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the middle of things. For example, when I pick something from the menu I have no reservations picking. If you just remove the things you don’t like, it’s easy to pick. I choose menus faster than your average player.
TG – I also hear from others that I have an impatient personality (laugh). Even when the ramen is not fully cooked I just eat it, and when exercising walking is a bit suffocating so I either run or do jump ropes.
Turn – Me too (laugh). I have a tendency to try and end things shortly. I also ate ramen not fully cooked many times (laugh). It’s a bit surprising that Tossgirl-noona is also like that.
TG – While talking about your aggressive tendencies, suddenly we ended up talking about personalities (laugh). Let’s go back to the main topic. When playing an aggressive play style, what is the most important point you have to keep in mind?
Turn – You need to be good at control. If you’re not confident in your control it is hard to play that aggressive in the early game.
TG – This question may be simple (laugh). What do you need to focus on when you control?
Turn – Firstly it is concentration. If you lose concentration for one moment you will make a mistake. You lose the game right away if you do. Also as you control your army, you have to macro and build stuff, a variety of stuff. So, multitasking would be the most important.
TG – So multitasking is important everywhere.
Turn – There aren’t many progamers who have bad control. If they have a chance, they can show awesome control. The problem is while controlling, you have to do other things while controlling to win the game. While you control you tend to bank some resources, and if you can’t multitask you will not macro out your army and have a shortage, and also end up missing your expansion timing. All three steps have to work in succession to have a successful aggressive play style and win.
TG – The end result is.. that Turn is good at multitasking (laugh).
Turn – That is definitely not the case (laugh). If I was better at multitasking I think I would be in a higher place. I still have lots of work to do. I need to put more effort in.
TG – If you’re that aggressive, normally those kinds of players choose Zerg. Is there a reason you chose Terran?
Turn – I was originally Zerg (laugh). But weirdly I could not beat Protoss. When I dreamed of becoming a progamer, NaDa,, lots of strong Terrans appeared. Nada and Oov and other legendary terran players had excellent TvP, looking at those games I thought that I could beat Protoss by switching to Terran. Isn’t that ironic? Trying to beat Protoss with Terran?
TG – I was originally Protoss and since beating Zerg was tough I changed to Terran (laugh). It seems you had a peculiar reason to switch races.
Turn – Nonetheless with my reason to change races, it’s similar to you noona (laugh).
TG – I’m feeling these recently, but after you played a game it feels like my sanity breaks down. They call it a mental breakdown.
Turn – Even for me when I see my games, it feels like my opponents they don’t regain their senses until the end of the game (laugh). If you lose your will power once, it is hard to regain the game’s pace again. And that leads to not being able to playing your style, and end up knocked out.
TG – Our team’s Bogus is also struggling hard, and KT’s Stats is in a losing streak at the moment too.
Turn – That was not intentional (laugh). My team thinks that I wrecked their game play (laugh). It seems they fall in a hole when they lose to me (laugh).
TG – I think that’s similar to me as well (laugh).
Turn – When I think about, it does feel the same (laugh). In the past there were small talks that if you lose to Tossgirl-noona that you have to retire. Weirdly enough most players that lost to you are retired (laugh). I think the player that lasted the longest was Hong Jin Ho ( ) (laugh).
TG – So does that mean that we are players that break our opponent’s minds? (laugh)
Turn – Really I didn’t think we would have that kind of similar quality (laugh). If you look carefully, don’t you think we might be brother-sister separated at birth? (laugh) 20120228 Seo Ji Soo’s ( ToSsGirL ) Medic Date - TurN Part 1.Change Races-Aggressive Play-Mental Breaker and similar topics includedHello. This is STX SouL ’s progamerLast week on Medic Date we interviewed the Kim Tae Hyung (Kim Carry) on the popular show “I am the Carry” that gets much attention in search engines on Mondays/Fridays. Really when I interviewed him we had lots of article worthy talk. We could only post up 30% of the content, I am sad we could not put up more of the interview. If I get a chance I will try and use another venue of communication to tell you more, so hope you can expect more in the future.This week’s interviewee is a recent rising star, within the team Samsung KHAN, Park Dae Ho ( TurN ). STX’s Bogus, KT’s Stats after beating them in an impressive fashion, TurN also received the Season One Round 2 MVP and is garnering lots of attention. Also he received the Round 3 1st week MVP award as and it feels like its Turn golden age as a progamer.Why do fans go wild when TurN plays? It is probably because he does not conform to the monotonous gameplay, and does unique unexpected play that surprises the audience. Even though he’s not a Zerg, as a Terran it feels like he is channeling Hong Jin Ho’s ( YellOw ) ‘Storm’ with his crazy aggression, it is obvious why he is getting attention from the fans.I was also had a deep impression of TurN ’s game. When he played against our team’s Bogus, and unleashed his aggressiveness I was sad but the game was truly entertaining. Also TurN ’s game against Stats ‘How can he play like that?’ was surprised watching his game. If it was me, I would be nervous and would not move out at those moments. Looking at his games, I was really curious on what kind of player he was.If it was on broadcast or pictures, I thought he would have a familiar/cute image but actually seeing him, he was manly. I was shocked when he talked with a semi-deep voice. Despite his young appearance, his speech and his thoughts showed maturity. It made me change my first impression a lot.Turn – Lots of people say that (laugh). On camera or pictures, maybe it’s because I’m short and have a familiar appearance. Meeting in person, people get surprised hearing my thick voice and decisive personality. I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing (laugh).Turn – I have a 4 year older sister and a 5 year older brother (laugh). I think I can just call you(laugh). I was a late child, so I think I give off a lot ofappearances. But seeing me in person, I’m like a guy right? (laugh)[T/N –is a way for younger guys to address girls who are older than them and,is word usually describing youngest of a group, in this case a family]Turn – My mind was fluttering (laugh). Since I started progaming at a young age, I did not have many chances to meet girls (laugh). After hearing about it I thought a lot about what clothes I will wear (laugh). My teammates picked on me saying ‘Ohh you’re going on a date’ (laugh). I was really nervous. How I should talk first of all. Maybe it’s because I have an older sister, it is my first time meeting you but it’s not that awkward.Turn – Me too (laugh).[T/N: Dae sae – Someone who’s like a rising trend, with a really good pace]Turn – No I’m not realizing the popularity yet. But in recent articles about me, I saw many comments on it. After my games with Bogus and Stats, I think the attention on me increased a lot. This is the first time I’ve had this kind of spotlight, so it feels weird. Also looking at NATE’s e-Sports has a special page with a huge picture a me, it surprised me.Turn – Can’t see regularly, entertaining games should be the reason. You can’t see these kind of games lately (laugh). Honestly even when I look at the games I think ‘How did it turn out like this?’ (laugh). The games recently are monotone so if you stand out a little bit I think it is easy to get this kind of attention.Turn – Wow, it’s been 10 years since your debut already? I didn’t know it was that long. I feel like I’m being interviewed by someone legendary (laugh). Because of my play style I could get an interview like this, suddenly I feel proud of my game play (laugh).Turn – I am always thinking I will do even better so I won’t be just a flash in a pan getting attention wise. I have to keep a good record to keep this kind of spotlight.Turn – That’s interesting (laugh). I never thought that Tossgirl-noona would have an aggressive play style. Looking at past games I thought Iris, and Hwasin ’s games were the most enjoyable. I think I modeled myself on the games I liked watching the most.The origin of my aggressiveness is probably from my personality. My personality is a bit impatient (laugh). When choosing from A or B, I think you have to answer quickly. In whatever I like deciding fast. I don’t like getting stuck in the middle of things. For example, when I pick something from the menu I have no reservations picking. If you just remove the things you don’t like, it’s easy to pick. I choose menus faster than your average player.Turn – Me too (laugh). I have a tendency to try and end things shortly. I also ate ramen not fully cooked many times (laugh). It’s a bit surprising that Tossgirl-noona is also like that.Turn – You need to be good at control. If you’re not confident in your control it is hard to play that aggressive in the early game.Turn – Firstly it is concentration. If you lose concentration for one moment you will make a mistake. You lose the game right away if you do. Also as you control your army, you have to macro and build stuff, a variety of stuff. So, multitasking would be the most important.Turn – There aren’t many progamers who have bad control. If they have a chance, they can show awesome control. The problem is while controlling, you have to do other things while controlling to win the game. While you control you tend to bank some resources, and if you can’t multitask you will not macro out your army and have a shortage, and also end up missing your expansion timing. All three steps have to work in succession to have a successful aggressive play style and win.Turn – That is definitely not the case (laugh). If I was better at multitasking I think I would be in a higher place. I still have lots of work to do. I need to put more effort in.Turn – I was originally Zerg (laugh). But weirdly I could not beat Protoss. When I dreamed of becoming a progamer, iloveoov, lots of strong Terrans appeared. Nada and Oov and other legendary terran players had excellent TvP, looking at those games I thought that I could beat Protoss by switching to Terran. Isn’t that ironic? Trying to beat Protoss with Terran?Turn – Nonetheless with my reason to change races, it’s similar to you noona (laugh).Turn – Even for me when I see my games, it feels like my opponents they don’t regain their senses until the end of the game (laugh). If you lose your will power once, it is hard to regain the game’s pace again. And that leads to not being able to playing your style, and end up knocked out.Turn – That was not intentional (laugh). My team thinks that I wrecked their game play (laugh). It seems they fall in a hole when they lose to me (laugh).Turn – When I think about, it does feel the same (laugh). In the past there were small talks that if you lose to Tossgirl-noona that you have to retire. Weirdly enough most players that lost to you are retired (laugh). I think the player that lasted the longest was Hong Jin Ho ( YellOw ) (laugh).Turn – Really I didn’t think we would have that kind of similar quality (laugh). If you look carefully, don’t you think we might be brother-sister separated at birth? (laugh)
Part 2 - TurN – “I want to earn 100 million won a year” [Approx. $ 89150.40 USD]
+ Show Spoiler +
20120308 Tossgirl’s Medic Date - Turn Part 2.
Hello. This is ).
Recently I met Park Dae Ho (Turn) on a medic date, thank you for your attention. I thought it might be awkward interviewing someone I’ve never seen before but it became more comfortable as it continued. It must’ve been hard interviewing with someone close to an aunt’s (?) age, but I thank TurN for giving me good mature answers.
[Interview recap of how he got his aggressive attack style from Iris/Boxer, and how this one will be more personal outside of progaming]
◆Turn and related searches
TG – Before the interview I researched on portal sites to study up and really there was a variety of results. The most noticeable one was ‘Rabies Terran’ that really surprised me. Really his play style is unique that he could get that level of a nickname but as a progamer I think you won’t like this kind of nickname very much.
Turn – When I first heard the nickname ‘Rabies Terran’ I did not know it’s meaning. I also searched and found out what it meant (laugh). The ‘Rabies’ part meant ‘Crazy Dog’ and after finding about it, I felt'meh'. It’s not a really satisfying nickname (laugh). But honestly I do understand the viewpoints of the fans and organizers. Since all the usable nicknames have already been used.
‘Faultless Commander’, ‘Ultimate Weapon, ‘Almighty’ those kinds of nicknames are already taken by many progamers, and for a aggressive player like me the names are already taken such as ‘Storm’, ‘Typhoon’, ‘Sonic’. There was no fitting nickname left for me. The fans must have been frustrated as well.
Honestly, ‘Rabies Terran’ thinking about it, it’s a funny nickname. Our team’s Lim Tae Gyu ( ) has a nickname ‘Macho Toss’ and that explains him well (laugh). Recently Lee Jae Dong ( ) earned himself another nickname ‘Lee Jae Dong Maek Kyung Hwa’. The recent trend is entertaining nicknames I think. So it’s obvious that my nickname will have to follow, ‘Rabies Terran’ doesn’t seem like a terrible nickname’
[Turn, that is a terrible nickname :<
T/N - 이제동맥경화 - Lee Jae Dong Maek Kyung Hwa’ uses the Dong in Jaedong’s name to create the phrase Dong Maek Kyung Hwa, which means ‘hardening of the arteries’ so, 'High Blood Pressure Zerg'? I like 'Savings Account Zerg' too.]
TG – I want to know why ‘Breakthrough, break’ comes up in the related searches.
Turn – In recent Proleague, when a player enters there is a personal background music. Ongamenet receives the requests by the players, my teammate (Joo) Young Dal-eeHyung ( ) told me ‘I’ll find a song that expresses your aggressiveness’. Odin-hyung has a broad knowledge on music so I trusted him. And one day he clapped his hands and said, ‘I found the best music for you’.
As soon as the music turned on the entire team could not control their laughter (laugh). The title is ‘Breakthrough, break’ (뚫어요, 뚫어 – by Kim Heung Guk (김흥국). My teammates that practice with me daily was saying ‘He’s breaking through again’ and yell that out loud when practicing (laugh). It’s a song that fits me perfectly.
Song -
Before the games start, it must be fun for the fans as well. Receiving the energy from that, I thought that I would play well. Maybe it’s the effect from the music, but I could win by breaking my opponent’s defense line.
TG – I didn’t know it started out like that. At first I thought it was from your attack oriented play style, but there was a fun story attached. ‘Beehive Terran’ seems like another fun nickname?
Turn – When I first heard it I thought, why ‘Beehive Terran’? A beehive other than it’s dense structure, I thought there was nothing special about it. But after hearing the commentators talk, that ‘If you mess with it, you die’. After hearing the reason, I thought the nickname was catchy. Because if you mess with a beehive you’re in big trouble (laugh). To the other progamers, if this kind of image is implanted in their heads, I think it’s a good situation for me.
[Beehive Terran so much better :>]
TG – In the related searches, there’s Lee Young Ho ( Flash) as well.
Turn – Right now Flash’s all-win streak is broken, but during that time Flash looked like he was unstoppable and will really earn that achievement. I was picked as one of the players that could break the streak. Since I play unpredictably often, there was a chance that Flash could’ve been surprised by my play. Fans and the experts said a lot ‘If it’s Turn he really has a chance to beat Flash’.
I really wanted to do something like that. At the end of Round 2 our last game and first game of Round 3 was against KT, and if we won both games we would have risen up to 1st place. I prayed that I would have a chance to play against Flash. There was a possibility that I could play Flash, beat him and raise our team to 1st place, and that would have given me more confidence for the rest of the season. It’s kind of like killing two birds with one stone; I was disappointed I could not play him. I really wanted to play him.
◆The place where Turn grew up ‘Samsung Electronics'.
TG – Even for Turn had a winning streak last season and got some attention. Afterwards you still had a decent record but the spotlight was focused on your teammate Kim Ki Hyun ( Reality). You might have been sad a bit.
Turn – Back then Reality beat really tough opponents. Jung Myung Hoon ( ),, and in the Round of 8 he played against Jaedong. (Bigfile MSL) On the other side I was good in the beginning but was slowing falling out, so I just remained calm.
Still it was tough to take in. Thinking that I lost my chance to receive attention, I felt disappointed at myself. Seeing Reality play I was like, ‘I could play like that too’ and those kinds of thoughts made me upset. It was tough in those times.
Also back then Reality and Jung Yoon Jong ( aka Rain) was fighting for the rookie of the year award, if I played before the 3rd set I could have battled them for the title. Even more is that I included in the three, I had the most wins and best win rate. But last season, in excess of just one game I had 4 games the previous season. I feel like I missed my chance. I still regret it today.
[Thank you mwry! : Rookie of the year award is only for who didn't play more than 3 games in last season. turn played 4 games in 2009-2010, so he was not qualified for rookie of the year 2011. ]
TG – But right now situations are different. Isn’t Turn getting a lot more attention this season, a reversed situation from last season?
Turn – Right now Reality is jealous of me. Although in practice rooms Reality’s skill have not changed at all. I think it can change anytime. I’m glad that we have a nice synergy effect. I hope next season we can be known as Khan’s one-two punch Terran together.
TG – Kim Ga Eul ( January) coach is known famous for being a strict coach. Do you get punished if you don’t follow through with the game plan and play your own attack oriented style? After hearing about it, I heard that in your game with Stats that bio-mech wasn’t planned and after the manner pylon harassment, you got angry and changed the strategy. In other teams, they are punished severely I hear.
Turn – I haven’t been punished even once, but if I lose a game where I was ahead, Choi Woo Bum coach scolds me a lot. Our coach trusts the judgments and strategies we make in the game. (Referring to January)
If the game play wasn’t good and we still won, sometimes the coach’s expression isn’t that bright. Luckily in my match with Stats, the coach was smiling. The good point of being in
For a player like me that likes peculiar strategies, if someone tries to measure me up they are bound to lose skill, and from that meaning I feel that I’m lucky that I met Samsung Electronics. With Reality as my teammate, I believe Samsung Khan is the driving force to my growth.
◆Turn’s ideal girl?
TG – Especially for you Turn, let’s pick an ideal from girl groups. From Girl’s Generation, Secret, Kara, and T-ara please pick one person from each group.
Turn – I think it’s nice that I get to choose the nominees (laugh). From Girl’s Generation I pick Taeyeon. In Secret Song Ji Eun, Kara’s Goo Ha Ra, and I like T-ara’s Eunjung. Picking like this they don’t share many similar qualities (laugh). This makes me look like someone without consistency (laugh).
[Picture Reference]
Goo Hara:
Ham Eun Jung:
Song Ji Eun:
Kim Tae Yeon:
TG – I agree with you (laugh). Who would you pick from Taeyeon and Song Ji Eun?
Turn – I like Taeyeon better. At first I liked her after hearing her voice, but after seeing her appearance that won more points.
TG – Picking from Eunjung and Goo Hara?
Turn – Eunjung. Really I don’t have a style I prefer. But if I had to pick from the two of them, I like Eunjung better.
TG – It’s already the finals. From Taeyeon and Eunjung, who do you like?
Turn – This is a tough question (laugh). Not like I can evaluate anyone (laugh). I feel like Taeyeon is closer to my ideal girl. Personally I like shorter people rather than tall people. Rather than picking an ideal person, I think it’s better that when I meet them that we have chemistry. I was slightly worried when I looked at the previous articles and saw you did these ideal girls world cups before. Also my teammates also said this, originally you will meet someone opposite of your ideal girl. So that’s why I don’t want to make anyone ‘ideal’
[Coincidentally March 9th is Taeyeon's birthday]
◆Turn’s dream?
TG – I think in the current e-sports scene they want a star. Meanwhile there have been no players to break the stronghold name of ‘Taek Bang Lee Ssang’. You are named as one of these possible future stars, are you confident to make a name for yourself?
Turn – ‘Taek Bang Lee Ssang’ I think I’m not a level to even think about it, since they are all in such a higher place. For a player who’s never won an individual league title, I cannot begin to start commenting on ‘Taek Bang Lee Ssang’. This kind of question is a really tough to answer because for a player like me that is not on their level, has no chance of going above them yet.
Rather than exceeding them, I will do my best to keep this kind of attention, and show all the things I can do and that is the most I can say in my placement. After doing more things, I will try my best to exceed them.
TG – For the last answer, please tell us about Turn’s dream.
Turn – I think I still have not become a successful progamer. Personally unless you’re not considered as the team’s ace I think you can almost call yourself a success, for me to reach that I have to do much better. Looking at it objectively, I think each team’s ace gets a salary of 100 million won [Approx. $ 89150.40 USD]. If I get a salary of 100 million won, that should make me the team’s ace right?
TG – So you’re telling me your dream is a 100 million won salary.
Turn – Looking at the past Medic Dates, they all have a goal for their life. But for me I still haven’t decided on one yet. I don’t know what will happen in the future, and right now I have endless potential at the moment. I’m still a passionate youth, I don’t want to decide on something prematurely.
Right now I want to make the dream in front of me come true first, and after that I want to dream on more. Even afterwards I want to continue to be a dreaming youth.
TG – It was a pleasure meeting you today. I thought I would be nervous interviewing someone I meet for the first time, thanks for being comfortable to talk to. I hope you become a greater player in the future
Turn – At first hearing that Tossgirl-noona was going to interview, I was very excited. Since I have older sisters, I think the interview was comfortable and enjoyable. I hope I can see you more in the game studios. 20120308 Tossgirl’s Medic Date - Turn Part 2.Hello. This is STX SouL ’s progamer Seo Ji Soo ( ToSsGirL ).Recently I met Park Dae Ho (Turn) on a medic date, thank you for your attention. I thought it might be awkward interviewing someone I’ve never seen before but it became more comfortable as it continued. It must’ve been hard interviewing with someone close to an aunt’s (?) age, but I thank TurN for giving me good mature answers.[Interview recap of how he got his aggressive attack style from Iris/Boxer, and how this one will be more personal outside of progaming]Turn – When I first heard the nickname ‘Rabies Terran’ I did not know it’s meaning. I also searched and found out what it meant (laugh). The ‘Rabies’ part meant ‘Crazy Dog’ and after finding about it, I felt'meh'. It’s not a really satisfying nickname (laugh). But honestly I do understand the viewpoints of the fans and organizers. Since all the usable nicknames have already been used.‘Faultless Commander’, ‘Ultimate Weapon, ‘Almighty’ those kinds of nicknames are already taken by many progamers, and for a aggressive player like me the names are already taken such as ‘Storm’, ‘Typhoon’, ‘Sonic’. There was no fitting nickname left for me. The fans must have been frustrated as well.Honestly, ‘Rabies Terran’ thinking about it, it’s a funny nickname. Our team’s Lim Tae Gyu ( Brave ) has a nickname ‘Macho Toss’ and that explains him well (laugh). Recently Lee Jae Dong ( Jaedong ) earned himself another nickname ‘Lee Jae Dong Maek Kyung Hwa’. The recent trend is entertaining nicknames I think. So it’s obvious that my nickname will have to follow, ‘Rabies Terran’ doesn’t seem like a terrible nickname’[Turn, that is a terrible nickname : oDin ) told me ‘I’ll find a song that expresses your aggressiveness’. Odin-hyung has a broad knowledge on music so I trusted him. And one day he clapped his hands and said, ‘I found the best music for you’.As soon as the music turned on the entire team could not control their laughter (laugh). The title is ‘Breakthrough, break’ (뚫어요, 뚫어 – by Kim Heung Guk (김흥국). My teammates that practice with me daily was saying ‘He’s breaking through again’ and yell that out loud when practicing (laugh). It’s a song that fits me perfectly.Song -Before the games start, it must be fun for the fans as well. Receiving the energy from that, I thought that I would play well. Maybe it’s the effect from the music, but I could win by breaking my opponent’s defense line.Turn – When I first heard it I thought, why ‘Beehive Terran’? A beehive other than it’s dense structure, I thought there was nothing special about it. But after hearing the commentators talk, that ‘If you mess with it, you die’. After hearing the reason, I thought the nickname was catchy. Because if you mess with a beehive you’re in big trouble (laugh). To the other progamers, if this kind of image is implanted in their heads, I think it’s a good situation for me.[Beehive Terran so much better :>]Turn – Right now Flash’s all-win streak is broken, but during that time Flash looked like he was unstoppable and will really earn that achievement. I was picked as one of the players that could break the streak. Since I play unpredictably often, there was a chance that Flash could’ve been surprised by my play. Fans and the experts said a lot ‘If it’s Turn he really has a chance to beat Flash’.I really wanted to do something like that. At the end of Round 2 our last game and first game of Round 3 was against KT, and if we won both games we would have risen up to 1st place. I prayed that I would have a chance to play against Flash. There was a possibility that I could play Flash, beat him and raise our team to 1st place, and that would have given me more confidence for the rest of the season. It’s kind of like killing two birds with one stone; I was disappointed I could not play him. I really wanted to play him.Turn – Back then Reality beat really tough opponents. Jung Myung Hoon ( Fantasy ), Flash, and in the Round of 8 he played against Jaedong. (Bigfile MSL) On the other side I was good in the beginning but was slowing falling out, so I just remained calm.Still it was tough to take in. Thinking that I lost my chance to receive attention, I felt disappointed at myself. Seeing Reality play I was like, ‘I could play like that too’ and those kinds of thoughts made me upset. It was tough in those times.Also back then Reality and Jung Yoon Jong ( By.Sun aka Rain) was fighting for the rookie of the year award, if I played before the 3rd set I could have battled them for the title. Even more is that I included in the three, I had the most wins and best win rate. But last season, in excess of just one game I had 4 games the previous season. I feel like I missed my chance. I still regret it today.[Thank you mwry! : Rookie of the year award is only for who didn't play more than 3 games in last season. turn played 4 games in 2009-2010, so he was not qualified for rookie of the year 2011. ]Turn – Right now Reality is jealous of me. Although in practice rooms Reality’s skill have not changed at all. I think it can change anytime. I’m glad that we have a nice synergy effect. I hope next season we can be known as Khan’s one-two punch Terran together.Turn – I haven’t been punished even once, but if I lose a game where I was ahead, Choi Woo Bum coach scolds me a lot. Our coach trusts the judgments and strategies we make in the game. (Referring to January)If the game play wasn’t good and we still won, sometimes the coach’s expression isn’t that bright. Luckily in my match with Stats, the coach was smiling. The good point of being in Samsung KHAN is that after you are given a strategy, you are not forced to use that strategy and tell us details about the opponents. Of course there is a responsibility on the strategy or the build one chooses.For a player like me that likes peculiar strategies, if someone tries to measure me up they are bound to lose skill, and from that meaning I feel that I’m lucky that I met Samsung Electronics. With Reality as my teammate, I believe Samsung Khan is the driving force to my growth.Turn – I think it’s nice that I get to choose the nominees (laugh). From Girl’s Generation I pick Taeyeon. In Secret Song Ji Eun, Kara’s Goo Ha Ra, and I like T-ara’s Eunjung. Picking like this they don’t share many similar qualities (laugh). This makes me look like someone without consistency (laugh).[Picture Reference]Goo Hara: + Show Spoiler + Ham Eun Jung: + Show Spoiler + Song Ji Eun: + Show Spoiler + Kim Tae Yeon: + Show Spoiler + Turn – I like Taeyeon better. At first I liked her after hearing her voice, but after seeing her appearance that won more points.Turn – Eunjung. Really I don’t have a style I prefer. But if I had to pick from the two of them, I like Eunjung better.Turn – This is a tough question (laugh). Not like I can evaluate anyone (laugh). I feel like Taeyeon is closer to my ideal girl. Personally I like shorter people rather than tall people. Rather than picking an ideal person, I think it’s better that when I meet them that we have chemistry. I was slightly worried when I looked at the previous articles and saw you did these ideal girls world cups before. Also my teammates also said this, originally you will meet someone opposite of your ideal girl. So that’s why I don’t want to make anyone ‘ideal’[Coincidentally March 9th is Taeyeon's birthday]Turn – ‘Taek Bang Lee Ssang’ I think I’m not a level to even think about it, since they are all in such a higher place. For a player who’s never won an individual league title, I cannot begin to start commenting on ‘Taek Bang Lee Ssang’. This kind of question is a really tough to answer because for a player like me that is not on their level, has no chance of going above them yet.Rather than exceeding them, I will do my best to keep this kind of attention, and show all the things I can do and that is the most I can say in my placement. After doing more things, I will try my best to exceed them.Turn – I think I still have not become a successful progamer. Personally unless you’re not considered as the team’s ace I think you can almost call yourself a success, for me to reach that I have to do much better. Looking at it objectively, I think each team’s ace gets a salary of 100 million won [Approx. $ 89150.40 USD]. If I get a salary of 100 million won, that should make me the team’s ace right?Turn – Looking at the past Medic Dates, they all have a goal for their life. But for me I still haven’t decided on one yet. I don’t know what will happen in the future, and right now I have endless potential at the moment. I’m still a passionate youth, I don’t want to decide on something prematurely.Right now I want to make the dream in front of me come true first, and after that I want to dream on more. Even afterwards I want to continue to be a dreaming youth.Turn – At first hearing that Tossgirl-noona was going to interview, I was very excited. Since I have older sisters, I think the interview was comfortable and enjoyable. I hope I can see you more in the game studios.
Edit - Thanks to mwry for clarification. Grab some tea and get ready for a long read, as requested :> fun stories from Turn, enjoy.Sources - Part 1 - DES, Part 2 - DES Organization – Daily e-Sports Lee So Ra journalist, sora@dailyesports.comPhotos - Daily e-Sports Park Woon Sung journalist, photo@dailyesports.comEdit - Thanks to mwry for clarification. #nanashin #once | No Sana No Life | BW Forever ~Steve Scalise, the House majority whip who was shot during a congressional baseball practice in June, called into the GOP whip meeting Monday and seemed to be in good spirits, according to sources who spoke with Politico.
Scalise, the third ranking Republican in the House, was shot in the hip and badly wounded when a gunman opened fire at a park in Virginia on June 14 where Republican lawmakers were practicing for a charity baseball game. The Louisiana lawmaker has undergone several surgeries to repair damage to internal organs and bones, and was recently in intensive care after an infection scare.
Scalise, who was close to death upon arrival at the hospital after the shooting, told members of the meeting Monday he was eager to get back to work and also joked about the healthcare bill. Politico reported he also thanked Capitol Police officers Crystal Griner and David Bailey for saving his life.Hospital Refuses to Admit 1.4lbs Preterm Baby
On December 18, 2008, in Zhu Ma Dian City, China, Yu Lan Zhou’s pregnant daughter-in-law, who was only 7 months pregnant, gave birth to a preterm baby boy in a local clinic.
Born way too early, he weighed only 1.4lbs at delivery and could not breathe properly on his own. The newborn boy’s heartbeat was very weak and his arms and legs were the size |
, they exploded into wide smiles and waded in, yelling and waving while trying to hold onto the bouquets of red roses they had for the women.
Eventually, dozens of other Texans and Mexicans followed suit, albeit with a little more hesitation, given that U.S. Border Patrol agents lingered above on a hill. By the end of the day, relatives and friends packed that corner of the river dancing, singing and grilling on both sides. It was – at least for a few hours – a return to a time before their lives became so complicated.
Technically, the "fiesta protesta," or protest party, they were a part of on May 11 took place between two countries: Lajitas in Texas and Paso Lajitas in Mexico. These two towns were once close-knit communities, but since 9/11, when several informal border crossings were effectively closed, the Paso Lajitas side had become a ghost town.
Crossing between the towns used to mean a couple of minutes wading across the river. Residents now face a four-hour trek through the nearest official crossing. People on both sides say the heightened border control has kept mothers from daughters and businesses from customers – a loss that's costing them their community. So now they are pushing back: asking for less – not more – border control.The launch in Sydney of Myer’s virtual store. Image: Supplied.
Myer has built the world’s first virtual reality department store.
And to get people inside the store, the retailer and eBay are giving away what they call “shopticals”, 15,000 virtual reality headsets made of cardboard.
CEO Richard Umbers says the collaboration with eBay creates another dimension to omni-channel marketing.
“Our customers can now immerse themselves in the experience of shopping inside a Myer store from wherever they may be, with product information updated in real time to ensure everyone can keep up with the latest offers from Myer,” he says.
“This really showcases a department store that can bring the love of shopping to life across both physical and digital environments.”
This latest announcement builds on Myer’s plans to transform the old-style department store. Its sales have been flat compared to competitor David Jones, now owned by South African company Woolworths Holdings, but recently there have been signs of improvement.
Myer’s new strategy includes $480 million in capital investment and a target of greater than 3% improvement a year in sales between next year and 2020. The current financial year is a transitional one, carrying costs of the strategy.
The latest quarterly results show Myer’s half year sales rising 1.8% to $1.79 billion, or 3.3% on comparable store sales basis.
Inside the virtual store, more than 12,500 products from Myer can be browsed, selected and added to a cart using eBay Sight Search, a way to make selections and decisions by just looking at an item.
Here’s a video of what the store looks like:
The virtual reality store connects to the existing eBay.com.au API (Application Programming Interface) which allows Myer’s product range, pricing and stock information to be updated in real time.
Owners of shopticals download the eBay VR Department Store app and insert their phone into the shopticals to start virtual shopping.
Jooman Park, managing director eBay Australia and New Zealand, says the store doesn’t just replicate the ecommerce experience in a virtual environment.
“We are taking the best elements of traditional retail and expanding on them to improve browsing, selection, personalisation and efficiency,” he says.
“We hope our shopticals make it into the hands of technology lovers, but more importantly, shoppers who might not live close to a department store and can now experience virtual shopping from the comfort of their own home.”
How it works:
Personalise: The shopper selects areas of interest and the store is custom built around that. As shoppers move through the store, the technology suggests other products that might interesting, based on what the store knows about them. Browse: The shopper sees something they like and, by holding their gaze on it, the product is selected and automatically floats towards them. The eye sees a grid around the product slowly turn from green to red. Keeping the eye on the product selects it. The top 100 products are available to view in 3D, and more than 12,500 are in 2D. Research: Locking eyes on information icons brings up full product specifications, as well as price, availability and shipping details. Purchase:Again, holding eyes on the “Add to Basket” icon completes purchases via the eBay app.
Myer does the fulfillment or delivery.
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Follow Business Insider Australia on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.This roadmap serves as a guide to what will enter the game, when and in what order; occasionally the dates and order will change or additional updates will be inserted.
Sunless Skies entered Early Access on Steam and Games in Development on GOG on 30 August 2017
PERIHELION (FIRST FEATURE UPDATE)
released 25th October, 2017
Engine Yards, Legacies, Banks, Character Creation
Accompanying Video: FBG Podcast 19
PROCEDURAL GENERATION
released 29th November, 2017
A new system for populating areas in-game
Accompanying Video: FBG Podcast 20
PROSPECTS AND BARGAINS
released 11th December, 2017
A new system combines a number of different elements: trade goods, markets, Bargains, Prospects, and character progression
Accompanying Video: FBG Podcast 21
EXPLORATION
released 31st January, 2018
Reach discoveries, Reach spectacles, fog, lights on agents and the player locomotive, major pathfinding optimisations, improved local avoidance, officer HUD, better docking, improved Terror effects, Sovereigns displayed on more panels.
Accompanying Video: FBG Podcast 22
COMBAT I
released 27th February, 2018
Extensions to ambient messages; improvements to the way we handle players going over the edge. Various improvements to player movement and combat.
ALBION
released 4 April, 2018
The Albion region, including all nine segments and all of the region’s discoveries and spectacles. Gates that allow the player to move between regions. Increased variety in Reach discoveries; some new agents. Controller and enhanced keyboard support.
Accompanying Video: FBG Podcast 24
THREAT
released 9 May, 2018
Weather and hazardous discoveries; advanced scouts (including the Cyclopean Owl); improvements to the chart; improved discovery and agent spawning. New Nightmares, and improvements to the survival mechanics. More consequences for the Winchester War, and more ways to influence the conflict.
Accompanying Video: FBG Podcast 25
ROLEPLAY
released 7th June, 2018
New officers, and several officer storylines. Mascots, one of them an Obviously Delicious Rabbit. All the remaining character backgrounds. New pasts and deeds. New weapons and equipment for player locomotives.
Accompanying Video: Gamedev Guest Podcast with FuzzyFreaks
ELEUTHERIA
released 25th July 2018
The Eleutheria region, including all of its discoveries and spectacles, and new agents; smuggling; early game improvements.
Accompanying video: Gamasutra interview with Toby Cook, artist at Failbetter
COMBAT II
released 29th August
Improved combat AI, vessel names, and improved feedback.
Dev Blog: Liam dives deeper into the improvements to AI behaviour in this update
Accompanying Video: Les and Haley demo a few combat moves on Steam live
THE REACH
10th October
Complete overhaul of the Reach, focused on the atmosphere and traversal experience; updated and extended mechanics for Terror, Condition, fuel, and crew.
Dev Blog: Paul explains how we went about revising the art and design so drastically for the Reach
Accompanying Video: Enjoy a glimpse at the new region in this fly-by video
SURVIVAL
7th November
An overhaul of the New Winchester segment, the final opening game experience, and the remaining survival mechanics and narrative content.
Dev thread: Narrative Director Chris Gardiner talks about how we redesigned the opening
Video: Kjr_kisuke plays the new game opening
COMMANDER
19th December
New and improved panel UI, smuggling, all remaining player weapons, improved docking.
BLUE KINGDOM
31st January 2019
The launch release! The Blue Kingdom region, all remaining officer storylines, two more ambitions, and some additional pasts and deeds.
Sunless Skies will leave Early Access on 31st January 2019
Find Sunless Skies on
Steam - GOG - Reddit - Community Forum – Twitter - Facebook - TumblrBad Day For Bacon: Processed Meats Cause Cancer, WHO Says
toggle caption Anokarina/Flickr
The World Health Organization has deemed that processed meats — such as bacon, sausages and hot dogs — can cause cancer.
In addition, the WHO says red meats including beef, pork, veal and lamb are "probably carcinogenic" to people.
A group of 22 scientists reviewed the evidence linking red meat and processed meat consumption to cancer, and concluded that eating processed meats regularly increases the risk of colorectal cancer. Their evidence review is explained in an article published in The Lancet.
The conclusion puts processed meats in the same category of cancer risk as tobacco smoking and asbestos. This does not mean that they are equally dangerous, says the International Agency for Research on Cancer — the agency within the WHO that sets the classifications. And it's important to note that even things such as aloe vera are on the list of possible carcinogens.
In a Q & A released by the IARC, the agency says that "eating meat has known health benefits," but it also points out that the cancer risk increases with the amount of meat consumed. As we've reported, studies show that the heaviest meat eaters tend to have the highest risk.
The IARC says high-temperature cooking methods (such as cooking meat in direct contact with a flame) produce more carcinogenic compounds. However, the group says there were not enough data "to reach a conclusion about whether the way meat is cooked affects the risk of cancer."
Susan Gapstur of the American Cancer Society says the society recommends "consuming a healthy diet with an emphasis on plant foods and limiting consumption of processed meat and red meat," she told us in a written statement.
The recommendation, Gapstur tells The Salt, is based on research. For instance, a systematic literature review on colorectal cancer published in 2011 by the World Cancer Research Fund found a statistically significant, 16 percent increased risk of colorectal cancer associated with each 3.5 ounces of red and processed meat consumed per day. As the ACS points out, this is an amount of meat roughly equivalent in size to a deck of cards. In its new evaluation, the IARC offered a different risk assessment: It concluded that eating about 1.8 ounces of processed meat daily will increase the risk of colorectal cancer by about 18 percent. We should note, we're talking relative risk here, and the chances of developing colorectal cancer are fairly low to begin with.
The Lancet paper points out that red meat also contains "high biological-value proteins and important micronutrients such as B vitamins, iron and zinc." And the North American Meat Institute says lots of research points to the benefits of red meat consumption.
"Scientific evidence shows cancer is a complex disease not caused by single foods and that a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle choices are essential to good health," writes Barry Carpenter, president of the North American Meat Institute, in a statement on the new WHO classification.
Carpenter says it's important to put this new classification in context. "IARC's panel was given the basic task of looking at hazards that meat could pose at some level, under circumstance, but was not asked to consider any off-setting benefits, like the nutrition that meat delivers or the implications of drastically reducing or removing meat from the diet altogether," the statement concludes.Update, 5:41 p.m.: Spa World's manager says that it welcomes LGBT customers and will not kick out trans visitors in the future.
—
This week's Washington City Paper cover story on 24 hours inside Spa World might have you yearning for a trip to the Centreville business, but if you're gay or transgender, you're out of luck. That's because Spa World won't admit LGBT customers, the Fairfax Times reports.
The policy became obvious after Spa World ejected a transgender woman, according to the Times. After the woman filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, Spa World responded that it was simply enforcing its policy.
“It is our policy to not accept any kinds of abnormal sexual oriented customers to our facility such as homosexuals, or transgender(s)," Spa World's Sang Lee wrote to the Better Business Bureau, according to the Times.
Spa World doesn't allow LGBT people out of concern for the "safety and comfort of young children," according to Spa World's response. "Despite the controversial issue of homosexuality and transgender, it is our policy to not accept them,” Lee writes, according to the Times.
Spa World hasn't responded to a request for comment from City Desk.
UPDATE, 3:38 p.m.: SignOn.org has a petition asking Spa World to allow LGBT customers.
UPDATE, 3:40 p.m.: A Spa World employee who answered the phone just now wouldn't give a name, but said this: "We have been told to say, 'The Fairfax Times story is inaccurate. We do not discriminate against people, we discriminate against behavior.'" It's not entirely clear what that means. Manager James Lee is expected to be on duty in a few hours, and City Desk will update if we hear back from him.
Spa photo by Shutterstock
Sadie Dingfelder contributed to this report.LANSING — As Michigan’s solar industry grows, homeowners and businesses that generate their own electricity from their rooftops are taking on the state’s large utilities to determine how much their power is worth.
Testimony has wrapped on a bill floating in the Senate’s energy committee that would slash compensation for rooftop solar producers. But the power struggle is expected to continue into the fall as lawmakers work to update Michigan’s 2008 energy law.
The House also is considering energy legislation sponsored by Rep. Aric Nesbitt, R-Lawton, and a bipartisan group of House lawmakers also plans to introduce legislation that would preserve solar net metering.
Some policy advocates want the Senate to focus on energy issues other than small-scale solar — a process known as “net metering” — as they debate a broader law. Their rationale? Too few users would benefit from a decision, once it’s rendered.
Solar net metering grew by a quarter from 2013 to 2014, to 1,840 customers, according to a recent report from the Michigan Public Service Commission, the state’s energy regulatory agency. Yet it still makes up less than 1 percent of Michigan’s total retail sales.
Through net metering, people install solar arrays at their homes, businesses, schools and municipal buildings to generate power and offset their energy bills. They can sell excess electricity they produce to the utilities.
The issue surfacing now is how much those individual customers should be compensated. The industry is at the beginning of a transition from a centralized grid to a more distributed system in which people can be both customers and power generators, said Brad Klein, senior attorney at the Environmental Law and Policy Center in Chicago, who works on cases throughout the Midwest.
In some ways, it mirrors the technological advances made in other industries, such as telecommunications, over the past century, Klein said.
“What’s crucial for states like Michigan right now is to get a policy framework in place that enables rather than restricts that transformation,” he said. “From our perspective, one of the benefits that Michigan has right now is that it has some time to figure out this transition. And everybody recognizes, especially in policy and in regulatory circles, that this transition is going to require some work.”
Net metering is just one provision in a two-bill package from Sens. Mike Nofs, R-Battle Creek, and John Proos, R-St. Joseph. Their legislation also would eliminate a mandate that utilities generate some power from renewable sources, instead allowing them to consider renewables through a process known as integrated resource planning.
Proos’ bill would allow utilities to buy excess rooftop solar power at wholesale rates, while requiring net metering customers to buy power off the grid at retail rates. That’s a change from existing practice, which allows customers to collect retail rates for the power they produce. During three weeks of hearings, rooftop solar customers say that change would kill the industry just as it’s growing in Michigan.
“I’ll go from seven figures a year down to the lower six figures a year in volume immediately,” said Mark Hagerty, owner of Commerce Township-based Michigan Solar Solutions, which designs and installs solar power systems for homes, businesses, schools and local governments. Hagerty declined to offer specific sales figures, but said: “We’d be selling them our electricity for far less than they’d be selling it back to us for.”
Utilities, including Detroit’s DTE Energy Co., claim they have subsidized these small power producers at the expense of other ratepayers for years, in that they connect to the electrical grid but don’t pay the same price to maintain it.
But the utilities’ argument is based largely on the rates they charge. The MPSC says it has never studied the true costs or benefits of net metering on the grid, or whether a subsidy exists. DTE says it subsidizes net metering customers to the tune of 10 cents for every 15 cents of power generated, the difference between the average retail and wholesale rates.
Currently, utilities pay retail rates to net metering customers for the power they produce, rather than the wholesale rates they pay elsewhere. “The key factor is that it should be fair to all customers, and the way it’s set up now … it’s really not,” DTE spokesman John Austerberry said, adding that he would support grandfathering in existing customers under current rules so they wouldn’t be affected financially. “Part of that was also so that utilities could figure out how these systems get best integrated into the larger utility system, and it’s done all of that.
“Going forward, as the technology continues to evolve, we just think that people should be making the decision on the technology based on the real costs.” Net metering customers, however, say they’re producing power at peak daylight times — when demand for electricity is highest — and use excess power they generate in the form of bill credits.
Utilities’ claims about subsidies, customers say, deflect attention from their primary goal: to preserve their position atop the electrical market. “They’re trying to crush the only potential competition that they have,” said Hagerty, who has installed more than a megawatt of total solar power to 129 customers since he started his company nearly eight years ago.
Some subsidization likely exists, but Proos’ bill undercompensates net metering customers, said Martin Kushler, a senior fellow with the Washington, D.C.-based American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, who has been following Michigan’s legislation. Compromise is possible, he said, somewhere above the wholesale price being proposed while still allowing customers to help cover infrastructure costs.
“Frankly, I’d like to see that happen and take this issue off the front page,” said Kushler, adding that addressing renewable and energy efficiency standards will affect more Michigan residents. “The amount of attention spent on the net metering is way out of proportion to how important it actually is to Michigan’s energy solution.”What are we looking at?
Norman Mailer’s collected volume of essays, journalism, fiction and self-interviews Cannibals and Christians, which arrived in bookshops on October 1st 1966.
Who’s Norman Mailer?
Norman Kingsley Mailer (1923-2007) was one of the greatest American writers of the twentieth century.
Really?
Yes.
What did he write?
His first book The Naked and the Dead was published when he was 25. It’s a large interconnected tale centred around a group of soldiers fighting in the Philippines. It’s loosely based on Mailer’s own experiences serving with the 112th Cavalry Regiment during the Second World War. The Naked and the Dead was highly praised by George Orwell and has been described as the greatest novel written about the Second World War.
Not bad. What else?
He wrote several best selling novels including The Deer Park (1955) about Hollywood; An American Dream (1965) a highly controversial existential thriller about a man who murders his ex-wife; Why Are We in Vietnam? (1967) a satire featuring two grotesque characters hunting bears–which in some respects pre-empts Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by four years; Ancient Evenings (1983) a massive and greatly misunderstood book about ritual, war, sex and death in ancient Egypt; Tough Guys Don’t Dance (1984) a gripping noir thriller that plays with many of Mailer’s philosophical ideas; Harlot’s Ghost (1991) a 1300-page chronicle on the C.I.A. which is arguably Mailer’s greatest book–though he never delivered the long promised second volume; The Gospel According to the Son (1997) about Jesus; and A Castle in the Forest (2007) about Hitler–a book far, far better than many critics thought.
He was one of the pioneers of New Journalism. Won the Pulitzer Prize twice. First for Armies of the Night in 1968, which recounted his adventures during the March on the Pentagon in 1967; and for The Executioner’s Song in 1979 which focussed on the life of double murderer Gary Gilmore and the events surrounding his execution by firing squad.
Mailer wrote several non-fiction books on Marilyn Monroe, Picasso, the Moon landings, a classic on the “Rumble in the Jungle” between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman–The Fight (1975), and a biography of Lee Harvey Oswald–Oswald’s Tale: An American Mystery (1995). If this wasn’t enough, Mailer wrote millions of words of journalism, plays, poetry, and screenplays. By any literary standard he produced an enormous and hugely influential body of work during his lifetime.
You’re a fan?
Oh, yeah…
Portrait of the author as a young man–Norman Mailer in 1948.
And the cover?
The cover for Cannibals and Christians features a photograph of a model Mailer designed for a future metropolis which he called “Mile High City.”
It looks more like the kinda thing you’d find on a science fiction novel or maybe a book on architecture.
Well, yes. Mailer described it as a “vertical city of the future more than a half mile high, near to three-quarters of a mile in length, with 15,000 apartments for 50,000 people.”
Okay. And did he think people would want to live there?
That was one of things Mailer wondered–whether “a large fraction of the population would find it reasonable to live one hundred or two hundred stories in the air.”
Understandable. So, how big is this model?
About seven feet tall.
And what’s it built with?
Lego bricks. About 20,000 Lego bricks.
Lego bricks? I thought Mailer hated plastic?
He did. He hated the fact he couldn’t smell it, taste it, and that plastic felt “flat and dead” as he wrote in a letter to a friend:
“I’ve been working with plastic, 10,000 pieces of plastic, on an idea I have for a new kind of city. I think my ideas about plastic are right: handle 10,000 pieces of plastic and you feel flat and dead.”
He also thought the sound the Lego bricks made when clicked together was “obscene”.
But of course…So what was his bug with plastic?
He thought plastic would wreak havoc on the environment.
Back to Mile High City–how and when did it all come about?
Mailer started work on Mile High City in 1965. His son Michael had received a Lego set for his birthday. Mailer looked at these red, white and blue cubes and thought he could use them to build something extraordinary.
Really?
Yes.
Why?
Well, Mailer had been writing about architecture. In his column for Esquire—The Big Bite–in May and August 1963, he wrote against “the plague of modern architecture” describing it as “a plague which sits like a plastic embodiment of cancer over our suburbs, office buildings, schools, prisons, factories, churches, hotels, motels and airline terminals.”
He thought modern architecture reflected the “totalitarianism” that had “slipped into America with no specific political face.” It proliferates and “rests like an incubus upon the American landscape.”
Say what…?
Mailer didn’t like modern architecture.
Obviously…
Modern architecture was totalitarian architecture. It destroys the past leaving people “isolated in the empty landscapes of psychosis, precisely that inner landscape of void and dread which we flee by turning totalitarian styles of life.”
Sounds like something out of J. G. Ballard…
You mean like Ballard’s novel High Rise (1975)? Or, maybe his novella Concrete Island (1974)? Humanity alienated yet ultimately acquiescent to the sterility and austerity of the brutality of the modern world–a tower block, or a massive concrete roundabout on the Westway that becomes like Crusoe’s desert island–but this Crusoe does not leave the island. Just as Dr Robert Laing sits eating the dog on his balcony after the brutal events in High Rise.
First edition cover of J. G. Ballard’s ‘High Rise’ (1975). via
Yeah…if you say so…
With Mailer it was more about building a city upwards rather than spreading out across the landscape. He wrote:
If we are to spare the countryside, if we are to protect the style of the small town and of the exclusive suburb, keep the organic center of the metropolis and the old neighborhoods, maintain those few remaining streets where the tradition of the nineteenth century and the muse of eighteenth century still linger on the mood in the summer cool of any evening, if we are to avoid a megalopolis five hundred miles long, a city without shape or exit, a nightmare of ranch houses, highways, suburbs and industrial sludge... then there is only one solution: the cities must climb, they must not spread, they must build up, not by increments, but by leaps, up and up, up to the heavens.
‘Megalopolis five hundred miles long’?
That’s where J. G. Ballard predates Mailer.
He does?
Yes. Ballard wrote a short story Concentration City in 1957. In it he pictured an infinite city that contains everything known to its inhabitants. It stretches infinitely outwards and upwards. There is hardly any trees and damn little wildlife. No one knows what lies beyond the city or if there is any “free space” out there.
And Mailer wanted to ensure we had free space by building upwards?
He was envisioning New York in the future–America in the future.
Really?
In 1964 there had been a lot of hoohah after some academics claimed the population of America would hit 400,000,000 by 2016. Eighty percent of that 400 million would be living in cities.
Okay. So, back to this Lego city Mailer built–what was the deal?
Well, once Mailer had his idea about building a city he had two friends–Charlie Brown and Eldred Mowery–build it for him.
Mailer didn’t build it himself?
No, he hated plastic, remember? As Brown told Peter Manso in his oral biography Mailer His Life and Times:
Norman hated [Lego]. He didn’t want to touch them. They were plastic, and they made–as he said, and I quote–“an obscene noise when clicked together”; therefore I had to be the one who clicked them together.
Charlie Brown would drive out to the Lego factory in New Jersey. He drove Mailer’s ’61 Falcon with the top down. He bought and carried crates of Lego bricks–so many red, so many white, so many blue, and so on. Brown had to do this on his own as there was only room in the car for him and the crates.
As Brown goes onto explain to Manso:
Eldred and I would unload the crates and bring them up to the apartment. To give Norman his due, he’d occasionally come down and carry a box. We put them in the living room, all the furniture shoved aside, which created an absolute mess. [Mailer’s wife] Beverly was beside herself and there were a million people there all the time, friends who came visiting. All in all, we were at it for two months, though it felt like years.
1961 Patent for Lego.
According to Brown, there was “no actual design, only a basic concept.” They built a “frame out of aluminum, with five-foot legs, on a four- by eight-foot sheet of plywood”. Eldred had originally been hired to do some work around the apartment–including building a tightrope for Mailer. Instead, Mailer had him work on his Lego city.
Charlie Brown:
Norman’s got all these crazy ideas about what he wants to do–Norman the engineer–and at one point he wanted Eldred to put all these strange trapdoors in the model city. He’d make an appearance and say, “No, no, you’ve got it all wrong,” or “Make me something that looks sort of like this,” and he’d pick up a few blocks…
Wait. I thought he didn’t like to touch plastic?
He didn’t. But it’s damned hard not to touch plastic–it’s everywhere…
Okay. What else did Brown say?
He said, Norman would pick up a few blocks and say:
“Now put these together, glue them, and I’d like them to go here.” He was constantly appearing with a sheaf of papers in his hand, and his secretary, Annie, would be running around making phone calls and taking dictation. He would pop in for fifteen minutes, supervise, then disappear. Eldred had a much finer structural sense than Norman. He doesn’t talk very much, but he did have a few words to say to me about Norman’s ability to design things. But he’d never say straight, “Norman, you don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.” Instead it was “Well, I don’t know. How about if we do so-and-so, because otherwise it will fall over?” Beverly meanwhile was always yelling, “I can’t stand this shit in my living room.” He didn’t pay any attention, though, and they’d just throw things at each other.
Mailer would have carried on tinkering with his Mile High City indefinitely. It was finally finished after a visit from an interested party at the Museum of Modern Art, who wanted to exhibit it at the museum. That was when it was declared to be finished.
What happened with MOMA?
Unfortunately they couldn’t get the damned thing out of the apartment. Mailer had “guys with cranes…all sorts of people doing research: Should we take the glass out of the front window? Can we cut the door?”
Charlie Brown:
He refused to disassemble it because we couldn’t have reassembled it exactly the same way, and he wanted it precisely the way it was. Finally he say, “Eldred, build a fence around it. Fuck it, that’s it. It stays.”
And there it did stay–taking up a third of the living room–and then he put it on the cover of Cannibals and Christians.
Is Cannibals and Christians worth reading?
Hell yeah. But if you want to start reading Mailer try Armies of the Night or An American Dream, Advertisements for Myself or The Presidential Papers to get a feel for the man. Or The Naked and the Dead, The Executioner’s Song or The Fight or Marilyn or Tough Guys Don’t Dance. Then go on to Harlot’s Ghost and Ancient Evenings. You’ll find something in there that’s well worth keeping.The state, Himachal Pradesh is a fascinating land with lofty mountains, sparkling rivers, luxuriant forests. Their are lots of famous places in state where one can visit to have experience of thrilling and romantic adventure. Tourism is source of the income which helps in regional development & integration. Famous places in Himachal Pradesh are as follows:-
Shimla
Beside being the capital of Himachal Pradesh, Shimla has the list of famous places. Few of the places in Shimla are The Crescent-shaped Ridge, Summer Hill, Jakhu Temple, Chadwick Falls, Tara Devi, Kufri, Fagu, Wild Flower Hall.
Kangra
Kangra is also famous for its religious and historical beauty. Few of the tourist places in district Kangra are Dharamshala, Palampur, Maharana Pratap Sagar Lake, Chamunda Devi Temple, Jwalamukhi, Kangra Fort, Brajeshwari Devi Temple etc.
Bilaspur
It has most of catchment for the Gobind Sagar Reservoir, But it has few other places as well like Naina Devi Temple, Laxmi Narayan Mandir, Kandrour Bridge, Rukmani Kund, Bhakra Dam, Swarghat etc.
Chamba
It is known for its streams, meadows, temples, paintings & lakes. Few of the tourist places in district are Kailash Manimahesh, Bhuri Singh Museum, Chamab Chaugan, Laxmi Narayan Temple, Chamba Church, Bharmaur and Pangi Valley.
Hamirpur
Carving it out from Kangra district in 1972, Hamirpur is continuously developing. Beside being bit warmer than few of the district, it has some hilly ranges covered with Pine forests. The famous places of Hamirpur are Deotsidh Temple, Nadaun, Sujanpur Tihra, Maharaja Sansar Chand mehal etc.
Kinnaur
Kinnaur Shares its boundary with Tibet and known for valleys. It has few rivers as well. Popular places around Kinnaur are Sangla, Rakchham, Kalpa, Recong Peo, Pooh, Nako, Ribba, Chitkul, Lippa and Morang.
Kullu
Kullu is lavishly gifted with superb scenic wealth. Dussehra of Kullu is world famous and its valleys offers a charm of peaceful wooded glades. Bijli Mahadev Temple, Manali, Jagan Nath Temple, Manikaran, Malana, Kasol, Raghunath Ji Temple are its few attractions.
Lahaul and Spiti
It is one of the frontier distt of india and has some tourist attractions as well like Tabo, Keylong, Khoksar, Darcha, Sarchu etc.
Mandi
It has mythological and historical significance & important commercial hub of the state. It has huge sprinkling of temples. Barot, Prashar Lake, Rewalsar Lake, Sundar Nagar, Tatta Pani and Jogindar Nagar are its few of the tourist attractions.
Una
It shares its border with Hoshiarpur, Punjab and has industrial hub. It act as gateways to Bilaspur and Kangra. Attractive places around Una for tourists are Chintpurni Temple, Peer Baba, Dera Baba Bharbhag Singh etc.
Solan
Climate of the district make it an ideal destination for the local people and the tourists. Beautiful places around Solan are Parwanoo, Kasauli, Barog, Chail, Nalagarh and rivers like Yamuna, Satluz make it more charming.
Sirmaur
90% of the population is living in rural areas and agriculture is the backbone for economy of these people. Nahan, Shivalik Fossil Park, Trilokpur Temple, Dhaula Kuan, Giri Nagar are its few of the attractions for tourists.24. Jevon Carter, Senior G, West Virginia: Emerged as a reliable shooter for the Mountaineers last year scoring 13.5 ppg and hitting 39 percent of his 3-pointers. Dropped 24 on Notre Dame and 21 on Gonzaga in the NCAA Tournament. Was the Big 12 defensive player of the year.
23. Chimezie Metu, Junior C, USC: Averaged 14.8 ppg and 7.8 rpg as a sophomore and nearly went to the NBA. Saved his best for last: 28 points vs Baylor in a narrow NCAA 2nd round loss.
22. Nick Ward, Sophomore C, Michigan State: Had a major impact for the Spartans as a freshman, scoring 13.9 ppg and collecting 6.5 rpg. Had four double doubles for the Spartans.
21. Wendell Carter, Freshman PF, Duke: The Blue Devils frontcourt will be crowded with Marquese Bolden and Justin Robinson (son of David Robinson), but Carter is the most talented right now. At just 18 years old, he’s 6-foot-10 and 260 pounds.
20. Mike Daum, Junior SF, South Dakoka State: I believe the highest ranking for a low-major player since we started this list. He averaged 25.1 ppg in guiding the Jackrabbits to the NCAA Tournament. Shot 41 percent on 3-pointers. I hope he gets an NBA look.
19. Lonnie Walker, Freshman G, Miami: Suffered an injury that was going to threaten his season, but now it looks like he’ll be back for the opener. Is the most highly-touted recruit to hit Coral Gables in six years.
18. Matt Farrell, Senior PG, Notre Dame: Might be the most underrated point guard in the country. Averaged 14.1 ppg and 5.4 apg, but it was his 42 percent on 3-pointers that helped him blow up.
17. Bennie Boatwright, Junior SF, USC: Has the size (6-foot-10) and 3-point touch (36 percent) to have a big impact in the pros. Averaged 15.1 ppg during the regular season, but upped it to 18 in three NCAA Tournament games. The Trojans are loaded.
16. Trevon Bluiett, Senior F, Xavier: Consummate college star in the Big East who has averaged double figures each of his 1st three years. Gave Cincinnati 40 points in January; nearly as impressive was his 29-point effort vs FSU in the NCAA Tournament.
15. Ethan Happ, Junior F, Wisconsin: Good passer, good defender and feels like a throwback NBA power forward. Happ will be flying solo, with everyone gone from the time when |
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vidia corporation
vstreamsrv\detoured.dll Image Base: 0x0f000000 Image Size: 0x000 |
to breakfast. The researchers have had no problem recruiting volunteers. “Most people want to volunteer because they see the benefit of having us out there collecting data,” said Domitrovich. “Not just for themselves, but for their wildland firefighting crew and future firefighters that maybe aren’t even on the job yet.”
Not surprisingly, the morning hike into the fireline, carrying tools and other gear, was the most demanding — and most common — firefighting task. Measured by oxygen demand, the daily hike was almost twice as tough as the arduous pack test. The souped-up heart-rate monitor and its connected technology revealed that, during the daily hike to the work site, firefighters used an average of 42.3 milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute. Aerobic demand while undergoing the arduous pack test has averaged 22.5 ml/kg/min.
The conclusion: the arduous pack test wasn’t actually arduous enough. Carrying more weight and performing the pack test in mountainous terrain would better mimic job demands.
Researchers weighed volunteers’ packs, and found they were carrying 45 or 50 pounds — regardless of body weight, height or gender — before even adding tools, extra fuel or five-gallon water cubies. “Fifty-five pounds is closer to what they’re actually carrying out there,” said Domitrovich.
Because hotshots usually work in nasty terrain, switching the pack test to mountainous terrain would also better duplicate job conditions. As a hotshot, when Domitrovich fought fire on flat terrain, he knew he was in for a fun day — “because it was an easy day,” he said.
The average elevation of proposed mountainous courses will be calculated using GPS devices. A chart will show time standards for various elevation gains. The chart was developed by Domitrovich and his colleagues by having 45 volunteers of different sizes and genders hike with a 55-pound pack in the hills around Missoula at varying speeds, grades and elevations. “As elevation gets steeper, you get more time,” he said.
Besides push-ups, the researchers considered adding sit-ups and planks to the new test. Sit-ups were rejected because they are an imperfect measure of abdominal strength. Planks, which test core strength, were deemed a duplication since carrying a 55-pound pack also requires core strength.
Domitrovich will present his recommendation this summer to the U.S. Forest Service risk management council and to the National Wildfire Coordinating Group’s risk management committee. If the recommendation is accepted, a date for implementation of the new test would then be determined.
****
(UPDATE from Bill, June 9, 2015: we just posted an article about the fitness test for Canadian wildland firefighters, WFX-FIT, that is very different from either the current or proposed Work Capacity Tests for U.S. firefighters described above.)
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RedditAmericans are ignorant fools about evolution – there is simply nothing more frustrating than evolution deniers, sometimes called “creationists” that have infiltrated the discussion about evolution.
The body of work that constitutes evidence for evolution is literally mountainous, making up over a million peer-reviewed studies and books that explain what we have observed in current living organisms and the fossil record. In addition, over 99.9% of scientists in the natural sciences (geology, biology, physics, chemistry and many others) accept that evolution is a scientific fact (pdf, see page 8). If science worked as a democracy, it would be a landslide vote in favor of evolution.
The scientific theory of evolution is quite easy to understand – it is the change in inherited characteristics of a biological population over time and generations through the process of natural selection or genetic drift. Setting aside the creationist misinformation about what constitutes a scientific theory, evolution is a scientific fact, about as solid as the fact that the earth revolves around the sun.
There is no scientific debate about evolution, although there is continuing discussion about all of the possible mechanisms that drive evolution beyond natural selection and genetic drift. These discussions are based on the observations and evidence that evolution lead to the diversity of organisms we see today, arising from a common ancestor from about 3.8 billion years ago.
Despite the ongoing scientific research examining other mechanisms for evolution (which are all scientifically based, and none that include magical actions of mythical supernatural beings), the matter of evolution is settled. There are no scientific disputes about the fact that evolution has occurred over a period of 3.8 billion years until present time. None.
Other than literature published in self-serving creationist journals, it is impossible to find a peer-reviewed article that disputes the fact of evolution published in a real scientific journal over the past 25 years, if not past 50 years.
Despite the scientific facts, American politicians, almost exclusively conservative Republicans, continue to push legislation to force public school districts to teach creationism. Even though rarely successful, unfortunately, Louisiana and Tennessee have recently implemented antievolution legislation. These right wing politicians are convinced that evolution and creationism are equivalent, and they defer to a ridiculous political and cultural “debate” while ignoring the overwhelming scientific consensus.
Once again, many or most Americans are ignorant fools about evolution – thus, politicians, at least in some areas of the country, think they have the political cover to do whatever they want with regards to the teaching of creationism.
Creationism in the USA
Creationism refers to the belief that the universe and everything in it were specially created by a god through magic, rather than a natural, scientifically explained, process. Creationism explicitly relies on the claim that there is a “purpose” to all creation known only to a creator.
There is little argument that contradicts the conclusion that creationism is nothing more than a religious belief. Furthermore, no matter what argument is made by so called “creation scientists,” creationism can never be tested scientifically because it relies upon a supernatural being, which means it can never be falsified, one of the basic principles of the scientific method.
The supporters of creationism attempt to claim that creationism is a scientific theory on the level of evolution, ignoring the fact that a scientific theory is ”a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world, based on a body of facts that have been repeatedly confirmed through observation and experiment.” Creationism is generally based on a fictional book.
Please help me out by Tweeting out this article or posting it to your favorite Facebook group.There are two ways you can help support this blog. First, you can use Patreon by clicking on the link below. It allows you to set up a monthly donation, which will go a long way to supporting the Skeptical RaptorFinally, you can also purchase anything on Amazon, and a small portion of each purchase goes to this website. Just click below, and shop for everything.
Even from a political standpoint, the concentrated efforts of Republicans to add creationism to schools is unambiguously disallowed by the US Constitution, ironically, a document that Republicans irrationally revere.
In the US Constitution, the so-called Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution specifically prohibits any government entity from establishing a religion (which courts have ruled to include teaching religion in schools). Decades worth of Supreme Court rulings have found that teaching creationism in schools is equivalent to teaching religion. As recently as 2005, in Kitzmiller v Dover Area School District, a Federal Court continued the tradition of considering creationism as religion, and ruled against a school district, costing the Dover Area School District nearly $1 million in legal fees. That money probably could have been used to teach their students better science.
Americans are ignorant fools about evolution – polls
In spite of all of these points –that there is no scientific debate, that all scientists and rational people accept evolution as a fact, and that creationism is nothing more than a religious doctrine – the conservative Republicans keep shoving creationism onto legislative agendas across the USA.
All but one of the current crowd of Republican presidential candidates for the 2016 US Presidential election are, to varying degrees, anti-evolution, if not outright creationists. The one exception, Jeb Bush, accepts the fact of evolution, but doesn’t want it taught in schools. And the leading candidate, Donald Trump uses some of the dumbest anti-evolution arguments in declaring his lack of “belief” in evolution.
Disappointingly, as I mentioned above, there is a large segment of the US population that supports the Republicans. A poll from YouGov.com shows that most Americans are ignorant about evolution, and accept a religious, rather than a scientific, explanation for the transformation over time of life on earth.
Yes, only 21% of Americans think that evolution is a scientific fact without influence from mythical sky beings. Yes, some of you might be happy that the number who accept the scientific basis of evolution grew from 13% to 21% over a decade, but that’s just pathetic. Over 60% of the population of Sweden, Germany, and China accept the scientific explanation for the diversity of life on earth–evolution.
In a slightly different look at this poll, about 46% of Americans accept evolution, but that includes about 25% of the population that thinks that some mythical supernatural being guided or influenced the evolution of life:
(Note – there are newer polls that have shown that those who accept evolution, but including those who think it was started or guided by a supreme being, has grown to a majority of Americans.)
I guess this could be considered a “glass half empty or full” result. It’s good to know that most of the Americans in this poll accept evolution (over a few billion years rather than 6,000 years); unfortunately, over half of those people think that some mythical god guided the process, despite the complete and utter lack of evidence of anything but natural processes driving evolution.
But this YouGov poll asked one more question that will empower lunatic Republicans to continue to push religious teaching, in the form of creationism, into our schools:
But there’s still a problem. Around 40% of Americans think that it would be OK to teach creationism (or its bastard stepchild, intelligent design) in schools. This is probably the most frustrating part of the poll, that Americans think it’s OK to religion in public schools, despite the unconstitutional nature of such a move.
What does it all mean?
The fact that most Americans are ignorant fools about evolution isn’t merely a social or cultural issue – the teaching of evolution is fundamental to our understanding all aspects of biology, including modern biomedicine. Vaccines, antibiotics, fetal development, genetics, infectious disease control, immunology, etc. etc. are all totally dependent on a fundamental knowledge of evolution.
Being misinformed or ignorant about evolution has many consequences:
The USA is one of the leading countries for biomedical research and development. Without knowledge and acceptance of the fact of evolution, other countries will supersede the USA with better trained and educated individuals entering colleges and graduate schools.
And the consequence of this is that USA will lose its status as the premier nation for biomedical R&D. That hurts our economy. That hurts our competitiveness. It hurts our medical technology. This is what Republicans want? A weak America?
We really can’t train physicians who are unfamiliar with or deny evolution. Many aspects of medicine rely upon a foundation of basic biology, including evolution. How can a physician treat a serious infection that has evolving bacteria without admitting that bacteria evolve?
And once medicine rejects the fact of evolution, then it opens the field to other junk science that relies upon magic and supernatural pseudoscience – most of alternative medicine, like homeopathy, acupuncture and chiropractic, exist simply because of the reliance on magical belief. So once a physician thinks he can reject evolution, what next? Germ theory? Cell theory?
As long as a majority of Americans are ignorant about evolution (really, all science), they will allow the Republican party to push the creationist agenda.
Of course, states like California or New York, which educate their children, mostly without the influence of creationist junk science, will be more attractive for biomedical research and development – more research companies, that pay high taxes and employ highly compensated employees, will start-up or relocate to these more pro-science states.
Isn’t it ironic that Republicans, who claim to be so pro-business, really have no clue. They deny science, which will be the driver of economic growth for centuries.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in July 2013. It has been revised and updated to include more comprehensive information, to improve readability and to add current research.
RelatedBack in my day…
Oh, no, tell me I didn’t just start a post with that line. Let’s just pretend it didn’t happen, okay? Keep it between us, internet. As I was saying… When I was a kid, waking up on Saturday morning and watching my favorite cartoons was probably the highlight of my week. Because SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS, DUDE! I loved them. I mean, honestly, what kids didn’t love watching cartoons on a Saturday morning? G.I. Joe, Inspector Gadget, Transformers, Hammer Man (Yeah, I watched the MC Hammer cartoon, what of it?!), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and my personal all-time favorite M.A.S.K. They were awesome and terrible all at the same time. I loved every single minute of it.
I remember them getting worse as I got older, though. Either that, or my tastes changed. I think they got worse. And it’s for that reason that I wasn’t totally looking forward to watching cartoons with my kids. I didn’t think they’d live up to what I remembered watching as a kid. But, that’s the great thing about the age of the internet. I can show them cartoons that I watched when I was a kid.
There are plenty that I watch with Sophia that are new to me. Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Doc McStuffins, and Sofia the First. Those are the shows that she’ll be telling her kids about when she has them one day. Much in the same way that I tell her about the shows that I loved.
You know what else is pretty cool? Some of the old cartoons that I watched are being brought back and introduced to a new generation. What sparked my interested recently was when I found out that Netflix had rebooted Inspector Gadget. I was EXCITED. I wanted to see how they changed it, if it was better or worse than the original, and if Sophia would be into it. So, we checked it out. She didn’t seem super into it, but I think it’s growing on her.
Another kind-of reboot is Transformers: Rescue Bots. It’s different than the original. Kind of a spin-off, I guess. But, it’s a way for me to introduce a cartoon that I loved as a kid to Sophia with a more modern twist to it. I’m definitely going to show her the originals, as well. Because, I obviously have to. I mean, who doesn’t wanna watch this?
It’s going to be the same with movies that I loved growing up. Star Wars and the like. When she and Maddie are at the right ages, I’ll introduce them to the ones that I loved the most. I want them to have an appreciation for the things that I–and Sarah–loved and watched as kids. I think it gives them depth in what they like. Maybe I’m wrong, but that’s how I feel about it.
What cartoons are you watching with your kids right now? Are you introducing them to your favorites from your time as a kid? Hit me up on Facebook, Twitter, and in the comments!
AdvertisementsNew Delhi: Delhi University teacher Prasanta Chakravarty, who was roughed up during the recent North Campus clashes, has been hospitalised due to severe abdominal pain as a result of internal injuries.
"Passed out with shooting abdominal pain, at Fortis Noida emergency," he posted on Facebook.
He said he has been diagnosed with deep bruises and "concealed spasms" on the right kidney and his spine muscles have also suffered serious injuries.
Chakravarty, an associate professor with DU, said people who assaulted him during the clashes appeared to be "some kind of mercenaries" and not students.
He had alleged the involvement of outsiders in the violence between student groups ABVP and AISA.
Firstpost is now on WhatsApp. For the latest analysis, commentary and news updates, sign up for our WhatsApp services. Just go to Firstpost.com/Whatsapp and hit the Subscribe button.The third stop of Bill Murray and Brian Doyle-Murray’s “Extra Innings” brought the brothers to Minnesota to take on the St. Paul Saints. Like Episodes 3 and 4, Episodes 5 and 6 feature another team for which Bill is a part-owner. However, the Saints are an independent baseball team playing in the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, unaffiliated with Major League Baseball.
These first two episodes of “Extra Innings” focused on the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks, a Future’s League baseball team, and you can read my review here. Episodes 3 and 4 centered around the 2017 Solar Eclipse with Charleston RiverDogs, a single A Yankees affiliate. Read my review here.
Season 1 Episode 5 Review: “This is Livin’: St. Paul Saints, Part 1”
Episode 5 begins with Bill and Brian driving a golf cart to explore CHS Field, the home of the St. Paul Saints. The footage provides a quick but interesting glimpse both inside and outside the workings of a minor league stadium. The brothers seem particularly interested in the kegs and the kitchen, and not so much with their driving ability.
Moving onto the Saints practice, Bill and Brian encounter a freshman orientation group from the University of St. Thomas. Soon they meet a Saints player exercising by running one-legged up the steps of the stadium. Bill offers caution, informing the player that Brian actually slipped on the steps of Wrigley due to spilled beer resulting in a leg injury.
Bill soon begins straining himself by actually stepping up to the plate and taking batting practice himself. Brian and Bill then take scouting notes for the next batter, questioning his baseball skills as well as pronunciation, hair conditioning skills, and “atrocious table manners”. The brothers end the episode by exchanging baseball stories such as getting to see highlights from Reggie Jackson and Derek Jeter playoff games.
Season 1 Episode 6 Review: “Yum, Yum, Eat ’Em Up: St. Paul Saints, Part 2”
Brian recounts the very first St. Paul Saints game ever played, which was unfortunately a rain delay. Unlike the crosstown big league Minnesota Twins team, baseball fans of the new independent league team had the unique pleasure of getting to tailgate for the baseball game. The skies eventually cleared, however, paving the way for the franchise’s first game. Bill’s anecdote potentially sheds some light on his Porta Potty obsession from the first two episodes with the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks. He recounts that there were not enough toilets, forcing him to buy large quantities of incense, almost creating a “hash-house” in his words.
With the scene set, the brothers again take to their golfcart to explore the pregame tailgate. Bill stumbles across a game of cornhole, challenging the owner to a game in exchange for her cigar. They move on from the beanbags and onto the brats, trying out numerous samplings from the finest Minnesota baseball tailgating. With the game almost set to begin, the episode drives into the stadium, although the theme of food is not lost, as we learn that pie is one of the most popular concessions offered.
A Saints staffer tries to rile up the crowd with a “Dance-Cam” before the game begins. We see some fun 7th inning stretch crowd-pleasers such as the running of the “Drag-racers”, go-kart races, eyeball races, a giant live version of spin the bottle, and even a pig feeding. From Ham Solo to Alternative Fats, the numerous porcine mascots for the Saints had some pretty witty nicknames over the years. Finally, the episode ends with footage of the fireworks show, which Bill states that the Saints invest heavily in to make a strong
General Thoughts:
These episodes show off Bill’s passion for the game and its fans. The Saints are another baseball team that Bill has invested in, and Extra Innings helps show how he strives to make baseball an accessible game for all as an owner and promoter. The inter-inning activities reminded me of similar activities at the Sea Dogs’ games, such as races (featuring Maine staples such as Blueberry and Pine Tree), or a life-sized version of Hungry Hungry Hippos in which parents hold their children by the ankles. While the Saints may have tailgating, they do not have a moving lighthouse that will appear to shoot off fireworks, such as at Hadlock stadium.
What I thought could have worked better was seeing the inner workings of the minor league stadium and staff, such as when they were driving through the stadium in Episode 5. Since most baseball fans probably aren’t even aware of all the game-day operations that go into running even an independent league baseball game, I think getting to learn more about different employee jobs and experiences would have been interesting. Finally, I also thought the scene with Bill receiving a massage from a nun, while disguised in a giant Panda head, was pretty strange and weird to watch, especially as he described their “special relationship.”
Watch “Extra Innings” here: https://www.facebook.com/billbrianextrainnings/Quick summary of progress:-Our medical advisor recruitment went well and we've been joined by two talented individuals who will be giving feedback on the medical aspects of Missing Stars as well as helping out with the general editing. Armymond and TotallyGeekage are both very welcome additions to the Somnova team, especially now that art production is starting to pick up and demo release actually seems achievable. We'll be doing some rewriting of a few scenes to better define Erik as a character, but it's not expected to delay overall progress at all, since editing and rewriting should still be finished before art is.-With regards to art, we've got a couple new members in that department as well. Honitsu, already a popular Katawa Shoujo fan-artist, has joined the team and will be lending his talents towards the creation of Annaliese's art. Below, you can see the piece he made as an application to the team before he actually joined. Clearly, he has good taste in heroines.We have an additional member who has promised to join up in mid-August, following the busy convention season, though we're refraining from naming her right now just in case things don't work out.-Music production, which has always been solid, might be kicking into high-gear again soon, as one of our busier musicians will be less busy here soon, and thus able to contribute more often again. Which is a good thing, since the world needs more Astartunes.-Finally, though it's been out in the internet for a while in various other places, we're proud to "formally" show off the updated lineart for one of Natasha's sprites. It's still not final, and has yet to undergo some anatomical corrections, but we feel that it's a marked improvement from the version of the sprite that we've shown before.That's about all that we have to share at the moment. Please, and look forward to the next update in a couple weeks or so.I have terrible eyesight. Correctable medium myopia, with a heavy dose of astigmatism, keeps glasses on my head for 90% of my waking hours. (The remaining 10% is split between showers and punctuating dramatic one-liners.) My first eye doctor made a point to remind me of, upon each visit,how hard it is to repair a damaged eye. Thus, fueled by a fear of losing my eyesight, I always get excited about new technology for the eyeballs.
Researchers at The University of Michigan have successfully developed one of the first millimeter-scale computer systems. They aim to use the technology to monitor eye pressure in glaucoma patients, by inserting this tiny computer near the eye. Their overall goal for the technology however, has much broader implications. Dr. David Blaauw explains:
“The next big challenge is to achieve millimeter-scale systems, which have a host of new applications for monitoring our bodies, our environment and our buildings. Because they’re so small, you could manufacture hundreds of thousands on one wafer. There could be 10s to 100s of them per person and it’s this per capita increase that fuels the semiconductor industry’s growth.”
While I’m ready and willing to have a computer stuck in my eye if it means keeping what little eyesight I have, the thought of barely-visible monitoring systems is a little un-nerving. Like almost any technology, its application largely dictates what effect it has on society. Relatively cheap sensors with a continuous internet connection are already used in a variety of circumstances. Louisiana’s Bucket Brigade uses air monitoring devices to hold companies responsible for polluting residential neighborhoods. It is fairly common for parolees and recovering alcoholics to wear ankle bracelets that can detect trace amounts of drugs or alcohol through their sweat.
Nano computers give us the option of imperceptibly monitoring a wide array of bodily and environmental changes. What industry and organizations do with that ability can change lives. It can mean the difference between clean air and rampant pollution; repaying your debt to society and another six months in jail for eating a poppy seed bagel; or sight and blindness.The agreement of Sykes-Picot recently celebrated its 100th anniversary. A hundred years later, can the secret wartime agreement still help us explain modern challenges in the Middle East? Or is Sykes-Picot but an expression of a deeper problem?
On 16 May 1916, Sir Mark Sykes and François Georges-Picot signed what came to be known as the (in)famous agreement of Sykes-Picot.1 Flash-forward a century, many still point to the secret wartime agreement as the root cause of the challenges facing the Middle East today.2 Between civil war, state failure and a surge in radical Islam, the situation looks dire. Can we lay the blame with Sykes-Picot, or is the focus on the agreement just “a product of bad history and shoddy social science”?3
Fragile Alliance(s)
Sykes-Picot was signed in 1916, a time in which Britain and France fought together in the First World War. Like a sword of Damocles the imminent fall of the Ottoman Empire loomed over their fragile alliance, since both the French and the British had imperial ambitions in the Middle East. Eager to expand their influence in what were then still Ottoman lands, the division of these territories threatened the wartime alliance between the two empires.
Politicians in Paris and London agreed that a division of Ottoman lands needed to be put into writing. Two diplomats were appointed to represent their governments in negotiations held in London. The British chose Sir Mark Sykes, an ambitious diplomat, as their representative. Sykes was a self-proclaimed expert on the Middle East, who gave the impression of speaking both Arabic and Turkish fluently but in reality spoke neither language well.4 François Georges-Picot, defending French claims to the Middle East, was a long-time supporter of French imperialism.5 Between them, the two men carved up the Ottoman lands into French and British spheres of influence.
For France, Georges-Picot was able to claim the modern territories of Syria and Lebanon. Sykes secured for his government large parts of contemporary Iraq, Kuwait and Jordan. Politicians in London were less than exited with the result. They felt that Sykes had gone too far in accommodating his French counterpart. Especially the territory of Palestine, which would be placed under international supervision, was a painful loss. Sykes himself saw the writing on the wall when he signed the map of the agreement in pencil as opposed to Georges-Picot, who signed it in ink.6
The British maintained an ambiguous position towards Sykes-Picot. In their dealings with the French, British politicians and diplomats stuck to the agreement as the roadmap for a future division of Ottoman lands. At the same time, however, the British promised some lands included in Sykes-Picot to their other wartime allies.
Promised Lands
Despite how important their Alliance with the French was in Europe, the British were on the lookout for other allies in the Middle East. The Ottomans had proven to be a tenacious adversary. The Turks even managed to push back British and French advances in the Gallipoli Peninsula and Mesopotamia.7 London eventually found a partner in the nascent Arab nationalist movement.8 The ambitious Sharif of Mecca, Sharif Hussein, was willing to take up arms against Ottoman rule. In what came to be known as the Hussein-McMahon Correspondence the Sharif negotiated the conditions of his revolt with the British High Commissioner in Egypt.9
London promised to Hussein their support for an independent Arab State. Such an Arab State would have grouped together much of the territories of modern Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine and Iraq. The letters predated Sykes-Picot, so in their negotiations with the French the British betrayed their Arab allies in the Middle East.
In 1917, one year after the signing of Sykes-Picot, the British once again promised lands included in both the Hussein-McMahon correspondence and Sykes-Picot to another potential ally. Disappointment over Sykes-Picot was still very present in British political circles. Sykes had failed to deliver to London the critical territory of Palestine and had been too forthcoming towards Georges-Picot.
After the war had ended, and the Ottoman Empire defeated, the time came for the British to choose which of their wartime agreements to honour.
To remedy this perceived injustice, the Brits looked for local allies to advance their claim to Palestine. London found such an ally in a relatively young Jewish nationalist movement, which hoped to establish an independent state for the Jewish people in the Palestinian territories. In their dealings with the British, the Zionists finally found the support of a Great Power for their cause. The Balfour Declaration10, dated 2 November 1917, expressed “His Majesty’s Government’s” support for the “establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people”.11
The three ‘agreements’ – Sykes-Picot, the Hussein-McMahon correspondence and the Balfour Declaration – largely concerned the same Ottoman territories. After the war had ended, and the Ottoman Empire defeated, the time came for the British to choose which of their wartime agreements to honour.
Drawing Straws
Days before German capitulation from the war, the Ottoman Empire accepted defeat.12 Throughout the war, the Turks had lost considerable lands to Arab and British forces. In the end, the Arabs drew the short straw. Sykes-Picot was largely followed as the roadmap it was intended to be, with room for adjustments. The critical Iraqi town of Mosul passed from French to British hands, and a newly formed Turkish state claimed lands originally awarded to the French.13 More importantly, London succeeded in adding the Palestine mandate to its empire. The British were, however, still bound to their support of an independent Jewish state in the region as expressed in the Balfour declaration.14 The British thus ended up with contemporary Jordan, Palestine, Israel, Kuwait and large parts of Iraq. The French still held Lebanon and Syria. An independent Arab state, as promised to Hussein, was not realised.
In order to satisfy their Arab allies to some extent, the British placed two of Sharif Hussein’s sons at the head of Jordan and Iraq. To this day, the Hashemite dynasty (as it is referred to) still holds power in Jordan.15 In the end, however, Hussein’s dream of a united Arab state was not fulfilled. Three decades of European imperialism in the Middle East were about to begin.
Age of Empires
The main question surrounding the agreement of Sykes-Picot is whether or not it laid the groundwork for the conflicts and challenges facing the Middle East today. The answer to this question is likely ‘no’. James Barr, author of the acclaimed book on Sykes-Picot A Line in the Sand, argues that we cannot simply blame the modern ‘mess’ of the Middle East on Sykes-Picot.16
According to Barr, Sykes-Picot exemplified to the Arabs “the betrayal of the post-war settlement” as well as “the region’s vulnerability to foreign interference”. If the agreement of Sykes-Picot itself does not seem to be the problem, the underlying concept of European imperialism might be. The Arabs saw the British and French as the next in a long line of foreign rulers. In order to solidify their hold on their newly acquired territories, the British and French abandoned diplomacy and turned to military power.
The French, upon entering Syria and Lebanon, immediately had to use force to defeat the lingering Arab forces of Sharif Hussein’s son Faisal who had claimed the lands as part of his Arab Kingdom. So shortly after the Great War, violence had already returned to the Middle East. In the following decades, French forces retaliated harshly against insurgencies in Syria, alienating the local population in the process.17 As a parting gift to the Syrian people, the French bombarded the Syrian capital of Damascus before abandoning the country.18
In Lebanon, the French left behind an instable political system. Under the National Pact, Paris hoped to solidify Christian rule over the country.19 In light of changing demographics favouring a Muslim population, this was a recipe for disaster. It led to a terrible civil war and a political crisis Lebanon lasting to this day – with trash piling the streets of the Lebanese capital Beirut.20
Imperialism in the Middle East was characterized by violence and the absence of self-determination for the local Arab populations.
British conduct in the Middle East was hardly any better. In Palestine, contradictions in the Balfour Declaration led to increasing violence and extremism.21 As it turns out, it was impossible to combine support for a Jewish state with respect for the “civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities”.22 After agreeing to a United Nations-moderated partition plan that divided Palestine into two separate countries, the British withdrew unilaterally from the mandate without leaving behind a stable or durable political system.23 Days after the Israeli Declaration of Independence (May 14, 1948) the conflict between Arabs and Israelis resulted in the first Arab-Israeli War.24
Overall, imperialism in the Middle East was characterized by violence and the absence of self-determination for the local Arab populations. As opposed to Sykes-Picot, the actions of the French and British had a real and tangible effect on the Middle East and the daily lives of its inhabitants. If Sykes-Picot is but a symptom, however, why then do we still attach so much value to it?
The End of Sykes-Picot
When Islamic State expanded their territory from Syria to Iraq, the radical Islamist organization heralded the “end of Sykes-Picot”.25 Islamic State aspired to eradicate the artificial borders that had been put in place by Sykes and Georges-Picot.26 The statement stems from a common misconception that Sykes-Picot drew the modern borders of the Middle East, which it, in fact, did not.27 In general, much of the attention that is given to Sykes-Picot comes from misconceptions and misinformation.28
Those wanting to understand the modern Middle East can use Sykes-Picot as a stepping-stone, to then look further and consider the effects of French and British rule over the region. Doing so may even present us with a mirror with which we can evaluate our current policies towards the Middle East.
To truly discuss the agreement and its influence on a century of Middle Eastern politics, one needs to understand what Sykes-Picot was and in which context it came to be. Given all the adjustments to the original agreement, pointing the finger at Sykes-Picot to explain instability in the Middle East seems short-sighted. Instead, consider how the agreement gave way to three decades of European imperialism in the region.
Those wanting to understand the modern Middle East can use Sykes-Picot as a stepping-stone, to then look further and consider the effects of French and British rule over the region. Doing so may even present us with a mirror with which we can evaluate our current policies towards the Middle East.
Must Read For additional information on how Sykes-Picot came to be, the men who negotiated it, as well as the impact three decades of European imperialism had on the Middle East, read A Line in the Sand: Britain, France and the Struggle for the Middle East by James Barr.29
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of International Perspective. Please be advised that all works found on International Perspective are protected under copyright, more information in the Terms of Use.
× References Rogan, E. (2009). The French Empire in the Middle East The Arabs: a history (pp. 211-246): Basic Books.
× References Barr, J. (2011). Time to call the shots A Line in the Sand: Britain, France and the Struggle that Shaped the Middle East. London: Simon & Schuster.
× References Encyclopedia Britannica. (2015). Lebanese National Pact. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/event/Lebanese-National-Pact
× References Rubbish pickup resumes in Lebanon in bid to end crisis. (2016). Al Jazeera. Retrieved from http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/03/trash-pickup-resumes-lebanon-month-garbage-crisis-beirut-160320035647973.html
× References Shlaim, A. (2009). The Balfour Declaration and its Consequences Israel and Palestine: Reappraisals, Revisions, Refutations. London: Verso.
× References Encyclopedia Britannica. (2014). Balfour Declaration. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/event/Balfour-Declaration
× References Rogan, E. (2009). The British Empire in the Middle East The Arabs: a history (pp. 175-210): Basic Books
× References Encyclopedia Britannica. Arab-Israeli wars. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/event/Arab-Israeli-wars
× References Encyclopedia Britannica. Establishment of Israel. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/place/Israel/Establishment-of-Israel
× References Gause, F. G. (2014). Is this the end of Sykes-Picot? The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2014/05/20/is-this-the-end-of-sykes-picot
× References Fisk, R. (2015). Isis: In a borderless world, the days when we could fight foreign wars and be safe at home may be long gone. The Independent. Retrieved from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-in-a-borderless-world-the-days-when-we-could-fight-foreign-wars-and-be-safe-at-home-may-be-long-a6741146.html
× References Danforth, N. (2015). Forget Sykes-Picot. It’s the Treaty of Sèvres That Explains the Modern Middle |
.9 per cent in the second quarter, to €1,037, the largest three-month increase since the peak of the Celtic Tiger in 2007.
With an influx of students about to move into our biggest cities ahead of the new academic year, an already struggling market will strain to accommodate them all.
Ronan Lyons, assistant professor of economics at Trinity College Dublin and author of the Daft report, noted earlier this week that average rent had jumped by more than 39 per cent since bottoming out in 2011, meaning students face tough choices when it comes to deciding where to study and live.
While the current spike in construction of student accommodation should help alleviate the problem, much of it is not due to be completed for some time. Moreover, the high costs involved mean many developers aren’t prepared to invest in such projects.
“Construction costs are very high in Ireland compared to other countries and in particular compared to what students can afford. Roughly speaking, no one is able to build new student accommodation for less than rent of about €200 per week whereas students in the private rented sector are typically paying less than €150 a week, so there’s a gap that to be bridged,” Mr Lyons told The Irish Times.
Students are just one segment in the rental market that needs to be catered for. While there may be specific measures that could assist them, some commentators argue for increased action to support all of those currently renting.
Sector neglected
The crisis in the rental sector has not gone unnoticed in official circles, even if it took some time to be given due consideration.
“Until recently when we looked at the housing market we were looking at mortgages and house prices. The rental sector was neglected for a long time because there was a perception that people who rented were somewhat unfortunate. They were students who didn’t have much money, youngsters starting out on their careers or those who had separated or divorced or through some other reason had fallen on hard times,” said Peter Stafford, director of Ibec-affiliated Property Industry Ireland.
“In addition, there was also the idea that any problems that happened in the rental sector were temporary and would soon go away because everyone aspired to getting a mortgage and a foot on the property ladder and doing so would resolve any issues that existed. Unfortunately, it has taken a crisis for renting issues to get on the table,” he added.
The Government has introduced measures to address the sector’s problems, as the previous Fine Gael/Labour coalition also did, such as a hike in rent supplement, a promise of additional social housing and the enactment of legislation limiting rent increases, which came into force last November.
Scorn
Such measures are aimed at curtailing rising rents and providing increased support for tenants. But how effective are they? Some commentators pour particular scorn on the move to control rent by limiting increases to every two years.
“Rent control measures only tend to benefit those in situ. They don’t help those who are looking for a place to live. In fact, it ensures that if someone is in a rent-controlled apartment they are going to stay there as long as they can and so it doesn’t help the natural churn of property,” said Mr Stafford.
“Controls can also undermine landlords who are charging below-market rents, because it unnecessarily penalises them if they do need to increase prices for whatever reason,” he added.
Minister for Housing Simon Coveney admitted earlier this week that rising rents may, in time, be the result of the stability measures introduced late last year. Others believe their introduction has simply postponed even bigger increases that will come into play in 2017.
“I think the measures have just pushed the problem back till next year,” said Davy Stockbrokers research analyst Ray Crowley.
“There will be a series of rent reviews next year where potentially you could see double-digit rent increases on the cards. All the measures did was kick the can down the road,” he added.
From linking the cost of renting to the consumer price index, to bringing in additional tax breaks for landlords, introducing greater security of tenure and reversing plans to restrict the height of apartment blocks, plenty can be done to alleviate the rental crisis. However, the overriding problem is supply, according to the experts. Or rather the lack of it.
Supply imbalance
When the chief executive of Ireland’s largest private residential landlord warns that rents are reaching the limits of sustainability, then you know you have a serious problem. David Ehrlich, chief executive of Ires Reit, which has a portfolio of 2,377 apartments spread across Dublin, did just this earlier this year when he expressed concern about the imbalance between supply and demand.
“There are still limited levels of activity in housing construction happening and so there are no quick fixes here. This is a problem that is going to be with us for the rest of the decade,” said Mr Crowley.
He added that while policymakers can do little about land costs, they can influence issues such as building heights that could persuade investors to take a punt on the residential property sector, rather than the commercial one.
“Engagement between the various councils in Dublin and government departments on the mix of density could be improved and that would certainly increase viability and encourage more capital into the development market. Issues such as reducing car-parking loads in downtown developments in favour of greater use of public transport to move people is also something that could be looked at,” said Mr Crowley.
“From a capital point of view, there is a lot of overseas capital that would like to invest in the residential sector in Dublin. It is within the grasp of policymakers to open up the gates for that capital to come in and fund local developers to build apartment blocks,” he added.
Mr Stafford is also keen to see more done to encourage other investors into Ireland: “We need to get a huge number of professional build-to-rent landlords coming into the market so that we end up with thousands of purpose-built apartments that are made to be rented out for the long term. If it was up to me to make changes I’d go all out to create so many landlords in Ireland so that they would be chasing tenants rather than the other way round.
“The Government policy in Britain has been to do this in London so that you effectively flood the market and then don’t really need to have rent control as things stabilise.”
Plenty of other factors have contributed to the current crisis. Not least of these is the introduction of stricter lending measures by the Central Bank, which has effectively locked many people out of the property market. And growing numbers of individuals and families are staying renting through choice rather than necessity.
Balancing the needs of competing commercial interests while also ensuring those renting don’t find themselves in a worse situation will be tricky. Ensuring the rental sector is given proper attention will at least be a start.
“We’re going to have to get used to the idea that the cohort of people who are renting is going to get bigger. We can’t just assume that anything which improves the housing market will by default improve the rented sector,” said Mr Stafford.
Institutional landlords
Over the last few years, property funds such as Kennedy Wilson, and real estate investment trusts (Reits) such as Hibernia and Ires, have been busy snapping up apartment blocks across Dublin. While these don’t try to hide the fact that they are going all out to make a profit, they also promise to bring a level of sophistication to the rental sector that will come as a shock to anyone who ever lived in a grotty bedsit in Rathmines.
“From a tenant point of view, experience elsewhere shows that bigger institutional owners of apartment blocks are able to provide a better service to tenants and equally manage better for their shareholders,” said Mr Crowley.
However, some are highly critical of the arrival of institutional landlords in Ireland.
“Reits are playing a role in fuelling the crisis by pushing up rents and house prices further. Furthermore, the issue has been raised of large vulture funds using Ireland’s low and zero tax regime to pay little or no tax on their speculative residential activities here,” said Rory Hearne, a senior policy analyst with the think tank Tasc.
He believes the answer to the current crisis is to invest further in social housing. However, Mr Hearne sees little in the Government’s action policy for housing and homelessness that will lead to significant change.
“The mechanisms which the plan relies on to provide social housing – the private finance-, investor- and developer-led initiatives – have failed over and over again to provide affordable and quality housing,” he said.
Buy-to-let investors
Even if property funds continue to buy apartment blocks, additional investors enter the market and more social housing comes on tap, the rental sector is likely to remain fragmented, meaning that small-time buy-to-let will remain important players.
Responding to the latest Daft report, the Irish Property Owners’ Association (IPOA) said the Government was relying on the private rental market to cover its obligations to provide housing, while penalising the sector with additional taxes and charges. The IPOA claims that some 40,000 private landlords left the rental sector between 2012 and 2015.
Mike Allen, director of advocacy at Focus Ireland, agrees. He said the increase in costs inflicted on landlords in recent years, such as the property tax and a reduction in relief, has had a double negative impact.
“The additional costs are passed on to tenants, making rent levels unaffordable, while at the same time making being a landlord a less attractive option,” he said.
Fintan McNamara of the Residential Landlords’ Association of Ireland believes that while large property funds get tax breaks, smaller landlords are penalised.
“You’d expect more people to be interested in getting into the market due to rising rents but the net yield to investors is a lot lower than it should be, because of all the extra taxation,” he said.
“Investors are coming in at the top end of the market who get great tax breaks and who are rolling in money after buying up apartment blocks on the cheap. Small-time operators, who are the backbone of the industry and who for the most part are decent people not there to rip off tenants, experience huge difficulties,” Mr McNamara added.When I told people I was going on a trip to Belgium, the two most common questions where “why Belgium?” and “just Belgium?” I suppose it’s not the European destination one thinks of first. But I’m here to tell ya first hand, it’s a wonderful place to visit. Hanging out canal-side and climbing the belfries in Bruges and Ghent, cycling through the countryside of Poperinge, walking through the diamond district in Antwerp, eating mounds of delicious fries… it’s all great. I would highly recommend it even just for those things.
But it also helps that Belgium makes some of the very best beers in the world. Gosh, I even tried some while I was there. You know. Just a few…
~C
Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter, ehSenator Rand Paul told This Week that Barack Obama has lost the moral authority to lead.
“The constellation of these three scandals ongoing really takes away from the President’s moral authority to lead this nation.”
The Politico reported:
Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul claimed on Sunday that President Barack Obama is losing the “moral authority” to lead the country.
“I think the constellation of these three scandals really takes away from the president’s moral authority to lead the nation,” Paul said on ABC’s “This Week.” “No one questions his legal authority. But I really think he’s losing the moral authority to lead this nation.”
So far, Obama hasn’t been directly linked to any of the three controversies the White House is currently battling: the IRS targeting of conservative groups, the editing of the Benghazi talking points and the Justice Department’s spying on journalists.Oklahoma Republican legislator Sally Kern joined the American Family Association’s Tim Wildmon on American Family Radio yesterday to discuss her new book, The Stoning of Sally Kern. Kern, who previously argued that homosexuality is a greater threat to the US than terrorism and should be criminalized, and Wildmon agreed that the real “hateful” people are those who do not believe that gays and lesbians can change their sexual orientation and become straight:
Wildmon: Now Sally as you just said, nobody hates the individual homosexual. We want to see them come to repentance and know the Lord and have their lives changed, that’s what we want to see. So we have compassion for people like that Kern: To me what is hateful is when those people who say ‘you’re born this way, there’s no hope in change, you’re stuck in this, deal with it,’ that is hate. There’s no hope in that
Kern ended the interview with a rallying cry for “God’s people to stand up” to gay rights advocates, who she called the “tip of the spear” of the movement “trying to tear down the moral fiber of America”:I was 19 when I held a baby for the first and last time.
On a street in New York City, a harried-looking mother with an infant in one arm and a stroller piled high with shopping bags strode up to me and asked if I could hold her child while she bent to tie her shoe. Before waiting for an answer (which I think I can safely assume she had assumed would be yes), she thrust the baby into my uncertain arms.
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At 5’2” and with a bit of a baby-face of my own, I’m not an especially threatening presence. Likely, this woman had selected me for the task of cradling her child because I look like the last person who would be a monster. Yet, as she straightened up and saw me holding her smiling, gurgling infant at arm’s length, a confused and nauseated look on my face, I could tell that in that moment, she thought me one.
I identify as a childfree woman, one of a growing demographic of young people for whom having children is not only not in their present, but not in their future, either, entirely by choice. (Syntactically, the childfree are distinguished from the childless—those who want children but cannot or do not have them—because the latter term implies that one is “less” something for not having offspring.) For many, the decision to be childfree is a matter of practicalities: a baby would not fit in with their career and lifestyle, or they aren’t financially secure, or they haven’t yet found The One. While all those things are true in my case, the main reason is much simpler: I basely, emphatically, viscerally hate children.
I can’t remember a time when I felt anything more positive than contempt for children, even when I was a child myself. From (quite literally) the time I could talk, I announced my intent that I never wanted children, and as a little girl, I never had even the slightest inclination towards baby dolls. As an only child of older parents, I spent much of my time around middle-aged adults, and found I far preferred their company to that of my agemates. As an adult, my dislike seems to be rooted in my nature, stemming from the same sort of inborn, primal (if opposite) urge as those who desperately want them. I think of myself as “not a kid person” much in the same way that someone else might feel they’re “not a cat person” or “not a dog person”; it is not a conscious choice, but a natural state of being. But whereas cat- and dog-haters get a pass from society, there is something singularly off-putting to others about having an aversion the young of one’s own species.
Other childfree women have felt this resultant animosity, and have tried to preempt others’ judgment. From data-driven news stories to personal essays—including those in the excellent new collection “Selfish, Shallow, and Self-Absorbed: Sixteen Writers on the Decision Not to Have Children,” edited by Meghan Daum—almost each story by and about childfree women seems to include apologetic, vehement protestations that such women are not baby-haters. (“We do not hate kids,” Daum writes in her introduction, “and it still amazes me that this notion is given any credence.”) Nearly every woman-authored piece on the topic, both in Daum’s collection and elsewhere, is defensive about an implied dislike of children, and those that aren’t are instead evasive of it. (Notably but perhaps unsurprisingly, men who dislike children are more outspoken about it, and far less stigmatized.) Childfree women are often characterized as doting and dedicated aunts, godmothers, professionals or community volunteers whose lives are full of children they love, even if they ultimately—some pined for children in the past—do not want any of their own. I have no doubt that such characterizations are true, and that many childfree people do in fact love children; that is their reality. But by failing to account for the possibility that there are baby-haters among us, by attempting to subvert the ugly stereotype before it even arises, such authors negate the experiences of—and even the existence of—those of us for whom our reality is in fact one of baby-hating. And by denying that we exist—especially for women, society’s designated nurturers, who feel this stereotype especially acutely—we are denied the chance to prove that, contrary to what one may instinctively characterize us as, this particular facet of our personalities, our identities as baby-haters, does not make us bad people.
I firmly believe that some of us were simply born without the nurturing gene and with biological clocks that nature neglected to wind. My baby-hating doesn’t come from a place of malice. I don’t wish children ill; I just want them to stay the hell away from me. I’m not a situational baby-hater, either; though a child behaving badly might cause me to shoot some side-eye or make a snarky comment, my inherent dislike of children does not significantly lessen when a kid behaves well, even if I do find them slightly more tolerable. (As Kate Christensen writes of her boyfriend in her essay in “Selfish, Shallow, and Self-Absorbed” and which I can wholeheartedly relate to, “Seeing other people with their kids, no matter how cute they are, only reinforces his knowledge that he doesn’t want them.”) I can count on one hand all the children I’ve seen in my life that have struck me as cute. On the subway, if I see even a well-behaved child heading for the empty seat next to mine, I will move across the train car, all the while raising the volume on my music. On a recent outing to the Bronx Zoo, a small child mistakenly grabbed my hand instead of her mother’s, and I instinctively recoiled as if the toddler’s touch had sent 10,000 volts of electricity coursing through my body.
I’m not the only baby-hater out there. While I am fairly open about my views, other women have confessed to me in hushed tones their dislike—even hatred—of children or doubt over whether they might ever want any. In fact, even as the stigma against baby-haters persists, science shows that there’s probably a little baby-hater in all of us: new research demonstrates that nothing kills happiness quite like having a baby does.
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I know, I know; by now, the childed among you are probably thinking me a horrible person, an opinion you would likely hold no matter what else I say. So I won’t sit here and regale you with tales of what I good person I am, because frankly, that would be overcompensating. While I try to be a good person, the truth is, most of the time, I’m no better than average. But despite my baby-hating tendencies, I can definitively say that I am not a bad person: I don’t lie, cheat, or steal; I try to be a good friend and to be kind to others, generally; and I have a strict set of personal moral principles to which I hold myself, foremost among which is to do as little harm possible to other living things. I suspect that such qualities are true of most closeted baby-haters. We’re just like everyone else until we express the opinion that, in the eyes of society, instantly transforms us from Regular Person to Baby-Hating Monster, despite any other positive attributes we might possess. So, to escape judgment, we go about our baby-hating business quietly as we contribute to the world around us. We are your journalists, your professors, your bartenders and baristas. We are your siblings, your colleagues, your friends.
