, Pokey Pony, Twilight Sparkle, Gala Greeter and Fluttershy, Friend to Animals were released in the May 2017 Upgraded Organized Play Kit #1.
The promo set of 19 cards cannot be found in booster packs. Of these 19 Promo (P) cards, 12 of them are foiled versions of cards in the main set, and 6 are unique to the set. Twilight Sparkle, Ursa Vanquisher has been previously released as part of the Premiere main set.
Contents Edit
Main Set Edit
Foil Parallel Set Edit
Promo Set Edit
Theme Decks EditIntroduction
The Laws of the Universe, Universal Law, Natural Law it comes in comes with many names and disguises but throughout the millenniums of human history the truth of these laws has came shining through. A beacon guiding us out of the darkness of fear and helplessness.
There have been many times when its light has shone weakly, hidden by layers of human intrigue and the lust for power.
But as with all things the tides have turned and it’s time for its eternal flame to shine brightly once more. It is time for the Truth to be Out;
We as humans have reached a point in our spiritual evolution where we must expand, grow, we must we have nowhere else to go..
If you have made any spiritual progress at all in this incarnation then you’ll probably have already began your explorative journey (seeking) maybe you’ve tried Wicca, or Metaphysics or Oprah, or Buddhism or The Law of attraction…or any of the countless spiritual paths that we can choose from- All these paths are valid of course and many contain nuggets of truth- But before we go any further I must make it clear that the Laws outlined in this book are none of these things..they are not the path you are seeking, they are not the next big thing..They are not here to lead you home..you must finf your own way.
No they go deeper than that..These are the fundamental Laws that EVERYTHING that exists in the Universe is based upon. Every spiritual practice that you have ever come across, or ever will is based upon these Laws whether they know it or not. The whole Universe dances to the tune of these great truths.
By recognising, understanding, and incorporating them into your daily lives at all levels you will greatly increase the effectiveness of every aspect of your life a hundredfold.
This knowledge will change your life but not in the way you think..I am on the same journey of discovery as you are and as I progress, grow and learn one thing I can be sure of is that there is no ‘right’ way, there is no guru or path that will lead you home..you are home..you are the way..there is only your way..
Let me put it another way you are free, completely and utterly free..This physical world and all it contains is just an illusion, a wonderful, glorious figment |
in the local Lingala language and because some see him as representing foreign interests.
Mr Tshisekedi dismissed the result as an "outright provocation to our people".
"I consider myself from this day on as the elected president of the Democratic Republic of Congo," he said in a statement.
Referring to his supporters as "fighters", he said: "I urge you to stick together as one man behind me to face the events that will follow."
Amid fears of a violent reaction to the results, the chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court this week warned all sides that engaging in electoral violence would not be a ticket to power but a ticket to The Hague.
The results still have to be ratified by the supreme court.
International protests
Mr Kabila, 40, has been president since 2001, following the death of his father, Laurent.
In 2006 he won the first elections since the end of a five-year conflict and is now due to be sworn in on 20 December for his second term.
Earlier this year, the constitution was amended so that the candidate with the most votes wins the elections, removing the need for a second round.
Who is Joseph Kabila? Image caption Joseph Kabila has been in power since his father Laurent died in 2006 40 years old
Born in a rebel camp in eastern DR Congo - where he enjoys most of his support
Spent his childhood in Tanzania
His father, Laurent Kabila, overthrew long-time ruler Mobutu Sese Seko in 1997
He first became president after his father's assassination in 2001
Oversaw the signing of a peace accord in 2002 to end a five-year conflict involving several other nations
Became DR Congo's first freely elected leader in 2006, winning a run-off poll with 58% of the vote
His campaign slogan was: "Five building sites of the republic"
Shies away from public speaking
Is married with one daughter
As well as the presidential race, more than 18,000 candidates contested 500 parliamentary seats.
Mr Tshisekedi, 78, campaigned for multi-party democracy during the years of former leader Mobutu Sese Seko but this was the first time he has contested an election.
His supporters have been protesting in South Africa, Belgium, France and the UK, accusing the international community of backing Mr Kabila.
Four other candidates have said the election should be annulled because of alleged fraud, including pre-marked ballot papers.
Voting material did not arrive in some polling stations for four days after the election was supposed to have been held.
Election officials used helicopters from the UN peacekeeping mission to deliver material to remote parts of the country, which is two-thirds the size of Western Europe but with hardly any paved roads or railways.
But the African Union and four other African observer missions said the polls had been "successful" and urged both sides to show restraint.
The European Union observer mission said its preliminary findings showed that the polls were marred by "numerous irregularities, sometimes serious".
Several thousand people last weekend fled Kinshasa for neighbouring Congo-Brazzaville as fears grew that violence would escalate once completed results are published.How far should the net be cast as regards intellectual achievements? I suggest as far and wide as possible, or it will be assumed that some results are being held back. I favour those achievements which are in a “universal language” like maths, science and chess. There will always be some doubt about whether people in poor countries have access to knowledge and training, though the spread of internet access goes a long way to dealing with this. (In fact, it should level the playing field in terms of access to knowledge). Poker, Bridge, Backgammon, and Mahjong could be added to the list, because there are international competitions and rankings. I am not suggesting anyone should take part in such activities. Live and let live.
Chess a universal language like math? Methinks not. I took a quantitative look at FIDE players. Using data science tricks, I obtained a list of top 5k players and their countries. Then I did some plotting and modeling. Details can be found at rpubs.com/EmilOWK/chess_top5k_fide
Per capita rate ~ IQ
Obviously there are issues with country size, so we can weigh cases by sqrt(population) as we usually do.
Did not help. It is obvious that East Asian countries are outliers, and that we have issues with a large number of countries with no top chess players at all. If we use the log count approach that Noah used in the terrorism papers, which seems superior to the per capita approach (though the reason for this is unclear to me, somehow handles sampling error better), then a simple model finds a strongish effect of IQ:
Linear Regression Model rms::ols(formula = log_count ~ log_pop + IQ, data = natdata) Model Likelihood Discrimination Ratio Test Indexes Obs 197 LR chi2 140.48 R2 0.510 sigma0.5491 d.f. 2 R2 adj 0.505 d.f. 194 Pr(> chi2) 0.0000 g 0.636 Residuals Min 1Q Median 3Q Max -1.68341 -0.31570 -0.01964 0.39061 1.28864 Coef S.E. t Pr(>|t|) Intercept -4.9833 0.4018 -12.40 <0.0001 log_pop 0.3281 0.0416 7.88 <0.0001 IQ 0.0405 0.0036 11.21 <0.0001
Note that these are unstandardized coefficients, and thus not easy to compare. Neither is the effect size easy to understand since the outcome is a log10 count. The model output says that for 1 IQ increase, the expected number of log10(count + 1) FIDE champions increase by 0.04. So, if I’m not mistaken, this translates into 10^.04. The scaling is not linear. The model predicted number of FIDE players for countries with IQ 70, 80, …, 110 are 0.15, 1.93, 6.45, 17.93, 47.11. Or a factor of ~300 going from Africa level IQ to good cities.
However, most of this is due to the confound with European culture. If we add continent dummies, we get:
Linear Regression Model rms::ols(formula = log_count ~ log_pop + IQ + UN_continent, data = natdata) Model Likelihood Discrimination Ratio Test Indexes Obs 197 LR chi2 219.72 R2 0.672 sigma0.4537 d.f. 6 R2 adj 0.662 d.f. 190 Pr(> chi2) 0.0000 g 0.730 Residuals Min 1Q Median 3Q Max -1.22161 -0.24685 -0.01719 0.25710 1.34260 Coef S.E. t Pr(>|t|) Intercept -2.7309 0.4861 -5.62 <0.0001 log_pop 0.4035 0.0392 10.28 <0.0001 IQ 0.0164 0.0048 3.44 0.0007 UN_continent=Africa -1.1256 0.1464 -7.69 <0.0001 UN_continent=Americas -0.6569 0.1191 -5.52 <0.0001 UN_continent=Asia -0.9505 0.1044 -9.10 <0.0001 UN_continent=Oceania -0.7782 0.1512 -5.15 <0.0001
The IQ coefficient declines substantially. If we imagine possible European countries with IQs from 70 to 110, they are expected to have 13, 19, 28, 41, 60 top 5k persons, or factor ~4.6, down from ~300 before. 4.6 is still quite a few, of course. Empirically, this model predicts that reality should work like this:
Whereas, if we plot the IQs and counts with slopes by continent, they look like this:
Notice the lack of a noticeable slope for Asia, mainly due to the Singapore, Japan, Koreas (but not China). So, we are probably grouping some countries that shouldn’t. We can also use UN’s provided smaller regions, though these are arguably too small. We get (setting Western Europe as the comparison):
Linear Regression Model rms::ols(formula = log_count ~ log_pop + IQ + UN_region, data = natdata) Model Likelihood Discrimination Ratio Test Indexes Obs 197 LR chi2 267.20 R2 0.742 sigma0.4227 d.f. 24 R2 adj 0.706 d.f. 172 Pr(> chi2) 0.0000 g 0.767 Residuals Min 1Q Median 3Q Max -1.08552 -0.22309 -0.01046 0.22147 1.15614 Coef S.E. t Pr(>|t|) Intercept -4.3280 0.7710 -5.61 <0.0001 log_pop 0.4198 0.0408 10.30 <0.0001 IQ 0.0316 0.0072 4.37 <0.0001 UN_region=Australia and New Zealand -0.6845 0.3344 -2.05 0.0422 UN_region=Caribbean -0.2719 0.2528 -1.08 0.2836 UN_region=Central America -0.6612 0.2456 -2.69 0.0078 UN_region=Central Asia -0.1106 0.2775 -0.40 0.6907 UN_region=Eastern Africa -0.8351 0.2534 -3.30 0.0012 UN_region=Eastern Asia -1.5121 0.2154 -7.02 <0.0001 UN_region=Eastern Europe 0.1641 0.2029 0.81 0.4198 UN_region=Europe -1.1183 0.4521 -2.47 0.0143 UN_region=Melanesia -0.8061 0.2655 -3.04 0.0028 UN_region=Micronesia -0.3599 0.2910 -1.24 0.2179 UN_region=Middle Africa -0.6288 0.3038 -2.07 0.0400 UN_region=Northern Africa -0.7298 0.2578 -2.83 0.0052 UN_region=Northern America -0.4391 0.2610 -1.68 0.0943 UN_region=Northern Europe 0.0283 0.2008 0.14 0.8882 UN_region=Polynesia -0.4774 0.3069 -1.56 0.1216 UN_region=South America -0.4197 0.2131 -1.97 0.0505 UN_region=South-Eastern Asia -0.9609 0.2065 -4.65 <0.0001 UN_region=Southern Africa -0.5514 0.3087 -1.79 0.0758 UN_region=Southern Asia -0.8013 0.2472 -3.24 0.0014 UN_region=Southern Europe 0.0403 0.1946 0.21 0.8362 UN_region=Western Africa -0.7804 0.2805 -2.78 0.0060 UN_region=Western Asia -0.5917 0.2050 -2.89 0.0044
Now IQ’s beta went back up again (0.0316).
What if we use the per capita approach?
Linear Regression Model rms::ols(formula = fide_per_million ~ IQ, data = natdata, weights = sqrt(population2017)) Model Likelihood Discrimination Ratio Test Indexes Obs 197 LR chi2 14.86 R2 0.073 sigma264.0903 d.f. 1 R2 adj 0.068 d.f. 195 Pr(> chi2) 0.0001 g 1.280 Residuals Min 1Q Median 3Q Max -3.4973 -1.2864 -0.4563 0.4652 92.7449 Coef S.E. t Pr(>|t|) Intercept -7.3254 2.2682 -3.23 0.0015 IQ 0.1024 0.0262 3.91 0.0001
I changed the outcome to top players per million, otherwise all the coefficients were tiny. We see a coefficient of 0.10 here, meaning that 1 IQ point increases the per million player by 0.10. If we use the usual model predictions (for 70, …, 110), this gives us values of -0.16, 0.87, 1.89, 2.91, 3.94. Negative values are of course impossible, but this model isn’t constrained to disallow such values (could be done with e.g. Bayesian priors). The violation isn’t too great anyway. If we add the small regions:
Linear Regression Model rms::ols(formula = fide_per_million ~ IQ + UN_region, data = natdata, weights = sqrt(population2017)) Model Likelihood Discrimination Ratio Test Indexes Obs 197 LR chi2 77.29 R2 0.325 sigma239.2931 d.f. 23 R2 adj 0.235 d.f. 173 Pr(> chi2) 0.0000 g 2.709 Residuals Min 1Q Median 3Q Max -7.70820 -0.62140 -0.03586 0.31916 87.33090 Coef S.E. t Pr(>|t|) Intercept -5.5729 8.0336 -0.69 0.4888 IQ 0.1117 0.0800 1.40 0.1647 UN_region=Australia and New Zealand -4.4978 3.1416 -1.43 0.1540 UN_region=Caribbean -1.4467 2.8945 -0.50 0.6178 UN_region=Central America -3.5594 2.3098 -1.54 0.1251 UN_region=Central Asia -2.3240 2.6887 -0.86 0.3886 UN_region=Eastern Africa -2.4938 2.6692 -0.93 0.3515 UN_region=Eastern Asia -6.0083 1.6921 -3.55 0.0005 UN_region=Eastern Europe 0.4284 1.7746 0.24 0.8095 UN_region=Europe -4.6798 7.4075 -0.63 0.5284 UN_region=Melanesia -3.7884 3.6618 -1.03 0.3023 UN_region=Micronesia -3.7728 7.3435 -0.51 0.6081 UN_region=Middle Africa -1.9938 3.1464 -0.63 0.5271 UN_region=Northern Africa -3.4613 2.2871 -1.51 0.1320 UN_region=Northern America -4.8395 2.0390 -2.37 0.0187 UN_region=Northern Europe 2.7450 2.0215 1.36 0.1762 UN_region=Polynesia -4.1905 8.1261 -0.52 0.6067 UN_region=South America -3.4319 1.9566 -1.75 0.0812 UN_region=South-Eastern Asia -4.2342 1.8029 -2.35 0.0200 UN_region=Southern Africa -2.3886 3.2924 -0.73 0.4691 UN_region=Southern Asia -3.4515 2.0883 -1.65 0.1002 UN_region=Southern Europe 2.6375 1.9077 1.38 0.1686 UN_region=Western Africa -2.2252 2.8600 -0.78 0.4376 UN_region=Western Asia -1.8373 1.9890 -0.92 0.3569
The beta of IQ remained about the same, but it now has p =.16. There is too much noise to reliably see the signal. This can also be seen in the model fit’s across approaches: R2a: 0.706 vs. 0.235. So far, my intuitive thinking is that small populations and rare persons cause massive variation in the observed per capita rate. E.g. in this dataset, the observed rate per million of top FIDE is ~100 in Faroe Islands and Iceland but only 9-11 in the rest of Scandinavia. Are we supposed to believe this reflects some real difference? Hardly. Secondly, this massive sampling error is not (apparently) completely counteracted by down-weighing the importance of small samples in the model, at least not using the sqrt approach. Perhaps one can develop a more suitable weight to use. However, using counts, it doesn’t matter much if the count for a small country turns out to be 0 or 5 since a small number is predicted by the small population size in any event. For instance, Faroe Islands only has n = 5 (for population 50k), but it could have easily been 0 or 10 and neither value would have caused a major outlier using the counts approach, but would have done so using the per capita approach.
Why not use the non-log version? Theoretically, the use of logs should cause nonlinear interactions between IQ and population size to occur, but with n=200, we don’t have a realistic chance to estimate these. I did try a model with the interaction, but we don’t really have enough precision to estimate them either (bizarrely, it resulted in p =.006/.007 negative betas for IQ and population size, and the interaction with positive with p <.0001). Perhaps if one collected chess champions for some smaller unit, e.g. EU NUTS or USA counties.Capital punishment in Norway (Norwegian: dødsstraff) has been constitutionally prohibited since 2014.
Before that, it had been fully abolished in 1979, and earlier, from 1905 the penal code had abolished capital punishment in peacetime.[1]
In practice the last execution in peacetime was carried out on 25 February 1876, when Kristoffer Nilsen Grindalen was beheaded in Løten,[2] but several people, mainly Norwegians and Germans, were executed after the Second World War and the years of Nazi occupation; among them Vidkun Quisling.
History [ edit ]
Early use [ edit ]
In addition to the usual capital crimes of murder and treason, medieval Norwegian law demanded execution also of people who were found guilty of witchcraft. During the witch-hunting of the 16th and 17th centuries, 300 persons were burned. About a hundred of them were from the Vardø area. Women in the north, especially in Finnmark, were at particular risk due to the clergy and authorities believing that the devil resided at the edge of the world.[3]
King Christian V's Norwegian Law of 1687 described several capital crimes. A law of 16 October 1697 increased the penalty for some murders by coupling torture with the executions. On the way to the execution site the convict would be pinched with red hot tongs, and a hand would be cut off prior to decapitation.[4]
Modern use [ edit ]
Until the 19th century, lèse majesté could result in capital punishment.[citation needed] By 1815 the most inhumane forms of execution were abolished, and decapitation or shooting were the remaining authorised methods. Capital crimes were premeditated or otherwise heinous murders as well as treason.[5]
Norway abolished the death penalty for civilian crimes in 1905, but was retained for certain military crimes in wartime.[1]
During the Nazi occupation of Norway (1940–1945), capital punishment was introduced by Vidkun Quisling's regime in September 1942, and the first of a total of nineteen executions was carried out on 16 August 1943, when police officer Gunnar Eilifsen was executed for disobedience. Before this, German law had applied, and four hundred Norwegians had already been executed.
In 1941, the Cabinet Nygaardsvold exiled in London allowed for the death penalty after the war, and expanded its scope in 1942 to cover torture and murder. The legal purge that followed the occupation resulted in several death sentences, of which 37 people, 25 Norwegians and 12 Germans, were executed.[6]
The last execution took place on 27 August 1948, when Ragnar Skancke was put before a firing squad at Akershus Fortress.[7]
European Convention on Human Rights [ edit ]
In 1988 Norway signed on to protocol 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights which bans the use of capital punishment in peacetime[5] and ratified protocol 13 which bans all use of capital punishment whatsoever in 2005.[8] Norway generally opposes capital punishment outside of the country as well. The government has banished Mullah Krekar from Norway, but has not sent him to Iraq due to the possibility of him being charged with capital crimes in his home county.[9] In the Martine Vik Magnussen case, Norway has declined to cooperate with the Yemenese government unless a guarantee is made that the death penalty is off the table.[10]
Constitutional prohibition [ edit ]
The Constitution of Norway was extensively amended in May 2014. The new article 93 in the constitution explicitly prohibits capital punishment ("Every person has the right to life. No one can be sentenced to death.") along with torture, inhumane or degrading punishments, and slavery, and compels the government to protect against these practices.[11]
Public opinion [ edit ]
Opinion polls have showed that about 1 in 4 Norwegians support the death penalty, with the highest support among Progress Party voters, among whom the support, as expressed in a poll from 2010, is at 51 percent.[12] Although Progress Party politicians like Ulf Erik Knudsen[13] and Jan Blomseth[14] have expressed support for the death penalty for egregious cases of rape and murder, the party's policy is opposed to the death penalty.[12] An opinion poll taken after the 2011 Norway attacks showed that the opposition to the death penalty remained firmly entrenched, with 16 percent supporting and 68 percent opposed.[15]Pootie Tang is a 2001 American comedy film written and directed by Louis C.K. Adapted from a comedy sketch that first appeared on The Chris Rock Show, [4] the character Pootie Tang is a satire of the stereotyped characters who appeared in old blaxploitation films. The title character's speech, which vaguely resembles pidgin, is mostly unintelligible to the audience, but the other characters in the film have no problem understanding him.
Pootie Tang, born in "a small town outside Gary, Indiana," is portrayed as a ladies' man who is "too cool for words", even as a young child. His life is marked by the deaths of his mother "Momma Dee," and shortly thereafter his father "Daddy Tang," who dies after being mauled by a gorilla during his shift at the steel mill (the third time someone had suffered that particular fate). Just before Daddy Tang's death, Pootie inherits his father's belt and is told that (as long as he has right on his side) he can "whoop anyone's ass with just that belt."
As a young adult, Pootie Tang rises to fame and becomes well known for a variety of reasons. He sings in nightclubs, stars in public service announcements for children, produces top-of-the-charts music hits, and generally defeats wrongdoers with the power of his belt. Dick Lecter, the chief operating officer of multi-industrial conglomerate LecterCorp, learns of Pootie Tang's positive influence on society — and his negative influence on LecterCorp's bottom line. After his henchmen and a villain named Dirty Dee are sent away by Pootie's friends, Lecter encourages his right-hand lady, Ireenie, to seduce Pootie Tang into signing an agreement with LecterCorp that would stop Pootie Tang's influence on America's children.
Pootie Tang falls for Ireenie's tricks and subsequently falls apart. His status as pop culture icon is destroyed, and he engages on a quest to "find [him]self." This journey is encouraged by Biggie Shortie, who promises to wait for Pootie to return to her and to the rest of society. Pootie moves to a farm where the local sheriff decides Pootie and his daughter should start dating. After his single corn stalk dies, he has a vision of Daddy Tang and Momma Dee. Daddy Tang reveals that there is nothing special about Pootie's belt; instead, Pootie must fight evil with the goodness that is inside him. After dealing with Dirty Dee and his henchman Froggy (as well as getting his belt back), Pootie realizes he must move back to the city and fight crime once again.
Pootie Tang returns to the city just as Dick Lecter is unveiling the first of his new restaurant chain, Pootie's Bad Time Burgers. At a small news conference, Pootie confronts Lecter only to discover that Lecter has amassed dozens of "Pootie-alikes" who will spread the message of LecterCorp around the nation. Pootie Tang, with the help of Biggie Shortie, defeats all of these henchmen and Lecter himself. Good triumphs over evil once again, and Biggie Shortie finally gets her man: she and Pootie Tang plan to get married now that Pootie is back. Elsewhere, Dick Lecter leaves corporate life and becomes an actor, Ireenie leaves him and becomes a counselor helping at-risk teenage prostitutes, and Dirty Dee is still dirty.Mike McCoy has got to go. The San Diego Chargers head coach is the absolute worst and he’s not getting better. For the love of all that’s holy — and for the sake of my sanity — the Chargers must fire McCoy immediately after his team’s latest meltdown.
With 6:50 left in their contest with the winless New Orleans Saints on Sunday, the Chargers were up 34-21 and had the ball. Melvin Gordon proceeded to fumble it away on his own 13-yard line and the Saints capitalized with a touchdown on the ensuing drive.
With 4:50 to go, San Diego started with the ball on their 25-yard line with a 34-28 lead. On the first play of the drive, Travis Benjamin caught a five-yard pass and fumbled it away again. Before Benjamin’s mishap, the Chargers had a win probability of 98.5 percent. Clearly ESPN’s model didn’t account for McCoy.
The Saints then scored another touchdown, taking a 35-34 lead.
When the Chargers got the ball back with 1:57 to go and a chance to win the game with a field goal, their drive was an absolute abomination. Philip Rivers was sacked on the first play. On the second play, the snap rolled to him forcing him to cover it and take another sack. That meant Rivers had to hurl two deep balls (on 3rd and 22 and 4th and 22) on the next two plays. A fourth-down interception ended things.
A good, composed team would have been able to mount a late drive against the Saints’ porous defense. But the Bolts are never composed when it matters. Additionally, McCoy had wasted two timeouts earlier in the second half, leaving his team with just one. No one was on the same page when the Chargers got the ball back and Rivers had no chance to even get the team moving. It was an all-too-familiar script that must finally have a consequence for the guy at the top.
Luckily for McCoy, he didn’t seem to concerned with the whole thing:
The Chargers do the exact same thing every week: start off hot, look good in the first half, drift a bit in the third quarter, then completely collapse in the fourth. It’s like clockwork and it’s infuriating. Teams take on the attitude and personality of their head coaches, and the Chargers blasé attitude and lack of urgency when finishing games perfectly reflects the man in charge. The team has absolutely zero fire late in games and that’s a direct reflection on the head coach. At this point I’m convinced McCoy was once bitten by a radioactive jar of mayonnaise given his less-than-enthusiastic personality.
The reaction above is right after Benjamin’s fumble. Seriously, someone needs to check McCoy’s pulse. I’d be shocked if his heart actually beats more than once a year.
The Chargers have the talent to win games; unfortunately they don’t have the the kind of coach who can help guide them there. What has McCoy done to validate his position as a head coach in the NFL? He has a 23-29 record in his fifth year with the Chargers. He went 9-7 during his first two seasons, reaching the playoffs in 2013, then followed that up with a 9-7 record in 2014. Since the start of the 2015 season he’s 5-15.
The mark of a good coach is getting the best of out his players in crunch time and making the right decisions with the game on the line. Since the start of last season, McCoy’s team has lost 12 games by eight or fewer points. Twelve games. Twelve! The Chargers have only played 20 total games! Conversely, they have only won three games decided by one score in that time. Sunday was also the sixth time they’ve blown a fourth quarter lead since 2015, and the third time this season. The Chargers are 1-3 this year, which means each loss has come from letting an opponent beat them after the Bolts led late.
In Week 1, the Chiefs trailed the Chargers by 17 with less than 10 minutes to go and won 33-27 in overtime. In Week 3 the Colts trailed the Bolts 22-20 with less than two minutes to go and won 26-22. And this week the Saints trailed by 13 with less than five minutes to go an won 35-34.
McCoy is a terrible head coach. There’s no other way to put it. No, he didn’t make Gordon and Benjamin fumble, but neither guy was poised or protecting the ball when he should have been. And the team didn’t have an answer when it needed one late. The Chargers had two minutes to drive the field and line up for what could have been a game-winning field goal. Instead they screwed around and wound up losing 12 yards before another turnover.
If Dean Spanos and his sons are serious about winning football games they will fire Mike McCoy immediately. If they don’t do that it’s just another example of how the Chargers ownership and front office are completely incompetent. Not that we needed more evidence of that.Google NPR recently aired an amazing interview by Kelly McEvers with a former U.S. drone pilot named Brandon Bryant.
Bryant flew military drones for the U.S. from 2006 to 2010.
Bryant worked in a trailer in Nevada. And he blasted targets in the Middle East, half a world away.
This is Bryant's description of his first "shot":
MCEVERS: In 2006, Bryant found himself wearing a flight suit and sitting in a kind of trailer in Las Vegas, Nevada, surrounded by monitors and the low hum of computers and servers. On his very first sortie as a pilot, Brandon watched from the drone's camera as American soldiers got blown up in Afghanistan. There was nothing he could do. That was before he'd ever taken his first so-called shot. I asked him about that.
What was one of the more - if it's OK to talk about this - one of the more memorable moments when that - when you had to do that?
BRYANT: I'll talk about my first shot because I still think about that.
MCEVERS: This time, it was insurgents Brandon saw on the screen - one group who had been firing at U.S. troops and another group who was standing away from them. Brandon was ordered to fire a missile at the second group.
BRYANT: We fired the missile, and 1.2 seconds after the missile fires, it sonic booms. And so the sonic boom gets there before the missile does. And the guy in the rear hears this, and he runs forward to the two guys in front and then the missile hits. And after the smoke clears, there's a crater there. You can see body parts of the people. But the guy that was running from the rear to the front, his left leg had been taken off above the knee, and I watched him bleed out.
The blood rapidly cooled to become the same color as the ground, because we're watching this in infrared. And I eventually watched the guy become the same color as the ground that he died on.
MCEVERS: Wow. So these guys had weapons strapped on their backs, but you did not see them using them, threatening to use them in any way.
BRYANT: Correct. These guys had no hostile intent. And in my own mind, I thought of, you know - in Montana, here, we have - everyone has a gun. Like, these guys could've been local people that had to protect themselves or something similar to that. And I think we jumped the gun, you know?
MCEVERS: Do you provide that information in any kind of follow-up reporting? You know, is there any exit interview where you report that information to your superiors?
BRYANT: There's an after-action report, but the pilots are the ones that put it together. And the only thing that was in there was enemy combatants, confirmed weapons, all three taken out by one - by AGM-114 hellfire strike. So it doesn't really go into very much detail other than to tell what happened and what was the result.
Brandon Bryant. Brandon Bryant (Der Spiegel) That was Bryant's first shot. His second shot left an even more indelible impression:
MCEVERS: Did you ever have to take a shot that hit someone that was clearly a civilian?
BRYANT: There was one, as actually my second shot, which was about a month after my first shot. This one was routine. We're watching this house. And end of my shift, it's coming close to being dawn in Vegas, and so it's nighttime over there. And there's very little activity. Like, every once in a while, a guy leaves the back of the house. And this guy was some sort of lieutenant of the commander of the area or something. I don't remember.
I think there was supposedly three people left in the building and all were military males. We just aim at the corner of the building, we're going to fire, and we do. And there's about six seconds left before the missile impacts and something runs around the corner of the building. And it looked like a small person. There's no other way for me to describe. It was a small two-legged person.
And the missile hits. There's no sign of this person. A large portion of the building's collapsed. There's no movement coming in and out of the building. So we lock our camera on there, and I ask the screener who disseminates the video feed, I asked: Can you review that? Like, what was that thing that ran on the screen? And he's, like, "one second--reviewing" and comes back and says: Oh, that was a dog.
MCEVERS: When you reviewed that tape, what did you see?
BRYANT: It was a person. It was a small person. Like, there's no doubt in my mind that that was not an adult.
MCEVERS: And that was the end of your shift, so you just, like, walked out into Nevada after that, right? What did it look like? You said the sun had just come up...
BRYANT: So I was getting out. The sun was coming over the mountains off in the background. And I remember just kind of - the light was too bright, and the dark places were too dark. I felt really numb. I didn't feel distraught like I felt my first shot. I felt numb because this is - this was the reality of war. Like, three instances in three months showed me pretty much every aspect that there is: that good guys can die, bad guys can die, and innocents can die as well.
But Bryant didn't quit. Until a few years later, when he realized how much he had changed.
MCEVERS: What made you finally quit? What was it?
BRYANT: One day, it was late 2010, we had a wall that had five pictures on it of top al-Qaida leaders. And I remember walking in one day, and I kind of stopped and looked at one of these guys. And I was like, man, which one of these mother (bleep) is going to die today? And I stopped myself, and I was like, that's not me. Like, that's just not who I am. I don't think like that. I was taught to respect life, even if in the realities of war that we have to take it, it should be done with respect. And I wanted this guy to die.
So I tried to talk to a couple of people about it. And one of the weird things about the whole drone community is that you don't talk |
’t make strong eye contact. In the study at Dartmouth University, lead researcher Malia Mason had male participants sit and view a series of faces of fashion models, digitally enhanced to either be gazing toward or away from the participant. The study authors asked the viewer to rate the likeability of each model and found that those who turned away were seen as less agreeable. The study’s researchers went on to suggest that a woman’s gaze can be a powerful arousal cue and that our impressions are largely formed by nonverbal communications such as eye contact. So start locking eyes, ladies!A recent study at the University of Pennsylvania reveals that regardless of what people say they are looking for in a dating situation, they don’t need a lot of time with or information about a person to tell if they’re interested. Single people’s behavior suggests that individuals know “it” (a person who appeals to them) when they see it—almost instantly. Lead researcher Robert Kurzban and his colleagues studied data from 10,000+ daters. They found that men and women assessed potential compatibility within moments of meeting, using primarily visual cues such as age, height, and attractiveness. Says Kurzban, “Somewhat surprisingly, factors that you might think would be really important to people—like religion, education, and income—played very little role in their choices.”The next time you call up a potential love match, pay special attention to how they sound. Researchers at the University of Albany had 149 men and women to rate the attractiveness of a series of recorded voices on a scale from 1 to 10. The researchers also gathered information about the sexual histories of the people whose voices they recorded. They found that the voices found to be the most appealing belonged to people who had sex at an earlier age, had more sexual partners, and were more prone to infidelity than those rated as having less appealing voices. So know that what’s a seductive voice to you may be linked to a person with a bit of a past…There may be a genetic component to infidelity, says a professor at the Twin Research Unit at St. Thomas’ Hospital, London. This is based on the fact that if one twin exhibits infidelity, the other twin strays 55% of the time. In the general population, the number is 23%. The tendency to remain faithful is a component of personality, the scientist elaborates, which is governed both by a number of genes and societal factors.For one thing, it causes serotonin levels in the brain to drop, which may lead people to obsess about their lover. (The levels of serotonin, a chemicalproduced by the body, are also low in people who have obsessive-compulsive disorder.) Next, it ramps up production of the stress hormone cortisol, leading to slightly higher blood pressure and possibly loss of sleep. Finally, a scientist at the University of London has found that when people look at their new loves, the neural circuits that are usually in charge of social judgment are suppressed. All in all, love kind of leaves you obsessive, stressed, and blind. And we love it.A new study suggests the psychological hurt of a break-up is just as real as a physical injury. Two areas of the brain that respond to physical pain also become activated when a person is dealing with social pain, such as being dumped. The study’s authors at UCLA used an MRI to monitor brain activity in participants while they played a game simulating social rejection. The researchers believe that the pain of being rejected may have evolved as a motivating force that led humans to seek out social interaction, which is crucial for the survival of most mammals.If we take our cue from apes, rosy cheeks are crucial in the dating game, says a new study. Scientists at Stirling University in Great Britain have found that primates prefer mates with red faces. A rosy glow might also act as a similar cue in humans, say the British researchers, sending a message of good health. They speculate that it could explain why women use blusher.Did you know there is a “right” way to kiss? People are more likely to tilt their heads to the right when kissing instead of left, says a report published recently in the journal Nature. A scientist from Ruhr University in Germany analyzed 124 pairs of smoochers and found that 65 percent go toward the right.Researchers at NYU and Stanford have discovered that hungry men prefer heavier women. By staking out a dining hall, scientists had hundreds of students fill out questionnaires about their preferences in a mate. Men who filled out the questionnaire just before they entered the hall described their ideal woman as an average of three or four pounds heavier than men interviewed after they ate. Incidentally, researchers did not find the same change in women’s preferences, so guys: Go ahead and schedule that drinks date for before or after dinnertime.
Laura Schaefer is the author of Man with Farm Seeks Woman with Tractor: The Best and Worst Personal Ads of All Time.
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“Well, you're good at a lot of things... Just not nest making, ice skating, animal waking, snow clearing...”
Emptiness stretched out in all directions. There wasn’t a sign of any landmarks or any features that would imply any sort of terrain as far as the eye could see. The flat, bleak whiteness of the landscape was jarring, to say the least. Interestingly enough, I couldn’t locate the sun or any other similar light source—which begged the question of why the shit was it so bright? I pawed at the ground, finding it curiously lacking in any sort of texture other than “hard”, and groaned.
All I needed was a little lie down to think. I simply laid down where I was, rubbed my eyes, and muttered, “Okay, guys, any ideas?” It didn’t help that the ground under me was perturbingly temperature neutral and it didn’t really help me think. It just didn’t make any sense. There was no immediate response so I let them have a few minutes to take it all in. Out of boredom, I did my best goat impression and experimentally held all my legs in the air. No wind, either. Huh.
On the topic of unnerving, there was an odd amount of silence from myself. Usually one of me would have piped up with some input by now. “Gale?” I hesitantly called out. “Toasty?” If this was some sort of practical joke, it wasn’t funny. At this moment in time I was legitimately disconcerted. “Filly?” With each lack of response, I grew increasingly panicked. “Guys? Anyone?” At this point, I’d even take Officer to give me a thrashing.
Then it all sank in. I was well and truly alone.
Alone.
All alone. Just me. Hold the myself and I. The idea of being on my own was so impossible that I couldn’t even begin to comprehend how to deal with it. Who was I supposed to ask for advice? For idle chatter? Overwhelmed by grief, I slumped to the ground and held my head in both of my hooves. Goddesses forbid I’d have to actually have to care about somepony else’s opinion. I felt something soft on my head. Wait—did Dad’s hat really make it in here with me? I yanked it off and stared at it to make sure that it was really here with me.
Wait. I looked farther down and glared at my left foreleg, which was decidedly not a robot claw-leg anymore. I’d appeared to have regained my old foreleg from before I misplaced it. While interesting, it wasn’t nearly as interesting as the presence of Dad’s hat. Curiously enough, it wasn’t all dirty and crumpled like I expected it to be—it looked nearly brand new and undamaged. Having it made me feel more at ease either way. I replaced it on my head and tried to survey the area properly.
In all of my panic, I somehow hadn’t noticed the wait a minute that sign hadn’t been there before. I cautiously approached it to investigate. The print on the oaken signage was curly and had this “ye olde Equestriane” look to it. It was strangely out of place, given the bleak whiteness and nothingness of my surroundings. Just looking at the brown-and-black made my head hurt. I squeezed my eyes shut so I could focus, then began to read the wording out loud. In my own words, of course. Ye olde grammare was literally the worst.
“Fear for thine soul, ye damned and blah blah doom and gloom…” I skipped that part and cut to the more interesting bits. “This is Limbo, land of souls lost and forsaken. Pray to your elder gods for salvation… blah blah blah more doom and gloom.” I scanned the rest of the sign for anything useful. “Oh, here it is. Only the worthy shall find salvation and pass unto Purgatory”
Oh good. So far all I figured was this was a shitty place for somepony as self-entitled as me with an exit I would probably never find. Worst case scenario, I was going to spend the rest of eternity licking this place like a salt lick. Maybe the next pony that waltzed through would have a better idea—or even just a religion that would maybe get me a free pass to the next area. As I turned and spun around to see if there was a conveniently placed exit behind me, my tail must have brushed the sign. I heard a loud thump from behind me and by the time I pranced back around, it was gone.
I stared at the blank ground where the sign used to be. Well, shit.
My mind desperately craved for something else to interact with, something to break up the monotony of the sea of white. Anything. Anything that could give me a point of reference. No PipBuck meant no compass and no map. No directions meant I could very easily get turned around where there wasn’t even the common courtesy to provide me with a damned horizon. Anything! Even a rock would make me feel better!
On that extended and wildly hopeful thought, I demanded into the nothingness, “Hey universe! Gimme a rock.”
Lo and behold, the universe didn’t give a shit.
An idea floated to the surface—considering all the ironic events in my life, the universe had shown it probably was listening, but it didn’t like helping me out. For all I knew, I was still somewhere in its jurisdiction. “This is such a perfect view I have. Nothing could possibly ruin it.” I braced for what was coming in unrestrained glee. Let there be rocks. Let there be rocks. Roooocks.
Nothing happened, so I tried it again. “Let there be rocks!” Still nothing. “Damn you, universe! Damn you and your selective hearing.” I waited for a few more seconds, hoping that one would suddenly appear. Still nothing. With that half-baked plan down the drain, I began to entertain the idea of simply walking off in a direction and seeing what happened.
I waited for Gale’s inevitable interjection, just in case.
I waited a little more.
My heart wrenched when I remembered she didn’t exist. When I remembered that she probably never existed in the first place. Trying not to panic, I asked myself what would Gale actually tell me. “It’s a stupid idea” maybe? Maybe it was more like her to tell me that I should take the initiative. I stared off into the nonexistent sunset, lost in thought. Strange as it was to say, I really missed being insane. At least I had somepony to talk to all the time. How was I supposed to get anything done now?
Guidance lost, I decided that the best method of approach was to simply pick a direction and start walking. Anything that happened next was going to be future Frosty’s problem. I resolutely decided on “forward” and took the first steps to nowhere. The endless expanse of nothing stretched seemingly forever and each step failed to give any indication of progress. Still, with nothing left to do an nopony to talk to, I forced myself to keep walking.
The endless monotony of my surroundings left nothing to observe or snark at as I mechanically dragged myself along. How much time had passed? If this was the afterlife, it really sucked. Maybe it’s what I deserved for being a terrible little pony. Granted, I hadn’t been the worst, but I knew deep down inside that I didn’t deserve heavenly light and something about loads of honey. Surely I deserved a sunset. Sunrise? A sun, at least?
In the midst of my self-loathing and universe baiting, I hadn’t noticed that the “ground” beneath my hooves had transitioned into a soft, almost sandy consistency until I plowed face-first into the colorless equivalent of a sand dune. I stood there, confused and somewhat bothered by this sudden change. On the bright side, I wasn’t drowning in sand. Very interesting.
To my surprise, a drab-blue earth pony was sitting on top of the sand dune I had been eating. He looked incredibly unassuming with his plain black mane and tail, and as far as I could tell his cutie mark looked like a bunch of crossing lines, almost like knitting or sewing or something along those lines. “Yeah, I’ll admit that’s fun for about f’kin ten seconds.” I dug myself out of the sand, shaking little grains out of my mane.
What a rude little pony. One of us needed to be the sensible one, so I decided to ask the sensible question. “Who are you?”
“What’s it f’kin mean to you?” Mister Rudey McStutter spat.
Rude.
Mystery stallion continued to glare at me in disgust, so: “I’m about to call you ‘Speech Impediment 2’ if you aren’t going to cooperate. And let’s be honest—we’re not going anywhere and I am extremely blueballed on snark.”
“F’kn…” Speech Impediment 2 hummed, mostly to himself. “Name’s Sewn Britches.”
“Frosty.”
“You got a f’kin last name?”
“Nah,” I lied, for no particular reason.
“What’re you in for?”
“Bad decisions. Laziness. You?” Not technically a lie this time, really.
“Some ice cube psycho tortured me over the course of an hour, blew me up, and shot my face off. You know, typical Wasteland justice.” Seeing the pained cringey look I was giving him, he snapped, “Don’t gimme that f’kin look. I got over it.”
“Rough.” We shared an awkward silence moment. “Did you deserve it?”
“All I’ve f’kin got is time to think.” Eventually, he did quietly sigh. “Yeah, a little. You?”
I shrugged. “Dunno. Still getting over a few things. Dead being one of them.” There was also the little problem that the four or five of the ponies that I talked to the most just didn’t exist anymore, but I was really trying to not let it bother me. To distract myself I asked him, “How long have you been here?”
“Doesn’t f’kin matter. Shit’s all the same. This is it. This is where assholes like us go to when we die. Absolutely f’kin nothin’.”
“You sure? it was all flat and stuff a bit back uh… that way?” I gestured in a general direction of where I thought I had come from. The initial grand plains of absolute nothing that I had started out in was seemingly gone. Instead, the view was just more of the implied general sandiness that I was already sitting in. Weird.
“Yeah, an’ a few hundred f’kin kilos that way—” Britches pointed in the exact opposite direction. “That’s ice ‘n’ stuff. Past that’s some f’kin grass.”
“I like the sound of grass.”
“F’kin calm down. It’s pale just like everything else.”
“Aww.”
Silence fell upon us. Mister Speech Impediment seemed to be out of dialogue options for the most part. All he really did was lounge in the sand and occasionally pick at his nose. Seeing as it was a good time to take my leave, I stood and instinctively shook myself because of the sand. I gave him a little nod and made the decision to keep walking. Maybe there would be something, somewhere, eventually down the line that would be worth it.
So I left Sewn Britches in the literal dust in favor of brighter and/or bleaker lands. I began my trek once again, only stopping periodically to check whether I’d actually made any progress. Without any landmarks to reference, it wasn’t really possible to know. The terrain hadn’t changed for a long while. I didn’t know how long I walked, only that there wasn’t much else I could be doing.
I’m not sure what I expected the afterlife to be like, but I don’t think I’d ever thought it’d be so listless and sad.
Out of nowhere, a little section of ground vanished with an adorable little popping noise. A tan horn emerged from it, followed by the rest of the unicorn—complete with funny glasses and messy mane. He looked oddly familiar, but I just couldn’t really place it. He rotated in place, took notice of his surroundings, and spoke back down into his hole, “Oh dear. Oh dear oh dear oh dear. We are definitely not in Equestria anymore. Wolfie, I think we might be lost.” Before I could go bother him too, he disappeared back down his hole and the missing bit of ground replaced itself behind his disappearing head.
Weeeird. I galloped to where the spot roughly was and found nothing. The sand refused to part beneath my hooves, even if somepony had been under it to begin with. A few angry thoughts began to form, but I realized halfway that I really just didn’t care enough. Besides, some things were better left unanswered. I found myself waiting for a response from myself again on the tail of that thought and angrily bap’d myself again. Bad thoughts, Frosty!
So I continued to walk. I wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was a remnant of the Wasteland-adventurer in me, never sticking in one town for more than a few days at a time.
I suppose there really was a little explorer in me, eager to discover new things and reach the next horizon.
Now it was all just white. I kicked up some pale sand, nearly invisible against the white sky,
I kept walking.
~~~~~
Beyond any of my expectations, I managed to run across a door. All things considered it was a nice door. Solid oak, plain other-wood trim, little window-shaped indent thingies, and a cute little brass knocker in the middle. Curiously enough, there wasn’t a handle for the door.
Common sense said knock but my nonexistent gut told me to be a smartass about it. I heaved the brass ring on the door and let it drop twice. “Pizza delivery for a last name ‘Pony’.” The lack of response from the door wasn’t exactly unexpected, but for something that was this out of the ordinary—considering the absolute complete lack of color—I had been hoping for something amazing. Undeterred however, I knocked again. “Candygram.”
Before I had time to ask myself whether the third time was the charm, the door swung inward and revealed to me its shiny, incandescent, retina-searing interior. I might have also been screeching at the time as my eyeballs metaphorically melted out of their sockets. The only reason I stopped was because the afterimage of the door faded, revealing Mort simply standing in the center of what looked like the interior of a marble-themed elevator, gold trim and all. I closed my mouth and scooted myself in next to him without another screech.
The silent look of disbelief or whatever it was on Mort’s skull as he watched me enter gave me the inexplicable need to politely shut the door behind me. A gentle chime from the ceiling followed and the elevator car distinctly began to whirr in place. I stood beside Skele-Pon, mimicking his stoic blank expression and asked, “...So what now? Isn’t my life supposed to flash before my eyes?”
A pause. “That was it,” Mort simply stated at the door.
I broke act and huffed, stomping the floor. How come every answer I’d ever gotten from Mort was cryptic? “What do you mean by ‘that’?” Even as Mort tried to keep impassively staring at nothing, he couldn’t ignore the seething glare I was currently burning into his hood.
He gave me a sidelong glance. From what I could tell, it seemed like he was giving me one of those ‘do I have to explain this to you’ looks. “That bit just then. Before you got here. Well, before you got to Limbo.” Gesturing at the door, he twirled his hoof around in circles as if it would help me understand.
Outraged, I threw my hooves in the air and demanded, “Where’s the rest of it then?”
Mort simply shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. I’m honestly not sure how it works.”
The likelihood that he actually didn’t know were remote at best, especially considering that this was part of his job. “How? You’re literally Death. How can you not know?” Alternatively, he could easily be lying to me and I wouldn’t know any better.
As if he’d heard me thinking about it, Mort slowly pivoted his skull to glare down at me. “Just because I lead souls to the afterlife doesn’t mean I know what you’re all hallucinating about.” An air of fear washed over me as I was stared down by the fiery motes of light in the skull. It was only for a moment, but it was still just enough to make me shut my pie hole of witty remarks.
Logic was never one of my strong suits, but I felt like I also shouldn’t just take those lies sitting down. On the train of that thought, I stood up as well, accusing him with a jabbing hoof. “Are you implying this is a figment of my imagination?”
Mort didn’t even hesitate with his own counter. “I’m implying that there are implications.”
I felt the need to one-up him. “What if I implying that your implied implications are uh… implied?”
“That’s a logic loop. You should stop.” Satisfied, Mort returned to staring at the closed doors.
With a heavy sigh, I admitted defeat. “You’re right. That’s enough nonsense. Can I mosey on off to the afterlife now? I’m just tired of all this.”
“Oh, but there’s more,” Mort conveniently added.
I rolled my eyes and yet again threw my hooves in the air. “Of course there is.”
“Now, your life will flash before everyone else’s eyes.”
I wasn’t having any of this metaphysical bullshit. “I don’t know what that means, so skip.”
The feeling of Mort’s burning orbs on me made me keep my eyes on the floor by my hoofsies. “But it will give you insight to your own char—”
“SKIP,” I insisted.
A frustrated growl came from the hooded skull. “Don’t be a child.”
There didn’t seem to be any escape, so I tried changing the topic. “Wait, how come your voice isn’t all BIG AND ANGRY and all that stuff?”
“This is my inside voice. Hey! You’re changing the—”
Ooops. “Skip, skip, skip.”
Growling, Mort stamped one of his bony hooves. “Everypony has to experience it before they leave Limbo.”
“I’m not denying that I have to experience it. I am exercising my right as the lazy piece of shit I am to not have to pay attention to it. And maybe not have to participate in it either.” As the little motes of light in Mort’s skull grew increasingly red and fireball-like, I smirked. This was my moment to literally piss off Death, and by everything divine I was going to exploit this opportunity. With an even more cocky grin, I shrugged, “It’s too late. You gave me entitlement, the strongest power in the universe.”
To my slight alarm, smoke began trailing out of Mort’s hood. “That’s not how enti—”
I maintained the stupid cocky look as I stared Death in the face. “Skip.”
“Consider this a warning.”
“S—
<~~~>
“Sir… I’d like out. I understand what you are trying to do for the Enclave, but this isn’t what I expected from ‘protect and serve’. All of the cloak and dagger, all of the lies and deceit—I can’t keep my story straight. There are ponies asking questions, sir. I don’t know if I can keep doing this without becoming a liability.” On the other side of the table sat darkness and silence. “I’m sorry? Sir.” I held my breath and prayed to the Deer gods that the commander would be okay with it.
The victim of poor lighting thoughtfully hummed to himself. “I see.” His hooves slammed against the table so hard that the miniature cloud-on-a-stick bobbled and tipped over onto its side. “Unlike the rest of this room, I want the electrician vivisected so I can mount his tiny little brain in a microscope!” In response to his bellowing, I kept quiet out of respect and terror. The mini-cloud, unaccustomed to such abuse, began to wildly poop out BB-sized hailstones at an alarming rate.
Several wayward bits of ice bounced off my left foreleg as I arbitrarily decided to tap the edge of the desk. My ears were still slightly ringing from the unexpectedly violent outburst. “So… um. I guess that’s it, sir.” Uneasily, I shifted in my seat and shooed away the miniature hailstones spilling off my side of the desk as an excuse not to make eye contact.
“You’re scared. I get it. Fresh out of flight school and you’re working for us.” More ice was starting to pile up into small mounds and I couldn’t stop staring at it. “Lucky for you, the science boys have been working on something for the nerves. What with all the new recruits looking for a home, there just hasn’t been a replacement for good ol’ fashioned liquid courage until now. You interested? Squelch your doubts right quick.”
Out of courtesy I glanced at the stallion in the dark, but I was still horribly fixated on the tinkle of hailstones threatening to engulf the surface of the desk. “Is it safe?” Only after I’d said that did I notice that I could also be referring to the microbiome forming right before my eyes. Oh well.
“I’d be lying if I said yes.” Oh good, unnecessary risk! Just what the doctor ordered. He caught the worried look on my face and hastily added, “It’s mostly safe, don’t you worry. It’s more of a ‘it’ll either work or not’ scenario.” Hearing that did make me feel better, but I was actually now just more alarmed by the mountain of ice populating a majority of the table surface.
I tried to casually not bring attention to it and the hailstones encroaching on my floor space. “Worth a try.” As I came to terms with the new arrangement, I did wonder whether he legitimately couldn’t see the malfunctioning cloud because of his lack of lighting or if he was actually just going to let all this ice pile up.
Oblivious chuckling came from the dark. “Excellent. I’ll have the boys get ready for you.”
///
The scene abruptly changed. I was on the ground, lying on my back with blood and carnage everywhere. Bodies—armored pegasus bodies—lay around me. Two ponies stood over me, one wearing some familiar-looking combat armor and the other was… was me. Wild eyed and slightly foaming at the mouth, I suddenly began to realize why ponies were so scared of me.
Wait. This was starting to look a lot more familiar. The mare in the combat armor was Riverbed!
Oh no. That meant…
Against my will, fully knowing what was about to happen, my body began to move. I clambered onto my hooves and took several determined strides to stop in front of another downed pegasus. The stallion that I was watching from gasped, “If you’re going to hurt her, you’re going to have to go through me.”
I watched myself—the Frosty—get a nefarious look on her face, an evil glint in her bloodshot eyes. She and Riverbed turned and nodded at each other, then looked back at me. Riverbed smirked and simply responded, “I think I can live with that, guy.” She raised her shotgun.
///
Now I was crouched, my blue foreleg trapped in a—wait am I Butt Slave?
Then, I heard me speak. “I’m going to open the trap now. Don’t move too suddenly—can you do that?” The sound of myself’s voice wasn’t what I expected. It was almost melodious the way she spoke. Middy only fearfully grunted in response. “Three.” Gale began to pry the jaws of the trap apart, slowly but surely.
In the midst of hearing Middy scream, I heard him interject somewhere in there, “I mean really w…ho the buck starts at threeaaaaauuugh!” Gale didn’t stop pulling until the trap was nearly all the way open.
“Carefully move your leg—and use both of your hooves, quickly!” Middy didn’t seem to be paying much attention. In fact, he was more caught up with screaming more until Gale remarked in a dry tone, “Oh no, I’m losing my grip.”
Middy took one huge deep breath, then hastily heaved his leg out of the way with a pained scream. The bear trap snapped shut behind it, just a hair too late. “Whew, thanks for the help. What was your name?”
I watched me, warm gaze and sickeningly sweet smile in effect, hold out my claw. “My name is Gale. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Midnight.”
///
I was in a chokehold; a very familiar cybernetic claw had latched itself around my neck. I was in an underground train station, and before me was a very angry pegasus in a hoodie.
“You think you’re so clever, don’t you?” Hoodie yelled, the sarcasm incredibly obvious in his voice. “You think you’ve got everything thought out.”
“I do,” the Frosty choking me in her grip retorted, spittle flying from her mouth with each word. “I don’t want to deal with you, so this is where we part ways.”
I remembered this! This was where Tangerine and I met that group lead by the half-zerba.
Oh shit. I was the half-zebra. Also, ew.
Hoodie chuckled. “You know what? I’m not shocked at all that you’re going to run,” he scoffed. “You’re nothing but a coward and a traitor.”
“Whatever gave you that idea?!”
Hoodie irritably flapped his wings, displacing his cloak. “It’s like you’re a little sheep without a dog to keep you in line.”
“You’re in no bucking position to say anything, zebra-hugger,” Frosty shot back. “You’re a traitor to the Enclave, and your friend is a traitor to Equestria! Whatever grand ideals you think you have mean jack shit when all you do is become yet another freeloading mercenary going about the Wasteland!”
Before I knew exactly what was happening, Frosty was squeezing my throat so tightly it was difficult to breathe. I was could barely make out somepony preaching about trains and other garbage before I heard my voice sigh in exasperation. “Look, I have places to be and better things to do than stand here and listen to you. Let’s make this brief.”
I squealed as I felt Frosty press the barrel of a shotgun against my head. There was a violent flash of light…
///
A heavy-hoofed blow to the top of my head rattled me out of focus. It left me dizzy and disoriented, trapped in a headlock that the Frosty was undoubtedly keeping me in. The unicorn I had possessed kept struggling. “Come out, come out, wherever you are!” Frosty bellowed. “Wouldn’t it be a shame if I have to make this little piggy squeal?”
The unicorn’s eyes darted back and forth, searching for something. Then, an assault rifle appeared from around a wall. I felt the unicorn groan. The pony behind it, one that I recognized as Pestilence, scooted out. “Don’t hurt him!” This scene was all too familiar to me—the first of the wonder triplets. That meant that this was War’s perspective.
“It’s a little late for that,” Frosty darkly chuckled. “Put down your guns, and your little buddy here might live to see another day.” My axe blade pressed harder into War’s throat.
“Don’t do it!” War boldly choked out. Already, I could feel tendrils of magic reaching out for the grenades that would inevitably be the cause of our demise.
“Drop ‘em!” I heard myself demand, unaware of the looming danger.
“Little cuz…” War coughed. Plink. “Just remember…” Plink. “I love you, an’ I’ll be with you forever.” Pestilence started to back up, solemnly nodding. Plink. “Even after I TAKE THIS BITCH ON THE HIGHWAY TO HELL!” Plink.
Frosty reacted like anypony would react when unwillingly strapped with grenades. “Let me go, freak!” she screamed in panic.
“Sayonara, bitch!” Then the first grenade blew.
///
Next thing I knew, Frosty was lunging at me over a counter. I felt myself hesitate, too fixated on those rage-filled bloodshot eyes and bared teeth. The razor-sharp talons seemed to reach impossibly far, closing around Famine’s—my—throat. Bits, bobs, and all assorted items went flying everywhere. His one unrestrained hoof feebly attempted to throw her off, to no avail.
Slowly, color began to fade from my vision. “Wow, you’re taking a long time to asphyxiate.”
“Frosty, what the buck are you doing?”
“Self defense. He asked for it.”
“Cut it out!”
“You know, that’s a very poor choice of words.”
///
“You know, one day your mouth is going to get you into trouble,” I heard me snarl. From what I could gather, we were inside a building—specifically a run-down library. Oh shit. Oh shit I was Tangerine. No, no, no! Wasn’t this the part where I strangled her?
Just like that, Tangie turned her head right into a clawful of stained and chipped talons to the jugular. As she was lifted into the air, I got a good look at myself. Dirty, unkempt hair and equally disgusting fur framed the face of a maniac. A giddy scowling sneer was plastered on my face, no sign of remorse visible. Tangie struggled to inhale and her vision began to visibly dim.
“You’re lucky that I need you to get around, or I might have been a lot more enthusiastic otherwise. I’ve had a shitty few hours and poking fun at me isn’t bucking helping. I’m being treated like a damn animal—again—and you think it’s funny?” Frosty snarled.
Tangerine choked in response.
<~~~>
It took me a few moments to realize I was back in my own body. “Wh… what was that?” I shuddered. “Did I do that? That was me?”
“Yes. Your life, as spectated by those you’ve wronged.” Mort impassively returned to facing the closed doors, stating, “Since I know you have absolutely zero attention span, I’ve given you some of the more important parts. At least those will leave a lasting impression.”
The events I’d witnessed |
or if this would mean our lands would look like a big city one day. At that time most homesteads on the reservation, like my grandmother's, didn't have electricity or running water.
Today, decades later, there is much that remains the same. The coal plant and mine are still going, and many Navajo homes in the area still lack electricity and running water.
But times, and views, have also changed. Communities in the area today are deeply concerned about water. Navajo Generating Station has used about 34,000 acre-feet of water every year and mining operations on Black Mesa have depleted ancient fossil groundwater aquifers that cannot be replenished.
People are concerned about health. Navajo Generating Station has been among the worst in the nation in emissions of nitrogen oxide pollution, which reacts in the atmosphere to form fine particulate pollution, one of the most dangerous air pollutants.
With super storms and drought, Navajo Generating Station's smokestacks now gain notoriety as Arizona's single biggest source of climate-warming carbon pollution. Today, area residents who try to make a living from ranching, farming, weaving or other activities that require plentiful water and a healthy environment worry for their future.
That's the backdrop for decisions that loom this year about Navajo Generating Station, decisions that in part fall at the feet of the Obama Administration. Should resources be poured into installing modern pollution controls for the aging plant, as is necessary under the Clean Air Act to prolong its operation?The Davao Death Squad (DDS) is a vigilante group in Davao City, with reported connections to former Davao mayor, and current Philippine President, Rodrigo Duterte. The group is alleged to have conducted summary executions of street children and individuals suspected of petty crimes and drug dealing.[1] It has been estimated that the group is responsible for the killing or disappearance of between 1,020 and 1,040 people between 1998 and 2008.[2][3] In as early as 2005, the US State Department has received reports of the Human Rights Commission's (HRC) investigation regarding the alleged connection of the Duterte political dynasty of Davao to the killings.[4] This was followed by another investigation in 2009. The investigation was discontinued due to the stonewalling of the local government under Duterte and the lack of public outrage.[5] The Office of the Ombudsman closed an investigation in January 2016 stating that they found no evidence that the Davao Death Squad exists, and no evidence to connect the police or Duterte with the killings.[6][7] The case has since been reopened.[8]
Victims [ edit ]
According to Amnesty International and local human rights groups, there were over 300 people killed in Davao City by death squads between 1998 and 2005[citation needed]. The rate of killing accelerated after this so that between 2005 and 2008 death squads were responsible for between 700 and 720 executions.[9][10] According to a 2009 report by Human Rights Watch, the victims were mostly alleged drug dealers, petty criminals, and street children.[1][11] Amnesty International states that killings and extrajudicial executions, particularly of criminal suspects, continued throughout the year. In Mindanao many such killings, including those of minors, were attributed to the so-called “Davao Death Squad” vigilante group. It was reported that local officials in some areas advocated a “shoot to kill” policy with respect to criminal suspects resisting arrest.[12]
Retired Policeman Arthur Lascanas, the self-proclaimed leader of DDS, claims that the group was responsible for mosque bombings and a journalist during their heyday. According to Lascanas, the squad was ordered to bomb mosques in Davao in retaliation for the San Pedro Cathedral bombing.[13]
Origins [ edit ]
DDS was conceptualized by former INP Regional Commander Dionisio Tan-Gatue Jr. to counter and fight the notorious NPA Sparrow unit. Commander Tan-Gaute Jr. used the late Juan "Jun" Pala, a known NPA propagandist and radio commentator to spread this ghost squad. This act somehow managed to curb the Sparrow perpetrated executions. By mid-1997, the DDS were deemed responsible for more than 60 unsolved murders in the city.[1] It is believed that the original members of the death squad were former members of the New People's Army (NPA). Initially the death squad had around ten members but this had increased to around 500 by 2009.[14]
Vigilante methods [ edit ]
Members of the death squad were managed by either currently serving or ex-police officers, according to Human Rights Watch.[1] These officers provided the assailants with training, weapons and ammunition, motorcycles, and information on the targets. Lists of targets were drawn up by police or barangay (village or district) officials. Information might include a name, address and a photograph and local police stations were allegedly pre-warned to facilitate the murders and escape of the assailants.[1] Witnesses reported that police officers took a surprisingly long time to respond to incidents even where these occurred in the vicinity of police stations and officers neglected to follow basic investigative procedures, such as collecting bullet casings from the street.[1] Human Rights Watch reported that the standard tactics of the killers was to arrive in small groups of two or three on unlicensed motorbikes. Victims would be stabbed or shot without warning during daytime in public areas such as bars, cafes, markets, shopping areas, jeepneys or tricycles and in the presence of numerous witnesses.[14] Assailants were generally paid between 5,000 and 50,000 pesos (US$114 – US$1,147) for an assassination, depending on individual involved.
Public opinion [ edit ]
There appears to have been a certain degree of public approval among citizens of Davao City for the actions of the death squad, primarily fueled by public discontent at “the arduous and ineffective judicial system” that created an environment where extrajudicial executions seemed to be a “practical resort” to suppress crime in the city.[14] There were subsequent reports of death squads operating in other cities, including General Santos City, Digos City, and Tagum City in Mindanao as well as in Cebu City, the second largest city in the Philippines.[14]
Impact on crime [ edit ]
Crime figures reported by the then-mayor of Davao, Rodrigo Duterte, alleged that crime in the city was significantly reduced during this period. These suggested a decrease in crime from a triple-digit crime rate per 1,000 people in 1985 to 8.0 cases per 1000 inhabitants in the period 1999 to 2005. With this development, survey site Numbeo.com showed that Davao City is world's 4th safest city posting a safety index of 82.64 or a crime index of 17.36.[15] According to police statistics the population in Davao City grew from 1.12 million to 1.44 million between 1999 and 2008 (29 percent)[citation needed]
Official complicity [ edit ]
In its 2009 report Human Rights Watch criticised authorities for failing to act against the death squads. It condemned the then president, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for tolerating the lawlessness, saying that she had, "largely turned a blind eye to the killing spree in Davao City and elsewhere."[14] In 2004 Arroyo had announced Rodrigo Duterte as her special adviser on crime, an appointment which was viewed as signifying her approval of extrajudicial killings.[9] Human Rights Watch also highlighted the inaction of the Philippine National Police and national institutions such as the Department of Justice, the Ombudsman's Office, and the Commission on Human Rights. This official tolerance of vigilantism had created, they said, an environment of "widespread impunity".[14] From 2009 Philippines government institutions periodically stated their intention to investigate the death squads. On one such occasion the National Commission on Human Rights created an inter-agency task force to look into the matter. However, no real action was forthcoming.[16] In 2005 Bernie Mondragon, of Coalition Against Summary Executions (CASE), an NGO, said extrajudicial killings "are now the unwritten state policy in dealing with crime".[9] Later, in 2008 the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, Philip Alston, pointed out that the fact that the killers made no effort to hide their identity and threatened parents with the murder of their children, suggested a belief by the killers that they were immune from police action.[14]
In 2005 the deputy ombudsman for the Military and Other Law Enforcement Offices suspended four senior police officials for six months without pay because of their failure to solve a number of vigilante killings in their area.[14] In an official statement the deputy ombudsman said:[14] "The inability of the respondent police officers to prevent the summary killing in Davao City is an indication of gross neglect of duty and inefficiency and incompetence in the performance of official functions."
When the four officers were suspended the mayor of Davao, Rodrigo Duterte directed the four officials to file a petition for certiorari, on the basis that the penalty would demoralize the police, reportedly saying, "I have pledged to help [the police] especially when they are prosecuted for simply performing their duties,"[14] The suspension order was subsequently reversed by the Court of Appeals after the police officers filed a petition.
In 2012 the Office of the Ombudsman charged 21 police officers with a charge of simple neglect of duty over the vigilante killings.[10] The charge provided for penalties of 1-month suspension or a fine of 1 month's salary. Investigators from the Ombudsman's office found that there was an “unusually high number of unsolved killings” from 2005 to 2008 in the areas of jurisdiction of the officers' precincts.[10] The officers ranged in seniority from police chief inspector to police senior superintendent.
Alleged involvement of Rodrigo Duterte [ edit ]
Former Davao City Mayor and current President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte has been heavily criticised by numerous organizations for condoning and even inciting executions to take place during his leadership.[17]
The Mayor of Davao City has done nothing to prevent these killings, and his public comments suggest that he is, in fact, supportive. April 2009 UN General Assembly of the Human Rights Council, the UN report (Eleventh Session Agenda item 3, par 21), http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/11session/A.HRC.11.2.Add.8.pdf
Human Rights Watch reported that in 2001–2002, Duterte appeared on local television and radio and announced the names of “criminals”, some of whom were later executed.[1] In July 2005 at a crime summit in the Manila Hotel the politician said, "Summary execution of criminals remains the most effective way to crush kidnapping and illegal drugs".[18] In 2009, Duterte said: “If you are doing an illegal activity in my city, if you are a criminal or part of a syndicate that preys on the innocent people of the city, for as long as I am the mayor, you are a legitimate target of assassination."[3]
Duterte then responded to a reported arrest and subsequent release of a notorious drug lord in Manila.[19]
Referring to the arrest of a suspected rice smuggler, Duterte also spoke out at a Senate hearing, saying: "If this guy would go to Davao and starts to unload (smuggled rice)… I will gladly kill him."[citation needed] For these comments Duterte was attacked in an editorial in The Manila Times, which condemned "the mentality of lawlessness and vigilantism."[20] The newspaper argued that this culture of impunity enabled those in power, including officials, "private warlords and businessmen vigilantes" to take retribution against those they felt had acted against their interests: "They kill journalists exposing corruption and human rights activists exposing abusive police and military men."[20] Following Duterte's comments in relation to killing a person suspected of smuggling rice, the office of the President of the Philippines then under Benigno Aquino III issued a statement saying, “Killing a person is against the law. The President has been firm in the belief that no one is above the law. We must not resort to extralegal methods."[21]
Commenting on Duterte, the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions said in 2008, "The mayor’s positioning is frankly untenable: He dominates the city so thoroughly as to stamp out whole genres of crime, yet he remains powerless in the face of hundreds of murders committed by men without masks in view of witnesses."[14]
However, despite his earlier statements of support for the extajudicial killing of criminals, Duterte has constantly denied any involvement in the death squad.[22]
In a January 2016 decision by the Office of the Ombudsman on the investigation conducted by the Commission on Human Rights on the alleged death squad in Davao between 2005 and 2009, the Ombudsman found no evidence to support "the killings attributed or attributable to the Davao Death Squad, much less the involvement of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte" to such acts.[23] (Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales said she recused from these investigations because of affinity with Duterte. Morales is the sister of attorney Lucas Carpio, Jr., husband of Court of Appeals Justice Agnes Reyes Carpio. Agnes and Lucas are the parents of Sara Duterte's husband, Mans Carpio. Sara Duterte is President Duterte's daughter and now-mayor of Davao City).[24]
When Duterte was elected president, he appointed Vitaliano Aguirre II, a former classmate, as his secretary of the Department of Justice. Aguirre had been the former mayor's lawyer against cases linking the latter to the death squads[25] as well as the lawyer of a policeman who owned a quarry site turned into a firing range where remains of supposed victims of these alleged death squads were believed to have been buried. Aguirre helped argue against the CHR's investigation of the said quarry site, succeeding in having an earlier search warrant quashed.[26]
During the Senate hearing on extrajudicial killings on September 15, 2016, Edgar Matobato, a former member of the "Lambada Boys" (later renamed the DDS) testified that then-Davao City Mayor Duterte ordered the group to bomb a mosque and to kill the Muslim brethren therein in 1993,[27] an event that another report on this so-called bombing placed as having been perpetrated by so-called “Christian militants” eight hours after Matobato's testified-to time of the incident, with no casualties reported.[28] Because of other inconsistencies in Matobato's allegations, Senator Panfilo Lacson invoked the legal principle of falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus (false in one, false in everything).[29][30][31]
On December 14, 2016, Senator Leila de Lima reminded the people that the president's admission to committing murder is grounds for impeachment under the country's current constitution. De Lima said this in response to the president publicly commenting that he had killed drug suspects when he was Mayor of Davao.[32] De Lima was arrested in March 2017 due to allegations that she was accepting bribes from prisoners while she was Justice Secretary. Many international organizations and Filipino citizens are voicing their opinion on the arrest of Senator De Lima. Since she is an outspoken critic of Duterte and his war on drugs many believe that is why she was arrested. Duterte's administration stated that the reason for De Lima's arrest is due to the alleged bribes she received from imprisoned drug lords in order to allow them to continue to operate behind bars, and not her opinion on Duterte.[33]
Portrayal on film [ edit ]
A film depicting vigilante killings in the Philippines Engkwentro ("Square Off"), premiered in July 2009 at the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival, where it received strong reactions.[34][35][36] The film was later selected for the 66th Venice International Film Festival where it won the Best Picture award in the Orizzonti (New Horizons) program. At the same festival director Pepe Diokno won the Luigi de Laurentiis Venice Award for a Debut Film, also known as the “Lion of the Future" prize.[37] [38]
See also [ edit ]ELIZABETH -- Police say they've busted the thief who stole a donation can for a teen battling cancer from a city bakery - and the city's police and fire unions have stepped up to more than replace the stolen funds.
The Feb. 15 surveillance video from Alkazar Bakery shows a woman in dark clothing swipe a large plastic jug that had roughly $350 in donations for Kevin Blanco, a 16-year-old from Kearny battling stage three Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Police used that video and other intelligence to charge Jessica Lopez, 27, of Elizabeth with the crime, according to Deputy Chief John Brennan.
Brennan said police made the arrest today, within 30 minutes of becoming aware of the theft.
"She had other outstanding warrants and with the media attention and all the emotions involved, we were able to develop information quickly," Brennan said.
He said Lopez was in the store for about a half hour before ordering anything, but then came to the counter to ask for a sandwich and stuffed the jar under her jacket when the employees went to the back to prepare it. She then quietly exited the store, he said.
Firefighters from the Elizabeth Firefighters FMBA visited the store today to meet Blanco and to donate $350 to replace the stolen funds. The Elizabeth PBA is donating an additional $500.
"Our members felt terrible about the whole situation," said FMBA Vice President David Bialas. "Although the young man is from Kearny this incident happened here. Our firefighters take pride in our city and want it to be remembered for our benevolence and work in the community, rather than the greed of others."
"Our thoughts go out Kevin and his family," added Elizabeth PBA President Rich Steinke. "Whenever you can do something good for the community it shows our officers' commitment to them."
Blanco was in high spirits today after leaving the hospital with a good report on his blood counts from his doctors.
"Everything in life happens for a reason," said Blanco. "Maybe she did it because she had kids to take care of or she had a family. I hope the money she took went to a good cause.... All the support is making me stronger."
WATCH: Thief takes donation can for teen battling cancer The large plastic jug had about $350 in donations for Kevin Blanco, a 16-year-old from Kearny battling stage three Hodgkin lymphoma.
Blanco's mom Silvina Novas said her son was diagnosed last month and is about to begin his third cycle of chemotherapy.
"He's a sweet boy," Novas said. "When I saw the video I was kind of upset, but he immediately said, 'Maybe she needed it.'"
The Elizabeth Uruguayan Club is holding a benefit for Blanco on Feb. 27. An online fundraiser for Blanco has also raised more than $6,000.
Brennan credited five officers with the arrest - Sgt. Tom Kelly, Det. Tom Mikros, Det. Louis Garcia, Det. Carmine Gianetta and Officer Jorge Joacquim.
Jessica Remo may be reached at jremo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessicaRemoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.Last week, Peter Wehner wrote a piece in Commentary magazine laying out a collection of data regarding recent elections and demographic trends. He was mostly content to let the data speak for themselves, save for a codicil to the piece arguing that something had to change: “Republican problems are not superficial, transient, or cyclical. The trends speak for themselves. The GOP therefore needs to articulate a governing vision and develop a governing agenda that can reach groups that have not traditionally been supportive of it.” His ultimate takeaway is that the GOP needs to substantially revise its platform, and make a move similar to that made by the New Democrats in 1992.
Anyone familiar with my writings knows I’m skeptical about such claims and the efficacy of such moves. While I’m not a pure economic determinist, I do think that elections are largely about fundamentals, such as the economy and the course of wars. Put differently, if Democrats had instead nominated Bill Clinton in 1988 and Michael Dukakis in 1992, we’d probably think of the New Democrats as failures and believe that ol’ time liberal religion represented the future of the Democratic Party.
This isn’t to say I’m unsympathetic with some of the goals that Wehner and other analysts urge the GOP to pursue -- both in terms of specific programs and broader issues of inclusivity and outreach.
But while I think it might well be the case that the GOP should adopt some changes, that doesn’t lead to the conclusion that they must. Put differently, I think the sorts of programs that reformers within the party advocate might be good ends in themselves. I just think the case is sorely lacking that they are necessary means for achieving the broader end of winning elections.
With that background, here are the datapoints that Peter Wehner sets forth. After each one, I’ve put forth competing data that could support a different conclusion. Again, I don’t intend this as a fisking or an attack on Wehner, who is one of the most thoughtful analysts out there. But he presents a pretty good summary of the arguments for change, which presents a unique opportunity for a summary of the responses to those arguments.
• Mr. Obama is the first president to achieve the 51 percent mark in two elections since President Eisenhower and the first Democrat to do so since Franklin Roosevelt.
This has more to do with President Obama’s ability to avoid a third party challenge than anything else. If George Wallace hadn’t run in 1968, Nixon would have accomplished this feat. If John Anderson hadn’t run in 1980, Ronald Reagan would have accomplished it. If Ross Perot hadn’t run again in 1996, Bill Clinton would have accomplished it. If Ralph Nader hadn’t run in 2000, well, Al Gore might have accomplished it.
We can also make a similar observation, but from a different direction: Obama is the first president in history re-elected with a smaller share of the electoral college, a smaller share of the popular vote, and fewer popular votes. In other words, he’s the only two-term president to see his coalition shrink between his first and second elections. For that matter, 2012 was only the third time since the 1800s that a party saw its electoral coalition contract after holding the White House for a single term. If we instead choose to ascribe importance to those tidbits, we might draw some pretty different conclusions about 2012.
• Of the 12 “battleground” states, Obama won 11 -- eight of them by a margin of more than 5 percentage points. [If] there had been a uniform 5-point swing toward the Republicans in the national popular vote margin... Obama would still have prevailed in the Electoral College, winning 23 states and 272 electoral votes. (Source: Jeffrey Bell)
I’m not sure what this can tell us about Republican messaging. Republicans lost by four points, so it would be unusual if they split the battleground states evenly. The fact that electoral vote 270 was 1.1 points more Democratic than the country as a whole is historically unusual and potentially problematic for Republicans, but that would seem to argue more for better get-out-the-vote operations than a message change (after all, you can win with 80 percent of the vote and still have electoral vote 270 be substantially more Democratic than the country as a whole).
• [From 2008 to 2012] the white vote fell from 74 to 72 percent, while the black proportion held steady at 13. Participation among Hispanics rose from 8 to 10 percent, among women from 53 to 54 percent, and among young voters from 18 to 19 percent.
If this had been accompanied by an increase in the popular vote, it would be more worrisome for Republicans. I’ve written at length on this, but the only way that whites drop as a share of the electorate while the total popular vote is also falling is if a large number of white voters who voted in 2008 didn’t vote in 2012.
• In 2012 the minority share of the vote rose to 28 percent, 2 percentage points above 2008 and more than double the 12 percent level for Bill Clinton’s first victory in 1992. (Source: Ron Brownstein)
But take the next step here. The minority vote share, which we all agree is overwhelmingly Democratic, doubled from 1992, yet Obama’s share of the popular vote was smaller than Clinton’s. There is really only one explanation for this: There has been an offsetting movement among whites. How much farther will that vote shift? I’ll obviously concede that at some point you run out of white people, and there’s a theoretical maximum to the share of the white vote that Republicans can win. But where is it? 60 percent? 65 percent? 70 percent? Remember, an analyst in 1960 would probably safely assume that Republicans could always bank on at least 30 percent of the black vote. Such projections are often infused with a lack of sufficient imagination.
• In the last two decades of Democratic dominance, 18 states and the District of Columbia have voted Democratic six out of six times. These currently have 242 electoral votes, which is quite close to the 270 needed to win the presidency. There are 13 states that have voted Republican in every election since 1992, but they total just 102 electoral votes. (Source: Jeffrey Bell)
This is known as the “big blue wall” theory. But we don’t have a raft of states that have suddenly become much more Democratic. Since 1992, eight states with 89 electoral votes have moved more than five points toward Democrats (relative to the popular vote) while 12 states with 84 electoral votes have moved more than five points toward Republicans.
What has happened is that a more or less stable electoral map has bobbed up and down with electoral fortunes. In a really bad Republican year, states like North Carolina and Missouri are competitive. In a decent Republican year, states like Colorado and New Hampshire flip toward the GOP.
So the question is, why hasn’t there been a good Republican year overall in a while?
• Out of the last six presidential elections, four have gone to the Democratic nominee, at an average yield of 327 electoral votes to 210 for the Republican. During the preceding two decades, from 1968 to 1988, Republicans won five out of six elections, averaging 417 electoral votes to the Democrats’ 113. In three of those contests, the Democrats failed to muster even 50 electoral votes. (Source: Michael Gerson and Peter Wehner)
So what changed? I provided the answer here:
The truth is, from 1968 through 1988, Republicans had some pretty good luck with the playing fields. They won a close election in 1968 that the economic fundamentals suggested could have gone either way, and lost a close election that could have gone either way in 1976, but the rest of the elections would have been significant surprises had they turned out any differently. … From 1992 through 2012, Republicans barely won one election (in 2000) in an environment where they really didn’t have any business being competitive in the first place. They have split the elections that could have gone either way. Otherwise, they’ve had the misfortune of running in some pretty lousy environments.
Think of it this way: Which presidential election was held in a favorable enough environment for Republicans to win in states that lean toward the Democrats, such as Pennsylvania? Certainly not 1992 or 2008, where just about everything that could conceivably go wrong for Republicans did. Not 1996, which was a great environment for Democrats. It was a miracle Pennsylvania was so competitive in 2000 given the national environment (and even then it was probably only so close due to Nader’s presence on the ballot). We’re left with 2004 and 2012, two years that were pretty close to neutral.
Even a neutral year isn’t good enough for a Republican to win in these states. But if a Democrat were to preside over a year like 2008, or if a Republican were to run for re-election in a year like 1996, that big blue wall would prove as solid as the walls of Jericho.
• If the country’s demographic composition were still the same in 2012 as it was in 2000, Romney would now be president. If it were still the same as it was in 1992, he would have won in a rout. (Source: Michael Gerson and Peter Wehner)
But the Democrats would have run a different campaign, emphasizing their working-class credentials more. Again, even with the huge increase in the minority population, Obama won a smaller share of the vote than Clinton did in 1992. These movements have, at least so far, cancelled each other out.
• From 1996 to 2012, according to census figures, the white share of the eligible voting population (citizens who are older than 18) has dropped about 2 percentage points every four years, from 79.2 percent to 71.1 percent; over that same period, whites have declined as a share of actual voters from 83 percent to 74 percent (according to census figures) or even 72 percent (according to the exit polls).
These things aren’t entirely one-way ratchets. Note that this trend dates from 1996. The white share of the electorate actually increased in 1992, bucking a similarly lengthy trend beforehand. One of the large outstanding questions is whether Democrats can maintain African-Americans as 13 percent of the electorate and giving 93 percent of their votes to the Democrat without Obama atop the ticket. I could argue this either way, but there’s a reasonable chance the white share of the electorate will either be flat or increase in 2016.
• If minorities reach 30 percent of the vote next time, and the 2016 Democratic nominee again attracts support from roughly 80 percent of them, he or she would need to capture only 37 percent of whites to win a majority of the popular vote. In that scenario, to win a national majority, the GOP would need almost 63 percent of whites. Since 1976, the only Republican who has reached even 60 percent among whites was Reagan (with his 64 percent in 1984). Since Reagan’s peak, the Democratic share of the white vote has varied only between 39 percent (Obama in 2012 and Clinton in the three-way election of 1992), and 43 percent (Obama in 2008 and Clinton in 1996). (Source: Ron Brownstein)
But again, you can’t compare elections without comparing the playing fields. In 1984, Reagan was running with 7 percent growth at his back. In 1988, George H.W. Bush, running in a good environment with solid growth, won 59 percent of the white vote. In 2012, running in a mediocre-to-unfavorable environment, Mitt Romney won 59 percent of the white vote. In other words, a Republican running in a mediocre year performs about as well with whites as a Republican used to perform running in a great Republican year. If a Republican president were running with 7 percent growth at his or her back, I’m fairly certain he or she would eclipse Reagan’s 1984 mark.
• In 2016, if there is not a dramatic reduction in African-American turnout, a Republican presidential candidate will need to get 60 percent of the white vote, plus a record-high share among each portion of the non-white vote (African-Americans, Asians, Hispanics, and others) to win a bare 50.1 percent of the vote. (Source: Henry Olsen)
The caveat about African-American turnout is important, since it is by no means certain that a white candidate can generate the same degree of enthusiasm among intermittent African-American voters as did Barack Obama. We’ve covered the main point multiple times already, but there’s another important point hidden here: Hispanics are much less important in terms of the Electoral College than they are in terms of the popular vote. This is because Hispanics are heavily concentrated in the South and West.
Look at it this way. Let’s steadily increase the Democrats’ share of the Hispanic vote across the board from 2012, leaving everything else untouched. At 78 percent nationally, North Carolina flips. It isn’t until 86 percent that Arizona flips. At 98 percent nationally, Texas finally flips.
But what about the upside for the GOP? If the GOP reduces the Democrats’ share of the Hispanic vote to 67 percent, Florida goes Republican. At 56 percent, New Mexico flips. Nevada and Colorado flip at 51 percent and 50 percent, respectively. Incidentally, Mitt Romney is still losing the Electoral College, 283 to 255. It isn’t until the Republicans win 63 percent of the Hispanic vote that Pennsylvania finally flips, handing Romney the presidency.
There are very good reasons to pursue the Hispanic vote from both moral and policy perspectives, and of course every vote does help. But from a cold electoral calculus, the Democrats’ gains among Hispanics at this point yield very little fruit. In fact, if the Democrats were to increase their vote share among Hispanics somehow by another 10 percent, Republicans could nevertheless win the presidency by increasing their share among whites by just four points.
If you think this is a long shot, consider: If Republicans increase their vote share among Hispanics by 10 points, they would still have to increase their share of the white vote by two points in order to win.
• Every Democratic nominee since 1980 has run better among single than married whites. In 1984, married couples represented 70 percent of all white voters; by 2012, that number slipped to 65 percent. (The decline has been especially sharp among married white men, who have voted more Republican than married women in each election since 1984.) Another trend steepening the grade for the GOP is growing secularization. Since 2000, Democrats have averaged a 32-point advantage among whites who identify with no religious tradition, and the share of them has increased from 15 percent in 2007 to 20 percent by 2012, according to studies by the Pew Research Center. (Source: Ron Brownstein)
And yet, Republicans’ showings among whites continue to improve over time. In 2010, Republicans won the highest share of the white vote for any major party in House elections since 1822. They’re doing something correct.
Let’s also recall that, according to the exit polling, Romney/Ryan outpaced Obama/Biden on the most important policy questions: Whom do you trust to handle the economy/the deficit? This was true despite demographic changes.
I think in the end this analysis misses the forest for some of the trees. The GOP currently has some of the largest shares of Congress, governorships, and state legislatures that it has had in recent history. Demographic changes did not prevent Democrats from suffering the worst midterm election in 80 years in 2010, and most signs suggest another bad year is in the offing. This simply isn’t consistent with the “demographic doom” storyline. As John Sides wryly noted, realignments don’t take midterm elections off.
Ultimately, our elections still follow the same fundamentals that they have always followed. Parties that produce peace and prosperity win elections. Those that do not lose elections. If Democrats produce growth and keep us out of wars before 2016, they will more likely than not win another term. If they do not, they will lose, demographics aside.Huge Bomb Kills Dozens In Pakistani Market
Enlarge this image toggle caption Banaras Khan/AFP/Getty Banaras Khan/AFP/Getty
The top of this post was updated on Feb. 17 at 6:04 a.m.
At least 81 people are dead and another 180 are wounded after an explosive device went off in a crowded marketplace in Quetta, Pakistan. Photos from the scene show heavy smoke rising over buildings.
Pakistani news outlet, Dawn, cites Quetta senior police official Wazir Khan Nasir, who says the bomb appeared to target Shiite Muslims because of the neighborhood the attackers picked. Most of the victims are women with their children who were shopping for vegetables.
After the blast, enraged residents formed a huge crowd, and police and rescue workers couldn't initially get through to victims. The bomb was stashed on a motorcycle and parked next to a building; the building partially collapsed after the explosion, and there are reports that some people were trapped inside.
According to The Associated Press, there have been several attacks against Shiite Pakistanis in Baluchistan province, of which Quetta is the capital, over the past several months. Militant groups are active in the region.
On Jan. 10, attackers targeting the Shiite community in Quetta carried out two separate bombings, killing at least 119 people and wounding 121, according to the BBC. Relatives of the victims were so angry they would not bury their dead until they got promises of better security from provincial officials.
Update at 1:51 p.m.: Death Toll Rises
Police now say at least 63 people were killed in the bombing and another 180 were injured. A police official says the remote-control bomb had been strapped to a motorcycle, the BBC's Marianna Lawnsettle reports.Image copyright AFP Image caption Park's management claimed that he failed the test due to an injection for chiropractic treatment
South Korea's first Olympic swimming gold medallist Park Tae-hwan has failed a doping test, his agency has confirmed.
The test was administered by global swimming body Fina before the Asian Games in September in Incheon, the Korea Swimming Federation said.
Park's management has attributed the failed test to an injection for chiropractic treatment.
Park, nicknamed "Marine Boy", is a celebrated figure in South Korea.
He won gold and silver medals at the past two Olympic Games, and even has an aquatic arena named after him.
On Tuesday, Yonhap news agency reported that Park would have to face an international hearing.
Fina officials have not named the drug found in Park's body during the test.
His agency Team GMP said that Park was injected with a banned substance by a doctor while seeking chiropractic treatment.
They said that he had asked the doctor about the contents of the injection and had been assured it did not contain illegal substances.
"As a world class swimmer, Park Tae-hwan has been extremely careful about what he takes, and he hasn't even taken cold medicine so that he wouldn't fail doping tests... |
abilities-artificial-intelligence/
http://www.computerworld.com/article/2985100/robotics/instead-of-robots-taking-jobs-ai-may-help-humans-do-their-jobs-better.html
http://www.ti.uni-tuebingen.de/BCI.854.0.html?&L=1Some time ago Twitter presented Hearts - replacement for star icons, with modern delightful animation of their state change.
You can say a lot with a heart. Introducing a new way to show how you feel on Twitter: https://t.co/WKBEmORXNW pic.twitter.com/G4ZGe0rDTP — Twitter (@twitter) November 3, 2015
While heart symbol is more universal and expressive, today we’ll try to reproduce new animation for alternative reality, using old, star icon. Effects of our work will look like this (and it’s bit faster than animated gif):
While the easiest way for implementing this (and original heart) animation would be to use Frame Animations, we’ll try to implement it with more flexible solution - by drawing it by hand and animating with ObjectAnimator. This post will be just a quick overview, without deep technical details.
Implementation
We’ll create new View named LikeButtonView which will be built on top of FrameLayout which hosts three child views - CircleView showing circle below star icon, ImageView (with our star) and DotsView presenting dots floating around our button.
CircleView
This view is responsible for drawing big circle below star icon. It could be implemented easier (via xml and <shape android:shape="oval"> ) but in this case we should care about background color below our button.
Our implementation draws circle(s) on canvas:
Each frame starts from clearing whole canvas by drawing color with CLEAR mode. Then view draws inner and outer circle based on given progress (separately for both of them).
Inner circle uses mask paint defined in this way:
It means that our circle will create transparent hole inside our outer circle.
Our View uses tempCanvas with tempBitmap defined here:
We need to do this for true transparency. Otherwise our inner circle would show window color instead.
For skilled eye there is one more thing - our outer circle changes its color based on current progress. It’s done by ArgbEvaluator class which transforms two colors based on given fraction:
The rest of CircleView code is just an implementation. Full source code can be found here: CircleView.
DotsView
This view will draw dots floating around our star icon. Same as CircleView it will use onDraw() to do this:
Dots are drawn based on currentProgress backed by math and honestly, it’s hard to point something interesting here (from Android SDK perspective). Instead, here are a couple math-related things:
Dots are arranged on invisible circle - their position is determined by:
what means: set dot on every OUTER_DOTS_POSITION_ANGLE (51 degrees).
Each dot has its own color animation:
It means that dot color is animated between 3 values in ranges: [0, 0.5) and [0.5, 1]. One more time we use ArgbEvaluator to make it smooth.
The rest is pretty straightforward. Full source code of this class is available here: DotsView
LikeButtonView
Our final views group is composed from CircleView, ImageView and DotsView.
We used Merge tag which helps to eliminate redundant view groups. LikeButtonView itself is FrameLayout so there is no need to have it twice.
Our final view animation is composed from a few smaller ones, played together by AnimatorSet :
And it’s all about proper timings and interpolators.
Our LikeButtonView also reacts on touch event (with scale animation):
And… That’s all. 😃 As you can see, there is no magic here, but the final effect can be very nice. So what now? Let’s make our apps even more delighful.
Source code
Full source code of described project is available on Github repository.
Author
Miroslaw Stanek
Head of Mobile Development @ Azimo Money Transfer
If you liked this post, you can share it with your followers or follow me on Twitter!When it comes to addiction, sex matters. A new brain imaging study by Yale School of Medicine researchers suggests stress robustly activates areas of the brain associated with craving in cocaine-dependent women, while drug cues activate similar brain regions in cocaine-dependent men. The study, expected to be published online Jan. 31 in the American Journal of Psychiatry, suggests men and women with cocaine dependence might benefit more from different treatment options.
"There are differences in treatment outcomes for people with addictions who experience stress-induced drug cravings and those whose cravings are induced by drug cues," said Marc Potenza, professor of psychiatry, child study, and neurobiology and first author of the study. "It is important to understand the biologic mechanisms that underlie these cravings."
The researchers conducted functional magnetic resonance imaging scans of 30 cocaine-dependent individuals and 36 control subjects who were recreational drinkers. While undergoing brain scans, researchers then presented subjects with personalized cues (situations or events) the participants had indicated were personally stressful and other cues involving cocaine or alcohol.
As expected, cocaine-dependent individuals showed greater activation in broad regions of the brain linked to addiction and motivation than the control subjects. Patterns of activation between the groups, however, differed markedly in men and women when presented with stress or drug cues.
Potenza said the findings suggest that women with cocaine dependence might benefit from stress-reduction therapies that specifically target these cravings. Men, on the other hand, might derive more benefit from elements of cognitive behavioral therapy or 12-step programs based on the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous.
The senior author of the paper is Rajita Sinha of Yale. Other Yale authors are Kwang-ik Adam Hong, Cheryl M. Lacadie, Robert K. Fulbright, and Keri L. Tuit.
The study was supported by the Yale Stress Center, Women's Health Research at Yale, the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, and grants from the National Institutes of Health and its Office of Research on Women's Health.MIAMI – R.A. Dickey decided to pass on an opportunity to start the Braves’ final game of the season Sunday, and the 42-year-old knuckleballer hasn’t decided whether to pitch again or retire, regardless of whether the Braves decide to pick up an $8 million team option on his contract for 2018. Dickey might have made his last start Tuesday at New York against the Mets, the team he pitched for when he won the National League Cy Young Award in 2012.
The father of four said he’ll decide after the season whether to continue his career or go home to Nashville and spend more time with his family. His wife and children spent the summer with him in Atlanta before returning home when school started. Dickey said that’s been the hardest time of the year for him in recent seasons, when the children went home to start school.
The 42-year-old knuckleballer discussed his one season with the Braves and his upcoming decision on whether to pitch again or retire. (Video by David O'Brien)
He doesn’t know if he wants to endure the physical grind of pitching at his age, or the mental grind of being away from his family. He’ll finish his first season with the Braves with a 10-10 record and 4.26 ERA in a team-high 190 innings. For his career, he’s 120-118 with a 4.04 ERA in 400 games including 300 starts.
Dickey discussed his season and his career Friday at Miami before the second game of the Braves’ season-ending series at Marlins Park. Braves rookie pitchers were set to start each of the final three games, including Max Fried in Sunday’s finale.
Are you satisfied overall with how this season went?
No. I thought we should have done a little bit more coming into the year. But some injuries hurt us and, you know, a few of us probably didn’t play as well as we had hoped. As a competitor you’re not really satisfied with that part of it. But I’m happy with my contribution to the team. I think it was an opportunity for me to pour into some guys (offer tips and advice) and do a job, and I felt like I was able to do both of those things.
You pitched 190 innings, got on a roll during the summer, does that at least give you some satisfaction as you go into the offseason?
Yeah. Physically I feel great. My velocities are even better than they were in my Cy Young season, so I felt like I was able to handle any microinjuries that I might have had throughout the season. We had a great group (medical and training staff) in there that helped me stay on the field, which is always the goal is to stay healthy through a full season. You know, I made my 252nd consecutive start the other day, that’s pretty memorable for me. That’s what I always set out to do, to be a trustworthy and dependable piece to a championship team, and I felt like being able to stay healthy and post up every fifth day was a big part of that.
What will be the determining factor for you in whether to come back?
It’ll just be a family decision. I need some time to sit down and really figure it out with (his wife) Anne and the kids and see what we can tolerate or not tolerate. It comes down to that for me, solely. And so if this is it, I walk away from the game a little bit better than I entered into it. And that’s what you hope for. You always want to be able to walk out on your own terms, if that is the case. I think there’s like 18,000 players that have ever played major league baseball, and probably one percent of those get to walk out on their own terms. That’s a special thing as well. So we’ll see. We have made no official decision at all, but we certainly have had conversations around both coming back or retiring.
Did this season prove to be as convenient from a family perspective as you anticipated?
Yeah. And there was only one decision for me this past offseason -- that was to be an Atlanta Brave, really. From that standpoint, (president of baseball operations) John Hart, Coppy (general manager John Coppolella), Snit (manager Brian Snitker), everybody involved were incredibly helpful in letting me be a dad and a husband as well as a baseball player. It’s a real important part, and it’s a part that really gets missed by the public eye. You know, through half of my life – 21 years of my 42 on earth – I’ve been a professional baseball player. So I’ve dragged my wife and kids around the country and around the world, really, to play winter ball and all kinds of places. So that part is something that you struggle with how to reconcile that over the long haul, for a guy like me. So, we’ll see. But the guys made it so convenient for me to race home and get to a birthday party or an eighth-grade graduation. They were really understanding, and I appreciated that.
Having said that, does a lot of your decision depend on whether the Braves pick up the option on your contract? If it’s not for the Braves, would you pitch for anybody?
It would have to be the perfect spot. There are a few teams that are close to home, like Cincinnati, St. Louis, Atlanta, all three of those. And if the Braves weren’t interested and I still wanted to play, felt physically able to do it and my family was behind me, then I would entertain it. But it would have to be an ideal situation. And those kinds of things come up when you’re older, you get the opportunity to get to take a day off here or there during a series and go home because they understand what it’s like to be an older player. And if teams are willing to make concessions like that, then it’s something that I would entertain even if it wasn’t one of those three. But right now, you know, it’s hard to fathom being any further away than those three places.
Where will this season rank for you in your career, a guy who’s won a Cy Young Award and had other accomplishments?
Where it ranks will maybe depend on my decision after the season. Hypothetically, if this was my last year I couldn’t think of a better place to end it. And having the opportunity to contribute on a grand scale for a team was nice. You know, a lot of times you don’t get the opportunity, and then you’re kind of pushed out. So from that regard, it would be very satisfying, it would rank very high, especially because I felt a real connection with a lot of my teammates. Moreso than I have in the past on teams. So that’s been a real blessing for me, to get to interact with some guys that I’ve really enjoyed being around, and who I think are going to be great baseball players for the Atlanta Braves for a long time. So it would rank pretty high no matter what, but if it would end up being my last year, I can’t think of a more memorable way to end it other than ending it with your childhood team in a situation where a lot of people from Nashville got to participate in that.
If a team like the Cardinals, who are usually good, would pursue you, would the chance to perhaps compete for a World Series potentially sway your decision?
It would be one of the (factors) in the equation, I think. But I believe in this (Braves) team. I believe in where it’s going, I believe in the players that we have coming up, and so it wouldn’t – I think St. Louis is a great ballclub, but I don’t see any reason this club can’t be as good. So that wouldn’t sway me away from coming back here. If I made the decision to keep going it wouldn’t be because I think St. Louis has a better chance than these guys. We just need a few pieces, and I think that we have a really good shot. And that’s exciting.
You were out throwing this afternoon on the field even though you’re not going to pitch again this season. That just because you love the game?
Yeah, it is. It’s because I love to play catch and I love to, even when there’s nothing on the line, I like to kind of work on my craft and see if I might pick up something in the last days of the season. I mean, there might be one or two guys in the clubhouse that might want me to throw to them in the cage so they can see what it’s like to hit a knuckleball. You never know.
So you’re not planning to pitch an inning or two in relief Sunday?
No, when I didn’t take the start, that meant that for me I was going to be a cheerleader for the last four days of the year. It’ll be great for Max (Fried) to get some experience as well. My last outing was my 300th start and my 400th appearance, and so those are two nice round numbers to end on for me. If we were in the playoff race and it meant something, you’d have to shoot me to keep me from pitching. But I think it’s an opportunity for Max to get some more experience and for me to take a deep breath.First there was the Turing Test, a benchmark for computer intelligence via conversation.
Now perhaps, there is the Ebert Test, a way to see if a synthesized voice can deliver humor with the timing to make an audience laugh.
Last Friday Roger Ebert, the movie critic who lost his ability to speak several years ago after his lower jaw was removed, used a computer-created voice to tell a joke to an audience of over 1,000 people at the TED conference in Long Beach, Calif.
“A guy goes into into a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist says, ‘You’re crazy.’ The guy says, ‘I want a second opinion.’ The psychiatrist says, ‘All right, you’re ugly, too.'”
Sure, it was the corny standby stand-up joke. But the punchline sent the audience erupting into laughter, which delighted Mr. Ebert. He proposed the Ebert Test as a way to gauge the humanness of a synthesized voice.
“If the computer can successfully tell a joke, and do the timing and delivery, as well as Henny Youngman, then that’s the voice I want,” Mr. Ebert said.
Through a combination of his Macintosh laptop and readings of a prepared script by friends and his wife, Mr. Ebert told the audience of his multiyear struggle since he lost his voice in 2006. He cannot speak because his mouth can’t close to trap the air that is needed to produce oral sounds.
“All my life I was a motor-mouth. Now I’ve spoken my last words, and I don’t even remember, for sure, what they were,” he said via his friend John Hunter.
Mr. Ebert is working with a Scottish company called Cereproc, founded in 2005, to recreate his old voice using recorded movie commentary. The voice, called Roger Jr., wasn’t yet ready for the TED stage.
“I produced the full speech using our voice,” Matthew Aylett, the chief technology officer of Cereproc, said in an interview. “I wasn’t completely happy with it myself.”
He said the voice the company had created for Mr. Ebert was much more casual in tone. “The big issue with public speaking is that there is a rhetorical way of speaking.”
But Mr. Ebert noted, “Because of the digital revolution, I have a voice, and I do not need to scream.”
He opened his speech with a clip from the movie “2001: A Space Odyssey,” featuring Hal 9000, which was
supposedly created in Mr. Ebert’s hometown of Urbana, Ill. He said his wife, Chaz, loved a voice named Lawrence, who had a British accent.
Mr. Ebert said he was highly satisfied with a Macintosh voice named Alex, which he used on stage, because it could tell the difference between a period, question mark and exclamation point.
But last year, on an emotional appearance on the “Oprah Winfrey Show,” Mr. Ebert unveiled his new voice from Cereproc, just months after he started working with the company. Since then, Mr. Aylett says they have set ambitions to create a broadcast-quality voice, which is challenging because it is both articulate yet engaging.
The ability to deliver that depends on Mr. Ebert’s recorded commentary. In movies that he is less familiar with, he is more formal, but in most of the recordings, he is very relaxed and casual.
“No one has really has done a synthesis from found material,” Mr. Aylett said, noting that most voice creations had involved actors who could be given hours of materials to be read aloud. “In a way, he has been able to help us move this forward.”
Synthesized voices have become popular digital accessories. Among the latest offerings: Yoda and Darth Vader can both be downloaded as voices for TomTom’s GPS navigation devices. Cereproc has created a battery of voices, including ones for Barack Obama, Arnold
Schwarzenegger, and George W. Bush (which can be instructed to say anything you type in a box).
Other researchers are making inroads into creating human-like voices. I.B.M. has patented a technology that has been programmed to be less robotic, by including verbal tics like “ums” and sighs, pausing for effect or coughing to attract attention.
But, as Mr. Ebert’s presentation at TED indicated, humor is still one of the challenges for computerized speech.
“What it shows when you tell a joke is that you have mastery of your delivery,” said Mr. Aylett, who added that even people are not always able to tell jokes well. “There is a skill and intelligence that people have when they speak different ways that is really incredible. It’s actually hard to pin down what that really is.”
The first step may be to have mastery of humor, but not in real time. “To take a joke and craft it, you can change the timing,” Mr. Aylett said. One issue is that although humans can type around 80 words per minute, they speak at about 130 to 180 words per minute.
A few years ago, Cereproc worked with the Ford Motor Company to create a voice to tell jokes in the car. “We had to have them give us the jokes. I didn’t want my engineers to make them up, because people’s sense of humor are different,” he said.
While humor — both delivery and creation — is considered by philosophers and computer scientists as a core element in being human, the difficulty of achieving that through research is not always widely appreciated. Last year, Senator John McCain listed a $712,000 Northwestern University research grant for computer-generated humor as No. 36 of 100 wasteful stimulus spending projects in a report.Kotaku East East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning from 4am to 8am.
Do you think they'll do the Antonio Banderas move?
The official release date of the PS4 in Japan is February 22nd. However, at the Sony building in Ginza, Tokyo, Sony is offering to sell 100 PS4s a day early on the 21st. Of the 100, 30 will get to participate in the special PlayStation 4 COUNTDOWN event that night and of those thirty, one will be chosen at random to be the first official Japanese buyer of the PlayStation 4.
The announcement of the event went up on the evening of the 17th, and by 11PM on the 19th, 8 people were already camped out in front of the Sony building, eagerly waiting.
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Japanese gaming site inside games managed to talk with the first man in line. He and 3 of his friends – the first 4 in line – have brought chairs, blankets, sleeping bags and disposable warmers to weather the cold. The 4 take breaks in shifts and are holding fort until the sale begins.
The PS4 is currently still available for preorder in Japan on Amazon, so it's not necessary to go to such lengths to get one. Still, for a chance to do The Banderas? I might consider it.
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PS4、発売3日前から既に銀座ソニービルに行列 [inside games]
Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning from 4am to 8am.On her first birthday, my younger daughter and I went to a toy store to pick out a present. With nonstop grabs and insistent squeals, my daughter wasn’t choosy. But I had some reluctance as we stared down an aisle crammed with big, bright, noisy things. Life with two little kids is loud enough without buying more decibels for the living room.
The store clerk hid his eye rolls as he pointed us to the nook that held batteryless toys, where we found some balls that fall through holes onto a xylophone (a hit, it turns out).
In that instance, my decision to avoid an electronic toy was 100 percent curmudgeon. But a new study gives me and other auditorily assaulted parents an even better reason to reject battery-operated toys: Electronic toys mute the conversations between parents and babies that are so important for language development.
“When there’s something already making noise and talking, parents may be taking a backseat or more on the sidelines, letting the toys do the talking as opposed to talking over the toy,” says researcher and speech-language pathologist Anna Sosa of Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff.
Sosa eavesdropped on conversations between 26 Flagstaff babies and their parents with audio-recording devices tucked into the babies’ pockets. Sosa provided three kinds of toys: electronic toys that included a baby laptop, cellphone and talking farm; traditional toys that included wooden puzzle, a shape-sorter and rubber blocks; and five board books. She wanted to see if the type of toy made a difference to the language she’d pick up. Turns out, it did.
During 15-minute play sessions with electronic toys, parents said about 40 words per minute on average. Parents’ word count jumped to about 56 words per minute for traditional toys. And books prompted even more language, with parents saying about 67 words per minute.
Between 10 and 16 months old, these babies were just on the cusp of speaking. Their languagelike sounds showed similar patterns to those of their parents, with electronic toys eliciting the fewest sounds and books eliciting the most.
Overall quantity wasn’t the only thing that changed. The quality of conversations, measured by the number of turn-taking, parent responsiveness and content-specific words (“piggy” while playing with the talking barn, for instance), was lower for electronic toys than for traditional toys and books, Sosa found. “I found that the types of toy really do have a big impact on what the parents do,” she says.
Another recent study highlights how reading time is packed full of language. Twelve-month-old babies made more wordlike sounds (“ba” or “ma”) while reading a book with their moms than while playing with puppets or toys. And during book time, mothers responded to their babies’ wordlike sounds more than vowel sounds (“aaah”).
In a sense, book reading may prompt parents to tune in more to babies’ verbal attempts. While reading, “the mothers are picking up on ‘Hey, that sounds like you’re trying to say a word,’” says study coauthor Julie Gros-Louis, a developmental psychologist at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. “It’s almost like an expectation,” she says. “And I don’t think it’s conscious.”
These studies suggest that one of the best ways to have a language-friendly home is to design it with that goal in mind. That means lots of books and blocks and puzzles, and fewer noise-makers that often promise to boost learning, but in fact do the opposite.
I think an outright ban on electronic toys is too harsh, not to mention unrealistic. Right now, my kids are obsessed with a dancing robot. And while he’s grooving and singing, my daughters aren’t learning language (though they have leveled up their dance moves). But he sure is a blast, if you’re into that kind of thing.
Sosa recommends viewing these toys as the electronic candy they are. “That’s entertainment,” she says. “That’s something the child might like to do for a few minutes.” But a cute little robot voice shouldn’t be the only one a baby hears.Apple's CEO Tim Cook tweeted earlier today that it was "Amazing to see the excited crowds today in Paris to preview Apple Watch for the first time," at retailer Colette. Apple's Jony Ive and Marc Newson were hobnobbing with the likes of Karl Lagerfeld creative director of the fashion house Chanel as well as the Italian house Fendi and his own label fashion house, along with Vogue's U.S. editor-in-chief Anna Wintour (as shown in photos below) promoting Apple Watch.
Hmm, that last picture of an Apple Store like-table with a showcase in the center of it may be giving us a peak at what could be coming to Apple Stores in the new year. If you any ideas on how you think Apple will showcase Apple Watch in stores, send in your comments below.
About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Comments are reviewed daily from 4am to 7pm PST and sporadically over the weekend.WASHINGTON: India is "thinking big and moving big" to catch up fast on development as it lags behind its giant neighbor China, offering tremendous opportunities to a country like the US, American lawmakers have been told."India is moving quite quickly in a number of areas as well, again, on renewable energy, which is kind of a golden thread running through this hearing. India is thinking big and moving big," Robert Orr, professor and dean, University of Maryland, School of Public Policy, told lawmakers during a Congressional hearing."They have big goals on solar and wind. They are meeting them. They are surpassing them. And they will keep attracting investment, both domestic and international. Their smart cities initiative of the Prime Minister has many components. But I think it's a strategic vision that is both at once developmental and economic," Orr said in response to a question during a hearing on US Leadership in Asia-Pacific organised by the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia.Orr said he had visited India last year with the former New York Mayor Michael Blomberg and met with a number of top business leaders in India, talking with them about what they were going to be doing in the climate and energy space.Virtually, the head of every conglomerate in India, whether or not they are coal-based, oil-based or anything- else-based are making investments now in this sector, he said."So, while I described China as putting these huge dollars, $360 billion over the next four years, India is going to be mobilising a lot of internal capital in this," Orr said, adding that the race is on between India and China in the energy sector."It is something that the United States has a technological lead, has a potential market that we could be extremely competitive globally. But right now, we're not making the decisions we need to compete with these giants," Orr told lawmakers.Noting that the Indians are coming from a lower baseline in terms of their economic development, he said Indian leaders know they have a lot of catching up to do."They are being quite strategic in certain sectors. They're heavily dependent on the IT sector. Just in my role as dean of the School of Public Policy, I've been engaging with a number of Indian officials," he said."They are extremely interested in cyber security right now. This is important to them. They see this as important to their key industries. They know they're lagging behind. So I think you see a strategic intent on the part of the Indian government like the Chinese government," Orr said.Hi backers, It’s time for another monthly update.
Our primary focus at this stage is to get the 18+ version of Labyrinth released as soon as possible. Overall translation is over 80% complete, and we are looking to be moving into the technical and testing stage next month for a release this fall. Thanks for your patience as we work on this in parallel with the Eden translation.
On that note, Eden TL work is 64% complete, and we should have a clearer idea of a release date soon.
The Unity port for Fruit is also essentially done, but we now need to start the integration of various platform specific code and QA testing.
This is a large and complex project, but please rest assured we're getting closer and closer to completing it.
P.S. Kickstarter launched a new way to be notified when a new campaign is launched, you can try it out by following us on our profile page.Scott McMillan was allegedly tortured by his mother, Jillian Tait, and her boyfriend, Gary Lee Fellenbaum. (AP Photo/Chester County District Attorney’s Office)
Inside a mobile home in West Caln, a Pennsylvania township some 40 miles from Philadelphia, 3-year-old Scott McMillan lived his last three days of life in torture.
Authorities said the boy’s mother and her boyfriend allegedly used a homemade whip, a curtain rod, an aluminum strip — even a frying pan — to beat him. They allegedly hung him upside down by his feet and whipped him. And when he couldn’t stand much more, they allegedly taped his arms and legs to a chair until he went limp.
The prosecutor called it “an American horror story.”
Jillian Tait, 31, and Gary Lee Fellenbaum, 23, were charged Thursday with Scott’s murder as well as aggravated assault for allegedly abusing his older brother.
Fellenbaum and Tait met recently while working at a local Wal-Mart. Last month, the two moved in together along with Tait’s 6- and 3-year-old sons as well as Fellenbaum’s estranged wife and 11-month-old daughter. All six lived in the trailer where, police said, Fellenbaum and Tait had been beating the boys for weeks.
Gary Lee Fellenbaum, left, and Jillian Tait, were charged Nov. 6, 2014, with the murder of Tait’s son, Scott McMillan. (AP Photo/Chester County District Attorney’s Office)
According to a criminal complaint, Fellenbaum told investigators he felt “disrespected” by 3-year-old Scott.
After the couple started living together, Fellenbaum allegedly started “disciplining” the boys. Prosecutors said he recently hung Scott and his older brother upside down from the back of a door and beat them as Tait looked on and laughed, according to police affidavits. Chester County District Attorney Thomas Hogan said Scott’s older brother knew better than to fight back, but Scott would struggle, which Fellenbaum and Tait thought was funny, the Associated Press reported.
Tait reportedly told investigators she participated in the abuse.
On Sunday, she told police, she and Fellenbaum began beating Scott. On Monday morning, Fellenbaum allegedly punched him in the stomach and the face for refusing to eat the toast they made him for breakfast. Then he allegedly threw the boy against a wall, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. On Tuesday morning, his face was too swollen to eat — so he was allegedly beaten again.
The couple strapped Scott to a chair using electrical tape until he stopped squirming. When he became unresponsive, they stuck him in the shower for more than 30 minutes to wake him up and, when he wouldn’t recover, they laid him on an air mattress and left the home, investigators said.
When the couple returned from shopping and eating pizza, they engaged in sexual intercourse and took a nap, Tait reportedly told police. Neither one bothered to check on the child.
Police found no evidence that drugs or alcohol were a factor in the case.
“This is just evilness,” Hogan said. “It is an unspeakable act of depravity.”
Later Tuesday, Tait went to wake Scott and discovered he wasn’t breathing. She screamed for help and Fellenbaum’s 21-year-old wife, Amber Fellenbaum, dialed 911. When authorities arrived, they found an unresponsive toddler with bruises, puncture wounds and blood pouring from his nose and ears.
“Little Scotty McMillan is dead,” Hogan said.
Tait and Fellenbaum were arraigned Thursday. Authorities said they will seek the death penalty. The preliminary hearing is Nov. 14.
Amber Fellenbaum is charged with child endangerment because she allegedly witnessed the alleged abuse and didn’t try to stop it, Hogan said.
The Fellenbaums’ 11-month old girl was not hurt.
Tait’s 6-year-old son was taken a local hospital.
“It is going to take us years to put him back together again physically and mentally,” Hogan said.This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Currently, 25 states and Washington DC have enacted full medical marijuana (MMJ) programs while 18 states allow limited access to MMJ products. Limited access states permit low (or zero) tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and high cannabidiol (CBD) products to treat specified conditions such as uncontrolled epilepsy. Although MMJ products are derived from the same plant species as recreational MJ, they are often selected for their unique cannabinoid constituents and ratios, not typically sought by recreational users, which may impact neurocognitive outcomes. To date, few studies have investigated the potential impact of MMJ use on cognitive performance, despite a well-documented association between recreational marijuana (MJ) use and executive dysfunction. The current study assessed the impact of 3 months of MMJ treatment on executive function, exploring whether MMJ patients would experience improvement in cognitive functioning, perhaps related to primary symptom alleviation. As part of a larger longitudinal study, 24 patients certified for MMJ use completed baseline executive function assessments and 11 of these so far have returned for their first follow-up visit 3 months after initiating treatment. Results suggest that in general, MMJ patients experienced some improvement on measures of executive functioning, including the Stroop Color Word Test and Trail Making Test, mostly reflected as increased speed in completing tasks without a loss of accuracy. On self-report questionnaires, patients also indicated moderate improvements in clinical state, including reduced sleep disturbance, decreased symptoms of depression, attenuated impulsivity, and positive changes in some aspects of quality of life. Additionally, patients reported a notable decrease in their use of conventional pharmaceutical agents from baseline, with opiate use declining more than 42%. While intriguing, these findings are preliminary and warrant further investigation at additional time points and in larger sample sizes. Given the likelihood of increased MMJ use across the country, it is imperative to determine the potential impact of short- and long-term treatment on cognitive performance as well as the efficacy of MMJ treatment itself.
In order to evaluate the impact of MMJ use on cognitive function and determine the efficacy of MMJ in a broad sample of MMJ patients, we designed a longitudinal study which assesses MMJ patients at baseline and after 3, 6, and 12 months of MMJ treatment. Importantly, baseline measurements were taken prior to the initiation of MMJ treatment in order to obtain an “MJ naïve” assessment. Given the differences between MMJ and recreational MJ use and the reported potential for symptom alleviation in MMJ users, we hypothesized that MMJ patients would demonstrate improved cognitive performance on tasks of executive functioning, as well as improved clinical state and quality of life following MMJ treatment. This study is currently ongoing, and in this paper, we report our preliminary cognitive findings in addition to information regarding general health and clinical state measures as well as medication use, after 3 months of MMJ treatment.
Despite the majority of states with MMJ laws and more than a million registered patients, no studies to date have utilized a pre- vs. post-design model to examine the specific impact of MMJ on cognitive performance as a primary outcome variable. As noted above, cognitive deficits are demonstrated in chronic, heavy, recreational MJ users who begin MJ use during adolescence (for review: Crean et al., 2011 ; Jacobus and Tapert, 2014 ; Lisdahl et al., 2014 ), and while some clinical trials of MMJ (particularly CBD) have been initiated in children for treatment-resistant epilepsy (Devinsky et al., 2016 ), the majority of those |
Doug Best told the National Post last April. At that time, he said his force had made such an intervention to redirect a 15-year-old and two sisters, aged 18 and 19, after their parents filed a missing-persons report with Peel Regional Police.
"Really, there are many that would say that we probably saved the lives of these three young women," said Supt. Best at the time, adding that his force would not be pressing charges.
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The CBC further reported that Al Huda Canada school officials relayed to its reporters that the RCMP had once asked them about two other alleged former students suspected of having joined Islamic State.
No identities of any of the young women from Canada have been revealed.It's been established that sleep deprivation is bad for your health, but scientists have discovered another fun side effect: It leads to more "deviant behavior."
Researchers at the University of North Carolina and the University of Arizona looked at groups of nurses and students who had pulled all-nighters and found they were more prone to unethical behavior like rudeness, theft, vandalism, and violence.
The Washington Post reports:
How does this happen? [The researchers] write that sleep deprivation results in lower brain functioning, particularly in the prefrontal cortex, which contains the parts of the brain that control "executive" functions, such as inhibiting emotion and behavior. Sleep deprivation reduces the metabolism of glucose, which acts as brain food for these functions.
And few of us are getting the sleep we need. Between 1999 and 2009, the percentage of Americans who sleep less than six hours a night increased from 13% to 20%, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Other statistics from the National Sleep Disorders Research Plan suggest accidents and productivity losses due to sleep deprivation costs the U.S. economy $150 billion annually. And those numbers don't even reflect the losses from employees stealing printer paper and highlighters from the office supply room — due to sleep-related ethical lapses, of course.
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Why Sleep Deprivation Can Make You Unethical [Washington Post]Godspeed You! Black Emperor: "Outro" (via SoundCloud)
Legendary post-rock group Godspeed You! Black Emperor will perform at this year's Pitchfork Music Festival, as well as at All Tomorrow's Parties in Asbury Park, New Jersey in September. The band has now announced a U.S. tour in October, following ATP.
Listen to the non-album Godspeed cut "Outro" from Constellation's 2004 compilation Song of the Silent Land above, and watch the band perform the first half of "Storm" at ATP in 2010 after the dates.
Godspeed You! Black Emperor:
07-14 Chicago, IL - Pitchfork Music Festival
09-23 Asbury Park, NJ - ATP I’ll Be Your Mirror NJ
10-01 Boston, MA - Orpheum Theatre
10-02 Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer
10-03 Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live
10-04 Carrboro, NC - Cats Cradle
10-05 Atlanta, GA - Buckhead Theatre
10-06 Birmingham, AL - Bottletree
10-07 New Orleans, LA - Tipitinas
10-09 Austin, TX - The Mohawk
10-10 Austin, TX - The Mohawk
10-11 Dallas, TX - Granada Theatre
10-12 Nashville, TN - Cannery Ballroom
10-13 Louisville, KY - Headliners Music Hall
10-14 Detroit, MI - Majestic Theatre
Embedded content is unavailable.This article is over 3 years old
Malcolm Turnbull announces that special minister of state and defence materiel minister is to stand down ‘pending the completion of inquiries by the police’
Mal Brough has stood down as special minister of state pending a police investigation into his role in the downfall of the damaged former Speaker Peter Slipper.
“The Hon Mal Brough MP and I have agreed that he will stand aside as special minister of state and minister for defence materiel and science pending the completion of inquiries by the police,” a statement by the prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, said.
“In offering to stand aside Mr Brough has done the right thing, recognising the importance of the government maintaining an unwavering focus on jobs, economic growth and national security.”
Mal Brough, Peter Slipper's diary and #Ashbygate: the key issues explained Read more
The finance minister, Mathias Cormann, will take on the special minister of state portfolio, and the defence minister, Marise Payne, will cover off defence materiel and science, Turnbull said.
Police are investigating whether Brough broke the law by urging a former staffer, James Ashby, to release extracts of Slipper’s diary.
Brough has been under intense political scrutiny over the downfall of Slipper, whose Queensland seat of Fisher Brough won in the 2013 federal election.
In November, Australian federal police searched Brough’s Sunshine Coast home after allegations the diary had been illegally copied.
Turnbull backed the former special minister of state at the time.
“The answer is yes, I do have confidence in Mr Brough,” the prime minister said. “There are rules relating to ministers and cabinet ministers, but at this stage there’s nothing to suggest that Mr Brough should stand aside or do anything of that kind.”
Brough’s conduct, and Turnbull’s backing of him, was a key focus of the last fortnight of parliament, with Labor hammering the duo during question time. Attempts by Labor to censure Brough and Turnbull failed.