If you are my friend and you decide to have a baby, I will feel nothing but genuine joy for you, because as your friend, I value your happiness. I will bring you meals and toys and those adorable little baby shoes (which I will find far cuter than the kid itself), and I will always lend a sympathetic ear when you’re tired and need to vent. I will do so with glee and sincerity, because you are my friend and I love you. But I will still hate your baby, and for that, I will not apologize.military and political struggle between Israel and the Palestinians
This article is about the ongoing struggle between Israelis and Palestinians that began in the mid-20th century. For the conflict in 1920–1948 British Palestine, see Intercommunal conflict in Mandatory Palestine. For the wider regional conflict, primarily from 1948–73 but extending in a more limited manner to 2006, see Arab–Israeli conflict
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict (Hebrew: הסכסוך הישראלי-פלסטיני, translit. Ha'Sikhsukh Ha'Yisraeli-Falestini; Arabic: النزاع-الفلسطيني الإسرائيلي, translit. al-Niza'a al-Filastini-al-Israili) is the ongoing struggle between Israelis and Palestinians that began in the mid-20th century.[3] The origins to the conflict can be traced back to Jewish immigration, and sectarian conflict in Mandatory Palestine between Jews and Arabs.[4] It has been referred to as the world's "most intractable conflict", with the ongoing Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip reaching 52 years.[5][6][7]
Despite a long-term peace process and the general reconciliation of Israel with Egypt and Jordan, Israelis and Palestinians have failed to reach a final peace agreement. The key issues are: mutual recognition, borders, security, water rights, control of Jerusalem, Israeli settlements,[8] Palestinian freedom of movement,[9] and Palestinian right of return. The violence of the conflict, in a region rich in sites of historic, cultural and religious interest worldwide, has been the object of numerous international conferences dealing with historic rights, security issues and human rights, and has been a factor hampering tourism in and general access to areas that are hotly contested.[10]
Many attempts have been made to broker a two-state solution, involving the creation of an independent Palestinian state alongside the State of Israel (after Israel's establishment in 1948). In 2007, the majority of both Israelis and Palestinians, according to a number of polls, preferred the two-state solution over any other solution as a means of resolving the conflict.[11] Moreover, a majority of Jews see the Palestinians' demand for an independent state as just, and thinks Israel can agree to the establishment of such a state.[12] The majority of Palestinians and Israelis in the West Bank and Gaza Strip have expressed a preference for a two-state solution.[13][14][unreliable source?] Mutual distrust and significant disagreements are deep over basic issues, as is the reciprocal scepticism about the other side's commitment to upholding obligations in an eventual agreement.[15]
Within Israeli and Palestinian society, the conflict generates a wide variety of views and opinions. This highlights the deep divisions which exist not only between Israelis and Palestinians, but also within each society. A hallmark of the conflict has been the level of violence witnessed for virtually its entire duration. Fighting has been conducted by regular armies, paramilitary groups, terror cells, and individuals. Casualties have not been restricted to the military, with a large number of fatalities in civilian population on both sides. There are prominent international actors involved in the conflict.
The two parties engaged in direct negotiation are the Israeli government, currently led by Benjamin Netanyahu, and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), currently headed by Mahmoud Abbas. The official negotiations are mediated by an international contingent known as the Quartet on the Middle East (the Quartet) represented by a special envoy, that consists of the United States, Russia, the European Union, and the United Nations. The Arab League is another important actor, which has proposed an alternative peace plan. Egypt, a founding member of the Arab League, has historically been a key participant. Jordan, having relinquished its claim to the West Bank in 1988 and holding a special role in the Muslim Holy shrines in Jerusalem, has also been a key participant.
Since 2006, the Palestinian side has been fractured by conflict between the two major factions: Fatah, the traditionally dominant party, and its later electoral challenger, Hamas. After Hamas's electoral victory in 2006, the Quartet conditioned future foreign assistance to the Palestinian National Authority (PA) on the future government's commitment to non-violence, recognition of the State of Israel, and acceptance of previous agreements. Hamas rejected these demands,[16] which resulted in the Quartet's suspension of its foreign assistance program, and the imposition of economic sanctions by the Israelis.[17] A year later, following Hamas's seizure of power in the Gaza Strip in June 2007, the territory officially recognized as the PA was split between Fatah in the West Bank, and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The division of governance between the parties had effectively resulted in the collapse of bipartisan governance of the PA. However, in 2014, a Palestinian Unity Government, composed of both Fatah and Hamas, was formed. The latest round of peace negotiations began in July 2013 and was suspended in 2014.
Background
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict has its roots in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with the birth of major nationalist movements among the Jews and among the Arabs, both geared towards attaining sovereignty for their people in the Middle East.[18] The collision between those two forces in southern Levant and the emergence of Palestinian nationalism in the 1920s eventually escalated into the Israeli–Palestinian conflict in 1947, and expanded into the wider Arab–Israeli conflict later on.[19]
The return of several hard-line Palestinian Arab nationalists, under the emerging leadership of Haj Amin al-Husseini, from Damascus to Mandatory Palestine marked the beginning of Palestinian Arab nationalist struggle towards establishment of a national home for Arabs of Palestine.[20] Amin al-Husseini, the architect of the Palestinian Arab national movement, immediately marked Jewish national movement and Jewish immigration to Palestine as the sole enemy to his cause,[21] initiating large-scale riots against the Jews as early as 1920 in Jerusalem and in 1921 in Jaffa. Among the results of the violence was the establishment of the Jewish paramilitary force Haganah. In 1929, a series of violent anti-Jewish riots was initiated by the Arab leadership. The riots resulted in massive Jewish casualties in Hebron and Safed, and the evacuation of Jews from Hebron and Gaza.[18]
In the early 1930s, the Arab national struggle in Palestine had drawn many Arab nationalist militants from across the Middle East, most notably Sheikh Izaddin al-Qassam from Syria, who established the Black Hand militant group and had prepared the grounds for the 1936 Arab revolt. Following the death of al-Qassam at the hands of the British in late 1935, the tensions erupted in 1936 into the Arab general strike and general boycott. The strike soon deteriorated into violence and the bloodily repressed 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine against the British and the Jews.[19] In the first wave of organized violence, lasting until early 1937, most of the Arab groups were defeated by the British and a forced expulsion of much of the Arab leadership was performed. The revolt led to the establishment of the Peel Commission towards partitioning of Palestine, though it was subsequently rejected by the Palestinian Arabs. The two main Jewish leaders, Chaim Weizmann and David Ben-Gurion, accepted the recommendations but some secondary Jewish leaders did not like it.[22][23][24]
The renewed violence, which had sporadically lasted until the beginning of World War II, ended with around 5,000 casualties, mostly from the Arab side. With the eruption of World War II, the situation in Mandatory Palestine calmed down. It allowed a shift towards a more moderate stance among Palestinian Arabs, under the leadership of the Nashashibi clan and even the establishment of the Jewish–Arab Palestine Regiment under British command, fighting Germans in North Africa. The more radical exiled faction of al-Husseini however tended to cooperation with Nazi Germany, and participated in the establishment of a pro-Nazi propaganda machine throughout the Arab world. Defeat of Arab nationalists in Iraq and subsequent relocation of al-Husseini to Nazi-occupied Europe tied his hands regarding field operations in Palestine, though he regularly demanded that the Italians and the Germans bomb Tel Aviv. By the end of World War II, a crisis over the fate of the Holocaust survivors from Europe led to renewed tensions between the Yishuv and the Palestinian Arab leadership. Immigration quotas were established by the British, while on the other hand illegal immigration and Zionist insurgency against the British was increasing.[18]
On 29 November 1947, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted Resolution 181(II)[25] recommending the adoption and implementation of a plan to partition Palestine into an Arab state, a Jewish state and the City of Jerusalem.[26] On the next day, Palestine was already swept by violence, with Arab and Jewish militias executing attacks. For four months, under continuous Arab provocation and attack, the Yishuv was usually on the defensive while occasionally retaliating.[27] The Arab League supported the Arab struggle by forming the volunteer-based Arab Liberation Army, supporting the Palestinian Arab Army of the Holy War, under the leadership of Abd al-Qadir al-Husayni and Hasan Salama. On the Jewish side, the civil war was managed by the major underground militias – the Haganah, Irgun and Lehi, strengthened by numerous Jewish veterans of World War II and foreign volunteers. By spring 1948, it was already clear that the Arab forces were nearing a total collapse, while Yishuv forces gained more and more territory, creating a large scale refugee problem of Palestinian Arabs.[18] Popular support for the Palestinian Arabs throughout the Arab world led to sporadic violence against Jewish communities of the Middle East and North Africa, creating an opposite refugee wave.
History
Following the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel on 14 May 1948, the Arab League decided to intervene on behalf of Palestinian Arabs, marching their forces into former British Palestine, beginning the main phase of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.[26] The overall fighting, leading to around 15,000 casualties, resulted in cease fire and armistice agreements of 1949, with Israel holding much of the former Mandate territory, Jordan occupying and later annexing the West Bank and Egypt taking over the Gaza Strip, where the All-Palestine Government was declared by the Arab League on 22 September 1948.[19]
Through the 1950s, Jordan and Egypt supported the Palestinian Fedayeen militants' cross-border attacks into Israel, while Israel carried out reprisal operations in the host countries. The 1956 Suez Crisis resulted in a short-term Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip and exile of the All-Palestine Government, which was later restored with Israeli withdrawal. The All-Palestine Government was completely abandoned by Egypt in 1959 and was officially merged into the United Arab Republic, to the detriment of the Palestinian national movement. Gaza Strip then was put under the authority of Egyptian military administrator, making it a de facto military occupation. In 1964, however, a new organization, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), was established by Yasser Arafat.[26] It immediately won the support of most Arab League governments and was granted a seat in the Arab League.
The 1967 Six-Day War exerted a significant effect upon Palestinian nationalism, as Israel gained military control of the West Bank from Jordan and the Gaza Strip from Egypt. Consequently, the PLO was unable to establish any control on the ground and established its headquarters in Jordan, home to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, and supported the Jordanian army during the War of Attrition, most notably the Battle of Karameh. However, the Palestinian base in Jordan collapsed with the Jordanian–Palestinian civil war in 1970. The PLO defeat by the Jordanians caused most of the Palestinian militants to relocate to South Lebanon, where they soon took over large areas, creating the so-called "Fatahland".
Palestinian insurgency in South Lebanon peaked in the early 1970s, as Lebanon was used as a base to launch attacks on northern Israel and airplane hijacking campaigns worldwide, which drew Israeli retaliation. During the Lebanese Civil War, Palestinian militants continued to launch attacks against Israel while also battling opponents within Lebanon. In 1978, the Coastal Road massacre led to the Israeli full-scale invasion known as Operation Litani. Israeli forces, however, quickly withdrew from Lebanon, and the attacks against Israel resumed. In 1982, following an assassination attempt on one of its diplomats by Palestinians, the Israeli government decided to take sides in the Lebanese Civil War and the 1982 Lebanon War commenced. The initial results for Israel were successful. Most Palestinian militants were defeated within several weeks, Beirut was captured, and the PLO headquarters were evacuated to Tunisia in June by Yasser Arafat's decision.[19] However, Israeli intervention in the civil war also led to unforeseen results, including small-scale conflict between Israel and Syria. By 1985, Israel withdrew to a 10 km occupied strip of South Lebanon, while the low-intensity conflict with Shia militants escalated.[18]Those Iranian-supported Shia groups gradually consolidated into Hizbullah and Amal, operated against Israel, and allied with the remnants of Palestinian organizations to launch attacks on Galilee through the late 1980s. By the 1990s, Palestinian organizations in Lebanon were largely inactive.[citation needed]
The first Palestinian uprising began in 1987 as a response to escalating attacks and the endless occupation. By the early 1990s, international efforts to settle the conflict had begun, in light of the success of the Egyptian–Israeli peace treaty of 1982. Eventually, the Israeli–Palestinian peace process led to the Oslo Accords of 1993, allowing the PLO to relocate from Tunisia and take ground in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, establishing the Palestinian National Authority. The peace process also had significant opposition among radical Islamic elements of Palestinian society, such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, who immediately initiated a campaign of attacks targeting Israelis. Following hundreds of casualties and a wave of radical anti-government propaganda, Israeli Prime Minister Rabin was assassinated by an Israeli fanatic who objected to the peace initiative. This struck a serious blow to the peace process, from which the newly elected government of Israel in 1996 backed off.[18]
Following several years of unsuccessful negotiations, the conflict re-erupted as the Second Intifada on September 2000.[19] The violence, escalating into an open conflict between the Palestinian National Security Forces and the Israel Defense Forces, lasted until 2004/2005 and led to approximately 130 fatalities. In 2005, Israeli Prime Minister Sharon ordered the removal of Israeli settlers and soldiers from Gaza. Israel and its Supreme Court formally declared an end to occupation, saying it "had no effective control over what occurred" in Gaza.[28] However, the United Nations, Human Rights Watch and many other international bodies and NGOs continue to consider Israel to be the occupying power of the Gaza Strip as Israel controls Gaza Strip's airspace, territorial waters and controls the movement of people or goods in or out of Gaza by air or sea.[28][29][30]
In 2006, Hamas won a plurality of 44% in the Palestinian parliamentary election. Israel responded it would begin economic sanctions unless Hamas agreed to accept prior Israeli-Palestinian agreements, forswear violence, and recognize Israel's right to exist, which Hamas rejected.[31] After internal Palestinian political struggle between Fatah and Hamas erupted into the Battle of Gaza (2007), Hamas took full control of the area.[32] In 2007, Israel imposed a naval blockade on the Gaza Strip, and cooperation with Egypt allowed a ground blockade of the Egyptian border
The tensions between Israel and Hamas escalated until late 2008, when Israel launched operation Cast Lead upon Gaza, resulting in thousands of civilian casualties and billions of dollars in damage. By February 2009, a ceasefire was signed with international mediation between the parties, though the occupation and small and sporadic eruptions of violence continued.[33]
In 2011, a Palestinian Authority attempt to gain UN membership as a fully sovereign state failed. In Hamas-controlled Gaza, sporadic rocket attacks on Israel and Israeli air raids still take place.[34][35][36][37] In November 2012, the representation of Palestine in UN was upgraded to a non-member observer State, and its mission title was changed from "Palestine (represented by PLO)" to "State of Palestine".
Peace process
Oslo Accords (1993)
In 1993, Israeli officials led by Yitzhak Rabin and Palestinian leaders from the Palestine Liberation Organization led by Yasser Arafat strove to find a peaceful solution through what became known as the Oslo peace process. A crucial milestone in this process was Arafat's letter of recognition of Israel's right to exist. In 1993, the Oslo Accords were finalized as a framework for future Israeli–Palestinian relations. The crux of the Oslo agreement was that Israel would gradually cede control of the Palestinian territories over to the Palestinians in exchange for peace. The Oslo process was delicate and progressed in fits and starts, the process took a turning point at the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin and finally unraveled when Arafat and Ehud Barak failed to reach agreement at Camp David in July 2000. Robert Malley, special assistant to US President Bill Clinton for Arab–Israeli Affairs, has confirmed that while Barak made no formal written offer to Arafat, the US did present concepts for peace which were considered by the Israeli side yet left unanswered by Arafat "the Palestinians' principal failing is that from the beginning of the Camp David summit onward they were unable either to say yes to the American ideas or to present a cogent and specific counterproposal of their own".[38] Consequently, there are different accounts of the proposals considered.[39][40][41]
Camp David Summit (2000)
In July 2000, US President Bill Clinton convened a peace summit between Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak. Barak reportedly put forward the following as "bases for negotiation", via the US to |
guests. The groom could have informed us earlier if he wasn't happy with this alliance. Luckily, god came to our rescue,“ said one of the girl's family members on condition of anonymity.Week 8 of the Major League Season brought us goals on goals, particularly in a wild Saturday of action. Now you get to choose the best one by voting for the AT&T MLS Goal of the Week in the poll to the right.
Great dribbling moves were the impetus for two of the five nominees. On Friday night, FC Dallas attackers Fabián Castillo and Mauro Díaz combined for the opening goal, with Castillo skinning multiple defenders before playing the ball across the box to Díaz for the finish. On Sunday, LA Galaxy teenager Bradford Jamieson IV scored his first MLS goal with a cutback inside the penalty area and a low, driven finish. Both Dallas and LA, although leading at the time of the goals, settled for 1-1 road ties.
The other three nominees came from farther out. New England Revolution left back Chris Tierney opened the scoring in a 4-0 rout of Real Salt Lake with some fine dribbling moves in tight space and a curling finish on his non-preferred right foot to get himself in the mix. Vancouver Whitecaps Designated Player Pedro Morales struck less than two minutes into their game against D.C. United with a technical, accurate finish inside the right post, but D.C. rallied for a 2-1 road win. Last but probably not least, Sporting Kansas City midfielder Benny Feilhaber silenced the Houston Dynamo crowd with a ferocious 25-yard bullet deep into stoppage time for the final blow in a wild 4-4 tie.
Which goal struck your fancy? Vote now, and the winner will be announced on Friday based off your online votes.
Voting runs until 11:59 pm PT on Thursdays. For complete coverage of the AT&T MLS Goal of the Week — including an archive of all of this season's nominees and winners — click here.The White House announcement of the nomination of Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R- OK) for NASA Administrator drew some immediate and rather surprising (to me, anyway) reactions. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Bill Nelson (D-FL), whose state is critically involved in America’s space program, both questioned Bridenstine’s appointment. Sen. Nelson believes the space agency needs “a space professional” to run it; Sen. Rubio put forth that the job of NASA Administrator has traditionally been non-political, arguing that appointing a politician to the job will work towards destroying the bipartisan goodwill he claims the space program has traditionally enjoyed.
Let us examine some of these contentions and consider what qualities a “good” NASA Administrator must have. One of the first things to recognize about the job is that the Administrator is appointed by the President and therefore, works for the President. The heads of federal agencies do not set policy – they implement it. That said, it is true that NASA Administrators tend to have a bit more influence on policy than most other agencies, but mostly because as representatives of a technical entity, they deal with issues in which other administration officials are not expected to be conversant. The newly reconstituted National Space Council chaired by Vice President Pence will oversee our national space policy and it will set no policy path that does not have the full approval of the President.
The NASA Administrator’s job is to keep the agency running and funded while at the same time, implementing specific policy directions given by the President. Does such a job description require a “space professional” as Senator Nelson claims? Since its inception, NASA has had eleven administrators (I exclude from this discussion the “acting administrators” because these people held the job for shorter times as caretakers until a permanent administrator could be named). Past administrators have had a wide variety of expertise, backgrounds and temperaments, yet some common threads emerge. Glennan, Paine, Beggs, Goldin and Griffin were all engineers by training but each had considerable executive experience in industry and government. Fletcher and Frosch had degrees in physics, but their work experience was almost entirely as engineers and managers. O’Keefe was trained as a naval engineer, but became a career government bureaucrat; when he took over the reins at NASA, he famously described himself as a “bean-counter” (which was exactly what the then-disastrous International Space Station program needed).
Jim Webb was a former Marine Corps Reserve pilot, a lawyer, a federal bureaucrat and arguably, the greatest administrator NASA ever had. True enough, during the Apollo program, Webb was provided with abundant resources to carry out his mission, but one should note he was also given a monumental task, one that could have easily turned into a complete disaster – and indeed, with the Apollo 1 fire, almost did. Webb was a powerhouse of management competence, a guy who knew his technical limitations and was secure enough to seek and obtain solid advice from competent engineers like George Low and Robert Gilruth. But just as importantly, Webb could explain problems and progress to members of the Executive and the Congress – key people needed to approve the resources and political backing to complete the job. Webb kept the Apollo funding flowing and he completed the assigned task. The glorious NASA that exists in the mind of the public is largely the creation of Jim Webb and the people he hired during the 1960s.
The last two NASA Administrators, Richard Truly and Charles Bolden – both pilots and former astronauts – arguably were unsuited for the Administrator’s job. Truly is a former Shuttle astronaut who held the reins at NASA during the first half of the George H. W. Bush administration, a critical period in the history of the agency that was undergoing a major crisis of confidence in both its human and robotic spaceflight programs. The Shuttle was flying again after the long post-Challenger hiatus, but little progress had been made on Space Station Freedom, the principal program for future human spaceflight. The robotic program was equally troubled – the Mars Observer spacecraft had been mysteriously lost and the Hubble Space Telescope was found to have been launched with “blurred vision,” caused by an incorrectly ground main mirror.
But Truly’s biggest failure (which led to his sacking) was foot-dragging on President Bush’s Space Exploration Initiative, an attempt to set into motion a new strategic direction for the civil space program by returning to the Moon and undertaking a mission to Mars. Truly disliked the idea, mostly because he saw it as destroying his beloved Shuttle program and he thought that the agency was incapable of the added work, given its problems with Space Station Freedom. The tepid agency response to Bush’s bold space initiative infuriated the President, who fired Truly and replaced him with Dan Goldin (whose reign then proceeded to create new idiocies to replace those perpetrated by Truly).
Charles Bolden faithfully executed the policy path desired by President Obama and his Presidential Science Advisor, John Holdren – the unilateral cancellation of the Vision for Space Exploration (a “bipartisan” space policy if there ever was one) and set a Potemkin Village “Mission to Mars” in its place. So, in a strict bureaucratic sense, Bolden might be considered a “good administrator” in that he faithfully implemented the policy of the President he served. But what remains of the once-glorious agency after eight years of Bolden is almost too painful to contemplate. With the Shuttle retired, we have no American means to get astronauts to and from a space station that we largely paid for and built. Plans for future human missions beyond LEO are meaningless and inconsequential “make work” projects with little value and no lasting spacefaring legacy. Bolden actively promoted the fraudulent “Mission to Mars” mythology created within the agency, a policy that prevented the Congress and the public from knowing they had lost what was once (and was still being) taken for granted – a robust space program that was going somewhere and doing something significant.
So the job that Jim Bridenstine takes on (Senate willing) is anything but a cakewalk. A Bridenstine-led NASA should carefully re-assemble a competent technical base at NASA – replace the lost core of engineering excellence that has died, left or retired over the past decade. The new Administrator will oversee the forthcoming transition to “commercial crew” in which industry will provide transportation to and from the ISS for American astronauts. Most importantly, the new administrator will guide the agency into a new direction for human spaceflight beyond LEO.
That new direction may come very soon. The Space Council meets this month for the first time. Assuming that sanity prevails, both the fake “Mission to Mars” and the gimmicky “cislunar proving ground” ideas will be dropped. What’s required now is a sustained, incremental approach to spaceflight beyond LEO, an architecture culminating in a return to the Moon and the processing of its resources to fuel a permanent space-based transportation system. His published writings clearly indicate how intricately Jim Bridenstine understands these needs. Through his sponsorship of the American Space Renaissance Act, Bridenstine has demonstrated not only a clear, long-range vision, but also a deep technical understanding of and interest in what is required and what is possible for America’s civil space program.
I welcome the nomination of Jim Bridenstine for the job of NASA Administrator – far from being “a partisan pick,” he is an inspired choice. Once confirmed, Bridenstine will knowingly walk into an incredibly difficult situation, one with significant pitfalls and detours along the way, yet he has done his homework. He understands the situation and knows what needs to be done. A “politician?” Certainly. Who better to speak to members of the Congress in an understandable manner about the needs of the agency? Politics is the means by which Americans conduct public business. To put it another way, what agency head in Washington is not a politician at some level? Not a “space professional”? Jim Bridenstine has demonstrated through his background, writings and speeches that he fully understands what our national space agency needs and what should be required from our space program. I contend that Jim Bridenstine understands these things much better than many of the “space professionals” I deal with on a daily basis.
To Senators Rubio and Nelson: Do you want a meaningful, productive and successful national space program? If so, you will support the President’s nomination of Jim Bridenstine for NASA Administrator. However, if you are content with the debilitating and pointless status quo – the stagnation and withering of NASA – then it is understandable that you might want someone other than Jim Bridenstine at the helm. That is the choice at hand.2015 Los Angeles CD4 Endorsement: Carolyn Ramsay
Election day: Tuesday, May 19, 7am-8pm
Find your polling place: http://lavote.net/locator
While the boundaries of Los Angeles Council District 4 may look ridiculous on a map, it is nonetheless a critical district in terms of L.A.’s bicycle transportation network. Sweeping through Mid-Wilshire, Hollywood, a sizable chunk of the San Fernando Valley, the Cahuenga Pass, and the spectacular landscape of Griffith Park, the district provides key connections – to the Los Angeles River, across the Hollywood Hills, and between dense Central L.A. neighborhoods and business corridors. The district has seen one livable streets project after another stalled under outgoing and bike-unfriendly Councilmember Tom LaBonge, making the race for a replacement that much more important.
Very early in the lead-up to the March primary, engaging voices emerged to provide an opportunity for much-needed progress. Carolyn Ramsay quickly articulated a thoughtful platform on mobility and livable streets, and was an early supporter for a reworking of the Hyperion Bridge with full sidewalks and buffered bike lanes, labeled “Option 3” by City staff and consultants (link).
This is not to imply that Ramsay had to go out on a limb: before going on-record with her decision, she rightly took the time to meet with community members and understand the overwhelming resident, business, and neighborhood council support for this forward-thinking solution. She was the first of the race’s top fundraising candidates to give ‘Option 3’ a thumbs-up, and after her lead, several other other candidates followed. Providing a safe connection by bike and on foot between Silver Lake, Los Feliz, Atwater Village, and the L.A. River is of critical importance and her early support is a testament to her priorities.
Ramsay continued to communicate an interest – based on personal experience – in making the district more accessible by bike by implementing better infrastructure that works for all ages and abilities. Her response to the LACBC questionnaire (link) offered a thoughtful consensus-building approach, which was reinforced by her support at a February candidate forum for a number of long-overdue bike lane projects: San Vicente, 6th Street, Lankershim, and the Cahuenga Pass. One of the most important things that Ramsay brings to in this election, however, is her extensive experience in the district as a former CD4 deputy and chief of staff, including learning from past failures in implementation of the City’s Bicycle Master Plan.
We’ve heard some encouraging things from the other candidate in this run-off election, David Ryu. But Ryu’s reluctance to communicate solutions for the area’s mobility problems, or take a stand in support of long-overdue improvements, gives us pause. Ramsay knows the district, and has solid ideas for how to bring consensus on projects that will improve its livability.
While we do have some concerns with some of Ramsay’s statements regarding improvements that would make Hollywood Boulevard and Hillhurst Avenue more vibrant, people-friendly streets to support thriving businesses, we are encouraged by her willingness to listen and to engage with her constituents towards finding solutions (link). There are lots of people, with lots of opinions – and so long as we keep an open dialogue, we are confident that any project that improves safety will prevail. We look forward to working with Carolyn Ramsay to improve mobility options for all Angelenos, and support her bid to represent the 4th District on the L.A. City Council.From Ukraine to Greece, one coalition: Nazi and police!
On Sunday evening a band of neo-nazis attacked the Kharkiv-based social/cultural center “Autonomia”, which provides shelter for internally displaced persons from war-torn regions of Eastern Ukraine. Activists and shelter residents successfully repelled the attack, as well as the previous two ones that had happened before. The mere fact of attacks against such an institution which was set up by anarchists from Autonomous Workers’ Union and other groups entirely by themselves on the basis of an abandoned and ruined building, raises a major concern.
On September 2nd, the following afternoon after the last nazi attack, the police violently stormed the squat, using tear gas and seizing all the hardware, and proceeded to “invite” its inhabitants to the police station of Chervonozavodsky district charging them with squatting the abandoned building. The captives were required to close down the squat and cease all further improvement to the building. In light of the fact that city administration knew about the squat’s existence, as well as of it being inhabited by IDPs, we find an amazing coincidence in the police raid after a series of failed attacks by neo-Nazis.
At this time, when members of anarchist class movement are helping people who were forced to leave their homes due to warfare and threat posed by pro-russian combatants, as well as organizing lectures, self-education meetings, concerts and other events, neo-Nazis are spreading violence and hatred in their own city under the guise of love to Ukraine and to the “white race”. Meanwhile, the police acts to cover them up. Autonomous Workers’ Union calls upon all progressive forces of Ukrainian society to banish neo-nazis and police from the field of socially acceptable lest they banish us all.
Zero tolerance to Nazi scum!
Autonomous Workers’ UnionZF 24
Crearea unui ecosistem de mici businessuri îi ajută pe antreprenorii aflaţi la început de drum să se dezvolte şi să rămână în business.
Micii antreprenori din producţie, retail sau HoReCa încearcă să îşi dezvolte businessurile prin parteneriate cu alte afaceri de la zero, punându-se astfel la adăpost de influenţa corporaţiilor care vin la pachet într-un parteneriat şi cu o serie de costuri. Astfel, marile reţele de magazine cer diferite taxe – de raft, de marketing etc. -, în timp ce marii producători de sucuri sau bere merg în multe cazuri pe contracte de exclusivitate.
„La deschidere te curtează producătorii mari de cafea spre exemplu ca să îţi dea espressor şi cafea, însă noi i-am refuzat. Am ales să lucrăm cu o mică prăjitorie de cafea, Guido“, spune Răzvan Crişan (29 de ani), unul dintre acţionarii cafenelei M60. El împreună cu un partener francez au pus bazele cafenelei M60, deschisă acum circa o lună în zona Piaţa Amzei din Capitală în urma unei investiţii de 80.000 de euro.
De altfel, toţi furnizorii companiei sunt afaceri antreprenoriale de mici dimensiuni. Singurul furnizor de bere spre exemplu este Zagănul, o microberărie din zona Văleni de Munte. Pe alimente compania lucrează cu Băcănia Rod, cu cofetăria French Revolution, cu brutăria Brot şi cu firma de catering Frog. Şi pe segmentul băuturilor cafeneaua are o serie de mici producători drept furnizori.
La coada Europei
„Noi am creat M60 ca un ecosistem de antreprenori locali, fiecare specializat pe ceva. Fiind fiecare foarte pasionat de zona sa, suntem asiguraţi că vom avea mereu produsele potrivite“, adaugă Răzvan Crişan.
În economia locală există circa 470.000 de IMM-uri dintr-un total de 650.000 de companii. Totuşi, dintre cele peste 470.000 de IMM-uri din ţară aproximativ 200.000 au zero angajaţi. Cu alte cuvinte, acestea sunt o sursă de venit pentru o singură persoană, patronul sau consultantul de cele mai multe ori.
IMM-urile, aceste companii cu mai puţin de 250 de angajaţi şi cu o cifră de afaceri de sub 50 mil. euro ar trebui însă să fie pilonul creşterii unei economii care îşi bazează dezvoltarea pe iniţiativa antreprenorială. În fiecare program de guvernare afacerile mici şi mijlocii au fost puse pe lista de priorităţi. În realitate însă, dincolo de declaraţii, această clasă de business a fost mereu lăsată pe plan secund.
În România însă, multe dintre aceste întreprinderi se luptă să supravieţuiască, fiind prinse în corzi în lupta cu marii jucători. Micii producători încearcă să îşi facă loc pe rafturile marilor lanţuri, iar micile restaurante şi cafenele trebuie să facă faţă avalanşei de oferte exclusive venite din partea marilor producători. În acest context, România se luptă de mai bine de şase ani să treacă de pragul de 500.000 de IMM-uri. România este de altfel codaşă la numărul de IMM-uri la mia de locuitori, cu un „scor“ de doar 24 faţă de 40 în Polonia şi 88 în Cehia.
Împovăraţi de impozite, taxe şi schimbări legislative rapide, ce au loc de la o lună la alta, micii antreprenori au pus bazele unui sistem reciproc de sprijin, sistem care pune la rândul său bazele unei noi clase de business care se ridică în criză.Reading Deals Reading Deals 5 1 $10 1 1 1 1
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by 10% for every 15 min of treatment delay ( figure 4 ). We found the same results after exclusion of deaths from other causes (data not shown).
The red line shows the best fitted model for the association between the protective effect of tranexamic acid (odds ratio for not dying from bleeding) and duration of treatment delay in minutes (p slope <0·0001). The grey lines are the lower and upper bounds of the 95% CI for this model. Estimates are derived from a logistic regression model of not dying from bleeding explained by the interaction of getting tranexamic acid and treatment delay (linear and squared terms) and adjusted for trial, age (5-year intervals), and systolic blood pressure (10-mm Hg intervals). The white square shows the timepoint at which the model estimates a null effect of tranexamic acid (a treatment delay of 180 min). The black square shows the timepoint at which the lower 95% CI model estimates a null effect of tranexamic acid (a treatment delay of 135 min).
We obtained individual patient-level data for 40 138 participants: 20 127 from the CRASH-2 trial and 20 011 from the WOMAN trial ( table 1 ). The CRASH-2 trial participants were older than WOMAN trial participants. Of the 40 138 participants, 20 094 received tranexamic acid and 20 044 received placebo ( table 2 ). Of the 3558 deaths, 1408 (40%) were due to bleeding, of which 884 (63%) occurred within 12 h of bleeding onset ( appendix ). In the WOMAN trial, where data on time to death were available, deaths from bleeding peaked at 2–3 h after bleeding onset in untreated women ( figure 2 ). In the WOMAN trial, we excluded 109 (0·5%) patients with a treatment delay of more than 24 h (59 patients in the placebo group and 50 in the tranexamic acid group) on the basis of the WHO definition for primary post-partum haemorrhage.We found no heterogeneity in the treatment effect between trials (model 1: interaction p=0·7243, appendix ). Tranexamic acid significantly increased overall survival from bleeding (OR=1·20, 95% CI 1·08–1·33; p=0·001). We found similar results when we excluded from analysis the 2150 deaths from causes other than bleeding (data not shown).
Studies identified in our search are shown in figure 1. We found three completedand nine ongoing trials,(for three ongoing trials no published data were available [EUCTR2015-002661-36-GB, NCT01060176, and NCT02936661 ]; appendix ). All completed trials used tranexamic acid. The CRASH-2 trialassessed the effects of tranexamic acid on death and vascular occlusive events in 20 211 bleeding trauma patients. The WOMAN trialassessed the effects of tranexamic acid on death, hysterectomy, and other morbidities in 20 060 women with post-partum haemorrhage. The ATACAS trialassessed the effects of tranexamic acid on death and thrombotic events in 4662 patients undergoing coronary artery surgery. Because all patients in the ATACAS trial were treated 30 min after induction of anaesthesia, we could not explore the effect of treatment delay in this trial. The included trials had low risk of bias for all domains ( appendix ).
Discussion
The principal findings of our individual patient-level data meta-analysis are that most deaths from bleeding occur on the day of onset and many occur within the first few hours. Deaths from post-partum haemorrhage peak at 2–3 h after childbirth. Tranexamic acid improves survival but treatment delay reduces the benefit. Every 15 min of treatment delay appears to decrease the benefit by about 10%, with no benefit after 3 h. We found no increase in vascular occlusive events with tranexamic acid.
29 Tierney JF
Vale C
Riley R
et al. Individual participant data (IPD) meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials: guidance on their use. 30 Sauaia A
Moore FA
Moore EE
et al. Epidemiology of trauma deaths: a reassessment. 11 CRASH-2 Collaborators Effects of tranexamic acid on death, vascular occlusive events, and blood transfusion in trauma patients with significant haemorrhage (CRASH-2): a randomised, placebo-controlled trial., 12 WOMAN Trial Collaborators Effect of early tranexamic acid administration on mortality, hysterectomy, and other morbidities in women with post-partum haemorrhage (WOMAN): an international, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Our study has various strengths and limitations. First, to reduce selection bias we excluded trials with fewer than 1000 patients. Small trials are underpowered to assess effects on death and there is an increased risk of selective reporting.Second, time of death was only available for post-partum haemorrhage. However, the distribution of deaths by days since bleeding onset was similar in traumatic and post-partum bleeding, and studies show that deaths from traumatic bleeding also peak in the first few hours after injury.Third, we assessed the effect of treatment delay on treatment effectiveness by use of logistic regression models with second-order polynomials to take into account the non-linearity of treatment effect. Because an on–off step function in treatment effectiveness is biologically implausible and highly unlikely, we used treatment delay as a continuous variable. To explore the interaction between treatment effect and time, we used all observations of patients treated within 24 h from bleeding onset and not only within 3 h. Although we found no statistical heterogeneity in the interaction between treatment delay and the effect of tranexamic acid between trials, whether the physiology of bleeding varies by cause is open to question. Treatment delay might be under-estimated in trauma, since many injuries are unwitnessed, and it might have been over-estimated in post-partum haemorrhage because time of birth was taken as the time of onset. Because of these uncertainties, we did sensitivity analyses with a range of plausible errors. Results of these analyses support the conclusion that prompt treatment is essential. Fourth, deaths due to bleeding and deaths from vascular occlusive events could have been misclassified.Some deaths attributed to bleeding might have been due to thrombotic disseminated intravascular coagulation, especially those occurring several hours after onset. Although results adjusted for age and systolic blood pressure were similar, we cannot exclude the possibility that other unmeasured factors might have influenced the results. The large sample size—more than 40 000 patients with acute severe bleeding—provided a precise assessment of the effect of treatment delay with statistically significant results. All analyses were done on an intention-to-treat basis and missing data were negligible.
30 Sauaia A
Moore FA
Moore EE
et al. Epidemiology of trauma deaths: a reassessment. 31 Curry N
Rourke C
Davenport R
Stanworth S
Brohi K Fibrinogen replacement in trauma haemorrhage., 32 Gayat E
Resche-Rigon M
Morel O
et al. Predictive factors of advanced interventional procedures in a multicentre severe postpartum haemorrhage study. Our findings indicate that even a short treatment delay reduces the survival benefit from tranexamic acid. With the exception of the first hour, we found a clear trend of decreasing effectiveness with increasing treatment delay. The apparently lower treatment effect within the first hour might be due to random variability or limitations in timing the onset of bleeding ( appendix ). Alternatively, a larger proportion of patients treated within an hour of bleeding onset might have unsurvivable haemorrhage.Trauma patients treated within an hour of injury were more likely to have penetrating injuries than those treated later ( appendix ). With regard to the decrease in treatment effectiveness with increasing delay, several hypotheses can be proposed. First, we should expect some time lag between administration of tranexamic acid and its effect on mortality. It is unlikely that deaths occurring very soon after tranexamic acid administration could have been prevented by tranexamic acid. However, their inclusion in the trial will bias (dilute) the treatment effect towards the null. Given the temporal distribution of deaths from bleeding shown in figure 2, the extent of this null bias would increase with increasing treatment delay. Second, the ability to form a clot depends on fibrinogen concentrations. In patients with trauma and post-partum haemorrhage, low serum fibrinogen is predictive of life threatening bleeding.Fibrinogen falls rapidly in severe bleeding because of its consumption during clot formation. However, fibrinolysis and fibrinogenolysis would increase the consumption of fibrinogen. Early tranexamic acid treatment should protect fibrinogen stores and maintain the ability to form a stable fibrin clot. Indeed, we should consider tranexamic acid as an intervention to prevent rather than treat coagulopathy. Further research into the mechanism of action of tranexamic acid in acute severe bleeding should improve our understanding of the observed time to treatment interaction.
These findings have various implications for clinical care. Bleeding patients should receive antifibrinolytics as soon as possible for three reasons. First, most deaths from haemorrhage occur within hours of bleeding onset. By reducing bleeding, tranexamic acid has the potential to prevent the hypoxia and acidosis that accompanies severe bleeding, but it must be given before tissue damage is irreversible. Second, the benefit of tranexamic acid treatment appears to decrease with increasing treatment delay. Third, we found no evidence of adverse effects associated with tranexamic acid treatment, so it can be given safely as soon as bleeding is suspected. Given the importance of early treatment, time from bleeding onset to treatment should be audited with feedback provided to health-care professionals. National or regional quality improvement initiatives, with best practice benchmarking of time to treatment, might improve survival.
We found nine ongoing trials of antifibrinolytics in acute severe bleeding. Two of these will provide additional data on the effect of treatment delay in severe extracranial bleeding. Because the data from these two trials will increase the number of participants by only 5%, it is unlikely that they will have a material effect on our conclusions. Nonetheless, ongoing trials should deepen our understanding of the safety and effectiveness of antifibrinolytics in traumatic and spontaneous intracranial bleeding, which are major causes of death and disability worldwide. Our review protocol also proposed an analysis of the extent to which the balance of benefits and harms of antifibrinolytic treatment vary with baseline risk. These results will be reported in a future publication.Kellyanne Cownay appears on Fox News (screen grab)
Presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway on Wednesday lashed out at Hillary Clinton for allegedly being a hypocrite on violence against women.
During an interview on Fox News, host Bill Hemmer asked Conway to respond to the fact that it took Clinton several days to denounce Harvey Weinstein’s treatment of women. Hemmer, however, did not point out that Conway’s boss, President Donald Trump, has also been accused of sexually abusing women.
“I felt like a woman who ran to be commander-in-chief, president of the United States, the first one ever, who talks about women’s empowerment, took an awfully long time to give support to those women who were coming forward,” Conway said. “And has still — as far as we know — kept the money, kept the dirty money that dirty Harvey has given her in her campaign.”
“She needs to not be a hypocrite on women’s empowerment,” she added. “And what it means to be pro-woman. She spent one solid month at this time last year talking about [the Access Hollywood audio tape in which Trump admits groping women] from 11 years earlier, where a statement was made by the now-president of the United States, who was victorious!”
President Donald Trump has acknowledged the news that Weinstein sexually assaulted women, but he has yet to condemn the mogul’s actions or offer support to the women who were victimized.
“I’ve known Harvey Weinstein for a long time,” the president was quoted as saying. “I’m not all surprised to see it.”
Watch the video below from Fox News.Steven Landsburg is an economics professor at the University of Rochester. Formerly a Slate columnist, Landsburg is well-versed in the art of the high-minded counterintuitive take, like "Don't Vote: It makes more sense to play the lottery" and "Do the Poor Deserve Life Support?" With this as his background, Landsburg's students have come to expect a bit of intellectual boldness from the instructor, whom they once elected Professor of the Year, as Landsburg's own website is quick to note. But last week, one of Landsburg's thought experiments crossed the border that separates irreverent from rapey, and at least two students were offended in the process.
Within the past week, two different University of Rochester students have tipped us off to a post on Landsburg's personal blog. Dated March 20 and titled "Censorship, Environmentalism and Steubenville," the post attempts to compare and contrast potential "psychic harms" associated with pornography, environmentalism, and being raped while you are passed out. If one of those things, prima facie, doesn't sound like the others to you, well, Landsburg would like to understand "what is the key difference among them?"
You can and should read the whole post, pasted below, but the gist is this: After describing a scenario in which a character named "Farnsworth McCrankypants" is mentally traumatized by knowing other people watch porn ("Question 1"), and another in which "Granola McMustardseed" is distressed by the idea of wilderness desecration ("Question 2"), Landsburg poses "Question 3," which references the recently closed Steubenville rape case:
Let's suppose that you, or I, or someone we love, or someone we care about from afar, is raped while unconscious in a way that causes no direct physical harm—no injury, no pregnancy, no disease transmission. (Note: The Steubenville rape victim, according to all the accounts I've read, was not even aware that she'd been sexually assaulted until she learned about it from the Internet some days later.) Despite the lack of physical damage, we are shocked, appalled and horrified at the thought of being treated in this way, and suffer deep trauma as a result. Ought the law discourage such acts of rape? Should they be illegal?
Later he writes (emphasis ours throughout):
I'm having trouble articulating any good reason why Question 3 is substantially different from Questions 1 and 2. As long as I'm safely unconsious and therefore shielded from the costs of an assault, why shouldn't the rest of the world (or more specifically my attackers) be allowed to reap the benefits? And if the thought of those benefits makes me shudder, why should my shuddering be accorded any more public policy weight than Bob's or Granola's? We're still talking about strictly psychic harm, right?
And also:
It is, I think, a red herring to say that there's something peculiarly sacred about the boundaries of our bodies. Every time someone on my street turns on a porch light, trillions of photons penetrate my body. They cause me no physical harm and therefore the law does nothing to restrain them. Even if those trillions of tiny penetrations caused me deep psychic distress, the law would continue to ignore them, and I think there's a case for that (it's the same as the case for ignoring Bob McCrankypants's porn aversion). So for the issues we're discussing here, bodily penetration does not seem to be in some sort of special protected category.
To be fair, Landsburg does admit that it's "plausible" a person raped while unconscious might suffer from a different magnitude of psychic trauma than someone concerned about the environment, but he then wonders: "[W]ould you be willing to legalize the rape of the unconscious in cases where the perpetrators take precautions to ensure the victim never learns about it?"
One of our tipsters, a woman who says she is not in any of Landsburg's courses, wrote us in a brief email:
[W]hat about the implications of this on campus? The Department of Justice research supports that as many as one in four women will be sexually assaulted in her college career. With these statistics it's likely that there are sexual assault victims/rape survivors in Landsburg classes.... A university is supposed to be a safe learning environment. How can student's feel safe if they know their professor thinks their potential rape is justified as long as they are unconscious?
A request for comment to Landsburg has thus far gone unanswered.
The last time Landsburg made headlines, it was for saying in another of his blog posts that Sandra Fluke should be "ridiculed, mocked, and jeered" for wanting contraception to be covered by health insurance. He also suggested she might be deemed a whore:
[Rush Limbaugh] wants to brand Ms. Fluke a "slut" because, he says, she's demanding to be paid for sex. There are two things wrong here. First, the word "slut" connotes (to me at least) precisely the sort of joyous enthusiasm that would render payment superfluous. A far better word might have been "prostitute" (or a five-letter synonym therefor)...
Update: University of Rochester spokesperson Bill Murphy reached out with this statement:
At the University of Rochester, we honor our Communal Principles: fairness, freedom, honesty, inclusion, respect, and responsibility. We are committed to academic freedom and free speech. Professor Landsburg is entitled to his opinions and his independent publishing of them. His opinions do not represent the views of the University—we work hard to promote a culture of mutual respect and to combat sexual violence.
[Image via Wikimedia Commons]Our sister publication Variety is reporting that Jamie Dornan will be the choice to replace Charlie Hunnam as Christian Grey in Fifty Shades Of Grey. Though he and three other young actors tested opposite Dakota Johnson, word going back to last week was the Once Upon A Time alum was going to get the opportunity to go Full Fassbender in the racy Focus Features tale. Hunnam, after pressing Universal to bring in Patrick Marber to do some rewriting on the Kelly Marcel-scripted adaptation of the EL James novel, seemed to have one of those what-the-hell-was-I-thinking moments before he bailed abruptly on the role. While the production tried for True Blood‘s Alexander Skarsgard, this is probably a role best served with actors who have less to lose by baring all and doing scenes that might cause more experienced actors to turn Fifty Shades Of Red. There are genuine character moments for Christian and Anastasia that balance the sex, and they don’t need to be big stars because the book has sold so many copies around the world that it is the brand. The architects of the movie, from producers Mike De Luca and Dana Brunetti, to director Sam Taylor-Johnson and screenwriter Marcel (her Saving Mr. Banks got overwhelming reaction and jumped to the front of the Oscar line), it certainly seems like these young actors are in good hands as they take a plunge that will last three and more likely four films. Dornan’s repped by UTA.On Monday morning, a Russian missile struck the Syrian Arab Army’s (SAA) positions in the Palmyra countryside, killing 17 soldiers and wounding 26 others during a fierce battle with the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS).
According to a battlefield correspondent that is embedded with the Syrian Armed Forces in the Palmyra countryside, the Russian missile hit a group of soldiers from the Syrian Marines, killing the entire unit and their commander ‘Ali Rahmoun.
The friendly-fire took place near the Palmyra Triangle, where the Syrian Armed Forces are currently advancing amid fierce resistance from the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham.
The incident was not intentional; however, poor coordination was cited as the reason for the friendly-fire that killed 17 Syrian Marines.
Several western publications reported that ISIS killed 26 Syrian soldiers in Palmyra today; this is incorrect – the majority of the casualties today came as a result of friendly-fire.
The Syrian and Russian armed forces have yet to comment on this matter because of the ongoing investigation.
AdvertisementsThe vandalism of 22 toll booths across Maharashtra on Monday might not be a one-off case of angst against paid highway service, say experts. The protests might become national, as there could be widespread public anger against the quality of services.
“While there is always the worry of investors going away and the infrastructure sector going through tough times, these events also brought to the fore the fact that there is anger amongst the public that after paying toll, adequate services are not being provided by the concessionaire,” said Vishwas Udgirkar, senior director at Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu.
Udgirkar said it was a larger government issue as there was no monitoring authority on the service quality. “The public does not know whom to complain to if they are unhappy with the service,” he said. Some of the services that go with toll roads include good quality roads, lightening, roadside amenities, proper signages, cranes and ambulances.
In the past few days, the leader of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena or MNS, had openly called for the public to stop paying toll in the state. This had led to protests where some of the collection booths were attacked. Three companies—Ashoka Buildcon, IRB Infrastructure and MEP Tollways were impacted. However, none of them refused to speak on record.
“Today, there were protests for a few hours and there was disruption. But, we started operations after that. So, we do not see any long-term effect. We have approached the government and we will let the state decide, because we are working on behalf of them,” said an executive of an infrastructure firm, on the condition of anonymity.
Experts, however, said there was a chance that such protests could spread across the country as sporadic incidents have already been happening. “There were protests in Tamil Nadu when tolling started. There have been some incidents in Delhi as well. A lot of highway projects are going into operation now,” said Udgirkar.
Industry body All India Motor Transport Congress too believes that high costs are involved for the movement of goods within the company. “It is questionable as to why the government does not heed to our request for Toll Permit when the road transport sector is ready to pay toll. Isn’t it just to benefit the road builder lobby, the politicians and influential people behind it?,” said Bal Malkit Singh, president of the association.The Houston Dynamo face one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference this Saturday night at BBVA Compass Stadium as they host the New York Red Bulls (7:30 p.m. CT; TICKETS). New York is tied for the conference lead with seven points from their first four games.
The Red Bulls are led by English striker Bradley Wright-Phillips, who signed a new contract to make him a designated player earlier this week. Wright-Phillips has found his niche in MLS: amazingly he has scored 68 goals in just 3 seasons from 2014-2016. Some strikers don't get those numbers over 10 seasons. It is remarkable.
The qualities he possesses as a striker are numerous and he can hurt you in a variety of ways. He has the pace to get behind defenses between defenders, he can come back to the ball and be a part of the build-up which puts defenders in two minds. He has the innate ability to know where the ball will ultimately be off crosses and can make space to create his own shot.
He's helped in the attack with U.S. international midfielder Sacha Kljestan, who amassed 20 assists in 2016. Without Kljestan last weekend against RSL, the team really did not find rhythm and focal point to play through as they settled for a scoreless draw at home. He dictates the rhythm for the Red Bulls that is for sure and few American players are given the confidence to have this role in MLS teams. With him you get great decision-making on the ball and leadership. Jesse Marsch, the Red Bulls manager, has entrusted him as their playmaker.
Saturday should be a fast-paced, entertaining match as both teams like to press and pressure their opponents. Expect goals, chances, counter attacks and two teams trying to prove that their pressing system is better than the others. Both managers will say it is a work in progress at this point as it should be; I can't wait to see this five-star entertainment and the Dynamo depth having to prove itself out.
This game has the potential to have four or more goals if both teams do press as we expect. The Red Bulls take pride on saying they play the same way on the road as they do at home, and we've seen the quality of the Dynamo in the first month of the season.BRUSSELS — The former bishop at the center of a child sexual abuse scandal in Belgium announced Saturday that he would leave the Trappist monastery where he had been living and go into hiding to contemplate his future.
The former bishop of Bruges, Roger Vangheluwe, resigned in April after admitting he abused a boy, later revealed to be his nephew. The publicity surrounding the case prompted more than 200 people to come forward in a matter of days with accounts of abuse by priests, with cases stretching back several decades.
In a statement released Saturday, Mr. Vangheluwe again admitted guilt and asked for forgiveness.
“My remorse has increased now that I see how much evil happened, partly because of me,” he said in the statement, posted on the Web site of the Roman Catholic Church in Flanders. He said he would reflect on his future “somewhere hidden, outside the diocese of Bruges.”
There have been no legal charges against the former bishop because the abuse took place more than 10 years ago and is beyond the statute of limitations.
Since his resignation Mr. Vangheluwe has been living in the Abbey of St. Sixtus in Westvleteren.0 Scorching temps to linger for coming days
ATLANTA -
Channel 2 meteorologist David Chandley expects Sunday's temperature to top out at 103 before slipping to 99 Monday.
He expects Tuesday and Wednesday to return closer to normal, with highs around 94 and a 30 percent chance of some relief from afternoon thunderstorms.
The forecast comes after a record-high temperature of 106 degrees was set in Atlanta on Saturday afternoon.
Atlanta's 106-degree temperature broke the capital city's all-time-high temperature set in 1980, an official report said. The old daily record of 98 degrees was set on June 30 in 1936.
Anticipation of metro Atlanta's heat wave on Saturday prompted local facilities to take measures to keep seniors and some of the area's most vulnerable residents and workers safe.
Local seniors like John Childers at the Dorothy Benson Center in Sandy Springs are heeding to the advisory by trying to keep cool.
"When you get to a certain age, the heat gets to you," Childers told Channel 2's Sophia Choi. "I think it might be dangerous for people in my age range."
http://bcove.me/xornpfqj
There were no heat-related deaths reported by late afternoon Saturday, although a number of metro hospitals reported seeing patients with symptoms of heat exhaustion, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Northside Hospital-Cherokee said they treated a half dozen people, while Atlanta Medical Center treated two.
At Piedmont Hospital, the medical director, Dr. Jeffrey Oyler, said there have been cases of dehydration but not an unusual amount.
"Now that the real heat is kicking in, it's so oppressively hot a lot of people are staying in, which is good," Oyler said.
Fulton County has opened 18 of its senior and multipurpose centers for people who can't find a cool place to be during the early summer scorcher.
"If you aren't in a safe place, please come to one of our cooling centers," Sarah Hilton of the Fulton County Office of Aging said.
But it's not just seniors who need to take extra precautions in the triple-digit heat. Firefighters need relief, too, safety officials said.
"It's extremely worrisome to the administration, because that gear protects from the fire, but it also keeps all that body heat in," Gwinnett County Fire Department Lt. Eric Eberly said of the heavy uniforms.
In the coming days, when firefighters move to a scene, a separate vehicle stocked with fluids and air conditioning will follow.
The City of Atlanta is also offering cooling facilities to help residents to beat the heat. City of Atlanta officials also noted that seven of its public swimming pools will offer free admission. Those locations are at Adams, Anderson, Dunbar, Grant, Pittman, Powell and Thomasville parks and recreation centers.
The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory through Sunday at 8 p.m. for all of metro Atlanta, excluding the north Georgia mountains.
Check back for updates at WSBTV.com and watch live reports at Channel 2 Action News.
Follow Channel 2 meteorologist David Chandley on Twitter @davidchandleyAs we shared a few weeks ago, our Walt Disney Imagineers are busy putting the finishing touches on Princess Fairytale Hall in Magic Kingdom Park. This exquisitely detailed Disney Princess character greeting location is the next to debut as a part of the New Fantasyland expansion – and we’re happy to share today that the Hall will officially open its doors on September 18.
Our friends at Walt Disney Imagineering just shared a new sneak peek video with us in honor of today’s announcement. In it, Imagineers Pam Rawlins and Jason Grandt explain just how detailed this new character greeting area will be. In addition to a castle-like entrance, high ceilings and elegant wood-paneled rooms, the space will feature beautiful princess portraits, themed wallpaper, glittering stained glass windows and accessories that have been inspired by props seen in films like “Cinderella” and “Tangled.”
As a reminder, Princess Fairytale Hall will offer two separate character greeting experiences, which means there are two queues to choose from. You can choose to meet either Cinderella or Rapunzel, each of whom will be joined by one fellow Disney princess.
And yes, Princess Fairytale Hall will offer both traditional Disney FASTPASS and the new Disney FastPass+ options.
Join the conversation online with the hash tag #NewFantasyland on Twitter.
Take a look at the Disney Parks Blog posts below for more on Princess Fairytale Hall:WASHINGTON — Potential budget cuts aimed at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency could pull millions of dollars for drinking water and wastewater initiatives from Alaska, slowing the progress of potable water in villages, and limiting efforts to adjust to climate changes.
Last week the White House sent top-line budget proposals to federal agencies as a starting point for developing President Donald Trump's first federal budget proposal. Trump wants to bolster U.S. military spending by $54 billion, and eliminate that same amount from other agencies.
But ultimately, any cuts will have to make it past Congress.
The EPA's fiscal year 2017 budget is $8.6 billion, supporting roughly 15,000 employees. But only a small portion of that funding goes to staff — much of it goes directly to states, tribes and territories through the clean water and drinking water state revolving loan funds, and a variety of grants.
In Alaska, that amounted to just more than $78 million in fiscal year 2016. It's a drop in the national spending bucket, but supports major infrastructure and research projects in the state.
If the administration's "proposal goes forward without change, this would significantly impact environmental programs in Alaska," said Candice Bressler, spokesperson for the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation.
EPA is the 12th-ranked federal agency for spending in Alaska, according to USAspending.gov. The top spender, the Department of Health and Human Services, spent $2.2 billion in Alaska in fiscal year 2016. The top 11 federal departments — including the Social Security Administration and Interior and Veterans Affairs departments — spent more than $7.6 billion in Alaska that fiscal year.
Despite its lower budget, the EPA has delivered a lot of money to Alaska. Over the last 10 years, the state and tribal assistance grant program has sent more than $175 million to the state for a variety of projects.
Right now DEC has $18.2 million in active operating grants from the EPA, according to Bressler. EPA funding represents about 18 percent of DEC's projected spending for the 2017 fiscal year, and about 62 percent of the agency's total operating federal revenue.
"Outside of the operating budget, Village Safe Water currently has $37.6 million in EPA grants, and the Alaska Clean Water and Drinking Water Loan Funds currently have $28.1 million in fund capitalization grants," Bressler said.
DEC hasn't heard anything from the White House about the EPA budget proposal yet, Bressler said, other than news reports about the ongoing deliberative process.
Right now, White House officials are negotiating with federal agencies on how and where the Trump administration should cut spending in its proposed federal budget.
The Trump administration is considering dropping EPA's annual budget to $6.1 billion, from $8.2 billion.
In reality, the administration's budget proposal is only a suggestion to Congress, which, per the U.S. Constitution, holds the purse strings. Any budget deal to bolster defense spending will have to involve wooing Democrats and reaching a 60-vote filibuster threshold in the Senate, where Republicans hold a 52-seat majority.
Determining just how a 20 percent cut to the EPA budget might apply to Alaska is a difficult charge. Spokespeople for DEC and the EPA regional office that oversees Alaska couldn't point to a line-item budget to show exactly what could be cut for the state.
One part of the cuts to which Congress has seemed most amenable is trimming EPA's overall staff. The agency currently has 15,000 employees, down from 17,000 in fiscal year 2012. Reports suggest the Trump administration may want to see one-fifth of them gone — dropping the staff level to 12,400 employees nationwide.
There are roughly 35 EPA employees in the state — mainly scientists, permit reviewers, cleanup specialists and enforcement staffers.
Other programs on the chopping block include EPA's Office of Research and Development, which could lose 40 percent of its budget, a $50 million grant program for scientists at universities, and a variety of programs, such as those aimed at improving air quality.
Reports say state grants could be cut by 30 percent — trimming millions of dollars from Alaska spending.
And the administration could propose eliminating entire programs — cutting climate change programs and zeroing out $20 million in funding for Alaska Native villages.
That likely means the Alaska Native Villages Water Program, which assists villages with the costly installation and upkeep of drinking water and wastewater systems, moving them away from the honeybuckets still used in many Alaska communities.
Programs that could be significantly scaled back or altogether cut manage things like "village safe water, wastewater infrastructure, rural sanitation, brownfields, air, water, pesticides, drinking water, remote maintenance workers," and coastal grants, Bressler said. "Many of the communities that would be most affected by the cuts are in rural Alaska with a high proportion of Native Alaska citizens."
But that seems an unlikely result, given the reality of the budget process in Congress. Whatever funding EPA gets has to go past the chair of the appropriations committee that oversees EPA: Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski.
Last year, Murkowski got $20 million for the Alaska village water program included in the budget.
Murkowski's spokesperson Karina Petersen said Murkowski has, for years, "worked aggressively to reduce EPA's budget already."
"There is no question that there is room to make cuts to portions of the EPA's budget," Petersen said. But she noted: "Cutting the EPA budget by a further 20 percent might prove to be more difficult than it sounds once you begin to dissect what funding will be reduced."
"In Alaska we've been hit hard by overreaching, burdensome EPA regulations, but we also know there are programs within EPA that have benefited our state, such as the Alaska Native Villages Water Program and the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds," Petersen said.
Murkowski will look closely at the Trump budget, Petersen said, and find where cuts can be made.Starting very soon the comic will start needing background characters/ fill. I have set up a patreon pledge that will allow you to either receive a commission or BG character. I will link your DevArt or other website for your OC in the comic description as well.
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DarkOath©
Tabbyderp
Vesper is seen playing a pretend game with a clueless squirrel, and much to her excitement, Faeron and Elawen are back, with her attention specifically focused on Ela for some reason.Hello Humans! I'm glad to finally post the next page. I went through a bit of development to improve characters and environment. Like I said, this is a constantly evolving comic, with each page homing in on the final product. But anyway, say hello to Vesper! She is named after my newborn niece, who I adore dearly, so I made a slight last minute change to her name (originally Alya). She'll serve a unique purpose in the pages to come.Thanks to SoggerG (yoskater13) for editing supportA new study by researchers from MIT and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich shows that the most extreme rain events in most regions of the world will increase in intensity by 3 to 15 percent, depending on region, for every degree Celsius that the planet warms.
If global average temperatures rise by 4 degrees Celsius over the next hundred years, as many climate models predict given relatively high CO2 emissions, much of North America and Europe would experience increases in the intensity of extreme rainfall of roughly 25 percent. Some places such as parts of the Asian monsoon region would experience greater increases, while there will be smaller increases in the Mediterranean, South Africa and Australia.
There are a few regions that are projected to experience a decrease in extreme rainfall as the world warms, mostly located over subtropical oceans that lie just outside the tropical, equatorial belt.
The study, published today in Nature Climate Change, finds that the varied changes in extreme precipitation from region to region can be explained by different changes in the strength of local wind patterns: As a region warms due to human-induced emissions of carbon dioxide, winds loft that warm, moisture-laden air up through the atmosphere, where it condenses and rains back down to the surface. But changes in strength of the local winds also influence the intensity of a region’s most extreme rainstorms.
Paul O’Gorman, a co-author on the paper and associate professor of atmospheric science in MIT’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, says being able to predict the severity of the strongest rain events, on |
1 Negative absolute temperature in optical lattices. (A) Sketch of entropy as a function of energy in a canonical ensemble possessing both lower (E min ) and upper (E max ) energy bounds. (Insets) Sample occupation distributions of single-particle states for positive, infinite, and negative temperature, assuming a weakly interacting ensemble. (B) Energy bounds of the three terms of the 2D Bose-Hubbard Hamiltonian: kinetic (E kin ), interaction (E int ), and potential (E pot ) energy. (C) Measured momentum distributions (TOF images) for positive (left) and negative (right) temperature states. Both images are averages of about 20 shots; both optical densities (OD) are individually scaled. The contour plots below show the tight-binding dispersion relation; momenta with large occupation are highlighted. The white square in the center indicates the first Brillouin zone.
Because negative temperature systems can absorb entropy while releasing energy, they give rise to several counterintuitive effects, such as Carnot engines with an efficiency greater than unity (4). Through a stability analysis for thermodynamic equilibrium, we showed that negative temperature states of motional degrees of freedom necessarily possess negative pressure (9) and are thus of fundamental interest to the description of dark energy in cosmology, where negative pressure is required to account for the accelerating expansion of the universe (10).
Cold atoms in optical lattices are an ideal system to create negative temperature states because of the isolation from the environment and independent control of all relevant parameters (11). Bosonic atoms in the lowest band of a sufficiently deep optical lattice are described by the Bose-Hubbard Hamiltonian (12) H = − J ∑ 〈 i, j 〉 b ^ i † b ^ j + U 2 ∑ i n ^ i ( n ^ i − 1 ) + V ∑ i r i 2 n ^ i (2)Here, J is the tunneling matrix element between neighboring lattice sites 〈i,j〉, and b ^ i and b ^ i † are the annihilation and creation operator, respectively, for a boson on site i, U is the on-site interaction energy, n ^ i = b ^ i † b ^ i is the local number operator, and V ∝ ω2 describes the external harmonic confinement, with r i denoting the position of site i with respect to the trap center and ω the trap frequency.
In Fig. 1B, we show how lower and upper bounds can be realized for the three terms in the Hubbard Hamiltonian. The restriction to a single band naturally provides lower and upper bounds for the kinetic energy E kin, but the interaction term E int presents a challenge: Because in principle all bosons could occupy the same lattice site, the interaction energy can diverge in the thermodynamic limit. For repulsive interactions (U > 0), the interaction energy is only bounded from below but not from above, thereby limiting the system to positive temperatures; in contrast, for attractive interactions (U < 0), only an upper bound for the interaction energy is established, rendering positive temperature ensembles unstable. The situation is different for the Fermi-Hubbard model, where the Pauli principle enforces an upper limit on the interaction energy per atom of U/2 and thereby allows negative temperatures even in the repulsive case (13, 14). Similarly, a trapping potential V > 0 only provides a lower bound for the potential energy E pot, whereas an anti-trapping potential V < 0 creates an upper bound. Therefore, stable negative temperature states with bosons can exist only for attractive interactions and an anti-trapping potential.
To bridge the transition between positive and negative temperatures, we used the n = 1 Mott insulator (15) close to the atomic limit (|U|/J → ∞), which can be approximated by a product of Fock states | Ψ 〉 = ∏ i b ^ i † | 0 〉. Because this state is a many-body eigenstate in both the repulsive and the attractive case, it allows us to switch between these regimes, ideally without producing entropy. The employed sequence (Fig. 2A) is based on a proposal by Rapp et al. (4), building on previous ideas by Mosk (3). It essentially consists of loading a repulsively interacting Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) into the deep Mott insulating regime (I in Fig. 2A), switching U and V to negative values (II), and finally melting the Mott insulator again by reducing |U|/J (III). For comparison, we also created a final positive temperature state with an analog sequence.
Fig. 2 Experimental sequence and TOF images. (A) Top to bottom: lattice depth, horizontal trap frequency, and scattering length as a function of time. Blue indicates the sequence for positive, red for negative temperature of the final state. (B) TOF images of the atomic cloud at various times t in the sequence. Blue borders indicate positive, red negative temperatures. The initial picture in a shallow lattice at t = 6.8 ms is taken once for a scattering length of a = 309(5) a 0 (top) as in the sequence, and once for a = 33(1) a 0 (bottom; OD rescaled by a factor of 0.25), comparable to the final images. All images are averages of about 20 individual shots. See also Fig. 1C.
The experiment started with a BEC of 1.1(2) × 105 39K atoms in a pure dipole trap with horizontal trap frequency ω dip (V > 0) at positive temperature (T > 0) and a scattering length of a = 309(5) a 0, with a 0 the Bohr radius. We ramped up a three-dimensional (3D) optical lattice (I) with simple cubic symmetry to a depth of V lat = 22(1) E r. Here, E r = h 2 / ( 2 m λ lat 2 ) is the recoil energy with Planck’s constant h, the atomic mass m, and the lattice wavelength λ lat = 736.65 nm. The blue-detuned optical lattice provides an overall anti-trapping potential with a formally imaginary horizontal trap frequency ω lat that reduces the confinement of the dipole trap, giving an effective horizontal trap frequency ω hor = ( ω dip 2 + ω lat 2 ) 1 / 2. Once the atoms are in the deep Mott insulating regime where tunneling can essentially be neglected [tunneling time τ = h/(2πJ) = 10(2) ms], we set the desired attractive (repulsive) interactions (II) to prepare a final negative (positive) temperature state using a Feshbach resonance (16). Simultaneously, we decreased the horizontal confinement to an overall anti-trapping (trapping) potential by reducing ω dip. Subsequently, we lowered the horizontal lattice depths (III), yielding a final value of U/J = −2.1(1) [U/J = + 1.9(1)], and probed the resulting momentum distribution by absorption imaging after 7 ms time-of-flight (TOF). The whole sequence was experimentally optimized to maximize the visibility of the final negative temperature state. We chose a 2D geometry for the final state to enable strong anti-trapping potentials and to avoid detrimental effects due to gravity (9).
In Fig. 2B, we show TOF images of the cloud for various times t in the sequence, indicated in Fig. 2A. During the initial lattice ramp [at V lat = 6.1(1)E r ], interference peaks of the superfluid in the lattice can be observed (t = 6.8 ms) (Fig. 2B, top). Because quantum depletion caused by the strong repulsive interactions already reduces the visibility of the interference peaks in this image (17), we also show the initial superfluid for identical lattice and dipole ramps, but at a scattering length of a = 33(1) a 0 (t = 6.8 ms) (Fig. 2B, bottom). The interference peaks are lost as the Mott insulating regime is entered (t = 25 ms). In the deep lattice, only weak nearest-neighbor correlations are expected, resulting in similar images for both repulsive and attractive interactions (t = 28 ms). After reducing the horizontal lattice depths back into the superfluid regime, the coherence of the atomic sample emerges again. For positive temperatures, the final image at t = 30.5 ms is comparable, albeit somewhat heated, to the initial one at t = 6.8 ms, whereas for attractive interactions, sharp peaks show up in the corners of the first Brillouin zone, indicating macroscopic occupation of maximum kinetic energy. The spontaneous development of these sharp interference peaks is a striking signature of a stable negative temperature state for motional degrees of freedom. In principle, the system can enter the negative temperature regime following one of two routes: It either stays close to thermal equilibrium during the entire sequence or, alternatively, relaxes toward a thermal distribution during lattice ramp-down. Either way demonstrates the thermodynamic stability of this negative temperature state.
To examine the degree of thermalization in the final states, we used band-mapped (18) images and extracted the kinetic energy distribution, assuming a noninteracting lattice dispersion relation E kin (q x,q y ). The result is shown in Fig. 3, displaying very good agreement with a fitted Bose-Einstein distribution. The fitted temperatures of T = −2.2J/k B and T = 2.7J/k B for the two cases only represent upper bounds for the absolute values |T| of the average temperature because the fits neglect the inhomogeneous filling of the sample (9). Both temperatures are slightly larger than the critical temperature |T BKT | ≈ 1.8J/k B (19) for the superfluid transition in an infinite 2D system but lie below the condensation temperature |T C | = 3.4(2)J/k B of noninteracting bosons in a 2D harmonic trap for the given average density (9).
Fig. 3 Occupation distributions. The occupation of the kinetic energies within the first Brillouin zone is plotted for the final positive (blue) and negative (red) temperature states. Points show experimental data extracted from band-mapped pictures. Solid lines are fits to a noninteracting Bose-Einstein distribution assuming a homogeneous system. (Insets) Top row: Symmetrized positive (left) and negative (right) temperature images of the quasimomentum distribution in the horizontal plane. Bottom row: Fitted distributions for the two cases. All distributions are broadened by the in situ cloud size (9).
Ideally, entropy is produced during the sequence only in the superfluid/normal shell around the interim Mott insulator: While ramping to the deep lattice, the atoms in this shell localize to individual lattice sites and can subsequently be described as a |T| = ∞ system (14). Numerical calculations have shown that the total entropy produced in this process can be small (4), because most of the atoms are located in the Mott insulating core. We attribute the observed additional heating during the sequence to nonadiabaticities during lattice ramp-down and residual double occupancies in the interim Mott insulator.
In principle, the coherence length of the atomic sample can be extracted from the interference pattern recorded after a long TOF (20). However, the experiment was limited to finite TOF, where the momentum distribution is convolved with the initial spatial distribution. By comparing the measured TOF images with theoretically expected distributions, we were able to extract a coherence length in the final negative temperature state of three to five lattice constants (9).
To demonstrate the stability of the observed negative temperature state, Fig. 4 shows the visibility of the interference pattern as a function of hold time in the final lattice. The resulting lifetime of the coherence in the final negative temperature state crucially depends on the horizontal trap frequencies (inset): Lifetimes exceed τ = 600 ms for an optimally chosen anti-trapping potential, but an increasingly fast loss of coherence is visible for less anti-trapping geometries. In the case of trapping potentials, the ensemble can even return to metastable positive temperatures, giving rise to the small negative visibilities observed after longer hold times (fig. S4). The loss of coherence probably originates from a mismatch between the attractive mean field and the external potential, which acts as an effective potential and leads to fast dephasing between lattice sites.
Fig. 4 Stability of the positive (blue) and negative (red) temperature states. Main figure: Visibility V = (n b − n r )/(n b + n r ) extracted from the atom numbers in the black (n b ) and red (n r ) boxes (indicated in the TOF images) plotted versus hold time in the final state for various horizontal trap frequencies. Dark red, |ω hor |/2π = 43(1) Hz anti-trapping; medium red, 22(3) Hz anti-trapping; light red, 42(3) Hz trapping; blue, 45(3) Hz trapping. (Inset) Coherence lifetimes τ extracted from exponential fits (solid lines in main figure). The statistical error bars from the fits are smaller than the data points. The color scale of the images is identical to Fig. 2B (see also fig. S3).
The high stability of the negative temperature state for the optimally chosen anti-trapping potential indicates that the final chemical potential is matched throughout the sample such that no global redistribution of atoms is necessary. The remaining slow decay of coherence is not specific to the negative temperature state because we also observe comparable heating for the corresponding positive temperature case (blue data in Fig. 4), as well as the initial superfluid in the lattice. It probably originates from three-body losses and light-assisted collisions. In contrast to metastable excited states (21), this isolated negative temperature ensemble is intrinsically stable and cannot decay into states at lower kinetic energies. It represents a stable bosonic ensemble at attractive interactions for arbitrary atom numbers; the negative temperature stabilizes the system against mean-field collapse that is driven by the negative pressure.
Negative temperature states can be exploited to investigate the Mott insulator transition (22) as well as the renormalization of Hubbard parameters (23, 24) for attractive interactions. As the stability of the attractive gas relies on the bounded kinetic energy in the Hubbard model, it naturally allows a controlled study of the transition from stable to unstable by lowering the lattice depth, thereby connecting this regime with the study of collapsing BECs (25), which is also of interest for cosmology (26). Negative temperatures also considerably enhance the parameter space accessible for quantum simulations in optical lattices, because they enable the study of new many-body systems whenever the bands are not symmetric with respect to the inversion of kinetic energy. This is the case, for example, in triangular or Kagomé lattices, where in current implementations (27) the interesting flat band is the highest of three sub-bands. In fermionic systems, negative temperatures enable, for example, the study of the attractive three-component model with symmetric interactions [SU(3)] describing color superfluidity and trion (baryon) formation using repulsive 173Yb (28), where low losses and symmetric interactions are expected but magnetic Feshbach resonances are absent.Just a quick public service announcement:
Delta rpms (The much smaller files that contain just the changes from one package version to another) are currently not working for Fedora 26 (all other releases should be working fine).
They actually were not fully working before, but the problem wasn’t detected fully until a few weeks after the release. The issue is that we now push out a bunch of alternative arch builds in the same updates as before and we place those in another location on the master mirrors. This means that mash and bodhi (The things that make the updates repos/updates) need to know where to look for the older package rpms in order to make delta rpms against the new ones, but currently we just pass it one location for everything.
We hope to fix this soon, but if you don’t see delta rpms in F26 (yet) this is why.
EDITED: As of 2016-09-01 we have F26 delta rpms fixed. Everything should be back to normal. Thanks for your patience.Share This Story Tweet Share Share Pin Email
For the first time in a long time, John Gaudreau had a home-cooked meal in South Jersey Sunday night.
The Carneys Point native was looking forward to his grandmother's homemade cheese ravioli and staying in his old bedroom.
The sensational rookie for the Calgary Flames was given a pass by coach Bob Hartley to stay at home with his parents instead of at the team hotel.
"Definitely a little different from the last time I was home," said Gaudreau, who hasn't been in the area since last April when his Boston College Eagles were in the Frozen Four. "A lot of people are really happy for me. A lot of texts and calls. People are really, really happy I'm doing so well. It's good to see them all."
Since the last time he was back, when he won the Hobey Baker Award as the nation's best collegiate player and signed his pro contract, Gaudreau played in the Flames' season finale last year and scored a goal, made the roster this year out of training camp, was selected to the NHL All-Star Game and is a surefire finalist for the Calder Trophy as the league's best rookie.
"It was a pretty quick transition from being here in Philadelphia last year playing in the Frozen Four and then playing my first game and now being back here," said Gaudreau, who has 15 goals and 44 points in 61 games this season. "It's been a fun season so far. I've been fortunate."
Like most young hockey fans in the area, Gaudreau grew up a Flyers fan, idolizing John LeClair and Keith Primeau. He learned to skate from his father Guy. As the popular story goes, Guy would lay Skittles out on the ice and John would follow him and pick them up.
As the hockey director at Hollydell Ice Arena in Washington Twp., Guy was the guide up until when John was 17 and moved away from home, winning a Clark Cup with the Dubuque Fighting Saints in Iowa. He coached John growing up and even in high school, where Gloucester Catholic retired Gaudreau's No. 3 Monday.
"Here he is," Guy said. "He's gonna be playing against the Flyers. Who could figure that out?"
At 5-foot-9 and 150 pounds, Gaudreau was always told he was too small for hockey, but he's quickly becoming one of the most marketable faces in the NHL.
At 5-foot-9 and 150 pounds, Gaudreau was always told he was too small for hockey, but he’s quickly becoming one of the most marketable faces in the NHL.
(Photo: Provided)
"He's certainly making a name for himself," said John Colman, principal of Gloucester Catholic. "He's a perfect face for his team. He's a good-looking young guy, very humble, very polite. He comes from a great family. He's really marketable, I think. If he keeps being successful like this, he's gonna do pretty well."
When Gaudreau takes the ice for the Flames Tuesday night, he can't even count the amount of local friends and family there to see him play. Hollydell will close around 3 or 4 p.m., Guy estimates, because no one wants the ice. They all want to see Gaudreau.
Everyone from Hollydell general manager Jim McVey to Dennis Sullivan, the eighth bishop of Camden, will be in attendance.
The legend of 'Johnny Hockey'
Gaudreau's nameplate that travels with the Flames and gets posted above his locker everywhere on the road doesn't have his birthname.
It reads "Johnny Gaudreau." Thank Boston College for that.
Fans of the B.C. Eagles are the ones that deemed Gaudreau "Johnny Hockey" during his sophomore season, the nickname that followed him across the continent to Calgary.
"We don't even call him Johnny. We call him John," Guy said. "To us he's John here in South Jersey. Jim and everybody here we call him John because he grew up as John to us. Boston College is the one that started with the Johnny Hockey stuff. It didn't go away."
Guy and Jane Gaudreau still can't believe it when they have their TV on late at night and see this No. 13 kid zipping all over the ice for the Calgary Flames.
CALGARY, AB - JANUARY 7: Johnny Gaudreau #13 of the Calgary Flames skates against the Detroit Red Wings during an NHL game at Scotiabank Saddledome on January 7, 2015 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Derek Leung/Getty Images)
(Photo: Getty Images)
"As a parent you look at it and it's hard to believe that's my son," Guy said. "We raised him to play hockey, have hockey, enjoy hockey and I know how hard it is to get to that level. People don't realize how hard it is. You have to have breaks. You have to have coaches that like you."
This span of two weeks has been the payoff to all of Gaudreau's hard work. The Flames' roadtrip up and down the East Coast brings Gaudreau back to Philadelphia Tuesday and to Boston Thursday.
"It's definitely been a circus, up and down the East Coast seeing friends and family," said Gaudreau, who figures he'll have even more buddies in Boston than in Philly. "The most exciting thing for me is getting to come back here and play in Philly. I know I have a lot of people here that are gonna be watching."
If the trip wasn't expensive enough for the 21-year-old winger, he had to pay for the Flames' rookie dinner Saturday night.
'A confident young man'
One day last July in the York City Ice Arena in York, Pa., Hartley got his first glimpse of who Johnny Gaudreau really is.
The Calgary coach had one of his most promising young players in town to help out with his summer camp. Gaudreau, who had played only in the season finale last season, wanted to send a message.
"I'm coming to Calgary to make the team," Gaudreau told his coach. At the time, there was some thought that the pint-sized forward may start his pro career in the American Hockey League.
He didn't.
"In this business you have to be confident," Hartley said. "I didn't see a cocky kid. I saw a confident young man. He came to our camp in unbelievable shape and he was on a mission and every day he's been growing in our organization."
Calgary Flames' Johnny Gaudreau (13), is helps Philadelphia Flyers' Jakub Voracek (93), during the Breakaway competition at the NHL All-Star hockey skills competition in Columbus, Ohio, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
(Photo: AP)
Life is nothing but hockey for Gaudreau, who has been a rink rat since even before he was with the Gloucester Catholic Rams. He just wants to play. In fact, he wasn't even aware of the $212,000 bonus he got for making the All-Star Game.
"He's given up a lot," Guy said. "It's amazing that he's there. It really is. My wife and I are watching on TV and it's so hard for us to believe that's our son there until we actually talk to him after the game. Then we realize it's John because it is just John."
It's also hard to believe that the player taking the game, and certainly South Jersey, by storm is only a rookie. By the end of this East Coast swing with a ton of attention and media interviews, he might seem more like a seasoned veteran.
"He's been great," Hartley said. "He's really learning to be a great pro. It's just the process he needs to go through, but he's been going through with flying colors."Lester Holt’s debate night performance was flawed, and it is now likely to be used by Donald Trump supporters to point to as evidence of “mainstream media bias,” as Holt failed to ask Hillary Clinton about the most recent revelations of the long-festering email server scandal, subsequent veracity problems following big revelations, and the health problem which she said impairs her memory.
From moderator Holt’s own words, this would be a debate to “explore” several topics, as viewed in an annotated transcript provided online by the Washington Post.
“We’ll explore three topic areas tonight: Achieving prosperity, America’s direction, and securing America… The questions are mine and have not been shared with the commission or the campaigns.”
But there was no exploration of the possible national security issue Clinton may pose from Holt. As Holt’s debate night opportunity to help Clinton explain her time as Secretary of State was so remarkably shunned by the moderator, perhaps voters might have missed the story.
The Inquisitr has previously covered the problem of the scandal, of course, as in the report wherein Clinton advised the FBI that she “… told the Federal Bureau of Investigation agents that her concussion in 2012 while Secretary of State in the Obama Administration makes her incapable of accurately remembering if she ever got any briefings on how to handle confidential or classified documents while in office….”
The FBI report brought forth press statements from her rival Donald Trump and his campaign, but did Holt’s debate night opportunity cause him to ask Clinton about the health problem which impairs her judgment? No. Lester Holt took a pass on that big important question. The Trump camp knows there is a problem, as they have questioned Clinton’s impairment.
“Clinton’s reckless conduct and dishonest attempts to avoid accountability show she cannot be trusted with the presidency and its chief obligation as commander-in-chief of the U.S. armed forces.”
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton gets a pass from debate mod Lester Holt on her health and scandals. [Image by Andrew Harnik/ AP Images]
Apparently, the BBC had some issues with Holt’s debate night façade of fairness too, per this first tweet.
Even THE @BBC is calling out Lester Holt for his biased moderation! #TrumpWon pic.twitter.com/W4sYvUkWKG — Democrats for Trump (@YoungDems4Trump) September 27, 2016
Another tweet mentions the “historically-awful” Clinton.
Beyond those, it seems even CNN’s Tom LoBianco was expecting better from journalist Holt’s debate night questions. Also let down were viewers who must vote in the November general election, it seems, and regarding Holt’s debate night moderation, a few unsure voters may be selecting a new leader purely reacting to the issue of media bias after Monday night.
Where was any question on the information contained in the FBI notes in the Clinton private server/email investigation? And while Holt brought up Trump’s big issues, he failed miserably on the Clinton issues voters also care about.
Right after the Holt debate night partisan performance, Trump was interviewed by Sean Hannity, and voters can check out the YouTube video below.
Meanwhile, Dan Riehl over at Breitbart has posted his story on an interview with Democratic pollster Pat Waddell that explains even though Trump seemed “mediocre” to some, he likely helped himself anyway in the Monday night debate.
Presidential nominees Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton after the presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., Monday, Sept. 26, 2016. [ Image by David Goldman/AP Images]
Caddell was connecting the dots on viewer reactions and impressions of the candidates.
“First of all, ninety-five percent of the people who watched the debate and we had pre-interviewed, of almost 900 interviews, said they didn’t change their minds. Of the small number of people who did, Trump ended up with a slight advantage among undecideds to him.”
And a Boston Herald story, partially re-posted over at RealClearPolitics online by writer Chris Cassidy, underscores some of the notions voters in America have regarding the media bias by folks just like Lester Holt.
“Rampant mainstream media bias against Donald Trump could play right into the GOP presidential candidate’s hands, sparking a sympathetic backlash from voters who see unfair press hits as a heavy-handed shadow campaign to boost Hillary Clinton, experts said yesterday.”
Even though Holt’s debate night performance was flawed, voters will head to the polls to decide for themselves which candidate they trust more with the Office of the President. Those moderators who will follow Holt perhaps will take note.
[Featured Image by Joe Raedle/Pool/AP Images]The so-called “Shocked Trump One Piece Swimsuit” is getting lots of attention online. The page named Beloved Shirts presents the Shocked Trump One Piece Swimsuit pictures the face of President Donald Trump before he was president, and was still on the campaign trail in 2015.
As seen in the attached photo from Tuesday, July 21, 2015, then a Republican presidential hopeful, Donald Trump spoke at a South Carolina Campaign Kickoff Rally in Bluffton, South Carolina. With a penchant for making plenty of interesting faces, President Trump was found by the clothing seller as an opportune photo subject to place on their latest viral swimming suit.
The manner in which President Trump’s face lines up with the person’s body who wears the “Shocked Trump One Piece Swimsuit” is a matter of controversy and hilarity, depending on how one views such items. As seen in the photo below, Mashable has declared the “Shocked Trump One Piece Swimsuit” the worst swimsuit of all time. Depending on the person’s body style, folks are noticing that the eyes on the swimsuit could indeed line up with a woman’s chest. Other publications are asking why anyone would want President Trump’s chin anywhere near where the swimsuit’s crotch area appears.
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The “Shocked Trump One Piece Swimsuit” comes in a classic version and a high-legged version, with both versions running $49.95, as of this writing. One tongue-in-cheek and chin-in-crotch review thus far of the “Shocked Trump One Piece Swimsuit” calls it a wonderful swimsuit that makes her body so great again, writing about how the facial features line up nicely over her “lady bits,” along with President Trump’s “beautiful beady eyes.”
According to the New York Daily News, in a campy write-up about the “Shocked Trump One Piece Swimsuit,” just about anyone should want the face of President Trump gracing them as they hit the beach and pool in the swimsuit this summer.
The photo used for bathing suit, according to the New York Post, was from a 2015 South Carolina campaign event, with Mr. Trump’s open mouth fitting just about where a person’s belly button would be. With a shocked expression on his face, President Trump’s likeness on the swimming suit is causing a visceral reaction from folks who view the photo.
Would you wear the “Shocked Trump One Piece Swimsuit” in public?
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[Featured Image by Stephen B. Morton/AP Images]Five Libyan diplomats working in Ottawa have one week to get out of the country amid fears they were trying to intimidate Libyan citizens in Canada.
The officials have been declared persona non grata, a news release distributed Tuesday evening by the Department of Foreign Affairs says.
"The activities carried out in Canada by the five Libyan diplomats are considered inappropriate and inconsistent with normal diplomatic functions," the release says.
"Canada has not severed diplomatic relations with Libya, but we have suspended the operations of the embassy in Tripoli. The Libyan Embassy in Ottawa remains open."
The five diplomats and their families must arrange for their immediate departure.
Ambassador Abdulrahman Abututa is not one of the diplomats being expelled. Abututa presented his credentials to Gov. Gen. David Johnston last October.
A government source confirmed there were fears embassy officials were trying to intimidate those opposed to Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi.
Protesters called for expulsions
Ottawa-based representatives of the Libyan National Transitional Council called in March for Canada to expel Libya's diplomats.
One day after the British government expelled five Libyan diplomats from the U.K. for safety reasons, Sufyan Maghur urged Ottawa to do the same.
"They call themselves diplomats, but they don't really do anything outside of the listening, watching, taping or scaring the Libyan community," Maghur said of the Libyan diplomats. "There's no real diplomatic issues that they deal with."
Some Libyan students in Canada who have spoken out against Moammar Gadhafi's regime said they recently received threatening phone calls and that they believe diplomatic staff were involved.
Safiah Aghliw, who organized a March 31 protest demanding the embassy's closure in Ottawa, said many of the students told her they were too afraid of reprisals from diplomats operating within the Libyan Embassy to attend the rally.
Threats of deportations reported
"They will cut their student visas, they will deport them right away. At times, we heard reports of bribes," she said.
Baset Elzagallai, a student at the University of Western Ontario, was told his scholarship would be cancelled. He showed up at the demonstration anyway, saying he wanted the diplomats to renounce the Libyan regime.
"Their duty actually is established from the legitimacy of the people, not of a dictator," he said.
Ihab al-Mismari, the only diplomat to have defected, said his wife was recently visited and confronted by a driver working for the embassy, who called al-Mismari a traitor.
When his wife threatened to call 911, the chauffeur drove away, but also left a letter warning that al-Mismari could be charged with treason.
Ambassador declared support for Gadhafi
Although British Foreign Secretary William Hague reasoned that the Libyans were sent packing because their presence in Britain was considered a possible security threat, al-Mismari's cousin, Balqees Mihirig, said Canada is being naive.
"Some of the members of the embassy are part of the Libyan intelligence services," Mihirig said. "And those are the most dangerous people in Gadhafi's regime."
So far, Canada has not taken steps to expel any Libyan diplomat, including the head of Libya's intelligence operation in Canada, Saleh Ramadan Zaidan.
The Canadian Libyan Council recently condemned the Libyan ambassador for making official his support for Gadhafi on the embassy website.
Last week, a protest outside the embassy in Ottawa turned into a skirmish as groups for and against Gadhafi's regime confronted one another.
A pro-Gadhafi protester was injured and treated in an ambulance, and an Ottawa RCMP officer hurt his leg and was taken to hospital.
Police took out their batons and broke up fighting between about 75 anti-Gadhafi protesters and a handful of people supporting the Libyan leader.A downtown section of Elgin Street southbound is expected to remain closed until Saturday morning after a water main break early Friday created a large sinkhole.
Earlier Friday, the city said the road would reopen by about 4 p.m. Then, in the early afternoon, the city said the road would reopen at about 8 or 9 p.m.
By 6 p.m. Friday, the city said the road is expected to remain closed until Saturday at around 8 a.m.
Water service was partially affected at the Ottawa courthouse, and was expected to be restored Friday afternoon.
A section of Elgin Street just south of Laurier Avenue collapsed after a private contractor accidentally drilled into a water main early Friday morning while trying to install a gas line, Mayor Jim Watson said.
Elgin Street southbound is closed from Laurier to Nepean Street and northbound traffic in that section is reduced to one lane. City buses that normally travel that stretch of Elgin will be rerouted to O'Connor Street.
"There is a cost because it's not only our city crews that are there, police are there and buses have been rerouted, but we'll be sending a bill to the contractor that is responsible because it shouldn't be the taxpayers that pay for a private contractor's error," Watson told reporters Friday.
Ottawa water services supervisor Chris Hamilton said that at about 2 a.m. Friday morning, a river of water was flowing from the spot at Elgin and Laurier.
About four feet of water was reported in the parking garage of the highrise building at 66 Slater St., just northwest of the intersection.
At the Lord Elgin Hotel, muddy water flowed onto the sidewalk in front of the building before heading down Slater, said guest services manager N. Ravi.
"Crews were on the spot within about 15 minutes," Ravi said. "They had a lot of excavators and things in front moving the mud, which caused a lot of disturbance to the guests in the hotel. Se we had a fair amount of complaints from guests from the hotel. We had about eight or 10 guests who had to move rooms at two in the morning."
The crews agreed to stop working at 3 a.m., and resumed work at 5 a.m., Ravi said.
Watson said the damaged pipe was installed in 1998 to 1999.Lyft just announced that it’s now providing over 1 million rides per day in a blog post that highlights the company’s growth and momentum in its continued battle with Uber. Lyft’s ride-hailing service has spread to cover “nearly 80 percent of the US population.” For the whole of 2016, Lyft recorded a total of a little over 160 million rides. So it’s still gaining on Uber, but there’s a long way to go.
Just last week, Uber announced its own milestone of having reached 5 billion cumulative rides. There’s no mistaking that Uber is just way bigger. And that’s reflected in the dominating grip that Lyft’s primary rival has on marketshare (77 percent as of May). The various scandals, declining customer satisfaction, and Travis Kalanick’s forced departure don’t seem to be undermining Uber’s overall business. (And drivers often tune out the unending drama.) But Lyft is trying to position this million-rides-per-day marker as a sign of its own upward movement and rapid expansion.
“For 48 consecutive months, Lyft has experienced ride growth in excess of 100 percent year over year,” the company wrote in its blog post. And Lyft continues to tout hospitality and offering a superior experience to riders and drivers alike as its biggest priorities.Small-world networks: a lightweight alternative to SAFe for scaling agile
You’ve probably heard of a number of ways to “scale” agile in your organization: SAFe, DAD, Scrum of Scrums, and LESS, to name several popular frameworks.
The problem with frameworks is that they don’t account for your context, and they increase management and hierarchy. With hierarchy comes bloat—many meetings, remote problem solving, and what the teams call “interdependencies.” It’s a mess.
Instead of |
amid an economic crisis and crackdown on the political opposition.
A boy with blood on his chest kneels in front of police after student Kluiver Roa died during a protest in San Cristobal February 24, 2015. REUTERS/Carlos Eduardo Ramirez
A policeman was arrested after he confessed to shooting the student, identified as Kluiver Roa, 14, with a rubber-bullet shotgun during clashes with some 20 hooded protesters, officials said.
With last year’s violent protests and 43 deaths fresh in Venezuelans’ minds, President Nicolas Maduro’s socialist government condemned the killing and called for calm in the volatile state of Tachira near Colombia.
Tachira’s head of citizen security said Roa died in confusing circumstances during confrontations near the ruling party governor’s home.
“These hooded protesters intercepted four police officers, snatched their motorbikes and to get rid of the protesters, one of the officials shot at the ground,” Colonel Ramon Cabezas told reporters.
“When the protesters scattered... we saw the students lifting the body of this youngster from beneath a car, we don’t know for now how he got there.”
Police officer Javier Mora, 23, will be charged over the death in coming hours, the state prosecutor said.
Roa had no vital signs by the time he arrived at the hospital. Local media reported that his father was a member of opposition party Copei.
Other stone-throwing students were injured during the clashes, said student leader Reinaldo Manrique.
Isolated clashes continued on Tuesday in San Cristobal, an epicenter of last year’s massive street demonstrations.
Contained protests had kicked off again in recent weeks in the city where shortages of basic goods ranging from toilet paper to medicines are particularly acute due to smuggling over the border.
Last week’s arrest of Caracas Mayor Antonio Ledezma, a veteran opposition leader, also sparked some protests, though nothing close to the massive rallies of 2014.
Critics say an increasingly unpopular Maduro is seeking to distract supporters and spook opponents ahead of parliamentary elections this year.
Maduro has countered that a Washington-backed opposition is plotting violence against his government.
The opposition was incensed by Roa’s death, saying it shows repression of protesters and augurs a broader crackdown.
A boy with blood on his chest kneels in front of police after 14-year-old student Kluiver Roa died during a protest in San Cristobal February 24, 2015. REUTERS/Carlos Eduardo Ramirez
“There are no words to transmit my pain and indignation,” said hardline opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.
“They’ve killed a 14 year-old child. A kid protesting with his classmates.”
In an uncharacteristically strong statement, state ombudsman Tarek Saab condemned the death as a “vile assassination.”So I'm not new to online dating....but after my last relationship (almost 3 years ago). I feel like I'm looking for the impossible. And honestly I'm not asking for a lot. I'm just an average girl, 26, I have a school aged child, a full time job, a car, I live with a parent. I am overweight but thats not really changing anytime soon, im not grotesque or anything. I would probably put myself as a 6 or so considering men don't usually like fat girls. I'm not an idiot, I'm very honest, I don't play games, I'm not into like snapchat and instagram. I'm usually the 'funny' 'jokester' type in social situations. But I guess I also come off as rude to men because I say what's on my mind? I don't like to waste my time so I guess when I'm talking to someone and they don't have a quality I want I just kind of stop talking. Which is my fault but last time I was dating I wasted my time on some self centered rich boy and I can't do that again.
But I'm not really asking for model popular rich guy, I've been with rich men and guys with 6 packs or whatever and it doesn't matter to me. I don't want a guy to support me or anything. I actually prefer a guy that already has a kid, early 30s, dad bod, honest, caring. I'm not really into 'country' guys but that personality is kind of what I'm going for here.
But I can't seem to attract those guys and idk why? I can't say I've really been trying hard. But idk I need some tips? Or advice? Or something on how to attract or find good guys? A better website? I wish I could link my profile lol
I also live in a city that's known for a REALLY bad dating scene anyways, and that makes it alot harder. My post is all over the place. Sorry about that. I guess this is more of a rant?According to yet unconfirmed media reports, the Interior Ministry and the Ministry of Justice may disapprove the bitcoin ban bill proposed by MinFin because they consider cryptocurrencies not dangerous.
A consensus meeting of Russian ministries concerning the draft law against the “surrogate money” has reportedly revealed a substantial disagreement over the prohibitive position of the Ministry of Finance. The news was published by Pravo.ru and Vedomosti.ru with a reference to the Interfax news agency that quoted “a source in the financial-economic bloc of the Cabinet.”
According to this source, the Interior Ministry does not consider it reasonable to overburden the police with additional duties related to monitoring of cryptocurrencies’ mining and use. A representative of the ministry believes that this change would make it necessary to rewrite the law “On Police” and increase the number of officers on duty. Moreover, assigning to policemen new and unfamiliar functions could lead to negative consequences for the law and order in general.
The same source implies that neither did representatives of the Ministry of Justice endorse the draft law. They believe that the proposed criminalisation of cryptocurrencies has no substantial grounds because the claim that they pose any danger to the society “seems dubious.” According to the report, this position is shared by the Prosecutor General's Office.
However, so far no links have been provided to the original article admittedly published by Interfax, which leaves the whole story unconfirmed. If the article in question was for some reason deleted after publication, it makes the information about the debates rather questionable.
As CoinFox reported earlier, the amendments to the law “On the Central Bank” suggest up to 4 years of imprisonment or 500 thousand rubles in fines for private individuals found guilty of cryptocurrency mining. For organised groups, the punishment would be up to 6 years in prison or fines of 500,000 to 1 million rubles. For senior management of banks and other financial institutions involved in issuing of cryptocurrency, or “surrogate money”, the punishment is the most severe – up to 7 years in jail with deprivation of the right to hold specific posts or fines of up to 2.5 million rubles.
Apart from the Ministry of Finance, total prohibition of bitcoin in Russia is supported by the Investigative Committee and Central Bank. The head of the former Alexander Bastrykin recently declared that cryptocurrency is used to finance extremism and information war against Russia.
Deputy Minister of Finance Alexey Moiseev recently confirmed that the draft law will be passed to the State Duma during the current session, effectively setting the deadline as 6 August.
Alexey TereshchenkoRepublican Sen. John McCain of Arizona. AP Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the Republican who delivered the final blow to the previous attempt to overhaul the US healthcare system, may have done the same when he came out against the GOP's latest healthcare legislation on Friday afternoon.
In a statement, McCain said the lack of "regular order" in crafting the legislation was what pushed him away.
"I would consider supporting legislation similar to that offered by my friends Senators Graham and Cassidy were it the product of extensive hearings, debate, and amendment," McCain said. "But that has not been the case. Instead, the specter of September 30 budget reconciliation deadline has hung over this entire process.
"We should not be content to pass health care legislation on a party-line basis, as Democrats did when they rammed Obamacare through Congress in 2009," McCain added. "If we do so, our success could be as short-lived as theirs when the political winds shift, as they regularly do. The issue is too important, and too many lives are at risk, for us to leave the American people guessing from one election to the next whether and how they will acquire health insurance. A bill of this impact requires a bipartisan approach."
McCain's opposition puts the bill — known as Graham-Cassidy for two of its authors, Sens. Bill Cassidy and Lindsey Graham — on the brink of defeat.
Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, a fellow Republican, said on Friday that she was leaning against voting for the bill, and Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky has also come out strongly against it. Republicans can afford only two defections for the legislation to pass.
McCain also pointed to the lack of clarity surrounding the effects of the bill if it were to become law. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office announced it would not be able to provide a full estimate of the bill's impact by September 30, the deadline for the GOP's ability to bypass the Senate's usual 60-vote threshold and instead pass the bill with a simple majority.
The longtime Arizona lawmaker also said he thought some senators were making a genuine attempt to fix what he believes is a broken healthcare system, but that the process of the Graham-Cassidy bill was not in accordance with how the upper chamber should operate.
"I hope that in the months ahead, we can join with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to arrive at a compromise solution that is acceptable to most of us and serves the interests of Americans as best we can," McCain said.Note that LOT may receive commissions from the links on this page.
Updated: May 11, 2017
We all love freebies, don't we?
Saving money is great but getting free stuff feels even more gratifying. There are many websites out there where one can get brand-name items for free. Knowing where to find these free samples and deals can save you a significant amount of money on a variety of quality products. Below are some of the best sources to find free stuff anytime.
Craigslist
Regardless of its questionable reputation, Craigslist is a great source of free stuff. Many people have used items in decent condition but they are replacing those items anyway and don't want to throw those away. They'd prefer to give those items a second life with someone else. Such kind of acts is forming a new rising phenomenon called freecycling, which promotes green living and reduction of new goods manufacturing.
Reddit (eFreebies+freebies)
This subreddit (/r/eFreebies+freebies/) is a great place to look for freebies and updated offers. Reddit is in a way similar to Craigslist that its contents are generated by users. This means that you'll find deals, discounts, and free samples posted by regular online users on a daily basis.
BzzAgent
The website provides an unique way to get free products in exchange for reviews. They send different kind of products to their users to test at home and get their opinions. You will need to invest some time to test and review their products. You can also get rewards when you help promote their products to your friends and family.
The Honest Company
Founded by Jessica Alba, The Honest Company offers free discovery kits, including diapers, wipes, and other essentials. The company provides eco-friendly household and baby products to families at an affordable price. You could read a more detailed review of some of their products here.
Influenster
Influenster usually sends out thousands of free sample boxes a month in hopes that you'd share your experience on social media and influence other people to buy products. They have a huge community and you'd need an invite from an existing member to join.
PinchMe
Every month they mail you free samples of products of your choice to try. Then they ask you to review those products on their website so they could send you more. The shipping is also free. Sometimes they tuck extra samples and gift cards.
Freeflyes
Freeflys is a well-known free sample directory that featured on TV many times. It offers hundreds of products free of charge in food, beauty, children, health, and other categories. You'll need to register as a member to start browsing their directory.
Get It Free
The website offers consumers a variety of ways to save money. They have a huge list of free stuff, deals and coupons that will help people save on everyday items.
Hunt4Freebies
Running since 2008, this is one of the most efficient freebie websites which is updated around the clock. There are loads of freebies up for grabs. They have free samples are related to health, magazines, gift cards, beauty and even food samples.
Sample A Day
The website was created by two guys, Nick and Scott. They love two things: free stuff and humor. So you may come across some of their trademark humor as you’re looking for freebies on the website. Sample A Day simply gives you the links that take to directly to third-party pages with free sample. These guys make it easier for their subscriber as they spend a good amount of time on finding good offers before posting them.
Woman Freebies
Woman Freebies has a huge number of free samples, coupons, savings, sweepstakes and daily giveaways for its visitors. You can join their list to get the best free samples from favorite brands.
FreeStuff.com
You'll have access to free samples of many household items on this website. They are an aggregator that search for and post daily free samples, coupons, deals, etc.
I Love Free Things
The website has been working since 2006 and featured by Fox and ABC 13. They link companies' offers with consumers on a regular basis. They provide an easy to use directory of free samples, deals, and other free offers for consumers to connect with products they're interested in trying. I Love Free Things has offers in over 25 different categories which are updated daily.
Hey It's Free (HIF)
Hey It’s Free (HIF) is a good source dedicated to finding the best freebies on the Internet throughout the year. You can find legitimate coupons for a lot of things as they filter out the spam and junk. The website may not be the most active and doesn't have as many offers as others but they usually deliver quality freebies and samples with no spam.
Freaky Freddie's
The site has been around since 2001 and offers deals on products and and free stuff for both grown-ups and kids.
Recycle The World
This is another freecycling website that allows consumers to post and find free stuff nearby. It's easy-to-use and enables users to give, sell, and recycle their unwanted items.
Freebie Depot
Freebie Depot offers almost everything from daily deals to birthday giveaways across a range of products and services from various established brands and retailers.
Freebies.org
The site works with companies that distribute samples on the first come first serve basis. It doesn't guarantee you'll receive samples you request. But there are many of them on the site so you can request multiple samples with no issues.
I Crave Freebies
Like many online sources of free samples, I Crave Freebies offers links discounts and free samples. It also provides links to sites that pay you to take surveys which may be a great way to make some extra money.
Freebies.com
Besides its main goal of finding great free stuff, Freebies.com tries to find fun ways to reward members for their time too. As a member you'll get points for being active on our website. Then you can use earned points to win great prizes.
Free Stuff Times
The website provides information of full-size free stuff and samples. They have a lot of great deals posted daily.
FreebiesDip
This website allows you to choose freebies from different categories such as automotive, cosmetics, education, software, jewelry, travel, etc. They also ahve discount vouchers, trial offers, and coupons.
Krazy Coupon Lady
Krazy Coupon Lady has a database of coupons, lots of tips, daily deal information, and a daily newsletter. If you are new to couponing, these are great resources to help you get started.
Coupons.com
Coupons.com is mostly just printable coupons, but there is also a section of codes for online shopping. Just make sure you are only selecting coupons you know you will use, and that they print clearly so cashiers can scan them.Last Christmas, BMJ published a funny article exploring the mentions of positive and negative words in research abstracts over the past 40 years. I’ve recreated their research for two of the phrases below — “novel” and “unique.”
Your eyes aren’t fooling you: Over the past 40 years, researchers have started using the word “novel” so much that it appears in roughly 8% of all published research abstracts on PubMed. “Unique” has similarly grown in use — now used in about 3% of all research abstracts on PubMed — albeit not quite as dramatically.
If you’re interested in the details on how they looked up these phrases, read their supplemental information document.
In the spirit of the Spurious Extrapolations series, I had to ask: If “novel” and “unique” kept growing in use at the same rate they have been, how long would it take until they were used in every research abstract?
Disclaimer: Extrapolating beyond the bounds of a data set is extremely precarious, and most likely wrong. Most statisticians would recommend against extrapolating beyond a few time points outside of a data set.
To compute these extrapolations, I fit polynomial regressions (Usage_Pct ~ Year + Year2) to the time series and used those models to predict when the terms would reach 100% usage. Shown in the chart above, “novel” will reach 100% usage by 2130 and “unique” by 2674. It’s comforting to know that by 2674, our research will be novel and unique, just like all other research.
Really, these charts are just an exaggeration of an already-silly phenomenon: Funding agencies and journals have placed considerable pressure on academics to perform “novel” research, which has in turn fooled many academics into thinking that some research paths are worthwhile simply because they’re novel. Let’s not forget that many of the greatest breakthroughs were achieved not because they were “novel,” but because they built on the findings of hundreds of scientists from the past. That’s how science works, and that’s the kind of science we should encourage.
Oh, and seriously: Please stop using the word “novel” when describing your research. We know. It’s research.A Florida bill was approved Wednesday in the state Senate requiring abortion clinics to either have a patient transfer agreement with a local hospital or admitting privileges there for the doctors who are performing abortions. That provision was included in a Texas law enacted in 2013 that contributed to the closure of around 40 abortion providers under the weight of tougher restrictions.
The bill also would prohibit public money from being used at Planned Parenthood affiliates. Government agencies, such as local and county health departments, would be prevented from funding Planned Parenthood affiliates or abortion providers for services such as cancer screenings or birth control.
House Bill 1411 passed in the Florida Senate 25-15 and will return to the House since the Senate changed language in the bill, the Tampa Bay Times reported. The original measure passed in the House last week.
Taxpayer money cannot be used to fund abortions under state law, but Medicaid allocates about $200,000 for testing for sexually transmitted diseases, cancer screenings and other services at the state's abortion providers.
Florida lawmakers' support of the bill is fractured. Advocates maintain that the new measures promote safety for patients, while opponents contend the bill limits access to women's healthcare.
BREAKING: @FloridaGOP passes bill in @FLSenate mirroring Texas bill that closed majority of women's health clinics. pic.twitter.com/f3JcSlt0kJ — Florida Democrats (@FlaDems) March 9, 2016
“The idea that those taxpayer dollars would go to an organization that performs abortions is simply intolerable,” Florida Sen. Rob Bradley, a Republican, told the Tampa Bay Times.
Florida Sen. Kelli Stargel, the Republican who sponsored the bill, said the measures bring abortion clinics up to par with other health facilities. “This bill says we’re going to treat abortion clinics the same way that we treat other similarly situated clinics,” she said.
The bill faced opposition from Democrats in the Senate and House, where it passed on a 74-44 vote Thursday along party lines, according to the Associated Press.
"We know what's going on here," Florida Rep. David Richardson, a Democrat, said. "What it really means is, you're trying to close these clinics through these regulations."One of the more unfortunate aspects of living in Los Angeles is that in many ways, the city is better set up for two tons of steel on wheels than for human beings on foot. In a city full of drivers unaccustomed to the very idea of walking, that can lead to some deadly encounters for pedestrians. There's a whole laundry list of intersections in LA that are magnets for pedestrian accidents. A new study from the Auto Insurance Center (via LA Weekly) shows just how bad it is for walkers here. LA County gets the dubious honor of having the most pedestrian deaths in the country. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data for 2014, *207 pedestrians met their demise by traffic accidents in Los Angeles County. Update 2/4: The source reexamined their data and updated it to correct inaccuracies. The data and images in our post have been updated accordingly.
Not only does LA County have the most pedestrian deaths in America, they absolutely dominate the category. The 207 pedestrians that died in LA County is more than double the traffic deaths than the second-ranked county in the country. Maricopa County in Arizona, home of Phoenix, had only 91 deaths in the same time period. In fact, Southern California is very well represented in this unfortunate category. San Bernardino County came in seventh place, with 59 pedestrian fatalities, and Riverside was 14th with 43.
Want to steer clear of death by car in LA? Then stay away from Redondo Beach. The intersection of Vincent Street and Pacific Coast Highway was found to be the worst intersection for walkers in the entire country—a distinction it shared with a crossing in Philadelphia. A total of 4 pedestrians have been fatally hit at this location. Even worse, the intersection is within just a few square blocks of a park, two schools, a library, and the beach, so there's plenty of potential for more awfulness. Maybe a scramble crosswalk is in order.
· L.A. IS AMERICA'S DEADLIEST PLACE FOR WALKING [LA Weekly]
· The Worst Places to Be a Pedestrian [Auto Insurance Center]
· Mapping the Most Dangerous Intersections in Los Angeles [Curbed LA]When it comes to getting paid on time, freelancing sucks.
Freelancers often don't get paid with the same assured regularity that salaried, or even hourly, workers do. Instead, they could be following up with a client three months after their project was completed, trying to figure out whether a check was never cut, or whether it just got lost in the mail.
New York City is trying to do something to change that. Earlier this month, members of the City Council proposed a bill to mandate stability in the lives of freelancers. The bill, which covers freelance projects where a client retains an independent contractor who the client agrees to compensate more than $200, requires that the client 1) must execute a contract that includes a payment due date with the freelancer before the work begins, and 2) must pay the freelancer within 30 days of completion of the project (unless the contract says otherwise).
While this type of law would be difficult to enforce, if this bill were to not only pass but also be put into practice by companies that use freelancers, it would be huge. As journalist and illustrator Susie Cagle pointed out, requiring written agreements for freelance work might even be as important as requiring timely payment.
In proposed NYC freelancer law, requiring a written contract is as big a deal as requiring timely payment. https://t.co/gQ3Ja5tLgF — Susie Cagle (@susie_c) December 28, 2015
It's how many indy contractors get screwed twice, when companies later claim they're work-for-hire or that there's a tacit non-compete. — Susie Cagle (@susie_c) December 28, 2015
That said, even with written contracts, a big part of freelancers' jobs often becomes tracking down payment, according to Alisha Miranda, who has done digital media strategy, mostly for startups, in a freelance capacity for the last five years.
"Being paid on time is a constant battle for me," Miranda told The Huffington Post. She said that she uses boilerplate contracts that she finds online, follows up nicely, and always tries to find out who at the company is in charge of paying freelancers. Even so, she's constantly chasing down money. Sometimes, every contact she has at a company has disappeared (quit or been fired) between the time she's assigned a project and the time she should be getting paid.
"I don’t know any person who has figured out a way to get paid on time," she said.
And it's not always the client's fault. Take this anecdote from Jamie Wiebe, writing for the Billfold:
Right now I’m waiting for a paycheck from last month that’s three weeks late — $800. Maybe not much for some, but that’s my rent money. It’s not just the reliability of individual clients that’s up for debate. This check was mailed on time, but somehow disappeared en route, possibly due to our crazy mail-tossing landlady. Or possibly due to the interminable vagaries of the U.S. Postal Service. I don’t know.
This question of rights for freelance workers makes sense for New York City to tackle: it's a city full of actors, writers, artists and other creative people working independently on a project basis out of coffee shops in Bushwick. But this new bill also falls into a larger national conversation about the rights of the growing freelance workforce.
There is some question as to whether the "freelance economy" -- where we're hurtling toward a changing business landscape where almost everyone works for themselves and contracts out -- really exists or not. But if that is the way the economy is headed, some basic worker protections are in order. The right to be paid on time can be added to the right to affordable health care and portable benefits for independent workers, which are just now coming to the forefront of political debate.
What sets being paid on time apart from the other debates about freelancers, of course, is enforceability. Some freelancers are so pessimistic about their clients paying on time, they don't have much faith in a law meant to give them legal protections.
@dkos07 @shaneferro I don’t see how this would be enforceable in any way, shape or form so I’ve mostly ignored it. — Jen A. Miller (@byJenAMiller) December 28, 2015The oldest physical footprint left by the 100-year-old Balfour Declaration in what is today Israel is visible from my home in Nazareth. From my vantage point on a ridge above the Jezreel Valley, Balfouriya appears like a dark smudge below in the middle of the vast agricultural plain.
The small, exclusively Jewish farming community was established in 1922, five years after Britain’s foreign secretary, Arthur Balfour, signed a letter pledging help to create “a national home for the Jewish people” in what was then Palestine.
Named in Balfour’s honour, Balfouriya was the first Jewish community to be founded in Palestine after the declaration was issued. Today, its 500 residents live in one of more than a dozen communities set up to “Judaise” a swath of land in the Lower Galilee, known in Arabic as Marj Ibn Amer, that Palestinians once farmed.
At the time of the Balfour Declaration, the vast majority of Jews in Europe and the United States viewed the Zionists heading to Palestine, like those who founded Balfouriya, as something akin to a cult. But in truth, they were more like political opportunists, piggy-backing on the ambitions of the British empire as it sought to consolidate its colonial hold over the Middle East.
The major European powers were jostling for pre-eminence in the region, as the First World war neared its end and the Ottoman empire was crumbling. Balfour’s letter was, in part, intended to pre-empt the potential threat of France making a similar overture to the Zionists.
Britain was especially keen to cultivate support from the Zionist movement as a way to secure its imperial interests. Not least, Palestine offered control over the Suez Canal, the gateway to India and Britain’s other colonies, and access to the Persian Gulf, with its plentiful oil.
The British cabinet, imbued with a potent mix of Christian Zionism and anti-semitic assumptions about the global power of Jews, believed that the Zionists ought to be restored to their “ancient homeland”. But more immediately, Britain hoped to leverage pressure on the US and Russia from their respective Jewish communities to help in the fight against Germany and its Ottoman ally.
Palestine not for sale
Whatever Britain’s intention in issuing the Balfour Declaration, the Zionists seized the opportunity it presented to realise their goal of statehood.
These self-styled pioneers, however, faced a significant obstacle. As a Zionist fact-finding mission of the period reputedly concluded of Palestine: “The bride is beautiful, but she is married to another man.” At the time, 90 percent of the local population were Palestinian Arabs.
The Zionist movement hoped the natives could be bribed to hand over the bride. On a small portion of Palestine, this approach worked. Much of the Jezreel Valley was purchased from absentee landlords in Lebanon. Balfouriya’s inhabitants, who enjoyed the support of wealthy investors in the United States, were soon nicknamed “the millionaires” for their ostentatious homes.
In a policy of “Hebrew labour”, Balfouriya and other Jewish communities denied Palestinians the opportunity to work the lands that had recently been acquired. The goal was, in the words of Theodor Herzl, the father of the Zionist movement, to “spirit the penniless population across the border by procuring employment for it in the transit countries, while denying it any employment in our country [Palestine]. … The process of expropriation and the removal of the poor must be carried out discretely and circumspectly.”
But as quickly became evident most of Palestine was not for sale, and the natives were not about to leave quietly. A different approach was needed – one that would inevitably depend on the use of force.
Some 31 years after the Balfour Declaration, and under cover of war, Israel’s founding father, David Ben Gurion, unleashed a military operation, Plan Dalet, to expel Palestinians en masse. In 1948, Israeli soldiers forced 750,000 Palestinians out of their homes, transforming most of historic Palestine into the Jewish state of Israel – and the vast majority of Palestinians into refugees.
The small number who clung on to their lands became a Palestinian minority in Israel – a large and increasingly unwelcome one as their higher birth rates nullified the effects of waves of Jewish immigration. Nazareth was the only Palestinian city to survive the war relatively unscathed.
Britain, the main patron
The events of 1948, known by Palestinians as the Nakba, or Catastrophe, were only one front – the most visible – in the Zionist movement’s efforts to colonise Palestine. The Balfour Declaration was evidence of a parallel and related strategy – one the Zionists would rely on over the next century.
In 1923, as Balfouriya’s settlers began tilling the soil, Vladimir Jabotinsky, the leader of the Revisionist Zionist movement, the intellectual spirit behind the modern Likud party of Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, wrote an influential essay called “The Iron Wall”. He argued that the native Palestinians needed to be forced into submission – and that could be achieved only with an “iron wall of Jewish bayonets” and “British bayonets”.
The significance of the Balfour Declaration, he concluded, was that Britain had “committed itself to create such security conditions that the local population would be deterred from interfering with our efforts” to seize control of Palestine.
In setting out the necessary conditions for the Zionists to achieve statehood, Jabotinsky was conceding that the project depended not just on violence but on a colonial sponsor.
Under British patronage, the Zionists began building the institutions of a state, including a government-in-waiting, the Jewish Agency; a fund-raising arm, the Jewish National Fund, to buy land and colonise Palestine; and a proto-army known as the Haganah.
Communist backing
That lesson was not lost on subsequent generations. Israel’s success has depended on its close alliances with superpower patrons, persuading them that Israel can usefully advance their interests – or that its opposition could prove damaging.
During much of the Mandate period, Britain fulfilled the main patron role, facilitating mass Jewish immigration to erode Palestine’s native majority and create the footsoldiers for the coming ethnic cleansing campaign.
But Israel has proved unusually fickle in its attachments, and more than ready to cultivate multiple sponsors.
While the Zionist movement was pressuring Britain to increase Jewish immigration, the recent arrivals from East Europe – the pioneers of agricultural communities like Balfouriya – sought to impress the Soviet Union with their collectivism. A Jewish state of farming communes opposed to private property and with ties to Jewish communities in Europe and the US promised a potent propaganda weapon for Soviet-style communism.
That helps to explain why the Communist regime in Czechoslovakia began shipping arms to the Zionists in Palestine in 1947, as Britain prepared to depart. This weapons smuggling was pivotal in turning the tide of war in Israel’s favour a year later: the Czechs helped the fledgling Israeli army by violating an international arms embargo. The shipments, according to Ben Gurion, proved decisive in defeating the Palestinians.
First nuclear bomb
Israel was soon colluding again with Britain and France, in a last-gasp effort by these two fading European powers to re-assert themselves in the Middle East. Israel invaded Sinai in 1956 to provide Britain and France with a pretext for military intervention to regain control of the Suez Canal and overthrow Egypt’s Gamal Abdel Nasser.
Despite the failure of Suez – under joint pressure from the US and Russia, the three parties were forced to withdraw – Britain and France repaid their debt by supplying Israel with the technology to build a nuclear reactor. As a result, Israel would soon go on to develop its first nuclear bomb.
In 1967, Israel made headlines triumphing against its Arab neighbours in six days of war that initiated an occupation that has so far lasted five decades. But in a not-unrelated development, the same year also marked the moment Israel developed its first rudimentary nuclear warhead, over longstanding US objections.
These successes forced Washington’s hand into decisively assuming the role of Israel’s new patron-in-chief. The US was not willing to test whether it should take seriously Israeli threats to invoke the Samson option – resorting to its nuclear arsenal – should it find itself cornered by its Arab neighbours, or required to return the Palestinian territories now under occupation.
Washington has remained the dishonest broker of a supposed Middle East peace process ever since. Its billions of dollars annually of military aid have turned Israel into the pre-eminent regional military power, and alleviated it of any need to concede a Palestinian state.
Western diplomatic support
US dominance over Europe, and especially Britain, has secured for Israel a solid Western bloc of diplomatic support, allowing the occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem to entrench and the settlements to flourish. It is for this reason primarily that Britain and other leading European states continue to indulge Israel and pay only lip service to Palestinian statehood.
That has put them increasingly at odds with ever larger sections of their voting publics, outraged by the repeated attacks on the trapped population of Gaza and exasperated by Netanyahu’s arrogant refusal to engage with a peace process.
That tension has become politically toxic in Britain – as has been underscored by this week’s Balfour Declaration centenary.
In September, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas used his speech at the United Nations General Assembly to call on Britain to apologise very belatedly for the declaration. His answer came on Sunday when British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, the latest inheritor of Balfour’s title, wrote a commentary in the Telegraph newspaper stating that he was “proud of Britain’s part in creating Israel”.
In a master-class of understatement, Johnson conceded, however, that Britain’s promise to do nothing to “prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine” had, in his words, “not been fully realised.”
A sensitive issue
That short observation was presumably intended to refer both to five decades of Israel’s belligerent occupation of Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, and to the severely degraded form of citizenship imposed on Israel’s large Palestinian minority.
In fact, Balfour did much worse. He failed to recognise the “existing non-Jewish communities” as the native Palestinian population and he denied them, but not recent Jewish arrivals from Europe, any national and political rights in their own homeland.
A flood of events across Britain criticising the Balfour Declaration and its legacy have proved discomfiting to Britain’s ruling elite. Despite British Prime Minister Theresa May’s protestations that Britain would mark the anniversary with “pride”, official events have intentionally been more low-key than celebratory.
May will host Netanyahu this week in London at a “private dinner” in the home of the current Lord Rothschild, heir to the recipient of Balfour’s letter. No media are invited. A small reception last week at the British ambassador’s home in Tel Aviv was similarly sequestered.
So sensitive is the issue that evidence of Britain’s ignoble role in Palestine has been kept out of public view on the capital’s underground trains and its buses. Transport for London censored an advertising campaign, Make It Right, that offered visual evidence of the ways Britain betrayed even the declaration’s paltry promise to protect the Palestinians’ “civil and religious rights”.
The repression of dissent on the Israel and Palestine issue has been even more evident in recent attempts to crack down in Britain (as well as the rest of Europe and the US) on the increasingly popular international boycott movement, known as BDS.
Europe’s practical expressions of displeasure with Netanyahu’s intransigence have amounted to nothing more than a pitiful intention to label the produce Israel exports to European markets from its illegal West Bank settlements.
Cheerleader for Israel
The increasingly difficult atmosphere for British governments in continuing to act as a cheerleader for |
war. While “barbarous armies” and “uncivilized people,” for example, offered no protection to civilians for example, the “inoffensive citizen” was protected in “modern regular wars of the Europeans, and their descendents in other portions of the globe.” While the Orders authorized retaliation by “civilized nations,” taken too far this principle quickly led nearer to “the internecine wars of savages.” [88]
By these lights, those who waged guerrilla war were, by definition, “savage”: Filipino warfare did not take this form out of ignorance or strategy but out of race. Conventional wisdom to this effect issued from the top of the U.S. military hierarchy in the Philippines. “War in its earlier form was an act of violence which, from the very nature of primitive humanity and of the forces employed, knew no bounds,” General MacArthur declared in a December 1900 proclamation. “Mankind, from the beginning of civilization, however, has tried to mitigate, and to escape, as far as possible, from the consequences of this barbarous conception of warlike action...” [89] The Filipinos, in refusing these boundaries, had shown themselves to be less than “civilized.” “The war on the part of the Filipinos,” wrote Secretary of War Elihu Root, “has been conducted with the barbarous cruelty common among uncivilized races.” [90]
This sense of race as the root cause of guerrilla war was also useful in explaining the guerrillas’ mass support as the U.S. effort ground to a halt in mid-1900. In his October 1, 1900 report, MacArthur sought to account for what he called, with begrudging respect, the “almost complete unity of action of the entire native population.” His conclusion was that Filipino participation was neither rational nor political. “[T]he adhesive principle comes from ethnological homogeneity,” he stated, “which induces men to respond for a time to the appeals of consanguineous leadership, even when such action is opposed to their own interests.” [91] General Young concurred. “’The keynote of the insurrection among the Filipinos past, present and future is not tyranny,’” he stated in an April 1901 address, “for we are not tyrants. It is race.” [92]
U.S. soldiers also increasingly defined the entire Filipino population as the enemy. Race became a sanction for exterminist war, the means by which earlier distinctions between combatants and non-combatants—already fragile—eroded or collapsed entirely. As long as popular support for the rebellion was conceived of as “political”—as a matter of decisions, interests and incentives—within an ultimately pluralistic Filipino polity, the task of the U.S. Army was to “persuade” Filipinos of various sectors to accept U.S. sovereignty. That this “persuasion” might take terrible, total forms was something that U.S. officials readily acknowledged. But no such persuasion was possible where “ethnological homogeneity” governed over reason. The Filipinos were one united “race”; its “savagery” placed it outside the bounds of “civilized” warfare: the two explanatory halves converged, pincer-like, into racial exterminist war as the only means to “peace.”
Close ties between race and exterminist warfare can be found in the ever-present racial terms employed by U.S. soldiers’ in their descriptions of violence against prisoners and civilians. In 1902, for example, Albert Gardner, in Troop B of the 1st U.S. Cavalry, composed a would-be comic song dedicated to “water-cure” torture—in which filthy water was poured into the mouths of Filipino prisoners, drowning them--sung to the tune of the Battle Hymn of the Republic:
1st
Get the good old syringe boys and fill it to the brim
We’ve caught another nigger and we’ll operate on him
Let someone take the handle who can work it with a vim
Shouting the battle cry of freedom
Chorus
Hurrah Hurrah We bring the Jubilee
Hurrah Hurrah The flag that makes him free
Shove in the nozzel [sic] deep and let him taste of liberty
Shouting the battle cry of freedom. [93]
Racial terms were employed in accounts of the shooting of Filipino prisoners, often disguised as failed “escapes.” William Eggenberger reported hearing at one point that the “niggers” would “all the am [sic] prisoners they capture from now on, and of corse [sic] we will ring [sic] all the damn necks of the ones we capture too…” [94] He recorded several occasions of shooting prisoners attempting to “escape,” but later confessed that
When we capture a suspicious nigger, we generally loose him in the swamps, that is he is lost and he isn’t lost but he never shows up any more. Turn about is fair play. They do it to us and we do it to them, they killed three of our fellows with out mercy but we have taken a very sweet revenge and a very clear revenge to them too. [95]
One of the most banal and brutal manifestations of racial exterminism was U.S. soldiers’ imagination of the war as hunting. The Manila occupation and early conventional warfare had frustrated U.S. soldiers’ martial masculinity; the metaphor of the hunt made war, at last, into masculine self-fulfillment. [96] All at once, a language of hunting animalized Filipinos, made sense of guerrilla war to American troops, and joined them in manly fraternity. “I don’t know when the thing will let out,” wrote Louis Hubbard one week into the war, “and don’t care as we are having lots of excitement. It makes me think of killing jack rabbits.” [97] Earl Pearsall jotted in his diary on the third day of the war that “[o]ur boys kept them on the run and shot them down like rabbits.” [98] John F. Bright described one advance near San Juan Bridge: “As we advanced they would jump up like rabbits only a few feet from us, dead game ready to sell their lives as dearly as possible, but we shot them down before they could do any damage.” [99]
Racial terms explicitly linked hunting to exterminism. “There is no question that our men do ‘shoot niggers’ somewhat in the sporting spirit,” admitted Wells. “It is lots of sport to hunt these black devils,” wrote Louis Hubbard just three weeks into the war. [100] Private George Osborn of the 6th Infantry wrote home from Negros on January 15, 1900: “Just back from the fight. Killed 22 niggers captured 29 rifels [sic] and 1 shotgun and I tell you it was a fight… we just shot the niggers like a hunter would rabbits…” [101] In April 1899, Lieutenant Tefler wrote from Marilao that night-time scouting raids were his men’s only relief from the boredom of guarding a railroad, that it was “great fun for the men to go on ‘nigger hunts.’” [102]
Racial-exterminist sentiment of this kind was not uncommon in U.S. soldiers’ songs, diaries and letters. It was at the very center of the most popular of the U.S. army’s marching songs, which marked the Filipino population as a whole as the enemy and made killing Filipinos the only means to their “civilization.”
Damn, damn, damn the Filipino
Pock-marked khakiac ladrone;
Underneath the starry flag
Civilize him with a Krag,
And return us to our own beloved home. [103]
One Nebraskan soldier boasted to his parents of his comrades’ bold, aggressive fighting spirit, restrained only by officers’ reticence. “If they would turn the boys loose,” he wrote, “there wouldn’t be a nigger left in Manila twelve hours after.” [104] Henry Hackthorn explained to his family that the war, which he regretted, had been avoidable but “the niggers got in a hurry.” “We would kill all in sight if we could only receive the necessary orders,” he wrote. [105] A dramatic monologue entitled “The Sentry” written and published by a U.S. soldier, features a sympathetic portrayal of a lonely U.S. sentry on watch-duty. “If I catch one of those bolo-men slinking around me, I’ll just plug the son-of-a-gun full of holes,” he says, just before he is treacherously killed. “I hate the very sight of their black hides.” [106] Eggenberger reported happily in March 1900 that Macabebes had killed 130 “ladrones” without one escape. “[L]et the good work go on we will have the damn bug eaters sivilized [sic] if we have to bury them to do it,” he wrote. [107] The year before, he had casually urged his family to have an old friend write to him. “[T]ell him if he don’t rite [sic] to me when i get back i will take him for a nigger and bombard him, tell him no Amegoes (friends) will go then, ha ha.” [108] A war of “no amigos” was a war without surrender.
Race and Atrocity
Just as imperialists had mobilized racial ideologies to defend the war’s ends, so too was race made to defend its means, undermining moral and legal claims against American soldiers accused of “marked severities” in the halls of U.S. governance, in press debates and in courts-martial. [109] When Senate hearings between January and June 1902 raised the question of U.S. atrocities, the U.S. Army’s defenders repeatedly held that abuses were rare; that where they occurred they were swiftly and thoroughly punished; and that testimony to the contrary was characterized by partisan and cowardly—possibly traitorous--exaggeration. But racial arguments, in at least three varieties, were central to the administration’s defense.
The first variant claimed that the Filipinos’ guerrilla war, as “savage” war, was entirely outside the moral and legal standards and strictures of “civilized” war. Those who adopted guerrilla war, it was argued, surrendered all claims to bounded violence and mercy from their opponent. Captain John H. Parker employed this line of argument in a November 1900 letter to President Roosevelt complaining that the U.S. Army should not “attempt to meet a half civilized foe… with the same methods devised for civilized warfare against people of our own race, country and blood.” [110] This point was also made at Senate hearings in 1902, when General Hughes described the burning of entire towns by advancing U.S. troops to Senator Rawlins as a means of "punishment," and Rawlins inquired: "But is that within the ordinary rules of civilized warfare?..." General Hughes replied succinctly: "These people are not civilized." [111]
In their effort to depict Filipino combat as "savage," the war's defenders made much of what they considered Filipino "race war" against whites. Racial exterminism by whites, it seemed, was merely the inevitable, progressive working out of history; race war took place only when non-whites resisted white domination, in violation of the natural order. [112] Evidence of a Filipino "race war" was found in what was represented as an early 1899 military order by General Teodoro Sandiko, a document reputedly captured by U.S. soldiers. [113] In it, Sandiko allegedly commanded Filipinos inside the U.S.-occupied city of Manila to revolt in preparation for an invasion of the city from the outside by the army of the Republic: not only U.S. soldiers, but all "whites" inside the city were to be killed. While evidence of U.S. racial exterminist atrocities was cut off by censorship, the "Sandiko order" was widely promoted in the U.S. press as early as April 1899 as signs of Filipino "savagery." "The war has developed into a race war," wrote John F. Bass of the Sandiko order in Harper's Weekly. "After this let no one raise his voice to favor Aguinaldo's government or army." There was "no choice of methods" ahead, only the need for a "strong military government, untempered by mercy." [114] Use of the "Sandiko order" intensified with the Presidential race of 1900, finding its way into Vice Presidential candidate Theodore Roosevelt's speeches, and even into the Republican platform. [115] The Filipinos' "race war," it appeared, contrasted sharply with the war of "civilization" waged by the United States.
If the first argument defined U.S. actions as outside of the moral and legal framework of “civilized war,” the second explained American atrocities in a way that distanced them from U.S. initiative. “Civilized” men might reluctantly adopt “savage” methods to defeat savages, but they could do so without surrendering their civilization; guerrilla war was tactical for whites, “ethnological” for non-whites. This argument required emphasis on racial solidarity between domestic U.S. audiences and American soldiers. Maj.-General S. B. M. Young accused those who had claimed “that our soldiers are barbarous savages… and not fit to be considered as civilized,” as “abusing their own flesh and blood” for political advantage. He found the anti-imperialists more traitorous even than the Civil War’s Copperheads had been; the latter, at least, had been defending “kindred,” where the current war had been “against a cruel and vindictive lot of savages, who were in no way related to us.” [116] Henry Cabot Lodge expressed similar sentiment in an address before the Senate. “One would suppose from what has been said here in debate,” he stated, “that it was an army of aliens and mercenaries; that we had out there in the Philippine Islands some strange foreign force which we had let loose upon that helpless people.” But this was not the case. “Why, Mr. President, those soldiers are our own. They are our flesh and blood, bone of our bone, flesh of our flesh.” If U.S. atrocities were not a matter of “race,” they must be a matter of emulation: Americans appropriated what little “savagery” they had undertaken from their immediate surroundings. “What is it which has led them to commit these atrocities which we all so much regret and over which we sorrow?” Lodge asked.
I think I know why these things have happened. I think they have grown out of the conditions of warfare, of the war that was waged by the Filipinos themselves, a semicivilized people, with all the tendencies and characteristics of Asiatics, with the Asiatic indifference to life, with the Asiatic treachery and the Asiatic cruelty, all tinctured and increased by three hundred years of subjection to Spain. [117]
The third argument attributed U.S. atrocities entirely to Macabebe collaborators organized into Scout units. If the “emulation” argument suggested that Americans were merely imitating “savages,” the third argument was that atrocities had been committed almost entirely by cooperating Filipino troops over which American officers had little or no control. [118] Call it a policy of outsourcing “savagery”: where the Macabebe Scouts had been earlier hailed as “Filipinos in Uncle Sam’s Uniforms,” they were represented during atrocity investigations as a kind of mad unconscious that could neither be dispensed with nor fully harnessed. In response to reports that certain Macabebe units had looted the town of Magallanes and raped women there, for example, General Wheaton noted that they were “in these outrages, conducting themselves in their usual and customary manner.” [119] Brigadier-General Frederick Funston strongly denied his own troops had committed the “water cure,” but it was “common knowledge” that Macabebes had done so “when not under the direct control of some officer” and it was “utterly impossible to prevent a few offenses of this kind.” Responsibility went only as far as race. Funston had “never heard of its having been administered to a native by a white man.” [120]
The last act of the administration’s political counter-offensive was an (almost) final declaration of the end of the war. As one Washington Post editorial noted, the McKinley and Roosevelt administrations had attempted, and failed repeatedly, to end the war by fiat; indeed, it observed, the conflict had been "brought to an end on six different occasions" since the first declaration of U.S. victory. "A bad thing cannot be killed too often," it stated. Two months after his address at Arlington, President Theodore Roosevelt attempted to “kill” the war yet again, declaring the Philippine-American War officially over on July 4, 1902, as if cued by John Philip Sousa himself. [121] Returning U.S. soldiers, freed up by the transfer of military power to the Scouts and police power to the newly-formed Philippine Constabulary, were perhaps the most potent if illusory signs to American audiences of an “insurrection” well-ended. [122] But this was a continually beleaguered fiction that sometimes resulted in unflattering reversals: between 1901 and 1905, parts of the provinces of Batangas, Cebu, Bohol, Samar, Cavite and Albay would be returned to military authority in response to persistent “ladronism.” [123] The war’s phantom life after mid-1902 was best indicated by the Commission’s Bandolerismo Statute of November 1902, which even more than Roosevelt’s declaration, ended the war by fiat, defining any remaining Filipino resistance to American authority as “banditry” rather than “insurrection.” Second was the Reconcentration Act of 1903 which, to the contrary, extended the war in tactical terms by authorizing use of wartime measures where necessary under civilian authority; liberal use would be made of this in subsequent years, in Albay and Bicol in 1903 and Batangas and Cavite in 1905. [124] The Commission would pass specific, separate acts shifting authority from the military to civilians, officially “ending” the war in these regions in silent, piecemeal fashion until 1913.
As power shifted from the U.S. Army to civilian administrators, a process that was tense and reversible, so too did the racial formation that would organize U.S. colonialism in the Philippines. On the face of it, the new regime’s racial terms—“tutelage,” “uplift”, “evolution,” “assimilation”—were dramatic departures from the depths of racial-exterminism, departures that closely corresponded to the needs of an emerging Filipino-American collaborationist state whose “internal frontiers” would emerge as the next ground of struggle.
This cartoon from Public Opinion of June 1902 offers civilian colonial rule, in the form of the Philippine Bill, as a favorable alternative to war. It does so by dividing the Philippine population into the “savage” population still resisting, and the “civilized” population collaborating peacefully with U. S. colonial state builders. Images like these paved the way for a postwar racial state predicated on notions of “tutelage” and “assimilation” and illustrate the political dynamism of race.
If the U.S. military’s distrust of the new administrators, and the frequent refusal of officers to take part in its new, inter-racial rituals, suggested conflict, there were also continuities: students needed to be tested and disciplined, children were to be supervised, controlled and punished. “Benevolent” assimilation could always, implicitly, be withdrawn for the other kind. [125]
During the Philippine-American War, U.S. soldiers had borrowed and adapted a Tagalog word to create “boondock,” a term for a liminal, border region, with connotations of bewilderment and disorientation. The “boondocks” emerged where older maps failed, where prior patterns and relationships could no longer be recognized. Making sense of colonial war required Americans to develop a novel racial formation that could reorient the United States at a crucial transition in its imperial career. Filipino revolutionaries had attempted to achieve American recognition through their “civilization” and even in their fighting, but as combat and race-making became entangled, the two processes fused into racial-exterminist warfare with devastating human consequences. [126] The legacy of colonial violence would continue to haunt both societies as empire building drew the United States and the Philippines together in the 20th century.
Paul A. Kramer is an associate professor of history at Johns Hopkins University and is currently a visiting professor at the University of Michigan. He is the author of The Blood of Government: Race, Empire, the United States nd the Philippines (University of North Carolina Press, 2006). His web site can be found here.
Notes:
[1] Theodore Roosevelt, Address of President Roosevelt at Arlington, Memorial Day, May 30, 1902, (United States: 1902).
[2] Traditional historiography on the war minimizes U. S. racial animus and atrocity and emphasizes the “benevolence” of the U. S. campaign. See John Gates, Schoolbooks and Krags: The U. S. Army in the Philippines, 1898-1902 (Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1973); Brian McAllister Linn, The U. S. Army Counterinsurgency in the Philippine War, 1899-1902 (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1989); Linn, The Philippine War, 1899-1902 (Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2000); Linn, “Taking Up the White Man’s Burden: The U. S. Military in the Philippines, 1898-1902,” in Luis E. González Vales, ed., 1898: Enfoques y Perspectivas (San Juan, Puerto Rico: Academia Puertorriqueña de la Historia, 1997), 111-142. For more nuanced accounts, see Resil B. Mojares, The War against the Americans: Resistance and Collaboration in Cebu, 1899-1906 (Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila University Press, 1999); Glenn Anthony May, Battle for Batangas: A Philippine Province at War (Quezon City: New Day, 1993); For a recent collection of historical essays and artworks relating to the war, see Angel Velasco Shaw and Luis H. Francia, eds., Vestiges of War: The Philippine-American War and the Aftermath of an Imperial Dream, 1899-1999 (New York: New York University Press, 2002).
[3] Stuart Creighton Miller, “Benevolent Assimilation”: The American Conquest of the Philippines, 1899-1903 (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1982).
[4] On the political dynamism of race, see Michael Omi and Howard Winant, Racial Formation in the United States from the 1960s to the 1990s (New York, 1994), esp. chaps. 1—5; Thomas C. Holt, “Marking: Race, Race-Making, and the Writing of History,” American Historical Review, 100 (Feb. 1995), 1—20; Etienne Balibar, "Racism and Nationalism," in Etienne Balibar and Immanuel Maurice Wallerstein, eds., Race, Nation, Class: Ambiguous Identities (London ; New York: Verso, 1991); Barbara J. Fields, “Ideology and Race in American History,” in Region, Race, and Reconstruction: Essays in Honor of C. Vann Woodward ed. J. Morgan Kousser and James M. McPherson (New York, 1982), 143—78. For the argument that U. S. Indian policy was the “origin” of Philippine policy, see Walter L. Williams, "United States Indian Policy and the Debate over Philippine Annexation: Implications for the Origins of American Imperialism," Journal of American History Vol. 66, No. 4 (1980). On the broader reconstruction of race in the context of U. S. colonialism in the Philippines, see Paul A. Kramer, The Blood of Government: Race, Empire, the United States and the Philippines (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2006).
[5] For the purposes of this essay, exterminist warfare is warfare in which non-combatants are viewed as legitimate targets during the duration of combat but co-existence is imagined as a postwar goal; I distinguish this from genocide, in which violence is organized around the deliberate elimination of all members of an “enemy” society. I refrain from the use of the category of “total war” due to the category’s vague boundaries. On the concept of exterminism, see Dirk Bönker, “Militarizing the Western World: Navalism, Empire and State-Building Before World War I,” (PhD thesis, The Johns Hopkins University, 2002). On “total war” during the Philippine-American War, see May, “Was the Philippine-American War a ‘Total War’?” in Manfred F. Boemeke, Roger Chickering, Stig Förster. eds., Anticipating Total War: The German and American Experiences, 1871-1914 (Washington, D.C.: German Historical Institute; Cambridge, U.K. ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 1999). For an intriguing comparative perspective on these questions see Helmut Walser Smith, “The Logic of Colonial Violence: Germany in Southwest Africa (1904-1907); the United States in the Philippines (1899-1902),” in Hartmut Lehmann and Hermann Wellenreuther, eds., German and American Nationalism: A Comparative Perspective (New York: Berg, 1999), 205-231. On other U. S. race wars, see John Dower, War Without Mercy: Race and Power in the Pacific War, 7th printing (New York: Pantheon Books, 1993); Mark Grimsley, “'Rebels' and 'Redskins': U.S. Military Conduct toward White Southerners and Native Americans in Comparative Perspective,” in Mark Grimsley and Clifford J. Rogers, eds., Civilians in the Path of War (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, c2002), 137-161.
[6] On racism in Spanish colonial policy, see Josep Fradera, “Raza y Ciudadanía: El Factor Racial en la Delimitacion de los Derechos de los Americanos,” in Gobernar Colonias (Ediciones Peninsula, 1999).
[7] John Schumacher, The Propaganda Movement, 1880-1895 (Manila: Solidaridad Publishing House, 1973).
[8] La Solidaridad, 1889-1895, Translated by Guadalupe Fores-Ganzon, vol.s 1-5; Luis Matheru, Vols. 6-7 (Manila: Fundacion Santiago, 1997). For the case of Rizal, see Paul A. Dumol, "Rizal Contra European Racism: An Autobiography of Jose Rizal Embedded in Blumentritt's Obituary of Rizal," in European Studies: Essays by Filipino Scholars (Diliman: University of the Philippines, 1999).
[9] Teodoro A. Agoncillo, Malolos: The Crisis of the Republic (Quezon City,: University of the Philippines, 1960); Cesar Adib Majul, The Political and Constitutional Ideas of the Philippine Revolution, rev. ed. (New York; Oriole Editions, 1974 [1967).
[10] On the U. S. Army’s attempt to regulate prostitution in the interests of venereal disease control, see Paul A. Kramer, “The Darkness that Enters the Home: The Politics of Prostitution During the Philippine-American War,” in Ann Stoler, ed., Haunted by Empire: Race and Intimacy in North American History (Durham: Duke University Press, 2006).
[11] [unsigned], from Wisconsin Weekly Advocate, May 17, 1900, in Willard Gatewood, "Smoked Yankees" and the Struggle for Empire: Letters from Negro Soldiers 1898-1902 (Urbana, Chicago and London: University of Illinois Press, 1971), 279.
[12] Quoted in Lewis O. Saum, “The Western Volunteer and ‘The New Empire,’” Pacific Northwest Quarterly, Vol. 57, No. 1 (Jan. 1966), 22.
[13] Felipe Agoncillo, “Memorial to the Senate of the United States” (Washington, DC, 1899), 2, 7.
[14] On the links between “print-capitalism” and nationalist “imagined community,” see Benedict Anderson, Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism (London: Verso Press, 1991). On the press during the Philippine-American War, see John Lent, “The Philippine Press During the Revolution and the Filipino-American War,” Asian Thought and Society, Vol. III, No. 9 (December 1978), 308-321; see also Jesús Valenzuela, History of Journalism in the Philippine Islands (Manila: Published by the Author, 1933).
[15] “Nuestro Programa,” La Independencia, Year 1, No. 1 (September 3, 1898). All quotations from La Independencia are translations from the original Spanish by the author.
[16] Advertisement for La Independencia, Year 1, No. 2 (September 5, 1898); See, for example, “El Espíritu de la Asociación,” La Independencia, Year 1, No. 5 (September 9, 1898); “De Higiene Pública,” La Independencia, Year 1, No. 36 (October 17, 1898); “Los Presupuestos,” La Independencia, Year 1, No. 41 (October 22, 1898); “Apuntes Sobre Enseñanza,” La Independencia, Year 1, No. 47 (October 29, 1898); “Moralización,” La Independencia, Year 1, No. 63 (November 18, 1898).
[17] L. R. Sargent, "In Aguinaldo's Realm," The New York Independent, Sept. 14 1899, 2477.
[18] U. S. Senate, Senate Document No. 196, Report of Tour through the Island of Luzon, 56th Congress, 1st Session, Feb. 23, 1900, 13.
[19] Sargent, "In Aguinaldo's Realm," 2479.
[20] Sargent, "In Aguinaldo's Realm," 2480-1.
[21] Report of Tour through the Island of Luzon, 20.
[22] Sargent, 2481.
[23] Wilcox and Sargent, 16.
[24] "General McReeve's Interview," reprinted in The Anti-Imperialist, Vol. 1, No. 3 (July 4, 1899), 18. On discourses of slavery and anti-slavery in Philippine-American colonial politics, see Michael Salman, The Embarrassment of Slavery: Controversies over Bondage and Nationalism in the American Colonial Philippines (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2001).
[25] Wilcox and Sargent, 20.
[26] Wilcox and Sargent, 20.
[27] Palmer, “White Man and Brown Man in the Philippines,” 79.
[28] William McKinley to the Secretary of War, December 21, 1898, in "Message from the President of the United States," Senate Document No. 208, 56th Congress, 1st Session (1899-1900), 82-3.
[29] G. Apacible, Al Pueblo Americano/To the American People (Anti-Imperialist League, 1900).
[30] "To the Filipino People," Exhibit 992, J. R. M. Taylor, ed., The Philippine Insurrection, Vol. V, 96. Taylor speculates that its author was Emilio Aguinaldo; a likely candidate is Apolinario Mabini.
[31] For the best account of the domestic U. S. politics of the war remains Richard E. Welch Jr., Response to Imperialism. The United States and the Philippine -American War, 1899—1902 (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1979). On U. S. anti-imperialism, see Daniel Schirmer, Republic or Empire: American Resistance to the Philippine War (Cambridge, Mass., 1972); Robert L. Beisner, Twelve against Empire: The Anti-Imperialists, 1898—1900 (New York, 1968); Jim Zwick, ed., Sentenaryo/Cenennial,
Posted at Japan Focus on June 2, 2006.DONALD Trump has a secret codeword for when he wants sex.
It’s official. Donald Trump is the 45th President of the United States. But what happens when him and Melania want to spice things up in the bedroom? Well, there’s a procedure in place for just that…
GETTY RAUNCHY: The Donald has a codeword for sex
Melania Trump: Former model and First Lady Former model Melania Trump is married to American businessman and 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump. 1 / 26 AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump walk down the stairs to greet guests during the military families picnic at the White House
If Donald wants some private time with Melania, there is a special Secret Service code. President Obama was known as “Renegade” while Michelle Obama was “Renaissance”. And the code for having sex was “discussing the Bosnian problem”.
GETTY COUPLE: Donald and Melania married in 2005
Babes for Trump Here are the hottest photos of Babes For Trump, the sexy fans of Republican candidate Donald Trump 1 / 17 SPLASH Liziane Gutierrez offers free car wash to Trump fans[Oslo, Norway] News that Donald Trump has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize has caused widespread outrage, but not in the country charged with selecting the shortlist and the ultimate recipient. In fact they are quite open to the idea, according to Berit Reiss-Anderse, chair of the Norwegian Committee which awards the annual Nobel Peace Prize.
“If being awarded the Peace Prize persuades Donald Trump to withdraw from public life, we can think of no better purpose.”
Though normally thought of as being in recognition of past actions benefiting humankind, the concept of proactively awarding the Peace Prize to influence future behavior is not new. In awarding it to President Obama early in his first term, the Noble Committee explicitly acknowledged their intent was to encourage him to fulfill his great promise throughout the remainder of his time in office.
“Similarly, in this instance we would award it hoping that it would make Mister Trump feel he has achieved enough on the world stage already, resulting in him stepping down and shutting the hell up once and for all.”
In a reversal of their normal practice, his citation would highlight all the non-peaceful occurrences in the future that are being averted by his accepting the honor and disappearing from our lives altogether.HD Radio is a high definition terrestrial digital broadcast signal that is only used in North America. It is easily recognized by the two rectangular blocks on either side of a broadcast FM station signal on a spectrum analyzer/waterfall display. Since HD Radio uses a proprietary protocol, finding a way to decode it has been difficult and so this signal has been inaccessible to SDR users for a long time. Back in February of this year we posted about Phil Burrs attempt, where he was able to create a partial implementation (up to layer 2) of the HD Radio standard, but didn’t get far enough to decode any audio in layer 3.
However, now cyber security researcher ‘Theori’ has created a full RTL-SDR based decoder for the HD Radio protocol. In his post Theori explains that the HD Radio system is split into three layers. Layer 1 finds the signals and does decoding and error correction. Layer 2 is a multiplexing layer, which allows various layer 3 applications to share the bandwidth. Layer 3 is the audio data layer. In his post he explains how these layers work in detail.
One of the main findings was the discovery of the audio compression codec. Theori found that the codec was essentially HE-AAC with some minor modifications. The modifications were minor enough that he was able to adapt the open source FAAD2 library for HD Radio audio decoding.
Theori’s code is open source and available on GitHub. The code includes the patch to modify FAAD2 for HD Radio and it is automatically applied during the build. A sample file for testing the decoder is also provided and we tested the decoder with the sample and it worked well. The decoding can also be performed in real time and examples of that are also on the git readme.Did someone get a 3 a.m. phone call from Goldman Sachs? After her comments this week at a rally for Martha Coakley (whose campaign is touting an internal poll in which she’s down 2!) got her in some “you didn’t build that” trouble, she sought to clarify in New York:
SOMERS, N.Y. — When Hillary Clinton fumbled a line at a rally last Friday — “Don’t let anybody tell you that corporations and businesses create jobs” — the comment caused a minor outrage among political observers. Republicans said she’d been pandering to liberals. Democrats wondered if she’d been trying too hard to channel Elizabeth Warren, the populist senator who also spoke at the event. On Monday, Clinton went out of her way to correct the comment at a rally for Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, the Democrat up for reelection in this Hudson Valley district. Clinton said in her speech that corporations that outsource jobs or move profits overseas should not be granted tax breaks. The clarification made clear that the remark was a botched line — not new messaging from Clinton, who has honed a new stump speech during a series of rallies ahead the election next month. “The Republican alternative |
stand.
[Sources: G1988, TheHighDefinite, LaughingSquid, /film, Flavorwire, Miranda Dressler, Cuyler Smith, Anthony Petrie, PoppedCulture]
“It Is All Illusion” by Aaron Jasinski
“Out on a Limb” by Julian Callos
By Angryblue
By Fernando Reza
By Evanimal
By Glenn Brogan
By Ridge Rooms
“It’s an illusion, Michael.” by Jessica Deahl
By Danielle Buerli
Gob by Rich Pellegrino
By Rich Pellegrino
By Dan Black
Inspired by The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine (with Tobias Fünke as the Blue Meanie) by Scott Derby
by Priscilla Wilson
Tobias Funke pieces by Michelle Coffee
By Justin White
“Bluth Family Chicken Dance” (detail) By Ian Glaubinger
By Fred Harper
“Friend of Dorothy” By Anthony Petrie
By Miranda Dressler
“Bluth Thanksgiving” by Cuyler SmithTwo parallel developments are currently taking place in European defense.
One is the highly publicised expectation that the tiny Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) will transform into a comprehensive and powerful EU defense project. The EU and its member states have been celebrating the most recent steps in this direction: the launch of the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), to deepen defense cooperation; the launch of the European Defense Fund (EDF), to finance joint research and capability projects; and finally, the Coordinated Annual Review on Defense (CARD), which is supposed to synchronize EU defense planning.
The second development is receiving far less attention. Paris is launching defense cooperation initiatives outside the EU format, thus moving from an EU-focused to a European-oriented defense approach. The centerpiece is the European Intervention Initiative (EII). It should enable European states that are willing and able to act militarily to do so independently from the existing institutional frameworks of the EU or NATO.
The objective is operational readiness. This means having the right stuff at the right moment to get things done, without being constrained by political or institutional obstacles. While there is not much noise being made about this development, its contribution to European defense might materialise more quickly, is likely to be more substantial than what’s currently being done in the EU, and could hamper EU defense efforts.
French President Emmanuel Macron launched the idea in his September 2017 Sorbonne speech. The French Strategic Review of Defense and National Security, released in October 2017, put the EII on Paris’s priority list. There were three reasons for this.
First, France considers its Southern neighbourhood as the most important challenge for its national security—as well as for Europe’s—but does not feel that Paris gets sufficient support to handle defense challenges in the region. Second, France is no longer able to cope with these challenges on its own: the military is overstretched and the funding is not in line with the size of the task. Paris needs partners—beyond the United States, whose political leadership raises uncertainty, and beyond the United Kingdom, which risks becoming a militarily dwarf if the country’s planned budget cuts are implemented. Finally, Paris fears that the current EU defense announcements will once again be all talk and no action.
France is therefore seeking solutions outside the EU framework. European defense has to deliver on capabilities and operations, not on institutional aesthetics, and it needs to do so quickly.
In short, the EII is the opposite of PESCO. It is flexible, linked to operational readiness, and exclusive, as it is supposed to be comprised only of states that are truly interested in defense. It takes place outside EU and NATO, thus seeking to circumvent their slow and cumbersome processes and the miniscule contribution of some members that are symbolically valuable, but of little military use. It also has a flexible and voluntary opt-in format, where states gather around a bigger and experienced backbone state like France and plug in their contributions, allowing all of them to increase their power. Natural partners would include EU countries, like Spain, but also non-EU NATO countries, such as Norway.
For France, the EII is an element in a grand design: the development of a common European strategic culture, to be forged via common operations and cooperation in view of reaching operational autonomy and assuring European sovereignty. Yet many Europeans fear that Paris is just trying to use Europe for its own goals. Because Paris cannot accomplish the things that it wants to get done on its own, it is seeking support. And because the EU might not deliver, and NATO is too much of a headache, Paris is looking for alternatives. France’s strategic review thus pragmatically calls for France to seek the “optimal combination of different formats of European cooperation […] in a differentiated logic.”
Europeans should watch this space closely. If one of the strongest and (operationally) most willing military actors in Europe is turning away from the current EU defense hype, these new settings might not be as promising as many observers think they are. This means, in turn, that the Europeans are faced with two competing options: cooperating within the EU or outside of it. If all goes well, all formats will be mutually reinforcing. If not, and the capable and the willing act outside EU frameworks, they risk devaluing the union.
The choice of the framework has wide political implications. It is about having security and politics within a single framework—the EU—or having security distinct from it.
To reconcile EU and European defense, there is mainly one option. France and Germany need to team up. Everything else will leave the Europeans with fewer choices and less security. One option is to effectively link the EII and the Framework Nations Concept (FNC), a German idea to organize defense cooperation in Europe.
The logic is similar. One larger state offers the backbone and the others plug in. While Germany focuses on capabilities, the EII is about operations. Many Europeans want the operational element of the FNC, which is sorely lacking, to be developed. The would create an operational FNC. It would provide a much needed sign of strength if Berlin and Paris were to act together and accept that operations and capabilities are two sides of the same coin of Europe’s security needs.
Berlin, however, still needs to deliver in the EU. It is among the few members that can generate results in PESCO. And delivering relevant capabilities in the EU is the only thing that could keep France interested in EU defense.
Claudia Major is a senior associate for international security at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) and a member of Women in International Security (WIIS) Berlin. Christian Mölling is the research director at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP).ADVERTISEMENT
The recycling industry's goal is to make the world a greener place, but the actual process comes at a price — namely in gas and carbon dioxide emissions. But a promising new technology from the University of Cambridge aims to cut down on excessive energy use by employing lasers to remove ink from used paper, allowing it to be reused. Here, a quick guide to this experimental concept:
What is this new device, exactly?
Its creators are calling it a "laser unprinter," and it works by vaporizing the toner from traditional printers without damaging or discoloring the paper underneath. The device uses ultrashort pulses of green laser light — each flash is four billionths of a second — to remove (or ablate, in scientific terms) dried toner ink. It "simply deletes sheets of paper," says Sebastian Anthony at ExtremeTech, wiping them clean for reuse.
Is this concept new?
Not quite. Toshiba already sells a printer that utilizes a special type of blue toner that can be almost be completely erased with heat treatment, says Paul Marks at New Scientist. This new device, however, takes the technology one step further by zapping off ink from any normal office document.
And it's good for the environment?
In more ways that you'd think. "The primary goal of unprinting is to cut down on the carbon footprint of the paper and printing industries," says Anthony. The recycling industry, with its multitude of trucks and factories, produces millions of tons of CO2 every year. This laser concept cuts down on electricity use, CO2 emissions, and takes the gallons of fresh water used to re-pulp recycled paper out of the equation entirely. In a conservative, worst-case scenario, the team from the University of Cambridge estimates their "unprinter" could cut carbon emissions in half while making the recycling process 20 times more efficient, making their laser "green" in more ways than one.
When can we get one?
That's the only problem, says Keith Wagstaff at TIME. The team has yet to secure patents for the idea, and they haven't approached copier makers about utilizing the technology — so don't expect a laser unprinter in your office anytime soon.
Sources: ExtremeTech, Los Angeles Times, New Scientist, PC Mag, TIMERunning for president: it used to be cool, something young kids and starry-eyed dreamers actually aspired to do. And understandably so. To be the leader of the free world, man! Whether you want to max out your ambition, boldly strive to change the world, or just succumb to the indulgences of power, the Oval Office is one of the ultimate highs.
Yet 2012 is shaping up to be the year where the people who are held in the highest esteem are those who aren't choosing to run for president, while the candidates themselves are kicked at, like the last remaining shoes at a DSW clearance sale. Sometimes, it seems like the GOP elites have barely spent any time at all with the raft of candidates they actually have on offer. Over the past year, they've hoped for Jeb Bush, stared dreamily at Marco Rubio, mourned the opt-out decision of Mitch Daniels, and coveted the candidacy of Paul Ryan. And as they've swooned, the media has followed, because if nothing else, they know the value in the Shiny Thing, and, as NYU's professor of journalism Jay Rosen might point out, they know that fueling the speculative fires of these wanted-but-not-obtained campaigns makes them look savvy. There's nothing a decadent intelligentsia loves more than to try to spin substance out of non-thought.
This all reached an apotheosis this week, as the Last Great Hope of the Underserved Elites, Chris Christie -- after making it firm all year that he wasn't going to run -- finally succeeded in making this clear just as hard as he could. He staged a press conference, to tell the world that he was going to go on not doing the thing he'd said all along he had no intention of doing in the first place. And he went on to tell this to the world again and again and again and again. After about 20 minutes of Christie answering what amounted to the same question over and over, the event was no longer a press conference -- it was a screensaver. And MSNBC stuck with it for another 30 minutes! Here's hoping everyone at 30 Rock got to take a long lunch.
Meanwhile, at the top-tier of the primary pile, life is getting weird. Take Herman Cain, for example. Weeks ago, it looked like his quick rise had given itself over to a slow fade. But with a couple strokes of good fortune, matched by his rivals hitting some unexpected shoals, Cain surged back -- jumping to second place in some national polls. This is his big moment. This is his time to shine! And what's he doing? Well, he's quitting the campaign trail to go on a book tour. It's utterly inexplicable! Unless, of course, you figure that he understands what's going on: like Christie and Daniels and all the people who are fawned over, he's better off not becoming president. He's better off maximizing the lucrative opportunities that being in the 2012 mix provides. And that book? Well, it ends with Cain becoming president. So, in his mind, he's already achieved his goal. Doing anything more to achieve it is pointless!
And then there's Rick Perry. He was supposed to be the down-home, straight-speaking, gun-toting solution to all of that fussy talk of "compassionate conservatism." His big advantage was a long Texas career and a desire to be nothing more than a vessel -- into which Tea Party resentment, and corporate crony cash, could be poured, stirred, and steeped in a unite-the-base brew. It was all going according to plan until people discovered that the man had actual convictions -- actual beliefs that weren't tied to party dogma. He thought teenage girls in Texas should be shielded from cancer. He thought that not giving the children of undocumented immigrants an education and a chance at a life was heartless. And Perry's luster began to fade the very minute it became apparent that he actually believed things.
Finally, Mitt Romney. The best thing he's got going for him is that his campaign has cagily positioned him as the 2012 Default Setting. Folks might not like Mitt Romney, or want Mitt Romney, but it's slowly dawning on the elites that they might be stuck with him anyway. Romney's fall from esteem has been especially noteworthy. Four years ago, a sizable portion of the GOP loved the fact that he could attract Democratic voters because he had a health care reform plan that could be a model for the entire nation. Today, a sizable portion of the GOP is deeply aggrieved by the fact that Romney's positions are still comparatively attractive to Democrats, and that his health care reform actually ended up becoming the model for the entire nation.
Earlier on Friday, as Fox News' Chris Wallace came on the air to briefly talk up his Sunday morning guests, he described the state of the field in these terms: "It looks like we've got to go to war with the field we've got." Note the use of the first person plural, by all means, but let's acknowledge the air of resignation. Wallace clearly points to the sidelines for the people with whom he'd rather "go to war." That's where all the people who've earned admiration and respect are standing, and they're sitting this one out. (Also Sarah Palin is there, but her announcement was met with a shrug and quick step to more important news.) It's never been more uncool to want to be president. But in a world where it's not cool to be president, Mitt Romney may be just the guy the GOP is looking for.
Elsewhere on the trail: Ron Paul brings in an impressive haul of cash, while stepping slightly away from his libertarian roots. Rick Santorum sees a conspiracy in the way the primary calendar is shifting. Michele Bachmann is urging people not to "settle." Buddy Roemer makes his most daring move yet. And for some reason, we now know what Newt Gingrich's favorite movie is -- naturally, it's about marriage mishap! To learn more about this week in the 2012 campaign, we invite you to enter the Speculatron for the week of Oct. 7, 2012.
PHOTO GALLERY The 2012 Speculatron Weekly Roundup, October 7U.S. House of RepresentativesCommittee on Financial ServicesSubcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government Sponsored EnterprisesAssessing the Madoff Ponzi Scheme and Regulatory FailuresMonday, January 5, 2009, 2:00 p.m., 2128 Rayburn House Office BuildingWashington, DC – Congressman Paul E. Kanjorski (D-PA), the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government Sponsored Enterprises, today announced that the House Financial Services Committee will meet on Monday, January 5, 2009, to assess the alleged $50 billion investment fraud engineered by Mr. Bernard L. Madoff that is now the subject of multiple investigations. The hearing will help to guide the work of the Financial Services Committee in the 111th Congress in undertaking the most substantial rewrite of the laws governing the U.S. financial markets since the Great Depression.Original source: C-SPAN Committee page: house.gov There are 3 videos in this series. This is the January 5 hearing.Witness List & Prepared Testimony:Panel 1- Mr. H. David Kotz, Inspector General, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission- Mr. Stephen P. Harbeck, President, Securities Investor Protection CorporationPanel 2- Mr. Allan Goldstein, a retiree and investor with Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities- Ms. Tamar Frankel, Professor of Law and Michaels Faculty Research Scholar, Boston University School of Law- Mr. Leon Metzger, adjunct faculty member at Columbia University, Cornell University, New York University, and Yale Universitymass strace script a guest Mar 28th, 2015 447 Never a guest447Never
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rawdownloadcloneembedreportprint Bash 1.85 KB #!/bin/bash exec 2 > / dev / null declare -a procpidlist declare -a stracepidlist procname = " ${1} " dumpfolder = / root /.procchecks verboseoptions = "-e verbose=all -e trace=all -e read=all -e write=all" if [ [ $# -ne 3 ] ] ; then echo "Usage:./proccheck.bsh <PROCESSNAME> <TRACE TIME IN SECONDS> <NORMAL/VERBOSE>" ; echo "Usage:./proccheck.bsh exim 10 verbose" ; echo "Usage:./proccheck.bsh MailScanner 5 normal" ; exit 1 ; fi if [ [ $3 == "verbose" ] ] ; then #determine verbosity verbose = 1 else unset " ${verbose} " fi if [ [! -f / usr / bin / strace ] ] ; then #exit if no strace installed echo "strace not present. exiting." exit 1 fi procpidlist = ( $ ( nice -n -2 ps aux | grep " ${procname} " | grep -v -e grep -e " ${0} " | awk '{ print $2 }' ) ) #build pid list if [ [ -z ${dumpfolder} ] ] ; then #check for dumpfolder and delete old records if present, make folder if not. echo "Dumpfolder variable missing, exiting" exit 1 else if [ [! -d " ${dumpfolder} " ] ] ; then mkdir " ${dumpfolder} " else rm -f " ${dumpfolder} " /* fi fi count = 0 while [ [ " ${count} " -lt " ${#procpidlist[*]} " ] ] #cycle through pidlist and spawn strace procs for each pid. do if [ [ " ${verbose} " == 1 ] ] then nice -n -2 strace ${verboseoptions} -t -f -p ${procpidlist["${count} "]} &> " ${dumpfolder} "/ ${procpidlist["${count} " ] }.strace & else nice -n -2 strace -t -f -p ${procpidlist["${count} "]} &> " ${dumpfolder} "/ ${procpidlist["${count} " ] }.strace & fi lastpid = "$!" stracepidlist [ " ${count} " ] = " ${lastpid} " #store strace pid for later killing ( ( count++ ) ) done echo "Sleeping for $2 seconds" sleep $2 echo "Killing strace procs...." kill -9 ${stracepidlist[*]} #kill all strace pids echo "Outputted ${#stracepidlist[*]} records to " ${dumpfolder} ""
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#!/bin/bash exec 2> /dev/null declare -a procpidlist declare -a stracepidlist procname="${1}" dumpfolder=/root/.procchecks verboseoptions="-e verbose=all -e trace=all -e read=all -e write=all" if [[ $# -ne 3 ]] ; then echo "Usage:./proccheck.bsh <PROCESSNAME> <TRACE TIME IN SECONDS> <NORMAL/VERBOSE>" ; echo "Usage:./proccheck.bsh exim 10 verbose" ; echo "Usage:./proccheck.bsh MailScanner 5 normal" ; exit 1 ; fi if [[ $3 == "verbose" ]]; then #determine verbosity verbose=1 else unset "${verbose}" fi if [[! -f /usr/bin/strace ]] ; then #exit if no strace installed echo "strace not present. exiting." exit 1 fi procpidlist=($(nice -n -2 ps aux | grep "${procname}"| grep -v -e grep -e "${0}"| awk '{ print $2 }')) #build pid list if [[ -z ${dumpfolder} ]] ; then #check for dumpfolder and delete old records if present, make folder if not. echo "Dumpfolder variable missing, exiting" exit 1 else if [[! -d "${dumpfolder}" ]]; then mkdir "${dumpfolder}" else rm -f "${dumpfolder}"/* fi fi count=0 while [[ "${count}" -lt "${#procpidlist[*]}" ]] #cycle through pidlist and spawn strace procs for each pid. do if [[ "${verbose}" == 1 ]] then nice -n -2 strace ${verboseoptions} -t -f -p ${procpidlist["${count}"]} &> "${dumpfolder}"/${procpidlist["${count}"]}.strace & else nice -n -2 strace -t -f -p ${procpidlist["${count}"]} &> "${dumpfolder}"/${procpidlist["${count}"]}.strace & fi lastpid="$!" stracepidlist["${count}"]="${lastpid}" #store strace pid for later killing ((count++)) done echo "Sleeping for $2 seconds" sleep $2 echo "Killing strace procs...." kill -9 ${stracepidlist[*]} #kill all strace pids echo "Outputted ${#stracepidlist[*]} records to "${dumpfolder}""What you're looking at was once a fully functional Canon EOS 1000D, now merely a relic of the sea (the Pacific Ocean, to be exact), which was recently posted on Google+. User Marcus Thompson, found the DSLR washed up near a wharf while on a diving job in Deep Bay British Columbia, Canada and decided to take it home to find out what could be salvaged. After removing and cleaning the SanDisk Extreme III SD card inside of it, he was successfully able to recover about 50 photos with EXIF data from August 2010, showcasing what's described to be a firefighter and his family on vacation. While he hasn't located the owner of the shooter turned coffee table decoration just yet, Marcus is currently asking the "Google+ hive mind" to help get the two reunited. If you're from BC area and want to help out -- or just curious to see this DSLR from more angles -- you'll find some pictures from the SD card and more information about the camera at the source link below.The original Google+ post was updated within the last hour, noting that the owner of the camera has indeed been identified!As one thing breaks off from another, there is the potential for growth, expansion, an innovated path. In nature, it is called pruning. The moment the human element is raised, such ideas are not so readily taken up. The branches of our family tree are stronger — there is a psychological bond as well as the genetic memory & likeness. From the perspective of a unified people, we are often looked upon as pertaining to one linearity.* This is history, the narrative of humanity. Logic runs in the same sequential ergo; sense happens chronologically, it belongs to time.
Narrative must be understood as the means of (re)telling history, while remaining foreign to it (an exterior layer that is added superficially). Narration & history contradict one another: the devotions of narrative — as elsewhere — remain with the schisms, with the remarkable, marketable points: for it, these are history! The circularity of every-day life has no progress & therefore no place in a timeline. The “& then”s are supplanted by “suddenly”s. Chance rules, fate divines. People do not determine themselves, for which reason, as characters they are in harmony with their stories if not necessarily with life. “[T]here is no need to make us believe he** is as real as you & I; for him to be strong & unforgettable, it is enough that he fills the whole space of the situation the novelist has created for him” (Kundera The Curtain 66). The same rules could be applied to life: to be “strong & unforgettable”, one must become necessary to that existence, by willing it in its situation at every moment.
That is to say, the fatalism of a fictional character translates into ‘the will’ in actuality.
We have come to the notion of self-novelisation (which will be a regular subject of ours). It is essentially identification & the choice of the self within history, often recorded. Even more simply: the giving of meaning. For “human life as such is a defeat. All we can do in the face of that ineluctable defeat called life is to try to understand it. That — that is the raison d’être of the novel” (10), Milan Kundera states marvellously in The Curtain; & not long after: “The novel alone could reveal the immense, mysterious power of the pointless” (21). The genre is a channel of coming to terms with absurdity, just as self-novelisation is a remedial exercise that forces meaning onto the meaningless.***
For Kundera, the history of art is not infested with this human glitch. “Because while History (mankind’s History) might have the poor taste to repeat itself, the history of an art will not stand for repetitions. Art is not a village band marching dutifully along at History’s heels. It is there to create its own history” (27). From the mass of indescribable, inexplicable human events, art could be extracted with its independent history which can be understood & studied. What security! What unimaginable grounding!
This was especially important to authors of the early twentieth century when the dehumanised state made itself truly public (& still had the capacity to shock). “Then the acceleration of History took effect: whereas in the past man had lived continuously in the same setting, in a society that changed only very slowly, now the moment arrived when he suddenly began to feel History moving beneath his feet, like a rolling sidewalk” (55). While history was being made & reported daily (I’m thinking particularly of Europe & the World Wars), individuals could no longer be passive perpetuators. It will come as no surprise that this was the period of the popularisation of existential thought.
It is well-known that the beginnings of historical writing are found in the literary epic tradition where fact & myth collide to inform one another. This placed a value on the past as pertaining to the heroical & worthy — translated into “human” histories, it was the dead & elderly that came to esteem. Contemporaneity was yet to find its place, for it lacked the requisite distance of the epic. It is on account of modernist division that the self & distance could be achieved at once: the self can look into itself, a new humanism is born. [We are to pick up this thread with Sartre in two posts time.]
________________________
* Until recently, this was usually a tribal unity & then a national one. History is, in fact, the very technology that is used to establish tribal & national bonds. Contemporary attempts at globalisation fail at achieving similarly powerful unification for their lack of a shared history. Such a project remains a possibility, perhaps to be thwarted by a return to conceiving the world as “wide, wide.”
** The pronouns are gendered as the context refers to a particular character: Schweik, in Jaroslav Hašek’s The Good Soldier Schweik.
*** Other genres are restricted in subject & form, levels of frivolity, lightness or weight, & belong to a world-affirming thought system. To turn to Don Quixote de la Mancha, “it is by tearing though the curtain of pre-interpretation that Cervantes set the new art going; his destructive act echoes & extends to every novel worthy of the name” (92).
AdvertisementsI spent a couple days last week trying to replicate DotaMax’s VH match list under the new sans-date_max regime, and the good news is that their results appear legitimate. I was able to create a list of VH (and even High) games that exhibited a proper match duration distribution. The bad news is that I did it the day after 1v1 matchmaking was released, so I have to filter through yet another set of unwanted match types. But 1v1 is a unique environment where certain aspects of standard games happen in complete isolation. Even if you’re disinterested in the mode, it might be worth a look to see if it can tell us anything about standard 5v5 play.
The Radiant Advantage Continues
In previous samples that I’ve looked at, Radiant has always had the net advantage, and that trend continues here.
The two most likely drivers for Radiant advantage in 1v1 are the midlane topography and camera perspective. It’s important to keep in mind that this is likely only part of the puzzle, as there’s no time frame for 1v1 that enjoys a huge +55% advantage like the Radiant does in 20-30 minute games in 5v5. In this case, the slow shift towards a Dire advantage as we reach 20 minutes probably indicates that if a Radiant player hasn’t already capitalized on their advantage by that point then it’s slightly more likely that the Dire player is in the stronger position. I can’t imagine that there is anything comparable to Roshan that would provide the Dire a ‘late’ game advantage.
On a related note, Radiant vs Dire has been a hot topic as of recent, and I’ll have a bit more to say on it in a couple days over at liquiddota.com, so keep an eye out for it.
Shadow Fiend is Pretty Popular
It’s not much of a surprise, but Shadow Fiend tops the usage list with 14.36% of the players in the sample using that hero. In general, 1v1 is a pretty top heavy mode when it comes to hero usage. The top 3 most played heroes (Shadow Fiend, Invoker, and Pudge) combine to make up 26.36% of the heroes picked; the top 10 (the three from before and add Viper, Sniper, Queen of Pain, Windrunner, Puck, Templar Assassin, and Skywrath Mage) make up 47.70%. Given that hero usage drops off so rapidly, I’ve decided to focus primarily on the top 25 most-used heroes, as they’re the most likely to have a statistically significant number of matches recorded.
So with the top 25 established, I decided to put a little thing together. It’s only a proof of concept because the sample size is lacking, but maybe you’ll find it interesting:
And based off it, I bring you…
The Top 8 Heroes of Day 1 VH 1v1
#1: Broodmother
Finally, after years of struggling, Broodmother has a mode to shine in. She’s put in the top win rate so far at 71%, and it’s no wonder why as she has positive matchups across the board, including absolutely brutal matchup advantages over Invoker and Pudge. The spider queen only has one negative matchup in the entire list, a 44% against Death Prophet, and even that is mitigated by the fact that I only have nine Broodmother vs Death Prophet matches on record. Queen of Pain is another tight matchup, and Shadow Shaman, Shadow Fiend, and Kunkka all put up decent fights.
#2: Bane
Coming in at 2nd with a win rate just short of 69%, Bane is the first of the two caster specialists with no real push power in the top 8. Bane’s big call to fame is having the best recorded matchup against Shadow Fiend, which is nice when he happens to be the most likely matchup you’ll run into. Bane generally does best against right-click specialists, I assume largely due to Enfeeble, but Templar Assassin and Outworld Destroyer put up tough fights. Where Bane struggles (or at least dominates less consistently) is against top end pushers. Broodmother wrecks him, and both Shadow Shaman and Death Prophet are near even (Pugna, for whatever reason, struggles). Invoker is also a very even matchup, perhaps in part because Forge Spirits bypasses Enfeeble?
#3: Templar Assassin
Templar Assassin has positive matchups almost across the board. Bane is slightly negative at 46%, and besides that, her three bad matchups are all heroes with ways to strip away her Refraction charges, Broodmother, Viper, and Venomancer. She also has the best overall win rate against the popularity trinity of Shadow Fiend, Invoker, and Pudge.
#4: Shadow Shaman
Shadow Shaman is the first of the top 8 push specialist trinity. He’s one of the most consistent hero in the top 8, in that he has no dramatically bad matchups but less dominant matchups than the top 3. Broodmother and Templar Assassin are the worst, but both are just above 40%. Shadow Shaman’s best matchup is surprisingly Outworld Devourer. OD is supposed to dominate 1v1s vs Intelligence heroes, but so far he is struggling against every Int hero in the top 8.
#5: Death Prophet
Pretty similar to Shadow Shaman, but her one downside is she’s only a 50/50 matchup against Shadow Fiend, Invoker, and Pudge.
#6: Viper
Viper is a peculiar case. Once you move past the dominating duo of Broodmother and Bane he does pretty well, but he doesn’t dominate the bottom half of the 25 most common nearly as consistently as the rest of the top 8. Outworld Devourer is an even matchup, along with Tinker and Silencer, and of the three only OD has one other matchup against the top 8 that’s better than 40%. Viper also struggles against Phantom Assassin and Pugna.
#7: Pugna
Of the push specialist trinity, Pugna is the most feast or famine. One interesting tidbit about the trinity is that they have a bit of a rock-paper-scissors thing going on. Pugna has a slight advantage against Death Prophet, Death Prophet has a slight advantage against Shadow Shaman, and Shadow Shaman has a slight advantage against Pugna. But none of these heroes are extremely popular, so this could all just be noise.
#8: Skywrath Mage
Skywrath is the hero I’m most surprised to see in the top 8, but he does pretty well against most of the 25 and has one of the top win rates against Shadow Fiend and Pudge. Unfortunately for him, all of his matches against the top 8 are 50:50 for worse, and his win rates against Broodmother, Bane, and Templar Assassin are dreadful.
Other Dark Horses and the Complete Stats
I’m sure some of you are interested in heroes that didn’t make the top 25, so here is the complete stat dump.
Some lesser played heroes to keep an eye out for
Brewmaster: Narrowly missed the top 25, and has a respectable 58.75% win rate.
Jakiro, Witch Doctor, Warlock, Disruptor: Still small sample sizes, but all 4 supports are putting up +60% win rate so far.
Earth Spirit, Leshrac, Night Stalker, Legion Commander, Enigma: 57-59%, but small samples
Lone Druid, Lina, Lich, Tusk: ~55%
And worst 1v1 hero goes to Spectre, with both the fewest games played in the sample and the worst win rate at 17.5%.
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Like this: Like Loading... RelatedLoopix is a new anonymity network developed by a group of researchers from University College London (UCL) that comes with all the good parts of previous systems and new additions to improve security.
Both Loopix and Tor are based on the concept of mix networks and are meant to provide a way to send anonymous messages through a complex network.
The way Tor achieves this is through its circuit-based onion routing protocol. On the other hand, Loopix uses a classic message-based architecture combined with Poisson mixing — adding random time delays to each message.
The end result is an anonymity network that is very secure but also fixes the main disadvantage of classic message-based architectures, which is high-latency.
As the UCL team points out in their research paper, the Loopix system has a "message latency is on the order of seconds – which is relatively low for a mix-system."
How Loopix works
The way Loopix works is very similar to Tor, both being based on the same principles of mix networks. A user connects to a provider (ingress provider), the same way Tor users connect to entry guards.
The Loopix provider server sends the user's message through the network through random mix nodes, similar to how Tor sends messages through relays.
The message arrives at the intended user's provider (egress provider), where it is stored inside a message box until the user comes online. This is where Loopix is different, allowing the storage of offline messages.
Similar to Tor, Loopix also uses encryption by encapsulating messages using Sphinx, a cryptographic message format.
In addition, it also uses cover traffic for both when data travels inside the network and when users send or receive messages from the providers.
Loopix looks good on paper, until now
Researchers say that Loopix's trio of encryption, cover traffic, and randomly delayed messages can counter ISP and nation-state level passive surveillance.
Tests using a demo Loopix network showed that "mix nodes in Loopix can handle upwards of 300 messages per second, at a small delay overhead of less than 1.5 ms on top of the delays introduced into messages to provide security."
Overall, researchers say the latency is low compared to similar message-based mix networks, making Loopix usable for real-time communications, just like Tor.
In fact, a comparison table put together by the research team shows that Loopix is not on par with Tor, but also much more suited for anonymous communications, even when compared to other systems such as HORNET, Dissent, Vuvuzela, Stadium, Riposte, Atom, Riffle, or AnonPoP.
But there's a downside to Loopix as well.
"Loopix is designed as a system for anonymous communication and it’s properties allow it |
Edits
22/1/2012: Fixed link to acupuncture paper; added link to Cochrane review of acupuncture.These limes would cost you all the money in your pockets.
These limes would cost you all the money in your pockets.
SITTING IN A Mexican bar in Washington DC, Maria complained that “using lemon instead of lime in a margarita is like using onions instead of garlic.”
But for Americans, lemon margaritas may just be coming to restaurants, thanks to the skyrocketing price of limes.
“The prices started to shoot up in March. Before, a case of 200 limes cost us $45 [€32]. Then it jumped to $85 [€60]. Today, it’s worth $160 [115],” said Joahna Hernandez, manager of Casa Oaxaca, a Mexican restaurant in Washington.
Raising the price of margaritas, the traditional Mexican cocktail made from tequila and lime juice, is out of the question, Hernandez said, because the restaurant doesn’t want to scare off customers.
But bottles of Corona, the popular Mexican beer, no longer come garnished with a slice of lime. “Now we use slices of lemons,” she said.
Limes for sale for US$4 in a Los Angeles supermarket. Source: AP/Press Association Images
“It’s not the same thing,” sighed Maria, sipping her drink. But her friend Luis disagrees. “It doesn’t matter to me, as long as there is alcohol in it.”
At Don Juan, a popular bistro where Salvadoran and Mexican immigrants hang out amid high decibel music, Juanita has another solution.
“Limes are so expensive, we’ve had to use concentrate” for cocktails, confided the waitress. “And now, customers have to ask for lime slices, or else we won’t offer them to them.”
Around 95 per cent of the limes consumed in the United States come from Mexico. And when the supply dries up, the problem spreads across the US.
Trafficking in limes
The lime shortage can be traced to multiple sources, including a surge in fungal and disease problems, exacerbated by heavy rains and flooding in the Mexican states of Oaxaca, Veracruz and Michoacan, said Jonathan Crane, University of Florida professor and an expert on citrus fruit.
He explained:
Weather increases fungal problems, so the flooding causes disease problems of the roots, high humidity and rainfall causes disease problem of the flowers and the leaves and the fruits. You have a combination of weather disaster and diseases.
But perhaps more disastrously, Mexican drug cartels have begun to see a previously untapped value in the lime trade.
Traffickers are doing with limes “what they already did with avocados,” Hernandez explained.
“They appropriate the crops and control whole communities. They are trying to control lime production,” she said.
Hoarding supply
The cartels also benefit from the fact that the United States is no longer imposing quality standards on imported limes.
Crane speculated the lime trade was an attempt to launder drug money through a legitimate export.
A worker unloads a truck full of Mexican limes Source: AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills
If “there’s no quality standard, I would pick any lime possible and sell it and make big money,” he said.
Then, as distributors saw the looming shortage, said Hernandez, they “hoarded the little supply they had and now sell them at the highest price possible.”
“Limes are essential”
The dearth of limes is hitting Americans hard, who are often avid consumers of Mexican cuisine.
“To the Mexican cuisine, limes are essential. Absolutely,” said Lou Temprosa, head chef at Centro DF, a Washington institution.
The green fruit is a crucial ingredient in many dishes, including guacamole, salsa, and ceviche — a traditional concoction of raw fish marinated in lime juice.
“There are other ways to get around that,” Temprosa said, but it’s nothing like “the real thing.” He vowed his restaurant won’t change its dishes, despite the shortage.
But meanwhile, “our prices have not gone up, (and) we pay the bill,” he sighed.
- © AFP, 2014poster="http://v.politico.com/images/1155968404/201706/3408/1155968404_5468387714001_5468375061001-vs.jpg?pubId=1155968404" true Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit is the first under the Trump administration. Indian Prime Minister Modi to visit White House June 26
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet with President Donald Trump at the White House on June 26, according to press Secretary Sean Spicer.
The prime minister Trump have had a number of positive phone conversations, Spicer said in a Tuesday press conference.
Story Continued Below
"He looks forward to discussing the ways to strengthen our ties between the United States and India and advancing our common priorities fighting terrorism, promoting economic growth and reforms and expanding security cooperation in the Indo-pacific region," Spicer said.
The visit will mark Modi’s first to Washington under the Trump administration. The meeting comes amid scrutiny from the administration of the H1-B visa program and the president's decision to pull out of the Paris Climate Accords last week, where he called out India and China for being some of the world's biggest polluters.
“The two leaders will look to outline a common vision for the partnership that’s worthy of India’s 1.6 billion citizens,” Spicer said. The CIA World Factbook estimates India's population at 1.26 billion people, roughly 300 million less than Spicer claimed.Apple seems to be making it easier to trade in iPhones through the iPhone Upgrade Program with a new mail-in kit option, as spotted by John Angarano over at the MacRumors forums.
Apple launched the iPhone Upgrade Program two years ago alongside the iPhone 6S as an alternative for customers looking to upgrade their phone without being tied to any one carrier. But if you were looking to upgrade your phone to a new model, you had to schedule an appointment in an Apple Store to trade in the old phone, something that seems to finally be changing with the new mail-in kit.
It’s still not entirely clear how the mail-in process will work. Ideally, it could mean that Apple will allow users to preorder phones directly to their homes and then return the old devices by mail within a certain amount of time, without requiring the middle step of going to an Apple Store. Either way, the new Trade-in Kits should hopefully help prevent issues like last year, when many iPhone Upgrade Program users found themselves unable to get a new phone due to low stock in stores.
The timing for the new system is particularly fitting, given that Apple is expected to launch new iPhones tomorrow at its upcoming event.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
Ashya King’s dad has vowed to let the five-year-old brain cancer victim have a blood transfusion if needed – despite it being against his religion.
Brett and wife Naghmeh are devout Jehovah’s Witnesses who have brought up their seven children in the faith, which says it is a sin to accept a blood transfusion.
But Brett, 51, is determined to see desperately ill Ashya get better and is willing to do whatever it takes – even if it means defying his own strongly-held beliefs.
He said: “I’m a Jehovah’s Witness, but I’m a father first – and I’d do anything for my son.
“If a child needs treatment they should give them the treatment. It’s not for the parents to say. We just want the best for Ashya.”
The family was in the Czech Republic yesterday where Ashya was preparing for the first of 30 sessions of £70,000 radical proton beam therapy, starting in the capital Prague tomorrow morning.
Ashya King's journey to Prague:
After Ashya was diagnosed with a brain tumour on July 22, Brett was determined to get him treated with the pioneering therapy he had read about on the internet.
He feared the radiation treatment he was to be given in the UK would be too strong for a five-year-old.
But doctors here refused to allow the proton beam treatment, dismissing it as “unproven”. So 17 days ago Brett and wife Naghmeh, 45, smuggled Ashya out of Southampton General Hospital and fled with him to Spain.
They were arrested there after British cops issued an international arrest warrant, and spent three nights in jail. But now they feel all their sacrifices were worth it.
Brett said: “What Ashya has now is proper treatment. Everything is explained nicely so we feel comfortable, we feel taken care of.”Seahawks won’t be penalized for not disclosing Richard Sherman injury, says resident NFL Twitter doc
Richard Sherman sure appears to be okay. The Seattle Seahawks Pro Bowl cornerback — including as of this week — apparently suffered a “significant MCL injury” during the season, according to head coach Pete Carroll. That revelation, coupled with the fact that Sherman was never on an injury report, led to an NFL investigation into the matter, because teams are supposed to disclose significant injuries. A recent rumor suggested that the team could be docked as much as a second round pick (it would be an upgraded punishment from the fifth round pick they already lost, not an additional pick lost) but at least one person says that’s unlikely.
Dr. David Chao, a former NFL team doctor for the San Diego Chargers who has gotten Twitter-famous since his departure from the league, wrote that he believes there’s little chance the Seahawks are penalized:
Pete Carroll said Richard Sherman had a “significant” MCL but he was never on an injury report. This led many to expect a Seahawk penalty to come. I don’t think it will happen. Teams are not required to report all injuries. Trust me that every team’s injury list is longer than the one that is published. Only significant injuries are required to be reported. This is where the semantics come into play and Pete Carroll is obviously not a physician. Medically, it is impossible for any CB to play with a significant MCL injury. Of course you can argue that any mild MCL is a significant issue for a defensive back. However, if the MCL was medically graded as mild (even though the coach described it as significant), that will be the loophole that allows the Seahawks to escape league penalties.
Chao makes several good points, though the cynic in me worries that Seattle will be docked simply because they hold a higher status than many other teams. This report gives me optimism that the team will “only” be punished for having light practices that apparently weren’t light enough.Story highlights Kelly Ecker, a nurse, and Dr. George Scott Samson marry over weekend
Guests notice tension as the newlyweds don't talk to each other at reception
After last guest leaves a party, police get a 911 call from wife about her husband
The couple is dead in what police say is a murder-suicide
It was supposed to be the couple's happiest day: Kelly Ecker, a nurse, and Dr. George Scott Samson married Saturday afternoon in Terre Haute, Indiana.
By their wedding night, both were dead.
Samson, an anesthesiologist at Union Hospital in Terre Haute, shot his bride and then himself in their home just hours after they exchanged vows, authorities said.
Some wedding guests noticed tension between the couple almost immediately after each said "I do," said Vigo County Sheriff Chief Deputy Clark Cottom.
"Some guests are telling us the bride and groom didn't speak to each other at the reception," he said.
After the reception, the couple hosted members of the bridal party at their home on outside Terre Haute, Cottom said.
Not long after the last guest left, the county dispatch center received a 911 call, according to a transcript and tape provided by authorities.
The 911 calls
The first call was made at 1:25 a.m.
The caller, said to be Kelly, is only able to give an address, then the call cuts off.
In a second call made a minute later, the caller says, "he is beating the s*** out of me" and then says "he has guns" and identifies Scott Samson by name.
By the third call, at 1:27 a.m., Cottom said it's clear the situation has escalated because the caller's voice is in more distress. She says "oh my God!" and then gunshots are heard.
When deputies arrived on the scene, they were met at the door by an elderly male relative of Samson's, authorities said.
"He directed the deputies to the bedroom where they found Kelly's body," said Cottom.
She had been shot multiple times, he said.
Robot finds Samson
In addition to the male, two other people were found in home: Ecker's 10-year old-son was in the bedroom where his mother's body was found, and he was unharmed, Cottom said.
An elderly female relative was in the home at the time of the shootings, and she also was unharmed, authorities said.
Samson was still inside when deputies arrived, so they made it a priority to get those three people out of the home and to safety immediately, Cottom said.
The elderly male witness told police that Samson had run from the bedroom to another part of the house to get more ammunition, and then ran to the basement, authorities said.
Deputies surrounded the home immediately.
"The house is near a wooded area and a cornfield, and we didn't want an armed man running deep into the woods," Cottom said.
A special response team used a robotic device equipped with a camera to gain entry into the home, he said.
When it located Samson in the basement, it was apparent what had happened.
"Samson was unresponsive. We saw a bullet wound," Cottom said.
Samson's body was found near his gun safe, where he had earlier removed other weapons, said Cottom. Samson was a gun enthusiast who had a federal firearms license, Cottom said.
This week, deputies were still taking inventory of the weapons inside the home. Cottom said several dozen of them had been removed.Despite having spent several years in prison for looting his campaign fund of hundreds of thousands of dollars, former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. is still collecting big benefit payments from the federal government. The 51-year-old scion of famed politico Jesse Jackson Sr. received approximately $138,400 a year. That amount surpasses what he received as compensation as a freshman Democrat in the House of Representatives in 1995.
According to attorney Barry Schatz, who is representing Jackson in a divorce, approximately $100,000 of what he receives is tax-free because it is a workers' compensation payment. Some of the remainder, which include Social Security Disability Insurance payouts, may be taxable.
Jackson receives disability payments because of a diagnosis of depression and bipolar disorder. These conditions led him to an extended leave from Congress in 2012. Attorney Schatz said that the mental conditions have been exacerbated by the ongoing divorce from his wife, Sandi Jackson. He has been ordered to pay child support.
After Sandi Jackson filed for divorce in Washington DC, District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Robert Okun's order required Jesse Jackson to pay temporary child support for the couple's two teenaged children. The order revealed the ex-lawmaker's annual benefits payments of $138,400.
Schatz said that the workers' compensation benefits Jackson receives are for a temporary, total disability. If his condition improves, the benefits might also change. The attorney said that Jackson is not lazy but is "not currently able to work."
Jackson represented a portion of Chicago, spending 17 years in Congress. While under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, he resigned and later plead guilty in 2013 to using $750,000 in campaign funds for travel, celebrity memorabilia, and other goods. When he resigned, Jackson’s salary had reached $174,000 a year.
Before his resignation, Jackson took a leave of absence to receive treatment for depression and bipolar disorder. However, while he gave his date of injury as June 1, 2012, he did not miss casting dozens of roll-call votes in the House of Representatives from June 1 to 8, 2012, not missing a single vote, House records show. Despite his absence and failure to campaign, Chicago voters returned him to Congress. In a robocall, he told fellow citizens, "Like many human beings, a series of events came together in my life at the same time, and they've been difficult to sort through," he said in the call. "I am human. I'm doing my best. And I'm trying to sort through them all."
Jackson spent 22 months of a 30 month sentence, while his wife spent a year for her role in the fracas. Released from prison last year, she is now without income but has significant debt.
The current salary of rank and file members of Congress is $174,000 per year. The Speaker of the House receives $223,500 in annual compensation. The Majority Leader receives $193,400 in annual compensation, as does the Minority Leader.When I first started playing The Simpsons: Tapped Out last year, one thing that bothered me was that I didn’t have Kang in my town. Of course there are several reasons to love this character, but what bothered me most is that it kept Bart from unlocking his ten-minute “Run away with Kang” task.
This was one of the few instances where something was kept from the player, simply because they missed out on limited-time content. Thankfully the developers gave us all a second chance to add Kang to our towns, and this time it didn’t even cost any donuts.
There are however a few pieces of content that appear to be locked away forever, even though there are characters that have permanent tasks at these locations. Perhaps these buildings will be added back into the game with future content updates, similar to Kang. At the very least they should be re-added to the shop, even if they could only be purchased with donuts.
Mapple Store
Homer, Lisa, and Ned all have a 5h task to “Browse the Mapple Store”, but you can’t browse what isn’t there. Last Christmas it was possible for players to purchase this buildings for free using 150 Santa Coins, but for those who missed out, it was later added to the shop for 90 dounts. Then one day it mysteriously vanished. Now it has become one of the rarest buildings in the game.
Oddly enough it did disappear remarkably close to the Android release of the game. Perhaps that had something do with it, or maybe it was something else?
The whole idea of “Mapple” is that it is a parody of Apple and their products. Well something unusual happened in the most recent episode of The Simpsons. The characters referred to Apple directly, no parody, just straight-up acknowledgement of the real-world company. Odd, don’t you think?
Swanky Fish
In a cross-promotional event with the episode “What Animated Women Want”, the Swanky Fish was added to the shop for 90 donuts. Players also received the Springfield Falls for free, one of the best designed decorations in the game.
Normally after an event ends, so does the ability to visit the associated building. For a few weeks after the Valentine’s Day update, some characters could still visit Phineas Q. Butterfat’s at their leisure, but this 8h task was removed for seemingly no reason.
The Swanky Fish however still has a few permanent customers: Skinner, Comic Book Guy, and Brockman. It would have been gyp if something you paid 90 donuts for suddenly stopped being useful, but it also seems odd to remove a building from the shop that is still useful for three characters.Love AngularJS for building web application front-ends? PhpStorm makes working with AngularJS as easy and fun as working with any other language that is supported by the IDE! The only thing we have to do for having autocompletion, quick documentation, navigation and support for custom directives and routing is installing the AngularJS plugin in PhpStorm. Why not start with that and take it from there?
Adding the AngularJS plugin to PhpStorm
Not all PhpStorm features are enabled by default, and AngularJS is one of them! We can enable the AngularJS plugin for PhpStorm by selecting IDE Settings | Plugins, clicking the Install JetBrains Plugin… button and installing AngularJS to our IDE. A quick restart later, we should have full support for AngularJS available!
AngularJS autocompletion support
As some people say, “every word in the dictionary has a JavaScript framework for it.” And that is why PhpStorm will not show autocompletion for many JavaScript frameworks by default, as we don’t want to overwhelm you! To enable AngularJS autocompletion, we can do one of two things:
Download AngularJS scripts from their website and add the angular.js file to our project.
Use one of the CDNs out there and add the correct script tag to our app. (tip: hit Alt+Enter and Download Library. PhpStorm will download and set up a local cache to provide autocompletion for AngularJS methods, directives, documentation and so on. This can also be done through Project Settings | JavaScript | Libraries, using the Download library… button and downloading angularjs from the TypeScript Community Stubs.
Once that has been done, PhpStorm will start providing autocompletion for HTML attributes (e.g. ng-app ) as well as autocompletion for JavaScript. Various shortcuts are available as well: typing na will filter to ng-app, nc will filter to ng-class and so on. Our controllers and custom directives will be listed when appropriate. Matching braces will also be completed: typing {{ will automatically insert }} as well.
We can also press Ctrl+Q (F1 on Mac OS X) to quickly view documentation for our Angular directives. We can also click trough to the online documentation.
Navigation and Inspections
In the same way we can navigate though a PHP or JavaScript codebase, we can now navigate through our AngularJS application. Navigation between modules, controllers and directives is possible using Ctrl+click (or Cmd+Click on Mac OS X) which will instantly bring us to wherever our modules, controllers or directives are defined. We can navigate back to where we came from, using Ctrl+Alt+Left arrow (or Cmd+Alt+Left arrow on Mac OS X).
Navigation is also available for expressions and filters. PhpStorm will also warn us when it can not find a given module, controller or filter:
Support for Custom Directives and refactoring
PhpStorm supports autocompletion and navigation with our own directives as well. We can even tell PhpStorm which items should be available when autocompletion is invoked: if we use restrict: 'E' for custom elements, the IDE will limit the autocompletion to elements. If we use restrict: 'A', then it only works for attributes.
We can also add autocompletion support for expressions inside of custom directives. The only thing we have to do is add the proper documentation with @ngdoc, @name, and @param. The IDE parses the docs to know which attributes accept expressions.
If we rename our directive using the Rename refactoring (Shift+F6 or Ctrl+T on Mac OS X), PhpStorm will update both the HTML and the JavaScript (and comments, docs, …) so that our naming always stays in sync.
Routing and URL template support
PhpStorm also helps us with routing and URL templates by providing autocompletion and navigation. Where appropriate, we can simply place our cursor between the quotes and press Ctrl+Space for autocompletion based on the current path. If we press Ctrl+Space twice, results from the entire project will be shown.
Note that when creating multiple modules, we have to mark the partial’s parent directory as a Resource Root so that autocompletion and navigation work properly.
Refactoring also works here: if we use the Rename refactoring on any of our files or on the URL template, PhpStorm will update all references across our project.
Curious to work with AngularJS in PhpStorm? Download the latest PhpStorm 8 EAP, install the AngularJS plugin and give it a go! Your feedback is welcome through the issue tracker, by posting in the comments below, or in our forums!
Develop with pleasure!
– JetBrains PhpStorm TeamAbstract The ability to flexibly produce facial expressions and vocalizations has a strong impact on the way humans communicate, as it promotes more explicit and versatile forms of communication. Whereas facial expressions and vocalizations are unarguably closely linked in primates, the extent to which these expressions can be produced independently in nonhuman primates is unknown. The present work, thus, examined if chimpanzees produce the same types of facial expressions with and without accompanying vocalizations, as do humans. Forty-six chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) were video-recorded during spontaneous play with conspecifics at the Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage. ChimpFACS was applied, a standardized coding system to measure chimpanzee facial movements, based on FACS developed for humans. Data showed that the chimpanzees produced the same 14 configurations of open-mouth faces when laugh sounds were present and when they were absent. Chimpanzees, thus, produce these facial expressions flexibly without being morphologically constrained by the accompanying vocalizations. Furthermore, the data indicated that the facial expression plus vocalization and the facial expression alone were used differently in social play, i.e., when in physical contact with the playmates and when matching the playmates’ open-mouth faces. These findings provide empirical evidence that chimpanzees produce distinctive facial expressions independently from a vocalization, and that their multimodal use affects communicative meaning, important traits for a more explicit and versatile way of communication. As it is still uncertain how human laugh faces evolved, the ChimpFACS data were also used to empirically examine the evolutionary relation between open-mouth faces with laugh sounds of chimpanzees and laugh faces of humans. The ChimpFACS results revealed that laugh faces of humans must have gradually emerged from laughing open-mouth faces of ancestral apes. This work examines the main evolutionary changes of laugh faces since the last common ancestor of chimpanzees and humans.
Citation: Davila-Ross M, Jesus G, Osborne J, Bard KA (2015) Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) Produce the Same Types of ‘Laugh Faces’ when They Emit Laughter and when They Are Silent. PLoS ONE 10(6): e0127337. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0127337 Academic Editor: Roscoe Stanyon, University of Florence, ITALY Received: June 3, 2014; Accepted: April 14, 2015; Published: June 10, 2015 Copyright: © 2015 Davila-Ross et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited Data Availability: All relevant data are within the paper and its Supporting Information files. Funding: The work was funded in part by European Commission-Framework Programme 6, Information Society Technologies grant #045169, http://ec.europa.eu/research/fp6/index_en.cfm (to KAB), and in part by the Research Committee, Department of Psychology, University of Portsmouth (to MDR). The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript. Competing interests: Kim Bard is a PLOS ONE Editorial Board member, but this does not alter the authors' adherence to PLOS ONE Editorial policies and criteria.
Introduction The ability to use facial expressions and vocalizations flexibly has a significant impact on how humans communicate and it must have presented a foundation for a more comprehensive communication system throughout evolution [1–3]. This ability to flexibly combine facial and vocal expressions leads to a more explicit form of communication via versatile means [4] and contributes to the communicative tool kit of humans. For instance, people may show laugh faces while speaking or laughing, and they may also produce them silently, corresponding to a facial expression that may provide the individual with advantages, e.g., in emotional intelligence (see [5]). However, little is known about the extent to which nonhuman primate facial expressions, which are also often closely linked to vocalizations [6–8], can be produced independently from vocalizations, despite the growing research interest in nonhuman primate multimodal communication (see [9–11]). Therefore, the present work tested whether nonhuman primates are able to produce their facial expressions in such a flexible way, by assessing whether their facial expressions are morphologically constrained by accompanying vocalizations. This study focused on chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and their open-mouth faces, which may, or may not, be accompanied by laugh sounds during spontaneous social play. Since chimpanzee laugh sounds have been phylogenetically linked to human laugh sounds [12, 13], another important aim of this study was to systematically examine the evolutionary relation (i.e., shared ancestry) of chimpanzee open-mouth faces and human laugh faces. For the facial expression flexibility part of this study, we tested if chimpanzees produce the same types of open-mouth faces with laughter and without laughter. It is feasible that open-mouth faces may, or may not, be accompanied by laughter, i.e., either is motorically possible, and facial expressions may be produced under some motor control (albeit not necessarily intentional control) [7,14,15]. For the detailed description of open-mouth faces, ChimpFACS was used, which is a standardized facial coding system developed to measure facial movements of chimpanzees [16], based on FACS for humans [17,18]. With this non-invasive coding method, single facial movements based on known underlying musculature can be measured [16–19]. Both the facial movements and the underlying musculature can be shared by chimpanzees and humans, allowing a direct comparison of the facial muscle movements of chimpanzee and human facial expressions [19]. Furthermore, how chimpanzees use open-mouth faces with and without laugh sounds during social play was examined, since behaviours of different modalities are likely to have different roles in primate social communication. For example, vocalizations may help get the attention of others when the targetted recipients are looking away [9] or when they are too far away to see a visual stimulus [20]. In the present work, the occurences of open-mouth faces with and without laughter were compared when physical contact was present or absent during social play. Previous research suggests that open-mouth faces and laugh sounds differ in function as chimpanzees emit the former during both social and solitary play [21–23], but the latter predominantly during social play [24,25]. Additionally, the matching of open-mouth faces with and without laughter among the playmates was compared. Studies previously showed that nonhuman primates match the expressions of their playmates [24,26–28]. For the evolutionary reconstruction part of this study, the ChimpFACS data were used to specifically examine if the chimpanzees show the same facial movements when producing laugh sounds that characterize human laugh faces, based on previous FACS findings [29–32]. We find it reasonable to hypothesize that human laugh faces directly evolved from open-mouth faces of ancestral apes via gradual morphological and functional changes since great apes open their mouths widely while producing laugh sounds [33,34] and since great ape laugh sounds share ancestry with human laugh sounds based on phylogenetic analyses [12,13]. Alternative predictions are less parsimonious as they convey additional evolutionary changes (see [35]). The testing of the hypothesis is particularly relevant as van Hooff [21] claimed that the silent bared-teeth display replaced the open-mouth face of ancestral apes by converging with laughter, prior to the emergence of laugh faces of humans. His pioneering work has had notable impact on this research topic for more than four decades (see [36,37]), but it was not based on the detailed facial movements and knowledge of facial musculature with which we can now evaluate the morphologies of chimpanzee and human facial expressions, and compare them with and without laughter.
Material and Methods Subjects The subjects were 46 chimpanzees (24 females) of the Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage, Zambia. They lived in four semi-wild colonies, with 11–50 members per colony, situated within a naturally developed miombo woodland forest. Their ages ranged from 2 to 35 years (8 infants, 24 juveniles, 14 adolescents/adults). About half of the chimpanzees were wild-born and brought as orphans to this sanctuary, the rest of the chimpanzees were born in the sanctuary. The chimpanzees live in fission-fusion systems within settings that are ecologically similar to those of wild-born chimpanzees (see [38]). The chimpanzee colonies were allocated four large outdoor enclosures, with the largest colony (50 chimpanzees) living in the largest enclosure (77 hectares), and the smallest colony (11 chimpanzees) living in the smallest enclosure, which was still very large (2 hectares). All colonies included both males and females, as well as infants, juveniles and adults. During the main feeding, around noon each day, most of the chimpanzees stayed indoors for about two hours, with families and/or subgroups in separate spaces to minimize the species-typical aggression that can surround feeding. During the other 22 hours each day, the chimpanzees remained in their larger social groups, in the very large outdoor enclosures. During the data collection period, the chimpanzees ate mostly fruits and vegetables that were bought from the local farmers, for example, strychnos fruits, sweet potatoes, sugar cane and cabbage. The food was more or less evenly distributed across the colonies and across the families/subgroups. Environmental enrichment was fully provided by the natural physical and social environments; additional enrichment was not necessary as they lived in semi-wild conditions. The data reported in our manuscript were collected from June to August 2007. The manager of Chimfunshi at that time, Ms. Sylvia Jones, gave full permission to MDR to collect data. Chimfunshi is a sanctuary accredited by the Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA), which means that it is inspected regularly and housing, veterinary care, husbandry, enrichment, and research adheres to the PASA guidelines and regulations. The data collection was carried out in agreement with the University of Portsmouth Psychology Research Ethics Committee. Data collection and video analysis Spontaneous play between two playmates was video-recorded by an observer standing within 10 meters, a distance where chimpanzee laughter can be heard. A total of 1270 open-mouth faces were identified on the videos, based on the wide parting of the lips. They were coded as a single open-mouth face if they had no closed-mouth gaps of 0.5 seconds or longer. Forty-four subjects produced 697 open-mouth faces with laughter, 41 subjects produced 573 silent open-mouth faces. For every open-mouth face, the play context of the subject was coded as either rough play or gentle play, and either with or without physical contact; rough play with contact could be hitting, rough play without contact could be chasing, gentle play with contact could be hand playing, and gentle play without contact could be a playful approach. Inter-coder reliability was good to excellent for open-mouth faces (Kappa = 0.75; 190 or 15% of open-mouth faces were assessed) and play contexts (Kappa = 0.86; 190, or 15%, of play contexts were assessed). Laugh bouts were previously identified and the coder reliability was excellent (Kappa = 0.84; see [12, 23]). The video-coding of behaviour onsets and offsets was conducted with a precision of up to 0.12–0.16 seconds by using Interact 8 (Mangold, Arnstorf, Germany). The statistical analyses were computed with SPSS Statistics 20 (IBM, Chicago, IL, USA). Videos on 412 dyadic play bouts were obtained with a Sony HandyCam DCR-TRV19E (Sony Electronics, Oradell, NJ, USA). Play bouts started with the onset of the first play contexts and ended with the offsets of the last play contexts; they could include play gaps of 10 seconds or less. For the main analyses, the open-mouth faces with laughter and the silent open-mouth faces were compared in their facial morphology and in their contextual use. Morphology of open-mouth faces ChimpFACS analysis [16] was applied to measure the muscle-based movements of open-mouth faces. For each open-mouth face, the presence of single visible facial movements (action unit, AU) was identified; some identified movements were based on undefined underlying muscles (action descriptors, AD). The following action units/descriptors were selected for the analysis based on previous chimpanzee research [23,34,39,40], the relevance of corresponding movements in human laughter research [29–32], as well as personal observations made by Davila-Ross and Bard during chimpanzee play: Raising of the cheeks (AU6), raising of the upper lips (AU10), pulling of the lip corners upwards and backwards (AU12), pressing down of lower lips (AU16), protrusion of the tongue (AD19), stretching of the lips (AU20, Risorius), opening of the lips (AU25), dropping of the jaw (AU26), and stretching of the jaw (AU27), and relaxing of the lower lip (AD160). One hundred fifty silent open-mouth faces of 17 subjects revealed sufficiently high-quality visibility for the coding of action units and descriptors. They were matched with the same number of open-mouth faces with laughter, produced by 21 subjects. At the mid frames of these open-mouth faces, 854 action units and action descriptors were identified. A certified ChimpFACS coder (naïve about the aims of this study) first coded 140 open-mouth faces. The coder did not notice any facial movements that corresponded to action units/descriptors other than the ones decided on prior to the coding. The remaining open-mouth faces were then coded by a second ChimpFACS coder (with sounds turned off). An inter-rater reliability test was conducted and the agreement was excellent (Kappa = 0.87; 40 open-mouth faces were assessed). Contextual use of open-mouth faces To examine the contextual use of open-mouth faces with laughter and silent open-mouth faces, two methods were applied. Initially, the occurrences of open-mouth faces with laughter and silent open-mouth faces were measured across social play contexts. The number of open-mouth faces was counted for every subject during rough play and gentle play, and when physical contact was present or was absent. Then, the matching of open-mouth faces with laughter and silent open-mouth faces was examined. An open-mouth face of a subject was reported to match an open-mouth face of the playmate if it started either during the playmate’s facial expression or within 1 second after the offset of the playmate’s facial expression. Matching was counted only when there was no open-mouth face for at least 5 seconds prior to the onset |
, content to side with those who emerged on the winning end, or would they foster a coalition of the working class and progressive organizations to combat these trends that posed a significant threat to organized labor, and to the middle class broadly?