The ministerial purging coincides with the minister for cities and the built environment, Jamie Briggs, also announcing that he will step down from the frontbench after a complaint from a female public servant about his conduct during a night out in Hong Kong.
• This story was amended on 31 December 2015 to describe Peter Slipper as “damaged” rather than “disgraced”, given that in the ACT supreme court in February 2015 he was cleared on appeal of fraud convictions.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.
Following Wednesday's announcement that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been invited to speak to Congress about Iran without first consulting President Barack Obama's administration, US sources warned Thursday that the breach of protocol could have lasting effects for the Israeli premier, according to The Washington Post.
"Neither [Speaker of the House of Representatives John] Boehner nor Netanyahu gave the administration any notice of his planned visit, and some US officials were warning that the breach of traditional diplomatic protocol could have lasting consequences for the Israeli leader," The Washington Post reported.
“The bilateral relationship [between Israel and the US] is unshakable,” the newspaper quoted a source close to Kerry as saying. “But playing politics with that relationship could blunt Secretary Kerry’s enthusiasm for being Israel’s primary defender.”According to the report, the Israeli ambassador to the US had a meeting with Kerry for more than two hours on Tuesday, saying that Boehner's invitation was not mentioned, nor was Netanyahu's prospective visit. “The secretary’s patience is not infinite,” said the source close to Kerry, who requested to speak anonymously.On Thursday, fuming Democrats accused Republican of breaking protocol by inviting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to speak to Congress without consulting them, challenging Israel's assertion that the invitation was extended by both US political parties.Netanyahu's government issued a statement on Thursday saying the invitation had been extended by the "two-party leadership" of Congress, but congressional aides said they knew of no members of the party who had been consulted.Furthermore, US President Barack Obama will not meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his upcoming visit to Washington, now rescheduled from February to March, citing “the proximity to the Israeli election.”“As a matter of long-standing practice and principle, we do not see heads of state or candidates in close proximity to their elections so as to avoid the appearance of influencing a democratic election in a foreign country,” National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan said Thursday.US Secretary of State John Kerry would also not hold talks with Netanyahu, the State Department said.Herb Keinon, Michael Wilner and Reuters contributed to this report.
Join Jerusalem Post Premium Plus now for just $5 and upgrade your experience with an ads-free website and exclusive content. Click here>>Sweet, salty, and with the perfect crunch, this 5 ingredient vegan chocolate tart with a pretzel crust is sure to please the crowd. Throw them together in just 30 minutes for a quick and delicious sweet treat.
Happy Monday, folks! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend filled with many moments of gratitude.
I spent a lot of Thanksgiving day reflecting on this year and the many wonderful things that have happened over the past 11 months. Life is unpredictable and often so hard, but there are pockets of respite and I feel like most of 2016 has been just that. And at a time I needed it most. The day was filled with love and celebration and much-needed rest.
Then I woke up on Friday morning and, with a flip of a switch, Christmas season had begun! The rest of the weekend was spent making all kinds of treats for you this holiday season. I’ve got some incredible things coming up in December, including the return of my Vegan Cookbook Giveaway Extravaganza, some awesome new holiday guides and round-ups (make sure to check out these 45 Vegan Christmas Cookies), and a few sweets and treats.
MY LATEST VIDEOS
Including this oh-so-easy Vegan Chocolate Tart recipe.
Remember a few weeks ago when I gave you the step-by-step tutorial for making the perfect chocolate ganache? Boy, did I ever have a masterplan for it. Yep, you got it. This Vegan Chocolate Tart is just what I had in mind.
Pretzels and chocolate are two things that are simply made for each other. You know, like hazelnuts and chocolate and peanut butter and chocolate, and orange and….
hmmm, now that I think about it, maybe it’s just a chocolate thing.
So maybe everything pairs with chocolate, but that doesn’t take away from the magic that is created when a pretzel and rich and creamy chocolate ganache are combined into a bite-sized tart. This, my friends, is perfection.
These vegan chocolate tarts are made with a 3-ingredient pretzel crust and filled with a simple 2-ingredient chocolate ganache for a quick, delicious, rich, and perfectly sweet vegan dessert.
Got 10 minutes? Let’s get started!
Vegan Chocolate Tart Print Sweet, salty, and with the perfect crunch, this 5 ingredient vegan chocolate tart with a pretzel crust is sure to please the crowd. Throw them together in just 30 minutes for a quick and delicious sweet treat. Prep Time 10 mins Cook Time 20 mins Total Time 30 mins Course: Dessert, Snack Cuisine: American Keyword: Vegan Chocolate Tart Servings : 12 mini tarts Calories : 172 kcal Author : My Darling Vegan Ingredients Pretzel Tart Crust 2 1/4 cup pretzels
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons vegan butter
2 tablespoons granulated sugar Filling 2/3 cup chocolate ganache
12 mini Pretzels US Customary - Metric Instructions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with silicon cupcake holders. Set aside. In a food processor blend together pretzels, butter, and sugar until pretzels are broken down and stick together when pressed between your fingers. Press into cupcake holders and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let tarts cool for another 10 minutes. Pour chocolate ganache into tart shells, top with a pretzel, and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until chilled all the way through. Serve chilled. Nutrition Facts Vegan Chocolate Tart Amount Per Serving Calories 172 Calories from Fat 81 % Daily Value* Total Fat 9g 14% Saturated Fat 3g 15% Sodium 264mg 11% Potassium 48mg 1% Total Carbohydrates 20g 7% Dietary Fiber 1g 4% Sugars 7g Protein 2g 4% Vitamin A 7.2% Calcium 0.5% Iron 6.1% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
If you give this recipe recipe a try, snap a photo and share it on Instagram. Make sure to tag @mydarlingvegan so I can see your creations!
This post contains affiliate links.James Stanley
Someone cloned my website and is using it to scam people
Fri 16 June 2017
Tagged: smsprivacy
I was looking on the DuckDuckGo search results for "anonymous bitcoin sms" today, just to see what was out there. My SMS Privacy was the top result, as expected. But the second result was new to me:
Update: Kevin has replied on HN and my payment is now showing up. The site is not a scam, although it has copied an awful lot of text from my site, and payment processing is seemingly performed at the speed of email. I've left the rest of the article unchanged, but note the site does appear to basically work.
(I won't hyperlink it here as I don't want to give it any link juice, but you can see the URL in the screenshot.)
I clicked around the site a little and was surprised to find that it had blatantly ripped off almost all of the text from SMS Privacy, including (with the order slightly rearranged) the example use cases on the home page, the FAQ text, and the getting started guide.
So far, most of this is flattering. It's a bit annoying that it's copying my site without giving any credit, but I can live with that. The pricing even happens to be just slightly lower than the SMS Privacy pricing. Fair enough, I can take some competition.
I signed up for an account to see how the user experience was, and things got worse. Suddenly the entire page layout was almost identical to SMS Privacy, including much of the HTML (although parts of the CSS were missing so it didn't quite render properly). The greeting on first sign in was identical to SMS Privacy. I tried to see what phone numbers were available to purchase but couldn't find a way to do so without sending any money. No matter, I can afford to send a few quid to check out a competitor.
The payments page was again very similar to SMS Privacy, with much of the text copied verbatim. I sent some payment and things got even worse. My payment transaction was first mined over 3 hours ago, and has since had over 20 confirmations, and yet there's still no mention of it (not even showing up as unconfirmed) on anonymousbtcsms.
So at this point I started thinking it's not just ripping off my text, it's actually a deliberate scam!
There's no evidence that this site can actually provide the service promised. There's not even any evidence that it can process payments. It just copies the marketing text off my site, then shows a new bitcoin address for each user (I wonder if it's a hardcoded list?), and the trail ends there. It doesn't handle incoming payments, and it almost certainly doesn't have any phone numbers for sale.
Shortly after I sent my payment, I sent an email to the contact address listed on the site (k@anonymousbtcsms.com) asking for the copied text to be removed, although I haven't received a reply and no longer expect to. With the help of some friends, I've since done some investigating. The whois record for anonymousbtcsms.com names a Kevin Coleman as the domain registrant:
We found a Kevin Coleman in Buenos Aires who is a software developer at Spark Start. His site (www.kcoleman.me) includes a link to anonymousbtcsms so it seems as though he is the real developer of the project and is not trying to hide it. From browsing the site, a couple of his "Coleman Laws" are particularly notable:
8. There is nothing more critical to true success than openness, honesty and integrity.
18. Don’t ever take credit for others' work.
I have emailed Kevin's personal email address but he hadn't replied by the time I published this post.
My suspicion is that this is all an accident, and that Kevin is basically a decent person: I imagine at one point he was intending to compete with SMS Privacy. On the basis of "fake it until you make it", he got an MVP up and running quickly by copying the SMS Privacy marketing text and accepting payments straight away, but he lost interest and never got around to actually building the service.
If you're a would-be customer: stay away from anonymousbtcsms. It doesn't provide the service it promises.
If you're Kevin: please, stop ripping people off. Either finish the project or take the site down. The current situation is completely indistinguishable from a scam.
Thanks for reading.UPDATE: Dec. 9 at 7:11 a.m. ET
It seems even airline executives are not immune to losing their cool on an airplane.
Cho Hyun-ah, Korean Air Lines' vice president in charge of in-flight experience, was on the runway at John F. Kennedy airport in New York City on a flight headed to Incheon, South Korea, when a junior flight attendant served Cho bagged macadamia nuts in first class.
See also: The Internet Goes to War Over Reclining Airline Seats
But it turns out, first-class etiquette demands that macadamia nuts be served on a plate, not in a bag. So Cho, who is also daughter of the airline's chairman, called over the head flight attendant. When that attendant failed to get out the proper manual for flight service, Cho shouted, according to witnesses. She then had the flight return to the gate and ordered him off the plane.
Flight KE086 departed the airport in New York 20 minutes late, arriving at Incheon about 11 minutes late.
Korean Air Lines apologized Monday for inconveniencing passengers due to the debacle over bagged nuts. Although the company said it was "natural" for Cho to fault crew's ignorance of procedures, the airline said Tuesday that Cho is resigning.
South Korea's government said it is investigating whether Cho violated aviation safety law.
"If the investigation finds any violations, the necessary action will be taken against the air carrier," an official from the Transportation Ministry said.
Cho did not have the authority to return the plane to the gate because she was a passenger, according to The Korea Times.
“We must review related laws as this incident is unprecedented,” the official told reporters. “Even if she is the vice-president of the airline, she was one of [many] passengers and should have been treated as such."
Additional reporting by the Associated PressA growing chorus of voices on the right is arguing that the turmoil in Baltimore and Ferguson is ushering in a new round of the culture wars.
1968 IS BACK. A growing chorus of voices on the right is arguing that the riots in Baltimore and Ferguson are ushering in a new round of the culture wars. On the website Breitbart, for example, Robert W. Patterson, a former George W. Bush administration official, wrote, “The Grand Old Party must decide: Go libertarian, and sympathize with the protesters and rioters? Or does it want to be conservative, and side with the police, the rule of law, and the forces of order? The lessons of the 1960s suggest the latter is the path to victory.” William Kristol, editor of the neoconservative Weekly Standard, observed during the recent riots in Ferguson, “It does feel like a Nixon ’68 moment. Who will speak for the Silent Majority?”
It was a revealing question. In 1968, Richard Nixon tapped into white working-class antipathy toward student and black radicalism to defeat Hubert Humphrey. The Southern Strategy was born. Two years earlier, Ronald Reagan had won election as governor of California by denouncing the Free Speech Movement at Berkeley and promising to “throw the bums off welfare.” Reagan would go on to midwife what became a potent alliance between the emerging neoconservative movement and traditional conservatives. The neocons began to share the traditionalists’ belief that, as Burke put it, “Men of intemperate mind can never be free. Their passions forge their fetters.”
The maiden neocons had themselves emerged from the intensely partisan milieu of the 1930s to become respected public intellectuals. They viewed the scaturient passions of the New Left that had suddenly emerged in the 1960s as a clear and present danger—what the literary critic Lionel Trilling deemed an “adversary culture.”
Irving Kristol, Gertrude Himmelfarb and a number of other neoconservatives were deeply influenced by Trilling’s criticism of liberalism from inside the movement. They were also influenced—Kristol and Himmelfarb in particular—by the political philosopher Leo Strauss, who had fled Nazi Germany. Strauss believed that the culprit for much of what had gone wrong in Western civilization could be traced back to Machiavelli, who had lowered man’s sights away from a transcendent good. The result was the rise of relativism, in which one view of how humans should behave is as good as another. Strauss, by contrast, promulgated a different message, one that resonated with the new generation of conservatives—a return, after centuries of neglect, to classical virtue.
Kristol assailed what he called a “new class” of managers, lawyers, bureaucrats and social workers who promoted new issues such as women’s rights, sexual liberation and minority rights. Himmelfarb’s numerous books lauded the idea of Victorian virtue, stressed self-help and charity, and argued that the public dole had profoundly corrosive moral effects, foremost among them creating a culture of dependency on government.
Though it has tended to be scanted in recent years, neoconservatives—“Liberals mugged by reality,” as Kristol once put it—were initially much less preoccupied with foreign than domestic issues. Domestic policy is where they made their bones. Kristol and Daniel Bell founded the Public Interest in 1965 (though Bell ended up resigning as coeditor in 1973). The National Interest didn’t appear until 1985, just as the Cold War was beginning to reach its terminal phase. Political scientist James Q. Wilson, a regular contributor to Commentary and the Public Interest, devised the “broken windows” theory, which holds that stopping petty crimes is a vital step toward preventing major ones from occurring.
RIOTING IN the inner cities in 1968, the disintegration of New York City, the rise of black militants and the introduction of affirmative action hardened neocon attitudes. Nathan Glazer called affirmative action “affirmative discrimination.” In 1965, Daniel Patrick Moynihan issued a report warning about the collapse of the black family. Two years later, he delivered a speech to the Americans for Democratic Action stating that “liberals must somehow overcome the curious condescension that takes the form of defending and explaining away everything, however outrageous, which Negroes, individually or collectively, might do.” Other neocons blamed a new antinomianism for America’s ills. The emphasis on individual needs and wants—feminism, multiculturalism and the like—meant that the idea of a common civic good was disappearing. In their view, it was being replaced by a society of disgruntled supplicants.
Neocon apprehensions about crime and the sexual revolution were also acutely reflected in literary form. In novels like Mr. Sammler’s Planet and The Dean’s December, Saul Bellow vividly evoked the racial tensions of the 1970s, prompting charges that he was himself a racist. The Dean’s December focuses on the murder of a white graduate student named Rick Lester by a black hoodlum and a female prostitute. The protagonist Alfred Corde, a dean at the University of Chicago, registers his sympathy with the underclass but suggests that the basic problem is insoluble:
We do not know how to approach this population. We haven’t even conceived that reaching it may be a problem. So there’s nothing but death before it. Maybe we’ve already made our decision. Those that can be advanced into the middle class, let them be advanced. The rest? Well, we do our best by them. We don’t have to do any more. They kill some of us. Mostly they kill themselves.
The next shot in the culture wars came with Allan Bloom’s 1987 book The Closing of the American Mind (to which Bellow contributed a foreword). Bloom assailed feminism, black power and affirmative action, among other things, to argue that the 1960s were, more or less, the culprit for everything that had gone wrong at major universities. Now, a provocative new book, The State of the American Mind, edited by Mark Bauerlein and Adam Bellow, offers an updated look at American culture, or what often passes for it. R. R. Reno, the editor of First Things, contends that already in middle school teachers catechize their young charges to be nonjudgmental:
We’re now trained to counter the slightest hint of judgment with deflationary gestures: “Speaking as I do from a white, privileged, first-world perspective,” and so on. It is forbidden to forbid, and our moral judgments need to be transformed into their true meaning, that is, expressions of class bias, historical circumstances, or (best of all) personal preferences.
Greg Lukianoff, the president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, examines the transition that he believes has taken place on the left, from the 1960s emphasis on free speech to the conviction that hard-nosed controversy constitutes a threat to the emotional health of students. “We have passed from a campus climate in which being able to handle robust, meaty, and sometimes harsh debate and discussion was regarded as a precondition of genuine learning and maturation,” he says, “to one in which it is too often seen as a violation properly suppressed before it even happens.”
NEOCONS AND conservatives are now suggesting that a fresh wave of political correctness also characterizes the liberal response to the tumult in Baltimore and Ferguson. Jonathan Tobin, senior online editor of Commentary, recently wrote, “The idea that calling rioters ‘thugs’ is evidence of racism shows how far the discussion of race has been debased by a debilitating political correctness.”
Other, older neocon themes are also resurfacing. For example, New York Post columnist Michael Goodwin declared that New York mayor Bill de Blasio needed to embrace the “broken windows” theory of policing or face a potential civic breakdown: “Baltimore should be his wake-up call. It shows that handcuffing the cops ultimately leads to more violence and crime, not less, and ends up with the National Guard patrolling the streets like a war zone.” Above all, conservatives are pointing to the issue of morality to suggest that a broken culture is responsible for the dismal state of cities like Baltimore.
In commenting on such stands, Frank Rich recently observed in New York magazine that the GOP could seek to profit politically from law-and-order issues to “drive a wedge between Hillary Clinton and those white Democratic and independent voters who defected from Obama but who might be inclined to vote for her.” When it comes to these issues, however, leading Republican politicians are punting. Speaker of the House John Boehner, for example, is backing more federal grant money for body cameras for police officers and said that if the charges against the six Baltimore police officers in the Freddie Gray case are true, “It’s outrageous, and it’s unacceptable.” It’s hard to avoid the impression that Republicans in general often create much ado about nothing, but are afraid to tackle vexing policy issues directly. So far, the GOP has neither shown an appetite for rediscovering Nixon and 1968 nor explained how it could successfully reinvent itself as a new party. A party that does not understand itself is not a party that can make itself understood to the electorate.Vol 3. No 2. January 28, 2013:
Welcome a bit early to the February newsletter! I’m sneaking this one in ahead of the end of the month to make sure everybody gets a chance to hear about the Witchbreaker book launch party tomorrow (Tuesday, January 29!) as Hillsborough’s Purple Crow Books hosts James Maxey for the third book in his Dragon Apocalypse trilogy. More info below in the events, but if you miss it, you’re also missing Cheryl’s dragon cookies! (As well as, hopefully, the chance to hear James reading as a very confused and very male dwarf who thinks he is a princess, increasingly shrill falsetto and all. Well, one can hope…)
I saw many familiar faces at illogiCon, and either met or finally got to have a conversation with a few I’d only barely met before. I thought it was a great second year for the convention, certainly more active and vibrant and I very much enjoyed myself, from the opening ceremonies with author guest of honor Tim Powers and toastmaster Mark Van Name, through panels, readings, and getting to interview Powers, more panels, more readings… Next year’s author guests of honor, Mary Robinette Kowal and Lawrence M. Shoen, were announced, and memberships for 2014 are already available.
In almost random news, I wanted to pass along that “City of Shadow and Glass” by Erin Hoffman, originally published in Bull Spec #4, is the latest episode of Tina Connolly’s Parsec Award-winning Toasted Cake podcast! Also, ConTemporal is seeking volunteers on Saturday March 23rd at 6:15 P.M. for a promotional event with UNC TV’s pledge drive. For more information or to sign up please visit their Volunteer Information and Sign Up Form. Now, to the events, which include Maxey’s book launch, bestselling authors Kim Harrison, Cory Doctorow, Brandon Sanderson, and more — and that’s before we even get out of February. See you out and about,
-Sam
Updates 2013-01-29: As usual a big list of “NEW-NEW” events came in as soon as I clicked “send”. Look again, maybe you missed something of interest!
JANUARY 2013
NEW: 29 (Tuesday) 7 pm — Hillsborough’s Purple Crow Books hosts a book launch party for Witchbreaker by James Maxey, book 3 in his Dragon Apocalypse series after Greatshadow and Hush. Reading and signing and of course Cheryl’s dragon cookies! More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/121899164647826/
FEBRUARY 2013
2 (Saturday) 3 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts NY Times bestselling urban fantasy author and NC native Kim Harrison for Ever After, the latest in her Hollows series.
NEW-NEW: 2 (Saturday) 5 to 7 pm — Chapel Hill Comics hosts Jared Axelrod, author of the Tor graphic novel The Battle of Blood & Ink: A Fable of the Flying City. More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/418137048267731/
NEW-NEW: 11 (Monday) 5 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts PETER LERANGIS – Children’s Fantasy With The Colossus Rises.
NEW-NEW: 11 (Monday) 7 pm — Flyleaf Books hosts Breathless Reads YA Tour: Meet Five Up and Coming Young Adult Authors — Fiona Paul (Venom), Beth Revis (Shades of Earth), Morgan Rhodes (Falling Kingdoms), Elizabeth Richards (Black City), and Jess Spotswood (Born Wicked).
NEW-NEW: 12 (Tuesday) 7 pm — Flyleaf Books hosts Peter Lerangis, The Seven Wonders Book One: The Colossus Rises.
16 (Saturday) 2 pm — Flyleaf Books hosts Cory Doctorow for Homeland, sequel to Little Brother. More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/530598563635194/
NEW-NEW: 16 (Saturday) 9 pm til late — Davenport and Winkleperry hosts The Clockwork Ball: A Steampunk Party. “Attention Pilots of Airships and their Crews, Mad Scientists, Explorers of the Unknown, Admirers of Verbosity, Respecters of the Strange, Those Lost in the Throes of Opium or Absinthe, Teetotalers, Scallywags, Ladies and Gentlemen, Dandies, Fops, and Urchins… Our next event will be on Saturday February 16th, 2013 and… will feature a live performance by the outstanding FABLE CRY. Hosted by that darling duo, Emmett Davenport & Lady Nikolai Attercop. They will be spinning Jazz, Blues, Swing, Dark Cabaret, Gypsy Punk, & Dance music from times gone by or times that never were. Doors at 8pm; Music begins at 9pm. Admission: 18+, 21+ to Drink; $5. Appropriate Attire is Encouraged, but never required.” More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/434531459951000/
20 (Wednesday) 7:30 pm – Quail Ridge Books again hosts best-selling author Brandon Sanderson, this time for the conclusion of The Wheel of Time series, A Memory of Light. In addition, special guest Harriet McDougal will be joining Sanderson for the event. More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/393451974063637/
22-24 (Friday-Sunday) — Durham’s Carolina Theatre hosts the Nevermore Film Festival. More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/440070299375523/
22-24 (Friday-Sunday) — MystiCon in Roanoke, Virginia, with Orson Scott Card, Larry Elmore, Rich Sigfit, and more. More info: http://mysticon-va.com/
NEW: 23 (Saturday) 3 pm and 7 pm — Hillsborouth author John Claude Bemis is a participant on the Murphey School Radio Show at the Shared Visions Retreat Center at the Historic Murphey School in Durham, NC. “Spend a couple of hours laughing and singing along as we raise the roof of the historic Murphey School auditorium, a 1936 WPA project that has been lovingly restored by the Shared Visions Foundation as a nonprofit retreat and community center. This event will be recorded live! PLEASE ARRIVE 1/2 HOUR BEFORE SHOWTIME!!! For the 3:00pm show, doors will open at 2:15pm with the pre-show warm-up beginning at 2:30pm. Due to live recording, anyone arriving after 3:00pm will be admitted during intermission. For the 7:00pm show, doors will open at 6:15pm with the pre-show warm-up beginning at 6:30pm. Due to live recording, anyone arriving after 7:00pm will be admitted during intermission.” This is a ticketed event with a sliding for-charity scale: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/302008
NEW-NEW: 26 (Tuesday) 7 pm — Flyleaf Books hosts Ariel Djanikian reads from her science fiction novel The Office of Mercy. Author Djanikian now calls Chapel Hill home, so let’s get out to welcome this new local author!
MARCH 2013
1-3 (Friday to Sunday) — StellarCon37 at the Greensboro – High Point Airport Marriott with author Eric Flint, artist Richard Case, and game designer Steve Segedy. More info: http://stellarcon.com/
NEW-NEW: 2 (Saturday) 2 pm — David Drake will be at Circle City Books in Pittsboro to sign the new paperback edition of The Road of Danger and read from the forthcoming The Heretic — the bookstore was recently written up in the LA Times for its fantastic mural of a bookshelf (which features one of Drake’s books, “With the Lightnings”: http://www.latimes.com/features/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-now-thats-a-wall-of-books-20130123,0,3947937.sto
NEW-NEW: 9 (Saturday) 3 to 4 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts: “Two NC authors share their visions of the strange with us on Saturday, March 9, at 3 p.m. Nathan Kotecki brings us The Suburban Strange. Celia discovers girls at Suburban High are having near fatal accidents on the eve of their 16th birthdays. Can 15-year-old Celia solve the mystery before her own next birthday? For ages 14+. PT McHugh presents Keeper of the Black Stones: Stone Ends, the first book in a new series. It’s a thrilling combination of fantasy and historical fiction with a likable, funny hero in Jason Evans. For ages 12+.” More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/301390523317829/
NEW-NEW: 19 (Tuesday) 7 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts A. J. HARTLEY – With Children’s Fantasy Darwen Arkwright & The Insidious Bleck.
NEW-NEW: 22 (Friday) 7 pm — B&N of Cary hosts Hugo Award winning Pittsboro graphic novelist Ursula Vernon for book #8 in her Danny Dragonbreath series of graphic novels for young readers, “Nightmare of the Iguana”. More info: http://store-locator.barnesandnoble.com/event/4231658
NEW-NEW: 28 (Thursday) 7 pm — B&N of Cary hosts Jeaniene Frost for Twice Tempted. More info: http://store-locator.barnesandnoble.com/event/79120
TBD: We’re putting something together for the Bull Spec #8 launch party / slash / NC Speculative Fiction night. Stay tuned!
APRIL 2013
5-21 — NC Science Festival with events statewide. More info: http://www.ncsciencefestival.org/
NEW-NEW: 9 (Tuesday) 7 pm — B&N of Cary hosts Tony Daniel and David Drake for The Heretic. More info: http://store-locator.barnesandnoble.com/event/78969
NEW: 13-14 (Saturday-Sunday) — Durham Arts Council’s Spring Art Walk. More info: http://durhamartwalk.com/
19-21 (Fri-Sun) — DeepSouthCon at JordanCon in Roswell, Georgia with guests Seanan McGuire, Eugie Foster, and Michael Whelan, along with the Phoenix and Rebel Awards.
23 (Tuesday) — World Book Night worldwide. For more info on how to get involved as a book-giver: http://www.us.worldbooknight.org/how-do-i-get-involved/apply-giver-us
24-25 (Wed-Thu) — East Coast Game Conference at the Raleigh Convention Center. More info: http://www.ecgconf.com/
M |
the CM for a probe. But the government’s legal advisors have now found a way to overcome this legal hitch.
Senior sources said that Maharashtra’s Lokayukta and Upalokayukta Act, 1971, grants the Governor special powers to confer “additional functions” on the Lokayukta for the redressal of grievances or eradication of corruption. Section 17 of the Act states that “the Governor may, by order in writing and subject to such conditions and limitation as may be specified in the orders, require the Lokayukta to investigate any action (being action in respect of which a complaint may be made under the Act to the Lokayukta), and notwithstanding anything contained in the Act, the Lokayukta will comply with such orders.”
Advertising
While issuing orders for the probe, the Governor’s office will specifically ask the Lokayukta to investigate Mehta’s note pertaining to the CM. Sources said that the CM was even willing to appear before the Lokayukta to clarify his stance in this regard.The National Rifle Association, the nation’s largest gun lobbying group, is targeting a handful of Democrats in close Senate races with one of the most provocative — if not downright scary — ads of the campaign season.
Let’s set the scene : A young mother puts to bed her infant child and receives a text, presumably from her husband, letting her know his plane landed.
"Love you. Good night," she texts back.
Suddenly, an ominous shadow is outside a window and a figure busts into the front door. Cut to a scene with police tape outside the home, suggesting tragedy.
"It happens like that," a narrator says. "The police can’t get there in time. How you defend yourself is up to you. It’s your choice. But Mary Landrieu voted to take away your gun rights."
Replace Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., with Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., and you get the ad running in Colorado.
How do we get from a vote in Congress to an intruder barreling through a poor woman’s front door? It’s far from a straight line.
The NRA’s first justification
When the Washington Post Fact Checker looked at this question, NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam pegged Landrieu’s vote "to take away your gun rights" to her support of the Toomey-Manchin proposal (named after its sponsors, Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.).
That proposal, which failed 54 to 46 in April 2013, did not ban the sale of any firearms. Its most significant provision would have expanded federal background checks already in place to firearm purchases made at gun shows and over the Internet. You could still buy a weapon from a family member or friend without a background check.
The Fact Checker concluded that it’s hard to envision a situation in which Toomey-Manchin would have prevented a woman from being able to defend herself against an intruder. Assuming the woman in the ad was legally eligible to purchase a firearm (meaning she doesn’t have a criminal record ), she would not have any trouble owning a gun in her home — even if Toomey-Manchin passed.
The Fact Checker gave the claim Four Pinocchios, its harshest rating.
The NRA’s second justification
By the time PolitiFact inquired, the NRA offered different evidence as support for its claim. The group told PolitiFact that its claim stems from Landrieu’s vote to confirm Justice Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court in 2009, a pick the NRA opposed.
"Landrieu voted to confirm at least one anti-gun and anti-self defense (Supreme Court) justice," said NRA spokesman Arulanandam. "Anti-self defense is life or death."
During Sotomayor’s nomination proceedings, her past ruling on a Second Amendment issue became a talking point for Republicans who were critical of President Barack Obama’s choice.
While on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second District, Sotomayor was part of a three-member panel that reviewed a lower court ruling in Maloney vs. Cuomo. At issue was whether New York could ban the chuka stick (commonly called nunchucks, a weapon with two sticks connected by a chain or rope).
Sotomayor was part of a majority opinion that ruled the New York statute legal. The Second Amendment applies to federal laws but not state laws, they wrote, citing an 1886 Supreme Court decision.
During her confirmation testimony, Sotomayor reasoned that the Supreme Court had not yet ruled on whether its decision in Heller vs. District of Columbia — which overturned the federal capital’s handgun ban — applied to all cities and states. So, Sotomayor said, she was applying the precedent as it was understood at that point.
Several Republican senators cited this case as reason to vote against Sotomayor’s nomination.
(Worth noting, Landrieu actually supported the court’s decision in Heller to overturn the D.C. handgun ban and signed onto a letter from Sen. Kay Hutchison, R-Texas, to codify the Supreme Court’s ruling.)
The Supreme Court eventually ruled, by a 5-4 margin in 2010, to strike down Chicago’s ban against owning a handgun in the home. This effectively applied the Heller ruling to all local governments. Sotomayor, by then on the Supreme Court, signed on to a minority opinion that argued the Second Amendment did not prohibit local governments from regulating firearms or banning certain weapons in the home.
No other major gun issues have come before the Supreme Court during Sotomayor’s time. In fact, it has turned down requests to review the right to have a handgun outside the home, said Amy Howe, editor of the popular Supreme Court analysis website SCOTUSblog.
Problems with the second justification
So how convincing is the Sotomayor argument? It has some considerable holes.
For starters, it’s a slippery slope to claim that a vote for a Supreme Court justice is a vote "to take away your gun rights."
To use the same logic, was a vote to confirm President George W. Bush’s nomination of John Roberts also a vote for the Affordable Care Act just because he ruled to uphold the individual mandate? Was a vote for Justice Anthony Kennedy — the justice appointed by President Ronald Reagan who became the swing vote in the case that effectively ended California’s same-sex marriage ban — a vote to legalize same-sex marriage?
In other words, no one can tell in advance how justices will eventually vote on issues that come before the court. Justices appointed by Republicans can surprise and take what would be considered the liberal position in a case, and vice versa.
We will also note that Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., joined seven of their Republicans to confirm Sotomayor’s nomination. Yet the NRA gave them each an A- rating for their votes on gun issues and endorsed them for reelection this year. So this is either selective memory or the NRA applying its own logic differently to candidates.
As for Landrieu, her campaign said she has supported pro-gun measures over the years, including a proposal that requires states to recognize concealed carry permits issued by other states. She also voted against an assault weapons ban supported by the White House in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. The NRA also opposed the measure.
Our ruling
The NRA ad claims, "Mary Landrieu voted to take away your gun rights." This is quite a leap in logic.
After initially staking its claim to a background check bill that didn’t pass Congress — nor did it "take away your gun rights," leaving women defenseless in their homes — the group now pins its claim on Landrieu’s vote to confirm Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. But that’s questionable, since there is no way to know in advance how a justice will vote. And the NRA has endorsed two other senators, Graham and Alexander, who cast exactly the same vote. Meanwhile, on the other major gun vote of this term, a key assault-weapons ban, Landrieu voted the NRA’s position.
Given all this, to run an ad as scary as this one can only be described as fear mongering. We rate the claim Pants on Fire.EPA
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ALOIS MANNICHL, police chief of Passau, in Bavaria, pursues neo-Nazis to great lengths. A group recently buried a leader in a coffin draped with the swastika. Mr Mannichl had it dug up. On December 13th they took their revenge. Crying “you will not trample the graves of our comrades any more, you leftist pig,” somebody stabbed and almost killed Mr Mannichl at the door of his house in Fürstenzell, near Passau. This brazen attack on a senior policeman brings a “completely new dimension” to violence by right-wing extremists, declared Bavaria's interior minister, Joachim Herrmann.
Germany's far right is a variegated but worrying fringe that pursues its xenophobic aims through electoral politics and sometimes murderous violence, fuelled by self-glorifying demonstrations and “hatecore” music. It is stronger in the east than in the west. The National Democratic Party of Germany (NPD) has seats in two east German state legislatures (another far right party has deputies in Brandenburg) and does well in local elections. It won 5% of the vote in Saxony's local election in June, getting 25% in one town. The far right got 2.5% of the vote in Bavaria's election in September.
The Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz, Germany's domestic intelligence agency, reckons that some 31,000 people belong to 180 far-right organisations around the country. But many more are thought to share some of their attitudes. A fifth of Germans—and nearly 40% of Bavarians—dislike foreigners, down from a quarter two years ago.
Far-right violence in Bavaria is mostly low-level thuggery by young skinheads. They and others were responsible for 82 violent crimes in 2007, nearly twice as many as in 2006; but the rate subsided in the first half of 2008. The police have so far been spared. Now some wonder if the far right may produce its version of the Baader-Meinhof gang, which conducted a reign of terror against prominent Germans in the 1970s. This seems far-fetched. But the stabbing of Mr Mannichl has renewed calls for the banning of the NPD, which has ties to a number of even less savoury groups.
Thanks largely to Mr Mannichl, the neo-Nazi scene in Passau, a town of 50,000 at the confluence of the Danube and two other rivers, is a weedy affair. There are no cells in Passau itself, says Karl Synek, a Green member of the town council. Two or three meet in the neighbourhood in the few bars and cafés whose owners tolerate them, including a café in Fürstenzell. But Passau is a “white spot” on the map where far-right groups are trying to gain a foothold with help from allies on the other side of the border with Austria, says Mr Synek. With luck, a recovered Mr Mannichl will soon return to Passau's defences.China's foreign ministry on Monday voiced stern criticism against the European Parliament for receiving the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama in Strasbourg last week, threatening countermeasures in retaliation for "adhering to the wrong position."
"China is resolutely opposed to the mistaken actions of the European Parliament," said foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang during a press briefing. "China absolutely cannot remain indifferent, and we will make the correct choice in accordance with our judgment of the situation."
While the foreign ministry official did not elaborate on the retaliatory measures, he said European leaders, including European Parliament President Martin Schulz, ignored China's "strong opposition."
"This time the leaders of the European Parliament insist obstinately on having their own way and adhering to the wrong position, undermining China's core interests and also seriously damaging the political basis for bilateral parliamentary exchanges," Lu added.
Beijing considers the Nobel Peace Prize-winning monk a separatist who seeks Tibetan independent through "spiritual terrorism." It actively lobbies against foreign leaders meeting with the Dalai Lama.
'A kind of dilemma'
The Dalai Lama visited Strasbourg last Thursday, where he met with Schulz at the European Parliament and spoke at the Council of Europe, the bloc's chief human rights organization.
The Tibetan monk called on the EU to provide China with "constructive criticism" concerning the issue of independence in his homeland, "at a time when Chinese leaders, even hard-line partisans, are facing a kind of dilemma over how to deal with this problem."
After meeting the Dalai Lama, Schulz said he was deeply thankful for the "frank, open, spiritually enriching and wide-ranging discussion" with the spiritual leader.
"We discussed at length about global affairs and the human rights situation in the world. I deeply thank the Dalai Lama for this," he said.
China's Communist forces "peacefully liberated" Tibet in 1950. The Dalai Lama fled to India after a failed uprising in 1959, although he is still widely revered by Tibetans in China.
ls/jm (Reuters, AFP)(Preston Keres/The Washington Post)
Barry Svrluga’s story on the Caps’ rite of spring — that being the annual heartbreaking playoff loss — brought out some insightful comments from readers about their history rooting for the team and how they’re coping this time around. There were also some not-very-insightful comments, and a good range in between. Not everyone’s ready to get over this one, it seems.
There was also more optimism than one might expect to see from a fanbase whose team just got blown out in Game 7. That’s part of the “Hope” stage, which replaces the traditional “Bargaining” stage from the Kübler-Ross model (everyone at least seems to agree that there’s no do-over round in the NHL).
So here are the five stages of grief for Caps fans:
putdepuckindenet:
Okay, I’m in conspiracy mode tonight. And, if not a conspiracy, then we have a real problem with the captain of the team. I believe the reason the Caps lost this series could be one of or a combination of three things: 1. The NHL (led by Gary Bettman) desperately needs the money. Therefore, they gave the big market New York teams every bit of help they could to keep them playing past the 1st round. The Islanders couldn’t get it done, so they had to step it up for the Rangers. Thus, the officiating debacles in several of the games, notably those in New York. 2. The refs needed the money during the lockout. I’m assuming they weren’t earning anything while the league was shut down–unless they were working games in the minor leagues or elsewhere. So, who do they blame?!? One of the ringleaders of the lockout, none other than Teddy himself. What goes around comes around. … 3. I’ve said this ever since Ovie arrived on this team: We brought in a Russian superstar player who has more allegience to his home country than the Caps and the NHL. Given the choice, he would rather go play for his motherland in the World Cup. Every year, his production in the playoffs is non-existant (the last 5 games this time around). And, then the next morning after they’ve once again lost to a lower seed in humiliating fashion, he says “You know, I woke up and decided I still want to play hockey. I think I’ll hop a flight overseas to play for Russia.” …
CaptainHood:
The officiating in NY was the worst one sided BS i’ve ever seen in hockey. Someone needs to check their bank accounts to see if they have made any LARGE deposits lately, cuz that’s what it looked like.
kevinkrasnow:
I created a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/FireCapsGMGM
JName:
Trade ovi while hes worth something because looks like hes very slow on the ice. Ovis remarks after he lost about a conspiracy is down right idiotic and shows how much of a cry baby he is. The caps lost because he did not show up to play at all
wutzthedeal:
Been watching since 1974, but I’ve given them every break I could. I’ll continue to watch the games, because I guess I’m stupid. What I will not do is give them my faith. The Caps will have to earn that. I’ll start believing again when I see one of them raising the cup, and not one moment before. I encourage all fans to make them earn your respect and your dollars. The fan base is nothing to jerk around, and maybe this organization needs to see that.
dem4life1:
With the possible exception of the Caps losing winable playoff series, there are very few slam dunk bets in life. Thanks for never failing to deliver boys.
billmcallister:
I moved to DC in 1974. I’ve watched the Caps for a long time. I,personally, gave up on them about 5 years ago. When they went up 2 games on the Rangers my youngest son asked if I thought they would get past the them. I know history. I said they didn’t stand a chance.”This is the Capitals, They’ll blow it. Count on it”.
ken_berlin:
Ted can say all of his regular hyperbole, as he does year after year. Bottom line, he has a team that has sold out the season for next year, so it really doesn’t make him have to do anything. He might do some window dressing, getting a player here and there, but in effect nothing will change. Until this group learns how to address adversity on a regular basis, and some of the core guys get moved, nothing will change. To expect anything to change with this same group is lunacy. There is a a great chance with the new alignment that the Caps won’t even make the playoffs. But, of course, they can raise another Southeast conference champion banner next season. Yay.
JohninMpls:
I’ve been a Caps fan my whole life. But my enthusiasm has dulled considerably in recent years. This was the first season since moving up here in 2007 that I didn’t get Center Ice. I caught very few Caps games this year. I took the loss a lot better last night than previous letdowns. It’s really gone from me being a diehard fan to just simply preferring that the Caps win, but not being terribly bothered if they don’t. There’s a lot less emotion involved. I’m happier. I sleep better. I didn’t think that would ever happen.
Quanta:
Two points: First, I enjoy ice hockey, including the Caps, just as I enjoy watching the Redskins, Nats, United, and other sports teams and events. But that said, it’s just a game and needs to be held in that regard. There are far more important matters in my life, and I presume in yours. Second, my relationship with all Caps players, and with all professional athletes at this level, is molded by the fact these athletes are often paid immense sums of money. As such, I have a right to expect them to win — nothing less. When they fail to deliver results, their wealth means I owe them nothing else, along the lines of unreserved hometown forgiveness. Again, it’s time to move on.
ChestRockwell14:
I’m 31 and have been a fan for as long as I can remember. One of my earliest memories about anything is a Caps-Rangers game at the Capital Centre. This team is in my blood. So here’s what I’m going to do: I’m going to try to avoid hockey if possible (saw a guy in a Pens jersey at Target earlier, and was instantly miserable) for a few weeks. Maybe I’ll be ready to watch the Stanley Cup finals. Come September, I’ll be ready to once again let my guard down and await the inevitable gut punch that will follow in 7-8 months on the off chance that, just this once, it doesn’t happen. I will keep doing this every year, because that’s what fans do. P.S. Shout out to all the Caps fans who are, like me, also diehard DC United fans. Dust yourself off from this sudden disaster in time to see a slowly unfolding disaster that has many months to go!
SA-Town:
Im not just a Caps fan to win. I was born in this town, raised with the love of hockey. I love the sport, the ice, and arena. I love the Chinatown food, beer and nasty commute in and out each game. I feel like a part of the family with other fans, and we cheer together and lose together. We care, and win continue to care until we win the Cup, and the 1st will be so sweet. In a town of transplants, I would rather be a loser Caps fan, then a transplant from NY, Philly, Pittsburgh or Detroit, clinging to my hometown team through a TV screen. I love live hockey, and I love my city. The Caps are my team…..we will get our shot, and thats why I keep coming. You have to believe…..I believe in my family, and I come to games for much more then wins….it is a part of my city…..it is a part of me.
kmathias22:
“Don’t Stop Believin'” — Journey didn’t sing that song for nothing. Red Sox fans didn’t give it up all through those decades, Cubs fans aren’t giving it up. They’ve had it way worse than Caps fans. Besides it’s like deciding to divorce your spouse two hours after having an argument. Knee-jerk reactions just don’t pay.
ednavle:SEVERAL years ago, Johnson lightly mocked a new reverse-auction website for legal services. The concept annoyed lawyers by asking them to bid down their fees to win a client's engagement. But it gave a good belly-laugh to language and branding experts with its—to be charitable—offbeat name. Shpoonkle, alas, is no longer in business.
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Unhappy families, Tolstoy tells us, are all unhappy in different ways. But unhappy brand names commit a few of the same sins over and over. Alexandra Watkins, the founder of a branding agency called Eat My Words, distills seven deadly sins in an infectious little book called “Hello, My Name is Awesome...How to Create Brand Names that Stick”. She devotes an acronym, SCRATCH, to the mistakes that make potential customers scratch their heads. While slightly-too-cute acronyms are not Johnson’s thing, the advice is spot on: Spelling-challenged, Copycat, Restricted, Annoying, Tame, Curse of knowledge, Hard to pronounce. Though she avoids linguistic jargon, some of her rules touch on interesting deeper issues.
Take the first injunction, to avoid odd spellings. Speesees, a now-defunct baby clothing-maker, was a head-scratcher. One was meant to see it as a childish misspelling of “species”, but the namers didn’t bother thinking about how often a tiny child has occasion to write the word “species” (nor, as Ms Watkins points out, that it rhymes with “faeces”). Any name that requires explanation makes a customer spend time learning and remembering the explanation (“You see, it’s how a four-year-old might spell ‘species’...”). People avoid extra effort every chance they can; a name that is hard to spell or remember is harder to Google and buy from.
Other names are difficult to pronounce. How Saucony and Diageo have succeeded with names that can be pronounced several ways is a mystery to your columnist. Memorability again rears its head; if sound and spelling reinforce each other easily, the brain has less work to do, and cognitive ease makes people favourably inclined to companies. One study among Americans found that of fictitious Turkish brokerage houses, readers trusted identical research reports from the easily pronounceable Artan over the head-scratcher Taahhut.
Getting a brand to cross borders is not easy. But of all the problems that company-namers fear, one common one is surprisingly unlikely. Unless your brand is truly going to be found in every corner of the globe—not common for beginning entrepreneurs—you are unlikely offend speakers of a language you have never heard of. The famous Chevy Nova flop in Latin America is a myth; though "no va" means “doesn’t go”, “Nova” is pronounced with a different stress than "no va", and Spanish-speakers did not make this association. Sweden really did have a toilet paper called Kräpp, but it was never on sale in Cardiff or Cleveland.
Pronounceability in a wide variety of languages may be more important. Reading recently about Rocket Internet, a German e-commerce company-builder, Johnson was struck by how the company seems to coin names that are boring but predictably pronounceable. A mostly consonant-vowel syllable structure makes Zalando, Lamoda, Lazada, Jumia, Dafiti and their like easy to say in a lot of languages. Some languages like English and German have lots of long consonant clusters; others like Japanese and Italian do not. Speakers of the latter have a hard time mastering the pronunciation of the former. Some sounds (t, p and m for example) are found in many languages. Other sounds (the English j and th sounds, the German and Scottish ch, etc) don’t travel well. Finally, some letters (c, q, w, j and x) have very different sounds even in closely related European languages, and are best to avoid if you aim for global domination.
Finally, an evocative name sets off a chain of associations in the mind. Among small companies, a public-relations shop called Firetalker and a yogurt chain called Spoon Me are two of Ms Watkins’ darlings. The first aptly implies brassy confidence, and the second evokes not just food but cuddling. Among big brand names, Kryptonite bicycle locks (neutralises criminals’ powers) or Nissan’s Leaf electric car (a twist on the “green” cliché) are among her favourites. Combining two words cleverly (Groupon, Pinterest) into a portmanteau both pronounceable and evocative is a double win. And she advises clients not to be afraid of a longer name, if it is memorably perfect. Previously Owned By a Gay Man, a second-hand home-furnishings shop, beats the stuffing out of tech companies like Atmosphir, Tweegee and plaYce. As a bonus, a name made of short words unusually combined is likely to avoid trademark-infringement claims, and is likely to be available as an internet domain.
Rules are made to be broken, of course. "Google" is a cutesy misspelling of the mathematical term “googol”. "Apple” is pretty tame, one of Ms Watkins’s things to avoid. And Johnson learned from "Hello, My Name is Awesome" how to pronounce “Bulgari” for the first time, a fact that hasn’t stopped that company from selling jewellery at astronomical prices. The fact remains, though, that a bad name makes an entrepreneur’s job twice as hard—especially at the start. Most companies fail. But if Shpoonkle had spent just a bit more time on the obvious dos and don’ts of brand-naming, it might just have had a shot.from R.C. Sproul Jr. Category: Articles
Sin is the true and obvious answer. That said, there are peculiar sins that teenagers, at least in our day, are somewhat prone to. Just as with adults, however, I’m afraid we mass our defenses in all the wrong places. The sins of our youth are just like the sins of our dotage, though they may present themselves in somewhat different ways. The key sin I am on the lookout for with my teenagers is the one I’m on the lookout for in me—pride.
How is pride manifest in our youth? It begins, I would suggest, in a lack of loyalty. That is our children are tempted as they grow older to look upon their family, the authority of their parents, as something they have grown past. They are tempted in turn to see their own peer group as the peak of wisdom, character, and love. All they need is their posse of friends. We combat this pride, however, less by elevating our own character in the eyes of our children or denigrating the character of their friends. Rather, we combat this manifestation of pride with humility. We are quick to confess our failures and weaknesses to our children, all the while professing our abiding loyalty toward them as well.
Second, it often shows itself in a sullen demeanor. Recently, the President’s daughters found themselves roped into a rather hokey photo-op with their father. As every president has done since 1989, President Obama announced an executive order few could argue with, the full pardon of turkeys Mac and Cheese. The faces of the daughters clearly communicated their contempt for the event. With that they have my sympathy. The phoniness of the political process is worthy of contempt. But they were called to honor their father. That sullen expression that is so common among our youth likewise clearly communicates contempt. For what? Usually not just for the parents but everything they stand for. We combat this pride, however, less my insisting on smiles, more by encouraging genuine gratitude. When we understand what we are as sinners, and all that we have been blessed with, it’s tough to remain sullen.
Finally, pride manifests itself among the young in dishonesty. At some level, ironically, dishonesty can be a sign of the remnants of respect. That is, some children lie, or hide the truth from their parents because they want to do x, and also do not want to upset or disappoint their parents, who don’t want them to do x. But the pride is still there, a pride that says either, “I know better than my parents. I will protect them by not letting them know about this” or “My reputation or image is more important than the reality, so I must hide my sin from others.” Or worse, “I would get in trouble for x if my parents knew about it. The world is out of kilter if I am in trouble. Therefore I will keep this from them.” The solution here, again, is not to angrily demand greater honesty, but to practice greater honesty. First, we should be the champion repent-ers in our own homes. Let them see you confess your sins, even the ones they had no reason to know about. Second, let them know how needful it is to you that they tell you the truth, that they can be trusted. If the truth is needful for their well being, they are more likely to share it.
In the end, it is likely that our own pride will be the tipping point one way or the other. Our children will struggle with our pride if it drives us to push them to appear to others as better than they are. That is, if your children are persuaded that our motive for their obedience is our pride rather than their well being, they won’t play along. Insofar, however, as we are able to persuade them that we want it to go well for them in the land, insofar as we walk with them as children who struggle with the will of our heavenly Father, they will likely hear us, and with us, fight pride. If so, they will better remember that we are all on the same side.
R.C. Sproul Jr. is rector and chair of philosophy and theology at Reformation Bible College. Originally published at RCSproulJr.com.NDP Leader Jack Layton defended his youngest, least-experienced caucus members Tuesday morning after Quebec voters elected three McGill University students and a pub manager who doesn't speak French or live in the francophone riding she'll represent.
"I don’t share this notion that a young person is somehow not qualified, and evidently the people who voted for these new MPs in Quebec feel the same way," Layton, now the leader of the Official Opposition in the House of Commons, said in Toronto just 12 hours after his party saw its best-ever election results.
The NDP crushed the Bloc Québécois in the province, taking 58 of 75 seats. But the orange wave of popularity that decimated the other parties in the province swept several newbies to the House of Commons, including three students, a karate instructor and the pub manager.
Layton promised all the new MPs will work as hard as those with more experience.
"First of all, we also have a lot of experienced MPs who are judged by most of the people who watched the Parliament as some of the most effective," he said.
"And we will have a lot of new blood, new energy, new talent … when people vote for change, that's what they're hoping happens."
"Young people got involved in this election in an unprecedented way.… We should see that as something to celebrate, not something to criticize."
He also faced questions about how he'll put in place some of his policies when Prime Minister Stephen Harper won a majority government.
"With the mandate we got, it's his obligation to listen to us," Layton said, adding that he's optimistic they'll be able to find some areas where they agree.
"What I'm going to do is reach out to Mr. Harper and say we've had our differences in the past … but Canadians have now had an election, they've given you a certain mandate, they've given me a certain mandate," he said. "Canadians voted for Mr. Harper. He's the prime minister."
Newcomers questioned
The subject of Ruth Ellen Brosseau, the anglophone bartender who will be replacing a Bloc MP in Berthier-Maskinonge, came up several times during the press conference. Fast becoming a symbol for some of the parachute candidates the parties run in ridings they don't expect to win, she spent a week of the campaign on vacation in Las Vegas, and party officials haven't been able to say whether she's even been to the riding.
French-language media have reported a local radio station reached her in Las Vegas but her French was so bad they wouldn't run the interview.
Three new MPs are currently McGill students, with one recent grad also winning a seat.
Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon lost to NDP candidate Mathieu Ravignat, who wasn't even nominated as a candidate until after the election campaign started.
But the NDP landslide also brings some old hands to the House, including former Liberal MP Françoise Boivin and longtime union head Nycole Turmel.
Outside Quebec, former provincial politician Robert Chisholm was elected for the NDP in Nova Scotia.Smart Kitchen at Amazon
Sometimes it is simpler to think small. The size of my kitchen necessitates a certain amount of nimbleness to achieve delicious results when cooking. Everything must be laid out and a plan of attack formulated. Not thinking ahead sets up a potential domino disaster if I forget to check something off the list. For example, if I forget to chop the celery, plates and knives will have to be scattered and cleared to backtrack a few steps. The potential for burning whatever is on the stove at the time is too great. It is better to embrace the quirkiness of small kitchen cooking and just plan ahead.
One of the problems with not having a large expanse of counters to work with is that things have to be put away. All of the time. This includes my food processor. As much as I would love to leave it out on the counter, there simply isn't enough room. It lives on top of the refrigerator, and often, I avoid making something that would be best suited by a quick spin in the food processor.
This Tupperware Quick Chef Food Processor could change all that. For times when I don't need the muscle of the Cuisinart, this little hand crank version could substitute nicely. It comes with a chopping blade and paddle whisk, while at 5.5 inches by 6.5 inches, the little contraption could easily store away in the cupboard. At such a small and convenient size, one might even be able to find some space on the counter.The assault charges laid recently against a Toronto restaurant owner who fought a man who he accused of being a thief, along with a number of high-profile self-defence cases in the U.S., have led to questions around property rights and self-defence laws in Canada.
Criminal lawyer Howard Cohen adds that there is a "huge misconception" in Canada regarding the use of self-defence, and many people think they don't have any rights.
The laws around self-defence are a grey area — the criminal code states a property owner can only make a citizens arrest if the alleged wrongdoer is caught in the act. But many people don't take in to account, "the flexibility and reasonableness of our juries," a factor that has affected many cases where people have acted to defend themselves or their property, Cohen says.
Stephen Harper introduced legislation last year to try and clarify the self-defence rights of Canadians. It was dubbed the 'Lucky Moose' bill, after a case in Toronto where Lucky Moose grocery store owner David Chen and two employees apprehended a thief after he returned to the store.
The three men were charged with kidnapping, carrying a dangerous weapon — a boxcutter— assault, and forcible confinement in the case. The accused thief, meanwhile, pleaded guilty to robbing the store and was sentenced to 30 days in jail.
Prosecutors later dropped the kidnapping and weapons charges against Chen and his two employees, but went ahead with the other charges in which the three men were eventually found not guilty.
The Conservative bill died when Parliament was dissolved for last May's federal election and now, renamed as bill C-26, is currently in second reading in the House of Commons.
CBC News spoke to Cohen and criminal lawyer Stacy Nichols about different legal scenarios that outline what an individual's rights are under current Canadian law. Here are some excerpts from the interview:
CBC News: You hear a noise and go downstairs in the middle of the night and find a burglar, and you can't tell if he's armed. Legally, what are your options?
"Your dwelling house seems to be the property you're allowed to protect the most," Nichols says.
Under Section 40 of the Criminal Code, which deals with the defence of dwellings, Nichols says, "everyone who is in possession of a dwelling house is justified in using as much force as necessary, to prevent any person from forcibly breaking into or entering the dwelling house without lawful authority."
Cohen echoes Nichols' sentiments, adding that when it comes to defending themselves, Canadians have the most rights inside their own homes.
"This area is less grey |
methods. Once you have your final edit you will need to export it and deliver it in a vast array of formats whether it is for online, TV, mobile etc. We utilise a wonderful (free!) piece of software called MPEG Streamclip (http://www.squared5.com/).
DIALOGUE SCRIPTING:
Here is where you will need to look at what questions and topics you will cover with your athletes, fans and other associated people like managers, referees and spectators, all of whom can play a vita story telling role. Here are some pointers to consider:
1. Use open questions (those that won’t elicit a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer)
2. Get the subject to include the question in the answer so you have a reference and is much easier for your editor. If they don’t do that the first time, ask them to repeat the answer, this time including the question
3. Be patient, athletes in the heat of the moment are not always articulate, attentive or helpful!
4. Try and get access to the subjects early so you can send them a list of questions prior to your arrival.
5. Try and get the subject to look straight into the camera (or close to it). This will naturally aim their voice that way which will mean capturing better audio if you’re running and on board mic as well as making the eye line more central.
Remember: Nothing is worse than 100% Action footage or a non-stop talking head. Make sure there is a mix to keep the edit flowing.
Put all of this together and you’ll have yourself a cracking little action video. Simple. The main item that we focus on within all our productions is having fun – if the crew and subjects are happy it really comes across in the film! Once the event is over, all the fans and athletes have to remember it by is what you have created, so put the time in and make it count!
Feel free to shoot me any questions and I’ll do my very best to get back to you.
Keep it in Focus.
Anthony Gordon
You can ask Anthony questions via the V&F Facebook page or email Anthony here.
Reference Links:
Wild Racers: https://vimeo.com/52677807
Next Wave: http://nothinbutshorts.com.au/#project=next-wave
Blood Sweat & Gears: http://nothinbutshorts.com.au/#project=blood-sweat-gears
World Rally (WRC): https://vimeo.com/30115858
MotoGP: https://vimeo.com/30296503Story highlights The officer charged in the killing was released from jail
Officer Randall Kerrick is charged with voluntary manslaughter
Police: After one officer's stun gun was "unsuccessful," another opened fire
Police found a wrecked car nearby and believe the victim may have been seeking help
Police in North Carolina shot and killed a man running toward them Saturday morning -- but he may have just been looking for help after a car wreck.
Officers responded to a "breaking and entering" 911 call at a home in Charlotte.
The homeowner told dispatchers that a man had been knocking on her door repeatedly.
Police say that when they got to the scene, a man matching the caller's description ran toward them.
One of the officers fired his stun gun, but it was "unsuccessful." Another officer then opened fire, police said.
Jonathan Ferrell died at the scene. He was shot several times.
JUST WATCHED Unarmed man gunned down by police Replay More Videos... MUST WATCH Unarmed man gunned down by police 01:53
He was unarmed.
Police now believe Ferrell was seeking assistance after crashing his car.
The crash
Ferrell was 24 and a former football player at Florida A&M University.
Police found a wrecked car nearby, indicating that he may have been trying to get help.
"It was a pretty serious accident," Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Rodney Monroe told CNN affiliate WSOC.
The crash was so severe that authorities now believe Ferrell had to climb out of the back window, affiliate WBTV reported.
He ran to the closest house for help.
The woman inside thought it was her husband.
"To her surprise, it was an individual that she did not know or recognize," Monroe told WBTV. "She immediately closed the door, hit her panic alarm, called 911."
The man stood outside and "continued to attempt to gain the attention of the homeowner," a police statement said.
The shooting
was released Sunday on $50,000 bond. Police have charged Officer Randall Kerrick with voluntary manslaughter -- a felony. He turned himself in Saturday afternoon andwas released Sunday on $50,000 bond.
Police used "charged" and "ran" and "advanced" in their description of what Ferrell did.
There were three officers at the scene, but Kerrick was the only one to use a gun.
He fired several times, police said.
"The evidence revealed that Mr. Ferrell did advance on Officer Kerrick and the investigation showed that the subsequent shooting of Mr. Ferrell was excessive," police said in another statement issued late Saturday night. "Our investigation has shown that Officer Kerrick did not have a lawful right to discharge his weapon during this encounter. "
All three officers have been placed on paid leave.
A charge of voluntary manslaughter means the person used excessive force in self-defense, or carried out the act without intent to kill.
Police called the incident "unfortunate."
"It has devastated a family as well as caused a great deal of sadness and anxiety in our organization," a statement said.
Kerrick's first court appearance is scheduled for Monday at 1:30 p.m., the Mecklenburg County District Attorney's Office said.
"In every case, the District Attorney's Office evaluates the evidence available and works to achieve a fair and just outcome," the office said in a statement.
The reaction
Friends expressed grief on social media, calling Ferrell a "brother" and demanding "justice."
He had at least one brother, Willie, who played with him at Florida A&M.
The university said it was "deeply saddened" at the loss. In a statement, Michael Smith, interim athletic director, said Ferrell played safety and was part of the 2010 championship team. "Our hearts and prayers go out to his family during their time of bereavement," Smith said.
Ferrell was engaged.
"We loved him. Our family loved him," his fiancee's mother told WSOC.
He would have turned 25 next month.It's a view that keeps building heights low and spirits high—the majestic, snow-capped Cascades, skirted by ponderosa forests. But the future of that view may be in jeopardy.
That's because the 33,000-acre swath of forestland west of Bend known as Skyline Forest—where Bendites mountain bike, hike, and ride horseback on user-created trails—doesn't belong to the people of Oregon. Despite the access the public has enjoyed over the past decade, Skyline Forest is—like 34 percent of Oregon's forests—privately owned.
For the past decade, Deschutes Land Trust has been working to change that, negotiating with former landowners Fidelity National Financial to secure a deal to turn those 33,000 acres into a community forest.
But those plans stalled last fall, and appeared to grind to an unexpected halt last week, when Fidelity announced it sold a nearly 200,000-acre parcel of land, including Skyline Forest, to Singapore-based Whitefish Cascade Forest Resources, LLC.
The hope had been that Fidelity would accept a deal that allowed for development on a small portion of the land in exchange for selling the remainder to Deschutes Land Trust. In turn, the Trust intended to create a community forest, helping fund the sale by allowing a limited amount of logging, which would also help mitigate fire danger.
But now, those hopes appear to be dashed.
"The short answer is we don't know what it means for the future," Deschutes Land Trust Executive Director Brad Chalfant told the Source. "The fact of the matter is that all of the parties that had been trying to negotiate with Fidelity had stalled out over the past six months and this explains why. Fidelity was looking to sell all its properties as a package."
Included in that package is the Mazama Forest, land the Klamath Tribe had hoped to acquire to support the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement (KRBA).
"This is obviously a disappointment," Don Gentry, Chairman of the Klamath Tribes, said in a release. "Land recovery is an essential bargained-for benefit of the KBRA. Nothing less than significant land recovery will work for the Klamath Tribes. We are committed to securing a land base that will provide balance in the Agreement and economic opportunity for our people. Without land recovery, the Agreement simply will not work for the Klamath Tribes."
Fidelity assumed a controlling interest in Cascade Timberlands, then owner of Skyline Forest, in May 2006 and notified Deschutes Land Trust that it was interested in pursuing a conservation transaction. For the next eight or so years, things seemed to be working in the forest's favor. Oregon re-enrolled in the Federal Forest Legacy Program, and a bill passed in the Oregon legislature outlining a plan for Skyline Forests' conservation, giving Fidelity five years to act.
But the clock ran out before a deal was cemented. And Fidelity opted to sell.
"We are excited to monetize the value of Cascade for our shareholders," said Fidelity National Financial Chairman William P. Foley, II, in a release. "We have been owners of Cascade for approximately eight years and believe it is in the best interest of our shareholders to monetize the value of this land at this time and seek another use for this cash in the hopes of maximizing the value of our FNFV assets."
Chalfant, of Deschutes Land Trust, said that while he has not yet made contact with the new owner, he is hopeful that they will be more cooperative than Fidelity.
"We see this as an opportunity. Fidelity had been difficult to work with," Chalfant said. "We're hopeful we'll be able to have a more direct and coherent dialogue."
Whitefish Cascade Forest Resources registered with the State of Oregon in October 2014. An attorney for the company—its only listed U.S. contact—has not responded to requests for comment.
While the Land Trust is still interested in pursuing the community forest model with the new company, Chalfant says he isn't married to that approach and is instead focused on the long game and whatever strategy leads to the forest's conservation.
"We're not locked into a particular model. Ultimately our goal is to see the property conserved, available to public, and managed sustainably," Chalfant said. "We're committed to the longterm. We're going to do everything we can to ensure the property is conserved for future generations."
But where Chalfant sees silver linings, Central Oregon LandWatch Executive Director Paul Dewey has a less rosy outlook.
"We're concerned that this is going to be a new serious threat for partitioning and development in that area, the kind we've been fighting for the past 10 years," Dewey told the Source. "My concern is it's bad enough having a Florida developer own it, and now Singapore? There's even less appreciation for what this land has historically meant for this area."
He added that development of the forest land is bad for Central Oregon because it disturbs wildlife—mule deer and elk migrate through the areas—and because the forest is at high risk for fires. To wit, last summer's Two Bulls fire burned parts of the forest and, Dewey said, would have destroyed a home that LandWatch blocked from being built a few years back.
Though the area is zoned for forest use, that zoning allows one dwelling every 240 acres, meaning that the new owner could open it up to low-density development. Until he knows what Whitefish Cascade Forest Resource, LLC, intends to do with the land, Dewey said he'll be watching out for county land use applications.
"Frankly, any development in that area, given climate change and what we know now about fire risk after Two Bulls, doesn't make sense," Dewey said.Barack Obama's decision to order 17,000 more combat troops to Afghanistan signals the start of an intense debate in Nato about how to respond to the country's crisis, western diplomats and military officials say.
When he announced his decision on Tuesday night, Obama said the increase was "necessary to stabilise a deteriorating situation in Afghanistan".
His military advisers urged him to deploy as many as 30,000 extra troops. The president said military means alone would not solve the problem.
The US government is conducting a review of policy towards Afghanistan, as is General David Petraeus, overall commander of US forces in the Middle East and Central Asia. Both reviews are likely to conclude that more emphasis should be placed on the economic, social, and political, development of the country - including corruption and the heroin trade. That, and training the Afghan security forces, costs money. But some donor countries are wary of spending more and are reneging on their promises, leaving a shortfall of billions of dollars, according to a report by the Afghan finance ministry.
Of $21bn (£14.7bn) in aid pledged at an international donors' conference in Paris last year, only $14bn was new money, leaving a shortfall of $7bn, the report says.
A senior British defence official yesterday described the operation against the Taliban as "strategically a stalemate". Though Britain shares the US view that there is no long-term military solution - and both agree that talks with Taliban leaders will have to be pursued - there are concerns about a shortage of combat troops. Britain and the US are increasing pressure on their Nato partners to deploy more troops and equipment, notably helicopters. Italy and Germany have indicated they are prepared to deploy more forces. But a number of governments do not share the view expressed by Obama and British ministers that Afghanistan could collapse into a failed state, allowing the Taliban and al-Qaida to become the kind of threat that they were before 9/11.
With Nato casualties reaching record levels, a UN report this week said war-related civilian Afghan deaths increased by nearly 40% to 2,118 last year.
While it said "anti-government elements" were responsible for 55%, a quarter of all civilian casualties - 552 people - died as a result of US and Nato air strikes.
Polls suggest foreign troops are becoming increasingly resented in Afghanistan, and that the main cause of this is the number of civilians killed.Yet Obama’s $10-a-barrel tax comes at a more precarious moment for the oil industry, which has been rocked by plummeting prices in recent months. Companies that complained whenever politicians would propose a new tax can now do so a bit more credibly. “The industry is in largest crisis in over 25 years,” the Independent Petroleum Association of America tweeted Thursday afternoon. “This is an energy consumer tax disguised as an oil company fee.”
Zients acknowledged that oil companies “will likely pass on some of these costs,” but he said the burden of a per-barrel tax would be shared much more broadly than increasing the gas tax. While imported oil would be subject to the fee, U.S. companies exporting oil would not. “Our domestic producers will continue to operate on a level playing field,” he said.
Congress passed its first long-term infrastructure bill in more than a decade late last year. Obama signed it into law but said at the time that its $305 billion in spending was only a down payment on what was needed. Administration officials pitched his new plan as one that would simultaneously boost overall surface transportation spending by 50 percent as well as continue to fight climate change by shifting away from oil and toward more efficient transit options like high-speed rail.
The big short-term question is not how Congress will react, nor even the Republicans running to succeed Obama. They’ll almost certainly reject the president’s plan. But what about Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, both of whom have promised expansive infrastructure investments? Will they embrace a tax on oil companies, or are they wary of alienating the consumers who might ultimately have to pay it? “For too long, there’s been strong bipartisan agreement that we need much more infrastructure, but that hasn’t been accompanied by the political will to fund it,” Zients said. “People call for more transportation spending, but they never talk about how they’ll pay for it.”
Obama is starting that conversation, but he won’t be the one to finish it.
We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com.Europa Prima Pars, Terrae in Forma Virginis, 1548
Claudia Landolfi
In modern times, European identity is accepted as the natural supremacy of civilization over barbarism and sauvagerie. The historical extension and application of a model, considered superior, justified the imposition of practices, institutions and customs in places that were autonomous and different, reinforcing the dream of a space in which to exercise an imperialist domination: a typical European hegemony.
In this frame, the colonial experience has been a relevant factor for the construction of Europe’s image as a superior community. Imposition and violence, but also intangible (cultural, symbolic) factors related to subjectivity have been part of this process. Frantz Fanon analyzed the relations between ‘white’ and ‘black’ people, in order to understand the superiority and inferiority complexes between colonizers and colonized: “Inferiorization is the native correlative to the European’s feeling of superiority. Let us have the courage to say: it is the racist who creates the inferiorized.” Frantz and the postcolonials strongly criticized European hegemony, showing the racist nature implicit in the model of institutional and cultural superiority, and that the exclusive European identity clashes with the ‘civilization’ constraint.
Today, Europe’s relationship with former colonies remains difficult: flows of migrants make ineffective the European claim of ‘close identity’; that it is not sufficient for the peaceful coexistence of diversity. There is a need to return to Frantz Fanon and Edward Said to understand current identity conflicts.
Europe’s Identity
Long ago, when the Universality of a ‘Western Empire’ was both the premise and the purpose of political strategy the West’s identity was born. Since then, the historical processes behind the political representation of ‘unity’ have met discontinuity and opposition of differences. Although geographic unification of Europe has its roots way back in history, with ancient Greek and Roman colonialism, no one in the Roman Empire was aware of European identity. Later, when Charlemagne was known as ‘Emperor and Father’ of Europe, the term ‘Europe’ was used simply as a geographical label. If the following terms had much use – ‘Empire’, ‘dynasty’, and ‘Christendom’- Europe emerged with the development of economic exchanges in modern times, even with other continents, as the expression of a sense of superiority. In fact, the western logic of ‘non-contradiction’, on which philosophical – cultural and institutional – tradition is based, has often accepted the difference as the ‘enemy of the totality’, of the identity as a consistent whole composed of a multiplicity which final sense is the adhesion to the dominant model.
The modern feeling of European superiority has been fostered by trade, Christianity and colonization. Erasmus (1469-1536) wrote about the unity of Christendom, not of Europe, but with the success of Luther’s and Calvin’s Reformation, the coexistence between the different religions naturally made it difficult to identify Europe with Christianity. In the 18th Century, Rousseau[1] imagined an organization of European people under international law; therefore, the unity was sought in the legal principle of social organization. In the 18th Century the superiority of Europe became expressed more clearly: it was now based on the ideas of the Enlightenment that was referred to as ‘civilization’. Only in 1766 was the term ‘European civilization’ used for the first time. During the French Revolution, the idea of Europe and the sense of belonging to a European community have been among the strongest opponents of the revolution against its supporters, who were still too full of their Jacobin and national ambitions.
“Europe was imagined as a Christian commonwealth, during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, followed by a view of the essence of Europe as a culture, in the early modern period and especially in the Enlightenment. After the Napoleonic interlude, the European idea was then adopted by various different groups in the Nineteenth Century: whether a family of monarchs; an international liberal bourgeoisie; a brotherhood of democrats; or a Europe-wide proletariat. This was also the age of Romantic nationalism, which was intensely European but at the same time detracted from any implementation of a structure of European unity: an early manifestation of the dichotomy between unity and diversity in Europe, enriched by the role of literary figures and philologists, and by many regional versions of an idea of Europe.”[2]
At the beginning of the Nineteenth Century, ‘Europe’ became a natural historical category, but there were two different versions of Europe; the Romantics saw it as a Christian entity, the Conservative Realists as a balance of power. After 1848, Germany and Italy emerged as nation states, so nationalism was on the rise, and the sense of belonging to a single European community diminished. ‘Europe’ was only a geographical term while, at the same time, it was ‘implicit Europa’ (‘une Europe sous-entendu’). Industrial Revolutions took place in Europe, giving the continent a head start on the world stage (strong Euro-centrism). There was also a sense that Europe was superior to other parts of the world, in fact ‘Progress’ became a synonym for Europe. This view was supported by colonialism: around the 1890s Europe started exporting its religion, its technology and its so-called superior Victorian middle-class values to educate their colonial underlings and help them reach Western greatness. French, British, but also the Dutch with their ‘Ethical Politics’ (ethische politiek)[3] in Indonesia invested large sums of money in their colonies. The fact that English or French is spoken by most people in Africa is a leftover of what the French called ‘mission civilisatrice’.
Then the First World War changed the face of Europe: after it had ended, seven new European nations emerged (Finland, the three Baltic States, Poland, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia) while two world empires were dissolved (Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman). The feeling of crisis was everywhere but according to the philosopher Jose Ortega y Gasset[4], Europe was one large family despite all the differences. Europe gained more and more colonies and flourished through the imposition of its supremacy.
Production of the Others
The epistemological affirmation of a human ‘idealtype’, corresponding – albeit not officially – to the white and male western European ‘model’, has meant a symbolic imposition of a ‘hierarchy of humans’, causing a dramatic social exclusion phenomenon. Add to this mix a dangerous component of social-Darwinism according to which held the possibility of ‘scientifically’ defining the rest of the ‘inferior’ world, legitimizing the obligation to educate the ‘Others’ (‘White man’s burden’).
Europe’s official policy has been to export its ‘universal’ values (democracy, human rights, rule of law, etc.) to all other parts of the world. Jean-Paul Sartre writes in his preface to Fanon,
“Not so very long ago, the earth numbered two thousand million inhabitants: five hundred million men, and one thousand five hundred million natives. The former had the Word; the others had the use of it. Between the two there were hired kinglets, overlords and a bourgeoisie, sham from beginning to end, which served as go-betweens. In the colonies the truth stood naked, but the citizens of the mother country preferred it with clothes on: the native had to love them, something in the way mothers are loved. The European élite undertook to manufacture a native élite. They picked out promising adolescents; they branded them, as with a red-hot iron, with the principles of western culture, they stuffed their mouths full with high-sounding phrases, grand glutinous words that stuck to the teeth. After a short stay in the mother country they were sent home, whitewashed. These walking lies had nothing left to say to their brothers; they only echoed. From Paris, from London, from Amsterdam we would utter the words ‘Parthenon! Brotherhood!’ and somewhere in Africa or Asia lips would open … thenon! … therhood!’ It was the golden age. It came to an end; the mouths opened by themselves; the yellow and black voices still spoke of our humanism but only to reproach us with our inhumanity. We listened without displeasure to these polite statements of resentment, at first with proud amazement. What? They are able to talk by themselves? Just look at what we have made of them! We did not doubt but that they would accept our ideals, since they accused us of not being faithful to them. Then, indeed, Europe could believe in her mission; she had hellenized the Asians; she had created a new breed, the Graeco-Latin Negroes. We might add, quite between ourselves, as men of the world: ‘After all, let them bawl their heads off, it relieves their feelings; dogs that bark don’t bite.’”[5]
Sartre’s support to Fanon points to the undercover European logic of superiority and the Hegelian philosophical scheme: “colonial administrators are not paid to read Hegel, and for that matter they do not read much of him, but they do not need a philosopher to tell them that uneasy consciences are caught up in their own contradictions.”[6] Hegel, in his Logic[7], shows how such ‘‘honest but narrow thinking,’’ reaching for the purely empirical (the non-identical), ends up in a kind of stalemate by entangling itself in contradictions, i.e. loses itself in the hard-and-fast nonidentity of its thoughts, and so, instead of reaching itself, is caught and held in its counterpart. This ‘‘mere understanding’’ is to be overcome by the ‘‘perseverance of thought’’ seeking ‘‘in itself the solution of its own contradictions’’. The notion of ‘constitutive outside’ means that a thing is what it is only through what it is not. This ‘‘what is’’ allows the thing to be an identity with itself even as it contradicts it. This view follows from the idea of ‘identity in contradiction’ from Hegel.
Thus, the modern colonial state was an identity in contradiction: of the modern and the non-modern. Julia Kristeva’s concept of abjection and narcissism[8] can help us to understand the Western process of exclusion based on a self-referential identity (Euro-centrism) that involves not only society but also individuality divided in itself. As such as Fanon has conceived the psychology, the behavior and the ‘pathologies of affect’ of the colonized as the basic political level of conflict.[9] The ego is the ego of dominating society, its image of brightness, rationality, beauty and its ability to assimilate the other in order to confirm itself: differences are only a moment, a step of the adventure of western subject while, in case of resistance, it represents something baseless, that has no legitimacy and must be eliminated to restore the identity of the West that has a civilizing role in the world.
Julia Kristeva reminds us that, after Plato (Timeus, 48-53), khôra is the receptacle of the refused.
For the benefit of the ego or its detriment, drives, whether life drives or death drives, serve to correlate that “not yet” ego with an “object” in order to establish both of them. Such a process, while dichotomous (inside/outside, ego/not ego) and repetitive, has nevertheless something centripetal about it: it aims to settle the ego as center of a solar system of objects. If, by dint of coming back towards the center, the drive’s motion should eventually become centrifugal, hence fasten on the Other and come into being as sign so as to produce meaning—that is, literally speaking, exorbitant. But from that moment on, while I recognize my image as sign and change in order to signify, another economy is instituted. The sign represses the khôra and its eternal return. Desire alone will henceforth be witness to that “primal” pulsation. But desire expatriates the ego toward another subject and accepts the exactness of the ego only as narcissistic. Narcissism then appears as a regression to a position set back from the other, a return to a self-contemplative, conservative, self-sufficient haven. Abjection is therefore a kind of narcissistic crisis. Too much strictness on the part of the Other, confused with the One and the Law. The lapse of the Other, which shows through the breakdown of objects of desire. In both instances, the abject appears in order to uphold “I” within the Other. The abject is the violence of mourning for an “object” that has always already been lost.” Ego, other, narcissism, refuse, and mourning: all terms that tell the western impossibility to relate its culture to differences.[10]
The purpose of conceiving the unity of Europe is an issue for the problematic coexistence of differences in other continents that, through trade, conflict, and complex historical processes, have come into contact with European countries, contact whose traces are fatally evident. Indeed, as Fanon argues, America is inevitably involved in the schemes and categories of European experience. “Two centuries ago, a European colony decided to compete with the metropolis. It has succeeded so well in order that the United States of America became a country in which the defects monstrous, nausea and cruelty of Europe have reached frightening proportions.”[11] European culture is regarded as a contagious and destructive virus whose main feature is its dominating relationship with the colonies. One of the most relevant steps in the European identity is of course represented by the ‘discovery’ of America that deeply changed the perception of the world and of the self. As a direct consequence of its unfortunate origins, which led to slavery and colonization, Western civilization, has found a way to correct itself:
“The representatives of Western civilization do not believe so naively its superiority and the movement of assimilation is shutting down from Europe, even if countries – old and new of the Third World continue to want to live like Europeans. At least at the ideological level, we try to combine what we seem to have the two terms of better: we want equality without identity, but also turn the difference without it degenerating into superiority / inferiority, we hope to enjoy the benefits of the equalitarian model and those of the hierarchical model, we aim to recover a sense of social experience without losing the individual… the difference in equality: it is easier said than done. “[12] In 1984, Tzvetan Todorov saw the premise of anti-Western anger that pervades all colonized peoples, and considered the possibility that a disaster it could lead to retaliation, which would only “play the most condemnable Europeans have made”.[13]
“It is possible to establish an ethical criterion by which to judge the shape of influences: the essentials, I would say, is whether they are proposed or imposed … There are aspects of a civilization that can be considered superior or inferior, but this does not mean that they can be imposed on others. “[14] The imposition is reinforced by the refusal of differences meant as abnormal or outrageous. But we can reverse this approach recalling that, according to Levi-Strauss (Race and History), the Barbarian is one who believes in barbarism. “I want to talk about the discovery that the ego does of the self. (…) We can see others in ourselves, we realize that each of us is not a homogeneous substance, radically alien to everything that does not coincide with the ego: the ego is another. But the others are egos: they are subject as I am, that only my point of view – to which all persons are there, while I’m here- really distinguishes and separates.”[15] The colonialist ideology, as defined by Todorov, has reappeared in the form of desire for assimilation of the Other, i.e. the rest of the world, in the name of universal values- human rights, democracy, freedom, justice – the West, since the United States, seems inclined to propose rather than impose, by force of arms.
Kristeva states that in Europe the first experience of ‘the existence of the Other’ happens with the birth of the category of ‘black slave’ in the United States. (This perspective is very surprising because ancient Greek knew the category of ‘slave’ and the modern Europe was used to have exchanges with African and Eastern world). The crisis of identity starts from an external point of view: the alterity comes from a land over the ocean, where the ‘negritude’ becomes a political, ethical, semiotic (linguistic and symbolic) problem.
Negritude and Postcolonialism
According to Fanon’s friend and mentor, Aimé Césaire:
Négritude, is a necessary revolt against the European feeling of superiority. Négritude is the result of an active and attitude of the mind on the offense. It is a summersault, a summersault of dignity. It is a refusal, and I mean a refusal of oppression. It is a struggle, that is to say, a struggle against inequality. It is also a revolt. But a revolt against what? (…) Négritude has been a form of revolt, mainly against the global cultural system as it had been constituted during the last several centuries, a system characterized by a certain number of prejudices, of assumptions which generate a very strict hierarchy. In other words, Négritude has been a revolt against what I shall call European reductionism. I am referring to the system of thought, or rather the instinctive tendency of an eminent and prestigious civilization, to abuse its very prestige to isolate itself, as Léopold Sédar Senghor would say, by reducing the concept of universality to its own dimensions; in other words, through its own categories.(…) And in the process, after a long period of frustration, we, ourselves, were able to seize our own past and, through poetry, through our imagination, through novels, through works of art, perceive the intermittent flashes of our own possible future. An earthquake of concepts, a cultural seismic phenomenon, all the metaphors of isolation are possible here. But the essential is that with Négritude, there was a beginning of the rehabilitation of our values by our own selves, of the deepening of our past by ourselves, of a re-rooting of ourselves in a history, a geography, a culture, all interpreted not as an backward-looking accent on the past, but as a reactivation of the past in order to overtake it. Literature? – you ask. Intellectual speculation? Definitely. But neither the literature or intellectual speculation are innocent or inoffensive.[16]
Colonialism means gaining possession and direct control of territories belonging to other people or social groups. While ancient types of colonialism were pre-capitalist, colonial expansion as a driving force in modern capitalism first developed commercial and industrial activities then worked to restructure economies and internal socio-political structures. So the formal dismantling of colonialism is not enough, because it acted on a deeper level beyond the mere extraction of goods or the request for contributions. The postcolonial critique is a critique of culture. Euro-centrism is not only the past but this is a trend of the present. The post of postcolonial cannot not be taken literally, does not denote an after, a fracture with colonialism or the impossibility of overcoming it as neo-colonial dynamics that characterized the historical processes of formal decolonization, thus symbolizing the persistence of colonial status in the contemporary global world.[17]
The postcolonial is conceived as a set of discursive practices of resistance to colonialism, colonialist ideology and its contemporary forms of domination and subjugation. From this point of view, the postcolonial perspective means the literary output of countries in contact with Europe that have developed critical positions: literature as an expression of a given nationality. Colonialism acts on intangible factors, cultural, symbolic, relating to subjectivity, it is not just a ‘structure’, such as Fanon states. Edward Said, author of Orientalism[18], argues that the current global system is almost entirely the result of imperialism in the nineteenth and twentieth Centuries, therefore the relationship between empire and colonies is omnipresent. There is still a Western principle that there is an ethical and political authority as we complete against the rest of the world but does not hold a sense of guilt or liability of the former colonies and continues to seek a role in the reconstruction of identities in other countries of the world. According to Fanon, who had both a psychoanalytic and an intellectual philosophical training involved in the struggle for independence, the tendency of Marxism to consider the racist ideology of colonialism as a superstructure, as a result of economic exploitation, did not explain the logic that, in the colonial context, the line of demarcation between rich and poor coincided with that between white and black.
This division, then, is structured on the races and not on the classes as we can deduce from the Marxist theory, thus racism and not class is at the base of the control of the groups. Racism is not the superstructure. What separates the world belonging to a group or not and also the master-slave dialectic cannot be explained only by the work relationship but also with reference to a link with the divine status which provides for the difference. The cultural processes of identity formation are central to individual and collective, and on them act ideologies, images and cultural stereotypes and the cultural baggage cannot be considered a reflection of the economic structure. The configuration of cultural colonialism was analyzed by Fanon at the psychic level : in fact, diseases of the colonized subjects are the result of a cultural relationship of domination in which the black wants to become like white to feel included. The entrance to the white culture in the subjectivity created neurosis, alienation and schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia is the overlap of irreconcilable cultural models and the denial of the personal stories. Fanon reflects the distinctive characteristics of being black and refers to negritude in order to rediscover the authentic roots for ransom and political culture. Said[19], however, argues that nationalism promoted by Fanon is a nationalism that is critically aware of the risks of deception in Nativization. Said says that for Fanon, the mythification of the past precolonial more than the release would have led to a new type of oppression. It should be noted that Said’s approach to these issues affected the climate in which many poststructuralist notions of the social process as a key, power, ideology, subjectivity, resistance, discourse, representation is considered as one of the miles tones of postcolonial studies because it flows into the critique of cultural identity, which Fanon called Manichean delir |
was five months pregnant.
She said: 'Most women experience weird food cravings during pregnancy and often well after giving birth.
'My friends have told me how they craved pickles and honey or tuna and ice-cream. But not me, I have been shoving foam and sponge into my mouth for the past five years since the cravings started midway through my pregnancy.
Vicky's known to put toppings on the sponge including butter and jam, pictured left, and often dips them in drinks
Vicky takes a chunk from the sofa arm, she has to hide the chair under blankets so guests won't realise how much of it she's eaten
'I was sitting watching TV one night and was picking a hole the sofa – before I knew it I was chewing on a piece of foam I'd pulled from the main cushion - chewing it like chewing gum and enjoying the sensation before swallowing.
'It satisfied the craving I'd been feeling all day.'
When you satisfy that craving even for the weirdest food combination it feels amazing
This started a routine for Vicky, and the next day she 'felt the same urge and I pulled another small piece about the size of a 20 pence coin.
'I was drinking juice at the time and dipped it in and chewed away. I swallowed it and felt a wave of contentment the same contentment other women who have cravings for odd foods feel.
Days later, while washing up, the urge to eat a sponge reappeared while washing up.
She said: 'I ripped off a piece of sponge and chewed and swallowed.'
When Vicky Googled weird cravings she was relieved to discover that weird eating, even of objects not associated with food, sometimes occurred during pregnancy.
'When I read the word pica I felt a sigh of relief. I read up avidly about women who ate pebbles or stones or chalk and felt this would remain a phase.
'I wasn't experiencing any discomfort. I didn't get any tummy pains or constipation and I found it relaxing.
'As any pregnant woman knows, when you satisfy that craving even for the weirdest food combination it feels amazing but as it turns out mine were even more extreme than most.'
Vicky pictured with daughter Olivia, five, continued to crave the sponge after her pregnancy and got into a routine
Vicky dips a sponge in jam, left, and right, finished her snack of chopped up sponges
Vicky started buying extra sponges at the supermarket and hid them in the airing cupboard and soon realised she was actively eating her sofa chair.
She said: 'I started trying different toppings on my foam pieces Nutella, jam, honey, and peanut butter and when it came to savoury toppings, soya sauce, chilli sauce and even gravy from roast. All delicious and relaxing to eat.'
Once her daughter was born in September 2011, Vicky had hoped the cravings would go away but they didn't.
She said: 'Caring for my baby I'd find myself pulling at my sofa chair and chewing pieces of foam and even the cotton insides that surround the bottom of the chair. I was careful to pull it out from places people visiting wouldn't notice.'
Now Vicky is rarely without a supply of foam, sofa stuffing and sponge sacks hidden in her car, her bags and her house for snacks.
She said: 'I have tried foam on airline seats and in hotels when on holiday and at friends' houses, and sometimes I like it and sometimes I don't.'
And there hasn't been a day since her pica began when she hasn't eaten part of a sponge.
Vicky keeps sponges in her car, handbag and around the house so she's able to snack through the day
She said: 'I take a supply even on holidays. I love relaxing with a platter of foam covered in different toppings sitting in the chair – I call them my sofa h'or d'oeuvres. I also enjoy dipping pieces in wine or champagne.
'I do it quickly so as not hide it from family and friends. I just considered it a leave over from pregnancy as wacky as it seems and it is oddly comforting and delicious.'
Vicky has almost destroyed her entire sofa chair eating the foam she so badly craves.
She said: 'I have to keep the chair either covered with a blanket or in the airing cupboard so people don't see the extreme damage I have done ripping it apart and chewing it bit by bit.'
In 2013, Vicky experienced a bout of constipation and finally came clean to a GP.
She said: 'I was so embarrassed I explained about my bizarre eating habit and my addicting to my sofa foam. I explained it was pica and the GP was extremely understanding. He did however explain that if I ate too much I could hurt my digestive system.'
Vicky tried to go cold turkey but she couldn't control her cravings.
Vicky finds the sponge in her armchair much tastier than others but is planning to freeze some as she's worried she will run out
She said: 'I went for four days without eating my chair and gave in, binging on a plate of pieces covered in a selection of toppings washed down with hot chocolate.
'I have cooked with foam as well, putting it into a casserole or a sausage and sauce mix – a bit like dumplings. It's only for me and I don't expect anyone to understand my craving and I'd never serve them the food.
'I have on occasion visited friends and secretly snack on a piece of sofa foam I have pulled from a sofa cushion.'
Vicky returned to her GP for a check up and they did a range of blood tests but she had no deficiencies.
They suggested taking vitamins to ensure her body was healthy and she also eats three meals a day of normal healthy food and exercises. Vicky tried cognitive behavioural therapy with two courses each over six weeks
Vicky said: 'The CBT is talking therapy and it's designed to help me deal with anxiety and stress and crack negative cycles.
'I am mildly OCD which is another cause of some pica diagnosis and as I have incorporated the foam and sponge eating into my routine for so long we tried to break that pattern. It worked for a couple of weeks and then the cravings began again.'
Vicky said she craves the sponge still and has had counselling though it has not broken the cycle yet
'It's part of my daily ritual I eat normal foods but also eat the sponges and my chair. I carry pieces of foam in my handbag and small takeaway sauce containers and dip it in when I get a craving.
'I'll often chew on a piece of sponge or foam for hours throughout the day, or break of pieces and dip them into tea, coffee or soup like toast. I don't chew it but swallow bite-size pieces whole.'
Vicky has also seen a counsellor and a nutritionist who changed her eating plan. They challenged her to use a cloth to clean not a sponge, but she ended up relapsing.
She said: 'I am not a freak but I am a freaky eater and there are thousands of people around the world suffering like me.
WHAT IS PICA? Pica is a medical disorder characterized by an appetite for substances largely non-nutritive including metal, clay coal sand, dirt, chalk pens, paper batteries spoons together brushes soap, cigarette ashes and even office supplies. In some cases it's also linked to obsessive compulsive disorder. It is often triggered by pregnancy, OCD or a hookworm infection. It can cause medical problems, eating objects that cannot be digested, such as stones, can cause constipation or blockages in the digestive tract, including the intestines and bowels.
'I find my body craves the foam and sponge and no matter how many vitamin supplements I take I can't stop although I am trying to cut down. If I get the urge too much, I try and clean or go for a walk.'
Vicky admits her passion for sofa chair snacks and foam food has meant a couple of visits to casualty because of severe stomach pains.
She said: 'They gave me laxatives as I was bunged up. I now incorporate a natural laxative like olive oil or prune juice in my diet dipping the foam into it.'
The friends who do know are supportive and otherwise I am a fit and healthy person.
'If I've had a bad day or am stressed I will eat more of my sofa chair and on good days it might just be a bite. The thing is I want people to realise they are not alone. Extreme cravings have a name, they can be treated and controlled and you are not weird.
Vicky admits her weird eating has meant her chair is almost gone.
'My main concern is what happens when I finish this sofa chair so I plan to freeze some pieces so they're always there, frozen.Antoine Profile Blog Joined May 2010 United States 7344 Posts Last Edited: 2011-03-27 03:27:21 #2
torch, bomber, and more already spotted at the site torch, bomber, and more already spotted at the site Moderator Flash Sea Action Snow Midas | TheStC Ret Tyler MC | RIP 우정호
tnud Profile Blog Joined April 2010 Sweden 2229 Posts Last Edited: 2011-03-27 03:28:04 #3 On March 27 2011 12:14 Antoine wrote:
+ Show Spoiler +
torch, bomber, and more in morning groups torch, bomber, and more in morning groups
That's the single most accurate image ever uploaded to the internet
EDIT: and yes, it needs to be not spoilered ;P
EDIT2: fine, it's bothering me That's the single most accurate image ever uploaded to the internetEDIT: and yes, it needs to be not spoilered ;PEDIT2: fine, it's bothering me - ಠ_ಠ - | disinfect wrote: AHAHHAHAHA 2DG FUCK ME ALREADY.
Asha Profile Blog Joined November 2010 United Kingdom 29818 Posts Last Edited: 2011-03-27 03:15:22 #4 F5 has never been more fun =)
Something to keep an eye on in between the sick FXOpen games =) #DeleteGyro
StutteR Profile Blog Joined January 2010 United States 1900 Posts #5 Someone said in the other thread, HayprO and Moonglade in 3 hours. `~` | effOrt Movie sKyHigh forever & SEn
Taf the Ghost Profile Joined December 2010 United States 3957 Posts #6
We can confirm that Torch is there with his ST jacket on.
Also, from a few days ago... apparently Jinro is now being worshiped as a Diety in Korea now.
http://twitpic.com/4ddo0s
This isn't a joke, that's really a picture of something in the GomTV studios. Jinro, you have something you didn't tell us? Information from here as well: http://twitpic.com/photos/Doa_SC We can confirm that Torch is there with his ST jacket on.Also, from a few days ago... apparently Jinro is now being worshiped as a Diety in Korea now.This isn't a joke, that's really a picture of something in the GomTV studios. Jinro, you have something you didn't tell us?
Moonling Profile Blog Joined May 2010 United States 986 Posts #7 Moonglade!!! Morrow!!!! 1% of koreans control 99% of starcraft winnings. #occupykorea.
tnud Profile Blog Joined April 2010 Sweden 2229 Posts #8 Keep an eye out for cella etc. Need to find that stupid bracket that's only on site. - ಠ_ಠ - | disinfect wrote: AHAHHAHAHA 2DG FUCK ME ALREADY.
hitman133 Profile Joined October 2010 United States 1425 Posts #9 quick quick quick. Is Bomber in yet?
SLoGgErDoGgEr Profile Joined March 2004 Korea (South) 340 Posts #10 let's do this moonglade! https://www.twitter.com/SLoGsc2
Zeroxk Profile Joined October 2010 Norway 1204 Posts #11 Is Artosis gonna try qualifying again?
tree.hugger Profile Blog Joined May 2009 Philadelphia, PA 10040 Posts #12 Moderator EffOrt, Snow, GuMiho, and Team Liquid
odder Profile Joined April 2010 United States 405 Posts #13 where is our f5 refresh stream?
tnud Profile Blog Joined April 2010 Sweden 2229 Posts #14 On March 27 2011 12:16 Zeroxk wrote:
Is Artosis gonna try qualifying again?
He's not in korea. In Taiwan I belive? He's not in korea. In Taiwan I belive? - ಠ_ಠ - | disinfect wrote: AHAHHAHAHA 2DG FUCK ME ALREADY.
Vehemus Profile Joined November 2010 United States 586 Posts #15 But I work in the morning. Why the hell does this have to be going on tonight? This is probably my favorite event in all of Esports.
The F5 extravaganza is like nothing else on TL. This space for rent.
NasKe_ Profile Joined October 2010 Brazil 498 Posts #16 motbob
the guy streaming from a notebook live was you?
Pabi Profile Joined March 2011 Germany 126 Posts #17 moonglade tweeted:
mOOnGLaDeau Andrew Pender:
Have my code A qualifiers division at 11am kst (2hours time) >o< I hope i make it! >_< #gsl
so his bracket should have started one hour ago.
ehalf Profile Joined September 2010 408 Posts #18 Hope Artosis can qualify for code A then he would play code A then cast code S at the same day to save travel expense :D
looknohands119 Profile Joined March 2010 United States 813 Posts #19 Damn, that is a sweet earth, I mean poster of Jinro you might say... In all seriousness though I really hope that Moonglade and Torch qualify... Is there really not going to be a stream though? I would think, with Artosis out of the country and Carefoot gone now, that someone would pick up the slack. Don't get me wrong, pics are great but streams are better. "The kingdom of the heavens is buried treasure. Would you sell yourself to buy the one you've found?" - Jon Foreman ('Your Love Is Strong' - Spring EP)
DeltruS Profile Blog Joined April 2010 Canada 2164 Posts #20 GO MVP_Dongraegu! http://grooveshark.com/#/deltrus/music
1 2 3 4 5 53 54 55 NextThe result of a decision made at the UNESCO session in Paris in 1999, March 21 is designated World Poetry Day, a day for cultural organizations, schools, libraries, and publishers worldwide to celebrate the art of poetry. The day is meant to “support linguistic diversity through poetic expression and to offer endangered languages the opportunity to be heard within their communities.”
As former Director-General of UNESCO Irina Bokova has said, “Poetry is one of the purest expressions of linguistic freedom. It is a component of the identity of peoples and it embodies the creative energy of culture, for it can be continuously renewed.”
In celebration of poetry around the world, please take a moment to learn more about the sampling of other poetry organizations and festivals listed below.
We also invite you to keep the celebration going by joining us in celebrating National Poetry Month every April.
International Poetry Organizations and Festivals
Australian Poetry
www.australianpoetry.org
Cork International Poetry Festival
http://www.corkpoetryfest.net/
Festival Internacional de Poesía de Bogotá
http://www.poesiabogota.org
Festival Internacional de Poesía de Quetzaltenango Guatemala
http://fipq.org/
Forward Art Foundation and National Poetry Day in the U.K.
http://www.forwardartsfoundation.org/
German Centre for Poetry and the Poesiefestival Berlin
http://www.literaturwerkstatt.org/en/poesiefestival-berlin/home/
International Poetry Nights in Hong Kong
http://www.ipnhk.com/
League of Canadian Poets
http://www.poets.ca/
Poetry Africa Festival
http://www.cca.ukzn.ac.za/index.php/poetry-africa-home
Poetry International Rotterdam and the Poetry International Festival
http://www.poetryinternationalweb.net/pi/site/home/index/en
Poetry Ireland
www.poetryireland.ie
The Poetry Society
www.poetrysociety.org.uk
Scotland's International Poetry Festival
http://stanzapoetry.org/
Scottish Poetry Library
http://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/
Tasmanian Poetry Festival
http://www.taspoetryfest.org/Tasmanian_Poetry_Festival/Welcome.html
ZEBRA Poetry Film Festival
http://www.literaturwerkstatt.org/en/literaturwerkstatt-berlin/home/Fans gather at Honolulu airport to welcome UFC's Holloway, Medeiros Copyright by KHON - All rights reserved Video
Hundreds of fans turned out in full force to welcome home UFC fighters Max Holloway and Yancy Medeiros fresh off their UFC 212 victories.
Holloway defeated Jose Aldo in a third-round TKO to claim the featherweight championship outright and extend his winning streak to a legendary 11 fights dating back to 2014.
Medeiros defeated opponent Erick Silva in a second-round TKO victory. He is now 2-0 as a UFC welterweight with a 14-4-1 career record.
A special area was sectioned off at the baggage claim of Daniel K. Inouye International Airport Monday to accommodate the massive crowd.
The fighters were escorted off the plane and to a special area to receive lei, and exchange hugs and handshakes with supporters.
KHON2 spotted the University of Hawaii Rainbow Warrior football team, as well as UFC representatives.
So what was going through Holloway's mind following his victory?
"I was like 'Don't cry, Max, you're a fighter. You're a fighter, Max, don't cry,'" he said with a smile.
But what was arguably even better than the belt itself, Holloway said, was the overwhelming support that met him upon his return to Hawaii.
"It's just great. I can't put it into words," Holloway said.
"I seen the pictures and the tweets, I started getting anxiety, like more than my fight," said Medeiros, "but I appreciate the support. I love what I do and I do it for Hawaii, represent, and try to give motivation to anybody I can, be a positive aspect and send some good vibes out there."
The fighters then made their way to Waianae, where another homecoming took place along Farrington Highway.
Both are vocal about their desire to see a UFC fight here in the islands. As Holloway mentioned post-fight Sunday, "I know a place, a stadium. It's very nice."
KHON2's Rob DeMello previously reported that UFC management is "very interested" in local response, and Monday's turnout could play a role in whether or not an event is held in the Aloha State.
"They said they want to do it. They said just keep doing what I'm doing," Holloway said. "We have a meeting with him here in July, definitely UFC Hawaii better happen. I mean, just look at this (crowd)."
"Bring it to my home, please. Give back to my supporters," Medeiros said. "All these fans out here, my family, I mean I'd love to fight in UFC and bring it home."
The UFC had no official comment regarding a future Hawaii event.Novice monks walk in a procession at Buddha Utthayan Makha Bucha Anusorn Buddhist park in Nakhon Nayok to mark Makha Bucha Day on March 4, 2015. (Photo by Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)
National Reform Council (NRC) member Paiboon Nititawan has decided to disband the NRC panel on protecting Buddhism that he chairs amid growing criticism of its recent moves against the clergy.
The committee’s dissolution comes a day after NRC chairman Thienchay Kiranandana insisted the council would not make any recommendations on reforms related to Buddhist monks.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had said earlier the government will not intervene in monastic affairs except when they involve prosecutions.
The Paiboon panel was created more than a month ago to lay down guidelines for the protection of Buddhism as a fresh scandal involving controversial Wat Phra Dhammakaya and its abbot Phra Dhammachayo emerged.
The committee also sent a petition in which it asked the Sangha Supreme Council (SSC) to review its 1999 decision clearing Wat Phra Dhammakaya’s abbot of distorting Buddhist doctrine and embezzlement.
That petition sparked a row with a group of monks who recently urged the government to dissolve the NRC panel or face more pressure from monks nationwide.
Admitting his panel is feeling the heat, Mr Paiboon said the committee has completed raising awareness about the need to reform Buddhist monks’ affairs.
Asked about Mr Thienchay’s stance on the issue, he said: “The NRC chairman wanted the committee to carry on. But as its head, I think the committee has completed its job and if it continues working, it will outlast its usefulness. This may draw criticism against the NRC chairman.
“Our work has raised public awareness [about problems in the clergy] and the mission is complete,” he said.
He said he would keep working on religious reforms through an advocacy network. It would follow up on the alleged embezzlement of the Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative, a scandal in which Wat Phra Dhammakaya was implicated.
Also yesterday, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) revealed its investigation findings regarding the 878 cheques worth 11.3 billion baht paid by the credit union and authorised by ex-chairman Supachai Srisupa-aksorn, the key scam suspect.
Of the total number of cheques paid by the cooperative, 43 of them worth 932 million baht were paid to Wat Phra Dhammakaya and the temple’s monks, including the abbot.
In addition, 27 cheques worth 348 million baht were paid to temple followers close to Mr Supachai; 12 cheques worth 272 million baht were paid to former Wat Phra Dhammakaya monk Sataporn Wattanasirikul and his SW Holding Group; and three cheques worth 46 million baht were paid to Mongkol Setthi Credit Union Coperative founded by Mr Supachai.
The DSI investigation will also look at 135 cheques worth 2.56 billion baht paid to the group of Ratpracha Credit Union Cooperative, Jiradet Wongpiankul and Watchanont Navaisararak; and 658 cheques worth 7.2 billion baht which were paid to other juristic people and went through various overseas transfers.
Meanwhile, Mr Supachai yesterday denied any role in the alleged embezzlement linked to donations to the temple.
He said he made two donations worth 634 million baht to the temple and the abbot during 2009-2010 and the money came from loans he took out from the cooperative.
He said he followed the cooperative’s proper loan regulations and procedures and had already repaid the borrowed money as it appeared in the cooperative’s annual audit report.
Mr Supachai denied claims that he siphoned money from the cooperative and insisted the controversial temple and its abbot had nothing to do with the scandal.
His donations to Phra Dhammachayo were made openly. The abbot was unaware of the size of his donations, the former caretaker of the temple added.
Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said yesterday the cooperative and Wat Phra Dhammakaya are scheduled to negotiate the return of the money in a court on March 16.
Meanwhile, activist monk Phra Buddha Isra, yesterday filed a petition with the Office of the Auditor-General calling for an investigation into alleged high spending by SSC members and by two monastic universities — Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University and Mahamakutrajavidyalaya University.
In response, Phra Maha Show Dassaniyo from the latter university lodged a police complaint against Phra Buddha Isra for his alleged intimidation of Somdet Phra Maha Ratchamangalacharn, the acting Supreme Patriarch.Varmilo VA87M - Double Rainbow Mechanical Keyboard
Have you ever seen a double rainbow? Across the sky perhaps? How about on the table? The Varmilo VA87M Double Rainbow will show you just that.
The VA87M from Varmilo is a mechanical keyboard in the tenkeyless form factor. Utilizing a floating-key design for a streamlined appearance, the VA87M Double Rainbow doesn't skimp on the internals either, with a rigid steel plate holding the keys together and providing significant heft and stability to the board. By designing the top of the case flush with the internal plate, this VA87M has the thinness of a floating-key board combined with the crisp typing feel that a steel plate offers.
True to its name, the Varmilo VA87M Double Rainbow features two types of RGB - one in the legends of the PBT dye-sublimated keycaps, and one in the in-switch lighting, so you can RGB while you RGB.
The keycaps on the VA87M Double Rainbow are PBT with dye-sublimated rainbow legends, and uses a new milky white base from Varmilo. Weighing in at 1.3mm thick, the milky white PBT is a new offering from Varmilo in 2017, providing a softer yet more brilliant white to better show off the rainbow legends.
The VA87M Double Rainbow comes with a wealth of switch options, all from Cherry's RGB line. You have the standard RGB brown, blue, and red, as well as the rare RGB speed silver, silent red, and nature white. Speed silver has a higher actuation point, which leads to faster actuation, hence the "speed", which may just provide you that edge you need to game harder and better. Silent red is similar to red, but with rubber noise dampeners within, which also leads to a cushioned downstroke for less finger fatigue. Nature white is designed specifically as an intermediate between the light linear red and the heavy linear black, and with a semi-translucent stem, it shows off RGB lighting even better than its peers.
Features
Case color
White
Switch type
Cherry MX RGB Brown
Cherry MX RGB Blue
Cherry MX RGB Red
Cherry MX RGB Speed Silver
Cherry MX RGB Silent Red
Cherry MX RGB Nature White
Keycaps
PBT with black dye sublimated legends
In-switch LEDs
RGB
Specs
Varmilo VA87M Double Rainbow
Cherry MX switches
PBT keycaps with dye sublimated rainbow legends
Detachable USB cable
Dimensions: 356 × 134 × 33mm
Weight: ~2kg
Compability: Windows / OS X
Items included
Varmilo VA87M Double Rainbow mechanical keyboard
Steel wire keypuller
Warranty card
Additional blank white spacebar
Dust cover
TimeframeAustralian experts say lethal autonomous weapons lacking meaningful human control sit on the wrong side of a clear moral line
Australian researchers in robotics and artificial intelligence have called on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to take a stand against weaponising AI.
A letter signed by 122 researchers has asked the Turnbull government to become the 20th country to call for a ban on lethal autonomous weapons at a forthcoming United Nations Conference on the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons.
A separate letter – signed by AI experts in Canada, including two founders of deep learning Geoffrey Hinton and Joshua Bengio – has urged Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to support the ban.
These letters follow calls last year by other robotics and AI experts called on the U.N. to prevent the creation of lethal autonomous weapons or what they described as a ‘third revolution in warfare.’
In their letter, Australian experts say lethal autonomous weapons lacking meaningful human control sit on the wrong side of a clear moral line.
“To this end, we ask Australia to announce its support for the call to ban lethal autonomous weapons systems at the upcoming UN Conference on CW. Australia should also commit to working with other states to conclude a new international agreement that achieves this objective.
“In this way, the government can reclaim its position of moral leadership on the world stage as demonstrated previously in other areas like the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons,” the letter said.
“With Australia’s recent election to the UN’s Human Rights Council, the issue of lethal autonomous weapons is even more pressing for Australia to address.”
Toby Walsh, scientia professor of AI at UNSW, said the AI and robotics communities have sent a clear and consistent message over the past couple of years about this issue.
“We need to act now to ban lethal autonomous weapons,” Walsh said. “Artificial intelligence can be used for immense good, to improve productivity, to tackle climate change, to improve health care.
“Equally, AI can be used to make our lives much worse, especially if we let machines decide who lives and who dies. We get to choose how technology is used. I very much hope we make the right choice here. We have little time to act before these technologies are in daily use."
Join the CIO Australia group on LinkedIn. The group is open to CIOs, IT Directors, COOs, CTOs and senior IT managers.Today we chat with Jamie Laing, enigmatic star of Channel 4’s hit show Made In Chelsea. Jamie has recently founded Candy Kittens, a gourmet confectionary and fashion brand based in London.
Although a relative newcomer to the traditional confectionary market, Candy Kittens is absolutely flourishing. The brand has built a strong online presence, engaging in a fun way with its customers with frequent ‘pop-up’ events and has recently been stocked in the major supermarket chain Waitrose.
So Jamie can you tell us a little about Candy Kittens and your reasons for founding the company?
I came up with the idea of Candy Kittens whilst at Leeds University. I wanted to work for myself and needed an idea. I decided that I would combine three of things that I loved- sweets, fashion and girls.
We love the beautiful design of your products and packaging. Can you tell us where you get your design and product inspiration?
Sweets, eaten by all ages, are traditionally packaged with bright colouring and images aimed to excite young children. We wanted to challenge this and make a premium product that would be inviting to a more adult market by using bold and striking designs that were beautifully packaged.
We also wanted to create sweets that taste delicious but were as healthy as possible. Our range is made with all natural flavours and colourings and they are also gluten free. We started with four original flavours and we are now working on a sugar free variety.
Your guerilla marketing campaigns, such as Easter 2014 Say No to Chocolate are incredibly fun and engaging. How important is it for you to communicate with your customers?
Our customers are hugely important to us and customer service is key. We are a fun, young brand and one of the first businesses to start via social media. We have created a strong online fan base which has proved invaluable to us. We do pop up shops and tour with our Candy Van because, as a brand, we are all about meeting people.
How has Candy Kittens been received by the public, as well as the industry?
We have had a great response to our products. We are now stocked in Waitrose, TopShop, and Selfridges among others. Our products are in the USA, Germany, Netherlands and the Middle East.
Finally, where do you hope to see Candy Kittens in the coming years?
We want to increase our range of product and further improve our infrastructure, providing a heightened level of service to our growing list of retailers and online customers.
Find Candy Kittens:
candykittens.co.uk
twitter.com/CandyKittens_UK
facebook.com/CandyKittensUK
AdvertisementsMost people all over the world would consider a glass of cold water more energizing than a warm one. However, according to Ayurveda text, hot water has a variety of health advantages. While drinking cold water, particularly with food, can create problems. The idea behind drinking cold water it that it can “surprise” the system that has some goodness biochemical and physiological.
Most of us are not very fond of hot water because they are not familiar with its benefits. There are plenty of benefits of drinking hot water. There are other people who say they feel their uncurbed thirst when drink hot water. Anyhow once you know some of your benefits, you’ll indeed want to switch to drink hot water instead of cold water.
Ayurvedic View On Hot Water Drinking
Ayurveda advocates that you must drink water warm, as cold foods and juices can reduce your digestive fire (Agni). Cold water slows down the digestive system that has just started by diluting your digestive juices, so they cannot do their job as efficiently. Thus compelling the energy used for digestion it to be used to bring the temperature of the accompanying liquid in your stomach to body temperature.
As a result incompletely or undigested food that moves through the digestive system, may or may not be eliminated properly. As a result, a result you may also feel heavy, tired and bloated. Proper elimination is essential to prevent the build-up of waste material in the intestine since such a build up creates toxins and stops foods from being merged with the body.
Hot water stimulates hunger, supports in good digestion, sooth’s throat, cleanses bladder, reduces hiccups, and soothes the increased vata and kapha. It quiets characteristics of breathlessness, fevers as well as cold and cough. It pulls out and flushes’s AMA, the metabolic toxin from a body.
Health Benefits of Hot Water Drinking
1.It Enhanced Stamina and Performance : Drinking warm water routinely may better your health by protecting the systems throughout your body uninfected and sterilized. When your body is not overloaded with toxins, it can perform at a maximum level. This can lead to and gain in stamina and accomplishment. These effects in better overall performance on both a physical and mental level.
2.It improves blood circulation: When you drink hot water, the fat deposits in the body burns and the built-up accumulations in the nervous system additionally breaks down. This enhances blood circulation throughout the body and as well flushes out harmful toxins.
3.Increase perspiration: When you drink a hot refreshment, you sweat a lot for sooner or later. This is because when we drink hot water or any other beverage, the body temperature increases and the water tries to cool down the temperature through perspiration. Perspiration helps clean the skin cells by taking out surplus water and salt from the cells and body.
4.It Cure constipation: This is a regular stomach trouble that grows due to water scarcity in the body. The stool settles in the intestines and lowers the bowel movement. This causes you to suffer from irregularity were passing out stool is difficult and occasionally extremely painful. Have a glass of hot water with empty stomach in the morning to rectify bowel movements and cure irregularity. Hot or warm water breaks down food particles and overtakes them out via intestines.
5.It Aid in weight loss: numerous dieticians ask you to drink a glass of hot water with lemon and honey every day to lose weight. Well, the suggestion is very beneficial in dropping extra pounds. The reason it hot water breaks down fat deposits from the body and supports in weight loss. Having a glass of hot or warm water either with lemon or honey or both, after every meal is very beneficial. Lemon has pectin fiber that regulates food craving and is perfect for people who are on alkalic diet.
6.It helps in Cleansing and purifying of body : One of the most outstanding benefits of drinking hot water is, that it is very advantageous in cleansing the body. Poor digestion can be definitely treated by having a glass of hot water twice a day. Drink a glass of hot water early in the morning will flush out toxins from the body and cleanse the system. You can also take hot water mixed with honey or lemon for best results.
7.It works for cold and cough: Irritation in the throat due to cough or tonsil can be honestly painful. In this condition drinking hot or warm water reduces throat pain, liquefies thick cough and helps it come out easily.
8.It reduces body pain: Drinking a glass of hot water with carom seeds is a productive home remedy to cure menstrual cramps. If you have abdomen pain, migraine or body pain, have a glass of hot water to get immediate relief.
9.It Develops Emotional Responses and Thoughts: Drinking warm water can help for the elimination of toxic accumulations from the body’s nervous system. Holistic practitioners believe that these toxins can have a contradictory effect on your sensations and thoughts. According to this principle of ayurveda if you drink warm water, you can purify your mind and body and acquire a balanced mental state. This equilibrium can help to keep your thoughts clear, that may lead to bettered overall health.A surprising rag-tag group of X-Men bands together to save our world from a new threat with results—dare we say—astonishing.
Writer Charles Soule’s new series, ASTONISHING X-MEN, hits on July 19 and it boasts double the drama, triple the mutant action, and a roster of artists to rival that of the characters. But let’s get one thing straight; you won’t find a typical X-Men story within the pages of this book. Why, you ask? We talked to Charles Soule to find out just what makes this title so different.
Marvel.com: Can you set the scene for us? What’s going on as this book kicks off?
Charles Soule: ASTONISHING X-MEN begins with an attack on the world’s psychics, both super hero-types and not. It’s vicious, and quick, and things are looking terrible from page one. We pick up the main thread of the story in London, where one of these attacks is taking place. Psylocke is at ground zero, and sends out sort of a psychic distress call to anyone nearby who might be able to help. A group of X-Men arrives to see what they can do…and we’re off.
Marvel.com: How does this book differ from other “team” books?