The New Democrats, by then the core of the party, chose the former.
"Despite off-the-charts wealth inequality," writes Connor Kilpatrick, "Democratic Party liberals have been concerned not with an egalitarian reckoning to unite the have-nots against the haves but with inclusion: bringing different 'interest groups' into the professional class while managing everyone else’s expectations downward."
These interest groups were indeed various, and they reflected the party's changing identity: As the influence of labor steadily declined in the face of a relentless business onslaught, Democrats increasingly turned to high-tech industry, and to Wall Street institutions, for both cash and intellectual ammunition.
The administration of Bill Clinton was the first to truly solidify these trends. Stocking key advisory positions with Wall Street financiers and technocrats, the Clinton administration signed into law — and repealed — measures that embodied both its dedication to the free market consensus and its abandonment of blue-collar America.
From their support for the North American Free Trade Agreement and Wall Street deregulation to their passage of the omnibus crime bill and welfare reform — against the protests of former Clinton allies, one of whom called welfare reform "fatally flawed, callous, anti-child" and "indefensible" — New Democrats signaled clearly to the business community, and to the masses, their intentions.
"Today's is not your father's Democratic Party. Though the dwindling chorus of party progressives provides counterpoint, today's Democrats are proud to claim the mantle of budgetary moderation," Robert Dreyfuss summarized in 2001. "They are the party of Ending Welfare As We Know It, the party of The Era of Big Government Is Over."
And beneath the soaring rhetoric of hope and change that accompanied the Obama administration, over a decade later, the DLC's playbook remains a powerful force.
The campaign of Bernie Sanders made great progress in calling attention to these tendencies and bringing to the surface the deep gulf between the left and the Democratic Party; but despite progressive pressure, corporate Democrats are now, notes Thomas Frank, "pivoting to the right just as other Democrats did before her because...because, well, that's what Democrats always do."
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This year, far from standing on what many have celebrated as "the most progressive platform in history," Hillary Clinton's rightward lurch has been particularly brazen and unapologetic.
Justifying the shift in terms of defeating Donald Trump, Clinton and her allies have been "aggressively courting Republican leaders" and their right-leaning donors within the business community (she has also chosen as her running mate a pro-Wall Street "cash machine").
Earlier this week, Hewlett Packard executive Meg Whitman, typically a strong fundraiser for the Republican Party, announced that she would be supporting Clinton, both at the ballot box and through donations.
This endorsement followed those of Michael Bloomberg, Mark Cuban, and Warren Buffett.
But the focus on high-profile billionaires obscures the broader discussion of the Democratic Party's move away from labor and toward wealthier, white-collar professionals, whose views on economic issues in particular are often antithetical to the ambitious changes necessary to combat the trends that have left millions without even the most basic of necessities.
Hillary Clinton has, in light of these recent endorsements, predictably attempted to differentiate between "good" billionaires and "bad" billionaires.
"Economic elites, whether they identify as Democrats or Republicans, simply don't care very much about income inequality."
"He shared," Clinton said of billionaire Mark Cuban. "He shared the benefits with everybody who helped him be a success."
But as a 2015 study conducted by economist Raymond Fisman and three of his colleagues makes clear, economic elites, whether they identify as Democrats or Republicans, simply don't care very much about income inequality — a fact that should enhance our skepticism in the coming weeks, as Democrats attempt to paint a glowing portrait of their wealthy allies.
"Elite Americans are not just middle-class people with more money," Fisman writes. "They display distinctive attitudes on basic moral and political questions concerning economic justice. Simply put, the rich place a much lower value on equality than the rest. Even when they self-identify as progressive Democrats, elite Americans value equality less highly than their middle-class compatriots."
Because economic elites, as Martin Gilens and Benjamin Page have documented, have near-total control of the policy direction of the United States, the response to soaring economic equality has been little more than a yawn. All the while, as CEOs watch their incomes soar, wages for the majority of American workers remain stagnant, the middle class continues its decline, and crippling poverty persists.
And far from repudiating the party's abandonment of the victims of capitalism, high-ranking Democratic officials seem to have embraced it. Speaking with the Washington Post, New York Senator Chuck Schumer pondered the bright side of losing the working class.
"For every blue-collar Democrat we will lose in western Pennsylvania," he said, "we will pick up two or three moderate Republicans in the suburbs of Philadelphia."
Schumer's singular focus on gathering votes nicely encapsulates the Democratic Party's political vision, which sees as the only endgame the election of more Democrats; ideology and principle have taken a backseat to electoral strategy, and we are reassured, time and time again, that the next Democrat will be better than the last.
But the evidence says otherwise.
Throughout the primary process, Democrats attempted to both voice support for robust campaign finance reform and reap the rewards offered by Wall Street and major hedge-funds. And if history is any guide, we can look forward to business as usual. As Matt Taibbi has noted, "politicians who promise they can deliver change while also taking the money, mostly just end up taking the money."
But the distant past isn't our only point of reference: This year's Democratic convention, endlessly hyped and lavished with praise by Republicans and Democrats alike, was, in the words of David Dayen, "one big corporate bribe." Lobbyists seem to understand that the rhetoric is empty, that it is just politics; as such, they emerged, after a testy primary, "undeterred and mostly unabashed."
Most Americans recognize what is happening. They see that the two dominant political parties are failing to deliver anything resembling their soaring promises; they see that too much power rests in the hands of too few companies; they see that the wealthiest exert disproportionate influence on the political process.
But as long as the legislative process is dominated by parties that care first and foremost about "catering to their wealthiest supporters," systemic change is impossible.
For the business class to which Republican and Democratic leaders are now dedicated is not content to merely squash the social democracy of the Bernie Sanders coalition; it is, as Shawn Gude concludes, committed to doing away with "that most basic condition of democratic rule — that ordinary citizens, not corporate paymasters, set the agenda."
When, to paraphrase Eddie Glaude, will we finally turn our backs on the parties that have turned their backs on the most vulnerable?V20 US996 64GB Smartphone (Unlocked, Titan) is rated 4.5 out of 5 by 123.
Rated 5 out of 5 by Erik from I upgraded from Nexus 5 to the V20! Well worth it. I went for it when it was on sale. Definitely worth it. I upgraded from Nexus 5. Pixel XL was overpriced. iPhone was overrated. Very fast and smooth. Nougat runs all my apps without any glitches. The thing I like about LG is that it doesn't add too much bloatware or custom skins. User experience is very close to stock android. The camera...I compared it to the Pixel XL and I find it in many aspect better than the Pixel. On auto settings, the pictures are sharper and less noise on my low light test shots of objects, but it seems to have slightly more fringing on bright shots. I haven't test night scenes. No regrets. Grab it if it is on sale.
Rated 5 out of 5 by Anonymous from Perfect, What I wanted and Verizon Compatible I love it and love the large screen. Going with an unlocked version was a bit scary since I'd always relied on the carriers. It seemed everyone was saying the US996 was Verizon compatible and it is. I did take it to the Verizon store since I needed a nano sim. They did all the work for me for free; called the connection desk and got my phone recognized, got everything transferred to the nano sim and all for no charge. As far as the phone; I've had no issues after two weeks; it is what I was looking for. This version did come with a screen protector but I later swapped it out for a glass one.
Rated 5 out of 5 by Anonymous from Satisfying replacement for a Note 7 Coming off the disappointment of the Note 7's failure, I had a hard time finding a phone I wanted to buy. I decided to give the LG V20 a try and was surprised to find that I actually prefer it to the Note 7. Though some will complain about the lack of AMOLED screen, I find this an improvement since the Note 7's screen was difficult to see in bright sunlight, e.g., when used as a GPS in the car, and the V20 is easy to see. I would consider the form factor and feel closer to the Note 4 - The V20 is a lot like an upgraded Note 4 with the only real deficiency being the lack of a stylus and no wireless charging. I also found I didn't really like the Note 7's curved edges since they'd tend to register unintended touches, so the flat screen of the V20 is preferable for me as well. The V20 is a worthy replacement for the Note 7.
Rated 5 out of 5 by DW from Highly Recommend Just as I had hoped it would be. I have been actually much happier with the display than I though I would be coming form an OLED to LCD. Really good display. Battery is average, but the first thing I did was pick a second battery. Love the removable back! I'm not a camera bug, but this camera has been the first to get me into manual mode and it's been great! Expandable storage and quad dac are also great features. I like large phones and this one wont disappoint. I have also been liking the second screen.. Although not for everyone, this is now a very nicely priced phone if you like the specific features it offers.
Rated 5 out of 5 by Josh from Sleek, Removable Battery, MicroSD, Powerful, Second Screen This phone is absolutely amazing. I came from the LG V10, and I always loved that phone. I was waiting forever to upgrade to this phone. Finally received it on Nov 11th! This phone is very sleek and beautiful. I rarely care about that, but it really is a nice looking phone. Having a removable battery is in my top 3 needed things. It is the only thing that I sometimes budge on when buying a phone, but I hate to, it is so handy to be able to just swap batteries and in less than 30 seconds have another whole full charge. The new Battery Cover release button is awesome and I love the new metal battery cover. I purchased a LG Genuine extra battery and charger kit on eBay, shipped from Korea. Well worth it. I also love the USB Type C plug, fiddling in the dark is no longer a problem! The Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 is very fast and convenient as well. My Anker PowerCore+ 10000mah Portable Battery Charger with Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 comes in handy when not wanted to completely drain my battery. So between that and my second battery. I am set for a long time of use. This phone is snappy, not only does Android 7.0 Nougat make it better, but I am very happy with it's performance. My only wish was that it would have had 5 or 6GB of memory instead of 4GB like the V10. It's always nice to have a slight upgrade. The second screen is by far in the top 3 coolest features of the phone. Always having the time and date available while the main screen is off is sweet. I also use the flashlight using the second screen with the main screen off a lot. You can control your music that way too. Saves battery and time. While the screen is on I have some contact shortcuts on it, and I love being able to answer and hang up a call from it while I'm in other apps. The main screen is also very high quality, loving the 5.7 Quad HD IPS. I love the new fingerprint sensor and being able to unlock the phone with my fingerprint without having to press the power button. The V10, I could unlock with fingerprint, but had to press the power button first. I use fingerprint to unlock and get into secure apps very very frequently. Love this feature. One thing I'm not sold on yet is the movement of the volume up and down buttons. I really did like having them on the back of the phone. Made one handed use even easier. I've been having some issues/getting used to. The new location. Not even close to being a disappointment though. Having an unlocked non-carrier version is the best thing ever. No carrier bloatware, and no carrier bootup screen. It's wonderful, and I love that I can use it on almost any carrier in the US. I'm excited to use the camera more,the V10 camera was outstanding, and I can only imagine how much better this one will be. Being able to save photos to the MicroSD is awesome too. If the phone ever crashes I have all my photos on the MicroSD and can remove it. I also upload my photos to Dropbox, and the Google Photos with their unlimited free photo storage. LG Backup is an amazing app, it really is. Between that app and what Google backs up, settings etc. Transferring phones was a breeze. I went from my V10 to my V20, in less than 1 or 2. Minus a few apps that had to be relogged in, or permissions having to be reset. I highly recommend LG Backup to anyone. QuickMemo+ is very useful to me, to be able to quickly clip any part of my screen to share, instead of just having doing a full screenshot. Nice feature of that app, otherwise, for notes I usually use notePad by niceSprite. LG allows so many OS customizations that most manufacturers don't. I love the option to change the order and color of the soft touch buttons. I also noticed the addition of Phone Themes! This is awesome, I changed mine from the normal white to the Black High Contrast, and really like it. I also like that I can change and organize my status bar shortcuts. See photos. As you can notice, I use Nova Launcher, so I can't comment on the new LG launcher without an app drawer. But I think I did notice that LG has an option to download their old Home Screen and Launcher App. I love having the Hi-Fi Quad DAC output through my treasured Headphone port (Sorry iPhone 7 users). I use Bluetooth in my car, I use a bluetooth beanie, a JBL Charge, and a JBL Micro Wireless, but I still use the headphone port while mowing the yard and whenever else I need to. I've also used the headphone port to plug in an external microphone using an adapter. So no Apple, it's not outdated and I still want it. I'm also excited to try the HD Audio Recorder that allows recording over a separate track. Finally getting to Android Nougat, the best new feature in my opinion is direct reply notifications. This allows your to respond to emails, sms, instant messages, etc right from the notification tray. Very handy. I probably missed something, I will add more if I think of it. But I would recommend this phone to anyone looking to upgrade to a new phone. It's one killer device.
Rated 4 out of 5 by Anonymous from Great phone, great audio with quality ear phones/buds This is a great flagship phone, and I wonder why it (and LG) are not more popular. LG is the only one offering replaceable batteries and SD card storage. For those of us keeping phones more than a year, that means we can replace batteries as needed when they wear out and get a lot more life from these expensive devices. This phone has high build quality, a great screen, no bloat. Only knock is battery life, but it is highly dependent on what you have running. I've found a few apps that kill the battery quickly so they're now gone. Overall, this is a great phone. I had no problems activating with VZW.
Rated 5 out of 5 by June from Real freedom for battery killers All day long, I enable Bluetooth (earbuds, Pebble Time Round), data and GPS, I also have lots of background apps running. None of my previous phones or my husband's (Note 5, iPhone 6s Plus, Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 with 4000mAh) can survive more than 7 hours. I have to carry a heavy power bank, and have my phone plugged in in the afternoon. Urghhh! This LG V20 brings back the old but gold removable battery, which is the most suitable solution for me. I bought 2 more batteries and a wall charger: 1 battery in my phone, 1 in my bag and 1 getting charged at home. Now I feel FREE, real FREEDOM. Besides, camera is good in manual mode. I've read many reviews about bad automatic mode, and sadly this is true. But that is the trade off I am willing to make.So you believe that biological sex and gender identity are always inextricably linked. This, in spite of the fact that science is absolutely clear that they are not. This, in spite of the fact that the American Psychological Association, the American Medical Association, and the American Psychiatric Association are absolutely clear that they are not.
Okay, I would like to just suppose, for a minute—just suppose that you might not be right.
Just suppose that it is possible that a person might be assigned male at birth but identify completely as a female.
If you choose to stop reading now, you have chosen the ignore the potential harm that comes from denying the existence of transgender human beings, and the potential good that comes from affirming who we are. Please keep reading.
If you can imagine that it's possible for a person to be assigned male at birth to identify completely as a female, please also imagine what their life might be like.
Imagine waking up knowing who you are on the outside doesn't match who you are on the inside.
Imagine believing you can never be who you are; that you will spend your life pretending to be someone not truly you.
Imagine living in a world that constantly reminds you that there is something bad about being who you are. A world that demands it knows more about who you are than you do. Imagine continuously wondering if your life is really worth living—41% of transgender people attempt suicide.
Imagine the ray of sunshine that enters your darkness when you discover that you can really be who you are, you are not bad, and your life has potential to be amazing. Imagine the courage to step into the sunlight and begin to live authentically.
I ask you: Are you so certain of your knowledge you would block that light from reaching a person who is transgender? At what gain? What good comes to you or anyone if you choose to block the light? Is this about God's will?
Sometimes I am asked why God made me male if God wanted me to be female.
Simple. Why is the sky blue? Science tells us why the sky looks blue. But, why blue? Why not magenta? Wouldn't magenta be a pretty color for the sky?
The color of the sky question is really asking: Why does God do anything? Why does anything happen? What just happens and does God do? We don't know why about a lot of things.
As I look at the dark parts of my life, I was always asking why, and I failed to think about what was the right thing to do. The right thing to do was really important to me.
When I finally began thinking about that, everything changed.
Why transgender? I was raised in faith. As I came to believe that faith found me unacceptable, I became separated from faith; spent many years in darkness. Then, I found a place of faith where I could embrace my true self. I have come back to faith in an amazing way.
Maybe, that's why. My journey has prepared me to help show people who are on a similar journey, who are living in darkness, to know it is possible to come back to faith, to be able to find God. Maybe, God wanted me to shine my light.
I know, firsthand, the harm that comes to a person when they are denied their true identity. I know the amazing beauty of finding a way to live authentically. I am blessed to have many more people in my life who enhance the light that shines into my soul, than people who try to block it.
But there are many people who put great effort into blocking the light for me personally, and for all people who are transgender.
To me, that light is God. That light is the presence of God. And with the presence of God comes the love of God. All things are possible with God. Many of them are beyond my understanding. God doesn't ask my opinion or my permission. God just promises to be there.
In truth, it doesn't matter if that light comes from God, or if it comes from somewhere else. It is the light that shines into the darkness. Word.
I have learned to let the light shine into my soul. Believe as you choose, but please do not block the light. It is very important to my ability to exist in this world.
If I don't receive the light, I can not share the light with the world.
You never know to whom I might bring light, given the chance. It might be you.
Photo via flickr user Giuseppe MiloGAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- 46 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza by airstrikes and artillery fire since Israel launched a ground operation late Thursday, medics said.
Two Palestinians were killed in separate strikes in Rafah and one in Beit Lahiya on Friday afternoon.
Rafat Bahloul and Sihab Zurub were killed in airstrikes on Rafah, while Mohammad Matar, 23, was killed in the strike on Beit Lahiya.
Ahmad Hassan Saleh al-Ghalban, 23, Hamada Abdullah Mohammad al-Bashiti, 21, and Abdullah al-Samiri, 17, were killed in an airstrike which witnesses say completely destroyed a home in Khan Younis earlier on Friday.
Mahmoud Ali Darwish, 40, and another unidentified man were killed in al-Nuseirat refugee camp.
Earlier, Ahmad Abdallah al-Behnsawi was killed by shelling in Beit Lahiya, medics said, while the bodies of Saleh al-Zgheibi and Alaa Abu Shabab were found under rubble in eastern Rafah.
Three children were killed in a targeted shelling on a home in northern Gaza. The bodies of Ahmad Ismail Abu Musallam, 14, his sister Alaa, 13, and their brother Muhammad, 15, were taken to Kamal Adwan hospital.
The children were killed when a shell hit their bedroom.
Early on Friday, ambulance crews said nine people were killed in the shelling of a home east of Khan Younis. Their bodies were found under the rubble of a residential building.
Among those identified were Hammad Abdulkarim Hammad Abu Lihyeh, 23, Muhammad Abdulfattah Rashad Fayyad, 26, and Mahmoud Muhammad Fayyad, 25, from Khan Younis.
Relatives Bilal Mahmoud Radwan, 23, Munthir Radwan, 22, Ahmad Fawzi Radwan, 23, and Mahmoud Fawzi Radwan, 24, were also killed.
Amal Khader Ibrahim Dabbur, 40, Ismail Youssif Taha Qassem, 59, Nassim Mahmoud Nassir and Karam Mahmoud Nassir were killed in Beit Hanoun and at least 25 injured in heavy shelling.
In Rafah three people were killed and 11 others wounded by Israeli forces, who fired foul-smelling gas during the operation.
In the Gaza City neighborhood of Shujaiyeh, Rani Abu Tawileh was killed and 12 members of his family injured in heavy bombings.
The body of Hussam Abu Issa was pulled from rubble in central Gaza on Friday. It is believed he was killed in overnight attacks.
On the ground, witnesses reported gun battles breaking out east of the southern city of Khan Younis, with military sources confirming it was one of the areas in which the troops were operating.
An Israeli military spokeswoman told AFP ground and air forces had attacked at least 36 targets in Gaza since the incursion was launched.
Over 260 Palestinians have now been killed in Gaza since Israel began it's military assault on the coastal territory last week.
One Israeli soldier was reported killed early Friday and five others injured.
"What the occupier Israel failed to achieve through its air and sea raids, it will not be able to achieve with a ground offensive. It is bound to fail," Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal said from his exile in Doha.
A Hamas spokesman in Gaza earlier said "Israel will pay a high price" for launching the ground operation and that his movement "is ready for the confrontation".
President Mahmoud Abbas said Israel must stop its ground operation, warning it would lead to "more bloodshed" and complicate efforts to end the conflict in the enclave.
Israel approved the call-up of another 18,000 reservists, taking the total number approved to 65,000 for an operation aimed at protecting Israeli lives and striking "a significant blow to Hamas's terror infrastructure," the army said.
"I regret that despite my repeated urgings, and those of many regional and world leaders together, an already dangerous conflict has now escalated even further," UN chief Ban Ki-moon said, urging Israel to "do far more" to spare Palestinian non-combatants.
Figures provided by the Gaza-based Palestinian Center for Human Rights show that civilians account for more than 80 percent of the victims of Israel's assault since July 8.How Three Way Handshake work and what is it’s purpose?
If you are studying on Cyber Security, Networking or any network/computer related branch, you may heard something like Three Way Handshake. Well, at least I heard it and I started searching up.
So what is it?
It is a method to make secure connection between server and client within TCP protocol. But when I said “secure” that was not what you thought. It prevents connection between attacker, who create custom network packet with false IP address, and victim machines.
Well, How does it do that?
In order to explain that, we should learn what is Sequence number, SYN and ACK means.
SYN(Synchronize): Initiates a connection. It is a flag/bit in the TCP Header.
Initiates a connection. It is a flag/bit in the TCP Header. ACK(Acknowledment): Acknowledges received data. It is a flag/bit in the TCP Header.
Acknowledges received data. It is a flag/bit in the TCP Header. Sequence Number: Sequence number(obviously). If SYN flag is set, then this is the initial sequence number. It could be between __ to 4,294,967,295 (2^32). So It’s very hard to guess.
Sequence number(obviously). If SYN flag is set, then this is the initial sequence number. It could be between to Acknowledment Number: 32 Bit number field which indicates the next sequence number that the sending device is expecting from the other device.
32 Bit number field which indicates the next sequence number that the sending device is expecting from the other device. FIN: Terminates a connection.
Let’s take a look how computers connect each other.
First, client sends a TCP packet with_ SYN=1, ACK=0 and ISN(Sequence Number)= 5000_. Do not forget, sequence number is random and it could be between 0 to 4,294,967,295.
This packet means “I want to make connection”.
Next, server receive client’s packet and if it’s okay to make connection, server send TCP packet to client with SYN=1, ACK=1, ISN=1000(It’s server’s own sequence number.), ACK Number=5001(5000+1). Otherwise, server sends TCP packet with RST/ACK flags set to terminate connection.
This packet means “You want to make connection and I am okay with this. You send me TCP packet with ISN=5000 and I am sending you my sequence number(ISN=1000)”.
Note: In the picture (Flag[S.]), “.” means ACK flag.
And the finally client receive server’s packet and sends TCP packet with SYN=0, ACK=1, ISN=5001, ACK Number=1001.
This packet means “Everything okay. Connection is established. From now on we can send data to each other with ISN and ACK Number”.
That’s why it is called “3 way Handshake”.
So, once again. Why it’s called secure connection?
Let’s make a scenario. Attacker want to make connection between victim and server. Attacker create custom TCP packet with victim’s IP address and send to server. For now everythings fine. But server create own ISN(Sequence number) and send it to victim. Attacker doesn’t know what is server’s sequence number and because of sequence number is 32bit(very high number), attacker can’t guess or brute force it. So attacker can’t make connection between victim and server. (Except man in the middle attacks)
Sources:
http://www.omnisecu.com/tcpip/tcp-three-way-handshake.php
http://www.inetdaemon.com/tutorials/internet/tcp/3-way_handshake.shtml
http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1768844&seqNum=3Ivory smugglers, manatees, Iranian cheetahs, slow lorises and Britain's beloved hedgehogs are in the news this week.
Ethics and Endangered Species: A new study accuses wildlife photographers of unethical behavior when it comes to the slender loris (either Loris tardigradus or L. lydekkerianus). The photographers reportedly convinced tribesmen (who consider the species to be taboo) to catch the lorises from the wild so the animals could be posed for photos. The lorises were then released into habitat that contained no food. Thought-provoking stuff.
The Punishment Doesn't Fit the Crime: A Kenyan court this week fined a Chinese man the equivalent of $350 for trying to smuggle 439 pieces of ivory out of the country. This fine would actually a pretty decent-sized punishment if it had been levied against a citizen of Kenya, where the GDP is just $1,800 per person, but it is pocket change for an ivory smuggler from China. Wildlife crime is only attractive to so many people (and to organized crime syndicates) because the punishments are so small. We'll never stop ivory smuggling unless enormous fines and jail time are levied against future offenders.
The Punishment Does Fit the Crime, but...: Authorities in India have removed a Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) from the wild after it killed a woman who was grazing her livestock. That woman's death is sad enough, but if you did deep into this article from The Hindu, you see the situations that led to this attack in the first place. The 10-year-old male tiger came from Nagarhole National Park in the state of Karnataka, where too many tigers live in too little space. There's a 22 percent annual tiger mortality rate in the region as tigers disperse out of the park and fight each other for territory. This particular tiger, named NHT-222, had been wounded by another tiger, leaving him unable to hunt, and had been pushed out of the protected reserve, where he finally clashed with humans. The tiger will now live in a zoo for the rest of its life.
British Butterflies Have Got it Bad: Hot on the heels of my recent report about British moth extinctions comes news that the UK's butterflies are also in dire straits. Some species have declined 98 percent in the past few years after the wettest summer on record. Ironically, some of these species were already suffering from a drought in 1995, from which they have still not recovered.
Death at Ol Pejeta: Remember my recent article about Ol Pejeta Conservancy's plan to buy an unmanned aerial vehicle (or drone) to protect its rhinos? Well, we have another reminder about the need for these devices and similar technologies. Poachers struck at Ol Pejeta on March 13, killing a 22-year-old black rhino that had just given birth a few weeks ago. The calf "was found clinging to its mother's body, unharmed, but distressed and calling for its mother," according to an Ol Pejeta press release. This is the first poaching incident at the conservancy in more than a year.
Slow Justice: A Toronto-area restaurant has been fined $10,000 for selling 31 endangered spiny softshell turtles (Apalone spinifera), a protected species under Canadian law. The charges, amazingly, date back to May 2010. There's no word on why it took nearly three years for the restaurant to finally be fined.
Counting Spots: Sam Khosravifard penned a guest blog here at SciAmBlogs asking, "How Many Asiatic Cheetahs Roam across Iran?" A country-wide survey is currently underway. So far they have only counted 20 cheetahs, although there are still many far corners of the country left to check. For more on Asiatic cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus), check out my article "Asiatic Cheetahs Racing Toward Extinction."
Manatees vs. Boats: As I've written many times before, one of the biggest threats to Florida's manatees (Trichechus manatus) is that state's love of high-speed watercraft. But as this great National Geographic video illustrates, you don't need to actually hit a manatee with your boat to endanger it:
Don't Hedge Your Bets: Britain's beloved hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) lost 32 percent of their population between 2011 and 2012. The species had been declining about 5 percent per year leading up to this.
Save the Easter Bunny? Finally, in honor of Easter, Jordon Carlton Schaul of Wildlife SOS gives us the run-down on several lagomorph species that are "conservation dependent."
That's it for this time around. For more endangered species news stories throughout the week, read the regular Extinction Countdown articles here at Scientific American, "like" Extinction Countdown on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter.
Photo: A slender loris (Loris tardigradus) photographed in Frankfurt Zoo by Joachim S. Müller. Used under Creative Commons licenseprint
Multi-issue Anniversary Speech Emphasizes Justice
By Barrington M. Salmon
(TriceEdneyWire.com) — Two decades after 1.2 million black men assembled, creating a blanket of humanity that spread across the National Mall from the U. S. Capitol to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, the man who convened the largest-ever gathering on the Mall reenacted the Million Man March of 1995 with a new message, largely for a new generation.
Saturday’s ‘Justice or Else’ rally, featuring Minister Louis Farrakhan, drew a lineup of activists, people of faith, and families of victims of police killings who outlined for eight hours the conditions under which African Americans, Native Americans, Latinos and other oppressed and marginalized groups exist. To a crowd comparable to that of 20 years ago, Farrakhan —setting aside prepared remarks — spoke about a number of topics, ranging from police shootings of unarmed black people to the mistreatment of Native Americans, to the manner in which many disrespect each other and themselves.
Mainly, Farrakhan reminded the nation that America was built on the backs of black slaves whose ancestors remain oppressed. He called for people of color to redirect the pain of oppression by withholding their money at Christmas in a massive economic boycott. He said black people spend billions between Thanksgiving and Christmas, with the majority of the money handed to merchants on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving.
“Our people have been deprived of the precious essence of life,” Farrakhan said. “Down this mall, there used to be slave pens. A little yellow house where the man depicted in [the movie] ’12 Years a Slave’ was held and severely beaten.”
He continued, “I feel the pain of the ancestors, the pain of those on whose shoulders we stand. The young generation has arisen. I see the faces of the young. We who are getting older, myself and my generation, what good are we if we don’t prepare young people to take the torch to the next step?” He told the youth, “We see you. We honor you.”
The march took place against the backdrop of persistent, youth-led protests against killings by police of primarily unarmed black men, women and children. In what many are calling a new era of civil rights, millennial activists in states across the country, including those from the popular Black Lives Matter movement, have been agitating for broad, systematic changes in law enforcement and the criminal justice system.
National Action Network Executive Director Tamika Mallory, among the youth who spoke, said although the spirit of Saturday’s march –– that of unity for justice –– was basically the same as 20 years ago, she recognized that 20 years ago was also about “atonement, reconciliation and responsibility for the black man.”
However, she stressed that the increasingly visible and heightened protests against the degrading of black youth, vividly displayed through social media, has created unique circumstances that require an intensified demand of the powers that be.
“The time for games is over!” she said repeatedly. “Twenty years ago, Tamir Rice’s story would have fallen on deaf ears and would have been left to the pages of a falsified police report rather than broadcasted for the world to really know what happened to him. Twenty years ago, Sandra Bland’s bravery would have never been known to us. We would never have questioned what happened to that sister. Twenty years ago, Mike Brown’s body, being left on the street for four and a half hours, rotting in the sun, would only have traumatized that community instead of waking up the people as they did. Twenty years ago, Eric Garner’s last words would have just been whispered to his |
the answers that she gives to every reporter. The interview-within-an-interview reminds us just how unusual this interaction is. Most of the questions people ask celebrities are stand-ins for what we really want to know: “What’s it like to hang out with you? Are you really just like us?” But Kunis is, hanging out and acting, yes, pretty much just like us.
The video has drawn a lot of praise and attention to Kunis. An ABC reporter said that it proves Kunis is “as sweet as she looks.” Vulture called it “career-defining” and ran a piece, by Heather Havrilesky, trying to puzzle out the contours of the unscripted “carefree tomboy schtick” that has elevated Kunis into the Jennifer Lawrence ranks of likability. Several outlets mentioned how it was really nice of Kunis to help out the nervous reporter.
But, for all the talk about Kunis, perhaps we should take a moment to appreciate Chris Stark. After all, he’s the one who sets the tone for the interview, declaring up front that he’s “petrified” and then lobbing out a clumsy but audacious opening question: “In the nicest possibly way, did you enjoy being ugly for once? Because, generally, like, you know, you’re hot.” Kunis eggs him on, but it’s Stark who moves the conversation further and further out of bounds, bringing up newly irrelevant topics and offering unsolicited details about his life and interests. Of the pair, he’s actually the one who’s more charming and fun to watch.
Great interviewers often describe their craft as something between a dance, a seduction, and a magic trick. You have Truman Capote spinning webs of trust and charisma around his subjects. You have Joan Didion, dependent on being “so physically small, so temperamentally unobtrusive, and so neurotically inarticulate that people tend to forget that my presence runs counter to their best interests.” You have Janet Malcolm using the fine touch of her “Japanese technique” to elicit information and draw people out of themselves. And then you have Chris Stark, talking about eating chicken, scoring “massive lad points,” and “dropping trou” at his friend Dicko’s wedding. And it works. The result is great. Good for him.I hated being force-fed books in school because they rarely suited my tastes in speculative fiction reading. Today’s generation, however, has a much better chance of being assigned genre books in school. The following question was asked of this week’s panelists:
Q: If you were teaching a high school literature class, which science fiction or fantasy books first published within the past 10 years would you include on your syllabus?
Read on to see their what books should be on every high schooler’s radar…
Elizabeth Bear
Elizabeth Bear was born on the same day as Frodo and Bilbo Baggins, but in a different year. This, coupled with a childhood tendency to read the dictionary for fun, led her inevitably to penury, intransigence, the mispronunciation of common English words, and the writing of speculative fiction.
The trick, of course, is finding books teenagers will love, which also reveal the diversity of the genre and its literary aspirations. And “high school” is a broad range–what’s appropriate for an eighteen-year-old is not always what’s right for a fourteen-year-old. But assuming for a moment we’re talking about a senior-level AP class, I’d want Nalo Hopkinson’s The Salt Roads (which I imagine would be challenging to get past the parents, with its discussions of syphilis and slavery, but well worth it); Ted Chiang’s Stories Of Your Life And Others; Justine Larbalestier’s Liar (I’m going on rep for that one, as I have not read it yet, but it’s on my list); Cory Doctorow’s Little Brother (Which I would use, among other things, to talk about didactic literature, and I’d want to assign it in concert with Black Beauty, frankly); Christopher Barzak’s One For Sorrow; and a nice anthology in which there are a lot of fun stories in which stuff blows up, because this list is way too damned depressing already.
Jack McDevitt
The Devil’s Eye, from Ace. A new novel, Time Travelers Never Die, is coming in November. McDevitt has been a frequent Nebula finalist. He won for his 2006 novel, Seeker. Jack McDevitt is the author of fifteen novels including, from Ace. A new novel,, is coming in November. McDevitt has been a frequent Nebula finalist. He won for his 2006 novel,
The two novels I’d try with my students would be Robert Sawyer’s WWW: Wake, which should score highly with the internet generation; and Michael Swanwick’s Bones of the Earth, a time travel adventure. (In my experience, time travel almost always worked well with students. I’d be inclined also to recommend Joe Haldeman’s The Accidental Time Machine, except that there’s a religious dimension that would cause problems with some parents.)
SF, in my view, is more effective at shorter length, so I’d want an anthology. A good one to start with: Fast Forward II (edited by Lou Anders). I should also acknowledge that I may not be objective on this last one since I have a story in it.
During my years as an English teacher (1963-73), I had a great deal of success using Ray Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles to demonstrate to reluctant kids that reading can be a great deal of fun.
Diana Pharaoh Francis
Path of Fate, Path of Honor and Path of Blood. She has also written the Crosspointe Series: The Cipher, The Black Ship, The Turning Tide, and The Hollow Crown (forthcoming in 2010). Her latest book is Bitter Night, a contemporary fantasy. Diana teaches in the English Department at the University of Montana Western, and is an avid lover of all things chocolate. Her website is: Diana Pharaoh Francis has written the fantasy novel trilogy that includesand. She has also written the, and(forthcoming in 2010). Her latest book is, a contemporary fantasy. Diana teaches in the English Department at the University of Montana Western, and is an avid lover of all things chocolate. Her website is: www.dianapfrancis.com
The answer to this question is perhaps less academic for me than most, insomuch as my alter ego is a college professor and I teach an introduction to science fiction and fantasy literature class fairly regularly. I think the books that I use in there are some that I would teach in a 10th grade class as well. They are accessible to those who don’t already read in the genre and they are intriguing.
Some of the books I like from the last ten years are Scott Westerfield’s Uglies, Patricia Wrede’s Thirteenth Child, Robin McKinley’s Sunshine, Elizabeth Bear’s Dust, Patrick Rothfuss’ The Name of the Wind, Kristin Cashore’s Graceling, Neil Gaiman’s Coraline, and S.M. Stirling’s Dies the Fire. Each does some interesting things with character, plot and offer a variety of kinds of readings and a variety of learning opportunities. These books have some sophistication and do not dumb down to students, and they are terrific stories. Clearly I’m always reading in the genre and looking for more possibilities.
I also have some favorites that are older than ten years. On the top of that list is Guy Gavriel Kay’s Tigana, Elizabeth Moon’s Once a Hero, and Nalo Hopkinson’s Brown Girl in the Ring.
Paul Levinson
The Soft Edge (1997), Digital McLuhan (1999), Realspace (2003), and Cellphone (2004), have been the subject of major articles in the New York Times, Wired, the Christian Science Monitor, and have been translated into ten languages. New New Media, exploring blogging, Twitter, YouTube and other “new new” modes of communication, was published by Penguin Academics in September 2009. His science fiction novels include The Silk Code (1999, winner of the Locus Award for Best First Novel), Borrowed Tides (2001), The Consciousness Plague (2002), The Pixel Eye (2003), and The Plot To Save Socrates (2006). His short stories have been nominated for Nebula, Hugo, Edgar, and Sturgeon Awards. Paul Levinson appears on The O’Reilly Factor (Fox News), The CBS Evening News, NewsHour with Jim Lehrer (PBS), Nightline (ABC), and numerous national and international TV and radio programs. He reviews the best of television in his Paul Levinson, PhD, is Professor of Communication & Media Studies at Fordham University in New York City. His eight nonfiction books, including(1997),(1999),(2003), and(2004), have been the subject of major articles in the New York Times, Wired, the Christian Science Monitor, and have been translated into ten languages., exploring blogging, Twitter, YouTube and other “new new” modes of communication, was published by Penguin Academics in September 2009. His science fiction novels include(1999, winner of the Locus Award for Best First Novel),(2001),(2002),(2003), and(2006). His short stories have been nominated for Nebula, Hugo, Edgar, and Sturgeon Awards. Paul Levinson appears on The O’Reilly Factor (Fox News), The CBS Evening News, NewsHour with Jim Lehrer (PBS), Nightline (ABC), and numerous national and international TV and radio programs. He reviews the best of television in his InfiniteRegress.tv blog, and was listed in The Chronicle of Higher Education’s “Top 10 Academic Twitterers” in 2009.
I’d put the following science fiction and fantasy books in the syllabus:
Red Moon. First published as written by David Michaels, 2000; re-issued as written by David Michaels & Daniel Brenton, 2007. One of the great instructive strengths and delights of science fiction is the “real” explanation of a perplexing, major event or phenomenon. Red Moon does this for the question of why the Soviet space program collapsed in the late 1960s without reaching the Moon, after such a promising start. Edward Maret by Robert I. Katz, 2001. A re-telling, roughly and sagely, of The Count of Monte Cristo, in a deep space environment with androids and all kinds of fine science fictional things and memes. An excellent example of a classic story in s-f clothing. The Unincorporated Man by Dani & Eytan Kollin, 2009. A body revived after centuries in suspended animation is a science fiction nugget worthy of any class. In the hands of the Kollins, it gives a tour of economics worthy of Looking Backward and The Space Merchants. Rollback by Robert J. Sawyer, 2007. Alien transmission from space – another important science fiction staple – handled with the style and savvy Sawyer brought to his 1999 Flashfoward, now a fine series on ABC TV. Time Travelers Never Die by Jack McDevitt, 2009. A great time travel story, showing students some of the mind-bending paradoxes of the genre, and also how shorter works can be expanded into novels. The complete Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling, 1997-2007. Even though the first book was published a tad longer ago than 10 years, the balance of this masterpiece series was published within the 10-year period stipulated, so I included all the books in the series. In other words, it’s fair to say the series was published in the past 10 years. And the lessons in sheer, imaginative character development and story telling are too good to pass up.
David Bradley
UK-based David Bradley has been editor of SFX magazine, the world’s leading news-stand SF magazine, for four years. Educated in medieval literature at Oxford and London universities, he became a professional journalist and magazine editor in 1997. His previous editorships include the official Microsoft Windows magazine. He is a popular media commentator on movies, TV, books and videogames – he has been seen recently on Sky One, ITV1 and BBC Four, as well as on radio including the BBC World Service, talking about Doctor Who, Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica and Red Dwarf. Bradley regularly reviews films and books and is an active contributor to SFX’s own blog and reader forum at www.sfx.co.uk >.
As an SF reader I was very fortunate: at school in London in the 1980s I studied John Wyndham’s The Day of the Triffids, John Cristopher’s The Death of Grass and Nevil Shute’s On the Beach alongside all the Dickens, Hardy and Shakespeare. But the last ten years have served up several titles that I’d also happily see on any teacher’s reading list — my syllabus might include M John Harrison’s Light (2002), or Ken McLeod’s Learning the World (2005), or Matthew de Abaitua’s The Red Men (2007). All three are well-paced reads to excite young minds, but are also intelligent and thought-provoking with plenty of themes to discuss. But for the purposes of this Mind Meld today, however, I want to stir things up in the classroom by nominating Terry Pratchett’s Night Watch (2002).
“A comic fantasy? One part of a series that has almost 40 books in it? What are you thinking, Bradley?! Go to the headmaster’s office at once!” Sorry sir, but this is a masterful piece of writing, with a theme of civil unrest for us to discuss, believable central characters, and an unusual time travel-based framing structure. There are good reasons why it received the Prometheus Award in 2003, had a place in the BBC’s top 100 “Big Read” survey of the UK’s favourite books, and was nominated for a Locus Award.
Pratchett first introduced us to the characters of Sam Vimes and his watchmen in 1989’s Guards! Guards! Over the years Vimes has sobered up, married into the nobility, and been promoted to commander. He’s one of the Discworld’s most important characters and the Watch are Pratchett’s finest creations. Despite authentic character flaws, Vimes is a dependable cop trying to keep the peace in a world gone mad, cynical but morally upright, wry and tenacious with the intelligence to play at politics if he has to. Night Watch is the seventh book to feature him prominently, and Pratchett masterfully ensures that it’s not just another police procedural – Vimes is flung back in time to meet his own younger self during the days of revolution in his beloved city.
To my mind this is the most fully accomplished of Terry Pratchett’s Ankh-Morpork novels, with excellent characterisation and an eye for sophisticated narrative techniques. The magical time travel conceit means there’s no need to be versed in Discworld continuity (although it helps if some of the character names are familiar – class swots should be encouraged to go and read all the supporting material) but there is plenty for a 21st century reading group to talk about: political assassinations and the effect of the state running a secret police, the relationship between the regular police and the military, the ways in which rebellions escalate and how demonstrations can turn to rioting and bloodshed.
And it manages to do all that while being a good laugh, too.
Constance Ash
Constance Ash grew up on a small working family farm, is a founding member of post-mamboism, lives primarily in New York City, New Orleans, and, in better times, Havana. In those better times she was a finalist for the Nebula and the Philip K. Dick awards. She blogs at Fox Hall and DeepGenre
The primary criterion is how the students get access to the title of my choice – student purchase, school media center library, my purchase? Many other considerations follow: will this book help me teach to the mandatory tests? will non-creationist, sexually active but not married, non-Christian or gay characters offend the parents of my students? will a lack of significant characters of color be a bore for my class which is mostly kids of color and / or of latino and / or asian heritage? if the protagonists are female will the boys be anxious? if the protagonists are all male will the girls roll their eyes? if I use an sf/f work in this free unit of my syllabus will the students who don’t care for sf/f complain (yes! they will!)? will my student(s) in wheel chairs or with other challenges, feel left out by a novel’s all able protagonists?
With Joe Abercrombie’s Best Served Cold (2008 – f ), I could teach a useful class unit on reading, writing and researching – particularly if this were an English-History team taught course — (compare and contrast this history of Abercrombie’s setting with that of Italy during the period of the warrior pope, Alexander VI, born Rodrigo Borgia; what is the role of the Poison Master’s apprentice as a character in the novel?, etc.)
But I wouldn’t be allowed to teach Best Served Cold, or Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel’s Mercy (2008 – f ), the final volume in her Imriel cycle, even though Carey’s BDSM elements are fairly muted in this one. I like this novel because it provides a perfect fantasy process by which a nation can literally lose its mind and memory for a period of time – great research, essay and discussion material. An Abercrombie or Carey novel would be perceived by the powers that ultimately control my classroom as lacking the elements that are the focus of our syllabus – proven works of ‘value’ that go with teaching to the mandatory state and national tests.
I might be able to teach Sherri Tepper’s The Margarets (2008 – sf) or The End of Mr. Y by Scarlett Thomas (2007 – sf). These provide some optimism as to future homo sapien survival. Margaret Atwood’s The Year of the Flood (2009 – sf) I would be able to teach – it will soon be on the school media center bookshelves. But, I don’t want to bombard my students with even more pessimism about the future than they’re already seeing.
Kim Stanley Robinson’s Years of Rice and Salt (2002 – sf), is a perfect novel for an inter-disciplinary unit taught with members of the science and history faculties, but it contains extended sections of meditative speculation that would drive my attention deficient students mad, sending us back to where we started – with books you are forced to read in high school English class and now hate with a passion.
So, The Brief Wondrous Life of Dr. Wao (2007 – meta sf/f) by Junot Díaz it is. The novel won the Pulitzer for literature. The text employs compositional devices, scholarly forms, linguistic and grammatical diversities. Copies were added instantly to school media centers and public library collections of young adult fiction. It’s musical, rhythmic and vocal, thus reads easily. It presents a variety of young protagonists, contains comedy and tragedy, violence and pathos. There’s a mysterious island, the Dominican Republic, from where many of my students’ families emigrated, ruled by the Dark Lord, Rafael Trujillo, in comparison with whom Sauron’s a pussycat. There’s a focus on geek culture — Dungeons and Dragons, sf/f novels, comics, sf/f movies, computers, the place these hold in all our lives — it’s a great introduction to Lord of the Rings. It’s got the eternals – family, sex and death.
Most of all, its got copious fukú.* All students, everywhere, are deeply versed in fukú.**
*The novel contains footnotes explaining the elaborate curse system of fukú.
** So are their teachers.
James Bloomer
James Bloomer has a PhD in particle physics (he worked at CERN) and has probably forgotten more physics than most people ever learn. He has been running the SF blog Big Dumb Object for 242 internet years and writing Science Fiction for a decade in the real world.
When I was at school the books (that I remember) I had to study were Animal Farm by George Orwell, Brighton Rock by Grahame Greene and Henry IV Part 1 by William Shakespeare. Animal Farm is good, I recommend it. Brighton Rock is about violent gang warfare (not sure why that’s good for school?) and a bit of a trudge. And Henry IV is terrible. Of all the Shakespeare why did we have to study that one? No magic or witches or speculation or explosions or spaceships.
Disaster.
So what would I recommend? It’s not an easy decision; the book needs to be entertaining but deep enough to provoke more discussion. It’s got to be not too long, a book that everyone can finish. And obviously for a literature lesson, the writing needs to be pretty good too.
Some of my favourite books of the last few years are probably just too long: River Of Gods, The Gone Away World, Anathem, The Baroque Cycle.
Some are too grim: The Road by Cormac McCarthy has amazing writing, but there’s not enough to discuss and too much scope for depression.
Some were published years ago: for example I read a lot of classic and great apocalyptic SF last year.
The book that comes to mind which covers all the requirements is Air by Geoff Ryman: great story, great writing and enough technological speculation and questions asked to keep a class talking for weeks. How will technology change poor parts of the world? Rather a big topic for discussion.
I’d also like to suggest a short story, “Magic For Beginners” by Kelly Link. Ideal for teenagers I reckon, with plenty to discuss about being outsiders and friendship and what is real, and what isn’t.
Much better than Henry IV Part 1.
Christopher Fletcher
Things We Are Not. Christopher Fletcher is editor and publisher of the monthly short fiction magazine M-Brane SF and the recently released anthology
This is an interesting question, and I’d be keen to know what actual teachers are assigning nowadays, if they are in fact using much genre fiction of recent vintage. When I was a kid, the science fiction selections in English class were limited mostly to the classic dystopian books like 1984 and Fahrenheit 451, and the focus was always on what sort of heavy social and political messages the stories conveyed.
If I were planning a syllabus for a high school course and wanted to select very recent genre fiction, and could only choose a single book, I might pick Ian McDonald’s Cyberabad Days. A collection of short fiction, all set in mid-21st century India, this book is jam-packed with startling ideas and highly evocative language. I think it could make students think about how the world is rapidly changing around them and what things might be possible in a time frame that will occur well within their own lifetimes.
If I had a chance to make genre fiction the entire focus of a course for a school year and could pick more than one book (and if I didn’t have to worry too much about who might be offended by my choices), I would plan the syllabus around the notion of these being the genres of “Big Ideas” and expose students to a wide range of the exciting writing that’s been going on in recent years. Some items I might select include:
Neal Stephenson’s The Diamond Age, for being a mind-blowing and highly entertaining image of the world after nanotechnology becomes all-pervasive. It has everything: great characters, engrossing plot and tons of wild super-science. I might invite students to compare this vision of the future to that of earlier periods in sf, such as the Golden Age, the New Wave and the cyberpunk period.
, for being a mind-blowing and highly entertaining image of the world after nanotechnology becomes all-pervasive. It has everything: great characters, engrossing plot and tons of wild super-science. I might invite students to compare this vision of the future to that of earlier periods in sf, such as the Golden Age, the New Wave and the cyberpunk period. Hal Duncan’s Vellum, for its mythic aura, its seamless welding of elements of both sf and fantasy, and its challenging premise. I can imagine students being both thrilled and confounded by this one.
, for its mythic aura, its seamless welding of elements of both sf and fantasy, and its challenging premise. I can imagine students being both thrilled and confounded by this one. Greg Egan’s Incandescence, for the intensity and rigor of its hard science. More than anyone else nowadays, when I think of hard sf, I think of Egan. He manages to take very difficult sf premises and focus them around a very human story.
, for the intensity and rigor of its hard science. More than anyone else nowadays, when I think of hard sf, I think of Egan. He manages to take very difficult sf premises and focus them around a very human story. Jay Lake’s Mainspring, for its dazzling concept and richly entertaining storyline. Of all these selections, the kids in my class would probably dig this one more than anything due to its relatively high fun factor. It would also be a good jumping-off point for discussion of world-building.
Jeremy Shipp
Vacation, Sheep and Wolves, and Cursed. Feel free to visit his online home at Jeremy C. Shipp ‘s work has appeared or is forthcoming in over 50 publications, the likes of Cemetery Dance, ChiZine, Apex Magazine, Pseudopod, and The Magazine of Bizarro Fiction. While preparing for the collapse of civilization, Jeremy enjoys living in Southern California in a moderately haunted Victorian farmhouse with his wife, Lisa, and their legion of yard gnomes. His books include, and. Feel free to visit his online home at www.jeremycshipp.com
Not all of the books in my syllabus are marketed as science fiction or fantasy, but they do contain elements of the genres. My goal, in the class, would be to break down the preconceptions of genre, and to show my students the diversity that exists out there.
Here are the books I would choose:
Gossamer by Lois Lowry
by Lois Lowry I Was a Teenage Fairy by Francesca Lia Block
by Francesca Lia Block American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
by Gene Luen Yang Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
by Haruki Murakami After Dachau by Daniel Quinn
by Daniel Quinn The Folk Keeper by Franny Billingsley
by Franny Billingsley Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist
by John Ajvide Lindqvist Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk
by Chuck Palahniuk Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
by Susanna Clarke City of Saints and Madmen by Jeff VanderMeer
by Jeff VanderMeer Fray by Joss Whedon
Josh Jasper
The Hobbit at age 11, and involved in the fannish community since 1990. He likes “literary” fantasy and science fiction, good old fashioned space opera with laser beams and BEMs, and sword and sorcery fantasy, but he’s a bit tired of stock European settings and characters. He blogs at Publishers Weekly‘s Josh Jasper is a blogger, fiction reviewer, and itinerant IT/CS/QA/Marketing person, currently serving as the director of marketing for Fantasy Magazine. He’s been a genre fan since readingat age 11, and involved in the fannish community since 1990. He likes “literary” fantasy and science fiction, good old fashioned space opera with laser beams and BEMs, and sword and sorcery fantasy, but he’s a bit tired of stock European settings and characters. He blogs at Publishers Weekly‘s Genreville
It’s not common knowledge that I have a background in modern philosophy, and therefore I’m really familiar with how to read dense scholarly texts. The techniques I was taught in high school that helped with this were by an English professor, Mr. Silverman, who taught us the importance of knowing how to read for critical analysis. After getting to college, I found that this was a prep school sort of thing, and plenty of my class mates didn’t get trained on.
Farah Mendlesohn’s Rhetorics of Fantasy is a great example of a text on how to read fantasy. I’m told that James Gunn’s Reading Science Fiction or Paul Kinkaid’s What it is we do When We Read Science Fiction are also a good texts on the subject, but in any case, anyone wanting to teach F/SF ought to have such a book to give students a road map.
The next step is the books. I’m partial to letting students choose themselves, but then you’d get a dozen Harry Potter and Twilight essays, and that makes for lax standards. By the same token, giving all the students the same books would be awful, so what I’d do is give them choices from a range of books, and allow an extra credit for essays about books not on the list. Ducking out on picking specific titles, I’d give them the full range of the nominees for Hugos, Nebulas, Tiptrees, Carl Brandons, Lambdas and the World Fantasy Awards. Students could pick from the last ten years there.
OK, but if I *had* to pick books, I’d want to give two each of fantasy of science fiction. For science fiction, I’d assign Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies and Ian McDonald’s Brasyl. For Fantasy, I’d assign Un Lun Dun by China Mieville, and The Orphan’s Tales: In the Night Garden by Cat Valente.
My goal would be to give one YA novel and one adult novel in both fantasy and SF to the students. Uglies talks a lot about teen experience, and Un Lun Dun inverts the classic “destined hero” trope. I think Brasyl would be the most difficult of all the novels, but I believe in challenging students. Brasyl talks about what science and technology might mean outside of a European context, which is important in and of its self. It also delves into entertainment, reality TV, sports obsession, and time travel. Orphan’s Tales, In The Night Garden is absolutely one of my favorite books in the world. Like Un Lun Dun, it’s all about turning ideas one might have about fantasy on their heads. Like Brasyl, it’s not an easy read at first, but it’s sucked in everyone I’ve met who’s read it.
At the end of the class, I’d want students to come out with a sense of what fantasy and science fiction can do that non-speculative literature can’t, how to read books with that in mind, and how to find books in the genres that they’d enjoy.
Like this: Like Loading...The Vikings could easily have the best secondary in football with Xavier Rhodes, Terence Newman, Trae Waynes and Marcus Sherels. They’ve allowed the fewest passing yards in the league – by a wide margin – and shut down every No. 1 receiver that comes into their territory. The headliner of the group, of course, is Rhodes. He’ll play a huge role in this one, taking away Jay Cutler’s favorite target: Alshon Jeffery.
Cutler has always had a good connection with Jeffery in the past; much better than the one Jeffery and Hoyer had. He tends to lean on Jeffery and give him opportunities at 50-50 balls downfield. Hoyer didn’t give him the same chances given his reluctance to take risks deep down the field, but Cutler will undoubtedly go that route. Except, he probably shouldn’t.
Rhodes has allowed a 37.3 passer rating on throws his way, which is the best in the NFC. He’s allowed 24.3 yards per game in coverage, which is also outstanding. His combination of size and speed will create serious problems for Jeffery and Cutler’s connection as he has the ability to get his hands on and break up passes. If Rhodes can eliminate Jeffery from the game plan, Cutler will struggle. Eddie Royal is doubtful, and though Cameron Meredith is expected to play despite being questionable, Cutler won’t necessarily be on the same page with those receivers. And that’s not even taking into account the cornerbacks they’ll be facing in coverage, who are outstanding as well.IF you want to understand just how miserable a childhood can be, 16-year-old “Jane Doe” is a good place to start.
That’s what the authorities in Connecticut call her to protect her identity. She was removed a few days ago from an adult prison where she had been confined by herself for two months — not as punishment but because the state said it had nowhere else to put her that would be safe.
Now Jane is in a girls’ detention center in Middletown, Conn. She’s one of almost 70,000 American youths incarcerated on any given day — and a reminder of how ineffective our programs for troubled children are.
Like many detained kids, Jane has been through hell. Because her father was in prison and her mother was a drug abuser, she was raised by relatives. At age 8, she says in an affidavit provided to the courts, her cousin began to rape her anally, causing her to lose control of her bowels.Gay Moroccan Couple Arrested For Kissing Could Face Three Years In Jail
Two university students were jailed in Inezgane, Morocco on Thursday after a video they took of themselves kissing went viral on social media and sparked strong reactions in the community.
The video, which shows two silhouetted men kissing in a classroom, was reportedly taken in a school in the Aït Melloul neighborhood where one of the men works as a coordinator.
Morocco World News reports both suspects will remain in custody until a hearing scheduled for next week, where they’ll receive a final verdict.
If convicted, the men could pay a fine of up to 1,200 dirhams (~$3,267) and serve up to three years in jail for violating Article 489 of the Penal Code of Morocco, which criminalizes “lewd or unnatural acts with an individual of the same sex.”
In June, Morocco’s archaic laws banning same-sex sexual activity led to a sting arrest of 20 people who were accused of being gay and subsequently charged with “incitement to corruption.”Red-light cameras in Dallas and other Texas cities would be gradually shut down under legislation approved Wednesday by the Senate.
The measure by Sen. Bob Hall, R-Edgewood, would initially prohibit the future use of the cameras at intersections and then halt the use of existing camera programs as contracts between cities and camera operators expire.
Senators passed the bill on a 23-7 vote and sent it to the House, where a large number of members are believed to favor the proposal.
“This is a concept that sounded good on paper, but failed miserably in real world application,” Hall argued, citing strong opposition from the public to cities’ use of red-light cameras. The devices, which result in a maximum $75 fine for drivers photographed running red lights, have been in use in Texas since the early 2000s.
“There is lots of data that make it clear that unmanned traffic cameras do not improve traffic safety,” Hall said. “The only rationale explanation to continue use of these is the money they generate for municipalities and private corporations” that operate the cameras.
The North Texas senator said the red-light camera programs “trample on constitutional rights” while doing little to make roads safer across the state.
Local law enforcement agencies have disputed Hall’s assertions, citing studies which show public safety improvements when drivers are aware they will be caught on camera if they run a red light. They also noted that the number of tickets has been dropping, indicating that fewer drivers are running red lights.
Residents of some Texas cities have voted to outlaw use of the cameras on their streets. Arlington residents will vote in May whether to continue that city’s program.
Critics also have pointed out that only a small amount of the state's share from the traffic fines actually reaches regional trauma centers, which were supposed to receive significant funding from the red-light camera programs.While the letters do not specifically identify the target of the eavesdropping requests, Mr. Mukasey said that the Police Department had sought authority in one of them to eavesdrop on “numerous communications facilities” without providing an adequate basis for their requests. Some officials who have been briefed on the cases said the requests, from the police Intelligence Division, were unusually broad, and included telephones in public places, like train or subway stations, rather than phones used by a specific individual.
Even in the best of times, the police and the F.B.I.’s New York office can be quarrelsome partners, and current and former officials say the dispute between the two — which share overlapping responsibilities for security in New York — has brought the relationship to a new low.
The inability of the Justice Department to resolve the conflict may mean that the matter ends up in the hands of Eric H. Holder Jr., who is expected to be nominated by President-elect Barack Obama to become the next attorney general. Based on Mr. Obama’s statements during the campaign, it appears unlikely that his administration would adopt a more permissive attitude toward eavesdropping than the Bush administration.
In his five-page letter on Oct. 27, Mr. Kelly wrote to Mr. Mukasey charging that the F.B.I. and Justice Department had thwarted the Police Department’s intelligence efforts in two specific cases. He wrote that federal authorities were “constraining” critical terrorism investigations in New York and said the federal government “is doing less than it is lawfully entitled to protect New York City,” concluding that “the city is less safe as a result.”
Mr. Mukasey, in a seven-page retort, dated Oct. 31, dismissed what he called Mr. Kelly’s “alarming conclusions” as factually incorrect. Mr. Mukasey wrote that Mr. Kelly was in effect proposing that the Justice Department and the F.B.I. disregard the law, as spelled out in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978.
“Not only would your approach violate the law, it would also in short order make New York City and the rest of the country less safe,” wrote Mr. Mukasey, a federal judge in Manhattan before he became attorney general.
In a statement, the Police Department’s deputy commissioner for legal matters, S. Andrew Schaffer, who has advised Mr. Kelly on the matter, said that Mr. Mukasey’s contention that Mr. Kelly had proposed an illegal course of conduct was “preposterous and categorically untrue.”
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“We have asserted,” the statement continued, “based on actual cases, that FISA warrants were not sought in a timely manner in part because of a self-imposed standard of probable cause which is higher than that required by Supreme Court precedent.”
On Wednesday evening, the Justice Department issued a statement |
with that and my four children, I got a PhD at NYU and conducted research at Yale.
I don’t often discuss my history of depression and anxiety, let alone how horrific and painful it was. I’m not ashamed. Sort of the opposite. If I accomplished as much as I did while not operating at full cognitive capacity, sleep deprived, distracted, alternating between sorrow and fear, imagine what I can get done in the absence of all that. I just can’t stand being on the receiving end of pity. There’s no reason to feel sorry for present-day me, even though parts of this story would make me cry if I were you.
It might have been prudent to remove all references to depression and anxiety from this article. Maybe readers will find it more comforting to dismiss than to believe me and this gives them an easy out. But over the past week, I’ve read so many personal accounts by men and women much younger than I, some the same ages as my own children, describing the PTSD, anxiety, eating disorder, or depression following their own abuse, assault, or harassment. If I whitewash my own history, causing one other person to question their inner strength in comparison to mine, I will have done damage. Not happening.
Why did I never say anything about Wiesel? Over the years, I have told a few friends here and there. I’ve told my husband(s). I debated with myself on and off over the years about potential effects on others, “If I say nothing, other people might be hurt even worse than I was. What if he does this to girls who become bulimic and they suffer and then their parents suffer over their sick child or they get married but have sexual dysfunction and it ruins their marriage and their husband thinks his wife hates him so he suffers and their children are raised by a mother who is sad but can’t tell anyone why so the children suffer? If I say something, how will it benefit society on the chance that there were not and never would be other victims? I might hurt many people who would lose their idol. Would the information be used as a weapon against the Jewish community? What books will high school teachers assign if I say something?” It would have made so many people sad. I didn’t want to add sadness to the world.
But wait — we haven’t even gotten to the list of potential effects on me. After writing a draft of this, I showed my husband and some friends. A selection of their responses mirrored my own reservations: Are you sure you want to do this? You don’t want this to hurt your career. You’ll have to deal with your kids’ reactions. You could write it and maybe have some people who you’re close to read it so you can get it off your chest instead of having everyone know. That’s a lot to put out there. You know that people will be talking about you and it’s not going to be nice? What’s the point, all these years later? Does your ex-husband know you’re going to write this? You should remove this paragraph, that sentence, and that paragraph because you don’t want people to think about you in connection to things like that. Ok, publish it, but not on your professional blog because you need people to take you seriously (surprise! this is seriously my professional blog). Would you consider publishing it without his name? Would you consider publishing it without your name? You need to make sure people will still want to work with you. Don’t write about that part — they’ll dismiss you as crazy. I support you no matter what, but be prepared for serious backlash.
They said these things because they love me and want to protect me from the pain and destruction of backlash, which can be just as bad or worse than the original offense. Women, often lacking in power, include this in their calculations when they decide to say nothing. Bizarrely, the same women are so powerful that their mere speech could cause infrastructure to collapse: careers and companies that have been built, friendships and families that are depended upon, religious institutions and their leaders who are meaningful to so many, sports teams that have devoted fans and income from advertisers, young men with promising futures, old men with legacies. Backlash is a mechanism to hold up infrastructure.
Why would I say something now? I am exhausted from the guilt, fear, and shame and mostly from the twenty-eight year long burden of keeping this secret in a possibly misguided overestimation of my own capacity and responsibility to protect the world from the knowledge of something evil and ugly; as if I was required (forced, really, shoved and held down by Elie Wiesel, himself), at nineteen, to throw my body and mind on top of this grenade, for the sake of all Jews, for the sake of the world. For twenty-eight years, when I would see one of his works on the bookshelf of a friend or family member, see his name or face in the news, read him quoted or referenced, hear him lauded as some kind of Tzadik, I would feel nauseous. I would think that he had fooled everyone and I would feel embarrassed on their behalf for having been fooled. I am not interested in revenge or punishment. I just want, finally, to get rid of this thing, this implanted tumor, this lodged bullet. I am giving it away, dispersing it, diffusing it, vaporizing it. If you think it is important to keep, then you do it, because I am done.
I understand that people who do some bad things can create a body of work that benefits a large number of people. It is widely known that both MLK and JFK had numerous affairs with help from men working around them to procure and hide women. This doesn’t take away from their accomplishments or diminish the improvements they made in other people’s lives.
I understand that an abnormal childhood, abuse, or trauma can make it more likely for someone to commit horrible acts against others. This doesn’t take away from their crimes or diminish the pain they bring to other peoples’ lives.
Don’t look for an explanation as if there are rules. When you find out about someone diagnosed with lung cancer, you immediately wonder how many packs a day they smoked. You want a reason; something they did that put them in danger’s path, so you can comfort and deceive yourself into believing there are concrete steps you can take to avoid sharing their fate. To reflexively disbelieve someone accusing a powerful or seemingly decent person of sexual assault or harassment or to believe them while pointing to their clothing or profession is to sacrifice their sanity and reputation for the sake of your own sense of order in the world. It is a weak, cowardly, selfish move every time.
People who commit these vile acts exist in every community, work in every industry, are members of every religion or lack, thereof, and live on every continent. It would be convenient if they were all ogre-like caricatures of a bad guy. The focus on Harvey Weinstein’s looks does a disservice to those whose attackers and harassers are regular people, community members, people who look like lots of people you might know.
Even if a minority, together they’re able to damage a large number of girls and women; to physically assault them, derail or manipulate their careers, or make them fearful. When you add it all up, it turns out that these experiences are, sadly, common. And even something as seemingly small as someone grabbing your ass, counts. Having trouble dealing with all the underlined words with hyperlinks? Sexual assault and harassement are ubiquitous, such that I could find a separate tragic link for every word in this piece.
Still, so few men know about this thing that is so common. If people rarely hear about something’s existence, they assume it to be rare. Now you’re hearing about it a lot. Allow yourself, then, to accept the disturbing reality. It is not rare. I doubt that even the blinding #metoo sunlight (a campaign begun years ago by Tarana Burke) is enough to make a dent in the behavior of perpetrators, but might it be enough to make a dent in that of others? If your girlfriend, sister, niece, daughter, mother, wife, coworker, student, or camper tells you something horrible or even mildly shitty was done to them and then tells you the name of the person who did it and it’s someone you know, respect, or like or someone upon whom many depend, set aside your own fears to accept that it likely did happen. Then treat her, accordingly, showing her that you place her well-being no lower than your own need for order in the world. Don’t make her life an episode of The Twilight Zone.
I am not lying. I am not at fault for not speaking out sooner or not kicking him in the balls, immediately. I will not provide further details or repeat the story, out loud, reliving it. I’ve had enough. I will not give advice or an opinion regarding how Wiesel should or should not be framed in history. Not my problem. I will not engage in angry back-and-forth with those daring me to defend myself. I am busy. Only I get to decide if I am obligated to respond to queries or criticisms. Exception: if this includes a hyperlink to your personal story and you want it removed, let me know right away.
To those full of wisdom, who regularly impart it; community leaders, scholars, writers, board members, celebrities, experts, journalists, and historians who might attempt to moralize, criticize, and judge me via competing Talmudic Twitter strings, based on my writing abilities, my sanity, my upbringing, my level of Jewish observance, my punctuation, my apparel, my sexual history, my two marriages, my career, or my lack of fame or expertise relative to yours, I have some well-informed advice for you before you say anything: Listen to us with all of your energy and don’t speak. Unless you have, yourself, been sexually assaulted or stalked or groped or similarly objectified, controlled, terrorized, and violated so that a part of you was stolen, so that you were gifted with the options of hurting others, hurting yourself, or both, refrain from commentary for a bit, while you listen.
If you are sad and in mourning for your lost icon, I am not to blame for taking him away from you. I am not to blame for robbing the Jewish community of a leader, the world of a symbol, or his family of their memories. I did not do it. He did. He is the only one responsible for his evil act. He is the only one responsible for building his legacy as a house of cards. You may have to repeat that to yourself a number of times, as I have. He did this, not me. He did it.As this weekend’s Community Shield heralds a new Premier League season, more people than ever will be watching it online – without paying a penny. Is this plain old piracy, or just priced-out fans taking sport back from big business? And is there any way to stop it?
We are in a poky flat in a Scandinavian suburb, without a millionaire sportsman in sight. But if things go according to plan during the next 90 minutes, we will join the scourge of the richest sport leagues in the world.
Using Windows on a cheap laptop, with only rudimentary IT skills, we are about to upload a stream of a football match and broadcast it online. I am told it is easy, and we have a step-by-step guide. We also have the anonymity of the internet. What we don’t have, however, is permission: we paid none of the £5.1bn it cost Sky and BT Sport to screen Premier League matches in the UK.
In the eyes of some pretty powerful corporations, we are pirates, stealing copyrighted content and unlawfully profiting from its redistribution. As a result, my friend is touching the buttons and he will remain unnamed. However, others contend that we are simply freeing sport from the clutch of big business and returning it to the public who most deserve it. The cost of watching the action is out of control, they say.
What do Periscope and Meerkat mean for broadcasting copyright? Read more
During the past few years, as the cost of TV rights for sporting events has escalated apparently without limit, so has the ease by which conventional broadcast methods can be circumvented. Despite the best efforts of global authorities, including the City of London Police’s Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU), the proliferation, accessibility and reliability of sport streaming sites have only increased.
On any game day in any sports league across the world, thousands of people do precisely what I have flown to Scandinavia to witness, and broadcast untold numbers of sporting events online. Meanwhile, in living rooms across the world, people are watching more live sport than ever, whether or not they have paid for it. The audience of unauthorised streams is estimated in the millions. As Sunday’s Community Shield heralds the start of another Premier League season, it’s a safe bet that more people than ever will be watching it illicitly. And as the idealists who first took on football’s behemoths find themselves increasingly hijacked by commercial operations with their eye on a quick buck, football’s black market will grow.
On 1 January, a site named Wiziwig – by far the most popular aggregation platform through which users could access thousands of streams – closed under the threat of legal action in Spain, where it was based. But other sites quickly stepped in to fill its role. Moreover, a senior Wiziwig moderator told me that they have no intention of remaining in the wilderness.
“All the Wiziwig moderators are still dedicated to our mission of a free and open internet, with free-to-air-programming for all,” the moderator said. He spoke on condition of anonymity – no one associated with Wiziwig has agreed to a mainstream press interview before – and used the language of the renegade that is familiar among internet libertarians: “All we have done and will do in the future is for sports fans anywhere in the world.”
The contention is that broadcasters are holding sport fans to ransom, and it means that this season, football stadiums will again host more than just the on-pitch duels between the nation’s top teams. The Premier League, among numerous other sports organisations the world over, will once again be forced to war against the online streamers. But if recent history offers much indication, they can hope to secure a score draw at best.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Sevilla celebrate their win in the Europa League final. It proved remarkably easy to upload a stream of the match and broadcast it online. Photograph: Jorge Guerrero/AFP/Getty
“There will always be alternative markets that will arise to provide services to consumers,” says Mike Carver, a network engineering student based in Scandinavia, who likens streamers to bootleggers during prohibition. “Cable and satellite broadcasters cling to their archaic business model that only worked in the pre-internet era. People hate restrictions and inconvenience. Online sports streams provide an open resource that doesn’t discriminate based on income and location.”
In August 2014, Carver (a pseudonym) set up a site named HTPC Guides that provides walkthrough guides for various advanced hardware and software processes, specifically focused on latest developments in home media technology. Two days after Wiziwig’s closure, he published an article listing alternative sites, which got 100,000 page views within a few months. “The goal of that page was to guide loyal sports fans towards getting unrestricted access to support their teams,” Carver says. “You will never be able to stop fans from supporting their team.”
Carver’s site neither hosts nor links to copyrighted material, but he is sympathetic to the streamers’ causes. “The UK is in a particularly weird situation because fans are screwed,” he says. “Games are not allowed to be shown on live broadcast at 3pm to push people into the stadiums, which increases demand and drives up ticket prices. For those who cannot attend the game live, they have literally no legal option to watch their team. The system is incredibly punishing to fans, who the sport should be all about serving.”
Authorities attempting to stamp out streaming tend to characterise those involved as profit-driven, organised criminals, possibly with links to even more serious crime and racketeering. But everyone I encountered who had experience of the streaming world considered that portrayal to be a gross distortion. Streamers, they say, are idealistic, computer-savvy sports fans working alone in suburban bedrooms, not terrorists or mafia operatives. They often speak in the vocabulary of the anarchist; committed to anti-capitalism rather than financial reward.
Pub landlady Karen Murphy wins Premier League TV battle Read more
“I think authorities are just stereotyping,” Carver says. “The majority of streamers are doing it for the love of sports and ‘fighting the man’. I doubt the mafia have the desire to make large sites that put streams online for free.”
A hierarchy even exists within the streaming community, where disdain is reserved for so-called “re-streamers” – the parasites who take a “clean” stream from an idealistic “stream originator” and re-host it on another site, slathered in adverts. (The swarm of pop-up ads that assault users attempting to access streams is often the most effective deterrent for casual viewers.) Authorities, of course, are unmoved by squabbles within the streaming community, as they are by the claims of sites such as Wiziwig that they should not be regarded as pirates for merely indexing links to streams. They also reject the notion that most streamers are hobbyists, pointing to extraordinary volumes of traffic, the rash of pop-up ads, and the never-ending thirst for sports coverage.
“These are professional outfits now, getting money through various syndications, adverts, betting sites and so on,” says Tim Cooper, who has worked with the Premier League for the past decade in its attempts to stamp out streaming. Referencing a case against a popular streaming site named First Row Sports, Cooper adds: “It was rumoured that they were earning about £10m a year in terms of revenue through advertising. Gone are the days that it’s a kid in his bedroom re-streaming something from an HDMI splitter.”
In the early days of streaming, the battle against the sites resembled a game of cat and mouse through the internet, with Cooper among the original predators. What began as a manual process of seeking out infringing sites and bombarding them with cease-and-desist letters – many of which were ignored – has gradually become more automated, while streamers have grown more elusive.
Cooper’s company, Net Result, which was acquired by Thomson Reuters in 2013 and now works under the company’s Mark Monitor anti-piracy banner, has widened its focus and employs numerous disruption tactics to combat streamers. Social media channels can be blocked and ISPs can be petitioned to stop access, starving the sites of traffic. PIPCU places sites on its Infringing Website List (IWL) and displays a warning notice to potential users. PIPCU told me that in two months after closing one popular streaming site, five million people had seen the generic warning page.
Disruption of this kind has proven to be far more effective than attempted prosecution in the battle against streamers, not least because sport streaming sites occupy a wide grey area in the eyes of the law.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Portsmouth publican Karen Murphy, who had her conviction for illegally airing football matches quashed after the European Court ruled that live sport events are not ‘intellectual creations’. Photograph: Matthew Lloyd/Getty Images
Historically, most arrests and attempted prosecutions are made under the provision of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, which prohibits the broadcast of material without the licence of the copyright owner. However, in February 2012, during a case between the Premier League and a pub landlady from Portsmouth named Karen Murphy, the European Court ruled that live sporting events could not be regarded as “intellectual creations”. They were instead “subject to rules of the game, leaving no room for creative freedom”. The court decided that “accordingly, those events cannot be protected under copyright”.
Although the same case ruled that logos, anthems and commentary overlaid on to the pictures of matches were copyrightable property, the prospect of gaining meaningful convictions for illegally broadcasting a logo is slim – even without the logo-blocking software that is being developed by some streamers.
In contrast to pirated films or music, whose files sit as evidence on servers somewhere, live streams are by necessity transient; an alleged copyright infringement is there one minute and gone the next, stored only briefly in computer caches. Anti-piracy campaigners also struggle even to build a moral case against sport streamers: while it can be alleged that torrent sites compound the struggles of starving musicians and threaten cinema closures, there is little public sympathy for spoilt Premier League footballers, nor employers rich enough to fork out £150,000 a week for their services.
More significantly, almost all streamers now place their servers in jurisdictions known to be more relaxed than the UK or US in their interpretation of copyright laws, or transmit images via a third-party data centre in similar regions. “If it’s in eastern Europe, or further afield than that, having the police in that jurisdiction kick someone’s door in to protect the industry of American music, or Sky TV here, is something they’re not keen to do,” says David Cook, a solicitor who specialises in cyber crime.
Cook describes a situation in which none of the police, the CPS, judges or juries fully understand the complexities of copyright law, allowing ambiguities to enter the process at all stages from evidence gathering through to trial and sentencing. “All of those different stages pose a problem,” Cook says. “And in terms of sport streaming services, we are barely at the first stage.”
Unauthorised TV live streaming breaches copyright, rules European court Read more
Cooper says the latest tool in the battle against streaming is a process called digital watermarking, through which a unique, invisible mark is embedded into the set-top box of every legitimate subscriber to satellite or cable channels. The mark can be identified in any unauthorised stream and its source identified, then cauterised. “It would certainly lead to account termination of streamers,” Cooper says. “Going forward, that could almost be the silver bullet for piracy.”
Stream originators, sympathisers and users alike have another idea for nullifying their own influence: the lifting of restrictions governing online broadcast of games, coupled with a significant reduction in prices. Several sources suggested that the Premier League could enter the online market with its own channel, showing all of its matches to its enormous global audience with a low subscription fee and vast advertising revenue.
“I see a future where sites like Wiziwig are irrelevant,” the site moderator said. “When networks put all programming live and free over the internet, streaming sites – aggregators and originators – will disappear because they won’t be needed. Cable/satellite providers and broadcasters should realise this and develop new profit models accordingly.”
Back in our hideout in Scandinavia, we were busy proving just how easy the whole operation was. Our equipment worked smoothly, and Carver’s manual was meticulous. After a couple of small hiccups, we were able to email a link to a friend in London that allowed him to watch “our” stream of the Europa League Cup Final between Seville and Dnipro. The pictures were jerky and bandwidth wasn’t quite sufficient to support even two viewers, not to mention the fact that my friend could have watched it on his own TV for free.
But had we been prepared to invest further, or to make a few simple modifications to redirect a subscription-based channel, our operation would have been much the same as any that might appear on a site such as Wiziwig on a Saturday afternoon.
Carver later wrote in an email: “I think it’s fair to say that if you can do it, almost anybody can.” And with the Premier League starting again within a fortnight, it’s fair to say that plenty of people still will.
• This article was amended on 1 August 2015. An earlier version incorrectly described the Intellectual Property Crime Unit as part of the Metropolitan Police. It is part of the City of London Police.Share. Say whaaaaat?! Say whaaaaat?!
If you're a gamer, there's a good chance you've heard of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. This Nintendo 64 classic is hailed by many as the greatest game of all time, and some recent interviews with Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto, producer Eiji Aonuma and the rest of the Zelda development team has brought forth some astonishing revelations about the making of this legendary title. One of these tidbits is that Ocarina of Time, as it was initially conceived… was kind of a terrible idea.
While Miyamoto-san is responsible for some of the most amazing moments in gaming history, if left to his own devices, a few of his decisions would have resulted in Ocarina of Time being a pretty bad game. Don't believe us? Then check out 10 things you didn't know about Ocarina, and 10 more things you didn't know about Ocarina.
In the meantime, jump in our magic time machine and take a look at Ocarina of Time as it could have been. So fasten your seat belts and Zelda enthusiasts beware…. you're in for a bumpy ride.Russia’s annexation of Crimea illustrates the rebalancing of European and Asian powers around the rising ambition of President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin.
The 20th century, dominated by mass murder in Central Europe and East Asia, was known as the American Century. The 21st century, by contrast, now looks to be the Eurasian Century. American power is in eclipse. Leaders in Washington don’t like this, and the political actors of both parties are in a frenzy of finger-pointing, but they can do little more than complain bitterly and watch silently, like a bystander to history.
Moscow is in command of the time and place for rebalancing the Great Powers, a construction that was ruined by what is regarded in Moscow as a European Hundred Years' War, 1848 to 1948. In the course of that century of battles, the traditional power blocs were Western Europe, Middle Europe and Eastern Europe. From Moscow’s perspective, the Cold War, 1946–91, was an aberration. It temporarily and awkwardly divided Europe into the American sphere of NATO and the Russian sphere of the Warsaw Pact.
The current rebalancing started with the jettisoning of the defunct Soviet ideology and the establishment of Russia as the energy superpower on which both Europeans and Asians must depend. Russian-controlled pipelines are the most straightforward explanation of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s acceptance of the Common Eurasian Home theme that Putin advances in each conversation. France’s President François Hollande and Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron look reluctant to reverse the geopolitical trend that working relations with Moscow, not Washington, are vital for continued EU prosperity. As evidence that Hollande’s and Cameron’s barks at the recent G-7 meeting in Europe are bigger than their bites, consider that France hesitates to cancel warship sales to Russia just as Britain hesitates to move against the real estate and banking advantages in London for Russian oligarchs.
President Barack Obama appeared to acknowledge the European reluctance in his remarks to NATO in Brussels: “The situation in Ukraine, like crises in many parts of the world, does not have easy answers nor a military solution.”
The Ukrainian crisis was provoked, in the Kremlin’s opinion, thanks to ham-fisted intervention by NGO cutouts (George Soros is prominently mentioned) in league with the Obama administration’s national security adviser, Susan Rice, and Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland. Moscow does not believe there was anything inevitable about Ukraine’s failures. Viktor Yanukovich’s panicky flight from Kiev then forced Moscow’s hand to secure its interests. Crimea is the first of what will be several logical moves to reintegrate ethnic Russians into the Russian Federation.Israel’s ‘Fait Accompli’ in Gaza
by Eric Margolis by Eric Margolis
There are two completely different versions of what is currently happening in Gaza.
In the Israeli and North American press version, Hamas — "Islamic terrorists" backed by Iran — have in an unprovoked attack fired deadly rockets on innocent Israel with the intent of destroying the Jewish state.
North American politicians and the media say Israel “has the right to defend itself."
True enough. No Israeli government can tolerate rockets hitting its towns, even though the casualty totals have been less than the car crash fatalities registered during a single holiday weekend on Israel’s roads.
The firing of the feeble, homemade al-Qassam rockets by Palestinians is both useless and counterproductive.
It damages their image as an oppressed people and gives right-wing Israeli extremists a perfect reason to launch more attacks on the Arabs and refuse to discuss peace.
Israel’s supporters insist it has the absolute right to drop hundreds of tons of bombs on "Hamas targets" inside the 360 sq km Gaza Strip to "take out the terrorists."
Civilians suffer, says Israel, because the cowardly Hamas hide among them.
Actually, it is more like shooting fish in a barrel.
Omitting facts
As usual, this cartoon-like version of events omits a great deal of nuance and background.
While firing rockets at civilians is a crime so, too, is the Israeli blockade of Gaza, which is an egregious violation of international law and the Geneva Conventions.
According to the UN, most of Gaza’s 1.5 million Palestinian refugees subsist near the edge of hunger. Seventy per cent of Palestinian children in Gaza suffer from severe malnutrition and psychological trauma.
Medical facilities are critically short of doctors, personnel, equipment, and drugs. Gaza has quite literally become a human garbage dump for all the Arabs that Israel does not want.
Gaza is one of the world’s most-densely populated places, a vast outdoor prison camp filled with desperate people. In the past, they threw stones at their Israeli occupiers; now they launch homemade rockets.
Call it a prison riot, writ large.
Eyeing the elections
When the so-called truce between Tel Aviv and Hamas expired on December 19, Israeli politicians were in the throes of preparing for the February 10 national elections.
Israeli politics are playing a key role in this crisis.
Ehud Barak, the defense minister and leader of the Labour party, and Tzipi Livni, the foreign minister and leader of the Kadima party, are trying to prove themselves tougher than Benjamin Netanyahu’s hard-line Likud party — and one another.
Israel’s elections are only six weeks away, and Likud was leading until the air raids on Gaza began. Kadima and Labour are now up in the polls.
The heavy attacks on Gaza are also designed to intimidate Israel’s Arab neighbors, and make up for Israel’s humiliating 2006 defeat in Lebanon, which still haunts the country’s politicians and generals.
A fait accompli
When the air raids on Gaza began, Barak said: “We have totally changed the rules of the game.”
He was right. By blitzing Hamas-run Gaza, Barak presented the incoming US administration with a fait accompli, and neatly checkmated the newest player in the Middle East Great Game — Barack Obama, the US president-elect — before he could even take a seat at the table.
The Israeli offensive into Gaza now looks likely to short-circuit any plans Obama might have had to press Israel into withdrawing to its pre-1967 borders and sharing Jerusalem.
This has pleased Israel’s supporters in North America who have been cheering the war in Gaza and have been backing away from their earlier tentative support for a land-for-peace deal.
Israel’s successes in having Western media portray the Gaza offensive as an "anti-terrorist operation" will also diminish hopes of peace talks any time soon.
Obama inherits this mess in a few weeks. During the elections, Obama bowed to the Israel lobby, offering a new US carte blanche to Israel and even accepting Israel’s permanent monopoly of all of Jerusalem.
As he concludes forming his cabinet, his Middle East team looks like it may be top-heavy with friends of Israel’s Labour party.
Obama keeps saying he must remain silent on policy issues until George Bush, the outgoing US president, leaves office, but his staff appear happy to avoid having to make statements about Gaza that would antagonize Israel’s American supporters.
Obama will take office facing a Middle East up in arms over Gaza and the entire Muslim world blaming the US for the carnage in Gaza.
Unless he moves swiftly to distance himself from the policies of the Bush administration, he will soon find himself facing the same problems and anger as the Bush White House.
Arab deal killed
Israel’s Gaza offensive is also likely to torpedo the current Saudi-sponsored peace plan, which had been backed by all members of the Arab League.
The plan, now likely defunct, had called for Israel to withdraw to its 1967 borders and share Jerusalem in exchange for full recognition and normalized relations with the Muslim world.
Arab governments will now be unable to sell the deal as they face a storm of criticism from their own people over their powerlessness to help the Palestinians of Gaza.
Egypt, in particular, is being widely accused of collaborating with Israel in further sealing off and isolating Gaza. It seems highly unlikely they will be able to advance a peace plan with Israel for now.
This is a bonus for right-wing Israelis, who have always been dead set against any withdrawal and strongly supported the attack on Gaza.
Other Israeli factions who were always lukewarm about the Saudi peace plan are now unlikely to reconsider it.
Israel’s security establishment is committed to preventing the creation of a viable Palestinian state, and refuses to negotiate with Hamas. Unable to kill all of Hamas’ men, Israel is slowly destroying Gaza’s infrastructure around them, as it did to Yasser Arafat’s PLO.
Israel’s hardliners point to Gaza and claim that any Palestinian state on the West Bank would threaten their nation’s security by firing rockets into Israel’s heartland.
Mighty information machine
Israel is confident that its mighty information machine will allow it to weather the storm of worldwide outrage over its Biblical punishment of Gaza. Who remembers Israel’s flattening of parts of the Palestinian city of Jenin, or the US destruction in Falluja, Iraq, or the Sabra and Shatilla massacres in Beirut?
The US media has focused on the rockets being fired on Israel from Gaza.
Though the torment of Gaza is seen across the horrified Muslim world as a modern version of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising by Jews against the Nazis during World War Two, Western governments still appear bent on taking no action.
Though Israel’s use of American weapons against Gaza violates the US Arms Export Control and Foreign Assistance Acts, the docile US Congress will remain mute.
Israel’s assault on Gaza was clearly timed for America’s interregnum between administrations and the year-end holidays, a well-used Israeli tactic.
Hamas refuses to recognize Israel as long as Israel refuses to recognize Hamas and the rights of millions of homeless Palestinian refugees.
It calls for a non-religious state to be created in Palestine, meaning an end to Zionism. Ironically, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the founder and late leader of Hamas, had spoken of a compromise with Tel Aviv shortly before he was assassinated by Israel in 2004.
An inherited mess
Israel’s hopes that it can bomb Gazans into rejecting Hamas are as ill-conceived as its failed attempt in 2006 to blast Lebanon into rejecting Hezbollah.
The Fatah regime on the West Bank installed by the US and Israel after Yasser Arafat’s suspicious death will be further discredited, leaving the militants of Hamas as the sole authentic voice of Palestinian nationalism.
Hamas, the militant but still democratically elected government of Gaza, is even less likely to compromise.
The Muslim world is in a rage. But so what? Stalin liked to say “the dogs bark, and the caravan moves on,” and as long as the US gives Israel carte blanche, it can do just about anything it wants.
The tragedy of Palestine will thus continue to poison US relations with the Muslim world.
Those Americans who still do not understand why their nation was attacked on 9/11 need only look to Gaza, for which the US is now being blamed as much as Israel.
Unless Israel can make 5 to 7 million Palestinians disappear, it must find some way to coexist with them. Israeli leaders on the center and right continue to avoid facing this fact.
The brutal collective punishment inflicted on Gaza will likely strengthen Hamas and reverse any hopes of a Middle East peace in the coming years.
Eric Margolis Archives
The Best of Eric S. MargolisBulldogs star Liam Picken is in doubt for the pre-season opener
WESTERN Bulldogs star Liam Picken is in doubt for the club's JLT Community Series opener against Melbourne on Saturday after sustaining a facial injury at training last week.
The club expects the rugged 29-year-old to resume training this week following surgery to repair the damage.
Recast as an attacking midfielder by coach Luke Beveridge, the once dour defender has become a key cog in the premiers' midfield and was one of the Dogs' best on Grand Final day.
The Bulldogs appear to have had a smooth pre-season until the mishap, with key forward Tom Boyd recovering well from off-season shoulder and ankle surgeries, and midfielder Mitch Wallis progressing well in his return from a badly broken leg.
Skipper Robert Murphy has already signaled his intention to take part in the pre-season competition after recuperating from an ACL tear sustained in round three last year.
Saturday's pre-season hit-out against the Demons will be the Bulldogs' first competitive hit-out since their drought-breaking premiership win over the Swans.
The Whitten Oval fixture will start at 4.40pm and be followed by an AFLW clash between the two clubs at 7.35pm.
AFL and club access members will have free general admission entry to JLT Community Series matches in which their club is competing (subject to availability, upgrade fees may be applicable). Click here to learn more.QOwnNotes is a free, open source note taking and todo list application available for Linux, Windows, and Mac.
The application saves your notes as plain-text files, and it features Markdown support and tight ownCloud integration.
ownCloud integration (which is optional). Using the ownCloud Notes app, you are able to edit and search notes from the web, or from mobile devices (by using an app like What makes QOwnNotes stand out is its. Using the ownCloud Notes app, you are able to edit and search notes from the web, or from mobile devices (by using an app like CloudNotes ).
Furthermore, connecting QOwnNotes with your ownCloud account allows you to share notes and access / restore previous versions (or trashed files) of your notes from the ownCloud server.
In case you're not familiar with ownCloud, this is a free software alternative to proprietary web services such as Dropbox, Google Drive, and others, which can be installed on your own server. It comes with a web interface that provides access to file management, calendar, image gallery, music player, document viewer, and much more. The developers also provide desktop sync clients, as well as mobile apps.
Since the notes are saved as plain text, they can be synchronized across devices using other cloud storage services, like Dropbox, Google Drive, and so on, but this is not done directly from within the application.
As a result, the features I mentioned above, like restoring previous note versions, are only available with ownCloud (although Dropbox, and others, do provide access to |
Daughter of Civil Rights activists Coretta Scott King and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Bernice King wiped out Donald Trump with one Facebook post. On her official Facebook page Be A King, Ms. King gives wise advice on how to deal with the man in the Oval Office. The president will be enraged.
The Kings carry serious weight in Civil Rights, every bit as applicable today as it was half a century ago. Monday evening, something happened on the Senate floor that drew enormous attention to her mother Coretta Scott King. Bernice King offered people a path forward, in spite of the continuing frothing prejudice.
Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell arbitrarily gaveled down Democratic Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren for reading Coretta Scott King’s letter. That meant Warren could no longer participate in the discussion about Attorney General nominee Senator Jefferson (Jeff) Beauregard Sessions, III. Whatever McConnell’s intent, he drew millions of people to read the letter describing Sessions’ terrible record on Civil Rights.
Bernice King posted on her Be A King’s Facebook page 10 steps to deal with Trump and take back our democratic government. She passed on this wise advice:
Don’t use his name; EVER (45 will do) Remember this is a regime and he’s not acting alone; Do not argue with those who support him–it doesn’t work; Focus on his policies, not his orange-ness and mental state; Keep your message positive; they want the country to be angry and fearful because this is the soil from which their darkest policies will grow; No more helpless/hopeless talk; Support artists and the arts; Be careful not to spread fake news. Check it; Take care of yourselves; and Resist!
Then, Bernice also offered this wisdom on her Facebook page:
‘Keep demonstrations peaceful. In the words of John Lennon, “When it gets down to having to use violence, then you are playing the system’s game. The establishment will irritate you – pull your beard, flick your face – to make you fight! Because once they’ve got you violent, then they know how to handle you. The only thing they don’t know how to handle is non-violence and humor.” ‘When you post or talk about him, don’t assign his actions to him, assign them to “The Republican Administration,” or “The Republicans.” This will have several effects: the Republican legislators will either have to take responsibility for their association with him or stand up for what some of them don’t like; he will not get the focus of attention he craves; Republican representatives will become very concerned about their re-elections.’
To read the entire Coretta King letter, click on this link.
Check out this amazing video about Trump’s nominee for attorney general below:
Featured Image: Be A King’s Facebook Page.“It would be difficult to identify a President who, facing major international and domestic crises, has failed in both as clearly as President Bush,” concluded one respondent. “His domestic policies,” another noted, “have had the cumulative effect of shoring up a semi-permanent aristocracy of capital that dwarfs the aristocracy of land against which the founding fathers rebelled; of encouraging a mindless retreat from science and rationalism; and of crippling the nation’s economic base.”
America’s historians, it seems, don’t think much of George W. Bush.
Now in all fairness, historians should wait a while before passing judgment on a president’s who served recently, much less one still in office. But the current incumbent is a special case. After all, 81 percent of Americans, according to a recent New York Times poll, believe he’s taken the country on the wrong track. That’s the highest number ever registered. The same poll also says 28 percent have a favorable view of his performance in office, which is also in Nixon-in-the-darkest-days-of-Watergate territory.
But, as George Mason University’s History News Network reports, the historians have a different measure. They want to stack him up against his forty-two predecessors as the nation’s chief executive. Among historians, there is no doubt into which echelon he falls–his competitors are Millard Fillmore, James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, and Franklin Pierce, the worst of the presidential worst. But does Bush actually come in dead last?
Yes. History News Network’s poll of 109 historians found that 61 percent of them rank Bush as “worst ever” among U.S. presidents. Bush’s key competition comes from Buchanan, apparently, and a further 2 percent of the sample puts Bush right behind Buchanan as runner-up for “worst ever.” 96 percent of the respondents place the Bush presidency in the bottom tier of American presidencies. And was his presidency (it’s a bit wishful to speak of his presidency in the past tense–after all there are several more months left to go) a success or failure? On that score the numbers are still more resounding: 98 percent label it a “failure.”
This marks a dramatic deterioration for Bush. Previously he wasn’t viewed in the most positive terms, but there was a consensus that he wasn’t the “worst of the worst” either. That was in the spring of 2004. In the meantime, Bush has established himself as the torture president, the basis for his invasion of Iraq has been exposed as a fraud, the Iraq War itself has gone disastrously, the nation’s network of alliances has faded, and the economy has gone into a tailspin–not to mention the bungled handling of relief for victims of hurricane Katrina. In 2004, only 12 percent of historians were ready to place Bush dead last.
Here are some of the comments that the historians furnished:TORONTO — They were turning people away at the door.
Thirty NHL players, one tennis pro, and a room full of hockey lovers packed Steam Whistle Brewery Thursday night for Smashfest IV — a ping-pong tournament, a fund-raiser, and one heck of a party.
As creator Dominic Moore puts it, the evening was “a ton of fun for everyone involved.”
It also taught me a few things. Here are 21 of them.
1. Smashfest’s founder, host and head talent scout Moore, promised a “surprise guest,” and delivered with table tennis star Milos Raonic, whom he met at Wimbledon two years ago. Raonic threw himself into the spirit of the event and could be seen rallying with fans late into the night long after the formal tournament had wrapped up and most attendees had cleared out.
2. The event’s rapid growth is impressive. The first three Smashfests have raised more than $270,000 for concussion and rare cancers research. The original Smashfest brought in $20,000 in 2012, and that figure has increased over the years.
3. Moore has gone to great lengths to not only make Smashfest fun, but mean something.
Dr. Alan Venook of University California, San Francisco, diagnosed Moore’s late wife Katie with a rare form of liver cancer. Venook and Moore have remained close friends and together created this initiative for UCSF to collaborate with Toronto’s Princess Margaret Hospital on the treatment and research of other rare cancers.
Smashfest will be making a significant donation to the effort.
“Cancer research is a team sport,” says Venook, who flew in for Smashfest. Without the ping-pong money, he explains, a formal collaboration between two of the leading rare-cancer hospitals would not be possible.
4. Vancouver’s Alex Burrows, 2014’s Smashfest runner-up, believes teammate and Canucks backup Jacob Markstrom can be a No. 1 goaltender in the NHL.
“Why not? He’s got the size. Goalies are just getting bigger and bigger and bigger these days. It’s the new trend,” Burrows told me. “He’s one of those guys who’s 6’6″. He’s working with Rollie Melanson, one of the best goalie coaches. There’s no reason why he can’t be a No. 1 going forward.”
5. Mayor John Tory took a break from talking about the possibility of permanent HOV lanes in Toronto to take in some ping-pong.
6. Wayne Gretzky has been a big advisor to Raonic, especially when it comes to his career off the court.
Raonic says the two have a special relationship that began when he reached out to the Great One in 2011 to arrange a dinner. Gretzky was on hand at Raonic’s match against Roger Federer earlier this year in Indian Wells, Calif.
The best advice Gretzky has given him?
“Believe nothing of what you hear and half of what you see.”
7. Ping-pong is not only big in NHL dressing rooms, but on the ATP World Tour as well, according to Raonic.
“Daniel Nestor is up there,” Raonic says of the guys with some small-court skills. “And he’s got the trash talk to back it up.”
8. Diehard Toronto Blue Jays fan Logan Couture believes his ball club is underachieving now, but will still sneak into the playoffs.
“They’re a game over.500—that’s not good enough for what they have. They need a little bit more pitching, someone in the bullpen, but their offence is fun to watch. [Josh] Donaldson has been terrific,” says Couture, who’s attended three Jays games this summer. His dad sent him to two games in Detroit as a birthday gift, and the Jays lost both.
“The Yankees are good. I think the Jays will make the playoffs, but maybe in a wild-card spot.”
9. Toronto Maple Leafs forward Peter Holland is stoked to be reuniting with his friend Taylor Beck.
“It’s crazy. I always tell people hockey is a small world,” Holland says. “To have a guy I played four years with in junior in Guelph back on the same team is pretty cool. The second he was traded, I texted him right away and told him I was excited.
“We really clicked in junior. He was great to give the puck to. He had a nose for the net. I played against him all the time in minor hockey, too, and he was tough to defend. So it’ll be interesting to see if we can rekindle that [chemistry] this year.”
Beck hasn’t bothered prodding his buddy for intel on the Leafs dressing room or game plans, though.
“The only questions he’s asked me is recommendations on where to live and what I do with my Canadian phone plan,” Holland laughs.
10. The CN Tower — just as lit-up as some of the Smashfest participants (hey-oh!) — makes for a pretty incredible summer-night backdrop for the games. Here’s ringer Stephane Veilleux warming up before attempting to win for the third consecutive year:
11. Because Eric Lindros hasn’t played regularly since he retired, he has adopted a rather unique pre-Smashfest practice routine.
“I think training for this is more like going up north, grabbing a flyswatter and hitting black flies,” says Lindros.
12. Winnipeg Jets goaltender Michael Hutchinson, however, took his practice a little more seriously:
13. The silent auction featured autographed, game-worn sweaters from stars such as Alex Ovechkin and Steven Stamkos. But my personal favourite item was this signed photograph of Rudy!
14. Holy crap Kevin Klein. More of this, please. Whatever it is.
15. It turns out Sportsnet’s own Christine Simpson is a star in a movie she can’t stomach.
Simpson played morning-show host Donna Evans in the 2010 horror flick Saw 3D. Christine attended the premiere at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre but found the film a little too aggressive to watch. The next game she worked, Ovechkin came by and told her he recognized her from the silver screen.
It’s never too late to discover something new about a colleague.
16. Like Couture, new Oilers goalie Cam Talbot is a big Blue Jays fan. He figures they need some consistency and one more arm before next Friday’s trade deadline to make the post-season.
“Their bats are great. They just need one more guy for their starting rotation and they’ll be set,” Talbot says. “They seem to be a little bit streaky, but if they can get more consistent they’ll be there.”
17. Tyler Seguin is happy to let his off-season roommate, Michael Del Zotto, do all the cooking in the house.
“I’m Italian, so I got my cooking skills from my family, of course,” Del Zotto says.
During the lockout, Del Zotto was playing in Switzerland and was forced to prepare his own meals, so he borrowed some recipes form his mom and discovered he had some kitchen skills.
“Any time I ask [Seguin] what he wants for dinner, he always says ribs,” says Del Zotto. (He won’t share the recipe.)
This is the second summer the duo — “the last two single guys in the NHL,” Seguin alerts — have spent living, training and bonding together in Toronto.
18. Moore raised the stakes for this year’s tournament, establishing league-wide rankings based on how the NHLers finished.
“Smashfest IV will be the most competitive Smashfest yet in order to crown a league-wide champion,” he accurately predicted.
19. A new champ lives! Before play began, top contender Burrows said he’d heard legend of Dallas Stars winger Patrick Eaves’ skills, tipping the Smashfest newcomer as one to watch.
Sure enough, Eaves bested Burrows in the semis and defending champ Veilleux in the final to seize the belt.
20. As the night winds creeps into the wee hours, ping tends to give way to another, messier versions of pong.
21. On Friday morning, Moore met Dr. Venook for breakfast to discuss how he could further help research for rare cancers.
Venook is overwhelmed by how dedicated the Rangers player is to the cause. So many athletes have the power to do good beyond their arena. But not all do.
“It’s amazing when they stand for something,” Venook told me. “He wants to make a difference. He means business.
“He’s as serious about this as he is taking a faceoff in the last minute of a Stanley Cup game.”About Freshly
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It’s been a slow start for the Tigers farm teams with Lakeland being the only one with a record over a.500 (12-9).
TOLEDO (AAA)
Robbie Ray (LHP), the other pitcher acquired in the Doug Fister trade, is off to a solid start for the Mud Hens. Posting a 2-2 record with an ERA of 1.93 in four starts, he’s allowed just five runs in 23 innings pitched. With 16 strikeouts, five walks and a WHIP of 1.07, he’s ranked fourth on the Tigers Top 10 Prospects list according to Baseball America.
ERIE (AA)
Corey Knebel (RHP), the first round pick for the Tigers (38th overall) in 2013 is ranked seventh on the top 10 prospects list. According to Baseball America, Knebel has the best curve-ball of all prospects in baseball. He is 1-0 with an ERA of 1.29 and eight strikeouts in seven innings pitched. However, with five walks, his WHIP is 1.43. If he gets his walks under control, he could get a look in Detroit, especially with a bullpen that ranks near the bottom of the American League.
Chad Smith (RHP), the reliever out of USC, is off to a good start this season. He has an ERA of 2.45 with 12 strikeouts over 11 innings pitched and a WHIP of 1.09.
Kyle Ryan(LHP), the left-handed starter picked in the 12th round of the 2010 draft, is the only starter in Erie that has an ERA lower than 4.00. He’s 2-2 with an ERA of 3.13. He’s pitched 23 innings recording 18 strikeouts while batters are hitting just.183 against him.
LAKELAND (A)
Jake Thompson (RHP) is ranked fourth amongst Tigers prospects, according to MLB.com. He’s 2-1 with an ERA of 1.05 and a WHIP of 0.90. He’s pitched 25 innings while recording 22 strikeouts. Expect to see him in Erie by the middle of the summer.
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commentsThe day has finally arrived: Shereé Whitfield is letting us step inside Chateau Shereé. The Real Housewives of Atlanta mom is opening the doors to her lavish ATL pad and spilling all the secrets about her beloved home. And while we're going to be invited inside Shereé's housewarming bash during Sunday's RHOA finale, this is what the Chateau currently looks like — and we have to say, it's stunning.
"Now everybody has been trying to get into the doors of the Chateau, but I'm going to give you sneak peek," she shared. The home's decor is fit for a queen, thanks to sequined accessories, luxe fabrics, and pristine appliances, which have all been finalized since her epic housewarming party.
There's also space for everything — including a spot for her daughter, Kaleigh, to cook. "She throws down on this stove. I don't use it that much, she uses it all the time," Shereé said. However, the momager does have a very special spot on her own: the breakfast nook. "Now this area here, this is where I put my spades game on deck," she said. "Now anybody who knows me, knows I am the queen of spades. Nobody can beat me."
You'll see more of the Chateau and Shereé's eventful housewarming this Sunday during the RHOA season finale, airing at 8/7c. Check out a preview, below.Now playing: Watch this: We spent 90 minutes with the HoloLens
If you wanted to get your hands on Microsoft's mind-blowing augmented reality headset this spring, you had to audition first. You'd submit an application, and see if Microsoft liked it enough to approve your pre-order.
No more. As of today, any Microsoft developer (in the US, Canada, UK, Australia and some European countries) can order up to five Microsoft HoloLens Development Edition headsets for $3,000 a pop. It's £2,719 in the UK and AU$4,369 in Australia.
Which really means anyone can buy it. There's no way for Microsoft to tell whether you're going to develop for HoloLens or not.
Now playing: Watch this: Your best look yet at the mind-blowing Microsoft HoloLens
But you probably shouldn't buy one. Not for fun.
First off, you should know there's no return policy and no warranty whatsoever. We took a look at the fine print at Microsoft's website, and it's pretty clear: All sales are final.
You can't resell it, either, according to the agreement you sign.
If something goes wrong, or if it simply doesn't live up to your dreams, there's next to nothing you can do about it.
Second, Microsoft has also been pretty clear that this version is just for developers, not consumers, and that there's no telling when that might ever change. There's not much incentive for developers to create apps for HoloLens, because there's no knowing when there'll be a market for them. If you're expecting to find an app store filled with cool augmented reality creations, think again.
And then there's the thing that Microsoft hasn't been communicating quite as well -- how uncomfortable the HoloLens can be to use.
Someday, this technology (or one like it) could change the world. For now, the only people who should buy HoloLens are developers hoping to get a head-start on the future.
Those folks might want also want to take a look at Microsoft's latest changelog. The HoloLens has a few new features, including support for the new Xbox One S gamepad.
This article also appears in Spanish: Ya puedes comprar las HoloLens de Microsoft [pero quizás no debas hacerlo]
CNET First Take Microsoft HoloLens You've heard HoloLens is awesome. Here's what it's really like Read Preview
Update, November 2: Added UK and Australian prices.Van Jones and Jakada Imani: "The Occupy movement is powerful, not because it is fighting for the rights of a few hundred people to sleep outdoors, but because it is fighting for the right of millions of Americans to sleep indoors. These excessive responses from law enforcement, from Atlanta to Oakland, not only violate the law, but take our collective eye away from the economic violence occurring daily in this country."
Occupy Oakland supporters rally at the Oakland Public Library before attempting to march back to Frank Ogawa Plaza, where they had been evicted hours earlier, 10/25/11. (photo: Marc Ash/RSN)
Occupy Oakland: Too Big to Fail, Too Big to Jail
By Van Jones and Jakada Imani, Reader Supported News
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmbvVPxNcuo
s two activists who have called Oakland home, we are appalled at the events of our city in the last 36 hours. Last night the country joined us to watch in anguish as the Oakland Police Department, with back up from a dozen law enforcement agencies from around the region, used excessive levels of force against hundreds of mostly peaceful Occupy Oakland protesters. In a city with a long and painful record of police violence, it is especially disturbing to witness scenes of women, children, the elderly, and the disabled under assault by rubber bullets and tear gas.
This kind of crackdown is bad for our democracy, and it's bad for public safety. Mayors and police chiefs at Occupy sites across the country should take note: this is the wrong way to respond to the Occupy movement.
Oakland, one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the nation, is a true reflection of the 99%. For this reason, the Occupy movement stands directly for the people of Oakland - so many of whom have lost their homes, lost their jobs, and lost the services they rely on. Our city's unemployment rate is over 10%. People are angry. Let us not forget that this frustration and anger is real and justified.
Oakland also has a rich history of protest and political action. Occupy Oakland builds upon this legacy. Sitting at lunch counters and burning bras were symbolic political acts of previous generations, acts which we now celebrate as part of American history. The Occupy protests should be allowed to continue, as should all political expressions protected under our Constitution's First Amendment.
Therefore it is even more embarrassing and unfathomable that the City would so badly miss the mark in its treatment of Occupy Oakland.
Let us be clear: there is no justification for the use of violence against a non-violent protest. The vast majority of people were peacefully marching and demonstrating. The police department and the mayor should apologize for an inexcusable use of excessive force. And they should publicly commit to ending these tactics immediately
Finally, let us remember what the Occupy movement is actually about. Regrettably, the City of Oakland's mis-step last night shifted the focus to a "police vs people" narrative, distracting from the real problem: the big banks and corporations responsible for causing our economic crisis.
The Occupy movement is powerful, not because it is fighting for the rights of a few hundred people to sleep outdoors, but because it is fighting for the right of millions of Americans to sleep indoors. These excessive responses from law enforcement, from Atlanta to Oakland, not only violate the law, but take our collective eye away from the economic violence occurring daily in this country.
Today, the mayor and police department should apologize. And they should apologize loudly and sincerely. And then tomorrow, they should join us all in fighting for the 99%.
P.S. Our hearts and prayers go to Iraq War veteran Scott Olsen who was injured after being hit in the head with a police projectile at the Occupy Oakland rally 10/25/11. Olsen is a member of Veterans for Peace and Iraq Veterans Against The War (IVAW). We encourage people to send donations to IVAW, who are currently accepting donations for Olsen and his family (type "Scott Olsen" in the entry box titled "Special Projects").0 Seattle to get $15 minimum wage -- nation's highest
Quick Facts:
City Council unanimously votes for $15 minimum wage Monday afternoon.
Phase-in period starts in April 1, 2015. Trainees will get lower wage.
The minimum wage would be highest in the nation.
Socialist City Councilwoman Kshama Sawant wanted higher wage in January.
Before the ink is even dry on the new, historic minimum wage law for Seattle, new resistance is coming from many sides. Some threaten a lawsuit, some may take their ideas to the ballot, and others want to oust the firebrand who made the $15-dollar minimum wage her campaign platform.
Seattle will soon have the nation’s highest minimum wage after a historic 9-0 vote Monday by the City Council, outlining a phased-in $15 minimum wage.
Some critics say the mayor's plan is not enough. Others say it will lead to layoffs and higher prices for consumers.
Immediately after the vote, the International Franchise Association President and CEO said a lawsuit would be filed against the “unfair and discriminatory Seattle minimum wage plan.”
“The Seattle City Council and Mayor Murray’s plan would force the 600 franchisees in Seattle, which own 1,700 franchise locations employing 19,000 workers, to adopt the full $15 minimum wage in 3 years, while most other small business owners would have seven years to adopt the $15 wage,” CEO and president Steve Caldeira said in a statement. “These hundreds of franchise small business owners are being punished simply because they chose to operate as franchisees.
“Decades of legal precedent have held that franchise businesses are independently owned businesses and are not operated by the brand’s corporate headquarters.”
Activists with 15 Now rallied in front of City Hall at 1 p.m. before the full City Council’s 2 p.m. vote.
In that minimum wage plan, which was passed unanimously last week by a city council committee, big businesses must phase-in the new wage in three to four years.
Small businesses have four to seven years.
But activists were not happy with the following components of the plan:
● During the transition period, some businesses will be allowed to credit tips and health care as part of the higher minimum wage.
● Trainees will get a lower minimum wage and the phase-in period would be delayed until April 1, 2015.
Independent restaurant owners say tips should always be considered part of worker wages. Angela Stowell of Ethan Stowell Restaurants says tips are included in what is reported on her employee’s income tax reports, and so they should be included in the minimum wage requirements. “We can show that our front of the house employees are making 35-50 dollars an hour sometimes,” she explained.
Stowell says during the seven year transition period, she and other restaurateurs will continue to press the city to reconsider their tip policy, “Some continued work is going to have to happen in order for the Seattle restaurant scene to stay lively and vibrant.”
She also says she believes many small business owners will get behind a candidate to oust Socialist councilmember Kshama Sawant next year. Stowell says she is a progressive business owner and resents having been grouped with “corporate interests” during the minimum wage debate. “I will be happy to support a candidate running against her [Sawant] in 2015.”
Sawant tells KIRO 7 she has no fear of political retribution, “When businesses campaign openly against me, they will be showing where they stand. They will be showing they are against lifting workers out of poverty.”
Sawant actually wanted a more extreme wage law. She introduced four amendments at Monday's council meeting -- one to restore the January start date.
Sage Wilson with Working Washington said while not perfect, the proposal will do.
"We think though if you take a centimeter step back, what you see is this is an agreement which is going to lift up wages for 100,000 workers in the city of Seattle and that's something we want to see pass quickly," he said before the vote.
A big question is whether 15Now will continue its signature gathering campaign to bring forward a charter amendment to Seattle voters -- possibly in November -- to bring in a straight $15 an hour minimum wage.
The group said it has gathered 10,000 signatures and is keeping its options open. And Councilmember Sawant told KIRO 7 she will support whatever the groups decides to do. But on Monday, she was happy to celebrate what she called “a historic victory for workers in Seattle and workers everywhere.”
There was a victory party with dancing and food in City Hall Plaza.
Want to talk about the news of the day? Watch free streaming video on the KIRO 7 mobile app and iPad app, and join us here on Facebook.Bette Midler, a singer and actress, who thinks of herself as a political activist also, said Texas shouldn’t get a federal help because they were skeptical of Washington, D.C.
It seems people would learn that mocking the victims of the hurricane is unacceptable, but apparently, she didn’t.
If this is how they feel, then no aid for them! In Texas, Distrust of Washington Collides With Need for Federal Aid https://t.co/eH6pkwsaKb — Bette Midler (@BetteMidler) September 5, 2017
Journalist Richard Fausset wrote an article in The New York Times, saying:
“For Republicans, who dominate Texas government, anti-Washington sentiment is more than just a red-meat rhetorical flourish — it is a guiding principle. […]
Now, though, it is Texas Republicans who will be crucial in securing, and helping to coordinate, what is likely to be one of the most ambitious and costly federal disaster-relief packages in American history, one that will almost certainly run to tens of billions of dollars.
There are few doubts that a Republican-dominated Congress will end up delivering aid to a battered state and key base of Republican power. But along with an outpouring of support, the process is raising eyebrows and drawing charges of hypocrisy.”
Midler’s followers on Twitter quickly attacked her insensitive comments about Texas, where there were 60 people died after the Hurricane Harvey hit.
Don't punish everyone bc you disagree w/ some of them. 85% of those affected don't have flood insurance and comments like this are hurtful — Tina (@just_peachy_T) September 5, 2017
this is a gross tweet, bette — beth can't with this (@bourgeoisalien) September 5, 2017
Bette believes that feelings determine access to federal tax monies you have paid into. https://t.co/301IfHJEta — SuzanneElizabeth (@Suz_Eliz69) September 5, 2017
https://twitter.com/TimMansplainsIt/status/905205897630285824
How heartless do you have to be to tweet something so disgusting? https://t.co/WGaxqGIm74 — Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) September 5, 2017
And as one user pointed out the most harmed victims were from Harris County, a liberal area.
You realize those hurt most by this are in heavily Democratic districts… not that such should matter. — Ryan Kantor (@ryan_kantor) September 5, 2017
Please share this post on Facebook with your thoughts.
What is your opinion on this? Scroll down to comment below!The premise that Islam is something that can be a closed or an open religion may not be the best one. Islam, in its many forms, methods and practices, is a reflection of the person who practises it (just like any other religion). If your view on dealing with other people and their faiths and intellectual backgrounds is rigid and closed, then your practice of Islam or whatever faith you practise will also be rigid and closed. There are innumerable ways to approach one’s spiritual relationship and so the question will be whether those who claim to be adherents of Islam will take a rigid approach as opposed to an ostensibly open one. That is a function of many issues—economic, social, cultural and, of course, political. In societies where we perceive Muslims as being closed, they are often subject to repressive regimes (both secular and religious) where their closed practice of Islam is highly correlated to the nature of their rigid society, with limited basic freedoms (expression, speech and, yes, even religion).
Those who are making such closed/open claims about Islam are liberals, and liberalism has always been associated with racism, authoritarianism, extreme violence and efforts to destroy non-European ways of life. Muslims, like other non-European peoples, have always been targets of liberal violence, and they have responded to defend themselves, albeit not always in the most appropriate or ethical of ways.
John Stuart Mill (1806-73) is the leading theorist of liberal imperialism and the civilising mission. Mill spent his life employed as a high-ranking officer for the British imperial regime in India, where he formulated policies to govern the subcontinent’s Muslim and Hindu communities. Mill argues for placing non-Europeans under dictatorships in the form of imperial rule (i.e., “despotism”). These dictatorships exercise their power to compel adoption of western civilisation. Championing this policy, Mill remarks: “There are…conditions of society in which a vigorous despotism is in itself the best mode of government for training the people in what is specifically wanting to render them capable of a higher (i.e., western) civilisation.”
In Gillo Pontecorvo’s 1966 movie The Battle of Algiers, counterinsurgent commander Colonel Mathieu, on being questioned about the ethics of torture, says, “Should France remain in Algeria? If you answer ‘yes’, then you must accept all the necessary consequences.”
Mill goes on to make another important point: dictatorship (despotism) need not be applied by an outside country. It can also be applied within a country by the civilised elite. In these circumstances, a ruler drawn from the elite should govern through dictatorship for the purpose of coercing the masses to adopt western civilisation. Put differently, the ruler should use dictatorship to undertake a civilising mission. Hence Mill remarks, “The case most requiring consideration in reference to institutions is the not very uncommon one, in which a small but leading portion of the population, from difference of race, more civilised origin or other peculiarities of circumstance, are markedly superior in civilisation and general character to the remainder. Under these conditions, government by the representatives of the mass would stand a chance of depriving them of much of the good they might derive from the greater civilisation of the superior ranks.”
Historian Mohammad Sajjad rightly observed: “Sir Syed (Ahmed Khan) is relevant today for his rationalist enquiries and engagements…. (He) took to writing rebuttal and refutation of William Muir’s expositions against the Prophet. Unlike today’s hard-headed radicals who don’t know how to engage intellectually and resort to ominous violence, Sir Syed hated pan-Islamic, extra-territorial loyalties, and believed that India could march ahead only with its polychromatic character and inter-faith harmony. He instituted scholarship exclusively for Hindus in his Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College, to make its enrolments heterogenous. He did not allow beef in the hostel mess of Aligarh College. He campaigned for free press to build modern India. He braved the ire of conservative clergy”.
The liberal notion of imposing western civilisation through imperial rule licenses European warfare across the globe, and opens the door to the wholesale destruction of non-European religious and cultural traditions (including Islam). These issues are taken up by the political theorist Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-59), arguably the most celebrated French liberal of his era. Tocqueville was a member of the French parliament and frequently corresponded with Mill on political matters. Like Mill, Tocqueville was a staunch proponent of imperialism, championing the French conquest and colonisation of Muslim Algeria. He travelled to Algeria in 1841 and 1846, becoming the French parliament’s leading expert on Algeria and a key policy-maker on Algerian issues.
Liberal Gospel John Stuart Mill (left), theorist of the civilising mission; Alexis de Tocqueville, who told the French parliament in 1840 to let France participate in military campaigns in the Orient Photograph by Getty Images
Speaking before the parliament in 1840, Tocqueville addresses the role of French imperialism in the Orient, including the Muslim world. Tocqueville argues that France, like Britain and Russia, must take part in military expeditions in the Orient, establishing its power, while destroying indigenous religions and cultures and replacing them with European civilisation. He compares Europe’s current military expeditions to the Christian crusades against the Muslim world, but asserts they are far more intense and destructive. “I do not like war, I just said it; but there are extreme situations in which war would appear to me a benefit; and I believe it is my duty to declare these extreme situations in front of my country,” writes Tocqueville. “There is one extreme situation that one should escape even |
use it to drill through the side of the mountain into the chamber where the mead was stored. Eventually, Baugi announced that he had broken through into the chamber. Bölverkr went up to the hole, and blew into it. Stone chips blew back into his face, proving that the hole didn't penetrate the stone. Realizing that Baugi had lied to him and was trying to cheat him, Bölverkr harshly set Baugi back to work.
A second time, Baugi announced he had breached the mountain. This time, Bölverk's breath of air blew the stone chips into the mountain, so he knew Baugi was right. Immediately, Bölverkr turned himself into the shape of a snake, and slithered into the hole. Baugi tried to skewer the snake with the auger, but he was too late.
Once inside the chamber, Bölverkr returned his shape to that of a man. He presented himself to Gunnloð, Suttung's daughter, who guarded the mead while sitting on a stool of solid gold. But at the sight of Bölverkr, Suttung's warnings to guard the mead left Gunnloð's head. Bölverk's beguiled her, and for three days, they lay together in the chamber in the heart of the mountain.
At the end of the three days, Gunnloð was ready to give Bölverk anything he desired. He asked for three drinks of the precious mead. In his first swallow, he emptied the first big jar. The second swallow emptied the second jar. And Bölverk's last swallow emptied the cauldron.
With all of the divine mead held in his mouth, Óðin changed himself into an eagle and flew away, heading for Ásgarð. When Suttung saw him, he, too, changed himself into an eagle and gave chase.
They flew across Jötenheim, across the mountains, towards Ásgarð. When the Æsir saw them, they put out containers in the courtyard. As Óðin flew over the courtyard, he spat the mead out into the containers. Suttung was right behind him. It was such a close shave that, in the excitement, some of the mead came out backwards. This mead was not kept. Anyone can take it that wants it. It's called the rhymester's share (the portion for an inferior poet).
But the rest of Suttung's mead was safely stored away. Óðin gave it to the Æsir, and occasionally he gives it to those men who are skilled at composing poetry.Episode 72
September 29, 2015, Maddox
Human Robots 1637 Man Buns 616
A man bun is a bun you don't want to eat, smell or touch. Mercifully, this trend in hairtrocity may be coming to an end. It turns out that man buns cause premature baldness. This week, Dick got sent a bunch of articles about how people with man buns are going bald, which put the fear into him and may spell an end to the bun.
Special thanks to Harry's for sponsoring this episode. Go to Harry's website and use the promo code "BIGGESTPROBLEM" when checking out to get $5 off your first purchase.
Also, literally the day we recorded this episode, I saw this car that obviously just got in an accident with a parking ticket on its windshield. This is what I was talking about with "human robots." The lacking of any judgment, empathy or reason. Just mindless application of rules:
We also got paid a very Boisterous visit from the year 3000. And here's the Lil' Bits clip we mentioned on the show:
Thumbnail courtesy of Eliazar Tatar Image attributions: Flickr - Gundam Flickr - Bun Flickr - Space
Asterios bits: "News Theme" licensed under Creative Commons from Ithaca Audio: http://www.ithacaaudio.com/2010/12/07/news-theme/
Sources: ABC7 - Popular hair style causes premature baldness. Time - Study finds bald guys look more manly and dominant. Wallstreet Journal - Baldness signals authority and leadership FoxLA - Dick on TrumpThe Philadelphia Eagles are off this week, so now is a good time to focus on the rest of the league. Around the NFL, there are several former Eagles on rosters. Some of those players are making notable contributions, while others are essentially kicking dirt while waiting for their chance. BGN is your source for all former Eagles news and this week we offer you some updates on names you'll likely recognize.
Bills running back Bryce Brown has yet to play a regular season game. He was traded this off-season and looked like he could play a key role for Buffalo, but has been a healthy scratch throughout this season. The Eagles dealt Brown for a future conditional pick in order to get more touches for Darren Sproles and Chris Polk. That seems to have worked out for Philadelphia.
Safety Patrick Chung is back with the Patriots this season after one year in Philadelphia. He has started seven games for the Patriots this season and has 32 tackles and a pass breakup this season. Malcolm Jenkins has been a massive upgrade over Chung, who failed to cause a turnover all last season. Jenkins has three interceptions in just six games.
Former Eagles quarterback Michael Vick has appeared in five games for the Jets this season. He has completed 8-of-20 passes for 47 passing yards and a passer rating of 47.9. He also has 23 rushing yards on four carries. The Jets are on a six-game losing streak after winning their first contest of the season against the winless Raiders
Jordan Poyer has been converted to safety with the Browns. The 2013 seventh round draft pick has appeared in five games this season and has five tackles and a forced fumble. He was cut by the Eagles in the middle of last season and then picked up by the Browns on waivers.
Former Eagles off-season punter Brad Wing is currently the main man in Pittsburgh. In six games, Wing has punted 29 times on an average of 44.1 yards per punt. He has had 10 punts go inside the 20 yard line and three touchbacks.
Former Eagles wide receiver Damaris Johnson has proven useful in Houston. He has collected eight catches for 133 yards (16.6 YPC) and his first receiving touchdown in six games (two starts). He has also been returning kicks and punts, while occasionally being used on running plays. Honestly, being cut may have been the best move for him.
Special teams standout Colt Anderson is serving a role with the Colts. In five games, Anderson has four tackles.
Jaguars tight end Clay Harbor missed the first three games of season while recovering from a broken leg but has since provided some offense for Jacksonville. He has been a reliable target for Blake Bortles with 14 receptions for 183 yards and a touchdown in just three games (two starts).
Former Eagles safety Kurt Coleman has appeared in four games for the Chiefs and Andy Reid this season. In those contests, he has collected five tackles. He was cut by the Vikings after the preseason, but the Chiefs picked him up in Week 2.
King Dunlap is still the starting left tackle in San Diego. In his second season with the Chargers, Dunlap has started all six games for the 5-1 squad. He is protecting the blindside for MVP candidate Philip Rivers
Former Eagles defensive tackles Mike Patterson and Cullen Jenkins have combined for 18 tackles in six games for the Giants. Cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie has 16 tackles and an interception on the season.
In six games, wide receiver DeSean Jackson has collected 23 receptions for 479 receiving yards and three touchdowns. He has yet to return a punt for the Redskins
Long-time Eagles wide receiver Jason Avant is playing in the slot for the Panthers. In six games this season, Avant has 17 catches for 179 yards and a touchdown.In the present study, glutathione supplementation resulted in higher levels of PGC-1α and mtDNA biogenesis in mouse skeletal muscle and prevented the exercise-induced reduction in intermuscular pH in mice. Moreover, in humans, glutathione supplementation suppressed fatigue-related parameters during and after exercise. While it has been well documented that glutathione plays a central role in the antioxidant network in animal cells and redox balance can act as a marker of antioxidant status in various pathological and physiological conditions including exercise [3,4,14,15], the role of exogenous glutathione on phenotypic changes relating to physical exercise has not been explored. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first to demonstrate that glutathione supplementation improves aerobic metabolism in skeletal muscle, leading to reduced exercise-induced muscle fatigue.
During muscle contraction, lactic acid, a major source of protons, is rapidly produced by increased glycolytic metabolism, lowering the pH and inhibiting muscle contraction [16]. The protons generated from cytosolic lactic acid are immediately buffered in the cell or exported to the interstitial fluid and further transported to the blood. The buffering capacity is relatively high in the cytosol and blood, whereas this capacity is low in interstitial fluid where the presence of buffering factors, such as proteins, is limited [17,18]. Therefore, the pH of the interstitial fluid in muscle tissues can drastically change in response to muscle contraction and can also be a marker of acid–base conditions in muscle tissue. In contrast, the majority of lactate anions are released into the circulation or immediately metabolized as an energy substrate through aerobic metabolism [19-21]; therefore, their levels are not suitable as a marker. The results of both the animal and human studies indicate that glutathione supplementation inhibited the decrease in intermuscular pH after exercise; in the human study, this was demonstrated by the differences in blood lactate concentrations following exercise between the placebo and glutathione trials. These results may also explain the differences observed between the trials in RPE and subjective fatigue during and after exercise; in particular, an improvement in muscular acidosis results in less fatigue.
Circulating NEFA concentrations are regulated by a balance between catabolic processes in adipose tissue and fatty acid substrate utilization by the skeletal muscle. Circulating catecholamines such as adrenalin and noradrenalin are increased in response to exercise and stimulate lipolysis of triglycerides in adipose tissue [22], which causes an elevation of circulating fatty acids. In contrast, muscle contraction increases uptake of fatty acids from the circulation into muscle cells [23], which leads to a decrease in circulating fatty acids. Therefore, we suggest that the reduction of NEFA observed in the glutathione-supplemented mice was due to an increase in muscle utilization rather than a release from adipose tissue. Because energy consumed in muscle during exercise is mainly supplied by carbohydrates and lipids, glutathione-induced lipid utilization can decrease energy obtained from carbohydrates, which may lead to a decrease in lactate/proton production. Collectively, this indicates that glutathione improves metabolic acidosis through the activation of lipid metabolism, which leads to suppression of exercise-induced fatigue.
PGC-1α is a central member of a family of transcriptional co-activators involved in aerobic metabolism. Activation of PGC-1α alters the metabolic phenotype through interactions with nuclear respiratory factor and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α [8-10], which leads to increased mitochondrial biogenesis and activity. It has been reported that PGC-1α activation causes significant improvements in athletic performance [24,25], prevention and treatment of muscle weakness in the elderly, obesity, and other metabolic diseases such as mitochondrial myopathies and diabetes [10,11,26]. Here, we detected an increase in PGC-1α with 2 weeks of glutathione intake, along with an increase in mtDNA content, indicating the activation of mitochondrial biogenesis. Therefore, the observed elevation of PGC-1α by glutathione intake strongly suggests an acceleration in lipid metabolism. In addition, the increase of mitochondria content could also lead to a decrease of lactate generation by accelerating aerobic metabolism of glucose, which would prevent muscle acidosis during exercise even further.
The regulatory mechanism for glutathione-induced increases in PGC-1α is unclear. One explanation is the elevation of AMPK, which is an upstream factor of PGC-1α regulation [27,28]. Recently, it has been argued that oral intake of other antioxidants, including vitamin C and E, do not elevate PGC-1α in the skeletal muscle of mice and humans [29,30]; thus, this may be a specific action of glutathione as a signal factor, but not its antioxidant properties. We found that 2 weeks of glutathione supplementation did not affect plasma glutathione concentration in the basal state. However, glutathione is transported across the intestines with in its intact form [12], and its plasma concentration, along with the glutathione-derived dipeptides γ-glutamyl-cysteine and cysteinyl-glycine, is markedly elevated during the 60–120-min period after oral administration, as shown in our previous report [13]. Therefore, the transient elevation of glutathione or the derived dipeptides following supplementation over 2 weeks may indicate stimulation of specific signaling factors that lead to elevated AMPK and PGC-1α. Alternatively, glutathione content in muscle tissues may also increase with supplementation, leading to the up-regulation of these factors. Further studies are needed to determine the specific mechanism(s) by which glutathione affects muscle aerobic metabolism. In addition, we also observed that reduction of the protein-bound glutathione concentration in plasma after exercise was suppressed following glutathione supplementation, which may also be related to the regulation of energy metabolism or fatigue. Future studies should also aim to identify the bound protein in plasma and examine the mechanism of protein binding or release from the protein and its source.HTC is finding itself on the wrong side of a rapidly evolving smartphone market.
The Taiwanese company reported today that its revenues fell 64 percent in the first quarter and that profits fell 78 percent compared to the same period a year ago.
While HTC has been in decline for several quarters now, the plunge in sales for the beginning of this year raises questions about whether it’s too late for the company to turn things around.
HTC has just recently released its Vive VR system to good reviews, along with a new flagship phone, the HTC 10. Neither of those products counted in this quarter, but they’re going to need to come on pretty strong in the face of consumer skepticism and a viciously competitive Android market for HTC to have any hope.
The company reported $14.8 billion (New Taiwan dollars or $460 million U.S. dollars) in sales for the first quarter of 2016, down from NT $41.8 billion (U.S. $1.29 billion) a year ago. Profits were NT $1.8 billion (U.S. $60 million), down from NT $8.2 billion (U.S. $250 million).
So, what’s the plan going forward? In the earnings report, the company noted two things: “HTC has seen strong launches in early Q2 ’16 for both the new flagship smartphone, the HTC 10, and the HTC Vive virtual reality system and anticipate good momentum over the year.”
And second: “HTC will continue to streamline processes and optimize resources to develop products in the most effective way.”
The company has recently sold off some real estate. And it has said it will invest $100 million in developing content for the Vive.
“The media and consumer buzz around HTC, including for the keenly awaited launches of the flagship smartphone and Vive virtual reality system, clearly demonstrate our leadership in innovation and have provided a great boost to the HTC brand,” Cher Wang, chairwoman and CEO of HTC, said in a statement. “We have been working hard to lay the groundwork over the past year, streamlining processes and optimizing resources to enable us to develop the best products in the most effective way.”Tillakaratne Dilshan was planning to sign off after the Zimbabwe Tests © AFP
Sri Lanka batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan is set to retire from Test cricket. A Sri Lanka Cricket media release on Wednesday stated that Dilshan will hold a press conference on Thursday to make a formal announcement.
"I have taken this decision to allow Sri Lanka Cricket to groom another youngster in my place," Dilshan, 36, said on Wednesday. "I was to announce my retirement after the Zimbabwe Test series but unfortunately the tour was postponed."
Sri Lanka was to tour Zimbabwe from October and the tour itinerary included two Tests. The aggressive opener made his Test debut in 1999 against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo and scored 163 in his second match. In a Test career spanning 14 years, Dilshan played 87 Tests and scored 5492 runs at an average of 40.98.
His 16 Test centuries included a career-best 193 against England at Lord's in 2011 as captain.
Dilshan will continue to play in the shorter formats for his country, however. "I will discuss my future with the national selectors and if they need me I will play till the 2015 World Cup," Dilshan said.
Dilshan had suggested he was nearing the end of his Test career as early as December last year, during the Australia Test series, in which he made the highest score, with 147 in Hobart. He had also hit a hundred in Galle, during his last Test series in March.
He is the first of the three senior players to quit Tests, and his departure will create further problems for Sri Lanka at the top of the order, where Sri Lanka have struggled to find a consistent opening partner for him in recent years.
Dimuth Karunaratne has shown promise in that position during the last year, but with the selectors having seemingly jettisoned Tharanga Paranavitana and Upul Tharanga from their long-term plan for Tests, Sri Lanka will now likely have to blood another opener, before Karunaratne has secured his place in the team.
With seven away Tests approaching in the first half of 2013, Dilshan's retirement will place added pressure on Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, with middle-order batsmen Lahiru Thirimanne and Dinesh Chandimal also in the early stages of their Test careers.
Sri Lanka also lose their best fielder in Dilshan, as well as an off-spin option. He has 39 Test wickets at an average of 43.87.
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.Algerian police dispersed a demonstration in the capital staged by Algerians opposed to President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's decision to run for a fourth term in elections next month.
A group opposed to a fourth term for Bouteflika had called for the demonstration online, and those taking part on Saturday included journalists and rights activists.
Protesters chanted "no to a fourth term" and "15 years is enough", an AFP journalist at the scene said.
Bouteflika, who has been in power since 1999 and turns 77 on Sunday, announced a week ago he would seek reelection in an April 17 vote, after speculation his frail health would stop him from running.
There has been growing concern about Bouteflika serving another term, given the physical state of the president, who was hospitalised in Paris for three months last year after suffering a mini stroke.
He has chaired just two cabinet meetings since returning home in July, and has not spoken in public for nearly two years.years.
Even so, he is expected to win the election with the backing of the powerful state apparatus.
Calls for 'peaceful' change
Former Algerian premier Mouloud Hamrouche on Thursday called for a "peaceful" change of the regime, which he said was no longer capable of running the country.
And Said Sadi, former head of the secular opposition Rally for Culture and Democracy Party, also spoke out against Bouteflika on Tuesday.
He urged Algerians to "delegitimise" the upcoming elections, urging a political transition similar to the one that took place last month in Tunisia.
Several opposition parties have already called for a boycott of the election, saying its results would be a foregone conclusion.Speaking in New Hampshire on Friday, Republican presidential candidate and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul once again employed a debunked quotation attributed to founding father Patrick Henry.
"You see the Constitution wasn't written to give you stuff," Paul said. "It wasn't written to restrain you and tell you what to do. The Constitution was to tell your government what you can and can't do. It was to limit and restrict your government. But Patrick Henry said, he said 'it's not, the Constitution wasn't about restraining the people, it was about restraining the government, and making sure government didn't get too large.'"
Paul has cited this specific quotation at least two times in the past. As BuzzFeed News has previously reported, a scholar of Patrick Henry believes the quotation to be completely fabricated.
Here's Baylor professor Thomas Kidd, author of Patrick Henry: First Among Patriots:
Another widely cited "Henry" quotation is: "The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government — lest it come to dominate our lives and interests." This is a more complex misquotation, because it sounds like something Henry might have said — maybe during the 1790s, after he opposed the Constitution's adoption, when he was hoping to restrict the new government's powers? The problem is that this quotation seems to have been entirely fabricated, and quite recently at that. The earliest reference I have found to this quotation is in two books published in 2003. But why create a bogus quotation when Henry actually said similar things about the need to restrain government? In any case, this is also frequently cited on social media sites and in political books. On Facebook the quotation has its own "common interest" page.
As noted before, the earliest use of the quote in Google Books is 1999."Gens du pays" has been called the unofficial national anthem of Quebec. Written by poet, songwriter, and avowed Quebec nationalist Gilles Vigneault (with music co-written by Gaston Rochon), it was first performed by Vigneault on June 24, 1975 during a concert on Montreal's Mount Royal at that year's Fête nationale du Québec ceremony. It quickly became a folk classic, and it has been played frequently at Fête nationale ceremonies since then. The chorus is by far the most famous part of the song: Gens du pays, c'est votre tour / De vous laisser parler d'amour, which, translated, says, "Folks of the land, it is your turn to let yourselves be lovingly spoken to."[1]
The song is also associated with the Quebec sovereignty movement and the sovereigntist Parti Québécois, which use it as a sort of anthem. A famous instance of this took place at René Lévesque's concession speech after the citizens of the province rejected independence in the 1980 Quebec referendum. At the end of Lévesque's speech, the crowd assembled to hear him speak stood up at the end of the speech and sang "Gens du pays", which Lévesque called "the most beautiful Québécois song in the minds of all Quebecers."
Birthday adaptation [ edit ]
In Quebec, a modified version of the chorus is often sung to celebrate a person, for example on a birthday (in the specific case of the birthday, the idea was explicitly introduced by Gilles Vigneault, Yvon Deschamps and Louise Forestier at the song's 1975 introduction):[2]
Mon cher ami (or Ma chère amie), c'est à ton tour De te laisser parler d'amour.
("My dear friend, it's your turn / To let yourself be lovingly spoken to.")
Alternatively, "ami(e)" (friend) is replaced with the name of the person being celebrated.
For instance, at René Lévesque's funeral, mourners outside the church broke out singing "Mon cher René, c'est à ton tour, de te laisser parler d'amour"(Reuters) - At least six people, including two of Somalia’s top sports officials, were killed when a female suicide bomber struck a ceremony at Mogadishu’s national theater in an attack Islamist rebels said was aimed at assassinating government ministers.
Al Shabaab insurgents claimed responsibility for the blast on Wednesday that killed the heads of Somalia’s soccer federation and Olympic committee in yet another stark reminder of the fragile security in the capital Mogadishu.
The bombing was an apparent attempt to kill the prime minister as he spoke at an event to mark the first anniversary of the country’s new satellite television channel.
While the al Qaeda-allied militants pulled their fighters out of the capital last August, they have struck targets regularly in the heart of the coastal city using roadside bombs, mortars and suicide bombers.
A soldier guarding the newly opened theater said the bomber had been stopped but the premier’s security team had insisted she be allowed in because she was carrying police ID.
“The suicide bomber was a young, slim lady with plaited hair. She wore a veil and carried a police identity card,” Mohamed Ali, the soldier told Reuters.
“She sat under the tree in front of the theater for a while. She stood and went towards the theater when she heard the voice of the PM. We were suspicious and shouted ‘stop’. She wanted to target the PM.
“We stopped her. But the PM’s guards inside shouted ‘let her come in’ because she had a police identity card in her hand. And all of a sudden we heard the explosion.”
The African Union, which also identified the bomber as a woman, said six people were killed and 12 wounded.
“The prime minister was speaking inside the theater when the blast took place, but he is safe, unhurt,” Gilbert Nitunga, deputy spokesman for the AU’s AMISOM force, said.
“INFIDEL MINISTERS”
Corpses were strewn across the floor of the theater and some of the dead were still in their seats, a Reuters reporter at the scene said. Ambulance workers collected the bodies and sirens wailed as the wounded were rushed to hospitals.
Al Shabaab said it had targeted government officials and lawmakers with explosives planted ahead of the event, and denied that it had used a suicide bomber.
“We were behind the theater blast. We targeted the infidel ministers and legislators, and they were the casualties of today,” Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, the spokesman for al Shabaab’s military operations, told Reuters.
One witness at the theater said he could see four corpses, including the two sports officials. A doctor at the Madina hospital said two ministers and a member of parliament were among those hurt.
The attack comes ahead of a planned political transition in Somalia, with the Western-backed government’s term due to end in August, when elections have been scheduled in what has been described in the West as the world’s worst failed state.
The National Theatre reopened on March 19 for the first time in two decades, raising hopes the country had turned a corner after being plagued by violence since the dictator Mohamed Siad Barre was ousted in 1991. Somali musicians staged a concert in the bullet-riddled building for the first time in 20 years.
Highlighting the militants’ threat to the capital, armored African Union vehicles and Somali government troops deployed along the road leading up to the theater ahead of the opening ceremony, at which Somali President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed spoke of “peace, education and progress”.
ART DEEMED UNISLAMIC
Many Somali artists, actors and singers have fled the violence over the last two decades, especially as al Shabaab cracked down on any forms of art it deemed unIslamic.
Al Shabaab said on March 14, after one its suicide bombers struck at the presidential palace, that more bombings would follow.
Financed by foreign donations and taxes it imposes on the areas it controls, al Shabaab has threatened to carry on its war against the government and the AU despite having been evicted from much of Mogadishu and losing territory to Kenyan and Ethiopian troops in the south.
The presidential palace has come under mortar attack several times in the last two weeks. The bombs have mostly fallen short, killing civilians in nearby camps for those displaced by the violence.
While the prime minister escaped unhurt, at least one minister and a member of parliament were hurt. The country’s top sports officials bore the brunt of the attack.
“The government sent us four invitation cards. And of the four officials who went, two are dead and the other two injured. It is a black day,” Kadija Dahir Aden, acting president of Somali athletics, said.
She said the Somali Olympic Committee chairman, Aden Yabarow Wiish, and the president of the Somali Football Federation, Said Mohamed Nur, had died, while the deputy at the Olympic committee and the chairman for Somali boxing were both injured.
Sepp Blatter, president of soccer’s governing body FIFA, said in a statement that he was shocked by the killings.
“I knew both men personally and can only say good things about their endless efforts to promote sport and football in their country. They will be sorely missed,” he said.
The International Olympic Committee also expressed its shock, saying: “Both men were engaged in improving the lives of Somalian people through sport and we strongly condemn such an act of barbarism.”
In Washington, White House spokesman Jay Carney slammed it as an “outrageous” attack that he said showed al Shabaab was “standing in the way of Somalia’s path to peace and stability.”
An ambulance is seen outside the national theatre after an explosion in Mogadishu April 4, 2012. REUTERS/Feisal Omar
“We remain committed to the people of Somalia and assisting them in countering al Shabaab’s violence and in returning peace to their country,” Carney said in a statement.
Somalia hopes to send two athletes to the London 2012 Olympics. Five athletes have been training in a dilapidated Mogadishu stadium and often run through the city’s rutted streets patrolled by Africa Union armored vehicles.
Prime Minister David Cameron said Britain would welcome the Somali athletes to the London Olympics “and stand with them in memory of their very sad loss”.Jannich Bisp, a supervisor at the centre, told the newspaper that concerns have been raised about a group of teenage boys.
“There are situations in which the boys receive a phone call, take off for a few hours and then come back with designer clothes,” Bisp said.
“We are worried about where the boys are getting the money,” he added.
The concerns at Center Sandholm, located some 30 kilometres north of Copenhagen, came to light after the Swedish newspaper Sydsvenkan reported similar stories about refugee children at the Aleris Asylum Center in Malmö. There too officials said that the young asylum seekers would get phone calls, disappear for a few hours and then return with money or new clothes.
At Sandholm, personnel say that there have been a few occasions in which the teenage boys have reported sexual abuse but the teens left the centre before any action could be taken.
Bisp said that many of the teens in the asylum centre have a hard time trusting the workers there.
“This is a group of boys that have been treated poorly by adults and have maybe been abused throughout their lives. We use a lot of time creating comfort and trust between us and the boys but if they finally open up, they often disappear again before we can follow up on the case,” he told Berlingske.
He said that that some of the boys have told staff that “there is someone in Copenhagen who organizes prostitution”.
“We contact the police every time but it is hard for the police to do anything with the case when the boys won’t say anything more,” he said.
Caroline Madsen of the Danish Red Cross, which runs three other children’s refugee centres across Denmark, said that similar concerns have not been aired elsewhere as far as she knows.
"The staff is trained to observe disturbing and divergent behaviour, and we work in close cooperation with both the municipality and the Centre against Human Trafficking, which sometimes comes and talks with the kids if we have a particular concern," Madsen told Berlingske.Washington (CNN) -- When Nancy Pelosi was given the gavel as speaker of the House for the first time, she broke with precedent by posing for pictures at the podium surrounded by her grandchildren and children and grandchildren of other House members.
But when she was told that the House rules might not allow such a scene, she asked, "Who's in charge of the rules?" The answer -- the speaker of the House.
Pelosi recounted the anecdote to an admiring audience Tuesday evening at the first TED Women conference in Washington. The crowd gave her two standing ovations, a sign of support at a time when she's preparing to give up that gavel due to the Democrats' steep losses in the midterm elections. (TED is a nonprofit organization that spreads ideas through its conferences and its website; it has a partnership with CNN.com to publish some of its talks.)
Pelosi, who is the first woman speaker and will become minority leader of the House in January, stressed the idea that women need to be leaders in their own way, not necessarily following in men's footsteps. "We're not there for the power," she said. "We're there to get a job done."
She acknowledged that women are sometimes uncomfortable with the tactics required to get things accomplished. "That doesn't bother me," she said, to laughter, during an onstage interview with Pat Mitchell, president and CEO of the Paley Center for Media.
"Men have been in charge for a very long time," Pelosi added. "I think there's room for other ideas." She recalled her first visit as a minority leader to the White House during the George W. Bush administration. She said she felt she was sitting in a chair crowded by the spirits of women pioneers such as Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. "I could hear them say, at last we have a seat at the table," Pelosi said.
A seat at the table also figured prominently in a talk at the TED Women conference by Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer of Facebook, who lamented the small minority of top corporate leadership and governmental posts held by women.
Sandberg said women have to share the blame for that situation. "Women systematically underestimate their own abilities," she said. By and large, she said, women do not negotiate for themselves.
"The men are reaching for opportunities more than women. We've got to get women to sit at the table," Sandberg said.
Her talk provided a bookend to the conference's opening talk, the first of 70 presentations during the two-day conference, by journalist and author Hanna Rosin. Her article in The Atlantic, "The End of Men," stirred discussion this summer.
The world is at "an unprecedented moment when the power dynamics between men and women are shifting," Rosin said. This year, women became the majority of the American work force and they're beginning to dominate professions such as medicine, the law and accounting, according to Rosin.
The image of American manhood, the Marlboro man, has been replaced by the Old Spice guy, whom Rosen called a parody of manhood. She said 75 percent of couples in American fertility clinics are requesting to have girls rather than boys -- and some Asian cultures are showing a greater openness to preferring female children.
As America continues to shift from a manufacturing to a service and information economy, Rosin noted, women are better positioned to thrive, since jobs require skills other than physical strength.
Visiting a college in Kansas, Rosin spoke to a female student, who summed up her view of changing gender dynamics this way: "Men are the new ball and chain."
Yet Rosin, who is married and has a son and a daughter, seemed to want to temper the idea that women's gains inevitably entail losses for men.
Rather than the concept of a glass ceiling that women could shatter on the way to advancement, she preferred the image of a high bridge, a place where women could show their confidence and courage -- but also move forward with their male and female friends, families and co-workers.
CNN founder Ted Turner (who has no connection to the organization TED, which organized the conference with the Paley Center) suggested the world would be far better off if women ran it -- and that they'd find a way to end the threat posed by nuclear weapons.
A talk by another man, Tony Porter, who co-founded A Call to Men, an organization seeking to end violence against women, drew a particularly powerful response. He recalled growing up in a world where men had to be strong, tough, dominating and had to avoid any show of emotions -- except anger.
"There are some absolutely wonderful things about being a man; at the same time, there's some stuff that's straight up twisted," he said. Even as someone who works to end what he called "the man box" that traps men into a restricted vision of their role, he said he found himself showing no tolerance for his son crying -- while thinking nothing of his daughter crying in his arms, for any reason.
One of Porter's goals is to show men that "it's OK to not be dominating, that it's OK to have feelings and emotions, that it's OK to promote equality."
And the ultimate lesson, he said, is: "My liberation as a man is tied to your liberation as a woman."BOSTON, May 28 (UPI) -- Police are on the lookout for a suspect known as "The Tickler" who has reportedly been breaking into the homes of Boston College students to watch them sleep or tickle their tootsies.
Long thought to be a myth, Boston police have confirmed at least 10 sightings of the tickler, three of which occurred on the night of April 7.
"This is no myth," community service officer Sgt. Michael O'Hara told the Boston Globe. "It's happening."
BC junior Teddy Raddell awoke to the sound of someone fleeing from his home early on a Sunday morning in October. "I thought my roommate had fallen down the steps," Raddell said, "but then he started yelling. I got up and he said that he had woken up to someone touching his feet."
Despite all of the sightings, no photos or video of the alleged Tickler exist. "If we had something to go on," O'Hara said, "we would."
Police have advised students to be vigilant and lock their doors because it is unknown "what this guy is going to do or if he has a weapon."This is a follow-up article to the part 1 pfSense article that I wrote a while back. In this article I will focus on packages that can be installed on pfSense as well as configuring snort which is an IPS/IDS that integrates well with the pfSense firewall.
In order to see which packages are available for installation you want to start by heading over to System–>Packages
On the package manager window head over to the “Available Packages” tab |
property taxes to make up the difference to avoid decimation of our healthcare system."
It is not the first time this year that Cuomo has proposed using taxes to offset such costs.
The governor in March raised the specter of the state taking the local share of sales taxes to pay for the cost-shifting. His justification is that local sales taxes originally were authorized to help counties pay for Medicaid. He also has proposed raising income taxes.
Cuomo's letter is an escalation of his recent political rhetoric on the federal health care legislation. Though he previously warned of a tax hit for New Yorkers as the House considered its Affordable Care Act repeal-and-replace measure, the governor appeared at a June rally to warn that he would work to oust Republican members of the House, including Faso and Collins.
The state Democratic Committee sent out a fundraising appeal last week when the Senate released its bill that included a link to donate to the state committee's federal account. That email included a note from Cuomo that warned of a 26 percent tax hike on the middle class if the Faso-Collins provision succeeds.
At Sunday's New York City Pride March, the state committee held the first in a series of planned voter registration drives as part of the "New York Fight Back" campaign to flip the House to Democrats. Voter education, registration and mobilization efforts are planned for target districts in the coming weeks.
"For those in the delegation who supported this legislation, New Yorker's will remember that you were elected to serve them but instead fought to cut our funding and our vital healthcare services," Cuomo wrote in his Monday letter to members of Congress.
National Republicans scoffed at Cuomo, and suggested his tactics would backfire with taxpayers.
"With New York spending more on Medicaid than Florida and Texas combined, Cuomo would rather increase taxes than get his fiscal house in order," National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Chris Martin said in a statement. "It looks like the Cuomo-Pelosi dynamic duo will be a gift that keeps on giving for House Republicans in 2018...."
While the Faso-Collins amendment's cost-shifting wouldn't go into effect until 2020, any new state taxes would require state legislative approval — including passage in the Republican-held state Senate.
The Legislature closed out its six-month session last Wednesday, but it did not act on issues that assumedly must be resolved in the near future.
Mayoral control of New York City schools ends on Friday, and sales taxes for more than 50 counties lapse this fall.
It's uncertain whether lawmakers would return to come up with some federal budget response plan. In this year's state budget, a deal was struck that gives Cuomo's Division of Budget the ability to craft a cost-cutting plan if the federal government severely reduces state aid. The Legislature would then have 90 days to come up with and pass its own plan, or the DOB blueprint would go into effect.
The next regular state legislative session doesn't begin until January.
Spokesman for Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, D-Bronx, and Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan, R-Long Island, did not comment on Cuomo's letter.
Raising revenue, a politically delicate matter, could be just one piece of the Medicaid puzzle.
Ron Deutsch of the Fiscal Policy Institute, a fiscally progressive think tank, pointed to some state economic development spending as a place to consider trimming. So did the Citizens Budget Commission's David Friedfel.
The state has "already been spending at a lower rate than we have in the past," Deutsch said, noting Cuomo's self-imposed 2 percent cap on spending increases. "So I think inevitably they're going to have to look at some sort of revenue-raiser."
Friedfel said the CBC has advocated for the state to assume the local share of Medicaid costs on its own, including for New York City. But "it's the type of thing you want to phase in," he noted.
"Something this significant within the state's budget, you'd want to roll it out over a long period of time — not one year," Friedfel said.
mhamilton@timesunion.com • 518-454-5449 • @matt_hamilton10Wednesday, July 30
By Jannis Urena of Puyallup, Washington, USA
Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.
—Philippians 4:9 NRSV
Several ponds are in our neighborhood. Toward the end of summer we see the geese fly south in classic V-formation. Some stop in these miniature lakes to nest and raise chicks.
Last week I was amused to see a bright-yellow sports car ahead of me come to a full stop in the road. Oncoming traffic stopped, as well. We all waited as a mother goose authoritatively guided her fluffy babies from one side of the road to the other.
All the horsepower and sleek creativity of Detroit—brought to a standstill by the power of our small feathered friends.
Somehow we tend to forget that God often invites us to stop and “smell the roses” or watch the goslings. How wondrous is the diversity of God’s creation—our very human souls draw us to observe Creation with awe. Even amid the traffic.
Prayer for Peace Creator God, thank you for being present through all the seasons of our lives—the heartaches and the joys, the deeps and the shallows, the ebb and flow, times of conflict and peace. Help us share those peaceful times and be at home with you.
Spiritual Practice: Caring for God’s Sacred Creation Choose a way to notice, give thanks, and care for God’s sacred creation. Prayerfully consider one of the following practices or create your own. Walk in nature with a spirit of gratitude while looking and listening for God in all things. Write or pray a psalm of praise for the Earth’s beauty or offer a prayer of healing and blessing for its wounds.
Learn about and engage in an act of Earth-keeping such as recycling, simple living, or fasting from over-consumption of resources. Notice the diversity of the planet’s creatures and be gentle to plants, animals, trees, and people! Fall in love with the vast, intricate wonder of God’s creation and give thanks.
Peace Covenant Today, God, I will see your creation’s beauty.
AdvertisementsSuper-Scooper El Mayimbe is at it again. This time he has revealed three characters/actors that will make a cameo in Bryan Singer's X-Men: Apocalypse.
First off, he says X-Men veterans Hugh Jackman and Halle Berry will reprise their Wolverine and Storm roles for cameos in the upcoming X-Men film. Jackman isn't much of a surprise as 20th Century Fox always makes sure he finds a spot in their X-Men films, but Berry is a bit of a surprise as they cast Alexandra Shipp to play a younger version of Storm/Ororo Munroe.
While X-Men newcomer Channing Tatum will make his debut as Gambit, which is something that has been rumored ever since it was revealed that he was playing the Cajun, card-tossing mutant. You can see his full scoop below.It was the long held ambition of Mervyn King, former Governor of the Bank of England, to make monetary policy decisions “boring and predictable”.
The Global Financial Crisis put paid to that. Now along comes Amber Rudd, the still newish Energy Secretary, to say that she wants to do the same with UK energy policy.
Indeed, she aims to make it so boring that it is “hardly noticed”.
After the shambles of the last 20 years, we can only wish her luck, but it is hard to rate her chances.
In a speech last week, Ms Rudd said she was “resetting” energy policy in a manner that both gives more power to market forces and ensures that the energy system is secure, affordable, and clean.
Nobody is going to disagree too much with those goals. It’s just that the road map she set out to achieve them looks more than a little suspect.
It makes obvious sense to cut the subsidies on wind and solar, even if this apparent U-turn has added further uncertainty to an industry whose continued investment demands incentives and long term planning.
Unbridled pursuit of renewable energy goals was locking consumers into some punishingly high prices. This profligacy with customers’ money had to be addressed, so full marks to Ms Rudd for that.
It also makes sense to shift as rapidly as possible from coal to gas – where emissions are roughly half – as a primary source of base load power. In any event, carbon taxes and high business rates look set to render coal uneconomic well before the 2025 deadline.
It’s a further blow to Drax, and its impressively resilient chief executive Dorothy Thompson. They have yet to complete the intended transition from coal to biomass. But if environmental targets are to be kept at the centre of UK energy policy, it’s the most logical way of proceeding at the least possible cost.
"When the sun is shining and the wind is blowing, these sources of generation, whose operational costs are close to zero once built, drive down the wholesale price of electricity to levels that make coal and gas uneconomic"
What Ms Rudd has yet adequately to explain, however, is how the Government is going to persuade the industry to invest in all those new gas fired generators. Estimates by Jefferies put the cost of plugging the gap left by coal at a whopping £70bn, including £22bn for Hinckley Point C.
Simply requiring coal to be phased out and expecting the industry naturally to fill the void won’t hack it, a point Ms Rudd seemed to acknowledge in saying that coal would be given a stay of execution if gas had not by then stepped up to the plate.
To provide the incentives, she is promising to reform the so-called “capacity market”, which subsidises companies willing to guarantee reserve power during periods of peak demand.
So far, this “market” has succeeded in securing just one new gas fired plant, and even in this case the sponsors have run out of money before completing the project, leaving highly polluting diesel generators to fill expected shortfalls this winter.
In any case, whatever Ms Rudd comes up with will only take us back to where we started, with high guaranteed prices and subsidies the only way of ensuring that the lights are kept on.
Ironically, it is Britain’s own legacy of encouragement for renewables that has created the problem.
When the sun is shining and the wind is blowing, these sources of generation, whose operational costs are close to zero once built, drive down the wholesale price of electricity to levels that make coal and gas uneconomic.
As my colleague Emily Gosden pointed out last week, nobody would willingly build new gas fired capacity knowing that it will be needed for only short periods of time as back-up for intermittent renewables. Without subsidy, or exceptionally high prices when generating, it makes no sense.
Besides its humongous costs, the present trajectory also looks set to deliver an energy system whose supply potential is vastly bigger than what’s actually needed. To ensure the required level of overcapacity, consumers would be forced to pay through the nose.
However much Ms Rudd might wish it otherwise, the stupidities of UK energy policy are never going to be far from the headlines.
Click here to read the rest of Jeremy Warner's columnThe Ultimate Fighter's ratings may still be good enough to be number one in the key demographic for Friday nights, but it's hard to look at the show as a success. This season is the show's first on FX, a more reputable network than Spike, and the combination of the new "live" format had people expecting bigger things in the ratings.
Instead, numbers have been unimpressive. The show drew it's lowest viewership ever for episode five and, aside from the fight being live, the format has never felt so stale. But Dana White doesn't seem too worried, telling The Orange County Register that the show is a home run, but not good enough for him yet:
"I love the format, the format's awesome," White said. "As far as the shoe goes, it's a (expletive) home run for FX. It's on Friday nights. Friday nights they do movies and reruns. We're the No. 1 thing in males 18-34 every Friday night. If not we're No. 2 if they pull something off that beats us. They're happy as a pig in (expletive). For me, I want to pull 3 million viewers on FX. We're No. 1 on Friday nights every week, which they've never had. The (UFC 145) prelims on Saturday on FX were No. 1. It's a home run for them, but it's not necessarily a home run for me."
Dana has also been on the record complaining about people who have a problem with the show.
The problem is, people like me who have a problem with the show are in the key demographic.
I want to watch fights every night of the week if possible. I want The Ultimate Fighter to be good and a part of my weekly routine. There is no reason to tune in to any part of the show other than the fight right now. Maybe I'm not a TV "expert" but I don't see anything in the future that changes under this format. I don't think the audience is that big for lame pranks and guys sitting around a house repeatedly talking about being bored.
I also think that commentary is a must at this point. I know they want viewers to be able to hear the coaches, but the casual viewership that they're coveting still would benefit from having someone explain and enhance the drama of the moment. And it's incredibly clunky to go from a fight with no commentary to live in-ring interviews after the fights. The transition is weird, the lack of a crowd makes the interview feel really bizarre and it's so out of place on the show.
Maybe they'll prove me wrong and find some small thing to fix and turn the show around, and I'm sure they're fine with the ratings being "good enough" but I just don't see the space for growth.Kabam’s Marvel Contest of Champions has had a pretty devoted base of players on iOS and Android who enjoy duking it out as Marvel heroes and villains, because who wouldn’t? However, due to changes made this week many have been leaving the game in droves, creating youtube videos discussing the nerfs, and railing on Facebook.
Some of those changes took the form of the usual patching work devs do periodically to tweak game balance. These nerfs however were extreme. The official statement from Kabam on the Contest forums details each of the changes which range from changes in the way characters work in combination with one another and how effective each character is to individual stats changes for several characters. The first major change is that characters stats are no longer based on percentage values but flat values that grow and shrink as players level up. Characters will also be able to be synched down to rank in certain challenges- much like the way some MMOs function. And then there are the specific stat nerfs and buffs. Its a very, very long list. The reason Kabam gave for the changes was that the old percentage system was stopping the devs from creating new content and the individual buffs and nerfs are designed “to better close the gap on the power curve, elevating some of the less usable Champions and bringing some of the most overpowered Champions in the Contest closer to their level.”
Pretty standard Dev statement right? But players don’t always appreciate that, and often times they are right as we saw with the changes the Overwatch team made to Bastion. Players were upset right from the start. One of the main criticisms was the lack of conversation. Most gamers feel personally connected to their games, they have a very personal stake in the matter. For devs, its a labor of love most of the time but its also a job and a numbers game. Treating a game like something a dev can change when they like without discussion has a tendency to backfire. It’s also worth noting that Kabam only mentioned the changes about two weeks before they would take effect in the game. Youtuber RichTheMan talks about this rather extensively in his video on the nerfs, in short because of that lack of visibility and the update’s changes forcing players to completely re-strategize how they play the game. He even snarked while reading the notes, “asking? Kabam don’t ask people!”
But this isn’t just one character being nerfed. This is a number of them, many of whom are most beloved by Contest players: Black Widow, Doctor Strange, Scarlet Witch, Star Lord, Wolverine, Thor, Ultron, Unstoppable Colossus,. Granted, many of the changes Kabam made were buffs to major characters like Groot and Hulk, but still. Seatin Man of Legends, another Youtuber in the Contest community, starts off his video on the changes with the following statement I find particularly poignant, “Since the start of Marvel Contest of Champions there have been three characters in particular that have been very core in the community’s rosters as they progress in the game. And those characters are Scarlet Witch, the Black Widow, and then Thor… there is a lot of content [in Contest of Champions] that is BS in that you need one of those specific Champions to defeat that encounter without spending a ridiculous amount of units on revives. And that’s the real core issue of this update. The wanted Champions are being completely nerfed into the ground and we as a community are not sure at the moment if the BS is going to be removed as well.” No way was that ever going to sit well with players, and especially not Marvel fans. Marvel fans love Thor, Scarlet Witch, and Widow. Across every Marvel game I’ve ever played, those three are always damn popular. Sure there’s love for Cap and Iron Man, but Thor, the Witch, and Widow are always favorites. Perhaps because of their character designs (they are female characters from comics, of course they’re beautiful women in skin-tight costumes with great hair and fantastic cleavage that won’t ever quit). As for Thor, well who the hell could hate Thor, right? No one. Not even I can bring myself to hate Thor, and I try to hate things a lot.
Since the update went live, reactions have been incredibly negative with many players leaving the game. Rich put up a long statement of his thoughts and then tweeted a reaction gif which is particularly relevant.
This is the MCOC community reaction to 12.0, so true. pic.twitter.com/Y5fHRzaDoY — ★RichTheLuckyMan★ (@MrRJManning) March 2, 2017
Many others, including Twitter users Deposito and Omega Mutant are calling for a boycott.
So not only was this update a ridiculous way to make a game needlessly harder on players while pretending to care about game balance, it was also an insult because of the lack of community involvement and the fans are rightly pissed. The Bastion buff outrage in Overwatch was solved within days of the change going live. The game director was on the forums talking about the issue, taking questions, asking for feedback. We aren’t seeing that with Kabam at all. There is no communication and there is no one listening to the community when they make valid complaints. The smart thing for Kabam to do now is either tweak those three characters to be useful but not OP or remove some of their absurd content that requires paragon exploiter-like abilities. Don’t build a game that needs an exploiter and then nerf your exploiter. That’s like, game balance ethics 101.
And I’m not unsympathetic to Kabam. A lot of the changes they made were to buff some of the less super-powered heroes like Spider-Gwen, Winter Soldier, Ant-Man, and Yellow Jacket. But one of the problems in the major superhero universes comes in trying to balance them. They can’t really be balanced at all. How could you expect Nightwing to take out Superman in Injustice? How would Ant-Man ever hold his own against the Phoenix? And yet you can do these things in Injustice and Contest of Champions, because games need to be balanced or they aren’t fun. However, the source material is not.
Some characters will just be more all-around useful. And that can be fine as long as there are ways to take them down. You don’t power through beating Superman with capoeira and escrima sticks, you’ll get punched to death in seconds. You block, used specifically timed strikes, save up your energy for a super move, and then crush him. But Injustice (along with every other arcade style fighting game like Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter) doesn’t require any one character to pass certain instances, because in a fighting game that’s sort of silly. Contest hasn’t learned that yet. Hopefully, the fans’ reactions to this will finally make that point to the dev team.
In the mean time, players are making new strategy guides and trying to keep up despite all the changes. Seatin’s tips are below.
About Madeline Ricchiuto Madeline Ricchiuto is a gamer, comics enthusiast, bad horror movie connoisseur, writer and generally sarcastic human. She also really likes cats and is now Head Games Writer at Bleeding Cool.
(Last Updated )
Related Posts1 - Magic-Flight Launch Box Unit w/Click Lock Top 2 - Rechargeable AA NiMH Magic Flight Glyph Batteries 1 - Magic Flight Storage Tin 1 - NiMh AA Battery Charger (Note: Charger type may change without notice) 1 - Magic-Flight Cleaning Brush 1 - Glass Stem 1 - Instruction Manual The Magic Flight Launch Box is the world's smallest electronic heater. It uses a NiMh AA battery during operation. No torch, lighter or butane needed. The heating element is composed of a copper plated steel rod that heats up very quickly to 380 Degrees F and is safe at that temperature. This is the perfect temperature for optimum results. The life on the battery is only about 4-5 minutes, but the unit heats up in less than 10 seconds so you should be able to get a couple of sessions in per charge. Since it comes with 2 batteries you can always have a backup ready to go! Other Info:
Customer Reviews View All Reviews This is legit!!1 The product itself easy to handle and great as for the results. Service is also awesome here. Two day shipping as they guarantee. Awesome, cheap, fast! Get this. Did you find this helpful? 85 of 98 Found Helpful
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Reviewed by: (Verified Buyer) Emily from New York. - 3/10/2016 5 / 5LONDON (Reuters) - With revellers raising a glass of bubbly to the new year, England’s tiny sparkling wine industry is set for a lift in 2014 as established brands step up export plans and newcomers join the party.
Julian Kirk, head of sales for West Sussex winemaker Nyetimber, one of Britain's sparkling wine producers, poses for a photograph in central London December 23, 2013. REUTERS/Olivia Harris
Internationally, England may be known for its ale, cider and gin, but it is also home to 432 vineyards and 124 wineries, mostly along the southeast coast, which has similar geology and climate to France’s Champagne region across the Channel.
English sparkling wine remains a drop in the bucket compared with its continental cousins, but producers are determined to hang on to their premium positioning, selling at an average of 25 pounds ($40.89) a bottle even as many cost-conscious Britons turn from champagne to cheaper cava from Spain and prosecco from Italy.
“We see ourselves as a luxury brand and we have to be judged on a world stage, not just an English stage,” said Julian Kirk, head of sales for West Sussex winemaker Nyetimber, one of the longest-established names in English sparkling wine and owner of 10 percent of the country’s vineyards.
“The British market is great, but we can’t depend on it for the long-term future,” Kirk added.
Those efforts have made the wine community sit up and take notice in recent years, earning British bubbly more than its fair share of awards.
Among them was East Sussex winemaker Ridgeview’s triumph at the 2010 Decanter World Wine Awards, ahead of a number of more illustrious champagne producers.
English sparkling wines punched above their weight again this year, with three gold medals in the prestigious International Wine Challenge. The winners were Nyetimber, Gusbourne Estate in Kent and Dorset producer Furleigh Estate.
GROWTH PROSPECTS
It should come as no surprise, therefore, that Nyetimber began exporting to Japan in May and Denmark in September.
With more than two decades of production under its belt since the 1992 debut vintage, it is likely to start selling in the United States in 2014 and is also eyeing Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia and Denmark’s Nordic neighbours, Kirk said.
English sparkling wine sold 55,000 nine-litre cases in its home market in 2012, according to wine data specialist IWSR, having achieved compound annual growth of 13 percent over the past five years.
That gave it 0.6 percent of the 9.1 million cases of bubbly sold in Britain last year.
Spain, France and Italy together control 87 percent of the market, though Spain recently pulled ahead of France because of the popularity of cava as a low-cost enjoyable sparkling wine, IWSR’s Helen Windle said.
IWSR predicts that sales of sparkling wine will grow faster than any other wine category in Britain over the next few years, adding 1.7 million cases between 2012 and 2018, at a compound annual growth rate of 2.8 percent.
For champagne makers such as LVMH, Pernod Ricard and Laurent Perrier, there has been increasing speculation that they might be looking to purchase vineyards in Britain, their biggest export market.
“If we have the time, will and passion, it’s possible (to make great sparkling wine in England),” said Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger, president of the champagne house that bears his family name, though he said it has no such plans at present.
QUALITY CONTROL
Julia Trustram Eve, marketing director for the English Wine Producers trade group, said that the winemakers must retain their focus on quality.
Though part of this comes from the cool weather that gives the grapes high acidity, it is also down to the traditional production method, in which second fermentation takes place inside each bottle rather than in bulk tanks.
“It’s in our interest to make sure that anyone involved in the industry and the production of this premium wine is going to keep to those levels of quality, for the sake of our own reputation,” she said.
Digby Fine English, one of the newest English winemakers, is sticking to that strategy. Its first vintage, 2009, has just gone on sale at upmarket outlets such as Selfridges department store and Michelin-starred restaurants.
Trevor Clough, Digby’s corporate strategist-turned-CEO, says that the industry’s small size helps to support its premium price as it builds its reputation slowly but surely.
Julian Kirk (C), head of sales for West Sussex winemaker Nyetimber, one of Britain's sparkling wine producers, poses for a photograph in central London December 23, 2013. REUTERS/Olivia Harris
“We’re not really at the point where we want everyone to know and everyone to want to buy English wine all the time,” Clough said.
“It’s all about focusing on early adopters and cultivating their enthusiasm.”
(This story has been refiled to edit paragraph 10)Those who preach tolerance and equality are normally the least tolerant and least equal of all.
That’s why I was not terribly surprised to learn that organizers of a gay pride parade in Charlotte, North Carolina, banned a group of pro-Trump gays.
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“Gays for Trump” had submitted an application to display a float during this year’s Charlotte Pride parade.
“It was going to support Donald Trump,” group spokesman Derek Van Cleve told me. “It was going to be a patriotic float with American flags and a few ‘Make America Great Again’ flags.”
He also said the float would be populated with a number of drag queens – dressed as Uncle Sam and the Statue of Liberty.
“We wanted to have a couple of drag queens on the float dancing in ‘Make America Great Again’ dresses,” he said.
“All we wanted to do is let the community know the gay community does not speak for every single gay – just like the mayor of Pittsburgh does not speak for every single person in Pittsburgh,” Mr. Van Cleve said.
Nothing controversial, just patriotic.
“Not every single lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender citizen is anti-Trump,” he said. “Some of us love him and some of us support him – including myself.”
Mr. Van Cleve told me he was surprised when Charlotte Pride rejected their application.
To be clear, the organization did not explain why they rejected the “Gays for Trump” entry.
However, a spokesperson for Charlotte Pride issued a statement to Fox 46 defending its right to “decline participation at our events to groups or organizations which do not reflect the mission, vision and values of our organization.”
“In the past, we have made similar decisions to decline participation from other organizations espousing anti-LGBTQ religious or public policy stances,” the statement read.
Charlotte Pride went on to say they envision a world in which “LGBTQ people are affirmed, respected and included in the full social and civic life of their local communities, free from fear of any discrimination, rejection, and prejudice.”
It’s just unfortunate that Charlotte Pride does not practice what it preaches.
"For a group of people to claim to want tolerance, acceptance, and give it to every single person you can imagine to give it to, for them to sit back and judge me for exercising my right as an American to choose my leader without judgment is hypocritical," Gays for Trump organizer Brian Talbert told Fox 46.
Mr. Van Cleve told me there’s not all that much diversity in the local LGBT organization.
“I’ve been to many pride festivals in the past and it’s pretty much a big DNC convention,” he said. “It’s extremely liberal.”
Charlotte Pride has a right to pick and choose who they wish to parade with – that issue is not in dispute.
But their decision to ban “Gays for Trump” smells of narrow-minded political bigotry.
Charlotte Pride should be celebrating diversity. Instead, it appears they are shoving gay Republicans back into the closet.AP Photo Huckabee: Obama made pope's visit a 'cattle call for gay and pro-abortion activists'
Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee says President Obama’s event at the White House to welcome Pope Francis Wednesday is about as classy as “hosting an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting with an open bar.”
In an op-ed for the Daily Caller, the former Arkansas governor railed against the president for showing “total disrespect to millions of Americans by transforming Pope Francis’ White House visit into a politicized cattle call for gay and pro-abortion activists.”
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The White House event has irked many conservatives for its decidedly non-traditional Catholic guest list. According to the Washington Post, "the first openly gay Episcopal bishop, a leader for transgender rights, and a gay Catholic blogger" will be on hand to greet Francis on the South Lawn.
“It’s all petty, partisan politics. Exploiting the Pope for cheap political points at the expense of millions of Americans and Catholics around the world is a shameless new low for this Administration,” Huckabee wrote. “This classless stunt is disrespectful and disgraceful.”
During a press briefing Monday, White House press secretary Josh Earnest said that while he couldn’t speak to every conversation between the Vatican and White House on planning the event, Vatican officials seem happy with the way the event is shaping up. "They would expect that there would be a diverse audience of Americans in place to welcome the Pope to the United States," he said.
“I will say there was no theological test that was administered prior to giving out tickets to stand on the South Lawn Wednesday morning,” Earnest said. “There’s plenty of opportunity for others to inject politics into this situation. It certainly is a protected constitutional right of theirs to do that. But that's not what the president is interested in.”My youngest turned one way back in September and we had a Cookie Monster party for him as a family. My kids love Sesame Street and Cookie Monster is one of their favorite characters. It only seemed right to focus his little party around that furry cookie fanatic!
These cupcakes are perfect for a Cookie Monster party because they’re so easy to put together. No crazy piping of fur or drawing on silly eyeballs. They’re one of my favorite cupcakes I’ve made. And my kids thought they were hilarious.
Print Cookie Monster Cupcakes Yield: 24 cupcakes Ingredients 1 box chocolate cake mix
1 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. oil
3 eggs
24 white cupcake liners
2 packages large candy eyeballs
1 package miniature Chips Ahoy Cookies
Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting 1 c. butter, softened but not to room temperature
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 (7oz) jar marshmallow fluff
1/4-1/2 tsp. almond extract
blue food coloring Instructions Preheat oven to 350°F. Place cupcake liners into muffin cups. Place cake mix in the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Add buttermilk, oil, and eggs. Mix to combine well. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for 15-17 minutes. Remove from oven and set cupcakes on cooling rack to cool. Prepare the frosting by placing the butter in a medium/large bowl. Beat the butter with a mixer until nice and fluffy. Add a small amount of food coloring. Add the powdered sugar about a 1/2 c. at a time till well combined with the butter. Then add the almond extract and marshmallow fluff. Add more food coloring if a darker blue is desired. Place the frosting in a 16oz frosting bag fixed with a Wilton 1M star tip. Pipe frosting evenly over cupcakes in a swirl motion and top with two candy eyeballs. Then press a cookie into the front of the frosting. 3.1 https://www.cupcakediariesblog.com/2016/02/cookie-monster-cupcakes.html
Items used in this recipe:
Here are more of my favorite themed birthday party ideas!
Minions Birthday Party
Dr. Seuss Birthday PartyA model professional and a mainstay of the VfL Wolfsburg side, defender Naldo has played every minute of the Bundesliga season so far.
On Matchday 13, the Brazilian-born centre-half who recently became a German citizen will line up against his former club SV Werder Bremen, for whom he made over 250 Bundesliga appearances in a seven-year spell. In an exclusive interview with bundesliga.com, Naldo looks back on his time in Bremen and ahead to what the future holds for him at the Volkswagen Arena.
- © gettyimages / Martin Rose
bundesliga.com: You’d find very few people who would be unhappy with what you’ve done so far during your time at Wolfsburg…
Naldo: Obviously I hope that’s the case, and I think Klaus Allofs [Wolfsburg sporting director] sees it that way too. I’ve tried to settle in here from day one and I’m especially grateful to my teammates Marcel Schäfer and Diego Benaglio for helping me to integrate so well here. They made it a lot easier for me. I enjoy being out on the pitch with the team every single day, and I love it when fans stop me in the street or after training to ask me for a photo.
bundesliga.com: You’ve played every minute of every competitive game this season. Are you getting better as you get older?
Naldo: Exactly (laughs). But honestly, it would be fantastic if I could maintain the level I’m playing at. I’ve played 19 games season so far, which isn’t bad at all, and although I’m 33 I feel younger. My body’s performing well although I do have to take care of myself every day. I do a lot of work with the fitness coach, make sure I have enough time to recharge my batteries and get enough sleep. When you have two games in a week like we do now, that’s massively important. |
as long as the automobile, yet red lights are a huge time waster. Why? Because there are other options to control traffic flow at many intersections – namely, the traffic circle or roundabout. A roundabout is a type of circular junction in which road traffic must travel in one direction around a central island. Signs usually direct traffic entering the circle to slow down and give the right of way to drivers already in the circle. These junctions are sometimes called modern roundabouts in order to emphasize the distinction from older circular junction types, which had different design characteristics and rules of operation. Older designs, called traffic circles or rotaries, are typically larger, operate at higher speeds, and often give priority to entering traffic.
In countries where people drive on the right, the traffic flow around the central island of a roundabout is counterclockwise. In countries where people drive on the left, the traffic flow is clockwise. Statistically, roundabouts are safer for drivers and pedestrians than both traffic circles and traditional intersections. Because low speeds are required for traffic entering roundabouts they are not designed for high-speed motorways.
The first modern roundabout in the United States was constructed in Summerlin, Nevada, in 1990, and roundabouts have since become increasingly common in North America.
Under many traffic conditions, an unsignalized roundabout can operate with less delay to users than traffic signal control or all-way stop control (intersections with red lights). Unlike all-way stop intersections, a roundabout does not require a complete stop by all entering vehicles, which reduces both individual delay and delays resulting from vehicle queues. A roundabout can also operate much more efficiently than a signalized junction because drivers are able to proceed when traffic is clear without the delay incurred while waiting for the traffic signal to change.
Roundabouts can increase delays in locations where traffic would otherwise not be required to stop, and do have some disadvantages such as motorcycle safety concerns. However, modern roundabouts would save the typical driver many hours otherwise spent sitting at red lights at intersections.
6 Microsoft Products
“Do you want to send this error message”? “Sorry but Windows needs to shut down”. How many times were you moving along through your PC and all of a sudden one of these annoying messages popped up on the screen and you were cut off, stopped dead in your tracks and had to wait for your PC to reboot? If you are like most PC users, it is a lot of wasted time. And most hated of all is the dreaded “blue screen of death” which would suddenly appear with no warning or error message at all – just a blank blue screen staring back at you. And, of course, how much time have you wasted redoing the content that was lost when Microsoft products decide to just shut down or lock up on you?
This is not meant to be a specific criticism of Microsoft, all computer programs, operating systems and hardware have problems, and can lock up or shut down or lose data for unexpected reasons. However – because Microsoft has the lion’s share of the PC and software market, they account for the vast majority of the time we waste because of computer software and hardware malfunctions. And, of course, they were responsible for the travesty that was Windows 98, which single-handedly wasted millions of hours of human time until Windows XP was released.
5 Telemarketers
One bright spot on this depressing list is the advent of “do not call lists” which have drastically cut down on the number of telemarketing phone calls the average person receives. But the time wasted by answering the phone at 5:00 PM, in the middle of evening dinner, as some telemarketer pedaled their product can never be recovered. These calls are, perhaps, not one of the biggest time wasters (measured in sheer volume of minutes wasted) because you could always just hang up, or screen incoming telemarketing calls with an answering machine, but they were certainly one of the most annoying. And the shear intensity and volume of the annoyance led people to finally say, “enough is enough” and demand legislation, which led to the creation of the National Do Not Call Registry in 2003. How effective has this legislation been? In 2007 it was estimated that over 70% of Americans have registered their telephone number with the registry and 77% feel the registry has drastically reduced the number of telemarketing calls they receive (down from an average of 30 calls per month to only 6).
Editors Note: The same system was introduced in Canada in 2008, and has had far less success. With over 300,000 complaints received, and over $73,000 in fines levied, only $250 has been collected, as of March 1. Sadly, we Canadians are still having our time wasted by this modern day menace!
4 Telephone directories
If you like this list – press one now. If you dislike this list, press two. If you hate telephone directories press three, or stay on the line and an operator will assist you. We all have these annoying menu options branded into our brains – seldom can you call a company, or individual, and not be confronted with a menu of options and/or recorded messages you must wait through, or push through, to reach the person you want to speak with. Anyone old enough to remember the days when you called a person and either they picked up, or they didn’t (there were no answering machines) and you called a company and an actual human being picked up the phone on the first or second ring and talked to you, know just how far we have devolved over the last thirty plus years, and how much time we waste. Telephone directories may help company’s route incoming calls and improve their operating efficiency, but they are certain to annoy the caller, and waste their time. [JFrater: I hate this so much that I chose my electricity and gas company specifically because they have humans who answer the telephones.]
3 Malware
An especially virulent form of modern time wasting is caused by various forms of computer malware that infect and slow down your computer, or slow down your interface with the computer (or both). Of course if we simply did not use computers, this extreme time waster would not be an issue for us. However, in our modern high tech lives, not using a computer is becoming more and more difficult. It is estimated that at least 60% of all home PC’s are infected with some form of malware. Many home PC’s are so infected as to render the machines almost unusable. Unknowing and not especially tech-literate home PC users waste untold millions of hours of time on slow, unresponsive malware-infested computers, and do not even know it. It is debatable which is worse – living with things that waste your time, unbeknownst to you, or living with things that waste your time, and of which you are painfully aware. Regardless, computer malware (not to mention the time spent installing anti-malware programs and time spent running and maintaining those computer security programs) is a huge waste of your time.
2 Customer Support
Very closely related to telephone directories is the modern annoyance of poor (or non-existent) customer support. You have a problem or a question, or perhaps a complaint about a product or service? You pick up the phone and call the company (or you can email them but the result is typically the same). You weave your way through the labyrinth of confusing telephone directory menu options until you finally arrive at (possibly) a human being to talk to. You think you have wasted many minutes of your life so far? The time wasting has only begun. If you are lucky, you will have called a company that “gets it” and has excellent or even good customer support, you will reach a knowledgeable, helpful, trained and friendly customer support person. But sadly, more often than not today, you reach a person who is just the opposite. In fact, many companies today deliberately use customer support people who are anything but supportive. The customer support person you reach is often overworked, burned out and doesn’t care. Whatever the reason, you are about to enter the Twilight Zone of time wasting frustration.
You all know the routine. The customer support person can’t help you, or delays helping you because “their computers are down”. Or they can’t help you so they transfer you to someone else who can, and you wait on hold for untold scores of minutes. This other support person never answers, or takes a very long time to answer, and it ends up they can’t help you either in which case they transfer you to a third person, or refer you back to the person you first spoke to. In the phone call transfer process, often times you get disconnected and the line goes dead and you need to call back and start through the labyrinth all over again. All of this wastes hours, days, weeks, months of your life.
1 Too Many Choices
Have you ever gone into a grocery store to buy, say, a box of Wheat Thins and been confronted with an entire wall of different varieties of Wheat Thins? You just want regular, old-fashioned Wheat Thins. But to find them, you must search your way through a dozen or more different types of Wheat Thins in the grocery store display. Big Wheat Thins (an oxymoron George Carlin would have loved), Artisan Cheese Wheat Thins, Ranch Wheat Thins, the list goes on and on. This takes time and becomes very frustrating. In fact, recent research has shown that, when confronted with too many different choices, grocery store shoppers tend to not buy the product at all out of sheer overload and frustration. Now, take the Wheat Thin choice overload model and apply it to most every other product you want to buy in a grocery store. You end up spending half a day shopping for groceries where before it took an hour – simply because you can’t find what you are looking for, or have to ponder too many choices.
The “tyranny of choice” is not just about grocery shopping. It’s in almost every consumer choice we have to make. There used to be GM, Ford and American Motors (and a few European and Japanese car models). Now there are dozens of car manufacturers and hundreds of available models to chose from. There used to be one single provider for a utility – say one gas provider, one electricity provider, etc. Now consumers have to choose which utility they want to buy their electricity from. It used to be you worked a job and received healthcare benefits and a retirement program. Now there are many different “benefit menus”, and “plan options” to review and choose from. All of this takes time and can be very frustrating.
Do we really need such an over abundance of choice in almost every aspect of our modern lives? Multiple options to choose from may or may not be a modern benefit to life, but there is one thing too many choices always are – time wasters.
Bonus Knots
How much time have you lost in your life trying to untie a knot in a pair of shoes, or the drawstring on a swimming suit or other piece of clothing? Invent a string device that when tied is 100% guaranteed to never knot and the world will beat a path to your door.slashyking:
weregeiszler:
dogb0y: yonichangedhisurlagain: thechosenjuan: equiusspaghetti: hallowkorg: spill-the-spooky-butts: vgcatsofficial: lol….. lol come out as an ally.., lmfao woah. slow the fuck down. Do you know how much shit my friends have dealt with for supporting gay rights? Yes, it’s fucking hard as balls to come out and accept your sexual orientation/ gender.But, It’s also hard for people to stand up for what they believe in. So don’t be an ass hat, be nice, and respect that this is a special day for ANYONE coming out about ANYTHING. POOR YOU IT MUST BE SO HARD TO BE A DECENT HUMAN BEING.. YOU DESERVE MORE PRAISE AND RESPECT THAN YOU GET SMH :/// whoa whoa whoa hold it kiddo FIRST OF ALL, allies are a huge part of the lgbtq community. theyre the people that, even though they dont have the problems of lgbtq people, theyre the ones that actually SUPPORT IT. its sorta like white slave owners who treated their slaves well and gave them education; they actually stand up against the wrongs of their own kind to give the less fortunate their own chances. YES, everyone should be like this, but HEY THEY ARENT. be appreciate of the people who are on your side instead of rag and hate those who arent. SECOND, what if those allies have their own set of troubling circumstances? coming out is tough for people in say, a religious household, but im sure that allies would get just as bad of a treatment supporting the community in that situation too. in that case its not /as/ bad, but ive seen people go through hell just because they had friends who were gay or trans or bi or whatever, and they got a bad time for ~associating with those people~. if youre going to be an ungrateful ass about it, then you personally dont deserve any of the straight people who would protect you after they came out as an ally this just in everybody: lgbtq people are slaves, cishet people are slave owners. allies just happen to be the “good” slave owners. i guess we shouldn’t be ungrateful about our slave masters when they’re such kind people. Hoooooooooly shit. I have never seen this level of ignorance and stupidity in my entire fucking LIFE. And I live in the southern US, for chrissakes! Let me fucking soothe your straight little minds: yes, we appreciate what allies do for us, we really do. But you know what? Not everything has to be about you. Jesus fucking Christ, take a deep breath and step back from your computer for a second and realize that the world does not revolve around you and your little feelings. No, you are not allowed to claim space on our days, and you sure as hell don’t get to compare past atrocities to the present in a fucking poorly worded and disgustingly racist metaphor.
Just calm the fuck down, tuck your gigantic ego away, and shut up. This is not for you, this does not involve you. Straight cis people get the other 364 days of the year, okay? You do not fucking need to get in on our shit too.
and the fact that asexuals weren’t mentioned at all in this whole argument makes me sad too. i know plenty of people who have had really hard times coming out as asexual, and also non-binary people (genderfluid, genderqueer, third gender, agender) who get so much harrasment and told they are fake or liars or confused instead of just being told ‘okay, cool, wanna get a slice of pizza?’ It has become such an overwhleming thing that some people never do it, don’t want the looks or questions. they just want acceptance. there are so many more queer people that hardly get any kind representation unless it is a tragedy or something alien to the norms of the queer community in most allies’ and non-allies’ eyes and it’s heartbreaking.
coming out day is about being queer and being open about it when so many people don’t have the luxury of not having to come out. we shouldn’t have to justify ourselves for your comfort, we don’t all need labels, we don’t all use them or they don’t always fit. and they are fluid and can change. but since it has become such a stigma to be any kind of queer that doesn’t fall into a stereotype of a label, people get all freaked out or call people out as liars or fakes when they truly are just trying to show you the real them. that’s what it’s about: educating others on our differences, abolishing ignorance and creating validation."Does this grocery store make me look fat?"
You may ask yourself that question after reading a recent study from the University of Washington, which found that the more upscale the grocery store, the fewer overweight shoppers it has.
An analysis of Seattle-area shoppers between December 2008 and March 2009 found that only 4% of Whole Foods Market (Nasdaq: WFMI) patrons were obese. At the bottom of the list were stores where cheap food is in abundance: Kroger (NYSE: KR) -owned Fred Meyer at 22%, Safeway (NYSE: SWY) at 24%, and Albertsons tipping the scales at 38%.
The takeaway? Poverty correlates with obesity. As researcher Adam Drewnowski states, it's cheaper to eat ready-made, calorie-dense foods than it is to eat nutritious, high-quality fare.
According to MSNBC:
It's not a matter of availability, Drewnowski said. All of the stores in his study stocked a wide range of nutritious food, including plenty of fruits and vegetables. Instead, he contends it's because healthy, low-calorie foods cost more money and take more effort to prepare than processed, high-calorie foods. In a separate study two years ago, Drewnowski estimated that a calorie-dense diet cost $3.52 a day compared with $36.32 a day for a low-calorie diet.
What's your take? Is your waistline correlated with your wallet, or is there more to the story? Weigh in below with your comments.The Anglo-Saxon Federation of America, founded in 1933, is the oldest and largest group in the British Israelite movement.
In 1928, Howard B. Rand, a lawyer and Bible student, started conducting a small Anglo-Saxon group in his house. In 1933, he met W. J. Cameron, the founder of the newly created Anglo-Saxon Federation, and himself started the Anglo-Saxon Federation of America.
Rand was a Massachusetts lawyer who obtained a law degree at the University of Maine. He was raised as a British Israelite, and his father introduced him to J. H. Allen's work Judah's Sceptre and Joseph's Birthright (1902)[1] at an early age.[2] While Rand's father was not an antisemite, nor was Rand in his early British Israelite years, Rand first added an antisemitic element to British Israelism in the 1920s. He claimed as early as 1924 that the Jews were not really descended from the tribe of Judah, but were instead the descendants of Esau or Canaanites.[3] However, Rand never claimed that modern Jews were descendants of Satan, or that they were in any way inferior; he just claimed that they were not the true lineal descendants of Judah.[4] For this reason Rand is considered a 'transitional' figure from British Israelism to Christian Identity, but not its actual founder.[5]
Rand is known as the first person to coin the term 'Christian Identity'.[6] Rand had set up the Anglo-Saxon Federation of America in 1933 which promoted his view that Jews were not descended from Judah; this marked the first key transition from British Israelism to Christian Identity. Beginning in May 1937, there were key meetings of British Israelites in the United States who were attracted to Rand’s theory that the Jews were not descended from Judah. This provided the catalyst for the eventual emergence of Christian Identity. By the late 1930s the group considered Jews to be the offspring of Satan and demonised them, as they did non-Caucasian races.[7][8] The group asserts that the Bible contains the past, present, and future history of Israel.
The group also believes that the Bible determines exactly which group should take the name "Israel" based on which nation or race best fulfills the promises God made in the Old Testament. The Bible states that Israel was to be a powerful nation located to the northwest of Palestine that holds a great heathen empire in domination, is the chief missionary power in the world, and is immune to defeat in war. The Bible also mentions a group which split itself off from the parent "Israel" to become a great nation in its own right. The federation concludes that the only nation which meets the above criteria was Great Britain, and, by extension, the United States which separated itself from Great Britain later.
By the 1930s and 1940s, several groups affiliated with the federation could be found throughout the United States. However, by the mid-1970s, most of the group's membership had either died or left the group. Its magazine, Destiny Magazine, ceased publication in 1969, with the foundation publishing from that point a much more modest monthly newsletter.
The group still remains active, publishing books and accepting new members.
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
Lewis, James R. The Encyclopedia of Cults, Sects, and New Religions. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 1998. ISBN 1-57392-222-6.After pressure from law enforcement, both Visa and MasterCard have announced they will no longer process payments for classified ads on Backpage.com. The site has often been criticized for its “Adult” section, which some say makes it easy for pimps and sex traffickers to solicit customers for sex.
Illinois’ Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart sent a letter to both companies on Monday, asking them to bar patrons from using them cards to purchase ads on the site, reports the Wall Street Journal. Dart has been on Backpage.com’s case for some time, tracking solicitations for prostitution. The classified ads site features subcategories in the Adult section like for “escorts,” “male escorts,” “body rubs” and other things.
In his letter, Dart asked MasterCard and Visa to “immediately cease and desist from allowing your credit cards to be used to place ads on websites like Backpage.com, which we have objectively found to promote prostitution and facilitate online sex trafficking.”
“After years of unchecked growth in the online sex trade, it has become increasingly indefensible for any corporation to continue to willfully play a central role in an industry that reaps its cash from the victimization of women and girls across the world,” the sheriff wrote.
MasterCard announced yesterday that it’d be cutting ties with Backpage.com, with Visa following suit today.
“They are being removed as a merchant in our system based on a request from the sheriff’s office that we received,” a MasterCard spokesman said on Tuesday, according to the WSJ.
“MasterCard has rules that prohibit our cards from being used for illegal or brand-damaging activities. When the activity is confirmed, we work with the merchant’s bank to resolve the situation,” the company told the Chicago Tribune.
Visa chimed in today as well.
“Visa has taken action to stop processing payments for backpage.com and the merchant’s acquirers have confirmed that they have suspended acquiring. Visa’s rules prohibit our network from being used for illegal activity,” spokesman John Earnhardt said in a statement on behalf of the company. “Visa has a long history of working with law enforcement to safeguard the integrity of the payment system and we will continue to do so.”
The WSJ cites people familiar with the matter who say American Express previously stopped processing ad payments on the site earlier this year.
This isn’t the first case of cutting straight straight to the middlemen who move the money in an attempt to take down illegal content online: In November, Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont wrote to the heads of Visa and MasterCard asking them stop serving file-sharing sites.
MasterCard Stops Processing Purchases of Ads on Backpage.com [Wall Street Journal]
MasterCard says its cards can’t be used to pay for adult ads on Backpage [Chicago Tribune]
Visa follows MasterCard, cuts off business with Backpage.com [USAToday]‘Bellator 145: Vengeance’ gets another big fight as former featherweight champion Pat Curran is set to take on former RFA champion Justin Lawrence in St. Louis.
Bellator officials confirmed the news with Sherdog.com on Thursday.
Curran (21-7) is a veteran of the Bellator cage, having fought exclusively for the promotion since Bellator 14. He has gone 2-3 in his last 4 bouts, this includes losing his featherweight title to Daniel Straus and winning it back immediately after in a rematch. After reclaiming the title, he lost it once more to Patricio Pitbull. Since the Pitbull fight he has gone 1-1, including a split decision loss to Daniel Weichel and more recently a unanimous decision win over Emmanuel Sanchez.
Lawrence (8-2) is a veteran of the Ultimate Fighter, going 1-2 in the UFC. After his UFC run he signed to RFA and after one bout was put into a title fight vs. Mark Dickman to determine the vacant RFA featherweight champ. After winning the title by way of unanimous decision, he made one title defense, finishing Sam Toomer in the first round. He is now signed with Bellator MMA, winning his debut against Sean Wilson at the end of round one.
The bouts placement on the card has not yet been made official, but it’s safe to assume this fight will be contested on the televised portion of Bellator 145.
Bellator 145 is expected to take place on November 6 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri. It will be headlined by a featherweight title fight between Patricio ‘Pitbull’ Freire and Daniel Straus, this will be their third meeting. The co-main event will see lightweight champ ‘Ill’ Will Brooks look to defend his title against Polish submission-ace Marcin Held. St. Louis’ own Michael Chandler is expected to compete on the card, as is Bobby Lashley.
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Follow Mike on Twitter (@MikeLovesTacosX), and keep up with the latest MMA news from MMASucka via Twitter (@MMASucka) and FacebookOnly 118 of those doctors, he said, have successfully made it to residency.
“If I had to even think about going through residency now, I’d shoot myself,” said Dr. Fernández-Peña, who came to the United States from Mexico in 1985 and chose not even to try treating patients once he learned what the licensing process requires. Today, in addition to running the Welcome Back Initiative, he is an associate professor of health education at San Francisco State.
The counterargument for making it easier for foreign physicians to practice in the United States — aside from concerns about quality controls — is that doing so will draw more physicians from poor countries. These places often have paid for their doctors’ medical training with public funds, on the assumption that those doctors will stay.
“We need to wean ourselves from our extraordinary dependence on importing doctors from the developing world,” said Fitzhugh Mullan, a professor of medicine and health policy at George Washington University in Washington. “We can’t tell other countries to nail their doctors’ feet to the ground at home. People will want to move and they should be able to. But we have created a huge, wide, open market by undertraining here, and the developing world responds.”
About one in 10 doctors trained in India have left that country, he found in a 2005 study, and the figure is close to one in three for Ghana. (Many of those moved to Europe or other developed nations other than the United States.)
No one knows exactly how many immigrant doctors are in the United States and not practicing, but some other data points provide a clue. Each year the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates, a private nonprofit, clears about 8,000 immigrant doctors (not including the American citizens who go to medical school abroad) to apply for the national residency match system. Normally about 3,000 of them successfully match to a residency slot, mostly filling less desired residencies in community hospitals, unpopular locations and in less lucrative specialties like primary care.
Over the last five years, an average of 42.1 percent of foreign-trained immigrant physicians who applied for residencies through the national match system succeeded. That compares with an average match rate of 93.9 percent for seniors at America’s mainstream medical schools.
Mr. Abeyawickrama, the Sri Lankan anesthesiologist, has failed to match for three years in a row; he blames low test scores. Most foreign doctors spend several years studying and taking their licensing exams, which American-trained doctors also take. He said he didn’t know this, and misguidedly thought it would be more expeditious to take all three within seven months of his arrival.A Toronto District School Board trustee is raising concerns about whether the world maps that currently hang on classroom walls are truly representative of the students who use them.
And Parthi Kandavel, who represents Ward 18, Scarborough Southwest, is hoping to have staff look into ways of evening the playing field.
At issue is the traditional world map — called the Mercator after the man who drafted it in 1569 — which has been criticized lately for presenting a Eurocentric view of the world and unfairly diminishing Africa and South America.
"We have students whose origins are from all over the world," he said Friday. "The objective is to have more meaningful representation on our classroom walls."
Kandavel, a former elementary school teacher, says he doesn't want to mothball the board's Mercator maps. He's more interested, he says, in adding other representations of the world that reflect more accurately other land masses that appear diminished in the Mercator — such as Africa, South America and Asia.
The so-called Mercator map is the most widely used, even though it doesn't accurately reflect the sizes of the world's land masses. (Wikipedia)
"There's a teaching moment to talk about bias," he said. "But certainly having a wider, and more representative selection of maps is the objective."
He says he got the idea to update the TDSB's map collection from Boston Public Schools, which last month opted to add the so-called Gall-Peters map to some of its classrooms.
The Gall-Peters map presents the world's land masses more accurately. For instance, on the Mercator, Greenland seems to be about the same size as Africa. In reality, Africa is about 14 times larger, and that's reflected in the Gall-Peters map.
The Gall-Peters map more accurately reflects the size of the world's land masses but distorts their shapes and angles, critics say. (Wikimedia)
Last Wednesday, Kanavel penned a motion for the board's program and school services committee. The motion asked staff to report on a way to update school maps by next summer. He wanted staff to look into ways to bring board policy more in line with Boston's attempt "to remove bias and decolonize the curriculum."
But trustees asked him to withdraw the motion because he hadn't consulted with staff before writing it, Kandavel said. He said he's preparing a new motion that he'll introduce at the committee's May meeting.
The new motion will ask that staff figure out which maps are in use in TDSB classrooms and suggest which new maps could be added to those collections to present different views of the world.
In Boston's public schools, alternatives to the standard Mercator map were added, last month to 'decolonize' the curriculum. ( (Stephane De Sakutin/AFP/Getty Images))
Academics say the Mercator map is so far off because it was created for European seafarers whose main concern was navigating between the Old World and the New. In emphasizing those latitudes, land masses to the south became distorted.
But the Gall-Peters map has its deficiencies too, according to Trustee Shelley Laskin, who is also a cartographer. She points out that while Africa is elongated to show its real area, Canada is squished into an unrecognizable shape.
"Regarding the notion of 'decolonize the curriculum'," she wrote in an email to CBC Toronto last week, "shape matters too...Elongation of Africa impacts your impression of it. Look at Canada. You will see that Peters is not appropriate for Canada because of the distortion of shape.
Seen by some as a happy medium, the Winkel-Tripel projection attempts to strike a balance between the Mercator and Gall-Peters maps. (Wikipedia)
"The map-maker's dilemma is that you cannot show both size and shape accurately."
She said she prefers one of the compromise maps, such as the so-called Winkel-Tripel.
That map attempts to strike a balance between the Mercator and Peters projections by more accurately showing both the earth's land masses and shapes.Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2012 May 24
All the Water on Europa
Illustration Credit & Copyright: Kevin Hand (JPL/Caltech),
Jack Cook (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), Howard Perlman (USGS)
Explanation: How much of Jupiter's moon Europa is made of water? A lot, actually. Based on the Galileo probe data acquired during its exploration of the Jovian system from 1995 to 2003, Europa possesses a deep, global ocean of liquid water beneath a layer of surface ice. The subsurface ocean plus ice layer could range from 80 to 170 kilometers in average depth. Adopting an estimate of 100 kilometers depth, if all the water on Europa were gathered into a ball it would have a radius of 877 kilometers. To scale, this intriguing illustration compares that hypothetical ball of all the water on Europa to the size of Europa itself (left) - and similarly to all the water on planet Earth. With a volume 2-3 times the volume of water in Earth's oceans, the global ocean on Europa holds out a tantalizing destination in the search for extraterrestrial life in our solar system.U.S. President Barack Obama arrives in the East Room of the White House on November 14 for his first news conference since winning re-election. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Progressives need to pressure Obama to stick up for workers as promised.
As Obama begins his second term, Republican obstructionism cannot be an excuse for inaction—particularly when it comes to the president’s use of his bully pulpit.
President Barack Obama’s re-election is a huge relief—we dodged the Romney/Ryan bullet.
However, that’s not the same as winning a better future. If Obama’s first term is a prologue to the second, we should not expect to see much progress in strengthening the rights or bargaining ability of workers. Therefore, in Obama’s second term, we need to be:
• Smarter about the policies we advocate.
• Selective about the candidates we endorse.
• More disciplined about building a strong social movement.
Progressives need to recognize where the real fight is happening. Congress is still firmly under Republican control—or, at least, under threat of a Republican veto that can stop any worthwhile federal legislation. Since progress won’t happen in Washington, we must work for it at the state and local level. We are already seeing some of the most exciting innovations take shape in cities and metropolitan regions. Urban labor-community coalitions are making respect for collective bargaining a precondition for businesses to receive public support. They are also approaching politics in a new way. In exchange for supporting candidates, these coalitions are ensuring that politicians use the bully pulpit to defend workers and denounce union-busting. In San Jose, Calif., student, labor and faith groups demanded that local politicians back an across-the-board minimum wage increase that passed on Election Day. And in Long Beach, Calif., a coalition of LGBT activists, labor and faith groups got city council members to endorse a ballot measure for hotel housekeepers to get a raise, which passed.
Such coalitions must evaluate elected officials on whether or not they understand that their success in pushing legislation forward is directly linked to the strength of social movements. As Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) told me earlier this year in an interview for The American Prospect, “Sympathetic members of Congress have the power to draft, introduce and vote on legislation. But leaders in the progressive community … have the ability to mobilize, educate and organize all across America. We need each other to be successful.” We can no longer afford to invest in politicians who do not understand this.
Most candidates favored by Democratic Party powerbrokers are unable to grasp this concept. The few who do have social-movement roots, such as Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.). Consequently, a long-term electoral strategy must involve cultivating candidates directly from the ranks of social movements and then fighting for them in the primaries.
As Obama begins his second term, Republican obstructionism cannot be an excuse for inaction—particularly when it comes to the president’s use of his bully pulpit.
During the recent attacks on collective bargaining rights in Wisconsin and Ohio, and during the teachers’ strike in Chicago, White House leadership was nowhere to be found. Obama once promised, “If American workers are being denied their right to organize and collectively bargain when I’m in the White House, I’ll put on a comfortable pair of shoes myself. I’ll walk on that picket line with you as President of the United States of America.”
The President seems to have misplaced his walking shoes. We should send him a new pair—and make sure that no future candidates we endorse have any excuse for losing theirs.Samsung Electronics Co. shares reach a two-year low
Samsung Electronics Co. shares have reached a two-year low as of Tuesday morning and the repercussions are rippling through the rest of the South Korean economy.
The Korean Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) is so dependent on the tech giant that since Samsung’s stocks started dipping a few weeks ago, the value of KOSPI reached a two-month low just two days ago.
Just as Apple shares were able to sway the entire U.S. market in 2012 with a $500 billion value, Samsung’s $180 billion overall market share value is doing the same. Hyundai Motors comes in a not-so-close second at $42 billion, which gives a sense of why Samsung’s performance affects the broader South Korean market.
A lot of this pressure is coming from the recent battle between Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4 and Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus.
Despite media reports of pre-order success from both sides, the painful truth is that both Chinese competitors with cheaper alternatives and Apple’s new line are causing significant losses in Samsung’s smartphone market share.Editor's note: This post is from 2011. Click here to see the 2013 Billionaire list.
Different people will take this different ways, but Jeffrey Goldberg tells us that six members of the Walton family (the original owners of WalMart) have more wealth than the bottom 30 % of Americans. Here's where he says it:
In 2007, according to the labor economist Sylvia Allegretto, the six Walton family members on the Forbes 400 had a net worth equal to the bottom 30 percent of all Americans.
And given that he quotes us here at Forbes on the point, he's almost certainly right.