Charles Soule: Well, it’s not a team, really. This isn’t a group of X-Men with a mission statement and headquarters. It’s a cast of super-powered people, all of whom have been involved in questionable things in their past, coming together to try to solve |
.23–1.90) 0.31 (0.16–0.59)*** Blowing smoke by door or window Moderately effective 2.29 (1.11–4.73)* 1.28 (0.57–2.86) 2.16 (0.92–5.05) 0.45 (0.27–0.76)** Not effective 2.10 (0.88–5.00) 1.58 (0.58–4.31) 1.30 (0.42–4.09) 0.50 (0.25–0.99)* Waiting an hour before entering a room where somebody smoked Moderately effective 0.69 (0.35–1.36) 1.67 (0.67–4.17) 0.97 (0.40–2.32) 0.97 (0.55–1.71) Not effective 0.59 (0.29–1.20) 1.20 (0.47–3.08) 1.08 (0.42–2.75) 1.29 (0.71–2.36) Smoking under the kitchen fan Moderately effective 1.64 (0.90–3.02) 1.20 (0.58–2.50) 0.95 (0.46–1.99) 0.75 (0.47–1.19) Not effective 3.09 (1.53–6.23)** 1.33 (0.56–3.16) 1.86 (0.77–4.48) 0.34 (0.19–0.59)*** Knowledge of health risks associated with exposure to SHS Scale of knowledge (ref. 4–5) 0–1 0.21 (0.11–0.43)*** 0.80 (0.40–1.62) 0.78 (0.34–1.79) 2.94 (1.74–4.96)*** 2–3 0.84 (0.53–1.32) 0.78 (0.45–1.38) 1.08 (0.57–2.06) 1.23 (0.83–1.81) Nicotine dependence Heaviness of smoking index (ref. 5–6) 0–1 7.74 (3.23–18.54)*** 1.09 (0.45–2.67) 3.20 (0.91–11.30) 0.18 (0.09–0.35)*** 2–4 2.12 (0.88–5.09) 1.43 (0.62–3.29) 2.27 (0.66–7.81) 0.44 (0.23–0.82)* Nagelkerke R2 0.463 0.243 0.119 0.475 View Large
Table 2. Households that remained smoke-free (n = 175) Households that became smoke-free (n = 86) Households that regressed to allowing smoking (n = 57) Households that remained smoking (n = 628) OR (95% CI) Individual characteristics Age (years) (ref. 18–24 years) 65+ years 0.23 (0.05–1.01) 0.72 (0.20–2.56) 0.49 (0.12–2.06) 3.33 (1.17–9.47)* 45–64 years 0.39 (0.20–0.77)** 0.36 (0.16–0.81)* 0.39 (0.17–0.87)* 5.32 (2.84–9.97)*** 25–44 years 0.58 (0.29–1.13) 0.75 (0.34–1.64) 0.29 (0.13–0.68)** 3.12 (1.67–5.83)*** Gender (ref. female) Male 2.21 (1.43–3.41)*** 1.12 (0.68–1.86) 0.95 (0.54–1.69) 0.61 (0.42–0.87)** Education (ref. university) Primary school 0.33 (0.14–0.75)** 1.29 (0.52–3.19) 0.69 (0.23–2.03) 2.20 (1.15–4.22)* Secondary school 0.53 (0.30–0.95)* 1.71 (0.83–3.51) 1.09 (0.50–2.40) 1.17 (0.71–1.92) College 0.81 (0.45–1.45) 0.86 (0.39–1.87) 0.75 (0.31–1.81) 1.42 (0.85–2.39) Household characteristics Annual household income (ref. $80,000 and more) Less than $20,000 1.29 (0.57–2.91) 0.67 (0.26–1.76) 0.41 (0.12–1.37) 1.72 (0.85–3.49) $20,000–$49,999 0.87 (0.47–1.62) 0.68 (0.30–1.54) 0.69 (0.29–1.62) 1.81 (1.05–3.11)* $50,000–$79,999 0.80 (0.43–1.48) 1.29 (0.60–2.77) 0.48 (0.19–1.21) 1.49 (0.85–2.59) Refusal 0.55 (0.25–1.19) 1.42 (0.58–3.49) 1.63 (0.69–3.81) 1.10 (0.58–2.08) Household composition (ref. mixed) Living alone 0.21 (0.11–0.41)*** 1.79 (0.91–3.53) 0.77 (0.35–1.71) 2.22 (1.37–3.58)** Smoking household 0.45 (0.26–0.80)** 1.25 (0.66–2.37) 0.60 (0.26–1.37) 1.95 (1.23–3.09)** Age of youngest child in household (ref. no children) 0–12 years 2.38 (1.36–4.15)** 0.40 (0.19–0.85)* 1.31 (0.60–2.86) 0.67 (0.42–1.08) 13–17 years 2.22 (1.26–3.90)** 0.78 (0.40–1.54) 0.94 (0.42–2.10) 0.65 (0.40–1.04) Perceived effectiveness of strategies to reduce exposure to SHS in homes (ref. effective) Smoking only in certain rooms Moderately effective 0.72 (0.31–1.65) 1.57 (0.54–4.51) 0.69 (0.29–1.64) 1.13 (0.61–2.08) Not effective 1.90 (0.82–4.42) 2.04 (0.69–5.99) 0.58 (0.22–1.50) 0.56 (0.30–1.05) Opening doors or windows Moderately effective 1.55 (0.77–3.15) 2.07 (0.84–5.09) 0.61 (0.29–1.30) 0.84 (0.51–1.38) Not effective 3.78 (1.62–8.79)** 2.77 (0.96–8.03) 0.67 (0.23–1.90) 0.31 (0.16–0.59)*** Blowing smoke by door or window Moderately effective 2.29 (1.11–4.73)* 1.28 (0.57–2.86) 2.16 (0.92–5.05) 0.45 (0.27–0.76)** Not effective 2.10 (0.88–5.00) 1.58 (0.58–4.31) 1.30 (0.42–4.09) 0.50 (0.25–0.99)* Waiting an hour before entering a room where somebody smoked Moderately effective 0.69 (0.35–1.36) 1.67 (0.67–4.17) 0.97 (0.40–2.32) 0.97 (0.55–1.71) Not effective 0.59 (0.29–1.20) 1.20 (0.47–3.08) 1.08 (0.42–2.75) 1.29 (0.71–2.36) Smoking under the kitchen fan Moderately effective 1.64 (0.90–3.02) 1.20 (0.58–2.50) 0.95 (0.46–1.99) 0.75 (0.47–1.19) Not effective 3.09 (1.53–6.23)** 1.33 (0.56–3.16) 1.86 (0.77–4.48) 0.34 (0.19–0.59)*** Knowledge of health risks associated with exposure to SHS Scale of knowledge (ref. 4–5) 0–1 0.21 (0.11–0.43)*** 0.80 (0.40–1.62) 0.78 (0.34–1.79) 2.94 (1.74–4.96)*** 2–3 0.84 (0.53–1.32) 0.78 (0.45–1.38) 1.08 (0.57–2.06) 1.23 (0.83–1.81) Nicotine dependence Heaviness of smoking index (ref. 5–6) 0–1 7.74 (3.23–18.54)*** 1.09 (0.45–2.67) 3.20 (0.91–11.30) 0.18 (0.09–0.35)*** 2–4 2.12 (0.88–5.09) 1.43 (0.62–3.29) 2.27 (0.66–7.81) 0.44 (0.23–0.82)* Nagelkerke R2 0.463 0.243 0.119 0.475 Households that remained smoke-free (n = 175) Households that became smoke-free (n = 86) Households that regressed to allowing smoking (n = 57) Households that remained smoking (n = 628) OR (95% CI) Individual characteristics Age (years) (ref. 18–24 years) 65+ years 0.23 (0.05–1.01) 0.72 (0.20–2.56) 0.49 (0.12–2.06) 3.33 (1.17–9.47)* 45–64 years 0.39 (0.20–0.77)** 0.36 (0.16–0.81)* 0.39 (0.17–0.87)* 5.32 (2.84–9.97)*** 25–44 years 0.58 (0.29–1.13) 0.75 (0.34–1.64) 0.29 (0.13–0.68)** 3.12 (1.67–5.83)*** Gender (ref. female) Male 2.21 (1.43–3.41)*** 1.12 (0.68–1.86) 0.95 (0.54–1.69) 0.61 (0.42–0.87)** Education (ref. university) Primary school 0.33 (0.14–0.75)** 1.29 (0.52–3.19) 0.69 (0.23–2.03) 2.20 (1.15–4.22)* Secondary school 0.53 (0.30–0.95)* 1.71 (0.83–3.51) 1.09 (0.50–2.40) 1.17 (0.71–1.92) College 0.81 (0.45–1.45) 0.86 (0.39–1.87) 0.75 (0.31–1.81) 1.42 (0.85–2.39) Household characteristics Annual household income (ref. $80,000 and more) Less than $20,000 1.29 (0.57–2.91) 0.67 (0.26–1.76) 0.41 (0.12–1.37) 1.72 (0.85–3.49) $20,000–$49,999 0.87 (0.47–1.62) 0.68 (0.30–1.54) 0.69 (0.29–1.62) 1.81 (1.05–3.11)* $50,000–$79,999 0.80 (0.43–1.48) 1.29 (0.60–2.77) 0.48 (0.19–1.21) 1.49 (0.85–2.59) Refusal 0.55 (0.25–1.19) 1.42 (0.58–3.49) 1.63 (0.69–3.81) 1.10 (0.58–2.08) Household composition (ref. mixed) Living alone 0.21 (0.11–0.41)*** 1.79 (0.91–3.53) 0.77 (0.35–1.71) 2.22 (1.37–3.58)** Smoking household 0.45 (0.26–0.80)** 1.25 (0.66–2.37) 0.60 (0.26–1.37) 1.95 (1.23–3.09)** Age of youngest child in household (ref. no children) 0–12 years 2.38 (1.36–4.15)** 0.40 (0.19–0.85)* 1.31 (0.60–2.86) 0.67 (0.42–1.08) 13–17 years 2.22 (1.26–3.90)** 0.78 (0.40–1.54) 0.94 (0.42–2.10) 0.65 (0.40–1.04) Perceived effectiveness of strategies to reduce exposure to SHS in homes (ref. effective) Smoking only in certain rooms Moderately effective 0.72 (0.31–1.65) 1.57 (0.54–4.51) 0.69 (0.29–1.64) 1.13 (0.61–2.08) Not effective 1.90 (0.82–4.42) 2.04 (0.69–5.99) 0.58 (0.22–1.50) 0.56 (0.30–1.05) Opening doors or windows Moderately effective 1.55 (0.77–3.15) 2.07 (0.84–5.09) 0.61 (0.29–1.30) 0.84 (0.51–1.38) Not effective 3.78 (1.62–8.79)** 2.77 (0.96–8.03) 0.67 (0.23–1.90) 0.31 (0.16–0.59)*** Blowing smoke by door or window Moderately effective 2.29 (1.11–4.73)* 1.28 (0.57–2.86) 2.16 (0.92–5.05) 0.45 (0.27–0.76)** Not effective 2.10 (0.88–5.00) 1.58 (0.58–4.31) 1.30 (0.42–4.09) 0.50 (0.25–0.99)* Waiting an hour before entering a room where somebody smoked Moderately effective 0.69 (0.35–1.36) 1.67 (0.67–4.17) 0.97 (0.40–2.32) 0.97 (0.55–1.71) Not effective 0.59 (0.29–1.20) 1.20 (0.47–3.08) 1.08 (0.42–2.75) 1.29 (0.71–2.36) Smoking under the kitchen fan Moderately effective 1.64 (0.90–3.02) 1.20 (0.58–2.50) 0.95 (0.46–1.99) 0.75 (0.47–1.19) Not effective 3.09 (1.53–6.23)** 1.33 (0.56–3.16) 1.86 (0.77–4.48) 0.34 (0.19–0.59)*** Knowledge of health risks associated with exposure to SHS Scale of knowledge (ref. 4–5) 0–1 0.21 (0.11–0.43)*** 0.80 (0.40–1.62) 0.78 (0.34–1.79) 2.94 (1.74–4.96)*** 2–3 0.84 (0.53–1.32) 0.78 (0.45–1.38) 1.08 (0.57–2.06) 1.23 (0.83–1.81) Nicotine dependence Heaviness of smoking index (ref. 5–6) 0–1 7.74 (3.23–18.54)*** 1.09 (0.45–2.67) 3.20 (0.91–11.30) 0.18 (0.09–0.35)*** 2–4 2.12 (0.88–5.09) 1.43 (0.62–3.29) 2.27 (0.66–7.81) 0.44 (0.23–0.82)* Nagelkerke R2 0.463 0.243 0.119 0.475 View Large
Conversely, smokers who permitted smoking inside their homes at baseline and follow-up reported higher scores on dependence to nicotine, reported a more modest income, and were living alone or with other smokers. They were more likely to consider strategies preventing exposure to SHS to be effective such as blowing smoke by doors and windows, opening doors and windows, and smoking under the kitchen fan. They were less knowledgeable about health risks associated with smoking. The youngest respondents (18–24 years) were also less likely to live in homes that continued to allow smoking.
Effect of Smoke-Free Restrictions on Smoking Cessation
Continuing smokers who made their homes smoke-free between the pre- and post-ban periods significantly decreased the number of cigarettes they smoked inside their home between baseline and follow-up (Table 3). Still, continuing smokers who continued to allow smoking in their home between baseline and follow-up reported smoking fewer cigarettes per day in general between the two time points. However, changes in smoking restrictions in homes did not affect smoking cessation among continuing smokers.
Table 3. May 2006 December 2007 Paired t test M (SD) M (SD) Cigarettes smoked per day among continuing smokers (n = 900) 15.70 (9.54) 15.06 (9.04) 2.80** In households that remained smoke-free (n = 141) 10.61 (9.79) 10.12 (8.10) 0.92 In households that became smoke-free (n = 53) 11.91 (7.84) 10.35 (7.70) 1.90 In households that regressed to allowing smoking (n = 53) 12.04 (9.94) 12.84 (9.04) 0.91 In households that remained smoking (n = 653) 17.41 (9.02) 16.69 (8.78) 2.58* Cigarettes smoked per day inside the home among continuing smokers (n = 695) 12.18 (8.14) 11.45 (8.41) 2.71** In households that remained smoke-free (n = 142) a 0.50 (2.04) – In households that became smoke-free (n = 53) 6.63 (6.25) 1.43 (3.64) 6.25*** In households that regressed to allowing smoking (n = 50) a 7.18 (5.92) – In households that remained smoking (n = 642) 12.63 (8.12) 12.28 (8.15) 1.29 % (95% CI) χ2 Cessation attempt between May 2006 and December 2007 4.86 Households that remained smoke-free (n = 146) 37.7 (29.8–45.5) Households that became smoke-free (n = 54) 44.4 (31.2–57.7) Households that regressed to allowing smoking (n = 54) 35.2b (22.7–49.4) Households that remained smoking (n = 659) 31.9 (28.3–35.4) May 2006 December 2007 Paired t test M (SD) M (SD) Cigarettes smoked per day among continuing smokers (n = 900) 15.70 (9.54) 15.06 (9.04) 2.80** In households that remained smoke-free (n = 141) 10.61 (9.79) 10.12 (8.10) 0.92 In households that became smoke-free (n = 53) 11.91 (7.84) 10.35 (7.70) 1.90 In households that regressed to allowing smoking (n = 53) 12.04 (9.94) 12.84 (9.04) 0.91 In households that remained smoking (n = 653) 17.41 (9.02) 16.69 (8.78) 2.58* Cigarettes smoked per day inside the home among continuing smokers (n = 695) 12.18 (8.14) 11.45 (8.41) 2.71** In households that remained smoke-free (n = 142) a 0.50 (2.04) – In households that became smoke-free (n = 53) 6.63 (6.25) 1.43 (3.64) 6.25*** In households that regressed to allowing smoking (n = 50) a 7.18 (5.92) – In households that remained smoking (n = 642) 12.63 (8.12) 12.28 (8.15) 1.29 % (95% CI) χ2 Cessation attempt between May 2006 and December 2007 4.86 Households that remained smoke-free (n = 146) 37.7 (29.8–45.5) Households that became smoke-free (n = 54) 44.4 (31.2–57.7) Households that regressed to allowing smoking (n = 54) 35.2b (22.7–49.4) Households that remained smoking (n = 659) 31.9 (28.3–35.4) View Large
Table 3. May 2006 December 2007 Paired t test M (SD) M (SD) Cigarettes smoked per day among continuing smokers (n = 900) 15.70 (9.54) 15.06 (9.04) 2.80** In households that remained smoke-free (n = 141) 10.61 (9.79) 10.12 (8.10) 0.92 In households that became smoke-free (n = 53) 11.91 (7.84) 10.35 (7.70) 1.90 In households that regressed to allowing smoking (n = 53) 12.04 (9.94) 12.84 (9.04) 0.91 In households that remained smoking (n = 653) 17.41 (9.02) 16.69 (8.78) 2.58* Cigarettes smoked per day inside the home among continuing smokers (n = 695) 12.18 (8.14) 11.45 (8.41) 2.71** In households that remained smoke-free (n = 142) a 0.50 (2.04) – In households that became smoke-free (n = 53) 6.63 (6.25) 1.43 (3.64) 6.25*** In households that regressed to allowing smoking (n = 50) a 7.18 (5.92) – In households that remained smoking (n = 642) 12.63 (8.12) 12.28 (8.15) 1.29 % (95% CI) χ2 Cessation attempt between May 2006 and December 2007 4.86 Households that remained smoke-free (n = 146) 37.7 (29.8–45.5) Households that became smoke-free (n = 54) 44.4 (31.2–57.7) Households that regressed to allowing smoking (n = 54) 35.2b (22.7–49.4) Households that remained smoking (n = 659) 31.9 (28.3–35.4) May 2006 December 2007 Paired t test M (SD) M (SD) Cigarettes smoked per day among continuing smokers (n = 900) 15.70 (9.54) 15.06 (9.04) 2.80** In households that remained smoke-free (n = 141) 10.61 (9.79) 10.12 (8.10) 0.92 In households that became smoke-free (n = 53) 11.91 (7.84) 10.35 (7.70) 1.90 In households that regressed to allowing smoking (n = 53) 12.04 (9.94) 12.84 (9.04) 0.91 In households that remained smoking (n = 653) 17.41 (9.02) 16.69 (8.78) 2.58* Cigarettes smoked per day inside the home among continuing smokers (n = 695) 12.18 (8.14) 11.45 (8.41) 2.71** In households that remained smoke-free (n = 142) a 0.50 (2.04) – In households that became smoke-free (n = 53) 6.63 (6.25) 1.43 (3.64) 6.25*** In households that regressed to allowing smoking (n = 50) a 7.18 (5.92) – In households that remained smoking (n = 642) 12.63 (8.12) 12.28 (8.15) 1.29 % (95% CI) χ2 Cessation attempt between May 2006 and December 2007 4.86 Households that remained smoke-free (n = 146) 37.7 (29.8–45.5) Households that became smoke-free (n = 54) 44.4 (31.2–57.7) Households that regressed to allowing smoking (n = 54) 35.2b (22.7–49.4) Households that remained smoking (n = 659) 31.9 (28.3–35.4) View Large
Discussion
This study followed a cohort of smokers 1 month before the implementation of a smoking ban in all public places in Québec and 18 months after. The general objective of the study was to examine voluntary smoking restrictions in homes before and after the implementation of the public smoking ban, the predictors of these in-home restrictions, and their relation to tobacco use and cessation. This study revealed that the proportion of smoke-free homes did not change significantly between baseline and follow-up among smokers. Results for the current study differed from previous findings. For example, a study by Cheng et al.4 found strong clean indoor air laws to be associated with large increases in voluntary smokefree-home policies both in the homes with and without smokers. There are several factors that could explain the differences between the two studies. First, the nature of the ban is different in both studies. In Quebec, legislation restricting workplace smoking had already been in effect for a year before public smoking bans were undertaken. Second, in terms of the study design, the current study is a cohort study that followed the same individuals before and after the ban whereas the Cheng et al.4 study compared data from repeated cross-sectional studies. Thus, this study is mostly an analysis of trajectories of groups whereas the Cheng et al.4 study is an analysis of trends of aggregated data. Finally, the two studies took place during different periods of time, which could be a source of variation. For instance, the current study took place between 2006 and 2008 whereas the Cheng et al.4 study report on the Tobacco Use Supplement of the Current Population Survey (TUS-CPS) comparing data between 1992 and 2007. Consequently, comparisons between the two studies should be done with caution.
Results also showed that adopting smoke-free homes occurred in specific groups, mostly among lighter smokers and those of younger age, in contrast with heavier, middle-aged smokers. Overall, around 75% of households allowed smoking inside the home with or without partial restrictions. This result may be an indication that significant changes in smoking restrictions in homes occurred among quitters. Contextual factors related to the household’s composition also explained the adoption of smoke-free rules at home. For instance, living with nonsmokers or with young children was associated with a greater probability of adopting a smoking ban in the household. This result may suggest that personal reconfiguration of private locations is a complex process in which individual and collective characteristics and actions are associated.
Beyond social-structural factors, beliefs about health risks associated with exposure to SHS and the efficiency of strategies to counter them are also key predictors of a change in smoking restrictions in homes. For instance, smokers who continued to allow smoking in their homes exhibited a poor knowledge of health risks associated with exposure to SHS and a stronger belief in the efficiency of various strategies, other than a total smoking ban inside the home, known to be ineffective in reducing exposure to SHS in the home. The influence of attitudes and beliefs on actions nicely articulate the theory of reasoned action37 and emphasizes the need for preventive efforts informing smokers about health risks associated with exposure to SHS, and preempting misperceptions that strategies other than a total smoking ban inside the home are effective ways to reduce exposure to SHS in homes.
Various limitations of this study should be acknowledged. It is possible that had the follow-up period been longer the decrease in smoke free homes would have become significant. It should be noted however that previous studies with similar or even shorter follow-up times have found significant results when analyzing similar outcomes.3,11 Furthermore, changes due to the ban would have been difficult to disentangle from other factors that occur over time as changes in smoking restrictions do not occur in a social and cultural vacuum but rather are embedded in an ever-changing sociocultural and normative context. The implementation of a smoking ban in public places was one of several governmental actions aiming to protect nonsmokers from exposure to SHS, prevent smoking initiation among youth, and support smokers wishing to quit.38 These simultaneous changes complicate the estimation of the influence of the smoking ban. For instance, the prevalence of tobacco use in the general population aged 15 years and older has been decreasing consistently from 40% in 1987 to 27% in 2003, and stabilizing since 2005 at approximately 25%.31 During this same period, comprehensive tobacco control interventions included prohibition of tobacco promotion and display in points of sale in 2008, a 62% decrease in the number of tobacco points of sale within the province from 19,500 in 2003 to 7,500 in 2008, provincial prevention media campaigns, and free access to cessation counseling services including free pharmaceutical aids.39,40
Despite the above-mentioned limitations, a number of households decided to become smoke-free following the smoking ban. The changes in smoking restrictions in homes did not occur equally across various subgroups of smokers, and as such, trigger the reflection on the need for customized intervention studies to address homes that remain smoking in particular groups and to reach out to high-risk populations where changes are less pronounced.
Funding
This work was supported by an operating grant from the Canadian Tobacco Control Research Initiative (018792) to SK and JEC and a contribution from the Ministry of Health and Social Services.
Declaration of Interests
None declared.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank L. Guyon and A. Demers for their contributions to the first stages of the project.
References
1. Borland R Yong HH Cummings KM Hyland A Anderson S Fong GT Determinants and consequences of smoke-free homes: findings from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Four Country Survey. Tob Control. 2006 ; 15 ( suppl 3 ): iii42 – iii50. ): 2. Akhtar PC Currie DB Currie CE Haw SJ Changes in child exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (CHETS) study after implementation of smoke-free legislation in Scotland: national cross sectional survey. Brit Med J. 2007 ; 335 : 545. 3. Akhtar PC Haw SJ Currie DB Zachary R Currie CE Smoking restrictions in the home and secondhand smoke exposure among primary schoolchildren before and after introduction of the Scottish smoke-free legislation. Tob Control. 2009 ; 18 : 409 – 415. 4. Cheng KW Glantz SA Lightwood JM Association between smokefree laws and voluntary smokefree-home rules. Am J Prev Med. 2011 ; 41 : 566 – 572. 5. Cheng KW Okechukwu CA McMillen R Glantz SA Association between clean indoor air laws and voluntary smokefree rules in homes and cars [published online ahead of print 2013 ]. Tob Control. Advance online publication. doi:. [published online ahead of print].. Advance online publication. doi:. 6. Ho SY Wang MP Lo WS et al. Comprehensive smoke-free legislation and displacement of smoking into the homes of young children in Hong Kong. Tob Control. 2010 ; 19 : 129 – 133. 7. Nazar GP Lee JT Glantz SA Arora M Pearce N Millett C Association between being employed in a smoke-free workplace and living in a smoke-free home: evidence from 15 low and middle income countries. Prev Med. 2014 ; 59 : 47 – 53. 8. Adda J Cornaglia F The effect of bans and taxes on passive smoking. Am Econ J Appl Econ. 2010 ; 2 : 1 – 32. 9. Biener L Garrett CA Skeer M Siegel M Connolly G The effects on smokers of Boston’s smoke-free bar ordinance: a longitudinal analysis of changes in compliance, patronage, policy support, and smoking at home. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2007 ; 13 : 630 – 636. 10. Callinan JE Clarke A Doherty K Kelleher C Legislative smoking bans for reducing secondhand smoke exposure, smoking prevalence and tobacco consumption. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2010 ;( 4 ): CD005992. doi:. ;():. doi:. 11. Fong GT Hyland A Borland R et al. Reductions in tobacco smoke pollution and increases in support for |
-wing pleas to preserve a Senate seat and the president’s personal endorsement of Moore (capped off by a rally Friday just over the border in Florida), Alabama voters decided they’d prefer not to perpetuate the stereotype of reactionary, racist Southerners.
Kudos to Jones, who ran a disciplined race, referencing but not exploiting Moore’s alleged victims and positing an affirmative message for his state that included health care and education. Credit should also go to Sen. Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala.), whose last-minute declaration he had not voted for Moore may have swung some voters. In addition, an exceptionally high African American turnout (30 percent of the electorate in early exit polls), as well as overwhelming support among younger voters and a 17-point gender gap — very similar to the coalition that delivered big wins for Democrats in Virginia — made the difference. Certainly, the ultimate responsibility and credit for the defeat of the odious Moore goes to Alabama voters who decided enough was enough.
[Thank you, Alabama]
The consequences of the election will be played out through the midterm elections and possibly beyond. We should keep our eye on five possible results of Jones’s victory.
First, Trump, having been rebuffed twice by Alabama voters (after backing Luther Strange, who lost in the Republican primary, and then Moore), emerges a weakened, somewhat pathetic character. In a state he won with over 60 percent of the vote last year, his approval in exit polling was 48 percent, with disapproval at 47 percent. His party rebuked him on Obamacare repeal and now failed to carry his candidate over the finish line. In Alabama, of all places. With political impotence may come a Trumpian outburst — or string of outbursts — and a greater willingness among Republicans in the House and Senate to defy him. It’s every man and women for him- or herself in 2018.
Second, the defeat of Moore will intensify focus on Trump and his accusers as well as miscreants in Congress. With the resignations of Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) and Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.), the tide had clearly turned in favor of credible accusers. Given the swift and fierce reaction in response to Trump’s demeaning tweet virtually calling Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) a prostitute, watch for emboldened Democrats to demand an investigation of Trump’s alleged sexual misconduct. That may well be a key issue in 2018. The president may now have more to fear from female senators than from Robert S. Mueller III.
Third, the GOP is spared the ordeal of seating Moore in the Senate, but at the price of narrowing their margin to 51-to-49. This makes passage of the tax bill that much dicier and puts Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), already under fire for support of the first version, in a precarious position. Does she swallow the phony spin and the bogus analyses or stand firm in support of the Obamacare exchanges and fiscal prudence? (FamiliesUSA put out another analysis debunking her claim that two legislative fixes make up for repeal of the individual mandate.) Expect the onslaught against Collins to intensify.
Fourth, this may be the beginning of the end of Stephen K. Bannon’s self-perpetuated myth that he’s a brilliant strategist. He managed to lose a Senate seat in Alabama. As a result, his efforts to primary mainstream GOP incumbents may fall flat and suffer from a shortage of funding. The GOP establishment lives to fight another day.
Fifth, we pray the defeat of Moore initiates some soul-searching in the GOP, a determination to hold to moral and intellectual standards and to reject, if not Trump, then Trumpism. If pure, undistilled Trumpism is a dud in a deep-red state, perhaps Republicans will conclude it is a failed political philosophy for the country at large. We hope Democrats take this as a sign that solid candidates voicing mainstream views can rally their base and also attract disgusted Republicans. Plainly, there are a lot of voters up for grabs, no longer tied to the GOP.
In sum, the country and the GOP should breathe a sigh of relief, while Democrats are entitled to a victory lap. The party gets a final lift going into 2018, when majority control of the House and Senate is not out of the realm of possibility. A political debacle has been avoided, and we’re all the better for it.As the U.S. economy stagnates and 14 million Americans remain unemployed, Washington politicians play familiar blame games. Republicans believe our problems stem from too much government and claim the economy would right itself if there were fewer taxes and regulations. Democrats assert the economy failed because of faulty government that permitted egregious corporate behavior and promoted economic inequality. But the real culprit lies deep within the bowels of modern corporations: parasitic accountants who have subverted America's entrepreneurial spirit and jeopardized the common good.
In FORBES magazine, management consultant Steve Denning noted that DELL Computer, because of nearsighted financial advice, gave itself away to its Taiwanese supplier:
ASUSTeK came to Dell with an interesting value proposition: 'We've been doing a good job making [circuit] boards. Why don't you let us make the motherboard for you?'... Dell accepted the proposal because from a perspective of making money, it made sense: Dell's revenues were unaffected and its profits improved significantly... ASUSTeK took over the motherboard, the assembly of the computer, the management of the supply chain and the design of the computer. In each case Dell accepted the proposal because from a perspective of making money, it made sense: Dell's revenues were unaffected and its profits improved significantly. However, the next time ASUSTeK came back, it wasn't to talk to Dell. It was to talk to Best Buy and other retailers to tell them that they could offer them their own brand or any brand PC for 20% lower cost.
Like most American corporate accountants, DELL's financial people had a simplistic, narrow objective: do whatever would improve the current quarter's bottom line. Because accountants don't have a strategic perspective, DELL's number crunchers didn't realize the cumulative debilitating impact of the ASUSTeK transactions. Denning observed, "Decades of outsourcing manufacturing have left U.S. industry without the means to invent the next generation of high-tech products that are key to rebuilding its economy." Parasitic accountants have neutered our entrepreneurs.
But it's not only high-tech companies that are infected by these parasites; American corporations from all sectors have been hypnotized by the promise of short-term profits. It's the conventional "wisdom" that accountants and executives are taught in business school. This dysfunctional perspective is reinforced by contemporary corporate monoculture where employees live in a bubble, log obscene hours, and vacation with their co-workers. As a consequence giant corporations are dogmatically insular with their own warped code of ethics and worldview.
Corporate accountants' dogmatic focus on profitability drives out humanity. There is no room for entrepreneurial creativity, much less the wellbeing of the larger community or the "common good."
This parasitic perspective caused commercial lenders to issue sub-prime mortgages beginning in the late nineties and continuing until the housing credit bubble burst in 2007. In 2005 the majority of housing loans made by lenders such as Countrywide Financial and Washington Mutual were "interest only" back by little or no documentation -- so called NINJA loans. Accountants advised financial-industry executives they could improve profitability by selling sub-prime (adjustable rate) mortgages and bundling them into mortgage-backed securities. Later the same parasites told executives they could further improve profitability by decreasing the loan documentation requirements.
In one industry after another we find examples where nearsighted pursuit of profits has trumped common sense and devastated the common good. Most California private timberland is owned by Sierra Pacific Industries that advocates clearcutting where all trees in a given area are cut down, the valuable timber hauled away, the residue burned, and the ground scraped bare and sprayed with herbicides. This process makes more money for SIERRA PACIFIC but it passes on environmental damage to the public and drastically diminishes the amount and quality of the watershed.
Most public utilities have a similar narrow focus on profits at the expense of the common good. For example, TECO Energy operates the massively polluting Big Bend power plant in Apollo Beach, Florida, because it has low operating costs due to its construction before modern standards for pollution control.
The advent of accounting parasites is the ultimate triumph of the nerd: hundreds of thousands of corporate finance people who care more about numbers than they do humanity. A culture of parasites who think nothing of firing workers, or stripping them of their benefits, in the name of profitability,
Accounting parasites have neutered our entrepreneurs, sucked the humanity out of corporate culture and ruined the economy. They don't understand that the U.S. consumer economy will not function properly unless there is full employment.
Fixing the U.S. economy doesn't mean replacing capitalism with socialism -- that would bring another set of equally dire problems. The solution first requires taking parasitic accountants out of the corporate driver seat and replacing them with entrepreneurs -- like the late Steve Jobs. And second, replacing the current corporate ethics and the relentless emphasis on profitability, with values that consider both workers and the environment; an ethical system that recognizes the American economy won't function unless we all have a stake in it.
_______
About author Bob Burnett is a Berkeley writer, activist, and Quaker. Before starting a second career as a journalist, he was a technologist and one of the founding executives at Cisco Systems. Bob can be reached at Bob Burnett is a Berkeley writer, activist, and Quaker. Before starting a second career as a journalist, he was a technologist and one of the founding executives at Cisco Systems. Bob can be reached at boburnett@comcast.netSeveral states have been exploring ways to squeeze more money out of the rapidly growing ride-hailing industry, but Massachusetts appears to have just beaten them to the punch. According to Reuters, Republican Governor Charlie Baker signed into law a 20-cent tax per trip on Uber and Lyft rides, with some of the revenue collected going to the traditional taxi industry.
Riders and drivers will not see the extra fee, as the law explicitly bars companies from passing on the tax to them. Rather, ride-hail companies like Uber and Lyft will be paying the per-trip subsidy to the state. The total tax is 20 cents, with 5 cents designated for taxis, 10 cents going to cities and towns, and the final 5 cents designated for a state transportation fund. How that money will be specifically portioned out to the traditional taxi industry has yet to be worked out.
A shiny nickel for the traditional taxi industry
Many states and cities apply taxes on for-hire vehicle services, but this appears to be the first time a state has explicitly taxed ride-hail startups, also known as transportation network companies. Some localities levy a sales tax on taxi trips, which also includes Uber and Lyft rides.
The portion of the new tax that’s allocated for the traditional taxi industry is intended to help pay for “new technologies and advanced service, safety and operational capabilities,” according to Reuters. Uber has yet to comment on the new Massachusetts fee, but a spokesperson for Lyft said it was mostly okay with the new law. The bill apparently passed the state legislature late in the night on a Sunday earlier this month.
Other cities and states are mulling legislation that would apply levies on Uber and Lyft rides. New York City, for example, is considering ways to carve out a portion of the money currently going toward ride-hail apps for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
UPDATE August 22nd, 4:14PM ET: Uber sent a statement that — for now — avoids criticizing the new tax: “We are grateful for Governor Baker’s support and the legislature’s effort towards creating a framework that embraces an innovative industry that has changed the way the Commonwealth moves. We look forward to working with the Administration to implement the law to ensure it increases transportation options and economic growth.”Essays + Other Nice Stuff
Minas Music – Brazilian State of Minas Gerais Donates Music Beginning Sept 7, the State with the coolest capital city name on the planet - Belo Horizonte - began collecting recordings and metadata for this project. You will be seing the info added to the database next week. Thanks to the local government and Lailah Gouvea Aburachid @ Programa Música Minas/Fórum da Música de Minas for making this all happen.
Baile Funk – The Funkeiros Fight - A Hidden Social and Cultural Movement Essay by Emmanuelle Saliba on emergence of Rio's Baile Funk music as a social movement in the 1970s. Ms Saliba also provides a shortlist of favorite funk carioca songs and links here.
Music Genre Map of Brazil This map indicates the birthplace or incubator of the many genres and styles of Brazilian music, state by state. Authors Chris McGowan and Ricardo Pessanha crafted it for their book, The Brazilian Sound. They ask that the map not be copied or reprinted without permission. see LARGE map Chris' next book, The Brazilian Music Book: Brazil's Singers, Songwriters and Musicians Tell The Story of Bossa Nova, MPB, and Brazilian Jazz and Pop is out Oct 15, and he has graciously allowed us to offer you a glimpse of the opening introduction.
click to read
Praca Onze – Musica Brasiliensis Scholar Daniella Thompson has a few wonderful sites and here's a link to her history of Praca Onze (Square Eleven). Vanished landscape, birthplace of samba, history of early Brazilian recordings - its all part of this history of a public space, inspiration to a host of great songs, dancers, authors and musicians.
Soldiers Got Soul Who knew that West Point was a hotbed of Portuguese language loving, Samba swingers? This is one of our favorite discoveries, courtesy of Lieutenant Colonel (Army) Carlos Frederico Cinelli. The Cadets went out of their way, early in the semester, to put this together for us. The performers of "Chega de Saudade" are all drawn from the Portuguese Section of West Point Department Of Foreign Languages. I loved the fact that every correspondence was marked, "unclassified." About the same time that this came in, Dr. Ivette Wilson, who is hosting an NPR radio show at Wabash College, said she will be singing "Chega de Saudade" in the classroom with her MLL-101 (Elementary Portuguese I) students to practice regular and irregular verbs in the present!
Let's Get Lyrical If all this makes you want to sing, but your Portuguese is a bit rusty, may we suggest If all this makes you want to sing, but your Portuguese is a bit rusty, may we suggest Lyrical Brazil, a very nice collection of lyrics, in English, each with a bit of history about the song.
Berimbau + Capoeira Class – London School of Capoeira Will offer a Berimbau class in the morning and a 'Roda' - to improve your cool moves - in the afternoon. Sept 8, UK.
A Chapter + Verse – Contemporary Carioca You can read or download the preface and introduction to Frederick Moehn's excellent Contemporary Carioca: Technologies of Mixing in a Brazilian Music Scene (Duke University Press, 2012). Mr. Moehn is Lecturer in Music at King's College London in the UK. Our pals at Afropop also publish an interview and overview with Mr. Moehn, Rio 2: Samba Strikes Back
11th International Congress – BRASA (Brazil Studies Association) On Sept 7, Charles Perrone will speak on Eco-visualizations in Contemporary Brazilian Lyric. Others at the confab will cover topics on classical and popular forms and ideas. Centered @ the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. September 6-8
Library Display – Wiener Music & Arts Library Elizabeth Davis + Sean Knowlton up @ Columbia have put together a display case of Brazilian materials in their collection. Drop by and see.
Can't Take My Eyes Off of You I've always been drawn to a certain type of torch or maybe tortured singer - short dark cropped hair, nervous, vulnerable - from Helen Morgan to Judy Garland to Elis Regina. Here's an all too familiar song, performed remarkably by Elis. I'm also quite fond of list songs, and this is one of the best. Here's what I wrote about Jobim's "Águas de Março" ("Waters of March") a while back.
Choro – A Brazilian Musical Practice: The Roda de Choro Nice blog entry just for us on history of Choro and performance practice from the good folks at the Choro Music Blogspot.
Donation of Regional Music – Programa Música Minas On Brazilian Music Day Programa Música Minas / Fórum da Música de Minas will launch their campaign to collect the music from the State of Minas Gerais and donate this material to ARC. Thanks to Lailah Gouvea Aburachid for organizing.
Film Trailer– - Beyond Ipanema. Watch the trailer to the film.
Donation of Digital Music – FarOut Records London based and Brazilian centric FarOut Records is the first label to send us complete metadata on their digital releases. This is a good first step in our creation of a Digital Librarian and our Born2Loose cataloging project. Of course they also sent their physical material, and all the info is entered on our database page.
Don't Ask; Don't Tell As I was leaving the ARC, after 22 hrs straight of html hell, I noticed quite a few events that were a part of Brazilian Music Day, but they forgot to tell US! Like the amazing radio and live event on WKCR, Sept 12. So I walked over to hear Brazilian DJ Miller Cruz who was throwing a party at Churracaria Tribeca. Digital CD turntables and a Macbook, using a baby grand as a mixing table, such is the modern world. But the sounds were mello, cachaça flowing, a nice cap to a great day.
VS
Whataya Think?
Globo News did an interview with Beco and B. last month and we showed them a copy of Saludos Amigos, an album of songs from the 1942 Disney film. The 'album' (three single discs in one wrapper) features the Ary Barroso song "Aquarela do Brasil" (Watercolors of Brazil) on Decca Records, A-369. This was one of the first authentic Brazilian song that anyone in America ever heard, and was the first Brazilian song to be played a million times on Stateside radio.
What is remarkable is how vivid and clean the sound of this 78rpm shellac (that's insect resin) disc from 1942 is. And here's the question: Will your songs on your i-phone, i-pod or MP3 player sound this good in 70 years?Thank you for your help!
What was mispronounced? Optional: help us by adding the time
1 Christopher Bailey
Burberry
Chief creative and chief executive
Christopher Bailey took over as chief executive of Burberry, the luxury retailer, this year, becoming the first openly gay person to lead a FTSE 100 company, writes Denise Law.
The appointment is “groundbreaking” says Suki Sandhu, founder of UK-based OUTstanding in Business, a non-profit networking group that campaigns for LGBT rights in the workplace.
He adds: “He represents the ideal LGBT leader of the future: unselfconscious, successful and comfortable with his gay identity in public. He has not been held back by his sexuality nor has he been defined by it.”
Vanessa Friedman, former fashion editor at the FT, noted that what sets Mr Bailey apart in an “industry of divas” is not that he is gay, but that he is “famously nice, famously normal, famously un-diva-like”.
Since Mr Bailey joined Burberry as creative director in 2001, the company’s revenues have increased fourfold. He has been credited with turning the brand into a digital leader in the luxury industry.
2 Antonio Simoes
HSBC
Chief executive UK
3 Beth Brooke-Marciniak
EY
Global vice chair, public policy
4 Anthony Watson
Nike
Global chief information officer
Antonio Simoes: ‘People want to follow leaders who they can trust. This is where authenticity comes into play’
5 Stephen Clarke
WHSmith
Chief executive
6 Jason Grenfell-Gardner
IGI Laboratories
President & chief executive
7 Alex Schultz
Facebook
Vice-president, growth
Anthony Watson
8 Paul Reed
BP IST
Chief executive
9 Robert Greenblatt
NBC Entertainment
Chairman
Stephen Clarke
10 Claudia Brind-Woody
IBM
Vice-president & managing director, global intellectual property licensing
11 Brian Bickell
Shaftesbury
Chief executive
Jason Grenfell-Gardner
12 Dan Fitz
BT
Group general counsel & company secretary
13 Trevor Burgess
C1 Bank
Chief executive
Paul Reed: 'People like to see that someone else has done well and that their career hasn’t been affected by coming out'
14 Sally Susman
Pfizer
Executive vice president, corporate affairs
15 Mary Portas
Portas Agency
Chief creative officer
16 Charles Allen
Global Radio
Chairman
Mary Portas
17 Arjan Dijk
Google
Vice president, marketing
18 Robert Annibale
Citi
Global director, Citi microfinance & community development
Faried Chopdat
19 Faried Chopdat
SAB Miller
Global business services deployment lead
20 Neil Tallantire
Diageo
Global portfolio director
21 Joseph Evangelisti
JP Morgan Chase
Chief communications officer
Claudia Brind-Woody: ‘There’s a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt I try to live by: it’s not fair to ask of anyone what you’re not willing to do yourself.’
22 Robert Hanson
John Hardy
Chief executive
23 Jan Gooding
Aviva
Group brand director
24 Mary Jo Abler
3M Unitek
Vice-president and general manager
Robert Hanson
25 Julie Hogan
NCR Corporation
Vice-president, North America services delivery
26 Liz Bingham
EY
Managing partner for talent
27 Josh Graff
LinkedIn
Senior director, marketing solutions, EMEA
28 David Isaac
Pinsent Masons
Partner & global sector head, advanced manufacturing & technology services
Paul Wood
29 Paul Wood
Bloomberg
Chief risk & compliance officer
30 Angela Darlington
Aviva
Chief risk officer, UK Life
31 Justin D’Agostino
Herbert Smith Freehills
Global head of practice, dispute resolution
32 Louis Vega
Dow Chemicals
Chief of staff
Simon Millson
33 Simon Millson
British American Tobacco
Group head of corporate affairs
34 Michael Rowe
Slaughter & May
Partner, head of competition litigation
35 Jim McEleney
BNY Mellon
Chief operating officer, EMEA
36 Tim Baxter
Standard Chartered Bank
Global head of communications
37 Richard Beaven
Lloyds Banking
Insurance operations director
Jo Rzymowska
38 Jo Rzymowska
Celebrity Cruises
Managing director, UK & Ireland
39 Crawford Prentice
M&S Banking
Deputy chief executive
40 Antonia Belcher
MHBC
Founding partner
41 Jim Ford
Allen & Overy
Partner, head of corporate intellectual property
42 Andrew Williams-Fry
Gatwick Airports
Chief economist
43 Guy Black
Telegraph Media Group
Executive director
44 Jonathan Mildenhall
Airbnb
Chief marketing officer
45 Dan Perlet
EE
Director of corporate and financial affairs
46 Peter Zorn
Deutsche Bank
Managing director, group technology and operations
47 Margaret Stumpp
QM Associates
Senior adviser
48 Mark Q McLane
Barclays
Managing director, global head of diversity and inclusion
49 Dennis Layton
McKinsey
Partner
50 Margot Slattery
Sodexo
Managing director corporate services, Ireland & Northern Ireland
51 Debbie Gupta
NEST
Managing director, corporate services
52 Marianne Roling
Microsoft
General manager, small & medium market solutions and partners business, central and eastern Europe
53 Phil Kleweno
Bain & Company
Partner
54 Daniel Winterfeldt
CMS Cameron McKenna
Head of international capital markets and D&I partner
55 Chris Stening
Telefonica UK
Transitional services director
56 Michael Brunt
The Economist
Executive vice-president & managing director, global circulation
Sadiq Gillani
57 Sadiq Gillani
Lufthansa
Senior vice-president and chief strategy officer
58 Mike Hoban
Morrisons
Brand and communications director
59 Matthew Flood
Balfour Beatty
General counsel and divisional manager, services division
60 Alison McFadyen
Standard Chartered Bank
Head of governance, west
61 Patrick Rowe
Accenture
Deputy general counsel
Elyse Cherry
62 Elyse Cherry
Boston Community Capital
Chief executive officer
63 Michiel Kolman
Elsevier
Senior vice-president, global academic relations
64 Denny Tu
British Sky Broadcasting
Head of strategy & planning
65 Veit Schuhen
Maitland Group
Chief operating officer
66 Klaus-Stefan Hohenstatt
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Regional managing partner
67 Sandy Gould
Yahoo
Head of recruiting, senior vice-president of talent acquisition
68 Matt Batham
Deloitte
Senior tax partner
69 Scott McGregor
Camco Clean Energy
Chief executive
70 Jeffrey Krogh
BNP Paribas
Managing director, media & telecom finance, London
Vincent François
71 Vincent François
Société Générale
Regional group chief audit executive
72 Mike Anderson
Coutts
Managing director, wealth manager
Renee Brown
73 Renee Brown
Wells Fargo
Senior vice-president, director of enterprise social media
74 Rob Hudson
British Land Co
Group financial controller
75 Jeff Davis
Barclays
Managing director, global head of sales & trading
76 Steven Wardlaw
Baker Botts
Partner in charge, London office
77 Richard Cristofoli
Debenhams
Marketing director
Julia Hoggett
78 Julia Hoggett
Financial Conduct Authority
Head of investment banking department
79 Tim Hailes
JP Morgan
Managing director & associate general counsel
80 Harry Rich
Royal Institute of British Architects
Chief executive officer
81 Steven Cox
Fujitsu
Executive director, public sector
82 Nicolas Patrick
DLA Piper
Partner, head of pro bono & corporate responsibility, international
Andy Woodfield
83 Andy Woodfield
PwC
Partner
84 Svetlana Omelchenko
Coty
Vice-president, global marketing insights
85 Tim Fetherston-Dilke
Accenture
Finance director for UK & Ireland
Peter Murray
86 Peter Murray
Arup
Head of government affairs
87 Jacqueline Davies
Financial Conduct Authority
Human resources director
88 Harry Small
Baker & McKenzie
Partner, global head of information technology & commercial practice
89 Nicholas Creswell
Thomson Reuters
Vice-president, performance & talent management
90 Robert Kerse
Circle Housing
Executive director, resources
91 Siobhan Martin
Mercer
Executive director, human resources
92 Audrey Connolly
Lloyds Banking
Head of FOS operations
Darren Towers
93 Darren Towers
EDF Energy
Head of sustainability & environmental leadership
94 Michael Chissick
Fieldfisher
Managing partner
95 Mark Aldridge
Jacques Vert Group
Group marketing director
96 Isabella Segal
Nyman Libson Paul
Partner
97 David Lyon
Tony Blair Associates
Board managing director
Tim Millward
98 Tim Millward
Extrastaff
Chief executive officer
99 Pierre Landy
Yahoo
Deputy general counsel, EMEA
100 Andrew Nicolls
Hudson Sandler
Vice-chairman
This list was compiled by OUTstanding
——————————————-
OUTstanding’s second annual list of Top LGBT executives has doubled in length, but our methodology for ranking them remains largely unchanged, writes Suki Sandhu, OUTstanding’s founder.
We asked what nominees had done inside and outside the workplace to make it more welcoming to LGBT individuals and looked for information about the candidate’s influence within the business as well as recent significant achievements.
We favoured people who were active in inclusion as well as movers and shakers.
Last year, we had no out LGBT chief executives of FTSE 100 companies. But this year that changed, as Christopher Bailey reached the helm at Burberry, making him the perfect fit for the top place.
However, we still have a way to go. It is disappointing to see women filling only 24 per cent of the list and Black, Minority Ethnic nominees wildly under-represented. We have only three transgender representatives on the list, all of whom transitioned from male to female. We do not have anyone we are aware of who publicly identifies as bisexual. Much work is still to be done.
But LGBT people are not the only ones with a responsibility for making workplaces inclusive. This is why we have introduced the ally leaders list. Allies are those who, while not LGBT, have been active in ensuring their organisations are welcoming places for LGBT staff. We assessed their nominations on the same criteria we used for our LGBT list.
Richard Branson is a deserving number one for this: he has been supporting the gay community for very many years.
There are also four serious omissions from the lists: Lord Browne, partner at Riverstone Holdings; Dawn Airey, senior vice-president at Yahoo; Harriet Green, chief executive of Thomas Cook; and Ashok Vaswani, head of personal and corporate banking at Barclays. As our advisory panel, they are reluctantly omitted.
This year’s lists represent a move towards a world where talent can rise to the top, unimpeded by discrimination.
Harnessing the abilities of all executives is powerful for our companies, our economy, our society and for the individuals involved.
This story was updated on October 9The US Secret Service has given presidential hopefuls Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump and Ben Carson their very own code names.
The names, which are given to presidents, their families and vice presidents were traditionally used to confuse anyone listening into the Secret Service's radio network.
Instead of saying 'the president is leaving', the secret service would use the codename instead.
Scroll down for video
Senator Bernie Sanders, left, has been granted the Secret Service codename 'Intrepid' while Hillary Clinton retains 'Evergreen' from her days as First Lady to Bill 'Eagle' Clinton
Donald Trump, pictured with Curtis Ray Jeffery II, has been named 'Mogul' by his Secret Service detail
Now, the Secret Service's communications network is encrypted but the tradition of codenames has been retained.
Republican candidate Donald Trump, unsurprisingly, has been given the name 'Mogul' while Bernie Sanders is 'Intrepid', which can mean someone who is courageous and fearless.
Ben Carson, who is remaining in the Republican race has been called 'Eli'.
Hillary Clinton was given the name 'Evergreen' while her husband is 'Eagle'.
THE EAGLE HAS LANDED: SECRET SERVICE CODE NAMES Hillary Clinton: Evergreen Bernie Sanders: Intrepid Donald Trump: Mogul Ben Carson: Eli Barack Obama: Renegade Bill Clinton: Eagle George W Bush: Trailblazer George HW Bush: Timberwolf Ronald Reagan: Rawhide Jimmy Carter: Deacon Richard Nixon: Searchlight
According to CNN, Senator Sanders was given Secret Service protection two days after his loss in Iowa.
President Obama's Secret Service name is 'Renegade', while George W. Bush was called 'Trailblazer'.
His father, George H.W. Bush has the code name Timberwolf.
During his father's one term as president, George W. Bush originally had the code name Tumbler - because he kept falling down drunk.
President Reagan was known as 'Rawhide' on account of his earlier career playing cowboys in movies.
Democratic president Jimmy Carter was given the name 'Deacon' due to his strong Christian beliefs.
Richard Nixon's name was 'Searchlight', while Lyndon B Johnson was Volunteer.
Harry Truman was known as 'General' while John F Kennedy was 'Lancer'.
Senator Sanders is closing the gap on Hillary Clinton who was expected to easily win the Democratic nomination.
Bernie Sanders, pictured, was granted Secret Service protection after his strong showing in the first two rounds of the nomination process in New Hampshire and Iowa
But the Vermont senator's victory in New Hampshire and good showing in Iowa mean he is being considered as a possible candidate for November's election.
He is financing his campaign by asking thousands of supporters for relatively small amounts of money.
He made $9 million in the hours after Iowa and New Hampshire.
Tad Devine, senior advisor to Sanders said:'We're in uncharted territory here. No one has ever done what we're doing, raising almost every dollar from small-dollar contributions. So we're hopeful and we're optimistic that we'll have a lot of resources, but we have the resources in now to compete nationally.'
Sanders' average donation is around $27 compared with the legal maximum of $2,700.Activist doctors and refugees in Canada will take to the streets in cities across the country Monday for their fourth National Day of Action — a rally demanding that asylum seekers be given access to free health care while waiting for the government to assess their refugee status.
Despite three years of protests, Canada’s “federal government has stuck to its efforts to deny health care to refugees,” Canadian Doctors for Refugee Care, one of the rally organizers, said in a press release. “As predicted, many have suffered and continue to suffer as a result. There have been well documented cases of people being denied care including pregnant women and sick children.”
The demonstrations Monday are part of a longstanding fight doctors and refugee advocates have waged against Canada’s Conservative government since 2012, when Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s administration restricted certain refugees from qualifying for coverage under the Interim Federal Health program. The plan took away health care benefits for people seeking refuge in Canada if they were from a list of countries deemed safe.
Opponents of the change say it denies coverage to people who need it, based on arbitrary assumptions that do not reflect the situations of people at risk.
A July 2014 ruling by a Canadian federal judge found the practice to be “cruel and unusual” and ordered the government to reverse the policy and return care to those who had lost it. The government is appealing the ruling. But the advocates protesting Monday say that the system is broken nonetheless, and unjustly denies health coverage.
Michael Bossin, an immigration lawyer and professor at the University of Ottawa, said the judge, Anne MacTavish, found the government "applied the law in an unequal way and she found that the cuts constituted cruel and unusual treatment because the government had intentionally taken away health care from vulnerable people in order to stop them from coming to Canada and seeking asylum."
Bossin said he expects the federal appeals court to issue a decision in the fall, with the case likely to head to Canada's Supreme Court no matter what the judges decide. However, if the current Conservative government, in place since 2006, loses elections later this year, their successors could drop the appeal, he said.
The office of the Canadian Immigration and Citizenship did not specifically reply to questions about the healthcare law, but referred Al Jazeera to links on its website describing benefits available.
“There are people who don’t have access to health care and they’re falling through the cracks,” said Amy Casipullai, communications director for the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI). “Because they’re not aware if they’re covered or not, there have been people going to emergency rooms and leaving with a big bill they can’t pay.”
The policy created a list of countries, Designated Countries of Origin, which the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada believes should not be producing refugees. The Harper plan denied coverage to people from countries that "do not normally produce refugees, but do respect human rights and offer state protection."
“Most Canadians recognize that there are places in the world where it is less likely for a person to be persecuted compared to other areas,” DCIC says on its website. The government’s argument for the DCO list is that it helps them make a priority of refugee claimants who are in real need.
The United States, Mexico, South Korea, Japan and most countries in Europe are on the DCO list. But there are still people from some of those countries, especially Roma in Europe, who face persecution, advocates say. Hungary, where Roma face widespread discrimination, is one of the countries on the list of DCOs.
According to a York University research paper published on the problems Roma have claiming refugee status in Canada, vulnerable Roma citizens in Hungarian“have also been confronted with mounting racist rhetoric and violence, all too often with the support of the Hungarian political leadership,” with dozens of documented “racist attacks, some of which resulted in deaths,” the paper explains.
In their detailed study of how Roma refugee claims were litigated by sometimes unfit counselors, the researchers found the claimants “encountered racist rhetoric that drew on stereotypes about Roma being fraudsters, beggars, and criminals, and which presented Hungarian Romani refugee claimants as ‘bogus’. These stereotypes have now been enshrined in Canada’s new refugee-determination process,” according to the York University study.NYT Editorial: Rahm Emmanuel's Delay of the Real Facts of the McDonald Shooting Was a Cover-Up to Guarantee His Safe Re-Election Fair enough. Now explain to me how you assholes have such a rough intellectual time of it when you pretend to try to understand the Benghazi "YouTube" video cover-up? Now explain to me how you assholes have such a rough intellectual time of it when you pretend to try to understand the Benghazi "YouTube" video cover-up? Seems pretty simple -- just as in Emmanuel's case, a politically difficult event happened on his watch, so he tried to delay the real facts from coming out until after an election. Seems pretty simple -- just as in Emmanuel's case, a politically difficult event happened on his watch, so he tried to delay the real facts from coming out until after an election. Where is your brain crapping out in this easy to follow logic, fellas? Where is your brain crapping out in this easy to follow logic, fellas? So the New York Times seems to understand that this is a cover-up -- they let a guy post his opinion on their op-ed pages. (Though note, it's not the NYT's official editorial position.) can't wait for the same editorial on Benghazi. So the New York Times seems to understand that this is a cover-up -- they let a guy post his opinion on their op-ed pages. (Though note, it's not the NYT's official editorial position.) can't wait for the same editorial on Benghazi. After the cover-up, of course, must come the After the cover-up, |
of the attacks, but it should help protect users concerned they might be affected. Enabling two-factor authentication on an iCloud account could also help prevent subsequent attacks, even if a user has already fallen prey to the man-in-the-middle tactics.This is an image of one of the suspects in this home burglary, captured by the homeowner's surveillance camera. (Thomas Patenaude)
An inside look at a home burglary in broad daylight.
Three men broke into a southwest Oklahoma City house stealing TVs, electronics and a revolver.
Surveillance cameras give a chillingly close look at what happened, and who did it.
"They're running around breaking into people's homes, they're armed, and they're dangerous,” homeowner Thomas Patenaude said.
Patenaude says around 3:30 in the afternoon last Wednesday he got an alert on his phone from his security system. It wasn't until he got to his house in southwest OKC, that he discovered his home had been burglarized.
"It was a little intense. I didn't know quite what to think,” Patenaude said.
Patenaude says the three men broke in through the garage. You can see they quickly unhook the TV and start grabbing his XBOX and some of the games. Patenaude says they also took another TV, a laptop and a revolver.
"It was upsetting at the same time I mean it was pretty smash and grab not even paying attention to what's going on. They blew right past security cameras which captured them pretty clearly,” Patenaude said.
The one thing they overlooked was all the cameras. One in Patenaude's office captures a close up picture of one of the suspects. Tuesday night Patenaude is hoping these criminals will be caught.
"Are you still nervous at all knowing they're still out there,” asked Fox 25 reporter Kylen Mills.
“Yea definitely. I think everyone who may take it for granted should be nervous too because this can happen to anybody,” Patenaude said.
While also warning neighbors to be on alert.
"Any home that looks like somebody might not be home is a potential target. No matter how well it's locked up if they have enough time, they can get in,” Patenaude said.
Anyone who recognizes those men or has any information is encouraged to call Crimestoppers at 405-235-7300. Your tip could earn you a cash reward.so hulu is thinking about moving to a model where you have to sign in with a cable provider login before you can watch any of the shows and movies there. we have time warner cable at home and they don’t cotton to this provider login business; that’s why i can’t use hbo go or adult swim gold. so that means i won’t be able to use hulu anymore either, which is good and serves me right for not supporting free tv by paying for it
it’s like saying i can’t visit usatoday.com unless i enter the 25-digit key code inside every paper copy of usa today
anyway, speaking of supporting outmoded media, check out the new chainsawsuit poster and 2-book pack deal!! the poster that debuted at emerald city comicon this year is available online to be displayed proudly in your home. you can also save $5 when you pick up the latest two chainsawsuit books with it, and get a sticker besides. niceNever underestimate the potential for the human element to cause catastrophic devastation, or at least cause you to find yourself with a flaming pool of molten metal burning through your tabletop.
I had spent a good part of this weekend tuning a PID controller to heat an open pot of water to 50°C. This will be used for a cooking method known as sous vide, which translates to "under vacuum." This refers to the traditional vacuum bag that the food (which is commonly meat) is put into to increase heat transfer from the water to the food. It relies on using a temperature-controlled water bath to cook the food to a precise temperature. This method also makes it virtually impossible to overcook (which is easy to do on a stovetop or grill) and enables cooking a rare or medium-rare steak as easy as setting the temperature and letting Mycodo do the rest. Because the temperature is regulated, foods can be cooked for extended times, such as hours or days, to attain your desired tenderness. Some of the most delicious foods I've tasted have been made with sous vide, and I'm excited to be demonstrating the tuning I went through to get my sous vide system up and running.
I had a submersible 120-volt AC heating element, my new Atlas Scientific PT-1000 temperature probe, and a hot water pump. I secured them all to a metal screen and began my long journey of tuning.
To begin tuning a PID, you have to understand some PID theory. I've covered this in the Mycodo manual and other things I've written in the past, so hopefully this explanation can improve upon my previous works by illustrating what I'm talking about with actual data and graphs I obtained from tuning this PID over the past two days.
First, lets discuss some terminology. PID stands for Proportional Integral Derivative. Each word describes a variable that contributes to processing an output value, called the manipulated variable (MV), from an input value, called the process variable (PV). All three P, I, and D variables are summed to produce the MV (P + I + D = MV). The duty of a PID controller is to affect the PV to move to a desired position, called the Setpoint (SP). The difference between the current position and the setpoint is the error (e).
Using water heating as an example, the process variable will be the measurement from a temperature sensor submerged in the water, which at room temperature is 28°C. The manipulated variable will be the number of seconds a heating element submerged in the water will turn on for. Our setpoint will be 50°C, making our initial error = 50-28 = 22. Therefore, at a measurement period of 35 seconds (an output is created from the input every 35 seconds), the heater would be turned on for 22 seconds and off for 13 seconds. This can be referred to as the duty cycle, and in this case would be 22/35 = 62.8%. Over the period of time where this on/off cycle persists with these durations, the heater is energized 68.2% of the time. By increasing the duty cycle, more energy would be put into the system.
The minimum options for Mycodo's PID controller are period (which determines how often a measurement is taken and the heater powered), a relay to power the heater, a sensor to obtain a measurement from, Kp, Ki, Kd, and a setpoint. Kp, Ki, and Kd are three main gains that determine how much each of the P, I, and D variables contribute to the MV. The expanded equation to produce the MV now looks like this: (Kp * P) + (Ki * I) + (Kd * D) = MV. Since P, I, and D are calculated by the controller (we're going to get into this shortly), the gains determine the degree to which each variable contributes to the final MV. So, if all gains are set to 0, the output will of course be 0, meaning the heating element will not turn on at all. And if the Kp is set to 0.1 it will produce a smaller MV than if Kp was set to 1.0.
This makes it simple to use the gains to tune the controller and to enable or disable the contribution of each part of the MV calculation. If...I think about emotions. How people are able to speak using a non verbal language, language of emotions. How people can express their emotions through the pictures, and other people can feel the same. It’s a very interesting subject. Isn’t it?
“When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but creatures of emotion.” ~Dale Carnegie
“It shows the truth – that the real meaning of a word is only as powerful or harmless as the emotion behind it.” ~Sarah Silverman
“Your intellect may be confused, but your emotions will never lie to you.” ~Roger Ebert
“Emotion always has its roots in the unconscious and manifests itself in the body.” ~Irene Claremont
What emotions do you feel when you are looking at this picture?
I feel beauty, calm, and pacification. And something which doesn’t have words to describe, I can only feel it:-) Do you feel it too?:-)
Oh, It’s me:-) There was very hot and humidly; noisy, prickly, and a lot of bugs.
Do you feel it?
But… I tried my best that nobody feel it:-)
p.s. If you find my English mistakes pleaaase let me know!!! I appreciate any help.In the early years of the last century, the U.S. Congress considered a bold and ingenious plan that would simultaneously solve two pressing problems – a national meat shortage and a growing ecological crisis. The plan was this: hippopotamus ranching.
Hippos imported from Africa and raised in the bayous of Louisiana, proponents argued, would provide a delicious new source of protein for a meat-hungry nation. In the process, the animals would gobble up the invasive water hyacinth that was killing fish and choking off waterways. It would be an epic win-win. A bill was introduced in Congress, and newspaper editorials extolled the culinary virtues of "lake cow bacon."
This week in The Atavist, writer (and WIRED's Mr. Know-It-All columnist) Jon Mooallem describes the hippo ranching scheme and the story of two fascinating men behind it: one a modest frontiersman and soldier of fortune, the other a self-aggrandizing con man. Both were spies. Each was sworn to kill the other. But the great cause of hippo ranching brought them together.
Mooallem spoke with WIRED about this odd episode in American history and the future that might have been. An excerpt follows.
WIRED: What was going on in America at the time that made hippopotamus ranching seem like a good idea?
Jon Mooallem: The dawn of hippopotamus ranching in America was 1910. There was a very serious meat shortage. These were peak years of immigration, cities were exploding, the meat industry was getting bigger and uglier but it could not keep up. America had always solved its problems by moving west, but now the frontier was closed. So it was a meat crisis, but it was also kind of an identity crisis.
WIRED: How were hippos supposed to fix it?
Mooallem: The idea was that you could harness land that wasn't productive for grazing cattle, like swamps and bayous. So you'd transplant the hippos into these environments that aren't totally unlike where they live in Africa. You could suck up all the energy in what looks like a wasteland and turn it into meat.
At the same time, there was a real problem with invasive water hyacinth plants; there still is in fact. So a Louisiana Congressman named Robert Broussard decided he could solve the water hyacinth problem by bringing in hippos to suck up the plants. You were literally taking one problem and using it to solve another problem.
Frederick Russell Burnham. Photo: Library of Congress
WIRED: Who else was involved in promoting this?
Mooallem: Well, Broussard has this Congressional hearing and he needs expert witnesses. The first is this geeky apple researcher. The other two are Frederick Russell Burnham and Fritz Duquesne.
Frederick Russell Burnham is this staggeringly impressive and totally forgotten figure from history. The Boy Scouts were founded in his image to create boys that were as capable and honorable as him. He was the inspiration for Indiana Jones. He was a freelance adventurer who'd up and gone to Africa to fight for the British colonialists, because like a lot of people at the time he thought this was a noble kind of project to bring "civilization" to Africa. He was once described as the "most complete human being who ever lived."
Fritz Duquesne was a Boer, which are the descendants of Dutch settlers in Africa. He was a really slippery fellow. He moved through life in this cloud of aliases. He was a virtuosic and ambitious con man. He fought against the British in the second Boer war. Like Burnham he was a kind of free ranging spy. Burnham once called him the “human epitome of sin and deception.” During the Boer war the two men were assigned to kill each other.
WIRED: But somehow the hippo plan brought them together?
Mooallem: They had this real rivalry, but it's one of those old fashioned rivalries where you honor your enemy. It seems they never met in battle. When they finally meet, it's under the guise of being collaborators with Broussard on this hippo plan. Based on their experiences in Africa, they're going to start what's essentially a lobbying firm to drum up donations from rich people.
WIRED: Obviously this didn't come to pass, and you go into what happened in your Atavist story. But you have to wonder... what if it had?
Mooallem: It's an interesting thought experiment. I've never tasted hippo, but I've read many accounts that it's delicious. So that problem is solved! But I don't know how feasible it would have been or what unintended ecological consequences there might have been.
We didn't get the hippos, but we're not starving, so what happened to the meat crisis? What happened was the very beginnings of industrial agriculture. Rather than bring in new animals that could take advantage of landscapes that didn't seem that productive, we basically engineered those landscapes into more pasture, and we packed more and more of the same kinds of animals onto that new land. You can basically trace a straight line from this moment in 1910 when another way – i.e. hippopotamuses – seemed possible to the solutions we have now, which are feed lots and confinement operations and all the attendant consequences and fallout.
One interesting thing about the hippo plan was that people were imagining that because hippos were so large you would not be able to ship them to the stockyards in Chicago like all the other animals. And I should say it wasn't just hippos. There were also proposals for importing antelope and building ostrich farms. They were basically open to everything. But you'd end up with a constellation of local food systems. It's a very Michael Pollan-esque idea where you'd have things grown and slaughtered locally, and a system that's more diverse and resilient.
WIRED: What do you find most compelling about this story?
Jon Mooallem: I think it's the idealism around this idea, that people were willing to raise these really bold solutions and attempt to think them through. I think there's actually something beautiful about the idea that Congress would have a hearing on hippopotamus ranching. It was this moment when anything seemed possible.
Below is an excerpt from Mooallem's story, American Hippopotamus, in The Atavist.
The Most Complete Human Being Who Ever Lived
Frederick Russell Burnham didn’t like public speaking, but he arrived at the Maryland Hotel, in Pasadena, California, on the night of September 19, 1910, determined to communicate a few clear and uncontroversial truths.
Burnham was 49 years old—a frontiersman and soldier of fortune who’d spent his life leaping into conflicts with American Indians and colonial wars in Africa. He looked bronzed and weather-beaten, like a living monument to those campaigns, and though small—he was only about five foot four—his presence was imposing. He was a compact strongbox of a man. One admirer would describe him as “emphatically a man’s man: able, active, alert.” The impression he gave was immediately one of “force and self-control.”
Burnham had risen to fame as a scout—an esteemed breed of solitary wayfinder and spy with no exact analog in contemporary warfare. Scouts slinked into enemy territory to gather intelligence or cut supply lines, or roamed the no man’s land around camp to keep watch. They were disciplined, self-sufficient, preternaturally competent. Their proficiency in the wilderness seemed almost supernatural at times, and Burnham, who’d earned the nickname King of Scouts, exemplified their character and prowess.
“He has trained himself to endure the most appalling fatigues, hunger, thirst, and wounds; has subdued the brain to infinite patience, has learned to force every nerve in his body to absolute obedience, to still even the beating of his heart,” wrote the journalist Richard Harding Davis. “He reads ‘the face of Nature’ as you read your morning paper.” Another writer described Burnham’s life as “an endless chain of impossible achievements.”
People who met Burnham tended to comment on the same disarming quality of his eyes. The novelist H. Rider Haggard called them “steady, grey blue eyes that have in them a far-away look such as those acquire whose occupation has caused them to watch continually at sea or on great plains.” They were eyes that absorbed every inch of the periphery, even as they bored deep into your own—eyes, one woman noted, “of startling keenness and brilliancy, eyes that see everything without seeming to see.” She remembered sitting with friends under a great sycamore tree in California while Burnham spun tales of a certain African siege. The scout paused at one point and said casually, “We’ll kill that snake when I finish the story.” No one else had noticed the rattlesnake that had slithered in silently behind them as he spoke.
He was “a man whose senses and abilities approached that of a wild predator,” one writer explained. He could go two and a half days without sleep. He could fix a pistol’s broken mainspring with a bit of buffalo bone. It was said he could smell water from afar, and very seldom drank alcohol and never smoked, for fear it would dull his senses. Commanding officers described him as half jackrabbit and half wolf, or as “a man totally without fear.” But ultimately, the most impressive thing about Burnham may have been his reticence to talk too much about his conspicuous impressiveness. (Years later he would prepare two versions of a prologue for his memoirs and label them “Boastful” and “Non-Boastful.” The “Boastful” version was hardly boastful, and the last paragraph of the “Non-Boastful” version began: “If mine seems a rather boastful recital, I shall apologize.”) One acquaintance would call him “the most complete human being who ever lived.”Burnham had come to the hotel in Pasadena to address the Humane Association of California at its second annual convention, a banquet hall full of do-gooders, dedicated to the prevention of cruelty to animals. The Humane Association had quickly become one of California’s most powerful civic organizations, and Burnham—now part of an eccentric brain trust that was getting its own innovative animal project off the ground—knew that the philanthropists in the room might be valuable allies. He didn’t necessarily respect them, though. Privately, he mocked humane societies as small-minded and sentimental—full of romantics who’d rush to save flies from murderous spiders. It was foolish, Burnham felt, to “fritter away our money and time on silly, emotional things as proposed by so-called animal lovers” at a time when America roiled with so many substantial opportunities and terrors.
Burnham was here at the Maryland Hotel to call these animal lovers to a higher purpose, to gather them behind an idea. It was a grand and sparkling idea, an idea with momentum. The idea was already making its way through the U.S. House of Representatives in the form of a bill, introduced by one of Burnham’s partners, the Louisiana congressman Robert Broussard. Theodore Roosevelt, a friend of Burnham’s, had been so impressed with the idea a few years earlier that, newspapers reported, he’d pledged “his hearty approval and promise of cooperation.” Days before the speech in Pasadena, Burnham had gone to Denver to meet with the former president and secured his endorsement all over again. The New York Times called the idea “practical and timely.” Editorials around the country claimed that the idea’s time had come, or that it couldn’t come soon enough.
The idea was to import hippopotamuses from Africa, set them in the swamplands along the Gulf Coast, and raise them for food. The idea was to turn America into a nation of hippo ranchers.
Continue reading American Hippopotamus in The Atavist.WikiLeaks head Julian Assange slammed Friday's intelligence report on Russian hacking, saying during a Monday morning press conference that it lacks any supporting evidence.
"Most of this so-called intelligence report is not even fabricated. It does not make assertions that rise to the level of fabricated," Assange said during the media event, streamed live via Periscope audio.
The public version of the U.S. report released Friday was scrubbed of classified information, leaving it light on new evidence that Russia orchestrated breaches of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and other politically relevant targets amid the 2016 election.
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WikiLeaks has long claimed that Russia did not provide it with emails published on its site, though Assange claims that the hacker or hackers known as Guccifer 2.0 — who released DNC and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee emails to The Hill and other outlets — was not connected to WikiLeaks' leaks, and may have been Russian. The report, however, claims Guccifer 2.0 and the WikiLeaks leaker are both Russian operations.
"The evidentiary weight is literally zero," said Assange.
Assange's claims that his site did not receive leaks from the Russian government have raised some concerns about its anonymity by design — the site is hypothetically supposed to make it impossible to determine who specific leakers are.
Assange, however, brushed off a question as to how it was possible to identify the leaker given the site's design.
"We haven't said whether we know or don't know our sources. We have made one statement, and that the election material is not from a state party," he said.
He later added that WikiLeaks would not be as defensive about protecting a source's identity if it was known to be a state actor.
Asked directly if the there may have been a cut-out delivering WikiLeaks information originally received from the Russian government, Assange refused to answer.
"We can't play 20 questions with our sources," he said.A theme I’ve been focused on for the past several weeks, relates to the growing anger from within the ranks of current and former FBI agents over the agency’s questionable and shady investigation into the email practices of Hillary Clinton. For example, in last week’s post, Internal Anger at the FBI Over Clinton Investigation Continues to Grow, I noted:
“This is a textbook case where a grand jury should have convened but was not. That is appalling,” an FBI special agent who has worked public corruption and criminal cases said of the decision. “We talk about it in the office and don’t know how Comey can keep going.” DiGenova told WMAL radio’s Drive at Five last week, “People are starting to talk. They’re calling their former friends outside the bureau asking for help. We were asked to day to provide legal representation to people inside the bureau and agreed to do so and to former agents who want to come forward and talk. Comey thought this was going to go away.” He explained, “It’s not. People inside the bureau are furious. They are embarrassed. They feel like they are being led by a hack but more than that that they think he’s a crook. They think he’s fundamentally dishonest. They have no confidence in him. The bureau inside right now is a mess.” He added, “The most important thing of all is that the agents have decided that they are going to talk.”
While most people are rightly focused on FBI head James Comey, there’s another person who needs to be investigated far more closely due to his ties to cash from long-time Clinton ally and Virginia Governor, Terry McAuliffe. That person is deputy director of the FBI. Andrew McCabe.
The Wall Street Journal reports:
The political organization of Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, an influential Democrat with longstanding ties to Bill and Hillary Clinton, gave nearly $500,000 to the election campaign of the wife of an official at the Federal Bureau of Investigation who later helped oversee the investigation into Mrs. Clinton’s email use. Campaign finance records show Mr. McAuliffe’s political-action committee donated $467,500 to the 2015 state Senate campaign of Dr. Jill McCabe, who is married to Andrew McCabe, now the deputy director of the FBI. The Virginia Democratic Party, over which Mr. McAuliffe exerts considerable control, donated an additional $207,788 worth of support to Dr. McCabe’s campaign in the form of mailers, according to the records. That adds up to slightly more than $675,000 to her candidacy from entities either directly under Mr. McAuliffe’s control or strongly influenced by him. The figure represents more than a third of all the campaign funds Dr. McCabe raised in the effort. The FBI said in a statement that during his wife’s campaign Mr. McCabe “played no role, attended no events, and did not participate in fundraising or support of any kind. Months after the completion of her campaign, then-Associate Deputy Director McCabe was promoted to Deputy, where, in that position, he assumed for the first time, an oversight role in the investigation into Secretary Clinton’s emails.” FBI officials said that after that meeting with the governor in Richmond on March 7, Mr. McCabe sought ethics advice from the bureau and followed it, avoiding involvement with public corruption cases in Virginia, and avoiding any campaign activity or events. Mr. McCabe’s supervision of the Clinton email case in 2016 wasn’t seen as a conflict or an ethics issue because his wife’s campaign was over by then and Mr. McAuliffe wasn’t part of the email probe, officials said. Mr. McAuliffe has been a central figure in the Clintons’ political careers for decades. In the 1990s, he was Bill Clinton’s chief fundraiser and he remains one of the couple’s closest allies and public boosters. Mrs. Clinton appeared with him in northern Virginia in 2015 as he sought to increase the number of Democrats in the state legislature.
Indeed, McAuliffe is also the guy who made it clear over the summer that Hillary Clinton’s “private position” on the TPP was to support it. This was discussed in July’s post: Nobody Knows Who’s Paying for the Privately Funded Democratic National Convention.
Dr. McCabe announced her candidacy in March 2015, the same month it was revealed that Mrs. Clinton had used a private server as secretary of state to send and receive government emails, a disclosure that prompted the FBI investigation. At the time the investigation was launched in July 2015, Mr. McCabe was running the FBI’s Washington, D.C., field office, which provided personnel and resources to the Clinton email probe. At the end of July 2015, Mr. McCabe was promoted to FBI headquarters and assumed the No. 3 position at the agency. In February 2016, he became FBI Director James Comey’s second-in-command. As deputy director, Mr. McCabe was part of the executive leadership team overseeing the Clinton email investigation, though FBI officials say any final decisions on that probe were made by Mr. Comey, who served as a high-ranking Justice Department official in the administration of George W. Bush. Mr. McAuliffe has been under investigation for months by the FBI’s Washington field office, a probe that includes an examination of donations made on behalf of a Chinese businessman, according to people familiar with the matter. His lawyers have denied any wrongdoing and said the investigation is seeking to determine if Mr. McAuliffe may have violated a law requiring people to register as agents of a foreign entity.
Just further evidence that the U.S. has been transformed into little more than a glorified Banana Republic.
For prior articles on the FBI’s highly questionable investigation into Hillary Clinton, see:
Internal Anger at the FBI Over Clinton Investigation Continues to Grow
Backlash Grows Months After the FBI’s Sham Investigation Into Hillary Clinton
“What Difference Does It Make” – Thoughts on the Non-Indictment of Hillary Clinton
In Liberty,
Michael Krieger
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Follow me on Twitter.Whether a high-speed rail system ever gets built in the United States is still up in the air, but if it is, artist and activist Alfred Twu has figured out exactly where those speedy rail lines should go.
Twu started working on this map in 2009, when President Obama's plan to build high-speed rail was unveiled. "There were many such maps being made by various designers," says Twu, but since then he's updated the map with labels and put it on Facebook, and it struck a chord. It's gone viral.
"With the huge response it's generated, I created a petition to the White House to fund such a system," he told Mashable. After just a week, that White House petition already has 27,528 signatures.
Twu's not just guessing where those routes should be, either. "The routes are based on various studies by government agencies and advocacy groups," he explains.
We like the map's colors and its overall design, into which Twu put a lot of thought. "Some artistic license was applied to make it more elegant and have it be a series of distinct lines like a subway map," he says. "Colors were selected to convey the idea of the U.S. being made up of several interwoven regional cultures that come together at major cities — like an internal melting pot."
Trains zipping across the continent at 220mph might sound like a far-fetched futuristic concept, but Twu thinks this project could be built out much like the Interstate Highway System was built in the 50s, he says. "I've seen 2030 and 2050 as potential dates from various advocacy groups," Twu added.
As you look at the map, you'll see that Twu included unshaded routes, which he says were "purposely left open to interpretation." He says the general idea of adding those routes would be that they would handle "lower-speed trains, as well as potential future high-speed routes."
But certainly there's not enough money to do something like this, given the economic situation in the United States at the moment, right? Tsu says cost estimates for a high-speed rail system like this range from $1-$2 trillion. Geez, that's a lot of money. He responded, "Sounds like a lot, but divided over four decades, that is around $25-$50 billion a year or 80-160 dollars a year per person. That's one tank's worth of gas money."
To get a closer look at the map, view or download this.PDF file.
What do you think, readers? Will this speedy rail system be going near your house? Should the United States catch up with the rest of the developed world and build the system, or should budget constraints keep us from spending money on this futuristic conveyance?
Bonus gallery: Here's a design concept showing how those high-speed trains might work:
Nonstop High-Speed Train
Graphics courtesy of Alfred TwuJonathan Koppenhaver, the ex-Bellator fighter also known as War Machine, entered a ‘not guilty' plea on 32 felony counts in his first appearance in a Las Vegas courtroom on Wednesday, stemming from the alleged brutal assault of his former girlfriend Christy Mack.
Koppenhaver, who initially faced nine felony counts for the alleged altercation that left Mack and a second victim, Corey Thomas, hospitalized in the early morning hours of August 8th, now faces a total of 32 felony charges stretching back to May 2013 according to a report from the Las Vegas Review-Journal, including but not limited to: "attempted murder, sexual assault, battery, coercion, preventing or dissuading a witness or victim from reporting a crime, and first-degree kidnapping resulting in substantial bodily harm."
A former cast member of The Ultimate Fighter, who compiled a 2-1 record in Bellator, Koppenhaver was captured "without incident" by the United States Marshals and representatives of the Simi Valley Police Department following a week-long manhunt on Aug. 15th at an Extended Stay America Hotel in Simi Valley, Calif.
Koppenhaver is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 17th. If convicted, the former fighter faces a possibility of life in prison without the option of parole.“The boy who lived,” Hermione, Ron, Dobby, Dumbledore and the rest of J. K. Rowling’s magical characters launch their final film chapter this Friday with “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1.”
But even as the Potter franchise begins its big screen fade to black, the impact of this alternately charming and cautionary wizarding world only grows. And not just in the customary fan sites spawned by many a great read.
Taking the moral lessons and emotional themes off the pages and into the real world, lovers of the gentle Albus Dumbledore’s wisdom and the hard-earned social awakenings of Hermione Granger have been inspired to address human needs, providing relief planes for Haiti and art supplies for orphans.
Henry Jenkins, a media scholar and cultural expert at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, says the phenomenon represents a new and more potent brand of online-enabled, participatory culture. He cites the Boston-based Harry Potter Alliance (HPA) as the most prominent organization to translate the moral lessons of the seven-part literary series into real world remedies.
“We are working to make the real world a little more magical and lot more just,” says Andrew Slack, executive director of HPA, a movement that boasts some 100,000 members around the world. A comedian and performer by trade, Mr. Slack founded HPA in 2005 as a means to channel the deep, emotional connection he saw in the generation that was coming-of-age with the Potter stories.
Young people are traditionally the hardest to motivate into real-world action, Slack says. But the boys and girls who cheered for Hermione when she stood up for the rights of tiny house elves, he adds, understand the stern warning from Hogwarts headmaster Dumbledore that the wizarding world will come to rue the indifference and neglect it has heaped upon the magical creatures, which are made to perform the lowest and dirtiest household chores, essentially as slaves.
“It’s not hard to make the leap into the real world from there,” says Slack, because the Potter generation is one that already cares about the environment and understands warnings about paying a future price for “the neglectful and indifferent behavior of today.”
Partners in the real world
HPA has done everything from helping to bring out the vote in 2008 to raising awareness about human rights violations in Darfur. The group partnered with existing charitable groups working in Haiti to ferry in medical and food supplies after the earthquake.
The most recent undertaking takes its cue from the final Potter book, using the seven horcruxes – magical soul-containing objects that Harry and his friends must destroy to vanquish the evil Lord Voldemort – as vehicles for the seven biggest political issues of the day. In a campaign that just launched, the group wants to put a monthly spotlight on such hot button issues as world hunger, economic and racial inequality, and literacy. The drive will culminate next summer when the second and concluding part of the Deathly Hallows film arrives.
In 2009, Mr. Jenkins embarked on a Macarthur Foundation-funded, three-year study of online participatory culture and its implications for political organizing among youth. The HPA is one of only two groups he is studying in the initial phase, he says, because of its robust growth and ability to effect action. (The other group is Invisible Children, which combats the abduction of children for use as child soldiers in Uganda.)
HPA builds on what Jenkins calls the “proto-activism” of fan groups that have moved TV networks to extend the life of a favorite show or character through massive grassroots online activism. But, he says, what HPA is doing takes this kind of activism to a more fully realized scale.
By speaking the emotional language of this cohort, Jenkins says, Slack and his group bypass the alienation most young people feel from the “policy wonk” rhetoric that permeates most normal politics.
From fiction to reality
Tapping into beloved figures from pop fiction is nothing new, Jenkins says, adding that he himself, as a young TV viewer, was moved to a greater appreciation of real-world problems through his passion for the original 1960s Star Trek series. As a young man growing up in the segregated South, he says, “I appreciated seeing the multiracial cast.”
Jenkins says the biggest challenge the HPA faces as it moves from its passionate base into partnering with existing organizations to effect real change, “is being taken seriously when you are named for a children’s book.”
However, he says, the fact that HPA took home this year’s second annual Chase Bank Community Giving Contest on Facebook, which awarded a $250,000 prize, is a sign that the group is gaining the more adult traction that it seeks.Experimenters produced bursts of gamma rays and neutrons by assembling Godiva I's three parts and dropping a burst rod through the center. This image shows it in the safe, scrammed, state.
The Lady Godiva device[1] was an unshielded, pulsed nuclear reactor[2] originally situated at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), near Santa Fe, New Mexico. It was one of a number of criticality devices within Technical Area 18 (TA-18). Specifically, it was used to produce bursts of neutrons and gamma rays for irradiating test samples, and inspired development of Godiva-like reactors.[a]
The radiation source within the Godiva device was a fissile metallic mass (usually highly enriched 235U),[3] about 11.8 inches (30 cm) in diameter. This was located at the top of a 6.5-foot (2 m) high metal tower. The burst of radiation was produced when a piston of fissile material was quickly inserted and extracted from a cavity within the larger fissile mass. During the time these two masses were combined, they formed a critical mass and a nuclear chain reaction was briefly sustained.[2]
Godiva's design was inspired by a self terminating property[further explanation needed] discovered when incorrectly experimenting with the Jemima device in 1952. Jemima operated by remotely lifting one stack of enriched uranium-235 disks up towards another, fixed, stack. On 18 April 1952, due to a miscalculation, Jemima was assembled with too many disks; this caused an excursion of |
just a white power underground using music to recruit and mobilize. It also highlights the long and violent history of those involved. The white supremacists meeting and coordinating on October 1st should be prevented from furthering expanding their power and capacity for violence. Especially in the context of a newly-energized white power movement, the Hammerskins and similar groups ought to be practically opposed wherever they operate. While their numbers are small, those gathering in Georgia are some of the hardcore “true believers” of the white power movement; they should not be written off as harmless and irrelevant.
We believe that the weekend of October 1-2 is an ideal opportunity for action against white supremacist groups such as the Hammerskins or Traditionalist Worker Party nationally. If you live in a city where such a group exists, consider organizing during this time to expose their efforts. Commit to building anti-racist/anti-fascist infrastructure for the struggles ahead. Also, please circulate this story to those who may be affected by the upcoming white power gathering.
As Hammerfest approaches, Atlanta Antifascist Notes will be one source for updates and reporting. For briefer time-sensitive updates, keep your eyes on twitter.com/afainatlAnti-Wall Street protests spread across the US
By Bill Van Auken
7 October 2011
Section of the New York City protest
With anti-Wall Street protests spreading to over 100 US cities and towns, President Barack Obama at a White House press conference Thursday cynically sought to exploit the outpouring of spontaneous anger at the banks and big business as a vehicle for his reelection bid.
On Thursday, new Occupy Wall Street protests sprang up in a number of major cities, including Philadelphia, New Orleans, Washington, Tampa, Dallas, Houston and Austin. They came on the heels of the largest demonstration so far in New York City, where an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 marched through lower Manhattan Wednesday night.
The demonstrations are driven by a profound anger over unprecedented levels of social inequality as, three years after the financial meltdown on Wall Street, unemployment and declining wages persist and deepen alongside record profits and increasing wealth for the top one percent.
The first White House reporter who asked Obama about the anti-Wall Street protests stated the obvious about the demonstrators: “They clearly don’t think that you or Republicans have done enough, that you’re in fact part of the problem.”
Obama responded that he had “heard about” the protest movement and “seen it on TV.” He went on to acknowledge that “people are frustrated, and the protestors are giving voice to a more broad-based frustration about how our financial system works.”
He followed this indication that he “felt the pain” of those who are demonstrating with an immediate affirmation of his support for “a strong, effective financial sector in order for us to grow.” Referring to his unqualified support for the $750 billion TARP bailout of the banks, he added: “I used up a lot of political capital, and I’ve got the dings and bruises to prove it, in order to make sure that we prevented a financial meltdown, and that banks stayed afloat.”
In New York, Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo issued a similar statement on Thursday, defending Wall Street against the protests. “Wall Street is a major economic engine for the state,” he said at a press conference. “When all is said and told, 20 to 25 percent of the state’s income comes from Wall Street.”
In response to a reporter who noted that no Wall Street executives “have gone to jail despite the rampant corruption and malfeasance that did take place,” Obama defended the failure to prosecute any of those responsible for triggering the deepest crisis since the Great Depression. He said that “a lot of that stuff wasn’t necessarily illegal, it was just immoral or inappropriate or reckless,” and insisted in relation to prosecutions, “that’s not my job, that’s the Attorney General’s job.”
Obama’s feigned sympathy for the protests is part of concerted attempt to channel the movement behind the Democratic Party, which, no less than the Republicans, serves and is financed by the banks and finance houses responsible for the unemployment crisis.
This effort to hijack the protest movement has been spearheaded by the trade unions, which participated in Wednesday’s mass march in New York City. The rally featured a speakers platform packed with bureaucrats who have led no fight of their own against Wall Street and are responsible for betraying the interests of the workers they purport to represent.
The presence of a number of Democratic politicians, none of whom dared to address the rally, was announced from the platform with great enthusiasm, and some of the union bureaucrats present made no bones of the fact that they want to see the Occupy Wall Street movement exploited as a vehicle for the Obama re-election campaign.
The speed with which the anti-Wall Street protests have spread from coast to coast is all the more extraordinary given the persistent refusal of the mass media to give them significant coverage and the attempt in many of the reports that have appeared to mock and belittle them.
“Meetups” had been established in 761 cities by Thursday night, according to the web site Occupy Together [http://www.occupytogether.org], which describes itself as “an unofficial hub for all of the events springing up across the country in solidarity with Occupy Wall St.”
On Thursday, thousands of people initiated an occupation of Freedom Plaza in Washington before staging a march past the US Treasury and the White House. The demonstrators chanted, “We Got Sold Out.”
The march ended in front of the US Chamber of Commerce, where marchers shouted, “We Want Jobs! We Want Jobs!” While the protesters have National Park permits allowing them to occupy the plaza only through Sunday, they have vowed to stay indefinitely.
Several hundred demonstrators marched down Tulane Avenue through the financial district of New Orleans on Thursday, rallying in Lafayette Square near the New Orleans branch of the Federal Reserve Bank. WWL radio described the crowd as “racially mixed and mostly young.”
“Most people are not getting a fair shake,” Daniel Brook, one of the marchers, told WWL. “It’s a country where the top one percent controls 90 percent of the wealth, and that’s outrageous. This is supposed to be a democracy. We’re all supposed to be in this together.”
Marches also took place across Texas. Several hundred marched on the Federal Reserve Bank in Dallas, which was ringed with police barricades. In Houston, hundreds more marched from the JPMorgan Chase building to City Hall chanting, “Banks Got Bailed Out! We Got Sold Out!” A demonstration was also held outside City Hall in the state capital of Austin.
David Larrick Smith, 40, from the Dallas suburb of Rowlett, told the Associated Press that he was protesting “all these billionaires who have bought our government.” He added, “I voted for Obama and he punked out. He had the opportunity to stand for the American people, and he’s become a political puppet.”
Several hundred people began an Occupy Philadelphia demonstration Thursday morning outside City Hall. May Chan, 32, a science researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, told the Associated Press, “I’m outraged by the whole bailout. I think someone should go to jail.”
In a number of areas, anti-Wall Street protests have met with arrests, brutality and harassment from the police.
In New York City, toward the end of Wednesday’s mass march through lower Manhattan, police used truncheons and pepper spray against unresisting protesters and arrested 28 people after a section of the demonstration tried to march on Wall Street.
Mounted police were brought in to intimidate demonstrators and a number of people suffered injuries as cops threw them to the pavement. The New York City Police Department has met the protests with excessive force over the course of the last several weeks, including last Saturday, when some 700 demonstrators were arrested after they had been led onto the Brooklyn Bridge and then trapped there by police on either side.
In Seattle, more than two-dozen demonstrators were arrested Wednesday after refusing police orders to take down tents in Westlake Park. The protesters have vowed to stay in the park.
In St. Louis, 11 people were arrested shortly after midnight on Thursday morning after police attempted to enforce a ban on demonstrations in Kiener Plaza after 10 pm. Some 100 members of the occupation group were in the plaza at midnight when two dozen squad cars raided the area.
In San Francisco, police in riot gear raided the Occupy SF camp on Market Street Wednesday night.
Occupy SF issued a statement saying that police had warned them to “pack up our tents” or face arrest. While the demonstrators moved to comply by taking down the tents and beginning to move out supplies, “still, the police, wearing helmets and carrying batons, formed a perimeter around our goods and prevented us from saving anything while they supervised Public Works employees as they stole everything. The police stole food, water, shelter and other necessities of life from the 99 percent at Occupy SF.”
Similarly, in Chicago, harassment from the police has become a major concern of protesters. As part of a thoroughly anti-democratic attempt to stamp out and disperse the protest centered around the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, the Chicago Board of Trade and the local headquarters of several major banks, police officials have used a local ordinance to demand that protesters’ personal possessions be kept off of sidewalks and prevent the protesters from sleeping at the site, or even sitting down or standing still.
In response, the demonstrators have become mobile, making sure to keep moving in order to avoid arrest or ticketing, and shifted their supplies to a nearby church. They have also taken to marching around different parts of the downtown area to avoid confrontation and to publicize the protest to more city residents.
In Los Angeles Thursday, eleven protesters were arrested for the “crime” of entering a downtown Bank of America branch carrying a giant check for $673 billion made out to the “People of California.” They were seeking to present the check to the bank when they were detained by security guards and turned over to the Los Angeles police.
The police arrested the six men and five women, part of a crowd of 500 who marched through the downtown area Thursday, and led them to prison in handcuffs. Bail was set at $5,000 per person.In the late afternoon on Tuesday, April 28, 2015, a petite Korean mother of one walked into the lobby of the Yolo County Jail wearing army fatigue pants, with tears streaming down her face. Convicted by a jury in February, she’d been locked up in the Northern California holding facility for a total of nine months. In the state’s eyes, 43-year-old Nan-Hui Jo was a child abductor; Jo herself maintains that, when she left the United States in 2009, she was fulfilling her visa obligations and fleeing a long history of domestic abuse.
Before her return to the United States in July 2014—upon which she was immediately arrested at the Honolulu airport—Jo had been living freely with her daughter in Korea. She’d ignored the long succession of emails sent to her by her ex-boyfriend Jesse Charlton, an Iraq war veteran whom she alleges was physically and emotionally abusive. Their relationship derailed permanently during an incident in which, according to both of their court testimony, Charlton choked Jo, lifted her up by the throat, and slammed her against the wall.
Charlton’s attorney says there was only one violence incident in the relationship, and that Jo’s actions denied him a chance to watch his daughter grow up. Jo, in contrast, said in court that she left in 2009 with one-year-old Hwi—who she called Vitz Da, which means “light of everything” in Korean—simply because she had to: Her legal status was linked to a marriage that she fled in 2007 after what she alleges was a pattern of physical and emotional abuse. Her relationship was over with Charlton, she said; she didn’t trust him around their daughter anyway, and she planned to allow the two to see each other when she felt it was safe.
As Hwi approached elementary school age, Jo started thinking about getting her an American education. In 2014, Jo applied for a tourist visa to visit schools in Hawaii; the application was approved. What she didn’t know—or by other accounts, refused to acknowledge—was that Charlton had for years been helping to build a child abduction case against her. There was a protective custody warrant out for Hwi in Sacramento, and once the US Embassy received Jo’s visa application, they tipped off the Yolo County police.
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Arrested upon arrival in America, Jo was extradited straight to Yolo County. Charlton was given immediate sole custody of five-year-old Hwi, who spoke no English at the time, and has been parenting her ever since.
On April 28, Jo was sentenced to 175 days in jail and three years probation; she was subsequently released on time served. In the lobby of the Yolo County Jail, Jo’s lawyers and a dozen or so supporters welcomed her, arms open. The group of local activists who had taken up Jo’s cause were adorned in purple, a color symbolizing survival of domestic violence. They carried clothes for her to change into and a traditional Korean seaweed roll for her to nibble on. “Sad thing still. I couldn’t see my baby,” Jo murmured in English as she addressed the group. “My baby is strong. She will be okay.”
Jo only got 30 minutes’ reprieve before immediately being detained by the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents who hovered just outside the jail’s door. She was moved to an ICE detention center in Yuba City, and she and Hwi, mother and daughter, have still not seen one another since the arrest.
Nan-Hui Jo’s story looks different ways as the light changes. In the eyes of the state, she’s a child abductor, an undocumented immigrant facing deportation; in the eyes of her friends and supporters, she’s a domestic violence victim who lost her immigration status because of one abusive partner, who may lose her daughter because of another. Jo’s relationship to Charlton and the subsequent child abduction case has been described as a “cross-cultural love story gone wrong,” but her supporters took to Twitter to call it a horror story—a tale of a woman victimized by two men as well as the immigration and criminal justice systems.
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Yolo County Assistant Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Mount, who re-tried Jo’s child abduction case after it resulted in a hung jury the first time around in December 2014, told Jezebel that Jo “was not fleeing a household of continual abuse,” and that she would have ended up with custody of Hwi if she had gone through the proper channels.
“I’m inclined to be a little bit doubtful of that scenario,” said Hyejin Shim, a spokesperson for the Korean-American Coalition to End Domestic Violence. “She was still undocumented at the time. She was primarily Korean-speaking. I think those factors can count pretty heavily against you in a court of law.”
“It’s tough to know exactly what could have happened in 2009,” Jesse Charlton’s attorney Preston Morgan told Jezebel. “The one thing we know,” he said, “is that Nan-Hui Jo didn’t let that happen. So we’ll never know that.”
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It’s true that Jo could have changed her visa status after she fled her marriage, that she had legal recourse to address Charlton’s behavior when she lived with him and Hwi. It’s true that she could have taken advantage of specialized provisions for domestic violence victims to stay in the country and settle her daughter’s custody case. If she had, she may have not ended up charged, jailed, found guilty, in the hands of ICE, cut off from the child she had never once before been apart from.
But, in order to take advantage of these special provisions, she would have had to trust the system to protect her—the same system that later jailed her and took her child away.
The prosecution of domestic violence, one of the most under-reported criminal offenses in America, relies heavily on victim testimony. For immigrant women, the strength required to confront and report an abuser is compounded by the fact that they may be reliant on their abusers for language assistance. Their abusers might also, as was the case with Jo’s husband, literally hold their immigration paperwork (which is complicated even for native speakers) in their hands.
When survivors finally either gain the courage to report the violence perpetrated against them or take matters under their own control—i.e. leaving, as Jo did—they often find themselves on the wrong side of the law. Both the criminal and immigration systems have a bad habit turning on victims; when these two systems intersect, this bad habit can get even worse.
For one: Claudia Valdez, an undocumented mother of three without any previous criminal history, was arrested in Denver in June 2012 after the local sheriff’s department mistakenly targeted her as the perpetrator of a domestic dispute. The department then turned her over to ICE, where she was separated from her children and began her deportation hearings.
Another undocumented woman, Isaura Garcia, endured severe violence from her boyfriend with documented history of 911 calls and visits to the ER. But in 2011, she called 911 and the police believed her boyfriend’s story over hers. She was then arrested and turned over to ICE.
Theoretically, the US immigration system carries many provisions to provide relief and protection to abused women. In practice, this relief is harder to come by.
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The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) visa self-petition was designed for survivors of domestic violence, battery, and extreme cruelty to be able to apply for legal status independent of their abuser. But, according to a former senior official at the Department of the Homeland Security, the option often remains inherently hidden. By nature of their situation, immigrant victims of domestic violence are often not informed of the VAWA and forms of protection—even though immigration officials are technically required to notify recipients of fiancee visas of their legal rights and resources, including domestic violence protections.
Jo’s case presented a clear opportunity for that point of contact, which, according to her immigration attorney and Jo’s court testimony, never occurred.
Her Department of Homeland Security file acknowledges the restraining order against her husband that was court-ordered in Connecticut. The file bears a handwritten note from an immigration official, dated February 28, 2008. In it, the official acknowledges the protection order filed against “the Petitioner of I-129F” for the spouse.
In other words, immigration officials knew Jo had at least temporarily been in danger from her husband, who had a criminal record—but rather than granting her administrative clemency or even notification that she was eligible for VAWA’s provisions, the acknowledgment that Jo had been in danger from her husband was the thing that put her in danger from the state.
“As such, the validity of the marriage is in question,” the note concludes. Because of these concerns, ICE officials approached Jo’s husband in 2009, who said that he no longer wished to sponsor the visa.
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Jo would have also been able to avail herself of U Nonimmigrant Status (U-Visa), a visa for crime survivors who have suffered mental or physical abuse, and who have been helpful to law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of the crime. Jo would have been eligible for this after the court ordered the TRO on her husband. She was never notified of this option either.
Currently, ICE detention centers all over the U.S. are filled with immigrant women living in deplorable conditions, separated from their children, just like Jo from her daughter Hwi. Many of these women wind up in there after seeking refuge from the local authorities, who in some cases—if the woman was physically defending herself, for example—will arrest all parties involved. These women then fall into the grips of the Priority Enforcement Program, formerly the Secure Communities Act: a program that dictates that, if an immigrant has been fingerprinted by local authorities, he or she is legally susceptible to receive an ICE “detainer” (a 48-hour hold in a local facility that often stretches much longer), a potential first step on the path to being deported.
Nina Rabin, an immigration attorney who focuses on women in detention, says that women in ICE custody rarely know their rights—that domestic abuse survivors are usually not told about VAWA until they are already in the detention center. There are a few NGOs that hold Know Your Rights clinics in the centers when the women are already being processed for deportation. But by then, it is too late.
Nan-Hui Jo came to the US in 2002, on a student visa, to study film at University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Shortly after arriving, she met the man who would become her husband. Jo returned to Korea, applied for a fiancé visa, and came back to the United States.
Now married, the two moved to a small town in Connecticut, where things soured quickly. Jo claimed in court that the man, whose name hasn’t been made public, was physically violent as well as psychologically abusive toward her: he stole her car keys and passport in order to control her movements, and sometimes called her coworkers up to 100 times a day to check on her whereabouts. Additionally, according to Jo’s immigration lawyer, her husband processed her green card application (which was dependent on their marriage) by himself; he didn’t call in the aid of a lawyer, or work with his wife to complete the paperwork, as is often customary.
In July 2007, after an unspecified incident, a temporary restraining order was filed against Jo’s husband to protect her. Later that year, still married, she fled her house and went back to California.
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She enrolled in Sacramento Community College for the fall semester, and there, in a photography class, she met Charlton, a stocky man in his early twenties, a decade younger than her. Charlton had served two tours as a machine gunner in Mosul; he’d returned with severe PTSD and traumatic brain injury. He was on 70 percent disability, and has testified that he suffers memory loss and flashbacks. (Charlton’s attorney declined to make him available to Jezebel for an interview; his recollections are drawn from court documents and testimony.)
Jo’s English was spotty, Charlton said, but they shared interests: traveling, taking pictures. Soon, Jo—who introduced herself to Charlton as “Vitz,” a nickname that means “light” in Korean—found herself in another rocky relationship.
Charlton, unemployed at the time, moved into Jo’s trailer with just “a backpack, a camera and some clothes.” The two argued frequently: Jo didn’t like Charlton’s drinking and relationship to pornography, Charlton didn’t like Jo’s expectations. In his testimony, he stated, “I always lived my life really cavalier, and I didn’t take anything serious, but Vitz wanted me to be serious and around.”
The differences between them became clearer in 2008 when Jo found out she was pregnant. It was a surprise to both of them: Jo had lost a baby close to term a decade and a half prior, and according to her, doctors had told her she couldn’t conceive again.
In court, Jo described her pregnancy as a miracle—and says that Charlton was furious. “He wrote [a letter] saying that this baby would be a curse to us, all of us, and I had to solve this issue all by myself. So I was very afraid,” she stated. He demanded she get an abortion, she adds, which he denied in his testimony—although he admitted that he bought her a one-way plane ticket back to Korea, which she took.
After a month in Korea, Jo returned to California at the end of July 2008. She had the baby by herself in early September, listing no father on baby Hwi’s birth certificate. She moved into a friend’s house, where she shared a room with her newborn daughter, and didn’t speak to Charlton at all.
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During Jo’s trial, prosecutor Steve Mount pointed out that she—long since parted from the marriage that her legal status depended on—did not change her visa back to a student visa when she left Korea and re-entered the States. “Did you tell [the embassy] that you left your husband and now you were back to being a student?” he asked.
“No, I did not,” Jo said.
As such, her legal status remained dependent on a marriage she had fled—and a man who, according to Jo’s immigration attorney Zachary Nightingale, never filed her citizenship papers. The fact that she had returned to America on her rapidly expiring fiancee visa started the chain of events that would lead, more than six years later, to federal agents meeting her at the airport in Honolulu with handcuffs.
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“Isn’t it true that the reason you didn’t ever apply for a divorce was because you would lose your status to be in this country if you did?” Mount asked Jo in court.
“No,” Jo replied.
Later in her testimony, she explained: “I heard that to file a divorce you need a lot of money.”
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As Jo’s status grew more precarious, her attention turned to the future that awaited her daughter. In October 2008, a month after Hwi was born, Jo applied for aid from the local Department of Child Support Services. In court, she said that her roommate and an interpreter had helped her do this; she claimed that she did not recognize the handwriting on the papers, just the signature.
Shortly afterward, the department served Charlton with child support papers. At this point, the two still weren’t speaking, and Charlton demanded a paternity test just “to be mean”; Hwi, as they both knew, was his. In his testimony, he talked about coming to think of child support as having some silver lining. It was a “one-way connection with my kid,” he said.
In early 2009, Jo and Charlton ran into each other at school, and tentatively began speaking again. Jo started allowing Charlton to come over and see the baby, and before too long, they rekindled their relationship. Jo’s roommate moved out and Charlton moved in. He and Jo became an unsteady “family unit,” as he described it, although their relationship stayed tumultuous. Charlton was still drinking more than Jo liked; she now suspected him of cheating, she still hated the fact that he watched porn, and Charlton was dealing with his PTSD.
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“90 percent of the fights [between Jo and I], it would end up in me just leaving because I don’t like confrontation,” he stated in court. “I really don’t like it. It freaks me out from Iraq. I just get mad, so I just leave.”
In July 2009, Jo received notice that her green card application was denied. She understood the message of the letter: that she was now illegally in America, and that she would need to leave the country right away. But the notice was complicated, particularly to someone with Jo’s English skills. She didn’t understand that she had the right to get an immigration attorney, or that ICE would have to start a removal case against her to force her to leave. All she knew was that she needed to get out, or find a way to stay.
Consequently, the tension in their relationship escalated. Jo gave Charlton a ring for his birthday; Charlton thought she was proposing marriage. Jo stated in her testimony that this was just a birthday gift. (In Korea, couple rings are a common tradition—even teenagers exchange them.) It seems, anyway, that Jo understood that her marital status was at the center of her immigration problems. She couldn’t marry Charlton without getting divorced, and Charlton didn’t want to marry her. He also refused to help fill out her divorce paperwork, knowing, as he said in court, that it “was a big hurdle to her getting immigration.” In a later email to Jo, he wrote, “You always talked down on me, and I knew I wasn’t ever going to make you happy. This is why I didn’t do your divorce paperwork or put that ring on.”
The couple kept trying to sustain their relationship regardless of Jo’s legal difficulties. In September 2009, Jo and Charlton made plans to give the baby a first birthday party. The day before the baby’s birthday, the two got into a fight in the grocery store parking lot. “I went to the Korean market to prepare for the birthday, but Jesse didn’t want to. He want to skateboard,” Jo said in her testimony. Charlton slammed his hand against the steering wheel so hard he broke it, and left the car. Jo didn’t hear from him until 2 a.m., she said, when Charlton called from the Sacramento jail, asking for a ride home.
They held the party the next day as planned. Charlton described it as happy: “friends, family, great Korean food and birthday cake and presents.”
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These, however, were the last two months of Jo and Charlton’s relationship. During her trial, Jo was asked by public defender Dean Johansson if, “specifically in the area of September, October [2009],” she was frightened of her partner. She answered yes.
“Did you ever yourself experience any violence from Mr. Charlton?” Johansson asked.
“Yes, on several different occasions,” she said, through her translator. “He was diagnosed to having brain damage. His personal characteristic completely changes, and you can see it from his eyes.”
The events that led to Jo and Charlton’s breakup took place on October 18, when Jo noticed that her one-year-old had, according to her court testimony, put a necklace in her vagina. Her “mother’s intuition” kicked in, she said. She checked her laptop’s history; Charlton had been watching porn while taking care of the baby.
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In court, Charlton said that he “didn’t see anything like that ever,” when asked whether their baby had exhibited any strange or sexual behaviors. “But she thought that [the baby was acting strange], yeah,” he said, adding that “Mrs. Jo hates porn.”
After Jo checked her laptop history, she panicked and confronted him. During this argument, Charlton grabbed Jo by the neck and threw her against the wall. “I yelled her name with my kid in my left hand,” Charlton testified, “and I grabbed her by the throat by the right hand, and I threw her up against the wall. And she’s a lot smaller than me, and we were face-to-face, and I yelled into her face that everything is bad, something like that.”
Jo called the police, who once again told Charlton to blow off steam. In court, he described the officer asking “me to leave and give her space between us. I remember the police officer told me that he was married, he got in arguments with his wife, and I just needed to leave and chill out.”
The couple split up after the argument. They had another fight on October 30, when Charlton returned to the house. She called 911, running from Charlton; the police again left without arresting either party.
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After this incident, Jo decided to get out of Sacramento and prepare for her return to Korea. “I lost my status. I didn’t have a working permit. I didn’t have a driver’s license, and Jesse didn’t care,” she said in court, adding, “I couldn’t survive here.” She stated later that “Jesse continued to be way violent, and that was not good for my baby’s safety.” She went to stay with friends in Southern California and applied for a passport for her daughter. She flew to Korea with Hwi at the beginning of November—but not before Charlton filed for custody.
Out of the country, Jo missed the family court dates: first in November, then in December, and then again in January of 2010. She was notified that she could appear in court remotely, via telephone; she asked for an interpreter, but then did not follow up with the interpreter or call in for her dates. Finally, with no word from Jo, Charlton filed child abduction charges.
Jo stayed in Korea, withdrawing child support from her bank account. (She applied for continuing aid from Korea, a fact that Steve Mount suggested in court may imply a facility with procedural paperwork inconsistent with the idea that Jo could not cope with her immigration or custody obligations.)
She ignored all contact from the States. With Hwi, she lived a relatively peaceful life on Jeju-do, a tranquil island at the southern tip of Korea. She worked several jobs, including restoring houses and writing children’s books.
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For years, Charlton sent her regular emails, which he also submitted to the Yolo County Child Abduction Unit. In his testimony for the child abduction case, he read some of these emails out loud, their tone veering wildly from tender to furious. In one, he wrote:
My feelings about you are not easily defined or labeled. But as for my feeling for Da, I can only say that I’ve loved her unconditionally since day one… I believe our relationship between us would not only be healthy for me, but for her also. If you do deceive her from my presence, she will likely figure it out as I will constantly seek her out till I die.
He added, apparently referring to Jo leaving the country:
Can I forgive myself for pushing you to this? yes, but it takes a lot of painful introspection. I know I was ignorant of my consequences to a point where I avoided the truth and hoped that you would just stay with me unwed and illegal. Quite a selfish wish I admit.
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The emails evince a sincere desire to see his daughter. In one, he fills Jo in on his day, using the affectionate nickname the couple had used for mother and baby alike: “Hey Mama Vitz, photograph [sic] and edited all day today, plus homework. It was good stuff, and wish i could just share it with you and Baby Vitz. Hope you had a good day as with Da Vitz. Guess she isn’t a baby anymore, just in my head, because I haven’t seen how she’s growing up.” He wrote wistfully that he’d gotten to spend time with a three-year-old child that day, which only increased his longing for his own daughter: “It was amazing and incredibly painful afterwards, but I was happy to be able to see a kid smile. I love you, Da Vitz.”
He obliquely references the child abduction case at least once:
You’ll probably be contacted by the federal government soon. Sorry, but the local cops got them involved, and they tracked you to Korea, but they don’t know shit about you. They say you’re really crazy. They say they can’t see any pattern to your trail. Cops are so dumb sometimes, but their work ethic usually pays off. If you really are in Korea, there’s nothing anybody can do to you.
And, in a few other emails, the volatility that Jo testified about in court becomes visible. In the message referencing Kelly, the bounty hunter, all affection is gone. “I have had to cut off Kelly. Just found out he used to abuse his wife, and now she’s left him. I mean really abuse the s-h-i-t out of her. He rolled her up in a mattress and raped her.”
If you do not respond to this letter, or the next few ones, I will write. I will come looking for you on Da Vitz’s second birthday. I’m not talking about flying to Korea with a picture of you two and nothing else. I’m talking about spending thousands of dollars on a scary bounty hunter that I’m not at all friends with, but have known for six years and tried to avoid.
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In court, Jo testified that she only replied to one of these emails: to say, after Charlton announced his plans to come look for her in Korea, that she was living in New Zealand. (She was not.) Steve Mount summarized the email in court: “the view and the ocean and how beautiful it was, as if you were there and you weren’t.”
Charlton came to Korea, and never made contact with Jo on the trip. “For me, Korea is awesome,” he wrote in an email. “People here treat me very nice whether they like it or not. The Korea girls here really like me, but are very stupid, I think.”
During this period, Jo was also receiving communication from the Yolo County Child Abduction Unit. In court, Jo admitted that she lied in response to Angela Smith, an enforcement officer in the Child Abduction Unit, saying that she was still in the States. Jo claimed that this communication came shortly after Charlton’s email about the bounty hunter. “I thought that Angela Smith was from bounty hunter,” she said. “Would not anybody be afraid of such a threat?”
Answering Mount’s questions in court about why she didn’t respond to Charlton’s emails, Jo said, “I had responsibility for my baby. I mean, what else could I have done? What effort should I have put into [answering him]?” Jo said that she intended Hwi to meet her father “when Jesse is not dangerous to the child at the time.” She insisted that she didn’t understand that Hwi was considered abducted—that her actions could have been seen as a serious crime.
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Jo was tried on child abduction charges for the first time in December of 2014; the trial ended in a hung jury. Steve Mount immediately stated his intention to retry Jo, saying, “Our Child Abduction Unit does its very best to help parents get into court. We only file charges in egregious cases where we have made contact and the defendants don’t do the right thing.”
Speaking to Jezebel, Mount acknowledged the activist communities who protested his decision, but suggested that the clear-cut motive they’ve attributed to Jo’s actions—that she was attempting to escape an abusive relationship—is inaccurate.
“Yes, there was a domestic violence incident,” said Mount, “and [Charlton’s] reaction was completely inappropriate, and he probably could’ve been charged at that time, but neither of them told the cops that that had happened.”
When asked by Jezebel if Charlton would refute the claims that he was abusive, Charlton’s attorney Preston Morgan said, “It depends on how you use the term abusive. There may be abuse in a relationship. There may have been circumstances surrounding it that may not be indicative of an abusive relationship. That’s not to undermine any physicality, and how it’s inappropriate in any circumstance, but it does happen.”
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Steve Mount pointed out that Charlton had moved out of Jo’s house by the time she was preparing to go back to Korea, and that he was only trying to secure visitation and contact rights. He added that Jo spent some time in Southern California before going back to Korea, and that she did so freely, even staying with Charlton’s relatives for a short time. “She was not fleeing a household of continual abuse,” Mount said.
Mount expressed sympathy for the distrust Jo might have had of law enforcement, or of the United States legal system. He noted that domestic violence is particularly underreported in the Asian-American community.
Jo “was running out of options,” he said. “I think she was afraid of going to family law court, which is really sad, because she would’ve gotten custody. She would’ve been able to take her child to Korea. The court would’ve probably said that she had to let the dad come visit when he can afford to, and give |
so what? They’re just giving people what they want. But really they’re stepping over other people’s lives for YouTube fame, and YouTube recognition.
“I’ve said this before, but YouTube is becoming this drama machine, where everyone is throwing in their two cents to get their twenty cents back.”
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The problem, as Pewdiepie illustrates in his video, isn’t just that people want celebrity gossip. It’s that people want the rumors so bad, they don’t even care if they are true–so long as it’s scandalous. Think about the tabloid magazines you might see at a checkout counter and the tall tales they weave about the secret lives of the biggest stars. The same thing is happening on YouTube, except it’s not about Jennifer Aniston, it’s about some dude who plays Mario Kart.
“I’ve said this before, but YouTube is becoming this drama machine, where everyone is throwing in their two cents to get their twenty cents back.”
In his YouTube drama video, Pewdiepie actually highlights videos where he claims people have fabricated stories about him, in an attempt to highlight what makes a drama-hungry audience so dangerous.
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“Everyone is so thirsty for drama, I am actually scared that people will take this stuff seriously,” Pewdiepie said. “And if they are real videos, you’d WANT people to take them seriously.”
There’s another side to this. Drama Alert doesn’t just wade in the mud when it publishes news. It is also willing to cover complicated stories of abuse that other major outlets would never touch, because they often involve very serious allegations that are tough to prove or crimes that nobody got convicted for. Months before a major outlet covered the scandal of Minecraft personalities accused of pedophilia, Drama Alert’s Keemstar had already briefed his viewers on the allegations, and walked them through the digital evidence that spawned the controversy. Hell, Drama Alert became the top source for more traditional outlets that covered that debacle in the first place. (The biggest YouTuber accused of preying on underage fans has not been convicted or charged with any crimes, and he blames hackers for obtaining nude pictures of teen girls.)
When you consider how commonplace allegations of sexual assault have become for male YouTube stars, some might argue that channels like Drama Alert are doing the public a service. Nobody else is holding these celebrities accountable if they allegedly put kids or women in danger. YouTube is starting to be known for its ‘creep problem,’ and there’s seemingly nothing to keep it in check. But without editorial oversight, drama channels are just as likely to swing and miss, too, and the resulting damage they can do with a false allegation is significant.
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It’s all created a lot of discussion on YouTube itself. In particular, some YouTubers have defended the practice of talking about gossip on YouTube.
“I can’t speak for other YouTubers, but whenever I talk about current events, or YouTube drama, or things going on in gaming, I try to add something to the conversation that’s personal to me and is about me,” boogie2988 said. “For example, when I talked about Nicole Arbour...making fun of fat people, I also talked about the struggles that I deal with every day, and the way it’s affected me, and the way those negative feedback loops can affect a person who is overweight. When I talk about abuse allegations like Matthew Santoro or Toby Turner, I talk about what it’s like to be an abuse survivor and what’s that has done to me on a personal level,” Boogie said.
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In short, Boogie argues that when he covers ‘drama,’ he is adding to the conversation constructively, often on a subject that everyone is already talking about anyway. More big picture, viewers come to personalities like Boogie for guidance on how to live life or think about things. As far as the viewer is concerned, their favorite YouTuber isn’t causing more drama when they cover gossip. The YouTuber is just chatting, like any friend might do with another friend. The problem is that that YouTubers often have millions of ‘friends,’ which means that things can easily spin out of control.
The problem is that that YouTubers often have millions of ‘friends,’ which means that things can easily spin out of control.
“The other reason I make these videos is because sometimes this is really relevant to me, whether it’s The Fine Brothers, or Nicole Arbour, or Matthew Santoro,” Boogie said. “These are people I know. These are people I like. These are people I work with. This is my community. This is my home. I’m a vlogger. I’m a pundit, and you’re damn right I have the right to talk about it. So I’m going to.”
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Boogie also takes umbrage with the idea that he covers drama for personal gain, though he does draw a line between what he does and more bloodthirsty drama channels. He acknowledges that sometimes drama channels can misrepresent things, or get things wrong, only to have their audiences gang up on people who don’t deserve it.
Keemstar, the king of YouTube drama, has also thrown his hat into the ring with his own videos. In satirical video published today, Keemstar makes fun of people who act as if Drama Alert is responsible for creating the YouTube messes that he covers.
“Before Drama Alert existed, there was absolutely no drama on this website,” Keemstar joked. “No one ever fought, there was never any scandals, no one was raped, there wasn’t pedophiles. There just simply was no drama until I created Drama Alert.”
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In a different video published yesterday, Keemstar speaks more plainly about the drama channel controversy.
“I think Pewdiepie is fucking hypocritical,” Keemstar exclaimed. This allegation is compounded by two things: Pewdiepie has taken shots at other YouTubers in videos before, and Pewdiepie’s own drama video is monetized, too.
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“As much as we like to pretend, for the most part, none of us are truly above this stuff,” Boogie said in his own video response to Pewdiepie. “We all like gossip, we all like talking about other people, and it’s really, really hard not to, because that’s part of human nature.”Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor – 50th Anniversary Special
The Doctor has returned Travelling through time and space in his TARDIS, the Doctor battles aliens and monsters who are intent on mayhem and destruction. He is joined on his adventures by a number of companions: Rose Tyler, an East London girl looking for a way out of her boring job; Captain Jack Harkness, a time traveller and conman from the 51st century; Donna Noble, who is sucked into the TARDIS on her wedding day, and is now looking for the dangerous life the Doctor leads; and Martha Jones, a 23 year old medical student, who is whisked into the Doctor’s life when the hospital she works in is transported to the moon, she leaves the Doctor after saving the world from the Master because she knows her love for him isn’t reciprocated. Soon after when the Earth is threatened with alien invasion Donna returns to the Doctor to help save the planet. After facing down the Time Lords of Gallifrey and averting the End of Time, the Doctor regenerates and meets young Amy Pond, as a young girl and is reunited with as an adult, along with her fiance Rory. Together, the three traversed time and space continuing the fight against evil…that is, until the Ponds leave. Now the Doctor must travel with a woman twice dead, Clara Oswin Oswald, and continue his never-ending crusade….but will the oldest question in the universe be finally answered? Doctor who?
Doctor_Who_2005.50th_Anniversary_Special.The_Day_of_the_Doctor.HDTV_x264-FoVFor a long time many of us have had very serious suspicions that the prices of gold and silver were being highly manipulated. But now, thanks to the mind blowing testimony of one very brave whistle blower, the blatant manipulation of the world gold and silver markets is being blown wide open. What you are about to read below is absolutely staggering. Once the American people learn how incredibly corrupt the world financial system is, it is going to change everything. The government that we are all trusting to guard the integrity of the financial system is failing to do that job. It turns out that the Commodities Futures Trading Commission has been sitting on solid evidence that the elite banking powers have been openly and blatantly manipulating the price of gold and silver. Even though they were basically handed a “smoking gun”, they have done absolutely nothing with it. But now the information has gone public and the CFTC is red-faced.
Back in November 2009, Andrew Maguire, a former Goldman Sachs silver trader in Goldman’s London office, contacted the CFTC’s Enforcement Division and reported the illegal manipulation of the silver market by traders at JPMorgan Chase.
Maguire told the CFTC how silver traders at JPMorgan Chase openly bragged about their exploits – including how they sent a signal to the market in advance so that other traders could make a profit during price suppression episodes.
Traders would recognize these signals and would make money shorting precious metals alongside JPMorgan Chase. Maguire explained to the CFTC how there would routinely be market manipulations at the time of option expiries, during non-farm payroll data releases, during commodities exchange contract rollovers, as well as at other times if it was deemed necessary.
On February 3rd, Maguire gave the CFTC a two day warning of a market manipulation event by email to Eliud Ramirez, who is a senior investigator for the CFTC’s Enforcement Division.
Maguire warned Ramirez that the price of precious metals would be suppressed upon the release of non-farm payroll data on February 5th. As the manipulation of the precious metals markets was unfolding on February 5th, Maguire sent additional emails to Ramirez explaining exactly what was going on.
And it wasn’t just that Maguire predicted that the price would be forced down. It was the level of precision that he was able to communicate to the CFTC that was the most stunning. He warned the CFTC that the price of silver was to be taken down regardless of what happened to the employment numbers and that the price of silver would end up below $15 per ounce. Over the next couple of days, the price of silver was indeed taken down from $16.17 per ounce down to a low of $14.62 per ounce.
Because of Maguire’s warning, the CFTC was able to watch a crime unfold, right in front of their eyes, in real time.
So what did the CFTC do about it?
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
Which is extremely alarming, because the size of this fraud absolutely dwarfs the Madoff or Enron scandals. In fact, this fraud is so gigantic that it is not even worth comparing to any of the other major financial scandals of recent times.
But Maguire did not give up. He sent several more emails to the CFTC detailing the open manipulation of the gold and silver markets.