The question is, what are we to make of this point? I think we all know what Mr. Goldberg wants us to make of it, it's a |
of Purge now adds a 6-second cooldown to Purge. Stone Bulwark Totem now absorbs 25% more damage. Primal Earth Elemental and Primal Fire Elemental now deal 20% more damage. Elemental Blast now has a chance to increase the caster's Agility for Enhancement Shaman. Glyph of Flame has been redesigned. This glyph now causes the Shaman to heal for 30% of the damage dealt by Flame Shock. Unleashed Fury Flametongue now increases Lightning Bolt damage by 20% (was 30%), and Lava Burst damage by 10%. Flame Shock's duration has been increased by 25%. Lava Burst base damage has been reduced by 33% but now always deals a critical strike. When cast on targets affected by Flame Shock, it now deals 50% more damage. The talent Totemic Restoration now has an additional effect. Any totems that have been destroyed or replaced behave as if the totem had been active for at least 1 second. When summoned, the Stone Bulwark Totem has health equal to 10% of the casting Shaman's health. The talent Nature's Guardian now preserves the player's health percentage when its maximum health boosting effect expires. Ancestral Guidance now copies 60% (was 40%) of the amount healed. Conductivity now shares 30% (was 20%) of the healing received from Healing Wave, Greater Healing Wave, or Healing Surge. Elemental Elemental Focus now increases the Shaman's spell damage by 15% (was 10%). Shamanism now increases the damage of Lightning Bolt by 70% (was 50%). Enhancement Mental Quickness now lowers the cost of shocks by 90% (still lowers the cost of other "beneficial, instant, damaging and totem spells” by 75%). Spirit walk now has a 1-minute cooldown (was 2 minutes). Warlock Fel Armor now reduces damage taken by 10%, instead of increasing the Warlock’s armor. Blood Fear has been replaced by Blood Horror. Blood Horror costs 5% health, has 1 charge, and lasts 60 seconds with a 30-second cooldown. While Blood Horror is active, melee attacks that strike the Warlock will cause the attacker to be horrified for 4 seconds. Burning Rush now also prevents movement-impairing effects from reducing the Warlock’s movement speed below 100% of normal, in addition to its other effects. The Imp ability Blood Pact has been removed. Dark Intent now increases Stamina in addition to Spell Power. Immolate now deals 20% more damage. Shadow Bolt now deals 15% more damage. Soul Leech now provides an absorption shield instead of healing. Sacrificial Pact now requires the pet to sacrifice 25% of its health to activate (was 50%). Kil'jaeden's Cunning is now a passive talent, and its activated ability has been removed. The passive damage from Archimonde's Vengeance no longer has a visual effect. Grimoire of Sacrifice now increases the damage of abilities by 15% (was 25%) for Destruction Warlocks and 35% (was 50%) for Affliction Warlocks. In addition, it now provides the spell Whiplash instead of Seduction when a Succubus is sacrificed. Glyph of Burning Embers has been removed and its effects are now baseline for Destruction Warlocks. Glyph of Soul Shards has been removed and its effects are now baseline for Affliction Warlocks. New Glyph: Glyph of Ember Tap. This glyph increases the healing gained from Ember Tap by 33%, but the health is restored over 10 seconds. New Glyph: Glyph of Drain Life. This glyph increases the healing gained from Drain Life by 30%. Glyph of Unstable Affliction has been redesigned. This glyph now reduces the cast time of Unstable Affliction by 25%. Affliction Unstable Affliction’s backlash effect is now always a critical hit and deals approximately 15% more damage. Demonology Chaos Wave now has a new visual. Hand of Gul'dan now deals 15% more damage. Shadowflame now deals 15% more damage. Soul Fire now deals 22% more damage. Touch of Chaos now deals 15% more damage. Wild Imp's Firebolt now deals 15% more damage. Destruction Conflagrate now deals 20% more damage. Fire and Brimstone now has a radius of 10 yards (was 15 yards). Incinerate now deals 10% more damage. Warrior The benefit of Haste from items and consumables has been increased by 100% for all Warriors. Bladestorm now provides immunity to disarm while active. Defensive Stance now reduces damage by 15% (was 25%). Execute now deals 25% less damage. Shockwave now has a 40-second cooldown (was 20 seconds), and striking 3 or more targets will reduce its cooldown by 20 seconds. Second Wind now generates 15 rage (was 20 rage) over 10 seconds. Warbringer now reduces the target's movement by 50% for 15 seconds (8 seconds in PvP), in addition to its other effects. The 3-second stun/knockdown is now in the diminishing returns category for stuns (same as Shockwave and Storm Bolt), and not the proc stun diminishing returns category. Shield Barrier now scales approximately 10% less efficiently with attack power. Storm Bolt now deals 125% weapon damage (was 100%). Enraged Regeneration now costs 30 Rage (was 60 Rage). Deadly Calm has been removed from the game. Glyph of Incite no longer activates from Deadly Calm, and now activates from Demoralizing Shout instead. Glyph of Overpower is now Glyph of Die by the Sword. It increases the duration of Die by the Sword whenever Overpower or Wild Strike are used. Glyph of Death from Above no longer increases the damage dealt by Heroic Leap. Impending Victory will now heal the Warrior for 15% of maximum health when they have not slain an enemy (was 10%). Arms Taste for Blood has been redesigned. It now causes the Warrior to gain 2 stacks of Overpower (maximum of 5 stacks) when Mortal Strike deals damage, 1 stack when the target dodges, and no longer interacts with Heroic Strike. It now requires level 20 (used to require level 50). Slam now deals 220% weapon damage (was 190%) and now costs 20 rage (was 30 rage). Deep Wounds damage has been increased by 100% for Arms Warriors. Whirlwind now costs 20 rage (was 30) for Arms Warriors. The cost is unchanged for Fury Warriors. Overpower now costs 10 rage and reduces Mortal Strike's remaining cooldown by 0.5 seconds. Sudden Death now has a 10% (was 20%) chance to activate from auto attacks or Opportunity Strike. In addition, using Execute makes Overpower free for 10 seconds. Fury Bloodsurge now reduces the Rage cost of Wild Strike by 30 (was 20), and its duration has been increased to 15 seconds (was 10 seconds). Protection The base damage of Shield Slam and Revenge has been increased by 150%, but these abilities now scale approximately 10% less efficiently with attack power. Unwavering Sentinel now improves the damage reduction of Defensive Stance by 10% for Protection Warriors.
Quests Warlocks can now undertake a solo adventure that culminates with the ability to change the color of their Fire spells to appear Fel green. The quest begins for those Warlocks determined or fortunate enough to have laid their hands on the fabled Codex of Xerrath. Upon reaching level 20 and level 60, characters will automatically receive a new quest directing them to visit the racial riding trainer and mount vendors.
Creatures Zandalari forces have begun scouting the shores of Pandaria, searching for the perfect invasion point. The Zandalari can be found in Krasarang Wilds, Dread Wastes, Townlong Steppes, Jade Forest, and Kun-Lai Summit. Zandalari Scouts can be handled by 1 or 2 players, while elite Zandalari Warbringers will likely require a full party of 5 heroes. Defeat Warbringers to gain special drops, including crafting materials, reputation gains, an achievement, and even the chance to get one of three new rare mounts! Players of the same faction that participated in a fight with Pandaria world bosses (Sha of Anger, Galleon, Nalak the Storm Lord, and Oondasta) now get shared credit for the kill and will be eligible for loot. Galleon now respawns much more frequently, but players can only receive loot from him once per week. Fite spectral porcupine fite! Three new spectral porcupine spirit beasts have appeared across Pandaria as tamable beasts, though taming them may provide quite a challenge. Dire Horns have been added as a tamable species for Hunters that have learned the required skill. Aspiring Dire Horn owners should seek out clues regarding these auspicious beasts.
Pet Battles Many new Battle Pets and Battle Pet abilities have been added. Players may now participate in pet battle duels while in the Throne of Thunder instance. Master Trainers in Northrend, Cataclysm, and Courageous Yon will no longer field pets with higher than intended stats. Brilliant Kaliri, Jade Tentacle, Tirisfal Batling, Firefly, Jade Crane Chick, Gilnean Raven, and Shore Crawler are no longer available in multiple breeds. Reflection has been replaced with Deflection, an ability that always attempts to go first and causes the pet to avoid all attacks for that round. Anubisath Idol: Sandstorm and Deflection have swapped ability positions. Thunderbolt has been redesigned. It is now a powerful team-damage spell. Mr. Bigglesworth's Prowl has been replaced with a new ability, Ice Barrier, which blocks two attacks. Fluxfire Feline's Wind-Up has been replaced with a new ability, Flux, which deals damage to the enemy team. The Tuskarr Kite has a new set of abilities that's more appropriate for a Tuskarr Kite. Pets that had been affected by a crowd-control ability will now be granted Resilience, making them immune to crowd control for a short while. Volcano's damage has been reduced by 15%. Ice Tomb, Elementium Bolt, and Stun Seed's damage has been reduced by 25%. Geyser's damage has been reduced by 12.5%. Conflagrate's base damage has been increased by 20% and its bonus damage has been reduced by 60%. Siphon Life now heals for a flat amount instead of a percentage of the damage that had been dealt. Arcane Explosion’s damage to back-line pets has been increased by 20%. Supercharge now provides a 125% damage bonus, down from 150%, and lasts for 1 round (no cooldown change). Frost Shock now properly chills targets for 2 rounds (was 4 rounds). Deep Freeze now has a cooldown of 4 rounds (was 3 rounds). Ghostly Bite's damage has been reduced by 20%. Ghostly Skull: Ghostly Bite and Siphon Life have swapped ability positions. Call Darkness now lasts for 5 rounds (was 9 rounds). Blocking abilities that last for 2 turns like Decoy, now have a cooldown of 8 rounds. Feign Death now has a cooldown of 8 rounds (was 5 rounds). Prowl now lasts for 2 rounds. Crystal Overload now lasts for 2 rounds. Focus Chi now lasts for 1 round. Sprite Darter Hatchling and Nether Faerie Dragon: Evanescence and Arcane Blast have swapped ability positions. Nether Roach is now a real roach and can now survive the apocalypse. Battle Pet Bandages now stack to 25 and are Bind to Account. Battle-Stones now have a chance to be awarded from PvP Pet Battles. Pets whose color schemes change each time they are summoned have returned. Older pets with this behavior now have it back, as well as some newcomers. Taming the World now lists its reward correctly in the Achievements pane. Level capped players will now have a chance to earn Lesser Charms of Good Fortune after winning a pet battle versus a pet within 5 levels of the highest level pet on their team. Higher-level pets will offer a better chance to earn a charm. Winning a pet battle versus a team within 5 levels of the player's highest-level pet will now award player experience. Fleeing a pet battle will no longer despawn the pet that was being battled, but doing so will now inflict some damage on the fleeing pet battle team. Disconnecting from a pet battle will once again respawn the pets you were fighting. Any wild pet that has been killed in a pet battle will now never respawn. A number of new pets can be found on the Isle of Lightning, including rare spawn drops, wild pets, and raid boss drops. Elite Battle Pets have been added to the game world. These rare pets will spawn alone against an entire team. The Beasts of Fable taming quest will now become available from Gentle San or Sara Finkleswitch once Aki the Chosen has been defeated. Defeating all of the fabled beasts will award the new Red Panda pet, while completing the associated daily quest has a chance to award the rare brown, white, and orange variants.
Raids, Dungeons and Scenarios Throne of Thunder loot drops and bonus rolls are now available for testing in Raid Finder, Normal, and Heroic difficulty. Please note that at this stage of testing, art for weapons, armor pieces, and the drop rates themselves are not yet final. Ao Pye at Niuzao Temple in Towlong Steppes is offering to sell Shadow-Pan Assault faction gear to adventurers for Valor points. Another NPC will also be selling those items in or near the entrance to the Throne of Thunder on Isle of the Thunder King. For testing purposes, Flaskataur is selling normal Tier 15 armor for gold on the PTR. Throne of Thunder raid bosses in Normal and Heroic difficulties have a chance of dropping items with the Thunderforged designation. Thunderforged items are 6 item levels higher than their Normal or Heroic counterparts and will drop more frequently in 25-player raids. For a more in-depth look at this change, check out this discussion thread. To encourage Raid Finder groups to persevere, each time an Raid Finder group wipes on a boss fight all players in the group receives a stacking buff that increases health, damage dealt, and healing done by 5% (up to a maximum of 10 stacks). This buff is cleared once the boss has been killed. Satchels obtained via the Raid Finder now have a chance to contain additional rewards, including: consumables, Spirits of Harmony, rare pets or mounts, and Raid Finder versions of Normal and Heroic difficulty zone drops that were previously unavailable from Raid Finder encounters! You can now earn bonus reputation for your first dungeon and scenario of the day. You can select which reputation you choose to champion by selecting it from the reputation panel on the character screen. When you queue for a dungeon or scenario, the UI will remind you which reputation you are championing and allow you to change the reputation from there. (You cannot change that reputation once you are in the dungeon or scenario.) On Normal and Heroic mode, zone-wide auras have been activated in Mogu’shan Vaults, Heart of Fear, and Terrace of Endless Spring, reducing the health and damage of all enemies therein by 10%. A NPC near the entrance within each zone explains this, and offers to deactivate the buff for the benefit of brave/foolhardy adventurers. When Patch 5.2 goes live, all players who have defeated Will of the Emperor, Grand Empress Shek’zeer, and/or Sha of Fear prior to the release of Patch 5.2 will receive a Feat of Strength to mark their accomplishments. The Feats of Strength will be: “Ahead of the Curve: (Will of the Emperor, Grand Empress Shek’zeer, Sha of Fear)” for players that have defeated them on Normal difficulty and “Cutting Edge: (Will of the Emperor, Grand Empress Shek’zeer, Sha of Fear)” for players that have defeated them on Heroic difficulty. Once 5.2 is released, these Feats of Strength will no longer be obtainable. Mogu Runes of Fate have been added and provides a bonus roll for Throne of Thunder, Nalak the Storm Lord, and Oondasta and are purchased with Lesser Charms of Good Fortune. Elder Charms of Good Fortune will continue to work in Mogu'shan Vaults, Heart of Fear, Terrace of Endless Spring, the Sha of Anger, and Salyis' Warband (Galleon). The maximum number of Elder Charms of Good Fortune a character can hold has been increased to 20 (was 10). The chance of getting personal loot in Raid Finder and the chance of a successful bonus roll in Raid Finder have been greatly increased for the 5.0 raids. Lorewalker Cho has two new tales to tell: Dagger in the Dark and A Little Patience. Though his mystical story-weaving magic (and well, the Dungeon Finder), both Alliance and Horde characters are now able run these previously faction-specific Scenarios. Level 90 players that use Dungeon Finder to look for a random Dungeon or Scenario will receive additional bonus Valor Points upon completing specific Dungeons or Scenarios. Dungeons Siege of Niuzao Temple: 5 bonus Valor Points Scholomance: 10 bonus Valor Points Shadow-Pan Monastery: 15 bonus Valor Points Completing the Scenarios: Brewmoon Festival, Greenstone Village, A Little Patience, and Theramore’s Fall will award 5 additional Valor Points. Heroic Pandaria dungeons now award 100 Justice Points per boss. Gold drops for those bosses have also been changed from a static 50 gold to a 40-60 gold range. Less gold will drop in groups consisting of less than 5 players. Scenarios now award 50 Justice Points (was 25).
PvP A new vendor has been added offering to sell Conquest PvP gear for Honor to characters that have earned 27,000 Conquest during the season. They can be found near existing Pandaria PvP vendors. Tyrannical Elite items have been updated so that they have the same un-budgeted PVP Power and Resilience values as standard Tyrannical items. Mists of Pandaria Season 12 Malevolent Gladiator’s PvP gear can now be purchased with Honor Points instead of Conquest Points, including weapons. All newly purchased Season 12 Malevolent Gladiator’s armor, off-hands and shields will have an item level of 476 (was 483). Existing Malevolent items are unaffected. Balance, Feral, Windwalker, Retribution, Shadow, Enhancement and Elemental now gain 25% of the bonus healing provided by PvP Power (was 0). Dedicated healers will continue to gain 50% of the bonus healing, and no bonus damage, from PvP Power. PvP trinkets that clear loss-of-control effects will now also clear these effects from the player's pet as well. For casters and healers, PvP Power is now split evenly between main-hand and off-hand in a manner similar to a dual-wield melee class. This change is retroactive, affecting Season 12 Malevolent and Malevolent Elite items. There should be no net change for any character already using a main-hand/off-hand combination. PvP caster weapons in Season 13 cost 2250 Conquest Points (was 2500) and shields/off-hands cost 1250 (was 1000), to reflect the increased value of the off-hand slot for classes that use it in this manner. This change is not retroactive and applies only to Season 13 items. Characters that have attained requisite title levels (Centurion, Knight-Captain, Grand Marshal, High Warlord, etc.) through the Rated Battleground system will be able to purchase old PVP items requiring those titles. Players can obtain a new title "Khan", by completing the following Battleground achievements: Master of the Battle for Gilneas, Master of Twin Peaks, Master of Temple of Kotmogu, Master of Isle of Conquest, and Master of Silvershard Mines.
Battlegrounds Players in low-level Battlegrounds will have their effective level raised to the maximum level allowed in that Battleground bracket. Players' base stats and spells are scaled accordingly, and are treated as the same level when determining hits, misses, and critical effect chance. Rated Battlegrounds now award Conquest to the losing team based on their final score. The losing team can earn up to 200 Conquest Points from a very close match.
Professions Archeology Mantid Archaeology has been added. Players will be able to uncover common and rare Mantid artifacts. Players can purchase a Mantid Artifact Sonic Locator to focus exclusively on Mantid digsites. The Lorewalker’s Map now randomizes all digsites in Pandaria, rather than just 1. Updates have been made to the “museum” at the Seat of Knowledge. Blacksmithing New raid and PvP blacksmithing recipes have been added, and can be acquired through daily research of Lightning Steel Ingots. Seasoned Blacksmiths will be able to find a way to create Lightning Steel Ingots once their realm has unlocked the Thunderforges on the Isle of Thunder. These ingots will allow blacksmiths to recreate powerful weapons from the past, updated for Mists of Pandaria. These power weapons will be bind-on-equip and making them will take a significant amount of dedication. For blacksmiths who have lapsed in their trade (i.e., haven’t practiced blacksmithing since the Burning Crusade), there is a (not necessarily cost efficient) way to catch-up. Blacksmiths at your faction’s shrines in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms will be able to teach you training plans for crafting common household items using Ghost Iron. Fishing The chance to fish up Flying Tiger Gourami, Spinefish Alpha and Mimic Octopus has been increased. Reputation gains from bringing rare Pandarian fish for Nat Pagle to examine has been increased. Players with a high fishing skill have a chance to fish up new pets. The Pet Journal has clues on where these elusive pets could be found. Fish of the Day: On any given day, there is a location in Pandaria teeming with a type of Pandaren fishing pool. Ben of the Booming Voice, located near the Halfhill Market area will inform players what the “Fish of the Day” is and mark the location on their map. Jewelcrafting Jewelcrafters may find the designs for Serpent’s Heart and uncut Primal Diamonds during the course of their adventures (world drops). Serpent’s Heart is a daily cooldown that consumes several Serpent’s Eyes to create a random rare quality Pandaren gem. In addition, there is a small chance that a player will discover the design for the Sapphire Cub or Jade Owl. The design for uncut Primal Diamonds requires Spirits of Harmony and large quantities of uncommon gems. Leatherworking Patterns for Magnificence of Leather and Magnificence of Scales could be found via world drops. These patterns allow the leatherworker to create Magnificent Hides more economically and share a daily cooldown. In addition to producing a Magnificent Hide, the leatherworker will learn a new 5.2 raid or PvP pattern. A new 36 slot leather bag (Magnificent Hide Pack) can now be created through Leatherworking. Tailoring New raid and PvP recipes have been added, and tailors can acquire these new recipes via the daily Imperial Silk cooldown.
Items Transmogrification rules have been broadened for several weapon types. Two-handed axes, maces, and swords can be Transmogrified to each other. One-handed axes, maces, and swords can be Transmogrified to each other. Staves and polearms can be transmogrified to each other. The ethereals that offered to upgrade items using Valor or Justice Points have departed Azeroth for the moment. They may yet return in a future patch. The cost of Valor Point gear introduced in patch 5.0 has been reduced by 50%. The cost of Valor Point gear introduced in patch 5.1 has been reduced by 25%. Skyshards are now Bind on Account.
Sunsong Ranch Seed bags have been added that allow planting of crops 4 plots at a time. Yoon's Mailbox has been renamed to Sunsong Ranch Mailbox. The yield from special crops has been improved to make farming them competitive with gathering these items out in the world. Running the Master Plow across underground Virmen will cause them to pop out of the ground at 30% health and stunned. Wild Crops will now occur less often.
UI The Reputation panel on the character screen will now let players know which reputations they have purchased and used Grand Commendations for. There is now an option to show absorb effects (such as Power Word: Shield) on player, target, party and raid frames. This feature is currently enabled if you turn on the predictive healing option. Unlike predictive healing, absorb effects will display for enemy targets.A season of birth effect in addictive disorders has scarcely been studied. As smoking is known to be a highly addictive behavior, we examined whether there exists an association between season of birth and smoking habits among the general population in the Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort (NFBC, n = 8,319). The birth month of each cohort member was categorized into one of the four seasons: spring (March-May), summer (June-August), autumn (September-November), or winter (December-February). Smoking habits of the cohort members were assessed by a postal questionnaire at the age of 31 yrs. Those who reported that they regularly smoked 11 or more cigarettes/day were regarded as heavy smokers. The association between season of birth and smoking was assessed with a logistic regression analysis: first, after controlling for early pregnancy-related and perinatal characteristics (Model 1) and second, after controlling for cohort members' hospital-treated psychiatric disorders, suicide attempts, adult educational level, and marital status (Model 2). Compared to males born in winter, the likelihood for heavy daily smoking was significantly increased, up to 1.3-fold, among males born in the autumn in both logistic regression models. However, among females the likelihood for heavy smoking was statistically significantly elevated among those born during any season other than winter. Season of birth may modify the development of dopaminergic or other neurotransmitter systems divergently among males and females. Altered expression of dopaminergic genes due to environmental climatic factors could explain the association between season of birth and heavy smoking.Former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Antonio Freeman doesn't get many opportunities to show off his Super Bowl XXXI ring anymore.
While chatting with ESPN's SportsNation on Tuesday, Freeman revealed the ring no longer fits because the majority of his fingers were broken or dislocated as a result of catching passes from Brett Favre.
Freeman isn't the only ex-Packer whose fingers Favre mangled. Robert Brooks once told ESPN that he had to get his wedding ring resized because Favre broke his finger multiple times.
"Brett's got a bullet for an arm. It's tough," Brooks said. "I've broken a lot of fingers messing with that guy. I had to get my wedding ring custom-fitted and I'm waiting for it to come back right now because Brett broke my ring finger about three times, the same finger. He takes pride in that. He chalks up how many fingers he gets during training camp."
- With h/t to RedditMmm, nothing like banging together an article at 11:00, clocking out at 2:00, and completing it the next day. It's like a tradition at this point and I have to abide by it. So... welcome back to normalcy! I did that joke six months ago, but nobody's keeping score and, considering this there's not going to be any more "Individual Appeals" articles to drown in, I might as well relish in its functionality.
I don't know how to properly segue, but I will say this much: I've always held a huge bias towards "The Egg." I don't remember what brought me over to it, but I remember finding crappy 360p bootlegs of the episode scattered across Youtube before they aired, and having been weirdly turned off by early Season 3 (I used to be and still am marginally dumb, don't remind me), seeing all of those last episodes, especially "The Money," reaffirmed my love for the show. I, uh, might've forgotten to tune in for the entirety of Season 4... but all of those Season 3 episodes were on my mind when I decided to see how the show was doing years later, and here I am, talking about it. Full circle. Full oval. Full... egg.
Alright, I'm done with egg jokes since I'm clearly incompetent at their delivery. Let's just take a crack at it. (Nailed it.) Oh, and thanks to Glass for the suggestion, it's always nice talking to her about all of this stuff! I hope I don't disappoint.
The Actual Start of the Article
The basic premise is as follows: Nicole has to try to get her family in check for a playdate between Anais and Billy for the sake of coming across as a perfect family which, tragically, they just... can't do. They're the Wattersons; that's not their schtick. Comedy ensues as they proceed to horrify Billy's pretentious mother, Felicity, all while Nicole sits back and tries to hide behind the image that's slowly falling apart in front of her very eyes.
While Anais and Billy hit it off, Felicity's not having it, and after spewing what is sure to be one of the most deliciously heinous lines in the whole show - we'll get to that - Nicole gives in to the temptation and proceeds to terrorize her, but all is for naught when both realize that Anais and Billy disappeared mid-combat. The two make their way across town, banging out some cheery Europop, while Felicity is forced to team up with the Wattersons for the greater good of finding their missing children.
Eventually, they find Anais and Billy in the museum sharing a genuine connection, forcing both parents to grin and bear it all, but as per TAWOG fashion, the happy ending is soiled as the pair are unable to look over their entertainment preferences - Anais prefers Daisy the Donkey whereas Billy's more the Fireman Pete type - so Anais splits. Felicity does that thing where she retorts. Nicole does that thing where she punches Felicity. And there's your ending and your catharsis all wrapped up in one nice little package.
Analysis
If there's one glaring issue that people have with "The Egg," it's Felicity freaking Parham. And it's easy to understand why - she was designed to be the most hideous, thoroughly-evil yet painfully grounded character possible.
And yes, I know that me saying that I enjoy Felicity's character while loathing Harold's - despite both serving the same fundamental purpose in their episodes - seems contradictory, but Felicity's character actually feels depressingly close to reality. Harold's nothing more than a narrowly-conceived douche of a character, but Felicity... she's got bite. Harold doesn't get under your skin; he's instantly dispensable by virtue of the pettiness his character embodies. Felicity, though, messes with your head. Let's bring up that quote:
Felicity : [Takes in a deep breath] Look, Nicole, I get it. You dropped out of college to marry your childhood sweetheart and life was fun until, whoops, your first disappointment. So there you are working all hours to support your family while lover-boy over there is busy growing chins. Then, whoops, another disappointment, followed by a third that you still dream is better than the others, I get it. You know you'll never succeed so you want your kids to succeed for you. You hope that being friends with someone like me will help you climb that ladder, but you're living a lie. You are not good enough, they are not good enough, you've either got it or you haven't, and you haven't. So just be happy with who you really are.
First of all, that has to be one of the most hideous quotes to come out of the whole show. There's not even anything remotely funny about it. What it does is confirm our assumptions about Felicity's character: she's insufferable, but that's the point and the entire crux of her existence. She's the condescending foil and an impediment to progress, and that makes the moment where Nicole kills off her facade all the more glorious.
This was a line designed to shut Nicole down as a character, but the amazing thing is that it doesn't - if anything, Nicole comes out on top. The whole episode, up to that point, was structured around her fruitless attempts to make her family seem cultured and like something that they not only weren't, but could never be. Finally, though, she accepts that and realizes the entire thing wasn't worth fighting for, so she lets her true emotions shine and proceeds to beat the crap out of Felicity. There's something satisfying about that. At the end of the day, Nicole is Nicole. Don't mess with her.
Another complaint I could imagine the episode getting is that there's never really that much time allotted for Anais and Billy's storyline, and that doesn't allow the audience to be won over. I do recognize that as an issue, especially considering that the A-plot is so stagnant while their B-plot is insanely dynamic; giving more time to a plot where more change occurs makes more sense than dragging the same punchline down over and over, however enjoyable.
Still, you have to factor in that their mini-adventure exists entirely as a plot device, or put more delicately for anybody whose perceptions were somehow just shattered, a tease. Giving the audience more time to get invested only to rob them of that enjoyment just doesn't bode well. However framed as it may be around Anais, this is a Nicole episode through and through, and there's nothing wrong with that at all. Anais and Billy's fling exists merely as a catalyst, and a cute one at that.
Ultimately, everything about "The Egg" is just tight. It doesn't leave anything else to be desired, which I admire; it very happily closed off everything instead of leaving you wanting more (which, coincidentally, is my main issue with the show reconjuring the Anais-Billy subplot in "The Pest"). There's a certain amount of confidence in being able to tell a story so compactly and to so, in my opinion, satisfyingly. For that reason, I can get behind it.
That's all I've got for today. Next week, we'll be examining "The Roots," and along with that, we'll be looking into Darwin's character pretty closely. See ya then.
(I typed up the whole article without mentioning the show's leading man. Interesting... fun fact.)
For the last few "Individual Appeals," click HERE or HERE or maybe even HERE.
I'm also trying to post reviews everyday for all of the latest episodes, so you can check them out on my personal website over HERE., or one-in-a-billion, is the famed number given for the maximum probability of a catastrophic failure, per hour of operation, in life-critical systems like commercial aircraft. The number is part of the folklore of the safety-critical systems literature; where does it come from?
First, it’s worth noting just how small that number is. As pointed out by Driscoll et al. in the paper, Byzantine Fault Tolerance, from Theory to Reality, the probability of winning the U.K. lottery is 1 in 10s of millions, and the probability of being struck by lightening (in the U.S.) is more than a 1,000 times more likely than
So where did come from? A nice explanation comes from a recent paper by John Rushby:
If we consider the example of an airplane type with 100 members, each flying hours per year over an operational life of 33 years, then we have a total exposure of about 107 flight hours. If hazard analysis reveals ten potentially catastrophic failures in each of ten subsystems, then the “budget” for each, if none are expected to occur in the life of the fleet, is a failure probability of about per hour [1, page 37]. This serves to explain the well-known requirement, which is stated as follows: “when using quantitative analyses... numerical probabilities... on the order of per flight-hour... based on a flight of mean duration for the airplane type may be used... as aids to engineering judgment... to... help determine compliance” (with the requirement for extremely improbable failure conditions) [2, paragraph 10.b].
[1] E. Lloyd and W. Tye, Systematic Safety: Safety Assessment of Aircraft Systems. London, England: Civil Aviation Authority, 1982, reprinted 1992.
[2] System Design and Analysis, Federal Aviation Administration, Jun. 21, 1988, advisory Circular 25.1309-1A.
(By the way, it’s worth reading the rest of the paper—it’s the first attempt I know of to formally connect the notions of (software) formal verification and reliability.)
So there a probabilistic argument being made, but let’s spell it out in a little more detail. If there are 10 potential failures in 10 subsystems, then there are potential failures. Thus, there are possible configurations of failure/non-failure in the subsystems. Only one of these configurations is acceptable—the one in which there are no faults.
If the probability of failure is then the probability of non-failure is So if the probability of failure for each subsystem is then the probability of being in the one non-failure configuration is
We want that probability of non-failure to be greater than the required probability of non-failure, given the total number of flight hours. Thus,
which indeed holds:
is around
Can we generalize the inequality? The hint for how to do so is that the number of subsystems ( ) is no more than the overall failure rate divided by the subsystem rate:
This suggests the general form is something like
Subsystem reliability inequality:
whereandare real numbers,and
Let’s prove the inequality holds. Joe Hurd figured out the proof, sketched below (but I take responsibility for any mistakes in it’s presentation). For convenience, we’ll prove the inequality holds specifically when but the proof can be generalized.
First, if the inequality holds immediately. Next, we’ll show that
is monotonically non-decreasing with respect to by showing that the derivative of its logarithm is greater or equal to zero for all So the derivative of its logarithm is
We show
iff
and since
iff
Let, so the range of is
Now we show that in the range of, the left-hand side is bounded below |
," Jones said. "This level of fighting that I've been able to compete at, you see things, and sometimes, unlike the fans, you look at it from a realistic view. People are saying, ‘Oh, Gustafsson has the best footwork and he has the best boxing.' And then you really look at it and you're just like, ‘What are you talking about?' Like, look closely. Look really closely.
"I know myself and my style, and I really figure out my opponent," Jones concluded. "I believe I've figured him out."Image copyright PA Image caption An estimated one million visitors and 50,000 performers attend Notting Hill Carnival
Notting Hill Carnival poses a "real risk to public safety" and in 2016 saw four stabbings so serious the victims nearly died, according to a report.
The event - at which 450 arrests were made last year - must be made safer, London's mayor has been warned.
It is one of Europe's largest carnivals with up to 7,000 police on duty, 50,000 performers and a million visitors.
The London Assembly Police and Crime Committee said overcrowding and a rise in violent crime were the main issues.
Follow BBC England's Pinterest board for more Notting Hill Carnival stories, photos and video
The 2016 carnival was policed by 6,000 Met officers on Saturday and Sunday and 7,000 officers on August bank holiday Monday.
More than 400 people were arrested at Carnival in 2016, the highest since 2008. Police said they had seized 90 offensive weapons while patrolling the event.
In 2015, officers made about 300 arrests for a range of offences during the festival, including assault, criminal damage, public order offences and theft.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Police warned the event came close to a major failure in public safety in 2016
In its latest report the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee said the annual event urgently needed rethinking.
"The police warn of the risk of a 'Hillsborough' scale tragedy; it would be foolish to ignore these voices," it said.
"Each year, and last year was no exception, we came exceptionally close to a major catastrophic failure of public safety where members of the public would face serious injury," Met Police public order commander David Musker told the committee.
For example, the report said, on the Ladbroke Grove section of the route, carnival floats and support vehicles caused people to be pushed to the sides of the road and police officers had to dive in to pull children and distressed adults out of the crowd.
In All Saints Road, in another part of the route close to Tavistock Gardens, the safety barriers collapsed on three occasions because of the large number of people crowding around the static sound systems in the road, the report said.
Image copyright Reuters Image caption Police and revellers have mixed together happily at the carnival in recent years
"Public concern about the level of crime at carnival is nothing new. But we are now seeing a rise in more serious and violent crimes: this year four stabbings almost became murders," it added.
The report said 396 crimes were recorded at the 2016 carnival, up from 343 in 2010, with offences of violence against people rising from 81 to 151 in the same period.
"Traditionally, the vast majority of offences have been related to theft and drugs. The number of violent crimes, however, is rising," it said.
"Several of those violent incidents were serious and nearly resulted in loss of life: something that has not happened at carnival in over a decade."
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Jo Jordan says the number of people enjoying carnival outweighs those making trouble
In August, the Metropolitan Police Federation said its rank and file officers experienced "dread" of policing the carnival, which saw 43 officers injured at the event in 2016, eight of whom required hospital treatment.
The dual issues of overcrowding and violent crime had produced "a tipping point", the report said.
It has called on London Mayor Sadiq Khan to help make the event safer after his predecessor Boris Johnson took similar action on another large scale London event such as the New Year's Eve celebrations.
The report recommends the mayor help put the carnival organisers on a more stable financial position which "will in turn improve its ability to deliver a safer and more secure carnival."
The committee also wants the mayor to lead a review to see where the event can improve safety.
'Bleeding and running'
Jo Jordan, a 22-year-old singer-song writer, originally from Wembley, north-west London, was stabbed at the carnival on bank holiday Monday last year and has been left with an immobile left wrist.
Mr Jordan said: "I was robbed of my watch and when I went to get it back off the people who took it I was surrounded by a group and one of them stabbed me in the left arm.
"The next bit was a blur. I was bleeding and running into people and luckily came across two police officers who helped me until the paramedics arrived.
"I know what happened to me wasn't very nice but I wouldn't want them to change carnival or the location of it or anything. It was just one of those things that could have happened to me anywhere.
"I've been coming every year for five years with my friends and we love the party atmosphere."
Sophie Linden, the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, said there were specific concerns being examined this year and that "they have commissioned a study to understand what more can be done to keep revellers safe, given the huge numbers who take part".Kessler gunna Kessler, you know?
What that means that if there’s a leak in a structure or he thinks your poker room is charging too much vig – Kessler is going to call that out as he sees fit. It’s rarely tactful, often times crude – but it’s what he does. The poker world just kind of accepts it, maybe cracks a joke and moves on.
Anyone considering playing @PlaygroundPoker @wpt main; The std fee is $3200+300. Playground is charging $3395+455 and pockets the extra $155— Allen Kessler (@AllenKessler) November 18, 2014
This time though, when he called out Canada’s Playground Poker Club, which is hosting the upcoming stop of the World Poker Tour, he didn’t exactly get the standard customer service response.
@AllenKessler @WPT Our fees are 10% from $100 up to $4K, plus the std 3% for tips. If you dont like that, please dont play here.— Playground Poker (@PlaygroundPoker) November 18, 2014
Don’t like it, don’t play here. Boom. Not exactly the stereotypical Canadian good guy reply one might expect. Also, pretty terse for public response.
@PlaygroundPoker @WPT I can’t justify paying $455 in fees per entry and reentry for a $3500 event. Sorry.— Allen Kessler (@AllenKessler) November 18, 2014
Kessler goes on to claim that the Playground Poker Room is “stealing hundreds of thousands in extra fees” from poker players.
As it turns out though, the Playground Poker Club has a bit of a feud with Chainsaw and they feel like they’ve just had enough of getting Kessled (™).
@Schultzie25 We have the best customer service in the industry, period. But when one person wages a 2-year vendetta against us, we respond.— Playground Poker (@PlaygroundPoker) November 18, 2014
.@Schultzie25 the last comment was directed solely at @AllenKessler due to a long standing history. Customer service is our top priority!— Playground Poker (@PlaygroundPoker) November 18, 2014
And it ended right there.
Oh wait, no it didn’t – Kessler took to snap clicking the RT button and the Playground heard an earful from Kessler’s supporters:
Who is in charge of “@PlaygroundPoker”:https://twitter.com/PlaygroundPoker’s twitter feed? Better question, who will be in charge tomorrow? #showers @AllenKessler— Dan O'Brien (@DanOBrienPoker) November 18, 2014
@AllenKessler @PlaygroundPoker @WPT What a piss poor reply from @playgroundpoker When will places learn that customers concerns r priority— Jerry Young (@NoHoldsBarredKC) November 18, 2014
@PlaygroundPoker love how you make it personal when @AllenKessler is spitting #factsONLY you guys should grow up & try listening more.— Cord Garcia (@CordGarcia) November 18, 2014
@PlaygroundPoker @AllenKessler @WPT Wow, this is how you handle a customer inquiry/statement of concern? Your joking right?— Patrick Ray (@Acesfull_44) November 18, 2014
@PlaygroundPoker @AllenKessler @WPT Playground w/ the Tony Soprano reply. U can rake as much as u want just dont shit on people on twitter.— Tall Ass Persian (@Its_Preeeeemo) November 18, 2014
And the hits just keep coming.
So, what do you think? Is Kessler out of line here by making a big deal about fees or does Playground Poker owe “The Chainsaw” an apology? Let us know!
Despite charging $455 fees for each entry/reentry @wpt $3500 @PlaygroundPoker a ton of stepfords will still show up and play. Sad situation.— Allen Kessler (@AllenKessler) November 18, 2014
Our last comment was in bad taste. No matter how much animosity is between 2 people, negative comments should be kept out of a public forum.— Playground Poker (@PlaygroundPoker) November 19, 2014
The partypoker WPT Montreal event starts on November 20th with the first of 3 starting flights.Front National leader Marine Le Pen has double the polling numbers of current president François Hollande ahead of the 2017 French presidential election.
It is less than a year until the French public will vote on the highest office in the country, and new polls suggest that the current president François Hollande could be in serious trouble.
A survey published by Le Monde on Thursday shows the French president polling at 14 per cent while likely Republican candidate and former president Nicolas Sarkozy scored 21 per cent. The clear winner of the poll was anti-mass migration Front National party leader Marine Le Pen who was favoured by 28 per cent of those surveyed.
The survey, which began in November and will be conducted until just before the presidential elections in June 2017, is based on a large sample of 19,455 people who are asked their opinion on multiple occasions. These results come from the fourth time the participants have been surveyed on their political preference over the period of 12 to 22 May.
The biggest loser in the poll is Mr. Hollande whose disapproval rating rose among the group surveyed. The percentage of those totally dissatisfied with the Socialist leader have gone from 43 per cent in March to 53 per cent. The level of satisfaction with Mr. Hollande, on a scale of 1 to 10, now rests at 2.1.
The recent 100 year anniversary of the World War One Battle of Verdun “art performance” last Sunday may also have also affected Mr. Hollande’s popularity as many, including Marine Le Pen, denounced it as “indecent”.
Ms. Le Pen, with 28 per cent, is up one percentage point from the last round. If the polling numbers remain steady going into 2017, the FN leader is guaranteed a place in the second round of the French presidential elections.
The French presidential election system is much like the Austrian system. The Austrian presidential election this year saw anti-mass migration Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) candidate Norbert Hofer win 36.4 per cent of the vote in the first round, but lose by a mere 31,000 votes in the second round to former Green Party leader Alexander Van der Bellen.
Many who support the populist candidate worry that although she may win the first round of the presidential election she will lose the second round as other parties unite to vote against her. Those fears may be increased after European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker announced that the bloc would do all in its power, including economic sanctions, to ensure no anti-mass migration party would ever come to power in Europe.When the white clapboard house in the tiny northern Colorado town of Carr went kaboom, the roof lifted off the top.
The chimney fell over. Windows blew out. Three people went to a hospital.
Rarely before has Colorado’s explosion of interest in marijuana been demonstrated so literally.
A boy injured in the explosion said two men in the house were attempting to make “oil that you use to smoke weed,” according to investigators. That makes the blast one of several to have occurred around the state in recent years by people manufacturing marijuana hash oil at home. The process often involves highly flammable chemicals, considerable risk and, as the Carr explosion shows, uncertain legality. Three people have been charged with felonies.
Fire officials across Colorado say they are concerned the state’s new laws on marijuana will lead to more incidents.
“We don’t encourage such a process,” said Patrick Love, a spokesman for the Poudre Fire Authority, which has handled at least two explosions or fires related to hash oil production. “It not only endangers the person who’s making it, but it could also endanger their neighbors.”
Even marijuana advocates say at-home production of hash oil should be approached cautiously — though they believe authorities’ fears of a house-explosion epidemic are overstated.
“You’re using potentially dangerous chemicals,” said Brian Vicente, one of the authors of Amendment 64, Colorado’s marijuana legalization law.
Hash oil is gloopy, concentrated marijuana — think of it like pot jelly — and its main appeal is its potency. Concoctions can be more than 75 percent THC, the psychoactive chemical in marijuana, and users describe single hits of hash oil like smoking an entire joint all at once.
To make it, do-it-yourselfers typically pack marijuana into a slender pipe, then blow compressed butane gas through the pipe. The danger comes from the resulting butane fumes that float around the room. The less ventilated the space, the more dangerous it is.
“If there’s any ignition source anywhere near it, like a pilot light, then you have problems,” said Bill Maron, an investigator with West Metro Fire Rescue.
Last month, the Colorado Information Analysis Center — part of the state homeland security office — put out a bulletin warning officials about the dangers of home hash oil production. The bulletin noted two cases, a February home explosion in Lakewood and a July incident in Colorado Springs. News reports show there have been at least five more spanning several years, including the explosion in Carr and one each in Steamboat Springs and Breckenridge. Two incidents have occurred in Fort Collins — including one, in 2009, in which a man died from burns.
Marijuana businesses in Colorado are allowed to manufacture hash oil, but with strict requirements — such as ventilation hoods and a “professional grade, closed-loop extraction system,” according to proposed new rules.
Though marijuana use and limited cultivation of marijuana is now legal for people over 21 in Colorado, there is considerable confusion about whether home hash oil production is legal, too.
In connection with the Carr explosion, three people have been charged with felonies under a state law that bans the production of marijuana concentrates. Vicente, though, said he believes Amendment 64’s protection for “processing” of marijuana plants covers home hash oil production. A separate law allows local governments to ban the use of flammable chemicals in at-home marijuana cultivation.
Vicente said courts will likely have to settle the debate.
John Ingold: 303-954-1068, jingold@denverpost.com or twitter.com/john_ingoldImage caption Japan-US ties have been strained over Okinawa bases and troops in the past
Japan and the US have agreed plans to return land near the Kadena US air base on Okinawa to Japan.
The move will see many US troops relocated outside of Japan.
Japan also announced a revised timetable for relocating the controversial Futenma US air base. Original plans to relocate by 2014 were stalled by local opposition.
There has been a US military presence on Okinawa since the US invaded the island during World War II.
The plans call for an immediate return of certain facilities and areas on Okinawa.
Additional locations will also be returned once replacement facilities are constructed and large contingents of US Marine Corps relocate outside of Japan to Guam and Hawaii, according to a statement from the US military.
OKINAWA TIMELINE 1429 : King Sho Hashi establishes Ryukyu kingdom
: King Sho Hashi establishes Ryukyu kingdom 1609: Satsuma clan from southern Japan invade
Satsuma clan from southern Japan invade 1872: Japan makes Ryukyu kingdom a feudal domain; absorbs it in 1879
Japan makes Ryukyu kingdom a feudal domain; absorbs it in 1879 1945: An estimated 100,000 Okinawan civilians die in Battle of Okinawa; Japan surrenders; US takes control of Okinawa
An estimated 100,000 Okinawan civilians die in Battle of Okinawa; Japan surrenders; US takes control of Okinawa 1972: Okinawa reverts to Japan; US bases stay Profile: Okinawa
The US has not said how many troops will be redeployed.
Once implemented, the plans will see approximately 1000 hectares of land returned to Japan.
Ongoing dispute
Under new plans, the Futenma base will be moved after 2021.
The base, near Naha city, has soured ties between the two allies in the past.
Locals say having a military facility so near the city is dangerous and noisy, and want it removed from the island altogether.
Occasional well-publicised instances of bad behaviour and criminality by US personnel fuelled the concerns.
A 2006 agreement between the US and Japan stated that the base must be relocated before the troops were redeployed. However in 2011, the two sides agreed to "de-link" the two issues.
Under the 2006 agreement, the US said it would move 8,000 marines to Guam once Futenma was shut down, leaving 10,000 on Okinawa.
That deal stalled amid local protests at the possible sites for relocation of the base.
The US has a total military deployment in Japan of about 50,000 personnel.We all have a pretty good idea of what Jack Whitehall looks like.
Thanks to his shows Fresh Meat, Bad Education, Backchat With Jack Whitehall And His Dad, A League Of Their Own and his stand-up shows, the comedian is well known to the UK.
But in his first proper sojourn to Hollywood, in the new romantic comedy Mother’s Day, Jack made some changes and he had us double taking.
THE BEARD HAS GONE!
(Picture: Open Road)
And he looks pretty damn cute without it too.
(Picture: Open Road)
Also, can we jut look a those puppy dog eyes.
(Picture: Open Road)
I’m thinking Jack should be getting out the razor more often.
Roll on June 17th when Mother’s Day hits UK cinemas. Check out the full trailer below.
MORE: WATCH: Michelle Keegan goes mental at Jack Whitehall in an Elizabethan Drunk History
MORE: Olivia Colman, Jack Whitehall and Doctor Who’s Michelle Gomez have a right mouth on them for UnicefNew developments in the investigation of the 2016 murder of Democratic National Committee staffer Seth Rich appear to be raising more questions than they answer about why he was killed and what, if any, contact he had with WikiLeaks.
Who was Seth Rich?
The 27-year-old data analyst who grew up in Omaha, Nebraska was working for the DNC developing software to help voters locate their polling places.
What happened to him?
Rich was shot around 4:19 a.m. on July 10, 2016 in the 2100 block of Flagler Place NW near his home in the Bloomingdale neighborhood of DC. According to a police report, he was still conscious and breathing when officers arrived, but he died soon afterward at an area hospital.
The murder remains unsolved.
What’s new?
Two new media reports claim Rich was in contact with WikiLeaks before his death. Less than two weeks after his murder, the group posted tens of thousands of internal DNC emails that escalated tension within the party and led to the resignation of DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
Rod Wheeler, a former DC police officer and private investigator hired on behalf of Rich’s family, told Fox 5 DC Monday that his sources confirmed that Rich’s laptop showed he was communicating with WikiLeaks. Wheeler also claimed that officers had been ordered to “stand down” on the investigation.
A Fox News report Tuesday went even further, citing an unnamed federal investigator to tie Rich to the DNC leak. The investigator claimed a forensic report generated days after Rich’s murder revealed that he made contact with Gavin MacFadyen, who was director of WikiLeaks at the time and later died of cancer.
According to the unnamed investigator, 44,053 emails and 17,761 attachments between DNC leaders were transferred from Rich to MacFadyen before May 21, 2016. This is exactly the number of documents posted by WikiLeaks in late July.
Wheeler also told Fox News that “someone within the DC government, Democratic National Committee or Clinton team” is blocking the investigation. Wheeler is a Fox News contributor.
What do police say about all of this?
Not much. They have consistently declined to discuss details of the investigation since last summer, and Tuesday was no exception.
They did, however, dispute Wheeler’s claim that that the investigation is being obstructed.
“The Metropolitan Police Department’s (MPD) Homicide Branch is actively investigating Mr. Rich’s murder and we continue to work with the family to bring closure to this case as we do with all homicide investigations,” police said in a statement.
“If there are any individuals who feel they have information, we urge them to call us at 202-727-9099 or text us at 50411. The department is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information on this case that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible.”
Fox 5 is standing by the story, but several federal and local law enforcement sources told the Washington Post they were unaware of Rich sending any DNC information to WikiLeaks. Nothing in their examination of Rich’s computer and email activity connected him to WikiLeaks.
“There is nothing that we can find that any of this is accurate,” police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck told the Post.
How is Rich’s family reacting?
They are not thrilled that Wheeler took the information to the media before talking to them, and their spokesman is blasting media outlets for promoting “conspiracies” without proof.
“As we've seen through the past year of unsubstantiated claims, we see no facts, we have seen no evidence, we have been approached with no emails and only learned about this when contacted by the press,” said Brad Bauman, a Democratic political consultant who is serving as family spokesman.
According to Bauman, Wheeler was hired and paid by a third party, not the Rich family, and his contract barred him from speaking to the press without authorization. He also cast doubt on any potential future evidence that might support Wheeler’s claims.
“Even if tomorrow, an email was found, it is not a high enough bar of evidence to prove any interactions as emails can be altered and we've seen that those interested in pushing conspiracies will stop at nothing to do so,” he said. “We are a family who is committed to facts, not fake evidence that surfaces every few months to fill the void and distract law enforcement and the general public from finding Seth's murderers.”
Bauman told Business Insider there is “a special place in hell” for media outlets that “would try and manipulate the legacy of a murder victim in order to forward their own political agenda.”
On Facebook Tuesday, he said the Rich family was desperate for answers and put their trust in people who turned out to have ulterior motives.
“They accepted the help not knowing that their sons legacy would be contorted and manipulated so that every time there is a flare up in the Trump/Russia story, that their son would be used by Russia and allies to try and distract everyone, and guess what...it's working,” he wrote.
Who else has responded to the latest news?
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said during a press gaggle Tuesday that it would be “highly inappropriate” to comment on the case.
The DNC told NBC News and the Washington Post that it is not aware of evidence supporting the allegations.
WikiLeaks did not respond to a request for comment, but its Twitter account and the account of founder Julian Assange have retweeted the Fox reports.
Jack Burkman, a Republican lobbyist who has offered his own reward in the case and has launched an independent investigation, urged Wheeler to make his evidence available for review.
“If such 40,000 emails between Seth Rich and WikiLeaks exist, I’m calling on the private investigator to release them so our team can independently verify the emails and determine how and if they connect Russia and WikiLeaks to Seth’s murder,” he said in a statement.
So why was Rich killed?
We don’t know yet. Police initially indicated his death may have been the result of a botched robbery, but his wallet and jewelry were still on his body when he was found. There had been numerous armed robberies in the neighborhood where Rich was killed in the weeks and months before the crime.
Rich had been on the phone with his girlfriend in the moments before he was shot. According to Fox News, she heard voices in the background before he hung up on her. He reportedly had bruises on his hands and face when he was found.
Police have security camera footage from the street where Rich was killed, but they have not released it. Sources told Fox News the video shows the legs of two possible suspects.
Police have not revealed what, if anything, Rich said to officers before he died. Nearly a year later, there are no suspects in the case.
What does WikiLeaks have to do with it?
Last summer, Assange obliquely indicated Rich may have been the source for the DNC emails the group posted.
"Whistle-blowers go to significant efforts to get us material and often very significant risks," he said in an interview with a Dutch TV station. "As a 27-year-old, works for the DNC, was shot in the back, murdered just a few weeks ago for unknown reasons as he was walking down the street in Washington.”
The group also took the unusual step of offering a $20,000 reward in the case.
WikiLeaks later insisted that the reward and Assange’s statements should not be taken as evidence that Rich provided the emails.
While multiple U.S. intelligence agencies have pointed fingers at hackers associated with the Russian government as the source of documents posted by WikiLeaks that damaged Hillary Clinton’s campaign, Assange has maintained that his source was not affiliated with Russian intelligence.
Why is this generating so much attention?
Seth Rich’s name was trending on Twitter for much of the day Tuesday as Trump supporters claimed a Washington Post article about the president giving classified information to Russia was published to distract from this story. Liberals, meanwhile, argued the Rich story was a distraction from the Trump/Russia controversy.
Rich’s murder has been a subject of fascination and speculation among conspiracy theorists on the right and left since the DNC emails were released.
Some believe he was a Bernie Sanders supporter killed for revealing the DNC’s machinations to keep him from winning the party’s presidential nomination. Others claim, without evidence, that he is one of many people the Clintons have had murdered for getting in their way.
If true, Rich being WikiLeaks’ source would undercut the intelligence community’s conclusion that Russia hacked email accounts linked to Clinton to hurt her campaign. It would also refute Democrats’ allegations that Trump’s campaign colluded with Russia to release and promote this information.
It is unclear how Rich would have gotten his hands on thousands of emails belonging to other DNC staffers. This theory also would not explain how WikiLeaks obtained emails from Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta’s account that were released in October.
Fox News host Sean Hannity, popular conspiracy sites like InfoWars, and right wing blogs have fanned the flames of the Rich mystery for months, and they pounced on the latest developments.
However, Wheeler himself warned against careless speculation about the Rich case earlier this year. In a late March interview with Fox 5 DC, he dismissed suggestions by Burkman that Russia was somehow involved in the murder.
“You have to be careful when you start throwing out these conspiracy theories,” Wheeler said at the time. “They actually don’t help the investigation at all.”
So what now?
Wheeler told Fox 5 he would release more information Tuesday to substantiate his allegations, but so far nothing has been posted. He did not respond to a request for comment.
DC police are urging anyone with information about Rich’s murder to contact them directly by phone at 202-727-9099 or by text at 50411.KABUL (Reuters) - Taliban fighters mounted a car bomb attack on a guest house near the Spanish embassy in Kabul on Friday, killing at least one security officer and further dimming any hopes of peace talks with moderate elements of the Islamist insurgent movement.
Afghan policemen arrive at the site of a Taliban attack in the Afghan capital of Kabul, Afghanistan December 11, 2015. REUTERS/Omar Sobhani
Gunfire was reported immediately following the explosion, which the Taliban said targeted a guest house attached to the embassy near a heavily protected area of the capital close to many other foreign embassies, U.N. and government buildings.
A spokesman for the Spanish foreign ministry said there had been an explosion in the embassy, which is outside the fortified “green zone”, but Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said later that the attack was not directed at the embassy itself but at the guest house.
A Taliban spokesman said the attack had targeted “an invader’s guest house”.
One Spanish security officer was killed but all other embassy staff were safe and unhurt, he told reporters in Madrid.
Security forces with armored vehicles were deployed around the scene in biting cold weather with at least three insurgents involved in the attack, according to one police official.
Deputy Interior Minister Ayoub Salangi said two of the attackers had been killed by snipers and a third was wounded. Security forces were proceeding with caution because they were not sure exactly how many attackers might still be inside.
As the mopping up operation went on, gunfire and several loud explosions were heard around midnight, some six hours after the attack began.
At least seven people were taken to a hospital run by the aid group Emergency, 700 meters (yards) from the Spanish embassy, according to a tweet from the organization.
Spain, which contributed to the international force in Afghanistan, withdrew the last of its troops in October although a few officers remain at the headquarters of NATO’s Resolute Support Mission in Kabul.
On Wednesday, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani returned from a regional peace conference in Islamabad aimed at reviving stalled peace talks with Taliban militants following several months of relative calm in the Afghan capital.
The day before, a Taliban attack in the southern city of Kandahar killed 50 civilians and security personnel, and was only suppressed after more than 24 hours of fighting.
On Thursday, the head of Afghanistan’s intelligence agency resigned over a row with Ghani, in a move that underlined the divisions among leaders of the country’s security apparatus.
The Taliban has been caught up with a bloody internal power struggle but it has nevertheless been able to mount well-coordinated attacks on targets across the country.
Militants have stepped up the insurgency following the withdrawal of international forces from combat operations last year, achieving a series of successes, including seizing the northern city of Kunduz in September.HONG KONG (Reuters) - China moved on Wednesday to limit 2017 elections for Hong Kong’s leader to a handful of candidates loyal to Beijing, local media reported, a move likely to escalate plans by pro-democracy activists to blockade the city’s Central business district.
China's President Xi Jinping waves to the media after arriving in Venezuela at Simon Bolivar airport in Caracas July 20, 2014. REUTERS/Jorge Silva
Hong Kong, which returned to Chinese rule from British colonial administration in 1997, has been deeply polarized and hit by protests over how its next leader is chosen in 2017 – by universal suffrage, as the democrats would like, or from a list of pro-Beijing candidates.
The decision to allow only two to three candidates to run in the 2017 election and not to allow open nominations was carried in a draft resolution published during a National People’s Congress (NPC) meeting in Beijing, Hong Kong’s RTHK radio reported, citing an unnamed source.
While the document said Beijing still backed a direct election for Hong Kong in 2017, it would insist that all candidates needed to first get majority backing from a small nomination committee stacked with Beijing loyalists.
The high nomination threshold will effectively make it impossible for opposition democrats to get on the ballot, and is likely to prove a final trigger for the Occupy Central protests.
Beijing’s Communist leaders are unnerved by the possibility of an opposition democrat being voted into office and have often said any Hong Kong leader must “love China” and be a “patriot”.
Ma Fung-kwok, a National People’s Congress member at the meeting, declined to confirm key details, but said a 50 percent threshold for nominations from the committee was “reasonable”.
“I can’t disclose details right now,” he told Reuters by telephone, saying a formal announcement would come on Sunday.
The relatively hardline stance by Beijing, while not unexpected, seems now likely to stir pro-democracy activists to step up preparations for their Occupy Central civil disobedience movement to demand what it considers a real, not “fake” election in line with international standards.
Benny Tai, one of the organizers of Occupy Central, warned that if Beijing placed unreasonable demands on nominations, they would launch a “full-scale, wave after wave,” campaign. He declined to say, however, when this might happen given the risk of arrest for conspiring to organize an unauthorized assembly.
While China has promised to allow a direct vote for Hong Kong’s leader in 2017, this is the first time China’s parliament, which has the final say on Hong Kong’s democratic reforms, has laid out specifics on electoral arrangements for this poll.
Chinese and Hong Kong officials have branded the Occupy movement an illegal one that would damage Hong Kong’s interests.
Zhang Dejiang, the head of China’s parliament and one of China’s seven most powerful men on the Politburo Standing Committee suggested China wouldn’t back down.
“There may be some difficulties, but the country is prepared for them and the Central Government is mentally prepared for this,” said Ng Chau-pei, a Hong Kong NPC delegate, quoting Zhang after a group meeting with him in Beijing.
While it remains unclear how many people will join the Occupy movement, organizers say they expect at least three to ten thousand core supporters and it could begin anytime in September.
Hong Kong’s 28,000 strong police force have been carrying out mass crowd control drills and are likely to clamp down swiftly to minimize any business disruptions.There hasn't been a lot to smile about at Broncos Headquarters with back to back losses to the Giants and the Chargers. There team is frustrated and realizes they need to bounce back in Kansas City on Monday night.
The team and the fans have been down, which made the last segment of the Broncos Huddle a break everyone seemed to need. It provided some comedy as Emmanuel Sanders did impressions of his teammates and longtime 9News anchor, the legendary Mark Koebrich joined in and asked a question.
The Broncos Huddle had its serious moments as well. Special guest Linebacker Brandon Marshall talked about avoiding any kind of division on the team and demonstrated how to get through the fullback to get to the quarterback.
The Broncos will visit the Chiefs on Monday night. The game will air on KTVD Channel 20 at 6:15pm with the pregame show starting at 5:30pm.
If you would like to be in the studio audience for the Broncos Huddle send an email to broncos@9news.com.
Copyright 2017 KUSAMethanol contents of fresh squeezed juices from 10 fruits and 5 vegetables were determined and the relation of methanol release from stored juices on the physico-chemical properties including degree of esterification (DE), total pectin content, pH value, titratable acidity and the hydrolytic activities of pectinesterase (PE), polygalacturonase (PG), cellulase (CE) and pectate lyase (PAL) of fresh squeezed juices were investigated. The range of methanol content in fresh squeezed juices of fruits and vegetables were 1.14–6.77 and 2.04–10.92 mg/100 mL, respectively, but increased to 1.13–14.82 and 4.73–24.08 mg/100 mL after 3 h storage. In most of the juices, the increase of methanol content was significant (p<0.05) after 3 h storage, except grape (4 and 30 °C), guava (4 °C), lemon (4 and 30 °C), and star fruit (4 °C). The methanol levels above 10 mg/100 mL (the given limit of alcoholic beverages) were found in fresh tomato juices (squeezed and stored) and several other stored juices including pea shoot juices (after 60 min storage), star fruit juices (after 180 min storage), papaya juices (after 180 min storage), pineapple juices (after 180 min storage) and Valencia orange (after 30 min storage), and alfalfa sprout juices (after 60 and 120 min storages for 4 and 30 °C, respectively). After analyzing with multiple regressions, methanol release was positively associated with enzyme activities of PE and PAL, while negatively associated with total pectin content in fruit juices. In vegetable juices, methanol release was positively associated with PE activity, pH value and titratable acidity, while negatively associated with PG activity.When Scoots “feels nothing” it means it is time for you to sleep. (18:38 Story stats) Tonight Dan Harmon's story structure will be poorly paraphrased and applied to a Song from a “Chorus Line”. We will be going around in circles while projecting my thoughts onto yet another broadway character, this time by co-opting Dan Harmon's writing on story structure.
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00:06:50 All Music Ends00:18:38 Story Starts01:17:40 Thanks and Goodnight
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Dos Passos, have been unjustly ignored.
I Am Not Sidney Poitier is Everett at his most accessible, and its reception was among the strongest of his career, but it hardly signaled a definitive popular turn. In short order he followed it up with Percival Everett by Virgil Russell, which — contra Cheuse — is a disjunctive masterpiece. Inconclusive, self-consuming, defiant of summary, and terribly, terribly sad, the novel is as self-aware as its title would suggest. Yet it has neither the exhaustive self-portraiture of Karl Ove Knausgaard nor the autobiographical coyness of Ben Lerner and Sheila Heti.
Percival Everett by Virgil Russell takes as its focal point the relationship between an ailing, mostly senile father and his adult son. It is a study in what it means to communicate (or fail to communicate) with someone whose identity is so bound up with your own that talking to him can be a way of talking to yourself. The novel is dedicated to Percival Everett père, who died in 2010, and who, one comes to suspect, is the Percival Everett of the title. This suggests that Virgil Russell — whose name combines Dante’s spirit-guide through hell with the analytic philosopher best remembered for Why I Am Not a Christian — is the stand-in for Everett fils. (This reading relies on the perhaps erroneous assumption that the father and son, who are never named in the text, are the Everett and Russell of the title.)
When the son visits the father, they relive memories and tell jokes, wrestling for control of the narrative and talking over each other, the way family will. Dreams, shaggy-dog stories, and plot threads multiply. Narrative does not so much progress as accrue. I thought of Ben Marcus’s introduction to The Anchor Book of New American Short Stories, in which he recalls “other, better meanings of plot, such as: small piece of ground. In this sense, plot would refer to setting, the space in which a story occurs.” Plots are also, of course, apportionments of space in a cemetery. All of which feels appropriate for a book about the tenuous but persistent call of blood to blood, and the tedious obscenity of dying.
My father was depressed, it took no genius to see that, sitting there all day long in that room in what they call an assisted living facility, pressing his button and waiting for the orderly to come.... I was depressed too, seeing him that way, then leaving to live my own life far away, knowing his condition, knowing his sadness, knowing his boredom, and depressed because I could for days on end live my life without feeling the horror of his daily existence.
It’s a rare novel that can joke about playing “pin the tail on the narrator” and still end up bringing you to tears.
Everett’s latest book, Half an Inch of Water, marks another departure (his detractors might say a respite) from the highly kinetic absurdist mode of his novels. It is his first collection of short stories in a decade, and although the form does not always play to his strengths, it does save him from his worst excesses. His even temper here is in such sharp distinction to the willful scrambles of his longer fiction that if it weren’t for all the fly-fishing and horse training, you might not guess the stories and the novels were written by the same guy. (Here’s the Times Book Review again, reviewing his 1996 collection, Big Picture: “Mr. Everett uses a laconic style that sometimes seems to work against his characters’ eccentricities, but at others it feels perfectly apt, giving them a strangely appealing complexity.” To which this critic can only add: Yup.) The nine stories in Half an Inch of Water feel almost like haiku in their openness, and in their attention to the natural world. They are set in the nowhere towns, Indian reservations, and wild places of Wyoming — places from which Laramie looks like the city and Denver seems a veritable metropolis.
The first story, “Little Faith,” introduces us to Sam Innis, a veterinarian and tracker who will have a cameo in another story. Sam lives with his wife, Sophie, on the ranch where he grew up: “Love of the spread had been rubbed into him like so much salve, a barrier against whatever was out there in the world, a layer of peace.” The story is divided in two. In the first part, Sam and Sophie attend the funeral of Dave Wednesday, a ninety-two-year-old Native American man who was the oldest male resident of the nearby reservation by a significant margin. The funeral finds Sam ill at ease, as much on account of having to sit in a church as for the sad business conducted there. Soon after he and his wife get home, there’s a small earthquake, which does negligible damage to the property but deepens Sam’s disquiet. Still, he keeps his appointments for that afternoon, the first of which brings him to a nearby ranch to meet a man named Wes, who wants to know whether his mare is ready for breeding.
You know, you’re okay, Wes said. Sam looked at him. How’s that? You know, being a black vet out here. I have to admit, I had my doubts. About what exactly? Whether you’d make it. You mean fit in? I guess that’s what I mean, yeah. Wes, I grew up here. Grade school. High school. I’ve never fit in. I probably will never fit in. I accept that. Wes’s face was now blank. He didn’t understand. He was just a degree away from cocking his head like a confused hound. Sam said, Thanks, Wes. I’m glad you think I’m okay. That’s all I was saying. I know, Wes.
In the second part of the story, Penny, a deaf Native American child, has run off into the hills, apparently frightened by the earthquake. She’s been missing for six hours, without food or water, and night is approaching. Sam lights out on a borrowed horse into “a hundred square miles of barren, desolate, arid hills, full of worthless ore and seasonal creeks that could flood in a blink.” He eventually finds Penny on a flat expanse of rock, surrounded by rattlesnakes that are taking in the last warmth of the setting sun. He retrieves her but in the process is bitten twice. He has a snakebite kit but knows it won’t be enough. “If only he’d been bitten only once, he’d probably be okay because of his size. But two bites, that was a different matter.” Too sick to bring Penny back, he builds a fire from creosote and sagebrush, and imagines that “the burning sage might cleanse him.” He fans it over himself “as he’d seen Old Dave do on many occasions.” Soon enough, Sam either passes out or drifts into a vision.
There was Dave Wednesday, younger than he had ever been while Sam knew him, sitting in front of a fireplace in a cabin. You’re thinking you’re having a vision, aren’t you? Dave said. Pretty much.... Snakebit? Afraid so. Dave offered Sam a mug of coffee. It’s real strong, will keep you awake for days and days. You’re not a spiritual person. That’s an understatement. Yet here you are, hallucinating stereotypes. Pretty much. Sam drank some coffee. It was actually rather weak, though it was too hot even to sip. So, how do I handle these bites? You’re the doctor. I forgot.
When Sam wakes up, “the fire had not died down at all” — an indication that little time has passed. And yet he no longer suffers nausea or chills, and the swelling around the bites is all but gone. Sam and Penny spot a shooting star in the sky, smother the fire, and start walking again; soon enough they are found by a rescue party. An incredulous paramedic concludes that Sam must have received two dry bites. “I’d play the lottery tonight, if I were you,” he advises.
From its title to its conclusion, “Little Faith” is structured as a conversion narrative, but it seems unlikely that Sam will emerge from the day much changed. After Penny is reunited with her family, he hugs her farewell and heads off on his own, waving away the paramedic and the others. His horse has cracked a hoof and will need to be walked carefully back to the road, which Sam insists on doing by himself. Still, some effect of the campfire experience lingers: “He was so confused. He didn’t know why he was not light-headed and nauseated and sweaty. Feeling healthy had never felt so strange.”
If Everett’s good country people are, on balance, less prone to full-blown existential freak-outs or psychic disintegration than his writers and intellectuals, it’s not because they’re less self-reflective. It’s because they are living lives they’ve chosen for themselves, far from the madness (social, political, and linguistic) of so-called culture. In “A High Lake,” an elderly widow named Norma Snow sees solitude as coterminous with autonomy, and fights to preserve both.
She hired a nurse to come by once every day to make sure she was still upright and not stretched out helpless on the kitchen floor. Norma wanted the nurse for no more than that.... For nearly eight years she had been alone with her horse and her thoughts. She liked that they were her thoughts. They came like a glacier, moving slowly, and like any glacier they were a tsunami of ice, surging, unstoppable. She had completed a catalog of the bird life on her place, with notes of songs and seasonal habits. She had finally read Proust and decided she did not like him, had decided the same about Henry James, had decided that Eudora Welty would have been her friend, and had come to think that Hemingway was not all that bad.
Norma’s preference for Welty and Hemingway over Proust and James may or may not reflect Everett’s personal taste, but it’s a good shorthand for the style — acutely reserved and regional, eschewing interiority and all forms of the baroque — in which Half an Inch of Water is written. It’s also a useful way to think about the difference between Everett’s stories and novels.
Almost all of Everett’s novels have a first-person narrator: a governing ego governed in turn by its fractured or frustrated attempts at self-definition. This perspective, more than anything else, is what Everett leaves behind in his short fiction. Only one of the nine stories in Half an Inch of Water is written in the first person.
Everett’s novels suggest that the self is a patch job, a cognitive illusion. It’s no surprise, then, that the shift to the third person in his short fiction feels like a kind of liberation, a sweet relief. And if the price of that shift is a loss of intimacy or immediacy, the reward is composure and lucidity — which, it turns out, are not the same as comprehension. You can see something clearly and still not know what to make of it, or even what it is.
In “Finding Billy White Feather,” a man named Oliver Campbell discovers a note tacked to the back door of his house. The title character, White Feather, is offering twin foals for sale and encourages Oliver to get in touch, though he’s provided no contact information. Oliver spends the rest of the story collecting contradictory accounts of White Feather: white people think he’s an Indian, while the Indians insist he’s a white guy, maybe some kind of fetishist or poseur. (White/Feather — get it?) The physical descriptions that Oliver gathers contradict one another, perhaps because nobody seems to have actually met the man, though everyone knows someone who has a complaint against him. The only thing Oliver learns for certain is that the foals were never White Feather’s to sell. Oliver finds himself in pursuit of a tall, short, skinny, fat, white Indian with black blond hair to whom, if he ever chases him down, he will have absolutely nothing to say.
Not every story in Half an Inch of Water is about misunderstanding and miscommunication. “The Day Comes” and “Exposure” both depict difficult relationships between fathers and their adolescent daughters. In each case an existential threat places life-or-death stakes on the protagonists’ ability to communicate. They must hear each other or die. Within the universe of these stories, speaking, listening, and understanding are all presented as activities possessed of inherent value.
Everett’s stories are his minor work, but they’re a fine introduction to his themes and obsessions — to pretty much everything about him, in fact, except his major style — and Half an Inch of Water is a very good book, arguably the best collection of his career. The lost, the absent, and the missing figure powerfully, which in turn means that hope, however slender, often takes the form of recovery or reconciliation. In “Graham Greene,” a 102-year-old Native American woman named Roberta Cloud asks a man named Jack Keene to find her long-lost son, Davy, who must be eighty, if he’s alive. The tribal offices have no records of a Davy Cloud, and even Roberta’s family denies that he ever existed. The photograph she gives to Keene turns out to show Graham Greene, not the British novelist but the Native American actor best known for his roles in Thunderheart and Dances with Wolves. Here’s Keene’s conversation with one woman on the reservation:
“Can I ask you a question?” Delores looked at my eyes. “Why are you doing all this?” “I don’t know. An old lady asked me to do something for her and I said I’d try.” “You could have said no,” she said. “I suppose I could have. But I didn’t and here I am.” “You must have hurt somebody along the way, I guess.” “Excuse me?” “You must be guilty about something.” I stared at her for a long few seconds. “Who isn’t?”
Perhaps the other Graham Greene is in the air, after all. Jack’s mission, in any case, is an utter failure. When he returns to give Roberta Cloud the bad news, he finds her on her deathbed, where, in her delirium, she mistakes Keene for Davy. She gets her reunion and says her farewell, while Keene is left uneasy, unsure whether his subterfuge has compounded or absolved his opaque, pervasive guilt.
Time and again in Everett’s stories, characters are brought to confrontations with the inexplicable, and sometimes with the ineffable. Surprisingly, when the wonders of the invisible world exert pressure on the visible one, its borders expand to include them, rather than contract under their weight. The supernatural does not supersede the natural; it supercharges it. In “Stonefly,” a fourteen-year-old boy becomes obsessed with catching an impossibly large trout in the river where his older sister drowned. In “Liquid Glass,” one lowlife pays another a thousand dollars to pick up a mysterious package from a bus station — with equally mysterious, and macabre, results.
And in “A High Lake,” Norma Snow’s morning trail ride leads her one day to a canyon where “the flowers didn’t make sense altogether, and the chickweed should have been long gone.... Then it occurred to her that the light was not changing, the sun was where it had been when she first rode into this place.” A dog appears, apparently her own beloved Zach, who’s been dead for years but has somehow been restored to a puppy. Norma gradually surmises that she is seeing a preview of the hereafter, emphasis on the “here.” Whatever else the place is, it is, first and foremost, a place. A place real enough that her horse can graze there. A place where, when she’s ready to leave, she can climb back into the saddle and ride home.TWiST Episode #140 with Gavin Andresen and Amir Taaki
What if–instead of whipping out your VISA card–you could pay just as safely and much more anonymously with bitcoin, a growing open-sourced international currency. Never heard of it? Then it’s a must you watch this episode of TWiST, where Jason talks to Gavin Andresen, the bitcoin technical lead, and Amir Taaki, founder of BitcoinConsultancy.com about exactly what bitcoin is, how you can use it–and why it will be illegal in under a decade.
Support This Week in Startups and independent media by joining our new Producer Program at twistlist.co!
1:00-5:00 Welcome and discussion of Forbes article by TJ Walker on Jason as the host of TWiST.
5:00-7:00 Thank you go GoToMeeting for sponsoring the show.
7:00-7:15 Go to TWiSTList.co and choose a level of support that works for you.
7:15-8:00 Bitcoin: Open-source, peer-to-peer currency.
8:00-9:00 Gavin, tell the audience in simple terms, what is bitcoin? (Watch the clip.)
9:00-10:15 You actually lead the open-source project to make this software? When did it start?
10:15-10:45 Is it as simple as installing the software?
10:45-11:15 So if I throw my computer out, my bitcoins go with it?
11:15-13:00 Where did the money come from and how many bitcoins are out there? Are bitcoins backed by silver or some other asset?
13:00-13:30 So I just set my software to generate bitcoins. What now? (Watch the clip.)
13:30-14:15 How long would it take for me to make a bitcoin?
14:15-15:00 What’s the current value of the bitcoin?
15:00-15:30 How many bitcoins are there in existence and how many will there be in existence?
15:30-16:45 Amir, you have a biz called BitcoinConsultancy.com. What do you do?
16:45-17:45 You built the exchange software piece of this?
17:45-18:30 If I want to create my own exchange, and I want to charge 1%, I can just use your software for free and set it up?
18:30-19:15 How are people buying bitcoins?
19:15-19:45 What’s the largest bitcoin exchange in existence today? Who owns it and how do they make money?
19:45-20:00 Why is it illegitimate?
20:00-23:00 Having an exchange of virtual currencies seems illegal in the US. But how does someone enforce trading laws if bitcoins are invisible?
23:30-24:45 Who is Satoshi, the founder of bitcoin? (Watch the clip.)
24:45-26:30 Gavin’s evaluation of Satoshi’s involvement.
26:30-27:30 Were they eventually put out of business because it was illegal?
27:30-29:00 Is that as inspiring as having a global currency?
29:00-31:00 So there’s a privacy angle here. If I want a consumer product, you don’t get to know everything about me, is that the point?
31:00-32:00 In a way, it’s taking power away from governments who would manipulate currencies and it’s giving consumers protection. Is it impervious to inflation and manipulation?
32:00-33:10 Gavin, are you really the creator of bitcoin?
33:10-35:15 Tyler: Why are you motivated to promote this? How does anyone benefit?
35:15-36:30 Bitcoins are divisible to eight decimal places, so do you see it as a micro-currency?
36:30-37:15 As an investment property, theoretically, bitcoins are going to go up in value and to what pace will that happen? Is this an investment?
37:15-40:15 Ad for Squarespace.
40:15-43:00 Amir, you’re a poker player. What are your thoughts on the poker economy and bitcoins?
43:00-43:45 Are people actually playing poker for bitcoins right now? (Betco.in is one site.)
43:45-45:00 Is it hackable? Have people tried? (Watch the clip.)
45:00-46:00 Is this on the radar of any governments yet? Have you been contacted by the FBI or the CIA?
46:00-47:00 How did the CIA contact you? (Bonus fact: Did you know the CIA has a VC arm? It’s called In-Q-Tel.)
47:00-48:00 Amir: Regarding regulation, in the beginning, we spoke to lawyers and they hadn’t heard anything about bitcoins.
48:00-49:15 Jason’s prediction: This will be illegal in the US within 24 months.
49:15-50:45 Have the anonymous guys embraced this yet? If people mess with bitcoin, will anonymous take them out?
50:45-53:00 If bitcoins are made illegal in the US, how difficult does that make it for everyone else?
53:00-54:00 Disussion of the Humble Indie Bundle.
54:00-55:15 Tyler, do you agree that anonymous has a tremendous amount of power?
55:15-56:15 Thank you to both Gavin and Amir.
56:15-57:00 Thank you to all of the TWiST List members and producers.
57:00-58:15 Tyler: Will bitcoin be able to circumvent government attempts to shut it down after it’s deemed illegal?
58:15-1:00:00 Let’s say the US goes insane and some idiot is in charge and they attempt to block bitcoins. It won’t work, am I right?
1:00:00-1:00:30 Thank you to new TWiST List producers.
1:00:30-1:02:15 This is one of the most interesting thing I’ve seen in my 20 years in the technology business.
1:02:15-1:04:00 Thank you to everyone, guests and sponsors.
1:04:00-1:05:00 Remember to check out Skweal.com.
Multilingual? Translate this episode of TWiST into another language and email the transcript to translate@thisweekin.com
Further Background on Bitcoin, Gavin Andresen and Amir Taaki
About Bitcoin
Bitcoin is the first digital currency to be distributed and was created by Satoshi Nakamoto
Bitcoin is based on entirely open source software
Decentralized to ensure security and freedom of use
Encryption provides basic security functions, like ensuring that bitcoins can only be spent by the person who owns them and never more than once
No bank is required for bitcoin distribution–anyone can create, buy, sell or accept bitcoins as a payment method for tangible or intangible goods and services
Bitcoin creation is called ‘mining’–the network creates and distributes a batch of new bitcoins approximately six times per hour at random to somebody running the software with the “generate coins” option selected
Miners offer competitive fees to facilitate bitcoin transactions, ensuring that transaction fees stay low
About Gavin
Has been bitcoin Technical Lead for over a year
Got involved by submitting patches of code to Satoshi; after establishing his trust, became contact person for the community
Part of a group of unpaid contributors who help run bitcoin-based services worldwide
First bitcoin project was Bitcoin Faucet, which gave away 5 bitcoins per IP address; now gives away 2 bitpennies per Google account
Founded ClearCoin, a bitcoin escrow service
In order for bitcoin to grow, Gavin believes we need niche markets (like overseas services) to deal in the currency, where it could provide a clear cost advantage
Says one of bitcoin’s key advantages is that it’s an international currency
Says he believes bitcoin has the potential to be “world-changing and disruptive”
With the large barrier to entry that exists in the financial industry, Gavin says the disaggregation of financial framework could allow bitcoins to become a player
Gavin has purchased Red Sox tickets and alpaca-wool socks using bitcoins
Previously worked on software for the U of Mass. Amherst, as a developer for Gravity Switch and as game designer at All inPlay
About Amir
One of the founders of BitcoinConsultancy.com, a UK company based in the Netherlands
His company developed bitcoin-exchange software
Working with one of the largest mobile companies in South Africa with goal of providing bitcoin services for mobile phones
Also working to develop an enterprise version of bitcoin so businesses can get their money in and out more easily
Is a poker player who tried to set up a bitcoin-accepting poker site in the U.S.
Sees bitcoin as eventually becoming a viable alternative to Western Union
Says that niches bitcoin could focus on to be viable are micro transactions, the black market, and international transactions
Believes that the liquidity of bitcoins make them easier for people to donate and spend (no bank or credit card company barriers)
Says the fact that the price of the bitcoin has increased doesn’t mean there’s been an increase in their actual value
Since speculation drives up the price of bitcoin, Amir’s biz partner is working on a project to determine their intrinsic value
Prior to working in bitcoins, programmed video games and has 10+ years of experience with open-source software
FOLLOW ON TWITTER
Jason: @jason
Gavin: @gavinandresen
Bitcoin (unofficial): @bitcoinmedia(Photo: Nejron/Dreamstime)
Too much reliance on litigation is bad for the courts and the Dems.
Editor’s Note: This article, originally published in 2005, was written for National Review Online by Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch.
Who do you think said this: “Reliance on constitutional lawsuits to achieve policy goals has become a wasting addiction among American progressives.... Whatever you feel about the rights that have been gained through the courts, it is easy to see that dependence on judges has damaged the progressive movement and its causes”? Rush Limbaugh? Laura Ingraham? George Bush? The author is David von Drehle, a Washington Post columnist. This admission, by a self-identified liberal, is refreshing stuff. It is a healthy sign for the country and those rethinking the direction of the Democratic party in the wake of November’s election results. Let’s hope this sort of thinking spreads.
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There’s no doubt that constitutional lawsuits have secured critical civil-rights victories, with the desegregation cases culminating in Brown v. Board of Education topping the list. But rather than use the judiciary for extraordinary cases, von Drehle recognizes that American liberals have become addicted to the courtroom, relying on judges and lawyers rather than elected leaders and the ballot box, as the primary means of effecting their social agenda on everything from gay marriage to assisted suicide to the use of vouchers for private-school education.
This overweening addiction to the courtroom as the place to debate social policy is bad for the country and bad for the judiciary. In the legislative arena, especially when the country is closely divided, compromises tend to be the rule the day. But when judges rule this or that policy unconstitutional, there’s little room for compromise: One side must win, the other must lose. In constitutional litigation, too, experiments and pilot programs — real-world laboratories in which ideas can be assessed on the results they produce — are not possible. Ideas are tested only in the abstract world of legal briefs and lawyers arguments. As a society, we lose the benefit of the give-and-take of the political process and the flexibility of social experimentation that only the elected branches can provide.
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At the same time, the politicization of the judiciary undermines the only real asset it has — its independence. Judges come to be seen as politicians and their confirmations become just another avenue of political warfare. Respect for the role of judges and the legitimacy of the judiciary branch as a whole diminishes. The judiciary’s diminishing claim to neutrality and independence is exemplified by a recent, historic shift in the Senate’s confirmation process. Where trial-court and appeals-court nominees were once routinely confirmed on voice vote, they are now routinely subjected to ideological litmus tests, filibusters, and vicious interest-group attacks. It is a warning sign that our judiciary is losing its legitimacy when trial and circuit-court judges are viewed and treated as little more than politicians with robes.
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As von Drehle recognizes, too much reliance on constitutional litigation is also bad for the Left itself. The Left’s alliance with trial lawyers and its dependence on constitutional litigation to achieve its social goals risks political atrophy. Liberals may win a victory on gay marriage when preaching to the choir before like-minded judges in Massachusetts. But in failing to reach out and persuade the public generally, they invite exactly the sort of backlash we saw in November when gay marriage was rejected in all eleven states where it was on the ballot. Litigation addiction also invites permanent-minority status for the Democratic party — Democrats have already failed to win a majority of the popular vote in nine out of the last ten presidential elections and pandering to judges rather than voters won’t help change that. Finally, in the greatest of ironies, as Republicans win presidential and Senate elections and thus gain increasing control over the judicial appointment and confirmation process, the level of sympathy liberals pushing constitutional litigation can expect in the courts may wither over time, leaving the Left truly out in the cold.
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During the New Deal, liberals recognized that the ballot box and elected branches are generally the appropriate engines of social reform, and liberals used both to spectacular effect — instituting profound social changes that remain deeply ingrained in society today. In the face of great skepticism about the constitutionality of New Deal measures in some corners, a generation of Democratic-appointed judges, from Louis Brandeis to Byron White, argued for judicial restraint and deference to the right of Congress to experiment with economic and social policy. Those voices have been all but forgotten in recent years among liberal activists. It would be a very good thing for all involved — the country, an independent judiciary, and the Left itself — if liberals take a page from David von Drehle and their own judges of the New Deal era, kick their addiction to constitutional litigation, and return to their New Deal roots of trying to win elections rather than lawsuits.Let's talk about taming, domestication and consequences
There is an article in the The New York Times science section[1] with Wolf Park puppies starring on some pics. I followed their growing-up process daily some time ago.[2] Two of five WP born ‘Twigglets’ were exchanged for a pair of wolf puppies from The Wolf Mountain Nature Center. They grew-up together and were released to the main enclosure the other day. In the 1970s, Ms. Goodmann worked with Erich Klinghammer, the founder of Wolf Park, to develop the 24/7 model for socializing wolf puppies, exposing them to humans and then also to other wolves, so they could relate to their own kind but accept the presence and attentions of humans, even intrusive ones like veterinarians. - the author of the article is reminding a part of the Wolf Park’s history. “You have to be with them 24/7. That means sleeping with them, feeding them every four hours on the bottle,” Dr. Lord said. Also, as Ms. Bouchard noted, “we don’t shower” in the early days, to let the pups get a clear sense of who they are smelling. - Dr. Kathryn Lord is an evolutionary biologist who is currently working with Dr. Elinor Karlsson’s team, on behaviour and genetic research studies of wolf/dog puppies. Jacinthe Bouchard is the Zoo Académie[4] owner who has trained domestic and wild animals, and now is helping in the lab.
Taming the wild, sources: D.E. MacHugh et al/Annu. Rev. Anim. Biosci. 2017; M. Germonpré et al/J. Archaeol. Sci. 2009
Both wolves and dogs split from a common ancestor around 15,000 years ago. Two subspecies of Canis Lupus emerged with only one of them abandoning wildlife by choosing the role of humans companion animal - Canis Lupus Familiaris, a domestic dog. Today dogs depend on humans, completely.
According to a theory by prof. Raymond Coppinger and his wife Lorna, the reason why the domestication process was initiated were humans who decided to change their nomadic lifestyle (hunting, collecting food) to a settled one (agriculture, cultivation) what was related with leaving garbage. Some wolves - too weak to hunt, performing poorly in the hunt or just less scared of humans - progressively started to feed on that garbage, feeling safe close to human settlements and as a result giving birth to offspring (three canonical conditions fulfilled for species survival). It was probably a natural process where more and more fearless generations of pre-dogs cooperated with humans by cleaning areas off potential trash, danger warning (against intruders, other predators) and even being eaten if a famine period happened.
Wildlife, as a set of multiplicitous ecosystems, defines all of plants (flora) and most of animals (fauna) living there without human influence or just not affected by human activity (otherwise, a wild animal is avoiding a human even if it remains in its natural habitat). Wild animals are not restrained by their natural environment, not tamed and not domesticated. Every species existence proceeds in keeping with its nature and instinct. Gray wolf (Canis lupus) in its natural habitat (forest) is a typical example of wild predator. Living in family packs it hunts (food finding), stays safe (active protection (intraspecific competition) or passive risk avoidance (interspecific competition)) and reproduces (an offspring as a main goal). To sum up - it survives, where one of conditions to be fulfilled is avoiding a human. If an animal is able to not be scared of human presence in a relatively close distance, it means that taming should be possible. A tamed animal is a wild animal which previously adapted to humans in a natural way (socialization/habituation process) or by human intervention (animal training).
Domestication is not a result of successively carried out taming. A tamed animal was as a wild animal naturally (socialized/habituated) or conditionally (trained) susceptible to reduce its instinctive avoidance of human. Domestic animals were (as wild animals) evolutionary accommodated by inheriting predispositions toward humans in the natural way (interspecific cooperation) or by human intervention (selective breeding). “If you want a wolf, get a dog.” - L. David Mech says, a pioneering wolf biologist, senior scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey and an adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota. A dog (Canis [lupus] familiaris) seems to be the first domesticated animal. Its specific form of mutualism is (like in the case of livestock and other companion animals) engaged with the human who manages every survival condition - food, safety and even reproduction, if it’s not a free-ranging one, village dog for example.
You can train a wolf but you can’t tame it. Captive-born (same as wild-born, captive at the right moment) wolves - if they’re properly socialized before - tolerate familiar people (their caretakers, wolf keepers) as ‘harmless strangers’. Opposite to a dog, ‘tame’ wolf gives birth to wild offspring which is instinctively (genetically) scared of humans (as one of life-threatening species). In research laboratories wolf puppies are taken by researches when they’re 8-10 days, cared for by them, visited by parents and reunited with the rest of the wolf pack when they’re youngsters. That’s very important, because both wolves and dogs go through a critical period as puppies when they explore the world and learn who their friends and family are. With wolves, that time is thought to start at about two weeks, when the wolves are deaf and blind. Scent is everything. In dogs, it starts at about four weeks, when they can see, smell and hear. Dr. Lord thinks this shift in development, allowing dogs to use all their senses, might be key to their greater ability to connect with human beings. - the author of the mentioned article concludes.
It seems to be rather impossible to historically domesticate the wolf species (in the context of dog’s genesis) by taming - obligatory naturally, selective breeding is not the way to tame an animal but to domesticate it other way than natural. Coppingers’ theory remains the most supported although it was revised a bit by modern researches. Comparison between genome sequences belonging to Dingo, Basenji and Boxer (as a sample examined before) confirmed their very propinquity, but examined wolves were more related to one another than to whichever examined dog.[5] It suggests that both, a wolf and a dog, descend from the same ancestor which died off a long time ago.
Copy number variation at amylase (AMY2B) locus, research: Genome Sequencing Highlights the Dynamic Early History of Dogs, source: PLOS Genetics
60 years ago (the project is going till this day thanks to dr Ludmiła Trut) Russian geneticist Dmitry Konstantinovich Belyayev determined to perform an experiment - to recreate canine domestication process by selective breeding, using closely related to one another, captive-wild silver foxes. He tested young ones by trying to pet and hold them while they were fed treats, dividing them into three groups:
group 1 -> aiming for human contact;
group 2 -> tolerating human contact, not escaping;
group 3 -> not tolerating human contact, escaping, aggresive.
Only first two groups were allowed to reproduce, until the first one was numerous enough:
Only first two groups were allowed to reproduce, until the first one was numerous enough: there were 5% of foxes in groups 1 and 2 at the beginning;
in the 20 generation there were 35% foxes in group 1;
in the 40 generation there were 80% foxes in group 1.
The result of the Bielyayev’s experiment weren’t only fox behaviour changes, fox appearance also changed - more and more of them had floppy ears or a curly tail, what characterizes dogs, not wild animals like foxes or wolves. Belyayev proved that by selective breeding, providing domestication process of wild animals is possible. Moreover, he pointed out that in pair with that process go ‘human-friendly’ appearance changes. Most domesticated mammals, including dogs, tend to have smaller bodies than their wild counterparts, with smaller skulls that have shorter, wider snouts and shorter, lower jaws. Those features make adult dogs look more puppylike than grown wolves do. That type of facial remodeling is part of the domestication syndrome, which also includes curly tails, floppy ears and other characteristics common among domesticated animals but not wild ones.[6] If historically human indeed decided to shorten the domestication process by selective breeding, fearful and aggressive pre-dogs were leaving human settlement, being chased away or just killed.
Dogs and wolves are genetically similar in 98% but it |
just before the Russian revolution – it was just about possible to discern a link, albeit a loosely drawn one, between these two settings and the professed oil theme.
Wolfgang Koch as Der Wanderer and German tenor Burkhard Ulrich as Mime in Siegfried. Photograph: ENRICO NAWRATH / BAYREUTH FESTIVAL/EPA
But the two final parts of Castorf's cycle had almost nothing of this theme, beyond the dark polluted clouds that formed its permanent backdrop. Instead, the settings were increasingly dominated by the remnants and echoes of East Berlin before the fall of communism. Even here, little was developed to a theatrical, let alone musical, argument. Most important, it had nothing to do with Wagner's Ring – with its music, its poetry or its ambition to unify the performing arts and elevate humankind in the process. One can understand why some directors, especially Germans and Marxists, may feel uneasy about tackling Wagner's vast work in his own theatre, but that's the challenge. And some fine modern directors have faced it with great and radical distinction.
Castorf's approach was the reverse. He tried to ignore everything with which Wagner had provided him. He seemed to say that such an effort was inherently unworthy in the 21st century, and he essentially blew a raspberry at the entire Wagnerian inheritance. All along, Castorf alluded and then ran away from what he may have been saying – though so much was all but impossible to see, understand or discern. That lack of clarity was not the audience's fault, but Castorf's. His was an interpretation against interpretation. Fair enough, you may say, if you think that anything goes. But that didn't seem to be the view of the angry audience. And, in that case, why offer Castorf the Bayreuth bicentenary Ring? And why would he accept the commission?
(l to r) Lance Ryan (Siegfrield), Alison Oakes (Gutrune) and Catherine Foster (Brünnhilde) in Götterdämmerung. Photograph: Enrico Nawrath/AFP/Getty Images
If this Ring had any theme, it was unintentional and only occurred to me after the performance. Castorf seems like a living embodiment of the Ring's villain, Alberich, who steals the gold, renounces love and wants to rule the world. Castorf is a director who took the money, wanted notoriety and tried to face down a public. I know whose side I'm on. I wish that the Wagner half-sisters, Eva and Katharina, who run Bayreuth, were on that side, too. But after seeing this deliberately incoherent Ring cycle, it is hard to believe they are.
See also
Review: Das Rheingold and Die Wälkure
Review: Siegfried and GötterdämmerungYang Jinjun arrives back in China on Friday. South China Morning Post/Xinhua The United States government repatriated a Chinese businessman on the list of the top 100 wanted Chinese fugitives on Friday, says the Chinese government.
Yang Jinjun, who is suspected of bribery and corruption, is the first of the 100 targets to be forcibly repatriated to China by the US government, said a statement released by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection on Friday.
He is the 13th fugitive sent back to China as part of the mainland's "Operation Sky Net" anti-graft operation, since it was launched in April this year.
The other 12 fugitives were either convinced by Chinese agents to return, or repatriated by other countries.
Yang fled to the US in 2001, and had been listed as a fugitive, subject to red notices issued by Interpol, since 2005.
A red notice appeals for the location and arrest of each wanted person, and asks those member states that have signed up to the organisation, which facilitates international police cooperation, to extradite them.
Yang, who is a Wenzhou native, is the manager and legal representative of Minghe Group, according to state media.
The people wanted as part of China's "Operation Sky Net". SCMP The announcement of this repatriation comes only days before President Xi Jinping's visit to the US, which begins on Tuesday.
China has called for the US to help the repatriation of China's corrupt officials or businessmen hiding in the US.
The repatriation of Chinese fugitives topped the agenda of a visit to the US earlier this month by Meng Jianzhu, the head of China's Communist Party's Central Politics and Legal Affairs Committee.
China especially wanted the US to repatriate Ling Wancheng, brother of former presidential aide Ling Jihua, and Guo Wengui, a businessman related to disgraced spy chief Ma Jian, South China Morning Post reported today.
In April, CCDI released a detailed list of the 100 fugitives it wants to extradite back to China as part of "Sky Net".EUGENE, Ore. - The Eugene Water & Electric Board has sold a property in West Eugene to what appears to be a marijuana real estate firm.
The details are hazy, but the deed for the building on West Third Avenue shows that EWEB on Friday sold the property to a company called Kalyx Development for $3 million.
Kalyx didn't answer phone calls Monday, but on their website they describe themselves as "consulting solutions for indoor agricultural space."
In a press release for a marijuana conference, Kalyx is described as a "leading cannabis real estate and property development firm."
EWEB officials wouldn't go on camera for this story but said the building was orignally purchased as a potential home base for the utility. When that idea fell through, EWEB elected to sell the property.
The utility purchased the property for $2.5 million. A representative said the $500,000 will go into the utility's cash reserves.This time last year, I walked into a Toronto store called Moog Audio and walked out with a Teenage Engineering OP-1—a curious little portable digital synthesizer that looks, at first glance, like a child’s toy. It has a row of just four candy-colored knobs as primary input controls, and there are only enough keys for an octave-and-a-half's worth of range. But damn does it ever sound cool. Its tiny OLED screen uses all sorts of clever visual conceits to convey otherwise complex audio transformations. Colors and animations explain the differences between synthesizer engines, changes to modulation and frequency, and attack and decay. And it's done in a way that’s easy for anyone with little synthesizer knowledge to understand while still being powerful in more experienced hands. This is a synthesizer, drum machine, and four-track recorder all-in-one—all in a device that fits inside a purse or messenger bag with ease.
It wasn’t always like this. In fact, it was 50 years ago this year that, in 1964, a man by the name of Bob Moog unveiled a synthesizer of a very different sort. Called the Moog Modular, it is regarded as one of the first. Though Moog wouldn’t officially advertise his creation as a synthesizer until 1966, that’s precisely what it was—an array of electronic modules that Moog designed, often controlled via keyboard, and connected to one another with a bird's nest of cables that, somehow, produced weird musical sounds unlike anything anyone had heard before.
The Moog Modular was not the only synthesizer in development at the time, however. On the opposite end of the continent in Berkeley, California, a man named Don Buchla independently devised a similar device, but it differed in a crucial way. Buchla’s synthesizer eschewed the use of a keyboard to trigger notes for touch-controlled panels that produced unfamiliar, atonal music unbound from the traditional musical scale. Both had their proponents, but for most musicians, the familiarity of the keyboard paradigm eventually won out. For a time, Moog was synthesizers. Even today, it’s a testament to the enduring cachet of Moog’s work that one can now buy any number of competing synthesizers from a store bearing his name.
My OP-1 is tiny compared to the size of Moog’s first synthesizer, yet it's far more powerful than anyone, even Moog, could have imagined. But today's marvels wouldn’t exist were it not for his (and Buchla’s) work. Even beyond the instrument, many of the things we take for granted—from the sound cards in our computers, to some of Hollywood’s most iconic films—were created, in part, thanks to Moog’s first modular synth.
Sounds that go wooo
Born in 1934 to George and Shirley Moog, a young Bob Moog first learned to build electronics in the family’s basement with his father, a Con Edison electrical engineer. According to Trevor Pinch and Frank Trocco’s 2002 book Analog Days: The Invention and Impact of The Moog Synthesizer, Moog became particularly enamored with a hobbyist kit for a strange device called the Theremin. He built his first at the age of 15.
Some like to refer to the Theremin as the first electronic instrument. Lev Termen (or Léon Theremin), the Russian inventor after which the Theremin is named, invented the device in the early 1920s. It has two metal antennas that, based on the position of a person’s hands above the device, control the volume and pitch of an oscillator. In other words, the Theremin is played, not with any physical controls, but by waving your hands around in the air. The result is… weird. If you don’t know what it sounds like, enjoy the below video from YouTube. The high-pitched, voice-like wail produced by the Theremin sounds like something from another world—which is probably why it was so often used in early Hollywood films to signify the alien, mysterious, and strange.
As Moog’s Theremin hobbyist skills improved, he formed the R. A. Moog Co. with his father. The pair began by selling Theremin parts, and later, the instruments themselves, both as fully completed models and kits. This continued through 1957 during Moog's time at Columbia University and Queens College, where he earned an undergraduate degree in physics and a master's degree in electrical engineering, and into 1958, when Moog began graduate studies at Cornell University. In 1963, Moog moved his business from the basement of his house to a storefront in Trumansburg, just north of Ithaca. He intended to become a fully fledged manufacturer of Theremin kits.
At least, that was the plan until Moog met a young experimental music composer named Herbert Deutsch.
According to Analog Days, Deutsch first met Moog at a conference in 1963, where Moog was selling his company’s newly manufactured Theremin kits. Deutsch liked the Theremin, but what he really wanted was an instrument that would allow Deutsch to make “sounds with moving pitches,” according to Moog (or, as Deutsch is reported to have said, “sounds that go wooo-wooo-ah-woo-woo.”) Moog was always attentive to the needs of musicians throughout his career, so he started work on the device Deutsch described.
The following year, at a talk in October 1964, Moog presented his initial result in a paper for The Audio Engineering Society titled “Voltage-Controlled Electronic Music Modules.” It described “the first results of a program directed toward the development of a system for the composition of electronic music.”
It was one of the very first synths.
Listing image by Flickr user: John GrabowskiThere's a lot of keyboards on the market. Almost as many gaming keyboards out there. To my mind, a gaming keyboard is something that facilitates home gaming or competitive gaming beyond what a standard keyboard is capable of providing. The could mean macro keys, faster function, portability, or any number of advantages.
At E3 this year, I got my first introduction to Bloody as a company. The booth itself was off to the side, and every time I looked over, traffic was light. There was no stampede to test out Bloody anything. But to be fair, it wasn't like the Razer booth was mobbed with more people than allowable. There were more at Razer, but they are one of the most well known gaming device creators in PC gaming. I've owned at least two Razer mice over the years. But I'm always on the lookout for new and interesting products. As it happened, Bloody had one.
Two actually. The B740a Light Strike Gaming keyboard, and the Zl5A sniper laser gaming mouse.
Let me start with the Sniper mouse. It has metal glide plates, which allow it to have extremely smooth movement over nearly any surface. And when I say nearly, I meant it. I have a glass-top desk. Not only can the metal glide system cross any surface I put under it, but the laser tracking system actually functions on glass. That is something I've never seen before. And before you ask, it's clear glass with only the floor three feet below to reflect off of. Every mouse I have ever owned has always required a surface with some level of opacity to function. Except of course when we go all the way back to roller ball mice.
Additionally, the mouse has a variable CPI resolution that can go from the ultra-fine 100 CPI to the blazing 8200 CPI. Not the fastest on the market, or the fastest I've tried, but being able to use such a wide range of settings is extremely helpful. And for all those gamers who play shooters, this is definitely a mouse you need to at least consider. It has a quick weapon change button, a built-in sniper function that slows CPI to allow for more accurate shots, and even has a burst fire setting. Want to have multiple clicks within a single button push? you've got it. The lighting features change color based on which function you're using at the time.
It's supposedly tested to 20 million button clicks, but I don't have time to get that far. All I can say is that I have had no problems so far. And I've put it through some heavy paces.It has a braided cord cover, which limits tangles and damage. I also like it because it's larger and fits my hand better. Though, that point could be a down side for any gamers that don't have big hands. Honestly, it's hard to find something bad about the mouse. The biggest point that I should make is make sure you understand all the buttons. It's possible to accidentally click something and be triple clicking outside a game. That's frustrating when you can't remember which of the 10 buttons you hit. Or in which order you hit them.
But I'd still recommend the mouse to anyone, not just hardcore gamers.
Now, onto the keyboard.
The thing that separates the Light Strike keyboard line from every competitor is the keys. Bloody has developed keys that use infrared lasers to function. As you depress the keys, a gate is lowered, and a laser completes a circuit. This means that there's no rubbing parts, and the response time is lowered dramatically. How dramatic? It goes from 30 ms (milliseconds) to.2 ms. It's pretty much instantaneous. The company even offers a downloadable program to show you the difference between keyboards. Press the same key on two different keyboards and see which is the fastest. Well, the Light Strike wins just about every time. So if you need fast, get a Light Strike keyboard.
There's another added bonus. It's water resistant. Actually, it a lot of stuff resistant. While the keys still press down to get the connection, the hole is not open. There is an up-slope that the key actually fits over. It is within that up-slope where the mechanism resides. Because there is a 6mm lip around it, water doesn't ever actually get inside the mechanism to damage it. The plastic body is coated which makes it extremely easy to wipe down. It's actually very easy to clean, all around. Much easier than conventional keyboards.
If you drop crumbs or hair or any number of innumerable types of dirt on your keyboard, you simply unplug it from the computer, pull all the keys off, wipe it down or vacuum, and put the keys back. They're easy to change. Not going to lie, that is really impressive. Cleaning keyboards has always been horrible for me. Dead skin, dust, hair, everything seems to get in between those little spaces. And they're impossible to clean. I owned one keyboard that was so terrible, that if I didn't clean it weekly with a pipe cleaner, some of the keys wouldn't even be able to depress. You'll never have that problem with this keyboard.
Interestingly enough, Bloody provides a number of textured keys, W,E, R, A, S, D, F. So for those keys, you can decide which you like better. There's a small tool which can grip the keys and pull them off, without damaging any of the mechanisms. The outer keys can be done with your fingers, but those closer to the center can be tricky, hence the tool.
The keyboard does have a few negative points, at least in my opinion. It's loud. I mean seriously loud, the plastic on plastic clacking rivals an old school typewriter. Actually, I think my grandmother's manual typewriter is quieter than this keyboard. And when I'm not using it to game, the key function is close to too fast. When typing, I'll sometimes have to go back and correct because the hyper-sensitive keys pick up the smallest press. Or hit so fast they'll type in the wrong order. I like the textured keys, which are orange as opposed to dark gray, and they're much quieter. But there's only a few. I honestly wish the entire keyboard was that texture. Those keys are quieter as well.
The cord is also braided for tangle protection and damage protection, which is nice. Additionally, the keyboard can be placed into 'Gaming mode' which allows for full anti-ghosting protection. So far, I don't notice a huge difference, but then I was never bogged down by ghosting in the past. Of course, the fact that gaming and typing has been much smoother is probably indicative of the anti-ghosting performing the way it promised. It also has lighting effects, and kicks into a display mode after a minute of not being used.
For competitive gamers, I should probably mention that this keyboard has the number pad, making it a full keyboard. If you need something that's 10 keyless, you'll sadly have to look somewhere else. But that always depends on the tournament, I suppose.
If noise doesn't bother you and you need speed, then this is the keyboard for you. If you live with people or like quiet keystrokes, you might want to test before buying. There will always be some noise to keyboards, but this is on the louder end of the spectrum. Also, the typeface is slightly off-putting. It's very futuristic, which can throw some people off.
The abbreviations are strange as well. 'HM' is home, but 'PU' is page up. It doesn't actually say 'caps lock' you just have to assume by positioning. I suppose you could consider those gripes nit-picking, but if you're used to a typical keyboard, it will take some getting used to. The problem comes with where the lights had to be placed thanks to the mechanism inside. Because of that, the lights are at the top of the keys, which means anything to be lit up has to be at the top as well. So, the 'DEL' of delete will fit, but the two word 'page down' or 'print screen' get turned into single letter abbreviations. But then, the number lock 'Num Lk' key figured out a way to get both words in there.