The CFTC did not reply.
Finally he sent them a final email: “I have honored my commitment to assist you and keep any information we discuss private, however if you are going to ignore my information I will deem that commitment to have expired.”
The reply by the CFTC?
“I have received and reviewed your email communications. Thank you so very much for your observations.”
No action.
No acknowledgement that anything was wrong.
No recognition that a massive crime had been committed.
Fortunately, that was not the end of it.
On March 25th, the CFTC held a hearing on alleged manipulation in the gold market by the major banking powers.
Maguire wanted to testify during that hearing but he was not invited.
But William Murphy, chairman of Gold Anti-Trust Action (GATA), was invited to testify. GATA has been compiling data on the manipulation of the gold and silver markets for quite a long time now.
Murphy was only given five minutes to deliver his testimony. He raced through his presentation so that he could get as much information on the record as possible.
Very curiously, the live television broadcast of the CFTC hearing suffered a technical failure the minute before Murphy began his testimony. The technical failure was corrected the minute after Murphy was finished.
Coincidence?
Well, it turns out that there were are lot of coincidences surrounding this hearing.
But we’ll get to that in a minute.
When Murphy finished his statement, the panel asked him for some hard proof of market manipulation. Murphy shocked the panel by revealing the name of Maguire and explaining how Maguire had informed the CFTC Enforcement Division of the market manipulation that was taking place by JPMorgan Chase. The CFTC panel seemed stunned by the revelation and seemed reluctant to learn any further and asked nothing else about it.
Video of Murphy’s revelation to the panel is posted below….
In another “coincidence”, Maguire and his wife were subsequently injured and hospitalized when their car was struck by a hit-and-run driver in the London suburbs.
When a bystander who saw the “accident” tried to block the other driver from getting away, the other driver accelerated directly towards the witness, forcing him to leap out of the way to avoid being hit. The hit-and-run driver’s car then hit two additional cars as he left the area.
But Maguire and his wife were fortunate.
In the past, other would-be whistle blowers that had evidence regarding the manipulation in the gold and silver markets died in “unusual accidents” before they were able to bring their evidence to light.
But there were even more “coincidences” surrounding this hearing.
A week before the hearing, the CFTC announced that they had had a fire in the room where its gold and silver records are held.
Isn’t that convenient?
In addition, after the hearing was over, Murphy was contacted by a number of major media outlets for interviews.
Within 24 hours, every single interview was cancelled.
Every single one.
Is that a coincidence too?
It appears that some very powerful people do not want this information to get out.
It also shows how corrupt the mainstream media has become.
This is a story that is so much bigger than the Madoff scandal or the Enron scandal that it is not even funny.
And yet the mainstream media is avoiding it like the plague.
But there were additional bombshells that came out during the hearing as well.
During the hearing it was revealed that the gold manipulators have accumulated a huge short position in gold and that these huge short positions are “naked”, which means that these positions are not hedged.
These massive short positions have put some of the largest financial institutions in the world in an extremely vulnerable position.
In addition, it has now come out that most “gold” that is traded is not backed by the actual metal itself. For years, most people have assumed that the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA), the world’s largest gold market, had actual gold to back up the massive “gold deposits” at the major LBMA banks.
But that is not the case.
People are now realizing that there is very little actual gold in the LBMA system.
When people think they are buying “gold”, they are actually just buying pieces of paper that say they own gold.
In fact, during the CFTC hearings, Jeffrey Christian of CPM Group confirmed that the LBMA banks actually have approximately a hundred times more gold deposits than actual gold bullion.
Uh oh.
So what happens if everyone decides that they want actual physical delivery of their gold?
It would be such a mess that it is painful even to think about it.
The truth is that right now most of the trading activities on the London exchange are just paper for paper.
But people get into gold because they want to be in a real commodity.
In fact, there are thousands of clients around the globe who think they own huge deposits of gold bullion, and are being charged large storage fees on that imaginary bullion, but what they really own are a bunch of pieces of paper.
If there comes a time when everyone starts asking for their gold it is going to create a squeeze of unimaginable proportions.
Maguire explains this situation this way: “for 100 customers who show up there is only one guy who is going to get his gold or silver and there’s 99 who will be disappointed, so without any new money coming into the market, just asking for that gold and silver will create a default.”
The truth is that it is absolutely impossible for the LBMA to ever deliver all the gold and silver owed to the owners of contracts.
Yes, it is a gigantic mess.
But this type of things is not entirely unprecedented. For example, Morgan Stanley paid out several million dollars back in 2007 to settle claims that it had charged 22,000 clients storage fees on silver bullion that did not exist.
But the scale of the fraud going on now is absolutely mind blowing. The following video contains footage from the hearing related to these issues….
So what is the bottom line?
The bottom line is that the precious metals markets are cesspools of fraud and manipulation.
The markets have been suppressed by the major financial institutions for years, and this has created the potential for a “squeeze” in the precious metals markets that could send the prices of gold and silver into the stratosphere.
You see, the reality is that there would be no gold left in the entire world if all the Gold ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds) asked for physical delivery.
Are you starting to get the picture?
In fact, Maguire claims that the naked short selling scam by the major financial institutions is well into the trillions of dollars, making it by far the biggest financial fraud in history.
Maguire calls what has been going on “financial terrorism”, and he accuses the financial institutions involved in this fraud of “treason” for putting national security at risk.
And national security is at risk.
Because if the true extent of this fraud comes out, it could collapse the entire financial system.
If you have never heard an interview with Andrew Maguire, we encourage you to listen to the audio interview posted below. It will really open your eyes to what is going on in the precious metals markets….
The Century’s Biggest Fraud Revealed
This is one of the biggest financial stories of the decade. Because it is complex, most Americans will not understand it. But the fraud and manipulation in the gold and silver markets has the potential to cause a massive economic collapse even without all of the other factors talked about on this blog.
Some very powerful people have been doing some really, really bad things. Once people understand the truth, they will never look at the financial markets the same way again. Already, faith in the major financial institutions of this country has been shaken by revelations about what has been going on over at Goldman Sachs. The American people have no more appetite for any more financial scandals or for any more Wall Street bailouts. But if the fraud and manipulation taking place in the precious metal markets ever gets totally exposed it will change the U.S. financial system forever.
Please get this information out to as many people as you can. There are a number of very powerful people who are not going to be pleased that sites like this are attempting to get the truth about this massive scandal out.After weeks of broadcasting his intention to "name names" and publish the identities of specific Americans targeted by the NSA and FBI for surveillance, journalist Glenn Greenwald finally made good on his promise.
Greenwald spoke with WIRED prior to publication of his story late Tuesday night to talk about it. In the story, Greenwald and colleague Murtaza Hussein identified five Muslim-Americans whose email addresses appeared on a lengthy surveillance target list that NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden provided to Greenwald last year. The list included more than 7,000 email addresses, at least 200 of which were tagged by the government as being "U.S. persons." In naming five of those on the list, it's the first time that American targets of the government's surveillance who were never arrested or accused of terrorist activity have been identified.
In this frank interview with Greenwald, he explains the significance of the revelations. He also divulges why he delayed the story last week instead of publishing as planned, and discusses the possible existence of a mysterious "second leaker," and why it has taken a decade to finally get confirmation of surveillance activities that were first reported in 2005 and 2006 by the New York Times and USA Today.
WIRED: You've written that it's unclear if the government obtained warrants to conduct surveillance of the five Muslim-Americans identified in your story, but it appears that, at least in the case of Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on Muslim-American Relations, a government official has said no warrant was obtained to surveil him. Also, the surveillance was all conducted in 2008 or earlier, when a warrant wasn't needed under certain programs. So do you think the government had warrants or not?
GLENN GREENWALD: Even prior to the 2008 FISA Amendments Act, if they were targeting Americans on U.S. soil they would have had to have gone to the FISA Court and gotten a warrant unless they were conducting it under the Terrorist Surveillance Program, which I don't think is likely... I think it's very likely that most of them were surveilled subject to a FISA warrant. I think it's possible that...the reason [Awad] wasn't was because he spent so much time on foreign soil that they were able under the Protect America Act and other authorities to target him without a FISA Court warrant.... He probably [spent] 50 percent of the time [overseas].
WIRED: You write that another media outlet was told by the government that no warrant was used with Awad and you suggested this was the reason the story was delayed last week. What media outlet are you talking about?
GG: We were partnering with a media outlet that was going to do TV and promote our story. They then started to try and do some of their own reporting on the story so that when they went on TV they would have something to add. So they called a couple of their sources and a couple of their sources said, "We never got a FISA warrant against Awad, and to the extent that [Greenwald is] reporting that the NSA did, [he's] wrong." We actually weren't even reporting that they got a FISA warrant against Awad, but we did write our story on the premise that they had FISA warrants against all of them, because that was what the NSA kept telling us: "Oh you shouldn't report this because this was all done with FISA Court approval." So given that we had the NSA saying in general "we got FISA approval" and then these anonymous sources who this media outlet vouched for as being pretty senior and knowledgeable saying "no, they never did [get one for Awad]," we just felt like we had to resolve that or do the best we can or write into the story that we didn't know. That was the only reason we held the story at the last minute: was just to investigate that one narrow claim.
WIRED: Is it possible the media outlet misunderstood their sources?
GG: It's a very big respectable media outlet. They didn't tell us who their sources were, of course, because they were anonymous. But they went back [to the sources] and we then went to the NSA and we said, "What's going on? You've been telling us for months that all of this was done with the approval of the FISA Court. Now you have people in DoJ and FBI saying...Awad and maybe one other one didn't have a FISA warrant." They said, "we can't control what they say." Then they started saying. "there are theories we could have used where we could have surveilled some of these people without FISA warrants." They would never explicitly confirm or deny that any of these people were FISA targets. It was all off-the-record hypotheticals: "If we were to surveil people, it would all be done with FISA warrants, which is why you shouldn't reveal your targets."
>"This is the first time that there's a human face on who the targets are of \[the U.S. government's\] most intrusive type of surveillance."
WIRED: Were you able to identify any of the other Americans on the list? There are 7,000 emails on the list and you write that at least 200 were flagged on the spreadsheet as being U.S. persons.
GG: In virtually none of the cases is there an actual name next to the email address. So sometimes you can identify the name from the email address if you look at the organization to which they belong and do some digging. But in the vast majority of cases, it's impossible to find the identity of the person whose email address is being targeted.
WIRED: You point out that one of the most important aspects, aside from the fact that you've got attorneys being targeted for surveillance, is that this gives the people who were targeted standing to sue in a way that hasn't existed in the past.
GG: I think there's several really significant aspects. For one, this is the first time that there's a human face on who the targets are of [the U.S. government's] most intrusive type of surveillance. It's all been this sort of abstract...oh the NSA is acquiring these capabilities and is engaged in mass surveillance and indiscriminate vacuuming. But here you really get to see who these people are who are the people worthy of their most invasive scrutiny. I think it's important for people to judge—are these really terrorists or are these people who seem to be targeted for their political dissidence and their political activism?
Secondly, I think there's a huge discrepancy between how American Muslims are treated and how non-Muslims are treated. Because there are so many similarly situated non-Muslims who have done as much, if not more, to end up on the list [but] who aren't on the list. But people who are Muslim end up on the list.... And the question becomes, if you're engaging in political dissidence that some people consider threatening, should you really be targeted?
>"There's a huge discrepancy between how American Muslims are treated and how non-Muslims are treated. Because there are so many similarly situated non-Muslims who have done as much, if not more, to end up on the list \[but\] who aren't on the list."
The big significance as well is it's impossible now to throw these people out of court on standing grounds. I think you're probably going to see some of them, if not all of them, challenge the constitutionality of the statutory framework, as well as the specific spying that they were subjected to.
WIRED: The government made a number of objections to you publishing the story. What were they?
GG: They were simply saying: if you reveal targets you could blow our ongoing surveillance operations or reveal our sources and methods. Their second argument was: you're crossing a line here because this isn't a case where we're asking you to take our word for it that this was proper; we actually have a FISA Court judge...who said that this was proper. So for you to then go and disclose it is completely inappropriate, given that it's not just us saying this is legitimate but an independent judge saying that.
WIRED: Let's talk about Richard Clarke [who served on a recent oversight panel that examined the surveillance programs and largely found the programs to be acceptable except for a few recommendations for changes]. If only he had known about this list, he tells you, he would have asked tougher questions of the government and asked to see individual FISA warrants in order to review them. What do you make of this reaction that suddenly this concerns him now more than it did before?
GG: He is kind of this consummate national security state insider who generally lends himself to endorsing whatever those agencies do, but at the same time likes to maintain this public facade that he's the reasonable, questioning insider who will object when things go too far.... He endorsed huge amounts of all of these activities while sitting on that panel, and then I think was confronted with some evidence that suggested that some of his endorsements might have been baseless. And now he's trying to back pedal and say, "oh if only I had known."...I know that these advisory panels don't get the lists of the people that [the government is] targeting and they don't scrutinize any of this information either. So for them to just offer these general endorsements that there is no abuse and that there's no evidence of wrongdoing without seeing this information, I think, shows just what a farce those oversight panels are. What's more significant than him saying had he known he would have looked more into it, is the fact that he never—and therefore his fellow panel members never—bothered to ask for and certainly never got... the list of Americans whom they were actually spying on. How can you conduct an investigation without that?
WIRED: Well, you don't even need the list of names. All you have to know is how many Americans are on the list and why they're on it—those are obvious questions and they didn't even go that far to ask them.
GG: I would argue you do need the names. But you're absolutely right that...there's this kind of intermediary bit of information that they seem not to have shown any interest in, either, which is remarkable given what a clean bill of health they gave the NSA on these issues.
WIRED: There was also his other statement about not asking to see any of the court orders. The reason he gave was that they were just five guys working part time and didn't have the resources to do that.
GG: Maybe that's why you don't sign this huge report clearing the NSA of all wrongdoing. You either say we need more resources, or you say in the report that you didn't get the things you needed and therefore can't come to any conclusions.
WIRED: In 2006 USA Today broke the story about the phone records bulk-collection program, but at the time the government and telecoms denied it. It took seven years to get confirmation of this program with the Snowden documents. Do you have an idea why we had these great revelations in 2005 from the New York Times about the warrantless wiretapping program and then in 2006 from USA Today about the phone records collection and then nothing for so long?
GG: What was amazing was that even the New York Times revelation—they won the Pulitzer and it was like a scandal for a little while—but the outcome of that was that Congress got together in 2008 on a bipartisan basis and voted to make that program legal.
>"You can actually see for yourself what they’re doing in a way that you were never supposed to."
I do think there was an assumption that when the country voted against Bush and his party, and in favor of this other party that was vowing to uproot these policies, that it was sort of like, well, whatever problems we had, they were sort of over [now]. I think part of the reason why people reacted so strongly to our story was because it was the first time that we saw that Obama was doing it [too], that it had basically continued and even expanded....
I think there's a huge difference between reporting something because sources told you, and saying to people, "look at these documents that you were never supposed to see. You don't have to rely on my word or anybody else's word. You can actually see for yourself what they're doing in a way that you were never supposed to." I think that's a big part of why it has resonated [now]; it's that these documents make it indisputably clear exactly what they're doing in the way that a New York Times or USA Today story based on anonymous sources just doesn't do.
WIRED: After the first Snowden revelations were published last year, Senator Ron Wyden (D–Oregon), who is on the intelligence committee, warned that we were just seeing the tip of the iceberg and there was so much more about the surveillance that hadn't come out yet. You have characterized this story as the finale in your coverage, the pinnacle of your reporting on this topic. Does this and the other stories now constitute the whole iceberg? (With the understanding that of course you don't possess everything about the government's surveillance in your cache of documents.) But is this the peak now?
GG: When I talked about my finale I just sort of meant...basically I've been doing this for a year now so it's just kind of time for me to do other things. I'm sure there are stories in there that I passed by because I didn't recognize the significance of it and neither did the other journalists working on it that people who have a different set of understandings about things would. I already have a few stories written that are going to come after this one, so this isn't my last one. But I do think there are some really big stories left to tell that would probably be very related to what Ron Wyden was saying.... But we have a snippet of what the NSA did. We don't have anything close to everything that the NSA did. And it's possible—in fact I think it's highly probable—that there are things Ron Wyden knows about and was referring to that, for whatever reason, just aren't in the documents that we have, or we haven't found them.
WIRED: One revelation in your book that didn't get much play was the issue of U.S. telecoms partnering with foreign telecoms to upgrade their networks and in the process help the NSA subvert those networks by redirecting the target country's communications to NSA repositories. That to me was one of the more shocking allegations because you weren't just talking about phone companies providing access to their own networks and their own customers but serving as pseudo-contractors and agents of the NSA to help them spy on foreign infrastructure. Why didn't that get more attention?
GG: You know, it's funny because it was a huge issue here in Brazil, before I wrote the book, because the first story we did in Brazil was about the collection of 2 million metadata events and so the question was how was the NSA getting that? The Senate was interested in that...The reason it never took off is because the one thing the NSA holds really close is the identity of their partners. I have a very good idea of who these companies are based on circumstantial evidence, but no one would ever let me say it. But without that, how do you make it stick? The Brazilian government was desperate to know, because they wanted to kick that company out.
WIRED: There has been a lot of speculation about the possible existence of a second leaker, ever since Jake Appelbaum, a developer for The Tor Project, and Der Spiegel published the so-called ANT catalogue of NSA surveillance tools and didn't attribute the document to Snowden. Then last week Jake published a second story in Germany about surveillance of people who use privacy tools, based on what appears to be leaked source code from an NSA datamining tool. That story also wasn't sourced to Snowden. You've said you think there's a second leaker.
GG: It's hard for me because I actually know what's in the archive and I don't want to just come out and say: this is in the archive, this isn't in the archive. But the thing I thought was most notable about that Der Spiegel article Jake did is that they don't say a single thing about what the source was for those documents, and every single other time Der Spiegel has reported on Snowden documents they say specifically: this came from NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. And they were just completely coy and silent on the sourcing for those catalogues. I think that should have been a red flag for a lot of people, in addition to the fact that it wasn't any of the normal journalists who did that reporting. Everyone knows who got the documents, like me and Laura [Poitras] and Bart [Gellman at the Washington Post].
WIRED: Well I think I assumed that you or Laura gave documents to Jake.
GG: There are big legal issues surrounding these documents from the start, and one of the things we've always been told by lawyers is you can report journalistically on the documents, but you can't just hand them out to other people because the minute you start handing them out to other people, you become the source. So given Jake's obvious proximity to WikiLeaks [he's a former spokesman for the group], the idea that I or Laura or anyone else would just be handing documents of all people to Jake Appelbaum, which means that they could have easily ended up in the hands of WikiLeaks, seems very remote. That's not what happened.
WIRED: So you still hold strong to this idea that there probably is a second source.
GG: It's hard for me because I know for certain but I don't want to be coy and be like well there may be and there may not be but I can't say for certain because I don't want to talk about what's in the archive or not in the archive for the rest of my life.... It's hard to me to say for certain because there are so many documents.
WIRED: But you did tweet that it seems clear there is a second source.
GG: Exactly, and I stand by that. I mean the reason I said it seems clear—even that's like a little amorphous—is because of the way both the Der Spiegel article and this latest article said nothing about the sourcing.Mark Kennedy says he has been 'hung out to dry' by former employers
The former policeman who spent seven years undercover among environmental activists has denied being an agent provocateur, saying that his superiors knew exactly what he was doing at all times and approved his activities.
Mark Kennedy, a Metropolitan police officer who infiltrated green and anarchist groups under the alias Mark Stone and fled to America after his cover was blown, said he fears for his safety following threats from activists. The 41-year-old said he believed that his former police superiors were looking for him too.
"I can't sleep. I have lost weight and am constantly on edge. I barricade the door with chairs at night. I am in genuine fear for my life," said Kennedy, who sold his story to the Mail on Sunday. "People like to think of things in terms of black and white. But the world of undercover policing is grey and murky. There is some bad stuff going on. Really bad stuff."
However, Kennedy said that throughout his time spent undercover he was in constant touch with police handlers and never tried to push fellow protesters into taking action: "I had a cover officer whom I spoke to numerous times a day. He was the first person I spoke to in the morning and the last person I spoke to at night. I didn't sneeze without a superior officer knowing about it. My BlackBerry had a tracking device. My cover officer joked that he knew when I went to the loo."
He said he felt he had been "hung out to dry" since being exposed.
Kennedy's activities were at the centre of the decision last week by prosecutors to abandon the trial of six activists accused of conspiring to break into Ratcliffe-on-Soar coal-fired power station in Nottinghamshire.
The former officer said that he made undercover audio recordings of the |
can come out of using a stand-alone filter if you’ve never used one.
The Soundhack delay trio is a bundle of three in-depth delay units that can drastically alter your sounds in ways outside of typical delay VSTs. +delay is a standard delay with the usual controls and an attractive interface. +pitchdelay has many of the same functionality but offers controls aimed at pitch shifting, which sounds interesting and purposely low-fi. +bubbler is even wilder still. It’s a granular delay in which aspects of the grain selection are randomized, sure to lead you down paths of sonic exploration. Try using the feedback function on all three to get satisfying ambient drone effects.
FMMF is a 4 operator FM synth that aims to help users understand FM synthesis through its user-friendly graphical interface. But FMMF is no mere learning tool. FMMF is a fully functional synthesizer with complex multi stage envelopes, LFOs, a low pass filter, delay and distortion effects. There’s also a wealth of modulation options, a 6 mode arpeggiator, and portamento. The list of features on this one is as lengthy as most of the paid alternatives. If you’re trying to get into FM synthesis without a budget, FMMF is certainly worth the download.The very senior senator from Mississippi, Thad Cochran, is reportedly about to pack it in.
Thad Cochran first went to Congress in 1972, riding on the broad Mississippi coattails of Richard Nixon, alongside fellow Ole Miss cheerleader Trent Lott. Six years later, he became the first statewide Republican winner since Reconstruction, succeeding veteran segregationist Democrat Jim Eastland and symbolizing the partisan and racial realignment of his state and the South.
With John Conyers’s resignation earlier this month, Cochran became the longest-serving member of Congress (Utah’s Orrin Hatch has him beat in Senate seniority by two years, and is thus Senate president pro tem). Lott left the Senate 15 years ago this week. Cochran’s current, seventh term doesn’t run out until 2020, and the octogenarian is probably hoping Hatch will retire next year and let him crown his career as third in the line of succession to the presidency. But it’s not looking good. Aside from a urological ailment that has kept him back home in Mississippi a good part of this autumn, Cochran is reportedly not in the best state of mind to serve in the World’s Greatest Deliberative Body. Politico had this unhappy report in October when Cochran got back to Washington for some key votes:
The 79-year-old Cochran appeared frail and at times disoriented during a brief hallway interview on Wednesday. He was unable to answer whether he would remain chairman of the Appropriations Committee, and at one point, needed a staffer to remind him where the Senate chamber is located.
Now Politico is reporting that it may just be a matter of time until Cochran has to step down as Appropriations chair, and perhaps as senator:
[Cochran] hasn’t presided over a hearing since early September. The Mississippi Republican has not given a speech on the Senate floor all year, and he’s introduced only two bills during that time, both of them minor.
The 80-year-old’s feeble performance has fueled expectations — among senators and aides who’ve witnessed his physical and mental decline firsthand — that Cochran will step down from the Appropriations chairmanship early next year, or resign from the Senate altogether.
“The understanding is that he will leave after Jan. 1,” said a Republican senator who serves on the Appropriations Committee. “That’s what most of us believe will happen.”
It’s hard to imagine Cochran lingering on in the Senate if he has to give up the Appropriations gavel. Of all the types of latter-day southern senators — the demagogues, the ideologues, and the wheeler-dealers are other categories — Cochran represents the Appropriator, the congressman who is able to steer vast federal resources to his very poor state by dint of seniority and an easygoing demeanor. It is this quality that enabled him to survive (very narrowly) an ideology-based primary challenge in 2014 from fire-breather Chris McDaniel. In a runoff campaign, Cochran openly appealed to Mississippi Democrats and independents to keep him in the Senate to ensure that federal largesse continued to flow into the state.
And it’s Cochran’s success as an Appropriator that has made it possible for him to stay in office despite a voting record that is much less savagely conservative than your average southern Republican would prefer.
Indeed, it seems Cochran (or the people around Cochran; it’s hard to tell how much autonomy he currently exercises), would like to hold on until this year’s on-again, off-again appropriations process is completed, once Congress tires of stopgap spending bills and gets serious, perhaps in January or February. But with No. 2 appropriator Richard Shelby of Alabama already more or less running the committee, it’s unclear why his Mississippi colleague doesn’t bend to the inevitable, much as a 91-year-old Robert Byrd did in giving up the Approps gavel in 2008.
If Cochran does retire from the Senate in January, his state’s Republican governor, Phil Bryant, will appoint an interim senator who will serve until a nonpartisan special election that would coincide with next year’s general election (if there’s no majority winner on November 6, then a special runoff would be held later in that month). Since Cochran’s junior colleague Roger Wicker (a mere lad at 66) is also up in 2018, that would mean a double Senate election (which could also very easily happen in Arizona if John McCain’s health forces him to resign), which despite Mississippi’s deep-red character is always a perilous circumstance for the party in power.
This creates an interesting dilemma for the man who nearly ended Cochran’s Senate career in 2014, Chris McDaniel, who was mulling another hyperideological campaign, this time against Wicker, next year. He could stay that course, or gamble on a special election in November. Either way, the Republican civil war will probably come to Mississippi in 2018. And the odds are high that whoever takes over Cochran’s old seat won’t resemble him very much — unless another former Ole Miss cheerleader is available.Event Stats $0.00 - $25.00 21 and Over
Event Description
Please join us for our “1st Annual Fall Fest to benefit “Pelotonia, a grassroots bike tour with one goal: to end cancer.”
In 2012, Pelotonia was the largest cycling event in the country in terms of participation with 6,212 Riders coming from 42 states and 3 countries.
Additionally, Pelotonia had 3,144 Virtual Riders and 2,103 registered volunteers. Pelotonia 12 raised $16.9 million, bringing Pelotonia’s 4-year total to $42.2 million for cancer research.
Our community event in support of Pelotonia will be held Saturday, September 28, 2013; between two sessions- a family friendly session from 2-4 pm and a 21 and over session from 6-9 pm. Kids age 10 and under are FREE for the family session!
All proceeds will benefit “Pelotonia, (a grassroots bike tour with one goal: to end cancer).”
Beer Sampling from: Rivertowne Brewing, The Church Brew Works, Rooney's Beer, All Saints Brewing Company, North Country Brewing, Full Pint, Great Lakes Brewing Co., Rockbottom, Crispin Cider, Four Season's Brewing, Marzoni's, Ace Cider, Hofbrau House, Sly Fox, Green Flash, Sprecher, East End Brewing, Lavery, Finch's, Terrapin, Voodoo, Southern Tier, Flying Dog, Ithaca, and Yard's!!!
Food Vendors: Kings, Daugherty's Orchids, BRGR, Schrum's Originals, Dad's Pub, etc.
Live Entertainment
Silent Auction
Prizes & Giveaways
Magic Show
Pumpkin Carving Contest (Bring your carved pumpkin the day of the event)
Bobbing for Apples
Face Painting
FREE PARKING & Shuttle Service
**Tickets will still be available to purchase at the door the day of the event.COSTA MESA – A man and three women from Long Beach were arrested Wednesday night after officials say one robbed a Nordstrom Rack before they all fled in a black SUV with three children inside.
Around 6:50 p.m., a loss prevention agent at Nordstrom Rack inside Metro Pointe near South Coast Plaza attempted to stop David Alfaro, 23 of Long Beach, from leaving the store with two women after apparently stealing items, Costa Mesa police Sgt. Bang Le said.
Alfaro is accused of pulling out a knife before “attempting to cut the loss prevention agent,” Le said.
He fled along with the women in a black Chevrolet Suburban, but store officials were able to write down a partial license plate, which they gave to police.
Officers in the area spotted the car heading onto the northbound 73 toll road and attempted to stop the SUV.
The vehicle stopped and Alfaro got out of the driver seat and switched with one of the women inside before she drove off and a pursuit started.
Authorities said the woman got off on the Harbor Boulevard exit, where she was greeted with gridlock traffic before she turned off the SUV and took out the key.
Alfaro fled the car, but was found by police and arrested on suspicion of robbery.
Long Beach residents Sarai Rodarte, 19, Raquel Perez, 32, and Marivel Cuevas, 33, were inside the car and were arrested on suspicion of burglary and conspiracy. It’s unclear which one of the women was driving during the pursuit, Le said.
Three small children were also in the SUV and left with family.
Items stolen from Nordstrom Rack were recovered, although descriptions of the items were not released.
No one was injured in the incidents.
Contact the writer: 714-796-7802 or aduranty@ocregister.comRecycling and composting helped the city of San Francisco divert 77 percent of its garbage from landfills in 2008, which it hailed as a national record and the highest of any city in the U.S.
The city's performance pushed it past its 2010 waste diversion goal two years early. The Northern California city wanted to divert 75 percent of its waste from the local landfill by 2010, and to send no waste to landfills by 2020.
In 2008, the city of San Francisco diverted 1.64 million tons of waste, out of 2.14 millions tons of waste generated. In 2007, the city's waste diversion rate was 72 percent.
The city credits its recycling and composting programs with helping it reduce landfill waste. The figures, however, are for 2008, the last year for which data is available. But it wasn't until late 2009 that the city's mandatory recycling and composting program went into effect requiring all residences and businesses to compost food scraps, yard trimmings and soiled paper.
Since the law went into effect, composting in the city has risen 45 percent to nearly 600 tons of compostable materials a day, compared to 400 tons a year ago.
"We've beat the 75 percent goal, so now our push is to get to zero waste by 2020," Melanie Nutter, director of San Francisco's department of environment, said in a statement. "If we captured everything going to landfill that can be recycled or composted in our programs, we'd have a 90 percent recycling rate, but we will need to work on the state and federal level to require that packaging and products are manufactured with minimal waste and maximum recyclability."
The city needs to further reduce the amount of waste it sends to landfills because the local landfill where it sends trash is expected to reach capacity by 2013. City research suggested as much as a third of its waste could be composted, while another 31 percent could be recycled.
Image CC licensed by Flickr user ToastyKen.Around the country today, Bill Belichick is viewed as perhaps the best football mind in the game right now. His New England Patriots have won three out of the last four Super Bowl championships and have spawned a new wave of “Dynasty” talk, placing the team in the same echelon as the Packers of the 1960’s, Steelers of the 1970’s, 49ers of the 1980’s and Cowboys of the 1990’s. His teams play a smart, tough, efficient brand of football that is admired around the country, while at the same time the players for the most part are “character guys”, people who have avoided trouble off of the field.
You would think that with this organization in place, Belichick would be lauded nowhere more than in New England, where sports are taken as seriously as religion and politics. Curiously though, if you listen to some sports talk radio programs, or pick up newspaper articles by veteran NFL reporters, you’d think that Belichick was some sort of monster who mistreats people and is overseeing nothing more than a house of cards that is due to collapse at anytime. They constantly refer to his record in Cleveland, and most recently have started the chant that Belichick has won nothing without Tom Brady as his quarterback. You get the impression from these commentators that they would like nothing more than to see Belichick and the Patriots fail miserably.
On the other hand, you also have media members who go the completely opposite way in their treatment and coverage of the Patriots head man. In their eyes, he can do no wrong, every move is that of a genius and the mantra “In Belichick we trust” is their personal slogan. When a hot offense comes into town to face the Patriots, Bill Belichick will find a way to stop them. If there is a player out there on the scrap heap that no one else wants, Belichick will bring him in and make a player out of him. What has caused such polarization in the Boston sports media as regards this undeniably successful head coach?
When Bill Belichick resigned as “HC of the NYJ” after being appointed Bill Parcells’ successor, the Patriots didnt wait long to express their interest in him to take over their team. After some protracted negotiations with Parcells (a media favorite in New England) and the Jets, Patriots owner Bob Kraft eventually worked out a compensation package which allowed Belichick to take become the head coach of the team. Right around this time, certain media members started taking some shots at Belichick, likely because of his perceived disloyalty to the esteemed Parcells. Kevin Mannix of the Boston Herald infamously labeled Belichick “duplicitous pond scum” and a nighttime radio host on sports radio WEEI was also very vocal in his opposition to Belichick’s hiring, calling him “a despicable human being” (for which he later apologized). Michael Holley, then of the Globe, and a native of Ohio, also wrote a very negative article on the new coach. (Holley of course would later go on to write “Patriot Reign”)
Why the vitriol for someone who had just arrived in town? In addition to having crossed Parcells, who still can do no wrong in the eyes of many, there were still lingering stories among the media about Belichick’s tenure as head coach of the Cleveland Browns. The Cleveland media were only too happy to tell stories of Belichick as having been aloof, uncooperative and uncommunicative while having had to deal with him. To this day in fact, many of those Cleveland writers still sneer when his name is brought up. It would appear that many of the Boston writers were influenced by their Cleveland colleagues.
The Patriots went 5-11 in 2000, Belichick’s first year with the club, and while there was still a little grumbling about whether Belichick had the ability to be a successful head coach, for the most part things were pretty quiet. That spring, the team had used a sixth round draft pick on Michigan QB Tom Brady, who spent the season stashed away as the fourth quarterback, no one really paying much attention to him. After the 2001 draft, Belichick was criticized harshly by Globe writer Ron Borges for passing on receivers David Terrell and Koren Robinson in favor of defensive lineman Richard Seymour, sarcastically calling it a “genius move” in reference to Belichick’s reputation as a wizard with the playbook. He said that if you didn’t know better, “you’d think the Jets sent Bill Belichick north to destroy the Patriots from within.” The 2001 season started, and despite moving up to the backup position with a strong preseason showing, Brady seemed nothing more than a spare part behind the strongly entrenched Drew Bledsoe.
Drew Bledsoe had been the Patriots franchise quarterback since Parcells drafted him back in 1993. Over the course of his career, he was known for putting up big numbers, but also for making mistakes at the most crucial times. He was also known for standing in there?both in the pocket and in front of the press, where he always took full accountability for his miscues and faced the media without ducking the questions sent his way. This endeared him to some of the local media, who cultivated a strong relationship with him. Bledsoe was also very close to the Kraft family and was “in the loop” about many things going on “behind the scenes” with regard to the operations of the Patriots. He shared some of this information with some of the media members he was closest to. As a result, the media people always covered Bledsoe positively in their articles, even when he struggled, blaming it instead on his lack of weapons, or having had so many offensive coordinators over the years, or not having enough protection from his offensive line.
When Belichick took over, the “back channel” communications within the organization dried up. He insisted on being the voice of the Patriots, not allowing the press access to his assistant coaches, and limiting availability to his players, practice session and team executives. Even owner Bob Kraft, who had been out front and center in the past, now seemed to have disappeared. None of this pleased members of the press who had relied on these “sources” to compose their stories. The Patriots lost their first game of the season in Cincinnati and were on their way to defeat in the second game to the New York Jets when “it” happened.
Mo Lewis is held in some New England circles as a folk hero. It can be argued that the Jets linebacker’s massive hit on a scrambling Bledsoe in the fourth quarter of that game launched the Patriot dynasty. What is certain however is that the hit spelled the end of Drew Bledsoe’s tenure as the starter in New England, and also launched open season on Bill Belichick by certain members of the sporting press.
While Bledsoe was recovering from his internal injuries, which nearly cost him his life, Tom Brady stepped in and led the Patriots to a 5-2 record. There was considerable talk during this time on the radio, TV and in the papers about what would happen when Bledsoe was ready to return. While Bledsoe was out, some other things changed around the team. Bledsoe had always held his mid-week press conferences at a podium, where he was the focus, away from his teammates. Brady opted to hold his sessions at his locker, with his teammates around him in the room. Bledsoe talked during this time about when he recovered and got “his” job back. The medical staff declared Bledsoe fit to play, but on Monday, November 19, 2001, Belichick declared that Tom Brady was his starter for the “foreseeable future”.
This marked another very clear turning point in the relationship between Belichick and certain members of the press. By this time, many had taken their sides. They were either “Brady guys” or “Bledsoe guys.” Interestingly, many of the “Bledsoe guys” were the veteran reporters that had been around the team for some time. Guys like Ron Borges and Nick Cafardo of the Globe and Kevin Mannix of the Herald, men who had developed a strong relationship with the quarterback. The “Brady guys” were some of the younger, newer guys on the beat, such as Michael Felger of the Herald. The Bledsoe backers immediately cried foul at Belichick’s decision. Ron Borges wrote in the Boston Globe of November 22, 2001:
So the facts are simply these. He lied to Drew Bledsoe about what the competitive situation would be when the quarterback regained his health. There was no miscommunication. There was no misunderstanding. There was no hedging of the bet. He fibbed.
Whereas Borges had been somewhat critical, but at times supportive of Belichick up to this point, from that day until now, Borges has been on a seeming crusade to discredit everything the coach has done. Belichick had lied to his friend, Drew Bledsoe. Belichick had now crossed two of the media’s favorite people in Bledsoe and Parcells. Borges made numerous attacks of the coach and young quarterback for the remainder of the season. The Patriots made it all the way to the Super Bowl and as a show of his displeasure with the team, Borges in his pick for the game said that the Rams would win 73-0.
The Patriots of course won the Super Bowl, defeating the Rams in one of the most thrilling games in the history of the event. In the weeks following the win, Borges and cronies continued to try to discredit the victory and both Belichick and Tom Brady, saying that they only won by a field goal, and that Tom Brady?s winning drive was nothing special, as he didn’t even have to go half the field. Brady was dismissed as nothing more than a “system quarterback” who can only “throw sideways.”
That spring, Drew Bledsoe was traded to the Buffalo Bills. The critics had a field day on this one, criticizing Belichick for only getting one first round pick for the quarterback and worse, trading him within the same division. This they said, was the ultimate sign of Belichick’s arrogance, which would certainly come back to bite him. The Patriots went on to a 9-7 record in 2002, tying for the division lead and missing the playoffs by a tiebreaker. The critics were gloating. The Patriots were a one-year wonder. Brady was just a system quarterback. (Despite throwing for 28 TD’s and leading the league in that category) In addition, Bledsoe got off to a fast start in Buffalo, which just fueled the fire of the skeptics.
The following season, the Patriots signed safety Rodney Harrison in the offseason, and people wondered where they would play him, as they already had a top player at that position in Lawyer Milloy. The week before the Patriots regular season opener in Buffalo against Bledsoe and the Bills, Belichick announced that the team had released Milloy after failing to come to a contract adjustment. The critics were all over this. Kevin Mannix led off his column the next day in the Herald thusly:
Bill Belichick is pond scum again. Arrogant, megalomaniacal, duplicitous pond scum.
It was again open season on the Patriots coach. To top matters off, Milloy went off and immediately signed with the Bills, who then trounced the Patriots in the season opener, 31-0. ESPN analyst Tom Jackson made his infamous remark that the Patriots “hate their coach.”
Not much has gone wrong for the Patriots since that day, as they have only lost three games since and have won consecutive Super Bowl Championships. Yet the bashing and shots at Belichick continue. The Globe writers have written repeatedly about Belichick’s policies of not allowing his assistants to speak to the media, arguing that hindered their ability to get head coaching jobs. Yet this season, both of Belichick’s coordinators were hired as head coaches, Charlie Weis at Notre Dame and Romeo Crennel with the Cleveland Browns. Now that those two are gone, the critics question how Belichick will do without them. They still constantly bring up Belichick’s tenure in Cleveland, even recalling negative events from that period to use today, such as a piece that ran in the Sunday Globe this spring that brought up a time that Belichick supposedly scolded now-Dolphins coach, then Browns assistant Nick Saban for something he said to the media. We’re also reminded that the Patriots have won three Super Bowls by the margin of a field goal. As if that should somehow take away from the achievement.
It seemed like for a while there were weekly reminders in the some articles that Belichick’s career record was right around.500. The last two seasons have quieted that particular item, but the newest one that is heard daily on the Eddie Andelman show now is that Belichick has never won without Tom Brady, and that his record without Brady is 16 games under.500. I can tell you that right off the top of my head because it has been repeated so many times on that radio show. Of course, the irony here is that these are the same people (i.e. Borges) who were calling Brady a “system quarterback” a couple years ago and saying the team made a huge mistake in trading Bledsoe. Now he, not Belichick is the one most responsible for the success of the franchise. He is also accused of mistreating and underpaying his stars and heartlessly cutting players who have meant a lot to the franchise. This is an attempt to appeal to the emotions of the fans, who have attachments to the players. In reality, Belichick has yet to release a player who has gone on to really burn him. Most of the time, his assessments have been dead on, and the team’s salary cap has benefited as a result. Yet to writers such as Nick Cafardo, who pride themselves on getting close to players and agents in the game, the Patriots business-like manner of approaching things is distasteful. They would rather see “their guys” get taken care of. It seems like they have no concept of the salary cap.
It certainly seems curious that such a successful coach who seems to do things the “right way” would come under such constant negative scrutiny and criticism from certain people. Why do these people continue? At times they seem like the Black Knight from “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” They have had all their arguments cut out from underneath them, yet they continue to stubbornly refuse to retreat. It can be traced back to a few things already mentioned. First, Belichick crossed their darlings, Bledsoe and Parcells. Secondly, they’ve gone this far in their stance, its too late to change now?besides they get attention they seem to crave so desperately by being “different” and standing out from the Belichick admiration. Third, Belichick has proven them wrong time after time, made them look foolish. For them this is enough reason to hate the man. Fourth, he doesn’t make their job easy. He doesn’t feed them “she” quotes and fill up their notebooks with glib quotes. Access is limited to his coaches, practices and team. The media is forced to do some work to get their stories. Some reporters thrive with this, (see Reiss, Mike) while others chafe and choose to complain instead. Fifth, things change in the NFL, this we know. At some point, the Patriots are likely to have a down year, or heaven forbid, suffer a key injury to someone they cannot afford to lose (Brady) or just get beaten by a superior team on a given day. When that day comes, you can be sure that the critics will be there, declaring that they were right all along. Bill Belichick is merely overseeing a house of cards up here in New England.
AdvertisementsA DAY after undergoing a biopsy on his melanoma, Jarryd Roughead has told Jordan Lewis he wants to be there in Brisbane for his great mate’s 250th game on Saturday.
Roughead went under the knife on Monday, with friend Lewis visiting him at home before coming in for his regular appearance on AFL 360 on Tuesday night.
“He had the biopsy yesterday and he was a little bit sore but very positive,” Lewis said.
“I think that’s where we need to go from here. He’s done what he needs to do and us as a footy club and people around him really need to be positive, and help him through what’s going to be through a tough couple of months.”
Despite the surgery Roughead told Lewis he wants to travel with the Hawks to Brisbane where Lewis will play his milestone game on Saturday afternoon.
Jarryd Roughead was at the MCG on Friday night to support his Hawks. Source: News Corp Australia
“He said he’s going to go to Brisbane and he wants to room with me,” Lewis said.
“I’ll have the footy under one arm and Roughy under the next.”
Lewis said he thought the Hawks were “taken aback” by the applause for Roughead in the second minute of the second quarter of Friday night’s loss to Sydney.
“The whole crowd really made a big noise and unfortunately for us as a team, once that minute of applause ended, we didn’t do anything for 15 minutes,” Lewis said.
“It was a great gesture. Roughy didn’t want it in a sense, he might’ve felt embarrassed or didn’t think it was needed.
“I think being there and being apart of it it was such a great thing for both sides of the fence.”
And as many suspected would be the case, during the game Lewis said he and his teammates were caught up thinking more about Roughead’s diagnosis than the match itself.
“There’s no doubt (it affected us),” Lewis said.
“It was a huge week and we probably haven’t had something like that close to us that was that big.
“You consciously try and tell yourself that when the game comes around, be ready to perform, but you just can’t help it. All your thoughts during the week are taken up by what’s going on.”
After the emotional week, by the time the Hawks got to the ground, they were already “mentally fatigued”, Lewis said.
“There are parts of the game where you’re not involved in the contest or near the ball and your mind does wander,” he explained.
“Usually it wanders to what you should be doing but I can honestly say my mind was wandering to things that happened during the week.”Charge everything with the feature packed Efest LUC V2 Universal Dual Bay Intelligent Battery Charger! Perfect for 18mm and 26mm batteries of any length and featuring an LCD display showing the charge of each battery, the LUC V2 is my favorite charger for all of my batteries. This kit includes both a wall and car adapter so you can keep your batteries charged anywhere!
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Operation:County in California, United States
Nevada County is a county in the Sierra Nevada of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 98,764.[3] The county seat is Nevada City.[5]
Nevada County comprises the Truckee-Grass Valley, CA Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Sacramento-Roseville, CA Combined Statistical Area. It is in the Mother Lode Country.
History [ edit ]
Martis Creek Lake and Dam at the southern end of Nevada County near Truckee. At full pool the lake extends into Placer County in the distance to the south.
Martis Creek Lake and Dam in Nevada County. This picture was actually taken over Placer County, looking north into Nevada County.
Created in 1851, from portions of Yuba County, Nevada County was named after the mining town of Nevada City, a name derived from the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The word nevada is Spanish for "snowy" or "snow-covered."[6]
Nevada City was the first to use the word "Nevada" in its name. In 1851 the newly formed Nevada County used the same name as the county seat. The bordering state of Nevada used the same name in 1861. The region came to life in the Gold Rush of 1849. Many historical sites remain to mark the birth of this important region in California's formative years. Among them are the Nevada Theatre in Nevada City, the oldest theater built in California in 1865. It operates to this day and once hosted Mark Twain among other historical figures. The Old 5 Mile House stagecoach stop built in 1890, also operates to this day as a provider of hospitality spanning three centuries. This historical site still features "The stagecoach safe" that is on display outside the present day restaurant and is the source of many legends of stagecoach robbers and notorious highwaymen in the California gold rush era. The gold industry in Nevada County thrived into the post-WWII days.
The county had many firsts and historic technological moments. The first long-distance telephone in the world, built in 1877 by the Ridge Telephone Company, connected French Corral with French Lake, 58 miles (93 km) away.[7] It was operated by the Milton Mining Company from a building on this site that had been erected about 1853. The Pelton wheel, designed to power gold mines, still drives hydro-electric generators today. Nevada City and Grass Valley were among the first California towns with electric lights. The Olympics, NASA, and virtually every television station around the country utilizes video/broadcasting equipment designed and manufactured by Grass Valley Group, founded in Grass Valley.
The Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad was built in 1876 and was the only railroad in the West that was never robbed, even though its primary freight was gold. (Builder-owner John Flint Kidder's reputation made it clear that he would personally hunt down and kill anyone who tried.) The rail line closed in 1942 and was torn up for scrap.
In Grass Valley the historic Holbrooke Hotel opened in 1851 and housed Mark Twain, Bret Harte, and four U.S. presidents (Ulysses S. Grant, Grover Cleveland, Benjamin Harrison, and James A. Garfield).
The Community of Rough and Ready seceded from the Union for a time and became the Great Republic of Rough and Ready.
The 2001 Nevada County shootings occurred on January 10, 2001, in which Scott Harlan Thorpe murdered three people in a shooting spree. Two of the victims were murdered in Nevada City and a third victim was killed in Grass Valley. Thorpe was arrested and declared not guilty by reason of insanity. He currently resides in Napa State Hospital.
Geography [ edit ]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 974 square miles (2,520 km2), of which 958 square miles (2,480 km2) is land and 16 square miles (41 km2) (1.6%) is water.[8] The county is drained by Middle and South Yuba rivers.[9]
The western part of the county is defined by the course of several rivers and the irregular boundaries of adjoining counties. When the county was created, the founders wanted to include access to the transcontinental railroad, so a rectangular section was added that includes the railroad town of Truckee. What is remarkable about this is that the final shape of the county closely resembles the Deringer pocket pistol, a favorite at the time of the more urbane residents of this gold rush county.
Nevada County is one of four counties in the United States to border a state with which it shares the same name (the other three counties are Texas County, Oklahoma; Delaware County, Pennsylvania; and Ohio County, West Virginia).
Ecology [ edit ]
The county has substantial areas of forest, grassland, savanna, riparian area and other ecosystems. Forests include both coniferous- and oak-dominated woodland types. There are also numerous understory forbs and wildflowers including the yellow mariposa lily (Calochortus luteus).[10]
Adjacent counties [ edit ]
National protected areas [ edit ]
Demographics [ edit ]
2011 [ edit ]
Population, race, and income Total population[11] 98,392 White[11] 90,896 92.4% Black or African American[11] 522 0.5% American Indian or Alaska Native[11] 1,184 1.2% Asian[11] 1,370 1.4% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander[11] 188 0.2% Some other race[11] 1,785 1.8% Two or more races[11] 2,447 2.5% Hispanic or Latino (of any race)[12] 8,185 8.3% Per capita income[13] $31,607 Median household income[14] $58,077 Median family income[15] $69,807
Places by population, race, and income [ edit ]
2010 [ edit ]
The 2010 United States Census reported that Nevada County had a population of 98,764. The racial makeup of Nevada County was 90,233 (91.4%) White, 389 (0.4%) African American, 1,044 (1.1%) Native American, |
have welcomed the move.
Female genital mutilation has been recognised globally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women.
But that message has been slow to filter down in parts of north, east and west Africa where the practice is still widespread.
Health campaigners estimate that more than 70 percent of Mauritanian girls undergo the partial or total removal of their external genitalia for non-medical reasons.
The World Health Organisation says there are no health benefits and many potentially damaging consequences, from severe pain and blood loss to recurrent infections, infertility and an increased risk of complications in childbirth.
Taboo'smashed'
Mutilations are carried out for a mix of cultural and social reasons, and many believe the practice has Islamic religious support, even if this isn't always the case.
A law professor at Nouakchott University said the collective fatwa would greatly reduce female genital mutilation in Mauritania because it would remove what he called the religious mask that the practice hides behind.
Mauritanian women in Nouakchott also welcomed what one said was the smashing of a religious taboo.
However, others have cautioned that a publicity campaign will now be needed if the fatwa's message is to be spread into outlying areas where genital mutilation is most common.Emma Carroll, a UC Berkeley grad student, is thinking about taking out loans just to pay what could be a substantially higher tax bill.
Jerry Pohorsky, an engineer in Santa Clara, might put off his plans to buy a new electric vehicle if a federal tax credit gets cut.
And John Hansen, an attorney in Castro Valley, is considering moving to Georgia in part to avoid paying some California income and property tax he could no longer deduct from his federal bill.
As Republicans square the last details of President Donald Trump’s massive tax overhaul before a final vote in Congress, many Bay Area residents are running the numbers and worrying that they’ll end up paying more.
The plan is the biggest rethinking of America’s tax code in a generation, though it’s still a work in progress, with a congressional committee ironing out differences in versions passed by the House and Senate. For many people around the country, it will mean lower tax rates and a simplified filing process. Trump and other supporters say it will jump-start the economy and generate jobs.
But the bill slashes many housing and state-tax deductions that are popular in the Bay Area. California’s high taxes and the Bay Area’s high home prices will likely make our region one of the most adversely affected places in the country, and accountants and tax experts say there’s not much taxpayers can do to avoid it.
“Given the way the tax bills are written now, the Bay Area is certainly a big loser from this plan,” said Jack Citrin, a UC Berkeley professor who has written a book about California tax policy.
Both bills will ax the deductions for state income tax. That won’t be a big deal for most Americans, but California has some of the highest income taxes in the country — and nearly half of Bay Area residents take advantage of the state and local tax deductions. Of the top 7 U.S. counties with the highest average state and local tax deduction, four — San Mateo, Marin, San Francisco and Santa Clara — are in the Bay Area, according to IRS data.
The tax plan also limits some of the biggest financial incentives for buying and owning a home. Both versions of the bill cap the property tax deduction at $10,000, while the House version limits the mortgage interest deduction to loans of up to $500,000, down from the current $1 million. (Existing loans would be grandfathered in.) The median Bay Area home price is about $800,000, compared with about $200,000 nationwide.
“This doesn’t affect 95 percent of homeowners in the country, but it affects basically everybody here,” said Joseph Salazar, a tax specialist and financial adviser in San Jose. “If you have a young couple looking to buy their first house, why would they want to move here?”
Salazar predicted that without these big financial incentives to buy a home, the Bay Area could see a slump in the housing market and a growing percentage of renters. However, he said people shouldn’t necessarily plan on selling their home, as the bill also makes fewer homeowners exempt from paying capital gains tax on the profit from selling their house.
Losing the deductions is a big deal for Hansen. Though the interest deduction from his more-than-$500,000 mortgage would be grandfathered in under the tax plan, he would lose the state and local tax deduction that he says has helped save him “a substantial amount of money.” He expects his tax bill to go up under the GOP plan.
“Maybe the only answer is to move to another state,” said Hansen, who said this could be another incentive for him and his wife to move to Atlanta to be closer to their grandkids. As a Democrat, he said he thought Trump and Republicans were trying to write a tax bill with increases that “mostly affect people who don’t vote for them.”
Even some of Trump’s biggest local fans are questioning the tax plan’s effect on their pocketbooks. Lori Drake, the former chair of the Alameda County Republican Party, said she supported the idea of simplifying the tax code and most of the bill, but opposed getting rid of deductions for state income and property tax, which she uses.
“We should be against that,” she said, “because it’s not fair to get double-taxed on anything.”
Losing those deductions isn’t bad news for everyone in the Bay Area. The bill would nearly double the standard deduction, raising it to $12,000 for individuals or $24,000 for married couples, and most people who take the standard deduction can expect to pay fewer taxes under the bill. The Senate bill also would double the child tax credit, to $2,000 per child, while the House bill would raise it to $1,600.
The Bay Area residents who will benefit from the tax plan, accountants predict, include renters with relatively low incomes who don’t pay a lot of state income tax and retirees who don’t have outstanding mortgages. The super-rich will also likely see reduced tax rates outweigh their lost deductions, and will benefit from other provisions like a reduction of the estate tax.
“Looking at our situation, I think it’s going to be a better deal,” said Bob Jackson, 65, a San Jose Democrat and retired mail carrier. He and his wife take the standard deduction and have no mortgage on their mobile home, which they rent a space for instead of paying property tax. “It’s good for people like us.”
On the other hand, the bill could mean higher taxes for graduate students like Carroll, who’s halfway through her six-year PhD program in molecular and cell biology. The university waives $13,000 of her tuition each year for doing research. Under the House bill — but not the Senate bill — that waived tuition would now be considered taxable income, added to the $35,000 annual research stipend she currently pays taxes on.
She’s estimated if the House bill passes, she’d have to pay about $1,500 a year in new taxes, although some of that could be mitigated by the higher standard deduction. She’s planning to take out loans to pay for that.
“If I have to pay taxes on a considerably larger amount of money that I never actually make, it’s going to be hard to continue my studies,” said Carroll, who did not want her political affiliation disclosed.
Some students have called on Berkeley and other universities to help support graduate students if the tax change goes through, possibly by reducing their tuition. Meanwhile, the House bill also repeals a provision that allows current and former students to deduct up to $2,500 in student loan interest.
Other tax provisions that are popular in the Bay Area and could be lost include the $7,500 credit for the purchase of an electric vehicle, which helps make some EV prices comparable with gasoline cars. The Senate bill keeps the credit, but the House bill nixes it.
That’s bad news for electric vehicle aficionados like Pohorsky, a former president of the Electric Auto Association of Silicon Valley. He bought his current ride, an electric Toyota RAV 4, in 2002, when plug-in cars were still a curiosity. After 15 years, it’s losing battery capacity and showing its wear, so Pohorsky has been planning to buy a new Chevy Bolt.
But without the $7,500 credit, he’s not sure he’d buy the $36,600 car. It’s a calculation that could lead many like him away from EV purchases.
“It will slow down electric vehicle adoption for sure, and that affects all of us,” said Pohorsky, a Republican. “The number of electric cars on the road is only about 2 percent, so we still have 98 percent of the population to convert.”
The tax bill also cuts deductions for victims of disasters like earthquakes, wildfires and hurricanes. There are special exceptions for victims of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria — but not for those hit by the blazes that devastated the North Bay. (Republican leaders have said they plan to pass separate legislation for California wildfire victims.)
Still, there are many in the Bay Area like Jan Soule, a San Jose Republican retiree from the tech industry, who says the tax plan “makes sense.” The house she and her husband have owned for decades is paid off, and they have relatively low property taxes thanks to California’s Proposition 13 — so they won’t miss many of the deductions.
She doesn’t believe her party is using it to punish blue states. And if some Californians are angry about having to pay a higher tax bill, Soule said, “maybe they’ll wake up to the fact that our state taxes are out of control.”According to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, there are 1.6 million Americans with IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease). While that means less than 1% of Americans have either Crohn's or Colitis, that's a pretty big number—and chances are you know someone with IBD, maybe even a close relative!
But due to the fact that Crohn's is usually an invisible illness, many people don't know some of the myriad joys of a typical Crohn's patient's life. This blog post aims to clear that up.
Phobias
Most people I know have one or more of the following phobias:
Fear of swallowing large pills (pharmacophobia or phagophobia)
Fear of needles and/or subcutaneous injections (needle phobia)
Fear of ionizing radiation (radiophobia)
Fear of germs (mysophobia)
Fear of confined spaces (claustrophobia)
If you're a Crohn's patient, and have any or all of these phobias, you're in luck! Through the course of diagnostics and treatments, you will be forced to overcome all of them:
You'll regularly swallow horse-suppository-sized pills multiple times a day
You'll self-inject numerous drugs (or have them injected via IV)
You'll receive multiple doses of ionizing radiation and/or other forms of radiation (CT especially, but also X-ray and MR imaging)
You'll take drugs that effectively shut down your immune system (so maybe the fear of germs won't ever really be overcome...)
You'll squeeze into tight spaces regularly, like when you have to get your biannual MR enterography. Bonus points for also having to receive an IV (fear of needles) before the procedure!
Often you get a twofer—like swallowing a cup full of large pills before getting an IV, which is all in preparation for a dose of ionizing radiation during a CT scan!
Diagnostics
During a barium enema, you flop around like this, with a hose in your butt.
Speaking of CT, MR, X-ray, and such, there are a number of procedures that—unless you have IBD—you might never know about, or expect to undergo until you're an old person. Like a procedure where someone sticks a hose the wrong way in your system, pumps you full of goop, makes you flop around like a walrus on an X-ray table while they take pictures, then yanks the hose while you high-tail it to a toilet while leaking said goop! (The fancy name for this is a barium enema.)
Or the procedure where you have to drink a full liter of said goop, wait an hour, then get stuck inside a small tube the width of two basketballs for an hour while a loud machine uses a 30,000 gauss magnet to slice up your body, image-wise, so you can see a glowing image of your squishy intestines. (The fancy name for this is MR enterography.)
Or the procedure where you have an IV that looks like something out of a movie, pumping said goop directly into your bloodstream (in addition to gook you just drank) while you're stuck inside a machine that spins as fast as your washing machine around your body whilst shooting ionizing radiation directly into your body. (The fancy name for this is CT enterography.)
Or the procedure where a doctor puts you to sleep then forces a long thick tube up the wrong way, taking a bunch of pictures of your insides, then even scraping little bits of said insides for further testing. (The fancy name for this is a colonoscopy.)
Honestly, by the second or third time you're run through the gauntlet of tests, you feel like the protagonist in You're Only Old Once!:
Short synopsis: an old guy gets a zillion exams done, moving from doctor to doctor in a maze-like hospital.
I almost forgot the best part! Most of the above procedures either involve fasting for a number of hours (not the end of the world...), or a full colo-rectal purge—which if you've never done one, feels like this, but coming out of your hind parts:
Medicines and Treatments
Crohn's disease is one of the family of diseases where there is no known cure. Someday, there might be one, but until that day comes, Crohn's patients are generally stuck somewhere in this 'pyramid of treatments':
You start your way at the bottom, and then climb up. Each new level brings with it an array of new and exotic side effects, as well as exponential increase in price! Also, you usually start with oral medications, then graduate your way up to self-injected medications, suppositories, enemas, and IVs. It's not that fun, to be honest, especially when you realize you're being billed more than your annual salary to sit for hours at a time being injected with a drug that's turning off your immune system (among other things)... and will likely become ineffective at some point (or never help at all—but it takes weeks or months to know!).
Now don't get me wrong—it's a blessing that there are now numerous drugs in every treatment level for Crohn's; in the past, if you developed antibodies to Remicade, you were up a creek and it was time to climp to the top of the pyramid and start cutting out parts of your intestine. Nowadays, there are a half-dozen effective TNF-blocker medicines, some better or worse, but all viable options pre-surgery.
In terms of medications for moderate to severe Crohn's, it's not a pretty picture, but it's actually improving over time. And some drugs on the horizon promise to be even easier on our systems, meaning they could help us stay in remission much longer!
Then there's Prednisone. Everyone Crohnie has a love/hate relationship with that monster drug. Best to not talk about it.
Relationships and Family
I have an amazing wife. You have to put up with a lot if you are in a dedicated relationship with someone with IBD. Besides the obvious medical exams, potential surgeries and short/long-term disability, monthly medical billing phone calls... there are myriad other lifestyle differences. Like spending hours on the porcelain throne. And laying uncomfortably in bed, on a couch, or on the floor at various times due to crippling stomach pain (usually accompanied by gassiness, which makes it all the more interesting!). And causing vacation or date plans to change (or be somewhat restricted) due to dietary, location, or even bathroom issues!
On top of that, especially for an otherwise-healthy youngish person who has Crohn's, not being able to do things like work on a certain home project, do common yard work, gardening, and maintenance, work on cars, etc. can weigh on you. I consider myself a 'provider' for my family... and when I'm not, well, providing, that makes me feel bad!
We haven't even started to talk about the impact (superficial or not) of having regular discussions about stool composure, toilet comfort, hemorrhoid care, skin tags, abscesses, fistulas, fissures, and more with those closest to you. I mean, I have kids, so I am used to talking about significant differences in poop. But it's a bit different when you're talking about your own!
And for extended family members, who are usually not as attuned to a Crohn's patient's current symptoms and condition, things can be... awkward. Being invited to certain events and not being able to make it because of toilet time, or fatigue—or any number of other reasons—can be tiring, and some people may feel like they're being slighted when it's the third time their invite is declined in a year. I don't blame them, but I do know my Crohn's symptoms impact on my family relationships.
Work Life
It's awkward enough for most people to use the restroom in the long form at their workplace. Imagine having to do so on a regular basis—sometimes multiple times per day!
I've been blessed to work remotely and in office environments where flexible work hours were allowed, but not everyone has this privilege—This is one area (besides getting Crohn's while very young) where Crohn's disease can be particularly restrictive. There are many occupations that you simply cannot pursue because of the disease. For example, I'm pretty sure the space toilets on the ISS aren't rated for IBD-level fecal escape velocity. There goes my aspiration of being an astronaut!
Mixed blessings
Obviously this post is full of tongue-in-cheek statements... there are a few things that Crohn's patients can do that most people cannot:
Any foods you don't like? Just tell people you can't eat them—because Crohn's
Be billed for hundreds of thousands in medical expenses, year over year (better have good insurance!)
Listen to friends tell you how you could be cured by eating dirt or sticking other people's feces into your bowels (with friends like these, who needs enemas?)
Never become obese 1! If you eat too much, your body acts like a bilge pump and shoves it right back out!
! If you eat too much, your body acts like a bilge pump and shoves it right back out! Quickly locate the most comfortable restroom within one minute's walk of any urban location on the planet.
Summary
What I've said here doesn't only apply to Crohn's disease or IBD; there are a range of similar autoimmune diseases and other ailments that are the cause of frequent 'joy' in people's lives. And though there are many negatives mentioned above, there are also great highlights—like working with some great doctors and nurses who want to improve other people's lives, and being able to realize how precious time in remission is (when your life is back to normal).
So go give someone with Crohn's or IBD a hug—they might just need one, even if they look like they're feeling great!
1 Unless you're on a large dose of Prednisone!See Also:
Page 1 T O P S E C R E T S P E C I A L H A N D L I N G N O F O R N
THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF
WASHINGTON 25, D.C. 13 March 1962 MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE Subject: Justification for U.S. Military Intervention in Cuba (TS) 1. The Joint Chiefs of Staff have considered the attached Memorandum for the Chief of Operations, Cuba Project, which responds to a request of that office for brief but precise description of pretexts which would provide justification for US military intervention in Cuba. 2. The Joint Chiefs of Staff recommend that the proposed memorandum be forwarded as a preliminary submission suitable for planning purposes. It is assumed that there will be similar submissions from other agencies and that these inputs will be used as a basis for developing a time-phased plan. Individual projects can then be considered on a case-by-case basis. 3. Further, it is assumed that a single agency will be given the primary responsibility for developing military and para-military aspects of the basic plan. It is recommended that this responsibility for both overt and covert military operations be assigned the Joint Chiefs of Staff. For the Joint Chiefs of Staff: SYSTEMATICALLY REVIEWED, BY JCS ON 21 May 84 [signed] CLASSIFICATION CONTINUED L. L. Lemnitzer Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff 1 Enclosure Memo for Chief of Operations, Cuba Project
Page 6... RECOMMENDATIONS 8. It is recommended that: a. Enclosure A together with its attachments should be forwarded to the Secretary of Defense for approval and transmittal to the Chief of Operations, Cuba Project. b. This paper NOT be forwarded to commanders of unified or specified commands. c. This paper NOT be forwarded to US officers assigned to NATO activities. d. This paper NOT be forwarded to the Chairman, US Delegation, United Nations Military Staff Committee.......
Page 8 APPENDIX TO ENCLOSURE A
DRAFT MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE Subject: Justification for U.S. Military Intervention in Cuba (TS) 1. Reference is made to memorandum from Chief of Operations, Cuba project, for General Craig, subject: "Operation MONGOOSE", dated 5 March 1962, which requested brief but precise description of pretexts which the Joint Chiefs of Staff consider would provide justifications for US military inter- vention in Cuba. 2. The projects listed in the enclosure hereto are forwarded as a prelimiary submission suitable for planning purposes. It is assumed that there will be similar submissions from other agencies and that these inputs will be used as a basis for developing a time-phased plan. The individual projects can then be considered on a case-by-case basis. 3. This plan, incorporating projects selected from the attached suggestions, or from other sources, should be developed to focus all efforts on a specific ultimate objective which would provide adequate justification for US military intervention. Such a plan would enable a logical build-up of incidents to be combined with other seemingly unrelated events to camoflage the ultimate objective and create the necessary impression of Cuban rashness and irresponsibility on a large scale, directed at other countries as well as the United States. The plan would also properly integrate and time phase the courses of action to be pursued. The desired resultant from the execution of this plan would be to place the United States in the apparent position of suffering defensible grievances from a rash and irresponsible government of Cuba and to develop an inter- national image of a Cuban threat to peace in the Western Hemisphere. Appendix to
Enclosure A 5
Page 9 4. Time is an important factor in resolution of the Cuban problem. Therefore, the plan should be so time-phased that projects would be operable within the next few months. 5. Inasmuch as the ultimate objective is overt military intervention, it is recommended that primary responsibility for developing military and para-military aspects of the plan for both overt and covert military operations be assigned the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Appendix to
Enclosure A 6
Page 10 ANNEX TO APPENDIX TO ENCLOSURE A
PRETEXTS TO JUSTIFY US MILITARY INTERVENTION IN CUBA (Note: The courses of action which follow are a preliminary submission suitable only for planning purposes. They are arranged neither chronologically nor in ascending order. Together with similar inputs from other agencies, they are intended to provide a point of departure for the development of a single, integrated, time-phased plan. Such a plan would permit the evaluation of individual projects within the context of cumulative, correlated actions designed to lead inexorably to the objective of adequate justification for US military intervention in Cuba). 1. Since it would seem desirable to use legitimate provocation as the basis for US military intervention in Cuba a cover and deception plan. to include requisite preliminary actions such as has been developed in response to Task 33 c, could be executed as an initial effort to provode Cuban reactions. Harassment plus deceptive actions to convince the Cubans of imminent invasion would be emphasized. Our military posture throughout execution of the plan will allow a rapid change from exercise to intervention if Cuban responses justifies. 2. A series of well coordinated incidents will be planned to take place in and around Guantanamo to give genuine appearance of being done by hostile Cuban forces. a. Incidents to establish a credible attack (not in chronilogical order): (1) Start rumors (many). Use clandestine radio. (2) Land friendly Cubans in uniform "over-the-fence" to stage attack on the base. (3) Capture Cuban (friendly) sabateurs inside the base. (4) Start riots near the entrance to the base (friendly Cubans). Appendix to
Enclosure A 7
Page 11 (5) Blow up ammunition inside the base; start fires. (6) Burn aircraft on airbase (sabatage). (7) Lob morter shells from outside of base into base. Some damage to installations. (8) Capture assault teams approaching from the sea of vicinity of Guantanamo City. (9) Capture militia group which storms the base. (10) Sabotage ship in harbor; large fires -- napthalene. (11) Sink ship near harbor entrance. Conduct funerals for mock-victims (may be lieu of (10)). b. United States would respond by executing offensive operations to secure water and power supplies, destroying artillery and mortar emplacements which threaten the base. c. Commence large scale United States military operations. 3. A "Remember the Maine" incident could be arranged in several forms: a. We could blow up a US ship in Guantanamo Bay and blame Cuba. b. We could blow up a drone (unmannded) vessel anywhere in the Cuban waters. We could arrange to cause such incident in the vicinity of Havana or Santiago as a spectacular result of Cuban attack from the air or sea, or both. The presense of Cuban planes or ships merely investigating the intent of the vessel could be fairly compelling evidence that the ship was taken under attack. The nearness to Havana or Santiago would add credibility especially to those people that might have heard the blast or have seen the fire. The US could follow with an air/sea rescue operation covered by US fighters to "evacuate" remaining members of the non-existant crew. Casualty lists in US newspapers would cause a helpful wave of national indignation. 4. We could develop a Communist Cuba terror campaign in the Miami area, in other Flordia cities and even in Washington. Appendix to
Enclosure A 8
Page 12 The terror campaign could be pointed at Cuban refugees seeking haven in the United States. We could sink a boatload of Cubans enroute to Florida (real or simulated). We could foster attempts on lives of Cuban refugees in the United States even to the extent of wounding in instances to be widely publicized. Exploding a few plastic bombs in carefully chosen spots, the arrest of Cuban agents and the release of prepared documents substantiating Cuban involvement also would be helpful in projecting the idea of an irresponsible government. 5. A "Cuban-based, Castro-supported" filibuster could be simulated against a neighboring Caribbean nation (in the vein of the 14th of June invasion of the Dominican Republic). We know that Castro is backing subversive efforts clandestinely against Haiti, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and Nicaragua at present and possible others. These efforts can be magnified and additional ones contrived for exposure. For example, advantage can be taken of the sensitivity of the Dominican Air Force to intrusions within their national air space. "Cuban" B-26 or C-46 type aircraft could make cane-burning raids at night. Soviet Bloc incidiaries could be found. This could be coupled with "Cuban" messages to the Communist underground in the Dominican Republic and "Cuban" shipments of arms which would be found, or intercepted, on the beach. 6. Use of MIG type aircraft by US pilots could provide additional provocation. Harassment of civil air, attacks on surface shipping and destruction of US military drone aircraft by MIG type planes would be useful as complementary actions. An F-86 properly painted would convince air passengers that they saw a Cuban MIG, especially if the pilot of the transport were to announce such fact. The primary drawback to this suggestion appears to be the security risk inherent in obtaining or modify- ing an aircraft. However, reasonable copies of the MIG could be purchased from US resources in about three months. Appendix to
Enclosure A 9
Page 13 7. Hijacking attempts against civil air and surface craft should appear to continue as harassing measures condoned by the government of Cuba. Concurrently, genuine defections of Cuban civil and military air and surface craft should be encouraged. 8. It is possible to create an incident which will demonstrate convincingly that a Cuban aircraft has attacked and shot down a chartered civil airliner enroute from the United States to Jamaica, Guatemala, Panama or Venezuela. The destination would be chosen only to cause the flight plan route to cross Cuba. The passengers could be a group of college students off on a holiday or any grouping of persons with a common interest to support chartering a non-scheduled flight. a. An aircraft at Eglin AFB would be painted and numbered as an exact duplicate for a civil registered aircraft belonging to a CIA proprietary organization in the Miami area. At a designated time the duplicate would be subsituted for the actual civil aircraft and would be loaded with the selected passengers, all boarded under carefully prepared aliases. The actual registered aircraft would be converted to a drone. b. Take off times of the drone aircraft and the actual aircraft will be scheduled to allow a rendezvous south of Florida. From the rendezvous point the passenger-carrying aircraft will descend to minimum altitude and go directly into an auxiliary field at Eglin AFB where arrangements will have been made to evacuate the passengers and return the aircraft to its original status. The drone aircraft meanwhile will continue to fly the filed flight plan. When over Cuba the drone will being transmitting on the inter- national distress frequency a "MAY DAY" message stating he is under attack by Cuban MIG aircraft. The transmission will be interrupted by the destruction of aircraft which will be triggered by radio signal. This will allow IACO radio Appendix to
Enclosure A 10
Page 14 stations in the Western Hemisphere to tell the US what has happened to the aircraft instead of the US trying to "sell" the incident. 9. It is possible to create an incident which will make it appear that Communist Cuban MIGs have destroyed a USAF aircraft over international waters in an unprovoked attack. a. Approximately 4 of 5 F-101 aircraft will be dispatched in trail from Homestead AFB, Florida, to the vicinity of Cuba. Their mission will be to reverse course and simulate fakir aircraft for an air defense exercise in southern Florida. These aircraft would conduct variations of these flights at frequent intervals. Crews would be briefed to remain at least 12 miles off the Cuban coast; however, they would be required to carry live ammunition in the event that hostile actions were taken by the Cuban MIGs. b. On one such flight, a pre-briefed pilot would fly tail-end Charley at considerable interval between aircraft. While near the Cuban Island this pilot would broadcast that he had been jumped by MIGs and was going down. No other calls would be made. The pilot would then fly directly west at extremely low altitude and land at a secure base, an Eglin auxiliary. The aircraft would be met by the proper people, quickly stored and given a new tail number. The pilot who had performed the mission under an alias, would resume his proper identity and return to his normal place of business. The pilot and aircraft would then have disappeared. c. At precisely the same time that the aircraft was presumably shot down a submarine or small surface craft would disburse F-101 parts, parachute, etc., at approximately 15 to 20 miles off the Cuban coast and depart. The pilots retuning to Homestead would have a true story as far as they knew. Search ships and aircraft could be dispatched and parts of aircraft found. Appendix to
Enclosure A 11By David Aaron Moore, Networx
The thought of a feline urinating on a ceramic bowl generally reserved for the passing of human waste seems to conjure up endless reams of laughter among most individuals – both cat lovers and non.
Call it toilet humor if you like and throw in a joke or two about scatology if you feel so inclined, but for many cat lovers, teaching their four-legged friend how to use a toilet like us humans is serious business. “There are issues to consider when you have a kitty that uses a traditional litter box,” says Richard Johnson, a cat owner who lives in Houston, Texas. “It’s important to stay on top of it constantly. That’s why I chose to toilet train my cat.”
Feline fecal matter, especially when mixed with moisture from cat urine and traditional clay-based cat litter can potentially become a veritable breeding ground for bacteria. It’s easily tracked out of the litter box, throughout the house and can ultimately be harmful to humans and other pets.
Depending on whom you talk with and your individual cat, toilet training for felines can be a breeze or a hellish, screeching, claw-fest nightmare. “My efforts attempting to train a mixed breed stray that I adopted after he showed up at my door one day was a miserable failure,” recalls Montreal resident Thomas Monture. “I tried the method everyone suggested, but my cat Pierre just never really caught on. Perhaps he was too old, or maybe he just wasn’t clever enough. Every time we broached the subject it began and ended badly. Eventually, I just gave up.”
Although Monture’s efforts with Pierre were a failure, that doesn’t have to be the case if you decide it’s time for your furry buddy to use indoor plumbing just like the rest of the household. “Some cats just aren’t as smart as others,” says Deborah Tiganila, the owner and operator of Aristocat Bengal, a Bengal Cattery and obedience school in Charlotte, N.C.
“It can be difficult if the cats aren’t bright, but I think any cat can eventually be taught to use a toilet instead of a litter box,” said Tiganila, who once worked for the CIA and trained dogs. She said, “I use the same method to train the cats as I did with dogs. It is better to start younger, but you want to avoid accidental falls into the toilet bowl.” Like with dogs, “You demonstrate and repeat. When they learn the behavior properly you reward them with a treat or a snack, just like you would a dog.”
Tiganila concedes that the cats she specializes in – Bengals – have an advantage in the learning curve when it comes to toilet training. “In the wild, Bengals naturally gravitate towards water when they need to pass fluids or waste, because they want to hide their scent.”
That would explain everything for another Charlotte resident, Shannon Eury, who adopted a stray Bengal kitten she found in her neighborhood. “I live in a house full of women, so we were constantly mystified as to why no one was flushing and there was urine in the toilet, but no tissue,” she laughs. “Then one day we were in the living room and there was the sound of peeing coming from the downstairs half-bath underneath the stairwell.”
After exploring the sound, she and her housemates discovered their adopted Bengal pal, Safari, squatting on the toilet urinating. “It was just about the funniest sight I’ve ever seen,” she recalls. “We didn’t train him at all. He just picked it up on his own.”
Tiganila said, “It’s instinct. But with any cat, you have to take the time. Take them with you when you go to the restroom. They’re smart and they’ll figure it out. Let them sit in your lap. With Bengals, it’s hardly a challenge at all.”
For less toilet-inclined kitties, there is a set procedure to follow. Start off by gradually moving their standard litter pan closer and closer to the toilet. Then it’s time to take the big step – move their focus from the floor pan to the toilet bowl. There are various types of kits available. Most involve placing a shallow pan filled with litter, which sits between the toilet seat and the ceramic bowl rim. The amount of litter is gradually reduced over time until the pan is removed entirely and the cat becomes comfortable with the human john as its primary site for potty time.
“And for all cats, even teaching them to flush is pretty easy,” says Tiganila. “They want to scratch and cover after they use the toilet, so you take that instinct and transfer it over to flushing. Just place their paw on the handle and push. It’s all repetition and continuity.
“After they learn it, though, you might want to keep an eye on them for awhile. I read a story about a couple who taught their cat how to use the toilet and then later couldn’t understand why their water bill had suddenly become so expensive. It turns out the cat was so entertained by flushing the toilet and watching the water swirl away, it spent most of the day doing just that while they were away at work.”
If you choose to tackle the effort, the keys (in print, anyway) are simple: love, patience and consistency. All my best to you and your feline friend!
David Aaron Moore is a Networx writer. Get home & garden ideas like this on Networx.(CNN Philippines) — Most Filipino millennials expect a good, comfortable retirement, but few of them regularly set aside money to prepare for it, says a study.
Millennials were "overwhelmingly optimistic" about their retirement, with 97 percent of them expecting to lead their same lifestyle – or even better – when they get older, the Manulife Investor Sentiment Index read.
However, only seven percent of millennials reported having a monthly savings plan and just eight percent had a quarterly plan.
Most millennials invest irregularly: Twenty-eight percent put aside money "when they feel like it" and 21 percent decide to invest based on the movements of the market.
Others save lump sums once a year (15 percent) or every few years (11 percent). Ten percent of millennials don't save at all.
This "lack of discipline and planning" in their investments is a concern, the study read, as millennials said they would likely have to support their parents (63 percent) and their children (58 percent) even when they retired.
Seven out of 10 millennials also |
oxygen nor constituents thereof). So how can water be H 2 O?’ But how could it not? Is it that, chemistry having discovered the nature of water, philosophy proposes to undiscover it? In any case, could that really be the sort of thing that philosophy is about? Is that a way for grown-ups to spend their time? A brief sketch of how we got into this, and of Kripke’s role in getting us here, is the burden of what follows. I offer a very condensed account of changes, over the last fifty years or so, in the way that analytic philosophers have explained to one another what it is that they’re up to. It is, however, less historical than mythopoetic. The details aren’t awfully reliable, but maybe the moral will edify.
Stage one: conceptual analysis. A revisionist account of the philosophical enterprise came into fashion just after World War Two. Whereas it used to be said that philosophy is about, for example, Goodness or Existence or Reality or How the Mind Works, or whether there is a Cat on the Mat, it appears, in retrospect, that that was just a loose way of talking. Strictly speaking, philosophy consists (or consists largely, or ought to consist largely) of the analysis of our concepts and/or of the analysis of the ‘ordinary language’ locutions that we use to express them. It’s not the Good, the True or the Beautiful that a philosopher tries to understand, it’s the corresponding concepts of ‘good’ ‘beautiful’ and ‘true’.
This way of seeing things has tactical advantages. Being good is hard; few achieve it. But practically everybody has some grasp of the concept ‘good’, so practically everybody knows as much as he needs to start on its analysis. Scientists, historians and the like need to muck around in libraries and laboratories to achieve their results, but concepts can be analysed in the armchair. Better still, the conceptual truths philosophy delivers are ‘a priori’ because grasp of a concept is all that’s required for their recognition. Better still, whereas the findings of historians and scientists are always revisable in principle, it’s plausible that the truths conceptual analysis reveals are necessary. If you want to know how long the reign of George V lasted, you will probably need to look it up, and you’re always in jeopardy of your sources being unreliable. (I’m told he reigned from 1910-36, but I wouldn’t bet the farm.) But the philosopher’s proposition that a reign must last some amount of time or other would seem to be a conceptual truth; being extended in time belongs to the concept of a reign. Historians might conceivably find out that George V reigned from, say, 1910-37. That would no doubt surprise them, but evidence might turn up that can’t be gainsaid. Philosophy, however, knows beyond the possibility of doubt – beyond, indeed, the possibility of coherent denial – that if George V reigned at all, then he reigned for a while. The truths that conceptual analysis arrives at are thus apodictic, rather like the truths of geometry. Such a comfort. Ever since Plato, philosophers have envied geometers their certitudes. So it’s not surprising that the story about philosophy being conceptual analysis was well received all the way from Oxford to Berkeley, with many intermediate stops.
Still, there was felt to be trouble pretty early on. For one thing, no concepts ever actually did get analysed, however hard philosophers tried. (Early in the century there was detectable optimism about the prospects for analysing ‘the’, but it faded). Worse, the arguments that analytic philosophers produced were often inadvertently hilarious. Examples are legion and some of them are legendary. Here are just two that will, I hope, suffice to give the feel of the thing. (Truly, I didn’t make up either of them. The second comes from Hughes, and I’ve heard the first attributed to an otherwise perfectly respectable philosopher whose name charity forbids me to disclose.) First argument: the issue is whether there is survival after death, and the argument purports to show that there can’t be. ‘Suppose an airplane carrying ten passengers crashes and that seven of the ten die. Then what we would say is that three passengers survived, not that ten passengers survived. QED.’ Second argument: the issue is whether people are identical with their bodies. ‘Suppose you live with Bob... who went into a coma on Wednesday... Suppose that a friend calls on Thursday and says: "I need to talk to Bob: is he still in England?” You might naturally answer: "Yes, but he’s in a coma.” Now fill in the story as before, but suppose that Bob had died. When the friend says "I need to talk to Bob: is he still in England?” would you really answer, "Yes, but he’s dead,” even if you knew that Bob’s (dead) body still exists and is still in England?’ Presumably not, so QED once again. Now, I don’t myself believe that there is survival after death; nor do I believe that persons are identical with their bodies. But, either way, these arguments strike me as risible; dialectics dissolves in giggles. If, as would appear, the view that philosophy is conceptual analysis sanctions this sort of carrying on, there must surely be something wrong with the view. So much for stage one.
Stage two: Quine. In 1953, W.V. Quine published an article called ‘Two Dogmas of Empiricism’. Easily the most influential paper of the generation, its reverberations continue to be felt whenever philosophers discuss the nature of their enterprise. In a nutshell, Quine argued that there is no (intelligible, unquestion-begging) distinction between ‘analytic’ (linguistic/conceptual) truth and truth about matters of fact (synthetic/contingent truth). In particular, there are no a priori, necessary propositions (except, perhaps, for those of logic and mathematics). Quine’s target was mainly the empiricist tradition in epistemology, but his conclusions were patently germane to the agenda of analytical philosophy. If there are no conceptual truths, there are no conceptual analyses either. If there are no conceptual analyses, analytic philosophers are in jeopardy of methodological unemployment.
Whether Quine was right remains the bone of vigorous philosophical contention to this day. In fact, despite their extensive influence, there isn’t any robust consensus as to what, exactly, the persuasive arguments in ‘Two Dogmas’ are or were supposed to be. (Philosophy is like that.) Suffice it that, since Quine, the practice of conceptual analysis has lacked a fully credible rationale. That’s not to say that anybody much stopped doing it. To the contrary, it’s often suggested that Quine must have been wrong because conceptual analysis is what analytic philosophers do, and there must be something that they’re doing when they do it. That put a brave face on it, but there were guilty consciences wherever you looked. And so things stood for several decades.
Stage three: Kripke. The way to save analytic philosophy from the embarrassments Quine raised is to construct some proprietary notion of necessity that doesn’t presuppose the notion of conceptual truth. It would be nice if there were some close connection between necessity, so construed, and a priority. That would explain how such necessities could be accessible with the epistemic equipment professional philosophers have available: some common sense and three or four years of postgraduate study. We arrive at the crux. Kripke has made major contributions to several areas of philosophy, including the interpretation of modal logic. (Don’t ask.) He has radically revised once standard views about the semantics of proper names. He has sponsored a revival of an essentialist programme in metaphysics that traces back to Aristotle and the Scholastics. There’s more, but it’s all fairly technical stuff; if you’re interested, you’ll find readable expositions in Hughes.
The point for present purposes is that Kripke can be read as having provided the very notion of necessity that the vindication of analytical practice required, thereby saving analytic philosophers from Quine. That is, in fact, pretty much the way that Hughes reads him.
For much of the first half of the 20th century, modality [i.e. necessity] had a somewhat marginal place in analytic philosophy. Kripke contributed more to its ‘demarginalisation’ than any other analytic philosopher. He did this by... vigorously and effectively addressing Quinean worries... and by bringing modal issues into various central debates in philosophy... The ‘remodalisation’ of metaphysics and the philosophy of language may retrospectively come to be thought of as Kripke’s most important contribution to 20th-century philosophy. Those of us who, as undergraduates, learned philosophy from Quineans think of Kripke as a philosopher who (almost single-handedly) transformed the philosophical landscape.
I think that’s right, but with a caveat. It’s not that pre-Kripkean analytic philosophy marginalised modality. Rather, it took for granted that necessary propositions arise from the analysis of concepts (or words, or both). That was the view that Quine seemed to have undermined, thus leaving analytic philosophers with two unsatisfactory choices: give up on analysis, or proceed without a credible account of their methodology. Kripke seemed to relieve them of this dilemma. No wonder analytic philosophy fell in love with him.
Here’s the basic idea. One drops the traditional thesis that necessary propositions are linguistic or conceptual, and one substitutes a metaphysical account of necessity. Philosophy is to recognise not just the actual world that we live in but also a plethora of ‘possible worlds’. The actual world is itself possible, of course; but so, too, is the world that’s just like this one except that Mr James (a domestic feline who’s currently having a nap) is awake and chasing mice. Similarly, there are worlds that are just like ours except that there’s nobody in them, and worlds just like ours except that everybody is in them except President Bush. Likewise there are (brave, new) worlds in which I get Foucault’s royalties and he gets mine. And so on. Notice, however, that there is no (possible) world in which 2+2=5; and none in which bachelors are married; and none in which George V reigned, but for less than a while. So, given this new ontology, we can identify necessarily true propositions with the ones that are true in every possible world, necessarily false propositions with the ones that are false in every possible world, and contingent propositions with the ones that are true in some possible worlds but not in all. Here we seem to have a nonconceptual notion of necessity. Whereas analytic philosophy used to be seen as tracing relations among concepts, it is now seen as tracing relations among possible worlds.
A quick example will show how this is supposed to work. Some years ago, Hilary Putnam raised the following question, which analytic philosophy has been gnawing at ever since. Suppose somebody discovered a sort of stuff that is, to casual inspection, just like water (it’s wet, it’s clear and potable, it freezes at zero centigrade, has specific gravity 1, dissolves sugar, puts out fires and so forth) but the molecules of which have some chemical structure other than H 2 O (‘XYZ’ by convention). You are now invited to consult your intuitions: is XYZ water? If not, why not? The canonical intuition is that XYZ isn’t water because being made of H 2 O is an essential property of water; whatever is a sample of water is ipso facto a sample of H 2 O, and nothing else could be. (It’s an epistemological worry for essentialists that not everybody has the canonical intuition; in fact, some people don’t have it quite vociferously, and perhaps they’re right not to. But it would ease the exposition if you will kindly agree to ignore that. You can always change your mind about it later.)
Interesting things follow if the intuition is granted; including, in particular, interesting modal things. For example, if it’s right that nothing but H 2 O would count as water, then water is H 2 O in every possible world (more precisely, in every possible world where there is any). That is, given the modal intuitions, it’s necessary that all and only water is H 2 O according to the metaphysical construal of necessity. Note further that this necessary truth is available a priori; at no point in the course of its discovery did philosophy stir from the armchair in which we found it. A little caution is, however, required here. What’s a priori is the hypothetical proposition: ‘If samples of water are samples of H 2 O, and nothing else is, then it’s necessary that water is H 2 O.’ By contrast, it isn’t a priori that samples of water are samples of H 2 O; to the contrary, that’s just the sort of grimy empirical generalisation that chemists discover inductively in their laboratories, to the accompaniment of bangs and stinks. A gratifying division of labour is thus perceptible: the chemists do the heavy lifting and the philosophers do the heavy thinking. It’s clear from the empirical research that water is H 2 O in every possible world that is compatible with chemistry. What remains for philosophers to determine is whether water is H 2 O in every possible world tout court. Presumably it’s our modal intuitions that decide this if anything does; they would seem to be all there is that’s left unaccounted for by the time the chemists finish their investigations. It’s therefore unsurprising that, in practice, analytic philosophers take it for granted that modal intuitions aren’t fallible.
This story ramifies in all sorts of directions; Hughes will fill you in. Once again, suffice it for our purposes to consider just the methodological implications. The situation pre-Kripke was that philosophers were supposed to disclose necessary, a priori truths that they arrived at by analysing words or concepts. Quine’s attack seemed to put this project in jeopardy. If there are no conceptual truths, then, a fortiori, there are no conceptual truths for philosophy to deliver. But now it appears that Kripke has saved the bacon since there are, in any case, plenty of metaphysical necessities. And, as we’ve seen, metaphysical necessities can be discovered a priori by examining philosophically relevant intuitions. These are not, however, intuitions about relations among concepts: they’re modal intuitions about what’s possible and what isn’t. In effect, analytic philosophy was doing the right sort of thing (viz, analysis) but for the wrong sort of reasons. That being straightened out, the pangs of conscience can now be soothed and everybody can go back to doing what he learned to do in graduate school. General rejoicing in the philosophical community. Plus or minus a bit, this is how Hughes sees the current methodological situation. I think that it’s probably the majority view.
But I doubt that it can be sustained. In this respect, the significance of Kripke’s work has, I think, been much overestimated. If analytic philosophy had methodological problems pre-Kripke, it continues to have the very same problems, and for the very same reasons. Something about that to conclude.
A kind of question that doesn’t get asked often enough is: what are modal intuitions intuitions of? Consider, for example, the intuition that water is necessarily H 2 O. How do things have to be for it to be right? Or wrong? What’s its ‘truth maker’, to use the philosophical jargon? An answer springs to mind in light of the previous discussion, but it doesn’t survive reflection: ‘For water to be necessarily H 2 O is just for water to be H 2 O in every possible world. For water not to be necessarily H 2 O is just for there to be possible worlds in which there’s H 2 O but no water (or water but no H 2 O). That all follows from Kripke’s account of necessity and is unproblematic. So there’s nothing to worry about.’ I guess that’s alright as far as it goes; it is, as remarked, just a consequence of defining ‘necessarily true’ as ‘true in all possible worlds’.
But the question I was trying to raise wasn’t: ‘What about possible worlds makes it necessary that water is H 2 O?’ My question was: ‘What about water makes it necessary that water is H 2 O’? There must be something about water that does because, notice, there are plenty of kinds of stuff for which the corresponding modal claim would be false. For example, there’s Coca Cola; Coke behaves quite differently from water in modal contexts. Suppose XYZ is the formula for Coke (I’m told they keep one in a vault in Atlanta). So, every (actual) sample of Coke is a sample of XYZ and vice versa. It doesn’t follow that ‘Coke is XYZ’ is true in every possible world. To the contrary, the Coke people could change the recipe tomorrow if they wished to and, no doubt, there are possible worlds in which they do. The new stuff will still be Coke if they say it is. Likewise, mutatis mutandis, for smog. Every sample of smog is a sample of CO 2 and god knows what else; but that’s only contingently true. Perhaps tomorrow they’ll find a way to pollute the air by using XYZ. Then, ceteris paribus (according to my modal intuitions), the right story would be that they’ve found a new way to make smog, not that they’ve found a way to make something that seems just like smog but isn’t.
So then, what’s the actual difference between water, on the one hand, and Coke and smog, on the other, that accounts for these modal differences? I can only think of one answer: if water is actually H 2 O, then ‘water is necessarily H 2 O’ is some kind of conceptual truth. The idea (endorsed in one form or other by many analytic philosophers) is that ‘water’ is the concept of a ‘material kind’. What’s special about material kinds is that what possible things of that kind there are depends on what actual things of that kind there are. In effect, the kind is defined by reference to its actual instances. So, water is a material kind because every sample is ipso facto required to have the same microstructure that actual samples do. It follows that, if water is H 2 O in this world, it’s H 2 O in every possible world. It also follows that samples of XYZ couldn’t be water samples even if they seemed to be. Compare smog. What possible samples of smog have in common with actual samples isn’t what they are (would be) made of but rather the way they (would) affect your eyes, nose, throat and view. In short, if K is the concept of a material kind, and if every actual thing that K applies to is made of n-stuff, then it’s necessary that every thing that K (would) apply to is made of n-stuff. As far as I can make out, this is more or less the view that Hughes himself holds. He says: ‘If it should turn out that only philosophers baulk at classifying XYZ as water, I am ready to defer in my usage to the non-philosophical majority and say that "water", like "glue", is not the name of a kind with a chemical essence.’ I guess what’s going on is that, because he thinks Kripke refuted Quine, Hughes feels free to treat the modal status of ‘water is H 2 O’ as linguistically (or conceptually) determined. So it is, after all, our grasp of concepts (or our mastery of language) that underwrites the modal intuition that ‘water is H 2 O’ is necessary. It’s just like the old days, really.UPDATE (Dec. 2, 2016): Onni tells Global News it will repay the City of Vancouver the $1.5–million waiver it was allegedly mistakenly granted.
The Charleson, a mixed condo and rental project in downtown Vancouver, has been subsidized by taxpayers without their knowledge or city council’s consent.
The city’s Rental 100 policy offers builders waivers on their construction levies, known as DCLs, if their residential project is entirely rental. Onni’s project included strata condos, so it didn’t qualify.
But Global News obtained two city reports that show Onni got a big break. Their Richards Street development was granted a $1.5-million waiver, the second-largest in the program’s history.
“To hear that there was a waiver given in a building that isn’t actually a Rental 100 is disappointing to say the least,” Vancouver city councillor George Affleck said.
When asked by Global News, city manager Sadhu Johnston admitted the city mishandled the money.
“It was a simple mistake,” Johnston said. “The project was not eligible for a waiver and we weren’t intending to give it a waiver and it was a miscommunication amongst our staff.”
“We’ve been in touch with the developer this morning, and they’ve agreed to pay back the amount that was missed.”
In a statement Onni said:
“This matter regarding the DCL payment has recently been brought to our attention and we are currently considering it. Should there be an error we will rectify immediately.”
Multiple staffers had to sign off on the deal before the waiver was granted.
Johnston said they are going to “look back at all the emails, the forms, the communications to understand where that slip-up may have happened.”
Johnston also said they will be reviewing all 30 projects that have gone through the waiver program.
There are now calls for an investigation.
“If the city gave a waiver of $1.5 million when it shouldn’t have, I think there needs to be a full inquiry into how something like that could happen because that’s a lot of money,” Nathalie Baker of Stevens Virgin Litigation Counsel said.
– With files from Tanya BejaGet the biggest celebs 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
Josie Cunningham has made a name for herself with some of the most shocking declarations imaginable in recent years - but how exactly did she become dubbed 'the most hated woman in Britain'?
The mum-of-four is known for her outrageous comments and apparent lack of shame, and she's courted outrage from the first time she demanded the NHS give her a boob job so she could become a glamour model in 2009.
Since then, she's made headlines by doing everything in her power to shock and appal the public - from having an abortion so she could get a nose job instead, to pursuing a porn career and to attempting to sell tickets to watch her give BIRTH.
Here we take a look back at her controversial rise to fame:
Young mum demands £4,800 boob job on the NHS to become a glamour model
Josie first made a name for herself back in 2013 when she demanded a £4,800 boob job on the NHS to become a glamour model.
She begged NHS doctors for a breast enlargement in January 2013 to take her from a 32A to 32DD, claiming years of bullying over her flat chest had ruined her life.
But she later revealed her ambition to become a glamour model was the real reason to go under the knife. Her idol is Katie Price and she revealed she longs to be the star of her own reality TV series.
Overnight fame after threatening an ABORTION to go on Big Brother
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Wannabe celebrity Josie reached fame overnight in April 2014 - for ALL the wrong reasons, as she confessed the chance of appearing on TV’s Big Brother was worth more than her unborn child’s life.
The controversial model and former call girl said: “I’m finally on the verge of becoming famous and I’m not going to ruin it now.
“An abortion will further my career. This time next year I won’t have a baby. Instead, I’ll be famous, driving a bright pink Range Rover and buying a big house. Nothing will get in my way.”
Read more : Josie Cunningham plans to have abortion so she can star on BIG BROTHER
Josie changes her mind about abortion in dramatic U-turn
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Just weeks after her shocking declaration, Jodie revealed how a little baby kick dramatically changed her mind as she arrived at the clinic for the op.
“I just couldn’t do it,” sobbed mum Josie at the time. “I really thought I would be able to but I couldn’t. I’d felt the baby kick for the first time 24 hours earlier and I couldn’t get that feeling out of my head.
“I’d forgotten what the feeling was like. It was magical. It was like the baby was telling me not to go through with it.
“I was in the taxi driving to the clinic and felt physically sick. I was shaking. When the driver told me we were a minute away I burst into tears. I wanted to throw myself out of the moving car to get away. I had my hands on my bump and I had the strongest feeling I couldn’t let anyone take my baby away.”
Read more : See Josie Cunningham interview on her abortion u-turn
Flaunts plans for MORE NHS-funded surgery
Josie hit back at "online trolls" who attacked her for her initial abortion plans - by THANKING them and hinting that she may have MORE cosmetic surgery on the NHS.
The wannabe celebrity posted a cryptic message on Twitter in 2014: "Thanks for strengthening my case for more cosmetic surgery on NHS! Proof that a certain feature affects my life."
There was also an image with the tweet that said either "Thank You to Online Trolls Josie x" or "Thank You £0 Online Trolls Josie x"
She has since openly expressed her wish for more surgery.
Admits smoking while pregnant because it's a BOY
(Image: WENN)
Just weeks after revealing she was keeping her baby, Josie admitted she planned to continue smoking throughout the pregnancy - because she was expecting another boy.
The star, who already had sons Harley and Frankie, said she'd have stopped if it was a girl.
As it turned out, it WAS a daughter all along.
Josie attempts to sell TICKETS to her daughter's birth
(Image: Sunday Mirror)
Always seeking an opportunity for business, Josie announced shortly before welcoming her daughter that she'd be selling tickets into the delivery room.
We KID you not.
With four tickets up for grabs, Josie attempted to get rid of two for £5000, and another two for £10,000 - reportedly managing to sell all four.
However, she eventually pulled out after giving birth earlier than thought.
THEN she created a website for 'unattractive people'
The publicity-mad star launched a dating website in May 2014, which she generously said was a place for "average looking girls" - calling it pullthepig.com.
As well as posing in a muddy field wearing a white bikini with a bow and arrow, angel wings and her tattooed gut on full display, Josie also attempted to recruit Katie Price to join up.
She claims Katie gave her inspiration for it and offered a free membership, after the star found out her hubby Kieran Hayler had been cheating on her with her best friend.
It made them sworn enemies it's fair to say.
"The tax payer will always fund me"
Glamour model Josie sparked fury by posing for a taxi selfie with the caption: "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but tax payers will always fund me."
Posing in thick make-up, she added two hashtags, "school run" and "need to sort my boat race out."
The fame-hungry wannabe was ferried around her home town of Leeds courtesy of the public purse after claiming that using public transport gave her anxiety attacks.
The reaction to THAT was catastrophic.
From one website to another - this time it's for 'easy sex'
(Image: Jess Wilson / Daily Mirror)
Publicity-mad Josie launched a website encouraging young girls to get pregnant and scrounge off the state like she does back in December 2014.
The mum-of-three helped create a website where desperate women can meet men and arrange seedy unprotected sex sessions with the aim of getting pregnant.
Josie told the Sun at the time: "People will think I'm promoting unprotected sex so women can get pregnant, bag themselves a council house and have a life on benefits.
"But it's really no different to what many girls have one night stands for on a Saturday night.
"Parents gain more points in many councils' scoring systems do having a child definitely helps."
Star discovers the father of her baby isn't actually a footballer
(Image: PA / Getty)
Josie Cunningham openly spoke about the 'famous footballer' who got her pregnant with her third child - but discovered months later that it was the wrong man.
Josie took to Twitter to claim she was TRICKED into believing she was sleeping with a premiership footballer.
She spoke of her "heartbreak" at finding out she had been'manipulated' for 18 months by believing she was dating Hull City captain Curtis Davies.
But the man turned out to be an imposter.
The wannabe said she met the man who claimed to be Curtis last April, and the pair started sleeping together before she discovered more than a year later he wasn't who he said he was.
Ouch.
Mum-of-three gets ENGAGED - before nasty split and arrest
(Image: Peter Powell / WENN)
Rent-a-gob Josie shocked the country when she announced she was engaged to convicted woman beater Andrew Goy at the end of 2014.
The pair had been dating for just eight weeks.
They called off the engagement in early 2015, but it wasn't over - as Josie was later arrested and CHARGED with posting sexually explicit and private photographs on Twitter of him.
She was later found not guilty in the revenge porn case, but was forced to leave social media throughout the case.
Shortly after receiving the verdict, Josie announced her return to Twitter, as she wrote: "NOT guilty! My Twitter selebalsy over yippee!!! (sic)"
Fourth pregnancy terminated - for a NOSE JOB
(Image: Mirrorpix)
Britain's most shameless woman sunk to a new low by having an abortion in October last year, after surgeons refused her a nose job while she was pregnant.
Josie checked into a clinic to get rid of her unborn child, enabling her to create the face she believes she needs to be a porn and glamour model.
A series of doctors had told her the cosmetic surgery was too risky.
Josie, who terminated the unplanned pregnancy at 12 weeks, told the Sunday People: “I’m having this nose job no matter what gets in my way.
“Pregnancy was a major obstacle and an abortion was the answer to it – so that’s what I did.
“Anyone who criticises me for putting my looks ahead of an unborn child has no right until they’re the ones putting food on the table for my kids.
"I don’t care what anyone thinks. My body, my decision.”
After receiving HUGE backlash, she opens up about troubled past
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Josie is now working on a new documentary where she's set to reveal difficult secrets from her childhood - which she believes contributed to her being dubbed 'the most hated woman in Britain'.
The controversial mum is seen breaking down in tears in emotional scenes in front of the camera, as she expresses her wish to be happy and cries: "I just want to be pretty."
In a teaser clip - obtained by The Sun - Josie is heard saying : "I had a very very bad childhood. A lot of things happened to me that people don't know about. I've never had help, and I've never spoken about these issues, and I think maybe it's time that I do.
"I always get the reply sometimes that I use it to feel sorry for myself, and maybe I do.
"The first time anyone says you need help, I'm on the defensive, but that's all that I know.
"I want help to be happy and to be able to put the past that I've had - the bullying, the domestic violence, behind me, once and for all... I just want to be pretty."
It's thought she is referring to recent claims about Jimmy Savile.
Getting her boobs out so the public can'see what their tax money was spent on'
In March 2017, she fulfilled her promise to show Twitter her boobs if she got 100 retweets.
The 26-year-old kept her word and shared a topless snap of herself posing in nothing but a pair of pants, thigh-high socks and trainers.
And the fame-hungry star also shared a link to her Amazon wish list – promising doners that she'd send them a high-res version of the snap if they splashed the cash on her.
Acquiring three separate sugar daddies - and demanding one of them fund her next boob job
Josie revealed in early 2017 that she had three sugar daddies on the go - men who would pay her money in return for her company and phonecalls, but nothing more intimate - and defended her decision on This Morning.
"If I can get these sugar daddies to buy me things I'm saving my own money," said Josie, who has no regrets over flaunting her assets in public because her children are happy.
"My kids have had experiences that a lot of children out there won't have had."
Claiming Scotty T had asked her for oral sex after leaving the CBB house
When Geordie Shore's Scott Timlin slammed Josie as a "tramp" in the wake of her sugar daddy confession, Josie hit back - by insinuating Scotty had a motive for his attack.
"10k in gifts and her tan is patchier than a f***ing home paint job the tramp (sic)," he first tweeted.
(Image: Rex Features)
"Wasn't saying that 2weeks after u left # CBB & u was trying to get me to give u oral sex was you Scotty @ScottGShore (sic)," she hit back.
When a fan asked if she went through with the alleged act, she joked: "I believe so! Unless it was another lookalike".
Scotty never responded to her claim.
Getting an entire arm tattoo as 'punishment for her abortion'
Josie decided to have a sleeve tattoo inked on her arm to mark the baby she'd aborted two years previously.
The controversial model decided to have a multitude of designs, dates and phrases tattooed on her arm in order to remember the child she never gave birth to, according to a new report.
According to sources, she’s now branded that the "biggest mistake" of her life and in a bid to always remember what happened, had various designs inked onto her arm.
(Image: Channel 4)
"She refers to her sleeve tattoo as her'shrine' to her unborn baby.
"Many people bury their shame and try to forget about the decision to terminate their child - but Josie believes it's something she would never forget.
"It's like she's punishing herself," an insider told OK magazine in April 2017.
As well as inking the date of her abortion onto her skin, Josie had a cherub and an image of the Virgin Mary crying and the quote, 'Forget what hurt you in the past, never forget what it taught you' included on the full sleeve design.can of worms
I can't ever fucking sleep. I also can't stop eating peanut butter. Chunky is for creeps.
I watched Kobashi/sasaki tonight, and i'm really getting a chip on my shoulder in regards to fans that try to dictate what's a good match based on selling or no selling. Christ, I hate even typing those words, since liking or disliking a match is so subjective. However, the chop battle between the two in my mind was nothing short of awesome. Do I really have to explain two of Japanese biggest stars, one on his home turf, and one still in the midst of an amazing comeback year not wanting to back down? It's hard for me to sit here and not totally freak out and say outlandish things like, "if you've never been in a ring, you have no right to critique", but once again, as fans, most have the right to speak their minds. It is america afterall, eh?
Chops are chops. Wrestling to me is about drama and story telling. Truthfully, what I didn't like about the match was the half-nelson suplexes. I can see an arguement for that, but chops? Holy hell, listen to me. I'm in need of sleep, and can't sleep, so i'm babbling about a match that took place on forgien soil.
Fuck it, I hate everybody that hated that match. I'm going to no sell your mother giving birth to you.
Minoru Suzuki is my hero, i'm going to steal his hair.
Up yours for being able to sleep.
hate hate hate
XxXBellator's four-man, one-night tournament will have a reserve match. But the victor will only make an appearance in the finals under unique circumstances.
If a semifinal winner gets injured and cannot advance, the semifinal loser he beat will move on to the finals, according to the Bellator rules sheet obtained by MMA Fighting. Bellator is referring to it as the "survivor rule." The reserve match winner will only compete in the finals if a semifinal winner and the man he beat gets hurt and both cannot continue.
The tourney will pit four of the best light heavyweights in the promotion against one another at Bellator MMA: Dynamite 1 on Sept. 19 in San Jose. In the semifinals, Phil Davis will make his Bellator debut against former champ Emanuel Newton and Muhammed Lawal takes on Linton Vassell. Francis Carmont takes on Philipe Lins in the reserve match.
As previously announced, the semifinals will be two-round bouts and the finals will be three rounds. Per California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) rules, a mixed martial arts competitor cannot compete in more than five rounds in a given event. Inside the cage, the United Rules of Mixed Martial Arts will be followed, so elbows will be legal.
If there is a draw in the semifinals, each of the three judges will cast a separate ballot listing the fighter he or she thought won the fight. The same thing will happen in the finals, except the separate ballot will be cast by the judges |
at the altar, and another who was recently a patron of the stage is now the dedicator of virgins."72 He wrote that "our walls glitter with gold, and gold gleams upon our ceilings and the capitals of our pillars; yet Christ is dying at our doors in the person of his poor, naked and hungry."73
Thus, the focus of the church changed from looking for ultimate comfort in the world beyond the grave to seeking comfort in this world, in the here and now. Christianity was viewed as "a religion with a glorious past as well as an unlimited future.74 As a result, it suffered what Johnson called "a receding, indeed, disappearing, eschatology."75 He stated:
After Christianity, contrary to all expectation, triumphed in the Roman empire, and was embraced by the Caesars themselves, the millennial reign, instead of being anxiously waited and prayed for, began to be dated either from the first appearance of Christ, or from the conversion of Constantine and the downfall of paganism, and to be regarded as realized in the glory of the dominant imperial state-church.76
Instead of being aliens and strangers in this world, Christians found themselves utterly at ease in the city of man as well as the city of God. Indeed, Augustine's City of God was the first comprehensive theology to result from this standpoint.77 Augustine believed that history runs on two parallel tracks: the City of God (God's people) and the City of Man (human endeavor as typified by human government). He taught that the people of the City of God must support and uphold the ordered peace of human government, the City of Man. He believed that the two cities have a common task: to secure "those lesser goods" without which human existence would become impossible."78
Augustine's amillennialism is an outworking of this general theme. He reinterpreted the millennium to refer to the church and equated the thousand year reign of Christ and his saints with the "whole duration of this world." Thus, Revelation 20 is to be interpreted as follows:
Jesus bound Satan and restrained him from seducing the nations at Calvary.
The saints currently reign with Christ in the millennial kingdom of God, which presently exists.
Satan will be loosed for a three and a half year period of time, during which the church will be severely persecuted.
After this, Christ will return.79
Interestingly, Augustine stated that the literal view of the scope of the millennium (one-thousand year reign) "would not be objectionable" if the nature of the millennial kingdom was a "spiritual one" rather than a physical one. However, he strongly objected to the view that "those who then rise again shall enjoy the leisure of immoderate carnal banquets, furnished with an amount of meat and drink such as not only to shock the feeling of the temperate, but even to surpass the measure of credulity itself. Such a view was to "be believed only by the carnal."80
Augustinian amillennialism was the dominant eschatology for centuries. Premillennialism, with few exceptions, soon became the view only of outcasts and heretics.81 The paradigm shift was complete. The marginalization of the premillennialism of the Bible and the early church fathers was so successful that even the reformers dismissed it as a "fable of Jewish dotage."82 And it was not until the mid-nineteenth century that premillennialism was rediscovered as the true, biblical view.
Chapter Six:
Conclusion
The early church fathers deserve great admiration for their courage to stand boldly for Christ, even at the cost of their lives. They shame us in our worldliness. The writings of the early church fathers also deserve serious study. These men lived in the shadow of the apostolic age. Some of them personally walked and talked with the apostles. Yet while the early fathers are to be seriously studied and respected, they are not to be venerated. As we have seen, like us, they too were fallible, capable of error.
As I hope this paper has made clear, the interpretive errors of the early church fathers were occasioned by the circumstances in which these men of God found themselves. In an era in which Jews and Christians were engaged in overt hostility over which religion would emerge supreme and victorious, it was easy for church leaders to adopt a theology that the church replaced Israel. It was also easy for Justin Martyr to spiritualize the Old Testament in order to see more of New Testament Christianity in it, and thereby refute the Gnostics who denied the Old Testament's place in God's revelation to man. The lesson for us is that we must continually guard against interpreting the Bible according to current events -- a point often lost on some of dispensational millennialism's more popular proponents.83
The bottom line, of course, is that we must continually go back to the Scriptures as our only source for "doing theology." As much as we may respect and admire the early church fathers, or, for that matter, the reformers, the puritans, or a particular modern spiritual leader, we must always remember to be Bereans, checking their conclusions and reasoning against the plumb line of God's Word. No one could put it more clearly or forcefully than Martin Luther as he boldly and defiantly proclaimed before the Diet of Worms: "Unless I am convicted by Scripture and plain reason -- I do not accept the authority of popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other -- my conscience is captive to the Word of God.... Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise."84
Works Cited
Augustine. The City of God. Great Books of the Western World ed. Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica 1952.
Bainton, Roland H. Here I Stand. Nashville: Abington Press, 1950.
Barnabas. "Epistle of Barnabas." In The Ante-Nicene Fathers. Ed. A. Roberts and J. Donaldson. [CD-ROM] (Albany, OR: Sage Software, 1996).
Baptist Confession of 1689, art. I.
Bruce, F.F. "Interpretation of the Bible." In Evangelical Dictionary of Theology ed. Walter Elwell. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1984.
Campbell, Donald K. "Galatians." In The Bible Knowledge Commentary [CD-ROM] Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, 1997.
Chadwich, Henry. The Early Church. Pelican Books, 1967, reprinted Penguin Books, 1990.
Clement. "Epistle to the Corinthians." In The Ante-Nicene Fathers. Ed. A. Roberts and J. Donaldson. [CD-ROM] (Albany, OR: Sage Software, 1996).
Clouse, Robert G. "Introduction." In The Meaning of the Millennium: Four Views. Downer's Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1977.
Crutchfield, Larry V. "Ages and Dispensations in the Ante-Nicene Fathers." In Bibliotheca Sacra (October-December 1987).
__________. Israel and the Church in the Ante-Nicene Fathers." Bibliotheca Sacra (July-September 1987).
Dockery, David S. Christian Scripture. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1995.
Enns, Paul. The Moody Handbook of Theology. Chicago, Moody Press, 1989.
Erickson, Millard J. Christian Theology. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1983-1985.
Gibbons, Edward. The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Great Books of the Western World ed. Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.1952.
Hodge, Charles. Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, reprinted 1995.
Irenaeus. "Against Heresies." In The Ante-Nicene Fathers. Ed. A. Roberts and J. Donaldson. [CD-ROM] (Albany, OR: Sage Software, 1996).
Johnson, Paul. A History of Christianity. New York: Athenium, 1976.
Justin Martyr. "Dialogue with Trypho." In The Ante-Nicene Fathers. Ed. A. Roberts and J. Donaldson. [CD-ROM] (Albany, OR: Sage Software, 1996).
Kroeger, C.C. "Origen." In Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. Ed. Walter Elwell. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1984.
Kuhn, Thomas, S. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. 2d enlarged ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1970.
MacMullen, Ramsay. Constantine. New York: Dial Press, 1969.
Norris, Frederick W. "Universal Salvation in Origen and Maximus." In Universalism and the Doctrine of Hell. Ed. Nigel M. de S. Cameron. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1992.
O'Meara, John, ed. An Augustinian Reader. New York: Image Books, 1973.
Osborne, Grant. The Hermeneutical Circle. Downer's Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1991.
Pentecost, J. Dwight. Things to Come. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1958.
Polycarp. "Epistle to the Philippians." In The Ante-Nicene Fathers. Ed. A. Roberts and J. Donaldson. [CD-ROM] (Albany, OR: Sage Software, 1996).
Preus, Robert D. "The View of the Bible Held By the Church: The Early Church Fathers Through Luther." In Inerrancy. Ed. Norman L. Geisler. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1980.
Ryrie, Charles C. Dispensationalism. Chicago: Moody Press, 1995.
__________. Basic Theology. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1986.
Saucy, Robert L. The Case for Progressive Dispensationalism. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1993.
Schaff, Philip. History of the Christian Church. Vol. II. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1910, reprinted 1995.
___________. The Creeds of Christendom. Harper and Row, 1931, reprinted, Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1996.
Stanton, Gerald. Kept From the Hour. Miami Springs, FL: Schoettle Publishing, 4th ed. 1991.
Strothmann, F.W., ed. On the Two Cities: Selections from The City of God. New York, Frederick Ungar Publishing, 1957.
Walsh, Michael. The Triumph of the Meek: Why Early Christianity Succeeded. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1986.
1 Thomas, S. Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, 2d enlarged ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1970).
2 Quoted in Michael Walsh, The Triumph of the Meek: Why Early Christianity Succeeded (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1986), 248.
3 Historians dispute whether Constantine's conversion to Christianity was genuine E.g., Henry Chadwick, The Early Church (Pelican Books, 1967, reprinted Penguin Books, 1990), 125-127; Edward Gibbon, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Great Books of the Western World ed. (Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.1952), 290. Although Eusebius recounts that in AD 312, Constantine saw a "vision" in which the sign of the cross was emblazoned across the sky surrounded by the words "In this, conquer," this "vision" was almost certainly apocryphal. See Ramsay MacMullen, Constantine (New York: Dial Press, 1969), 73.
4 I recognize that the use of paradigm theory in theology is fraught with risk. Theology is concerned with ultimate truth, both in God and as revealed by God. By contrast, paradigm theory, at least at its scientific core, is pessimistic about truth-seeking. See Grant Osborne, The Hermeneutical Circle (Downer's Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1991), 403-404. Nevertheless, it seems to me that one can still view paradigm theory as a useful way of looking at how man conceives of ultimate truth at a specific point in time in the history of dogma without compromising the fact that ultimate truth (a) exists and (b) is found in Christ Jesus and in his written Word.
5 Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology vol. 1 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, reprinted 1995), 17.
6 Charles Ryrie, Dispensationalism (Chicago: Moody Press, 1995), 15-16.
7 Baptist Confession of 1689, art. I.
8 Historical theology is the "unfolding of Christian theology throughout the centuries." Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology (Chicago, Moody Press, 1989), 403.
9 Millard J. Erickson, Christian Theology (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1983-1985), 26.
10 Ibid.
11 Ibid, 26-27.
12 Enns, Moody Handbook, 403.
13 Church history is commonly divided into four major periods: (1) the ancient church (through AD 590), (2) the medieval church (AD 590 to 1517), (3) the reformation era (1517-1750), and (4) the modern era (1750-present). Ibid, 403-406.
14 Ibid, 404.
15 For example, Dale Moody has written, "Dispensationalism with the modern form of seven dispensations, eight covenants, and a Pretribulation Rapture is a deviation that has not been traced beyond 1830." Dale Moody, The Word of Truth (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1981), 555, quoted in Charles C. Ryrie, Dispensationalism (Chicago: Moody Press, 1995), 14-15. Daniel Fuller has similarly written: "Ignorance is bliss, and it may well be that this popularity [of dispensationalism] would not be so great if the adherents of this system knew the historical background of what they teach. Few indeed realize that the teaching of Chafer came from Scofield, who in turn got it through the writings of Darby and the Plymouth Brethren." Daniel P. Fuller, "The Hermeneutics of Dispensationalism" (TH.D. dis., Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, Chicago, 1975), 136, quoted in Ryrie, Dispensationalism, 61. To these critics, never mind that there is ample evidence of dispensational-type thinking in the writings of the early fathers. See generally Larry V. Crutchfield, "Ages and Dispensations in the Ante-Nicene Fathers" Bibliotheca Sacra (October-December 1987).
16 Ryrie, Dispensationalism, 14.
17 E.g., Charles Ryrie, Basic Theology (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1986), 451; Ryrie, Dispensationalism, 39-40. Progressive dispensationalists, rightly, in my view, consider both Israel and the church as ultimately belonging to one people of God and serving one historical purpose, but within that broad framework, they retain the traditional dispensational distinction between Israel and the church. See Robert L. Saucy, The Case for Progressive Dispensationalism (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1993), 187-218.
18 The only arguable passage is Gal. 6:16. Even there, however, the evidence does not support the conclusion that the phrase Israel of God refers to the church. First, the repetition of the preposition (“upon” or “to” ) indicates that two groups are in view. Second, all the sixty five other occurrences of the term Israel in the New Testament refer to Jews. It would thus be strange for Paul to use Israel here to mean Gentile Christians. Third, Paul elsewhere distinguishes between two kinds of Israelites--believing Jews and unbelieving Jews (cf. Rom. 9:6). He does the same here, referring to true Israel, that is, Jews who come to Christ. See Donald K. Campbell, "Galatians" in The Bible Knowledge Commentary [CD-ROM] (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, 1997). See also Saucy, Progressive Dispensationalism, 198-202; Enns, Moody Handbook, 526 n.12.
19 Clement, "Epistle to the Corinthians" in A. Roberts and J. Donaldson, eds., The Ante-Nicene Fathers [CD-ROM] (Albany, OR: Sage Software, 1996), 34.
20 Justin Martyr, "Dialogue with Trypho" in The Ante-Nicene Fathers, 406.
21 Ibid, 527.
22 Ibid, 532-33.
23 Saucy, Progressive Dispensationalism, 212.
24 Ibid.
25 Saucy, Progressive Dispensationalism, 213.
26 Ibid.
27 Ibid, 215.
28 Ibid, 215.
29 Ibid, 216.
30 Ibid, 217.
31 Ibid.
32 Larry V. Crutchfield, "Israel and the Church in the Ante-Nicene Fathers" Bibliotheca Sacra (July-September 1987), 256.
33 Saucy, Progressive Dispensationalism, 216.
34 David S. Dockery, Christian Scripture (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1995), 101.
35 Ibid, 102.
36 Ibid.
37 Ibid, 103.
38 Ibid, 103-104.
39 Robert D. Preus, "The View of the Bible Held By the Church: The Early Church Fathers Through Luther," Inerrancy, Norman L. Geisler, ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1980), 359.
40 Dockery, Christian Scripture, 108.
41 Ibid.
42 Frederick W. Norris, "Universal Salvation in Origen and Maximus" in Nigel M. de S. Cameron, ed., Universalism and the Doctrine of Hell (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1992), 35.
43 Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, vol. II (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1910, reprinted 1995), 790.
44 Ibid, 788. Origen's zeal for piety went to an unfortunate extreme. As a youth, he emasculated himself to guard against sexual temptation. Ibid.
45 Ibid, 790.
46 Ibid, 792.
47 Dockery, Christian Scripture, 110.
48 F.F. Bruce, "Interpretation of the Bible" Evangelical Dictionary of Theology Walter Elwell, ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1984), 566.
49 Ibid.
50 F.W. Farrar, History of Interpretation, 238 (cited in J. Dwight Pentecost, Things to Come (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1958), 23.
51 See C.C. Kroeger, "Origen" in Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 803; Millard Erickson, Christian Theology, 1015.
52 Dockery, Christian Scripture, 122.
53 Ibid.
54 Gerald Stanton, Kept From the Hour (Miami Springs, FL: Schoettle Publishing, 4th ed. 1991), 148. Certainly, this was the view of the Reformers.
55 Dockery, Christian Scripture, 112-114.
56 Ibid, 115.
57 Ibid.
58 Schaff, History of the Christian Church, 614.
59 Ibid, 615.
60 Clement, "Epistle to the Corinthians" in The Ante-Nicene Fathers, 31.
61 Barnabas, "Epistle of Barnabas" in A. Roberts and J. Donaldson, eds., The Ante-Nicene Fathers [CD-ROM] (Albany, OR: Sage Software, 1996), 279.
62 Irenaeus, "Against Heresies" in The Ante-Nicene Fathers, 1165.
63 Polycarp, "Epistle to the Philippians" in The Ante-Nicene Fathers, 1996), 79.
64 Justin Martyr, "Dialogue with Trypho" in The Ante-Nicene Fathers, 479-480.
65 Schaff, 618.
66 Ibid.
67 Ibid, 618-19.
68 Ibid, 619.
69 Paul Johnson, A History of Christianity (New York: Athenium, 1976), 67.
70 Ibid, 76.
71 Ibid.
72 Quoted Ibid, 78.
73 Quoted Ibid, 79.
74 Ibid, 99.
75 Ibid, 80.
76 Ibid.
77 The City of God was written as a result of a state crisis -- the ransacking of Rome by Alaric in AD 410. John J. O'Meara, "Introduction" in An Augustinian Reader (New York: Image Books, 1973), 18.
78 F.W. Strothmann, "Introduction" to Augustine, On the Two Cities: Selections from The City of God (New York, Frederick Ungar Publishing, 1957), vi-vii.
79 Augustine, City of God, Great Books of the Western World ed. (Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica, 1952), 535-543.
80 Augustine, City of God, 535.
81 At the council of Ephesus in 431, belief in the millennium was condemned as superstitious. See Robert G. Clouse, "Introduction" in The Meaning of the Millennium: Four Views, Robert Clouse, ed. (Downer's Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1977), 9.
82 The Forty-First of the Anglical Articles drawn up by Cramner described the millennium in this fashion. See Schaff, 619, n.4. Similarly, the Augsburg Confession, Art. XVII., condemned those "who now scatter Jewish opinions that, before the resurrection of the dead, the godly shall occupy the kingdom of the world, the wicked being everywhere suppressed." See Philip Schaff, The Creeds of Christendom (Harper and Row, 1931, reprinted, Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1996), III: 18.
83 See especially, Hal Lindsey, The 1980s: Countdown to Armageddon (New York: Bantam, 1980).
84 Roland H. Bainton, Here I Stand (Nashville: Abington Press, 1950), 144.I’m Buying Flash Libertarian Science Fiction
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Email me at [email protected] with any questions.It was… a loathsome dream.
In my youth, my mother had whispered to me.
“My beloved child… you shall become a knight, and defeat your king. As my son, you have a claim to the throne. But the king must not learn of this now, or he would surely end you. For now, you must bide your time.”
It was a disturbing noise. Evil thoughts wormed their way into my head. I did not want to hear them. I wanted to ignore them.
I was an artificial life form – a homunculus. Birthed by twisted means, it was decided that I would grow, and age, and die quickly. While innocent boys of the same age played around the village, I was swinging a sword. By the time they reached manhood, I would be long dead.
How jealous I was of their lives. How I envied them. How I despised them.
And so it was that I swore to become an existence superior to common men. After all, I must race through life faster than any of them. It would only be natural that I would also be greater than all others.
One day, my mother had brought me to observe the king from the shadows – a steel figure of bravery, and austerity, and temperance.
“That is your goal. That is the enemy you must defeat. That is the king you must fell.”
Impossible – how could I hope to overcome such flawless elegance? The king’s judgment, the king’s swordsmanship, the king’s strategies; they were all the utter definition of perfection.
Unfortunately for my mother, I abandoned her scheme. Instead, I desired to serve the king, to become the blade that would cut down those aiming to sully his lands and people.
Yes, I would become a knight.
I grew up quickly and was eventually granted a helm. It was something I could never remove before the eyes of others; it would all be for naught were someone to see me and recognize my face. So said my mother, and I donned my mask. Despite this, my skill and knightly spirit were proven to be exemplary and the king honored me with a sword.
Although I was not yet granted a seat at the Round Table, I had gained the right to one. The days of bliss passed by quickly as was only natural for me. As a knight, I brought down those who opposed the king. “Why do you oppose your king,” I would ask.
They would retort, “our king is far too infallible.”
What fools. Was that not exactly why our king was great? In all of man’s long history, when had there ever been such a perfect king? Most who called themselves kings were cruel, and proud, and contemptuous – presenting their own greed as a source of joy for their people. These kings gave dreams to those who follow them, or took them away, but upon even once having their own dreams taken from their grasp, they left disaster in their wake with no thoughts for the future.
“All who become king are the same. They steal from the people, and the people must steal in turn.”
But the King of Knights had no selfish desires. The king saw only what was needed, and everything else might as well not exist. The king carried no dreams, forging ahead only to unite our homeland – a pure existence as exquisite as a sharpened blade. Although it brought me immense shame to consider my own birth in comparison, I still adored the king and aspired to embrace the path of chivalry in the same way.
I could say with certainty that those had been the most brilliant and joyful years of my life – but their end came soon enough. Frustrated, my mother made clear to me my pedigree. I was not merely the homunculus son of the great foe, Morgan, but also somehow conceived as a child and living clone of the king.
I felt happier than I had ever been. The figure whom I revered so was much closer than I had imagined – and I was also the only one who carried the king’s blood. In other words, I was the uniquely suited to succeed the king.
I spoke of all this to the king, including why I would be worthy of the crown. As always, the king replied in a cold, hard voice.
“I see… born from the machinations of my sister you may be, but indeed you are of my blood. Yet I shall not recognize you as my son, nor shall I allow you the throne.”
Perhaps I was too hasty in my desire to be the king’s successor. However, that I would not even be considered a son was too piercing a blow. It had been my basest assumption; even if I could not be recognized publicly as an heir, it was the one thing I truly wished to be accepted. I thought that in a dialogue between the two of us, I would be able to see the king’s heart – that I would be accepted as a son to be proud of.
“So… you would not admit that I am your son, O King?”
I murmured at the turned back of the king who showed no further interest in me – who looked ever onward at the path to the future. My voice was filled with enmity, revealing a hatred that I had never known before.
It was obvious, I suppose. Who would accept a child forcibly conceived by a bitter enemy? I must be something like a curse. As such, the day would never come where I received a seat at the Round Table. My excellence would be unrecognized, my passion disdained, my effort ignored – for I would never be forgiven, simply because I was born of Morgan.
“Very well. I will make you regret those words.”
That was the decisive moment when I was reborn in hatred, to stain all that my father had accomplished. The king’s achievements, the king’s rule, the king’s battles – I would render everything of the past decade meaningless.
Perhaps the king would despise me. It would be warranted.
Perhaps the king would punish me. The king could try.
But the king would see me. I would give up everything for the two of us to face one another again.
The long, long war for Britain was drawing to its end. After surpassing many hardships, the day was approaching where the country would be ruled as one under the King of Knights. The fighting had brought honor to the knights, but also suffering and poverty to the common folk. Just when everyone had thought that those days would be over, they were thrust into one disquiet after another.
The king never changed expressions as the chain of ordeals were dealt with. However, I was certain that within the king’s heart nested great agitation – so I imagined, and laughed quietly in the shadows.
For one, it was I who had blazed and made grandiose the infidelity between Queen Guinevere and Sir Lancelot du Lac, a sublime knight of the kind rarely known to the world. It was I who had begun the whispers – that Arthur did not possess the caliber worthy of being king, least not one whose wife was so easily stolen. Yet even as the other knights who had their own complaints spoke out to the king, I continued to serve loyally. To the king, it must have been quite ominous to have this so-called son still serving faithfully as a knight.
Yes – I knew well of the king’s anguish. It was then that Arthur made the first and last critical mistake. In order to bring down the traitor Sir Lancelot, Arthur set off for France and left me in command. It was only natural, with so many other knights and members of the court touting my competence – never mind that there were actual administrative affairs which I and very few others were capable of performing. The king appointed me as regent and headed for France.
How agonizing it must have been for the king to strike down the most trusted knight of all. Predicting that the fighting in France would drag on, I spread the news that the king had fallen in battle and called for an emergency council, during which it was accepted that I would be suitable for the throne. I took from the armory Clarent, the proof of kingship, and held a coronation in Canterbury. I became king, even if it were only in name. After that, I proposed to Guinevere.
“What is this nonsense you speak of?”
She replied coldly, and I laughed.
“As much nonsense as your games of playing husband and wife.”
Deriding her, I removed my helm. The expression frozen on her face was unforgettable.
I did not pursue her in earnest, of course. But it would antagonize the king one level further. Yes – I wanted him to hate me ever more.
Unsurprisingly, my lies were soon uncovered. It was made known that King Arthur hastened to return to Britain. By right, I should have been executed at that very moment. After all, regent or not, such a rampage as mine deserved its punishment. However, I was still backed by all those whom I had appeased, cajoled, or intimidated into submission.
I was persuasive – perhaps. However, on a deeper level, it was clear that there were many who held grievances against Arthur. The King of Knights was cold, and rational – always ready to discard anything and anyone when they were no longer necessary. But I was a much more human knight, or so they claimed. It was the most foolish thing of all, given that I cared for no one other than myself. Human beings were mere livestock whose only saving grace was their ability to speak. Young or old, it made no difference; throw meat into their pens and they would be fighting one other for the meal before it even touched the ground.
That was why I would not kill human beings, simply because I did not hate them. They were an annoyance, a locust, but not worthy of hate. I acted as I desired, without a care for those who followed me – so it was strange that they would find me all the more human for it. The king who had tried to save as many lives as he could was condemned as not understanding the hearts of men; yet I who thought nothing of saving anyone was praised of the opposite.
It was vexing. I did not rebel for the sake of the lot of you – I did it for myself. They could follow me wagging their tails if it pleased them, but I put them all out of my mind. Why spare my thoughts for the hounds that could forget the master who had been utterly devoted to them?
So it was that the last war began. Despite our defeat at Dover allowing the enemy to take the landing, I felled the wearied Sir Gawain. After several more minor clashes, it was time to face off against the king at the hill of Camlann.
By this point, it no longer mattered who won the war. The fate of the country had already been sealed. However, the king remained as frigid as ever. Again and again, I would call my father’s name on the field of battle – more loyalist soldiers surrounding me every time I did, and I would crush them and continue on. I killed, and killed, and killed again. The thought came to me. How did things turn out this way?
Outsiders observing this battle probably thought me a great fool – and why should I care?
Just as my mother predicted, I would become the great transgressor who ruined this kingdom – and why should I care?
I had plunged every single person in this country into my personal vendetta – and why should I care?
Why should I care? Why should I care?!
“Arthurrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!”
Finally, the King of Knights responded to my call – and our final duel began.
The battle was decided when the king’s holy spear pierced my chest. It was my defeat – no, it was my victory. All that the king had achieved, were reduced to nothing by my hands.
Yes, look at me. Hate me. Let the mere mention of Mordred forever grate your ears and twist your face with anger. Curse my very name.
But to the very end – the king did not recognize my existence.
Those cool eyes of jade watched over my death, turning away from me the instant it became certain. The king spoke no final words, shed no tears, showed not even the slightest hint of hate.
I was struck by the realization.
I see…
Perhaps… there was some truth in their grumblings after all.
The king did not understand the hearts of men.
I conceded. From the beginning till the end, King Arthur had been an infallible king. But that was all the more reason to hate you, my perfect king.
Even your hands had failed in the rule of this country.
I could have done better.
What King Arthur could not accomplished, I would.
Father, if they would claim that you were the perfect king, I would surpass you.
Ah – just once more. One more chance. Give to me the chance to draw the sword of appointment, just as the king had once did.
Just one chance…
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SEE ALSO: Philippines Typhoon coincide with Man-Made Microwave Pulses
“Every conceivable type of weapon is being examined or explored by various individuals, if not with the support of their government.”
– Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen (1997-2001)
Shawn Helton
21st Century Wire
Do you believe that weather weapons exist?
In a United States Department of Defense transcript from April, 28th 1997, then Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen, shocked the public by admitting that weaponized weather has been created through the use of “electromagnetic waves.” The Weather Modification Association has admitted that governments have been altering the weather since at least 1950.
The aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), has been truly tragic as the situation has descended into total chaos, however, one cannot ignore the bizarre weather anomalies leading up to the “world’s biggest storm“.
Weather Manipulation: Weather modification technology exists and could be weaponized.
In the past week, independent weatherman ‘Dutchsinse’ shot several YouTube videos dissecting the typhoon system passing through the Philippines, believing it to be produced by weather manipulation, specifically microwave pulse technology.
Weather modification technology and geo-engineering would be a powerful weapon if deployed for strategic ends. If this is the case, what would be the geopolitical motive?
In August of 2013, while the situation in Syria was reaching a boiling point over false chemical weapons allegations, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel met with Filipino President Benigno Aqu |
necessities, he said, cut out any luxuries in your lifestyle.There are few things less popular in American politics than raising taxes, which is why there is a longstanding tradition of American politicians finding ways to avoid using the “t” word.
While it’s not surprising to see these sorts of political shenanigans from two parties that have a history of using Orwellian word games to grow government (like the charmingly named Patriot Act), it’s extremely unfortunate to see Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson resorting to the same tactics.
During an interview with the Juneau Empire, Gary Johnson was asked his opinions on climate change:
“I do believe that climate change is occurring. I do believe that it is man-caused,” Johnson said. To address climate change, Johnson said he believes “that there can be and is a free-market approach to climate change.” That would include a fee — not a tax, he said — placed on carbon. Such a fee would make pollutants bear a market cost.
What’s interesting is that while Gary Johnson tried to distance himself from calling his proposal a tax when talking with a newspaper in the “red state” of Alaska, he was more honest when discussing the idea in an editorial newsroom that looks more favorably on taxes, the Los Angeles Times. Along with crediting the free-market, and not the regulations of the Obama administration, with the decline of the American coal industry, Governor Johnson said he was “open also to the notion of a carbon tax. That it does have an impact, that it ends up being revenue-neutral.”
While it’s nice of Gary Johnson to not want to grow the government coffers with a carbon tax, unfortunately that detail doesn’t make this proposal any less concerning, nor any more “free-market.”
After all, it is impossible for a president or legislature to impose a “free-market” tax (or fee) on anything. Considering the explicit goal here would be an attempt to try to use government tax collectors to alter the behavior of carbon-dioxide emitters, it’s difficult to see this as anything but government intervention. Though this pattern of confusing intervention with the free market might also explain why Gary Johnson frequently credits the free market, and not the Obama administration’s regulatory burdens, for the decline of the American coal industry.
Johnson also tries to follow the common trick used by some “conservative” carbon tax advocates by describing their tax as a “price on carbon.” In his interview with the Juneau Empire, Gary Johnson describes his proposal as a “market cost.” Of course calling an arbitrary government-imposed penalty on carbon emission a “market cost” is as disingenuous as not calling such a plan a “tax.” As Dr. David Henderson pointed out in responding to such rhetorical games:
[C]arbon already has a price, or, more exactly, multiple prices. Natural gas has a price; oil has a price; coal has a price. And their prices are related to the valuable carbon component of those fuels because it’s carbon that makes those fuels valuable. Just as there’s no such thing as a free lunch, carbon is not free.
In his defense, Governor Johnson admits that he isn’t up on the finer details of what he envisions in a carbon tax, telling the LA Times, “I have really just come on board with recognizing that there are a lot of people that are embracing this, that I value their opinion.”
With that being the case, I’d suggest Gary Johnson listen less to “free market” economists like Greg Mankiw, and instead look into the work of people like our own Robert Murphy. Not only has Murphy outlined the dangers implicit with entrusting government to combat climate change, but has illustrated the specific fallacies embedded with the very idea of a revenue neutral-carbon tax:
Proponents of a carbon tax swap deal are right when they claim that the gross harms of a new carbon tax can be partially offset if its receipts are used to reduce other taxes. However, they typically leap from this true claim to the unjustified conclusion that a revenue-neutral carbon tax will be a “win-win” for the economy — by reducing distortions from the tax code as well as providing environmental benefits. On the contrary, it is theoretically possible and empirically likely that a revenue-neutral carbon tax will impose more deadweight loss on the economy, offsetting at least some of the potential environmental benefits.
And in case if Gary Johnson would like to further brush up on what real free market solutions look like, most of the Mises U 2016 lectures are now available on Youtube and SoundCloud.President Obama went to the “Omaha’’ material one too many times.
To begin his nearly 12-minute speech Monday afternoon that honored the Super Bowl 50 champion Denver Broncos who were standing behind him in Rose Garden, Obama naturally wanted to ease the tension. The breaker, though, has iced over.
They had a little practice earlier, Obama said, and he wanted to make sure they were paying attention.
“So I’m going to say, “OMAHA! OMAHA!’’ Obama said to little more than awkward chuckles. “Forty-four’s the Mike. … ‘’
He said something else about Montana but as a President who is finishing his eighth and final year in office, he knows when a line is a dud.
“It doesn’t seem to work as well for me,” Obama said, getting laughter at his own expense. “Let’s give it up for the Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos.”
Now that drew loud applause.
Broncos honored for Super Bowl win at White House WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 06: U.S. President Barack Obama waves after receiving a Denver Broncos jersey presented to him as a gift by Annabel Bowlen, wife of Broncos majority owner Pat Bowlen, while welcoming the National Football League Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos to the White House Rose Garden on June 6, 2016 in Washington, DC. The Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers 24-10 in Super Bowl 50. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 06: U.S. President Barack Obama shakes hands with Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning while welcoming the National Football League Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos to the White House Rose Garden on June 6, 2016 in Washington, DC. The Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers 24-10 in Super Bowl 50. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) US President Barack Obama poses with the 50th Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington on June 6, 2016. / AFP / YURI GRIPAS (Photo credit should read YURI GRIPAS/AFP/Getty Images) US President Barack Obama poses with the 50th Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington on June 6, 2016. / AFP / YURI GRIPAS (Photo credit should read YURI GRIPAS/AFP/Getty Images) US President Barack Obama honors the 50th Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington on June 6, 2016. / AFP / YURI GRIPAS (Photo credit should read YURI GRIPAS/AFP/Getty Images) US President Barack Obama poses with the 50th Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington on June 6, 2016. / AFP / YURI GRIPAS (Photo credit should read YURI GRIPAS/AFP/Getty Images) US President Barack Obama is presented a helmet as he honors the 50th Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC on June 6, 2016. / AFP / YURI GRIPAS (Photo credit should read YURI GRIPAS/AFP/Getty Images) WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 06: U.S. President Barack Obama holds up a Denver Broncos jersey presented to him as a gift by Annabel Bowlen (R), wife of Broncos majority owner Pat Bowlen, while welcoming the National Football League Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos to the White House Rose Garden on June 6, 2016 in Washington, DC. The Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers 24-10 in Super Bowl 50. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 06: Denver Broncos General Manager John Elway (L) and Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak (R) listen as U.S. President Barack Obama delivers remarks welcoming the Super Bowl champions to the White House Rose Garden on June 6, 2016 in Washington, DC. The Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers 24-10 in Super Bowl 50. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) US President Barack Obama honors the 50th Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC on June 6, 2016. / AFP / YURI GRIPAS (Photo credit should read YURI GRIPAS/AFP/Getty Images) WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 06: U.S. President Barack Obama shakes hands with Denver Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak (L) while welcoming the National Football League Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos to the White House Rose Garden on June 6, 2016 in Washington, DC. The Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers 24-10 in Super Bowl 50. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) US President Barack Obama is presented a helmet from quarterback Peyton Manning(L) as he honors the 50th Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC on June 6, 2016. / AFP / YURI GRIPAS (Photo credit should read YURI GRIPAS/AFP/Getty Images) US President Barack Obama honors the 50th Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington on June 6, 2016. / AFP / YURI GRIPAS (Photo credit should read YURI GRIPAS/AFP/Getty Images) WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 06: U.S. President Barack Obama is presented with a Denver Broncos helmet by quarterback Peyton Manning while welcoming the National Football League Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos to the White House Rose Garden on June 6, 2016 in Washington, DC. The Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers 24-10 in Super Bowl 50. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 06: Denver Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak makes brief remarks while the Broncos team was welcomed by U.S. President Barack Obama to the White House Rose Garden on June 6, 2016 in Washington, DC. The Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers 24-10 in Super Bowl 50. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) US President Barack Obama honors the 50th Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington on June 6, 2016. / AFP / YURI GRIPAS (Photo credit should read YURI GRIPAS/AFP/Getty Images) US President Barack Obama honors the 50th Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC on June 6, 2016. / AFP / YURI GRIPAS (Photo credit should read YURI GRIPAS/AFP/Getty Images) WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 06: U.S. President Barack Obama holds up a Denver Broncos jersey presented to him as a gift by Annabel Bowlen (R), wife of Broncos majority owner Pat Bowlen, while welcoming the National Football League Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos to the White House Rose Garden on June 6, 2016 in Washington, DC. The Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers 24-10 in Super Bowl 50. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) US President Barack Obama (C) shakes hands with coach NFL Denver Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak he honors the 50th Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington on June 6, 2016. / AFP / YURI GRIPAS (Photo credit should read YURI GRIPAS/AFP/Getty Images) US President Barack Obama waves after ceremonies honoring the 50th Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington on June 6, 2016. / AFP / YURI GRIPAS (Photo credit should read YURI GRIPAS/AFP/Getty Images) US President Barack Obama poses with the 50th Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington on June 6, 2016. / AFP / YURI GRIPAS (Photo credit should read YURI GRIPAS/AFP/Getty Images) WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 06: U.S. President Barack Obama holds up a Denver Broncos jersey presented to him as a gift by Annabel Bowlen, wife of Broncos majority owner Pat Bowlen, while welcoming the National Football League Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos to the White House Rose Garden on June 6, 2016 in Washington, DC. The Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers 24-10 in Super Bowl 50. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) US President Barack Obama walks back to the Oval Office of the White House in Washington after honoring the 50th Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos on June 6, 2016. / AFP / YURI GRIPAS (Photo credit should read YURI GRIPAS/AFP/Getty Images) US President Barack Obama is presented a helmet from quarterback Peyton Manning(L) as he honors the 50th Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC on June 6, 2016. / AFP / YURI GRIPAS (Photo credit should read YURI GRIPAS/AFP/Getty Images) WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 06: U.S. President Barack Obama holds up a Denver Broncos jersey presented to him as a gift by Annabel Bowlen (R), wife of Broncos majority owner Pat Bowlen, while welcoming the National Football League Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos to the White House Rose Garden on June 6, 2016 in Washington, DC. The Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers 24-10 in Super Bowl 50. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 06: U.S. President Barack Obama holds up a Denver Broncos jersey presented to him as a gift by Annabel Bowlen (R), wife of Broncos majority owner Pat Bowlen, while welcoming the National Football League Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos to the White House Rose Garden on June 6, 2016 in Washington, DC. The Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers 24-10 in Super Bowl 50. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 06: Denver Broncos General Manager John Elway (L) and Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak (R) listen as U.S. President Barack Obama delivers remarks welcoming the Super Bowl champions to the White House Rose Garden on June 6, 2016 in Washington, DC. The Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers 24-10 in Super Bowl 50. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
“It was a good effort,’’ said Peyton Manning, the Broncos’ retired quarterback who made the “Omaha” audible a nationwide catchphrase – in 2013.
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After the ceremony and the team buses left the White House and arrived at the Washington Dulles Airport, Manning stepped out of view and granted 9NEWS an exclusive interview. He then told a story of how this visit to meet Obama had been at least seven years in the making.
“I have to tell you, that’s the first time I met him, but he called me in 2009 after we lost the Super Bowl (to New Orleans while Manning was playing for Indianapolis),’’ Manning said. “He somehow got my number which is a little scary – they can get your number any time they want.
“I answered the call, the day after the game and they said, ‘Please hold, it’s the President.’ And I spoke to him and he said, ‘Hey, sorry about the game, good effort and I like your commercials. I hope you get back here while I’m still in office.’
“I waited till the last possible minute – I waited to my last year of eligibility and his, but it was nice to be able to get here and meet him and he was very nice.’’
PHOTOS: Peyton Manning announces retirement
To Obama’s credit, he rallied later in his speech with his testimonial asunder for Manning.
“And then there’s this guy from the commercials,” Obama said. “It doesn’t matter whether you need insurance, a pizza, a Buick, you can basically stack your whole household with stuff this guy is selling. You know where to turn: It’s Peyton Manning.’’
Applause, applause.
Obama then reviewed the highlights of Manning’s career, accurately evoking the quarterback’s career records for wins, passing yards, touchdowns, MVPs.
“The only quarterback to lead two different teams to Super Bowl wins,” Obama said. “We’re all obviously a little disappointed to see him hang ‘em up this spring but as somebody who is just a little bit older than he is, I have to sympathize that running around with these guys takes its toll. But it is great to see somebody who had a career like that who always conducted himself on the field and away from the field the way he did to see him go out on top the way he did.’’
PHOTOS: Peyton Manning's iconic moments with the Broncos
Again, the packed Rose Garden erupted with appreciated roars.
“Very appreciative,” Manning said. “Sitting up there in between DeMarcus (Ware) and David (Bruton) the other captains, and to be around Von (Miller) and Emmanuel (Sanders) and Demaryius (Thomas), we had a lot of laughs on that plane ride and being there in that Rose Garden, I can remember that same feeling nine years before (in 2007 after his Indy Colts beat Obama’s Chicago Bears to win the Super Bowl), it’s a special feeling and something I’ll always remember. And it’s a real honor to meet him and very appreciative of his kind words.”
Manning met with 9NEWS in part because he didn’t feel comfortable joining head coach Gary Kubiak, Thomas, Miller and Ware at the post-President press conference. The Broncos are their team now. They deserve the spotlight.
Did Manning experience any pangs of regret about his decision to retire after spending the day with the guys again?
“No, I really haven’t,’’ he said. “People speak for you and they tell you you’re going to be miserable during this time. Especially when it gets to the fall, you’re going to be missing things and, I don’t know, I’ll be kind of surprised if I feel that way.
“One thing I’ve always said, I got my fill in in 18 years. I didn’t get shorted in anything. And I saw it from all sides so no, it was great being around the guys, telling stories, but not really having those type of feelings.
Memorable quotes from Peyton Manning's retirement press conference <p>Memorable quotes from Peyton Manning during his retirement speech.</p> <p>Memorable quotes from Peyton Manning during his retirement speech.</p> <p>Memorable quotes from Peyton Manning during his retirement speech.</p> <p>Memorable quotes from Peyton Manning during his retirement speech.</p> <p>Memorable quotes from Peyton Manning during his retirement speech.</p> <p>Memorable quotes from Peyton Manning during his retirement speech.</p> <p>Memorable quotes from Peyton Manning during his retirement speech.</p> <p>Memorable quotes from Peyton Manning during his retirement speech.</p> <p>Memorable quotes from Peyton Manning during his retirement speech.</p> <p>Memorable quotes from Peyton Manning during his retirement speech.</p> <p>Memorable quotes from Peyton Manning during his retirement speech.</p> <p>Memorable quotes from Peyton Manning during his retirement speech.</p> <p>Memorable quotes from Peyton Manning during his retirement speech.</p> <p>Memorable quotes from Peyton Manning during his retirement speech.</p>
“I look forward to the fall. I’ll be there at the opener when they drop the banners (Thursday, Sept. 8) and I have the trophy presentation in the game against Carolina, and I look forward to that.’’
He’s also going through a 10-year reunion of the Colts’ Super Bowl win from the 2006 season.
“That’s one thing about winning the Super Bowl, it never goes away,” Manning said. “You get to go to the White House. You get your ring and every 10 or 20 years you have a reunion. That’s permanent and I look forward to many a reunion here with the Broncos celebrating Super Bowl 50.”
So what will Manning do next? Join his old coach Tony Dungy in the NBC studios on Sunday Night Football? Coach? Pull a John Elway and become a top NFL football executive, for say, his good friend Jimmy Haslam in Cleveland?
PHOTOS: Peyton Manning through the years Peyton Manning of the Denver Broncos celebrates after Super Bowl 50 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California February 7, 2016. The Broncos beat the Carolina Panthers 24-10. / AFP / TIMOTHY A. CLARY (Photo credit should read TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images) ANAHEIM, CA - FEBRUARY 08: In this handout photo provided by Disney Parks, Mickey Mouse greets Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning at Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland park in Anaheim, Calif., on Monday February 8, 2016. In honor of the Denver Broncos' victory at Super Bowl 50, the Disneyland Resort saluted Manning with a champions parade down Main Street, U.S.A. (Photo by Scott Brinegar/Disneyland Resort via Getty Images) SANTA CLARA, CA - FEBRUARY 07: Peyton Manning #18 of the Denver Broncos celebrates with his son Marshall Manning and Bill Polian after defeating the Carolina Panthers during Super Bowl 50 at Levi's Stadium on February 7, 2016 in Santa Clara, California. The Broncos defeated the Panthers 24-10. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) 18 Nov 1998: Peyton Manning #18 of the Indianapolis Colts stands as he waits during the game against the Miami Dolphins at Pro Player Stadium in Miami, Florida. The Dolphins defeated the Colts 27-14. Mandatory Credit: Scott Halleran /Allsport SANTA CLARA, CA - FEBRUARY 07: Peyton Manning #18 of the Denver Broncos is handed the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the Carolina Panthers during Super Bowl 50 at Levi's Stadium on February 7, 2016 in Santa Clara, California. The Broncos defeated the Panthers 24-10. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) 18 Apr 1998: First overall pick Peyton Manning (Center) talks with his father Archie (R), as Mike Tirico of ESPN looks on after Peyton was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, SANTA CLARA, CA - FEBRUARY 07: Peyton Manning #18 of the Denver Broncos walks with his son Marshall Manning after defeating the Carolina Panthers during Super Bowl 50 at Levi's Stadium on February 7, 2016 in Santa Clara, California. The Broncos defeated the Panthers 24-10. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) ANAHEIM, CA - FEBRUARY 08: In this handout photo provided by Disney Parks, In honor of the Denver Broncos' victory at Super Bowl 50, the Disneyland Resort saluted quarterback Peyton Manning with a champions parade down Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, Calif., on Monday February 8, 2016. Some favorite Disney characters joined the parade as Manning rode in a float with his children, Mosely and Marshall. (Photo by Scott Brinegar/Disneyland Resort via Getty Images) SANTA CLARA, CA - FEBRUARY 07: Peyton Manning #18 of the Denver Broncos holds his son Marshall after the Denver Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers with a score of 24 to 10 to win Super Bowl 50 at Levi's Stadium on February 7, 2016 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) SANTA CLARA, CA - FEBRUARY 07: Peyton Manning #18 of the Denver Broncos celebrates with his son Marshall Manning and Bill Polian after defeating the Carolina Panthers during Super Bowl 50 at Levi's Stadium on February 7, 2016 in Santa Clara, California. The Broncos defeated the Panthers 24-10. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) ANAHEIM, CA - FEBRUARY 08: In this handout photo provided by Disney Parks, In honor of the Denver Broncos' victory at Super Bowl 50, the Disneyland Resort saluted quarterback Peyton Manning with a champions parade down Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, Calif., on Monday February 8, 2016. Some favorite Disney characters joined the parade as Manning rode in a float with his children, Mosely and Marshall. (Photo by Paul Hiffmeyer/Disneyland Resort via Getty Images) DENVER, CO - FEBRUARY 9: Peyton Manning and DeMarcus Ware talk at a rally at the Denver City and County Building after Broncos players and personnel took part in a victory parade after the Broncos won Super Bowl 50 on February 9, 2016 in downtown Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
For now, there’s no time for anything other than retirement.
“I feel busier than I ever have,” Manning said. “All those people I’ve told the past 18 years, “Hey I can’t do that I have practice that day, they all know that and, “Hey, I know you’re available and you promised to come play in my tournament or you promised to come to my charity event.
“So I’m paying up on some commitments and I’m doing some fun stuff as well. I’ve really worked hard to protect my fall weekends. I’m going to have free fall weekends for the first time in 22 years. I’m going to be at the Broncos’ season opener. I think they play the Colts in week 2, I’ll be there. There’s some Giants games I want to go to (to watch his brother Eli play) and get back to see my Tennessee Vols, so football will be a part of my fall but it will be on my schedule.”
Copyright 2016 KUSATop 5 Elixir mistakes - Lessons from Elixir code reviews At Erlang Solutions, we perform Elixir code reviews for a living. We look at the code of everyone from startups and Fortune 500 companies and have noticed a few patterns. Based on our years of experience reviewing Elixir code, we've summarised our top 5 Elixir gotchas! Read More Facebook
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Blockchain innovator æternity chooses Erlang to scale to billions of users æternity is an open-source, distributed computing platform that builds on decentralised cryptographic P2P technology. æternity has partnered with Erlang Solutions to scale its distributed system and peer-to-peer network and bring its blockchain technology to the masses. Read More Facebook
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Linkedin E-mail Share DownloadPosted April 26, 2014 by Nolan Lawson in Webapps. Tagged: indexeddb, safari, w3c, websql. 22 Comments
All signs seem to indicate that Apple will finally ship IndexedDB in Safari 7.1 sometime this year. This means that Safari, the last holdout against IndexedDB, will finally relent to the inevitable victory of HTML5’s new, new storage engine.
So I thought this would be a good time to hold a wake for Web SQL – that much maligned, much misunderstood also-ran that still proudly ships in Safari, Chrome, Opera, iOS, and every version of Android since 2.0.
Often in the tech industry we’re too quick to eviscerate some recently-obsoleted technology (Flash, SVN, Perl), because, as with politics and religion, nothing needs discrediting so much as the most recently reigning zeitgeist. Web SQL deserves better than that, though, so I’m here to give it its dues.
openDatabase('mydatabase', 1,'mydatabase', 5000000, function (db) { db.transaction(function (tx) { tx.executeSql('create table rainstorms (mood text, severity int)', [], function () { tx.executeSql('insert into rainstorms values (?,?)', ['somber', 6], function () { tx.executeSql('select * from rainstorms where mood =?', ['somber'], function (tx, res) { var row = res.rows.item(0); console.log('rainstorm severity:'+ row.severity + ', my mood:'+ row.mood); }); }); }); }, function (err) { console.log('boo, transaction failed!:'+ err); }, function () { console.log('yay, transaction succeeded!'); }); });
The gist of the story is this: in 2009 or so, native iOS and Android apps were starting to give the web a run for its money, and one area where the W3C recognized some room for improvement was in client-side storage. So Apple and Google hacked up the Web SQL Database API, which basically acknowledged that SQLite was great, mobile devs on iOS and Android loved it, and so both companies were happy to ship it in their browsers [1].
However, Microsoft and (especially) Mozilla balked, countering that the SQL language is not really a standard, and having one implementation in WebKit didn’t meet the “independent implementations” requirement necessary to be considered a serious spec.
So by 2010, Web SQL was abandoned in favor of IndexedDB, which is a document store that can be thought of as the NoSQL answer to Web SQL. It was designed by Nikunj Mehta at Oracle (of all places), and by 2014 every major browser, including IE 10 and Android 4.4, has shipped a version of IndexedDB, with Safari expected to join later this year.
As a rank-and-file developer, though, who’s worked with both Web SQL and IndexedDB, I can’t shake the feeling that the W3C made the wrong choice here. Let’s remember what Web SQL actually gave us:
SQLite in the browser. Seriously, right down to the sqlite_master table, fts indexes for full-text search, and the idiosyncratic type system. The only thing you didn’t get were PRAGMA commands – other than that, you still had transactions, joins, binary blobs, regexes, you name it.
table, indexes for full-text search, and the idiosyncratic type system. The only thing you didn’t get were commands – other than that, you still had transactions, joins, binary blobs, regexes, you name it. 5MB of storage by default, up to 50MB or more depending on the platform, to be confirmed by the user with a popup window at various increments.
The ability to easily hook into the native mobile SQLite databases, e.g. using the SQLite plugin for Cordova/PhoneGap.
A high-level, performant API based on an expressive language most everybody knows (SQL).
A database which had already been battle-tested on mobile devices, i.e. the place where performance matters.
A database which, let’s not forget, is also open-source.
Now what we have instead is IndexedDB, which basically lets you store key/value pairs, where the values are JavaScript object literals and the keys can be one or more fields from within that object. It supports gets, puts, deletes, and iteration. In Chrome it’s built on Google’s LevelDB, whereas in Firefox it’s actually backed by SQLite. In IE, who knows.
Enough has been written already about the failure of IndexedDB to capture the hearts of developers. And the API certainly won’t win any beauty contests:
html5rocks.indexedDB.open = function() { var version = 1; var request = indexedDB.open("todos", version); // We can only create Object stores in a versionchange transaction. request.onupgradeneeded = function(e) { var db = e.target.result; // A versionchange transaction is started automatically. e.target.transaction.onerror = html5rocks.indexedDB.onerror; if(db.objectStoreNames.contains("todo")) { db.deleteObjectStore("todo"); } var store = db.createObjectStore("todo", {keyPath: "timeStamp"}); }; request.onsuccess = function(e) { html5rocks.indexedDB.db = e.target.result; html5rocks.indexedDB.getAllTodoItems(); }; request.onerror = html5rocks.indexedDB.onerror; };
Instead of retreading the same old ground, though, I’d like to give my own spin on the broken promises of IndexedDB, as well as acknowledge where it has succeeded.
The death of Web SQL: a play in 1 act
To understand the context of how IndexedDB won out over Web SQL, let’s flash back to 2009. Normally you’d need sleuthing skills to solve a murder mystery, but luckily for us the W3C does everything out in the open, so the whole story is publicly available on the Internet.
The best sources I’ve found are this IRC log from late 2009, the corresponding minutes, the surprisingly heated follow-up thread, and Mozilla’s June 2010 blog post acting as the final nail in the coffin [3].
Here’s my retelling of what went down, starting with the 2009 IRC log:
PROLOGUE Six houses, all alike in dignity, In fair IRC, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From Oracle, that SQL seer of IndexedDB, To Google, the stronghold of search, We add Mozilla, the Web SQL killa, And Apple, peering from its mobile perch. Here, a storage war would set keys to clack, Tongues to wag, and specs to shatter, There was also Microsoft and Opera, Who don't really seem to matter. THE PLAYERS NIKUNJ MEHTA, of House ORACLE, an instigator JONAS SICKING, of House MOZILLA, an assassin MACIEJ STACHOWIAK, of House APPLE, a pugilist IAN FETTE, of House GOOGLE, a pleader CHARLES MCCATHIENEVILE, of House OPERA, a peacemaker ACT 1 SCENE: A dark and gloomy day in Mountain View, or perhaps a bright and cheery one, depending on your IRC client's color scheme.
OK, enough joking around. Let’s let the players tell the story in their own words. I’ll try not to editorialize too much [2].
Jonas Sicking (Mozilla): we’ve had a lot of discussions
primarily with MS and Oracle, Oracle stands behind Nikunj
we’ve talked to a lot of developers
the feedback we got is that we really don’t want SQL Ian Fette (Google): We’ve implemented WebDB, we’re about to ship it Maciej Stachowiak (Apple): We’ve implemented WebDB and have been shipping it for some time
it’s shipping in Safari
(At the time, Web SQL was called “Web DB,” and IndexedDB was called “Web Simple DB,” or just “Nikunj.”)
So basically, Sicking (of Mozilla) throws down the gauntlet: users don’t want SQL, and the solution proposed by Nikunj Mehta is backed by all three of Oracle, Microsoft, and Mozilla. Fette (of Google) and Stachowiak (of Apple) respond huffily that they’re already shipping Web SQL.
Ian Fette (Google): we’re also interested in the Nikunj One
Fette makes a concession here. Recall that Google was quick to implement both Web SQL and IndexedDB, at least in Chrome. |
revolutionise secure communications, but scientists have previously only managed to maintain the bond for about 62 miles (100 km).
Pairs of entangled photons fired to ground stations can form a ‘secret key’ and, theoretically, any attempts to breach this type of communication would be easily detectable.
In quantum physics, entangled particles remain connected so that actions performed by one affects the behaviour of the other, even if they are separated by huge distances.
So, if someone were to attempt to listen in on one end, the disruption would be detectable on the other.Seth Rogen. Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
[Spoilers ahead.] There are a handful of delightful cameos in This Is the End: Michael Cera, Rihanna, Channing Tatum. But the cameo worthy of closing out the movie belonged to the Backstreet Boys, who lead an “Everybody” dance-along in heaven. How did that scene come about? “We were trying to figure out a way to spruce up the end, to make it better, ” co-writer-director Evan Goldberg told us last week, at a screening hosted by Fiji Water and Svedka Vodka. “It actually was an off-handed suggestion of our wives, and then Seth [Rogen] just kept bringing it up, and then it kind of snowballed into something that we didn’t think could happen, and it did.” But that wasn’t how the movie was originally going to end.
Originally, Goldberg and Seth Rogen wanted the main crew to go to heaven and be greeted by none other than Morgan Freeman. “The whole joke was, he shows up, and he’s like, ‘I’m God,’” Goldberg said. “And they’re like, ‘You’re God?’ And Jay [Baruchel] goes, ‘Wait, so when we were in Million Dollar Baby together, were you God then? I don’t get it.’ And then God shows up and he’s like, ‘We’re just fucking with you. This is Morgan Freeman. We just play this joke on people when they come to heaven now. Do you guys want to get high and play some video games?’”
Freeman, however, didn’t want to participate in this joke — “he rejected us for some crazy reason,” Goldberg said. So it was onto plan B, which proved easier to pull off. “The Backstreet Boys were like, ‘Yeah! Of course we would be in heaven,’” Rogen told us. “‘Why wouldn’t we be? We bring joy to the world.’” Rogen, who’s “a huge fan of theirs, honestly,” then demonstrated one of the group’s dance moves for us, putting his hands up near his shoulders and flapping them while shifting to the side. (See him also do it here.) “It was probably the best day I’ve ever had,” Goldberg said. “It was like a childhood dream come true. Fucking Backstreet Boys, come on! I’m the appropriate age where Backstreet Boys were kings and ‘NSYNC were a bunch of goddamned copycats.”AutoGuide.com
U.S. car shoppers are about to get a new brand to choose from.
That’s because French automaker Peugeot-Citroen is planning to bring its DS sub-brand to North America.
SEE ALSO: 10 Top Cars of the Paris Motor Show
News of Peugeot’s return to the U.S. have been circulating for years now and at this year’s Paris Motor Show, DS CEO Yves Bonnefont said “We want to make DS a global brand, and you cannot be global without the U.S.” The Peugeot brand left the U.S. in 1991 and a decision to make a return would come in 2017 at the earliest. If DS does decide to commence sales in the U.S., it wouldn’t begin until after 2020.
SEE ALSO: Paris Motor Show Coverage
Currently, none of the five models DS produces are compliant with U.S. federal standards but the company plans on producing six vehicles by 2022 and it is likely that if it decides to return to the U.S., some of those models will be designed and developed with U.S. compliance in mind. DS became a subbrand of Citroen in, 2010 but PSA decided to make it a stand-alone brand earlier this year.
GALLERY: Peugeot DS Divine Concept
[Source: Automotive News]
Discuss this story at our Peugeot forumThere has been much ado about avocado toast, the eminently Instagrammable breakfast food. Here’s the thing, though: every generation has had their own version of avocado toast. Every era has had an It food that has seized the popular imagination and taken a supersized bite out of people’s wallets. According to a recent article in Taste magazine, for example, “celery was the avocado toast of the Victorian era”. Yes, celery. That stringy green stuff that doesn’t taste of anything and gets in your teeth. Victorian hipsters spent all their salary on celery, apparently, meaning they couldn’t afford to buy houses or save for retirement. And the Victorians weren’t the only ones throwing good money at bad meals. Here is a short but sweet sampling of the changing tastes of our times.
Pineapples: the pinnacle of Georgian pizzazz
The best way to win friends and influence people in Georgian England was to find yourself a pineapple. The fruit only started to become available for purchase in the 18th century and quickly became a status symbol. One pineapple would cost as much as the equivalent of £5,000 today – which would buy you about 700 pieces of avocado toast.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest If only pasta grew on trees... Photograph: Hartmut Kiefer/Getty Images/StockFood
Spaghetti: mid-20th-century modern cuisine
“Spaghetti is not a widely eaten food in the UK and is considered by many as an exotic delicacy,” notes a BBC article from 1957. Believe it or not, a plate of pasta was once a good way to demonstrate your cosmopolitan credentials. Indeed, spaghetti was so mysterious that, on April Fool’s Day 1957 the BBC broadcast a spoof Panorama documentary about spaghetti bushes in Switzerland and quickly received hundreds of calls from viewers wanting to buy their own. Sadly, pasta doesn’t grow on trees. If it did, the world would be a much better place.
Fondue: peak 70s cheesiness
The 70s weren’t just characterised by disco fever, but also by fondue fever. Groovy young things would spend their weekends dipping stale bread into communal bowls of bubbling fat. By some accounts, the fashion for fondue in the UK and US was down to a Swiss cheese cartel; according to National Public Radio, the cartel popularised fondue around the world with “big ad campaigns of good-looking Swiss people in ski sweaters partying it up over pots of cheese”.
Gin: definitely a food group
Gin may be in at the moment, but the current taste for craft gin pales in comparison with the great gin craze that swept London in the 18th century. It got so out of control that, between 1729 and 1751, parliament passed five major acts attempting to control the consumption of gin. Avo toast may be the modern millennial’s ruin, but it’s nothing compared to the havoc mother’s ruin once wreaked on the UK.When President Donald Trump speaks in Utah on Monday, he will not only be resizing two controversial national monuments, his administration will also be making major changes to how federal lands are managed.
Trump will sign orders to shrink the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments as recommended by Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke. However, that’s only the first step in the administration’s plan for the Antiquities Act.
In the coming months, the Department of the Interior (DOI) will begin a larger conversation about how the Antiquities Act of 1906 is implemented once the president designates a national monument, The Daily Caller News Foundation has learned.
The Interior Department will focus on “righting past overreach,” according to an official, by protecting national monuments in a manner that’s “consistent with the law.” The agency will also ensure lands properly cared for, and that critical infrastructure, like roads, bridges and trails, don’t fall into disrepair.
WATCH TRUMP VS OBAMA ON CLIMATE CHANGE:
“Public lands should be for the enjoyment of everyone, not just special interests,” will be the Trump administration’s message in this effort. Going forward, Interior will make sure local voices are not drowned out by “large, well-funded NGOs and special interests,” the official said.
Trump officials have also been in contact with Congress about potential legislative fixes to problems identified in their months-long Antiquities Act review. Republicans have put forward legislation on the matter, but DOI has not made any specific recommendations to lawmakers.
Trump ordered Zinke to begin reviewing national monuments in April to look for abuses in past administrations’ implementation of the Antiquities Act. Most of the media coverage, however, has focused on the fate of the Bear Ears monument, which President Barack Obama designated shortly before leaving office in 2016.
The agency’s plan for national monuments will focus on six priorities: preserving traditional uses, public access, infrastructure, local consultation, tribal rights and protecting hunting and fishing rights.
The Antiquities Act allows the president to designate areas of federal lands as monuments, which changes how the lands are managed. The changes make it harder to do activities to conduct grazing, logging, mining, hunting, fishing, and other land uses.
Even if traditional uses are protected, those rights may erode over time as more permits are added to protect “objects of significance” under the Antiquities Act.
Bears Ears, for example, encompasses more than 1.3 million acres to protect Native American history sites and two buttes that look like the ears of a bear. It’s stunningly beautiful, but many Utah locals felt the process was driven by outside environmental activists and high-level tribal officials.
“This community would support a smaller monument,” Jami Bayless, president of the Stewards of San Juan County, told TheDCNF in 2016. “However, the proposed monument is bigger than the State of Delaware. Any visitor here can see that this a beautiful area that is already protected by numerous laws and by locals who love this area.”
Obama’s Bears Ears designation did allow for tribal members to continue to gather herbs and dead wood, but the Navajo living around the monument are skeptical this will last. President Bill Clinton designated the Grand Staircase-Escalante monument in 1996 and wood-collecting and grazing rights were limited.
Obama also designated some state lands as part of the Bears Ears monument, which conservatives further contend violates the Antiquities Act. Republicans claimed the designation eroded local access and will hurt rural Utah’s economy by limiting development.
“Utah has become ground zero for politically motivated national monument designations that are excessive in size and contemptuous of peoples’ livelihoods,” Utah Rep. Rob Bishop said in a statement issued on the news Trump would visit Utah.
“The President has stood against prior abuses of executive power and his administration has demonstrated a commitment to work in concert with local communities to protect unique public antiquities and objects the right way,” said Bishop, chair of the House Committee on Natural Resources.
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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.The National Transportation Safety Board has released a summary of an interview it conducted with Scaled Composites pilot Pete Siebold, who was in command of SpaceShipTwo when it broke up over the Mojave Desert last Oct. 31 during a flight test. Siebold was thrown clear of the ship and managed to parachute to safety, but not before passing out and struggling to activate his oxygen system. Co-pilot Mike Alsbury was not as lucky; he died in the crash.
The following excerpt describes Siebold’s descent and landing from about 10 miles up, the extent of his injuries, and his treatment by medical personnel in the desert and at Antelope Valley Hospital.
Because he considered this a “high-risk” flight he stated that he took extra precautions and took time to think through scenarios that might happen and how he would rapidly respond in an emergency and activate his parachute and oxygen cylinder. About 10-15 minutes prior to release there was a period of low workload when he was able to physically feel for the parachute D-ring rip cord, oxygen activation pud, and the dual-lever seatbelts to improve his “muscle memory” in the event of an emergency. This was not a written procedure, but something he personally did on some flights.
The last thing he recalled in SS2 was a very violent, large pitch-up with high Gs, and grunting noises. He heard a loud bang followed very quickly by signs of a rapid cabin depressurization. In the background he heard the sound of “paper fluttering in the wind,” which he believed was the sound of pieces of the cabin coming apart. There was then a period when he had no recollection, which he attributed to “g-lock” due to the unexpected onset of high Gs for which he was not prepared.
The next thing he remembered he was outside of SS2 and he perceived that he was still at high altitude, above the haze layer. He heard a high frequency whistling noise and his helmet and mask were no longer straight on his face. He felt the mask was peeled up a little bit and both it and the helmet were twisted to the left. His believed the mask seal was compromised at that time. At some point he became aware that the visor had been ripped off. It felt as if something was continuously trying to rip his helmet off. He opened his eyes and saw a wide expanse of desert from a high altitude. He was falling in a stabilized position with his head slightly down and he had to look up to see the horizon. He was not tumbling.
He did not recall what actions he took first, but he remembered attempting to activate the oxygen system by pulling on it “many times.” He could not be certain whether he attempted this activation at this time or during a later period of consciousness. He did not specifically recall being in his seat but remembered unfastening the dual-lever seatbelt without difficulty and assumed the free fall with his arms out and legs apart.2 He recalled no pain. He then experienced another period of unconsciousness or lack of memory.
The next thing he remembered was a “sudden jolt” when the parachute opened and feeling as though he had been asleep. He did not pull the D-ring for the rip cord and believed the CYPRES device had activated the parachute. He described the parachute opening as “gentlemanly… it was not harsh.” It was difficult to estimate the altitude but he estimated it was somewhere between 10,000 and 20,000 feet, noticeably lower than his previous period of consciousness. He looked up and checked on the canopy to ensure it was properly deployed. His eyesight was “degraded” and events began to “slow down” in his mind allowing him to absorb more information. He again recalled attempting to activate the oxygen but was unsure at what point in he made the attempts. It was either during one or both periods of consciousness. He tried “many, many, many times” and “just got the feeling” that it was not working and he never got oxygen flow. He also stated that he “didn’t know what to expect or what it should feel like… it just didn’t feel like it did anything.” When asked if he used one or two hands he stated that he only used one hand – his left. He further stated that “you can’t really do anything with your right hand with the oxygen. It’s not a very convenient angle so I would assess it as a one hand operation.” When asked if he could see what he was pulling on he stated that he could not recall.
The chase airplane began to circle him and he became aware that he had sustained injuries. His eyes hurt and it was very bright and difficult to see. He could not raise his right arm and assumed it was dislocated. He was concerned about the parachute landing fall and did not want to reinjure a previous left foot injury he had sustained years earlier. He wanted to reach the risers to position himself into the right attitude for a proper landing. He manipulated his right arm several times in an attempt to resolve the dislocation but he was not successful. He was running out of time and made the decision to put his hands at his sides with his feet and bent knees together. Between about 5,000 and 2,000 feet he noticed a very high ground speed and became concerned about landing and being dragged through the desert, but by the time of touchdown the surface winds were calm. He descended in a very slow spiral with no noticeable ground track.
Upon touchdown, he could not roll to one side because of a lack of directional control and fell forward into a creosote bush. He did not attempt to absorb any of the energy with his legs. The parachute drifted over the top of the bush and immediately collapsed. He sat up and began to become more aware of the severity of his injuries. His eyesight continued to degrade and was painful. He could not keep his eyes open and he never opened his right eye again until the emergency responders arrived. His right arm was bleeding and his flight suit was saturated with blood but it did not appear to be actively bleeding so he was “not overly concerned about it.” He did not perceive any lower body injuries. As he was moving to take the parachute harness off he felt a “clunking noise” in his chest and was concerned about a spinal fracture. Therefore, he decided not to move until the emergency responders arrived. He took his helmet off and may have taken his glove off. His right hand was numb, as if he were out throwing snowballs without gloves while his left hand felt normal. He did not release the Capewells on the parachute harness, although he was prepared to do so if he began to get dragged.
The Extra chase plane circled him numerous times while he was both in the air and on the ground. He recalled waving to them to show them he was conscious. He recalled that it took “a really long time for the responders [helicopter] to get there,” which surprised him. When they arrived the helicopter landed about 100 yards away. The first helicopter was from the National Test Pilot School. He recalled someone wearing a flight suit from the school and someone dressed in airport firefighting gear. They bundled up the parachute and were going to use it to stabilize him somehow. They examined him and eventually got a backboard and stabilized him on it. His boots were removed and later found on scene. He was taken to a second helicopter which had landed, which he presumed was the “Mercy Air” helicopter. One of the paramedics attempted to start an IV but was unable to until they got on the ground in Lancaster. Once in the emergency room he was cut out of his flight suit and his injuries were addressed.
He stated that had a four-part fracture of his right humerus that was not compound. The ball itself was broken as well as broken off the humerus and it was dislocated. He also had a nondisplaced fracture of his right clavicle. He had a small “gash” in his right elbow that was the source of the blood on his flight suit. He had a deep scrape/contusion on his right wrist and multiple scrapes on the back of his right shoulder. He had a lot of bruising on his right chest but did not know how that occurred. He did not recall any bruising on his left side. He had a lot of bruising on the tops of his quadriceps on both legs which were sore for many days. He did not receive an official diagnosis for the “clunking” noise in his right chest but was told it may have been a muscle or cartilage tear between the ribs. Several days after the surgery his left little toe was sore. When it was x-rayed it was determined that it was fractured. He had an abrasion under his chin which he felt was consistent with the location of his chin strap. He had multiple contusions and scrapes on his face. He was initially diagnosed with only corneal scratches in his eyes but he removed a piece of fiberglass from his left eye during his hospital stay. His eyes did not improve as fast as he was told they would so he saw an ophthalmologist after being discharged. The ophthalmologist also removed some foreign matter from his left eyelid and a “silver sliver” from his right cornea. His eyes improved quickly almost immediately after the procedure.
________
2 At the time of interview he realized that he was still in his seat and described the release of his seatbelts as “instinctual.” In written comments provided after reviewing the draft interview summary Mr. Siebold stated that he “likely lost consciousness just after thinking about the D-ring and [his] next recollection was the jolt from the chute deployment.”Israeli military intelligence believes Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces were behind the suspected chemical attack that killed at least 72 civilians, defense officials said Wednesday.
The officials said that Israel believes Assad has tons of chemical weapons currently in his arsenal. They spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity as they are not allowed to brief media.
Other countries also blamed Assad’s regime for the attack, which took place in Khan Sheikhun in the rebel-held Idlib province.
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US President Donald Trump denounced the attack. “These are very troubled times in the Middle East,” he said as he welcomed King Abdullah II of Jordan to the White House on Wednesday.
He called the attack a “horrible thing, unspeakable” and added, “It’s a terrible affront to humanity.”
Asked how he planned to respond to the attack, which he blamed on Assad, Trump said, “You’ll see.”
US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley lashed out at Russia for failing to rein in its ally Syria.
“How many more children have to die before Russia cares?” Haley told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. “If Russia has the influence in Syria that it claims to have, we need to see them use it. We need to see them put an end to these horrific acts.”
Doctors Without Borders said that its team had found victims showing symptoms consistent with toxins such as sarin gas after the attack.
The team saw victims at the Bab al-Hawa hospital, 100 kilometres (62 miles) north of the attack, the charity said in a statement Thursday.
“Eight patients showed symptoms –- including constricted pupils, muscle spasms and involuntary defecation -– which are consistent with exposure to a neurotoxic agent such as sarin gas or similar compounds,” the statement said.
The teams reported smelling bleach at other hospitals treating victims, suggesting they were also exposed to chlorine gas. The organization said the reports “strongly suggest that victims… were exposed to at least two different chemical agents.”
Matthew Rycroft, Britain’s UN ambassador, said that the attack “bears all the hallmarks” of Assad’s regime and the United Kingdom believes a nerve agent capable of killing over a hundred people was used.
“We are talking about war crimes here, war crimes on a large scale, war crimes with chemical weapons,” French Ambassador Francois Delattre told reporters as he entered the council chamber.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also blamed the attack on the Syrian regime and accused the world of not speaking out against it.
However, the Russian Foreign Ministry said it opposed a Western draft UN resolution condemning the attack on the grounds that there was no proof Assad was behind the attack. The ministry’s spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, said the draft blamed the Syrian government for Tuesday’s attack without any credible investigation.
Syria’s army has denied any use of chemical weapons, saying it “has never used them, anytime, anywhere, and will not do so in the future”.
Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon called the attack “evil incarnate.”
“The use of chemical weapons and the appalling murder of innocent children are evil incarnate,” he said Wednesday. “The Security Council must use all its authority to put an end to the situation in Syria.”
He also called on the international community to take immediate action.
“The world must not remain silent in the face of crimes against humanity,” he said. “The international community should act immediately to stop the ongoing massacre of civilians.”
Chemical weapons have killed hundreds of people since the start of Syria’s civil war, with the UN blaming three attacks on the Syrian government and a fourth on the Islamic State group.To the surprise of no one, the Republicans’ four-year partisan inquisition surrounding the terrorist attack on the American compound in Benghazi, Libya, is likely ending with a whimper. With the House Select Committee on Benghazi finally releasing its findings, and the report representing the eighth and (likely) final government investigation into the deadly event, the Benghazi hoax, as sponsored by Fox News for four years, finally comes to an impotent and ignominious end.
Early indications are that the report, as expected, provides no major revelations. Already undercut by a report from Democratic members of the Benghazi committee that further debunked right-wing myths about the attack, the GOP’s long-awaited Benghazi report is in danger of being met with collective shoulder shrugs.
Even Donald Trump seems relatively uninterested in kicking the Benghazi can around the campaign trail this year. Yes, he’s made a couple passing references to it and implied grave misdeeds by Hillary Clinton. But there’s been no serious push on his part to highlight the GOP’s endless pursuit. (Last year, Trump actually criticized the Republicans’ investigations as being incompetent.)
So if Benghazi isn’t being used as an election year battering ram against the Democrats, what has been the point of committee chairman Trey Gowdy’s comically extended inquiry? Anybody with a pulse and a political calendar realized that the final GOP Benghazi report, with its 2016 summertime release, was designed to disrupt Clinton’s White House run. Why else would the committee’s work be extended for two-plus years when it likely could have been completed in six or seven months? (Two years to hold four hearings?)
Unsure they could defeat Clinton at the ballot box, and lately even more unsure that Trump is competent enough to run a White House campaign, Republicans were hoping and praying for an investigative intervention to stop Clinton.
It ain’t happening with Benghazi. But anyone who followed the facts, or who reads Media Matters, knew that a very long time ago.
The whole mindless, partisan endeavor shines a light on what’s gone completely wrong with the Republican Party and the right-wing media. It’s about how shallow, endlessly debunked conspiracies and money-sucking investigations have replaced any attempt to govern and legislate.
The fact that the GOP’s Benghazi gotcha pursuits have stretched through the entirety of Obama’s second term, and that Obama stands poised to leave office with surging approval ratings, tells you all need to know about the crippling disconnect between the right-wing media and the real world today. (Fox’s Eric Bolling: “I think Benghazi's a much bigger scandal than Watergate.")
But let’s never forget that the Beltway press claims partial ownership of this slow-motion fiasco, too. The press certainly owns the first three years of the Benghazi charade when journalists breathlessly amplified every slipshod allegation leaked from Republicans on Capitol Hill, or followed Fox News’ lead in hyping an endless series of supposed revelations about the attacks. Sometimes we couldn’t tell who was more anxious to uncover an Obama or Clinton-related “scandal,” the press or partisan conservatives.
If I had to estimate, I’d say it took until October 2015 -- three entire years of Benghazi news dead ends -- before the D.C. press mostly conceded there’s no there there with regards to this so-called scandal. It took Hillary Clinton testifying for 11 hours on Capitol Hill and Republicans completely unable to advance, let alone confirm, their wild conspiracy theories before the press largely seemed to acknowledge the futility of the whole enterprise. (Accidental truth telling in 2015 by some GOP House members regarding the motivation about the Benghazi committee likely also convinced reporters the endeavor was largely a scam.)
Unfortunately, this was after several Beltway journalists’ reputations took serious hits when they were caught trusting dubious sources who lied about Benghazi revelations.
Meanwhile, here’s some distressing context. I wrote this more than 1,300 days ago:
Benghazi has entered the realm of churning, right-wing myth making. (Think Waco and Vince Foster). The story has become completely detached from reality, and the twisted narrative feeds off itself with constant misinformation that's repeatedly presented as 'fact.'
I certainly never thought in the fall of 2012 that four years later I’d still be pointing the Benghazi hoax and highlighting the obvious absurdity of the pursuit. Overall, Media Matters has posed hundreds of fact-checking items on Benghazi and we’ll continue to do so as long as conservatives cling to the fantasy. But that will be much harder to do now without a congressional inquiry to give the wild claims shape.
The larger point is that Republicans and Fox News have wasted untold time, money and energy pushing a thoroughly discredited pipe dream about how Obama and Clinton are supposedly monstrous people who chose to let four Americans die at the hands of Islamic terrorists and then lied about it. Worse, Obama watched video "in real time" while the terrorists snuffed out American lives. "Support wasn't given," in the words of Karl Rove.
Vile, vile lies.
This whole endeavor has been a depressing reflection on how broken the conservative movement has become, and also how the Beltway press simultaneously takes its marching orders from the scandal-obsessed right wing. Like Republicans, journalists seemed to be eagerly holding out hope for an Obama or Clinton scandal to emerge from the Benghazi investigations.
And of course that faulty blueprint hasn’t just applied to the Benghazi “scandal.” As noted in September last year, ABC World News Tonight, CBS Evening News, and NBC Nightly News together spent just as much time covering Clinton’s email controversy as they spent covering the substance of her entire presidential campaign.
If we’re truly bidding farewell to Fox News’ Benghazi conspiracy hoax (fingers crossed), there’s another point about context that’s worth stressing one last time.
I think one way the GOP and conservative media were able to string the serious press along on Benghazi was that they framed the Benghazi terror attack as an almost-unprecedented event in American history (sadly, it was not) and one that exposed unheard of security failures by Obama’s White House and Clinton’s State Department; it was supposedly an epic fiasco that demanded countless investigations.
What the press for most of the last four years refused to do is put the Benghazi terror attack in any kind of historical context.
Consider these facts under President Ronald Reagan:
*April 18, 1983: Bombing of U.S. Embassy in Beirut. 63 people were killed, including 17 Americans, including the CIA’s chief analyst in the Middle East, and the Beirut station chief.
*September 6, 1983: Two Marines were killed during a lengthy rocket assault on the Marine base at Beirut's airport.
*Oct. 23, 1983: Bombing of Marine barracks in Beirut. A suicide bomber detonated a truck full of explosives at a U.S. Marine barracks; 241 U.S. service personnel were killed.
*Sept. 20, 1984: Bombing of U.S. Embassy annex. A truck bomb exploded in Aukar, northeast of Beirut, outside the annex, killing 24 people, including two U.S. military personnel.
During an 18-month span, U.S. facilities in and around Beirut were attacked by terrorists four times, killing 330 people, including 262 Americans.
There was exactly one congressional investigation into the Beirut debacle.Paleo Fried Chicken
After being a vegetarian for 15 years, switching back to an omnivore was a giant experiment when it came to cooking new recipes. I learned quickly that I loved beef and pork, but wasn’t such a big fan of turkey or chicken. I think it was a texture thing, but those being the leaner of the proteins I had to come up with a way to make them both Paleo and delicious.
Everyone kept telling me that the best chicken, is fried chicken, but when you’re keeping Paleo, it’s hard to trust that a Paleo coconut oil fried chicken recipe is really going to compare with a flour breaded fried in vegetable oil chicken recipe. However, I’m here to tell you that this recipe was both easy and delicious. I find that I often enjoy the Paleo recipes better, because I always feel a sense of accomplishment after making a comfort food Paleo.
INGREDIENTS
2 LBS of boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup coconut oil
2 large eggs
1 cup almond flour
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon dried thyme
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut chicken into 1 inch strips.
3. Combine almond flour and all spices into a bowl, mix well.
4. Crack eggs into a separate bowl and beat until scrambled.
5. Heat up your coconut oil in a large pan over medium high heat. I prefer cast iron, but that’s your call (you’ll know when it’s hot enough after a few minutes the oil will get really shiny, make sure it’s not splattering all over your kitchen).
6. Dip the chicken into the egg mixture and then dredge through the almond flour (make sure it’s coated on all sides).
7. Carefully place chicken into oil and brown for 2 minutes on each side, carefully flipping as not to disturb the almond flour.
8. Remove from pan and place on a baking/drying rack (I use the ones I use to cool cupcakes) on top of a baking sheet to allow the chicken to bake evenly on all sides.
9. Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes.
10. Enjoy!U.K. financial technology (fintech) firm Transferwise claimed it has achieved its first operational profit six years after it was founded in London by Chief Executive Taavet Hinrikus and his fellow Estonian Kristo Kaarmann.
The global fintech unicorn, which means it is a start-up valued at more than a billion dollars, is a currency exchange that offers a simple user interface and peer-to-peer network that it says matches customers wanting to swap money with each other. This means foreign exchange (FX) rates can be drastically reduced in comparison with bank charges where money is actually moved overseas.
Transferwise says it is currently amassing £8 million a month in revenue and is on target to reach £100 million ($129 million) for the year, placing it in the black on its accounts for the first time.
The online operation presently claims 10 percent of the overseas money transfer market in the U.K. and a growing global presence. It offers deals on 40 currencies and moves over £1 billion every month for more than a million customers, which it expects to double this year as it seeks to replicate its 150 percent growth rate last year. As the fintech expands its growth is likely to slow as it scales up.
In a statement Transferwise CEO, Taavet Hinrikus, said: "To have hit break-even just six years on from launch shows how strong the foundations of our business are. This is just the starting point. With the unique platform we've built, we're looking forward to creating a new kind of financial services for the future."
Brexit
Its future prospects have been clouded by Brexit with the U.K.'s planned exit from the European Union (EU) threatening its access to talented staff from across the continent. The Estonian founders have already stated that they would not have been able to set up in London in 2011 under the threatened Brexit regime, which may deny U.K. firms access to the EU single market and free movement of people, depending upon how negotiations proceed.
Transferwise will move its European headquarters from London to the continent by March 2019, it announced last month, making its displeasure with Brexit clear.
The new European office is due to be established before the end of the two year divorce process between the U.K. and the EU, although the company has refused to say where it will be located yet.
The global headquarters will remain in London, where the company employs around 120 people, because it is already established in the country. But for EU-wide business it intends to set up a different office where the majority of its 700 staff globally will presumably move. The firm has also just launched an Asia-Pacific hub and has nine other small offices around the world.
Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook.Current treatments for insomnia, such as zolpidem (Ambien) and eszopiclone (Lunesta), are γ-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA)-positive allosteric modulators that carry a number of side effects including the potential to disrupt cognition. In an effort to develop better tolerated medicines, we have identified dual orexin 1 and 2 receptor antagonists (DORAs), which promote sleep in preclinical animal models and humans. We compare the effects of orally administered eszopiclone, zolpidem, and diazepam to the dual orexin receptor antagonist DORA-22 on sleep and the novel object recognition test in rat, and on sleep and two cognition tests (delayed match to sample and serial choice reaction time) in the rhesus monkey. Each compound's minimal dose that promoted sleep versus the minimal dose that exerted deficits in these cognitive tests was determined, and a therapeutic margin was established. We found that DORA-22 has a wider therapeutic margin for sleep versus cognitive impairment in rat and rhesus monkey compared to the other compounds tested. These data were further supported with the demonstration of a wider therapeutic margin for DORA-22 compared to the other compounds on sleep versus the expression of hippocampal activity-regulated cytoskeletal-associated protein (Arc), an immediate-early gene product involved in synaptic plasticity. These findings suggest that DORAs might provide an effective treatment for insomnia with a greater therapeutic margin for sleep versus cognitive disturbances compared to the GABAA-positive allosteric modulators currently in use.The Conan Channel: How Conan Could Change TV But Probably Won't By Tim Gomez Random Article Blend Conan O’Brien got screwed. That’s obvious. What isn’t obvious is how he plans to pick himself back up from the royal beating that NBC has given him. Sure, it’s very possible that NBC will take Tuesday's press release to heart, kick Leno aside, and give Conan his timeslot, but it’s even more likely that they’ll stand their ground, give The Tonight Show back to Leno, and leave the Redheaded Wonder in the dust. And while a Shawshank Redemption-like trip to a beach in Mexico sounds great to most of us, it would be a great waste for Conan to remain unemployed.
So what does a man of his stature (no, not just his height) do now? There are the supposed offers from other networks, namely Fox |
a chance. These giant creatures have to go!"At a classified meeting at the Pentagon this week to discuss U.S. policy in Iraq, two seats were reserved for foreign diplomats: the ambassadors from the United Arab Emirates and Britain.
The ambassadors were invited to a portion of the two-day meeting by John J. Hamre, the chairman of the Defense Policy Board, which advises Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on sensitive matters and gathers to discuss top-secret information.
Hamre also serves as president and chief executive of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), an influential Washington think tank. The Emirati and British governments are donors to the center, and the high-level meeting at the Pentagon gave the ambassadors special access to U.S. officials trying to shape the Obama administration’s policy in Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East.
In a brief interview Wednesday as he walked out of the Pentagon after the meeting ended, Hamre said there was nothing improper or unethical about inviting CSIS donors to appear at an official, closed-door Defense Department event.
“I was asked to help the secretary of defense, through the Defense Policy Board, think about a very serious issue of national significance,” he said. “And I brought together the best people I could.”
The UAE and Britain are key players in the international coalition that the Obama administration is building against the Islamic State, the jihadist movement that has taken over large parts of Iraq and Syria. It is commonplace for diplomats to meet with U.S. government leaders to discuss policy, but it is unusual for such meetings to be arranged on an official basis by the head of a think tank that has received donations from those countries.
Navy Cmdr. Amy Derrick-Frost, a Pentagon spokeswoman, declined to comment specifically on whether it was a conflict of interest for Hamre to invite CSIS donors, but said, “every aspect of these discussions comported with the proprietary and ethical foundation this board is required to observe.”
She said the Defense Policy Board “leverages the knowledge” of foreign officials and private-sector experts, and that temporary security clearances are sometimes issued so they can attend meetings.
Also attending as an invited guest was David Ignatius, a columnist for The Washington Post. Ignatius declined to comment, saying the meeting was off the record. In an e-mail, he said he received prior approval to attend from Post Editorial Page Editor Fred Hiatt and Alan Shearer, editorial director of Washington Post News Media Services, which syndicates Ignatius’s column.
In recent years, foreign countries have played an increasingly important role in underwriting the activities of institutions such as CSIS. The donations, described in a recent New York Times article, raised concern about whether foreign governments are attempting to buy influence in Washington by shaping think-tank analysis and policy recommendations.
Think tanks are generally not required to disclose their sources of revenue, although CSIS publicly lists Britain and the UAE as donors on its Web site.
Outside the Pentagon, Hamre was reluctant to answer questions about the board, which he has led since 2007. He angrily jabbed his finger at a reporter, saying: “You’re acting like a little journalist. It’s time for you to be a real journalist.”
Later, he e-mailed a formal statement, saying it was “preposterous” to suggest that the UAE ambassador, Yousef al-Otaiba, was invited to the closed meeting because his country donates to CSIS. But he acknowledged that the participants’ overlapping roles could make for uncomfortable appearances.
“I put CSIS’s standing at risk by inviting Ambassador Otaiba to appear before a government body,” Hamre wrote. “He was asked to discuss highly sensitive and critical matters. It could have been a difficult session for him, and it would not have reflected well on CSIS. But he is by far the most knowledgeable person I could find who understands the policy thrusts in the region and the role that UAE and other states are playing in Iraq.”
UAE has become an increasingly generous donor, not only to Washington think tanks in recent years but also to other activities in the capital. It has hired lobbying firms to amplify the message that it is a strategic ally of the United States.
Otaiba said this week’s meeting was his first formal interaction with the Defense Policy Board.
“This is the first time I have spoken to the board as a group but, in my role as UAE Ambassador to the United States, I’ve had close and ongoing relationships with almost all of its members as part of the UAE-US strategic alliance,” he said in an e-mail. “Given the situation in the region today, I meet or speak with senior Pentagon and Administration officials almost every day.”
A spokesman for the British embassy confirmed Ambassador Peter Westmacott’s participation in Tuesday’s portion of the board meeting, but added “we don’t discuss the detail of the ambassador’s private meetings.”
In his statement, Hamre said he invited Westmacott because he has served as a diplomat in Iran and Turkey “and also brings a European perspective on the Middle East.”
The Defense Policy Board meets only to advise the secretary of defense and only on topics that the secretary wants, according to Hamre.
Under federal rules, advisory committees such as the Defense Policy Board are supposed to publicly advertise their meeting times and agendas at least 15 days in advance. The Defense Policy Board failed to do that for this meeting, waiting until Tuesday — the day the meeting started — to post a notice in the Federal Register.
According to the notice, the entire meeting was closed to the public because the board needed to hold “secret through top secret”-level discussions regarding Iraq and the region. The notice also stated that the Pentagon waived the 15-day requirement to publicize the meeting “due to difficulties finalizing the meeting agenda.”
Other guests included Ryan Crocker, the former ambassador to Iraq, and Zbigniew K. Brzezinski, the national security adviser in the Carter White House. Brzezinski is a trustee at CSIS and serves as co-chairman of its advisory board.
Hamre said that he invited Brzezinski “to provide a broad strategic frame of reference.” Brzezinski did not respond to an e-mail seeking comment.
Among the appointed members of the Defense Policy Board who attended the meeting were former secretary of state Madeleine K. Albright, former senator Sam Nunn (D-Ga.) and former congresswoman Jane Harman (D-Calif.), the director and president of another think tank, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
tom.hamburger@washpost.comHammerwatch. It's a strong name for a remarkably strong-looking game - a dungeon crawler inspired by Gauntlet. As with that co-operative RPG classic, there's a heavy emphasis on fast-paced action, as you and (optionally) three chums kill, smash and plunder your way through the aptly named Castle Hammerwatch. As the following video makes abundantly clear, you'll be met not just by enemies but by traps, puzzles and - best of all - hidden rooms filled with glittering loot. If you approve of such things, the game awaits your clicking finger on Steam Greenlight.
Hammerwatch - I will never get tired of typing that name - features online co-op and will also support mods, so we can design our own levels once we exhaust the 12 that will form the main campaign. As for a release date, the team suggest 'Q2 2013', so expect it sometime around Spring/Summer this year.
(Via IndieGames )The following blog post, unless otherwise noted, was written by a member of Gamasutras community.
The thoughts and opinions expressed are those of the writer and not Gamasutra or its parent company.
3 years ago, when we released this online-teamwork-multiplayer-Steampunk-airship-combat game called Guns of Icarus, we didn’t think we would still have the privilege of updating and support the game today. We released in the middle of a hurricane, with servers failing and us having just about no clue how to manage an online game community. The game was near the top of the best seller’s list on Steam, and many people could not even get through Steam authentication (Steam was having server issues as well because of the hurricane) let alone connecting to our servers, which were also knocked out by the storm. We didn’t know if we would make it through the first week.
Over the last 3 years, we had our servers crushed by the mights of TotalBiscuit and other youtubers, and we’ve been ddos’ed. In one stretch I slept so little that, in semi consciousness, I ran into a door beam and got a concussion and a nasty cut, spewing nonsense in meetings that no one understood. Through it all, we’ve learned a few things that hopefully would be of use.
One of the first things we learned from a rough launch is that, players look to the devs for issues beyond those directly related to the game. Whether it was someone’s LAN setup, firewall, antivirus, VPN, malware, ISP, or issues related to Unity or Steam, players came to us because they didn’t have anywhere else to go. By in large, even with early testing, player interact with the game near, at, or post release. As developers, we had the mindset of looking at the release milestone as almost an end point. As it turned out, our expected duration of interaction with our game was grossly mismatched with the duration of players’ interaction. That was the first major mindset change we had to undergo as a team. We realized that post-release was arguably more important than pre-release and release.
Once players were in game, we were no longer just developers. We were service reps as well, whether we liked it or not. Once we realized that, there were two things we needed to do, and quickly. First was to define for ourselves what it meant for us to serve - how do we serve, to what extent do we serve, and what principles do we live by. The other was building a process as well as a support library and knowledge base.
Service Model
With a paid download game, a player pays once, and can play for as long as he/she would like. With an indie game on Steam, the price point generally ranges between $10-25. Typically, the higher the price paid, the more premium the service. For example, if I pay to ship a package with FedEx, I would expect better service than USPS (less wait, more reliable delivery, better forms, smoother and clean pens, nicer looking packages, etc.). So the challenge then became, how would we offer good service while players weren’t expected to pay as much?
We started looking at businesses in different service industries that would hopefully guide us. Then, this dumpling chain in Taiwan called Ding Tai Fung (鼎泰豐) somehow popped into my head. This place used to be this mom and pop place at the entrance of an alley, the quintessential neighborhood restaurant. Over the years, they expanded and expanded, centralized their operations, systematized their service, and exploded into an international chain. Price wise, it’s Chipotle plus, very affordable, but a bit more expensive than fast food or street food. Food wise, it’s incredible mouth-watering deliciousness that rivals any fine dining restaurant. It is in fact the only restaurant in Taiwan to have received a Michelin Star.
The line at the restaurant is usually really long, but ordering is mostly done in line. By the time people sit, food usually arrive within minutes. Any request, from highchair to extra utensils, can be fulfilled by anyone, from busboy to manager.
In studying their restaurant management and service, we realized one important thing - they are only governed by a few principles, and are not hampered and burdened by rules. They tended to say yes a lot and rarely said no. They were extremely flexible, personable, and fast. No one hid behind rules, and everyone seemed empowered to act. In short, they were principle driven instead of rules driven. If we were to deduce the essence of their service to a few principles, we thought they would be speed, niceness, and empowerment. The next question then became how that applied to us.
We decided that speed for us meant turnaround time of player reports or feedback. We tried to reply to everything our players threw our way within 36hrs as an ambitious goal, and we were able to by in large keep to that over time. We were also determined to read through and process every player report in terms of moderation. With niceness, that became a requirement regardless of how difficult or frustrating. With empowerment, a couple of us were trying to do it all, and that became increasing difficult as volume of player feedback grew. We therefore had to look for a way to scale the help and empower those who helped us to both moderate and reward. For this we partnered with our players.
Social Systems
In order to achieve speed, we needed a system and a process. The design and systems of the game itself had to support our community management and service principles. Guns of Icarus is a game where teamwork is required. The communications system therefore had to be at the core. In addition to hierarchical voice chat channels that facilitate crew-captain, and captain-captain communications, we also added voice commands for international speakers. Our server structure was one where anyone in the world could play in the same match. We have a global chat where everyone can see and talk to each other in game, and this turned out to be extremely effective for us to support players at the point of the issue as well as showing new players the activity of the community.
Beyond core systems and features designed to foster teamwork, we looked to design and implement features focused on improving positive social interactions. From a simple one time thumb up for crew, captain, and opponents at the end of a game to incorporating new player teaching and commendations into clan progressions, we tried to model and reinforce positive behavior. For an entire clan to progress, members needed to crew with new players, to teach, and to give novice player commendations. This created tangible and meaningful value of novice players to veterans, thereby creating a social based leveling and reward system.
Another system we created was called Applaud. I went to a high school that was supposed to be a diverse community. It was diverse, but it wasn’t much of a community. People isolated into cliques, and there wasn’t much to bring people together. I look at my daughter’s elementary school. It is equally if not more socio-economically diverse, and it is one harmonious community. The difference I realized was in the little things made with conscious, deliberate effort. For example, every week in my daughter’s grade school there is a chapel. The chapel celebrates all religions and cultures. During chapel, kids would volunteer to go up on stage and announce a good deed by a classmate or a friend that affects them in a positive way. Those little gestures matter. Taking inspiration, we designed a system where a player could nominate another player for sportsmanship and citizenship and tell us about it. Every week, we selected “applauds” to post onto our forum. Both the “applauder” and the “applauded” would be rewarded with gifts of game items from us.
For us, positive reinforcement in this case was effective. In the history of the game, there had been about 60K player reports. In the first 3 months of implementing the Applaud system, we had over 30K applauds.
Kick, whether captain or vote, is one of the most often player requested features for us. Yet, we never implemented it. In the game, tension could arise and tempers could flare. In an intensely competitive PvP match that requires teamwork, winning can be exhilarating and losing can be really deflating. In looking at a significant number of player reports over time, we learned that, the definition of trolling for instance could be really gray, often depending on the perspectives of the players. A pilot can accuse a crew of not being on gun while the crew was trying to make a last ditch repair. These cases were far from black and white. Had we implemented a kick function, it would not have helped in conflict resolution and would likely have led to more “trolling.” Often friends crewed together. Had we implemented votekick, the odd person on a ship would have had little to no protection in case of a dispute. While we moderated obvious cases of hate, these types of player disputes at the margins of winning and losing were much tougher to moderate, and kick would most likely made the situations worse.
Support Methods
Social oriented systems in game allow us to encourage positive social interaction and deliver help at the point where issues first arise. To deliver speed in service, we needed a way to effectively manage player feedback and feed it into our production pipeline as well. In the beginning, we tried to reply to player feedback and issues wherever they were raised, and our points of contact extended from in game, social media, and forums to Steam chat, Skype, and Kickstarter. We tried out a QA reporting site as well. Ended up, it became hard for us to keep track of everything and getting back to everyone in a timely fashion. So we decided to simplify.
We had players email their issues to one support email. From there, a couple of us took on first responder duties, solving as many issues as we could, with the support library that we’ve been accumulating. For issues we needed help with, we then pulled in the rest of the team. Each time we solved an issue we’ve never seen before, we’ll add it to a shared doc and publish it to our FAQ. We’ve spent an entire afternoon with a player to discover a particular router model corrupting UDP packets for instance, and that discovery ended up helping quite a few players with the same issues. For player ideas, we logged them together with our own.
We tracked the status of each player’s issue, and for bugs and features worthy of implementation, we specified them further and fed them to our sprint planning.
We reviewed player ideas every sprint, and once we decided to pursue them, there was no longer a difference between player ideas vs. our ideas. A good idea was a good idea.
Over the last 3 years, we replied to and reviewed over 30K Steam forum posts, over 100K posts on our forum, and 51K support emails (totalling 24GB). And we implemented over 1,200 features and fixes based on player feedback. Initially, managing this volume took significant amount of time and effort for us, fracturing development. Early on, we were fortunate to have quite a few passionate players who wanted to help beyond merely playing the game. We decided to formalize player volunteering into a program called Community Ambassadors. The program had a service and teaching mission. We formalized an application for the players to describe their experiences in game, experience levels, and past experiences moderating or managing game communities. We selected people based on citizenship and other players’ recommendations. Once someone was a part of the program, the person was empowered to act and, to a large extent, became a part of the team. We allowed them to be in novice matches to teach, gave them moderation functions in game and on forums, where they moderated different boards. We opened our item generation system so they could reward people in game.
We wanted to ensure that they succeeded, so we held regular training with them, going over different support situations and cases. We also shared our support library with them. We set up group chat with them as well so we were constantly in communications. They also had distinct status, badges, and title in game, so a new player could easily identify and find them if help was needed. We also rewarded them for helping us, and they got news and updates about what we do first hand. We’ve had show booths completely manned by player volunteers, and they host most of our competitive tournaments. Over time, the program grew to over a hundred members, and over 50 are active at a given time.
Service Mindset
There were plenty of moments in the last 3 years when our mindset and resolve to be nice in the face of hate were challenged to the core. I have all the respect in the world for everyone in the service industries who tries to do a good job. To serve is a noble profession, and to do it well is not easy at all. I think a key to success is to treat it as a serious job, and divorce it from being personal. Someone who says mean things and has unreasonable demands might just be having a bad day. Our responses had the power to perpetuate the downward spiral, or to lift someone up. The above quote was one of the worst emails we’ve had (and there were quite a few like that). That this player was reported in game multiple times by multiple people was no surprise. We then gave him a warning, which he confused to be a temp ban. He then got incensed and wrote us an email.
Initially, seeing all the text that I highlighted in red was tough to take. I had to walk away for a bit to collect myself. When I returned to the email and calmed down, it became easier to see the text that I highlighted in blue, which was the point he was trying to make. He paid for the game and spent his hard earned money. He liked the game enough to gift 3 copies to his friends. He misunderstood the warning for a ban. Once I understood the issue, it became easy to reply. I also appealed to him to help us maintain and grow this community while reminding him of ours as well as Steam’s terms of use and community standards. The player never expected me to reply, and once I did, he was nice enough to help us and turned his behavior in game completely around. We’ve had quite a few players with a similar encounter, and the majority of these players actually stayed with the game over hundreds of hours of play. With over 60K player reports investigated, we ended up giving out warnings only about 4% of the time. Only 0.3% of the time did we issue bans of varying degrees. We take players’ hard earned money seriously, and we try to appeal to people’s humanity and reason over heavy handed policing, and I think it has worked for us.I have something to confess: I watch 19 Kids and Counting. And by “I watch,” I don’t mean “I caught it a couple of times a few years ago.” I mean “I totally watched Jill and Jessa’s wedding specials and Jill’s birth special this year.” I’ve known I had a problem with reality TV for years: the more “slice-of-life” it’s billed as, the more likely I am to watch. Jon & Kate Plus Eight, The Little Couple, Sister Wives, 19 Kids & Counting, Little People, Big World…I’ve watched them all…except for Keeping Up With The Kardashians, because that is not how real people live. I refer to myself (tongue-in-cheek) as a frustrated cultural anthropologist, but really what I am is a good old-fashioned voyeur. You leave your blinds open as I walk the streets of New York? I’m not going to lie, I’ll look in your window as I walk past (I’m a voyeur, not a peeping tom). Reality TV just made it easier for me to see how other people lived.
Coming from a family of two (my mom and I), I found myself especially drawn to watching 19 Kids because I had no idea how a family that large functioned. My teenage years involved a lot of screaming and retreating into my bedroom. A five-room house seemed too small for two people at times. How in the hell did the Duggars co-exist with 21 of them in maybe 10 rooms? I was curious. I watched. On the surface, they seemed like a loving, happy family.
Of course there’s a reason “you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover” is a cliché, and there were hints that the family was not as perfect as they seemed on TV. Michelle Duggar recorded a virulently transphobic robocall last summer saying trans women were “males with past child predator convictions that claim they are female.” Josh Duggar, up until the recent scandal broke, was employed by the anti-gay Family Research Council and spent a fair amount of time making anti-gay speeches around the country. And now we find out that Josh molested five girls while he was a teenager and that his parents covered the story up.
Early accounts talked about Josh Duggar molesting sleeping girls, but did not point out what was immediately obvious to fans of the show: in the strictly religious Duggar household, the only sleeping girls he would have had access to were his own sisters. Later reports made it clear that four of the five oldest Duggar girls had been Josh’s victims. And victims they were, although the family has not used that term (or indeed mentioned the girls) once. Their response to this story has been all about Josh, not his victims.
The Duggars tout “courtship” as a cornerstone of their lifestyle. Basically the Duggar children don’t date, they spend their teen years looking for a husband or wife and when they do get engaged, touch with a fiancé/fiancée is limited to holding hands and “side hugs.” On TV this seems quaint and wholesome, but this lack of sexual agency comes with ramifications. Not being taught how to deal with the changes that puberty brings or the powerful urges that come along with raging hormones will invariably have consequences. It’s saddening, but not really surprising that in a culture with no other outlets for his hormones, a teenage boy would touch family members–the only girls available to him. Call it Flowers in the Attic syndrome, if you will, but the teenage libido cannot be controlled through abstention (and no, I’m not defending Josh’s actions, I’m just saying they were a consequence of the way he was raised).
Given that the only “counseling” that Josh received after he told his father what was going on was really just shipping him away to work for a family friend, I highly doubt the Duggar girls were given any support after they were molested. In fact as this article on the ATI homeschooling curriculum the family follows points out, the standard response in the curriculum (and in the Quiverfull movement) is to blame the woman for any sexual abuse that happens. Because the concept of “forgiveness” is so big with the Quiverfull movement, I feel fairly certain that the girls were simply told to “forgive” their brother and move on. Whether they actually did or not is anyone’s guess.
The Duggar Family’s official response so far is limited to statements from Jim Bob and Michelle, and Josh and Anna Duggar. None of the girls in question (even Jessa and Jill, who have both married in the past year and moved out of the big family house) have spoken up for themselves in the aftermath of all of this. It remains to be seen if this is a choice on their parts or if their parents have told them not to give statements, but I think the latter probably plays a part–the houses that Jill and Jessa live in with their husbands are Jim Bob’s property, which means he still has a measure of control over them.
It’s those girls I’m thinking of now, girls that I’ve watched grow up over the past five years because of this strange medium known as reality TV. Girls who seemed just like any other teenagers I’ve known, in a family that put up an amazingly wholesome front for the cameras and the TLC viewing public. I’m also thinking of Josh’s wife, Anna, and wondering if she really knew what she was getting into before she married him, or if when he told her about his molestation of his sisters, he used the same words he and his parents are using now: “mistake” and “wrongdoing” and “forgiveness.”
Josh and Anna are the parents of three (soon to be four) children, and Jill and Jessa have started their own families this year. Another one of the Duggar kids, Josiah, has just entered into a courtship relationship. With all the Duggar children so far following the lifestyle in which they were raised, and no one taking steps to correct the circumstances that brought the molestation about in the first place, it seems likely that the cycle of abuse will be continued. TLC has pulled the show from its schedule, and the network executives now have a choice: do they keep it off the air or do they return their cash cow to TV (ironically centered on the Duggar daughters this year), perhaps without Josh? Viewers like myself have a choice, too: if the show comes back, do we continue to watch? I don’t have an answer for you. It’s something each person will have to decide for themselves.
Like this: Like Loading...A metaprogram is a program that generates other programs or program parts. Hence, metaprogramming means writing metaprograms. Many useful metaprograms are available for Linux; the most common ones include compilers (GCC or FORTRAN 77), interpreters (Perl or Ruby), parser generators (Bison), assemblers (AS or NASM) and preprocessors (CPP or M4). Typically, you use a metaprogram to eliminate or reduce a tedious or error-prone programming task. So, for example, instead of writing a machine code program by hand, you would use a high-level language, such as C, and then let the C compiler do the translation to the equivalent low-level machine instructions. Metaprogramming at first may seem to be an advanced topic, suitable only for programming language gurus, but it's not really that difficult once you know how to use the adequate tools.
Source Code Generation In order to present a very simple example of metaprogramming, let's assume the following totally fictional situation. Erika is a very smart first-year undergraduate computer science student. She already knows several programming languages, including C and Ruby. During her introductory programming class, Professor Gomez, the course instructor, caught her chatting on her laptop computer. As punishment, he demanded Erika write a C program that printed the following 1,000 lines of text: 1. I must not chat in class. 2. I must not chat in class.... 999. I must not chat in class. 1000. I must not chat in class. An additional imposed restriction was that the program could not use any kind of loop or goto instruction. It should contain only one big main function with 1,000 printf instructions—something like this: #include <stdio.h> int main(void) { printf("1. I must not chat in class.
"); printf("2. I must not chat in class.
"); /* 996 printf instructions omitted. */ printf("999. I must not chat in class.
"); printf("1000. I must not chat in class.
"); return 0; } Professor Gomez wasn't too naive, so he basically expected Erika to write the printf instruction once, copy it to the clipboard, do 999 pastes, and manually change the numbers. He expected that even this amount of irksome and repetitive work would be enough to teach her a lesson. But, Erika immediately saw an easy way out—metaprogramming. Instead of writing this program by hand, why not write another program that writes this program automatically for her? So, she wrote the following Ruby script: File.open('punishment.c', 'w') do |output| output.puts '#include <stdio.h>' output.puts 'int main(void) {' 1.upto(1000) do |i| output.puts " printf(\"#{i}. " + "I must not chat in class.\
\");" end output.puts'return 0;' output.puts '}' end This code creates a file called punishment.c with the expected 1,000+ lines of C source code. Although this example might seem a bit fabricated, it illustrates how easy it is to write a program that produces the source of another program. This technique can be used in more realistic settings. Let's say that you have a C program that needs to include a PNG image, but for some reason, the deployment platform can accept one file only, the executable file. Thus, the data that conforms the PNG file data has to be integrated within the program code itself. To achieve this, we can read the PNG file beforehand and generate the C source text for an array declaration, initialized with the corresponding data as literal values. This Ruby script does exactly that: INPUT_FILE_NAME = 'ljlogo.png' OUTPUT_FILE_NAME = 'ljlogo.h' DATA_VARIABLE_NAME = 'ljlogo' File.open(INPUT_FILE_NAME, 'r') do |input| File.open(OUTPUT_FILE_NAME, 'w') do |output| output.print "unsigned char #{DATA_VARIABLE_NAME}[] = {" data = input.read.unpack('C*') data.length.times do |i| if i % 8 == 0 output.print "
" end output.print '0x%02X' % data[i] output.print ','if i < data.length - 1 end output.puts "
};" end end This script reads the file called ljlogo.png and creates a new output file called ljlogo.h. First, it writes the declaration of the variable ljlogo as an array of unsigned characters. Next, it reads the whole input file at once and unpacks every single input character as an unsigned byte. Then, it writes each of the input bytes as two-digit hexadecimal numbers in groups of eight elements per line. As should be expected, individual elements are terminated with commas, except the last one. Finally, the script writes the closing brace and semicolon. Here is a possible output file sample: unsigned char ljlogo[] = { 0x89, 0x50, 0x4E, 0x47, 0x0D, 0x0A, 0x1A, 0x0A, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x0D, 0x49, 0x48, 0x44, 0x52, /* A few hundred lines omitted. */ 0x0B, 0x13, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x49, 0x45, 0x4E, 0x44, 0xAE, 0x42, 0x60, 0x82 }; The following C program demonstrates how you could use the generated code as an ordinary C header file. It's important to note that the PNG file data will be stored in memory when the program itself is loaded: #include <stdio.h> #include "ljlogo.h" /* Prints the contents of the array ljlogo as hexadecimal byte values. */ int main(void) { int i; for (i = 0; i < sizeof(ljlogo); i++) { printf("%X ", ljlogo[i]); } return 0; } You also can have a program that both generates source code and executes it on the spot. Some languages have a facility called eval, which allows you to translate and execute a piece of source code contained within a string of characters at runtime. This feature is usually available in interpreted languages, such as Lisp, Perl, Ruby, Python and JavaScript. In this Ruby code: x = 3 s = 'x + 1' puts eval(s)
The string 'x + 1' is translated and executed when the code is run, printing 4 as a result. Note that even the value bound to variable x is available during the runtime evaluation. The following Ruby code demonstrates a contrived way to find the result of adding all the integer numbers between 1 and 100. Instead of using a normal loop or iteration method, we generate a big string containing the expression “1+2+3+...+99+100” and then proceed to evaluate it: puts eval((1..100).to_a.join('+')) The eval function should be used with care. If the string used as the argument to eval comes from an untrusted source (for example, from user input), it can be potentially dangerous (imagine what could happen if the string to evaluate contains the Ruby expression rm -r * ). In many cases, there are alternatives to eval that are more flexible, less insecure and do not require the speed hit of parsing code during runtime.
Quines A quine is special kind of source code generator. The jargon file defines a quine as “a program that generates a copy of its own source text as its complete output”. You might be right if you think this lacks any practical value by itself, but as a brain-teaser, it can be mind-blowing. Here's a quine written by Ryan Davis, which is one of the shortest ones for the Ruby language: f="f=%p;puts f%%f";puts f%f Run this program, and you will get it as output. You might even try something like this from a shell prompt: ruby -e 'f="f=%p;puts f%%f";puts f%f' | ruby Here we're using the -e option from the command line to specify one line of Ruby source to execute, and then we use a pipe to send its output to another instance of the Ruby interpreter. The output is once again the same program source.
Modifying Programs during Runtime Dynamic languages, such as Ruby, allow you to modify different parts of your program easily during runtime without having to generate source code explicitly as we did previously. Ruby's core API and frameworks, such as Ruby on Rails, employ this facility to automate common programming tasks. For example, in a class definition, you can use the attr_accessor method to produce the read/write access methods automatically for a given attribute name. Thus, the following code: class Person attr_accessor :name end
is equivalent to this more verbose code: class Person def name @name end def name=(new_name) @name = new_name end end The previous code has a minor drawback: the corresponding instance variable @name is not really created until you first set its value. This means you'll get a nil value if you happen to read the name attribute before writing to it. If you're not careful, this could introduce a few subtle bugs into your programs. The easiest way to avoid this problem is to set the @name instance variable to a reasonable value in the Person#initialize method. Because this is a quite common scenario, wouldn't it be nice to have this method generated automatically, in addition to the read/write accessors? Let's define an attr_initialize method that'll do that using Ruby's metaprogramming facilities. First, let's briefly address two methods that are key to performing our desired metaprogramming magic: cls.define_method(name) { body } This adds a new instance method to the receiving class. It takes as input the method's name (as a symbol or string) and its body (as a code block): obj.instance_variable_set(name, value) The above code binds an instance variable to the specified value. The name of the instance variable should be a symbol or string, and it also should include the @ prefix. Now, we're ready to define the attr_initialize class method as an extension to the Object class so that any other class can use it: require 'generator' class Object |
) will be putting pornography filters on domestic internet connections. The speech is the culmination of a long campaign by the government to get ISPs to impose default filters for adult and sensitive subjects. But what will the changes mean in practice? Q&A: UK filters on legal pornography
But Huawei's position was recently the subject of an Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) report. It criticised the lack of ministerial oversight over the firm's rapid expansion in the UK.
The committee said "the alleged links between Huawei and the Chinese State are concerning, as they generate suspicion as to whether Huawei's intentions are strictly commercial or are more political" - but added that it had not found any evidence of wrongdoing.
It said it had worries that a UK-based testing centre set up to examine Huawei products was staffed by experts employed by the Chinese firm.
The ISC said Huawei was "effectively policing themselves".
In the US, intelligence committees have gone further, branding Huawei a threat to national security.
For its part, Huawei strongly denies having close ties with the Chinese government, pointing out it is 98.6% owned by its employees - with the remaining amount held by Mr Ren. It welcomed the ISC's call for a review of the testing centre.
Huawei executive Chen Li Fang said the company should not be treated unfairly just because it was Chinese.
The UK government said it too agreed with the ISC's call to review the testing centre, adding that it works with all major communications providers to ensure security.
"Our work with Huawei and their UK customers gives us confidence that the networks in the UK that use Huawei equipment are operated to a high standard of security and integrity," a spokesman said.
Policy enforcement
Web filtering, which is not considered critical national infrastructure, was not covered in the ISC's report.
But the logistics of how Mr Cameron's plans will be implemented have been the subject of much debate.
Initially, TalkTalk told the BBC that it was US security firm Symantec that was responsible for maintaining its blacklist, and that Huawei only provided the hardware, as previously reported.
However, Symantec said that while it had been in a joint venture with Huawei to run Homesafe in its early stages, it had not been involved for over a year.
TalkTalk later confirmed it is Huawei that monitors activity, checking requests against its blacklist of over 65 million web addresses, and denying access if there is a match.
The contents of this list are largely determined by an automated process, but both Huawei and TalkTalk employees are able to add or remove sites independently.
Illegal websites - including ones showing images of child abuse - are blocked for all customers with the help of a list maintained by the non-profit Internet Watch Foundation.
Mr Cameron said that the actions of ISPs would be monitored to ensure filtering is done correctly.
Communications regulator Ofcom is expected to play some role in this, possibly by auditing the firms and reporting back to ministers regularly.
Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBCA pro-gun advocate holds up a sign outside the Supreme Court in Washington, as the court heard arguments in an attempt to overturn the District of Columbia's firearms ban. The District of Columbia is asking the Supreme Court to preserve the capital's ban on handguns in a major case over the meaning of the Second Amendment's “right to keep and bear arms.
Kevin R.C. Gutzman
J.D., Ph.D.
Neither side has it right in the Second Amendment case currently before the Supreme Court.
District of Columbia v. Heller is an appeal from a federal appeals court’s decision that the D.C. gun control laws violate the Second Amendment. The circuit court’s decision reflected what I believe is the emerging scholarly consensus around the position that the Second Amendment involves an individual right to keep and bear arms.
Gun control advocates on one side and gun rights advocates on the other dispute this question. Since I am known as an originalist, I was asked to sign an amicus brief arguing that the Second Amendment bans laws like D.C.’s. I refused to sign.
Does that mean that I do not believe that the Second Amendment reflected an individual right to keep and bear arms? No, it means that I do not believe that the District of Columbia is governed by the Second Amendment.
Why? Because the District of Columbia, insofar as it behaves as a state, is properly treated as a pseudo-state by the Supreme Court.
The original understanding of the Bill of Rights, including the Second Amendment, was reflected in the Bill’s preamble. That preamble says that the Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution "in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its [that is, the federal government’s] powers." It was not about empowering federal judges to strike down state laws, in other words, but about limiting federal power.
The Supreme Court reflected this understanding in the 1833 case of Barron v. Baltimore (1833). There, for a unanimous Court, Chief Justice John Marshall said that the Bill of Rights limited only the powers of the federal government, not those of the states. This was the only significant decision in which Marshall came out for a limitation on federal power; he did so because what he was saying was indisputable.
One might counter by saying that the District of Columbia is part of the federal government. Yet, Congress long ago delegated home rule functions to D.C., and it allows residents to elect mayors, city councilors, and a delegate to Congress. When it comes to the Second Amendment, then, D.C. is a state, and the Second Amendment does not restrict its policy-making discretion.
This is not to say that gun control laws are a good idea. It also does not mean that D.C. residents do not have a right to keep and bear arms. What it means is that if they want that right to be respected, people in D.C. should take that up with their own government, not end-run the republican process by trying to get the Court to overturn its valid laws.
If the conservative majority on the Supreme Court rules in favor of Mr. Heller and against the D.C. gun laws, it will be ruling against the original understanding of the Second Amendment.
Editor's note: Gutzman, an associate professor of history at Western Connecticut State University, is the author of The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Constitution and, with Thomas E. Woods, Jr., of the forthcoming Who Killed the Constitution? The Fate of American Liberty from World War I to George W. BushWhy do we often witness tragedy and senseless deaths during the second half of April? The list of violent events that occurred during this time period is simply staggering. Here are some of them:
April 19, 1993 – Waco Massacre : An FBI assault lead to the burning down of the compound of a sect named Branch Davidians, killing 76 men, women and children.
: An FBI assault lead to the burning down of the compound of a sect named Branch Davidians, killing 76 men, women and children. April 19, 1995 – Oklahoma City bombing – 168 people killed.
– 168 people killed. April 20, 1999 – Columbine High School Massacre – 13 people murdered, 21 injured.
13 people murdered, 21 injured. April 16, 2007 – Virginia Tech Massacre – 32 killed; 17 injured.
– 32 killed; 17 injured. April 16, 2013 – Boston Marathon Explosions – 3 killed; 107 injured.
– 3 killed; 107 injured. April 18, 2013 – Fertilizer plant explosion, Texas – 5-15 killed (Notice that this event occurred almost exactly 20 years after the Waco Massacre, which is in the same area. Also, on April 16, 1947, a ship loaded with ammonium nitrate docked at the Port of Texas City and erupted in flames, causing a massive explosion that killed approximately 576 people).
There were many other violent occurrences that happened during that time period. In fact, CNN published an article in 2011 titled What is it about mid-April and violence in America?, discussing the events that occur in Mid-April. Sadly, the article only bashed “conspiracy theorists” and basically said “If you look for answers further than mass media, you are crazy and potentially dangerous”. However, two years later, the violent trend continues.
Is it all a coincidence? For those in the know, there are no such thing as coincidences. In 2011, I wrote an article about the death of Bin Laden, announced between April 30th and May 1st (see Why the Death of the Man Who Was Not Behind 9/11 Was Announced on May 1st). In that article, I briefly described the ritualistic significance of May 1st (May Day) and its relation to a god that is still important for to the occult elite: Baal.
The Cult of Baal Never Disappeared
Throughout many centuries and across many civilizations, the second half of April has always been a time of blood sacrifice. The worship of Baal took many names (Enlil, Molech, etc.) and spread across several civilizations. Being a sun god and a god of fertility, rituals celebrating Baal took place after the vernal equinox (a time of rebirth) and often involved human sacrifice.
“The cult of Baal celebrated annually his death and resurrection as a part of the Canaanite fertility rituals. These ceremonies often included human sacrifice and temple prostitution.”
– Baal, Encyclopedia Mythica
Although the observance of these rituals was sometimes condemned by religious movements, it never truly disappeared.
“The religion of the god Baal was widely accepted among the ancient Jews, and although it was put down at times, it was never permanently stamped out. Kings and other royalty of the ten Biblical tribes worshiped the god. The ordinary people ardently worshiped this sun god too because their prosperity depended on the productivity of their crops and livestock. The god’s images were erected on many buildings. Within the religion there appeared to be numerous priests and various classes of devotees. During the ceremonies they wore appropriate robes. The ceremonies included burning incense, and offering burnt sacrifices, occasionally consisting of human victims. The officiating priests danced around the altars, chanting frantically and cutting themselves with knives to inspire the attention and compassion of the god.”
– Ibid.
As a sun god, Baal’s worship involved human sacrifice and fire. Today, in the occult-elite ruled America, this time period often equals fire (or gun fire) and death. These rites were even mentioned in the Bible:
“They have built the high places of Baal to burn their children in the fire as offerings to Baal–something I did not command or mention, nor did it enter my mind.”
– Jeremiah 19:5
From the Babylonian, Assyrian and Phoenician civilizations of the Middle-East (their Mystery religions come from the same point origin), the cult of Baal spread to distant civilizations, such as the Celts, who observed Beltane rituals on May 1st (Beltane originates from the word “Baal”). While the observance of Baal rituals differed from one civilization to another, they were nevertheless grounded in the same occult concepts of numerology and sacrifice. In other words, they were all tapping into the same magickal knowledge.
Today’s occult elite still observes these rites, but with one major difference: They are now carried out on unsuspecting civilians and spread across the world through mass media. Fed and amplified by the fear and trauma of the masses, these mega-rituals are seen by all, but only celebrated by the occult elite. More than ever, we are dealing with Black Magick.
Other sites dedicated to occult numerology have published information emphasizing the importance of this time period.
“April 19 – May 1 – Blood Sacrifice To The Beast, a most critical 13-day period. Fire sacrifice is required on April 19. April 19 is the first day of the 13-day Satanic ritual day relating to fire – the fire god, Baal, or Molech/Nimrod (the Sun God), also known as the Roman god, Saturn (Satan/Devil). This day is a major human sacrifice day, demanding fire sacrifice with an emphasis on children. This day is one of the most important human sacrifice days, and as such, has had some very important historic events occur on this day.”
– Occult Holidays and Sabbaths, Cutting Edge
Another article briefly describes the elements required to carry out the elite’s mega-rituals.
“The human sacrifice required during many of these occult dates needs to contain the following elements, each one of which is exaggerated to the highest possible degree: 1. Trauma, stress, and mental anguish, sheer terror
2. The final act in the drama should be destruction by a fire; preferably a conflagration.
3. People must die as human sacrifices, especially children, since The Darkness views younger human sacrifice as most desirable”
– Advent of Deception
Of course, not every event that occurs during that time period is related to Illuminati human sacrifice. However, most of the events mentioned above fit right in the mega-ritual “criteria” checklists. If you look carefully at the facts surrounding each one of these events, you might conclude that they were either carried out by government officials or blamed on mind-controlled patsies. Most of these events are absurdly gratuitous, generating even more trauma and causing people to wonder “what kind of evil people would do such a thing?” Unfortunately, these evil people rule us, and the same events are then used to further extremist political agendas.
The powers that be have become masters at combining pragmatic politics with occult rituals.
In Conclusion
Those who know about occult calendars enter the second half of April wondering if something horrific is about to happen. Sadly, every few years, it does, and the public is traumatized with a senseless and violent event. Almost every time, a closer look at the event leads to strange and suspicious facts, and, more often than not, hints towards an inside job. While many will ascribe the occurrence of these events during the end of April to coincidence, the fact remains: Mass violent events involving death and fire happen regularly during the same time period that is occultly dedicated to Baal, who is worshipped through fire and human sacrifice. Whether this is all done on purpose or just the result of some crazy universal synchronicity, the fact is still there and cannot be disputed.
Incidentally, the compound that was burned down in the 1993 Waco Massacre was named Mount Carmel Center. In the Bible, Mount Carmel was where Elijah defied the prophets of Baal, challenging them to pray to Baal until he lit a fire in front of them. No fire was lit. Was the fire at Mount Carmel Center a symbolic revenge of Baal?Turkey and the Netherlands are currently experiencing a tense diplomatic period, after Turkey’s foreign minister Cavusoglu was stopped from entering the Netherlands to attend a political rally.
Some in Turkey have taken exception to the action, with President Erdogan calling the Netherlands a “Banana republic”.
But supporters of Erdogan have taken their protest to a new level: from bananas to oranges.
Some Turks have taken to squeezing oranges onto the street, to show their dissatisfaction with the Dutch government’s actions.
Orange, the colour, has long been associated with the Dutch and their royal family. This dates back to their Protestant origins, and William of Orange, the first King of the Netherlands. Through the years, many things have been coloured orange in deference to the nation’s royals. Dutch sports teams and their followers are known for being brightly coloured, and the canals of Amsterdam are filled with orange boats and revellers for King’s Day each April.
Though the relationship between orange carrots (they do come in many other colours) and the Dutch royal family is well reported, there is no obvious connection between the northern European country and the citrus fruit., except the colour of course.
Members of Erdogan’s AKP gathered in the southern city of Izmit, where they squeezed oranges for the press cameras, and even drank the juice produced by their anit-Dutch protest.
Hollanda'yı portakal sıkarak protesto ettiler… pic.twitter.com/vEDzhZgsoD — Habertürk TV (@HaberturkTV) March 13, 2017
Protesters also held signs calling Prime Minister Mark Rutte a “fascist”, and some calling the whole nation Nazi or fascist.
Olm tamam Protesto edin de, Portakal'ın Hollanda ile ne alakası var birader.. pic.twitter.com/I36Lgolk7R — Derbil Dolgun (@Derbilizm) March 13, 2017
It comes after President Erdogan’s claim that the Netherlands is the capital of fascism after Cavusoglu was denied entry.Mary Kay Henry, president of the Service Employees International Union, and members of the Fight for $15 national organizing committee listen to Hillary Clinton on the phone. (Lydia DePillis/The Washington Post)
DETROIT, Mich. -- In one of the most explicitly union-friendly speeches of her young presidential campaign, Hillary Clinton called in to a convention of low-wage workers Sunday morning to deliver a message of support and solidarity.
"All of you should not have to march in the streets to get a living wage, but thank you for marching in the streets to get that living wage," she said. "We need you out there leading the fight against those who would rip away Americans’ right to organize, to collective bargaining, to fair pay."
Clinton's new campaign has carried a populist tone throughout, but this speech -- before a ballroom full of mostly young, African American workers from across the country -- virtually echoed the language that the Service Employees International Union has used in its campaign for a $15 minimum wage. Along with the fast food workers who have been at the core of scattered protests over the past couple of years, Clinton's short speech called out home care workers and adjunct professors, who make up a substantial part of the SEIU's membership base and have joined in the call for higher wages.
"No man or woman who works hard to feed America’s families should have to be on food stamps to feed your own families," Clinton said. "It is wrong that so many people stand against you thinking that they can steal your wages with no consequences. That even stacks the deck higher for those at the top."
The gathering in Detroit is the second of its kind, following a first convention last year. This time, the so-called "Fight for $15" has several victories to point to: $15 minimum wages in Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, plus new proposals for the same in St. Louis and Kansas City. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is even in the process of raising wages for fast food workers specifically in the state.
Clinton seemed to align herself with that campaign, to loud cheers from the audience.
"I want to be your champion. I want to fight with you every day," she said. "I’m well aware that the folks on top already have plenty of friends in Washington, but we together will change the direction of this great country."Get the biggest daily news 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
With Valentine's Day just around the corner, the world is heading for a "chocolate deficit", a report has claimed.
Demand for cocoa will soon be at an all-time high as shoppers in developing countries buy more of the sweet treat.
But supply is slowing due to poor farming methods driving the planet towards a deficit where demand outstrips supply, claims the author of a report titled Destruction by Chocolate.
The typical Western consumer eats an average of 286 chocolate bars a year - more if they are from Belgium, the report found.
For 286 bars, producers need to plant 10 cacao trees to make the cocoa and the butter - the key ingredients in the production of chocolate.
Since the 1990s, more than a billion people from China, Indonesia, India, Brazil and the former Soviet Union have entered the market for cocoa.
Despite the increased demand, supply has not kept up and stockpiles of cocoa are falling.
Doug Hawkins from research firm Hardman Agribusiness said production of cocoa is under strain as farming methods have not changed for hundreds of years.
Read more :
He said: "Unlike other tree crops that have benefited from the development of modern, high yielding cultivars and crop management techniques to realise their genetic potential, more than 90% of the global cocoa crop is produced by smallholders on subsistence farms with unimproved planting material."
Some reports suggest cocoa growers in the world's top producer country, Ivory Coast, have resorted to illegally farming protected forests to meet demand - what Mr Hawkins calls "destruction by chocolate ".
(Image: Getty)
He said: "All the indicators are that we could be looking at a chocolate deficit of 100,000 tonnes a year in the next few years."
Hope is not lost for romantics hoping to receive chocolate on Valentine's Day in years to come though as farmers in South America are developing new methods of farming which could solve the problem.
Read more :
Mr Hawkins said: "We are seeing in Latin America, particularly in Ecuador, farmers who are saying, 'Let's bring it into the 21st century, let's rethink this crop'.
"That's what is happening: these are highly professional farms producing cocoa in an efficient way."For Americans Seeking Affordable Degrees, German Schools Beckon
Enlarge this image toggle caption Markus Schreiber/AP Markus Schreiber/AP
Looking to escape the staggering costs of a university education in the United States? You are not alone. And German education officials say a growing number of Americans are heading to the land of beer and bratwurst to get one.
At last count, there were 4,300 Americans studying at German universities, with more than half pursuing degrees, says Ulrich Grothus, deputy secretary general of the German Academic Exchange Service.
"We've seen an overall increase in international students in this country over the last 10 years, but the increase for Americans has been much faster," he says. Between 2003 and 2013, he says, the number increased by 56 percent.
The fact that many programs are taught in English and tuition is usually free has helped make Germany the third most popular destination for American students studying abroad. Only the United Kingdom and Canada are more popular.
Also appealing is the high quality of German education. This year's reputation rankings in the London-based Times Higher Education magazine placed three German universities in the top 50 of approximately 20,000 higher education institutions worldwide.
One of those three is Humboldt University in Berlin, where Casey Detrow is a student. The 27-year-old New Yorker, who graduated from the Macaulay Honors College at CUNY, is pursuing a master's degree in American Studies at Humboldt.
"[It] offers me every bit of the academic challenge and intellectual stimulation that any top university in the U.S. would offer," Detrow says. She chose Humboldt over six American programs that accepted her over the past three years, including ones at Columbia and Berkeley.
"I just have time and space in Berlin that I really think I wouldn't have access to if I were living in the Bay Area, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago," Detrow explains. "I have an affordable lifestyle and, you know, I have a room of my own. I have time and space to sit in my little apartment and kind of exhale and read and study."
Detrow lives in a small, rent-controlled apartment in the bohemian neighborhood of Friedrichshain, which she pays for — along with many of her living expenses — with a scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service.
As for tuition fees? Her program charges none.
"I really cannot even compare that to what I would be getting in the United States," Detrow says. "When you are talking free versus $50,000, I feel like there is no contest. I can't justify going back."
Fellow Humboldt student Mari Jarris agrees. The 22-year-old Wesleyan University graduate from Shelburne, Vt., says she plans to defer an offer from a Ph.D. program at Princeton so she can finish her master's degree in German literature in Berlin.
"I expected it to be a couple thousand of euros a semester or something for foreign students, but I was shocked to see that you just have to pay semester dues that every student pays and you end up getting more benefits than you are really paying for," including a comprehensive public transit pass, Jarris says.
The student fee varies depending on the university, but is generally in the low hundreds of dollars.
Like Detrow, Jarris receives a scholarship to cover her living expenses and rent in the trendy Kreuzberg neighborhood, but pays no tuition fees.
So why is Germany so generous when it comes to higher education?
For one thing, with an aging population and a shortage of skilled workers, Germany is eager to attract qualified young people from other countries who might want to settle there.
For another, many Germans oppose tuition fees as unjust. While a court ruling in 2005 led the 16 state governments that control and finance higher education to start charging students, a public backlash eventually led them to throw tuition fees out.
Some universities, however, continue to charge modest amounts for certain programs.
There are also direct benefits to German state coffers, Grothus says. "If only 30 percent of graduates stay for at least five years, they would pay within these five years — even while they are studying — more taxes than the taxpayer pays for their education."
Detrow says she would like to stay in Germany and teach once she's finished with her graduate and postgraduate degrees. But she may find the German job market less welcoming to foreigners than the education system.
A June study by the Expert Council of German Foundations on Integration and Migration found that three in 10 foreign graduates spent more than a year looking for employment. One in 10 found no jobs at all.The owners, who are already derided here for spending money on luxury homes rather than on new players or security, were in danger of not meeting their payroll; indeed, it was considered something of a milestone when Mr. McCourt was able to meet his payroll at the end of May.
A team that used to be associated with championships was mired in the middle of the National League West on Wednesday, struggling to get to a.500 record. Attendance has slipped so much that The Los Angeles Times ran a front-page article last week showing a picture of empty bleachers, with the headline “Dodgers’ fans are going, going...”
Can you blame Dodger fans for thinking that it’s time to send the bums back to Brooklyn?
“We go to games two or three times a year because of my affection for baseball,” Mr. Hamlin said. “I’d be very surprised if I go back this year. Very surprised. There are police officers on the field. There are police officers in the stands. The parking lot after the game made it look like watching the Mideast on television.”
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Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa sighed when asked about the team he grew up with, attending the first games at Dodger Stadium and seeing players like Sandy Koufax pitch. “I think the entire city wants to get out of this purgatory,” he said. “I think everyone is frustrated.”
Attendance this year is down sharply; through 31 home games to date, it has averaged 35,787, compared with 43,489 last season — the biggest drop in the major leagues, according to ESPN.com. And those numbers may be somewhat overstated, given that many season-ticket holders appear to be leaving their tickets in the drawer and staying home.
Asked about all the empty seats, Josh Rawitch, a spokesman for the Dodgers, said, “We believe it is a number of factors.” He declined to elaborate.
Many of them, though, are self-evident. The financial turmoil surrounding the McCourts means that the team is essentially bereft of the big-name stars who attract fans even to teams with losing records, which the Washington Nationals were able to do with the pitcher Stephen Strasburg (at least until he hurt his arm last year). And it is tough being a losing team in any city.