Over all, a good purchase, but do bear in mind the negative points I found before buying. If they don't seem like they'd bother you, by all means pick one up. The Light Strike technology is game changing for PC gaming.Without ever having to secure a criminal conviction, or even file charges, law enforcement agencies can permanently confiscate cash, cars, homes and other valuables. Known as civil forfeiture, the arrangement has been blasted as “policing for profit” and “little more than state-sanctioned theft.” Now prosecutors have brought criminal cases against law enforcement officers, accusing them of theft and extortion.
On March 31, a former Virginia deputy was convicted for embezzling more than $229,000 in asset forfeiture funds. “Designated as the deputy responsible for overseeing the asset forfeiture program,” Frank Michael Pearson was able to “steal money that had been seized by other members of the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office for potential asset forfeiture,” a release by the U.S. Department of Justice recounted. Pearson now faces up to 10 years imprisonment for each of his four counts of theft.
Yet in Virginia and 42 other states, police and prosecutors can retain anywhere from 45 to 100 percent of forfeiture proceeds—a clear incentive to seize. Apparently Pearson took the “eat what you kill” mindset on confiscating property one step too far.
The same day Pearson was convicted, an Oklahoma grand jury indicted Wagoner County Sheriff Bob Colbert and Deputy Jeff Gragg on three felony counts, including bribery and extortion. Back in December 2014, Gragg pulled over Torell Wallace and a 17-year-old passenger. During the traffic stop, the deputy reportedly searched the car and found $10,000 in cash. Gragg arrested both individuals for “possession of drug proceeds,” a felony.
“After being taken to the Wagoner County Jail, Colbert and Gragg accepted a bribe from Wallace and the passenger when Wallace disclaimed any interest in the cash,” the state’s attorney general alleged in a release. Both Wallace and the minor were released, while “the cash was placed in a Sheriff’s Drug Forfeiture account.”
Colbert and Gragg could each face up to 25 years in prison and fines as high as $10,000 if convicted. The sheriff has already been suspended from his duties. As The Oklahoman summarized it, Colbert’s attorney defended the traffic stop as “a routine drug interdiction and a lawful cash seizure of drug funds.”
She certainly has a point. The traffic stop described in the indictment is unfortunately not an uncommon scene on America’s highways. As portrayed in heartbreaking detail by The New Yorker and The Washington Post, police have pulled over motorists (many of whom are immigrants, low-income or people of color), seized their cash and then intimidated them to sign roadside waivers disclaiming ownership, or else face criminal prosecution.
In Philadelphia, law enforcement egregiously practiced “seize and seal,” whereby police would seize a home and seal it, preventing the owners from returning home. To unseal the property, homeowners—who often were never accused of any wrongdoing—would typically have to agree to waive key legal defenses, including the right to trial, Pennsylvania’s defense for innocent, third-party owners and their ability to challenge the forfeiture as an “excessive fine” under the state and federal constitutions. Records obtained by the Institute for Justice, which sued the city for its “civil forfeiture machine,” show that Philadelphia forfeited nearly 1,200 homes and other real estate properties between 2002 and 2012.
Last November, Philadelphia agreed to a settlement agreement to strictly curtail this policy and to dismiss existing seize and seal orders. The rest of IJ’s lawsuit, including challenging the city’s incentive in forfeiture, is still ongoing.
While Philadelphia’s actions were widely condemned (including on a memorable episode of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver), one prosecutor was apparently inspired. Speaking at a vehicle forfeiture conference in 2014, Pete Connelly, then the city attorney for Las Cruces, N.M., praised the city’s program as a “gold mine.” “Just think what you could do as the legal department,” he added. “We could be czars.”
Nor is Connelly alone with his unabashed support for aggressive forfeiture laws. Sean McMurtry, a prosecutor in New Jersey, once taught a course on civil forfeiture, with a lesson plan that advised, “IF IN DOUBT…TAKE IT!” Not one for subtlety, Ron Hain, an Illinois deputy, self-published a book on highway interdiction and asset forfeiture, where he called for “turning our police forces into present-day Robin Hoods.”
Given such reckless attitudes towards police profiteering, it’s no surprise forfeiture has skyrocketed. Back in 1986, the year after the Justice Department established its Assets Forfeiture Fund, it had $93.7 million in deposits. By 2014, that number had topped $4.5 billion. On the state level, data is patchier, but according to an Institute for Justice report, “total annual forfeiture revenue across 14 states more than doubled from 2002 to 2013.”
Forcibly redistributing all that wealth from the law-abiding to police coffers may even harm the economy at large. In its 2015 report on global economic freedom, the Fraser Institute noted that the United States was the “world’s freest OECD nation” up until 2000. But economic liberty has been on the decline ever since, with “property rights and the rule of law” in particular “under attack in the United States.” One “contributing factor” to this erosion, the Fraser Institute posited, could be “the expansion in civil asset forfeitures.”
Because the financial incentive is so strong, even if prosecutors were willing to bring more indictments against those who illegally gain from forfeiture, that would be no substitute for systemic reform. Lawmakers must curtail policing for profit. Any and all proceeds should be directed away from police budgets and towards either the general fund or a neutral fund, like education. Requiring a criminal conviction and banning roadside waivers would go far in protecting due process rights for property owners.
Civil forfeiture clearly has the power to tempt law enforcers to become law breakers. Theft is theft, even if it’s done by someone wearing a badge.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of civil forfeiture, please contact the Institute for Justice. For more information on civil forfeiture, visit endforfeiture.com.The US and 18 other countries have pledged to double funds for clean energy research to a total of $20bn over five years, boosting a parallel initiative by Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg and increasing the prospects for successful agreement at the Paris climate negotiations that start on Monday.
The countries, which include the UK, Canada, China, Brazil, India and South Africa, span the biggest global economies and major emitters, oil and gas producers, and leaders in clean energy research, the White House said.
Paris climate talks: ‘Six years on, climate change is killing fish, flooding our fields’ Read more
Tech and business leaders, including America’s Bill Gates, George Soros, Meg Whitman and Mark Zuckerberg, Germany’s Hasso Plattner, India’s Ratan Tata and China’s Jack Ma, will also pledge on Monday to take on additional investment risks to bring environmental technologies coming out of scientific research to the marketplace.
“This announcement should help to send a strong signal that the world is committed to helping to mobilise the resources necessary to ensure countries around world can deploy clean energy solutions in cost-effective ways in their economies,” said Brian Deese, a senior White House advisor.
The announcement came as the first of more than 130 world leaders began jetting into Paris in preparation for the crunch negotiations. They will attend the first day of the two-week talks on Monday, instructing their negotiating teams.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Barack Obama arrives in Paris for UN climate change summit.
As the UN and the French hosts prepared for the arrival of world leaders, the Eiffel Tower was lit up with colourful climate change messages by Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general. Security was tight across the French capital, with many of the main roads around the conference centre shut for most of the day and a heavy police and army presence, following the terror attacks in the city earlier this month.
In central Paris, a largely peaceful demonstration of several thousand people forming a human chain was hijacked by a small group of masked anarchist activists, throwing missiles at the police and chanting that France had become “a police state”. The police responded by firing teargas and kettling the troublemakers.
Originally, a peaceful march through Paris had been planned, but that was banned by the government in the wake of the terror attacks that left 130 dead and scores more injured.
The Paris conference is seen as crucial to preventing runaway global warming, as failure to reach a deal would effectively bring to an end international efforts under the UN to control greenhouse gas emissions.
Countries are aiming to sign an agreement that would offer financial support to poor nations to help them cut emissions and cope with the effects of extreme weather, as well as targets on limiting global emissions that would come into effect from 2020, when current commitments run out.
David Cameron will tell the conference he wants “a global deal for a global problem” with a “robust legal framework” that would ensure the targets are met. He called for any agreement to include a long-term goal on avoiding dangerous temperature rises.
“This will give certainty to businesses and the public across the world that governments are serious about de-carbonising,” he will say.
Laos counts the cost of climate change: record floods, drought and landslides | John Vidal Read more
A long-term goal is usually framed as limiting temperature rises to no more than 2C above pre-industrial levels by the century’s end. However, in an early sign that many poor countries favour a more stringent target, the Guardian has learned that on Monday the Philippine president Benigno Aquino and the heads of state of 42 other countries will sign a declaration urging the UN to adopt a more ambitious limit of 1.5C.
The Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF), which includes the Philippines, Bangladesh and Costa Rica, will break ranks with the G77 group that traditionally represents the views of most developing countries.
“We are the countries who will suffer the most from climate change and against whom all the big [negotiating] groups like the US, EU and G77 are aligned. We are the majority: 106 of the 195 countries of the world want this 1.5C target. But there is no democracy here. It’s a power game and the powerful are not on our side,” said CVF spokesman Saleemul Huq. “We accept it is not realistic [in these talks ] but it is the right thing to do.”
The declaration will also be signed by Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland.SALEM, Massachusetts — On a quiet New England street, just steps from a yoga studio, a giant wicker sculpture of Baphomet — a demonic entity often associated with Satan — looked down on passersby.
The statue is perched upon a historic colonial-style house, filled with occult and diabolical-themed art. And that house is the national headquarters of The Satanic Temple, a national organization that’s equal parts performance art group, leftist activist organization, and anti-religion religious movement.
The house, which opened to the public in 2016, doubles as an art gallery. Each room is filled with unsettling, subversive art pieces that critique organized religion. One piece, by a local tattoo artist, depicts the victims of the Magdalene Laundries, nun-run institutions in Ireland where unmarried mothers and “fallen women” were confined in often brutal conditions. A small room off the gallery, filled with newspaper clippings and other historic items, is devoted to the “Gray Faction,” a branch of The Satanic Temple that focuses on covering and dispelling hoaxes like those that caused the “Satanic Panic” of the 1980s. Back then, mass hysteria over imagined ritual Satanic abuse caused the closure of a number of child day care centers across the US despite the fact that no reports of abuse were ever substantiated.
Despite the occult trappings, The Satanic Temple’s headquarters function just like any other museum or public organization in Salem, where thousands flock each year to mark the town’s storied history of witch trials during the late 17th century. The Ouija boards on the walls and the goth attire of most of the visitors notwithstanding, what is, perhaps, most surprising about The Satanic Temple is its normalcy.
Such a no-nonsense approach is part of the core values of The Satanic Temple, which, despite its name, is an explicitly nontheistic, rationalistic religion. In other words, TST does not believe in a supernatural God or a supernatural Satan. Rather, its members are committed to evidence-based belief — promoting scientific literacy, say — and to humanistic values. Satan is celebrated as the symbolic opposition to organized religion, which they see as an authoritarian, superstitious system.
As a quasi-political advocacy organization, it’s devoted to exposing hypocrisy and what it deems to be irrationalism and cultic group behavior in all its forms, from the Christian right to “sham” mental health practitioners who, as during the Satanic panic, use “recovered memories” to convince patients they have suffered childhood sexual or spiritual abuse at the hands of imaginary cults.
Nonetheless, political Satanism is hardly new. In the late 1960s, there was the Church of Satan — founded by Hungarian writer Anton LaVey as a kind of occult take on Randian objectivism. LaVey venerated Satan as the ultimate “adversary,” the symbol of individualism and personal liberty. (One of the church’s 11 tenets: “If a guest in your lair annoys you, treat him cruelly and without mercy.”)
But TST, which organizers stress shares “no lineage” with LaVey’s Church of Satan, is a far more overtly political and left-wing entity. It’s popular with those attracted to the symbolic nature of honoring the world’s most famous rebel, but uncomfortable with what they see as the Church of Satan’s regressive perspectives on gender and race (one TST member dismissed the group as nothing more than “alt-right neo-Nazis”).
TST is gaining prominence at an opportune moment. The largest single religious movement in America is that of the “nones,” or the religiously unaffiliated. Those who identify as spiritual but not religious are likewise on the rise.
For many in that category, institutions that offer some of the benefits of theistic religions — a moral framework, an opportunity to engage in community action with like-minded individuals — may well be particularly attractive. A Harvard Divinity School study earlier this year found that CrossFit occupied a similar place in participants’ lives. But TST, with its codified opposition to organized religion, may prove an even more alluring option: a chance for those who have been disillusioned, excluded, or left behind by mainstream religion to create intentional communities — a religion, even — that speaks to their needs.
The Satanic Temple began as a troll to the religious right. Now it’s part of the resistance.
The group was founded in 2012 by two friends, Malcolm Jerry and Lucien Greaves (both pseudonyms). Greaves serves as the organization’s public spokesperson.
TST first made headlines when a handful of its members held a January 2013 mock rally in Tallahassee, Florida — Satanic black robes and all — in honor of Republican Gov. Rick Scott, who had recently signed into law a bill allowing students to read inspirational (in practice, Christian) messages at assemblies and other school events.
A typically wry press release put out by the TST heaped praise on the governor. “Rick Scott … has reaffirmed our American freedom to practice our faith openly, allowing our Satanic children the freedom to pray in school.”
Since then, TST has taken advantage of laws designed to serve the Christian right to shine light on hypocrisy. Last year, TST members in Texas threatened to file injunctions against any enforcement of the state’s new “fetal burial rule,” which mandates that all fetal remains — including those from abortions — receive official burial or cremation, because such a rule violated TST’s religious conviction that fetuses were not people.
The group has also lobbied for “after-school Satan clubs” — secularist counterparts to Christian evangelical school organizations like the Good News Club, which are permitted in public schools. More recently, they’ve also developed a program to “troll” bakeries that refuse to serve LGBTQ couples (the subject of an ongoing Supreme Court case) by demanding that they make Satan-themed cakes. While sexual orientation is not a protected class under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, religion is, which means bakeries cannot legally refuse Satanists’ religious free expression.
Political activism on the part of churches is nothing new — from the anti-segregation work of many mainline Protestant communities during the civil rights movement to the anti-abortion efforts of many evangelical groups today. But at TST, opposition to organized religion provides the impetus for action for more progressive causes like abortion rights and anti-racism.
That’s what makes Satan central to the tenets of TST — Satan is “the rebel against tyranny,” and a powerful symbolic figurehead with a rich cultural legacy to boot.
“What things have been demonized in our culture?” New York TST chapter head Hofman Turing asked me. Individualism, free thought, resistance to authority; Satan, he said, represented all of them.
Some members’ longing for the rituals conflicts with TST’s focus on individualism
When I attended a meeting in Brooklyn earlier this year, in a taxidermy-themed bar in Bushwick, the New York TST chapter was focused on the specific challenge of supporting civil liberties in the Trump era.
“It’s going to be a busy couple of years for us,” one participant sighed; everybody agreed.
Most of the 20-odd participants knew one another; nevertheless, they all introduced themselves, along with their preferred gender pronouns and length of their affiliation with Satan. The attendees ran the sartorial gamut, from Brooklyn-casual (jeans, T-shirts) to full-on Gothic (black Clockwork Orange-style face paint, piercings, Sisters of Mercy band T-shirts, pink mohawks).
About half were former Christians from families of varying degrees of religious intensity, but many came from secular or agnostic backgrounds. Many were Jewish. (Turing identifies as a “Jew-Bu-Satanist,” the Bu shorthand for Buddhist.) The group was racially mixed, with most members in their mid- to late 30s or early 40s. One attendee referenced his passionate hatred for the religious right. “Any group that’s going to stand up against that sort of bullshit, you know,” he said, “count me in.”
Most people alternated between ignoring the evening’s potentially transgressive aesthetic and playing it up with a wink (“Hail Satan” was frequently, casually, exchanged). One buoyant member, seeing my notebook, grinned at me. “If anything,” he said, “I’d like you to overestimate any sort of connection I have to other conspiracy storylines. If possible, reference Grey’s, Reptilians, the |
up discussion surrounding Bandai Namco’s popular fighting franchise. The recent announcement that Tekken 7 would feature more guest characters has certainly added to that growing conversation, especially because fans of the series were so pleased with the prior inclusion of Street Fighter‘s Akuma. In an effort to appease a dedicated fanbase – and, perhaps, for a bit of free publicity – Tekken 7 project director Katsuhiro Harada recently took to Twitter to ask fans which guest characters they would like to see in the game’s upcoming DLC.
Unsurprisingly, Tekken‘s roots, which are heavily influenced by Japanese culture and Japanese video game history, showed in its fans’ responses. The most requested character by far Kazuma Kiryu from the Yakuza series, which recently found some semblance of mainstream success in the west with the quirky, well-received Yazuka 0. Kiryu, a Japanese gangster with ties to the Yakuza, is a complex character who has been praised for avoiding cultural stereotypes and is a huge reason for the success of his series, so it’s no surprise that Tekken 7 fans would like to see him mix it up with that franchise’s most famous fighters.
Other popular suggestions included Geese Howard, a character from the Fatal Fury fighting series, and Dante from Devil May Cry. It’s interesting to note that other usually popular suggestions like Master Chief, Kerrigan, and Sub Zero were less represented in responses to Harada’s tweet, indicating that Tekken fans are very dedicated to the fighting game genre as a whole and less likely to want characters from outside that genre when prompted to choose.
Whichever characters Bandai Namco choose to go with, fans won’t need to wait much longer for the results. Tekken 7‘s release is just a few months away, and given that Bandai Namco has been aggressive in announcing guest characters up to this point, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see others revealed prior to Tekken 7‘s launch.
Until then, though, fans will just have to wait and see whether or not Harada can make their dreams come true. While the tweet that prompted this discussion made no promises about including the most popular suggestions, not having Kazuma Kiryu in Tekken 7 at this point would be very disappointing to a fanbase that has made its desires very clear.
Tekken 7 launches on June 2, 2017 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.
Source: Tekken GamerWho Killed Lard?
toggle caption Steve Snodgrass/Flickr
Ron Silver, the owner of Bubby's restaurant in Brooklyn, recently put a word on his menu you don't often see anymore: lard. The white, creamy, processed fat from a pig. And he didn't use the word just once.
For a one-night-only "Lard Exoneration Dinner", Silver served up lard fried potatoes. And root vegetables, baked in lard. Fried chicken, fried in lard. Roasted fennel glazed with lard sugar and sea salt. Pies, with lard inside and out. All from lard he made himself in the kitchen.
"It seems funny," Silver says, "but for thousands of years this was the thing that people cooked with.
A century ago, lard was in every American pantry and fryer. These days, lard is an insult.
"The word lard has become this generally derogatory term associated with fat and disgustingness," says Dan Pashman who hosts a food podcast called The Sporkful. "Think about Lard-ass, the character from the movie Stand By Me. I mean, he didn't want to be called Lard-ass."
How did this delicious, all-natural fat from a pig become an insult? Who killed lard?
Lard didn't just fall out of favor. It was pushed. It was a casualty of a battle between giant business and corporate interests.
A hundred years ago, lard was big money. The lard-industrial complex was based out of slaughterhouses in Chicago.
* For more on the business of food, see "Rethinking The Oreo For Chinese Consumers." *
"These people when they packed their pork, they had a lot of lard left over," says William Shurtleff, an expert on the history of oils and fats who works at the SoyInfo center. The lard sold well, he says. Nobody thought twice about buying it.
That changed Upton Sinclair wrote The Jungle.
So we have our first suspect in the killing of lard: Upton Sinclair.
The Jungle was technically fiction, but it's hard to forget the section on the men who cooked the lard.
They worked in tank rooms full of steam, and in some of which there were open vats near the level of the floor.... their peculiar trouble was that they fell into the vats; and when they were fished out, there was never enough of them left to be worth exhibiting,—sometimes they would be overlooked for days, till all but the bones of them had gone out to the world as Durham's Pure Leaf Lard!
"He definitely wanted people to be grossed out by the entire meat-packing industry," Shurtleff says.
Sinclair had the motive and the opportunity to kill lard, but he couldn't do it alone. People didn't have much of a choice of cooking fats that were stable and you could keep on a shelf. Lard would survive until there was alternative for frying or baking.
For that, we have to turn our investigation to two other suspects: a candle-maker and a soap-maker named William Procter and James Gamble.
A hundred years ago, the company they founded had a problem. Procter & Gamble owned a bunch of cottonseed oil factories that produced oil for use in soap and candles. But with the invention of the light bulb, the candle business wasn't looking so hot. What to do with all that extra oil?
The company's problems were solved by a mysterious visitor. Eyes on Tomorrow, a history of the company, tells this story.
In 1907, a German chemist, E.C. Kayser, showed up at Procter & Gamble headquarters in Cincinnati with a marvelous invention. It was a ball of fat. It looked like lard. It cooked like lard. But there was no pig involved. It was hydrogenated cottonseed oil.
"You can draw a clear line between the invention of hydrogenation and Crisco," Shurtleff says.
Crisco (vegetable shortening) was designed in a lab for one purpose: to replace lard.
People were already queasy about the meat industry after Upton Sinclair's novel, but Procter & Gamble had some work to do. Unlike lard, Crisco was made in a lab by scientists, not necessarily an appetizing idea back then.
Procter & Gamble turned all that to its advantage. It launched an ad campaign that made people think about the horrible stories of adulterated lard. The ads touted how pure and wholesome Crisco was. The company packaged the product in white and claimed "the stomach welcomes Crisco."
Procter & Gamble perfected the modern art of branding with Crisco. It sent out cookbooks touting how good Crisco made you feel. It shipped samples to hospitals and schools, then bragged about how those institutions trusted Crisco. It rushed onto the newly invented radio waves, sponsoring cooking programs, that featured, what else, Crisco.
Poor lard didn't stand a chance.
In the 1950s, scientists piled on, saying that saturated fats in lard caused heart disease. Restaurants and food manufacturers started to shun lard.
It's only been in the last 20 years that nutritionists have softened their view on saturated fats like butter and lard. They say that some of it in moderation is fine.
And those health claims by Crisco and other makers of partially hydrogenated fats turned out to be exaggerated. The products contained trans-fats that we now think contribute to the clogging of the arteries. (Crisco, by the way, no longer contains trans-fats.)
Now that science has backed off, and new food laws prevent the horrors of The Jungle, is there a chance for lard to return?
At the Lard Exoneration Dinner, Bubby's owner Ron Silver says its time to bring it back. Lard is showing up at high end restaurants, drizzled on potatoes and layered onto coal-fired pizzas. Silver says it's intimidating after 100 years of bad press to put the word back on the menu, but he's embracing it.
"I'm proud of it. I'm waving my lard flag," he says.
Just try the pie crusts, he says. Then decide.
Correction: An earlier version of this post misspelled "Procter." Thanks to the reader who pointed out the error.The Get Down (the first six episodes of which premiere today on Netflix) is the most fun I’ve had watching a TV show since the first season of Empire. I worry that you’ll hate it.
The show’s got problems. It’s got excesses. It’s got Jimmy Smits dressing and acting like a lesser Bond villain in an off-Broadway musical adaptation of License to Kill. And on top of that, the first episode is 90 minutes. It’s a lot, especially when that initial hour-plus, and then every subsequent episode, begins and ends with Nas doing voice-over work as a Greek chorus. He also raps as a protagonist — played in a recurring flash-forward concert sequence by Hamilton actor Daveed Diggs, who looks and sounds distressingly unlike the legendary Queens rapper. Brace yourselves.
It’s all a bizarre history lesson. The Get Down, whose story begins in 1977, is director Baz Luhrmann’s dramatized history of hip-hop’s origins in the Bronx — though I’d say the show is as much about the death of disco as it is about the birth of rap. Luhrmann’s vision is bigger, more historically ambitious, and at turns more amorphous than its sales pitch implies. The lead characters aren’t all enamored of hip-hop, but they are tied to musical performance, nightlife, and the record business. The variety of character styles and aspirations means they’re often talking passionately about the power of their respective crafts — spinning, rapping, poetry, prose, disco, and hip-hop — in their own lives, and in American life.
Luhrmann’s story plants young, original characters — the fledgling hip-hop DJ Shaolin Fantastic (played by Shameik Moore, the lead from the 2015 movie Dope); the prodigious rapper Ezekiel; and the budding disco contender Mylene Cruz, among several others — in the shadow of real hip-hop DJ pioneers Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, and the recently scandalized Afrika Bambaataa. These men all consulted with Luhrmann during production of the series, and it shows, even though they aren’t playing themselves on camera. In the second episode, there’s an especially poetic sequence in which Grandmaster Flash, a popular but mysterious sensei played by Mamoudou Athie, teaches the young Shaolin Fantastic and his group, the Fantastic Four Plus One, to beat-match on turntables but gives no explicit directions or clues; he just gives them a purple crayon and a 24-hour deadline. It’s a true test of character that brings the best out of the gang. In this sense, The Get Down isn’t pure hagiography of hip-hop’s earliest pioneers; it’s a story about the countless city kids that the genre’s founders inspired.
The Get Down has more in common with Empire and R. Kelly’s hip-hopera, Trapped in the Closet, than it has in common with anything else, including Vinyl, a show with a late-’70s rap plotline that means nothing to me. In fact, The Get Down very much strikes me as a post-Empire series, one that has appropriated the hip-hop soap opera’s early, distinguishing strengths — sleek musical set pieces, massive tonal fluctuation, bold characters — and turned the volume up to 11. The results are “over the top,” as critics will doubtlessly describe The Get Down once and again. They’re not wrong. But that’s exactly the series’ strength: elevating careful genre history into great mythmaking.
The kids in the Bronx are all running from someone. Local gangs and slumlords have put the borough into a state of upheaval. There’s a record store heist, a nightclub siege, a tragic explosion: the stuff of great foot chases. These big events send our teen protagonists scrambling up, down, and around high-rise housing projects as the ground sinks beneath them. The South Bronx boss Francisco Cruz, played hysterically by the aforementioned Smits, conspires to burn the neighborhood down and build it anew; in the meantime, the area is depicted as having disintegrated into a lawlessness that Luhrmann romanticizes just short of suggesting that urban decay is paradise. The Get Down, whose timeline begins two years after New York nearly went bankrupt, breathes life (and death) into a dog-eat-dog social order. In broad daylight and vacant lots, vigilantes flash snub-nosed revolvers at one another, and rarely do we hear the sound of the police.
In line with the recent glut of ’70s nostalgia, The Get Down is exquisitely costumed, highly stylized, and surreal. It’s so fanciful, in fact, that it dares you to bother with the humorless work of spotting anachronisms. Instead, we’re meant to revel in colorful spectacle, as hammy as Smits wants to be, as loud and ludicrous as the music gets. Luhrmann’s Bronx is larger than life, and his massive exaggeration of drama, comedy, action, and music here is a feature, not a bug.
The Get Down debuts in a decade when hip-hop has finally become its own sort of classic rock. How else would you explain the popularity of Hamilton? Meanwhile, Public Enemy and N.W.A have both snuck into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Now there’s even an ecosystem of podcasts — The Combat Jack Show, Juan Epstein, Drink Champs, Rap Radar Podcast — where senior hosts interview senior rappers about the good ol’ days. In January 2017, VH1 will give us The Breaks, a full-series follow-up to the successful TV movie of the same name, which premiered early this year and is based on the author Dan Charnas’s massive hip-hop industry overview, The Big Payback. For posterity’s sake, The Get Down is part of a much larger historical project to confirm and preserve hip-hop’s influence as the lingua franca of popular culture.
But The Get Down isn’t journalism, even if it does include bits of authorized biography from Flash, Herc, and Bambaataa. Instead, The Get Down is the fantastical origin story that hip-hop deserves: a TV series for, and informed by, those old heads who were truly there but also for those of us who can only imagine.Mai Yer Cha and four close friends had just celebrated her 31st birthday on July 15 at a downtown Minneapolis nightclub when they walked back to their car at Ramp B, one of three near Target Field.
They had no idea they were walking into a ramp complex that’s seen a significant spike in security incidents when they were confronted by a violent fugitive. Police say that man, 44-year-old Benjamin Love, was in the midst of a crime spree when he stabbed Cha in the heart. She died 11 days later.
“My sister’s death could have been avoided,” said her sister, May Seng Cha. “This never should have happened.”
Bounty hunters and law enforcement spent months looking for Love before the stabbing.
In August 2016, Love and an accomplice were arrested and charged with first-degree robbery after they were accused of jumping a woman and holding a knife to her at the Cedar-Riverside light-rail station.
A judge set Love’s bail at $25,000 in that case. Love agreed to pay Midwest Bonding $2,500, and it put up the rest of the money to pay his bail. After being released in early October, he skipped a court hearing the next month. A judge issued a warrant for his arrest.
Mai Yer Cha was fatally stabbed at a Minneapolis parking ramp.
That’s not unusual. About seven times a day, Hennepin County judges issue warrants to find accused felons who failed to show up at court hearings, according to data provided to the Star Tribune. The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office is primarily charged with finding those fugitives. The Sheriff’s Office serves about 30,000 court-issued warrants a year, the agency said, coordinating with other police agencies to find the fugitives.
“The Sheriff’s Office actively and continuously pursued the warrants for Benjamin Love issued by the court in November of 2016, until the time of his arrest,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
With Midwest Bonding on the hook for $25,000, the company hired a private fugitive recovery agency to find Love, according to court records.
An agent found that Love was a transient who had been seen at homeless shelters in downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul. The agency offered money to a friend of Love’s to find him. The agency also gave information about Love to Hennepin County’s Violent Offender Task Force. But as of May, no one could find him.
Two months later, Love would be accused of a violent crime spree. According to criminal charges, on July 3, Love robbed a couple outside a University of Minnesota hall and forced them strip at knife point. On July 15, charges say, he stabbed and killed Cha. Four days later, Love was back on the University of Minnesota campus, where he held a knife to a man’s throat and took his wedding ring, phone, wallet, cash and car keys, court charges allege.
The next day, the Minneapolis Police Department’s Violent Criminal Apprehension team arrested Love at a northeast Minneapolis apartment.
“How were they able to so quickly find him?” asked Cha’s sister, May Seng. “Why couldn’t they find him earlier?”
Spike in ramp crimes
Cha wasn’t the first to be attacked in one of the three skyway-connected parking ramps in the heart of the entertainment district, known as the ABC Ramps, which are owned by the Minnesota Department of Transportation and managed by the city of Minneapolis. The city contracts with ABM Parking Services for operation of its ramps, which subcontracts with Securitas for security.
The ABC Ramps contain more than 6,000 parking stalls and are among the largest of the 17 ramps the city oversees. They accounted for about 60 percent of the security incidents across the parking ramp system in recent years, according to city data.
The city implemented new security measures this April at Ramp A, the largest of the ABC Ramps, after a spike in incidents there amid a rise across the system, said Jon Wertjes, the city’s traffic and parking services director. Incidents through June of this year at the ABC Ramps quadrupled 2016 figures in the same period, according to city data.
All but one of the Ramp A pedestrian entrance points were closed late at night and off-duty police or security staff began escorting people to their cars. Those measures will be extended to Ramp B later this month, Wertjes said.
“If it was successful and appropriate, we were going to expand it,” Wertjes said. “And right between... trying it out in the A Ramp and making the decision of what to do next, this incident happened unfortunately.”
Police responded to a rape report at Ramp B three days before Cha was stabbed. Three weeks before that, a man reported being knocked unconscious and robbed there.
In February, Haley Arseneau reported being assaulted by an acquaintance after he followed her into Ramp B, according to police records. Arseneau said had someone else been there, it could have been prevented.
“I think that they need to have more people in the ramp, especially after [bar close] hours,” Arseneau said. “I park there every weekend and I don’t see one security guard.”
Wertjes said at least one guard is always present in each ramp.
Cathy Burriss, a consultant, was mugged at gunpoint in Ramp B several years ago after returning to her car in the afternoon after work. She ran away from the man, who attempted to steal her car but could not operate its button ignition system.
“I just started to run,” Burriss said. “I thought to myself, ‘I wonder if this is going to hurt,’ That’s all that I can remember thinking, because I thought that he was going to shoot me in the back.”
She later learned that cameras were not recording the incident, because they are mostly in the stairwells and other places.
“I totally had a false sense of security,” Burriss said. “I completely thought that this would be captured on film.”
Two women were raped by a stranger in Ramp C in October 2014.
The city’s internal auditor is currently reviewing the contract with ABM, one of the city’s largest contracts, with the final results expected this fall. Auditor Will Tetsell said the examination will look into whether security measures at the ramps are sufficient, among other aspects of the contract.
Cameras in the city’s ramps are also being upgraded with motion detection, color imagery and technology allowing police to monitor. ABM representatives did not return calls seeking comment, but have said previously there are 450 cameras in the ABC complex.
The security measures are not enough, Cha’s sister said.
“There should have been better security,” she said. “Why aren’t there more guards walking around?... Why isn’t the city doing more to keep people safe?”
Her last words
Cha was the youngest of nine siblings growing up in Minneapolis, and her family realized early in her life she had a gift for spiritual healing. At around age 22, Cha became a shaman and has healed relatives from across the country who have come to her, her sister said.
Cha “was the kind of person who would be there whenever you needed help,” her sister said.
A single mother, Cha rarely spent money on herself, instead saving what she could for her 6-year-old son, her sister said. Cha last saw her sister on her birthday, July 14, when the 6-year-old was making his mother a birthday card.
“He was talking about how much he loved his mom,” she said. The boy now lives with his father.
She added: “We don’t know if he understands. He says his mom is going up to the angels.”
At about 12:50 a.m. on July 15, Cha and her friends rode the elevator up to the 4th floor of Ramp B. Love was in the elevator with them, but no one suspected he was dangerous, said one of Cha’s friends, who was present and asked not to be named. They walked out into a concourse to get into a car when Love grabbed one of them by the back of the hair, put a knife to her throat and demanded money.
Another of Cha’s friends pleaded with Love not to hurt them. He struck his knife out twice, she said. Cha instinctively threw her arms up and was stabbed in the chest, her friend said. Love took a purse, pulled a lanyard off a woman and ran back to the elevators.
The women got in the back seat of the car where they fled toward the exit and called police.
“Mai Yer mentioned that she was stabbed,” her friend said. The wound was small. There was little blood. Her friends didn’t know that she was dying.
Cha might have known. A few minutes later, her friend said, “she said to tell her son that she loved him.”
She fell unconscious and never spoke again. A GoFundMe page has been established for Cha’s funeral expenses.An Instagram hack that posts pictures of fruit to users’ timelines has returned. We last saw the issue back in June.
Once again, the images – often of fruit but sometimes (as The Verge notes) of smoothies – are accompanied by text suggesting that the user is trying a new diet and encouraging others to follow a link that has been inserted into their bio. There are numerous reports of the hack on Twitter, mainly from four hours ago at the time of writing.
Update: An Instagram spokesperson confirmed the incident, telling us:
Last night a small portion of our users experienced a spam incident where unwanted photos were posted from their accounts. Our security and spam team quickly took actions to secure the accounts involved, and the posted photos are being deleted.
The links being inserted into bios are made to look like BBC links, but the domain being used was actually registered just yesterday (although the registrant details may well be fake) – suggesting that it may have been registered specifically for use in this hack.
Needless to say, don’t click the links and if you’ve been affected, reset your Instagram password.
We’ll let you know if we hear back from Instagram or Facebook about the issue. It would be very interesting to know how the hackers are gaining access to users’ accounts.
Header image credit: THOMAS COEX/AFP/Getty Images
Read next: 12 apps to increase your productivity this summeris a lifelong process. Kids go to school to be exposed to new topics ranging from history to math to science. Adults need to pick up new knowledge to understand world events and to succeed at new tasks at work.
Sometimes, of course, the things we learn are fairly easy to pick up. Many people watching the political events unfold in North Africa and the Middle East in 2011 may not have known much about the governments of countries like Tunisia and Egypt before protests brought down those governments. However, it was fairly straightforward to learn that these countries had leaders who had served for decades and that the people ultimately wanted more influence on the.
Other information is harder to pick up. Following the devastating earthquake and Tsunami in Japan, the world followed the crisis at the nuclear plant. why the nuclear fuel was heating up and the various ways that the engineers and emergency workers were trying to deal with the damaged reactors required learning more complex aspects of reactor design and nuclear fuel. These concepts are unfamiliar to most of us, and so they feel hard to learn.
How does the difficulty of learning about something affect your beliefs about how much you can learn about it?
This question was explored by David Miele, Bridgid Finn, and Daniel Molden in a paper in the March, 2011 issue of Psychological Science.
They were interested in the role of people's beliefs about on learning. I have written a number of entries in this blog about the work of Carol Dweck and her colleagues on beliefs. This work suggests that people believe that aspects of psychology are either talents or skills. When you believe that intelligence is a talent, then you think that you have a particular degree of intelligence that determines how well you think. When you believe that intelligence is a skill, then you assume that anything can be mastered if you work hard enough to get it.
These beliefs can influence what happens when you encounter information that feels hard to learn. Someone who believes intelligence is a talent will feel that they have reached their limit when they encounter something hard, and that should make them feel like they can't learn it. Someone who believes that intelligence is a skill will feel that difficult information is a challenge they can overcome.
To test this possibility, Miele, Finn, and Molden had people learn to relate English words to Indonesian words with the same meaning. Some of those words feel quite obvious (Police-Polisi), while others seem totally arbitrary (Bandage-Pembalut). People studied the words for as long as they wanted and then made judgments of how well they learned the words. At the end of the study, people did a questionnaire to determine whether they think of intelligence as a talent or a skill.
In this study, the pairs that seemed easy were in fact much easier to learn than the ones that seemed hard. The people who believed that intelligence is a talent used that feeling of ease to decide how well they learned the new items. The people who believe that intelligence is a skill actually showed the opposite effect. They were actually overconfident that they would later remember the hard items.
On the surface, it might seem like a bad thing to think that you had done a better of learning something than you actually did. However, the people who believed that intelligence is a talent believed that when they had to put in a lot of effort on learning, they learned poorly. Those who believed that intelligence is a skill believed that when they had put in a lot of effort on learning, they learned well.
This result is quite important. A mountain of evidence suggests that intelligence really is a skill. That is, the harder you work, the more you learn. So, when you encounter something difficult, it is better to treat that as a challenge than as a sign that you have reached your mental limits. It is also better to believe that studying hard will lead to good learning than to believe that studying hard leads to poor learning. By putting in extra effort on difficult concepts, you come away with more knowledge.
Ultimately, this aspect of learning feeds on itself. The more you learn at any given time, the easier it is to learn new things in the future. The effort you put in to learn is rewarded by making it easier for you to learn more things in the future.
Follow me on Twitter.It no longer claims the top spot on iTunes, but Slipknot’s new album “.5: The Gray Chapter” is on track to win the overall weekly album sales race.
Based on first day sales, Hits Daily Double forecasts an inaugural week total in the range of 100-110,000. That sum should be enough to give “.5” the lead over all new and holdover releases.
As far as new releases go, Neil Diamond’s “Melody Road” will likely claim second on the strength of 70-80,000. TI’s “Paperwork” and Logic’s “Under Pressure” will fight for third place; each is due to move about 65-70,000 copies.
The battle for fifth among newcomers will be between Little Big Town’s “Painkiller” (30-35,000) and Pentatonix’s “That’s Christmas to Me” (28-32,000). Also in the mix this week will be Annie Lennox’s “Nostalgia” (24-27,000) and Aretha Franklin’s “Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics” (21-24,000).ESPN.com and the TrueHoop Network are ranking every NBA player -- and counting them down on Twitter (@NBAonESPN), from No. 500 to No. 1. As the rankings are announced, you can also find them here on the pages of ESPN.com.
What is #NBArank?
#NBArank is the Twitter hashtag to use if you want to get involved in the discussion or just follow along.
You can also follow along here: @NBAonESPN
How did we rank the players?
We asked 104 experts to rate each player on a 0-to-10 scale, in terms of "the current quality of each player."
Here is the full list of voters from ESPN.com, the TrueHoop Network, TrueHoop TV, Daily Dime Live, ESPN TV, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, espnW, ESPN The Magazine, ESPN Insider, ESPN Fantasy, ESPN Games, ESPN Dallas, ESPN Los Angeles, ESPN Chicago, ESPN New York, ESPN Stats & Information, ESPN Topics and ESPN Analytics.
Kevin Love is the best PF in the game in a pool of talented power forwards, he can score and also rebound like Rodman, amazing! #NBARank — Omar Garibay (@Omargaribay8) September 26, 2012By Randy Edwards
Amy Collins turned to buying locally-grown food out of frustration and guilt. “It ticks me off, at myself, that I’m not able to have a garden and grow my own food for my family,” says the 36-year-old who home-schools her daughter in the Columbus suburb of Grove City. “And it ticks me off to pay Kroger for something I ought to be doing myself.”
Her decision to join a local Community Supported Agriculture enterprise did far more than soothe her troubled soul. Turns out, she says, the produce she buys from a nearby farm is tastier, healthier and fresher.
Collins buys a ‘half share’ in the cooperative. That entitles her family to fresh-picked produce all summer: cucumbers, squash, potatoes, peas, beans, watermelon, sweet corn – 22 different crops, all picked within the previous 24 hours.
“I prefer this food because it’s healthier for my family and for the environment, and because there aren’t so many pesticides involved,” she says. “The CSA is just one step away from growing it myself.”
Collins is one of a growing number of consumers in the Ohio Valley who are looking for ways to close the distance between the farm and the dinner table. Whether they join CSAs, shop at farmers markets or grow their own, these self-described “locavores” are embracing the value of the “100-mile diet” movement. Inspired by popular books and online communities, these consumers try to purchase all their groceries within 100 or 150 miles of their home.
Buying local, they argue, is the cure for many plagues brought on by modern agribusiness. It takes a lot of burning fossil fuel to transport produce that travels, on average, more than 1,500 miles from the place it is picked to the place where it’s eaten. That’s bad for climate change, not to mention sustainable local economies.
Under the best conditions, buying your food locally “offers an opportunity to develop a different relationship between the grower and the eater,” says Matt Kleinhenz, an associate professor at Ohio State University’s Department of Horticulture and Crop Science.
“Typically, people who eat from mainstream system will never meet a farmer,” he explains. Through a farmers market or CSA, consumers can have an immediate and direct influence on crop selection, pesticide use and other farming practices. The growers, in turn, benefit because much of the guesswork is taken out of their market research: they know exactly what their consumers want because they know their consumers.
“Before, when I harvested, I was stressed out about what I was going to do with the vegetables,” explains Tim Cook, who operates a CSA from his family farm in Circleville. “We tried a roadside stand, but business wasn’t consistent.”
Tim and his wife, Christy, started their Community Supported Agriculture enterprise in 2004 with 49 paid subscribers. In four years it has grown to 220 members, including Amy Collins, who lives about 30 miles away.
Critics of the 100-mile diet scoff that it’s easy to buy local in places like Ohio or Kentucky, where the climate and the transportation system provide a bounty of produce. But most large American cities couldn’t possibly support even half their populations if everyone limited their diet to foods they could buy locally. And in arid parts of the continent, ‘buying local’ might suggest a move toward large scale irrigation and other environmentally questionable technologies.
That’s carrying the notion to illogical extremes, counters Kleinhenz. With more than 300 million people in the United States eating two to three meals a day, even a slight shift in consumer choice could have a huge influence on local economic patterns – and make a big difference to farmers like Collins.
“When we talk about providing 600 million meals a day, if the local growers can capture only 1 percent of the market, that’s a large sum of money.”
Randy Edwards lives and works in the Scioto River Valley, specifically Columbus, but gets out as often as he can.The scope of the bailout grew over the weekend. As recently as Saturday morning, the Bush administration’s proposal called for Treasury to buy residential or commercial mortgages and related securities. By that evening, the proposal was broadened to give Treasury discretion to buy “any other financial instrument.”
The lobbying became particularly intense because Congress plans to approve a package within just two weeks, without the traditional hearings and committee process.
“Of course there will be fierce lobbying,” said Bert Ely, a financial services industry consultant in Alexandria, Va. “The real question is, Who wouldn’t want to be included in the package?”
Mr. Ely said the open-ended nature of the Treasury’s plan could be interpreted to mean that the government was open to acquiring “any asset, anywhere in the world.”
“The question that I am raising — is there any limit?” Mr. Ely said.
Each part of the financial industry is pursuing its own interests.
Small banks, for example, are pushing the government to buy loans they made to home builders and commercial developers. Wall Street banks are lobbying to temporarily suspend certain accounting rules to avoid taking big losses on the assets they sell to Treasury, which would weaken them further.
Over the weekend, the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, Wall Street’s main trade and lobbying group, held conference calls to discuss “your firms’ views and priorities related to Treasury’s proposal,” according to an e-mail message sent to members.
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One of the calls addressed the fact that municipal securities were not included in the proposals released at the end of last week. Some bankers are pushing for government support of those securities as part of a broader effort to restore investor confidence in money market funds.
The group also discussed which securities would be eligible to be sold to Treasury. Under the latest proposal, the government would buy securities issued on or before Sept. 17.
But some bankers debated whether the cutoff date should be December 2007, when the market was clearly seizing up, to avoid bailing out those who bought securities recently. Other firms hope to be hired to manage the assets that Treasury acquires, a job that could earn them $1 billion a year, even if they charged fees that were modest by industry standards. Among them are the asset management companies Pimco and BlackRock. Morgan Stanley, the investment bank, is also vying for the work.
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Some private equity firms, including the Blackstone Group, may be interested in pursuing an asset-management assignment from the government, people briefed on the matter said. Such firms have already expressed interest in buying up distressed debts after having bet against them early last year.
That raises complications because those firms hold assets similar to the ones the Treasury plans to buy. Democrats suggested on Sunday that a provision be added to avoid any conflicts of interest, with a firm making money from handling assets like its own.
William H. Gross, chief investment officer of Pimco, which manages about $830 billion in assets, would like to be an asset manager for the government but said he had not been in touch with Henry M. Paulson Jr., the Treasury |
to this Biblical commandment, is the prevailing toxic climate of extreme polarization. We live in times when opposing camps on contentious issues resort to inflammatory language and character condemnation, sometimes violence, just for the “sin” of speaking to the other side.
We need to be able to speak to all, particularly to those we may not agree with, and specifically on contentious issues. Our presence doesn’t mean we agree with each other on everything or even anything, but it does mean that we do respect each other and that we must learn to live with each other through dialogue.
We also need to express compassion with our presence when others are hurting, even when we lack the understanding to truly empathize. After the massacre in Orlando, Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld, accompanied by members of his Washington DC congregation visited a local gay bar to express their solidarity with the victims and those who were grieving. Afterwards, Rabbi Herzfeld reflected that the visit was “a tremendous learning experience” for him.
“I felt the reality that we are living in a time of enormous pain,” he said. “I learned that when a rabbi and members of an Orthodox synagogue walk into a gay African American bar, it is not the opening line of a joke but an opportunity to connect; it is an opportunity to break down barriers and come together as one; it is an opportunity to learn that if we are going to survive, we all need each other.”
And so, this Thursday, I am planning on marching with Mia and invite all of you to join us. My presence is to lend my voice in protest against violence, in any form, against the LGBTQ community. I am also expressing my belief that to create a better world, we need to be able to talk and walk together.
Rabbi Yehoshua Looks is COO of Ayeka, a member of the David Cardozo Academy Think Tank and a freelance consultant to non-profit organizations. The opinions expressed are personal and not representative of any organization with which he is associated.Good news today from the folks at ASUS. After many owners of the new quad-core ASUS Transformer Pad TF300 asked nicely for the bootloader to be unlocked ASUS has made it official today. Using a very similar method as the Transformer Prime ASUS is now allowing the TF300’s bootloader to be unlocked via their utility tool. More details after the break.
Ask and you shall receive. I just wish the same was true for Motorola. ASUS is staying true to their word about working with the developer community and this unlock tool starts right where the Prime left off. A simple download and instructions are all you need to fully unlock the Transformer Pad 300, from there you can root, and install some 3rd party ROM’s once they start coming out. Here’s the instructions from ASUS:
Unlock Device App: Unlock boot loader.
Notice:
1. Only suitable for Andriod4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS version.
2. Before you download, install, and use the Unlock Device App you acknowledge and assume complete risk to the quality and performance of this App, including but not limited to the following: once you activate the App you will not be able to recover your ASUS product (“Original Product”) back to original locked conditions;the Original Product with the activated App will not be deemed the Original Product; the Revised Product will no longer be covered under the warranty of the Original Product; the software of Revised Product will no longer be deemed the software of the Original Product and can no longer receive ASUS software updates; your purchased digital content may also be affected.
ASUS kindly notes that this does void your warranty, but that is expected at this point. The download is listed right on the ASUS site under utilities. Just select Android 4.0 and you are good to go. Get started now from the link below and enjoy your newly unlocked Transformer Pad 300.
[device id=2348]
[via ASUS]Last year I wrote an article on How Not To Report Opinion Polls. It included advice on ignoring small cross breaks, margins of error and not cherry-picking. That is, if there is a long data series with lots of noise and random error, don’t pick out the one random outlier than supports your case and ignore the rest.
There is a classic example in the Guardian today. John Harris writes about polling of young people and says they are voting Tory. He writes: “One recent YouGov poll put support for the Tories among the 18-24s at 31%, with Labour trailing at 27%. By way of a contrast, Tory support among those aged 40-59 was at 29%, with Labour on 40%. In other words, the time-worn wisdom about politics and the young may be in the process of being turned on its head.”
Well, yes, one recent YouGov poll showed that. This one. However, other YouGov poll this month have tended to show Labour leads amongst young people and the Conservatives doing better amongst older people, a far more normal pattern. The poll the Guardian linked to was not typical of recent polling. On average YouGov’s daily sample contains around about 150 people under 25, about a third of which say don’t know or that they wouldn’t vote. This means the daily voting break for under 25s is based on about a hundred people, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 10 points. In other words, if a party actually had a lead of around about 8 points amongst young people, then random error alone will spit out polls showing leads of between plus 28 and minus 12. You can’t just take one out of context that happens to show figures you like.
Taking an average across the whole of June so far YouGov’s crossbreak for under 25s has the Conservatives on 31%, Labour on 38% – a significantly higher level of Labour support. Even that needs some caveating though. Opinion polls are weighted to be representative of the country as a whole, they are not necessary weighted so that the crossbreaks are internally representative. For example, overall there will be the correct number of people with a C2 social class, but there may be too few old people who are C2 and too few young people, or whatever. In theory this should even out over time, but there are no guarantees.
If you really want to know about the views of a particular sub-sample of the British population you need polling specificially aimed at them. Luckily enough, the Sun commissioned a specific YouGov poll of young people earlier this month, which was specificially weighted on things like education and employment status and level of educational qualification. It didn’t ask voting intention, but it did ask young people which party they thought best reflected their views – the results were 23% Labour, 12% Conservative, 7% Lib Dem, 7% Green, 6% UKIP, 39% none or don’t know.
In short, all the other findings that John Harris writes about on social and economic issues are fine (and are largely drawn from MORI’s generational data based on very large aggregate samples), but the idea that the Conservatives are suddenly the leading party amongst young people is really not true.Afghan commander Gen. Stanley McChrystal is in Germany at the moment where he might need to help the government there with a bit of messaging on Afghanistan. German troops have been buying up badges saying “I Fight For Merkel,” an ironic jab at German Chancellor Angela Merkel who they say has failed to explain why German troops are fighting and dying in Afghanistan. The protest badges have reportedly sent shock waves through the Bundeswehr leadership.
The German contingent in Afghanistan has been hit hard in recent weeks, with seven dead in the last month, bringing the total German killed to 43 since they entered Afghanistan eight years ago. Bundeswehr soldiers operate under fairly restrictive rules of engagement, which has led to much griping from fellow coalition members and frustration among German soldiers.
German public opposition to the war sits at about 80 percent. The Financial Times Deutschland said:
“With every dead German soldier in Afghanistan, the calls for an immediate withdrawal grow louder. This reflex shows that the German public is still not clear about the character of the mission. The politicians are largely to blame. Since the beginning of the mission eight years ago they suppressed a realistic description of the situation... Deaths, injuries, battles and heavy weaponry -- none of these suit the picture that was painted back then.”
The Canadians are due to leave Afghanistan next year, leaving a hole down in the south which will be difficult to fill with mostly American troops. Some 5,000 U.S. troops are being sent to Regional Command North, to bolster the 4,500 Bundeswehr soldiers there; the U.S. troops will fight under German command. Forced to fill gaps in the line left by departing coalition partners, McChrystal could quickly run out of available troops in a vast country where they are already spread far too thinly.
-- GregWASHINGTON — The former U.S. religious freedom ambassador told a congressional subcommittee that leaked language of a proposed presidential executive order on religious liberty could cause “constitutional problems.”
“I think it raises very serious equal protection issues,” said Rabbi David Saperstein, who recently ended his tenure at the U.S. State Department.
According to The Nation, a leaked draft of a proposed executive order titled “Establishing a Government-Wide Initiative to Respect Religious Freedom” shows that on issues such as same-sex marriage, abortion, gender identity and premarital sex, the Trump administration would allow exemptions for people with religious objections that are so broad it would “legalize discrimination.”
The language in that document says, “Americans and their religious organizations will not be coerced by the Federal Government into participating in activities that violate their conscience.”
Answering a question from Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., at a hearing Thursday, Saperstein said he was concerned the order could give government contractors discretion to refuse services based on their religious beliefs.
“I think it raises significant constitutional problems,” Saperstein told members of a subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee.
Nadler, who along with Saperstein has been instrumental in the passage of religious liberty legislation, said laws such as the Religious Freedom Restoration Act are designed to shield people from government imposition of religious beliefs.
“However, it should not be used as a sword to enable you to impose your religious belief on someone else,” said the congressman, who raised examples of interracial or same-sex couples being refused at a restaurant by proprietors with religious objections.
Kim Colby, director of the Christian Legal Society’s Center for Law and Religious Freedom, said after the hearing that Nadler’s examples are “misguided” because civil rights laws regarding restaurant discrimination were set more than 50 years ago.
“An executive order can’t change a law that Congress has passed,” said Colby, who also testified before the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice. “So a lot of those hypotheticals just can’t happen.”
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops sent a letter to President Trump urging him to sign the draft executive order, calling it a “positive step toward allowing all Americans to be able to practice their faith without severe penalties from the federal government.”Albany's Home Mission
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2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.In what is being considered a first by a member of the federal Conservatives, Kitchener-Waterloo MP Peter Braid stated publicly on CBC News Network’s Power and Politics that recent extreme weather and climate change are connected.
“We are seeing the effects, the impacts of climate change,” Braid told host Evan Solomon on Monday. “With climate change comes extreme weather events. We saw that through the floods in southern Alberta, we’re now seeing that with the ice storms in Kitchener-Waterloo and Toronto, with the extreme cold across the country.”
Solomon later asked Braid to confirm he was saying that extreme weather and climate change are related, to which Braid replied, “Absolutely, I’m confirming I said that.”
The statement comes on the same day that two people were arrested in Vancouver after they came within centimetres of Prime Minister Stephen Harper and displayed signs protesting the government’s policies on climate change.
Words do not match actions, say critics
Upon hearing Braid’s statement on Power and Politics, Ottawa South Liberal MP and infrastructure critic David McGuinty said, “This is the first time I hear that kind of overt statement from a member of the government in many, many years.”
In November 2012, Thornhill Conservative MP and former environment minister Peter Kent said climate change is “a very real and present danger” and added that it was “quite clear that we are seeing increased incidents of extreme weather.”
But McGuinty was quick to criticize the Conservatives on their record related to climate change.
“The problem is, of course, the actions of the government don’t actually support those views,” said McGuinty. “They have systematically cut all of the climate change funding for Canadians right across the country in terms of fiscal measures and programming.”
Trinity-Spadina NDP MP and federal transit and infrastructure critic Olivia Chow also pointed out on Power and Politics that the Conservatives is eliminating the green infrastructure fund for cities.Nine year old's survey project excluded from school because he learned some people don't think of themselves as male or female
A reader writes, "TheFourthVine's nine year old nephew, Z, wrote a survey that she encouraged her friends to take.
However, when his mother went to the school's open house to take a photo of the end result, she couldn't as out of all the science projects Z hadn't been shown."
Except she couldn't. Because my nephew's project, alone among all of them, was not displayed. After much back and forth with various people, my sister learned that apparently some people were uncomfortable with his conclusions. Specifically the part where he said that what he really learned from this project was that some people don't want to be called boys or girls, and that those people need an "other" option. (And also that they tend to prefer blue to green.)
Follow up on Z's Science ProjectCharges: Woman bludgeoned, raped at Burien apartment complex The defendant also grabbed a teenager's bottom and peeped at girls at the pool, court records say
A 19-year-old woman was bludgeoned and sexually assaulted in the gym of her Burien apartment complex last month, causing serious injuries to her face and head. A 19-year-old woman was bludgeoned and sexually assaulted in the gym of her Burien apartment complex last month, causing serious injuries to her face and head. Photo: Edward McCain/Getty Images Photo: Edward McCain/Getty Images Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Charges: Woman bludgeoned, raped at Burien apartment complex 1 / 1 Back to Gallery
A 19-year-old woman was bludgeoned and sexually assaulted in the gym of her Burien apartment complex last month, causing serious injuries to her face and head.
The 23-year-old man charged with her assault is also said to have grabbed a teenage girl's buttocks and stared at girls at the pool shortly before the attack.
Salvador Diaz-Garcia is charged with second-degree assault, second-degree rape and third-degree child molestation for the acts that occurred June 25.
The assaults happened at two neighboring apartment complexes: The Maple Pointe apartments, where Diaz-Garcia lived, and the adjacent Discovery Landing apartments, where the 19-year-old woman lived. Both are located in the 15400 block of Des Moines Memorial Drive.
The woman's mother called police about 10 p.m. that night, reporting that her daughter came home with a bloody head, missing teeth and wearing only a tank top. A deputy from the King County Sheriff's Office responded and found the woman had "obvious extensive injuries" to her head. Her right ear was "torn and dangling," her front teeth were missing or damaged, her upper lip torn and her head covered in cuts, according to the incident report. She was unable to talk, appeared confused, and stumbled about the living room, using the wall to stand, her mother said.
RELATED: Reports: Accused senior home rapist left woman bleeding in bathroom
She was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle and received stitches in her lips, forehead and ear. She also had chipped front teeth and a black eye. Other injuries included a broken jaw and broken nose. A red mark consistent with a strangulation injury appeared on her neck.
The woman reported that a man followed her home after she disembarked a bus and headed to her building's gym. The man claimed he lived at the apartment complex and asked to be let inside, reports say. He gave her an apartment number and she allowed him inside, though she remembered he had grabbed her buttocks a month earlier, at which time she ran away. She had never spoken to him before.
While using the treadmill, she asked him not to stand behind her, according to the incident report. She also recalled him talking on the phone to someone, telling someone he was afraid of her. She said she remembered going to leave, and the next thing she remembered was waking up at Harborview.
Detectives went to the apartment complex's gym to find blood all over the front of the treadmill, on the neighboring elliptical machine, on the carpet, on the walls and on the windows, reports indicate. A kettlebell covered in blood was found on the treadmill and a larger kettlebell on a rack also had blood. Detectives believe the victim suffered injuries consistent with being hit by a kettlebell, according to the King County Sheriff's Office.
A witness told a detective about spotting a man fitting the attacker's description who was watching girls at the adjacent Maple Pointe apartments about 40 minutes before the assault at Discovery Landing. The witness shot video of him and called 911, but the witness and suspect were gone before deputies arrived.
RELATED: Charge: White Center sexual assault leaves woman in coma
However, surveillance footage recovered from the complex substantiated those claims, showing a man of the assailant's description staring at young girls in the pool area, according to court records. A 12-year-old witness identified Diaz-Garcia in a photo montage.
The Sheriff's Office arrested Diaz-Garcia at his apartment June 29. A search warrant on the apartment yielded pants like those seen in the surveillance footage bearing what appeared to be blood stains. His fiancee told authorities that Diaz-Garcia returned home after the alleged attack sweating, breathing hard and "acting in a way that scared her," reports say. He was evasive about his whereabouts, she claimed.
After learning of the attack, a mother of a 14-year-old girl called police in July about an episode in which her daughter was sexually assaulted within a couple of hours of the alleged rape at the Maple Pointe apartments -- the complex where Diaz-Garcia lived.
RELATED: Reports: Woman killed aboard Alaska-bound cruise that left from Seattle
The girl was retrieving mail that night when she saw a man matching the description of the attacker standing between two buildings, staring at her. As she headed back to her apartment, the man ran up to her, tapped her on her shoulder, said something using swear words and grabbed her buttocks, according to reports.
The teen yelled and cursed at him and he ran away. She reported the incident to her mother promptly. The mother told the apartment manager about it but didn't call authorities until they returned from a vacation. They learned of the Discovery Landing attack days after the girl was assaulted.
Diaz-Garcia remains jailed on $250,000 bail.Tweet
Note added, September 2014: This analysis did not take into account the effects of redistricting, incumbency, and other factors. For more up-to-date views see an October analysis and this post-election piece, The Great Gerrymander Of 2012 (NYT).
Conditions through August showed a 2% lead on the generic Congressional ballot for Democrats. As of September 20th, in the wake of the Democratic convention, the lead has widened to 4.0 +/- 2.0%. Although it has yet to be appreciated by pundits, this could well translate to a November loss of the House of Representatives by Republicans. Based on the generic Congressional ballot, the probability of a Democratic takeover is 74% with a median 16-seat majority. Whichever party is in control, the seat margin is headed for being narrower than the current Congress. Like any probability in the 20-80% range, this is a knife-edge situation. This picture may change over the coming six weeks as more information, especially district-level polls, becomes available.
[Update: Based on later discussion (here and here), some other factors (i.e. incumbency) do not affect this prediction. Two remaining unknown parameters do: (1) the quantitative effect of redistricting measured in units of the generic Congressional preference poll, and (2) whether the generic poll is more likely to move toward or away from the Presidential winner’s party in coming weeks. These factors are likely to be small…but this poll is very close at the moment. More on this later.]
As seen in recent articles in Politico and U.S. News, few pundits think the Democrats will re-take the House. However, analysis of a leading indicator suggests to me that transfer of control is a distinct possibility.
Predicting the House outcome is challenging. First, there is the basic problem that we have to estimate how far opinion will move between now and November. On top of that, there is uncertainty in knowing how the polling measurement – generic Congressional ballot preference – translates to a seat outcome.
Another approach would be to use district-by-district polls and ratings. An estimate like that can be seen from our data partner, Pollster.com. Their House outlook shows retained GOP control, and RealClearPolitics implies the same. However, many of those polls are weeks or months old. My estimate today suggests that in the coming weeks, we might look for district polls to move in the Democrats’ direction. This is also an opportunity for a detailed analytical approach, as taken elsewhere, to shine.
In 2010, the national Congressional vote was a big 6.6% margin of popular vote win for the Republicans. That outcome was very close to the pre-election R+7% polling median (but 8 points less than the final Gallup poll of R+15%). So the generic Congressional preference poll, aggregated across pollsters, can give some sense of where the vote will go.
In 2012, the picture looks very different from 2010. Congressional voter sentiment before Labor Day is often movable (see 2008 and 2004 history). But we are now entering the high season, so some sense of the outcome is starting to emerge.
In summer polls leading up to the 2012 conventions, Republicans were behind Democrats by a median of 2%, a 9-point swing from 2010. Consequently, many seats won in that Republican wave are now at risk, as I pointed out in my previous House outlook. To put it another way, midterm election conditions (as in 2010) work against incumbent Presidents; the pendulum has now swung back.
In post-convention polls, Democrats got a big bounce that peaked at D+6% and now appears to be subsiding. It is a good thing for the Republicans that the election was not last week. The most recent polls (Sept. 7-17) indicate a median lead of D+4.0+/-2.0% (+/- estimated SEM, n=7 different pollsters). (Note that the HuffPost smoothing software uses a different algorithm.) This 11-point swing from 2010, if it were to hold, would lead to big Democratic gains in the House.
As I pointed out two weeks ago, the eventual national D-minus-R House popular vote share is strongly predictive of the corresponding margin of House seats. Here is a graph based on data from 2000-2010 House elections.
It shows that each 1.0% of popular-vote margin translates to a 6.0-seat advantage. This plot shows no long-term advantage* for either side: a nearly-tied popular vote would translate to a nearly-tied House (x-intercept = -0.3 +/- 1.1%). Individual data points deviate from the fit line by 7 to 17 seats in either direction.
However, there is a known advantage to incumbency, which I estimate as being worth an equivalent of 1.3 +/- 1.0 1.8% of popular vote. This is smaller than a recent estimate**. In other words, on average a national win of D+1.3% is required for the House to change hands.
Next, let us translate the generic Congressional ballot to estimate House seat outcomes. Applying the Wisdom-of-Pollster-Crowds principle that has served so well in Presidential and Senate races, we will use the poll median to approximate the actual popular preference.
The HuffPost graph above includes telephone polls (i.e. not robopoll or Internet), but that is strictly for purposes of clear display. Using all polls and median-based statistics to address issues of outlier data gives the median of D+4.0% that I gave. That translates to a narrow 16-seat Democratic majority in an election held today.
This would be an unusual outcome. It would involve a Democratic net gain of over 30 seats, much more than the typical gain for a re-elected president’s party. But 2010 was also an exceptional wave year for the Republicans. Again, think of the pendulum. In any event, this is what the numbers are currently telling us.
The principal caveat. The main issue with this analysis is that it does not use district-level data. In the coming weeks, those surveys will become more abundant. In 2008, district polls did a very good job of estimating the outcome – on Election Eve. Six weeks out, the generic ballot preference is the week-to-week indicator that is available.
Where things could go in the next seven weeks. Assume a +/-4% opinion shift between now and November, and this leads to a popular vote prediction of D+0% to D+8% (1 sigma). This gives a Democratic takeover probability of 74%, approximately three out of four.***
It should be noted that current conditions emphasize the post-convention bounce, which could be transient. Conversely, if the Democratic lead increases, that would take House control out of the knife-edge territory that I defined previously. For now, a smart use of campaign donations is to donate to the DCCC through this ActBlue page, or the GOP through Crossroads GPS.
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Are you interested in a specific race? For tracking specific districts, watch the aggregators such as our data source (HuffPost/Pollster.com) and RealClearPolitics. Considering the current 11-point swing, any race that was won in 2010 by a Republican by less than 15% should be considered competitive, and worth getting involved if you are a Democrat or Republican currently on the sidelines. I myself find this surprising, but that’s what the arithmetic is saying.
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NOTES
*We can ask whether redistricting should affect the x-intercept, i.e. give one side a structural advantage. Often the goal of redistricting is to protect specific incumbents. This is different from the goal of altering the total number of seats expected by either side. Indeed, maximizing one goal can work against the other by collecting partisan advantage into a few incumbents’ districts, at which point even a little swing can flip the outcome in the other districts. This is a complex subject, and to my knowledge it is not proved that gerrymandering leads to a global structural advantage.
**A four-factor model at FiveThirtyEight has led to a meme propagating through the political blogosphere that there is a 3-4 point structural advantage for the Republicans. However, that estimate is less precise than it appears.
When doing multiparameter regression, it is important to quantify uncertainty, as well as avoid fitting to noise. Here, two quality checks are to (i) make sure the the uncertainty does not blow up when all the extra factors are added, and (ii) make sure a large fraction of the 7-17-seat residual can be accounted for by each added factor. After playing around with the four-factor analysis, I have concluded that it is likely to fail these criteria. The consequence is low confidence in estimating the structural advantage. A simpler model using only this-year’s-national-vote and last-Congress’s-seats (i.e. two factors) applied to 1996-2010 data has less of this problem, and indicates a structural advantage to Republicans in 2012 of 1.3 +/- 1.0 1.8%. Note: when fitting to data going back to 1946, this becomes 0.6 +/- 1.0%. It is not possible to rule out the possibility that in the aggregate over the whole chamber, this parameter is zero.
***This is in marked contrast to the InTrade price of 0.17, which corresponds to an imputed market opinion-driven probability of 17%. As I have previously pointed out, InTrade market opinion is often quantitatively wrong. In this case it might even be getting the direction (i.e. <50% or >50%) wrong.You can’t miss it. It’s visible for blocks. Hell, you can probably see it from space. The new Trejo’s Donuts at the corner of Santa Monica and Highland is bright pink. Because when you think action-star-who-throws-knives-at-the-hero-in-movies-selling-you-breakfast-pastries, it really is the only color.
In case you missed the informal announcement a couple weeks back, Danny Trejo is opening a donuts and gourmet coffee joint where Donut Time used to be. New to the L.A. food scene, the actor has rolled out a cantina, taco stand, food truck, and this very aggressive breakfast burrito. The donut shop is now hiring. Trejo has promised a gluten-free donut, and his restaurants are known for their vegan fare, so we can probably expect some quality eats and drinks.
Trejo’s Donuts is expected to open “very soon,” said a rep for Trejo.Abstract Background The authors present a case illustrating a mechanism leading directly to death which is not rare but has received little attention. Case presentation The case was evaluated by autopsy, investigation of morphine concentration in the blood, and clinical data. The heroin dose causing the 'overdose' death of a young man who had previously been treated a number of times for heroin addiction did not differ from his dose of the previous day taken in the accustomed circumstances. The accustomed dose taken in a strange environment caused fatal complications because the conditioned tolerance failed to operate. The concentration of morphine in the blood did not exceed the level measured during earlier treatment. Conclusion These results are in line with the data in the literature indicating that morphine concentrations measured in cases of drug-related death do not differ substantially from those measured in cases where the outcome is not fatal. A knowledge of the conditioning mechanism can contribute to prevention of fatal cases of a similar type. The harm reduction approach places great stress on preventive intervention based on data related to drug-related death.
Background A number of mechanisms leading directly to drug-related death are known. One of the most widely known variants is where the active substance content of a drug bought on the black market differs from the accustomed level [1]. Lethal development related to drug overdose occurs most frequently when the patient accustomed to the drug gives up its use then after a while attempts to continue addictive behaviour with the same dose used immediately before withdrawal [2]. The use of drugs in combination also increases the danger of a fatal overdose [3]. However, there is also another explanatory model of cases of drug-related death. Siegel et al. showed that situation-specific tolerance is capable of preventing the fatal consequence of a fatal-sized opiate overdose. When rats are given a large dose of morphine following morphine dosing in an environment substantially differing from the one in which they experienced the effects related to morphine, signs of overdose rapidly appear and in a few cases lead to the death of the rat. In contrast, in the case of rats where the morphine is dosed in the same circumstances the same size dose has a substantially smaller effect since the substance was given in the accustomed environment and so they were "expecting" its effect [4]. Siegel interviewed 10 heroin overdose survivors in an attempt to ascertain whether the overdoses occurred following novel pre-drug cues. For seven of the overdoses, the drug was administered in an environment not previously associated with drug use [5]. O'Brien showed the conditioned tolerance phenomenon in detoxicated heroin addicts in a double blind situation, on four different occasions. On one occasion the subjects were given a moderate dose (4 mg) of hydromorphon in an infusion without knowing what they were being given and when. On the second occasion they injected the same dose themselves. On the second two occasions the same process was repeated with salt. When they were given the opiate without prior indication, the subjects showed a significantly greater physiological reaction following the full effect of the drug than when they knew what they were receiving (since they injected it themselves). The anticipation and preparation for taking the drug triggers responses contrary to the drug effect in persons already showing drug tolerance. The anticipation preceding the administration of opiate, acting as a conditioned stimulus, reduced the action of the drug and so contributed to the development of a mechanism corresponding to tolerance [6]. Gutiérrez-Cebollada et al. interviewed 76 heroin addicts admitted to the emergency room of a university hospital in Barcelona. Fifty-four patients were admitted because of heroin overdose, and 22 were seeking urgent medical care for unrelated conditions, but their interview revealed intravenous heroin self-administration 1 hr or less before admission. All of the patients who had recently used heroin, but had not suffered an overdose, injected the drug in their usual drug-administration environment. In contrast, 52% of the overdose victims administered "in an unusual setting" [7]. The case described here is the first in the literature of addiction medicine where death can be quite clearly attributed to Pavlovian conditioning.
Case presentation K.J., a 26-year-old male, first presented at the Drug Prevention and Treatment Centre with his wife in November 1997. They both asked to be treated for heroin addiction. Before admission they had been treated once as out-patients without success. He first used heroin a year later, in 1995, intravenously from the start, beginning with half a gram once a week; six months later his dose had increased to a gram a day. By then he was shooting up daily. He had never had any physical illness. Once he was hospitalized because of overdose, although opiate antagonist medication was not necessary. The concentration in the blood of morphine, the catabolite of heroin, was 0.05 mg/l. At the time of admission no internal medicine or neurological disorder could be found, while dysthymia and emotional lability were observed in the psychiatric state without psychotic symptoms or disorientation. Laboratory tests showed no abnormality. Detoxification with clonidine was followed by rapid relapse. He was never abstinent for longer than a week. His wife recounted that on January 8, 1999, the day before his death, they had decided to begin withdrawal the following day. Next day, January 9, the wife remained at home and K.J. set out for work. What happened after that can be reconstructed from the forensic medical report and from information given by drug-using friends. On the way to work K.J. changed his mind and, breaking his promise to his wife, went to the dealer and bought a dose of heroin. He met other drug-using friends there who had bought heroin from the same dealer that day and later told the author that the heroin purchased then did not differ in quality from the usual. K.J. did not return home with the heroin purchased as he did on other occasions but went to the public toilet in the pedestrian underpass at the Népliget Metro station where he injected the same quantity (0.5 gram) that he had taken the previous day in the accustomed place, at home with his wife. The authorities called out were unable to help and pronounced him dead. A syringe half filled with a yellowish-brown fluid and a sooty spoon were found beside the body. The fluid in the syringe was heroin, while the metabolite of heroin, 6-0-acetylmorphine, and morphine-3-0-glucuronid were found in the blood and urine. The autopsy found numerous traces of punctures by injection needles of various age on both upper limbs, the left side of the neck and the lower limbs. Traces of an infected but healing needle puncture were found inside the right elbow. Examination of the internal organs showed signs of general, very acute circulatory failure: acute congestive plethora of the organs, cerebral oedema, heightened brain pressure, cerebellar inclusion, acutely inflated lungs. The concentration in the blood of morphine, the catabolite of heroin, was 0.05 mg/l. The dose did not differ from the accustomed, daily dose. Other substances (alcohol, benzodiazepines, barbiturates) were not found. Heroin 'overdose' was given as the cause of death.
Conclusion The fatal consequence of the heroin injection may have been caused by the failure in the action of conditioned tolerance. As the figure shows, when a conditioned place preference arises, the user has to take a bigger dose each time to achieve the same effect as the user who does not have the opportunity for secondary conditioning with environmental stimuli since he or she constantly changes the place where the drug is taken [6]. When the drug is taken in a strange environment the conditioned tolerance does not operate since the organism is not "expecting" the drug. The end result is that the otherwise accustomed dose leads to an overdose and thereby to death. This is why the term "overdose" is misleading since the quantity taken was not greater than other doses taken without fatal complications [8]. In this case it could be determined that the heroin used by the patients did not differ in composition from what they had been using earlier. A number of people bought the |
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Case 335;SG 553;rifle;restricted;Pulse;cu_sg553_pulse;st1;sn0;sg553_pulse;Operation Phoenix Weapon Case 336;FAMAS;rifle;restricted;Sergeant;an_famas_sgt;st1;sn0;famas_sergeant;Operation Phoenix Weapon Case 337;USP-S;pistol;restricted;Guardian;cu_usp_elegant;st1;sn0;usps_guardian;Operation Phoenix Weapon Case 338;UMP-45;smg;milspec;Corporal;cu_ump_corporal;st1;sn0;ump45_corporal;Operation Phoenix Weapon Case 339;Negev;machinegun;milspec;Terrain;sp_negev_turq_terrain;st1;sn0;negev_terrain;Operation Phoenix Weapon Case 340;Tec-9;pistol;milspec;Sandstorm;cu_tec9_sandstorm;st1;sn0;tec9_sandstorm;Operation Phoenix Weapon Case 341;MAG-7;shotgun;milspec;Heaven Guard;cu_mag7_heaven;st1;sn0;mag7_heavenguard;Operation Phoenix Weapon Case 342;AK-47;rifle;covert;Wasteland Rebel;cu_tribute_ak47;st1;sn0;ak47_wastelandrebel;Operation Vanguard Weapon Case 343;P2000;pistol;covert;Fire Elemental;cu_p2000_fire_elemental;st1;sn0;p2000_fireelemental;Operation Vanguard Weapon Case 344;P250;pistol;classified;Cartel;aq_p250_cartel;st1;sn0;p250_cartel;Operation Vanguard Weapon Case 345;SCAR-20;rifle;classified;Cardiac;cu_scar20_intervention;st1;sn0;scar20_cardiac;Operation Vanguard Weapon Case 346;XM1014;shotgun;classified;Tranquility;cu_xm1014_caritas;st1;sn0;xm1014_tranquility;Operation Vanguard Weapon Case 347;Glock-18;pistol;restricted;Grinder;aq_glock_coiled;st1;sn0;glock18_grinder;Operation Vanguard Weapon Case 348;M4A1-S;rifle;restricted;Basilisk;aq_m4a1s_basilisk;st1;sn0;m4a1s_basilisk;Operation Vanguard Weapon Case 349;M4A4;rifle;restricted;Griffin;cu_m4a4_griffin;st1;sn0;m4a4_griffin;Operation Vanguard Weapon Case 350;Sawed-Off;shotgun;restricted;Highwayman;aq_sawedoff_blackgold;st1;sn0;sawedoff_highwayman;Operation Vanguard Weapon Case 351;Five-SeveN;pistol;milspec;Urban Hazard;cu_fiveseven_urban_hazard;st1;sn0;fiveseven_urbanhazard;Operation Vanguard Weapon Case 352;G3SG1;rifle;milspec;Murky;am_g3sg1_murky;st1;sn0;g3sg1_murky;Operation Vanguard Weapon Case 353;MAG-7;shotgun;milspec;Firestarter;sp_mag7_firebitten;st1;sn0;mag7_firestarter;Operation Vanguard Weapon Case 354;MP9;smg;milspec;Dart;cu_mp9_chevron;st1;sn0;mp9_dart;Operation Vanguard Weapon Case 355;UMP-45;smg;milspec;Delusion;sp_ump45_d-visions;st1;sn0;ump45_delusion;Operation Vanguard Weapon Case 356;M4A1-S;rifle;covert;Golden Coil;gs_m4a1s_snakebite_gold;st1;sn0;m4a1s_goldencoil;Shadow Case 357;USP-S;pistol;covert;Kill Confirmed;cu_usp_kill_confirmed;st1;sn0;usps_killconfirmed;Shadow Case 358;AK-47;rifle;classified;Frontside Misty;cu_ak47_winter_sport;st1;sn0;ak47_frontsidemisty;Shadow Case 359;G3SG1;rifle;classified;Flux;gs_g3sg1_flux_purple;st1;sn0;g3sg1_flux;Shadow Case 360;SSG 08;rifle;classified;Big Iron;cu_ssg08_technicality;st1;sn0;ssg08_bigiron;Shadow Case 361;Galil AR;rifle;restricted;Stone Cold;gs_galil_nightwing;st1;sn0;galilar_stonecold;Shadow Case 362;M249;machinegun;restricted;Nebula Crusader;gs_m249_nebula_crusader;st1;sn0;m249_nebulacrusader;Shadow Case 363;MP7;smg;restricted;Special Delivery;cu_mp7_classified;st1;sn0;mp7_specialdelivery;Shadow Case 364;P250;pistol;restricted;Wingshot;hy_p250_crackshot;st1;sn0;p250_wingshot;Shadow Case 365;Dual Berettas;pistol;milspec;Dualing Dragons;cu_dualberretta_dragons;st1;sn0;dualberettas_dualingdragons;Shadow Case 366;FAMAS;rifle;milspec;Survivor Z;cu_famas_lenta;st1;sn0;famas_survivorz;Shadow Case 367;Glock-18;pistol;milspec;Wraiths;gs_glock18_wrathys;st1;sn0;glock18_wraiths;Shadow Case 368;MAC-10;smg;milspec;Rangeen;cu_mac10_alekhya_duo;st1;sn0;mac10_rangeen;Shadow Case 369;MAG-7;shotgun;milspec;Cobalt Core;cu_mag7_myrcene;st1;sn0;mag7_cobaltcore;Shadow Case 370;SCAR-20;rifle;milspec;Green Marine;gs_scar20_peacemaker03;st1;sn0;scar20_greenmarine;Shadow Case 371;XM1014;shotgun;milspec;Scumbria;aq_xm1014_scumbria;st1;sn0;xm1014_scumbria;Shadow Case 372;M4A4;rifle;covert;Asiimov;cu_m4_asimov;st1;sn0;m4a4_asiimov;Winter Offensive Weapon Case 373;Sawed-Off;shotgun;covert;The Kraken;cu_sawedoff_octopump;st1;sn0;sawedoff_thekraken;Winter Offensive Weapon Case 374;M4A1-S;rifle;classified;Guardian;cu_m4a1-s_elegant;st1;sn0;m4a1s_guardian;Winter Offensive Weapon Case 375;P250;pistol;classified;Mehndi;cu_p250_refined;st1;sn0;p250_mehndi;Winter Offensive Weapon Case 376;AWP;rifle;classified;Redline;cu_awp_cobra;st1;sn0;awp_redline;Winter Offensive Weapon Case 377;FAMAS;rifle;restricted;Pulse;cu_famas_pulse;st1;sn0;famas_pulse;Winter Offensive Weapon Case 378;Dual Berettas;pistol;restricted;Marina;hy_marina_sunrise;st1;sn0;dualberettas_marina;Winter Offensive Weapon Case 379;MP9;smg;restricted;Rose Iron;am_thorny_rose_mp9;st1;sn0;mp9_roseiron;Winter Offensive Weapon Case 380;Nova;shotgun;restricted;Rising Skull;cu_skull_nova;st1;sn0;nova_risingskull;Winter Offensive Weapon Case 381;Galil AR;rifle;milspec;Sandstorm;cu_sandstorm;st1;sn0;galilar_sandstorm;Winter Offensive Weapon Case 382;Five-SeveN;pistol;milspec;Kami;hy_kami;st1;sn0;fiveseven_kami;Winter Offensive Weapon Case 383;M249;machinegun;milspec;Magma;aq_obsidian;st1;sn0;m249_magma;Winter Offensive Weapon Case 384;PP-Bizon;smg;milspec;Cobalt Halftone;am_turqoise_halftone;st1;sn0;ppbizon_cobalthalftone;Winter Offensive Weapon Case # Collection Weapons 385;SCAR-20;rifle;restricted;Emerald;an_emerald_bravo;st0;sn0;scar20_emerald;The Alpha Collection 386;FAMAS;rifle;restricted;Spitfire;sp_spitfire_famas_bravo;st0;sn0;famas_spitfire;The Alpha Collection 387;AUG;rifle;milspec;Anodized Navy;an_navy_bravo;st0;sn0;aug_anodizednavy;The Alpha Collection 388;PP-Bizon;smg;milspec;Rust Coat;aq_steel_bravo;st0;sn0;ppbizon_rustcoat;The Alpha Collection 389;MAG-7;shotgun;milspec;Hazard;sp_hazard_bravo;st0;sn0;mag7_hazard;The Alpha Collection 390;P250;pistol;industrial;Facets;hy_crumple_dark_bravo;st0;sn0;p250_facets;The Alpha Collection 391;Sawed-Off;shotgun;industrial;Mosaico;hy_ali_tile_bravo;st0;sn0;sawedoff_mosaico;The Alpha Collection 392;Negev;machinegun;industrial;Palm;sp_palm_bravo;st0;sn0;negev_palm;The Alpha Collection 393;SSG 08;rifle;industrial;Mayan Dreams;hy_mayan_dreams_bravo;st0;sn0;ssg08_mayandreams;The Alpha Collection 394;Glock-18;pistol;industrial;Sand Dune;so_sand_bravo;st0;sn0;glock18_sanddune;The Alpha Collection 395;MP7;smg;consumer;Groundwater;so_olive_bravo;st0;sn0;mp7_groundwater;The Alpha Collection 396;XM1014;shotgun;consumer;Jungle;so_jungle_bravo;st0;sn0;xm1014_jungle;The Alpha Collection 397;Five-SeveN;pistol;consumer;Anodized Gunmetal;an_gunmetal_bravo;st0;sn0;fiveseven_anodizedgunmetal;The Alpha Collection 398;MP9;smg;consumer;Dry Season;sp_tape_dots_bravo;st0;sn0;mp9_dryseason;The Alpha Collection 399;Tec-9;pistol;consumer;Tornado;so_tornado_bravo;st0;sn0;tec9_tornado;The Alpha Collection 400;M249;machinegun;consumer;Jungle DDPAT;hy_ddpat_jungle_bravo;st0;sn0;m249_jungleddpat;The Alpha Collection 401;Glock-18;pistol;restricted;Fade;aa_fade;st0;sn0;glock18_fade;The Assault Collection 402;MP9;smg;restricted;Bulldozer;so_yellow;st0;sn0;mp9_bulldozer;The Assault Collection 403;AUG;rifle;milspec;Hot Rod;an_red;st0;sn0;aug_hotrod;The Assault Collection 404;Negev;machinegun;milspec;Anodized Navy;an_navy;st0;sn0;negev_anodizednavy;The Assault Collection 405;Five-SeveN;pistol;industrial;Candy Apple;so_red;st0;sn0;fiveseven_candyapple;The Assault Collection 406;UMP-45;smg;consumer;Caramel;so_caramel;st0;sn0;ump45_caramel;The Assault Collection 407;SG 553;rifle;consumer;Tornado;so_tornado;st0;sn0;sg553_tornado;The Assault Collection 408;Tec-9;pistol;milspec;Ossified;am_ossify;st0;sn0;tec9_ossified;The Aztec Collection 409;M4A4;rifle;industrial;Jungle Tiger;hy_v_tiger;st0;sn0;m4a4_jungletiger;The Aztec Collection 410;AK-47;rifle;industrial;Jungle Spray;sp_spray_jungle;st0;sn0;ak47_junglespray;The Aztec Collection 411;SSG 08;rifle;consumer;Lichen Dashed;sp_short_tape;st0;sn0;ssg08_lichendashed;The Aztec Collection 412;Five-SeveN;pistol;consumer;Jungle;so_jungle;st0;sn0;fiveseven_jungle;The Aztec Collection 413;Nova;shotgun;consumer;Forest Leaves;sp_leaves;st0;sn0;nova_forestleaves;The Aztec Collection 414;AK-47;rifle;classified;Jet Set;cu_well_traveled_ak47;st0;sn0;ak47_jetset;The Baggage Collection 415;Desert Eagle;pistol;restricted;Pilot;aq_pilot_deagle;st0;sn0;deserteagle_pilot;The Baggage Collection 416;AK-47;rifle;restricted;First Class;cu_green_leather_ak47;st0;sn0;ak47_firstclass;The Baggage Collection 417;Sawed-Off;shotgun;milspec;First Class;cu_green_leather_sawedoff;st0;sn0;sawedoff_firstclass;The Baggage Collection 418;USP-S;pistol;milspec;Business Class;cu_luggage_usp-s;st0;sn0;usps_businessclass;The Baggage Collection 419;XM1014;shotgun;milspec;Red Leather;cu_leather_xm1014;st0;sn0;xm1014_redleather;The Baggage Collection 420;P90;smg;industrial;Leather;cu_brown_leather_p90;st0;sn0;p90_leather;The Baggage Collection 421;MAC-10;smg;industrial;Commuter;cu_luggage_mac10;st0;sn0;mac10_commuter;The Baggage Collection 422;P2000;pistol;industrial;Coach Class;cu_luggage_p2000;st0;sn0;p2000_coachclass;The Baggage Collection 423;SG 553;rifle;industrial;Traveler;cu_luggage_sg553;st0;sn0;sg553_traveler;The Baggage Collection 424;G3SG1;rifle;consumer;Contractor;so_pmc;st0;sn0;g3sg1_contractor;The Baggage Collection 425;MP7;smg;consumer;Olive Plaid;hy_plaid1;st0;sn0;mp7_oliveplaid;The Baggage Collection 426;CZ75-Auto;pistol;consumer;Green Plaid;hy_plaid2;st0;sn0;cz75auto_greenplaid;The Baggage Collection 427;MP9;smg;consumer;Green Plaid;hy_plaid2;st0;sn0;mp9_greenplaid;The Baggage Collection 428;SSG 08;rifle;consumer;Sand Dune;so_sand;st0;sn0;ssg08_sanddune;The Baggage Collection 429;P250;pistol;classified;Franklin;cu_money;st0;sn0;p250_franklin;The Bank Collection 430;AK-47;rifle;restricted;Emerald Pinstripe;cu_pinstripe_ak47;st0;sn0;ak47_emeraldpinstripe;The Bank Collection 431;CZ75-Auto;pistol;milspec;Tuxedo;so_orca;st0;sn0;cz75auto_tuxedo;The Bank Collection 432;Desert Eagle;pistol;milspec;Meteorite;am_crystallized_dark;st0;sn0;deserteagle_meteorite;The Bank Collection 433;Galil AR;rifle;milspec;Tuxedo;so_orca;st0;sn0;galilar_tuxedo;The Bank Collection 434;G3SG1;rifle;industrial;Green Apple;so_green;st0;sn0;g3sg1_greenapple;The Bank Collection 435;Glock-18;pistol;industrial;Death Rattle;hy_nerodia;st0;sn0;glock18_deathrattle;The Bank Collection 436;MAC-10;smg;industrial;Silver;an_silver;st0;sn0;mac10_silver;The Bank Collection 437;Nova;shotgun;industrial;Caged Steel;am_oval_hex;st0;sn0;nova_cagedsteel;The Bank Collection 438;UMP-45;smg;industrial;Carbon Fiber;am_carbon_fiber;st0;sn0;ump45_carbonfiber;The Bank Collection 439;MP7;smg;consumer;Forest DDPAT;hy_ddpat;st0;sn0;mp7_forestddpat;The Bank Collection 440;Negev;machinegun;consumer;Army Sheen;am_army_shine;st0;sn0;negev_armysheen;The Bank Collection 441;Sawed-Off;shotgun;consumer;Forest DDPAT;hy_ddpat;st0;sn0;sawedoff_forestddpat;The Bank Collection 442;SG 553;rifle;consumer;Army Sheen;am_army_shine;st0;sn0;sg553_armysheen;The Bank Collection 443;Tec-9;pistol;consumer;Urban DDPAT;hy_ddpat_urb;st0;sn0;tec9_urbanddpat;The Bank Collection 1391;R8 Revolver;pistol;consumer;Bone Mask;sp_tape;st0;sn0;r8revolver_bonemask;The Bank Collection 444;Galil AR;rifle;restricted;Cerberus;cu_cerbrus_galil;st0;sn1;galilar_cerberus;The Cache Collection 445;FAMAS;rifle;restricted;Styx;am_nuclear_skulls2_famas;st0;sn1;famas_styx;The Cache Collection 446;Tec-9;pistol;milspec;Toxic;hy_nuclear_skulls5_tec9;st0;sn1;tec9_toxic;The Cache Collection 447;Glock-18;pistol;milspec;Reactor;am_nuclear_pattern1_glock;st0;sn1;glock18_reactor;The Cache Collection 448;XM1014;shotgun;milspec;Bone Machine;am_nuclear_skulls1_xm1014;st0;sn1;xm1014_bonemachine;The Cache Collection 449;MAC-10;smg;milspec;Nuclear Garden;am_nuclear_skulls3_mac10;st0;sn1;mac10_nucleargarden;The Cache Collection 450;MP9;smg;milspec;Setting Sun;hy_nuclear_pattern2_mp9;st0;sn1;mp9_settingsun;The Cache Collection 451;AUG;rifle;industrial;Radiation Hazard;sp_nukestripe_orange_aug;st0;sn1;aug_radiationhazard;The Cache Collection 452;PP-Bizon;smg;industrial;Chemical Green;so_grey_nuclear_green_bizon;st0;sn1;ppbizon_chemicalgreen;The Cache Collection 453;Negev;machinegun;industrial;Nuclear Waste;sp_nuclear_pattern3_negev;st0;sn1;negev_nuclearwaste;The Cache Collection 454;P250;pistol;industrial;Contamination;hy_nuclear_skulls4_p250;st0;sn1;p250_contamination;The Cache Collection 455;Five-SeveN;pistol;industrial;Hot Shot;so_grey_nuclear_orange_five_seven;st0;sn1;fiveseven_hotshot;The Cache Collection 456;SG 553;rifle;industrial;Fallout Warning;sp_nukestripe_maroon_sg553;st0;sn1;sg553_falloutwarning;The Cache Collection 457;Glock-18;pistol;classified;Twilight Galaxy;am_aqua_flecks;st0;sn0;glock18_twilightgalaxy;The Chop Shop Collection 458;M4A1-S;rifle;classified;Hot Rod;an_red_m4a1s;st0;sn0;m4a1s_hotrod;The Chop Shop Collection 459;SG 553;rifle;restricted;Bulldozer;so_yellow;st0;sn0;sg553_bulldozer;The Chop Shop Collection 460;Dual Berettas;pistol;restricted;Duelist;gs_mother_of_pearl_elite;st0;sn0;dualberettas_duelist;The Chop Shop Collection 461;MAC-10;smg;milspec;Fade;aa_fade;st0;sn0;mac10_fade;The Chop Shop Collection 462;P250;pistol;milspec;Whiteout;so_whiteout;st0;sn0;p250_whiteout;The Chop Shop Collection 463;MP7;smg;milspec;Full Stop;hy_varicamo_red;st0;sn0;mp7_fullstop;The Chop Shop Collection 464;Five-SeveN;pistol;milspec;Nitro;so_orange_accents;st0;sn0;fiveseven_nitro;The Chop Shop Collection 465;CZ75-Auto;pistol;milspec;Emerald;an_emerald;st0;sn0;cz75auto_emerald;The Chop Shop Collection 466;Desert Eagle;pistol;industrial;Night;so_night;st0;sn0;deserteagle_night;The Chop Shop Collection 467;Galil AR;rifle;industrial;Urban Rubble;hy_varicamo_urban;st0;sn0;galilar_urbanrubble;The Chop Shop Collection 468;USP-S;pistol;industrial;Para Green;so_khaki_green;st0;sn0;usps_paragreen;The Chop Shop Collection 469;SCAR-20;rifle;consumer;Army Sheen;am_army_shine;st0;sn0;scar20_armysheen;The Chop Shop Collection 470;CZ75-Auto;pistol;consumer;Army Sheen;am_army_shine;st0;sn0;cz75auto_armysheen;The Chop Shop Collection 471;M249;machinegun;consumer;Impact Drill;so_keycolors;st0;sn0;m249_impactdrill;The Chop Shop Collection 472;MAG-7;shotgun;consumer;Seabird;so_aqua;st0;sn0;mag7_seabird;The Chop Shop Collection 473;AWP;rifle;covert;Dragon Lore;cu_medieval_dragon_awp;st0;sn1;awp_dragonlore;The Cobblestone Collection 474;M4A1-S;rifle;classified;Knight;am_metals;st0;sn1;m4a1s_knight;The Cobblestone Collection 475;Desert Eagle;pistol;restricted;Hand Cannon;aq_handcannon;st0;sn1;deserteagle_handcannon;The Cobblestone Collection 476;CZ75-Auto;pistol;restricted;Chalice;am_royal;st0;sn1;cz75auto_chalice;The Cobblestone Collection 477;MP9;smg;milspec;Dark Age;am_metal_inlay;st0;sn1;mp9_darkage;The Cobblestone Collection 478;P2000;pistol;milspec;Chainmail;am_chainmail;st0;sn1;p2000_chainmail;The Cobblestone Collection 479;USP-S;pistol;industrial;Royal Blue;hy_indigo_usp;st0;sn1;usps_royalblue;The Cobblestone Collection 480;Nova;shotgun;industrial;Green Apple;so_green;st0;sn1;nova_greenapple;The Cobblestone Collection 481;MAG-7;shotgun;industrial;Silver;an_silver;st0;sn1;mag7_silver;The Cobblestone Collection 482;Sawed-Off;shotgun;industrial;Rust Coat;aq_steel;st0;sn1;sawedoff_rustcoat;The Cobblestone Collection 483;P90;smg;consumer;Storm;so_stormfront;st0;sn1;p90_storm;The Cobblestone Collection 484;UMP-45;smg;consumer;Indigo;so_indigo_and_grey;st0;sn1;ump45_indigo;The Cobblestone Collection 485;MAC-10;smg;consumer;Indigo;so_indigo_and_grey;st0;sn1;mac10_indigo;The Cobblestone Collection 486;SCAR-20;rifle;consumer;Storm;so_stormfront;st0;sn1;scar20_storm;The Cobblestone Collection 487;Dual Berettas;pistol;consumer;Briar;hy_vines;st0;sn1;dualberettas_briar;The Cobblestone Collection 488;Glock-18;pistol;restricted;Brass;aq_brass;st0;sn0;glock18_brass;The Dust Collection 489;P2000;pistol;restricted;Scorpion;am_scorpion_p2000;st0;sn0;p2000_scorpion;The Dust Collection 490;Desert Eagle;pistol;restricted;Blaze;aa_flames;st0;sn0;deserteagle_blaze;The Dust Collection 491;Sawed-Off;shotgun;milspec;Copper;aq_copper;st0;sn0;sawedoff_copper;The Dust Collection 492;AUG;rifle;milspec;Copperhead;hy_copperhead;st0;sn0;aug_copperhead;The Dust Collection 493;AWP;rifle;milspec;Snake Camo;sp_snake;st0;sn0;awp_snakecamo;The Dust Collection 494;AK-47;rifle;industrial;Predator;sp_zebracam;st0;sn0;ak47_predator;The Dust Collection 495;SCAR-20;rifle;industrial;Palm;sp_palm;st0;sn0;scar20_palm;The Dust Collection 496;M4A4;rifle;industrial;Desert Storm;hy_desert;st0;sn0;m4a4_desertstorm;The Dust Collection 1390;R8 Revolver;pistol;classified;Amber Fade;aa_fade_metallic_revolver;st0;sn1;r8revolver_amberfade;The Dust 2 Collection 497;P2000;pistol;restricted;Amber Fade;aa_fade_metallic;st0;sn1;p2000_amberfade;The Dust 2 Collection 498;SG 553;rifle;milspec;Damascus Steel;aq_damascus_sg553;st0;sn1;sg553_damascussteel;The Dust 2 Collection 499;PP-Bizon;smg;milspec;Brass;aq_brass;st0;sn1;ppbizon_brass;The Dust 2 Collection 500;M4A1-S;rifle;milspec;VariCamo;hy_varicamo;st0;sn1;m4a1s_varicamo;The Dust 2 Collection 501;Sawed-Off;shotgun;industrial;Snake Camo;sp_snake;st0;sn1;sawedoff_snakecamo;The Dust 2 Collection 502;AK-47;rifle;industrial;Safari Mesh;sp_mesh_tan;st0;sn1;ak47_safarimesh;The Dust 2 Collection 503;Five-SeveN;pistol;industrial;Orange Peel;sp_tape_orange;st0;sn1;fiveseven_orangepeel;The Dust 2 Collection 504;MAC-10;smg;industrial;Palm;sp_palm;st0;sn1;mac10_palm;The Dust 2 Collection 505;Tec-9;pistol;industrial;VariCamo;hy_varicamo;st0;sn1;tec9_varicamo;The Dust 2 Collection 506;G3SG1;rifle;consumer;Desert Storm;hy_desert;st0;sn1;g3sg1_desertstorm;The Dust 2 Collection 507;P250;pistol;consumer;Sand Dune;so_sand;st0;sn1;p250_sanddune;The Dust 2 Collection 508;SCAR-20;rifle;consumer;Sand Mesh;sp_mesh_sand;st0;sn1;scar20_sandmesh;The Dust 2 Collection 509;P90;smg;consumer;Sand Spray;sp_spray_sand;st0;sn1;p90_sandspray;The Dust 2 Collection 510;MP9;smg;consumer;Sand Dashed;sp_tape_short_sand;st0;sn1;mp9_sanddashed;The Dust 2 Collection 511;Nova;shotgun;consumer;Predator;sp_zebracam;st0;sn1;nova_predator;The Dust 2 Collection 512;AWP;rifle;covert;Medusa;cu_medusa_awp;st0;sn0;awp_medusa;The Gods and Monsters Collection 513;M4A4;rifle;classified;Poseidon;cu_poseidon;st0;sn0;m4a4_poseidon;The Gods and Monsters Collection 514;G3SG1;rifle;restricted;Chronos;cu_chronos_g3sg1;st0;sn0;g3sg1_chronos;The Gods and Monsters Collection 515;M4A1-S;rifle;restricted;Icarus Fell;hy_icarus;st0;sn0;m4a1s_icarusfell;The Gods and Monsters Collection 516;UMP-45;smg;milspec;Minotaur's Labyrinth;cu_labyrinth;st0;sn0;ump45_minotaurslabyrinth;The Gods and Monsters Collection 517;MP9;smg;milspec;Pandora's Box;aa_pandora;st0;sn0;mp9_pandorasbox;The Gods and Monsters Collection 518;Tec-9;pistol;industrial;Hades;hy_hades;st0;sn0;tec9_hades;The Gods and Monsters Collection 519;P2000;pistol;industrial;Pathfinder;sp_labyrinth2;st0;sn0;p2000_pathfinder;The Gods and Monsters Collection 520;AWP;rifle;industrial;Sun in Leo;hy_zodiac2;st0;sn0;awp_suninleo;The Gods and Monsters Collection 521;M249;machinegun;industrial;Shipping Forecast;hy_zodiac3;st0;sn0;m249_shippingforecast;The Gods and Monsters Collection 522;MP7;smg;consumer;Asterion;sp_labyrinth;st0;sn0;mp7_asterion;The Gods and Monsters Collection 523;AUG;rifle;consumer;Daedalus;sp_labyrinth3;st0;sn0;aug_daedalus;The Gods and Monsters Collection 524;Dual Berettas;pistol;consumer;Moon in Libra;hy_zodiac1;st0;sn0;dualberettas_mooninlibra;The Gods and Monsters Collection 525;Nova;shotgun;consumer;Moon in Libra;hy_zodiac1;st0;sn0;nova_mooninlibra;The Gods and Monsters Collection 526;Tec-9;pistol;milspec;Brass;aq_brass;st0;sn1;tec9_brass;The Inferno Collection 527;Dual 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-Tect, and that was “Ignore me.”
Put yourself in my position for a moment. There is a man standing in front of you who is hammering away at his own head with an enormous inflatable weapon, grunting with great insistence that you ignore him. What do you do?
I have no idea how Stonehenge was built, but I imagine that, because it actually was built to quite a precise standard, the principles of Ugg-Tect weren’t involved at any stage. While Ugg-Tect seems, on the surface, to be a game about prehistoric construction, about architecture in the time before people wrote things down, it’s really a game about terrible failure. It’s about standing up in front of your friends and being a little bit of a disaster.
You and your friends divide into two competing teams of cavepeople and you do your very best to build a pretty rudimentary structure out of a handful of different building blocks, something like Civilization’s First Temple to the Sun by way of Fisher Price. All the blocks are colourful and simple, things like triangles or cylinders or rectangles. One member of your team holds the design in their hands but the rest of you don’t get to see it and have to try to assemble whatever it is they hold according to the instructions they give you. All those instructions come via grunts, gestures and generous clubbing.
You see, you and your prehistoric buddies can’t communicate by talking. Language isn’t very well-developed yet. What you do have at your disposal is a dozen phrases that all mean quite simple things, things like “Take” and “Turn thingy” and “Make lower.” There’s also six different movements that correspond to the different game pieces, movements like swinging your hips, which indicates the green piece, or stamping your feet, which indicates the white one. You can probably guess that a swing of your hips and a grunt of the “Take” phrase (“Ugungu,” for the record) means your team should pick up the green piece and be prepared to put it somewhere according to whatever you’re going to say next.
Simple, right? No. No, not in a million years.
For a start, the simple caveman language you use doesn’t really have a great deal of context. While it has words for “Upper” or “Lower” or “Turn” or whatnot, it doesn’t have anything more. There’s no word for “Between” for example. Then there’s the problem of constructing sentences, where trying to say something like “Take Green, Put Lower White” turns into something that, at best, makes you look like a gorilla at a disco or, at worst, an orangutan in an earthquake. All your communication devolves into total nonsense, a sort of spasmodic semaphore, while your team stare blankly at you, very carefully trying to put coloured blocks where they think you’re telling them to. Then, you hit them.
There’s that club, you see. The club is for telling people that they’re right, but also that they’re wrong, but also that you’re wrong and they should ignore you. A tap with your club tells someone they’ve done the right thing, while two taps tells them they’re wrong. Tapping your own head tells everyone to disregard what you just said. Sorry, just tried to say.
So you see where this is all headed. Of course you do. Ugg-Tect is a game about hitting your friends when they don’t do what you tell them to, as well as hitting them when they do do what you tell them to. Maybe when you play it you’ll calmly, gently tap at your friends and slowly, carefully perform all the right grunts and gestures to gradually maneuver one block on top of another until you’ve formed a three-legged building. I doubt that, though. I give you five minutes until you’re bellowing “AKUNGU AKUNGU” at somebody and hitting them everywhere you can with a massive inflatable club, while they shout “AKUNGU” back, in a desperate attempt to remind you that “AKUNGU” means “Put,” while “AKUNGU AKUNGU” means “Lay.”
It’s almost like the people making this game wanted to confuse you.
Your reward for finally, finally finishing whatever incredibly rudimentary thing that you were supposed to build before the other team is appreciative grunts from both sides, as well as a few victory points according to how complex the design was. Then you’re off again with another new design. It’s worth noting that there are sometimes quite subtle considerations in piece placement and it wasn’t long until we discovered, to our great dismay, that the flat, grey piece is actually a slightly different colour on each side.
Do you understand my position now? I understand Brendan’s and I understand how the life of a caveperson can be a sad one, a sad one of disappointment and dashed dreams, of unfulfilled visions and of dismal failures, a life that quickly leads you to bashing yourself repeatedly upon the head with an inflatable club in the vain, vain hope that everything will work out for the best.
Ugg-Tect is a silly game, but it’s quite a tough one too. That’s because it’s a clever little thing that’s been deliberately designed to cause you a lot of confusion and miscommunication. It’s tremendous fun and, while I’m sure it’s not for everyone and you probably know right now whether you’d enjoy hitting your friend/spouse/mother/parole officer with an inflatable club for an hour, I enjoyed it an awful lot more than I first thought I would. There’s real satisfaction to be had in what I’ll call aggressively persuading people to successfully put one thing on top of another.