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More than anything, though, the opening day attack and the police presence in the stadium since then have made baseball here seem like anything but a family pastime. Dodger fans say the days when the biggest hassle of going to a ballgame was plotting ways to avoid the traffic, no small challenge for a stadium on the edge of downtown, now seem almost quaint.
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Fans are beginning to draw unwelcome comparisons to the rough and threatening crowds that used to attend Raider football games before the team decamped to Oakland, Calif., in 1994, many of whom would sport gang colors and tattoos.
“When I got here, Dodger fans were unbelievably different than the fans I knew from New York,” said Woody Studenmund, a season-ticket holder and an economics professor at Occidental College who was born in Cooperstown, N.Y. — home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame — and moved here 30 years ago.
“They were polite, upbeat and seemed to make an effort to cheer even when good plays didn’t work,” Professor Studenmund said. “Until this sea of blue arrived, it was not surprising to see fights in the left field bleachers or other parts of the stadium. The whole crowd has become tougher.”
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There seems little reason for hope on this season’s horizon. The McCourts will probably be dislodged as owners, though no one knows when that might happen. No one knows, either, how long it will take the team to repair its bond with the city.
“I think the damage is so severe that it will take many years to get past this,” said David Carter, the executive director of the Sports Business Institute at the University of Southern California. “They didn’t create the damage and ill will overnight. You have to go back and look at how amazing the Dodger brand once was. It will bounce back.”
“But it won’t bounce back overnight,” he added. “I think fans are interested in just getting past this era and to the point where you can go to a Dodger game and just think about and talk about baseball.”Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) hit back at New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) on Wednesday, as he doubled down on his defense for opposing a 2013 relief package to aid victims of Superstorm Sandy.
“I’m sorry there are politicians who seem really desperate to get their names in the news and will are saying whatever they need to do that,” Cruz said during an appearance on “Fox and Friends.”
The Texas senator was responding to Christie saying Cruz was lying about why he voted no on the $50.5 billion package to aid victims of the superstorm that devastated parts of New Jersey and New York. Cruz said he voted against the bill because it was a bad piece of legislation that was two-thirds full of spending unrelated to the superstorm. The Washington Post fact-checked Cruz’s claim and found that claim untrue.
“The bill was largely aimed at dealing with Sandy, along with relatively minor items to address other or future disasters,” the Post reported Tuesday.
Cruz maintained his defense.
“For folks who are focused on raising political shots and snipes about the Sandy bill, facts matter,” Cruz continued. “And a simple fact was that Sandy bill was over $50 billion, and 70 percent of it was non-emergency.”Is giving birth easier for nonhuman animals? Photograph by Yoshikazu Tsuno/AFP/Getty Images.
A new video showing a dolphin giving birth has been called “a balm” for animal lovers grieving over the baby panda who recently died at the National Zoo. The Los Angeles Times noted that “the newborn dolphin appeared healthy, lively and playful after it emerged” while one of her caretakers complimented the mother’s “calm, relaxed nature throughout the whole entire situation.” Is giving birth easier for nonhuman animals?
It depends on the animal. While the combination of long labor times, big infant heads, and narrow maternal hips is often cited as a particular challenge for human mothers, some other mammals face difficulties that may be just as painful. One factor that can make labor more challenging is the size of the fetus relative to the mother. If a 140-pound mother gives birth to a 7-pound infant, then that infant represents about 5 percent of her body weight. On the other hand, when a 1,000-pound horse gives birth to a 100-pound foal, that foal represents 10 percent of her body weight, or twice as much. It’s impossible to quantify exactly how much pain this causes, but giving birth to larger offspring tends to be more dangerous and to result in more tearing. For other animals, the size of the offspring isn’t as big a problem. Litter-bearing species pass more offspring, but each infant tends to be pretty small. In pigs, a full-size sow might weigh 600 to 800 pounds, but her piglets might weigh only about 1 pound, or less than 1 percent of her weight.
Most nonhuman mammals tend to hide while giving birth, presumably to avoid attracting predators during their time of highest vulnerability. But while they may keep their pain more private, it’s known that many animals show some signs of pain and distress. During labor, horses sometimes sweat, llamas and alpacas bellow or hum in a way similar to when they are injured, and many animals become more aggressive. Veterinarians recommend that you exercise caution when approaching an animal in labor, as she may lash out. Even with poultry, facial expressions change when they’re laying eggs, though it’s unclear exactly what they’re feeling.
Labor times for other animals tend to be much shorter than for humans. It can take more than 24 hours for a woman to give birth, but dogs go through labor in about an hour. Cattle take about two to three hours. Horses can give birth within 30 minutes, but with great force; if the foal isn’t positioned correctly, the uterus may rupture.
When it comes to the relative size of newborn craniums, humans are not unrivaled. While most apes have ample pelvises for bearing their offspring, many other primates are not so lucky. Squirrel monkey infants have such large heads compared to the size of their mothers’ pelvises that they face a very high rate of birth complications.
Perhaps the most horrifying birth is that of the spotted hyena. Females of this species give birth through a narrow, penis-like, enlarged clitoris. Their offspring emerge from this unusual birthing organ, almost indistinguishable from the male penis of the species, after 120 days of gestation. This unusually long period of development for a predator results in offspring that are comparatively large and fully ready to kill, with their sharp teeth completely emerged through the gums. The penis-like genitalia often rip open during the process of giving birth, which can be deadly for both the mothers and their cubs. One scientist has estimated that up to 18 percent of first-time mothers die.
Got a question about today’s news? Ask the Explainer.
Explainer thanks David Haig of Harvard University, Michelle Kutzler of Oregon State University, and Karen Rosenberg of the University of Delaware.
Video Explainer: Who Was Our Most Religious President?The risk of fire caused by an electrical fault can be hidden from normal view and less obvious to detect for someone who has responsibility for the safety of persons in a non domestic situation. This is one reason why it is important to have your electrical systems inspected and tested by a competent person and in accordance with BS 7671. Above is a example of where overheating, with the potential to cause fire, have occurred. The example was found by a Etm engineer whilst carrying out inspection and testing.
This example is a shower that had been overheating. It did become obvious as a fire actually started and was thankfully spotted.It was picked up during the electrical inspection and testing by our Etm engineer.
The Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET)produce Electrical Inspection & Testing Guidance Note 3 to BS7671. Section 2.5.2g states that fire barriers, suitable seals and/or protection against thermal effects should be provided if necessary to meet the requirements of BS 7671 to minimise the spread of fire.
One good reason for carrying out electrical safety testing on your building. Loose connections found wile carrying out electrical safety testing at one of our clients site.
Loose connections could cause a fire, this fault would be classed as a C1 Fail Code -Danger Present. Risk of injury. Immediate remedial action required.
The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989-Reg 4(2) state “The need for maintenance to be done to ensure safety”. As such all commercial premises must be electrically tested and certified to ensure they can continue to be used safety.
BS7671 wiring regulations to the latest edition sets out the requirements for all electrical installations in the UK. The Institute of Engineers and Technology (IET) produce guidance notes to enlarge on the wiring regulations and set out guidance on how compliance can be achieved. Guidance Note 3 covers the Inspection & testing of Electrical Installations.
An electrical installation should be periodically inspected by a qualified electrical engineer. ETM (Electrical Test Midlands) are experts in this field and will advise any customer who may be unsure of the periodicity or scope of the Inspection & Test.
For more information on electrical testing please phone us on 01922 710014
or use our free phone number 0800 066 3227Leafly’s strain reviews are user-generated, meaning anyone who tries a strain can pull it up in our database and leave a review, rating the selection from one to five stars and offering up a little blurb about its effects, flavors, and any ailments or diseases it helped manage. They’re informative, appreciated, and, well, often hilarious (the reviewers are often stoned, after all). But lately we noticed a recurring theme with some reviewers who are looking for a clever way to express how high they are and coming up about 12 feet short.
I’m talking, of course, about giraffe genitalia. Peruse this sampling of strain reviews and you’ll understand what I mean:
“it’s some fire. had me higher than giraffe nuts.”
“Smoked one bowl on the way to Oxford. High as giraffe nuts!! By far my favorite strain!!!”
“Goddamn. This strain is some old school shit, but goddamn. I’m high as giraffe pussy right now.”
You get the idea. Clever, right?
No. It isn’t. Because, as this handy chart illustrates, giraffe genitals aren’t actually that high:
A male giraffe can grow up to 18 feet tall, and its legs are about six feet long. Logically, a giraffe’s genitals are located |
. “The current administration and the current Congress is very supportive, I think, of this goal.”
A clear sign of that interest, many at the conference argued, was the NASA Transition Authorization Act of 2017, which President Trump signed into law March 21. The bill reaffirms Mars as a long-term goal for NASA’s human spaceflight program, and directs the development of a “roadmap” that outlines the series of missions needed to accomplish that goal. It also requires NASA to study a human Mars mission in 2033, a year that offers a particularly favorable launch window for missions to the red planet.
“This was a huge deal for us,” said Greg Williams, deputy associate administrator for policy and plans in NASA’s human exploration and operations mission directorate, in a talk later the same day. “Both houses of Congress and both parties are really behind extending human presence deeper into the solar system.”
Williams noted that Mars is mentioned 74 times in the new authorization act, which he interpreted as growing support for the goal. “It’s keeping with the progress that we’ve made and the confidence that we’ve built in the Congress that this is the right thing for us to do,” he said.
That assessment is shared by Mars advocates as well. “We had an administration change and yet still had strong bipartisan support for NASA,” said Michael Raftery, a former Boeing executive who serves on the board of Explore Mars, the organization that held the conference, in a May 9 speech.
“In the act is some of the strongest language that we’ve ever seen associated with endorsing a mission to Mars,” he said. “So this is a really good harbinger for the Mars community.”
NASA’s focus on Mars in the last few years has helped the agency in Congress, one former staffer argued. Congressional appropriators “have managed to increase NASA’s budget in a very challenging budget environment by about $3 billion over the last three or four fiscal years,” said Tom Culligan, vice president at The Brimley Group and a former staff member on the House Appropriations Committee, during a May 9 panel discussion.
“It’s a great moment in time if you are focused on a destination like Mars,” he said. “I think what we’ve seen drive this increase in NASA’s budget, at least I would argue, is largely the emphasis on Mars and the capabilities like SLS and Orion that are working to get us there.”
The “sweet spot” of 2033
Continuity was a major theme of the conference, with both NASA and companies stressing progress on current plans, including concepts for a cislunar habitat called the Deep Space Gateway, rather than announcing new initiatives. Several companies, including Aerojet Rocketdyne, Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Orbital ATK, presented their takes on that concept, including work they’re doing with NASA on habitation module concepts under the Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships, or NextSTEP, program.
Representatives of those companies agreed that it’s feasible to get humans to Mars, either in orbit around the planet or on the surface, as soon as 2033. They were skeptical, though, about accelerating that timetable when asked about comments Trump made in a April 24 call to NASA astronauts on the International Space Station where he suggested he wanted to see humans to Mars by the end of his first or second term in office.
“It would be very difficult for The Boeing Company to produce any milestones by 2020. It depends on SLS and Orion,” said Matt Duggan, manager for exploration at Boeing. “I would say 2033 for the Boeing architecture for footprints on Mars.”
Others shared that assessment. “We see 2033 or 2035 as the sweet spot for boots on the ground,” said Mike Fuller of Orbital ATK.
An exception was SpaceX, which last year released an architecture that called for human missions to Mars starting in the mid-2020s. Paul Wooster, the lead for technical development of that Mars architecture at SpaceX, reiterated those plans at the conference. “I think having people on Mars in the mid-2020s is something that is achievable,” he said, “but it will take a lot of work to make that happen.”
SpaceX’s plans call for a series of uncrewed missions, called Red Dragon, originally set to launch in 2018. The company said earlier this year, though, that the first Red Dragon mission would slip to 2020 as the company focused on its commercial crew and Falcon Heavy programs in the near term.
That 2020 window, though, may now feature two Red Dragon missions. “We start out the top of that opportunity with a SpaceX launch of a Red Dragon,” said Jim Green, director of NASA’s planetary science division, discussing the large number of Mars missions planned for launch during the 2020 launch window during a May 9 panel. “That will be followed at the end of the opportunity, we believe, with another Red Dragon.”
Something big
While emphasizing the continuity of ongoing Mars missions and mission planning, conference attendees also wondered what changes, if any, the Trump administration might make to those plans. That includes the comments from April about potentially accelerating the timetable for human Mars missions.
Kenneth Hodgkins, director of the State Department’s Office of Space and Advanced Technology, said during a May 11 panel that he has not spoken with the president about space, but offered his personal opinion about what he might want to do, based on the public comments the president has made.
“I have a fairly good idea of what he’s looking at,” he said. Space, he argued, would be a priority for the administration, and that international cooperation would remain a key element of any future plans.
“To me it’s fairly clear: the president wants something big,” he said. “He’s not going to be excited about announcing a follow-on Earth observation satellite. He’s going to be excited about announcing a big exploration program.”A Roscommon man has been jailed for six months for sexually abusing his five-year old daughter over the course of two years.
The court heard the young girl was also “prostituted out” by her mother to their neighbour. The mother is currently serving a 14 year sentence, with four and a half years suspended, for sexual assault, sexual exploitation and child cruelty. The neighbour received a 14-year sentence for a variety of sexual offences against the child, including rape.
The mother was in a relationship with the neighbour and would make the child available to him for sexual abuse.
The child’s 59-year-old father pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to sexual assault of the girl at the family home in Roscommon between July 2004 and July 2006.
Judge Martin Nolan sentenced the man to two years in prison but suspended all bar six months of it, having taken into account the man’s plea of guilty, his remorse and the fact he has a severe medical condition.
He said the girl had been abused in an awful way and “prostituted” by her mother. “The trauma inflicted on this child is beyond imagination,” Judge Nolan said. He added she now appeared to be getting on with her life with the aid of very good foster parents.
“For a father to abuse his child in this way is reprehensible,” he said.
In a victim impact report read to the court, the girl said her father “has left permanent scars that will never go away.”
“He had no right to hurt me,” she wrote. “No one ever said I love you. Every child needs to be told they are loved and he never did.”
Defence counsel Paul Greene SC said his client had nothing to do with the more serious abuse orchestrated by the girl’s mother. Counsel said his client was in fear of the mother and “was in a family environment that had become chaotic and dysfunctional.”Despite the fact that the Senate recently voted unanimously to recognize Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel — a bill co-sponsored by 17 senators, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) — media and religious figures have emerged from the woodwork to condemn the Trump administration for the supposedly precipitous step of announcing just that fact. And it is a fact: Jerusalem has always been and will always be the eternal capital of the Jewish people and Israel, the site of the Temple Mount and the place where Jacob was informed by God, “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying… All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.”
The president’s decision to verify what Congress has made law since 1995, and to recognize a reality that’s been true for several thousand years, shouldn’t be all that controversial. But it is, largely thanks to misinformation put out by enemies of Israel, who suggest that to say true things amounts to provocation of violence.
Here’s the reality: recognizing the unification of Jerusalem under Israeli authority isn’t what causes violence between Israel and its neighboring Muslim enemies. It’s the anti-Semitic religious fervor of Israel’s neighboring Muslim enemies. That’s been true since before there was a State of Israel, and before Israel controlled Jerusalem.
Here’s a brief history of violence and Jerusalem.
1929. Conflict began in British Mandate Palestine after Jews made the “provocative” move of bringing chairs for the elderly and the infirm to the Western Wall for prayer purposes. In October 1928, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem decided to build atop the Temple Mount, and purposefully led mules through the Western Wall area, excreting in the holy area to spite the Jews. All of this led to a Jewish march to the wall in August 1929. The next day, Muslims marched to the wall to show their sovereignty, even though the Western Wall isn’t holy to Muslims. The following day, Arabs stabbed a Jew to death in the city. By August 23, Muslims were rioting across Jerusalem. 17 Jews were murdered and a hospital was attacked in the city in Jerusalem itself. In Hebron, Arabs massacred more than 60 Jews.
The British Shaw report described the events thusly: “Arabs in Hebron made a most ferocious attack on the Jewish ghetto and on isolated Jewish houses lying outside the crowded quarters of the town. More than 60 Jews – including many women and children – were murdered and more than 50 were wounded.” Remember, this was long before Israel existed or Jerusalem was in Jewish hands. There were also anti-Jewish riots in 1920 and in the 1930s.
1948. Israel’s creation was supposed to lead to a peaceful coexistence in Jerusalem. Instead, Arabs cut off all roads to Jerusalem and prevented Jews from reaching the city, blockading the inhabitants inside. Thousands of Israelis died attempting to reach their brethren in Jerusalem. The outcome: the split of the city between West Jerusalem, which did not include the Western Wall, and East Jerusalem, controlled by Jordan. Under Muslim rule, Jews were not able to visit Jewish holy sites; under Jewish rule, Muslims were. Muslims used gravestones from the Jewish cemetery Mount of Olives to pave their roads. During this period, while East Jerusalem was fully controlled by Muslims, the Palestine Liberation Organization (later the Palestinian Authority) was formed. It openly stated that its goal was the destruction of the State of Israel. Remember, this is before Israel controlled Jerusalem.
1967. Israel wins control of Jerusalem and unifies the city. Muslims are not just granted access to holy sites, the Islamic Waqf is given full control over the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism. Jews are still forbidden from praying at the Temple Mount to this day, despite Israel’s sovereignty over the site.
1993. In the Oslo Accords, Israel agreed to negotiate with the terrorist Palestinian Authority over a future Palestinian state. In return, the PA stated that it would acknowledge Israel’s right to exist (it never has) and cease violence (it never has). The Oslo Accords never made any statement about transfer of Jerusalem to Muslim rule. Despite that fact, the number of terrorist attacks on Israel dramatically increased in the aftermath of Oslo, with 27 Israelis murdered in October 1994 alone through Muslim terrorism.
2000. At the Camp David summit, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, of the Labor Party, offered Palestinian terrorist leader Yasser Arafat control over East Jerusalem and the Temple Mount itself. That’s according to Bill Clinton. Arafat refused the deal and walked away from the table without a counteroffer, then used Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon’s visit to the Temple Mount as a pretext to begin a terrorist wave that would result in the deaths of hundreds of Jews from terrorism (I was in Israel during the Second Intifada, and remember walking by the remains of murdered Jews in a Sbarro pizzeria).
2008. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert offered new Palestinian terrorist dictator Mahmoud Abbas — a man who was working hand in glove with Palestinian terrorist group Hamas — international control of Jerusalem’s Old City, which includes the holy sites. Olmert stated, “Remember my words, it will be 50 years before there will be another Israeli prime minister that will offer you what I am offering you now. Don’t miss this opportunity.” Olmert also offered near-complete withdrawal from Judea and Samaria, with retention of just 6.3% of the territory for existing settlement blocs, and even agreed to hand over Israeli land equivalent to 5.8% of the territory, as well as a land bridge between Judea and Samaria and the Gaza Strip. Abbas turned it down, and launched another round of violence instead in coordination with Hamas in Gaza. Incessant Muslim terrorism against Jews in Jerusalem has not ceased.
So no, sovereignty over Jerusalem has nothing to do with increased Muslim violence. Muslims in the region will not tolerate Israel’s existence; Jerusalem is just a convenient proxy issue for that inconvenient fact. Muslims launched violence against Jews in Jerusalem for the sin of visiting Jewish holy sites long before Israel existed; they pushed for Israel’s annihilation long before Israel had control over Jerusalem; they have turned down multiple peace offers including division of Jerusalem and opted for violence instead.
Don’t believe the lie that anti-Semitic Muslim regimes and populations require the pretext of Israeli sovereignty over the eternal capital of the Jewish people in order to excuse violence. They don’t, and they never have.Stop. If you want to see the world through rose-colored glasses, stop reading right now. Seriously, what I’m about to write is going to be raw, brutal, and hurtful for most people. So, please, if you like “feel good” dating advice articles, just leave now and go check out David Wygant’s blog or something.
Because this going to be dark—real dark. My inspiration for this came when I was sweating on a treadmill, listening to Tool’s “The Grudge”, and realized most of my greatest life achievements have come as a direct outgrowth of my anger, frustration, and desperation.
So, one last time, if you’re looking for a “feel good! let’s all be friends!” message, this isn’t for you. Leave. Now.
Alright, you still want to read this? Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch’entrate.
The Dark Times
Let’s begin with a grim and hilarious moment from my life. Most dating instructors have some variation of the “I knew my dating life was fucked when I hooked up with the nasty chick” story. Well, I have one better than that. I’d just broken up with my girlfriend of 5 years—5 fucking years. I’d spent the better part of my adult life with one girl, and when that ended, everything fell apart. I had no idea what to do.
Not only did I not know HOW to meet women, I didn’t even know which women to meet. Do I go online and troll online dating sites? Do I try to salvage the girls in my extended social circle? Do I just throw in the towel and look into a mail-order bride service? Approaching girls I didn’t already know seemed completely ridiculous to me, and so that wasn’t even an option.
I decided that reviving my old America Online screen name would be a good start, so one cold December night I found myself online, looking over my old “buddy list”. Miraculously, a girl I’d dated briefly when I was 16 was online.
Jackpot, I thought, and sent her a message. We chatted for about an hour, catching up on what had changed in the last 7 years. Eventually I worked up the courage to ask if she wanted to see a movie. She agreed. I was ecstatic.
When I drove to her house, I couldn’t help but feel nervous. This was my first “date” in 5 years. I thought that if I could just attract this girl, all the pain of my recent breakup would magically dissolve. I rang her doorbell with the highest expectations and stood waiting with the stupidest grin on my face.
Enter: Jabba The Hut
If my life were a movie, here’s where the ominous music chords would start chiming in. It was like that famous scene in Jurassic Park where the t-rex is coming and the water glass is gently rippling as the dinosaur’s mammoth stomping gets closer and closer.
When she opened the door, it looked like she’d spent the last 7 years trapped inside a McDonalds. I couldn’t believe how humongous she’d gotten. It wasn’t like this girl had put on the “freshmen 15” or even “gotten fat.” This was outright obesity.
I was too timid to even change my facial expression. That stupid grin remained plastered on my face as I led her to my car. I drove to the movie theater trying to make small talk, but I couldn’t get my mind off how huge she was.
When I pulled into the parking lot, I saw a crowd of people outside. I suddenly realized that if I was seen in public with this girl, people would think we were dating. I was so concerned with other people’s opinion of me that I didn’t even want strangers to think I was dating this girl. I slammed the gas pedal, speeding off.
Let’s drive around and look at Christmas lights instead.
I panted, relieved that I narrowly avoided the shame of being seen with such a wilderbeast. Although, deep down, I knew that I was trying to do more than just “avoid shame”.
Back in high school, my “go-to” move for making out with girls was to suggest we “drive around.” At 17 or 18 years old, driving around seems like a really cool activity to most girls, and it allowed me to navigate the car into some secluded location where I could make an easy move.
The problem was that I was now 23 and with a girl I found repulsive. But hey, my “dating repertoire” hadn’t been updated in 5 years; plus, as I drove around, I convinced myself that if I could just attract this one girl, all the pain of my recent breakup would magically dissolve.
I’d spent the better part of my adult life with one girl, and when that ended, everything fell apart. I had no idea what to do.
My car zigzagged up and down suburban side streets until I found my spot: a dimly-lit dead end. I put the car in park, and tried to remember what to do next. I guess I should try to kiss her, I thought, and lunged awkwardly forward.
She jumped out of her seat and leaned as far back as possible. I’m sure my car was probably suspended up on two wheels as all the weight had shifted to the far end of the passenger side. Her face looked disgusted and horrified.
What do you think you’re doing,
She boomed,
I didn’t think this was a date! I don’t mean to sound mean Bobby, but I’m just not attracted to you…
Ouch. I’d gotten rejected by a girl I wasn’t even slightly attracted to—a girl I was trying to “force” myself to hookup with. After I drove Jabba back to her hut, the realization of what just happened sunk in. I can’t even hook up with fat chicks, I thought to myself. I’m pathetic.
In terms of dating, there’s no lower low than the low of not being able to attract a girl who’s not even attractive. I felt like a Little Leaguer who dreams of playing in the Major Leagues but can’t even hit the ball off a tee. I was pathetic.
I resolved to get my dating life sorted out—and I went at it hard. Whenever I tell people about the shit I did to improve my ability to meet and attract women, they always say, “Wow, you were really motivated,” or “Wow, you must have been really disciplined.” But it wasn’t motivation or discipline at all—it was desperation.
By sinking to an all-time low, by admitting to myself that I was pathetic, by trying to hookup with a fat chick and failing, I realized I had no way out other than complete success. Literally, I had no choice but to get good at cold approach pickup. It wouldn’t have mattered if I had to approach 100 women or 100,000 women, I wasn’t going to give up because I didn’t have any other options. Well, maybe I could have accepted living celibate. But I love hot women way too much to live like that.
Whenever I hear some pussy whining about “how hard it is” to learn this stuff, or worse a pussy who has given up all together, I know I’m talking to someone who’s very mediocre. Notice: these pussies are not failures. I actually see more potential in a guy who has outright failed—a guy who’s hit rock bottom in his life—rather than the guy who’s “doing okay” with women, but thinks he’s going to learn cold approach pickup by trying it occasionally.
He won’t.
Why won’t he? Because the first time he gets his ass handed to him, he’s going to scamper back to his comfortable little cocoon of mediocrity. He’s going to huddle around his social circle where everyone is cordial to him, and rejection is just a little pinprick rather than an epic embarrassment.
Fuck those guys. They’re all pussies.
If you actually want to become good at cold approach pickup, face the facts: it’s real fucking hard. You’re literally walking up to strangers and trying to get them to have sex with you. It’s the Major Leagues of dating. And if you want to play in the Major Leagues, you better have thick skin.
Most guys don’t have the guts to persevere the early months of learning cold approach pickup. I didn’t have the guts. Still don’t. But I also didn’t have a choice. I didn’t have a comfortable little cocoon of mediocrity to scamper back to. I couldn’t even scamper back to fat chicks. My only option was to walk through hell or to live in hell.
Maybe you can relate. If you’ve hit rock bottom, if you think your life can’t get any worse, if you can’t even attract unattractive girls, then you’re damn lucky. You have no excuse for not spending every possible moment devoted to improving your life. The pain of rock bottom is the most potent form of motivation, inspiration, and dedication. Your pain is your fuel. Embrace it rather than avoid it. Admit you’re pathetic, and feel fantastic about it.
You Won’t Like This
Once I realized that raw truth, I started to loath the self-help industry. It’s also when I decided to “correct” most of the bullshit taught by other instructors in the dating advice space. I started exposing these frauds for what they are: embracers of mediocrity. Rather than tell dudes the truth about cold approach pickup, they sugarcoat it. They keep the comfortable little cocoon of mediocrity nice and warm so that everyone feels all fuzzy and good as no one gets real results.
We don’t play by those rules. Zack and I have been openly cursed out by other instructors in this industry at conferences, in nightclubs, and, of course, over the internet. I don’t give a fuck what anyone has to say about me, my message, or the way I teach. I only concern myself with results, which means getting guys to where they want to be in their dating life. I don’t settle for getting “a little better” and I make no attempt to shield guys from rejection. Getting your ass handed to you is a good thing—it means you’re on the right track.
Typing that last sentence reminds me of a student I recently coached. I remember sitting across from him in a café at 3 in the morning after our Friday night out. He’d had a brutal night of harsh rejections. I took him to a very high-end nightclub and he got spanked. Hard. And not in a kinky awesome way. In a way that left him on the verge of tears, gazing at me from across a table, and whimpering,
Is tomorrow going to be like this, too?
Part of me wanted to lie to him, or take it easy on him, or even just comfort him. But I knew that would be wrong. Down to the core of my being, I knew it was wrong. And that wrongness was why I got in this industry. So I informed him,
Yup. Probably worse, to be honest.
He slumped lower in his chair.
When was the last time you kissed a girl?
I can’t even remember…A long, long time ago.
He sighed,
A long, long time ago.
Here’s all I’m going say, I was sitting exactly where you are only a few years back. And I’ve coached dozens upon dozens of guys who have sat exactly where you are now. Guys who got absolutely slaughtered their first night out. And often, those are the guys who become the biggest success stories. You have a choice to make right here, right now. Do you want to walk through hell or keep living in hell?
Maybe if there was a nice little sliver of mediocrity waiting for him somewhere, he would’ve gotten out of that chair and scampered back to it. But there wasn’t. His only option was to come back Saturday night, and walk through hell.
The pain of rock bottom is the most potent form of motivation, inspiration, and dedication. Your pain is your fuel.
It always breaks my heart to watch our students get massacred by girl after girl. But I know that it’s part of the learning process. It has to happen. To actually become good at cold approach pickup means facing the facts: it’s real fucking hard. And often it’s only the guy with nothing left to lose who can face those facts. That’s why the guys who eventually “get it” are the ones who don’t scamper away from me when I reveal the choice they face. They accept walking through hell.
I think of this student because I bumped into him a few days ago. He told me that he’s now dating a few different women and he’s happier than ever. I may have coached him, but he didn’t learn how to get there from me. He learned how to get there by enduring the pain period necessary to learn this stuff. The world pushed, but he pushed back harder. He won. He won like Charlie Sheen’s winninggggg!!! (Sorry, couldn’t resist making the obvious Charlie Sheen joke.)
So, what about you? Would you have continued to sit across from me in that café at 3 in the morning? Or would you have scampered back to your comfortable little cocoon of mediocrity? If you want to learn cold approach pickup, you have to choose to walk through hell. But if you’re not living in hell, you may find hell is too hot to walk through—especially when mediocrity is so warm and fuzzy.
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from the due-process! dept
The case against Andrew "weev" Auernheimer is already crazy enough. He's been charged by the feds with a violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) for finding a huge security hole created by AT&T. Still, a court found him guilty. The appeal is ongoing, with the DOJ basically arguing that weev broke a rule that it made up. And, now, the third circuit appeals court is apparently stacking the deck against weev.The government had made a request to file an "oversized" brief to present their case. In response, weev's lawyers requested the ability to file an "oversized" brief in reply to the government's brief. The DOJ did not oppose this request. Yet, the court approved the government's request while denying the defense request. In short: the government can file a giant brief throwing the kitchen sink of legal theories at weev, while weev's team is limited in how much space it has to reply. No matter what you think of weev, who seemed to take joy in pissing off just about everyone, at the very least you'd think he deserved the right to present a full response to the claims made against him by the government.
Filed Under: andrew auernheimer, cfaa, doj, oversized brief, weevDavid Arnspiger is in his natural element, inching along a Memorial area street, Purple Heart ballcap pulled tightly on his head, two paying passengers in the back seat of his Ford Fusion.
"Do you want to hear a story?," Arnspiger asked, stopping at a traffic light last week and glancing at his Uber app running on the phone affixed to the dashboard.
The stories can be colorful, even peppered with salty language and themes, but at 88 years old Arnspiger, a Korean War veteran, has plenty of them. There's the one from long ago about his daughter giving then-U.S. Rep. George H.W. Bush way too much medical information about her mother. That one, he said, is a go-to for out of towners, who all know Bush. There's another about the time Arnspiger and the former president ran into a strict head usher at their episcopal church who insisted on ushers stepping in unison off the steps, left foot first.
Often, when it comes to the people he picks up as Uber's oldest driver in the Houston metro area, his Purple Heart hat or Purple Heart license plate gets the stories started. He'll likely be wearing it proudly for Veterans Day, one of the country's 18.8 million former members of the military, and more than 7.2 million still in the labor force. About 1.8 million Korean War vets are still alive, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, though it's unclear how many are still working in some manner - let alone keeping Arnspiger's more than 40-hour weekly pace.
"If they notice, they ask and thank me for my service," Arnspiger said, two hands on the wheel and one eye on the woman walking down the sidewalk as he chuckles at how short skirts have gotten.
Prompted, his mind moves quickly from fashion for women to war on the Korean peninsula, as seamlessly as he changes lanes. He grew up in New York City, the family moving there shortly before the Wall Street crash of 1929. He graduated from Wisconsin's Beloit College in 1950, where he'd been involved in ROTC and a Marine Corps platoon leader class. Rather than officer candidate school, Arnspiger chose a combat experience course. A few weeks later - just like his family's move to the city right before The Great Depression - North Korea invaded South Korea with help from the Soviet Union. The United Nations, and primarily America, leapt into the fray and China responded by aiding the north.
So Arnspiger ended up leading a mortar platoon on a hill that looked toward another hill populated by North Korean troops.
"You can't get better combat training than them shooting live bullets at you," he said.
Generally, they weren't shooting at him. Positions were entrenched and his platoon of mortarmen were trained but underappreciated.
"All my guys had flaming inferiority complexes," he said, brought on by infantrymen calling their use into question.
Blasting the North Koreans off the hill
Then a major visited Arnspiger's little hill, and decided that hill of North Koreans needed to go. He ordered infantry troops to train at night on a nearby hill and prepare for an assault on the enemy position. Arnspiger's men would be the final salvo, "so (the infantry) could get off the hill and the Chinese and North Koreans would run right into my mortars."
As the Marines fled after the assault, Arnspiger's men fired 103 mortar rounds - a quickening assault that blackened the opposing hillside, even as the enemy fired toward the retreating Marines. Infantrymen raced up to the mortar position frantically looking for cover behind the mortars shielding their escape.
"My guys were crying because it was the first time someone said something nice about them," Arnspiger said of the thanks infantry rained on the mortarmen.
Then they heard the sounds. That familiar "wish-woosh," Arnspiger recalled. The latrine exploded. Other blasts dotted the hill.
"I caught a piece (of shrapnel) in back of my flack jacket," Arnspiger said, shifting in his driver's seat as if a phantom piece of flying metal made its way into his car.
He noticed the men he was standing with were wearing tattered trousers, then realized his pants were shredded as well.
They were all taken downhill for medical treatment, bloodied and unsure of the severity of their injuries. Knowing hospitalization was a ticket out of the war zone, Arnspiger asked the medic if he'd be evacuated to tend to his wounds.
"He says 'Lieutenant, we'll have you back up on that hill in 15 minutes,'" Arnspiger said.
The wounds, though minor, earned him a Purple Heart for injuries during combat.
For years, Arnspiger said the award never sat right with him. He didn't talk much about it.
"I was kind of ashamed of it because I wasn't hospitalized," he said.
His acceptance, decades later, was more pragmatic than patriotic, he said. A friend who knew of Arnspiger's service noted he was "a fool" not to accept the merit. And there are perks, too. Purple Heart vehicle registrations are $3 rather than $53 in Texas. License plateholders can park in Harris County-owned parking garages and use local toll roads for free.
"I got over my problem," Arnspiger jokes as he takes a turn off Westheimer, seeking another Uber fare.
Unretiring after investment banking career
How a one-time solider born when Herbert Hoover was president got sucked into the gig-economy and Uber is a story all its own. When he returned from Korea, Arnspiger considered his options and settled in Wichita Falls, falling into the investment banking business. He moved to Houston a few years later in 1959, specializing in municipal finance and bonds. He raised a family with his wife and amassed a tidy sum.
"I retired in 1990 with more money than I ever thought I'd have," he recalled.
Then he got bored. So he went back into business and lost practically everything on an investment in a computer firm. At 68, he found himself needing to make ends meet for he and his wife. He sold cars, but it didn't suit him.
"I figured there had to be something better," Arnspiger said.
At 86, decades older than a lot of his driving peers, he settled into Uber in August 2014, liking the idea of meeting people, sitting in the car and shooting the bull.
Arnspiger bought a new car and developed a routine driving eight hours a day, six or seven days a week, which he keeps up today. The ride-hailing company confirmed Arnspiger is its oldest driver in the Houston region.
"I'm only 88," he laughs when asked about the taxing schedule.
That's not to imply, however, he is giving a pass to all elderly Uber and taxi drivers. To his knowledge, he's the oldest, but he concedes there might be others out there who outrank him.
"If there is anybody, I sure... don't want to ride with him," Arnspiger laughed.
With so many stories, and so many memories, it's hard for him to compare one to another. He's seen war. He dodges Houston traffic daily. He laughs at the similarities and the glaring differences.
"As far as the war is concerned, it is mostly boring and scary, in that order," Arnspiger said, looking into traffic and waiting for his chance to take a right onto Westheimer from The Galleria. "This is just a pain in the ass."Businesses Accepting Bitcoin in Austin, Texas Culture by Savanna Rose | 4 min read tweet
| 4 min read
Purchasing with bitcoin in Austin, Texas is growing ever more optioned; from food trucks to books to even firearms. We traveled around the city looking to spend 100 mBTC (0.1 BTC = $70) Here is what we found.
The biggest challenge was not finding the locations or processing bitcoin transactions but finding businesses that were open on a Saturday morning. Scroll to the bottom for a map of all businesses accepting bitcoin in Austin.
Central Texas Gun Works
321 W Ben White Blvd #203
Bitcoin enthusiasts can purchase firearms, ammunition and more at Central Texas Gun Works. The store hosts a variety firearm safety classes for certification. We purchased a handgun cleaning kit for 16.66713 mBTC or $11.92. The merchants were more than excited for a chance to accept bitcoin as payment.
Little Lucy’s Mini Donuts
74 Rainey St.
Known mostly for it’s bars, Rainey Street is also home to an entire lot full of unique food trucks. In the mix is Little Lucy’s Mini Donuts. Difficult to miss, the hot pink truck sits right at the entrance of the lot.
Art of Tacos
75 Rainey St.
Right across the street from Little Lucy’s is Art of Tacos. Reading the reviews on the food trucks Facebook page, it’s clear that the truck has earned it’s name. Bring your bitcoins and stop by for lunch.
Havi Hair – Barber and Salon Services
2525 W. Anderson Lane
Inside the Gallery of Salons Havi Hair accepts bitcoin in exchange for salon services.
Brave New Books
1904 Guadalupe St.
Located directly across from the University of Texas at Austin Campus is “the underground bookstore of Austin.” Brave New books is home to many events, speakers, book groups and more.
The Unconventional Oven
2201 S. Lakeshore Blvd.
Although difficult to find, The Unconventional Oven is worth the stop if |
committed a crime or violated department policy. On Monday, Lee asked the federal Justice Department to look into the Woods killing and other police actions.
Also on Monday, the Police Officers Association sent the supervisors a strongly worded letter deriding the Woods Day resolution. It cited several police officers and firefighters who were killed on the job, and said the city hadn’t designated a day in their honor.
“It will be a hurtful day to their families if this city’s elected officials decide to recognize and honor an individual that preyed upon our most vulnerable citizens,” wrote union President Martin Halloran.
Several supervisors said the union was using strong-arm tactics.
‘This is a victory’
Supervisor David Campos, who authored the Woods Day resolution with Supervisor John Avalos, told his board colleagues, “By standing up to the bullying and intimidation we have seen, you are not only standing up for yourself, for your family, but you are standing up for an entire city.”
“We won’t be intimidated by the POA,” board President London Breed said. “This is a victory, but we have so much more work to do.”
Breed and some of the board’s more moderate members were running the risk of longer-term political damage by defying the police union. The union seldom funds progressive candidates, but it has thrown its money and weight behind moderates, including Breed during her 2012 campaign. She is up for re-election in November.
Although Tuesday’s vote was unanimous, it was not without backroom drama. Breed and Supervisor Malia Cohen, who represents the Bayview where the shooting happened, were initially angry that Campos and Avalos introduced the resolution without approaching them.
Campos and Breed hug
There was no sign of that acrimony Tuesday. Breed, Campos and others took pictures with Woods’ mother in the board chambers after the resolution passed. Campos and Breed, who aren’t on speaking terms, even hugged.
“Today we call out Mario Woods, but Mario Woods is a symbol for those that don’t have a place in history — that may have died tragically and nameless,” Cohen said.
The police union has previously criticized Cohen for questioning the officers’ actions in the Woods shooting, saying she was making “dangerous and inflammatory statements based on little more than an eight-second video clip.”
‘Politicizes a tragedy’
The police union vice president, Tony Montoya, said after Tuesday’s vote, “Unfortunately, today’s resolution only politicizes a tragedy and does not engage us in a meaningful dialogue, but instead assuages blame and lack of understanding of what men and women of this department do every day to keep our city safe.”
Lee sidestepped a question about his reaction, noting that he had asked the Justice Department to investigate and saying, “I think I have done my part.... We will take whatever they investigate and will work with those consequences.”
Emily Green is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: egreen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @emilytgreenSyria sinking in flood of refugees from Iraq
The P-I's Larry Johnson was part of a group sponsored by the Seattle chapter of the United Nations Association that recently went to Syria to look at how Iraqi refugees are coping and how their presence in such high numbers is affecting their host country. See the blog from the trip: blog.seattlepi.com/piinsyria.
DAMASCUS, Syria -- It's the biggest outpouring of refugees in the Middle East in more than 50 years. Not since the creation of Israel in 1948, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were uprooted, has the region seen such a flood of human beings.
Some 2.6 million Iraqis have fled their homeland since the start of the war in 2003. The overwhelming majority -- 1.5 million -- are in Syria. And most of them are in Damascus, where a group of us from Seattle went last month.
We found a country struggling to make room and care for the refugees, and story after story of despair, each more heartbreaking than the last.
Adiel's refugee story, for instance, is incredible because it is all-too familiar. Men broke into his home, beat one of his 3-year-old daughters and kidnapped her twin.
Marianna, the kidnapped girl, who is now 7, looked quizzical recently at her father's request but held out her hand. She showed where kidnappers cut her, the scar extending around the thumb and up over her wrist. The kidnappers held her for three months, until the family could raise $8,000 in ransom. Adiel said Marianna is still greatly troubled by the ordeal -- she has trouble sleeping, she has nightmares, she wets the bed.
Now the family of nine lives in what the mother described as a cockroach-infested hovel in Saydnaya, a friendly town in the hills outside Damascus. They left everything they owned in Iraq. Adiel, as are others in his family, is registered with the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees and so is eligible for a food allowance and cash assistance. He also earns a little money doing odd jobs, even though under Syrian laws, refugees are not supposed to work. Adiel said he is willing to take his family anywhere.
"We just want somewhere we can be safe," Adiel said.
He has been in Syria more than two years. No country, Syria included, has offered a refuge.
Iraqi refugees make up about 10 percent of Syria's population. Many of them are afraid to let the news media use their real names because they fear harm will come to relatives in Iraq or to themselves if they have to return to Iraq to renew visas.
Despite recent news stories that large numbers of refugees are returning to Iraq because it is safer now, aid workers and refugees tell a different story: It is still not safe.
Most Iraqi refugees interviewed in Syria by Amnesty International for a June 2007 survey were victims of human rights abuses. They told Amnesty their choice was simple: leave Iraq or die.
"The type of stories we're hearing is very often the same," said Laurens Jolles, chief of mission for the UNHCR in Syria. "It's about abductions, about killings, about torture, rape, about discrimination."
Until Syria began requiring Iraqi refugees to get a visa before coming to Syria, there were thousands of people crossing the Iraq-Syria border each day.
From 2003 until late 2006, there had only been a trickle of Iraqi refugees coming to Syria. But after the February 2006 bombing of the al-Askari Mosque in Samarra, and the ensuing flare in violence, what had been a trickle became a flood.
On Nov. 23, UNHCR spokeswoman Jennifer Pagonis said that while improved security conditions in Iraq are welcome, it was not yet time to promote, organize or encourage returns.
"There is no sign of any large-scale return to Iraq as the security situation in many parts of the country remains volatile and unpredictable," Pagonis said.
No one was prepared for the huge numbers leaving Iraq.
Refugee workers are able to handle initial interviews with about 300 families per day, at the warehouselike office in Damascus, said Erdogan Kalkan, an official with the UNHCR.
He said that in those initial sessions, refugees are scheduled for a formal interview five months later, because of the backlog. And until they have completed the formal interview, the refugees can't get cash and food assistance. Priority cases -- single mothers, pregnant women and others -- can be registered immediately, Kalkan said.
There are no international non-profit groups helping with the enormous effort under way in Syria, mainly because none has ever operated here before. Also, the government distrusts international organizations, especially those from the West.
The UNHCR plans to register 200,000 refugees by the end of this year, to increase the number of Iraqi children attending school from 33,000 to 100,000 and to get health care to more refugees.
The dilemma is how to provide help for a million refugees mixed in with the other 5 million people in Damascus. Usually refugees are kept apart in camps. But in Syria and in most of the other countries taking Iraqis, the refugees are mingled with the rest of the cities' population.
The Syrian government until October maintained a policy of open borders for the Iraqis. Anyone who could make it to Syria was welcomed.
"This had to do with a Pan-Arabic view of the free flow of Arabs in the region, and a certain pride also in being able to continue that policy," Jolles said. "But this was a policy that was not meant for 1 1/2 million people."
The refugees are costing the government $1.6 billion per year in free education, health care and other benefits. The refugee crisis also has increased costs for food, housing and other services, which worries the government and, to some extent, the Syrian people.
"Now there is a legal visa requirement, so Syria is in line with other foreign countries," Jolles said.
But Jolles said the Syrian government is allowing many exceptions to the new visa requirement, including professionals, people married to Syrians, people needing medical care and drivers whose work takes them back and forth.
There are many hurdles to overcome in helping the refugees. The UNHCR expects international donors will fund its 2007 budget of $123 million, but small appeals by UNICEF and the World Food Program in Syria to work with Iraqis have been difficult to fund. As a result, involvement by UNHCR's sister agencies has been slow to develop. UNHCR wants a much larger budget in 2008.
On Monday, the United Nations World Food Program announced that it will scale up efforts to provide basic food assistance to the most vulnerable Iraqi refugees in Syria, and called on the international community for financial support.
"The Syrian people have generously embraced nearly 1.5 million Iraqis in their midst," said WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran. "Donors have been supportive, too, but more Iraqi women, children and men are unable to meet their basic food needs and social support systems in Syria are being overstretched."
Perhaps the largest hurdle to overcome is resettlement. So far, very few countries are willing to accept Iraqi refugees on a permanent basis, and those that have are accepting only a few. For example, UNHCR referred 4,004 Iraqi refugees in Syria for resettlement in the United States in 2007, but of the 1,608 Iraqi refugees admitted to the United States, only 242 came from Syria.
The UNHCR and others are pleading with the international community to accept more Iraqi refugees.
Amnesty International has urged the European Union, the United States and other wealthy nations to "urgently start providing financial, technical, and in-kind assistance to the governments of Syria and Jordan."
Amnesty and other international organizations also have called on the United States and other members of the coalition that invaded Iraq to take greater responsibility for the humanitarian crisis created by that war. The groups point out that the United States is spending $1 billion a day on the war in Iraq, while it has contributed only $70 million to aid refugees.
And just when might the refugees return home?
An Iraqi doctor, now a refugee in Damascus, addressed the issue in a recent e-mail:
"Some of the refugees are going back now because the new visa regulations won't allow them to stay. I would love to go back, but my kids won't let me. They say if I go back, they will. I can't go through the agony of the kidnapping and getting terrified every single day whenever each of them go to school or out of the house.
"Also, what is safe or unsafe? I think drinking water polluted with cholera and other deadly waterborne diseases is more dangerous than a bullet when you don't have decent access to hospitals; or when you have electricity only for two hours a day; or in an oil-rich country you can't get gasoline or cooking gas.
"We have been living like animals in a cage for a long while. We wake up in the morning to the sound of explosions of the raiding forces when they bomb the doors to reduce the troops' losses because somebody decided to fight back during a raid. The kids keep shaking because of the yelling and screaming, the pushing against the walls and the shoving, the cursing and hitting of the parents and older brothers and sisters in front of them.
"If all this is considered safe, I will agree that it is safer in Iraq now."A judge has revoked bond for the Hendersonville father accused of fatally shooting his 11-year-old daughter after he failed a drug test while out of jail.
A hearing was held Wednesday morning for Timothy Batts, who allegedly shot and killed his daughter, Timea, on August 8 after she returned home from her first day of 6th grade.
Batts' case will be heard by a grand jury in October. A friend's mom sent me this old snapchat of Timea @NC5 pic.twitter.com/3MW2KPD9Wd — Alexandra Koehn (@NC5_AKoehn) September 14, 2016
He claimed the incident was an accident. At one point he told officers he thought Timea was an intruder.
He bonded out of jail one month ago after supporters raised $50,000 for his $500,000 bail.
When his bond was revoked, Batts said this is "bull****" in court.
Defense attorney John Pellegrin said, “He was frustrated, he’s always denied that he did anything to cause his bond to be revoked he’s denied using any drugs and his past drug tests repeatedly showed that."
Batts is placed back in handcuffs and lead out of the court room @NC5 pic.twitter.com/qUiBohwFP8 — Alexandra Koehn (@NC5_AKoehn) September 14, 2016
The company that performed the drug test was in court. They said Batts tested positive for cocaine.
Police said the drug test was administered just a couple days after he bonded out.
In addition to the bond hearing, they had the preliminary hearing for Batts as well.
During the hearing, Hendersonville Police officials said they couldn’t locate Batts while Timea was dying at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Neil Harris with the Hendersonville Police Department said they have four video clips from in home surveillance video.
One of them shows Batts walking around his home with a gun while on his cell phone. The second video reportedly shows Timea walking in the door with a backpack, and the third shows her jumping up and down as if she was shot. In the fourth video, police said Batts is seen carrying Timea out the door in his arms.
Harris said, "I was very concerned that there may be some attempt to destroy or delete whatever video there could be of the incident.”
The case would be heard by a grand jury in October.Support for quickly starting a new liquid oxygen (LOx)/hydrocarbon rocket engine, possibly relying on methane fuel, is growing in U.S. space oversight circles. An influential government commission and senior Air Force officials are throwing their weight behind it, and momentum is mounting amid the political firestorm surrounding Russia’s threat to cut off the supply of RD-180 engines used on the Atlas V first stage.
But support is less about easing an RD-180 supply shortfall and more about preserving options in the long term to fulfill the White House’s “assured access to space” policy, according to a prominent industry expert and the commission’s findings.
This policy calls for maintaining two viable launcher families in order to lessen the impact of a satellite grounding in the event one of them experiences a problem. It is, for now, satisfied with the United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Atlas V and Delta IV families. ULA has had a monopoly over national security payloads since 2006 when it was formed out of a partnership between Boeing and Lockheed Martin’s launch businesses.
The Atlas V—always the less expensive of ULA’s fleet (partly owing to the Russian engine sourcing), the most competitive in the commercial market, and the nearest peer to Space Exploration Technologies’ (SpaceX) new Falcon family—is effectively over, an industry source says. This longtime player in the space industry preferred talking on background. The convergence of a Russian threat to cut off RD-180 supply, SpaceX’s impending certification to compete with the Falcon 9v1.1 and the lawsuit filed by SpaceX April 28 claiming ULA’s sole-source deal with the U.S. Air Force was anticompetitive has put so much pressure on the Atlas V that it is unlikely to survive, the source says.
Still, government and industry sources here suggest that the May 13 announcement of Russia halting RD‑180 deliveries and exiting from International Space Station (ISS) cooperation in 2020 (four years earlier than planned) could be more bark than bite. Air Force Space Command chief Gen. William Shelton said neither the U.S. government nor ULA have received official notification of any supply change for the RD-180. “We need to find out... if that is an official position. Right now I don’t think we have official indication [but] business as usual is the state of play with Russian industry,” Shelton told reporters last week at the 30th Space Symposium here.
Regardless of whether the supply of engines is cut off, the political maelstrom seems to have reached a point of no return with lawmakers unwilling to remain reliant on Russian propulsion for space missions. “I don’t see us going into an RD-180 coproduction mode. There will still be a reliance on Russian system engineering and subject-matter expertise... so you have not necessarily solved the problem,” Shelton said. The assured access policy had called for establishing U.S. coproduction of the RD‑180, but a decision to fund this was never executed by the government or industry.
If Atlas V goes away, the industry source says, the U.S. could eventually be left with a SpaceX/Falcon and ULA/Delta IV fleet for assured access.
The problem is the latter’s high cost, due in part to Boeing’s decision to build the RS-68 LOx/hydrogen first stage during its development, and to a lower volume of launches than hoped. This would trigger a need for a new rocket and, thus, a new engine to fulfill the assured access policy—the very engine recently garnering such swift support.
The “Mitchell Commission,” led by Air Force Maj. Gen. (ret.) Howard Mitchell, a longtime Air Force space insider who is now a vice president at the Aerospace Corp., is backing the idea of a new liquid oxygen/hydrocarbon engine. And so is Shelton. “I would love to see us produce an engine; our industrial base has kind of withered,” Shelton said at the Space Symposium. “Personally, what I would like to see us pursue is hydrocarbon boost,” Shelton says. “I don’t think LOx/kerosene is the way to go. Certainly LOx/hydrogen is a thing of the past.” LOx/hydrogen requires big tanks owing to its low density and cryogenics, yet it is highly energetic. Kerosene is more dense, like a liquid, but not as effective. Engineers are now exploring whether methane—with qualities between the two—can balance these trades. It can be located on the rocket adjacent to the LOx tanks and is expected to produce good thrust, but work remains to make the technology operational.
Shelton says a new engine project is apt to be only slightly more expensive than the $800 million it would cost to establish U.S. RD-180 production.
Lawmakers are supportive, despite pressure to reduce defense spending. “You tell us what you need, and we will worry about the money,” Shelton says they told him.
Though not released publicly, the Mitchell commission’s findings are included in a briefing obtained by Aviation Week. The panel calls for fielding the new engine in fiscal 2022. “A new launch vehicle could be certified by [fiscal] 2023 and replace the Delta IV as a more effective marginal cost solution to Heavy Lift,” the commission’s briefing says. To ensure the government can maintain true competition, it should buy the intellectual property, the industry source said. This would allow mating the engine with any vehicle the government chooses.
SpaceX’s yet-to-be-flown Falcon Heavy is expected to be certified around fiscal 2018, and the heavy-lift requirement is projected to extend beyond 2030. ULA CEO Mike Gass says the Delta IV Heavy will cost $350 million apiece, according to the terms of the 36-core deal. SpaceX advertises Falcon Heavy at $77 million for lofting 6.4 tons—or $135 million for larger payloads—both to geosynchronous transfer orbit. “SpaceX has to fail as a new entrant in order for Delta IV to succeed,” the industry source says.
Because the Pentagon relieved Lockheed Martin, which developed Atlas V from its original requirement, to build a heavy-lift version, the Delta IV is the sole booster of this sort in the fleet.
Without more Russian RD-180s beyond the 16 currently in the U.S., supply of Atlas V—which lofts military communications and missile-warning payloads—is expected to dwindle in 2016 based on the current manifest, 56% of which is allocated to Atlas V configurations, the commission’s briefing says. Thirty-eight Atlas V missions are slated through 2020.
Gass says talks are underway with suppliers to ramp up Delta IV production; the commission suggests that even this could not entirely preclude launch delays if the RD-180 supply dwindles immediately. An assumption of an immediate supply shortfall is “unfounded … and resulted in an over-exaggeration of the potential impact,” company spokeswoman Jessica Rye says.
Lofting such satellites as the Advanced Extremely High Frequency, Mobile User Objective System and Space-Based Infrared System will cost more on the Delta IV; some even might require a heavy lifter (dependent on three engine cores, which is far more expensive than the Atlas V’s single-core design for the same mission).
Gass and the Air Force are staunchly determined not to reopen the 36-core deal, which included orders for 20 Delta IV cores and 16 Atlas Vs. Gass went so far as to suggest the company is open to flexibility in the cost associated with shifting payloads from Atlas V to Delta IV, a process called dual manifesting as the two rockets were designed with commonality in mind. “We... are committed to meeting our customer’s needs,” Gass said at the symposium. “Who pays? We will settle that out afterward.” At issue is who would pick up the tab for breaking commitments to Atlas V suppliers and accelerating the Delta IV. He did not cite a figure for these measures.
The commission suggests the Pentagon maintain the $141 million investment in hydrocarbon propulsion risk reduction planned in the fiscal 2016 budget proposal, which is being crafted. The industry source says another $200 million could be added in the next two years to support the work, which is largely focused on maturing methane fuel options as a potential alternative to liquid hydrogen or kerosene.
SpaceX has announced plans to build the Raptor, a methane-fueled engine. Aerojet has largely focused on LOx/kerosene work; Julie Van Kleeck, Aerojet Rocketdyne vice president for Advanced Space & Launch Systems, says an RD-180 replacement could take four years. Advances in methane propulsion warrant an open mind on the part of the government, one source says, although a downselect is inevitable in a few years.
Meanwhile, Shelton defends the Air Force’s work getting SpaceX certified to compete with ULA for national security launches. “When you are spending $60 million and putting 100 people against the problem to get somebody certified, it is hard to say that you are excluding them,” Shelton said of SpaceX. “They can’t compete.... They will not compete until they are certified.”
He says they could be certified in December or January, although Lt. Gen. C.R. Davis, Air Force military deputy for acquisition, suggests it could be as late as March. “The fact that [SpaceX] completed three certification launches, that is just for openers. There is a tremendous amount of analysis that needs to be completed, and it is in cooperation with SpaceX. This is a certification process they willingly signed up to” in a cooperative research and development agreement, Davis notes.
It calls for three successful launches of the SpaceX’s Falcon 9v1.1, two of which must be back-to-back, and a review of manufacturing and engineering processes.
SpaceX supporters have suggested that the Air Force is dragging its feet on the certification. It is “very difficult to pick up the pace,” Shelton says. “It just takes time. It takes money. It takes people. I think SpaceX would have a hard time going faster than we are going right now.”
Ultimately, however, the industry source says SpaceX’s interest is not simply in getting Falcon 9v1.1 certified to compete, as it is only eligible to lift a small portion of the projected national security payloads on the manifest. The holy grail is to raise enough questions about the certification process so as to short circuit it and, eventually, eliminate it in its current form before SpaceX fields the heavy vehicle.
Certification is thorny for SpaceX because the company does not fly standard configurations, as it often includes risk-reduction work on missions. “Elon wants to self-certify,” the industry source says, referring to SpaceX founder, CEO and Chief Designer Elon Musk. “The Air Force is not going to be able to certify [because] each time Elon flies a mission, it is a new rocket.”
For more about the U.S. Air Force commission’s report, see ow.ly/x97Xcby Isoroku Yamamoto
Update: A newer version of the chrome extension is available here.
Wall Street Journal fixed their “paste a headline into Google News” paywall trick. However, Google can still index the content.
Digital publications allow discriminatory access for search engines by inspecting HTTP request headers. The two relevant headers are Referer and User-Agent.
Referer identifies the address of the web page that linked to the resource. Previously, when you clicked a link through Google search, the Referer would say https://www.google.com/. This is no longer enough.
More recently, websites started checking for User-Agent, a string that identifies the browser or app that made the request. Wall Street Journal wants to know that you not only came from Google, but also that you are an agent of Google.
By providing this information in request headers, anyone can appear to be a Google web crawler. In fact, I will show you how to make a Chrome extension that does just that.
1. Create a file called manifest.json. Paste the following in the file. Add any sites you would like to read to the permissions list.
{ "name": "Innocuous Chrome Extension", "version": "0.1", "description": "This is an innocuous chrome extension.", "permissions": ["webRequest", "webRequestBlocking", "http://www.ft.com/*", "http://www.wsj.com/*", "https://www.wsj.com/*", "http://www.economist.com/*", "http://www.nytimes.com/*", "https://hbr.org/*", "http://www.newyorker.com/*", "http://www.forbes.com/*", "http://online.barrons.com/*", "http://www.barrons.com/*", "http://www.investingdaily.com/*", "http://realmoney.thestreet.com/*", "http://www.washingtonpost.com/*" ], "background": { "scripts": ["background.js"] }, "manifest_version": 2 }
2. Create a file called background.js. Paste the following into the file:
var ALLOW_COOKIES = ["nytimes", "ft.com"] function changeRefer(details) { foundReferer = false; foundUA = false var reqHeaders = details.requestHeaders.filter(function(header) { // block cookies by default if (header.name!== "Cookie") { return header; } allowHeader = ALLOW_COOKIES.map(function(url) { if (details.url.includes(url)) { return true; } return false; }); if (allowHeader.reduce(function(a, b) { return a || b}, false)) { return header; } }).map(function(header) { if (header.name === "Referer") { header.value = "https://www.google.com/"; foundReferer = true; } if (header.name === "User-Agent") { header.value = "Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; Googlebot/2.1; +http://www.google.com/bot.html)"; foundUA = true; } return header; }) // append referer if (!foundReferer) { reqHeaders.push({ "name": "Referer", "value": "https://www.google.com/" }) } if (!foundUA) { reqHeaders.push({ "name": "User-Agent", "value": "Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; Googlebot/2.1; +http://www.google.com/bot.html)" }) } console.log(reqHeaders); return {requestHeaders: reqHeaders}; } function blockCookies(details) { for (var i = 0; i < details.responseHeaders.length; ++i) { if (details.responseHeaders[i].name === "Set-Cookie") { details.responseHeaders.splice(i, 1); } } return {responseHeaders: details.responseHeaders}; } chrome.webRequest.onBeforeSendHeaders.addListener(changeRefer, { urls: ["<all_urls>"], types: ["main_frame"], }, ["requestHeaders", "blocking"]); chrome.webRequest.onHeadersReceived.addListener(blockCookies, { urls: ["<all_urls>"], types: ["main_frame"], }, ["responseHeaders", "blocking"]);
Save both files in one directory. These should be the only files in the directory. If you were too lazy to copy and paste, you can download the source code here.
Now type chrome://extensions/ in the browser address bar.
Click Load unpacked extension... (Make sure Developer Mode is checked in the upper right if you do not see the buttons.)
Select the directory where you saved the two files. Enable the chrome extension and visit wsj.com.
Remember: Any time you introduce an access point for a trusted third party, you inevitably end up allowing access to anybody.
Like this: Like Loading...After several hours/days of printing the parts were finally ready to be picked up! However, there are still a few more steps left in order to really make the 3D printed Eye bezel look amazing.
First, clean any print supports off with a flat blade knife or scraper. You may also want to sand or file the parts at this point to remove any pieces that are clearly aberrant.
Second, prepare an acetone bath chamber (see this excellent tutorial from Make). I simply used a steel gallon paint can, a few paper towels and four magnets. I placed the dry towels along the inside of the can and secured them there with magnets. Then I saturated the towels with pure acetone and shook out any excess (do this outside away from any flame sources). Using the lid as my base, I bathed the front of the bezel in acetone vapor for 3 hours and the back for 2 hours. Make sure you don't let the acetone touch the actual print. Also, use a metal lid to support the back of the bezel so that it can sit flat. Allow the parts to dry in the open air for about thirty minutes prior to handling.
Once I was done I had shiny smooth prints, but I also noticed that the back of the bezel was sagging towards the center. A quick hit with a heat gun (or a blow dryer on high) was all it took to flatten it out.
The acetone bath did a great job of smoothing out those print lines, however the spray paint adheres best to a surface that isn't smooth or shiny. Using my fine steel wool, I sanded around all features of the front and back of the bezel, including inside the "eye lids". Steel wool allows for you to get into all those crevices around the front of the bezel. I then taped off the inside of the bezel, this is necessary to protect surfaces you will later need unpainted to help with bonding the parts (see Assembling the Eye).
Next, paint the front and back of the bezel with thin, overlapping coats of gold spray paint. You may chose to first prime the surface, but I found this unnecessary. I used at least 8 thin coats of paint, allowing 10 minutes in between to dry, then repositioning the parts. Hanging the front of the bezel inside a box using two sticks (one long one on top of a box and another small one inside the bezel) yields the best results. Just make sure you paint the inside of the "eye lids", but not the inside of the bezel, which you should have taped off.Green Leader Elizabeth May is distancing herself from her party president after he wrote a strongly worded blogpost on the Gaza conflict that condemns Hamas and supports Israel.
Paul Estrin’s essay — “Why Gaza makes me sad” — appeared on the party’s website, prompting anger from some Green members who said it should not have been there because it doesn’t reflect party policy.
In an interview Tuesday, May emphasized that Estrin was expressing his own views.
“I didn’t know he felt this way about Gaza,” she said.
“He had not raised this before.”
May said that while she and the Greens also condemn Hamas for firing rockets into Israel, they do not adopt an unquestioning attitude towards the Jewish state.
She said that since the political firestorm broke earlier this week over the blogpost, she has heard from both sides on the issue: Some Greens have angrily said they will quit the party and stop donating, while other Canadians have complimented the party for showing “courage” on the Middle East.
May said it’s important to clear up any confusion about Estrin’s essay: “It’s not our policy.”
At a convention earlier this month, the party called for an immediate cessation of “hostilities” between Israel and Palestine but said it would adopt a “posture of engaged neutrality” in favor of a diplomatic end to the long-standing conflict.
Estrin’s post, which he stressed reflect his own personal view, is anything but neutral. He is critical not only of Hamas, but of many people in the western world who turn a blind eye to its actions and who jump on an anti-Israel bandwagon.
“Gaza is giving children grenades…and asking their citizens to be sheep to the slaughter,” wrote Estrin.
“Gazan officials tell their people to be killed while they hide in bomb shelters. Cowards? No, this is worse than cowardice. It is vile and ugly and they should be put to shame. Instead, it is Israel who is put to shame.”
Estrin wrote that Israel is threatened by Hamas and is “doing all it can with an untenable situation.” He added that he is “sick and tired” of the “hypocrisy” of people who focus their anger on Israel, even though larger conflicts occur elsewhere.
“Throughout the world, injustices happen on a near-daily basis. But these same activists, when they hear the cry of the moment, if it is anti-Israel it is an easy band-wagon to get on, to get their anti-Israel war-paint on and join their friends between potlucks, veggie smoothies and coffee breaks.”
Estrin’s position — and the strong choice of words sprinkled throughout his 2,200-word post — have infuriated some members of the Green party.
Some have responded with their own comments, also posted on the Green party’s website, saying that Estrin used intemperate language, absolved Israel of any fault in Palestinian deaths in the current conflict, and presented a position that is at odds with his own party.
“”I was never expecting to hear such propaganda from the President of the Green Party,” wrote Alex Hill.
Another supporter, Colette Belanger, wrote: “rescind my membership — take me off your list.”
Ronnie Smith, the party’s peace and security critic, defended Estrin’s right to his opinion but wrote that his “knee jerk reaction and irresponsible use of history was insulting, poorly conceived and reveals a tremendous lack of judgement unbefitting the author’s post.”
Some Green members have called on Estrin to resign, but there is no indication that will happen. Estrin could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
A Green party supporter for over a decade, Estrin lives in Quebec City, where he is employed by the province’s Ministry of High Education. He was elected president by the party in 2013.
In his essay, Estrin wrote that Israel is more threatened than ever because Hamas, instead of caring about the welfare of Palestinians, is focused on “killing, of carrying the banner of martyrdom, and of watching its fellow people die.”
“And yet, these are the same people who are embraced and loved by the international community, with marches on Parliament Hill in Canada’s capital, and in cities throughout the world, holding banners and chanting about the destruction of the state of Israel and of death to the Jews.”
Estrin wrote that if people want to march in the streets, they need to re-examine their priorities — “unless we want to see another Mullah amongst us, where other religions aside from a certain variety of Islam are not allowed, where synagogues are used as latrines and garbage dumps and Christians are living in constant fear.”A day comes and a day goes, and life is the same. It’s like a circle that keeps spinning.
You tell yourself that you need to make changes in your life, but you do nothing, except talk and complain.
Every day, you do the same things. It’s like watching the same movie over and again. You want change, and you dream of change, however, you do nothing about it.
This can lead to frustration and unhappiness.
You might have great dreams, but you do not really believe you will ever be able to accomplish them. This might be true or not. You will never know, until you begin doing something about them.
Most people, find it intimidating to make big and real changes in their lives, and instinctively, prefer to stay where they are, even if they don’t like it.
If you want change, you have to do something about it. You have to act now, not tomorrow.
Don’t wait for something to happen to bring about a change.
Don’t wait for someone to change your life. If you want change in your life you need to create this change now. You need to start it today.
This is not as difficult as it might sound.
It’s enough if you start with small, simple daily changes. Even small steps take you somewhere. Even small changes improve your life, your feelings, and your attitude.
It would be a good idea to do at least one small thing every day to improve your life.
Little actions, gradually, change your whole life.
You don’t have to do spectacular things. Just start with very simple actions, with things that are within your immediate reach. This will increase your confidence, self-esteem, courage and motivation.
Little Actions to Improve Your Life
For a week, take a walk once a |
ukulele to help finger placement and finding notes. Can also be found (helpfully) on the side of the neck facing up towards the ceiling when played.
FRICTION TUNERS
Tuners that rely on the friction created by tightening the tuning peg against the mount to hold the peg in place. Many beginners struggle with friction tuners, but this can often be down to a case of cheap models on beginners instruments which can be jerky or can slip. Top end friction tuners are smooth and work very well. Preferred by many on soprano and concert scale models.
GIG / GIGGING
Playing a live show
GIG BAG
A soft padded case for the ukulele which is not rigid, and designed to prevent scuffs and scratches when carrying the uke but not much more.
GRAIN
The direction or layout of the wood cells in the woods used in the ukulele. An attractive grain pattern on the top of a uke is often considered desirable.
HAMMER ON
The action of "hammering down" a fretting finger on to a higher fret of a string that has just been plucked, creating a sudden change up in the note without plucking it again
HARDWARE
The term used to describe the parts on a ukulele, most commonly the strap buttons, any electronics, the tuners etc.
HARMONY
Two or more notes sounding simultaneously.
HEADSTOCK
The flat piece of wood at the end of the neck that holds the tuning pegs and commonly displays the ukulele brand logo.
HEEL
The base part of the neck that widens as it attaches to the ukulele body
INLAY
The use of another type of material inlaid into the wooden parts of the ukulele, usually on the headstock, on the fret markers and around the soundhole. Beginner instrument inlays are usually made of plastic, but more expensive ukuleles have inlays made of mother of pearl or other exotic materials.
INTERVAL
The distance between two notes.
INTONATION
The ability of your instrument to play and hold the correct note at any point on the neck. This usually refers to the accuracy of the ukuleles construction, and the ability for each fret, when fretted to sound the correct note for their position (ie not either sharp or flat). A bad setup or a badly made instrument will provide poor intonation, and a bad sound when played. The simplest basic check if you have no tuner to hand is that each string played open should sound the same note one octave higher when played at the 12th fret.
INVERSION
Structuring a chord with a note other than the root as the lowest note.
JOINT
Simply a woodworking term, and in relation to ukuleles, usually referring to where the neck meets the body of the instrument.
KERFLING / KERFING
Strips of wood linings glued around the inside seams where the top and back meet the sides of the instrument to add strength and stability. Sometimes notched to make them fit the curve of the body, but on cheaper ukuleles often made from bent strips of wood.
KOA
A beautifully figured wood that originates in Hawaii - considered by many to be the finest tone wood used in ukulele construction, or at least the most traditional.
K-BRAND
The term given to a range of manufacturers who make their ukuleles to high specificaltons in Hawaii. Brands include Kamaka, KoAloha and Kanile'a.
LAMINATED
The term applied to a type of wood used in construction of the ukulele - a laminated wood is made from very thin veneer strips of wood glued together and pressed flat. This is opposed to a solid wood which is simply a very thin cut of a solid, single piece of wood. Laminates are cheaper and as such more prevalent on cheaper instruments. Solid woods are preferable for their tonal qualities, though some very good laminates do exist.
LEGATO
A playing technique that purely consists of playing hammer ons and pull offs on the strings.
LOWER BOUT
The term given (on a traditionally shaped ukulele) to the bottom "bulge" in the shape below the narrower waist.
LUTHIER
The name given to one who makes guitars and ukuleles
MACHINE HEADS
The term given to tuning pegs that work using a gearing system to turn the string post.
MAHOGANY
A commonly used wood used in ukulele manufacture - dark, bright yet warm sounding and gives a good volume. Often comes with an attractive grain pattern.
MAJOR CHORD
A combination of the first, third and fifth notes of a scale played at once.
MELODY
A succession of notes played one after the other - creates the tune for a piece of music.
METRONOME
A device that creates an audible clicking sound that can be set to any beat to assist with timing of a musical piece.
MODULATE
To change key within a piece of music
MOTHER OF PEARL
A material made from the glossy inside of shells used for making fret markers, binding and decorative trims on a ukulele.
NATO
A hardwood used as an inexpensive substitute for Mahogany.
NECK
The piece of wood that holds the fingerboard, and runs between the Body of the ukulele and the Headstock.
NOTATION
A written system of notes, figures, and symbols used to represent musical tones and dynamic values in a composition.
NOTE
The sound made when a string is plucked at a particular fret position. The note is designed by the frequency of it's vibration. The position of the frets on the ukulele creates different notes when the string is held and plucked in the various positions.
NUT
The strip of material, either hard plastic or bone located at the top end of the fingerboard over which the strings are held in slots on their way to the tuning pegs. The accurate placement of the nut in relation to the saddle is essential for accurate tuning as is the height (or depth) of the slots.
NUT SLOTS
The four grooves cut into the nut that hold the strings in place at the correct spacing.
OPEN
The term which refers to playing a string without holding it at any fret, thereby letting it ring along the full length - this plays the note to which the string is naturally tuned. Sometimes shown on ukulele tabs as an X or an O.
OVANGKOL
A wood very similar to rosewood, though slightly lighter in colour. Provides a slightly livlier mid-range sound than rosewood. Most commonly used in instrument backs and sides.
PEG
A term that refers to the tuning peg that is turned to tighten or loosen the string. Can be geared or work on friction.
PEGHEAD
The piece of wood at the top end of the ukulele neck that is wider and flatter, through which the four tuning pegs are secured.
PICKUP
A device that picks up the vibration in either the body of the instrument or the strings, and converts to a signal that can be fed to an amplifier. For more information on pickups, see HERE
PICKING
A style of ukulele playing where individual strings are plucked with the fingernails as opposed to strumming them.
PIN BRIDGE
A bridge style where strings are knotted at one end, pushed into a hole in the bridge plate, and then plastic or wooden pins are inserted to secure them.
PINEAPPLE
A body shape without a Waist that resembles the profile of a pineapple. Very similar to the Boat Paddle Shape
PURFLING
Also known as Marquetry, purfling comprises several binding strips, laminated together to create a design often inlaid around the edge or soundhole of a uke.
QUARTER NOTE
A note that is played for one quarter of the duration of a whole note. In 4 4 timing, a quarter note will represent one count in the the "one two three four". Also known as a Crotchet.
RELATIVE HUMIDITY
The amount of moisture in a given volume of air compared to the amount it is capable of holding. In plain English.... high humidity is sweaty and muggy! In respect of ukuleles, particularly solid wood ukes, both extreme high and low humidity can affect tuning in the best case, but can actually damage the wood of the instrument permanently by either swelling or cracking it. You can learn more about it HERE
RHYTHM
The repetitive beat in a piece of music. Playing ukulele for rhythm usually means strumming it.
ROOT
The first note of a scale. A chord is named after its root note (even if, on occasion, that note isnt played)
ROSETTE
The decorative pattern or inlay placed in a circle around the soundhole of the ukulele. They can range from the cheap (printed or inked, or plastic inlay) to the very expensive (intricate mother of pearl inlays). Either way, they are purely decorative.
SADDLE
The piece of the ukulele, over which the strings run at the bottom of the instrument. Whilst they are sometimes a moulded one piece item, the saddle is most commonly a thin strip of hard material ranging from plastic to bone and are set in a slot in the wooden bridge. Accurate saddle placement provides accurate tuning by ensuring the correct Scale Length (see below). Accurate height of the saddle ensures the correct action and intonation.
SCALE LENGTH
The measurement along the length of the strings measured between the nut and the saddle. This length needs to be accurate in relation to the placement of the frets to ensure accuracy in the notes being played. The top of the 12th fret always denotes the exact halfway point of the string.
SETUP
The general term given to the adjustment of various elements of the ukulele, in particular the nut and the saddle to provide optimum playing feel and accuracy.
SHARP
The term given to a note that is sounded higher than its normal pitch.
SLOT BRIDGE
A bridge plate where the strings are knotted then lodged in slots cut into the bridge wood to secure them.
SLOTTED HEADSTOCK
A traditional method of finishing the head of the ukulele. Rather than having tuning pegs running through the head from underneath a slotted headstock has the pegs running in to the instrument from the side, with the strings running in to the slots to be wound around the pegs.
SOLID BODY
Descriptive of a ukulele that is made without a sound chamber - usually from as solid piece of wood into which a pickup is fitted. Make very little noise without amplifications
SOPRANO
The smallest of the four standard ukulele sizes. This is the traditional ukulele size and is tuned GCEA with a high, re-entrant G string
SOUND BOARD
The term given to the flat piece of wood that makes the top of the body of the ukulele and holds the bridge and the sound hole. Also simply called the "top" of the instrument. The soundboard creates the sound a uke makes when strummed by vibrating.
SOUND HOLE
The hole in the soundboard or top of the ukulele, usually directly under the strings that provides projection of the sound created by vibrating the top of the instrument
STRUMMING
A style of playing which involves running the fingers over all or some of the strings in a rhythm
TABLATURE / TAB
A system of music notation for stringed instruments used as an alternative to sheet music. In tablature the notes appear as numbers representing the fret position on a set of lines representing the strings. Read more about Tab notation Here
TAIL STRIP
A thin strip of wood on the base of the instrument where the two sides of the body meet.
TENOR
The second largest in the standard ukulele family, usually tuned GCEA or DGBE and with a 17" scale length.
THROUGH BRIDGE
A bridge style where the strings run through the bridge plate into the sound chamber. They are pulled out of the sound hole and a knot is tied before pulling them back to hold on the underside of the bridge plate.
TIE BAR BRIDGE
A bridge style where the strings are tied on to the bridge mount
TOP
The term given to the flat top of the body of the ukulele that holds the bridge and sound hole. The term " solid top" refers to a wood used that is a thin slice from a single piece of wood as opposed to a laminate of several thin strips.
TRANSPOSE
To change the key of a piece of music by a specific interval
TRIAD
A three note chord.
TUNER
One of two things! Most commonly the pegs (either geared or friction) attached to the headstock of the instrument around which the strings are wrapped. Turning the tuners tightens or loosens the strings allowing them to be tuned to pitch. Also refers to a device used to check the tuning of the instrument electronically.
TUSQ
A synthetic material based on bone or ivory used in the bridge saddle, and in some cases, the nut.
UP STROKE
The term given to a strum that starts at the bottom of the uke and moves upwards, from string 1 (A) to string 4 (G)
UPPER BOUT
On a traditionally shaped ukulele, the upper bout refers to the top "bulge in the body, around the sound hole, and nearest to the end of the neck.
VENEER
A thin slice of wood glued on to another piece, usually to provide a decoration or improved finish. Laminated ukuleles often have a prettier outer veneer to give the instrument an improved look. Veneers are also used to add details such as around sound holes, or on the face of the headstock.
VIBRATO
A shimmering or wobbling of a ringing note or notes, usually created on a ukulele by quickly rocking the fretting finger up and down within the fret spacing whilst the note is ringing.
VOICING
The arrangement of the notes of a chord, or the placement of the notes of a melody within a progression
WAIST
On a traditional shaped ukulele the waist refers to the narrow part of the body between the upper and lower bouts.
WHOLE NOTE
A beat in music which lasts for the complete bar (in standard four four timing).
WOOD
The commonest material used for traditional ukulele construction. Usually either laminated or solid.
ZERO FRET
A building technique which involves placing a fret strip immediately before the nut, in the accurate place where the nut should sit. This leaves the nut to simply deal with string spacing, and the zero fret to provide tuning accuracy.BY: Follow @DavidRutz
Hillary Clinton says that she "beat" Donald Trump—and Bernie Sanders—in a lengthy feature article by New York Magazine.
"I beat both of them," she said, evidently referencing her popular vote win over Trump.
While Clinton did defeat Sanders, who is not a Democrat, in the Democratic primary, she did not defeat Trump, who was inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States in January.
In the story, Clinton discussed her post-election status as a member of the "Resistance" to Trump, but she also reflected on the 2016 campaign, which included a harder-than-expected fight against Sanders for the nomination.
Rebecca Traister's story interviewed numerous people from Clinton's orbit, including speechwriter Dan Schwerin, who said Sanders and Trump were better able to reflect voter anger because they were men.
Clinton said she wanted to express her anger at Trump in the second debate but couldn't do it for fear of giving Trump what he wanted:With a live-action adaptation of the hit anime "Ghost In The Shell" soon anticipated, many fans are still not happy about seeing a Caucasian actress taking on the lead character named Major Motoko Kusanagi.
Those behind the upcoming "Ghost In The Shell" film recently received some backlash about casting Scarlett Johansson for the iconic role of Motoko. Some accused the new film of Hollywood whitewashing, since the character in the anime and manga series is originally Japanese.
Nevertheless, the director of the upcoming "Ghost In The Shell" live adaptation, Rupert Sanders, defended their decision to cast Johansson as the character. During an interview with MTV News, he said, "Whenever you cast someone, someone's going to be critical of it. To me, I stand by my decision. [Johnansson's] the best actress of her generation."
However, some fans continue to voice out their opinion on who could be a better actress for the role of Motoko. Some Reddit users explained that other actresses would be a better fit for the lead role of "Ghost In The Shell." One of the actresses who fans believe would make a suitable portrayal of "Ghost In The Shell's" Motoko is Bae Doona. Known for her role in "Cloud Atlas"and Netfix series"Sense8," Doona is a South Korean actress who fits the appearance of the anime's lead character.
Another actress who fans are pointing to for "Ghost In The Shell" lead is Grace Park, who took on the role of Boomer in "Battlestar Galactica." Park is a Canadian-American actress who fans have seen on TV shows such as "Edgemont" and "Hawaii 5-0." Though raised in Canada, Park comes from a Korean lineage.
Meanwhile, there are also some fans who are excited to see Johansson as Motoko. Many argued that her appearance is ideal for the "Ghost In The Shell" role. With that, fans will have to wait until Mar. 29, 2017 in order to see the film in the big screens.After years of specializing in downloadable retro releases, Good Old Games is changing its name and focus. Tomorrow at 9 a.m. GMT, the CD Projekt-owned digital storefront is changing its name to simply GOG.com and will start offering brand-new indie games, as well as recent frontline titles from larger publishers' catalogs about one to three years after their debut.
GOG.com wants to make a splash with its new approach.
The new approach kicks off this week with a site overhaul incorporating new social features and the addition of indie games Trine and The Whispered World to the GOG catalog. Other new indies on the way include Machinarium, Darwinia, and Spacechem. Like all games on the services, the new additions will be available for the same price worldwide and will not include any manner of digital rights management.
To mark the change, GOG managing director Guillaume Rambourg and CD Projekt co-founder Marcin Iwinski fielded a handful of GameSpot questions about what this change means for existing customers and the site's well-established stance against DRM. Over the course of the interview, Rambourg and Iwinski touched on a number of topics, from the downside of promotions like Humble Indie Bundles and Steam sales to changing publisher attitudes toward DRM. The pair also waded into the piracy debate, stressing that publishers could do a lot to counteract the practice by treating players to good value propositions instead of treating them like criminals.
GameSpot: The last time GOG.com went through an overhaul, you took the site down and let customers think you'd gone out of business as a way to drum up attention. Did that get the reaction you wanted? Why go the more conventional announcement route this time?
Guillaume Rambourg: I was expecting this question.
Well, first of all, please let me stress again that it was anything but a pleasure for us to take the website down back in September 2010, when GOG.com left its beta phase to go live. We had to take it down to apply several major changes to our infrastructure in order to deploy our new code, 98 percent of which was rewritten from scratch as the original (rusty) code dated back to 2007! The "old" version of the website was victim of its own success and could not cope with our fast-growing traffic. It was time for a deep and solid upgrade, as well as releasing new features.
Trine will be one of the first new additions to GOG.com after the site overhaul.
We decided to pretend for three days that GOG.com was about to pass away so that gamers and the industry would think (hopefully, with fear!) of a world where all games would be powered with DRMs and a software client, a world where 1 dollar would be the equivalent of 1 euro, a world where you just have to buy and shut up. Scary, huh?
Our action was very risky and obviously caused a lot of stir, but all in all, I think we have succeeded in developing the public awareness about these important matters. For example, we witnessed that a huge majority of our users realized they could back up locally the games they purchase on GOG (a feature we probably did not communicate well enough about in the past), so that they can always play their favorite titles even if the Internet is down. I believe this brought back confidence to them in our ability to protect them; just like our continued delivery of great releases and fantastic prices brought back confidence in our ability to take care of them. Trust me, this risky action made us very worried, and we have doubled our efforts to satisfy gamers even more since then!
As for today's announcement, who said it would be conventional? Before somebody asks: no, GOG.com will not go down for three days again, simply because we finally have the right infrastructure and code to avoid that! Still, we have prepared a few surprises for the next few days--and beyond--and we believe the PC community should like them very much.
GS: You're going to have DRM-free versions of modern games from big publishers, but only 1 to 3 years after launch. Do gamers hate DRM enough that you think they'll wait that long to play games without it?
Marcin Iwinski: It is not about waiting for such games to be rereleased or hating DRM. There are several reasons why games coming out on GOG.com--even if they're one year old instead of brand new--works well for gamers and publishers alike.
There are hundreds of great games released every year from publishers of every imaginable size. When you have a huge catalog filled with classics, it's very hard to sell an older game without putting in on steep discount; your offering hasn't changed any since you launched it a year ago and there are hundreds of newer games for sale. Why would someone want to buy an older game if you don't take the time to make it special? At GOG.com, they know that even top-selling franchises might not be top-of-mind at the moment, and when they release a game on our service, they take the time to make it special, to give it its day in the sun, and generally showcase the value of the game to our audience.
I believe a huge majority of digital distribution platforms (from Apple's App store to Valve's Steam, and many others) have become gigantic black holes that sign hundreds of titles and run tons of promotional sales. Running so many discounts decreases the perceived value of our entire entertainment media. When you can buy a bundle of fantastic indie games for $1, it's that much harder to convince someone to shell out $10 to try one indie game.
Of course you see a huge number of people buying games when they're on such incredible sale, but how many of them are enjoying the games they buy? Buying a dozen games, if you never play them, means that you're just a cow to be milked by the industry. I don't think this is good for the industry or the gamers who pay our salaries.
"Buying a dozen games, if you never play them, means that you're just a cow to be milked by the industry."--Marcin Iwinski
GS: Will you also be selling DRM-free DLC for these games?
GR: Our plan is not to sell past DLC separately, but rather bundle that content with the main game, so that we can offer a massive package at a good price. Again, our aim is to provide value for money to gamers so that they are happy to buy games from us and therefore never fall on the dark side, by which I mean piracy.
GS: Why would major publishers who obviously believe in DRM sell DRM-free versions of their games?
GR: But they actually already do so! We have over 70 developers and publishers of various size (from A to AAA, like Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, or Activision) who trusted us and whom we distribute over 400 DRM-free PC classics for. It has taken us 3 years of hard work to build up this catalogue and convince rights holders that removing DRM is actually the best way to fight against piracy, a "sector" that managed to succeed where most of the gaming industry failed to perform: providing (illegal) gamers with a simple and fast access to games within a few clicks.
We decided to run a public experiment last year by releasing The Witcher 2 (a much anticipated AAA day-1 title) on GOG.com in our traditional fashion: DRM-free, with a fair pricing policy worldwide and tons of free digital goodies. The outcome? We sold more than 40,000 units so far, which impressed a lot of people in the industry (that was our aim!) and made us the second biggest source of digital revenue for the developers.
The results of that experiment definitely helped us convince a few publishers and indie developers to give us the chance to revive their "not so old" PC titles without DRM; and we will do our very best to prove to them again and again that they were right to trust us!
The Witcher 2 has sold 40,000 units on GOG.com so far.
GS: How will having these DRM-free versions of games impact piracy of them?
MI: Look at it this way: there are three different groups of gamers on the Internet: people who never pirate, people who always pirate, and people who may or may not pirate, depending on a few different factors. What are those factors?
Let me quote an interesting fact from the very interesting Vigilant Defender Piracy Survey from 2011. Sixty percent of people surveyed said they pirated because they didn't perceive the price publishers ask as a fair value for the game. When people don't know if your game is worth it, they'll pirate it instead. Focus on showcasing value for your gamers, though, and the majority of these gamers who aren't sure if your game is worth it will be happy to purchase legally instead of pirating.
GOG.com has always been focusing on value for gamers. They want to tell their gamers that buying games is good and that they'll be treated right if they buy from GOG.com. It is all about providing them with value for money and treating them in a fair and rewarding way.
Here's another fact from that survey: 52 percent of consumers state that DRM actively discourages purchasing. Treat gamers like customers instead of criminals, and you'll go an even longer way towards showing them that your game is worth buying.
"Treat gamers like customers instead of criminals, and you'll go an even longer way towards showing them that your game is worth buying."--Marcin Iwinski
This is the impact that DRM-free games can have on piracy, and if we can convince some frustrated pirates to give GOG's offer a try, even better!
GS: How have publisher attitudes to your DRM-free approach differed from those of the indie community?
GR: Dev studios, small and mid-sized publishers are usually owned and managed by people who are still gamers themselves. Big AAA publishers tend to be run more and more by people who have a strong legal or financial background. This fundamental difference in the way those companies operate is reflected on their respective approaches to DRM.
Smaller studios have historically been much more aware of gamers' expectations and consumers' behaviors than big publishers have. Being gamers themselves, they do know as a fact that the best way to fight against piracy is to convince people to buy them instead of somehow trying to force them to. In this respect, selling games without DRM is a good step to achieve that. Companies such as Frozenbytes, Mojang, Remedy, Paradox or CD Projekt Red have already taken this DRM-free direction in various yet very similar ways.
Big publishers--due to a much bigger headcount and financial stakes involved in the production of AAA blockbusters--have had a historical tendency to manage their DRM policy via Microsoft Excel. As Brian Fargo said recently, "In the beginning of the industry all the nerds were in charge, but then as the industry grew it changed, and now the guys that picked on the nerds got back on top." EA's Origin store has made no impact on GOG.com.
What I mean here is that those companies have a pyramidal structure that is way too big and which prevents them from being close to gamers and the latter's expectations. It is easier and faster for a sales or business executive to tick the "DRM" column in Microsoft Excel to secure his own position, rather than trying to convince the Management Board to change (or at least consider changing) their corporate DRM policy. The good news is--as I mentioned earlier in this interview--that more and more big publishers started thinking again about their strong DRM policies, and I am happy to see them asking questions to us about us lately.
GS: Have you noticed any impact on your business from the introduction of EA's Origin or the continued growth of Steam?
GR: We have not noticed any impact for GOG.com, simply because we are not competing against Steam and Origin as such. Historically, 99 percent of our catalogue is made of PC classics, while the aforementioned platforms focus on day-one releases and launches. To make it more clear, we sell copies of Duke Nukem 3D or Baldur's Gate, while they sell copies of Portal 2 or Mass Effect 3. There is no overlap here and we are not competitors as a matter of fact.
Of course, you're also asking if this is changing now that we're offering newer games. Once again, I think the answer is "no." In that case, because our offer deeply differs from the offer of Steam or Valve. All our games will be DRM-free, sold at fair price worldwide (no regional pricing), and with tons of added value (free digital goodies, full customer support, an optional light-speed downloader).
As a matter of fact, I think that GOG.com is more of an alternative than a competitor. There is still no way to fight against Steam, for example, something we knew from the very beginning of GOG. The only way to shine is to offer an alternative model to gamers. Being different is our daily obsession to make us stand out from the rest of the field. We treat our gamers well and this generates good sales numbers, as we proved with The Witcher 2, for which GOG was the best-selling platform, right after Steam.
"There is still no way to fight against Steam, for example, something we knew from the very beginning of GOG."--Guillaume Rambourg
GS: You're going to have uniform pricing worldwide. Does that mean all games will be available in all regions?
MI: GOG.com has always been a truly global service that offers games to all gamers worldwide. The idea that a gamer could not buy a certain title because he or she lives somewhere different than we do is silly. You cannot claim to be a global distribution platform and then decide that you're only "kind of" global, that you will only sell games to some people! That's against GOG.com's founding value of fairness. Just to show you how seriously GOG treats this matter, there are even games that they refused to sign because some users would not be able to purchase them due to banned in-game content in some countries.
GOG.com's games will always be available to everybody worldwide at a fair and unified price. This is one of GOG's pillars and they will gladly and stubbornly stick to it.
GS: Does this mean you'll be adding fewer retro titles to your catalog in the future?
MI: Absolutely not! GOG will still be adding classics on a weekly basis at least. Users have been following this company on its journey for the last three years and a half, and they're expecting that from GOG.com. And they are right to do so!
PC classics are GOG.com's daily bread and butter. They will now just enlarge our family of products by adding some more recent titles (whether indie or from big publishers), and also release some carefully chosen new releases, just like we successfully did with The Witcher 2 last year. Stay tuned!
GS: What are some of the most frequent outstanding requests for additions to your catalog?
GR: Oh, there are still quite a few: Theme Park and Theme Hospital, System Shock 1 & 2, and obviously all the original LucasArts classics from the '90s. We know what our users expect thanks to our telepathic powers (OK, I am lying: we have a community wish list!), and they can be certain that we will never be satisfied ourselves until those titles are finally signed and revived in a GOG fashion.Best Solar Panels for home
By Eco Guy
We look at what are the best solar panels for home use
Location, location, location
Visibility to the Sun throughout the whole day, and;
That visibility is not obstructed by trees, poles, buildings, etc
Before you think of going down the solar powered route you need to consider exactly where you want to put the solar panels... Remember, companies will quite happily sell you solar panel systems regardless of whether they will actually generated the stated power output or not and a lot of this depends on where you put the solar panels in the first place.Solar panels, by their nature need clear and unobstructed access to the Sun. Note: by clear we mean absolutely clear. Unlike solar hot water heaters, partially obscured solar power panels will produced drastically less power. This is due to the way solar panels are constructed, they are not made from one massive solar panel, rather a whole set of smaller panels wired in series - now if just one of those smaller solar panels is in the shade, it acts as a block to the power being generated by all the rest. Therefore for maximum power generation potential you want a location which has:Now for most people this is achieved by putting the solar panels on the roof; although for this to be perfect the roof in question needs to be on the solar East/West line (i.e. the ridge follows this line) - that way the panel will get the most amount of sun without needing to track the sun across the sky.As for working out the power you could generate, see the Solar Power Calculator As for what is the best solar panel; the best are Mono-crystalline as they are most efficient, but they are not cheap. If you have plenty of space to put up a solar panel system you should go for Poly-crystalline instead. See this article on Solar Power Systems for more details.Also if you are not in a hurry, there are some interesting technology developments on the way.“This is something complex and we don’t like seeing it taken out of human hands,” Ms. Madeloni said to me at the time.
By protesting, she said, “We are putting a stick in the gears.” A total of 67 out of her 68 student teachers refused to submit their videos or take the test during last year’s trial run.
On May 6, the article appeared in The Times; on May 24, she received a letter saying her contract would not be renewed for the 2013 year.
The older I get, the more careful I am with my sources. Before committing to doing the article I told her that, based on my experience, there could be major ramifications. We live in a society where people can say just about anything publicly about politicians, but in the workplace, there is little freedom for speaking critically and few willing to risk it.
Ms. Madeloni said she understood.
“They’ve been angry at me for a long time, but I believe the article pushed them over the edge,” she said this week. “For several years this has been building inside me, this reliance on standardized tests to evaluate teachers.
“It’s so degrading,” she said. “For a long time I decided not to fight it. I wouldn’t have been able to do this at 40. I don’t think I could have stayed as grounded. You have to be able to manage people saying awful, awful things.”
Christine B. McCormick, professor and dean of the school of education at UMass, wrote in an e-mail that “there is no connection between the expiration of Barbara Madeloni’s contract on Aug. 13, 2013 and the media coverage of the concerns raised by faculty and students.” Asked why university officials sent the nonrenewal letter 16 months before her contract was set to expire, Ms. McCormick said “our goal is to give our employees as much time as possible to seek other employment.”
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Ms. Madeloni’s job will be converted to a tenured position as part of a universitywide drive, she said.
Ms. McCormick wrote that the two-year trial of the new assessment system had been requested by the state and is not being used this school year at UMass.
The university, she wrote, is a “vibrant scholarly community that staunchly supports academic freedom.”
She said that the department is now preparing a research paper that will explore all different kinds of teacher assessments — including assessments that don’t primarily rely on testing.
Ms. Madeloni can’t say for sure, but she believes that’s the protest talking.
“Age focuses you,” she said. “Part of getting older is you think more about the idea that life ends. You shift your attention to what matters.”
If part of the goal is to pass on values, Ms. Madeloni has succeeded with Rachel Hoogstraten, one of the 66 protesters last spring who is now a first-year teacher. “She never told us what to think,” said Ms. Hoogstraten, who’s 26. “We’d talk about the risks of speaking up and acting like a principled person. Years ago I made a promise to myself not to act out of fear. So when I come across people who don’t give in to their fears, I stick to them.”
“I really do look up to Barbara.”Brawlout is heading to Switch, a listing on the European Switch eShop reveals. A release is planned for late 2017.
Brawlout is a party fighting game that debuted on Steam earlier this year. It’s “designed for couch play, online ranked matches and competitive tournaments.”
We have plenty of details about Brawlout in the overview below. A trailer for the game is also attached past the break.
Striking the balance between the growing competitive scene and the genre’s party game roots, Brawlout hopes to cater to the veteran platform fighter, the casual fan and the newcomer looking to make their mark.
Brawlout does away with shields and blocking, focusing heavily on the aggressive, fast-paced combat which has made platform fighters so fun to both play and watch.
Each character in Brawlout has their own unique playstyle, catering to specific character archetypes seen |
“savagery” he’d ever seen in his 42-year career.
Police sources told the Albany Times Union that the victims’ hands and ankles were bound and their throats slit. The children were found kneeling with their heads and chests resting on a bed, and one woman was on a mattress on the floor. A fourth victim was discovered face down and covered with a sheet, the Times Union reported.
Cops found a bloody knife on a ledge near a closet, and a second blade on a bed near the victims, the newspaper reported. Investigators reportedly zeroed in on the suspects after reviewing video from security cameras in the city of Troy.
Myers’ oldest son, 15-year-old Isaiah Smith, was out of town during the slayings.
The teenager lost his entire family in a single day. And, according to an Times Union report, he was terrified the killers would target him, too. “I’m scared to go to the corner store,” Smith said. “I’m not sure if they’re coming for me next.”
The Myers family moved in with Mells following an eviction earlier this year. But because of the basement pad’s size, Isaiah crashed with a relative.
Mells’ cousin, Sharonda Bennett, told The Daily Beast that the couple became unreachable around 11 p.m. on Dec. 21.
Two days later, Smith stopped by his mother’s house to deliver Christmas presents for his siblings but no one answered the door, which was locked. He left for a basketball tournament, thinking they’d stepped out for a bit, Bennett said.
“He maybe thought they wasn’t home at that moment. Nobody would have thought anything like this would have been going on,” Bennett said.
Bennett said she last spoke to Mells on Dec. 19, and they discussed getting together for the holidays. They were deciding between celebrating in Troy or in Paterson, New Jersey, where the Mells family lives, she said.
“It was undecided due to finances, because Shanta didn’t have the money to come,” Bennett said, adding that neither Mells nor Myers owned a car. The family would have taken a Greyhound bus to New Jersey, she said.
Mells’ mother last saw her on the 21st but couldn’t reach her by phone after 11 p.m. She tried getting into the Second Avenue house that night, but the door was locked, Bennett said. The next day, she asked Bennett if she had talked to Mells.
Bennett said that every time she called Mells, the phone went straight to voicemail.
“We were kind of worried,” Bennett said. “It was unlike Brandi not to be contacted.” The family initially assumed Myers and Mells decided to spend Christmas in Troy.
The day after Christmas, Mells’ mom called the property manager and asked to see if her daughter was there or had packed up to leave. The manager found the bodies, Bennett said, and immediately called cops.
“Brandi was loving,” Bennett told The Daily Beast. “She was the sweetest person you could ever meet. She had such a big heart. She would give the shirt off her back. Honestly, what would anybody would get or gain from harming her?”
Days before Brandi Mells was murdered, she scoured Facebook classifieds for Christmas presents for Myers’ children.
The 22-year-old was trying to hawk some winter tire at the same time, apparently desperate to put enough gifts under the tree.
“Is anybody still adopting kids for xmas i have a 5, 11, an [sic] 15 year old,” Mells wrote on Dec. 19, in a local Facebook group for trades. “Pockets are tight dont really have it anything helps. Games toys clothes shoes.”
She also searched a garage sale group for Troy, New York. “If anyone have ps3 or xbox1 systems with games for my two boys they don't have anything for Christmas anything help,” Mells wrote Dec. 17.
One week before, Mells wrote a gushing, emoji-filled post: “Having kids doesn’t make you a parent. Rasing [sic] them does.”
Family was important to Mells, and Myers and her children welcomed the Mells family with open arms, according to Bennett.
Mells was working odd jobs and on attaining her GED, Bennett said. She talked of becoming a counselor one day for troubled children.
Bennett, 30, and Mells grew up like sisters in New Jersey.
Mells was the youngest of the family and her mother’s only daughter. She’d overcome being picked on as a child for having dwarfism. She eventually moved to the Syracuse area with her father for a fresh start in high school.
“She started accepting it. She started embracing it, making jokes” Bennett told The Daily Beast. “She was okay with it after a while.”
If people would look at Mells the wrong way for having dwarfism, Bennett would be ready to snap at them. Mells would tell her, “No, it’s okay. It’s okay.”
“She never would have want to have a confrontation at all. She hasn’t had a problem with anybody. That’s why I don’t understand how or why … who would make her an enemy,” Bennett said.
Mells loved music, dancing and dogs, especially pit bulls. “She was the life of the party,” Bennett said. “We don’t go out to clubs or anything, but we always had our own gatherings at my house. She really liked to dance.”
Mells and Myers met about three years ago and got engaged earlier this year. The couple hadn’t set a date for their nuptials, Bennett said, but were considering moving to Paterson to be close to Mells’ family.
“If you would have been in that household, you would have felt they were together for centuries,” Bennett said.
Meanwhile, friends say Shanta Myers had overcome obstacles of her own, as the single mother of three children.
America Ray, 33, said she met Myers six years ago at a government office where Ray worked. At the time, Myers was pregnant with Shanise and a client of the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program.
The women quickly bonded when they discovered they were neighbors at a River Street apartment complex.
“It’s hard to imagine that this is real,” said Ray, who was Shanise’s godmother.. “She was a hardworking mom... Her kids were her world.”
“It’s important that the community remember who Shanta was,” Ray added. “She really did care about people. No matter what she was going through, I mean some hardcore stuff, she just cared about people.”
Myers lived in North Carolina and Arizona before moving to upstate New York, Ray said. She did maintenance and outreach for the Joseph’s House shelter, and worked various jobs cooking, cleaning and babysitting.
Most of all, Myers was an amazing cook. She was a master at mac and cheese and all types of meat dishes, and “people would beg her to eat her food,” Ray recalls.
The women were neighbors until around April of this year, when Myers moved in with Mells and Ray found an apartment in Albany.
Myers wanted a new beginning, Ray said. She wanted to relocated and land a new job so she could provide for her children as best she could.
“When someone wants a new start, they’re not happy,” Ray said, adding, “I have no idea who could do this to her.”Open source vendor SUSE jumped into the distributed storage market this week with the launch of SUSE Enterprise Storage. Based on Ceph, the new offering positions the company to compete more strongly in the software-defined, scale-out storage market.
Open source vendor SUSE jumped into the distributed storage market this week with the launch of SUSE Enterprise Storage. Based on Ceph, the new offering positions the company to compete more strongly in the software-defined, scale-out storage market.
Specifically, SUSE Enterprise Storage is based on Ceph Firefly, which was released last May. Ceph is a leading open source distributed storage system. It is built by Inktank, which Red Hat (RHT) acquired, also back in May.
SUSE’s new storage platform is debuting within a crowded market. Red Hat and other open source vendors already have established storage products based on Linux, and a plethora of closed-source solutions exist as well.
SUSE hopes to outprice the competition, however. It’s pricing the new offering at 0.1 cents per Gigabyte per month, a rate it hopes will attract companies seeking to build next-generation storage infrastructure using low-cost commodity hardware.
“Data growth has created a critical need for reliable yet affordable storage solutions beyond the traditional, expensive proprietary solutions we’re used to,” SUSE said in a statement. “SUSE Enterprise Storage is a highly scalable and resilient software-based storage solution that allows enterprises to move away from proprietary, hardware-centric storage solutions to software-based storage that delivers functionality comparable to mid- and high-end storage products but at a fraction of the cost.”This week, feminists celebrated a victory when J.C. Penney halted the sale of a girls’ T-shirt that reads “Too pretty to do homework, so my brother has to do it for me.” The shirt, suggesting girls should be too consumed with their looks to care about being smart, was pulled from the company website after customers declared their outrage via a Change.org petition. J.C. Penney issued an apology and a spokesperson commented “We’re looking into it right now, to find out how it happened.” Hmm. Maybe it fell out of an airplane onto JCPenney.com?
Even with the full-throttle backpedaling, the victory isn’t total. Penney’s is still offering another shirt (left), which lists, on a screaming pink background, the only things girls ages 7-16 are good at–you know, shopping, boys, music and dancing.
Uh, really?
This means war. T-shirt war, that is.
To briefly toot our own horn, Ms. and other feminists have been incredibly successful at stopping the sale of sexist and misogynistic T-shirts. Last year, Ms. readers and Care2 joined students at California State University, Long Beach to protest a misogynistic T-shirt suggesting women should be seen and not heard. As a result, in April, Tilly’s withdrew the shirt. In August, campaigns by numerous British feminist groups prompted the U.K. Advertising Standards Authority to ban ads for a “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels” shirt available on Zazzle.com.
We’ve already seen how sexist messages in the media shape how young girls view themselves, and it’s not good. Marketing to young girls should not include messages that sexualize them or teach them to hide their smarts. That’s why Mattel’s 1992 “math class is tough” Barbie was fought with such vigor by feminists.
Unfortunately, the T-shirt wars rage on. We hope you’ll join us in campaigning against Penney’s “best subjects” tee.Researchers associated with the International Rice Research Institute are reporting C4 photosynthesis success on the way toward dramatically boosting the productivity of grains like rice and wheat that use less efficient C3 photosynthesis. According to Technology Review:
In December, geneticists announced that they’d made a major advance in engineering rice plants to carry out photosynthesis in a more efficient way—much as corn and many fast-growing weeds do. The advance, by a consortium of 12 laboratories in eight countries, removes a big obstacle from scientists’ efforts to dramatically increase the production of rice and, potentially, wheat. It comes at a time when yields of those two crops, which together feed nearly 40 percent of the world, are dangerously leveling off, making it increasingly difficult to meet rapidly growing food demand. The supercharged process, called C4 photosynthesis, boosts plants’ growth by capturing carbon dioxide and concentrating it in specialized cells in the leaves. That allows the photosynthetic process to operate much more efficiently. It’s the reason corn and sugarcane grow so productively; if C4 rice ever comes about, it will tower over conventional rice within a few weeks of planting. Researchers calculate that engineering C4 photosynthesis into rice and wheat could increase yields per hectare by roughly 50 percent; alternatively, it would be possible to use far less water and fertilizer to produce the same amount of food.
Getting the C4 pathway to work at all in rice and wheat is just the first step. However, the fantastic new CRISPR gene-editing technology should speed the process of developing more efficient grain crops up substantially. The researchers believe that the first upgraded rice and wheat varieties could be available to farmers in a decade. The spectre of famine recedes ever further. Take that Paul Ehrlich!Anonymous engraving (ca. 1783) General O'Hara surrenders the sword of Lieutenant-General Cornwallis to Count de Rochambeau and General Washington.Anonymous engraving (ca. 1783)
General Charles O'Hara (1740 – 25 February 1802) was a British military officer who served in the Seven Years' War, American War of Independence, and French Revolutionary War, and later served as Governor of Gibraltar. During his career O'Hara personally surrendered to both George Washington and Napoleon Bonaparte.
Early life [ edit ]
Charles O'Hara was born in Lisbon, Portugal, the illegitimate son of The 2nd Baron Tyrawley (who was eventually promoted Field Marshal in 1763) and his Portuguese mistress. Charles was sent to Westminster School. On 23 December 1752, at the age of twelve—a young but not uncommon age for a subaltern of the era—he became a cornet in the 3rd Dragoons. He became a lieutenant in the 2nd Regiment of the Coldstream Guards on 14 January 1756 shortly before major warfare broke out in Europe.
Seven Years' War [ edit ]
During the Seven Years' War O'Hara served in Germany as an aide to the Marquess of Granby, the senior officer of the British contingent serving with the Duke of Brunswick's army. In 1762 he served under his father in Portugal in the same campaign with Charles Lee. He also saw service in Germany. Although a disciplinarian, he was extremely popular with the troops under his command.[1]
Senegal [ edit ]
On 25 July 1766, O'Hara was appointed commandant of the Africa Corps in Senegal, colony which had been captured from France in 1758, with the rank of lieutenant colonel. This unit was made up of British military prisoners pardoned in exchange for accepting life service in Africa. It came at a time when the British government were trying to build up a base in West Africa. In 1769, he was appointed as a captain in the Coldstream Guards.
The development of Senegal was a disappointment for the British and O'Hara was uninterested in civil governance. Despite the constitution which had been created offering generous rights to settlers, very few British colonists ever came to West Africa. The territories would ultimately be ceded back to France at the Treaty of Versailles in 1783.
American War of Independence [ edit ]
In July 1778, Lt. Col. O'Hara arrived in America and immediately commanded forces at Sandy Hook, New Jersey. Lt. Gen. Henry Clinton, commander of the British army in America, gave him that assignment as the French fleet under Admiral d'Estaing threatened New York City.
Southern Campaign [ edit ]
In October 1780, O'Hara was promoted to brigadier and became commander of Brigade of Guards. He became Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis' second-in-command and good friend. During Cornwallis' pursuit of Major General Nathanael Greene to the Dan River, O'Hara distinguished himself at Cowan's Ford, North Carolina on 1 February 1781. He also led the British counterattack at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse on 15 March 1781, which led to General Greene withdrawing from the field of battle. He was severely wounded during this battle, but was able to remain with the army as it moved toward Yorktown, Virginia. His nephew, who was a lieutenant of the artillery, was killed during the battle.
Yorktown [ edit ]
The British surrender at Yorktown.
General O'Hara represented the British at the surrender of Yorktown on 19 October 1781, as Cornwallis' adjutant, when he pleaded illness. He first attempted to surrender to French Comte de Rochambeau, who declined his sword and deferred to General George Washington. Washington declined and deferred to Major General Benjamin Lincoln, who was serving as Washington's second-in-command and had surrendered to General Clinton at Charleston in May 1780. O'Hara was exchanged on 9 February 1782, and was sent to the Caribbean in command of a detachment of reinforcements. Following the conclusion of the war with the Treaty of Paris he returned to Britain having been promoted to major general.[2]
The Sword of Surrender [ edit ]
There are various accounts of what became of the surrender sword after the battle: some claim General Washington kept it for a few years and then had it returned to Lord Cornwallis, while some believe the sword remains in America's possession, perhaps in the White House. However, in what is generally regarded as the definitive modern study of the Yorktown campaign, The Guns of Independence (2005), U.S. National Park Service historian Jerome S. Greene writes simply that O'Hara extended Cornwallis's sword and, Washington took the sword, symbolically held it a moment, and then returned it to O'Hara.[3] Thus, this most symbolic of war trophies remained with its original owner.
After the war [ edit ]
In 1784, O'Hara fled from England to the Continent due to gambling debts. While in Italy he met the writer Mary Berry and began a long relationship with her. After Cornwallis offered him help to pay off his debts he was able to return to Britain. When Cornwallis was made Governor General of India in 1786 he offered to take O'Hara with him, but he declined.[2]
In 1792, he was appointed lieutenant governor of Gibraltar.
Toulon [ edit ]
In 1793, he was promoted to lieutenant-general. On 23 November 1793, he was captured at Fort Mulgrove in Toulon, France during operations that gained Napoleon the attention of his superiors. On the 10th of the same month, he marched to the siege of Toulon, at the resumption of the height of the Arena, of which the enemy had momentarily taken possession. In this struggle, he took the English general O'Hara away, and put down his arms to his staff. O'Hara had been leading a bold sortie by the besieged British troops. Napoleon had personally directed the capture operation and accepted O'Hara's formal surrender. O'Hara was treated as an "insurrectionist" and was imprisoned in the Luxembourg Prison and threatened with the guillotine.[4] In the Luxembourg he and his retinue formed a very companionable relationship with a fellow prisoner, the Anglo-American revolutionary, Thomas Paine. [5] O'Hara spent two years in prison in Paris.
O'Hara thus has the distinction of having been personally taken prisoner by George Washington and Napoleon Bonaparte.
Later years [ edit ]
In August 1795, he was exchanged for Comte de Rochambeau. Later that year he became engaged to Mary Berry, but the engagement was broken when he was named Governor of Gibraltar for a second time on 30 December 1795, and she would not leave England. He was promoted to full general in 1798. O'Hara is known for the folly that was O'Hara's Tower on Gibraltar and his debates with John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent over the redesign of Gibraltar to serve the needs of the British Fleet. St Vincent, who was admiral in charge of the Mediterranean Fleet, recommended that the Royal Navy Victualling Yard be relocated to the Rosia Bay area, just south of the New Mole. Governor O'Hara did not approve of St Vincent's plan as he proposed to finance it by selling the naval stores at Waterport and Irish Town. However, St Vincent had poor regard for O'Hara, who let the garrison enjoy the ninety pubs on the Rock. It has been proposed that he needed the income to finance his many households and mistresses. St Vincent, however, won with regard to his navy's needs. The poor morale in the garrison led to a plot to let Spain have Gibraltar. O'Hara discovered the plot and 1,000 people were exiled from the Rock.[6]
He died on 25 February 1802, from complications due to his old wounds.
In popular culture [ edit ]
In the Roland Emmerich film The Patriot starring Mel Gibson, Charles O'Hara was played by Peter Woodward.
References [ edit ]
^ Fredrikson p.549-550 a b Babits & Howard p.195 ^ The Guns of Independence: The Siege of Yorktown, 1781. (Savis Beatie Publishing: 2005) page 297; 1-932714-05-7 Greene, Jerome S.. (Savis Beatie Publishing: 2005) page 297; ISBN ^ Babits & Howard p.195-196 ^ "Thomas Paine and General O'Hara live in the same convent in Paris; they eat together, and are very social companions," Oracle and Public Advertiser [London], April 7, 1794; Moncure Daniel Conway, The Life of Thomas Paine, 1892 v. 2, p. 129 ^ Jackson, Sir William G. F. (1990). The rock of the Gibraltarians : a history of Gibraltar (2nd ed.). Grendon: Gibraltar Books. p. 188. ISBN 0948466146.
Bibliography [ edit ]Everyone is understandably losing their minds over Rihanna's launch of Fenty Beauty, as it's arguably the most anticipated and hailed beauty launch since Pat McGrath's. Rihanna is being praised for prioritizing inclusivity of her brand, with a diverse marketing campaign and 40 shades of foundation, because the queen knows that if you have more than 12 shades of coverage products, over half of them better be for medium and deep skin tones. (Nobody needs 25 shades of alabaster and linen, am I right?)
Rihanna worked with Kendo, a brand incubator that also includes Kat Von D Beauty, Marc Jacobs Beauty, Ole Henriksen, and Bite Beauty in its portfolio. Notably, brands like Kat Von D and Marc Jacobs are cruelty-free lines, meaning they do not test on animals. So where does Fenty Beauty fall into this?
It's important to note how a brand becomes and stays cruelty-free. According to Tanisha Combs, who reports exclusively on cruelty-free brands as founder of the site Logical Harmony, the term means "there should be no form of animal testing at any point in the creation of a brand's products. It's common for companies to not test the final product on animals, but to test it along the way or to use ingredients that have been tested on animals by a third party."
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There's also the issue of "required by law" animal testing. Brands that sell in China can be a red flag, since brands sold there are required to test on animals. While a brand may not test on animals during the process, the final products are required to be tested on animals in order to be sold in China.
Missy Maynard, cofounder of Storybook Cosmetics, explained it more. "Selling cosmetics to the Chinese market is always a hard decision for beauty brands," she said. "While China's mandatory animal testing regulations have been greatly improved over the years, they still require imported cosmetics to be tested on animals. Until this practice is eliminated, many brands, including my own, have decided to exclude China from purchasing from our website. Although animal testing is not required when a consumer in China purchases directly from a US website, it is still a very fine line."
POPSUGAR reached out to BOLD PR, the agency that represents Kendo Brands and Fenty Beauty, and a rep told us that Fenty Beauty is cruelty-free and it is not available in or to ship to China. So there you have it! Now you can enjoy your Match Stix and glow with peace of mind.Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Over the years, thousands of Cubans have fled to the United States
Cuba's interior ministry says it believes the killings of four people, whose bodies were found west of the capital, Havana, are linked to an attempt to leave the island illegally.
The ministry suggested there had been what it called "support from outside."
The BBC Havana correspondent Sarah Rainsford says this implies they were using traffickers to take them by boat to the United States.
Thousands of Cubans have left the island for the US since the revolution.
Six suspects have been arrested in connection with the discovery of the bodies.
Cuba very rarely reports violent crimes. So by making this multiple murder public, it looks as if the interior ministry is trying to discourage others tempted to flee by sea, especially those considering paying criminal gangs to transport them, our correspondent says.
Cubans are now allowed to leave the island without government permission but it is hard to get visas for most countries.
However, any Cuban who sets foot on American soil is entitled to stay there, so many take to the sea in the hope of reaching the US.
Last year, the US Coast Guard intercepted more than 1,300 Cubans trying to do that.
The number who made it to shore or who died trying is not known.
Day to day life for many in communist Cuba is still difficult, with small state salaries and minimal prospects for the future.
So some try to reach the US themselves in boats or on rafts, and others pay traffickers to take them.
Earlier this year one man arrived in the US on a windsurfer after four days at sea with just a bottle of water and a bag of sweets to sustain him.Greetings to you, people of Tor.com! Leigh Butler here, of the Wheel of Time Reread.
As you know, Bob, the Wheel of Time as a whole has been nominated for Best Novel for the 2014 Hugo Awards, which is super awesome, and also, Tor Books in the U.S. and Orbit Books in the U.K. have made the incredibly generous decision to include all fourteen novels of the Wheel of Time in the Hugo voter packet, which should be available now, and which is even more awesome.
Of course, the thing is, fourteen Wheel of Time novels is… kind of a lot of reading. (She understates, solemnly.) It’s a lot of reading even for people like me, who (a) have read the novels before and (b) speedread as a matter of course. I don’t think it is impossible to get through the entire Wheel of Time series in the time allotted between now and the voting deadline, but it might be a bit of a tall order for those voters whose spare time is limited.
So! With that in mind, the Powers That Be at Tor.com have asked me to put together a little refresher on The Wheel of Time for those who wish to be conscientious Hugo voters, but may not have time to reread the novels in full. I will provide a summary of the events in each novel, of course, but I will also give you my favorite scene and/or passage from each novel, to try and give you a little of the flavor of it beyond a dry summary. Because I am generous like that.
So, if that is a thing that you feel will help you be a good Hugo voter (or just something you think you would like to read), read on!
All due credit must be given to the amazing Encyclopaedia WOT, which was an invaluable resource when putting this together. Also, some bits of the summaries were semi-cribbed from A Wheel of Time Wiki, which I am nevertheless not linking here because the site made my computer crash twice and seems generally shady, sorry.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Please remember to be conscientious Hugo voters and cast your vote for every category on the 2014 ballot.
Onward!
Skip to your preferred book:
Book 1: The Eye of the World
Book 2: The Great Hunt
Book 3: The Dragon Reborn
Book 4: The Shadow Rising
Book 5: The Fires Of Heaven
Book 6: Lord of Chaos
Book 7: A Crown of Swords
Book 8: The Path of Daggers
Book 9: Winter’s Heart
Book 10: Crossroads of Twilight
Book 11: Knife of Dreams
Book 12: The Gathering Storm
Book 13: Towers of Midnight
Book 14: A Memory of Light
The Eye of the World
Summary
In the Prologue (set some three thousand years before the events of the series proper), a dazed Lews Therin Telamon wanders through the ruins of his palace, not noticing the dead bodies everywhere or knowing that he was the cause of it. He calls for his wife Ilyena, not noticing that she is one of the corpses. A man appears from thin air and looks at the scene with disdain. He calls himself Elan Morin Tedronai, and calls Lews Therin “Lord of the Morning.” Lews Therin is confused, but calls the man “Betrayer of Hope.” Tedronai taunts Lews Therin, and then magically (and painfully) Heals Lews Therin so that he regains enough sanity to realize what he has done. Lews Therin screams in agony, then uses “the True Source” to Travel far away, to an empty plain. In remorse, he draws an enormous amount of the One Power and obliterates himself with a solid bar of light. After, a jagged mountain remains in the place where he had been.
The true story begins in Emond’s Field, a small village in the Two Rivers district of the nation of Andor, where we meet Rand al’Thor, Matrim (Mat) Cauthon, Perrin Aybara, Egwene al’Vere, and the village Wisdom Nynaeve al’Meara.
On the eve of the spring festival Bel Tine, Emond’s Field is unexpectedly attacked by monsters called Trollocs and Myrddraal. A mysterious Aes Sedai named Moiraine Damodred tells Rand, Mat, and Perrin that they are the targets of the attacks, and convinces them to come with her to Tar Valon to protect their village. They are joined by Moiraine’s warder, Lan Mandragoran, a wandering gleeman named Thom Merrilin, and by Egwene, who discovers the plan and insists on coming along.
At the city of Baerlon, they meet Min Farshaw, a young woman who can see people’s futures, and also Padan Fain, a peddler they’d thought dead after the attack on Emond’s Field. Rand, Mat, and Perrin begin experiencing dreams in which they are taunted by a frightening man who calls himself Ba’alzamon. Shortly before they leave the city, Nynaeve arrives to retrieve the Emond’s Fielders from Moiraine; when they refuse to go with her, she insists on joining the party. Egwene and Nynaeve both discover that they are capable of channeling saidar, the female half of the One Power. Egwene is excited by this, but Nynaeve is violently against the notion of becoming an Aes Sedai.
Chased by Shadowspawn, the party is forced to take refuge in the haunted and deadly ruins of Shadar Logoth. Rand, Mat and Perrin meet a ghost named Mordeth there and barely escape from him alive. When the party attempts to leave the city, the glowing deadly fog called Mashadar forces them to separate.
Rand, Mat and Thom end up taking passage on Bayle Domon’s rivership heading to Whitebridge, and Rand discovers that Mat has taken a ruby-hilted dagger from Shadar Logoth despite Moiraine’s warnings not to touch anything of the city. Thom is apparently killed in Whitebridge saving the two boys from another Myrddraal, and Rand and Mat continue on alone to Caemlyn, dodging Darkfriends and battling privation. Mat’s behavior grows increasingly paranoid and mistrustful.
In Caemlyn, Rand befriends an Ogier named Loial, and then accidentally falls into the Palace gardens, where he meets Elayne Trakand, heir to the throne of Andor, her brother Gawyn Trakand, and her half-brother Galad Damodred. Galad has Rand arrested and brought before the Queen, Morgase Trakand. Elaida, Morgase’s Aes Sedai advisor, has the gift of Foretelling, and warns Morgase that Rand is dangerous, but Morgase decides to let him go free.
Meanwhile Egwene and Perrin have been traveling in the company of a man called Elyas Machera, who claims to talk to wolves, and says that Perrin can do the same. They run into a company of the Children of Light, also called Whitecloaks, and Perrin kills two of them after witnessing them kill a wolf. He is sentenced to death, but Moiraine, Lan, and Nynaeve rescue him and Egwene. Nynaeve notes that Perrin’s eyes have turned golden, just as Elyas’s were. When they reach Caemlyn, they find Mat almost completely corrupted by the influence of the dagger he stole; Moiraine somewhat restores him, but says he must go to Tar Valon to be healed completely.
Loial warns Moiraine of a threat to the Eye of the World, which is confirmed by the disturbing dreams Mat, Rand and Perrin have been having. The Eye of the World was created by Aes Sedai who sacrificed themselves to create a pool of saidin untouched by the Dark One’s taint, and is hidden in the Blight. The Eye of the World is protected by Someshta (the Green Man) and contains one of the seven seals on the Dark One’s prison, the Dragon banner of Lews Therin Telamon, and the Horn of Valere.
Loial guides the group through the Ways (passageways built by the male Aes Sedai during the Breaking of the World, which are now tainted by the same evil that tainted saidin) in order to reach the Eye of the World. There, the party is confronted by two of the Forsaken, Aginor and Balthamel. The Green Man kills Balthamel, and Aginor and Rand battle for control of the Eye of the World. Rand defeats Aginor, defies Ba’alzamon, and uses the Eye of the World to decimate the Trolloc army threatening human lands.
Afterwards Rand realizes to his horror that he has channeled the One Power and is therefore condemned to a fate of insanity and a rotting death. It is revealed that Moiraine believes Rand is the Dragon Reborn.
Favorite Passage
From Chapter 40, “The Web Tightens”:
The Queen motioned the Captain-General to stand aside, and when he did she studied Rand with a troubled look. It was to Elaida that she spoke, though. “What are you naming him? Darkfriend? One of Logain’s followers?” “The Dark One stirs in Shayol Ghul,” the Aes Sedai replied. “The Shadow lies across the Pattern, and the future is balanced on the point of a pin. This one is dangerous.” Suddenly Elayne moved, throwing herself onto her knees before the throne. “Mother, I beg you not to harm him. He would have left immediately had I not stopped him. He wanted to go. It was I who made him stay. I cannot believe he is a Darkfriend.” Morgase made a soothing gesture toward her daughter, but her eyes remained on Rand. “Is this a Foretelling, Elaida? Are you reading the Pattern? You say it comes on you when you least expect it and goes as suddenly as it comes. If this is a Foretelling, Elaida, I command you to speak the truth clearly, without your usual habit of wrapping it in so much mystery that no one can tell if you have said yes or no. Speak. What do you see?” “This I Foretell,” Elaida replied, “and swear under the Light that I can say no clearer. From this day Andor marches toward pain and division. The Shadow has yet to darken to its blackest, and I cannot see if the Light will come after. Where the world has wept one tear, it will weep thousands. This I Foretell.” A pall of silence clung to the room, broken only by Morgase expelling her breath as if it were her last. Elaida continued to stare into Rand’s eyes. She spoke again, barely moving her lips, so softly that he could barely hear her less than an arm’s length away. “This, too, I Foretell. Pain and division come to the whole world, and this man stands at the heart of it. I obey the Queen,” she whispered, “and speak it clearly.” Rand felt as if his feet had become rooted in the marble floor. The cold and stiffness of the stone crept up his legs and sent a shiver up his spine. No one else could have heard. But she was still looking at him, and he had heard. “I’m a shepherd,” he said for the entire room. “From the Two Rivers. A shepherd.”
The Great Hunt
Summary
In the Prologue, Ba’alzamon presides over a clandestine gathering of Darkfriends, from all nations and walks of life, including two Aes Sedai. Ba’alzamon shows them images of Rand, Mat and Perrin, and tells them he wants the Dragon to serve him.
Rand et al recover and rest at Fal Dara in the Borderlands. Suian Sanche, the Amyrlin (or leader) of the Aes Sedai comes to the castle, and she and Moiraine force Rand to confront her conviction that he is the Dragon Reborn. Rand, however, continues to deny it. Padan Fain is a prisoner to Fal Dara, where he had been revealed as a very powerful Darkfriend. He soon escapes, stealing the Horn of Valere and the tainted dagger Mat took from Shadar Logoth.
Mat will not survive long without the dagger, so he, Rand, and Perrin accompany Lord Ingtar south to retrieve it and the Horn. Egwene and Nynaeve go with Moiraine to Tar Valon to begin training as Aes Sedai, and find that Elayne Trakand and Min Farshaw are in the city as well. Egwene and Elayne are novices, but Nynaeve passes the test to become Accepted, the intermediate rank before full Aes Sedai. Egwene learns that she is a Dreamer, with the ability to see visions of the future in her sleep.
Rand, Loial, and a Shien |
for the 25-year-old, whilst Manchester United have also been linked.
But now Vertonghen has suggested that he could be on course for a move to White Hart Lane.
"I owe much to Ajax, I have always given my whole heart and soul for them. My appreciation for the club and the fans is great," said Vertonghen, who has encouraged his current employers not to stand in his way.
"It would be terrible if my departure would be a long and distorted situation as Ajax would keep asking for a great price 'till the bone'.
"Of course I want Ajax to become financially better, but the amount Tottenham are willing to pay, maybe with a little bit extra, is very reasonable.
"In a year from now I could leave the club for free. I hope Ajax are aware of it as the situation of Maarten Stekelenburg's transfer was very harsh. He only arrived at the end of pre-season at AS Roma. I want to flow in fluently, directly with the other Spurs players.
"Tottenham is a fantastic traditional club who play football in a way I like.
"Ajax was the perfect club for me, but Spurs will be very close in nearing that already. They buy young, eager and offensive-minded players."
Spurs' Rafael van der Vaart has already revealed he has encouraged Vertonghen to move to White Hart Lane, whilst manager Harry Redknapp confirmed his interest earlier this month.Marvin Macaraig would love to see more cyclists in Scarborough, but there's just one problem.
"Scarborough currently has no separated bike lanes," he said. "The suburbs present an opportunity. The cities and the communities that can transform their streets quicker are the ones that are going to benefit."
Macaraig and Scarborough Cycles offer people who'd like to begin biking a supportive network to learn the necessary skills and workshops to refine them. (Taylor Simmons/CBC)
Macaraig, who's the Bike Hub Co-ordinator with Scarborough Cycles, spoke with Metro Morning Monday to highlight the particular challenges cyclists in suburban areas face when it comes to having a safe, enjoyable ride.
He said many people would be more open to using their bikes if they had a reliable, separated network.
It's a problem echoed by Mississauga Ward 3 Councillor Chris Fonseca, who's also a member of the Mississauga Cycling Advisory Committee.
"Those interested but concerned riders want to ride more," she said, citing surveys the city has conducted on cycling. "We've heard from over 2,000 of them that they would like to ride more; however, they don't feel necessarily safe enough on some of that infrastructure."
Both Macaraig and Fonseca agree, the suburbs have great multi-use trails for both recreational use and for commuting, but more people would regularly cycle if they saw designated routes as part of each city's major arteries.
Macaraig mentioned the Gatineau Hydro Corridor as one of the many great biking trails you can find in the suburbs. (Toronto and Region Conservation)
With some streets in the suburban areas as wide as four lanes, Macaraig said, it can be a loud and fast ride. If you're not comfortable, you're forced onto the trails.
"The network is a patchwork," he said. "We need that minimum grid."
More cycling routes planned
Both advocates could get their wish though, as each area has plans in the works to create more cycling infrastructure.
Fonseca said the city is in the midst of executing their Cycling Master Plan, which includes the intention to create more than 900 kilometres of on and off-road cycling routes over the next 20 years.
You can look at where those will be, here.
The city will also consider cyclists as they move forward with other projects, Fonseca said, such as the Hurontario LRT corridor and Dundas Connects, which is a plan to enhance Dundas Street from Oakville to Toronto. Those plans could include creating routes that directly connect with transit hubs.
Fonseca, an avid cyclist herself, is working towards creating more bike lanes in Mississauga, as she agreed she doesn't feel completely safe while riding on the roads. (Taylor Simmons/CBC)
"Rather than cycling being an after-thought, it's important to have a multi-modal approach, and we're hearing that from everyone," she said.
Last year, Toronto City Council also identified Scarborough's Kingston Road as one of eight streets that could be configured to include bike lanes or bikeways. It's part of a 10-year plan to add 525 kilometres of biking infrastructure to the city.
Still, Macaraig thinks more could be done to create a network beneficial to residents.
"People come into our bike hub and tell me all the time, they understand the benefits cycling can bring, they don't want to be on transit, they don't want to be in their car, but it's safety," he said. "People want to feel safe when they ride."
With files from Metro MorningChicago’s latest food hall — featuring 10 different vendors — debuts today with a unique way to order food. Forum 55 stands on the concourse level of the 50-story Mid-Continental Plaza at 55 E. Monroe Street. Aimed at Loop office workers, the food hall will offer customers a choice between cheffy burgers, ramen, tamales, pierogis, and more. They’ll also have access to some high-caliber caffeine from Sparrow Coffee.
Click here for a list of vendors. They include Friends Sushi, Flo & Santos, Pork & Mindy’s, and Butcher & Larder. There’s also a grab-and-go option, The Monroe Street Market, inside. Here are the breakfast offerings, and the lunch menus are here. While customers can stop in today, a rep cautions that not all vendors will be open, in particular the salad bar. They anticipate to be at 100 percent on Monday, October 23.
The ordering process involves computerized kiosks and customers’ cell phones. Customers punch their orders in on kiosks and receive a paper receipt with a number. When the order’s ready, that number will flash on a flatscreen. If customers don’t want to watch for their number, they can opt for a text notification. The food hall doesn’t accept cash, and customers can also order online. Formerly the Under 55 Cafe, the space has been remodeled with everyone’s favorite restaurant design element: Edison bulbs. There’s room for 270 and an assortment of low- and high-top tables.
There are two rotating vendors at the food hall. The first is a station that rotates weekly, which is operated by the food hall’s owners, Eurest. This week it will feature Indian food. Next week will be Korean, followed by “Earth Bowl” vegetarian, then Italian, and then Asian. The second pop-up is trumpeted as one that will help restaurateurs of color and women. It’s called The Apron Exchange. Dia de los Tamales, which recently announced a new location at Block 37, is the first vendor involved. It will serve a variety of creative tamales made popular at its original Pilsen spot.
Check out the photos below. Forum 55, for the most part, is now open.
Forum 55, 55 E. Monroe Street, open 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. for breakfast and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch on weekdays. The Monroe Street Market’s open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays.At Mobile World Congress in February, Telstra made big headlines by announcing it would launch the world's first commercial 1-Gbps 4G service. Its new high-performance LTE-Advanced network is set to go live this year in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. There is only one problem. Just a single device will be capable of accessing such a powerful network, a stand-alone modem built by Netgear. It will be a while — if ever — before a smartphone will be able to support such superfast speeds.
That situation sums up the Australian mobile industry in a nutshell. The country has always tottered on the bleeding edge of mobile networking, but it's so far in front of the industry it often has to wait for mobile device technology to catch up. OpenSignal is taking its first close-up look at the networks of the land down under, comparing the mobile performance of its three major operators: Optus, Telstra and Vodafone. What we found was a country that definitely lives up to its reputation for mobile innovation.
No slow networks here
In our February-to-April test period, OpenSignal clocked the fastest speeds in Australia on Telstra's LTE network. It averaged 4G downloads of 23.6 Mbps, but Optus and Vodafone were hardly tortoises to Telstra's hare. We measured LTE download speeds faster than 18 Mbps on both operators' networks, resulting in a statistical tie for second place.
3G speeds for all three operators were between 4 and 5 Mbps, resulting in a three-way draw. But Telstra managed to take our award for overall speed — which measures the typical mobile data experience across all networks — with an average download connection of 17 Mbps.
Monitoring 4G experience
When it came to 4G availability, it was a much closer contest over who could provide an LTE connection most often. Starting with this report, OpenSignal is changing the name of our time coverage metric to the term availability. Availability still measures the same thing as time coverage — the percentage of time customers have access to a particular network. We feel the name availability better represents what our crowdsourced community tracks: the real experience the typical consumer sees on a network, rather than a measure of geographic coverage. (For more details, see our methodology page)
All of Australia's operators performed quite well in the availability category. 4G customers on all three networks were able to see an LTE signal more than 70% of the time. The winner in the category, however, was a bit of a surprise as Australia's smallest operator Vodafone was able to match long-dominant Telstra in 4G availability. In our three-month test window, Vodafone 4G customers were able to connect to its LTE network 77.6% of the time, which put it in a statistical tie with Telstra. Optus was a nose-length behind both with an availability rating of 73.4%.
As mentioned earlier, availability doesn't measure geographic or population coverage. Telstra has long invested heavily in geographic coverage, bringing mobile data services to some of the remotest parts of Australia. What we're seeing in our availability tests represents the typical experience customers are seeing on their operators' networks wherever they happen to be.
The final metric we tracked is latency, which measures the response time of a network. Networks with lower latency send data back and forth much more quickly, which creates a much more streamlined mobile internet experience. For instance, web pages begin rendering faster and there is less lag time in real-time communications apps such as video chat. Latency is becoming an increasingly important metric in Australia as all three operators have started moving their voice services onto their LTE networks. Vodafone won the 3G latency award with a response time of 87.4 milliseconds. The 4G latency award was split between Optus and Vodafone, with both coming in under 55ms.
Breaking speed barriers
Australia has done an admirable job maintaining its leading role in the global 4G market. In our most recent tabulations, the country was among the top 10 in average LTE speed and in the top 20 in 4G availability (not an easy feat to pull off considering Australia's vast territory).
What those rankings don't convey, however, is just how far Australia has advanced its network capabilities. Many operators globally have deployed LTE on multiple frequency bands and used LTE-Advanced techniques to tie those bands into high-speed connections, but Telstra and Optus have gone several steps further. They have begun aggregating three — and in some cases four — frequencies into massive-bandwidth links. Telstra is now reaching deep into the grab bag of the LTE-Advanced standard to implement new multi-antenna and more sophisticated modulation technologies in its new 1-Gbps-network launching this year.
The problem is only a handful of devices exist that can access these new upgraded networks, and in most cases those devices aren't smartphones. Two such devices are Samsung's new flagship phones, the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, and when we broke out speed test data for those handsets on Telstra's network we found average download speeds of 31.3 Mbps. That's 8 Mbps faster than the operator's 4G average. The S7s, however, only account 2.5% of the OpenSignal users on Telstra's 4G service — not enough for us to say anything definitive about the typical speed on Australia's most powerful networks. But it provides a reasonable indication that Australian consumers can expect their 4G speeds to keep climbing as they upgrade to more advanced smartphones in the next few years.
In conclusion, Australia's networks are both fast and widely available — and they're only improving. Even while waiting for the rest of the world to catch up with Australia in 4G, the country has already begun experimenting with the next iteration of mobile broadband: 5G. Perhaps the best indication of Australia's commitment to the future, though, is its attitude toward the past. Both Telstra and Optus will begin mothballing their 2G networks in less than a year's time.
Editor's Note: This report was updated on July 15, 2016 with additional details on OpenSignal's availability metric and the distinction with geographic coverage metrics.Mexican national team head coach Miguel Herrera has named his 18-man roster ahead of the April 2 friendly against the USMNT (11 pm ET, ESPN, UniMas) and unsurprisingly, it is entirely composed of players from Mexico's Liga MX.
But perhaps El Tri’s hottest attacker based in Mexico, Santos Laguna forward Oribe Peralta, will not be in camp ahead of the match at Univesity of Phoenix Stadium, because of personal reasons. The 30-year-old forward has three goals in his last four games with Santos.
There will be some familiar faces for MLS fans on the roster, namely former New York Red Bulls Designated Player Rafa Márquez, who retains his place in Herrera's plans leading up to the World Cup, as well as players from the Cruz Azul (two players) and Toluca (three players) sides that knocked MLS opposition out of the CONCACAF Champions League last week.
Club América, Herrera's former club, are the most represented club with seven players on the roster.
The group will meet in Mexico City on Sunday and leave for Arizona on Monday.
MEXICO ROSTER VS. US
GOALKEEPERS (2): Alfredo Talavera (Toluca), Moisés Muñoz (Club América)
DEFENDERS (8): Paul Aguilar (Club América), Miguel Layún (Club América), Miguel Ángel Ponce (Toluca), Francisco "Maza" Rodríguez (Club América), Juan Carlos Valenzuela (Club América), Rogelio Alfredo Chávez (Cruz Azul), Enrique Pérez (Atlas), Rafa Márquez (León)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Isaac Brizuela (Toluca), Jesús Zavala (Monterrey), Juan Carlos Medina (Club América), Marco Fabián (Cruz Azul), Carlos Alberto Peña (León), Luis Arturo Montes (León)
FORWARDS (2): Alan Pulido (Tigres), Raúl Jiménez (America)0 Popular Capitol Hill cocktail lounge relocating after 60 percent rent hike
SEATTLE - One of Capitol Hill's most popular nightclubs tells us a near $10,000 rent raise is forcing them out. The owner of Purr says it's just another case of gentrification.
Small businesses in the Central District that are part of Africa Town say they're being replaced by bigger businesses with deeper pockets. Likewise on Capitol Hill, new, expensive commercial and residential buildings are popping up everywhere so long-time renters like Purr say they have to relocate.
Owner Barbie Roberts says she opened Purr cocktail lounge on Capitol Hill 12 years ago to sell more than just drinks; she was selling an atmosphere where people could feel comfortable.
"That's where the whole name Purr came from because that's how my cats feel when they're purring," Roberts told us. But now Purr will be purring somewhere else.
"It's going to be at the old Montlake Ale House. It's going to be still a cocktail lounge with more emphasis on food," Roberts explained.
Roberts said that wasn't the original plan though. Her landlord Matt Basta wants to raise her rent 60-percent from nearly $14,000 a month to nearly $24,000 a month. Roberts says it's gentrification at work on Capitol Hill.
"More people are coming to this part of the city and the rents are just astronomical and lot of small business owners are being forced out because it has grown and it has changed," Roberts explained.
Matt Basta is out of town but told us over the phone that gentrification is inevitable. He says he went through it in Belltown; he raised the rent for the hair salon leasing his building there but that business stayed.
Roberts recognizes growth and expansion is good for the area-- she just wonders if it's the wrong kind of growth and expansion.
"For small business owners to afford those kinds of rents, I’m not sure how they can make it," she concluded.
Basta says he already has a new tenant to replace Purr, another gay bar, he says willing to pay the higher rent, which he says is fair market value.
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© 2019 Cox Media Group.Episode 13 – Brian Cuban, Author and Keynote Speaker
By Rise2Recovery · February 16, 2017 · 1 Comment
An authority on body dysmorphic disorder, male eating disorders and addiction, Brian Cuban is the author of the best-selling book, Shattered Image: My Triumph Over Body Dysmorphic Disorder. It chronicles his first-hand experiences living with, and recovering from, twenty-seven years of eating disorders, alcoholism, drug addiction and Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD).
Cuban has appeared on prestigious talks shows such as the Katie Couric Show as well as numerous media outlets around the country. He also writes extensively on these subjects. His columns have appeared on CNN.com, Foxnews.com,The Huffington Post and in online and print newspapers around the world.
Cuban speaks regularly about his recovery and breaking the stigma surrounding eating disorders, addiction and mental illness. He is a highly sought after college, non-profit event and conference speaker regarding body image, addiction, eating disorder awareness and recovery. Cuban has spoken across the United States and in Canada.
His new book, The Addicted Lawyer, is set to be released on June 13th of this year and chronicles his struggles with drugs and alcohol during his time as a lawyer. Follow Brian on Twitter to learn more about the book and what he is doing in the addiction and mental health industry. You can check out his website here.Mention the word spinnaker and most sailors think of spicy downwind runs. But some of us have another use for those sails, namely flying. Given the right conditions and some stouthearted companions, getting airborne is a blast.How it worksFirst, you need a symmetrical masthead spinnaker, not a gennaker, an asymmetrical, or a cruising chute.
Mention the word “spinnaker” and most sailors think of spicy downwind runs. But some of us have another use for those sails, namely flying. Given the right conditions and some stouthearted companions, getting airborne is a blast.
How it works
First, you need a symmetrical masthead spinnaker, not a gennaker, an asymmetrical, or a cruising chute. Normally, a spinnaker is set to pull the boat downwind, and each clew is attached to a sheet or guy that’s led to the boat’s stern quarters. With spinnaker flying, the object is to use the sail to lift a person into the wild blue yonder, instead of pulling the boat forward. In fact, you should be anchored stern-to, in order to orient the bow downwind.
To adapt your sail for spinnaker flying, remove the sheets and guys and instead run a single line about 100-150% of the length of the sail’s foot (between the clews). Tie the line to the clews with bowlines. This is called the “swing line”; the person sitting on it is called “the flyer”. Attach an additional line to one of the clews and lead it loosely back to the bow to use as a control line. This line should be about 125% of the masthead height.
The Ingredients
A sailboat that’s 40 feet or longer. Anything smaller and the mast is likely too short to fly the kite — and the flyer — safely away from the bow.
Anchors. Set at least one anchor off the stern. Two anchors are preferable and will keep the boat from swinging too much. When using two anchors, set one off of each quarter in a V configuration using your standard scope. Ideally, you want the bow dead down wind (DDW) and thus the spinnaker will float out away from the bow. The photo above shows the boat anchored from the bow, even though we’ve found the stern-anchor technique works best for us.
Also, you’ll want plenty of swing room from other boats (say four boatlengths in all directions), and plenty of airspace for the spinnaker without it hanging over other boats or rocks.
A symmetrical masthead spinnaker. In this case, smaller is better as it’s easier to control. A spinnaker that’s about 1,000 - 1,200 square feet is ideal, but we’ve used ones that are up to 1,900 square feet.
A spinnaker sleeve. This slides over the spinnaker and makes it much easier to set and retrieve. When you pull the spinnaker up while it’s in the sleeve, it goes up as a big sausage that doesn’t catch the wind. Then, when you’re ready to fly it, you pull the sleeve up with a small control line and the sail fills with wind.
When you’re ready to douse the kite, you pull down on the control line, which slides the sleeve down, deflating the spinnaker. While not necessary, a sleeve gives you an easy way to de-power the kite, should things get “interesting”.
A swing line. This line needs to be about 100-150% of the sail’s foot length and at least 1/2" diameter. You’re going to be sitting on this line, so anything too skinny will chafe. N.B.: Bikini-wearers, you’ve been advised to wear shorts to avoid rope burn.
A control line. This line should be roughly 125% of the mast’s height and is used to pull the spinnaker over to the person who wants the next ride. The control line is also used to help collapse the kite when the flyer needs a cold beer.
Conditions. 8-12 knots of wind is perfect. Do not fly in over 15 knots of wind as the spinnaker can get out of control. Too much wind may result in a dangerous horizontal flight.
Good swimming conditions. Since you get on and off the kite from the water, and since there’s always the chance of an unexpected landing, you want to ensure that you’re in at least 20 feet of good, clean swimming water.
People. You’ll need at least a crew of three, one to tend the spinnaker sleeve (if you’re using one); one or two to mind the control line, and one flyer.
The Mechanics
First, set your stern anchors and make sure you have the right conditions. Then, attach the swing line, the control line, and the halyard to the spinnaker and hoist it all the way up to the sheave.
Have the flyer swim to the swing line as it trails in the water, and position herself so that the swing line is under her bum. She should then hold onto the swing line with both hands (one on either side of her body) with her arms extended out sideways. Her weight on the swing line will allow the sail to inflate and lift her out of the water. The flyer can help assist this by positioning her hands and applying muscle strength to the swing lines via her arms. (If you’re using a sleeve, once the flyer has properly positioned herself, the other crewmembers can slowly raise the sleeve so that the sail inflates.)
Once aloft, the flyer can swoop back and forth by shifting her weight and tugging sharply on one side of the swing line. If the wind is gusty, she can ride the sail up and down on the puffs, or she might just hover in a constant breeze. At some point she’ll start thinking about coming down. Here’s how:
The idea is to collapse the spinnaker and ride the sail down as it loses air. Then, when you’re close to the water, you can let go and slide off the swing. Beware that the kite can lift you up high above the water; don’t jump from the stratosphere, but instead wait until you’ve shed some altitude and then let go.
There are four avenues to a successful landing for a kite flyer:
1. If she gets a lull, the spinnaker will sink as the air escapes. When the swing line is close to the water, she can jump off.
2. The flyer can purposefully collapse the spinnaker by pulling the clews together or by shifting her weight on the swing line so that she’s in an offset position. This will help collapse the sail.
3. The person tending the control line can pull on the control line. This pulls down one clew and collapses the spinnaker. This may be necessary in heavier wind.
4. If you’re using a sleeve, a crewmember can pull it partway down to collapse the spinnaker.
Patty Hammar grew up sailing dinghies and old wooden boats, then graduated to Lasers and racing yachts when she attended the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. She and husband, Giff, have just completed their first circumnavigation aboard their 50-foot cutter
Phoenix
.Can You Hear Nature's Sounds?
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Last week, South Florida's nature came alive for me as much through sound as through sight: the flapping of wings as a great blue heron soared up over a river; the plashing of water when an alligator slipped off the riverbank to swim away; the huffing of a manatee taking a breath at the water's surface before she slowly sank again to the river bottom to munch grass.
I was lucky. My husband and I heard those animal sounds in two exceptionally quiet locations — down an isolated road in the Everglades for the heron and the alligator, and at a Miami waterway with no boat or people traffic for the manatee.
It's becoming harder by the year for those of us who visit wilderness areas, much less seek tranquility in urban areas, to hear natural sounds. The constant thrum of noise in our daily environments causes us to tune out many sounds we hear, so that, in effect, we are undergoing a process of "learned deafness."
That was the message delivered Monday by National Park Service scientist Kurt Fristrup to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) meeting in San Jose, Calif. — and reported by The Guardian newspaper. According to The Guardian, Fristrup told AAAS attendees:
"This learned deafness is a real issue. We are conditioning ourselves to ignore the information coming into our ears. "This gift that we are born with — to reach out and hear things hundreds of metres away, all these incredible sounds — is in danger of being lost through a generational amnesia. "There is a real danger, both of loss of auditory acuity, where we are exposed to noise for so long that we stop listening, but also a loss of listening habits, where we lose the ability to engage with the environment the way we were built to. As you raise background sound levels it has the same effect on your hearing that fog would have on your vision."
If our children — and as a parent I've had this experience when our daughter was younger — don ear buds along with their backpacks when we take them into the wild, the problem becomes a kind of vicious cycle, with more and more anthropogenic sounds claiming our auditory attention.
And, of course, it's not only we ourselves who are disturbed by anthropogenic noise. In an email response to me Tuesday, Fristrup (who has the coolest job title I've come across — senior scientist at the National Park Service Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division) noted how other animals are affected too:
"We have recently participated in a series of noise playback experiments that have decisively demonstrated that noise alone alters habitat utilization and the behavior of those animals that do occupy noisy areas."
Christopher Solomon made a parallel point about our effect on the environment in last Sunday's New York Times:
"More and more studies over the last 15 years have found that when we visit the great outdoors, we have much more of an effect than we realize. Even seemingly low-impact activities like hiking, cross-country skiing and bird-watching often affect wildlife, from bighorn sheep to wolves, birds, amphibians and tiny invertebrates, and in subtle ways."
It's not a pretty picture: humans swarming through natural areas, oblivious to the damage we cause and not even hearing what's around us as we go.
Fristrup, though, stresses that we can all push back against learned deafness and train ourselves to hear natural sounds more acutely — a process that can only help with our taking care in, and of, the wilderness. He told me about a project his team is working on, together with colleagues Bob Manning of the University of Vermont and Peter Newman of Pennsylvania State University, that involves visitors to national parks:
"In order to avoid the potential to cue our participants to complain about noise, we have them sit quietly, listen, and write down every sound they hear and rate its acceptability in a park setting and whether it is pleasing or not. To give some examples, flowing water sounds are universally rated as highly pleasing and acceptable, personal electronic sounds are rated as highly inappropriate and annoying, mosquito sounds are rated as acceptable and annoying. "Most noise sources do not fare well in these ratings, which affirms the negative evaluations we get from questionnaires that do ask specifically about noise. The pleasant surprise from attentive listening studies is the spontaneous comment we get from most participants, thanking us for helping them experience the park in a new and stimulating way."
Fristrup's research has called up many auditory memories for me, beyond last week's visit to Florida. They include grazing bison's soft vocalizations in Yellowstone National Park, an angry ocean and angrier skies at the Jersey Shore, and octaves of birdsong in my own Virginia backyard.
To listen. To be still. To let the sounds of nature refresh us and delight us. What pleasure this brings.
Barbara J. King, an anthropology professor at the College of William and Mary, often writes about human evolution, primate behavior, and the cognition and emotion of animals. Barbara's most recent book on animals was released in paperback in April. You can keep up with what she is thinking on Twitter: @bjkingape.COMEDY CENTRAL® RENEWS “@MIDNIGHT WITH CHRIS HARDWICK” FOR FOURTH SEASON; TWO-TIME EMMY®-AWARD WINNING LATE-NIGHT SERIES CONTINUES THROUGH 2017
NEW YORK, October 7, 2016 – Fresh off its second straight Emmy® win, the late-night curator of the internet’s freshest pop culture moments keeps the jokes coming as Comedy Central has renewed “@midnight with Chris Hardwick” for a fourth season, it was announced today by Kent Alterman, President, Comedy Central. The fourth season order of “@midnight” is a 40-week run that will air throughout 2017.
Airing Monday-Thursday in its new timeslot at 11:30 P.M. after “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah,” “@midnight with Chris Hardwick” is executive produced by Hardwick, Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant; Mike Farah and Joe Farrell for Funny Or Die; Alex Blagg, Jason Nadler and Jon Zimelis of Serious Business; showrunner Jack Martin; and Alex Murray of Brillstein Entertainment Partners. Gary Mann and Tara Schuster are the Executives in Charge of Production for Comedy Central. The series recently received their second consecutive Emmy® Award for “Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media Social TV Experience.”
“We are really pleased with how Chris and team have opened the aperture of ‘@midnight’ to cover more of the socially and politically relevant topics of the day, and I defy anyone to find a show with a higher joke-per-minute ratio,” said Alterman.
“I LOVE making ‘@midnight’ and we will continue to innovate inappropriate jokes about social media and pop culture in the late-night landscape,” said Hardwick. “I’m proud to get to work with this amazing team for another year, and hopefully beyond!”
Dominating the social media landscape unlike any series in the late-night arena with a dedicated digital production team responsible for creating and sharing content across all platforms, “@midnight” is the most social of the late-night talk shows on Twitter with the series’ signature #HashtagWars consistently landing as Twitter’s top Trending Topic, both nationally and worldwide. The series is engaging on other social platforms as well with the Trump vs. Bernie @midnight Presidential Debate reaching 6 million views, the most viewed clip of 2016 for Comedy Central on YouTube, and some of Comedy Central’s most shared Facebook posts with the Golden Girls theme song with Trump, Putin and Pence reaching 40 million people with 330,000 shares. On-air “@midnight” reaches the youngest (median age: 39 years), most male (64%) audience of any daily late-night talk show and ranks #3 with Men 18-24 and #5 with Men 18-34 in all of late-night.
“@midnight with Chris Hardwick,” the Emmy®-Award winning multiplatform late night series, celebrates everything the internet dishes up on a nightly basis by taking on the best pop culture moments that the worlds of social and digital have to offer. During each episode, Hardwick leads three panelists through a series of meme-worthy topics in a fast-paced survey of the day online. The world’s best comedic minds compete against each other in segments like Etsy Pitchmen, Buzzspeed, Panderdome and our signature Hashtag Wars, skewering how pop and politics use and abuse social media, as they vie to win the Internet.
Guest panelists that have appeared on the show include Judd Apatow, Fozzie Bear, Doug Benson, Jason Biggs, Neal Brennan, Hannibal Buress, LeVar Burton, Ice Cube, Andy Daly, Will Ferrell, Will Forte, James Franco, Ilana Glazer, Seth Green, Jon Hamm, Jonah Hill, Abbi Jacobson, Keegan-Michael Key, Kyle Kinane, David Koechner, Natasha Leggero, Thomas Lennon, Joe Lo Truglio, Marc Maron, Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, Jonah Ray, Rob Riggle, Seth Rogen, R2-D2, Kristen Schaal, David Spade, Ben Stiller, Amber Tamblyn, Channing Tatum, Aisha Tyler, Jeff Tweedy, David Wain, Wil Wheaton, and Weird Al Yankovic along with the casts of “RENO 911!,” and “The Walking Dead.”
Available on-air, online and on-the-go via the Comedy Central App, Comedy Central (www.cc.com) is the #1 brand in comedy and is owned by, and is a registered trademark of, Comedy Partners, a wholly-owned unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA and VIAB). For up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs visit Comedy Central’s press Web site at press.cc.com and follow us on Twitter @ComedyCentralPR for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.
Viacom is home to premier global media brands that create compelling television programs, motion pictures, short-form video, apps, games, consumer products, social media and other entertainment content for audiences in 180 countries. Viacom’s media networks, including Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, Spike, BET, CMT, TV Land, Nick at Nite, Nick Jr., Channel 5 (UK), Logo, Nicktoons, TeenNick and Paramount Channel, reach over 3.5 billion cumulative television subscribers worldwide. Paramount Pictures is a major global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment. For more information about Viacom and its businesses, visit www.viacom.com. Keep up with Viacom news by following Viacom’s blog at blog.viacom.comand Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/viacom.
CONTACT:
Jenni Runyan
jenni.runyan@cc.com
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The best university performing arts centers are designed not only for the benefit of those studying the arts but also as a way to help enrich the community of which they’re a part. They act as a window to the larger world of performing arts by staging high-quality productions and attracting top professional talent to teach and perform.
Many centers contain multiple theaters, classrooms, and recital halls that enhance a student’s performing arts education and offer students and the public access to a variety of exceptional events. All these centers provide arts programming with the intention of engaging the local community, and often include lectures, dance performances, concerts, and recitals. The following performing arts centers were chosen for their enduring commitment to arts education as well as their desire to provide exceptional arts programming to the public at the highest levels.
25. Valley Performing Arts Center
California State University, Northridge
Website
24. DeBartolo Performing Arts Center
University of Notre Dame
Website
The University of Notre Dame’s DeBartolo Performing Arts Center opened in September of 2004, and offers dance, music, and theater productions to nearly 100,000 patrons yearly. The facility houses five performance venues including a costume and scene shop, a performer’s hall, and the Browning Cinema which presents regular lectures by filmmakers, directors, and producers, including Sean Astin and Tim Robbins. The center’s primary purpose is to facilitate learning and enrich the classroom experience for university students through master classes and guest lectures. The DeBartolo Performing Arts Center also regularly commissions work like theater, music, and dance performances.
23. Shea Center for the Performing Arts |
for trespassing.”
The next day, Pat informed me that his group plans to make an offer to buy the company.
DATELINE: June 26, 2013
Bill raised his offer to the bank. He had at first offered to buy the debt at 20 percent, but he had raised that amount, finally offering to buy its secured debt at par.
DATELINE: July 2, 2013
Bill again offered to buy the assets of Summetria and Arctic Ease. This time he promised to pay off all the secured creditors, but he still planned to leave unsecured creditors penniless.
No dice.
But he did accidentally send this by email to Bob: “Just sent the following to Carol’s attorney. Let’s see if I can take this business away from her, that crazy person.”
DATELINE: July 17, 2013
Unable to work out a plan with Bill, who was really trying to drive us into bankruptcy, AE2 purchased the bank and LSQ (factoring company) interest in the company. Pat Mullin became a secured creditor!
DATELINE: July 23, 2013
Ray Starker made an offer on behalf of Bill. I was somewhat amused to see the email from him. Since when does Ray represent Bill? Not much changed in the offer.
Pay off all secured creditors.
Screw the unsecured creditors.
Pay me $200,000 to close the deal.
Pay me another $200,000 to see the company through a 60 day transition.
Pay me a 2% commission on out-license sales to a global consumer products company
Give a personal release of my guaranty from Bill, as well Bill would receive a liability release from the company and me personally.
I am sure I raised my eyebrows when I read about the possible commission to close some new business. In February, one of the largest consumer products company in the world approached Arctic Ease about a multinational out-license deal of its core product.
We immediately began talks and due diligence for out-licensing of the cooling wrap for the former Soviet block, Asia, the EU and potentially South America. This would have most likely have been a multi-year licensing agreement with a multi-million dollar upfront license fee.
And now Bill wanted me to close this deal for him.
DATELINE: July 29, 2013
Bill bought Summetria’s intellectual property and the assets of Arctic Ease for $3 million. That included a $1.4+ million overage that he wanted to pocket. As Alan would write a couple days later:
“Bill will not agree to ANY payment to unsecured (or alleged secured) creditors ahead of him.”
Alan was frustrated that I was standing in Bill’s way:
“The issue is that carol won’t cause summetria to release bill to facilitate a distribution of excess proceeds and is unwilling to provide a release in her individual capacity”
Much to his chagrin, the sale also excluded its membership interest in Arctic Ease, AE2 refused to sell.
DATELINE: August 13, 2013
Alan Rubin, Bill’s lawyer, told Bob and Barry that he’ll be suing me for the excess funds from the Article 9 sale. He also planned to sue me for fraud for my note. Ha! He said he would not have loaned the company funds to repair the machinery if he had known that I had a secured note, even though I had waived all security interest and never perfected the UCC filing.
But he was just trying to bully me and the company into granting liability releases — and force me to return to help him.
“Not going to happen, Bill. Not going to happen.”
In other words, he had planned to bring down the company from the start. And now I would not and could not release him from potential liability.
But his suit froze the funds the company would have needed to pay a law firm to file a breech of fiduciary duty and fraud suit against him. At least for a while. Unfortunately, it also meant that no bonafide trade vendor could be paid, either.
DATELINE: August 29, 2013
AE2 counsel forwarded a copy of its Interpleader Complaint, filed in the Superior Court of Delaware in New Castle County. As a result, the $1.4 million overage funds were deposited with the court.
DATELINE: September 4 2013
Alan and Bob traded a series of emails. Bob informed Alan:
“As I am sure will come as no surprise, Carol would not support Costar as a replacement managing member. Also, if she resigns, I would point out that many of the factors which would have led to her decision were controlled by your client (i.e., no compensation, no funds to pay counsel, suit to preclude distribution of excess proceeds from the Article 9 sale to the borrower). I don’t think your client can deprive Carol of the practical ability to function as managing member and then complain when she resigns. Nor do I think your client can leverage a forced resignation into the appointment of a new managing member of his choosing. With all due respect, I think the solution, here, is to either accept the last version of the distribution agreement (which, I think, reflects a very reasonable approach by Carol and would result in her continuing as managing member) or to take her up on her offer to sell her claims and equity.”
DATELINE: September 5, 2013
That’s it! I’ve had enough. I resigned as managing member.
And the fun begins again. Bill and Alan began devising as many lawsuits as he could to file against me, hoping one would stick. He had wanted me to stay on to do his bidding, to be his Girl Friday, and to bring him the relationships I had worked so hard to build and release him from all liability for his, Alan, CSG’s and others actions. No way, it wasn’t going to happen. Tough!
DATELINE: September 13, 2013
Oh, and no, Alan, I won’t sign your non-compete agreement.
“She can pay it from all her future earnings of any kind, making Bill her effective senior partner, or she can seek refuge in bankruptcy. That may, or may not work, but it will make for interesting discussions with future investors/employers.”
And No Alan, I won’t file a personal bankruptcy; if I did, all the other shareholders would be hurt further. In my opinion, this was what Bill and you have been after in an attempt to limit the legal liability of your collective actions.
DATELINE: September 23, 2013
I filed a motion in Delaware court for a receiver to wrap up the company’s affairs in an orderly fashion
DATELINE: October 3, 2013
Bill filed a motion in Delaware court to dismiss the AE2 interpleader.
Several shareholders, including myself, then filed suit against Bill and Mitch individually, and against Costar, Gawi and CSG for breech of fiduciary duty, breech of contract, fraud, negligent misrepresentation, negligence/mismanagement and aiding and abetting.
CSG, Costar, Gawi, Weinberger and Bill then countersued. The Delaware courtroom will be one busy place.
But, wait. The Delaware courthouse was about to get even more crowded. Our former COO and his family decided to sue Bill for breech of contract, since he broke his commitment to buy their shares. Then he filed suit against both Bill and me for removing him from the company, even though the company never fired him.
DATELINE: Autumn, 2013
The pain that began in my knees set me on an adventure in entrepreneurship. That adventure had led me through a roller coaster of emotions. Exhilaration. Surprise. Frustration. Anger. Confusion. Pride. Determination. Disgust.
And now, pain again. Excruciating pain that no Arctic Ease could sooth. I suspect it was the stress of this ordeal that gave me chest pains, that lead to an ER visit in November, followed by surgery in January 2014. Then it was back to the hospital in February for more surgery, this time infected with strain-resistant, gram-negative sepsis.
The surgery in February was followed by 18 months of medication and something close to bed rest; I was ready to take on the challenges of the world. But the world didn’t stop turning while I was in medical exile.
DATELINE: February 14, 2014
Three unsecured creditors filed an involuntary bankruptcy petition. They were owed a piece of the $1.4 million that Bill and the company were wrangling over. The result? A bankruptcy trustee was appointed, who in theory should ensure that ~$450,000 of accounts payable are paid, and that the rest is distributed to shareholders.
DATELINE: August 14, 2014
I turned over thousands of documents and all the emails between lawyers to the Bankruptcy counsel. The Bankruptcy counsel made it clear that no one was allowed to use or have these documents — this would result in the inability to put on an adequate defense in Bill’s lawsuit against me.
And the clock ticks.
And the clock ticks.
And the clock ticks.
Today, the company still exists. It’s a shell, as it cannot make or sell anything. All its money is sitting with the bankruptcy trustee, who has done nothing since being appointed over two years and a half years ago.
All the lawsuits will come due soon, and then the documentation will tell the whole story. Some people are in for a surprise. What? You want to know what story the documents will tell? Well, if I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise, would it?
Found this post useful? Kindly tap the ❤ button below! :)Don’t look now, but maybe we have a race in the SEC West after all. If Alabama is to defend its division title, the Crimson Tide will at least have to fight for it.
Nick Saban’s juggernaut kept rolling Saturday by plowing over previously unbeaten Texas A&M, scoring the game’s final 20 points in a 33-14 victory. Auburn and LSU also beat ranked division opponents, however, potentially turning their upcoming games with the Tide into winner-take-all showdowns.
Alabama is still an easy pick to sit atop the SEC Power Rankings, but we could enter November with four West teams boasting one loss or fewer in conference play. That would make the regular season’s final month awfully interesting.
Here’s where things sit after Week 8:
1. Alabama: There was maybe a 10-minute stretch where the No. 1-ranked team in the country was on the ropes, but that ended quickly when Alabama's defense asserted itself. Trevor Knight's big game against the Tide in early 2014 was the big story all week, but he was held in check with a completion percentage below 50 and under 200 yards passing. -- Alex Scarborough
2. Texas A&M: Don't jump off the bandwagon yet. Although the loss hurts, remember that the Aggies had opportunities to score more than the 14 points they managed. Meanwhile, the defense held Alabama to its fewest points all season, and seven of those were the result of a fumble by Keith Ford. -- A.S.
Auburn's win streak is at four games after a dominating victory over Arkansas. John Reed/USA TODAY Sports
3. Auburn: Who wants to play Auburn right now? The answer should be nobody. Not after Saturday’s 56-3 thrashing of Arkansas. The offense rushed for 543 yards while the defense held the Razorbacks to just 25. This might be the most dangerous team in the SEC, and the Tigers continue to get better every week. -- Greg Ostendorf
4. Tennessee: A much-needed off week arrived for the beat-up Volunteers, who at least get the benefit of a much more manageable schedule in the season's final five weeks. They have to win out and hope Florida slips up in order to get to Atlanta. -- Sam Khan Jr.
5. LSU: The Tigers’ hot streak continued Saturday when they ran away from Ole Miss behind 284 rushing yards from Leonard Fournette in his return from a month-long injury absence. LSU is now off for a week before its Nov. 5 showdown with Alabama at Tiger Stadium. -- David Ching
6. Florida: The Gators were off this week, resting up for their annual showdown with Georgia coming up in Week 9. At the moment, they control their own destiny as the only SEC East team with one conference lost. -- S.K.
7. Arkansas: It’s one thing to lose. It’s another to get run from the stadium like Arkansas did Saturday at Auburn. The good news is that the Razorbacks have an open week coming up to regroup and get healthy again. But there’s a lot of work to be done. -- G.O.
8. Ole Miss: The Rebels hung with LSU for a half, but got shut out after intermission in their 38-21 loss. They have now lost two in a row and are out of contention in the SEC West with a 1-3 conference mark. -- D.C.
9. Georgia: The Bulldogs were off this weekend and take on Florida on Saturday in Jacksonville. They'll try to regroup and get back to the.500 mark in conference play. -- S.K.
10. Kentucky: A nice win for Stoops' troops as the Wildcats came from behind late to edge Mississippi State 40-38 on a last-second field goal. Now sitting at over.500 overall (4-3) and in SEC play (3-2), they are in good shape to make a run at a bowl bid. The past two seasons they haven't been able to finish the deal after getting to five victories; will this be the year they break through? -- S.K.
11. Vanderbilt:Things are looking up for the Commodores, who beat Tennessee State 35-17 to notch consecutive wins for the first time in the Derek Mason era. They're now two wins away from bowl eligibility and have held their past four opponents to 20 points or fewer. -- S.K.
12. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs were in position to get a victory at Kentucky but weren't able to hold on. It's the team's first loss in Lexington since 2005, and MSU is 2-5 for the first time since 2008. Outsiders expected this might be a tough season for the Bulldogs, and it seems to be shaping up that way. -- S.K.
13. South Carolina: The Gamecocks' offense finally showed some life (albeit vs. UMass) and they might have a new quarterback: True freshman Jake Bentley was impressive in his collegiate debut, playing a virtually mistake-free game and making several impressive throws. After scoring more than two offensive touchdowns for the first time all season, there's reason for at least a little bit of optimism. -- S.K.
14. Missouri:The Tigers couldn't get a stop to save themselves in a 51-45 loss to Middle Tennessee. They allowed 584 yards, including 300 rushing yards and four touchdown passes. After showing signs of real progress early in the season, Mizzou has now lost three straight. -- S.K.Andy Ruiz wants a rematch, and few could argue he does not deserve one.
The Mexican heavyweight surprised many with his durability, speed and relentless aggression against Joseph Parker at Vector Arena.
Ultimately, Ruiz's fast start wasn't enough to convince the judges he should claim the vacant WBO title.
LAWRENCE SMITH/FAIRFAX NZ New WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker talks to waiting media after his historic win over Andy Ruiz in the WBO title fight at Auckland's Vector Arena.
Two of the three officials scored in Parker's favour 115-113 - the other had it a 114 draw - to hand Ruiz a majority decision defeat, the first loss of his 30-fight career.
READ MORE:
* Parker wins WBO title with majority decision
* 'This is just the start,' says new WBO champ
* Napier: No-one can steal moment from Parker
* Family, friends, then fame, fortune for Parker
* Recap: Joseph Parker v Ruiz - WBO title bout
* Gallery: Joseph Parker-Andy Ruiz fight night
* Jeff Horn delivers KO and calls out Pacquiao
PHOTOSPORT Joseph Parker lands a left hook on the chin of Andy Ruiz in the early rounds.
Ruiz was regularly successful in closing the distance and stalking Parker. He landed in bunches, frequently tagging Parker to the body and head.
Ruiz did not so much fade as Parker lifted his work-rate and connections as the fight wore on. But the visitor certainly has a valid case in regards to believing he dominated large periods of the contest.
"I think I won the fight," Ruiz said. "I was always on the pace; always controlling the rounds with the jab. I was always pushing him back. I don't think he threw a lot of combinations. I showed I was the faster guy out there but I came here to his hometown. I think the judges were in his favour.
"I think I surprised a lot of people. Everyone keeps telling me that I won. I want a rematch."
Prior to the fight, Duco Events and Parker signed a promotional agreement with Top Rank's Bob Arum, who also looks after Ruiz.
Ruiz was hopeful that would now play in his favour and see the two young heavyweights duke it out again soon.
No rematch clause was included in the contract, though, and the Parker camp is likely to have minimal interest in giving Ruiz another shot when a path towards bigger fights in England can be plotted.
"I'm signed with Bob Arum so hopefully they give me a rematch here or in the United States. I came here to his hometown so maybe he can come to mine and defend it over there on my turf.
"Maybe I could have done a little bit more to win but I'm only 27-years-old so I'll come back stronger."
Ruiz was sporting a puffy face after copping some flush blows but claimed a cut above his right eye came from an accidental headbutt.
"He didn't hurt me at all. I think I was controlling the pace and throwing a lot of jabs to the body. He couldn't really do anything but move back. I give him four rounds where he got me. Hopefully we'll get a rematch one day."
Asked whether Parker could match it with the likes of Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko, Ruiz said:
"No I don't think so. If I did pretty good with him, there's going to be a lot of boxers that are going to do good. My right hand was a little messed up in the fourth round and I couldn't throw as many combinations but I think him and his team were a little shocked. I congratulate him. I appreciate all the fans here in New Zealand."
Ruiz's trainer, Abel Sanchez, who has guided 17 former champions, supported his boxer's call for a rematch.
"I thought we won. I thought we were a couple of rounds up. I was imploring Andy towards the end that I needed the rounds only because I didn't want him to slow down," Sanchez said. "I thought he won the first four or five rounds and easily won three more of the last seven. I felt Parker maybe got four rounds at the most.
"We're in New Zealand. Everything he did the crowd went crazy - the judges may have been influenced but the judges have the last call. They scored it so we have to take it.
"I told Andy before we came we were two points down because we were in New Zealand and we understood that... it's just it wasn't two points it was four we were down.
"If he won the first four or five rounds, it's impossible for him to lose the rest of them. It's like Andre Ward and [Sergey] Kovalev that's the kind of decision it seems like."
Asked whether there would be appetite for rematch, Sanchez was emphatic.
"Absolutely. When's the last time you saw a heavyweight fight like this where the guys actually threw punches at each other instead of holding and throwing one punch at a time. It was the kind of fight I'd like to see again as a fan."Today is the last day of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles and this year’s event, like all others, showcased a massive amount of great games both in development and in release version. For those car junkies of us at Sub5zero, we try to closely follow those games that are racing inspired and bring you the latest and greatest. Today, we offer you news that Sony is releasing Gran Turismo PSP for the new PSP Go platform as its flagship title and confirmation that Gran Turismo 5 for the PS3 is in the works.
Gran Turismo (which is Italian for Gran Tourer) is one of the most successful franchises for the Playstation platform and has been going strong since its first release in 1997. As Forza Motorsport is to XBOX, Gran Turismo is to Playstation. This game has unbelievably slick game play and even set the Guiness Record for “largest number of cars in a racing game.”
Gran Turismo PSP will feature 800+ cars and 35 tracks in a full-on racing simulator. And here’s the kicker— this version will feature 60 fps game play for ulta-smooth graphics. You can race up to four friends (or enemies) and even swap rides. The new Playstation Portable (PSP) GO will be released on October 1st, 2009 and Gran Turismo PSP will be available at that time. Unfortunately, we don’t know much about the PS3 version of Gran Turismo 5, neither specs nor release date, but check out the official E3 trailer below.
Source: EpicBattleAxe.comBolivia’s national contribution to the COP 21 describes capitalism as “a system of death” that has to be destroyed to protect humanity and Mother Earth. EURACTIV France reports.
The Bolivian government’s slightly late national contribution to the COP 21 contains many radical proposals for safeguarding the future health of the planet, accompanied by the argument that capitalism is responsible for “consumerism, warmongering and […] the destruction of Mother Earth”.
Some 122 countries have now shared their national contributions to the international climate conference in Paris, where countries will attempt to reach an agreement that will limit the global temperature rise to +2°C above pre-industrial times.
The texts contain many different proposals for reducing CO2 emissions, financing climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts and transferring technologies to developing countries.
Alternatives
But the South American country led by Evo Morales took advantage of the alternative World People’s Conference on Climate Change and the Defence of Life, held in Bolivia from 10 to 12 October, to advance some alternative ideas.
>> Read: Ecuador’s Correa prepares for ideological battle at COP21
Bolivia, whose constitution already guarantees the respect of Mother Earth, holds “the failed capitalist system” responsible for climate change. “For a lasting solution to the climate crisis we must destroy capitalism,” the national contribution states.
The Bolivian text does not stop at the denunciation of capitalism, but offers ten structural solutions to the climate crisis, including a guarantee for the protection of the rights of Mother Earth, the recognition by governments of the right to water and the elimination of technology patents in favour of a human right to science.
Another central proposal is the “establishment of an International Court of Justice for the Climate and Mother Earth,” which would ensure that all countries fulfil their climate obligations.
International climate justice
The idea of international climate justice is nothing new in Bolivia. Evo Morales had already called for the establishment of an international climate court, at the Copenhagen climate conference in 2009.
No international tribunal currently has the competency to judge climate crimes. As a result, climate justice is left to individual countries, and legislation varies considerably from one to another.
>> Read: COP 21 agreement set to miss CO2 reduction target by 10 gigatons
The Bolivian text expands on the idea of climate justice and proposes a system for sharing global greenhouse gas emissions. Using the estimate made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that 650 gigatons of CO2 emissions would lead to a temperature rise of 1.5°C by 2050, Bolivia proposed a carbon budget for each country, limiting its right to pollute.
This carbon budget would apply to both developed and developing countries, and would be based on a climate justice index defined by a country’s level of development, its historic responsibility for climate change, its ecological footprint and its technological capacity.
Applying this index would allow the remaining carbon budget to be shared out fairly among developed countries, which are largely responsible for climate change, and developing countries, which are often its first victims.
According to Bolivia’s calculations, this system would assign 11% of the remaining carbon budget to developed countries and 89% to developing countries.
Developed countries currently account for around 20% of the global population. But these countries (including the United States, Japan, France, the United Kingdom, etc.) emit four times more greenhouse gasses per inhabitant than developing countries.Group of Cambodian men with dark skin
Dark-skinned Indonesian migrant workers in Suriname, circa 1940
Dark skin is a naturally occurring human skin color that is rich in eumelanin pigments and having a brown color.[1][2][3] People with very dark skin are often referred to as black,[4] although this usage can be ambiguous in some countries where it is also used to specifically refer to different ethnic groups or populations.[5][6][7][8]
The evolution of dark skin is believed to have begun around 1.2 million years ago,[9] in light-skinned early hominid species after they moved from the equatorial rainforest to the sunny savannas. In the heat of the savannas, better cooling mechanisms were required, which were achieved through the loss of body hair and development of more efficient perspiration. The loss of body hair led to the development of dark skin pigmentation, which acted as a mechanism of natural selection against folate depletion, and to a lesser extent, DNA damage. The primary factor contributing to the evolution of dark skin pigmentation was the breakdown of folate in reaction to ultraviolet radiation; the relationship between folate breakdown induced by ultraviolet radiation and reduced fitness as a failure of normal embryogenesis and spermatogenesis led to the selection of dark skin pigmentation. By the time modern Homo sapiens evolved, all humans were dark-skinned.[3][10][11][12][13][14][15]
Humans with dark skin pigmentation have skin naturally rich in melanin (especially eumelanin), and have more melanosomes which provide a superior protection against the deleterious effects of ultraviolet radiation. This helps the body to retain its folate reserves and protects against damage to the DNA.[3][16]
Dark-skinned people who live in high latitudes with mild sunlight are at an increased risk – especially in the winter – of vitamin D deficiency. As a consequence of vitamin D deficiency, they are at a higher risk of developing rickets, and numerous types of cancers, and possibly cardiovascular disease and low immune system activity.[3][17] However, some recent studies have questioned if the thresholds indicating Vitamin D deficiency in light-skinned individuals are relevant for dark-skinned individuals, as they found that, on average, dark-skinned individuals have higher bone density and lower risk of fractures than lighter-skinned individuals with the same levels of Vitamin D. This is attributed as, possibly, due to lower presence of Vitamin D binding agents (and thus higher bioavailability) in dark-skinned individuals.[18][19]
The global distribution of generally dark-skinned populations is strongly correlated with the high ultraviolet radiation levels of the regions inhabited by them. These populations, almost-exclusively, live near the equator, in tropical areas with intense sunlight: Australia, Melanesia, New Guinea, South Asia and, Africa. Studies into these populations indicates dark skin is a retention of the pre-existing high UV adapted state of modern humans before the out of Africa migration and not a later evolutionary adaptation.[20][21] Due to mass migration and increased mobility of people between geographical regions in the recent past, dark-skinned populations today are found all over the world.[3][22][23]
Evolution [ edit ]
Due to natural selection, people who lived in areas of intense sunlight developed dark skin colouration to protect against ultraviolet (UV) light and to protect their body mainly from folate depletion. Evolutionary pigmentation of the skin was caused by ultraviolet radiation of the sun. As hominids gradually lost their fur between 1.2 million to 4 million years ago, to allow for better cooling through sweating, their naked and lightly pigmented skin was exposed to sunlight. In the tropics, natural selection favoured dark-skinned human populations as high levels of skin pigmentation protected against the harmful effects of sunlight. Indigenous populations’ skin reflectance (the amount of sunlight the skin reflects) and the actual UV radiation in a particular geographic area is highly correlated, which supports this idea. Genetic evidence also supports this notion, demonstrating that around 1.2 million years ago there was a strong evolutionary pressure which acted on the development of dark skin pigmentation in early members of the genus Homo.[24] The effect of sunlight on folic acid levels has been crucial in the development of dark skin.[3][25]
The earliest primate ancestors of modern humans most likely had light skin, like our closest modern relative – the chimpanzee.[26] About 7 million years ago human and chimpanzee lineages diverged, and between 4.5 and 2 million years ago early humans moved out of rainforests to the savannas of East Africa.[22][27] They not only had to cope with more intense sunlight but had to develop a better cooling system. It was harder to get food in the hot savannas and as mammalian brains are prone to overheating – 5 or 6 °C rise in temperature can lead to heatstroke – so there was a need for the development of better heat regulation. The solution was sweating and loss of body hair.[22]
Sweating dissipated heat through evaporation. Early humans, like chimpanzees now, had few sweat glands, and most of them were located in the palms of the hand and the soles of feet. At times, individuals with more sweat glands were born. These humans could search for food and hunt for longer periods before being forced back to the shades. The more they could forage, more and healthier offspring they could produce, and higher the chance they had to pass on their genes for abundant sweat glands. With less hair, sweat could evaporate more easily and cool the bodies of humans faster. A few million years of evolution later, early humans had sparse body hair and more than 2 million sweat glands in their body.[22][28][29]
Hairless skin, however, is particularly vulnerable to be damaged by ultraviolet light and this proved to be a problem for humans living in areas of intense UV radiation, and the evolutionary result was the development of dark-coloured skin as a protection. Scientists have long assumed that humans evolved melanin in order to absorb or scatter harmful sun radiation. Some researchers assumed that melanin protects against skin cancer. While high UV radiation can cause skin cancer, the development of cancer usually occurs after child bearing age. As natural selection favours individuals with traits of reproductive success, skin cancer had little effect on the evolution of dark skin. Previous hypotheses suggested that sunburned nipples impeded breastfeeding, but a slight tan is enough to protect mothers against this issue.[22][30][31][32]
A 1978 study examined the effect of sunlight on folate – a vitamin B complex – levels. The study found that even short periods of intense sunlight are able to halve folate levels if someone has light skin. Low folate levels are correlated with neural tube defects, such as anencephaly and spina bifida. UV rays can strip away folate, which is important to the development of healthy foetuses. In these abnormalities children are born with incomplete brain or spinal cord. Nina Jablonski, a professor of anthropology and expert on evolution of human skin coloration,[33] found several cases in which mother’s visits to tanning studios were connected to neural tube defects in early pregnancy. She also found that folate was crucial to sperm development; some male contraception drugs are based on folate inhibition. It has been found that folate may have been the driving force behind the evolution of dark skin.[3][20]
As humans dispersed from equatorial Africa to low UVR areas and higher altitudes sometime between 120,000 and 65,000 years ago, dark skin posed as a disadvantage.[34][35] Populations with light skin pigmentation evolved in climates of little sunlight. Light skin pigmentation protects against vitamin D deficiency. It is known that dark-skinned people who have moved to climates of limited sunlight can develop vitamin D related conditions such as rickets, and different forms of cancer.[3][36]
Earlier hypotheses [ edit ]
A woman with dark skin
The main other hypotheses that have been put forward through history to explain the evolution of dark skin coloration relate to increased mortality due to skin cancers, enhanced fitness as a result of protection against sunburns, and increasing benefits due to antibacterial properties of eumelanin.[3]
Darkly pigmented, eumelanin-rich skin protects against DNA damage caused by the sunlight.[37] This is associated with lower skin cancer rates among dark-skinned populations.[38][39][40][41][42] The presence of pheomelanin in light skin increases the oxidative stress in melanocytes, and this combined with the limited ability of pheomelanin to absorb UVR contributes to higher skin cancer rates among light-skinned individuals.[43] The damaging effect of UVR on DNA structure and the entailing elevated skin cancer risk is widely recognized.[24][44][45][46][47] However, these cancer types usually affect people at the end or after their reproductive career and could have not been the evolutionary reason behind the development of dark skin pigmentation.[24][31] Of all the major skin cancer types, only malignant melanoma have a major effect in a person's reproductive age. The mortality rates of melanoma has been very low (less than 5 per 100,000) before the mid-20th century. It has been argued that the low melanoma mortality rates during reproductive age cannot be the principal reason behind the development of dark skin pigmentation.[32]
Studies have found that even serious sunburns could not affect sweat gland function and thermoregulation. There are no data or studies that support that sunburn can cause damage so serious that can affect reproductive success.[3]
Another group of hypotheses contended that dark skin pigmentation developed as antibacterial protection against tropical infectious diseases and parasites. Although it is true that eumelanin has antibacterial properties, its importance is secondary as a physical absorbed to protect against UVR induced damage. This hypothesis is not consistent with the evidence that most of the hominid evolution took place in savanna environment and not in tropical rainforests.[48] Humans living in hot and sunny environments have darker skin than humans who live in wet and cloudy environments.[35] The antimicrobial hypothesis also does not explain why some populations (like the Inuit or Tibetans) who live far from the tropics and are exposed to high UVR have darker skin pigmentation than their surrounding populations.[3]
Biochemistry and genetics [ edit ]
Dark-skinned humans have high amount of melanin found in their skin. Melanin is derivative of the amino acid tyrosine. Eumelanin is the dominant form of melanin found in human skin. Eumelanin protects tissues and DNA from radiation damage of UV light. Melanin is produced in specialized cells called melanocytes, which are found at the lowest level of the epidermis.[49] Melanin is produced inside small membrane-bound packages called melanosomes. People with naturally occurring dark skin have melanosomes which are clumped, large, and full of eumelanin.[50][51] A four-fold difference in naturally occurring dark skin gives seven to eightfold protection against DNA damage,[51] but even the darkest skin colour cannot protect against all damage to DNA.[3]
Dark skin offers great protection against UVR because of its eumelanin content, the UVR-absorbing capabilities of large melanosomes, and because eumelanin can be mobilized faster and brought to the surface of the skin from the depths of the epidermis.[3] For the same body region, light- and dark-skinned individuals have similar numbers of melanocytes (there is considerable variation between different body regions), but pigment-containing organelles, called melanosomes, are larger and more numerous in dark-skinned individuals. Keratocytes from dark skin cocultured with melanocytes give rise to a melanosome distribution pattern characteristic of dark skin.[52][53] Melanosomes are not in aggregated state in darkly pigmented skin compared to lightly pigmented skin. Due to the heavily melanised melanosomes in darkly pigmented skin, it can absorb more energy from UVR and thus offers better protection against sunburns and by absorption and dispersion UV rays.[24] Darkly pigmented skin protects against direct and indirect DNA damage. Photodegration occurs when melanin absorbs photons. Recent research suggest that the photoprotective effect of dark skin is increased by the fact that melanin can capture free radicals, such as hydrogen peroxide, which are created by the interaction of UVR and layers of the skin.[24] Heavily pigmented melanocytes have greater capacity to divide after UVR irradiation, which suggests that they receive less damage to their DNA.[24] Despite this, UVB damages the immune system even in darker skinned individuals due to its effect on Langerhans cells.[24] The stratum corneum of people with dark or heavily tanned skin is more condensed and contains more cornified cell layers than in lightly pigmented humans. These qualities of dark skin enhance the barrier protection function of the skin.[24] Although darkly pigmented skin absorbs about 30 to 40% more sunlight than lightly pigmented skin, dark skin does not increase the body's internal heat intake in conditions of intense solar radiation. Solar radiation heats up rather the body's surface and not the interior. Furthermore, this amount of heat is negligible compared the heat produced when muscles are actively used during exercise. Regardless of skin colour, humans have excellent capabilities to dissipate heat through sweating.[35] Half of the solar radiation reaching the Earth’s surface is in the form of infrared light and is absorbed similarly regardless of skin coloration.[24]
In people with naturally occurring dark skin, the tanning occurs with the dramatic mobilization of melanin upward in the epidermis and continues with the increased production of melanin. This accounts for the fact that dark-skinned people get visibly darker after one or two weeks of sun exposure, and then lose their colour after months when they stay out of the sun. Darkly pigmented people tend to exhibit less signs of aging in their skin than the lightly pigmented because their dark skin protects them from most photoaging.[35]
Skin colour |
rain forests and the whales. The American diet is high in processed foods digested in the stomach and small intestine, leaving little fuel for the microbes in our large intestine. The result, they say, has been a “mass extinction event,” in which species of bacteria that have lived in our bodies for most of human history have died off, making it harder for our microbiota to perform its role in tuning our immune system and regulating inflammation.
I’d recently started an experiment in living according to the precepts of the Sonnenburgs’ new book, The Good Gut, which attempts to correct this seemingly dire state of affairs by offering suggestions for how to nurture a thriving community of bacteria. Much of their advice comes down to two basic ideas: (1) Stop trying to sterilize your home as if it were a surgical theater, which kills off more good bacteria than bad, and (2) eat lots and lots and lots of fiber, which is digested in the lower intestine.
I was just a few weeks into the gut diet when I met the Sonnenburgs, and my bacteria were surely still in an impoverished state, thanks to a diet heretofore deficient in fiber and rich in Chinese takeout and Bugles. Justin suggested I have my stool sequenced now, so that I could get the microbial equivalent of the “before” picture in a weight-loss ad. When Erica greeted me at the door, she was briefly perplexed by my parcel — the previous evening I’d brought a more traditional dinner-guest gift, a bottle of Burgundy — then remembered the sample. “Oh, I know what that is!” she said and, gamely pulling the chilled cup from the bag, tossed it in the freezer next to a quart of Häagen-Dazs.
In the living room, Claire, 9, and Camille, 6, conducted a pillow fight on the sofa (GO WITH YOUR GUT, read one pillow). Justin, who is wiry, with a friendly intensity, and Erica, who is quieter but equally exuberant when talk turns to microbes, busied themselves preparing tonight’s high-fiber meal. Justin treats the kitchen like an extension of his lab. He’s an avid baker and favors sourdoughs, which leaven with bacteria as well as yeast. Tonight, he rolled his sourdough out thin for use in a flatbread pizza piled high with veggies. Erica worked on a kale salad made from our morning haul. We’d be washing down the meal with his home-brewed beer, an unfiltered ale still shot through with the live cultures that fermented it.
When dinner was ready, we sat down at the dining-room table, next to a large photograph of wormlike bacteria. I asked Erica if it was any bacteria in particular. “It’s E. coli,” she said.
Eating with Justin and Erica requires some intestinal fortitude. The previous day, I’d visited them at the Sonnenburg Lab, which Justin runs and where Erica is a senior researcher. Around noon, we headed to the cafeteria for lunch. “The American salad is actually pretty pathetic,” Justin remarked on our way. “There’s like a few leaves of lettuce and maybe a cucumber. There’s not that much dietary fiber.” Eager to eat something more satisfying for my “bugs,” as the Sonnenburgs fondly call their microbes, I followed Justin and Erica’s lead as they heaped their plates high with spinach, beets, beans, and, inevitably, quinoa. At Justin’s suggestion, we took our lunches back to the lab, where a graduate student was giving a detailed PowerPoint presentation on the devastating effects of diarrhea on the microbiota. The Sonnenburgs ate their salads with undiminished appetites.
At Saturday dinner, the conversation turned to the family dog, a Havanese named Louis, a seemingly safe topic. Louis is named for Louis Pasteur, the father of germ theory, and while he’s a beloved member of the family, he also plays a role in their efforts to maintain maximal gut health. Dogs are apparently excellent vectors for microbes, spreading bacteria on their fur and tongues to their human co-habitants; dog owners have been shown to have greater microbial diversity than the dogless.
“I wonder what Louis’s microbiota looks like,” I wondered aloud.
“We know,” Justin said.
“You sequenced his stool?” I asked.
“We did,” he said.
Justin explained that while human Americans tend to have minimal fiber intake, canine Americans are doing better. “They’ve totally optimized this fiber issue,” he said of dog-food companies. “It’s not for the health of the dog; it’s for the convenience of the owner. Nothing will switch a dog owner’s choice of food quicker than seeing digestive issues that you have to deal with on the sidewalk. It’s like, We’re buying a different food.”
“So are our dogs eating better than us?” I asked.
“You could argue that it’s too solid, too cohesive,” Justin said of Louis’s stool.
“It’s borderline constipated,” Erica agreed. “If it was my bowel movement, I’d be like, This is not the best.”
“But it can hit the sidewalk and you can pick it up without it leaving a big smudge,” Justin said.
The family’s fecal samples stored in their freezer. Photo: Cody Pickens
The Sonnenburgs’ advice on how to eat is rooted in their scientific work, which explores the effect of changes in diet on the microbiota. At their lab, Erica showed me the results of her current experiment, in which she successfully decreased the diversity of microbial communities in the guts of mice by feeding them a low-fiber diet. But The Good Gut is as inspired by the ongoing experiment at the Sonnenburg home as it is by the work of the Sonnenburg Lab. Shortly after they arrived at Stanford, Claire, then 3 years old, experienced persistent, painful constipation. “The issue became so bad that most trips to the bathroom ended in tears,” they write. “We felt that we, of all people, should not have a child with gastrointestinal issues.”
Neither Sonnenburg thought they had poor eating habits. But in the wake of Claire’s distress, they started carefully cataloguing their diet, and were dismayed at what they found. “I mean, we weren’t eating Twinkies and McDonald’s,” Justin said. “But you know, flour-tortilla cheese quesadillas, white pasta, white rice.”
The family embarked on a radical dietary rethink, making a commitment to fiber consumption that today borders on the comical. The Sonnenburgs believe that the best fuel for your bugs comes from polysaccharides, the complex carbohydrates found in plant matter. And because different microbes feast on different types, they seek out a wide range of sources, including whole grains, beans, and seeds. Erica makes jam in which she substitutes polysaccharide-rich chia seeds for sugar. (I also sampled a surprisingly tasty chia-seed chocolate pudding.) Most brewers dispose of their spent grains, turning them into compost or animal feed. Justin pours the high-fiber brewing by-product — imagine a sodden Grape-Nut, depleted of all flavor — over his morning yogurt.
When Justin bakes, he does so with his own hand-ground flour. As we prepped two sourdough loaves one afternoon, he showed me why he goes to the trouble, pouring out a dusting of store-bought wheat flour beside a pinch of store-bought white. The wheat was darker in color, but appeared just as refined as the white. He then invited me to take a turn on his hand-cranked wheat-berry mill. The result of several minutes of tricep-taxing effort was flour that was noticeably rougher and, as a result, Justin said, more likely to arrive in the colon undigested, where our microbes could have at it.
This hardly seems like a kid-friendly approach to eating, but Claire and Camille by now have been indoctrinated. I watched them devour jicama, mashed sardines on an English cracker that had the appearance of 60-grit sandpaper, forests of kale. “You have to view what your kids are eating just like you view bedtime, going to school, buckling their seat belt,” Justin said. “They may not want it, but it’s what’s best for them. You just tell them there’s no option.”
One night, at dinner, the girls recounted a recent trip to Colorado during which Justin spoke at a conference on the microbiota. The kids’ meal at the ski lodge came with what was advertised as a miniature cookie for dessert. But when the meal arrived, the cookie was not mini. Claire and Camille were scandalized. “It was this big,” Camille noted, making a circle with her fingers that suggested, to me, a normal-size cookie. “I couldn’t finish it,” she said. I asked Claire if she finished hers.
“I powered through,” she said.
The couple’s decision to take their gut theories to the masses came two years ago at a nutrition conference in Seattle hosted by Andrew Weil, the bald, bearded guru of integrative medicine. Justin had been asked to give a plenary talk on the microbiota that Weil would later write was “the highlight of the event for me.” Weil believes the ongoing degradation of our microbial communities Justin described might explain a series of health developments that had confounded him, like the rising rates of peanut allergies and gluten sensitivity, both of which might be traced to malfunctioning immune responses in the gut. At a dinner that night for conference speakers, Weil offered to connect Justin with the literary agent who engineered his first megahit, 1995’s Spontaneous Healing, and to send him one of his own book proposals to use as a model.
The timing was propitious: Michael Pollan had just written a lengthy article on the gut in The New York Times Magazine, in which Justin had figured prominently. Marketers were touting the gut-nourishing qualities of everything from sauerkraut to buttermilk, and news outlets were running stories on the lifesaving treatment known as fecal transplant, in which a donor’s healthy microbiota is used to fight off the antibiotic-resistant bacteria C. difficile.
In admirably plain language, the Sonnenburgs’ book describes the latest science, how our microbiota functions and how it protects us from disease. They explain that if our immune system is the body’s Department of Defense, fighting off infection, gut microbes are the diplomats, determining what’s harmful and what’s harmless. The more robust the microbiota, the more sophisticated the diplomacy and the less likely the immune system will overreact and launch harmful autoimmune responses or fail to defend against invaders.
But if The Good Gut is a success, it will likely be because, like the best-selling gluten-free and Paleo diet guides before it, it taps into our interest in how best to optimize the functioning of our bodies and our fears that our modern lifestyles are harming us. For the Sonnenburgs, optimization entails making peace with our bacterial bedfellows, rather than trying to Clorox-wipe them to oblivion. The Good Gut describes the devastating toll that antibiotics take on the microbiota as well as other forms of anti-bacterial practice, like the growing frequency of C-sections, which rob newborns of a bacteria-rich trip through the vaginal canal, and the use of formula, which deprives them of both good bacteria from Mom and special carbohydrates in breast milk that help infant gut flora bloom.
Most of the book, though, is given over to eating. Like the Paleo diet, the gut diet looks suspiciously on processed foods and fondly on the habits of our preindustrial ancestors. Erica likes to wear a T-shirt silk-screened with an image of a hominid holding a tray of fast food. She told me the shirt captures how our diet has evolved far more rapidly than our bodies. When scientists study the microbiota of a traditional hunter-gatherer society like that of the Hadza in Tanzania, who eat ten times the fiber of the average American, they find far greater microbial diversity. (The Hadza also slaughter animals with their hands and clean off the blood using the animal’s digesta — a boost to microbial exposure.) The Hadza have avoided Western afflictions such as obesity and diabetes, which the Sonnenburgs see as evidence that their guts are in better shape than our own.
Most diet guides pander to our narcissism — do this and you’ll feel, and look, great. The Good Gut more often makes the altruistic pitch that we should all do our part to fend off the decline in Western bacterial diversity. Their appeal to Save the Bugs is one Justin and Erica honed on their daughters. When Claire and Camille do occasionally resist their parents’ healthy-eating habits, their parents remind the girls that they’re not just eating for themselves but for their microbes too.
I’ve used a version of this logic on myself. Since starting the gut diet, I’ve come to think of myself as akin to Lord Grantham from Downton Abbey. I am the lord of a manor over which I have ostensibly unlimited power. Yet if I am a cruel and ungenerous master to my tenant farmers and downstairs servants, they might revolt or simply decamp, especially at this precarious historical moment, when the forces of modernity have beset our ancient social arrangement. I wouldn’t have thought that noblesse oblige would make for a powerful dieting aid, but it has. When I’ve been tempted to cheat, an image has flashed before me of my embattled microbes, those blameless tillers of my intestinal soil, and I’ve stayed my hand.
Not all scientists believe the gut is in decline, however. Jonathan Eisen, who studies the microbiome at UC Davis, made the case to me that just because the Hadza have more strains of bacteria in their colons doesn’t mean we all once had those bugs: They could be a feature of the Hadza’s Tanzanian environment, not a relic passed down from some common ancestor. The science writer Ed Yong, who is also writing a book on microbes, has argued that it’s a mistake to think of any set of bacteria as “ideal” — the Western microbiota may be as well evolved for the modern diet as the Hadza’s is for the premodern one. As for our eating habits, Eisen is not convinced, based on the studies he’s read, that the health benefits of a high-fiber diet are necessarily the result of nourishing our gut bacteria.
Eisen keeps a blog in which he periodically bestows an “Overselling the Microbiome Award” to scientists (and journalists) who hype the potential power of the gut. While he shares the Sonnenburgs’ bullishness about gut science, he’s skeptical that it will be the key that will unlock all of Western disease. And he fears that overselling the still-nascent science can have negative effects. After a recent talk at South by Southwest, two parents came up to him and told him that they were giving their kids fecal transplants, at home, in the hopes of curing their autism: a potentially dangerous measure based on a very preliminary study of mice.
The Sonnenburgs admit that our knowledge of the microbiota is in its infancy and frequently remind their readers that scientists have a long way to go before we understand all the gut’s underlying mechanisms. And none of their lifestyle recommendations are nearly so radical as a do-it-yourself fecal transplant — few scientists or doctors would object to the idea that Americans should eat more vegetables, or pet more dogs. But unlike Eisen, they argue that it is imperative that we start caring for our long-overlooked bugs, even if we’ve yet to prove definitively that they are the lever by which the rest of our health can be regulated.
Five years of nurturing his microbiota and protecting it from antibacterial incursions has paid off for Justin, at least. Erica told me that when she compared a stool sample of his taken recently with an earlier one, the diversity of her husband’s gut bugs had nearly doubled.
The Sonnenburgs acknowledge that this is not a fact they could ever publish in a scientific journal. They don’t have any definitive proof that diet, or the other measures they’ve taken to make their home hospitable to their bugs, is the reason Justin’s gut has made so much progress. (Or the reason Erica professes to no longer suffer from the allergies that once plagued her.) Even in their own lab, there seems to be no consensus that a high-fiber diet is the essence of good health. Canvassing the staff, I found only a couple of researchers who had signed on to the gut diet and none at the grind-your-own-wheat-berries level. Drew Hryckowian, an affable postdoc from Pittsburgh, told me he was eating more beans since joining the lab in part because they’re high in fiber but also because they’re an inexpensive source of protein in wildly expensive Silicon Valley. “I’ve never paid so much money for rent in my whole life,” he said.
But as microbiota research continues, the Sonnenburgs are confident we’ll learn more about how our gut works and find better tools for repairing the damage done. I’m still awaiting the results of my stool sequencing, a process that remains slow given current technology. Still, I’d venture my bacteria are considerably happier than they were when I was all but starving them, though the first few weeks were rocky. The Sonnenburgs suggest a gradual ramping up of fiber consumption to avoid bloating or discomfort.
Justin recently recruited to the lab a graduate student who will be focusing on inventing a device that would allow you to collect a fecal sample at home, suspend it in solution, plug a meter into your iPhone, and check on the health of your gut bugs. “Wouldn’t it be wonderful, every time you go to the bathroom in the morning, to know if what you’ve done in the past week has had an impact on your microbiota?” he asked. His vision is of a nation of amateur microbiologists working toward a better understanding of our intestinal inhabitants one bowel movement at a time.
On my last day out West, I climbed into the family’s Toyota 4Runner and we drove out to the Whole Foods in Redwood City. The supplements aisle is where the promise of the gut meets the predations of the market, and I was curious what Justin and Erica would make of the store’s cabinet of probiotic curiosities, which claim to foster a healthy gut without the need for massive kale intake. The bacteria on offer were mostly the same strains you’d find in yogurt and kefir, only in pill form. (Expensive pill form — many are a dollar-a-day habit.) Erica explained that there are few bacterial strains approved for sale in the U.S. Most companies hawk the same old strains to a public that can’t tell Bifidobacterium lactis from Lactobacillus acidophilus. Probiotics are good for us, she said, but they’re transient — they can’t repopulate a decimated gut — and we may never identify some magic combination of strains that will keep us healthy.
The Sonnenburgs prefer to dose themselves with probiotic foods, like fermented pickles (if they’re not refrigerated, they’re not fermented) and kimchee. They eat yogurt by the gallon, especially during cold season. Justin cultures his own kefir from mail-order grains. The kefir grain is a microbial community that, if fed a continuous diet of milk, will essentially live indefinitely. Justin told me that in certain Eastern European countries, kefir grains can be passed down from generation to generation. So far, he has no takers in his own household. “There’s a little bit of a vomit taste, in my opinion,” said Erica.
“Smell needs work, taste needs work,” said Claire.
“I’m the only one who didn’t get sick this winter,” replied Justin. “And I drank it every day.”
*This article appears in the April 20, 2015 issue of New York Magazine.Want to See Something Really Scary?
We all do. tremulus lets you and your friends make terrifying stories together. No experience necessary. And dice? You only need a pair of regular old six-sided dice, like you find in most family board games. If you've never played any roleplaying games in the past, then this is a great game to start with.
"tremulus looks creepy and intense. It's the kind of thing you think you want to avoid at all costs, but instead can't help but be drawn toward..."
-Monte Cook, Co-designer Call of Cthulhu D20 Roleplaying Game and the creator of the upcoming Numenera
Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid
Jason Morningstar will be collaborating with us on The Frozen Wasteland (already unlocked) and Ken Hite shall join us as we make our way Into Innsmouth (Stretch Goal X)!
What if I Know Nothing About Lovecraft?
If you know what scares you or your friends, that knowledge and the guidance found in tremulus will give you more than enough to get going. (It's not homework, but if you haven't read any of HPL's work, go find some. You're in for a real treat.)
"Sean Preston wrote a game that reflects the horror play style I've always had to shoehorn into existing systems. tremulus takes you from zero to full immersion in mere minutes, and its narrative unfolds like a story penned by Lovecraft himself."
-Ron Blessing, Co-host of RoleplayDNA and Smiling Jack’s Bar & Grill (and the much missed The Game’s the Thing…let’s bring this back).
Is it Easy to Learn? (Short answer: Yes!)
Novices and experienced gamers alike can sit down and start playing right away. All the information you need to play your character is found in your playbook, so there is nothing to memorize, and once you get going it becomes second nature. And you only need 2d6. All rolls are player-facing and serve to drive the story forward.You never roll without a reason. (And the Keeper never rolls at all.)
"Deceptively simple, never dull, tremulus is not for the faint of heart but the inquisitive soul. It makes it dead easy — frighteningly fun, even — to tell stories to scare the hell out of yourself."
-Matt Forbeck, Award-winning game designer and author
Based on the Apocalypse World Engine
The rules of tremulus are based on Vincent Baker's Apocalypse World and influenced by elements of Fiasco and FATE. New elements drive the game into more investigative directions, handle sanity loss and madness, and streamlines the role of the Keeper (the game master.)
"tremulus takes classic Lovecraftian gaming and combines it with the growling, dangerous engine of Apocalypse World. The playbooks have all the flavor you want and everything you need to play on a single double sided sheet. Every decision that sends poor Dr. Meridian on the spiral of lost sanity and health is in the hands of the players. Perfect for a spooky one-shot, a campaign built through play or something to get jaded fans of Cthulhu Mythos roleplaying excited again."
-Rob Wieland, Flames Rising
Mechanized NarrativeZuma: Solve problems the African way
Johannesburg - President Jacob Zuma has told traditional leaders that Africans have their own way of solving their problems through traditional institutions, it was reported on Friday.
"Let us solve African problems the African way, not the white man's way," Zuma was quoted saying at the opening of National House of Traditional Leaders in Parliament on Thursday, The Times reported.
"Let us not be influenced by other cultures and try to think the lawyers are going to help us. We have never changed facts.
"They tell you they are going to change facts. They will never tell you that these cold facts have warm bodies," he said.
The newspaper reported that Zuma's comments could be viewed as an endorsement of the traditional courts bill, which is currently under consideration in Parliament.
The bill was first submitted in 2008, it empowers chiefs to act as judge, prosecutor and mediator, with no legal representation and no appeals allowed.
The Times reported that the bill will affect about 19 million rural people who live on tribal lands ruled by chiefs.According to interviews given to German publication Manager Magazine (Google translate) this week, sources from Porsche, Mercedes, and Audi said that they are all readying electric cars to respond “to the success of the Californian newcomer Tesla with its Model S.”
Porsche’s chairman Matthias Müller reportedly said that the company is working on an all-electric car that will be based on the company’s Modular Standard Platform (Modularer Standardantrieb-Baukasten in German, or MSB for short) and look similar to the company’s Panamera (which has already been introduced with a hybrid electric engine).
The car will be "an advanced battery-powered variant [that] is tasked with challenging the Model S on both performance and range,” Autocar UK says. The publication added that Porsche is aiming for a curb weight lower than the 4,647 lbs of Tesla’s Model S in its forthcoming car, and that it will come with a synchronous electric motor with horsepower comparable to the Model S.
Although details about the car are slim, Manager says that the car won’t be released until 2018 at the earliest.
Mercedes sources also told the publication that the company had a Tesla competitor in the works, but the projected timeline for such a car is further out; an all-electric sedan won’t be ready until 2021, sources say. According to the blog Gas2, Mercedes’ battery is currently too big to fit in the car maker’s current models, so some redesigning will reportedly be necessary.
And its well-known that Audi is further along in building an electric car aimed at potential Tesla buyers. The recently announced Audi Q8 e-tron, for example, is anticipating a release in 2017. But the Q8 won’t compete with Tesla’s current Model S, industry watchers say; instead, with that car, Audi has its sights on the Model X SUV that Tesla intends to ship in March 2015.
Autocar suggests that Porsche’s coming electric car battery could be produced in partnership with Audi, which is also finalizing its R8 e-tron electric car.Tuesday March 28, 2017
Good morning, AIPAC. Good morning. What an honor. Lillian, congratulations on your outstanding presidency, and it's great to be with you again this year. I also want to thank AIPAC's executive director Howard Kohr, and I'm just thrilled to see all of the students in the audience. In you I see our future.
I want to especially recognize the nearly 1,000 Californians who are here today and of course including my dear friends and AIPAC board members, Anita Friedman and Cissie Swig and Amy Friedkin. And I'm proud to say and be among the many voices represented here, the California delegation is the largest and hopefully the loudest. There you go.
So having grown up in the Bay Area, I fondly remember those Jewish national fund boxes that we would use to collect donations to plant trees for Israel. Years later when I visited Israel for the first time, I saw the fruits of that effort and the Israeli ingenuity that has truly made a desert bloom. I soaked in the sights and sounds and smells of Jerusalem. I stood in Yad Vashem, devastated by the silent testimonies of the six million Jews that were murdered in the Holocaust, and we must always remember that solemn promise, never again.
And I did what I often do when visiting a new country. I visited the highest court in the land, and as I toured Israel's Supreme Court, I was struck by the iconic architecture which embodies Israel's founding principles of democracy and rule of law. The design of that building left a lasting impression on me. Its straight lines which represent the immutable nature of truth while the curved walls and glass represent the fluid nature of tzedek, of justice.
And this is a concept that is personal for me because it's that same commitment to justice for the voiceless and the vulnerable that led my parents as students to march for civil rights in the 1960s while pushing me in a stroller. And it's why I became a prosecutor and personally prosecuted everything from low-level offenses to homicides.
It's why I became San Francisco District Attorney and was later elected Attorney General of California where I took on transnational gangs, cyber criminals, and mortgage fraud. And that commitment to justice is why I ran to become a United States senator from the great state of California, the point being to continue that fight. And a critical piece of my agenda is the fight to defend and strengthen our national security.
As a member of the both the Senate Intelligence Committee and Homeland Security Committee, I have a front row seat to these issues, and I am proud to stand strongly with America's allies, including Israel.
So let me be clear about what I believe. I stand with Israel because of our shared values which are so fundamental to the founding of both our nations. I believe the bonds between the United States and Israel are unbreakable, and we can never let anyone drive a wedge between us.
Our bonds are rooted in our shared history and are strengthened by the ties between our peoples. And in the words of Shimon Peres whose loss we mourn so deeply, for Israel's existence we need the friendship of the United States of America. And of course he knew that feeling goes both ways, and there's no question that friendship and our partnership must be unwavering.
And I believe Israel should never be a partisan issue, and as long as I'm a United States senator I will do everything in my power to ensure broad and bipartisan support for Israel's security and right to self-defense.
I believe that the only viable resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is two states for two people living side by side in peace and security. I believe that a resolution to this conflict cannot be imposed. It must be agreed upon by the parties themselves. Peace can only come through a reconciliation of differences, and that can only happen at the negotiating table.
I believe that when any organization delegitimizes Israel, we must stand up and speak out for Israel to be treated equally. And that is why the first resolution I co-sponsored as a United States senator was to combat anti-Israel bias at the United Nations and reaffirm that the United States seeks a just, secure, and sustainable two-state solution.
And as someone who's personally prosecuted hate crime, I also believe that we cannot stand by while anti-Semitism, hate crime, and bigotry are on the rise, whether that's a swastika on a Jewish family and children's services bus in San Francisco or the burning of a mosque in Tampa. That's why I am pleased to announce for the first time here at AIPAC that I'm introducing a senate resolution that condemns targeting of Jews as well as any form of religious bias, racism, misogyny, or other hateful acts targeting minorities across the United States.
And let's be candid. Many, including those in this hall, have been directly impacted by the outrageous incidents targeting the Jewish community. This violence and hate is alarming and simply unacceptable. No one should have to worry about their children's safety when they drop them off at the JCC.
No one should have to be afraid to put a menorah in their front window or on their front lawn. And no one should ever have to fear that the grave of a loved one might be desecrated because of their faith. So my resolution calls on law enforcement to expedite investigations of hate crime and hold perpetrators accountable.
My resolution calls on law enforcement to fully report hate crime statistics, and my resolution calls on the administration to support victims and fund security at places of worship and other institutions that have been targeted, of any faith. And as I fight to promote human rights and security, Israel and the Jewish community will always be a priority for me.
And that is why as senator I am particularly focused on three areas where I believe the United States and Israel can expand our cooperation and where California plays an important and central role. And the three are defense, cybersecurity, and water security.
So let's think about it. First, defense. In the midst of uncertainty and turmoil, America's support for Israel's security must be rock solid. And as Iran continues to launch ballistic missiles while it arms and funds its terrorist proxy Hezbollah, we must stand with Israel. As Hamas maintains its control of Gaza and fires rockets across Israel's southern border, we must stand with Israel. And as ISIS and civil war in Syria destabilize the region, displacing millions and threatening shared security interest, we must support all those affected by ongoing violence and terror, and we must stand with Israel.
Our defense relationship is critical to both nations, which is why I support the United States' commitment to provide Israel with $38 billion in military assistance over the next decade. It is why I support full funding for Israel, including for the Arrow, David's Sling, and the Iron Dome missile defense systems which save lives. And that's why I am fully committing to maintaining Israel's qualitative military edge.
At the same time the United States must never permit Iran to develop a nuclear weapon. The Iran nuclear deal must be vigorously enforced through robust monitoring, inspection, and verification. And if Iran cheats, there's no question. Iran must be held accountable. And so as Iran inserts itself in Syria, including through the deployment of advanced military equipment and missiles that threaten Israel, we must not tolerate Iran fanning the flames of instability and violence in the region.
In addition, Russia's explicit support for these actions is a direct threat to American interest, and it makes Israel less secure. So I say the Trump administration must be crystal-clear with Putin. Russia must stop its support of Iran. This is a threat to the United States, and it is a threat to Israel.
A second area where I believe we can expand our cooperation is cybersecurity and technology. As cyberattacks expose the vulnerabilities of our most essential systems and infrastructure, the United States and Israel must strengthen our innovation and technological capacities and our defenses together. Israel has more scientists and startups per capita than any other country in the world, and I'm proud that California, building on the 2014 commitments made by Prime Minister Netanyahu and Governor Brown, has facilitated many of these technological partnerships and investments.
Today Tel Aviv and Silicon Valley are inextricably linked, ensuring that our two countries remain on the cutting edge. And when I met with Prime Minister Netanyahu last month, I was proud to discuss California's cyber advancements and the way we can expand those joint efforts.
And the third area of growing cooperation is water security. So as any Californian in this hall can tell you, water is the lifeblood of our economies and our communities, and because of California's history of droughts, we know we cannot take water for granted. In this regard we could not have a better example than Israel. Yes, Israel is a nation that is 60 percent desert, yet so water-secure that it exports water to its neighbors. And Israel has been a great partner to California in this area.
Take, for example, Carlsbad, California where an Israeli company built a desalination plant which provides 50 million gallons of water to 400,000 Californians every day. So while the United States and Israel are geographically separated by water, we can also be bound by water. And I'm eager to champion these three partnerships in the senate now and in the future and to ensure that California plays a key role in the relationship between the United States and Israel.
So in conclusion, AIPAC, we all know these are difficult times. I stand here clear eyed about the dangers of division in our country and in our world, understanding why a state for the Jewish people is so essential. And I also stand here as someone with a lifelong commitment to justice, a lifelong faith in the power of democratic values and the innate oneness and goodness of human beings. And I believe that it's the common ground that unites so many of us, values like faith, family, respect, and empathy that will see us through.
Just look, for example, at the response when Jewish cemeteries in St. Louis and Philadelphia were so horribly, horribly vandalized. Muslim activists quickly raised money to restore the headstones with one organizer posting on social media, "I want to ask all Muslims to reach out to your Jewish brothers and sisters and stand together against this bigotry."
Common ground. Look at the words of Elie Wiesel, who I knew personally and loved, when he said, "The opposite of love is not hate. It's indifference."
Common ground. Look at Israel's Supreme Court, that beautiful place I visited, upon which sits a Tunisian judge alongside an Israel-Arab Christian and a Brooklyn-born Israeli, all presided over by a female chief justice—common ground.
Or look at my own life where a daughter of a South Asian mother and a Jamaican father concluded her own interfaith wedding with her husband breaking a glass and everyone yelling mazel tov.
So that's who we are, and if we embrace those values that have always made the United States and Israel great, then I believe our two nations will continue to move forward together for years and years to come. I thank you, AIPAC.
Thank you.Seeing in the dark could soon be as easy as popping a pill or squeezing some drops into your eyes, thanks to some new science, an unusual deep-sea fish, and a plant pigment.
In the 1990s, marine biologist Ron Douglas of City University London discovered that, unlike other deep-sea fish, the dragonfish Malacosteus niger can perceive red light. Douglas was surprised when he isolated the chemical responsible for absorbing red: It was chlorophyll. “That was weird,” he says. The fish had somehow co-opted chlorophyll, most likely from bacteria in their food, and turned it into a vision enhancer.
In 2004, Ilyas Washington, an ophthalmic scientist at Columbia University Medical Center, came across Douglas’s findings. Washington knew that the mechanisms involved in vision tend to be similar throughout the animal kingdom, so he wondered whether chlorophyll could also enhance the vision of other animals, including humans. His latest experiments in mice and rabbits suggest that administering chlorophyll to the eyes can double their ability to see in low light. The pigment absorbs hues of red light that are normally invisible in dim conditions. That information is then transmitted to the brain, allowing enhanced vision.
Washington is now developing ways to deliver chlorophyll to human eyes safely and easily, perhaps through drops. He believes that a night-vision drug would be most useful on the battlefield, so it is no surprise that the U.S. Department of Defense is funding his work. “The military would want this biological enhancement so they don’t have to carry nighttime goggles” during operations in the dark, he says.Introduction
There are 115,610,216 homes in America which house the nation’s more than 300 million residents. Of those homes, the American Community Survey estimates that about 6.0% of them are mobile homes, RVs, boats, and vans.
This can differ by county though. Some counties have up to 60% of the homes in the county that are mobile homes, RVs, |
than Labor had promised, and a deferred $5 million taskforce to outsource the Medicare payments scheme was Labor's proof. Mr Shorten did not accept these funding changes could be seen as cuts rather than as a "privatisation" of Medicare. "I accept that what he is doing – with his cuts - is shifting the burden of Medicare to private individuals."
The government says it has no plans to privatise Medicare at all. On Tuesday Mr Shorten was forced to concede he had no evidence to say Mr Turnbull was actually planning a second "snap election" – other than politics - which he announced at Tuesday's media conference. "He has a Senate which under his new voting rules which is practically unworkable to a bloke like him, for he is not particularly renowned for being up for negotiation – it's his way or the highway," he said "He had a backbench in revolt and he has a push to have Tony Abbott back in Cabinet," he said. "So I have no doubt that the easy option for him would be to pull the ripcord and look at having another election."Review It’s not exactly uncommon to find manufacturers making claims for product performance that few of us would actually be able replicate. Often the testing methods are not typical or are adorned with an asterisk or two – involving a bit of effort to find the relevant footnote. Battery life and data rates are among the worst offenders.
LaCie Little Big Disk Thunderbolt 2
On the box of LaCie’s Little Big Disk Thunderbolt 2 dual SSD 1TB external drive there’s an asterisk next to 1,375MB/s speed claim. The figure crops up all over the box in various sizes and occurs in lines of different languages. Look a bit more closely and it refers to the average read speeds for 4K editing. The write speed claim is a mere 1,200MB/s – hardly worth getting out of bed for, eh?
Hot on the asterisk trail, the reference to those figures was nowhere to be found – well, nowhere obvious. It wasn’t until I looked the bottom side of the box that, in something like two-point type, the key to this performance puzzle was revealed. Obviously something to shout about.
There's no power button, the blue lamp illuminates when a Thunderbolt host is detected
This 1,375MB/s figure comes from the 4K video test using AJA System Test – a utility to measure system throughput. Relying on this software as a benchmark is telling, as LaCie evidently has video editors in mind as its primary customers. It makes sense really as they’re probably the only people buying Mac Pros and Retina Display MacBooks in noticeable numbers.
For LaCie, that’s important because the both of those Mac models feature Thunderbolt 2 connectivity. The RD MacBook Pros have two Thunderbolt 2 ports and, just to make the point, the Mac Pro has six of the blighters although it’s likely several will be taken up for DisplayPort monitor duties in a video editing suite.
Note the item in the top left is the rubber cowling for the fan – click for a larger image
While the original Thunderbolt featured two duplex lanes of 10Gb/s (1250MB/s), Thunderbolt 2 can combine them into one 20Gb/s (2500MB/s) channel. The throughput of the latter is way more than the LaCie Little Big Disk can deliver, but this desktop storage device has two Thunderbolt ports round the back enabling daisychaining of multiple Little Big Disks and other Thunderbolt fare. Plump for a set-up like this, and you could do with some headroom.
Even with one Little Big Disk, you might presume that using the original Thunderbolt spec, you would get close to LaCie’s claimed throughput speeds. Moreover, just what sort of SSD is being used in this device to ratchet up such high performance claims? Most current 2.5in SSDs using SATA III will top out with read speeds of around 550MB/s, so what makes this arrangement so special?Pistons Needs
Last year I did a draft preview on my own blog partially and on here, picking my 3 favorite players from the draft, Porzingis, Booker, and Portis. I thought I did pretty good on who would translate, and was really hopeful we would draft Porzingis, but obviously didn't think he'd fall to 8, and am happy with the Stanimal. Now looking at this years draft, and the needs of the Pistons, I want to take a look at my favorite player in this years draft, Buddy Hield.
The biggest need the Pistons have this year comes down to their bench, and primarily a consistent shooter. Stanley Johnson has actually been providing a good source of that as of late, but could find his way into the starting lineup in the next year, especially if Ilyasova doesn't get his option picked up. Now a lot of roster movement can change the way we want to draft, specifically Brandon Jennings re-signing, but from what we know, and since this is so early, I am going to address the current needs of the team, and this leads us to looking at Buddy.
Buddy Hield
Because this is so early on in the year, I will most likely update this as we go, but at the moment according to DraftExpress Buddy Hield is projected to go 22nd in the 1st round. This is a good range in where the Pistons want to land in the offseason, but realistically, maybe a little higher than we will.
Physical Attributes
Hield is lacking in size, and to his demise, may be the reason he drops to us in the draft, which would be fine by me! Though we don't know official listings, he is listed at 6'4" at the shooting guard position, and listings are usually a little tall. We don't know his wing span, but from the eye test and the description on Draftexpress, it is fairly good size(Draftexpress saying 6'8.5" in their preseason scouting). He is a solid 214lbs, and I'd also like to add that his age is the additional downfall for his stock, as he is 22 years old, and will be 23 in his rookie year, years older than most high draft picks.
Offense
This is what gets me excited, this guys 2nd in the league in scoring(26.3ppg) on one of the top teams in the nation, in a hard conference. Not only that, but is shooting 50%(!?) from 3 point land, and 50% from within the arc this year. I've watched a fair amount of games this year, and had to go back and watch some of his games from last year to compare, and his growth is pretty remarkable. He's scoring much better this year than last year, and it's by a lot, not just his jump shot, but his biggest weakness imo was his finishing, and he has excelled in his development especially in transition. The second unit on the Pistons is trying to become a dominant transition offense, high pace, and led by Brandon Jennings(?) continuing into next year. His weakness truly comes in his athleticism, and his ability to drive, but with the current setup, we would never need that. He also struggles with creating his own shot, he isn't going to be a crazy ball handler, Steph Curry at the SG, but he can put up a lot of points and shoot, BJ would be a great PG along with him. His last weakness is his mid range game, he only shot 29% from 2 pointers last year, and really lived and died from the 3, this year he has proven he has gotten better, much better, but he isn't extremely consistent yet from there.
Comparison: Better scoring Jodie Meeks
Defense
Now this is one area that will come down to translation into the NBA. When Hield focuses, he is a plus defender, not outstanding, but he can be pretty solid, but he is in the NCAA which means the importance of height is watered down a lot. Remember Winslow was playing PF at 6'6"-7" when he was at Duke. Hield's body size is pretty good, and his strength follows, which helps him in the perimeter. Though his athleticism isn't great, he is still decently quick laterally, which is why I think he could still end up being an average defender. His weakness for me is his IQ on defense. He's pretty aggressive, and over sells himself on going to a shooter on the perimeter if he is beat. For him to be good, he has to try, and if a coach can get him to do that, he could eventually be a plus defender, he just needs to learn the fundamentals, which can be taught.
Comparison: Mini Stanley Johnson
Overall
Hield is a great scorer, and honestly one of the best shooters in the draft coming in. He has developed over the years, making a huge stride from last year primarily on the offensive side. His stock is getting hurt from his age and his smaller height, but the needs that we have, he can be a plus on offense and defense. He fits the mold of what we are looking for and can work his way up in the second unit. He has potential to be a solid defender, and a good catch and shooter on offense. He's been a leader on a top team in the NCAA and brings in a winning attitude, something you can't have enough of. He reminds me a lot of what Khris Middleton has become with the Bucks, though he'll be smaller. He has good length and he's built, and if he can be taught some fundamentals, he will be good, plus he is extremely rangy like Middleton, good catch and shooter, but isn't the focal point for play making. He is more of a volume scorer than Middleton right now, but in the NBA, he will most likely be a less usage player.
Overall Comparison: Khris Middleton
He's my favorite player in the draft, what say you?I received the advance copies of Chance Harbor, my new novel yesterday. The publisher's box arrived at the perfect time: tomorrow I'm going to Prince Edward Island, where much of the book is set.
All of us carry our favorite landscapes inside us, whether they're the landscapes of our childhoods or our favorite trips abroad. Mine is PEI. Discovering this island changed my life.
When I was a newly divorced mom with two young children. I was determined to give my kids what so many other families have: a beach vacation. But I couldn't afford to rent a house on Martha's Vineyard or Cape Cod, or even on most of the beaches in Maine. Then, one morning, I flipped open our morning newspaper to the classifieds section--yes, people advertised that way back then--and found a house for $300. For a whole week. The ad read something like, "A dreamy seaside cottage in Anne's Land."
Anne, of course, is from Anne of Green Gables, the famously plucky heroine whose adventures I'd loved as a child. And Prince Edward Island ranked as one of the Holy Grails in my family, since my parents had set out to take us there when my brothers and I were children. We never made it. My parents were on the brink of divorce, and fought so much that they made it only as far as Maine before turning around.
I called my friend Emily, another single mom facing a summer alone with two kids. "I have a proposition for you," I said, and read her the ad.
Neither of us had a van, so I rented one from a rent-a-junker place. It was the kind of vehicle bands use when the band members are still living in parental basements: no carpeting, no radio, one bashed fender. We didn't care. We piled into the van and started driving, tossing juice boxes and snack bags into the back seats for the kids as we made our way through the endless stretch of pine trees in Maine and crossed the border into New Brunswick.
This was over twenty years ago, so the Confederation Bridge connecting PEI to New Brunswick--an 8-mile technological marvel across the Northumberland Strait--had yet to be built. Between the kids needing to pee at different times, the ten hours of driving and the ferry, it was nearly midnight when we finally made it to the cottage. The island roads have few streetlights, and our directions took us onto some bumpy clay roads. We found the right house despite the inky black, starless night, unlocked the door, and fell into our beds without bothering to unpack.
I was awakened the next morning by fiddle music. I sat up and looked out the window, and was greeted by a pair of great blue herons standing on the edge of Rustico Bay. It was the bluest water I'd ever seen, but perhaps that's because there was such a dizzying array of colors around it: the deep red clay road, the pink and purple lupines, the white church across the water with a steeple striped in red like a barber pole. I felt like Dorothy arriving in Oz. If a horse of many colors had pranced by, I wouldn't have been surprised.
We threw cereal at the kids, drove around the bay to the church, and landed in the middle of a fiddle festival. Prince Edward Island became the home to French, Scottish, and Irish immigrants, so the tradition of Celtic and Acadian music is strong there. Every night, you can go to an Irish ceilidh if you want to--in town halls, on village greens, in pubs, in churches, or beneath tents, as we did that day.
That summer, I discovered some of the island's wonders for the first time: the red sand beaches and magenta cliffs, the flowering potato fields surrounding Victorian houses, fish and chips, strong steeped tea with biscuits and island butter, and shining water everywhere you look. And, yes, the Anne of Green Gables museums.
I could say so much more about the island here. I have spent part of every year there since that first trip, and my husband and I now own a 1910 farmhouse on Prince Edward Island much like the one Anne lived in at Green Gables. We bought the house on a whim, without even stepping inside it first. But I'll save that story and others about PEI for future blog posts.
Right now I need to pack. Tomorrow I'm headed to Prince Edward Island again, and this time I'll be offering advance copies of Chance Harbor to the island's bookstores. This novel is my way of saying thank you to a place I love, for its beauty, peace and creative inspiration.Any public declaration by Mr. Mueller about the president’s innocence would also be a clear sign that the special counsel’s investigation has not broadened significantly beyond last year’s presidential campaign to include a close scrutiny of any of Mr. Trump’s past business dealings with Russians.
Whether the strategy will work is another matter. The plan rests on the premise that Mr. Trump has done nothing wrong — something the president has repeatedly told his lawyers and said publicly — and some lawyers connected to the investigation say that Mr. Cobb has been too willing to take the president at his word. If the White House moves too hastily, they argue, materials could end up in Mr. Mueller’s hands that might damage the president and other administration officials.
Donald F. McGahn II, the White House counsel, previously expressed fears that the document production could set a bad precedent for future administrations. Mr. Cobb has told aides that the White House should move deliberately and carefully, but not drag its feet.
Others doubt that Mr. Mueller will publicly clear Mr. Trump anytime soon, even if the documents and interviews do not show that he committed a crime. Mr. Mueller is building cases against two of Mr. Trump’s former advisers, Paul J. Manafort and Michael T. Flynn. Should either man cooperate with investigators, it might change Mr. Mueller’s view of how Mr. Trump fits into the Russia investigation.
Nevertheless, the president’s advisers have concluded that this strategy represents their best chance to lift the cloud hanging over the administration.
“Good for them if they can pull it off,” said Barbara Van Gelder, a prominent Washington white-collar lawyer who served in the Justice Department with Mr. Mueller. She said he was highly unlikely to give the White House any assurances as long as the investigations into Mr. Manafort and Mr. Flynn were open.
“Mueller’s not going to make a statement,” she said, “because he’s not going to want to claw it back.”
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Mr. Comey had similar concerns. While F.B.I. agents investigated whether Mr. Trump’s associates had any connection to Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, Mr. Comey privately told Mr. Trump and members of Congress that the president was not personally under investigation. At least twice, however, he refused requests by Mr. Trump to say so publicly. Mr. Comey later told Congress that he did not want to make a public declaration that he might have to amend after further investigation.
Photo Ty Cobb, the White House lawyer handling the response to Mr. Mueller’s investigation, said the administration was cooperating and hoping to bring the matter to a swift end. Credit Jerry Cleveland/The Denver Post, via Associated Press
One administration official said it was not yet clear how the White House would make its request for Mr. Mueller to publicly exonerate Mr. Trump, and there have been delays in getting documents to the special counsel. The internal White House review of the documents is not yet complete, and Mr. Mueller does not plan to interview many key White House officials until his team has reviewed all the documents he requested.
Mr. Cobb and several White House lawyers have spent weeks reviewing documents related to numerous subjects, including Mr. Trump’s firing of Mr. Comey, and his role in July in drafting a misleading statement to The New York Times about Donald Trump Jr.’s meeting with a Russian lawyer in June 2016.
Mr. Mueller’s prosecutors have indicated that they plan to ask detailed questions about that statement, written aboard Air Force One, which withheld the purpose of the June 2016 meeting: to get damaging information about Hillary Clinton as part of the Russian government’s efforts to help Mr. Trump.
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Some of Mr. Trump’s associates remain suspicious of the special counsel and his team of aggressive prosecutors.
“While it would be good to clear the air on this entire issue so that the president can focus on governing, it presupposes that Mueller is an honest broker, and that he would not take nothing and make it into something, which would be my concern,” said Roger J. Stone Jr., a longtime informal adviser.
Christopher Ruddy, the chief executive of Newsmax Media and a friend of Mr. Trump’s, said the White House should challenge Mr. Mueller if he investigates anything beyond whether Mr. Trump or his associates colluded with the Russian campaign to disrupt the election.
But White House officials say they do not want a repeat of some of the tactics used in the 1990s, when President Bill Clinton battled an independent counsel in court and in the media as the investigation dragged on for years. Since Mr. Cobb joined the White House, Mr. Trump’s team has significantly muted its criticism of Mr. Mueller.
One sign of the White House’s willingness to cooperate is that officials are strongly considering letting Mr. McGahn speak to investigators about his private conversations with Mr. Trump, according to two people with knowledge of the discussions. Many presidents insist that conversations with their White House counsel be kept secret under the principle of executive privilege, but Mr. McGahn is seen by some as a witness who could be helpful to Mr. Trump.
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Mr. McGahn was involved in the discussions about firing Mr. Comey, and officials believe he would say that Mr. Trump was warned that firing Mr. Comey would only prolong the Russia investigation. Lawyers believe that would help make the case that Mr. Trump was not trying to obstruct justice when he fired the F.B.I. director.
Even as the White House pushes for a swift resolution of Mr. Mueller’s inquiry, administration officials are bracing for fallout from the investigations into Mr. Manafort and Mr. Flynn. Prosecutors have signaled that they intend to indict Mr. Manafort, the former chairman of the Trump campaign, who is under scrutiny for tax and foreign lobbying matters.
But lawyers in the case say they see no evidence yet that Mr. Manafort will face charges of conspiring with Russia to disrupt the election.
The White House also hopes for a favorable report from the Senate Intelligence Committee, which has been investigating Russian election interference and several related matters. The committee’s leaders said this week that they planned to release a public report about their findings.
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That report could be finished before Mr. Mueller’s investigation. Although committee leaders said they would leave any criminal matters to the Justice Department, a determination by the committee that none of Mr. Trump’s associates assisted the Russian campaign would be a boon for the White House even if Mr. Mueller refuses to publicly clear Mr. Trump.
“They want them to write a report saying ‘no collusion,’” said Ms. Van Gelder, the defense lawyer. “And then they can let Mueller twist in the wind.”Spread the love
Rocky Face, Ga. – In an almost unbelievable case out of Georgia, 58-year-old Boyd Green was arrested and jailed for swearing during a 9-1-1 call. Green was arrested after police allowed his elderly ill mother to die by refusing his numerous requests to perform a welfare check on her.
Green never once raised his voice during the call and simply uttered the phrases “damn bullshit” and “sorry damn asshole” in reference to police actions, or rather inaction, that resulted in the death of Green’s 83-year-old mother.
Georgia law prohibits the use of “obscene, vulgar, or profane language with the intent to intimidate or harass a 911 communications officer,” and the vague language of the law that allowed police to jail Green.
Eventually, the charges against Green were dismissed, but due to the outrageousness of the arrest he filed a lawsuit in federal court.
What makes this case even more appalling is revealed in Green’s complaint:
On June 20, 2013, a City of Dalton police officer arrested Green for driving under the influence. Green told the arresting officer that his mother was ill and alone. He implored the officer to have someone check on her. No one checked on Ada Green.
Once incarcerated, Green again notified officials about his mother’s condition. He asked jail staff to send someone to ensure that she was safe. No one checked on Ada Green despite Green’s pleas. Green was still in custody, five days later, when Ada Green was found in her home by a friend, deceased. Devastated, Green was subsequently released from jail and placed on probation for the DUI conviction. Nearly a year later, on June 2, 2014, Green dialed 911 and was connected to a 911 dispatcher. Green told the 911 dispatcher that he wanted to see the Dalton police officer who arrested him for DUI in 2013. The 911 operator asked Green ‘What’s the problem?’ Green responded: ‘The problem is he let my momma lay up here and die. That’s the problem. During the 82-second 911 phone call, Green did not raise his voice, threaten the 911 dispatcher, or insult her in any way. He used expletives two times, in passing. First, he said, ‘[t]he sorry damn asshole knows me,’ referring to the Dalton police officer who had arrested him in 2013. Later in the conversation he used the words ‘damn bullshit.'”
After what this man had already been through, due to the incompetence of the police, he was then treated as a common criminal for using words that certainly fall under “protected speech.”
Additionally, the 9-1-1 operator never even felt “intimidated or harassed,” as required under the law, making the arrest that much more egregious.
According to Green’s complaint, in a conversation with a sheriff’s deputy after the call, the 9-1-1 operator said that Green “didn’t use a whole lot” of profanity and that “he did say a couple of cuss words, but it wasn’t like complete cusswords.”
Green was never alleged to have engaged in “fighting words” or “threats of true violence” which both are unprotected forms of speech, rather he simply used swear words to describe a situation.
In Cohen v. California, the U.S. Supreme court upheld a citizen’s First Amendment right to wear a jacket to court that read “Fuck the Draft,” the court held:
“While the particular four-letter word being litigated here is perhaps more distasteful than most others of its genre, it is nevertheless often true that one man’s vulgarity is another’s lyric. Indeed, we think it is largely because governmental officials cannot make principled distinctions in this area that the Constitution leaves matters of taste and style so largely to the individual.”
What’s more, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled, in City of Houston v. Hill, that police must tolerate even more abusive speech than an average citizen. The court concluded that, “in the face of verbal challenges to police action, officers and municipalities must respond with restraint,” and added that, “the First Amendment protects a significant amount of verbal criticism and challenge directed at police officers.”
While the operator wasn’t a police officer they are an extension of law enforcement.
The abuse of authority by the police, in this case, is stunning.
“In this country, people have a right to register a verbal complaint about the police without being jailed as a consequence,” said Sarah Geraghty, Senior Attorney at the Southern Center for Human Rights, which filed the lawsuit for Green. “Law enforcement officers abused their authority when they arrested Mr. Green for making a complaint about a police officer over the telephone.”
If it wasn’t bad enough that they allowed this man’s ill elderly mother to die in her home, after being asked numerous times to perform a welfare check on her, they then went and arrested him for complaining about it.
Is this free speech? Is this justice?
Bad Words – Warning: The recording contains profanity. from Chattanooga Times Free Press on Vimeo.
Jay Syrmopoulos is an investigative journalist, freethinker, researcher, and ardent opponent of authoritarianism. He is currently a graduate student at University of Denver pursuing a masters in Global Affairs. Jay’s work has previously been published on BenSwann.com and WeAreChange.org. You can follow him on Twitter @sirmetropolis, on Facebook at Sir Metropolis and now on tsu.A new service to dispense digital content, which involves using self-service kiosks to download movies and music to flash memory cards, was jointly announced by a group of companies including Toshiba on Thursday.
Self-service kiosks placed in public locations -- like retail stores, airports and cafes -- will dispense movies that can be downloaded to cell phones and SD (Secure Digital) Memory cards. The content can then be replayed on multiple devices with SD slots.
Toshiba will make TVs and set-top boxes with SD slots that can replay the movies downloaded using the service. Prototypes of the devices will be shown at the Consumer Electronics Show being held in Las Vegas Thursday through Sunday.
Toshiba is developing the service with NCR, which will make the self-service kiosks, and MOD Systems, which is providing the technology to manage and securely distribute digital content.
By offering movie playback via SD cards, Toshiba is beginning a new chapter in its high-definition media-format battle with Sony. Toshiba suffered a major setback last year when the HD DVD format it backed lost favor among top retailers and movie studios, which opted for Sony's Blu-ray DVD format.
SD cards are removable media commonly used into portable devices to store or move images, video or other data. SD card slots are available in 8,000 devices in more than 400 brands, including digital cameras, game consoles and camcorders, claims the SD Association, which provides the specifications for SD card development.
Users will be able to download close to 4,000 titles from top studios including Warner Brothers and Paramount Digital Entertainment, and 4 million [M] music tracks from self-service kiosks. Pricing will be determined by the retailers holding the self-service kiosks, according to MOD Systems.
The kiosks will be in stores later in 2009, though neither company provided an exact date. NCR hopes to install the kiosks internationally, a MOD Systems spokeswoman said.
It takes two to three minutes to download a standard-definition full-length film from a kiosk to an SD card, according to MOD Systems. Toshiba is trying to improve the download speeds and capacity of SD cards to make high-definition movies downloadable in the future.
SD cards saw a major jump in storage capacity and transfer speeds on Wednesday. The SD Association announced the SDXC (extended capacity) memory card specification, which could increase the size of SD cards to 2TB and transfer speeds up to 104Mbps. Current SD cards can store only 32GB of data and are limited to transfer speeds of up to 25Mbps. Toshiba was one of the original founders of the SD Association in 2000.
SD technology is evolving faster than DVDs, though both offer benefits like portability and compatibility across devices, said Mark Phillips, CEO of MOD Systems, in an interview.
"In the past 10 years the capacity of optical disc technology has increased less than 10 times [while] NAND flash has increased about 100 times," Phillips said.
Files can also be securely downloaded to SD cards, while the DVD faces challenges in securing content.
"Because content protection is tied to the disc, the disc must be manufactured, merchandised and transported -- it lacks the benefits of a pure digital system," Phillips said.
SD cards support digital rights management, which allows music and video files to be secure. The host controller manages SD card drivers and security.
But more work is needed for the SD format to reciprocate the success of the DVD format, which was the fastest consumer format ever adopted, Phillips said. People lapped up DVDs because of its consistent user experience and support for a broad range of players.
"We certainly think more awareness and education is needed though for consumers to widely adopt and understand the benefits of SD," Phillips said.Mars's moon Phobos might put a ring on it. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona)
Earlier this month, scientists announced that Phobos — one of Mars's two moons — is probably falling apart. The planet's gravitational pull is causing the moon to shrink and stretch, and one day (as soon as 20 million years from now) the tug-of-war might end in Phobos's total annihilation.
[Mars might be tearing its moon apart]
But instead of ending their long, tumultuous relationship for good, this dramatic destruction may take Phobos and Mars to the next level: Phobos might just put a ring on it.
(BeyonceVevo via YouTube)
According to the new research — published Monday in Nature Geoscience and led by Benjamin Black and Tushar Mittal of the University of California at Berkeley — Phobos could form Martian rings that last for 1 million to 100 million years. These rings will form quite quickly once the moon starts to crumble in earnest, according to these new predictions.
[How the Earth is shaping our shrinking moon]
Saturn's rings. (NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute)
Errant moons have made rings around their planets before. In Saturn's case, it's likely that frequent collisions between its moons (there are 62 today, and there probably used to be more) and other space rocks created the necessary materials. Mars just has poor Phobos to work with, so the mass of its rings will be much smaller than those surrounding Saturn. But for a while, the rocky remains of Phobos will be so tightly packed around Mars that they'll have about the same density as Saturn's rings.
Let's pause for a second to imagine Mars with a ring. Mars with a ring. What would that even look like? We already know that Mars has evolved a lot in the past few billion years: It started out as a wet, warm planet, but our sun's violent stripping of its atmosphere has left it cold and barren.
[NASA’s Cassini spacecraft captures stunning shots of Saturn’s moon and rings]
Mars is a planet that we generally think of as dead — with its atmosphere basically gone and slipping away more every day, it's not going to suddenly become more suitable for life. But the new findings about Phobos are a reminder that not all planetary evolution has to revolve around increasing habitability. After eons as a muddy red pile of rocks, Mars could still get a major makeover. And that's really cool.
The researchers believe that this was probably a more common occurrence in the early days of our solar system, and that Phobos is simply the last moon left on a death spiral toward its host planet. By observing its progress, we could learn more about how moons helped shape the planets we see today.
Read More:
Why NASA’s top scientist is sure that we’ll find signs of alien life in the next decade
The new biggest thing in the universe, and why it’s a headache for scientists
Uranus might be full of surprises
Real life 'Death Star' caught in the act of destroying a planet
New study predicts the slow, inevitable death of the UniversePlease read contest rules for AutoGuide Reader's Choice
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movements aided by hippies include the back to the land movement of the 1960s, cooperative business enterprises, alternative energy, the free press movement, and organic farming.[96][145] The San Francisco group known as the Diggers articulated an influential radical criticism of contemporary mass consumer society, and so they opened free stores which simply gave away their stock, provided free food, distributed free drugs, gave away money, organized free music concerts, and performed works of political art.[60] The Diggers took their name from the original English Diggers (1649–50) led by Gerrard Winstanley,[146] and they sought to create a mini-society free of money and capitalism.[147]
Such activism was ideally carried through anti-authoritarian and non-violent means; thus it was observed that "The way of the hippie is antithetical to all repressive hierarchical power structures since they are adverse to the hippie goals of peace, love and freedom... Hippies don't impose their beliefs on others. Instead, hippies seek to change the world through reason and by living what they believe."[148]
The political ideals of hippies influenced other movements, such as anarcho-punk, rave culture, green politics, stoner culture and the New Age movement. Penny Rimbaud of the English anarcho-punk band Crass said in interviews, and in an essay called The Last Of The Hippies, that Crass was formed in memory of his friend, Wally Hope.[149] Crass had its roots in Dial House, which was established in 1967 as a commune.[150] Some punks were often critical of Crass for their involvement in the hippie movement. Like Crass, Jello Biafra was influenced by the hippie movement, and cited the yippies as a key influence on his political activism and thinking, though he also wrote songs critical of hippies.[151][152]
Drugs [ edit ]
Following in the footsteps of the Beats, many hippies used cannabis (marijuana), considering it pleasurable and benign. They enlarged their spiritual pharmacopeia to include hallucinogens such as peyote, LSD, psilocybin mushrooms and DMT, while often renouncing the use of alcohol. On the East Coast of the United States, Harvard University professors Timothy Leary, Ralph Metzner and Richard Alpert (Ram Dass) advocated psychotropic drugs for psychotherapy, self-exploration, religious and spiritual use. Regarding LSD, Leary said, "Expand your consciousness and find ecstasy and revelation within."[153]
On the West Coast of the United States, Ken Kesey was an important figure in promoting the recreational use of psychotropic drugs, especially LSD, also known as "acid." By holding what he called "Acid Tests", and touring the country with his band of Merry Pranksters, Kesey became a magnet for media attention that drew many young people to the fledgling movement. The Grateful Dead (originally billed as "The Warlocks") played some of their first shows at the Acid Tests, often as high on LSD as their audiences. Kesey and the Pranksters had a "vision of turning on the world."[153] Harder drugs, such as cocaine, amphetamines and heroin, were also sometimes used in hippie settings; however, these drugs were often disdained, even among those who used them, because they were recognized as harmful and addictive.[154]
The stereotypical belief that in the 1960s, the hippies' heyday, drugs were running rampant and little was done to enforce drug laws, is not supported by the facts; by 1969 only 4% of Americans had tried marijuana.[155]
Legacy [ edit ]
Newcomers to the Internet are often startled to discover themselves not so much in some soulless colony of technocrats as in a kind of cultural Brigadoon - a flowering remnant of the '60s, when hippie communalism and libertarian politics formed the roots of the modern cyberrevolution... Stewart Brand, "We Owe It All To The Hippies".[156]
"The '60s were a leap in human consciousness. Mahatma Gandhi, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Che Guevara, they led a revolution of conscience. The Beatles, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix created revolution and evolution themes. The music was like Dalí, with many colors and revolutionary ways. The youth of today must go there to find themselves." — Carlos Santana[157]
The legacy of the hippie movement continues to permeate Western society.[158] In general, unmarried couples of all ages feel free to travel and live together without societal disapproval.[96][159] Frankness regarding sexual matters has become more common, and the rights of homosexual, bisexual and transgender people, as well as people who choose not to categorize themselves at all, have expanded.[160] Religious and cultural diversity has gained greater acceptance.[161]
Co-operative business enterprises and creative community living arrangements are more accepted than before.[162] Some of the little hippie health food stores of the 1960s and 1970s are now large-scale, profitable businesses, due to greater interest in natural foods, herbal remedies, vitamins and other nutritional supplements.[163] It has been suggested that 1960s and 1970s counterculture embraced certain types of "groovy" science and technology. Examples include surfboard design, renewable energy, aquaculture and client-centered approaches to midwifery, childbirth, and women's health.[164][165] Authors Stewart Brand and John Markoff argue that the development and popularization of personal computers and the Internet find one of their primary roots in the anti-authoritarian ethos promoted by hippie culture.[156][166]
Distinct appearance and clothing was one of the immediate legacies of hippies worldwide.[109][167] During the 1960s and 1970s, mustaches, beards and long hair became more commonplace and colorful, while multi-ethnic clothing dominated the fashion world. Since that time, a wide range of personal appearance options and clothing styles, including nudity, have become more widely acceptable, all of which was uncommon before the hippie era.[167][168] Hippies also inspired the decline in popularity of the necktie and other business clothing, which had been unavoidable for men during the 1950s and early 1960s. Additionally, hippie fashion itself has been commonplace in the years since the 1960s in clothing and accessories, particularly the peace symbol.[169] Astrology, including everything from serious study to whimsical amusement regarding personal traits, was integral to hippie culture.[170] The generation of the 1970s became influenced by the hippie and the 60s countercultural legacy. As such in New York City musicians and audiences from the female, homosexual, black, and Latino communities adopted several traits from the hippies and psychedelia. They included overwhelming sound, free-form dancing, weird lighting, colorful costumes, and hallucinogens.[171][172][173] Psychedelic soul groups like the Chambers Brothers and especially Sly and The Family Stone influenced proto-disco acts such as Isaac Hayes, Willie Hutch and the Philadelphia Sound.[174] In addition, the perceived positivity, lack of irony, and earnestness of the hippies informed proto-disco music like M.F.S.B.'s album Love Is the Message.[171][175]
The hippie legacy in literature includes the lasting popularity of books reflecting the hippie experience, such as The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test.[176] In music, the folk rock and psychedelic rock popular among hippies evolved into genres such as acid rock, world beat and heavy metal music. Psychedelic trance (also known as psytrance) is a type of electronic music influenced by 1960s psychedelic rock. The tradition of hippie music festivals began in the United States in 1965 with Ken Kesey's Acid Tests, where the Grateful Dead played tripping on LSD and initiated psychedelic jamming. For the next several decades, many hippies and neo-hippies became part of the Deadhead community, attending music and art festivals held around the country. The Grateful Dead toured continuously, with few interruptions between 1965 and 1995. Phish and their fans (called Phish Heads) operated in the same manner, with the band touring continuously between 1983 and 2004. Many contemporary bands performing at hippie festivals and their derivatives are called jam bands, since they play songs that contain long instrumentals similar to the original hippie bands of the 1960s.[177]
With the demise of Grateful Dead and Phish, nomadic touring hippies attend a growing series of summer festivals, the largest of which is called the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, which premiered in 2002. The Oregon Country Fair is a three-day festival featuring handmade crafts, educational displays and costumed entertainment. The annual Starwood Festival, founded in 1981, is a seven-day event indicative of the spiritual quest of hippies through an exploration of non-mainstream religions and world-views, and has offered performances and classes by a variety of hippie and counter-culture icons.[178]
The Burning Man festival began in 1986 at a San Francisco beach party and is now held in the Black Rock Desert northeast of Reno, Nevada. Although few participants would accept the hippie label, Burning Man is a contemporary expression of alternative community in the same spirit as early hippie events. The gathering becomes a temporary city (36,500 occupants in 2005, 50,000+ in 2011), with elaborate encampments, displays, and many art cars. Other events that enjoy a large attendance include the Rainbow Family Gatherings, The Gathering of the Vibes, Community Peace Festivals, and the Woodstock Festivals.
In the UK, there are many new age travellers who are known as hippies to outsiders, but prefer to call themselves the Peace Convoy. They started the Stonehenge Free Festival in 1974, but English Heritage later banned the festival in 1985, resulting in the Battle of the Beanfield. With Stonehenge banned as a festival site, new age travellers gather at the annual Glastonbury Festival. Today, hippies in the UK can be found in parts of South West England, such as Bristol (particularly the neighborhoods of Montpelier, Stokes Croft, St Werburghs, Bishopston, Easton and Totterdown), Glastonbury in Somerset, Totnes in Devon, and Stroud in Gloucestershire, as well as in Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire, and in areas of London and Brighton. In the summer, many hippies and those of similar subcultures gather at numerous outdoor festivals in the countryside.
In New Zealand between 1976 and 1981 tens of thousands of hippies gathered from around the world on large farms around Waihi and Waikino for music and alternatives festivals. Named Nambassa, the festivals focused on peace, love, and a balanced lifestyle. The events featured practical workshops and displays advocating alternative lifestyles, self sufficiency, clean and sustainable energy and sustainable living.[179]
In the UK and Europe, the years 1987 to 1989 were marked by a large-scale revival of many characteristics of the hippie movement. This later movement, composed mostly of people aged 18 to 25, adopted much of the original hippie philosophy of love, peace and freedom. The summer of 1988 became known as the Second Summer of Love. Although the music favored by this movement was modern electronic music, especially house music and acid house, one could often hear songs from the original hippie era in the chill out rooms at raves. Also, there was a trend towards psychedelic indie rock in the form of Shoegaze, Dream Pop, Madchester and Neo-Psychedelic bands like Jesus And Mary Chain, The Sundays, Spacemen 3, Loop, Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, Inspiral Carpets and Ride. This was effectively a parallel soundtrack to the rave scene that was rooted as much in 1960s psychedelic rock as it was in post-punk, though Madchester was more directly influenced by Acid House, funk and northern soul. Interestingly, many ravers were originally soul boys and football casuals, and football hooliganism declined after the Second Summer of Love.
In the UK, many of the well-known figures of this movement first lived communally in Stroud Green, an area of north London located in Finsbury Park. In 1995, The Sekhmet Hypothesis attempted to link both hippie and rave culture together in relation to transactional analysis, suggesting that rave culture was a social archetype based on the mood of friendly strength, compared to the gentle hippie archetype, based on friendly weakness.[180] The later electronic dance genres known as goa trance and psychedelic trance and its related events and culture have important hippie legacies and neo hippie elements. The popular DJ of the genre Goa Gil, like other hippies from the 1960s, decided to leave the US and Western Europe to travel on the hippie trail and later developing psychedelic parties and music in the Indian island of Goa in which the goa and psytrance genres were born and exported around the world in the 1990s and 2000s.[181]
Popular films depicting the hippie ethos and lifestyle include Woodstock, Easy Rider, Hair, The Doors, Across the Universe, Taking Woodstock, and Crumb.
In 2002, photojournalist John Bassett McCleary published a 650-page, 6,000-entry unabridged slang dictionary devoted to the language of the hippies titled The Hippie Dictionary: A Cultural Encyclopedia of the 1960s and 1970s. The book was revised and expanded to 700 pages in 2004.[182][183] McCleary believes that the hippie counterculture added a significant number of words to the English language by borrowing from the lexicon of the Beat Generation, through the hippies' shortening of beatnik words and then popularizing their usage.[184]
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
Works cited [ edit ]Bimbo Bakeries has recalled several bread products due to potential glass found inside the container. File Photo by Mike Mozart/Flickr
WASHINGTON, Aug. 27 (UPI) -- Bimbo Bakeries is recalling bread under the brands of Sara Lee, Nature's Harvest and others due to the potential of glass in the bread caused by a broken light bulb at a factory.
The company, headquartered in Horsham, Pa., made the announcement Wednesday after receiving three consumer reports of small pieces of glass found on the outside of the bread. No injuries were reported.
"Bimbo Bakeries USA has initiated a voluntary regional recall of certain bread products under the Sara Lee, Kroger, Bimbo, Nature's Harvest, Great Value and L'Oven Fresh brands due to the possible presence of fragments of glass caused by a broken light bulb at one of its bakeries," Bimbo Bakeries said in a statement.
The products have a "best by" date ranging between Aug. 29 and Sept. 1.
"All recalled products are being removed from store shelves. No other products are affected," Bimbo Bakeries added. Consumers can return the bread to stores for a full refund.Bailing out the big US banks has done nothing to improve them, writes Joseph Stiglitz.
WITH all the talk of "green shoots" of economic recovery, America's banks are resisting efforts to regulate them. While politicians talk about their commitment to regulatory reform to prevent a recurrence of the crisis, this is one area where the devil really is in the details and the banks will muster what muscle they have left to ensure that they have ample room to continue as they have in the past.
The old system worked well for the banks so why should they embrace change? Indeed, the efforts to rescue them devoted such little thought to the kind of post-crisis financial system we want, that we will end up with a banking system that is less competitive, with the large banks that were "too big to fail" even larger.
It has long been recognised that the US banks that are too big to fail are also too big to be managed. That is one reason the performance of several has been so dismal. When they fail, the Government engineers a financial restructuring and provides deposit insurance, gaining a stake in their future. Officials know that if they wait too long, zombie or near-zombie banks which have little or no net worth, but are treated as if they were viable institutions are likely to "gamble on resurrection". If they take big bets and win, they walk away with the proceeds, if they fail, the Government picks up the tab.
This is not just theory; it is a lesson learned, at great expense, during the savings and loan crisis of the 1980s. In a financial restructuring, shareholders typically get wiped out, and bondholders become the new shareholders. Sometimes, the government must provide additional funds, or a new investor must be willing to take over the failed bank.: This column had the wrong byline when it was originally published. Of course, the column featured below is all Ms. Kieffer's work. This was a dreadful uploading mistake, and we apologize for the error.
Black pop star Rihanna wins awards and makes millions for wearing guns in public while everyday black Americans risk losing their jobs if they dare to exercise their 2nd Amendment right.
Are you growing tired of seeing wealthy black Americans get by with things that cause middle class black Americans to lose their jobs or go to prison? Things like carrying firearms, flying the Confederate flag or doing drugs.
I know I am.
If you’re a middle class black or Hispanic cop and you use your firearm to defend yourself and your partners against a mad gunman who happens to also be black, you can lose your job (best case scenario) or be convicted of murder.
But if you’re rich and famous like Rihanna, you will be rewarded for flaunting your fetish for firearms in public. If you’re rolling in it like Rih Rih, there are zero repercussions if you leak a new fashion line called $chool Kills within days of the Charleston mass shooting (her insiders actually did this); carry a black purse in public that is shaped to look like a gun; flash your gun tattoo for the paparazzi; refer to your fans as your “Navy;” or weave weaponry and drugs into your lyrics (think her hit songs “G4L” and “Diamonds”).
Stanzas from G4L: Revenge is sweet…/Load it, reload it, and let’s go…/Guns in the air…/Gangster for life…
Stanzas from Diamonds: Palms rise to the universe/ As we moonshine and molly/ Feel the warmth, we’ll never die/ We’re like diamonds in the sky [Note: “molly” is a reference to the drug MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine).]
The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) awarded Rihanna “Style Icon of 2014”—despite the fact that her fashion glamorizes drugs and guns. CFDA said Rih Rih was the perfect recipient for its prestigious award because: “of her impact on the industry as fashion’s most exciting ambassador in recent memory.”
The CFDA may as well have said: “While we would support suspending a middle class 8th grader for wearing an NRA t-shirt, we consider Rih Rih’s purses that look like or are bedazzled with firearms to be ‘fashion risks.’ Why? Because she’s rich, famous and glamorous.”
Likewise, a wealthy and renowned black rapper with an affluent and famous wife (Kim Kardashian) like Kanye West can flaunt the Confederate flag on his arm and call it “my flag.” But if a middle class black business owner in the south hangs the same flag because—to him—it broadly represents southern culture of hospitality, charm and sweet tea, he’ll be called an “Uncle Tom.” How is that fair?
Last week, Uber, a popular rideshare company, announced that it is banning its drivers and their riders from carrying guns. Basically Uber said: “Hey, drivers with concealed carry permits! If you dare to protect yourself against strangers riding in your own car with your own weapon that you’re trained and permitted to carry—you will lose your job as an Uber driver.”
It was close to midnight on April 17, 2015 when a 22-year-old madman named Everardo Custodio pulled out his gun and began spraying bullets at innocent pedestrians in Logan Square, on the northwest side of downtown Chicago.
An Uber driver with a valid concealed-carry permit fired at Custodio six times, wounding him and ending his deranged shooting spree. Despite this success story, Uber is more concerned about its public image than protecting its drivers or riders.
As comedian Bill Maher says at the end of every show, “New Rules!” As Bill Maher would not say: “If Rihanna Open Carries Her Guns, So Can You.”
New Rules: No guns (including fashion accessories that look like guns) for rich blacks until poor blacks—without Rih Rih’s expensive armed entourage of body guards—can defend themselves with their own firearms.
New Rules: Affluent black celebrities can’t market clothing lines that impressionable youths could misinterpret as glamorizing school shootings until poor black teachers who teach in high crime school districts can carry concealed to protect themselves and their pupils.
Rihanna has over 170 million followers across her social media networks of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Google+. In addition, she narrated the voice of Tip in the animated feature Home. Tip is a young black girl with beautiful curly hair who looks and sounds like a young Rihanna. Bottom line, Rihanna wields enormous influence over millions of young people—including those in grade school.
It’s not right that Rih Rih continues to make millions glamorizing the gangster life while everyday black Americans face job loss or a public shaming for doing similar or related but respectable actions and in a more responsible and purposeful manner.
New rules: If Rihanna can open carry, so can you.Obama’s budget and the rot of American capitalism
15 February 2011
On Monday, the Obama administration released its proposed federal budget for fiscal year 2012. After committing trillions in federal bailouts to the banks and billionaires, the White House is demanding cuts that will devastate the working class, and particularly its poorest and most vulnerable sections.
The $1.1 trillion in cuts for the next decade proposed by the White House is to be only the starting point for further cuts, as spokesmen for both big business parties acknowledge. Senate Budget Chairman Kent Conrad, a Democrat, declared, “We’ve got to do substantially more than $1 trillion worth of deficit reduction in the next decade.” Republican House Speaker John Boehner said, “There’s no limit to the amount we’re willing to cut.”
Democrats and Republicans agree on gargantuan military spending, an uninterrupted flow of funds to the financial aristocracy, and continued tax breaks for corporate America and the wealthy. As a top White House official told the press at a background briefing on the budget, “The debate in Washington is not whether to cut or to spend. We both agree we should cut. The question is how we cut and what we cut.”
The Obama budget projects that the ten-year cumulative deficit will reach a staggering $10.4 trillion. By attempting to wring such vast sums from the hides of the population, the ruling elite is trying to set American society back to conditions not seen for generations.
Programs to be cut include not only those targeted by Obama and the Republicans in the current budget debate—home heating assistance, Pell Grants, WIC, Head Start, etc.—but the much larger entitlement programs, Social Security and Medicare, which will face cuts later in the budget process.
The social impact will be incalculable. As hundreds of thousands of people face the bitter cold of winter without heat and gas, Obama is proposing halving the grossly inadequate federal assistance that is available. As students graduate with record debt and no job prospects, the administration is proposing significant cuts in government aid. Such gross indifference to social distress is repeated in every sphere.
Significant cuts to Social Security and Medicare—which amount to denying America’s elderly their right to pensions and health care—would have an even broader impact.
Behind the “debate” in Washington and the media over the budget is a massive lie—the claim that the budget deficits are a product of excessive social spending. Obama’s budget director Jacob Lew summed up this grotesque falsification an op-ed column published in the New York Times February 6, under the headline, “The Easy Cuts Are Behind Us.” Lew claimed that the causes of the projected budget deficits were “decisions to make two large tax cuts without offsetting them and to create a Medicare prescription drug benefit without paying for it, combined with the effects of the recession…”
This list is notable for what it leaves out: the cost of two wars, in Afghanistan and Iraq, which runs into the trillions; and the bank bailouts, where more trillions in public funds were placed at the disposal of the financial aristocracy, with no questions asked. The military budget by itself accounts for the lion’s share of the ten-year deficit: more than $7 trillion of the projected $10 trillion.
Lew’s more fundamental omission, however, is the grotesque class inequality that pervades American society. The top one percent of the US population owns over one third of the country’s wealth. The greatest wealth, however, is concentrated in an even smaller layer. Indeed, the $1.1 trillion in proposed cuts—which will have a terrible impact on the lives of millions of people—is somewhat less than the combined wealth of only the 400 richest Americans.
The arguments presented by the ruling elite for the cuts are staggeringly hypocritical. As they drown in floods of cash, they insist that no money is available for workers’ most basic needs.
Workers must reject this argument out of hand. They are not responsible for the orgy of swindling and profiteering that produced the 2008 Wall Street crash and pushed the world economy into the deepest slump since the Great Depression. On the contrary, an essential feature of the speculative binge was that the share of national income received by workers has shrunk to the lowest level in nearly a century.
Underlying the rise of the financial aristocracy—which exercises control over the entire political system—is the failure of the world capitalist system as a whole. In amassing its wealth, this tiny layer of the population, concentrated above all in the United States, has overseen a vast destruction of industry and social infrastructure. The ruling classes of every country now openly proclaim that the maintenance of their system depends upon an unprecedented destruction in the living conditions of the broad masses of the population.
These measures will provoke mass opposition. The revolutionary struggles in Egypt—in which protests and strikes of millions of workers and youth forced the resignation of a US-backed dictator that ruled the country for more than 30 years—point to the forms of struggle that will spread worldwide in the coming period. Mass unemployment, record inequality, and the corruption of the political system are common to Egypt and the United States, and are in fact universal. At the foundation of this system is the principle that economic life must be subordinated to private profit and the maintenance of the wealth of those who control the giant banks and corporations.
The working class can secure its interests only through the overturn of the capitalist system as a whole—that is, the reorganization of economic life to meet social need. In every aspect of its policies and of its social being, the ruling class itself makes the case for socialist revolution.
Patrick Martin
Patrick MartinAs covered in the article “What the JIT!? Anatomy of the OpenJDK HotSpot VM”, HotSpot’s execution engine has a Just-in-Time (JIT) compiler. In order to improve startup times, the tiered compilation starts interpreting the code and then quickly moves to tiers 1, 2, or 3 where the methods are compiled at the client compilation level (but with different profiling information) and then finally moves to the server compilation level (for more information on this please refer the above article). But even with the improvements in the compilation levels, HotSpot still starts interpreting its bytecode and then moves on to JIT-ting it.
This September, a proposal was submitted to add Ahead-of-Time (AOT) compilation to HotSpot. AOT helps with improving the startup time by loading pre-compiled classes. This helps avoid running those classes in the interpretated mode or at a sub-optimized compilation level.
AOT compilation is not new to dynamic compilers; IBM’s J9 VM supports AOT, so does Excelsior JET and others. AOT has helped many dynamic compilers achieve better startup/warmup times by using (shared) libraries that have already been compiled to native code.
Similar to the JIT compiler, the AOT compilation proposed in the JEP will have a tiered and a non-tiered mode, the difference being in the collection of profiling information and JIT recompilation. As mentioned in the article, with tiered compilation, simple profiling information is gathered at tier 2 – the same goes for tiered AOT compiled code. And when the AOT invocation thresholds are crossed, those methods get recompiled by the client compiler at tier 3, so that full profiling information can be captured for the server recompilation that will happen at tier 4.
The proposal as laid by Valdimir Kozlov, lead of the HotSpot compiler team, mentions that for the first release, only java.base module will be supported as tiered AOT, since the base module is well known and can help with thorough internal testing.
AOT brings about a new tool called ‘jaotc' which uses Graal as the backend (to generate code). The Graal dynamic compiler integrates with the HotSpot VM and depends on the JVM Compiler Interface (JVMCI), hence the JDK (that supports Graal or AOT) should also support JVMCI. There are some JVMCI enabled builds available on the Oracle technetwork site.
According to the proposal, the jaotc tool supports various flags:
--module <name> Module to compile --output <file> Output file name --compile-commands <file> Name of file with compile commands --compile-for-tiered Generated profiling code for tiered compilation --classpath <path> Specify where to find user class files --threads <number> Number of compilation threads to be used --ignore-errors Ignores all exceptions thrown during class loading --exit-on-error Exit on compilation errors --info Print information during compilation --verbose Print verbose information --debug Print debug information --help Print this usage message --version Version information -J<flag> Pass <flag> directly to the runtime system
Also, the JVM product will have the following flags:
+/-UseAOT - Use AOT-compiled files +/-PrintAOT - Print used AOT klasses and methods AOTLibrary=<file> - Specify the AOT library file
A few notproduct/develop flags will also be made available for users:
PrintAOTStatistics - Print AOT statistics UseAOTStrictLoading - Exit the VM if any of the AOT libraries has invalid config
The proposal also states that the logging of AOT runtime events will be integrated with the unified GC logging and the following tags will be supported:
aotclassfingerprint aotclassload aotclassresolve
No proposal is complete without listing the risks and assumptions made, and the risk with the AOT proposal is highlighted as follows:Enlarge DC Comics "Think about it. Your father dies in a robbery, and you invent a bulletproof man." Author Brad Meltzer, on the origins of Superman. Enlarge From Superman: The Complete History by Chronicle Books Prototype: Unpublished 1933 Superman proposal by Siegel and Shuster shows hero foiling a robbery.
Enlarge Photo provided by Jerry Robinson Superman settlement: Artist Joe Shuster, left, artist Neal Adams, writer Jerry Siegel and Jerry Robinson, who invented The Joker in 1939, celebrate Siegel and Shuster's agreement in 1975 with Time Warner.
On the night of June 2, 1932, the world's first superhero was born — not on the mythical planet of Krypton but from a little-known tragedy on the streets of Cleveland. It was Thursday night, about 8:10 p.m., and Mitchell Siegel, a Jewish immigrant from Lithuania, was in his secondhand clothing store on the near East Side. According to a police report, three men entered. One asked to see a suit of clothes and walked out without paying for it. In the commotion of the robbery, Siegel, 60, fell to the ground and died. The police report mentions a gunshot being heard. But the coroner, the police and Siegel's wife said Siegel died of a heart attack. No one was ever arrested. What happened next has exploded some of the longest-held beliefs about the origins of Superman and the two teenage boys, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, who invented America's best-known comic-book hero. Past accounts suggest Siegel and Shuster, both 17, awkward and unpopular in high school, invented the meek Clark Kent and his powerful alter-ego, Superman, to attract girls and rise above their humble Cleveland beginnings. But now it appears that the origin might have been more profound — that it was the death of Jerry Siegel's father that pushed the devastated teen to come up with the idea of a "Superman" to right all wrongs. "In 50 years of interviews, Jerry Siegel never once mentioned that his father died in a robbery," says Brad Meltzer, a best-selling author whose novel, The Book of Lies, due Sept. 2, links the Siegel murder to a biblical conspiracy plot. "But think about it," Meltzer says. "Your father dies in a robbery, and you invent a bulletproof man who becomes the world's greatest hero. I'm sorry, but there's a story there." The first 'Superman' The evidence for such a psychological underpinning is strong. It was just a year after Mitchell Siegel's death, 1933, that writer Siegel and artist Shuster came up with "The Superman," a grim, flying avenger they tried to sell to newspaper syndicates and publishers for five years. In the oldest surviving artwork, this early Superman, whom they call "the most astounding fiction character of all time," flies to the rescue of a man who is being held up by a masked robber. Was it Jerry's alter-ego flying to rescue his helpless father? "America did not get Superman from our greatest legends, but because a boy lost his father," Meltzer says. "Superman came not out of our strength but out of our vulnerability." The more Meltzer looked, the more intriguing things became. A letter published in The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer on June 3, 1932, the day after the robbery, denounces the need for vigilantes in the harsh days of the Depression. The letter is signed by an A.L. Luther. "Is that where (Superman foe) Lex Luthor came from?" Meltzer says. "I almost had a heart attack right there. I thought, 'You have to be kidding me!' " In search of answers Meltzer was not the only one looking. Comic-book historian Gerard Jones first disclosed the fact of the robbery in 2004 for his book, Men of Tomorrow, after interviews with Siegel's cousins. "It had to have an effect," Jones says. "Superman's invulnerability to bullets, loss of family, destruction of his homeland — all seem to overlap with Jerry's personal experience. There's a connection there: the loss of a dad as a source for Superman." Although they never went public, the father's side of the family was told for decades that the elder Siegel had been shot in the robbery. That's the dramatic angle Meltzer takes in his conspiracy novel. Siegel was shot twice in the chest at his store, he writes, and "a puddle of blood seeped toward the door." In an afterword to his work of fiction, Meltzer concedes that the facts remain murky. In an interview, Meltzer said that some in the family were told "since they were little kids" that Siegel died by gunfire. Others were told he had a heart attack. "It was probably a heart attack," Meltzer said. And yet Meltzer is not ready to embrace either answer as final. More definitive is Marc Tyler Nobleman, author with artist Ross MacDonald of this year's illustrated book Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman, who concludes that Mitchell Siegel died of a heart attack during the robbery. The coroner, he notes, reported "no wounds" on Siegel's body, and the gunshot might not have been related to the robbery. "I spent a long time going after this," Nobleman says. "I believe I have the first accurate account. Jerry's father wasn't shot and robbed. He had a heart attack during a robbery." A fortune sold for $130 The rest of the saga of Siegel and Shuster is better known, but no less tragic. It wasn't until 1938 that the familiar red-and-blue-garbed Superman appeared on the cover of Action Comics No. 1. The creators got a check for $130. In return, DC Comics acquired rights to the character "forever." Siegel and Shuster bristled as Superman grew in popularity — on radio, in wartime cartoons and serials in the 1940s. They went to court several times, winning settlements but never rights to the character. By the 1970s, Siegel had been working as a mail clerk for $7,000 a year, and Shuster was almost blind. "A shameful legacy," says Blake Bell, author of The World of Steve Ditko, a biography of the co-creator of Spider-Man. Comic-book creators "had no pensions, no contracts, no health benefits, and companies didn't even pay for the artists' supplies. When these artists tried to negotiate greater rights for themselves, they were either collectively cast out or made false promises." After hearing that Warner Bros. had paid $3 million for the rights to make Superman the Movie in 1975, Siegel and Shuster tried again to reap some benefits. This time, though, they had help from the artistic community and from fans who knew their work. In a landmark settlement, DC Comics agreed to pay the two men $20,000 a year for life. More important, friends say, DC agreed to add "Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster" on all printed and filmed material in the future. "Having their names listed as Superman's creators was the biggest victory of all," says Steve Younis, editor of SupermanHomepage.com. "It's worth more than any kind of monetary reimbursement." The man who helped negotiate the Siegel and Shuster deal was artist Jerry Robinson, who co-created The Joker in 1939 but who received little recognition for decades. (He's now a creative consultant for DC Comics in the wake of The Dark Knight film.) Robinson says he threw a party in his Manhattan apartment when the Siegel |
the individuals on the register used a number of different strategies to reduce body fat, there was one thing they had in common; a commitment to regular exercise. They regularly expended at least 1,306 calories through physical exercise each week (McGuire et al., 1998). Scientists from George Washington University also found that regular exercise helps to maintain higher levels of weekly fat loss 12 months after starting a diet (Miller et al., 1997).
Aerobic exercise promotes healthier patterns of eating
Physical activity as part of a fat loss strategy also appears to encourage healthier eating patterns. Individuals who exercise frequently may perceive food as 'activity fuel', and place greater importance on the quality of their diet. Californian researchers have identified a direct relationship between physical activity and various markers of dietary quality (Johnson et al., 1998). They found that physical activity was associated with healthy eating habits, such as eating fruit and vegetables. More physically active individuals were also less likely to eat foods with a high fat content. "There is a consistent pattern of findings," the researchers concluded, "indicating that more physically active young adults have more healthful diets."
Moderate intensity aerobic exercise may also reduce fat under the skin to a greater extent than diet alone. Fat in the body is stored in three main areas - under the skin, surrounding the internal organs, and between muscle cells. Fat stored under the skin (known as subcutaneous tissue) is one of the main reasons many people decide to lose weight. It's the fat you can pinch; around the waist, arms or hips. Japanese scientists have discovered that a moderate aerobic exercise programme can reduce subcutaneous tissue to a greater extent than diet alone (Abe et al., 1997). In contrast, diets appear to have a greater effect on the fat that surrounds the internal organs (known as visceral fat).
The bottom line
Moderate aerobic exercise does have a role to play in reducing body fat. However, it's important to be clear precisely what to expect from a programme of this type. On a weekly basis, you can expect an additional fat loss amounting to between 0.11kg (0.2lb) (Utter et al., 1998) and 0.22kg (0.5lb) (Miller et al., 1997), depending on the frequency and duration of the exercise.
Although this might not seem like a great deal, it's important to remember that moderate aerobic exercise is a key factor in preventing weight regain following a restricted calorie diet. The majority of research shows that individuals including physical activity as part of a weight loss strategy are far more likely to keep in shape than those who rely on dieting alone.
ReferencesIn 1947 the United States Air Force became an independent service, carved from the Army and placed under the control of the newly created National Military Establishment. The new service faced daunting challenges. There was the threat from a new adversary, the Soviet Union. But there were challenges at home as well: from the Navy, which viewed those in the new uniforms as rivals for diminishing defense funds; and from within, as the Air Force struggled to introduce jet-powered aircraft into operational service.
In the spring of 1949, the country got a new secretary of defense: Louis Johnson, a wealthy lawyer, aspiring politician, and former official with the Convair Corporation, which was a longtime supplier of U.S. military aircraft. That last connection, which today would seem a scandal worthy of a special prosecutor, was common at the time. Who knew more about weapons than the men who built them?
When President Harry Truman ordered Johnson to economize, he obliged in April by canceling the 65,000-ton super-carrier United States, the keel of which had been laid only a week before. But the carrier was the linchpin of the Navy's plan to equip itself for the strategic nuclear mission. Carrying aircraft able to deliver atomic bombs to a target 1,000 miles away, the United States would have projected naval air power across the world's oceans, just the mission the Air Force wanted for its land-based bombers. Johnson's order, though only two sentences long, set off an interservice squabble the likes of which the nation had rarely seen.
Relations between the Army and Navy had first soured in the 1920s over which service should defend the U.S. coast, and World War II had only sharpened their rivalry. Now the Navy viewed the postwar creation of the Air Force and the Department of Defense as twin political threats to its primacy as the defender of U.S. shores. The spat that followed cancellation of the United States became known as "the revolt of the admirals," and it pitted the Navy's aircraft carrier against the Air Force's strategic bombing force--more specifically, Convair's monster six-engine bomber, the B-36, which had entered service in the summer of 1948.
Now it was a year later, and matters were coming to a head. The first shot in the battle was fired by Cedric Worth, a civilian assistant to Navy Undersecretary Dan Kimball for "special study and research," as he later described his duties under oath. It came in the form of a nine-page memo for the Navy's internal use (though he admitted giving copies to three members of Congress and to aircraft manufacturer Glenn Martin). The document condemned the B-36 as "an obsolete and unsuccessful aircraft" and charged that the Air Force had acquired it only after Convair had contributed $6.5 million to various Democratic politicians.
The theme was picked up by the Navy League, which spent $500,000 trashing the mega-bomber. (That amount, at least, was the estimate of the rival Air Force Association. If these sums don't seem exciting, consider that in 1949, the minimum wage in the aircraft industry was 50 cents an hour.) The B-36 was described as a "lumbering cow" and a "billion-dollar blunder," and the Navy claimed it had at least three jet fighters that could leave the monster behind at 40,000 feet. The admirals wanted a matchup, but they would never get one.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff told Johnson the test was a bad idea. And the Air Force said it had already demonstrated that fighters couldn't maneuver at that altitude. Simulated B-36 attacks on bases in Florida and California were met by three front-line fighters: a North American F-86A Sabre, a Lockheed F-80C Shooting Star, and a Republic F-84 Thunderjet. Radar picked up the intruder 30 minutes out; the fighters took 26 minutes to climb to 40,000 feet and another two minutes to find the B-36. The fighters were faster than the big bomber, but their wing loading (the ratio of aircraft weight to area of the wings) was so high that they couldn't turn with the bomber without stalling in the thin air. Even if a B-36 were detected and Soviet fighters caught it, the pilot could evade them by making S-turns, said the Air Force.
Of course, the Russians wouldn't have been flying USAF jets, as British engineer Harold Saxon argued in an edition of Aviation Week that appeared in mid-summer. While the Americans valued speed and therefore reduced the span and area of their jets' wings, the British built fighters that could maneuver at stratospheric heights, beginning with the de Havilland Vampire, which had been designed for the first British turbojet engine, and which by 1949 had done "a lot of development flying since 1947 between 50,000 and 60,000 feet," according to Saxon.
By early June, the battle had moved into the halls of Congress when James Van Zandt, a Republican Congressman from Pennsylvania and captain in the Navy reserve, took up the charges leaked by Worth's memo. On the House floor, Van Zandt demanded an investigation of the "ugly, disturbing reports" that the bomber project would have been canceled a year ago if not for wheeling and dealing by Louis Johnson, other Convair officials, and Stuart Symington, the civilian head of the Air Force.
Symington, in a speech at Brookline, Massachusetts, had summed up the final judgment on the B-36: The bomber could "take off from bases on this continent, penetrate enemy defenses, destroy any major urban industrial area in the world, and return non-stop to the point of take-off." Symington's claim was preposterous, but it was widely believed. So Congress did what it does best: It scheduled hearings. But they were delayed until August, infuriating Van Zandt, and also broadened into a debate about the strategic roles of the Air Force and Navy. During the dramatic proceedings, a browbeaten Cedric Worth was unmasked as the author of the memo that had incited the ruckus and forced to recant everything. "I think I was wrong," he told the committee.
"You made a grave error, did you not?" he was asked.
"Yes."
U.S. bombers had been getting steadily bigger, so the enormity of the B-36 may have seemed part of an American pattern, but the bomber actually owed its immense bulk to a succession of hostile dictators, starting with Adolf Hitler. In the spring of 1941, German troops held most of western Europe and seemed likely to conquer Britain next. The U.S. Army asked airframe builders for an airplane that could take off from American soil, bomb Germany, and fly home.
The most promising design came from Consolidated Aircraft in San Diego, builder of the B-24 Liberator, which was just entering service with U.S. and British air forces. Consolidated proposed a quantum leap over the B-17 and B-24 heavy bombers as well as Boeing's next-generation "very heavy" B-29 Superfortress. The B-36 was to be a mega-bomber, spanning 230 feet from wingtip to wingtip. It would cross the Atlantic, enter German airspace at 300 mph, and drop 10,000 pounds of bombs from 40,000 feet, too high for flak or fighters to trouble it. Impressed, the Army ordered a pair of prototypes on November 15, 1941.
Three weeks later, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, and the U.S. suddenly found itself fighting a two-ocean war. The B-36 went on the back burner while Consolidated turned out thousands of its proven Liberators. The B-36 suffered another setback when its facilities were moved to Texas, and yet another when the designers were asked to build a transport based on the bomber.
While Europe was pounded from bases in England, Japan was to be targeted by the Boeing Superfortress flying from China. The Japanese set out to capture the Chinese airfields--and thereby moved the B-36 back to the front burner. From Hawaii, it could bomb Tokyo as it had once been expected to bomb Berlin. In June 1943 the Army asked for 100 copies of the mega-bomber, with the first to arrive in the summer of 1945.
The U.S. Marine Corps moved faster than Convair (Consolidated merged with Vultee in 1943, and the new name was coined then). Shortly after Guam, Saipan, and Tinian were in U.S. hands, the Superforts began their terrible punishment of the Japanese home islands. The Pacific war ended six months earlier than expected--and six days before the rollout of the first B-36, its nose jacked up to lower its tail, which was too tall for the hangar door. It debuted as the Peacemaker, but the name never took, and even today it is better remembered simply as the B-36.
In a country celebrating peace, the prototype would have been the last of the line, but the Soviet Union turned out to be as land-hungry as Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. Nonetheless, the U.S. military packed for home in a stand-down so thorough that it was "not a demobilization," as General Leon Johnson noted in a 1954 interview, "it was a rout." The spring of 1946 became a replay of 1941, with a hostile dictator swallowing pieces of Europe and the Americans unable to do anything about it. The "strategic" card--the threat of wholesale destruction by nuclear weapons--seemed the only one that a demobilized, budget-cutting United States could play. But which of the services would play it?
When Congress had created the independent air force in 1947, the new service had been organized around two combat arms: a Tactical Air Command (TAC) to support the ground troops and a Strategic Air Command (SAC) to take the war to the enemy. The Air Force would have a fleet twice the size of the Navy's--24,000 aircraft to 11,500--and only the Air Force would have heavy bombers.
Following the U.S. withdrawal to the continental United States and the emergence of Joseph Stalin's ambitions, SAC's strategic mission was in the ascendant and there was no longer any question who the "enemy" was. By happenstance, the long-distance payload of the B-36 equalled the weight of one atomic bomb--roughly 10,000 pounds--and its combat radius equalled the great-circle route from Maine to Leningrad. Pending the arrival of its new $5.7-million-dollar baby, SAC made do with 160 veteran B-29 Superforts, and it was these aircraft that answered the call to deploy to European bases when the Russians shut off ground access to Berlin in the summer of 1948.
It was a colossal bluff. In all of SAC, only 27 Superforts had the "Silver Plate" modifications needed to carry an atomic bomb, and these were all assigned to the 509th Bomb Group, which stayed home. As for bombs, the U.S. "stockpile" contained exactly 13, controlled by the Atomic Energy Commission, and President Harry Truman refused to say if he'd ever release them to the military. Even if he had given the order to launch an attack, the 509th would have needed five days to pack up, fly to an AEC depot, load the nukes, and move overseas.
Perhaps the reality of the situation didn't matter to the Soviets. As they demonstrated again and again during the cold war, their pattern was to push until they met a determined response, then back off and wait for the next opportunity. They could easily have prevented an airlift by jamming U.S. radio beacons, but they didn't. And when General Curtis LeMay, to everyone's astonishment, fed and heated Berlin by air, the Russians quietly reopened land routes in the spring of 1949. The blockade succeeded only in burnishing LeMay's reputation, heightening American fear of Russia, and confirming the belief that the B-36 was America's best hope to contain Communism.
In June 1948, Convair delivered the first operational B-36A to SAC's 7th Bomb Group at Carswell Air Force Base, across the runway from its Fort Worth plant. Big as the B-29 Superfort was, it could nearly fit beneath one wing of a B-36. Despite the difference in size, the two airplanes had similar vertical tails, and they had slim fuselages, like cigarettes, round in cross-section, with two pressurized crew cabins separated by two bomb bays and connected by a tunnel.
But the wings were different. The Superfort's were thin, straight, and glider-like, while the B-36's wings were more than seven feet thick at the root, enough for a crewman to crawl in and reach the engines or the landing gear in flight. The wings were tapered, with the leading edges swept back, and the effect of that, combined with the wings' location so far back on the fuselage, made the airplane appear out of balance. Strangest of all, the B-36's six Pratt & Whitney Wasp Major engines were faired into the trailing edges, with the propellers located aft in the pusher configuration. Although it was supposed to reduce the propeller swirl's turbulence over the wing, the pusher design was rarely used on U.S. aircraft. Apparently it worked, though, because the B-36 had very low drag. The main drawback was that air for cooling the engines was ducted from intakes in the leading edge of the wing, and there was never enough of it, especially at high altitude.
The propellers were 19 feet in diameter, and to keep the tips from going supersonic they were geared to turn less than half as fast as the engines. The engines and propellers produced an unforgettable throbbing sound when the B-36 flew overhead. A friend of mine remembers the sound from his boyhood as a "captivating drone. The noise went down to your heels, it was so resonant. It just stopped you in your tracks. You looked up into the sky to try to find this thing, and it was just a tiny cross, it was so high." Others remember that it rattled windows on the ground from 40,000 feet.
The airplane's most eye-catching feature was the Plexiglas canopy that enclosed a flight deck, which, while ample for a crew of four, seemed small on such a whale of a plane. A dome below the nose housed a radar antenna, and two transparent blisters allowed the crew to aim the guns and observe any mechanical breakdowns. The effect was a face like a prairie dog's peering from a burrow, with the flight deck for eyes, the scanning blisters for ears, and the radome for tucked-up paws.
The ailerons, flaps, rudder, and elevators had a combined total surface area greater than both wings of a B-24. The pilot's control input moved a trim tab in the opposite direction, forcing the control surface in the desired direction. Two flight engineers monitored the six 4,360-cubic-inch engines, each with four rows of seven cylinders, a configuration that earned the nickname "corncob." The bombardier, navigator, radioman, and gunners brought the population of the forward cabin to 10.
You could visit the aft cabin by lying supine on a wheeled cart and pulling yourself along an overhead rope through a tunnel 85 feet long and two feet in diameter. The cart also served as a dumbwaiter, sending hot entrees from the galley to the forward cabin. The aft compartment accommodated five men and was equipped with bunks, an electric range, and the world's smallest urinal, which had to be voided to the outside at intervals. B-36 veterans like to tell the story of the new captain who came aft to relieve himself but didn't ask for instructions and, as a result, peed on his boots.
Later models had larger crews, up to 22 in reconnaissance versions. And everyone had a job to do--two jobs, in the case of the gunners. It took the ground crew six hours to prepare the bomber for a mission, and the flight crew needed another hour for a preflight check involving 600 steps, beginning with climbing the landing gear and removing the clamps that kept the gear from folding accidentally.
The B-36A couldn't fight--the electrically operated cannon were so trouble-prone they were simply eliminated--much less scramble to retaliate, and it ended up becoming little more than a crew trainer. Twenty-two were delivered, each virtually handmade, and "so flimsily built," says Jim Little, who served on one after it was converted to an RB-36E, "that the upper wing skin would actually pull loose from the wing ribs." Sometimes, Little recalls in the book RB-36 Days at Rapid City, "you would meet [the plane] with a crew of 30 or 40 sheet metal men."
The propellers were reversible for braking on landing, but sometimes they reversed in flight or while the airplane was straining to take off--at least once with fatal consequences. The stainless steel firewalls enclosing the engines cracked. The cylinders overheated. Lead in the gasoline fouled the spark plugs at cruising speed. Each airplane had 336 spark plugs, and after a flight lasting a day and a half, a mechanic would have to haul a bucket of replacement plugs to the airplane to service all six engines. The engines leaked oil, and sometimes a flight engineer had to shut one down because it had exhausted its allotment of 150 gallons.
Then there was the "wet wing." The outboard fuel tanks were formed by the wing panels and sealed at the junctions, and after the wing flexed for a few hundred hours the sealant was apt to fail. Jim Little recalls that one airplane leaked so badly "the ground underneath was just purple [from the dye in the high-octane gasoline]--it was raining fuel under that airplane."
Pilot opinion of the B-36 tended to run to the extremes, but most crew members loved it--"this big, wonderful old bird," Jim Edmundson calls it. As a colonel in the early 1950s, Edmundson commanded a B-36 group at Fairchild Air Force Base near Spokane, Washington. But even he admitted that the airplane could be a chore for its pilot--"like sitting on your front porch and flying your house around."
Of course most of the pilots were young and eager, and the older men had flown worse contraptions during the war. "It was a noisy airplane; it was big," former radioman/gunner Raleigh Watson recalled at a B-36 reunion at the Castle Air Museum in Atwater, California last September, "but it was comfortable, and I think we felt it was a safe airplane, a very well-built airplane." Moxie Shirley, a pilot with more than a thousand hours in the B-36, loved the airplane, declaring that it "kept the Russians off our backs." But he went on to add, "Every crew that ever flew that airplane had stories that would make your hair stand on end."
Ed Griemsmann expressed another view in Thundering Peacemaker: "A horrible, lazy beast to fly," he told the book's author. Griemsmann survived a fiery crash in 1956. Most B-36 crashes were fiery because of the magnesium used in its construction. Rather than fly another, he said, he'd join the infantry.
If the B-36A was ineffective, the Strategic Air Command was little better. Its first commander, General George Kenney, didn't believe in the B-36, arguing in 1947 that the bomber was too slow to survive over enemy territory, with engines and an airframe that couldn't withstand an 8,000-mile flight. Kenney urged the Air Force to put its money into bombers that could fly at the speed of sound, even if that meant depending on overseas bases.
Kenney was right, of course. But at the time, his advice seemed disloyal, and he compounded the offense by letting his deputy run SAC while he himself campaigned for the top job in the Air Force. Not long after the first B-36A arrived, Kenney was fired. SAC's new commander was General Curtis LeMay, the pudgy, ferocious, cigar-smoking general famed for his B-29 tactics in the Pacific and for the more recent and successful Berlin airlift.
"We didn't have one crew, not one crew, in the entire command who could do a professional job," LeMay wrote of the SAC he inherited. He challenged his crews to stage a practice bomb raid on Dayton, Ohio, from 30,000 feet, using photographs taken in 1941--the best they'd have for the Soviet Union. (All SAC had were captured photographs the Germans had taken during the occupation of western Russia. Of the country beyond Moscow, there were no photographs available at all.) After the fiasco that ensued, LeMay whipped the crews into shape. He moved the best people from other groups to make the nuclear-capable 509th combat-ready, then did the same for the next most promising group.
By the fall of 1948 an improved B-36B had arrived, armed with pairs of 20-millimeter guns in the nose and tail, and six turrets that opened out like flowers in a slow-motion film; the gunners aimed from remote blisters. On December 7, the seventh anniversary of the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor, Lieutenant Colonel John Bartlett took off in a B-36 from Carswell Air Force Base in Texas, flew to Hawaii, dropped a 10,000-pound dummy bomb, and returned without being spotted on the island's radar. LeMay must have bitten through his cigar when he got the news. If he could reach Hawaii from Texas, he could hit the Soviet Union from Maine. And if he could figure out how to operate the B-36 in the cold of Alaska, all of Siberia would fall under its shadow.
The B model also had the "Grand Slam" modifications needed for carrying a hydrogen bomb, which was 30 feet long and weighed 43,000 pounds and had been created in such secrecy that Convair didn't have the dimensions in time for the A models.
The B-36B was the last true reciprocating-engine bomber in the U.S. strategic bomber force. In hindsight, it seems obvious that the mega-bomber should have been jet-powered from the start. But the turbojet had been developed during World War II for fast-climbing, high-flying interceptors, and they gulped fuel at a prodigious rate. Nobody dreamed they could cross an ocean. Two developments changed everything: a new generation of twin-spool turbojets with markedly improved fuel consumption and, more significantly, the advent of inflight refueling. By 1949, Boeing's B-47 Stratojet was entering production, and the B-52 Stratofortress, an intercontinental giant, was making progress on paper.
Even before the uproar started in Congress in the summer of '49, the Air Force was apparently worried about the vulnerability of the B-36, and as an interim measure asked Convair to hang a pair of jet pods near the B-36's wingtips. By March, a B-36B had flown with four Allison J35s installed. On the production versions that emerged in July, each pod housed two General Electric J-47-GE-19s modified to run on gasoline--tiny compared to the Wasp Majors, but effectively doubling the airplane's installed horsepower. The jets were employed for takeoff, climbing to extreme altitudes, and dashing across hostile territory. With "six turning and four burning," as the saying went, a B-36 could finally top 400 mph. But fighter jockeys were flirting with the sound barrier in their North American F-86 Sabre jets, and whatever the Americans deployed--nukes, missiles, supersonic jets--the Russians matched, beginning with copies and sometimes ending with improved weapons.
For the benefit of Congress, the Air Force then released what Aviation Week described as "sensational new performance figures" on the jet-assisted B-36D: 435-mph top speed, 50,000-foot ceiling, range of up to 12,000 miles. LeMay added his personal pledge: "I believe we can get the B-36 over a target and not have the enemy know it is there until the bombs hit."
Even George Kenney came out of exile from his post as commander of the officer training center, Air University, to praise the airplane. "The B-36 went higher, faster, and farther than anybody thought it would," he said, "and the pilots liked it. It was a lucky freak." However, Kenney guessed that both the U.S. Navy Banshee and the Royal Air Force Vampire could intercept the B-36 in daylight; he recommended that it be used only on night raids.
On September 5, Aviation Week reported "Symington and Defense Chiefs Exonerated," as the House Armed Services Committee gave a clean bill of health to Johnson, Symington, the Air Force, and Convair. There wasn't "one iota, not one scintilla, of evidence...that would support charges or insinuations that collusion, fraud, corruption, influence, or favoritism played any part whatsoever in the procurement of the B-36 bomber," the committee concluded. Even Congressman Van Zandt voted for the absolving resolution.
At 4 a.m. local time on June 25, 1950, North Korean troops stormed across the 38th parallel. In November they were joined by Chinese "volunteers." These developments marked the end of President Truman's defense economy drive. First Germany, then Japan, then Russia, and now events in Korea had succeeded in advancing the cause of the B-36. Suddenly plenty of money was available for mega-bombers, and for super-carriers as well.
The Korean war produced another milestone for SAC: Truman released nine atomic bombs to the military. They probably didn't leave the country, but the B-36 did, flying from Texas to airfields in Britain and Morocco in the spring and fall of 1951. Only six airplanes were involved and their visits were short, but the message couldn't have escaped Moscow's attention. However briefly, the capital and most of the territory of the Soviet Union had come within the combat radius of the B-36.
Altogether, 1951 was a good year for mega-bombers. Margaret Bourke-White rhapsodized over the B-36 in a photo-essay for Life magazine, with photographs taken at 41,000 feet, where the sky "was a color such as I've never seen, the darkest blue imaginable, yet luminous like the hottest cobalt, too brilliant for the eyes to bear." She photographed fluffy white contrails streaming from the reciprocating engines, a 55-foot scaffold used to repair the rudder, and (from both ends) the marvelous flying boom that refueled bombers in flight.
An alert reader might have noted some oddities in Bourke-White's essay. The bomber being refueled was a Superfort, not a B-36, none of which was ever equipped for inflight refueling. She rode in a B-47, its raked tail clearly visible in one photograph. And the accompanying map depicted a Soviet Union surrounded by small bombers based in Alaska, Canada, Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and Japan: the Peacemaker hunkered at home.
But if Superforts were on the Russian border, and if midair refueling allowed them to fly indefinitely, and with the Stratojet coming on line, why bother with the B-36? The jet pods had added so much weight and gobbled so much fuel that the combat radius had dropped first to 3,525 miles, then to 3,110. What was LeMay planning? From Maine, South Dakota, and Washington, the B-36 could barely scratch the edges of the Soviet empire, and even at those bases it faced hard sledding in the winter. At Rapid City, mechanics had to build a repair dock with sliding doors and cutouts for the fuselage so they could work on the engines while the tail stayed out in the snow. There were SAC bases in Alaska and Greenland, but the climate was so forbidding that LeMay never stationed any B-36s there. The Arctic airfields were used as staging points, with the bombers returning to the south 48 after each mission. Another ploy was the shuttle mission, with a takeoff from Fairchild Air Force Base near Spokane, Washington. After bombing Irkutsk, in central Siberia, the bombers would have refueled at Okinawa before returning home.
But to do any real damage, LeMay had to launch it from an overseas base or order a one-way mission. He would have scoffed at this latter-day quarterbacking, of course. "The B-36 was often called an interim bomber," he wrote in his memoir, Mission With LeMay. "For my dough, every bomber which ever has been or ever will be is an interim bomber." He had a point: at the time, SAC even considered the B-52 nothing more than a fill-in for the supersonic B-70.
LeMay may have been loyal to his hardware, but there were signs that General Kenney wasn't alone in his initial doubts about the B-36. One scheme would have equipped it with a pilotless drone to fight off enemy interceptors. Then the Air Force experimented with a manned parasite--the XF-85 Goblin--which would ride to war in a bomb bay. Still later, Republic adapted its F-84 to snuggle into the belly of the beast. By 1953 this last concept had changed from one of defending the B-36 to replacing it: The mother plane would linger offshore while the Thunderjet dashed in to take photographs or drop a bomb.
Finally, in 1955, Convair took a different approach, stripping the mega-bomber to the essentials. Just as LeMay had gambled his B-29s in 1945, sending them low and fast over Tokyo armed only with tail guns, SAC got a "featherweight" B-36 with only two guns, a smaller crew, no stove or other luxuries, and, in the bargain, a longer range. Many of the earlier models were modified to the new standard, especially the reconnaissance versions. Indeed, it's possible that LeMay's fondness for the B-36 may have had less to do with its potential as a bomber than its value as a spyplane. SAC ended up with 369 of the jet-recip hybrids, including modified versions, and more than a third were reconnaissance bombers. The RB-36 could carry an atomic bomb, but its principal weapon was a camera the size of a Geo Metro, set in a photo studio that replaced the forward bomb bay. Loaded with a roll of film 18 inches wide and 1,000 feet long, this great camera once photographed a golf course from 40,000 feet, and in the contact print, on display at the Air Force Museum in Dayton, an actual golf ball can be seen. If an RB-36 could see a golf ball from eight miles up, it could see tanks, airplanes, missiles, and factories. Surely this was the task that LeMay saw for the Peacemaker: With its enormous wings and extra fuel, who knows how high and how far it could fly? B-36 crews speak of 45-hour missions, presumably with fuel cells instead of nukes in the rear bomb bays; at cruise speed, a "featherweight" could travel almost 9,000 miles in that period. The official ceiling was 41,300 feet, but again, crews say that they routinely flew higher than 50,000 feet, and one man--John McCoy, quoted in Thundering Peacemaker--boasted of soaring to 58,000 feet. On missions over China, McCoy said, his RB-36 was chased by MiG fighters that couldn't climb anywhere near it. U.S. fighter pilots of that period also recall B-36s cruising comfortably well above their own maximum altitude. Not until the advent of the "century series" fighters--the F-100 and up--would the B-36 be challenged. Whether the RB-36 ever overflew Russia is anyone's guess, but it was the U.S. altitude and distance champ until the Lockheed U-2 came on line toward the end of the decade.
In the end, the B-36 turned out to be a place holder for the B-52 Stratofortress. Convair attempted to stave off Boeing's intercontinental jet bomber with the YB-60, which premiered as the YB-36G, with eight jets, a five-man crew, completely redesigned swept wings, a speed of 508 mph, and a 2,920-mile combat radius--in short, a knock-off that was inferior in every respect to its competitor. Boeing's bombers had the advantage of having been designed for jet power from the start. The Air Force didn't even bother to supply engines for the second YB-60 prototype.
Though obsolescent, the B-36 still had some momentum. Before descending into retirement, it made its first overseas deployment with a USAF unit in 1955, to Britain and Guam. In the same year, it starred in a Hollywood epic, Strategic Air Command--though in Jimmy Stewart's final scene with Frank Lovejoy, who played the LeMay-like general, a model of an early B-52 can be seen on the general's desk. The B-36 remained in the inventory for four more years, while the new Stratofortress was being tweaked to its full potential.
The B-36 was nowhere near as durable as the B-52 would prove to be, but it did the work asked of it. And eventually, the inter-service rivalry that led to the Congressional eruption over the big bomber's strategic mission died down, with the Navy's missile-submarine fleet garnering a permanent place in the strategic "triad" along with bombers and land-based missiles. Perhaps the best thing that can be said about the Peacemaker is that it lived up to its name. The B-36 never went to war, never dropped a bomb in anger, nor (so far as we know) even fired its cannon at an enemy airplane. Created at a time when the atomic bomb redefined strategic air power and the turbojet redefined performance, its career spanned the crossroads that divided two eras.
Author Daniel Ford wrote about the last B-29 raid of World War II in the Aug./Sept. 1995 issue.
Originally published in Air & Space/Smithsonian, April/May 1996. Copyright 1996, Smithsonian Institution. All Rights Reserved.For frustrated South African taxpayers, the country’s struggling and poorly managed national airline seems a bottomless pit. Markus Korhonen calculated the hypothetical price tag of a more profitable airline.
No doubt employing hyperbole, the head of Business Leadership South Africa emphasised the billions South Africa’s government has spent propping up the national airline with a striking comparison.
“We have spent R50 billion on South African Airways since 1999. If we had not done that‚ we would have bought Emirates Airlines,” Bonang Mohale was reported as saying.
R50 billion is certainly a big amount, but how does it compare to the price tag of one of the world’s biggest airlines?
To put the sum in question into context, it is worth considering just how much R50 billion really is. Were you to earn one rand every second of the day, you would receive a very generous salary of R86,400 per day or just over R2.5 million per month. Even at this rate, it would take you 31.7 years to earn your first billion rand. To get to R50 billion would take you almost 1,600 years.
To put it another way, to have R50 billion now, you would have had to start earning this salary around the time of the very first Iron Age settlements at Great Zimbabwe. It is, in short, a lot of money.
R29.1 billion, not R50 billion
Alas, it seems that Mohale’s claim of money spent does not quite stand up to scrutiny.
Both the South African Airways |
down to what the witnesses have to say."
Police will turn over the results of their investigation to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office and prosecutors will determine whether charges will be filed, Favazzo said.Goddamn, why did you give booze to Wooz? Stupid ghoul put it next to his radioactive rotgut, now when I drink it my piss glows. Goddamn ghouls. I swear if it wasn't for Lennys of this world, I'd blow the whole freaking city as Lynette asked me all those years ago. That said, thanks for the caps, although I was hoping that box of mentats would actually have, you know, mentats. I guess you still don't want me to cheat in poker. You know it doesn't really matter anyway, I'm banned from the strip, and there's no way to win playing fair in New Reno...
As of the holodisk, thanks buddy, I have that story, although not in that edition.
Well, I hope your business with couriers ends up working out, despite the initial difficulties. I hear they're the hot commodity now, after what happened at the Divide.
Thanks again, and may the ghost of the Chosen One watch over you.It has to do with whether or not you've currently got a good connection to Google's servers for sync services and the like. From page 27 of their Android 2.3 Users Guide:
Network status icons turn green if you have a Google Account added to your phone and the phone is connected to Google services, for syncing your Gmail, Calendar events, contacts, for backing up your settings, and so on. If you don’t have a Google Account or if, for example, you’re connected to a Wi-Fi network that is not connected to the Internet, the network icons are white.
I'm not really sure why it bounces back and forth between green and white sometimes. I've noticed it on my phone but everything works fine (I run CyanogenMod, though, so perhaps it has to do with that). It could also be that green means it's currently in the act of syncing, but the wording in the document is a little vague, in my opinion.
In the case of Honeycomb or Ice Cream Sandwich, the colors are blue/grey instead of green/white, but they still have the same meaning.
Edit: For the interested, here are links to the user guide in other languages. The above is the English version.Swedish sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg, aka First Aid Kit, have always seemed wise beyond their years. The pair create gorgeous torch songs that belie the fact they're in their early twenties and late teens, respectively. After emerging with a beautiful cover of Fleet Foxes' Tiger Mountain Peasant Song in 2008, they've since recorded with Jack White (on a cover of Buffy Sainte-Marie's Universal Soldier) and Bright Eyes, and will support Lykke Li on her forthcoming UK tour. While their debut album, 2010's The Big Black and the Blue, relied solely on their immaculate harmonies and the warm thrum of an acoustic guitar, The Lion's Roar – produced by Bright Eyes' Mike Mogis – finds them experimenting with a full band, mixing country influences with campfire strumalongs. The title track – premiered here exclusively – starts with just Klara's voice and guitar, before the whole thing is swept along in a rush of harmonies, woodwind and galloping drums.
• The Lion's Roar is due on 5 December. The album follows on 23 January.Throughout 2015 Star Marine, Star Citizen’s first-person shooter module, was always just weeks away. In March, on a stage at PAX East, CEO of Cloud Imperium Games Chris Roberts said it would be released in three weeks. Five months later in August, he told GamersNexus that it was “a matter of three, four, maybe five weeks.” Today, more than a year on, Star Marine still isn’t in players’ hands.
Over the past several months spent researching Star Citizen – you can read the full story of its troubled development so far right here – the story of Star Marine’s development stood out as emblematic of many of the project’s varied problems and challenges over the five-year course of its development so far. The reasons why it’s not playable today come down to the same things that have hit all aspects of Star Citizen’s development: overcoming technical debt, internal management problems, and a reliance on contractors.
Since wrapping up its Kickstarter campaign back in November 2012, Cloud Imperium Games (CIG) has been structuring Star Citizen’s development around the release of modules. The hangar module in 2013, for instance, was intended to show off the fidelity of the game’s ships and environments. 2014’s Arena Commander release got players into ships and dogfighting for the first time. Each module gave players something to play while they waited for the full game, but also pushed CIG’s developers to create the systems needed to support the module.
Star Marine was meant to be the first-person shooter demo. Like Arena Commander, it would take the form of a multiplayer versus game. It would be both an example of what was to come, and a test-bed for developers to get feedback about how well the systems worked and where they could be balanced or fixed.
Work first began on Star Marine back in 2013. CIG had opened its third studio, Foundry 42, based near Manchester, and money from backers was pouring in, with the total pot sitting at around $20 million.
Nonetheless, CIG was stretched. The studio had released the Hangar Module and Arena Commander, both of which it had to support with updates and patches; it was working on what would become the Social Module, an example of an in-game space port for players to explore; and with Foundry 42 up and running, work on Star Citizen’s single-player campaign (Squadron 42) could start in earnest. This was all with less than 50 employees across the company.
One crucial in-game system was taking on growing importance: first-person.
When Star Citizen was originally presented to the public via Kickstarter, Squadron 42 was the core part of the game. It was pitched as a successor to Wing Commander. While players would sometimes venture out of the cockpit, it wasn’t the focus, and so there wasn’t a pressing need to work on first-person systems to cater for it. As Star Citizen’s feature set grew, though, with stretch goals expanding its ambition with each passing month, more and more of the game would rely on first-person systems: boarding ships, going for a space walk, exploring space stations, on-foot shooting.
Roberts didn’t have the staff or the expertise within CIG to handle first-person development internally. This was partly due to the technology underlying Star Citizen, CryEngine, which wasn’t widely used in the industry – meaning there weren’t many developers with experience of the engine. CIG’s Austin studio had also struggled to find qualified staff in an area so saturated with other game developers.
Instead, Roberts hired a contractor to do the lion’s share of the work on Star Citizen’s first-person shooting. From the earliest days of development, CIG had made heavy use of contractors: CIG had used them when building a prototype to show investors, and when CIG was struggling to hire staff at its US studios, the company leaned on contractors to cover the gap. While CIG had only 48 internal staff, in October 2013 it was employing a further 91 contractors.
Roberts sorted a deal with a Illfonic, a studio based in Denver who had made first-person shooters before and had some experience with the CryEngine. (Illfonic chose not to comment officially for this article.)
Work began on the module in the 2013 and the original remit, I’m told by a source who worked on Star Marine, was to produce a vertical slice of Star Citizen’s first-person combat. “It was pretty much what they had with the flight sim, Arena Commander. It was that, but for the FPS: a really small vertical slice of what the bigger picture would have been.”
At the start, plans for the module were ambitious. A team of players would begin as marines in the belly of a ship that would need to fly out to a pirate-owned space station, the Gold Horizon. They’d fight their way to the station, docking at one of its three docking points, and then board the deep space complex. “It was supposed to be this little contained game within in the Star Citizen universe using some of the features of what they wanted to expand on later,” my source explained.
This was later pared down to what was shown 12 months later at PAX in late 2014:
A crew of players would be dropped off in the main (and, now, sole) hangar of the Gold Horizon in a predetermined sequence. It was on them to take the station, and another team of players would try to stop them.
The PAX demo makes it look like there’s a scripted mission, but that was staged to make it more interesting to watch. “If it was a normal versus FPS then no one would think it was cool,” my source explained. “That was just for PAX. They talked about scripted missions but not at the first release. The first release was just 'Here are some levels and here's the FPS gameplay within Star Citizen'.”
Besides that, though, everything that was shown at PAX worked. It was a functional versus FPS mode being played live on stage over a network. The section where the attacking team disables the station’s power core and gravity disappears? That all worked. At that point the plan was to spend the next few months polishing the module and to have it released to players by April 2015.
In February, Roberts was saying in interviews that Star Marine’s release was imminent - but behind the scenes it was a different story. “A lot of things were ready to go and a lot of them were at 85%,” my source says. “CIG didn’t want to pull the trigger.”
What had happened behind the scenes was that as CIG looked into Illfonic’s module, it realised it wouldn’t work with the rest of what had been built for Star Citizen.
“They basically worked separately from the code [of the main game] for about three months and the code paths had diverged so much they didn't merge up well,” Chris Roberts claims. CIG’s lack of internal producers to manage the project contributed to the diversion, he says. “That was our fault for allowing that to happen and not having greater technical oversight.”
However, as Illfonic continued to polish the Star Marine module, CIG started to ask for changes. “Once different people started to see it, they'd have an idea, and then once Chris liked the idea it just had to happen,” my source recalls. “Every couple of weeks they wanted to add something or they wanted to change something and that would erase several months’ work. We tried to hit every delivery and they kept changing it.”
The Gold Horizon map was essentially remade multiple times. Over more than a year of development, new demands and development practices from CIG meant it was constantly being iterated upon and never quite finished. One time it was because when Illfonic first started making Star Marine, CIG's workflow called for extremely detailed environments. “Anyone who has made environments before will know this is a huge resource hog,” a source explained. “You're not going to get a good frame rate. The assets need to be cheap to run to get more effects and lighting in.”
“The whole time the art team was wondering if the map was going to run, if it was going to perform, because CIG wanted incredibly detailed environments early on,” said another person who worked on the project. By the time Illfonic’s work on Star Marine was wrapping up, CIG had adopted more efficient techniques that Illfonic’s leads had suggested in the beginning. This meant all the highly detailed environment assets had to go in favour of ones built with the more efficient method: a necessary change, but a time-consuming one.
The worst example of wasted effort was discovered towards the end of Illfonic’s time on Star Marine: CIG found that the entire map was built to the wrong scale.
CIG builds all its ship and station interiors to an established scale so that each asset can become part of an environment kit. For this to work, a source explained, “you need to have the same slottable pieces for all different types of art styles. All standard doors, for example, whether they be for a moon base or a Mars base, have to share the same dimensions. If you’re building a new environment and new art assets to go with it then you create them as standard, modular pieces so other environments in the same style can be built quickly without needing bespoke assets.”
Unfortunately, the assets that Illfonic had created for the Gold Horizon level did not fit into the levels that CIG had built. CIG asked lllfonic’s artists to remake the lot.
“I'm always very perplexed by this,” Roberts told me when I asked how this happened. “We got everyone together and had a whole art summit in Austin in 2013. I thought we were all on the same page but I guess at some point we weren't.”
It all seems to come down to a lack of producers on an already-stretched team. There was no one person in a position to spot these problems. Months of work had to be redone to fix the scale problem.
It wasn’t just the Gold Horizon map that couldn’t be locked down and completed: the animation team had to retarget all their animations repeatedly throughout the two years Illfonic worked on Star Marine. “The animation team hated it,” a source told me.
Animation rigs were shared across all of the studios working on Star Citizen. These skeletons could be slotted inside a character model and animators could create animations they needed for their specific aspect of the game.
“Once you have a rig with a character you can't really change a lot because you have multiple studios working with the same rig to do animations within their module,” a source elaborated. “If anyone in the core CIG team changed one of those rigs, they needed to retarget every single animation to the new skeleton.” CIG did that “several times”, which was “an absolute pain in the ass for the animation team”.
When I brought this up with Roberts, he explained that internal problems CIG had caused this. When Illfonic started work on Star Marine, they were using a character model that had been created by the Austin character team. However, Roberts tells me, “we weren't particularly happy with the output we were getting in Austin”, so character production was moved to the UK, where CIG “had the opportunity to hire people who had experience with CryEngine”. Roberts explained that this led to the UK team creating a new character model (and the skeleton to go with it) from scanning real-life actors, which was on a slightly different scale to the previous ones. This meant that all the animators had to retarget their animations.
“[There] you have an example of the UK team doing its thing that then has a ripple effect on the Illfonic team, who get upset that they're having to retarget everything, and all that was frustrating,” Roberts says. “That skeleton got redone again because it wasn't right. Now we have this really nice male and female model and that's not changing.” Of course, when the skeleton was redone for the second time, it called for the animators to retarget all their animations yet again.
“That's an illustration of the things that can go wrong with communications,” Roberts continued. “The fact that you can see the animation team bitching about other people, and you've got people at Illfonic bitching about what the character team gave them. So from each side's perspective they probably think the other team are assholes. Me, at the top, and [global production lead] Erin [Roberts] and the other people are trying to stop that from happening and getting people on the same page. That's kind of a challenge and not just for Star Citizen. This happens on all big projects.”
Meanwhile at Illfonic, the work to get the Star Marine it had created to work with the ever-changing Star Citizen was becoming a real burden for the studio. Star Marine was delayed, and delayed again. One source told me that eventually Chris Roberts asked Illfonic if it could reconcile the problems in the FPS module, and the company instead ended its partnership with CIG.
“Illfonic sent the email,” a source tells me. “It was a mutual thing but Illfonic sent the email.”
CIG had already hinted that it wanted to take the first-person module in-house. But “at the same time, [Illfonic] had had enough’,” says a source. “They sent the email, they wanted out.” After two years of working with CIG on Star Marine with no end in sight, and having to repeatedly redo its work, Illfonic’s team morale was shot. “It was numbing,” a source said.
Another source at CIG told me that “Illfonic was producing what they should have been delivering [...] the fault landed on our internal requirements. It's going to be very difficult for any outside vendor to match what we're asking [if] it's a constantly moving target. Couple that with a lot of money being spent on manpower per month and it didn't seem financially feasible to keep them on.”
A press release in August 2015 stated that CIG planned to move development of the module internally.
In the two years since Illfonic began working on Star Marine, CIG had managed to hire significantly more staff. By October 2015, it had more than 250 people working at its studios, compared to just 75 contractors. It had opened a new studio in Frankfurt specifically to hire staff leaving Crytek, the original maker of the CryEngine. CIG’s management felt that it finally had the manpower and expertise to handle the development of Star Marine internally. In 2015 CIG brought everything that Illfonic had made for Star Marine and put it under the direction of the Frankfurt studio.
“Having two thirds of your game out of house to me is a bad idea,” Todd Papy, design director at CIG’s Frankfurt studio, says. “When Chris was building up this company he didn't have somebody who could watch over FPS at that time, which is one of the reasons they reached out to Illfonic and started working on it.”
When Papy first started in 2014 he was having daily Skype meetings with Illfonic, recording himself playing the latest build of the game and providing feedback for the contractor, Papy recalls. “I have videos of myself sitting here playing and saying ‘When you're moving left and right it's not responsive enough, there's lag, you basically feel drunk. We've got to work out gun recoil, and so on and so forth.” One of the issues Papy’s team was having was the time difference – “Denver is eight hours behind” – so there was little crossover when both teams were working.
Meanwhile more and more ex-Crytek staff were joining, many of whom had worked on the Crysis series. Some had been working on Crytek shooters as far back as Far Cry. “We started to hire more people in-house to build up the team,” Papy says. “Once it was ready to pull in house, we pulled it in house.”
When that happened, CIG discovered that most of the code base Illfonic had created for Star Marine would have to be rewritten to make it work with the rest of Star Citizen.
“We basically had to refactor everything to work how the big world works,” Roberts said. “If we were just doing a standalone FPS shooter then, yeah, we could probably have just packaged up the Illfonic Star Marine stuff they worked on and released that, but that wasn't the point of it. It has to be seamless. It has to be everything – getting in and out of ships, flying around, going to different locations. They [Illfonic] were doing some things that would be fine for a running around, Counter-Strike style shooter but that doesn't work with what we were doing.
“As I said, at the time we didn't have the resources so we kind of said 'Well, they can do this.' But we would do it differently now. [...] If more time was around then probably we wouldn't have brought [a contractor] on, but at the time we were like 'We've got to get the FPS working, we've got to get space flight working. We have the money so let's get the resources working.'”
“Initially, because Chris wanted to get things delivered so quickly, he went to a lot of different outsourcers,” Erin Roberts, global head of production, told me. “It did become quite apparent early on that we weren’t getting the kind of results [we wanted], either technically or visually, and it would need so much more extra bandwidth.”
“If you outsource something, it has to be really controlled and direct,” Nick Elms, creative director at Foundry 42, added. “It doesn’t matter how good your outsourcers are, the stuff will come back and you’ll be spending a lot of time yourself fixing it so it works the way you need it. At that point you’re better off paying the money to just have the resources internally working within the team and getting those skills trained up internally.”
Since moving development of Star Citizen’s first-person systems internally work on it has progressed swiftly, CIG’s staff told me.
“The way that the animations are broken down and the way we're doing the camera a lot of this required extremely low level knowledge of the CryEngine. Illfonic didn't have that information, unfortunately,” Todd Papy told me. Now that the module has moved internally it’s much easier. “In the UK – that's where our programmers and animators are based – they're only an hour behind us. So it's like a sister studio: we talk on Skype, download the build, play it, call each other up. The iteration time has sped up a hell of a lot.”
You can hear about the experimentation that has gone into getting Star Marine’s first-person camera working in the video below:
There are still some contractors working with CIG today. “Behavior still does a bit of work for us, [and] there's a UK company too called Airship that's doing heads for our characters, that's kind of a specialist thing,” says Roberts. “But I'd say the majority of our stuff is created by the staff, which is one of the reasons we shifted headcount. We've also had some not great experiences of trying to outsource to China, with language barriers and turnaround issues... We just ran the numbers and said 'It's more effective and more efficient [to do it ourselves].'
Something else that came into effect after the formation of CIG is the UK’s game tax credit. “That instantly made everything in the UK, like 25% cheaper,” Roberts said “So, once you add in the markup, the overhead, and the management overhead, it's actually cheaper for us to do the work internally than it is to outsource it to China. Basically, It's one of the reasons why the studio [in England] has grown as much as it has.”
Tony Zurovec, CIG’s director of the persistent universe in Austin, does defend the earlier use of third-parties. “It sounds a bit crazy, but it’s true: even when you've four different studios in cities around the world, you always can't find people willing to go to those places,” he said. “There's a large number of people that you can't get. If you look in the early stages of CIG's existence, the large majority of the environments were being developed at Behavior at that time. Behavior got up to almost 50 contractors there for a while, and this was when CIG was 220, 240 people. That one contractor was a quarter of our entire manpower.”
“As we had the capability to bring all that stuff in-house so we could control it more precisely, as we got the leadership in the position to where we could have somebody whose full-time job is to worry about that one single element [of the game], that's a dramatic change from where the company was two years ago.”
Throughout much of 2016 Roberts and CIG staff avoided talking about Star Marine, prompting speculation that it might have been canned. For backers this was a shock, especially as throughout 2015 it was talked about as if it were mere weeks away. Then, during a 50-minute presentation at Gamescom this past August, Roberts announced that not only was Star Marine coming, it would be released in the next major update: Alpha 2.6.
CIG also released another video of Star Marine in action, showing off all the improvements made by its in-house developers:
Star Marine is emblematic of the challenges CIG has faced over the past five years. Its development was stymied by staff shortages, production problems and significant engineering work. CIG believes it has overcome these problems and that it is finally making rapid meaningful progress.
However, we’ve been here before, and there still isn’t a release date for Alpha 2.6. It may be shortly after CitizenCon, the annual Star Citizen convention that is taking place on October 9th. But that’s speculation for now.
This is part of an ongoing series about Star Citizen on Kotaku UK. Read our investigation into the game's development so far, Inside The Troubled Development of Star Citizen, right here, and see the rest of the series here.Looking for news you can trust?
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Chances are you’ve heard people say that global warming has “stopped,” “paused,” or hit a “slowdown.” It’s a favorite talking point of political conservatives like Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who recently declared that there has been “no recorded warming since 1998.” Climate skeptics frequently use these arguments to cast doubt on climate science and to downplay the urgency of addressing global warming. Last year, for instance, Fox News pronounced global warming “over.”
Scientists disagree. It’s true that they also acknowledge the slowdown: A new paper just out in the prestigious journal Nature, for instance, cites the “hiatus in global warming” and seeks to explain it with reference to changes in the tropical Pacific. The recently leaked Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, too, cites an “observed reduction in surface warming.” But scientists say the slowdown is only temporary—a result of naturally induced climate variability that will soon tip back in the other direction—and that more human-caused global warming is on the way.
So who’s right? Here’s what you need to know about the slowdown, why it’s happening, and why the threat of global warming is still very real:
Have temperatures really stopped rising? Not exactly. First, “global warming” never meant that temperatures increase relentlessly, year after year—it’s more complicated than that.
“There’s always more than one thing going on in the climate system,” explains climate researcher Jerry Meehl of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado. There are really hot years and there are less hot years. But since the 1950s, each successive decade has been hotter than the last, according to the World Meteorological Organization, and the 2000s were the warmest decade “since the start of modern measurements in 1850.”
Okay, so it’s clearly misleading to say the planet has stopped warming. What’s actually going on? It’s pretty nuanced: According to the leaked IPCC draft report, the rate of warming at the planet’s surface (technically, the “global mean surface temperature”) is lower over the last 15 years, kind of like a car easing off the accelerator. The draft states that the rate of surface warming from 1998-2012 was 0.05 degrees Celsius per decade. But over the entire period from 1951 to 2012, it was 0.12 degrees Celsius per decade. (Keep in mind that not every aspect of the climate system necessarily reflects this “slowdown”: Arctic sea ice, for instance, hit a record low in 2007 and then another record low in 2012.)
How significant is the surface temperature slowdown in the context of global warming as a whole? The slowdown is certainly big enough to measure—or else we wouldn’t be discussing it—but not a huge deal in the context of the climate system. That’s because surface temperature itself, while a useful measurement, only captures a small part of what’s actually happening to the planet.
At present, the Earth has an “energy imbalance“—because of heat-trapping greenhouse gases, more heat is arriving from the sun than is escaping back into space again—and that heat simply has to go somewhere. The question is where. When people think about global warming, they often think about air temperature—where the slowdown is most pronounced—but the truth is that only a tiny percentage of the excess heat actually ends up in the atmosphere. The biggest heat “sink,” by far, is the world ocean. Ninety-three percent of the planet’s excess energy gets swallowed up by the blue, according to the IPCC.
Other repositories of heat—glaciers, ice sheets, the land, the atmosphere—all play a much smaller role. So if one of these changes a little, that doesn’t shift the big picture much. “What is being talked about is a small fraction of the energy changing a bit,” explains Michael MacCracken, chief scientist at the Climate Institute and a former Clinton administration climate science official.
Indeed, the oceans—the elephant in the climate system, so to speak—are still warming up. Recent data on the warming of the ocean, published by oceanographer Sydney Levitus of the University of Maryland and his colleagues, suggest an increase in heat content in both the surface layer and also between 700-2,000 meters of depth. “The important thing in terms of climate change is that the world ocean has continued to store heat,” says Levitus. The amount of heat, by the way, is staggering: If the heat stored in the oceans from 1955 to 2010 were all to suddenly go to the atmosphere (which, thankfully, would never happen), Levitus and his colleagues estimate that would translate into a 65-degree Fahrenheit temperature increase!
So what is causing the surface temperature slowdown? Scientists point to multiple causes, including more heat going into the deeper oceans, a recent minimum in solar activity, and more volcanic activity. All of these phenomena could contribute to a temporary slowdown in global warming. “It may very well be that the best explanation is that there is some combination of things that has led to this slowdown,” explains Anthony Broccoli, a climate researcher at Rutgers University.
What is the role of the Pacific Ocean? Perhaps the leading explanation for the slowdown is that the oceans, and particularly the vast Pacific, are storing more heat at depth. That’s the upshot of the new Nature study, and also much other recent work. “Global warming is alive and well,” explains NCAR researcher Kevin Trenberth, “but about 30 percent of the heat is going deeper into the ocean.”
Indeed, Trenberth and climate modeler Jerry Meehl of NCAR recently published a paper that used a climate modeling approach to study global warming “hiatus decades.” They found that in their simulation, such periods not only occur, but when they do, the deep ocean warms up more than either the ocean’s upper layer, or surface air temperatures.
Scientists think they understand the mechanism here: It’s a slow and naturally occurring fluctuation that’s sometimes called the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation. In one phase of the oscillation, La Niña-like conditions exist in the Pacific, as cool deep water rises to the ocean surface, displacing warmer surface waters, which in turn get buried deeper in the ocean. This process—sometimes called “upwelling”—warms the deep ocean, but simultaneously cools the overlying atmosphere.
In other words, the world’s oceans keep getting warmer, but a temporary cooling of the surface of the Pacific is constraining global surface temperatures—for the time being, anyway.
“You might think of the atmosphere as the tail, and the ocean being the dog, as far as heat is concerned,” explains Rutgers’ Broccoli. “Although the tail may wag around a little, what it’s really doing is following the dog.”
What about volcanoes? Scientists seem increasingly convinced that the oceans are the chief factor behind the slowdown. But there may be other contributing causes as well. One of them is volcanoes—smaller, tropical volcanoes in particular.
It has long been known that dramatic volcanic eruptions, like that of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991, have a global cooling effect. They do this by injecting sulfur particles, often called sulfate aerosols, directly into the stratosphere, where they reflect sunlight away from the planet. “Volcanoes are basically attenuating the light between you and the sun,” explains Susan Solomon, a former IPCC co-chair and a climate researcher at MIT.
What’s new is the finding that smaller volcanoes, cumulatively, can have a significant influence on global temperatures. In a 2011 paper in Science, Solomon and her colleagues found that smaller volcanic activity has ticked up recently, and is “reducing the recent global warming that would otherwise have occurred.”
“What I think is very clear is that there has been a big increase in the aerosol loading of the stratosphere from volcanoes that we did not think were energetic or explosive enough,” says Solomon. She doesn’t think that’s enough to explain the slowdown in its entirety, but she does see it as a contributing factor.
What about the sun? And water vapor? At least two more possible contributing factors also arise in scientific conversation. There’s the role of the sun: It too goes through cycles, and from 2005 to 2010, there was “an unusually long solar minimum,” Broccoli says. That may have also lessened global warming a bit. Finally, for reasons that scientists don’t yet understand, the stratosphere seems to have contained less water vapor in the 2000s than it did during the 1990s. Water vapor enhances the greenhouse effect—like carbon dioxide, it’s a greenhouse gas.
Does all of this mean that climate models are wrong? One leading skeptic charge is that the global warming slowdown undermines our trust in the climate models that researchers use to project future temperatures—after all, skeptics say, the models missed the slowdown. And it’s true that climate models have not always adequately included some of the factors discussed above, many of which are naturally occurring and hard to predict. Take volcanoes, for instance. “We don’t try to model volcanoes, we observe them,” Solomon says. “That’s not something you try to predict, ’cause it’s not predictable.”
However, scientists are constantly updating their models based on new data—and one upshot of the new Nature paper is that if recent trends in the Pacific are properly taken into account, climate models can capture the global warming slowdown.
What about claims that the climate is less sensitive than we thought to greenhouse gas emissions? “Climate sensitivity” is a somewhat odd measure—it refers to the amount of warming that would occur once the planet adjusts to a doubling of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Various estimates and ranges are often given for the climate sensitivity, and in the leaked IPCC draft report, it is from 1.5 to 4.5 degrees Celsius. The lower end of the range was adjusted downwards in the draft report, based on new research—but as of now, most scientists don’t think that the slowdown is any indication that the climate system is less sensitive to human influence than previously thought. Rather, they think the slowdown is the result of temporary, natural variations that may soon subside.
“I don’t think we’ve seen anything that represents a paradigm shift in terms of our understanding of climate sensitivity,” Broccoli says.
Does this mean I can worry less about global warming? That’s probably not a good idea. If anything, the fact that the most cited causes of the slowdown are thought to be natural suggests that they’ll end eventually—whereupon global warming will snap back again, and perhaps more intensely than before. After all, the major non-natural factor in the system, human greenhouse gas emissions, will still be there. Or as the new Nature paper puts it: “the recent cooling of the tropical Pacific and hence the current hiatus are probably due to natural internal variability…If so, the hiatus is temporary, and global warming will return when the tropical Pacific swings back to a warm state.”
The IPCC, in its leaked report, acknowledges the global warming slowdown and also cites a 95 percent probability that humans are causing global warming. If the world’s definitive source on climate science doesn’t see any contradiction there…then you probably shouldn’t either.A hugely underreported story so far on the American wrestling websites, given that it is mainstream news in the Japanese sports media and provides yet another lesson in the dangers of head trauma in professional wrestling, is the scandal that has engulfed Keiji Mutoh's All Japan Pro Wrestling due to the circumstances leading to veteran Nobukazu Hirai's (aka Super Hate) brain bleeding. Coverage has largely been restricted to Dave Meltzer's short lead story in the subscriber's only June 2nd Wrestling Observer Newsletter and updates by Zach Arnold on his Puroresu Power message board.
In a story reminiscent to the brain injuries suffered by Naohiro Hoshikawa and Yoshihiro Takayama amongst other Japanese wrestlers, Hirai is believed to have suffered an acute subdural hematoma during or soon after a physical match with former international rugby union player and clumsy WWE wrestler Kenzo Suzuki, who is now billed simply as Kenso, on May 29th in Kobe. It's worth noting that this isn't the first serious brain injury that has involved someone working with Kenso - it is believed he was forced to leave Riki Choshu's short-lived World Japan promotion in 2003 for being the trainer responsible for the accident where trainee Giant Ochiai similarly suffered an acute subdural hematoma and shortly thereafter died. Following the pattern for these type of injuries, Hirai couldn't get up after his match with Kenso and had to be helped to the back where he black vomited before passing out. He was rushed to the nearest hospital where he required emergency brain surgery. Even after such surgery Hirai as of last word was still in bad shape, as he isn't fully conscious and cannot speak, though he can at least breathe without the aid of a ventilator and is responsive to some external commands.
Hirai's acute subdural hematoma seems to have been caused by the effects of repeated traumatic blows to the head. The stroke happened just over a week after Hirai had been hospitalised for hardway bleeding from a hard chair shot to the head. He didn't miss any dates. Allowing Hirai to continue working after likely suffering a concussion would be bad enough for the promotion, but that wasn't the only head trauma he suffered before his match with Kenso on the 29th. Earlier in the day Hirai had been assaulted with repeated punches to the |
8, 1917) was the last major battle between the German Empire and the Kingdom of Romania on the Romanian front during World War I. Romania was mostly occupied by the Central Powers, but the Battle of Mărășești kept the northeastern region of the country free from occupation.
Background [ edit ]
On July 22, 1917, the Romanians launched a joint offensive with Russia against the Austro-Hungarian 1st Army, around Mărăști and the lower part of the Siret river, which resulted in the Battle of Mărăști. Although there was some initial success, a counter-offensive by the Central Powers in Galicia stopped the Romanian-Russian offensive.
German counter-attack [ edit ]
The offensive of the German Ninth Army, from the Army Group Mackensen, started on August 6, 1917, when the units of the Russian Fourth Army on the Siret River were expected to leave their positions to reinforce the front in the north of Moldavia and be replaced by the divisions of the Romanian First Army (commanded by General Constantin Cristescu until August 12, then by General Eremia Grigorescu).
For 29 days, until September 3, this sector was the scene of the most important battle delivered by the Romanian army during the 1917 campaign. The Battle of Mărășești had three distinct stages. During the first stage (August 6–12), successively committed to battle, the troops of the Romanian First Army, together with Russian forces, managed to arrest the enemy advance and forced the Germans, through their resistance, to gradually change the direction of their attack north-westward. In the second stage (August 13–19), the Romanian Command completely took over the command of the battle from the Russians and the confrontation reached its climax on August 19, ending in a complete thwarting of the enemy's attempts to advance. The third stage (August 20 – September 3) saw the last German attempt at least to improve their positions in view of a new offensive, this one too baffled by the Romanian response.
Starting with August 8, 1917, the fighting on the Mărășești front combined with an Austro-Hungarian-German offensive at Oituz. Holding out against superior enemy forces, by August 30 the Romanian troops stemmed the advance of the Gerok Group, successively reinforced with numerous forces and means, which only managed to achieve 2–6 km-deep and 18–20 km-wide breakthrough in the defensive disposition of the Romanian Second Army. The definitive discontinuing of the Central Powers' general offensive on the Romanian front on September 3, 1917 therefore marked their strategic defeat and a considerable weakening of their forces on the South-Eastern front.
Romania lost over 27,000 men, including 610 officers, while Germany and Austria-Hungary lost over 47,000. The Romanian heroine Ecaterina Teodoroiu was killed by machine gun fire on September 3.[2] Five days later, Karl von Wenninger [de], a Major General in the German Army, was killed by artillery fire near the village of Muncelu.
Aftermath [ edit ]
In March 1918, Russia signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, and Austrian-German forces advanced in Ukraine that May. This left Romania surrounded by the Central Powers, forcing them to sign the Treaty of Bucharest.
Gallery [ edit ]
Battlefield monument
Mausoleum of Mărășești
German cemetery
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
Coordinates:Times are interesting in WWE as of late. With the upcoming WWE Draft and brand split, it is becoming quite obvious that WWE has some plans in place that will be groundbreaking. With WWE SmackDown going live on a weekly basis starting July 19, WWE has already made one announcement fans thought they would never hear. On top of that, a brand split is also groundbreaking because of the roster we have today. What else could be planned? Is there something missing?
One theory is that WWE will plan to bring in major WWE NXT stars to take on interesting roles within the company. We know Finn Balor, Bayley, Samoa Joe, and American Alpha are all on the call-up list. Cageside Seats reports that we could see the NXT stars hit the main roster very soon, possibly as soon as the WWE RAW following WWE Money in the Bank this Sunday. That means next Monday, we could see some of our favorite NXT stars show up on WWE RAW and make a huge impact.
While WWE will not be in a mark town next Monday, the theory among some experts is that WWE has done such a great job promoting their NXT talent that many fans will know who they are. Some very well could debut at Money in the Bank on Sunday when WWE hits Las Vegas. One rumor, like seemingly every month now, is that Finn Balor could show up at MITB and manage to make an impact by attacking someone.
Some believe he will be the one who helps AJ Styles beat John Cena. However, it is also being reported that Cena is expected to win on Sunday. Still, though, he could win by DQ, which would then mean someone would get involved to help that occur — like Balor.
[image via WWE]
When it comes to the likes of Bayley, some think that she could show up on Monday to possibly force Charlotte to give a shot at the WWE Women’s Championship. WWE has not given us another challenger for the title yet. In fact, Charlotte is doing a tag team match for the first time in months. She has been putting a title on the line since the Fall. While Paige was set to be the next challenge for Charlotte, due to beating her twice now, Bayley could get the shot instead.
Of course, this all hinges on debuts. One would imagine that WWE wouldn’t bring all of the NXT stars up at the same time, but weirder things have happened. On top of this, WWE has debuted many NXT stars on the same show before. It tends to happen the night after WrestleMania each year. That said, it would be a first to see major NXT stars called up at the same time during a summer month. Typically, WWE debuts one or two people during the summer.
However, the WWE Draft is upcoming, so it would make sense to bring many up. Some theorize that it wouldn’t make sense for American Alpha to show up until after the WWE Draft. The main reason is because as a team, they would not want to be split up due to the draft. If they showed up before, they would fall victim to this. That is unless WWE makes the ruling that tag teams cannot be broken up. This doesn’t seem to be on their radar as they did tease a possible New Day split a couple weeks back.
[image via WWE]
Meanwhile, people like Finn Balor, Bayley, and Samoa Joe all could show up with no issues, as it doesn’t really matter where they go when the draft hits. They will be major players regardless of where they end up.
As far as WWE doing something groundbreaking. There are rumors claiming WWE could use the NXT stars to try and push the current talent. That means everyone could end up in major roles that main roster talent would have had. Even with the split, they will end up in big roles on day one that someone else had. This would then force the current main roster stars into a position where they try to be better than they already are.
It adds not only competition between the shows, but with the talent as well. Why is it groundbreaking? Look at the great crop of stars now and imagine if all were twice as good as they currently are. That can only be big for the product. It is the thought that WWE NXT guys and girls are coming to take their spot, and the company is pushing the current talent to do something about it.
[Image via WWE]The Little Rascals Day Care Center was a day care in Edenton, in the U.S. state of North Carolina where, from 1989 to 1995, there were arrests, charges and trials of seven people associated with the day care center, including the owner-operators, Betsy and Bob Kelly. In retrospect, the case appeared to reflect day care sex abuse hysteria, including allegations of satanic ritual abuse, and possible conditioned testimony of children.
In January 1989, allegations were made that Bob Kelly had sexually abused a child. After investigation by a police officer and social worker, the conclusion was the allegations were valid and parents were urged to have their children evaluated for abuse. A total of 90 children, after many therapy sessions (in some cases up to ten months' worth), also made allegations leading to accusations against dozens besides Kelly and charges against seven adults (Bob and Betsy Kelly, three workers at the day care, a worker at a local Head Start center and the son of a judge). The charges ultimately included rape, sodomy and fellatio, and publicized allegations included the murder of babies, torture and being thrown into a school of sharks.
During the trial, children were asked to testify about events that had occurred three years previously, with memories "refreshed" in therapy sessions, meetings with the prosecution and repeated discussions with their parents. While the alleged abuse was occurring, no parents noticed anything unusual about their children's behavior to indicate abuse or torture. The eight-month trial against Bob Kelly was the most expensive in North Carolina history, ending in conviction on 99 of 100 charges and twelve consecutive life sentences. On May 2, 1995 all convictions were reversed in the Court of Appeals. The remaining six defendants faced a mixture of charges ending in a variety of sentences from life imprisonment to seven years.[1][2]
Accusation [ edit ]
The Little Rascals Day Care Center was run by Betsy Kelly, with help from her part-time plumber and golf pro husband, Bob. In January 1989, a parent accused Bob Kelly of abusing her son at Little Rascals. The allegations were investigated by police officer Brenda Toppin and members of the Department of Social Services. In February, three additional children made accusations, and Kelly was arrested in April 1989, charged with child sexual abuse. The police department suggested local parents have their children assessed for possible abuse, and provided a list of recommended therapists. After repeated questioning by police and their parents, a small number of children made disclosures of abuse; other children made disclosures only after long periods of therapy, some lasting up to ten months. Ultimately a total of 90 children made allegations of physical and sexual abuse, which was claimed to have occurred between September and December 1988. The allegations were made against dozens of people in the town, but ultimately seven were arrested: Bob Kelly in April and six others in September 1989. These included Betsy Kelly; the day care center's cook (Dawn Wilson) and two teachers (Robin Byrum and Shelly Stone); Scott Privott, the son of a local judge, owner of a video store and personal friend of Bob Kelly; and Darlene Harris, who ran a nearby Head Start center.[1]
The trial was moved 60 miles away from Edenton due to polarization in the town leading to difficulties in finding an unbiased jury. Defense attorneys claimed they were hampered in preparation of their case due to lack of access to files and the child witnesses, as well as the extensive preparation of the children by the prosecuting attorneys.[3]
Trial [ edit ]
The trial was moved from Edenton to Farmville due to local publicity. "The attention became national...May (1991) with the airing of a documentary, 'Innocence Lost,' on the PBS series Frontline, which took the position that abuse of the extent alleged by the state was impossible." [4]
In March 1992, "Mr. Kelly, 43 years old, (was) facing 100 charges of sexually abusing a dozen children in 1988 and 1989 at the Little Rascals Day Care Center...Originally there were 248 charges involving 22 children, but the prosecution had withdrawn many charges while Judge D. Marsh McLelland...ha(d) dismissed others." "The assistant district attorney said, "their reactions fit the pattern of a traumatized child. They are a consistent picture that paints abuse."[5]
Robert Kelly [ edit ]
Each defendant was tried separately, with Robert Kelly the first to go to trial. Testimony lasted nine months with 12 children providing descriptions of sexual and physical abuse: babies ritualistically killed, victims taken out on boats and thrown overboard, and inappropriate trips in hot air balloons. In April 1992, "Robert Kelly Jr. was convicted of 99 of 100 counts of rape and related crimes against children." One of the mothers of the 12 children that testified against Kelly stated that she felt "overwhelming relief."[6] The six other defendants, including Kelly's wife, faced trials later. The jury believed the children on the witness stand.[6] One juror stated "the children were convincing."[6] Kelly and his supporters maintained that he was innocent.[6]
Kelly was convicted and sentenced to 12 consecutive life terms in prison. The trial "included 83 prosecution witnesses and 60 defense witnesses." The children had testified that Kelly had forced them to have different types of sex.[4] The parents testified that the children exhibited abnormal behavior.[4] "Twelve children, between the ages of 4 and 7, testified, and the results of physical and psychological tests of them were presented as evidence."[4]
Dawn Wilson [ edit ]
Dawn Wilson, the daycare center's cook and one of the accused, turned down all plea bargains and elected to stand trial. During her trial, four children testified against her. After deliberation, the jury convicted her and she was sentenced to life in prison.
Betsy Kelly [ edit ]
In January 1994, Betsy Kelly, had by now been in prison for two years awaiting trial. She accepted a plea of "no contest," and a sentence of seven years in prison. She served an additional year in prison and was released in 1995.
Case overturned [ edit ]
Six months after Betsy Kelly's release, the North Carolina Court of Appeals overturned the convictions of both Robert Kelly and Dawn Wilson, stating that there were legal errors by the prosecution. On May 23, 1997, the prosecution dropped all charges related to the Little Rascals case against the two.
The others [ edit ]
The state dropped its charges against Shelly Stone, Darlene Harris and Robin Byrum. Byrum had by then spent one year in prison awaiting trial.
After serving three years in jail, Scott Privott had his bond reduced from $1 million to $50,000, and he was released on bond. Rather than face a trial, Scott Privott accepted a "no contest" plea.
In popular culture [ edit ]
PBS' Frontline followed the case in their television documentaries, Innocence Lost: The Verdict (1993) and Innocence Lost: The Plea (1997)[7]. Both documentaries won Alfred I. duPont--Columbia University Awards[8].
See also [ edit ]New Democrats vying for their party's leadership will gather in Montreal on Sunday for a debate focused exclusively on issues relating to Canada's youth — a demographic that swung in large numbers from the NDP to the Liberals in the 2015 federal election.
The second of seven official debates to be held during the NDP leadership campaign will be broadcast live on CBC News Network and streamed on CBCNews.ca and Facebook starting at 2 p.m. ET.
It'll include the four candidates currently in the running for the party leadership: Ontario MP Charlie Angus, Manitoba MP Niki Ashton, Quebec MP Guy Caron and B.C. MP Peter Julian.
In 2015, young Canadians became an important voting bloc when they turned out to cast a ballot in record numbers. Elections Canada estimated that turnout among voters between the ages of 18 and 24 increased to 57 per cent from just 39 per cent in the 2011 election, significantly closing the gap in participation with older Canadians.
The Liberals were the big beneficiaries of that increase in turnout. A post-election survey conducted by Abacus Data found that the Liberals took 44 per cent of the vote among Canadian millennials. The New Democrats took just 24 per cent of that vote.
NDP cornered youth vote in 2008, 2011
At the outset of the 2015 campaign, when the New Democrats were leading in the polls nationwide, they held about 42 per cent support among younger voters.
Polls conducted in the last days of the 2008 and 2011 federal election campaigns had the NDP leading among the youngest cohort of Canadians despite the party's support among all voters placing it in third place in 2008 and well behind the Conservatives in 2011.
Polling suggests that nearly half of the young voters who had cast a ballot for the NDP in 2011 swung over to the Liberals in 2015.
But the party might have lost even more of that support since the election. According to Abacus Data, the NDP was at just 19 per cent support among millennials in February, a statistically significant drop of five points from the polling firm's post-election survey.
That would put the NDP at a recent low. According to the Canadian Election Study, the New Democrats have taken at least 20 per cent of the vote among 18-to-30-year-olds in every election since 2004.
NDP youth opportunity if Liberals don't deliver
In the 2016 federal budget, the Liberals did not deliver on all of their election promises related to youth, including funding for pre-apprenticeship programs and employment insurance breaks for employers who hire young workers.
Investments in youth job creation and co-op placements was also well below what had been promised, and the results from doubling the funding for the Canada Summer Jobs program resulted in little increase in summer youth employment.
Though the 2017 budget delivered $395.5 million in additional funding over the next three years to the Youth Employment Strategy and $221 million over five years toward more co-op placements, the Liberals have yet to fulfil their commitments on employment insurance and pre-apprenticeship programs.
Unemployment among young Canadians is roughly double of what it is for other Canadians. Accordingly, it was the top issue for youth in a 2016 Abacus poll of Canadians between the ages of 18 and 25.
Accessible and affordable post-secondary education was ranked second in the survey. The NDP, unlike the Liberals, has promised to reduce tuition fees.
By arguing that the Liberals have not lived up to the hopes of Canada's youth — who turned out in record numbers to vote for Justin Trudeau in 2015 — these lapses could be exploited by the New Democrats in order to win back the favour of young voters.
It's an argument that will likely be made at length at the Montreal youth debate. But the leadership contenders will be largely speaking to those party members who will choose the next leader of the NDP. Their message will need to resonate beyond the party's base in order for the New Democrats to succeed.
Candidates will field questions submitted by the New Democratic Youth of Canada and from the general public through the party's website. The bilingual debate will be moderated by two former NDP MPs, Rosane Doré Lefebvre and Hoang Mai.One week after the major Democratic victories of Election Day, Ohio’s Republican legislators are pushing HB 298, a bill that will keep federal funds from Planned Parenthood. In a Health and Aging Committee hearing at today, Ohio Republicans voted to push the bill through committee and into the Ohio House of Representatives floor.
If the bill passes the Republican-controlled General Assembly and is signed by Gov. John Kasich, it will block $2 million in federal funding from Planned Parenthood and prioritize other family services. In the past few years, Planned Parenthood has become a popular target for Republicans because the organization provides abortion services. But that’s not all Planned Parenthood offers; a chart released by the organization in February demonstrated abortions only make up 3 percent of its services.
Another criticism leveled by Planned Parenthood supporters is the federal funding is legally barred from being used for abortions. Instead, the funding would go to other health services within Planned Parenthood, which provides general women’s health services to poor and rural women.
Some Democratic lawmakers say the bill shows an out-of-touch Republican Party.
“For the life of me, I cannot understand why Republicans are so intent on taking away from women the right to make their own choices about their bodies,” said Ohio Sen. Nina Turner in a statement. “Voters soundly rejected the foolishness of the radical right on Election Day in favor of the dignity of American women, but some lawmakers must not have heard.”
She added, “While Republicans rail against women making their own choices, they are cutting funding for education and critical social services that children need after they are born. They want small government, all right — small enough to fit into a woman’s womb.”
The strong words showcase what was a loud, feisty exchange between Planned Parenthood supporters and Republican lawmakers. At the committee hearings, supporters and opponents of HB 298 testified. Some opponents cited their personal experience, including an emotional account from one woman regarding her own rape at age 13. She said she was glad young women like her can turn to Planned Parenthood for help.
Ohio Rep. John Carney, a Columbus Democrat, pointed out that throughout the hearings, no health care provider testified in favor of HB 298. One doctor testified against the bill. Carney also pointed out that no tax dollars that go to Planned Parenthood pay for abortions.
The bill isn’t the only action Republicans have recently taken against women’s health rights. Ohio Senate President Tom Niehaus told The Cincinnati Enquirer about the possibility of a renewed heartbeat bill on Nov. 8. In October, Kasich appointed two anti-abortion advocates to government positions. In this week’s news commentary (“Ohio Republicans Continue Anti-Abortion Agenda,” issue of Nov. 14), CityBeat covered the ensuing Republican campaign against abortion rights.Jazz hands for great meetings
When grownups have meetings, they tend to have grownup meetings.
When developers have meetings, they tend to just talk at each other for a while until they get bored.
A grown up meeting
In a grownup meeting, there’s a chairperson who decides who talks when, what topic are covered, and in what order. There’s an agenda, with a list of topics to be covered which are agreed in advance, and approved by all parties. Speakers are given a fixed time to say their piece, and keep to the schedule. At the end of the meeting, there’s a summary for all parties.
There’s organised, structured, and directed debate. Things get tabled, decided, and we move on.
On the other hand, there’s not a lot of room for creativity. That idea you had half way through will need to be scheduled for next quarter’s gathering, or dumped into “any other business” alongside the people who just wanted to say a thing after sitting in silence for two hours of process.
An engineering meeting
In an engineering meeting, we set a vague topic “what the hell are we going to do about tech debt in the inter service flux capacitor bridging engine?”. We set vague roles, “Brian sent the invite, so I guess he’s going to do the talking”. We decide who talks next by waiting for the speaker to stop for air, or talking over each other, or making an “erm…” noise. We talk as fast as we can, without taking a breath, lest someone else get a word in before we finish our thought.
We’re all trying to think about complex problems, trying to express them before they slip from our minds, all the while we’re trying to do the fuzzy human interaction thing too.
If we’re good, we’re trying our best to wait our turn to speak, and to make sure we stay on topic, and to make sure we’re listening to those who speak more quietly or less forcefully than others.
All of this communication overhead can get to be a bit much. It’s icky, sticky, human interaction nonsense. The cost of this is a loss of time, a loss of ideas, and a culture of “he who speaks loudest, speaks most”. A culture where the boldest, brashest voices raise up, and the quieter ones are pushed down.
The he in the last paragraph is not accidental. It tends to be men that thrive in this environment. Women, for complex out of scope sociological reasons are often perceived negatively when they speak up, in comparison to their male coworkers. This pushes them down a path of only speaking when spoken to, or hoping someone else raises their point for them. This is a massive issue, and leads to companies, and teams, losing out on knowledge and expertise because we struggle to get our stupid human brains to treat others based on what they can do, instead of what they are.
Ok, let’s work the problem
This is a blog post for engineers, so let’s treat this as an engineering problem.
We have a system where a common bus is used to broadcast information to all hosts, simultaneous transmission is not possible [we are all in the same room, and talking audibly]. Any node can broadcast to all hosts at any time [this is called talking]. Each host has information that needs to be shared with all other hosts [ideas, questions]. No host knows with certainty what any other host knows.
What we need here is some flow control.
So the solution I’m proposing here, and it’s not a new or original idea, but one I stole from a high performing team I once had the pleasure of working with, who stole it from a protest movement, who stole it from a religious group. The idea is to use a non verbal communication channel, to coordinate the verbal channel.
Yeah, that’s right, and I’m talking about jazz hands.
The occupy movement had the same problem. They needed to gather consensus and agree on the best way to move forward without formal leadership. They stole a system of hand signals, from the quakers.
I’m not going to go into the whole system, as that’s better handled by a wikipedia article, but it’s eight hand signs, for feelings and coordination.
These eight signals seem a little overkill for our needs, so we’re going to reduce it down to as smaller set as possible.
Agreement
In my experience, the most important signal for keeping meeting as short as possible, is “Agree”, or “Upward Jazz hands”. It expresses slightly more than just “I agree with what the speaker is saying”, but “I agree with what the speaker is saying, and they can stop trying to convince me”.
With a rapid hand shaking, you can express and eagerness to move on, or frustration at the pace.
I have a thought on this
Secondly, it’s the direct response pointy finger. Simply pointing at the speaker indicated you have something to say on this topic, and the speaker should pass the torch briefly to you at the next opportunity, while expecting it back shortly after.
By doing this, you can allow the speaker to decide when the best time for you to interrupt is, and avoid you talking over them when they’re halfway through making a point. You’ll often find that by allowing the speaker to finish their thought, or complete their sentence your question, point of interest, or additional information is covered, and you can simply drop your finger as what you were going to say becomes less relevant, or important.
What, just these two? I thought you were going to change the world?
Like good code, simplicity is generally better than the alternative. We kind of all know how to communicate ideas, and how to decide things as a group. We’re not trying to solve “conversation”, we’re trying to provide a simple technique to avoid a meeting where everyone talks over everyone else, and where the way to be heard is to talk over people.
We’re not trying to change the world, we’re just trying to get out of meetings faster.
If you’re interested in a talk about the same thing, the wonderful Ryan Alexander did a whole talk on this at the lead developer.A British Columbia school has been temporarily closed amid fears the extremely contagious measles virus could have infected as many as 100 students, the Chief Medical Health Officer for the area says. There have been two confirmed cases of the potentially fatal disease — which is preventable — in the greater community of Chilliwack, 100 kilometres east of Vancouver.
Ontario pediatrician Dr. Stuart Gordner gives Veronica London her measles rubella booster vaccination while her mother, Michelle London, tries to comfort her. ( Tony Bock / Toronto Star file photo )
Dr. Paul Van Buynder said the outbreak hasn’t spread further into the wider community, as the students at the Mount Cheam Christian School have returned to their homes. “What we don’t know is if it will leak into the community,” he said in an interview. The students are members of a the Reformed Congregation of North America.
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The school’s principal declined to comment to the Star. Van Buynder said he’s frustrated that 25 to 30 per cent of the surrounding community isn’t vaccinated against measles even though there are readily available and free vaccines. Measles can cause fever, a rash, brain inflammation, pneumonia, brain damage, blindness, deafness and even death. It’s particularly dangerous for toddlers and infants. Van Buynder has issued a warning to the Fraser East communities of Abbotsford, Mission, Chilliwack, Agassiz, Harrison Hot Springs and Hope. “That’s not enough to provide herd immunity,” Van Buynder said.
“We supposedly had eradicated measles.” Since measles has an incubation period of a couple of weeks, it’s too early to assess the scope of the problem, he said.
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There have been recent outbreaks in Orthodox Protestant groups in Holland, as well as in India and the Philippines, Van Buynder said. “We get sporadic access all of the time from people who go and visit these places and bring it back,” Van Buynder said. Van Buynder said he’s thankful the school cancelled a planned trip to Haiti, which would have had potentially disastrous results to fellow airline passengers and people in Haiti. “They cancelled the trip to Haiti,” he said. “That (the trip) would have been an absolute nightmare.” All residents who may have been exposed to the virus are strongly urged not to travel during the spring break. Van Buynder said he’s extremely frustrated that some people take their cues on vaccination from conspiracy theorists and celebrities on the Internet rather than listen to medical professionals. “We have a whole lot of pseudo-science,” he said. “Parents are focused on stories they hear or read on the Internet,” he said. He said that parents become confused with conflicting information, and end up doing nothing. “They take the path of least resistance, which is not to vaccinate,” he said. Correction: Martch 12. 2014: This article was edited from a previous version that mistakenly said the B.C. students are members of a Chreistian Reformed congregation.
Read more about:CLOSE A lot has been thrown Malik Newman's way since he arrived at Missississippi State. He's transitioned into a point guard, learned how to battle through injury and is preparing to be a one-and-done. (Video by Courtney Cronin/The Clarion-Ledger).
Malik Newman will transfer from Mississippi State the school announced on Monday. (Photo: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports)
STARKVILLE - Malik Newman's career at Mississippi State came to an end on Monday when the school announced the freshman is transferring.
The former Callaway High School star signed with the Bulldogs about a month after the program announced Ben Howland as its new coach. The match appeared to be a perfect one. Howland mentored NBA guards like Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook at UCLA. Newman would remain close to home and play for the same school his father attended.
So what went wrong?
Horatio Webster, Newman's father spoke exclusively with The Clarion-Ledger about his son transferring. Here is the full transcript of the 8-minute interview.
What was the decision behind Malik transferring?
Horatio Webster: From me talking to him, it was best that he and Mississippi State part ways. We really didn’t get a lot into specifics but I think Ben was on board with it as well as Malik. I think it was a trust issue. I don’t think that Malik trusted Ben and not saying he’s a bad coach or anything to that nature. I would be crazy to sit here and say he’s a terrible coach. He just wasn’t the coach for Malik. I don’t think that Ben trusted Malik. So I think the feeling was mutual. I don’t think they trusted each other.
Where do you think the lack of trust came from?
HW: I really don’t know. I think maybe in the recruiting process of Malik going in and thinking he was going to play one way and he was playing another way. Ben has to do whatever he thinks is best for his team. And who in the hell would question Ben because Ben, look at his resume. So that doesn’t mean he’s a bad coach. It doesn’t mean anyone is questioning him, it just means that the style of play just didn’t fit Malik.
When did the possibility of transferring come into play?
HW: I think he had (thought about it) before the draft workout. If you look at Malik, I don’t think you ever saw that happy kid. He was just never in a happy place. People, prior to Malik going to Mississippi State, people knew Malik had that Magic Johnson smile. He was happy and basketball was his life. I think in a sense some of that was taken away. Not saying Ben took it away but I think some of it in a sense was taken away. Due to injuries. Due to style of play. Due to his maturity. So everybody played a part of it. I think it was a perfect storm for Malik for things to go wrong.
What’s next for Malik Newman?
HW: We don’t know. We haven’t even changed to that point. We just know that he will not be going back to Mississippi State.
How long do you think it will take to find Malik’s next school?
HW: I don’t know. We’re going to play it by ear. We’re not going to rush this decision. We do know that.
We’ll sit down. The kid will do his homework. We’ll try to find a place that Malik could possibly be successful in. What that means is Malik has to change his mindset and grow up and be a mature young man and things of that nature. This transfer doesn’t have anything to do with Ben Howland personally. It doesn’t have anything to do with Mississippi State personally. It’s got everything to do with, you know, conducive with the style of play that will have him be successful, to get the best of his ability.
Malik is a smart kid. When he looked at the roster again, he felt like, well, dad, I.J. (Ready) started all year at point guard. I.J. is still there. They brought a point guard in. That means I’ll be playing the two-guard like I’ve was last year. Think about it. Ben Howland has been running his same offense since he’s been at UCLA. Think about it. It works. Ben shouldn’t change it for LeBron James. So I know damn well he’s not going to change it for Malik Newman. In the process, for Malik found himself either sitting in the corner or not being involved in the offense much.
That’s Malik’s biggest strength. Yeah, he needs to work on defense. Yeah, he needs to work on his overall game. But his biggest strength is on the offensive end. If you take that away, then you’re going to get the result that you had last year. I think all of that was a combination.
What’s it going to take for Malik Newman to play like he did in high school?
HW: Him getting in the gym and being allowed to work on his point guard skills and buying into it. Ultimately, going somewhere where the coach trusts him. Where they trust him and he trusts them. He’s going to make mistakes (on the court), whatever the case.
This year, by him sitting out this year, I think that’s the best thing that ever could have happened for him. I hate it for him to be at my alma mater and not stick. But him sitting out a year will allow him to go and work on those things and all that stuff. And I don’t think that he would have been able to work on those things at Mississippi State simply because he really wasn’t going to be the point guard or really the backup point guard.
The best path for him to be successful, he would probably have to have the ball in his hands.
How difficult of a decision was it for Malik to sit out a year?
HW: It wasn’t difficult at all. I don’t think he lost an ounce of sleep. I hadn’t either because I think it gives him the best chance of being successful in whatever that is. I don’t know. I’m not saying whatever school he goes to next is going to work out. That may not be the place for him, wherever that may be. But I just feel like he’s thinking like, I know what Ben’s offense is about. I know what’s there. And another thing is, I don’t think he thinks he has a good chance at Mississippi State of being successful. That doesn’t mean the program is bad. That doesn’t mean that Ben is bad. That doesn’t mean that his teammates are bad. That just means he has to do what’s best for Malik.
People who saw him previous, before he went to Mississippi State and saw him play at Mississippi State, everything was foreign to Malik. That’s why you saw the struggles. That’s why you saw the unhappiness. Because he just felt like, this is what I do really good. And if you take that away, I’ve got to work on a lot of stuff, but offensively, I’m pretty good at that. So if I could showcase my skills more, not just for the NBA, just for him being a part of (team).
We just felt like, he was just out there (out of the offense). If you look at probably 40 to 50 percent of the time, he was just sitting in the corner. That was basically it. (Howland) is allowed to do what’s best for the Mississippi State Bulldogs. As the coach, he has to put the best players out there in the best position to be successful. I’m not knocking him by any means. I think he was doing what was best for his program. Unfortunately, it wasn’t best for Malik.
Contact Michael Bonner at mbonner@jackson.gannett.com. Follow @MikeBBonner on Twitter.This post is a customer story by Adfinis SyGroup.
We've decided to use GitLab CI to build Debian packages automatically. GitLab CI allows users to execute tasks based on definable events, such as Git tags.
We've created a generic Docker container which contains the base package-building tools and is used by GitLab to build the package. Updates can be easily installed in the build environment, since the Docker container can be simply replaced with a new one.
The following shows the automated packaging of the GoAccess log analysis tool. |
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