We tried Ugg-Tect on a level playing field, all of us new to the game and none of us knowing what to expect, but I imagine that, in time, it might lose some of its freshness. Some players will get a lot better at it, memorising designs or finding better ways to communicate the unexpected subtleties of a particular structure to their team (something our Mike was already getting very good at). If you’re competitive about your board gaming, Ugg-Tect could get pretty intense and you might become a very efficient architect, something that could take the edge off the humour.
With all that in mind, I’d still recommend Ugg-Tect. It’s a terrifically silly game of slapstick and stupidity that just about anyone can play after ten minutes of rules explanation. I wouldn’t suggest you break it out as often as you might your very favourite games, just to make sure nobody becomes too good at it or too familiar with it, but make sure you have it on standby for whenever you want to blow off some steam, play something light or, heaven forbid, actually do something constructive.In response to the leak of the second episode of Mnet’s “Finding Momoland,” Duble Kick Entertainment released an official statement on July 30.
The agency states, “We discovered that the second episode of “Finding Momoland” was posted onto an online community board on July 29 at 6:27 p.m. (KST), and cable channel Mnet is currently putting great effort into figuring out how the leak happened.”
“Not only has this incident caused viewer concern but Duble Kick Entertainment has also suffered substantial damage. We will not only proactively figure out how the leak happened but also solicit the help of police to take strong action,” Duble Kick Entertainment continues.
“We apologize to the viewers and fans who love ‘Finding Momoland’ for the unsavory incident, and we will take precautions so something like this doesn’t happen again in the future,” the agency concludes.
Source (1)Hospitals are getting slammed by drug price hikes that often have nothing to do with improving patient health, a new report has found.
Inpatient drug spending increased by 23.4 percent annually from 2013 to 2015, compared with 9.9 percent annual increases on retail drug spending during the same period, according to a new report by National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago, which was commissioned by the American Hospital Association and the Federation of American Hospitals. Spending was driven by increases in drug unit prices rather than an increase in the volume of drugs used, they found.
“It would be one thing if price increases were associated with clear and important clinical improvements, but they’re not,” Chip Kahn, CEO of the federation, said Tuesday in a press briefing.
The price hikes driving the spending increases “appear to be random and inconsistent from one year to the next,” the researchers wrote. About half of the drug price hikes in the report occurred in drugs with no generic competitors.
Use Our Content This KHN story can be republished for free ( details ).
“Drugs that were around for decades — almost a century, sometimes — caught us off guard,” said Scott Knoer, chief pharmacy officer of the Cleveland Clinic, referring to price hikes for drugs such as nitroprusside, which increased 672 percent per unit from 2013 to 2015, according to the report. “For a long time, old generic drug prices were so stable we didn’t even think about that,” said Knoer, who participated in the press briefing.
The brand name version of nitroprusside, Nitropress, was originally approved in 1981 to treat cardiovascular patients. Today, it’s made by just one company, Valeant Pharmaceuticals, which bought it in early 2015, and pushed the price to $790.46 per unit from $150 per unit, according to the report. The price hike has been the subject of Congressional attention.
Nitroprusside cost hospitals almost $95 million in 2015 up from $48.3 million the year before, according to the report.
“We understand the value of innovation,” said Rick Pollack, the American Hospital Association’s president and CEO. “However an unaffordable drug is not a lifesaving drug and a price increase resulting from market manipulation is simply wrong.”
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) said the report misses the big picture by honing in on the drugs in the report, and it leaves out the fact that hospitals mark up drug prices when they bill patients.
“Focusing on a set of unrepresentative, older and off-patent medicines at a time when new generic drug applications had a record backlog gives a distorted portrayal of medicine spending,” said PhRMA spokesperson Holly Campbell.
The Generic Pharmaceutical Association was not available for comment.
The report included a national web-based survey with responses from 712 community hospitals from April through June of 2016. Researchers then weighted these responses to come up with estimates for 4,369 community hospitals in the United States. The analysis also included aggregate data for 28 drugs from two group-purchasing organizations, or GPOs, which buy drugs in bulk to negotiate better costs. The two GPOs represent 1,400 community hospitals.
More than 90 percent of survey respondents said drug price hikes had a “moderate or severe” impact on their budgets. What’s more, Medicare reimbursements often don’t reflect increased inpatient drug costs because the reimbursements are based on price indexes, and drug prices are rising too fast for the indexes to keep up.
“The bottom line is if you spend several million dollars more on drugs, it’s just accounting. You’re going to spend several million dollars less on other things,” Knoer said, adding that although this is not a problem for Cleveland Clinic, some hospitals aren’t able to hire has many nurses or can’t invest in the latest screening technologies as a result of increased drug spending.
David Vandewater, president and CEO of Ardent Health, which includes 14 hospitals, pointed out that hospital closures seem to be more common than ever before. And although greedy drug companies aren’t 100 percent at fault, they may share some of the blame for this trend, he said.
When companies hike drug prices, hospitals lose money on insured patients, but make money on uninsured or out-of-network patients because they can legally charge a markup for drugs, said Gerard Anderson, a health policy and management professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Drugs are regularly marked up at least 500 percent, so if the drug price is higher, so is the profit.
“It’s not a total loss to them when prices go up because charged payers make up some of the difference,” Anderson said. He was not involved in the report or on the press call.
Ultimately, even healthy individuals wind up paying the price for out-of-control drug costs, in the form of higher premiums and copays, increased deductibles and higher taxes, Knoer said on the press call.
“If these kinds of increases took place in the sale of gasoline in the U.S., you’d be paying $30 a gallon,” Vandewater said. “And if that was the case, the federal government or somebody would decide enough is enough.”
KHN’s coverageof prescription drug development, costs and pricing is supported in part by the Laura and John Arnold Foundation, and coverage related to aging & improving care of older adults is supported by The John A. Hartford Foundation.MPs have joined motoring and cycling groups to condemn a BBC1 documentary which purports to show the "war" between cyclists and other vehicles on British roads, with some warning that it could actually endanger cyclists by wrongly stereotyping them as reckless.
They have also questioned why the programme, scheduled to run on Wednesday evening, presents excerpts from a professionally shot commercial film of cycle couriers staging a breakneck race through central London as ordinary footage, saying this seems deliberately misrepresentative.
Ian Austin, the Labour MP who co-chairs the all-party cycling group in parliament, said he feared the programme could make cycling more dangerous. He said: "I'm not in favour of banning things but I don't really see the point of broadcasting something so stupid, sensationalist, simplistic and irresponsible. It doesn't reflect what Britain's roads are like for the vast majority of people who use them."
BBC publicity material for The War on Britain's Roads, promises to put viewers "into the middle of the battle that is raging between two-wheeled road users and their four-wheeled counterparts". Made by an independent company, Leopard Films, it is based on footage shot by cyclists using helmet-mounted cameras, an increasingly common accessory for riders to both share video of their journeys and, if needed, document dangerous behaviour by drivers. It includes scenes of cyclists being almost crushed by lorries and cars and of confrontations and assaults, as well as interviews with drivers, cyclists and a woman whose daughter was killed by a cement lorry while on a bike.
The BBC, which insists the programme is "fair and balanced", has refused to let pressure groups see it in advance, including one cycling organisation which assisted the producers but became concerned its advice was being ignored. However, some of them were able to view a copy sent to the Guardian.
Austin said he was deeply worried by the divisive tone: "I think it's dangerous to promote this culture of confrontation on the roads. It makes cycling more dangerous. The image of cycling the show presents doesn't really represent what it's like for most people in Britain. If that's the impression motorists get of Britain's cyclists it's not going to help road users treat each other with respect."
Austin was particularly concerned by the footage of couriers weaving at high speed through traffic and pedestrians. It was shot in 2006 by a US film maker, Lucas Brunelle, who sells DVDs of his footage, something not mentioned in the programme. Austin said: "I cycle in London every week, and have been for years. I've seen lots of car drivers driving badly, lots of cyclists doing things they shouldn't, and everyone should obey the rules of the road. But I've not seen cycling like that. The idea that they present that as normal cycling is mad, irresponsible and dangerous."
Charlie Lloyd from the London Cycling Campaign also said he was worried by this sequence: "The programme's integrity is destroyed by the use of six-year-old commercial video footage of professional cyclists doing reckless stunts, endangering themselves and everyone else. Showing this as real behaviour is as false as presenting a James Bond car chase as how average people drive to work. The programme makers chose to fan the flames of aggression on the roads, that can only increase the risk for all of us."
Roger Geffen, policy director for national cyclists' group the CTC, said they met the film's producers a year ago and provided statistics showing a long-term increase in cycling safety. He said: "Instead of covering this good news story the BBC has instead chosen to portray cycling as an activity solely for battle-hardened males with helmets and cameras. This hostile stereotyping merely scares mums, children and others back into their cars."
Martin Gibbs, policy director for British Cycling, said he had not been able to see the film but found the tone of the publicity material worrying: "It sounds like they're taking what is a serious issue and making it into drama, which is disappointing. What disturbs me is that it's creating an artificial distinction between cyclists and motorists. Our figures show that nine out of ten British Cycling members drive cars."
Edmund King, the AA president, pointed out that a survey for his organisation this month found almost two-thirds of drivers want to see improved road infrastructure for cyclists, and that 1.5 million AA members cycle regularly: "Why should my personality change when I get out from behind the steering wheel of a car and on to my bike? We are the same people. I do think the problems can be blown out of proportion. We need to talk to each other in a civilised manner, and I don't think a programme like this really helps. It's not a war out there."
A BBC spokesman said the courier race sequence was genuine footage shot by a cyclist taking part and uploaded to YouTube. He said: "The footage has since been released commercially, but the fact remains that it depicts real behaviour on the streets of London."
The spokesman added: "The programme is intended to be a serious examination of the relationship between cyclists and other road users. It uses actual footage of real incidents to provoke discussion and investigates the outcomes and consequences of several of the incidents captured. Raising awareness of these issues, on a primetime BBC1 programme, can only be a positive thing for both cyclists and other road users."Event Description
The UKLOL community of Reddit and Facebook are hosting their next UK League of Legends Tournament on Sunday November 3rd.
The tournament will be a double elimination, best of 1 series throughout, with the winning team taking the prize of 1779 riot points each (via UKash).
You must be a primarily UK based team (we can allow 1 foreign player per team), and be available for the whole tournament.All teams must be online by 12.30pm GMT. Games must start no later than 12.50pm or DQ's will be considered. We are aiming for the tourney to be completed at around 8-9pmJust sign your team up aboove and you are ready to play in the tournament! ANy questions just email me @ craigball14@hotmail.comDont forget to check out the community for more tournament info and all the latest from the communityBrackets will be posted a few days before the tourney starts“You’re too sensitive” What is too sensitive anyway?
“Did you see/hear what just happened” No! Whats going on in my head is way more interesting
“Why do you want to spend so much time alone, come hang with us” Just leave me be for crying out loud, I’m tired i just want to read my book, have the decency to respect that.
“Stop defending people, what they did/say is not right” Well i wont, maybe i should judge you for judging them cuz you are a condescending piece of shit, why cant you just accept that everyone is different, and they don’t have the same values you have, and that everyone is living a different story.
“Why don’t you like Facebook/Instagram/snapchat?” Because I don’t care what people do with their lives. Im busy.
“Why are you still single” Bitch im focusing on my dreams right now, and besides shut up.Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings.
May 22, 2017, 6:33 PM GMT / Updated May 22, 2017, 7:11 PM GMT By Tal Axelrod
On Tuesday, President Trump's motorcade will leave Israel's 1967 boundaries for a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem, a Palestinian city in the West Bank.
On the way, he will pass several Jewish settlements whose presence underscores the challenge Trump has ahead of him as he seeks to seal what he sees as the "ultimate deal" — peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
During brief remarks before dinner at the residence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said on Monday he has "heard it's one of the toughest deals of all but I have a feeling we're going to get there eventually, I hope."
However, any perceived support of the West Bank settlements, which many countries and international bodies consider illegal under the Fourth Geneva Convention, may present a problem for any effort to move peace talks forward, foreign policy experts said.
Experts fear that as such settlements expand they will render the two-state solution moot.
“They probably do already," Alon Liel, former director general of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, told NBC News.
Related: What It's Like to Live in an Israeli Settlement
The recent debate over the Amona settlement, which was ultimately deemed illegal by the Israeli government and eventually evacuated earlier this year, is an example of the heightened tension and profound acrimony in the region over the issue of Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem and West Bank.
"This land is like a heart for my family, if you take the heart from the body you will die,” said Ibrahim Yacoub, a Palestinian farmer who for 20 years watched in frustration as the Amona settlement enterprise slowly chipped away at his land as roads, water and electricity were implemented, solely for settlers' use.
“This land is five generations in our family, we have stories and memories... about this land," he told NBC News in November.
Ibrahim Yacoub, points to DzAmonadz, the Israeli settlement,t in the West Bank which has been built on his land. David Copeland / NBC News
While Trump has expressed optimism at being able to help achieve a peace deal, he has also been unclear as to what that might entail.
For decades, the two-state solution has been the foundational premise for U.S.-backed negotiations.
In the meantime, at a joint press conference earlier this year Trump asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “hold back on settlements”.
Experts say Trump entrusting his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to help lead the peace initiative and his choice of bankruptcy lawyer David Friedman as ambassador to Israel offer some indication of the administration's possible direction.
Kushner's family’s charitable foundation has donated tens of thousands of dollars to settlements inside the occupied West Bank.
Friedman opposes “imposing a two-state solution on Israel,” and staunchly supports settlements. He chairs the American Friends of Beit El Institutions fundraising group, which has also donated large sums to the settlement.
“They would concern me if in fact the president is just going to relegate this issue to them because I don’t see where in their history they show an understanding of both sides in a way that would make you believe they’re going to weigh in in a way that is conducive to a compromise on settlements,” Shibley Telhami, the Anwar Sadat professor for peace and development at the University of Maryland, said.
Some groups do not believe settlements present a conflict. “The settlements have served as an excuse by Palestinian leaders for postponing negotiations and for rejecting all possible peace offers from Israel,” Roz Rothstein, CEO of the pro-Israel group StandWithUs, said in a written statement.
Telhami disagreed.
“Unless you take a stand on settlements, at least a freeze or refrain or some idea that would give the Palestinians confidence that they’re able to engage in serious negotiations, not much is going to happen," Telhami said. "It’s very quickly going to become an issue for (Trump), which is going to propel him to make a decision.”Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for Derek Yee’s Sword Master (read our review). The film is a remake of Chor Yuen’s Death Duel, a 1977 Shaw Brothers film that Yee starred in during the height of his acting career.
In this wuxia epic, a swordsman is haunted by the destructive impact his deadly talents have on others. Weary of the bloodshed from the martial arts world, he banishes himself to the humble life a vagrant, wandering the fringes of society. But his violent past refuses to let him go quietly. The swordsman must regain the ability to wield his sword and fight those disrupting the peace he so desperately craves.
As with the original, the remake is an adaptation of Ku Lung’s Third Master’s Sword (literal title). The film is produced by Tsui Hark (Taking of Tiger Mountain) and stars Kenny Lin Geng-Xin (Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon Sea Dragon), Peter Ho Yun-Tung (The Monkey King), Jiang Yi-Yan (The Bullet Vanishes) and Jiang Meng-Jie (Kung Fu Man).
Order Sword Master from Amazon.com today!Our writer is awed by more than 450 dinosaur footprints in the rock faces of Cal Orko, central Bolivia
It's brutal vandalism. I'm staring at what was, until very recently, the largest set of dinosaur footprints on earth – 581 metres of vicious slashes gouged by a carnivore's razor-sharp claws. But now, a third of the way into the run, as the predator salivated at the prospect of supper, the spoor suddenly vanishes, replaced by a slab of fresh, smooth rock.
It reappears 10 metres further on. The hunt has recommenced. But it's too late. A landslide has left a savage rip across the rock face, interrupting the trail laid down 65m years ago in Bolivia's central highlands. To palaeontologists it's almost iconoclasm, like a theologian finding a page torn from the Gutenberg Bible.
The lost footsteps of "Johnny Walker", as the dinosaur is known, are the latest tweak to the prehistoric landscape outside the elegant city of Sucre. Cal Orko is a constantly evolving record of life in the Cretaceous era – an epic canvas that due to erosion and local mining will always be a work in progress.
"It's just amazing," says chief guide Maria Teresa Gamón as we inspect the damage. "We see fresh footprints and fossils all the time. We lose some, we find some. It's always changing."
Whatever the latest tally, the vast wall of sedimentary rock still bears the largest, most diverse collection of dinosaur tracks on the planet. Across a limestone slab 1.2km long and 80m high, Cal Orko sports more than 5,000 footsteps, with 462 individual trails.
My own trail is slightly longer. Sedate Sucre breaks up the schlep from tropical Santa Cruz to the altiplano mining town of Potosí. With a student population served by great bars and cafes it's the perfect place to kick back for a few days, particularly in the dreamy Parador Santa María la Real, where colonial-era rooms surround light-filled courtyards.
But Spain's conquistadors are a pinprick in history compared with the dinosaurs. The Bolivian prints belong to eight main species, including the unpleasant carnotaurus with its terrible dentistry and laughably tiny upper limbs, and the herbivorous ankylosaurus – a sort of heavyweight armadillo. But they and their footsteps are dwarfed by those of the clumsy plant-guzzling titanosaur, weighing up to 100 tonnes.
Cal Orko lies three miles from downtown Sucre, where red, brown and ochre folds of earth smudge into the Andean foothills. I know it's inside a quarry – miners spotted many footprints after the first discoveries in 1985 – but it's still shocking to find heavy industry cheek by jowl with a fragile landscape of world significance. The extraction company's work covers everything – trees, buildings, men – in a fine fuzz of dust. Its vast lorries, titanosaurs of earth moving, are a surreal juxtaposition with the palaeontologists' delicate work.
Cal Orko. Photograph: Ian Belcher
The Parque Cretácico, opened in 2006, lies further up the hill, with a museum, vast models of dinosaurs and B-movie roars piped through loudspeakers. So far so Spielberg. It's only when I reach the viewing platform, 150 metres from the rock face, that it starts to become marvellously real – a widescreen view of prehistory. My eyes need to adjust. Cal Orko is a vast optical puzzle requiring time to decipher. Those dots, dashes and holes like super-sized horse hoofprints aren't random designs – they're rock-solid semaphore explaining Cretaceous life.
Visitors aren't normally allowed up to the wall, but with mining temporarily suspended, I'm granted rare access. The immense vertiginous rock face is slightly overwhelming, in the dust and searing heat. Maria, the palaeontologistss assistant, uses a mirror to transform the sun's rays into a spotlight, picking out specific tracks.
Her enthusiasm is infectious. "Look! Six footprints going up. Ankylosaurus. And over there! Those are about 80cm in diameter. It's a titanosaur coming down the wall for about 25m. See where they stop? That soft outer rock will soon crumble and you'll follow them right to the ground."
Maria uses the footprints to explain how meat-eaters walked with straight feet "while herbivores were pigeon-toed like Charlie Chaplin – apart from the long-necked ones, who had the same hips as carnivores".
Getting up close to the prints at Cal Orko. Photograph: Ian Belcher
The spoors reveal mundane details of daily Cretaceous life. It's CSI: Sucre. "That ankylosaur was running. It sank its four toes into the ground, rather than its heel." There's even a large carnivore that, like any true gentleman, preferred the female to stay on its left side.
Most fun of all is gauging the beasts' size from their tracks. For two-legged dinosaurs you multiply the length of the footprint four times to discover leg-to-hip length. Once you've got the legs, you know if it was Joe Average or Godzilla. A large titanosaur had 6m pins – without stilettos.
By the time we're placing our hands next to the tracks – a quick way to feel extremely insignificant – I've mutated into teacher's pet. I fear I'm raising my hand to ask questions.
"What's that?" demands Maria, pointing to a splatter of prints.
"Two round toes. A hoof. Waddling like Chaplin. A herbivore," I snap back. "Possibly an iguanodont."
"Very good, Ian" I feel stupidly proud.
But Cal Orko is about geology as well as palaeontology. Unless dinosaurs wore crampons, and size 72 ones at that, how the hell did they leave tracks up a vertical rock face? It's all very complicated, so pay attention at the back.
The Cretaceous era, starting 145m years ago and ending with mass extinction 80m years later, saw South America drift away from Africa and and join with North America, sparking wildlife migrations. Cal Orko, kissing a huge lake and boasting the continent's first flowers, attracted herbivores and subsequently carnivores.
But it was unique climate fluctuations that made the region a palaeontological honey pot. The creatures' feet sank into the soft shoreline in warm damp weather, leaving marks that were solidified by later periods of drought. Wet weather then returned, sealing the prints below mud and sediment. The wet-dry pattern was repeated seven times, preserving multiple layers of prints. The cherry on the cake was added when tectonic activity pushed the flat ground up to a brilliant viewing angle – as if nature was aware of its tourism potential.
Not surprisingly, Cal Orko has applied for Unesco listing, but the fate of Johnny Walker's steps underlines the vulnerability of this place.
Far from preserving the site, man is adding to the ravages of time. As I leave, a low explosion thumps across the quarry's fragile earth and reverberates through my chest. More tracks will disappear, more emerge – the endless dance of conservation and industrial progress.A panel of socialists give their views on what’s happening in China
With China’s Lianghui or ‘twin sessions’ – the National People’s Congress (NPC) and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) – underway in Beijing, chinaworker.info asked a panel of socialist activists to explain the trends taking place in China. Vincent Kolo is editor of chinaworker.info, Wang Linyu is a young mainland activist and Jor Yen from Hong Kong is active in Socialist Action and writes for the CWI’s Chinese magazine Socialist.
What is the main conclusion we can draw from the twin sessions of the NPC and CPPCC now meeting in Beijing?
VINCENT: These assemblies are just echo chambers for the decisions already made by the top leadership of the CCP (so-called Communist Party) dictatorship. In recent years the NPC and CPPCC have mainly attracted attention as the world’s leading billionaires’ clubs. This year there are more than 100 billionaires among the delegates. It is reported that the 10 richest delegates in the NPC are currently worth 184 billion US dollars, which is 100 times the wealth of the ten richest US congressmen.
Xi Jinping and the CCP regime are using this year’s meetings to beam a message around the world that the state of the Chinese economy is not as bad as widely believed. In reality, below the surface, the mood is quite desperate. Many sections of the elite, in common with the global capitalists, are extremely worried. Many regions of China are facing severe pressures, with floundering economies and utter confusion over how to carry out the policies decided in Beijing. The regime’s recent steps to further tighten media controls – effectively outlawing bad economic news – is another sign that things are very serious indeed.
YEN: If the meetings show anything it is that the Chinese government cannot offer any real solutions for its economic crisis and the next wave of big attacks on the working class is coming. The announcement of 5-6 million job cuts (reported by Reuters) in the state-owned industrial sector shows this. At the NPC the government promised compensation – a 100 billion yuan ‘resettlement fund’ – for laid-off workers. But the funds are too small to cushion the pain for workers and the affected regions, while local governments are close to bankrupt in many regions. Workers in the affected industries are not getting paid now in many cases, so what guarantees do they have they will receive the ‘resettlement’ payments?
LINYU: The government does not want any controversy – it wants to project unity at the national meetings. But one of the most publicised speeches was by finance minister Lou Jiwei, who launched a big attack on the Labour Contract Law, saying it ‘overprotects’ workers and puts too big a burden on the capitalists. Lou is a spokesman for the capitalists and the most neo-liberal wing of the elite. These groups blame “too rapid wage growth” for the crisis in the Chinese economy. In fact, with the increased costs of housing and other essentials, real wages have barely kept pace. Lou’s comments fit a wider pattern: that massive layoffs and attacks on jobs, wages and workers’ rights are coming.
At the NPC we heard many top officials including Li Keqiang say there will be no “hard landing” in China. What is your view?
VINCENT: The regime is in damage control mode. There has been a succession of speeches by Xi, Li, central bank governor Zhou Xiaochuan, and others to talk-up China’s economy and restore ‘confidence’. This was evident at the G20 finance ministers’ meeting in Shanghai (25-26 February) and it’s continuing at the twin sessions.
The CCP is attempting to regain its footing after a disastrous start to the year, the worst ever for global stock markets including China’s. The Chinese stock market is the world’s second worst performer in 2016 after Greece – and that’s despite the government’s ‘national team’ intervening to prop up the stock market during the NPC and CPPCC meetings, because they don’t want a new stock market rout to spoil things. There are several issues that are a lot more serious. Capital flight at historically unprecedented levels is a much bigger worry for Beijing. A report from Bloomberg Intelligence says 1 trillion US dollars left China in 2015. This reflects a collapse of confidence of the capitalists in the Chinese economy and a search for ‘value’ outside its borders.
LINYU: The regime tries to hide the full extent of the economic problems. They also use grand sounding plans to subdue the mood of crisis. For example, they have identified de-stocking of the big inventory of unsold houses (numbering many millions across China) as a priority in 2016. This is mainly in the 3rd and 4th-tier cities which account for 67 percent of housing construction. This is where the property crash has been most severe. The regime’s solution is moving more migrant workers into these cities as the main way to achieve de-stocking and creating new housing demand. But this idea is widely known as impossible because wages will be reduced further as a result of the slowing economy. Today, in many areas, migrants are leaving the cities because there are no longer any jobs.
A capitalist and former property mogul Ren Zhiqiang may be more “rational” when he says the only way is to demolish those unsold buildings. This is actually happening in some cities. This also shows the contradiction with the government’s reform plans. The majority of working people are on low wages; they lack the spending power to resolve the problems of overcapacity and to turn China into a consumer-driven economy. Without this, the government keeps increasing the debt to avoid the total collapse of the economy, but it will only lead the economy into a prolonged stagnation, such as Japan.
YEN: The stock market crisis last year in June and this year in January already showed that the Chinese government is unable to control the economy. They are trying to avert a hard landing by using stimulus, more credit and loose monetary policies. This means China is more likely to go into a Japanese model of economic crisis: very high debt with slow growth, non-profitable zombie companies, low consumer power as people do not want to spend money. But with China’s political system, this kind of economic crisis will have much more serious social consequences than Japan in the 1990s and 2000s, which can mean a revolutionary mass upheaval.
The government is discussing big job cuts in heavy industries like steel and coal mining. How likely are |
using high-aspect-ratio SAPO-34 seeds, if was possible to grow thinner and higher quality SAPO-34 membranes (the thinnest membrane was ∼ 2 µm thick) and achieve simultaneous increase of N 2 permeance and N 2 /CH 4 mixture selectivity.
Yu points out that the best membranes that the team fabricated showed N 2 permeance as high as (4.93 ± 0.25) × 10 -7 mol/(m 2 •s•Pa) at 70°C and N 2 /CH 4 selectivity of 11.3 ± 0.31 at 22°C for a 50/50 N 2 /CH 4 mixture.
"Their separation performance is superior to those of the state-of-the-art membranes," he says.Efforts to end the conflict in Syria must reach out to Assad, as well as other regional players, including allies of the Syrian leader, Merkel said on Thursday.
"We have to speak with many actors, this includes Assad, but others as well," Merkel said in a press conference at the end of the EU summit. "Not only with the United States of America, Russia, but with important regional partners, Iran, and Sunni countries such as Saudi Arabia."
In late August, Merkel had said she would welcome Iran - which like Russia has given Assad its backing - playing a part in the discussions. Most Western countries have sought to exclude Iran from talks on Syria. Iran is viewed as one of Assad's strongest allies.
This month the chancellor also spoke of the need to engage with Russia on Syria. Moscow appeared to step up deliveries of military equipment to the pro-Assad side in recent weeks. Russia has built up its own military presence, including heavy equipment, fuelling fears that its support of Assad may help prolong the conflict.
Past call to'step aside'
Merkel has in the past joined other Western leaders in calling on Assad to step aside. In a joint statement with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister David Cameron in 2011, Merkel said Assad should "face the reality of the complete rejection of his regime by the Syrian people and to step aside in the best interests of Syria and the unity of its people."
US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Saturday that while Assad would have to step down, that step need not happen immediately upon reaching a settlement to end the country's civil war.
'On the same side'
British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond told a UK parliamentary committee earlier this month that his government was prepared to see compromises with Russia and Iran that would see Assad play a role "for some months" in any transition process.
Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz went further, saying that the West should involve Assad in its fight against "Islamic State."
"One should not forget the crimes that Assad has committed, but also not forget the pragmatic view of the fact that in this fight we are on the same side," Kurz said.
Last week, Assad chided the West for "crying" over the influx of refugees to Europe, claiming that Western nations were supporting "terrorists" engaged in the battle against his regime.
rc/sms (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)The most Nintendo-y aspect of the browser is the ability to bring a curtain down on the TV while you continue to browse on the gamepad. After a while, your Mii will appear in front of the curtain doing magic tricks, unless you’re running the browser on top of a game, in which case you will see the current screen display of that game. Nintendo portrayed this as a way to, for example, search for a video in secret, then open the curtain when it’s ready and let your friends enjoy, although you can also use it if you just don’t want people to see what you’re looking at. To close or open the curtain, press X. If you hold down X while the curtain is closed, you’ll get a fanfare before it opens.Michael Nagle / Getty Images A protester looks in his bag in Zuccotti Park, where demonstrators against the economic system have been gathering since September 17
Nearly two weeks ago, an estimated 3,000 people assembled at Battery Park with the intention of occupying Wall Street. They were an eclectic group, mostly young, some with beards and tattoos, other dressed in shorts and sneakers; a few even wore suits for the occasion. But nearly everyone was angry at what they saw as a culture of out-of-control greed. They didn’t succeed — at least not geographically, forgoing Wall Street for nearby Zuccotti Park, just around the corner from Ground Zero.
News outlets put the crowd there at several thousand, but that seemed to overestimate its true numbers. When I visited the park on Sept. 17, I counted backpacks and sleeping bags, trying to differentiate the tourists and casual marchers from those who were in it for the long haul. I came up with about 200 people.
(MORE: Police Use Pepper Spray on Wall Street Protesters)
Over the past 12 days, however, those numbers have grown. On a late-night visit to Zuccotti Park on Tuesday, the fecklessness and disorganization reported earlier in the New York Times seemed largely absent. A protest that began in utter dysfunction has given way to a fairly organized movement with a base camp for its most stalwart members, now numbering more than 300 people, who have slept in the park for 12 nights straight–and who say they intend to stay.
Perhaps no incident galvanized the protesters more than their march north to Union Square on Sept. 24. Police arrested nearly 80 people whom they say were blocking traffic, and video of a penned-in female protester being pepper sprayed by a police officer went viral on the web. The protesters have posted the video on their website and a picture of the woman adorns the board at the entrance to the park, at what’s now become the groups quasi-official information booth. At small table, posterboards lay out the schedule for the day, which includes marches down to Wall Street for the stock exchange’s opening and closing bells, each followed by a “General Assembly” where the various groups gather to discuss their goals, their current status and what might come next.
The park has become a semi-permanent home, complete with a medical station and a distribution point for food and water. The protesters have organized themselves into committees to remove the garbage, roam the camp to enforce a ban on open flames (an evictable offense in the eyes of the NYPD) and engage with the people in the area. A couple of pizza joints, a Burger King and a deli have let the protesters use their bathrooms; some have even donated food. In the middle of the park is a media center where protesters send out Twitter updates and live-stream the latest news on their website. At 1 am Wednesday, more than 3,000 people were sending in questions while a young woman in a yellow poncho answered them on a live feed.
But while “Occupy Wall Street” has become more organized, its demands haven’t coalesced into a coherent message. The only thing its various constituent groups appear to have in common is a deep-seated anger at inequality in this country. For them Wall Street symbolizes that unfairness, but the groups have other concerns as well. Many want to redistribute wealth; others want to enlarge government social programs. Some are protesting against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Daniel Levine, a journalism student from upstate New York, said he was taking a stand against the controversial method of natural gas extraction known as hydrofracking in his hometown – but also noted that the practice can bring jobs to economically disadvantaged regions.
Just as it lacks a single message, the “Occupy Wall Street” movement has been defined by the absence of a clear leader. Participants say that is by design, and point to the committees that have sprung up to tend to the daily needs of those camped in Zuccotti Park. It isn’t clear that they want a single leader, and many think the movement is better off without one. “It’s kind of cool how it’s growing organically,” one said. “People just need to give it time and it’ll come together.”
Assuming organizers can keep the protest on the good side of the law, all indications are that it will continue for a long time. A sign by the information booth held a wish list: hats, gloves, tarps, and warm clothing. On live streams on the website, organizers answered questions about what supporters could bring or send. If last weekend is any indication, the numbers could swell this Saturday as supporters come in from out of town. For those who eventually leave again, Levine hopes that they take the skills they’ve learned back to their communities to continue to protest for whatever cause they support. “Every person who’s been here more than three days can completely organize a protest in their hometowns,” Levine says. “This is the most productive homelessness I’ve ever seen.”
PHOTOS: Occupy Wall Street Begins in Manhattan
Nate Rawlings is a reporter at TIME. Find him on Twitter at @naterawlings. Continue the discussion on TIME‘s Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME.You've surely heard talk that the midterm elections would result in a tidal wave of red-state freedom washing over this great yet troubled nation. Come Nov. 2, Republicans will return to restore the country's sanity, while the Obama-crats will be sent to the bread line.
But we know Georgians don't vote like a bunch of lemmings, right? Um, right? Anyway, voters will have the chance next Tuesday to boot do-nothings and sleazoids; promote the able and honorable; and, dare we say it, kick the tea-baggers to the curb by putting a Democrat back in the governor's office.
For the public's benefit, we herein offer our picks in key statewide and local races and provide an online guide to those pesky ballot questions and referenda that have been keeping you up at night. Remember, the people on your local ballot will impact your life more than anyone way up in Washington — in fact, most of the candidates have never even met the president! — so please vote accordingly. We only hope our suggestions help you separate the awful from the awesome. Now get busy!
?
But wait, there's more!
Get your CL-approved voting booth cheat sheet right here pdf.
After you cast your ballot, join us Nov. 2 for candidate party gossip and election-night drinking games at Fresh Loaf.Anonymous asked: So are you truscum/trans med or are you against the harmful medicalisation of being trans? Frommur post I wouldnt think u are, but just in case before I follow (sorry if that seems rude I just dont want to see toxic stuff on my dash.)
TRIGGER WARNING, THIS POST GOT REBLOGGED BY ACTUAL FLIPPING TRUSCUM. THIS POST WILL BE MY ONE REPLY TO THOSE LIVING PIECES OF SLIME. AFTER THAT THEY WILL NOT APPEAR ON THIS BLOG AGAIN.
angrygypsy:
tres-scum: queeranarchism: tres-scum: queeranarchism: No problem. I am absolutely against the medicalisation of transgender lives. You do not need to want any physical changes or experience dysphoria to be trans. (in fact, I firmly believe 90% of dysphoria is the pain of living in a cissexist world, crafted into a diagnosis so the cis people can feel like this pain is inherent rather than the result of the fucked up world they build). Transition health care should be available to those who want it and they should be able to make all their own choices about it. Truscum can bite my gendereuphoric ass. saying sex dysphoria is a result of a cissexist society is erasing the experiences of transgender people and saying our condition is a social issue
we were born like this, it’s no one’s fault and it can’t be fix by people being nicer Go read this explanation I wrote in response to an earlier question, maybe you’ll understand what I mean. oh my goodness but the disconnect between our internal body map and our actual body is very much real and that’s what sex dysphoria is and that’s what makes us transgender There has been a lot of studies into the differences between male and female brains, the way brains map to bodies and the scientific causes behind dysphoria. It’s not social, it’s neurological. There are problems caused by society that increase dysphoria, but dysphoria itself is nothing to do with society.
First: You do not need to feel a disconnect between your body and your ‘internal body map’ to be transgender. Only a disconnect between whatever gender you were assumed to be at birth and how you actually identify.
Second: Most studies done to ‘prove’ that there are female brains and male brains are extremely doubtful. The observed differences are often the EXACT SAME ‘brain differences’ that previous studied found to be ‘evidence of the gay brain’ and then dismissed again. The research is dodgy and desperate to prove a point of flimsy evidence. And most of all, most studies completely ignore that the brain is actually a thing that changes based on our experience, the skills we learn, and so on.
Third: My point was never that transgender people don’t experience any inherent unease about the difference between what they feel their body should be and what their body actually is. Many, though not all, do. However, the unease (and dysphoria literally means unease) that accompanies this difference is often 90% how society labels and responds to that body and then does not allow you to change it. Doctors like to pretend that all the pain transgender people feel is all ‘inherent dysphoria’, therebye making cis violence invisible and making being transgender seem like something inherently painful and tragic. It’s not.
Fourth: If you’re worried about people erasing the voices of transgender people, try not being truscum.
Fifth: I explained once, I explained twice, now I explained a third time and I am getting really fucking tired of truscum so don’t expect a fourth reply. Blocking your arses.The directors who put their name to that letter were Peter Hay, Gene Tilbrook, Harrison Young, Diane Smith-Gander, Siobhan McKenna, Terry Francis, Rick Turchini, Brad Orgill and Alison Lansley.
All those directors said they had fulfilled their duties with care and diligence. They declined to be interviewed by KordaMentha.
“The board devoted significant time to strategic risks and, in particular, the related risks of time delays and costs overruns," the nine directors wrote.
Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the government would consider the report.
“The findings are very troubling," he told The Australian Financial Review. “The board was clearly not appropriate for the task at hand. There are certainly some things the board didn’t do that they should have done."
KordaMentha noted the excessive demands on NBN directors. It said board papers in 2011 ran to almost 8000 pages; the equivalent of 35 working days of reading, in addition to attending board meetings and seeing the executive committee.
Kerry Schott and Ms Lansley are the only NBN directors appointed by the previous Labor government to stay after the Coalition won office in September. Ms Schott, who has extensive experience in the government and private sectors, did agree to be interviewed by KordaMentha, while Mike Quigley, the former chief executive of NBN Co, did not.
Report is a ‘witch hunt’, claims ex-director
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The report’s other findings included that the board lacked effective management and evaluation of Mr Quigley. There were no specific key performance indicators set for him, other than delivering on the overall corporate plan. The report noted this changed when Ms McKenna, who is managing partner of Lachlan Murdoch’s private investment vehicle Illyria, became NBN Co chairman in March 2013.
The report said the first assessment of Mr Quigley by Mr Young was a “limited review" and occurred more than three years after the chief executive’s appointment.
At least one former NBN Co board director told The Australian Financial Review they had declined to be interviewed for the report because they believed it was a “witch hunt".
In a letter to KordaMentha, Mr Quigley denied there had been any frustration among senior NBN management about being “under the microscope". He said management expected scrutiny working for a government enterprise but were frustrated regarding “the deliberate distortion of facts".
KordaMentha found in its report that previous NBN Co boards had not devoted enough time to identifying strategic risks associated with the NBN roll out. It also noted annual board performance assessments were completed in 2011 and 2012 but no board minutes, papers or other records of the content of such reviews were kept.
In 2013, Ms McKenna told the government that there were “no areas of concern", which the report said contradicted findings by Johnson Partners, which had conducted a board-performance assessment.
Johnson Partners found the board tried to test the management assumption underpinning the 10-year roll-out schedule of the NBN but “this proved difficult given the policy directions from [Labor] ministers and the attitude of the CEO".
A source close to the nine directors said extensive discussions and correspondence with the government and management on the roll-out were held and comments of “no areas of concern" were made in a form letter filled under government business guidelines.
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The NBN Co board is now chaired by Ziggy Switkowski, a former chief executive of Telstra.
In June, the Financial Review revealed that more than 118,338 premises counted as covered by the NBN could not use the service because of defective fibre connections, and required millions of dollars of repairs.
The Abbott government commissioned KordaMentha to review previous NBN board performance in relation to governance, management and accountability.
Earlier this month, a government-commissioned audit of the setup of the NBN, undertaken by former Telstra director Bill Scales, found the project was “rushed, chaotic and inadequate".Screenshot of Nechirvan Barzani speaking at a press conference in Erbil.
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—Kurdish Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani said on Thursday that attacks on the region’s natural gas pipeline were unacceptable and Erbil’s deals with the outside world were a domestic affair.
Barzani’s comments came hours after the Group of Communities in Kurdistan (KCK), an organization affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), declared that it was against Kurdistan Region’s natural gas exports to Turkey.
“We do not tolerate their interference in our affairs,” the Kurdish prime minister told Rudaw. “It’s a domestic KRG affair.”
“[The attacks] are not good for either of us,” he added. “It is the matter of people’s livelihood.”
Prime Minister Barzani who briefed reporters outside a leadership meeting of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), also dismissed comments from his Iraqi counterpart Haider Abadi who claimed that he could provide salaries of Kurdish civil servants if Erbil handed over its oil productions.
“If Baghdad sends the Kurdistan Region its share of the budget we do not hesitate to hand over their share of the oil,” said Barzani.
“But that is just political maneuvering,” he said.
Speaking on state TV earlier this week Iraqi PM Abadi said that Baghdad was capable of paying Kurdistan Region’s monthly salaries if Erbil handed to Baghdad its oil productions.
Barzani said at the same press conference that his government has started its own financial reforms and budget redrawing based on current priorities.
“We plan the budge based on our priorities and the one for now is ISIS,” he said. “We have a long border with them that’s why we need to give priority to that.”
The prime minister added that all parties are on board with the reform process.Athletics righty Jarrod Parker will undergo an unspecified surgical procedure on his right elbow tomorrow, the club announced. Parker, who was in the midst of rehabbing from his second Tommy John surgery, was diagnosed recently with a fractured medial epicondyle.
On the positive side, it appears that Parker will not require another UCL replacement, per a tweet from Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Rather, he’ll be going under the knife to “stabilize” the fracture.
Needless to say, the overall situation is terribly disappointing for both Parker and the A’s. The former ninth overall pick owns a 3.68 ERA over 384 total big league innings, all logged before he even reached his age-25 season. But that’s approximately where the good news ended, as Parker — now 26, has not thrown in the big leagues in either of the last two seasons.
At this point, there is at least some possibility that Parker will be a non-tender candidate. He is arb-eligible for two more seasons after this one, giving additional cause for Oakland to try to bring him back to health. Then, there’s the fact that the A’s defeated Parker in an arbitration hearing over the winter, leaving him with a $850K salary that would very likely be repeated next year — hardly a significant investment. Of course, the prognosis and timetable, which will presumably drive the decisionmaking, remain unreported.A southern New Jersey town now requires beggars to obtain permits and seeks to punish those who aggressively solicit donations.
The Middle Township ordinance defines aggressive begging as speaking to or following a person in a manner that would cause them to fear bodily harm or otherwise intimidating someone into giving money or goods.
The ordinance requires those who solicit money to obtain a permit, which is valid for a year and available at no charge. It also forbids solicitation by obstructing a pedestrian or vehicle, near an automated teller machine or bus or train stop, and in exchange for a service.
EXTRA: Read The Full List Of Restrictions (pdf)
Fines start at $250 and include possible jail time.
Police Chief Christopher Leusner told The Press of Atlantic City beggars who are not threatening and comply with the ordinance will not be punished.
“Someone walks by and says, ‘Can you spare a dollar?’ And they thank you, they keep on moving – that’s something that is protected by the First Amendment,” Leusner told the paper. “That’s not what we’re targeting here. These are people that are making people feel unsafe.”
The ordinance will go into effect Oct. 27.
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(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 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.)“DO SOMETHING!” Joel Hodgson shouted at the screen while viewing Harold P. Warren’s staggeringly awkward 1966 curiosity, “Manos: The Hands of Fate,” on his hilarious program, “Mystery Science Theater 3000.” The episode originally aired on January 30th, 1993, and it introduced a whole new audience (myself included) to a film that surely ranks alongside Ed Wood’s “Plan 9 From Outer Space” and Tommy Wiseau’s “The Room” as one of the most gloriously inexplicable works of cinema ever made. Warren stars a thick-headed family man who drives his wife (Diane Mahree) and daughter, Debbie (Jackey Neyman Jones), into the middle of nowhere, thus forcing them to stay at the Valley Lodge run by the Master (Tom Neyman) and his creepy henchman, Torgo (John Reynolds). The repetitive title, translating to “Hands: The Hands of Fate,” sets the tone for the entire film—characters say things like, “There is no way out of here. It will be dark soon. There is no way out of here,” while the music repeats the same notes over and over (oddly enough, the score for Tom Ford’s “A Single Man” inadvertently borrowed the “haunting Torgo theme,” as evidenced in its trailer).
Jones wrote a memoir on the making of the film, Growing Up With Manos: The Hands of Fate, with co-author Laura Mazzuca Toops, and both women will be at Chicago’s Music Box Theatre this Friday for a 50th anniversary screening of the film. I spoke with Jones about her memories of the production, her friendship with Torgo and her key role in the upcoming sequel.
I must start by saying that you give the most convincing performance in the movie.
That’s so funny! My youngest sister saw the film for the first time a couple weeks ago, and she said the same thing. It just cracks me up.
Was acting among your interests as a kid?
Well my dad was heavily into theatre since the time I can remember. I adored my dad and I was deeply interested in anything that he was doing. When he asked me if I wanted to be in “Manos” with him, I wasn’t thinking of it from an acting standpoint at all. I was thinking of it as an opportunity to spend more time with my dad. He knew just how to get me too because when he approached me with the question and I didn’t answer right away, he said, “Well it’s okay honey, we can always get another little girl,” and I was like, “Uh…no!” [laughs] No other little girl is going to be hanging with my daddy!
Not only did my father play the Master, he created all the sets, props and costumes. He also titled the film. Hal Warren had changed the title from “The Lodge of Sins” to “Fingers of Fate,” and my dad suggested “Manos: The Hands of Fate.” Everybody who worked on the film had a full-time job, and my dad was the director of the El Paso Boys Club at the time. My father was also an amazing artist, and was in the midst of his hands phase during production, so all of the hand sculptures in the film were his. He also designed the robe and the Master’s wives’ dresses, which my mother sewed. The doberman was our dog and most of the furniture in the house was our’s, so to me, “Manos” felt like a family movie.
I always thought that doberman looked friendly.
Oh he was. He was the sweetest.
Hal’s frustration onset is certainly apparent in his performance.
He was very frustrated. During my sixteen months of research for the book, I found people who were involved in the film and were never credited. It was very interesting to find how my personal memories lined up with the things that people remembered. I was a very observant child and I still am observant. I see a lot of things that many other people don’t see. I really held on to those memories of the film because after the premiere, it just disappeared. Nobody wanted to talk about it or think about it. In my personal life, everything got pretty dark after that. My dad was suicidal and my parents’ divorced and things were dark for many, many years. “Manos” was always the bright spot of my childhood. It’s sort of like if you had a memorable birthday or if your family took you to Disneyland. You may not remember the other things that happened in that year, but the details of those happy experiences will crystallize in your mind, and that’s what the whole experience of “Manos” was for me. Once the Internet got up and running and I started seeing people talking about “Manos,” I made it my mission to tell the real story of what happened, and of course, the truth is more interesting than the made-up stories.
Your father’s involvement in “Manos” was so extensive that he almost seems to have been a co-creator of the film.
He was. Hal Warren had moved to El Paso from Houston, and pretty much everyone from “Manos” came from the community theatre in El Paso. My dad was the lead actor in many, many plays, and Hal was a supporting actor. When they were all performing “Henry IV,” Hal looked around at the people in the play and realized that he had almost everyone he needed,—including John Reynolds, who played Torgo, and William Bryan Jennings, who played the sheriff. They weren’t really friends, but they were acquaintances. And they weren’t friends after the film either. [laughs] In fact, after filming wrapped, Hal took the Master’s robe and painting home with him. My dad didn’t even get his stuff back, and he never got paid for it. Hal’s son still has those things and he’ll never give them up. I think Hal felt that he was very successful. The guy was a wheeler-dealer, and nothing knocked him down for long.
What are your memories of John Reynolds?
He and my dad were actually pretty good friends. John was deeply troubled. He was 24 years old and my dad was 31, but they both shared a deeply creative soul. They also both battled depression at a time when men weren’t supposed to have emotions. It was the ’60s, and John used drugs a lot. He ended up committing suicide almost one month to the day filming ended and a month before the premiere. He got talked into “Manos” and like everybody, he was hoping that it would lead to something more. If someone who is passionate about their art is given an opportunity to expand on it, they are going to take it. I can imagine what a huge disappointment it was for everyone involved. It’s pretty obvious to most people that John was high during filming, and it’s even more obvious in the restoration. He was a very serious Method actor, and though nobody has confirmed this theory, I doubt that he got high for other performances. I think he saw the handwriting on the wall.
I had met John several times when he would come over to visit, or my dad and I would go over to check on him. He just lived three blocks from us. On set, he was very shy when he wasn’t performing. He was shy around women, and he wasn’t very tall—he was like 5’ 9’’—but he was more comfortable around me and seemed like he could relate to me more than pretty much anybody else on the set. When he wasn’t off by himself or he didn’t have to be on camera, he would hang out with me. He’d do some magic tricks such as coin tricks, and he’d act silly and do pratfalls to entertain me during the down time. I remember him being a very sweet, gentle man.
He’s very funny in the film, and his Torgo walk has become iconic.
My dad built those braces, by the way.
Were you unaware that the film was being shot with a camera that couldn’t capture sound?
I had no idea, but everybody else was in on it. Nobody thought to tell the 6-year-old kid. In fact, Hal had me repeat a couple lines. I knew I wasn’t loud enough, but then he’d say, “Oh it’s fine, we’ll fix it in the lab.” He shot the film with a Bell & Howell camera that was usually used to capture news footage, particularly on the battlefield. It shot 32 seconds at a time, and Hal knew that the film would have to be dubbed. He ended up driving to a sound studio 800 miles away to record it all.
What do you recall about the film’s premiere?
When my family arrived, we were instructed to wait in an alleyway behind the theater. We gathered there, all dressed up, and then this limo would come by. It would pick up a few people at a time, drive around the block and deposit them in front of the theater. There was a red carpet and big lights that moved and scanned the sky. Hal had borrowed them from a local car dealer. We were right on the border of Mexico, and there were Mexican street kids who would sell newspapers during the day. Hal hired those kids to be autograph hounds, and he gave them little pads of paper and pencils. When we went in the theater, the city alderman was there, along with the mayor and the sheriff. Everybody thought “Manos” was going to bring the film industry to El Paso. Hal had convinced everybody that this was going to be a big deal for the city, even though nobody had seen it yet.
We sat fifth row center because my dad wanted to be sure that I had a good view of the screen. The film started and I remember that I was watching the screen in fascination—until my mouth opened and that voice came out. Then I just started crying. I was miserable because I was so embarrassed and apparently everyone else was too. My dad felt trapped. He knew that he couldn’t escape because he was the lead character. If he had gotten up in the middle of the theater and left, it would look really bad. So we just sat through it and everybody around us kind of disappeared. The audience walked out of there as quickly as they could, and that was pretty much it. Nobody talked about it after that.
My first encounter with “Manos” was on “Mystery Science Theater 3000.”
My dad called me up and said, “You’ll never believe what I just saw on television.” It was 27 years later and suddenly, there it was on TV. I had gotten ahold of a bootlegged copy of the film, and I didn’t watch it with anybody because no one was interested. I was just happy that I had it, and I thought that was it. Then little by little, the interest around “Manos” just kept growing and growing. The fan base is so creative, innovative and intelligent—they’re really awesome people. Joel Hodgson very happily wrote the forward to my book and then I recently noticed Jonah Ray wearing a Master robe to events. I’m like, “This is crazy.” I’ve been promoting “Manos” and putting myself out there and loving every minute of it, but now, it’s time to make it sustainable for me. I understand that “Manos” is taught in many film schools to illustrate everything not to do in filmmaking, and I’m looking at creating a speaking tour where I’ll be traveling to colleges.
Tell me about your plans for the sequel, “Manos Returns.”
I’m producing the film, and we raised $32,000 on Kickstarter. We’re going to do some more fundraising, but I just got an e-mail this morning from someone offering to help finish paying off our expenses. We’re in postproduction right now. There was another sequel that had started a few years ago that just didn’t get off the ground. Things went horribly wrong in so many ways with that project. It was called “The Dark Side of Manos,” and it featured Diane Mahree, my dad, and Bryan Jennings, the son of the man who played the sheriff. I always felt bad that they never got the chance to follow through with that film, so I got together with Rachel Jackson, who created “Manos: Hands of Felt.” Her wonderful assistant director, Tonjia Atomic, was out of Seattle, and she served as our film’s director. Joe Sherlock of Skullface Astronaut was our director of photography, and the support we’ve received on this project has been incredible. I am amazed at how good our film is looking on this incredibly minuscule budget because of the passion and talent of the people that have come together to do this. I actually have a trailer for the film that I’d like to show in Chicago.
In “Manos Returns,” I’m really taking on my dad’s role. Debbie has become the Master of the Valley Lodge, so I am in charge now. Diane is there too, my dad makes an appearance and Bryan Jennings reprises his dad’s role as the sheriff. In addition to producing and acting in the film, I created all the sets, props and costumes, just as my dad did on the first film. We also have Nicki Mathis doing the vocals of the original songs she sang back in 1966. She’s going to be at the Music Box, and I’ll finally get to meet her face to face. I found her when I was writing the book, and she was never credited in the original film. No one knew who sang “Forgetting You” until I found her.
What role has art played in your life during the time between “Manos” and its resurgence?
I’ve been self-employed since 1986. I had a business making hand-painted T-shirts, and then that evolved into doing faux finish wall treatments. I had a 25-year career doing high-end faux-finish—marbling and plastering and murals and just about anything that you can do. After the market crashed in 2008, I’ve just been piecing it together. I do my own art. I’m also doing some painting workshops that have become popular in bars and restaurants. I did a two-hour painting workshop where we painted 16 x 20 canvases. You drink and you paint and have fun, and I have this little niche here in my tiny town of 1,000 people. My classes often have 22 people, and my mantra is, “We are all just Kindergartners with Cocktails.” [laughs] I’m looking forward to seeing my first royalty check after writing the book, and I’m planning to write another one. I’m also working on a documentary, and I’m just looking at getting more into film while writing, doing more art and talking “Manos.”
Like “The Room” or Ed Wood’s filmography, it’s clear that “Manos” comes from a genuine place. I find it most intriguing as an exercise in repetition—dialogue-wise, music-wise, title-wise and plot-wise, since the story ultimately folds back in on itself.
That’s so amazing to hear. Without thinking of it exactly in those terms, that’s what we’ve done in “Manos Returns.” We really tried to honor everything about “Manos” without making a bad film. I agree that the sincerity and earnestness is one of the things that makes it so eternal. Hal Warren had this idea and he carried it all the way through. No matter how bad it is, he did it, and there is something to be said about that.
“Manos” is better than any movie that is trying to be bad. You can tell that everyone involved in this picture is trying like hell to make something of worth.
That’s what creative people do, hoping that maybe tomorrow might be different. Nobody wants to be the one to give up on their work, and they hang in there till the bitter end. [laughs]
Jackey Neyman Jones will be at the 50th anniversary screening of “Manos: The Hands of Fate” at Chicago’s Music Box Theatre, on Friday, November 11th, at 7:30pm. She will also participate |
as needed."
Record flooding expected
Christopher Beafneaux, left, Ernesto Villarreal, center, and Roman Lopez board up windows of a business in Galveston.
Officials worried that Harvey's deluge of rain will drench Texas and the region for several days.
"We could see this storm park for almost five days in some places, and we hear three feet of rain," said Bill Read, the former director of the National Hurricane Center. "That's just going to be a huge problem for these areas."
"The water is going to be the issue," Corpus Christi Mayor Joe McComb said. "We've never had anything like this."
Harvey is also causing concern in New Orleans, where heavy rain could usher in as much as 20 inches of rain through early next week and overwhelm the city's already-compromised drainage system
Storm nears shore
Joey Walker, 25, works with the Galveston Island Beach Patrol and is riding out the storm from a house on Galveston Island. He posted video of near-white out conditions overlooking Stewart Beach.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said anyone not leaving should plan to stay off the roads once the storm starts.
"People need to know, this is not a one-, two-day event and done," Turner said.
'I'm trying to be strong'
The threat of Harvey became evident Thursday when several coastal Texas counties issued evacuation orders, leading to hordes of residents sitting bumper to bumper for miles.
Traffic on Interstate 37 between San Antonio and Corpus Christi was backed up for miles Thursday.
Rose Yepez told CNN it took her twice as long as usual to drive 140 miles from Corpus Christi to San Antonio, en route to Texas Hill Country.
Private vehicles -- along with city buses packed with adults and children carrying backpacks -- jammed roads for hours.
"I'm shaking inside, but for them, I'm trying to be strong," a Corpus Christi woman who was waiting with her two daughters to board a bus out of town told CNN affiliate KRIS.
Workers at 39 offshore petroleum production platforms and an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico also evacuated Thursday, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said.
A sign reading "Be Nice Harvey" was left behind on a boarded-up business in Port Aransas.
First responders such as Brittany Fowler stayed behind and waited for the storm.
"Hopefully, it doesn't do any damage, but if it does, we've prepared," Fowler, a firefighter in Corpus Christi, wrote on Instagram.
Fowler's family helped by boarding up windows and doors at her home, and she bought plenty of water, food and a small power generator.
Special thank you to my Dad, brother and Marz for boarding up the house and getting it squared away for #Harvey! Hopefully it doesn't do any damage but if it does we've prepared. #HurricaneHarvey #WeatherChannel #CorpusChristi #hurricane #gulfcoast A post shared by Brittany Fowler (@bafowler1) on Aug 24, 2017 at 1:56pm PDT
Despite the warnings, Elsie and David Reichenbacher prepped supplies and planned to stay put in Corpus Christi.
"I've gone through a lot of hurricanes. I've lived here most of my life," Elsie Reichenbacher said. "I'd rather take care of my home and my animals and be safe here. I'm on high ground with my house."South Korea has been working on deploying armed sentry robots along the border with North Korea since at least as far back as 2006, and it looks like it's still keeping at it. While complete details are a bit light, they country apparently put a pair of new sentry robots in place in the Demilitarized Zone last month, which pack both a machine gun and a grenade launcher to ward off intruders. Those would of course be controlled by humans, but the robots apparently use heat and motion sensors to do all the monitoring on their own, and simply alert a command center if they spots a trespasser. Of course, they are still just in the testing phase, and the military says it's waiting to see how things work out before it begins a more widespread deployment.According to Stars and Stripes, the gun-toting robot in question is a Samsung Techwin SGR-1 (now pictured above). If the video after the break is any indication, South Korea certainly seems to have made the right choice.From publishers asking censorship to those reviewing without reading — Who is afraid of Rana Ayyub’s Gujarat Files?
Dheeraj DeeKay Blocked Unblock Follow Following May 25, 2016
Rana Ayyub says, the book is not just about Gujarat riots and fake encounters but also about Haren Pandya murder.
It is a fact well known that not all drafts gets published and turn into books, and how publishers choose what they will print and what they won’t. Most of the times their decisions are legit and have something to do with literary value of the draft at hand but not all the time. Stories may have been already said, might be similar to what is already published, readers don’t find this interesting anymore, so on and so forth. But that is for fiction, what about non-fiction? Non-fiction is not about spilling your imaginative beans but telling a compelling story about what has occurred in fact, it is about what you have seen or heard, essentially it is about retelling a story or predicting the future on the basis of past events. Now, why would that be devoid of its right to get printed? Again, there are scores of reasons from the quality of content to importance of the subject and from its relevance to hold your breath, the guts a publisher has. When I say the guts, I don’t mean the kind a publisher has to take while giving his nod to a fiction where risk is how will readers receive the book, will they find it compelling enough and all that but how will the reaction be of those who are in power, will it dampen the rapport of publisher with ruling class and all that! Senior journalist Rana Ayyub whose investigation into Gujarat fake encounters led to the arrest of Amit Shah who was second in command to then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi faced such a situation when she decided to get her investigation documents published which are also listed by Outlook magazine as one of the twenty greatest magazine stories of all time across the world.
Rana Ayyub when approached leading publishers was asked to make cuts to her tale here and there, censor things that could possibly discomfort ruling class or people in power. Any writer would know what censorship means, how it pulls the flesh out of storyline and leaves it nothing but skeleton for readers. The fierce lady that she is, Rana resisted, denied them their share of cuts and what does she do to escape the gallows of censorship? What does she do when big publishing houses kneel down to the powerful? She took charge and resorted to what is otherwise rare, self-publish. Till late night, Rana Ayyub herself was putting cover onto the hardcopy of her life’s work, writes Ravish Kumar in his blog. To say I can imagine the things she went through all this while would be irony of all for I can’t. To say the least, I fear to even imagine myself at her place. Sometimes I go to her time-line on twitter and try to read the replies to her tweets and it freaks me. The sheer scale of abuse would put me to bed out of fever or something. I still remember the time when I used to receive ‘advices and suggestions’ from ‘well-wishers’ over a RTI I had filed asking for details about funds used in construction of a local road. Things always get messy when you question the authority and actions of those in power. Mine were only local panchayat officials but Ayyub has put her hands onto the most powerful in India today. Her investigations have led to arrest of many IPS officers of that time. But somehow those stories are worthless for our publishers. If you remember how our publishers one by one published accounts critical of last regime the moment power changed at centre then you would know what they are ‘fearless’ about. Not that those books were not worthy of publication but why not when those regimes were in power? That doesn’t mean Congress was any welcome host to Rana either.
For years now Rana is holding those documents and running but did Congress approach her once? I fear not. For ten years they were in power. Did they act against people alleged of fake encounters, did they let investigation reach conclusion? Nah! They used it politically to haunt their opposition and see where we have reached now. The investigating agencies like men in power have suddenly started to change their own opinions. Rana Ayyub for that matter needs to be applauded for not being fallen prey to power circles. She has stood her ground and how.
I have seen many people tweeting to Rana Ayyub their praises, applauding her for her courage and all big things. She deserves them all and lots more. But don’t stop yourself there. She would truly be triumphant when you purchase her book. Show her your love and support not just in tweets but by reading that fine print. You will then learn about the things she had gone through to find the truth, to nail the culprits. This is as much a story of an investigative journalist as much it is about those in power who misused agencies to score their goals. Increasingly we are seeing decline in the number of brave journalists who dare to speak the hard truths which are uncomfortable at times, well, most of the times. ‘Star’ journalists who shout from air-conditioned studios have least knowledge about what happens on ground. They are today ‘experts’ on matters of which they have no first-hand knowledge and those who have are made to live a life in fear. Our support could change all that. So however small your efforts are, they are important. When most people have kneeled down, a small step of courage goes a long way. And reading this book is one such.
Thanks Rana for your raw courage. I have already ordered my copy and waiting to receive it in my hands now. I wish I was in Delhi to attend the book launch and Caravan Conversations. But to those in Delhi, make sure you are present. Remember, these small gestures go a long way. They are your way of saying you support journalism of courage, that you support those who stand tall amidst all odds, that you stand for truth in the midst of raging storms. Good luck to you who are planning to attend the event. May you find your courage in her and likes of her. You are not alone though. Thanks to all those who are speaking about Rana’s book. Be it Rajdeep Sardesai, Manoj Mitta, Indira Jaising, Hartosh Singh Bal who will be part of Caravan Conversations or likes of Ravish Kumar, Scroll, The Wire and Caravan who are writing about it.
To those who had reviewed and gave one star to Rana’s book on Amazon and Flipkart before it even released, I don’t say you should hold back your opinion but at least read first and then comment. Have the courtesy and strength to face the truth, don’t act like cowards.
Satyamev Jayate!
Update: As of 27th May, Friday afternoon, I have received my copy of Gujarat Files. Off to reading now. Had updated the image of book above from previous one which was an Internet image.There’s a new meaning to the word “steeplejack” creeping into the American lexicon, and it has nothing to do with muscular craftsmen who repair aging church spires.
Picture a calculating group — a posse, if you will — of extremist Conservative Christians descending upon your mainstream or progressive-minded church congregation with the intent to topple the pastor and take over the place. That’s “steeplejacking,” a term coined by Sheldon Culver and John Dorhauer in their book, Steeplejacking: How the Christian Right is Hijacking Mainstream Religion, and it is a very real problem in the American faith landscape.
Consider a recent story of how Faith Church, a small Wisconsin congreation, fell victim to intolerant Right Wing steeplejackers:
Many blame the new pastor, saying he altered Faith’s bylaws; stacked its church council with supporters; and alienated or ejected, sometimes physically, dozens of longtime members.
“It was a hostile takeover, and how it happened is beyond me,” said former Faith Church President Cindy Connor-Duvall, one of a number of congregants who left or were dismissed by the Rev. Paul Suedmeyer after his arrival in early 2008.
Over time, more of the original members left or were kicked out, they say. They accuse Suedmeyer of stacking the church council with newcomers, who helped him change the constitution and secede from the United Church of Christ in January.
Many Religious Right watch groups warn that such aggressive takeovers are becoming part of a national conservative political campaign to silence the voice of Religious Progressives, particularly through the guise of Christian “renewal.”
Powerful organizations, such as the Institute on Religion and Democracy, facillitate the spread of anti-progressive rhetoric and the fear-mongering that makes mainstream and liberal Christian congregations vulnerable to steeplejacking, and empowers the extreme Right Wing political message.
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Photo credit: dreamstimeTwo-time US national champion Matthew Busche has decided to retire rather than take a contract he said was not a good fit, according to Velonews. Related Articles The Cyclingnews guide to 2016-2017 rider transfers
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Busche looks to regain top form in 2016 with UnitedHealthcare
Busche, 31, had a rapid rise in the sport of professional cycling after making the switch from an elite running background due to an injury. A seventh place overall in the Tour of Utah in his first professional year with Kelly Benefit Strategies caught the attention of Lance Armstrong, and he was signed to RadioShack in 2010. He spent six seasons with the team before moving to UnitedHealthcare this season.
Busche made his presence felt in the peloton in 2011 when he beat George Hincapie in the veteran's own home town to win his first US national title.
Busche told Velonews that he had intended to continue racing but struggled to find a contract for 2017 that was suitable.
"I did end up with an offer to continue, but after some true soul searching I decided that it wasn't the right opportunity and fit for my family and me," he said.
His 2015 season was bookended by serious crashes, the first of which came in Mallorca and left him with a broken wrist that kept him out of racing until May. He rebounded to win his second national title, but then suffered a high-speed crash in the Tour of Utah which hampered his performance at a critical time when his WorldTour contract was up in the air.
Busche said the injuries "took their toll on me mentally and physically, which shook my focus a little. My motivation to train and race was still high, but I was getting frustrated by trying to find the comfort and rhythm on the bike while battling injury."
Before becoming a pro cyclist, Busche earned a degrees in management and exercise science, and hopes to build a career with those qualifications and skills.3500 HP Mini Cooper With Cummins Engine
Here's something that is Mini.. and Maxi, as well. We all know this is a muscle cars blog, but this car nothing more than a pure hellish muscle car. We know an engine that delivers 175 hp is more than enough to make a contemporary MINI a performance vehicle. But how about doubling the figure? You’d get a 350 hp MINI. But why limit yourself? Why not take the new power rating and multiply it by.... let’s say ten? Are you still with us?
If the answer is “yes”, then we have to tell you that we haven’t forgotten our brains in a test drive car or anything like that, we’ve just taken a look in Cummins’ garden and found out that the world’s largest diesel engine maker (the adjective can be used for both “Cummins” and “engine”) has strapped a 11 tonnes, 3,500 hp oil-burner to a classic Mini. Now, that’s the kind of MINI diesel we’d drive.
The vehicle, which will be showcased at the upcoming Goodwood Festival of Speed, features the largest engine in the company’s offer. The QSK78 powerplant, which is also the largest oil burner in the UK, uses a V18 layout, has a 78 liter displacement and uses 12 turbochargers to deliver 3,500 hp and a maximum torque of 14,800 Nm.
The engine’s everyday job is to power mining industry dump trucks that can carry up to 360 tonnes so we’re guessing it could do a pretty good job with the MINI.
“We never like to let a challenge go by unanswered so we got to thinking maybe we could fit the QSK78 into an original Austin Mini. It proved to be a bit tricky to fit under the bonnet but our engineers came up with a more creative solution. We’re certain that the Goodwood crowd will have difficulty believing what they are seeing,” said Steve Nendick, Cummins’ Communications Director.
Musclevehicles.com - The Ultimate Blog for American Muscle Cars and Muscle VehiclesHello, misandrists.
I hope those of you who celebrate Thanksgiving had a lovely, drama-free day! (I did, although I might have eaten one two five too many pumpkin rolls. That shit is delightful.)
So I'm just rounding off the day with a quick look at a thread in /r/sex. The fine, open-minded (as long as you don't dislike porn, oral or anal sex, or fat women - as previously established) Redditeurs of the most positive of all subreddits really take issue, as it turns out, with how people who are not straight or identifying along the gender binary see themselves.
Observe:
As a long-time user of tumblr, I can attest that his frustration is very well placed. I've never met a community so obsessed with finding the perfect labels for their sexuality. For a group who constantly try to break free of categorization, they sure like to categorize.
Yes, how dare people try to find a word (or even several words, considering how shockingly diverse humanity is) to describe themselves. Indeed, they should defy all labels and be just like straight folks in the same way that this fine Reddite-...
le humorous screeching record sound
As a long-time user of tumblr
Oh. I guess some labels are alright. But those queers, dude, they are just so fucking weird with their labels.
Or a homohetero romantosexual 1:1 fluidotrope with maximum hit points...
[+45] What will they think of next, eh? Strawmansexuality?
Their sexuality is simple. We use labels to determine what someone is because that is how language works. People do not retain the right to be angry when they walk like a duck, talk like a duck, yet insist that they "really identify more with squirrels than ducks" when you call them a duck. It's special snowflake syndrome, pure and simple.
[+19] What we need is some good old straightsplaining. Special snowflake syndrome? I guess at least they're not also into special raindrops or something!
What is the most obnoxious is having to change my manner of speech so that i use "gender neutral" terms when speaking to any one of them
[+13] Empathy? Literally a nuisance. On a scale of impossibly-to-undo shoelaces to farting-in-a-crowded-elevator, where do you see person's-gender-identity on the obnoxiousness scale?
Same comment:
Why is gender so bloody important? Why is your sexuality so important? Why is it so hard just to see each other as humans and treat one other respectfully?
Why can't people just act straight, white, and male.
There's definitely a group of people that do it for attention, or to feel "special," or to be able to victimize themselves.
A charming chain of comments. And by charming, I mean awful.
I believe this month's politically correct, non-offensive way to say it is cis-self-identified monogendered biromantic pansexual halfprivileged semipatriarch male.
If anyone who reads this thinks that he's joking or over exaggerating, I promise you, he's not.
Indeed, I should have said panromantic. I think we need to create a new blog to address this issue.
To be honest it annoys me. If I misunderstand and I'm being offensive to anyone then I apologize but I don't get why you need to label yourself as something to such a degree
[+10] Gender and sexual minorities annoy and befuddle me!
squashed speech casserole moderation!): Not upvoted, but for a laugh: Elsewhere in the thread, someone has a serious issue with /u/Maxxters moderating (yaymoderation!):
Maxxters, I'm a big fan of yours and I think you're almost always spot-on. But my comment is realistic and honest and an alternative point of view to yours, and if you or the sub can't handle it, then that's your problem.
+
Get off your high horse.
Now back to pumpkin rolls. Have a fantastic weekend, SRSters, and be safe if you do Black Friday etc. shopping. <3by Roland Boer
Often I am asked, in all manner of situations, what is your position? What is your belief? Christian communist, is my answer. I may be speaking with a group of Chinese students and specialists on Marxism, or a gathering of young anti-capitalist activists, or a room of trade-unionists, or a congress of hard-core Marxists, or indeed a group of religious believers. Inevitably, my answer produces a rain of questions. Christian and communist – are not the two poles apart? Are not communists and communist countries against religion, since it is the ‘opium of the people’? Are not Christians thoroughly opposed to ‘atheistic’ communism? More often than not the questions turn to the intricacies of theological matters, precisely where you would least expect it.
So I would like to indicate what the conjunction of these apparently incompatible terms means. To begin with, Christian communism has a long and colourful history, one that was clearly identified by Marxists such as Engels (1894-95 [1990]), Rosa Luxemburg (1970 [1905]) and Karl Kautsky (2007 [1908], 1976 [1895-97]-a, 1976 [1895-97]-b; 1977 [1922]), and then elaborated and enhanced by a range of critics since. It is a history of more than two millennia, one that obviously predates modern socialism. Its founding mythological statements are found in the New Testament book of Acts, in chapters 2 and 4, where the early Christian community had “all things in common”. Or more fully: “And all who believed were together and had all things in common; and they sold their possessions and goods and distributed them to all, as any had need” (Acts 2:44-45).
This might sound simple enough, a commune of the type that appears repeatedly even today, and has done so many a century before now. Yet at times, such a humble effort has had revolutionary import. For instance, Thomas Müntzer, a leader of the Peasant Revolution in the German states in the early sixteenth century, made omnia sunt communia – all things in common – the slogan of the movement. Indeed, his full statement of the message of Christianity was: “It is an article of our creed, and one which we wish to realise, that all things are in common [omnia sunt communia], and should be distributed as occasion requires, according to the several necessities of all”. (Kautsky 1897, 130). I know of Christian communities today that live according to this biblical mandate, who see themselves as part of the long tradition of Christian communism.
However, let us go back to Thomas Müntzer’s statement, for there is a further section: “Any prince, count, or baron who, after being earnestly reminded of this truth, shall be unwilling to accept it, is to be beheaded or hanged” (Kautsky 1897, 130). I read this as a rather graphic call for revolution, which may take many forms but requires putting the ruling class out of its collective job. It is one thing to urge us to live communally, to have communal property, and to explore what a collective really means. But that is only one dimension; revolution is its other. If we focus only on the search for forms of communal life, then the danger is that we may end up becoming too comfortable within the current context. We may become either a cell that has adapted to the wider situation we began by opposing, or we may try to remove ourselves as much as possible from that situation. In either case, we give up on the revolutionary agenda, the desire and need to change the whole system itself.
Instead we become reformists, tinkering with little bits of the system in order to make it more liveable for the time being. I do not wish to suggest we give up on reform, but that it should always be understood in light of the larger revolutionary agenda. Only then do reforms make sense, for they constantly remind us of the need for revolution and ideally work towards that revolution.
So revolution is the other major component of the Christian communist tradition. Is this not what one would expect when the Christian message calls for metanoia, a complete change of direction at a social, economic and personal level? Too often has this call been read in recent years as a call for personal ‘repentance’, thereby neglecting the rich social dimensions of such a turn-around. Throughout the long two millennia of Christian history, one revolutionary movement after another has been inspired by this call, and by the Bible itself. Waldensians, the Apostolic Brothers around Gerardo Segarelli, Lollards, Taborites, the peasants with Thomas Müntzer, the Anabaptists in the northern Netherlands and at Münster, God-builders and God-seekers in the Russian Revolution, Christian materialists in the Chinese revolution, radical Christian socialists of the early twentieth century, guerrilla priests in Latin America in the 1970s and 1980s … the list is long indeed. In fact, such a list brings me to another reason for being a Christian communist: it is not that the perfect revolution is still to come, but that there is a long history of such revolutions. That many of them made mistakes is obvious; that they also had many successes should also be obvious. In both cases we have much to learn from these earlier examples.
I would like to discuss briefly three other dimensions of Christian communism. To begin with, there is the tension between old and new with which that tradition struggles. I mean the tension between a radical break with the past that is entailed by the ideas of revolution (metanoia) and the reality that the past continues after the revolution in so many ways. Having won a revolution, do you destroy everything that has gone before and begin again? Many have taken this approach, thinking that all that has been overthrown is corrupt and tainted, that it has to be swept away for the sake of what is new. Or do you use the leftovers and rubble of the old in order to construct something very different? Do you attempt a dialectical transformation in which the best of what has gone before is taken up and thereby unleash a new level of human imagination and creativity? May I suggest that both elements should be kept together in a tension, in which the radical break and a sense of continuity are held in creative interaction with one another. For example, after the Russian Revolution some wished to destroy all that was left of the old order, while others wanted to keep the best of the past in order to construct socialism. This question also faces us with the tradition of Christian communist movements: each revolution believes that it is brand new, yet the very existence of a tradition of such revolutions means that there is something of the past that continues into the new present.
A further question concerns the obvious conservatism of many religions, including Christianity. They are all too ready to support and justify whatever tyrant happens to be in power, especially if that tyrant favours the religion in question. How does this relate to Christian communism, which is quite the opposite? Some argue that Christian communism is the core, the real truth of Christianity, and that the ones who develop a dirty little relationship with the powers that be are really compromising and betraying the truth of that religion. I would suggest that it is more complex than that. A religion like Christianity is actually caught between its revolutionary and reactionary sides, which has much to do with the tensions of its origins during the Roman Empire. As a result, throughout its history it has oscillated between those two options, with many variations in between. The catch is that either approach may be justified from the sacred texts and from the history. That is, they are both perfectly ‘legitimate’ in that sense. The outcome is that one must ultimately take sides in the struggle. It should be clear by now which side I prefer.
Finally, I suggest that one of the reasons why the Christian communist tradition continues to appeal to many people is because it offers what I call a process of translation between religion and politics. By translation I mean an interaction between two codes or languages, in which neither has superiority or is absolute. As anyone who has engaged in translation knows, no term is completely translatable. The fit is always partial, leaving something hanging over, outside the overlap of words. This means that the intersection of the two terms may well enhance each term in the process, enriching the meaning. Radical politics and religion seem to be quite translatable into one another: think of words like revolution and miracle (and metanoia), justice and obedience to the law of God, land reform and the land as God’s, the abolition of private property and money as the root of all evil, and so on. In fact, many of the key Christian communist terms have an inescapably radical political implication, one that may be expressed in political terms as well as religious terms. It is not for nothing that Marxists and other radicals have continually found themselves engaging with religion.
I have perhaps been a little too theoretical, but I wanted to indicate how Christian communism raises crucial issues in its appeal to me. Occasionally some have asked me whether I am not a pessimist, given the ‘failures’ of one communist movement after another? I respond by questioning what ‘failure’ means, for it seems to me that any revolution that is able to get past the period of inevitable counter-revolution has succeeded. Yet even the shorter-lived moments of left-wing radicalism indicate that the hope for something better persists. Above all, I am an optimist, for I keep meeting young people in different parts of the world who have no time for capitalism and all that it does, who are not interested in careers or making money, who constantly seek out new ways of living communally, and who do so with the greater, revolutionary agenda always in mind. Such young people give me great optimism for the future of Christian communism, which is part of the greater communist movement.
References:
Engels, Friedrich. 1894-95 [1990]. “On the History of Early Christianity.” In Marx and Engels Collected Works, Vol. 27, 445-69. Moscow: Progress Publishers.
Kautsky, Karl. 1897. Communism in Central Europe in the Time of the Reformation. Translated by J. L. Mulliken and E. G. Mulliken. London: T. Fisher Unwin. Original edition, London: Fisher and Unwin, 1897.
———. 1976 [1895-97]-a. Vorläufer des neueren Sozialismus I: Kommunistische Bewegungen im Mittelalter. Berlin: Dietz.
———. 1976 [1895-97]-b. Vorläufer des neueren Sozialismus II: Der Kommunismus in der deutschen Reformation. Berlin: Dietz.
———. 2007 [1908]. Foundations of Christianity. Translated by H. F. Mins. London: Socialist Resistance.
Kautsky, Karl, and Paul Lafargue. 1977 [1922]. Vorläufer des neueren Sozialismus III: Die beiden ersten grossen Utopisten. Stuttgart: Dietz.
Luxemburg, Rosa. 1970 [1905]. “Socialism and the Churches.” In Rosa Luxemburg Speaks, edited by Mary-Alice Waters, 131-52. New York: Pathfinder Press.
[Thank you indeed Roland for this contribution]
The writer is a left-winger from Australia, based in the industrial city of Newcastle. His main interest concerns the intersections of Marxism and religion, having written a five-volume series called The Criticism of Heaven and Earth (Haymarket, 2009-13). He has recently completed a long study on Lenin and religion. He frequently visits Asia and will take up a position as professor at Renmin University of China (Beijing) in 2014.
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AdvertisementsSaturday, November 1st, 2014
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. (KGO) -- Contra Costa County Fire Captain Kent Kirby says Friday morning's explosion in Walnut Creek has turned into a criminal investigation after police say this was not a gas explosion, but from a drug lab making hash oil - a concentrated form of pot.Around 10 a.m., fire crews responded to a two-alarm explosion at a six-unit structure at 1564 Sunnyvale Avenue in Walnut Creek, close to the Pleasant Hill BART station.The two victims suffered serious burns and were airlifted to UC Davis Burn Center.A third person is unaccounted for.The fire had mostly been extinguished by 11 a.m., but Kirby said a large part of the building had collapsed.The two victims suffered serious burns and were airlifted to UC Davis Burn Center.Lori Meyers, a witness who works in an office building about a quarter mile away, said she felt an earthquake-like jolt. "A bunch of people thought it was an earthquake, but it was a harder and faster hit than that," she said. "To me it felt like a car hit the building.""I heard a big explosion," said Saline Hall, a witness. She said it sounded like a bomb went off."I woke up to the rattle," said Niki Harrington, who lives nearby. She said her friend was screaming "Get out! Get out!""I looked out and saw my neighbor with burns all over his body," said Vanessa Golvich, a neighbor.Three other units in the building were so badly damaged, they will likely be red tagged, leaving dozens homeless.A temporary shelter has been set up at the nearby Methodist Church for those displaced by the explosion.nullRepublican Todd Young and Democrat Evan Bayh are locked in a tight race, highlighted by a contentious debate in Indianapolis last week.
Both are attractive candidates. U.S. Rep. Young, who represents north-central Indiana, beat his congressional colleague and tea party favorite Marlin Stutzman in May by emphasizing a more moderate approach. He continues to come across as a thoughtful conservative wanting to get Congress moving again.
In a visit with our editorial board, Young spoke of the need for Congress to focus on those "who are losing hope in what I consider the American dream" and said he takes pride in being able to reach across the aisle.
"We need people who can get things done in a bipartisan capacity," Young said.
Young portrays Bayh as an outsider who abandoned his Hoosier roots to make money in Washington. A two-term Indiana governor and senator from 1999-2010, Bayh explains his absence from public life as a combination of being fed up with Congress’ inaction and a desire to spend more time with his sons, who were teens. Young calls him a lobbyist who made millions acting against Indiana’s interests. Bayh says he wasn’t a lobbyist, never influence-peddled and only consulted with companies who wanted his insight and expertise.
A consensus-builder in a majority-Republican state, Bayh has a pragmatic approach to problem-solving.
Health care is a case in point. Since Young went to Washington in 2011, he’s voted repeatedly to repeal Obamacare, and he spent much of their sole debate excoriating Bayh for helping to pass it.
Bayh acknowledges Obamacare needs adjustments, some of which opponents have resisted. But he argues vigorously that discarding Obamacare would hurt individuals and merely shift health care costs to other Hoosiers.
What would happen, Bayh asks, to the hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers who have been covered by HIP 2.0, a state program started by Republican Gov. Mike Pence that’s underwritten by federal funds to expand Medicaid coverage? Would more seniors on Medicare – many of them on fixed incomes – be staring into the "doughnut hole" in prescription drug coverage? And, he asks, would people with pre-existing conditions again be denied coverage?
Bayh believes the key is for Congress to focus on reducing costs in exchanges where insurers are losing money and deciding no longer to offer coverage. Like Young, Bayh wants to ease the pressures Obamacare has put on small businesses. But unlike Young, he wants to preserve the law and its original intent.
"Fix the things... that aren’t working," Bayh told us recently. "But let’s not go back to the old days, where you couldn’t get insurance if you got sick."
Bayh also had clear, sensible plans for economic development, including denying tax deductions for companies to move operations out of the country, as Carrier in Indianapolis and United Technologies Electronic Controls in Huntington are planning to do. Asked what he would most like to do if his party wins control of the Senate, Bayh said, "Make college more affordable for working-class families."
Lucy Brenton, a well-spoken Libertarian, is also on the ballot. We endorse Bayh.The Town of Webb in Herkimer |
humidity data is only sparingly used because it requires the ground temperature and wind sensors to be turned off as the heat they generate interferes with the humidity measurements. A DAN passive and post-drive active measurement will be acquired as well.
Sol 1687 update by Michelle Minitti: Mega-science at a megaripple! (May 5, 2017)
The rover planners executed another great drive to park us in front of a megaripple in order to study its physical and chemical characteristics, which we can compare and contrast to the sands we investigated during our recent Bagnold dune campaign.
As the geology (GEO) theme group lead today, my job was to make sure we planned the highest priority observations of the megaripple, and positioned ourselves to successfully complete all the desired observations of the megaripple in the upcoming weekend plan. Working with my fellow GEO group members and all the individual instrument teams is one of the most satisfying parts of the job, as everyone brings their experience and capabilities together to build a plan that gets the most science out of the rover each sol. We certainly put Curiosity to work, planning MAHLI and APXS observations of the target "Schoolhouse Ledge" along the ripple crest, and the target "Man of War Brook" along the flank of the ripple. To keep the structure of the ripple crest pristine for MAHLI imaging, we shot ChemCam across another part of the ripple crest, the target "Gilpatrick Ledge". We also used ChemCam to interrogate the target "The Gorge", located inside the wheel scuff the rover planners purposely cut into the ripple to expose its interior structure. GEO planned a Mastcam observation using filters at specific wavelengths of light that help constrain what iron-bearing minerals are present within the sands. The target for this observation was "Cobbosseecontee Lake", which one of our Maine-dwelling team members insisted was not challenging to say (it is actually pretty phonetic…)! Even with our focus on the megaripple, there was still time to image the rocks around us with Mastcam, including an expanse of well-layered bedrock south of us called "Amphitheater Valley". Last but not least, GEO started a series of MARDI images - one image acquired each evening we are parked at the megaripple - to look for wind-induced changes. These change detection images help the team understand if (or how) wind activity and direction are changing as we leave the Bagnold dunes. Speaking of winds, the environmental (ENV) theme group planned a dust devil survey to look for those telltale signs of wind activity. ENV also acquired a long DAN passive observation, and regular RAD and REMS measurements.
Sol 1688 - 1690 update by Abigail Fraeman: Sand between our grousers (May 8, 2017)
Today was a Friday so we put together a three day plan to cover the weekend activities, or in Mars-speak, sols 1688 - 1690. We've been getting some really interesting data down from our investigation of a large sand drift (megaripple), so we packed in many more observations to assess the full variability of the sandy materials before driving away and continuing our climb up Mt. Sharp.
Over the weekend, we are planning to take APXS and MAHLI observations that focus on the materials inside the area of sand that was scuffed by the wheel ("Little Notch"), and also some bright undisturbed materials ("Cold Ledge"). We will also take MAHLI only observations of different undisturbed portions of the megaripple at "Schoolhouse Ledge" and "Man of War Brook". In addition to contact science, we will take many Mastcam images, including a full 360-degree mosaic, a mosaic of our future drive target ("Buttermilk Brook"), a multispectral observation of some vein targets ("Eddie Brook"), and images of a handful of interesting nearby rocks ("Little Harbor Brook", "Bubble Brook", and "Marshall Brook.") We're rounding out remote sensing observations in the plan with ChemCam observations of "Stanley Brook", "Chasm Brook", and "Denning Brook", and a post-drive automated ChemCam AEGIS activity. The environmental theme group also included a dust devil survey, measurements of dust in the atmosphere, and horizon movies.
For tactical planning today, I was again staffed as a Surface Properties Scientist (SPS), so I worked closely with the rover planners (RPs) to help plan the drive to an interesting location ~20 meters away. We can see in the Mastcam images that there are some rocks that have colors and textures different from the typical outcrops we've been seeing during the majority of our ascent, so the science team is eager to drive over and check out this area up close. I look forward to seeing our new location Monday morning when the data come down.
MAHLI Image of sand: https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/raw/?rawid=1687MH0007000010603742E01_DXXX&s=1687
Mastcam image of sand scuff: https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/raw/?rawid=1686ML0087720020700897E01_DXXX&s=1686
Sol 1691 update by Ryan Anderson: Stopped Short at Green Nubble (May 8, 2017)
The weekend drive stopped a little bit short of the target, but that's ok because it put the rover in reach of some interesting cross-bedded rocks. We decided to do a "touch and go" plan for Sol 1691, quickly analyzing the rocks in front of us and then continuing on to the original drive destination.
The plan starts off with MAHLI observations of the targets "Ike's Point" and "King's Point". ChemCam will then analyze the target "Green Nubble" and Mastcam will take a documentation image of the same target. Mastcam will also document the auto-targeted ChemCam observation from the weekend plan and take a few frames to connect the workspace and drive direction images. Finally, Mastcam has a small mosaic of "Androscoggin River". After that, the rover will do a short drive followed by post-drive imaging, an auto-targeted ChemCam observation, and a MARDI image of the ground under our wheels.
In the morning of Sol 1692 Mastcam will make its first of three attempts at imaging Mars' moon Phobos passing in front of the sun, which allows us to refine our understanding of its orbit. The Phobos transit observation will be followed by Mastcam and Navcam observations to measure dust in the atmosphere, as well as a couple of Navcam movies to look for clouds.
Sol 1692 update by Rachel Kronyak: Science frenzy! (May 9, 2017)
After the drive on Sol 1691, the workspace in front of the rover had plenty of interesting rocks in front of us to keep us busy.
Today I served as the Payload Uplink Lead-1 (PUL-1) for Mastcam, which means that I worked closely with the Geology Theme Group and other Mastcam PULs to make sure the images we take best capture the requests of the science team. Much to our delight, today’s plan is chock-full of fantastic Mastcam mosaics!
The plan starts off with several ChemCam observations to analyze the targets "The Maypole," "Weaver Rock," and "The Cleft," along with their corresponding Mastcam documentation images. We will then take a series of Mastcam mosaics on the targets "Ox Hill," "Old Tom," "Bear Island," and "Bowden Ledge" to characterize sedimentary structures and bedding features. We will also take a Mastcam image of yesterday’s automated ChemCam AEGIS observation to provide context for where the target ended up. Finally, we will take a Mastcam image of the rover deck, which we do periodically to monitor saltating material (loose grains being jostled around by the wind) near the height of the deck.
Curiosity will then use its robotic arm to take MAHLI images of the targets "Pejebscot Falls," "Sagadahoc Bay," and "Myrtle Ledge." That’s a grand total of 10 new targets in the today’s plan - it’s sure to be a busy day on Mars! We will close out Sol 1692 with a late-afternoon Mastcam observation of Mars’ moon Phobos transiting in front of the sun and an overnight APXS analysis on Sagadahoc Bay.
Sols 1693-1694 update by Rachel Kronyak: Remote science and onward! (May 10, 2017)
Today we planned two sols, 1693 and 1694. On the first sol, we will conduct a suite of remote science observations before driving away and resuming our trek up Mount Sharp. These remote observations include a combination of atmospheric and bedrock measurements, giving us a really thorough dataset at this location. Our atmospheric observations include a ChemCam passive sky, Navcam zenith movie, suprahorizon movie, and a few Mastcam images that will help us measure atmospheric scattering.
For our bedrock observations, we will be conducting two ChemCam rasters and a Mastcam multispectral activity on the dark bedrock target named "Bear Island" that can be seen in the upper left in the image above. We got our first look at Bear Island in yesterday’s plan and decided it was an interesting enough target to warrant further investigation by ChemCam and Mastcam.
Following our remote science observations, we will drive away and take some post-drive images to set ourselves up for a busy weekend of exciting contact and remote science! After the drive, we will be taking our third round of Phobos transit images with Mastcam as well as an automated ChemCam AEGIS observation. On sol 1694, we will conduct a Navcam dust devil movie and calibrate the ChemCam instrument.
Sols 1695 -1697 update by Michelle Minitti: Observations of land, rover and sky (May 15, 2017)
Curiosity continued her detailed investigation of the interesting suite of outcrops we have been picking our way across during the last week. As we climb up Mount Sharp, recently over slopes of 4-6 degrees, we have seen more varied outcrop structures and chemistries than the rest of the Murray formation, and such changes catch the collective eye of the team. Today's plan will keep Curiosity busy throughout the weekend, investigating some of these unique rocks.
One target in the workspace in particular, "Mason Point", will get the royal treatment with five separate science observations directed at it. The reason it will receive such attention is that it will be brushed by the Dust Removal Tool (DRT), removing the thin veneer of obscuring dust that has settled on the rock surface. From the brushed Mason Point target, we will obtain MAHLI images to study the target's texture and grain size, ChemCam and Mastcam spectra of the light reflected off the surface to constrain mineralogy, and an APXS analysis to get chemistry. We will also analyze the chemistry of Mason Point with a ChemCam raster, but before it is brushed. Why? ChemCam's laser not only probes chemistry, it clears dust! The comprehensive and complementary datasets obtained from Mason Point will further our understanding of this target better than any single analysis would alone.
Mason Point will get the most focused attention, but the analysis of many other targets will help the science team probe the overall variety of the rocks in this area. MAHLI, APXS and ChemCam will study "Mitchell Hill", a bedrock target exhibiting prominent layering. ChemCam will also shoot "Mount Gilboa" to gather not only chemistry but grain size data for this target. Mastcam mosaics centered on Mitchell Hill and "Manchester Point" will capture orientations of layers in these targets that might help reveal how the layers formed.
In a change of pace from looking at rocks, Curiosity invested time in the plan acquiring images with MAHLI that monitor the health and performance of the instrument. MAHLI imaged her calibration target, which contains well known color and geometric targets that offer a test of instrument performance. MAHLI also imaged the APXS calibration target, a slab of finely polished basalt that serves as a chemistry standard for APXS. MAHLI then turned her eye to the sky, purposely acquiring images of featureless parts of the sky. These images, called sky flats, help reveal the presence of dust on the MAHLI lens. Just like dentist appointments, calibration "checkups" occur about every six months. Happily, MAHLI checkups are pain free.
After the rover planners drive Curiosity over 50 meters along our strategic drive path, Mastcam and Navcam will obtain a number of images and movies used to measure the amount of dust in the atmosphere, scan the atmosphere for dust devils, and search the sky overhead and near the horizon for clouds. These environmental observations will be complemented by DAN passive and active measurements that seek subsurface hydrogen; RAD measurements that monitor the radiation environment at the surface; and REMS measurements that give us our regular Martian weather reports.
Sols 1698-1699 update by Scott Guzewich: It's Touch and Go on the Climb to Vera Rubin Ridge (May 16, 2017)
The road to Vera Rubin Ridge, a feature believed to be enriched in the mineral hematite, is getting steeper, so we are stopping frequently to study the composition of the bedrock beneath our wheels. Our intention is to use the APXS and ChemCam instruments to analyze the bedrock for every 5 meters of vertical elevation gain to see how it may change as we climb toward Vera Rubin Ridge. And we are climbing fast on many of our drives now!
Today I was the Environmental Science Theme Group Lead as we planned Sols 1698 and 1699. Our first activity was a "Touch and Go", where we used APXS and MAHLI to study the bedrock (today at a location called "Woodland Ledge", in the lower right corner of the image) before driving ~50 meters southeastward to our next destination. We also targeted ChemCam and Mastcam to some nearby interesting rock targets named "Spurling Rock", "Grindstone Ledge", and "Knight Nubble".
Following the drive on Sol 1698, we will have a post-drive DAN active measurement and the 3rd set of Mastcam atmospheric observations on this sol. Having multiple measurements in a single sol helps us understand how amounts of atmospheric clouds and dust vary between morning, afternoon, and evening. On Sol 1699 we're planning untargeted science including a ChemCam AEGIS activity and a Navcam dust devil survey image sequence.
Sols 1700-1701 update by Michael Battalio: Optical depth measurements (May 17, 2017)
Curiosity continues towards Vera Rubin Ridge with a 48 m drive. GEO decided for the touch-and-go option (instead of lengthening the drive like on Sol 1684) using APXS and MAHLI on "Ripple Pond," a typical member of the Murray formation. Mastcam and ChemCam will follow up with observations of Ripple Pond. Mastcam will next target "Rhodes Cliff," which is especially interesting as it is tilted to show the Murray formation layers. Following these observations, Curiosity will drive and capture standard imaging for targeting in the weekend plan. After the drive, ChemCam will perform an automated AEGIS activity to measure bright patches of outcrop.
In working as the ENV theme lead today, I planned several observations to maintain the usual ENV cadence activities. Two measurements of dust in the atmosphere will be captured by Mastcam on Sol 1700. One measurement will determine the optical depth vertically (tau), and a second will determine the amount of dust towards the direction of the crater rim (line-of-sight). Optical depth describes the amount of light attenuated (scattered or absorbed) above Curiosity. An optical depth measurement, or tau, is defined as the logarithm of the ratio of the transmitted energy flux through some layer of the atmosphere to the received energy flux. By looking directly at the sun with Mastcam, the amount of energy reaching the surface can be determined. This is the transmitted flux through the entire atmosphere. Combined with an estimate of the incident energy from the sun at the top of the Mars atmosphere from satellite observations (the received flux), a reliable measurement of the optical depth for the entire atmosphere can be made. The second dust measurement - a line-of-sight extinction (LOS), like the one pictured from Sol 1670 - does a similar calculation to the tau, except horizontally instead of vertically. On Sol 1701, Navcam will capture a supra-horizon cloud movie and will perform an independent LOS measurement for comparison to the Mastcam measurement. Finally, a dust devil movie will be taken around local noon. Normal REMS and RAD measurements as well as several DAN passive measurements and one DAN active will be captured.
Example tau image from Sol 1670
Sols 1702-1704 update by Michelle Minitti: An island of science (May 22, 2017)
The rover planners parked us in front of the one slab of outcrop - an island among ripples of sand - we could safely drive to from our Sol 1700 position, setting us up to continue our exploration of the Murray formation.
The outcrop slab exhibited color variations (gray, pink and orange) and patchy white veins, so to capture these variations the science team analyzed multiple spots on the outcrop with MAHLI, APXS, ChemCam and Mastcam. We brushed dust off the target "Fern Spring" with the DRT and analyzed two separate spots within this dust-cleared area with APXS. Getting two closely spaced APXS targets makes it easier to pull apart compositional variations within the outcrop than a single APXS analysis alone. We planned a ChemCam raster over Fern Spring to be able to compare the compositional results from APXS and ChemCam, and a second, similar target, "Redfield Hill" to maximize the amount of data from the bedrock. Another target that got attention from both APXS and ChemCam was "Pulpit Ledge", so named because this gray-toned area of outcrop appeared perched above the rest of the outcrop surface. The gray color of Pulpit Ledge set it apart from the more orange-red color of Fern Spring and Redfield Hill, and the science team hoped to gain insight into why these parts of the outcrop were different in color by looking at these distinct targets. We looked at another gray outcrop area, "Broad Cove", using the passive mode of ChemCam and the multispectral capability of Mastcam. Both these techniques assess the spectrum of light reflected from the target surface, which provides insight into the iron mineralogy of the target. Each APXS target was imaged with MAHLI, to not only help inform APXS of exactly what part of the outcrop they obtained data from, but to look closely at the texture and grain size of the targets. Looking out past the outcrop immediately in front of us, Mastcam acquired small mosaics of two separate areas of dramatically layered Murray formation. Such large, layered blocks make driving through this part of the Murray formation a challenge, but they help the science team understand how the Murray formation rocks were deposited in Gale crater.
Curiosity cast her gaze skyward over the weekend acquiring images and movies seeking clouds and dust devils, and monitoring the amount of dust in the atmosphere. Measurements of dust in the atmosphere not only provide insight into atmospheric behavior, they help the science team decide when to image distant objects such as Vera Rubin Ridge. The more dust in the atmosphere, the harder it is to see such objects. The rover also prepared for an important upcoming atmospheric analysis, a SAM measurement of atmospheric methane.
Sols 1705 - 1706 update by Abigail Fraeman: Rocky Road (May 22, 2017)
Curiosity is continuing to make progress towards Vera Rubin Ridge along the Mt Sharp ascent route. We planned two sols today, Sol 1705 and Sol 1706. On our first sol, we will kick off the day with some remote sensing science on the bedrock in front of us, including ChemCam observations of targets "Turtle Island", "Stony Brook", and "Dike Peak". Turtle Island is typical Murray bedrock, Stony Brook has an interesting dark streak running through it, and Dike Peak is a neat looking block with dark colored fracture fills. We will complement these observations with Mastcam documentation imaging. We’ll then go for a short drive and take some post drive imaging and a ChemCam AEGIS observation. On the second sol of the plan, Curiosity will be focused on taking atmospheric observations, including a dust devil search and images of the crater rim and sky above us.
We didn’t drive as far as we thought we would over the weekend. Software onboard Curiosity sensed the rover was struggling to travel over the challenging terrain more than we had anticipated, so it ended the drive early. Because I was staffed as a Surface Properties Scientist (SPS) during planning today, I spent most of my time on shift looking at the Navcam and Hazcam data to understand what about the terrain was causing problems, and thinking about new paths to take that would still get us where we wanted to go. I’m optimistic about our new drive route, and I’m very glad we have six-wheel drive to help us climb this mountain!
Sols 1707-1708 update by Michael Battalio: When Mars Gives You Lemons, Calibrate Your Instruments (May 25, 2017)
After a 14.6 m drive, the GEO group decided against arm activities due to a lack of compelling targets and in deference to making the next drive longer. Thusly, GEO science activities relied on Mastcam and ChemCam. On Sol 1707, ChemCam will capture a raster of the "White Cap Mountain" bedrock target (the white bedrock left of center in the bottom quarter of the above Navcam image), as well as a patch of dark undisturbed soil called "French Hill Pond." Mastcam will document all of the ChemCam targets and will image "Googings Ledge" (the large, darker bedrock just above and right of image center) and "The Twinnies" (the shadowed bedrock exposure cut off on the far left), which are sedimentary members of the Murray formation, and "Soward Island," which has exposed bedrock layers. After a planned 30 m drive, ChemCam will perform an AEGIS automated activity, and Navcam will document Curiosity's new position. SAM will perform a methane dual enrichment activity on Sol 1709, which will compare a methane-enriched atmospheric sample to a non-enriched sample.
I served in the ENV STL role, and today was one of the more hectic ENV operations days I have planned. It was a plan full of trade-offs. When SAM takes atmospheric methane or oxygen measurements, ENV likes to obtain a ChemCam passive sky observation within a few sols for an independent comparison. However, the times initially available in the plan around mid-sol to place a passive sky were not compatible with possible pointing azimuths, as we are so close to the new year (northern hemisphere spring equinox). In anticipation of potential power restrictions in the weekend plan, we attempted a long morning imaging suite a couple of sols early, which would include a passive sky measurement; however, we were forced to defer those plans due to power restrictions in the current plan. Instead of losing the science time altogether, we noticed that the mid-sol time was compatible for taking a ChemCam calibration measurement. This calibration will be taken on Sol 1708 in preparation for the next passive sky. This just proves that while doing science on another planet can be frustrating at times, it is always rewarding.
On top of the ChemCam calibration, the ENV group planned several Mastcam and Navcam observations. On Sol 1707, Mastcam will capture tau and LOS measurements to assess the amount of dust in the atmosphere. Also on Sol 1707, Navcam will capture a late afternoon zenith cloud movie. A 30-minute Navcam dust devil movie will be taken around noon on Sol 1708. REMS will capture the standard top of the hour 5 minute observations and 19 hour-long observation blocks, which will include observations during the ingest times of the SAM methane activity. DAN will take approximately 9 hours of passive and 20 minutes of post-drive active observations.
Sols 1709-1711 update by Roger Wiens: "White Ledge" (May 26, 2017)
Curiosity continues to drive through an otherworldly jumble of in-place bedrock, tilted rocks, sand with small ripples, and local pebbly debris piles. Vera Rubin Ridge continues to loom larger in the rover’s forward view, although progress is somewhat slow due to the difficult terrain. Yestersol’s drive was 16 meters.
Just 20 sols ago we passed the northern vernal equinox, but the rover is ‘down under’ (at 4 degrees south latitude), so we’ve just started the fall season. For those readers in the Earth’s northern hemisphere, it’s like about October 1 on Earth. Over the next half of a Mars year (or nearly one Earth year) the rover will have a little less power for driving, arm deployment, and instrument activities as it spends a little more energy keeping itself warm. The body of the rover is kept warm by a fluid loop that distributes heat from the radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) to the rover body, but the extremities (arm, wheels, and mast) need to be heated electrically. As a result, the rover will take one day to recharge its battery this weekend. It’s a holiday weekend in the US and much of Europe, so why shouldn’t Curiosity have a day off too?
We also have a soliday, but that’s not a rover holiday, in fact, it’s not a day on Mars at all. Rather, it’s an extra day we have on Earth every 37 Mars days due to the shorter day on Earth. So Mars has one less day for this holiday weekend. All told, the rover will be working two days this weekend.
As I write today’s Mars blog post, we are finishing the science operations working group (SOWG) meeting, arranging the plan. We have a beautiful "White Ledge" right in front of the rover, and so we decided to spend these two Mars days doing lots of analyses. We are interrogating the ledge with two different arm placements, an evening APXS integration on a location named "Patty Lot Hill," and a night integration on "White Ledge" after using the dust removal tool (DRT). MAHLI takes images of these targets the following sol. We are taking extra precautions in case the rather thin ledge breaks when we place the arm on it. We are also interrogating the ledge with Mastcam and ChemCam. Other ChemCam targets include "Shooting Ledge" (a rocky ridge just behind "White Ledge"), "Middle Ledge" behind and to the left, and "Halfway_Mountain", a sand ripple crest. SAM is doing an atmospheric measurement, and REMS and RAD are taking measurements this weekend too, so it is an "all-instruments" weekend except for CheMin.
At the end of the second sol Curiosity drives to a good vantage point (< 20 m). We also managed to slip in Mastcam sun observations and a ChemCam sky spectral observation on Tuesday morning (Sol 1712) before the next uplink of activities from Earth.
Sol 1712 update by Michelle Minitti: Eyes on the prize (May 30, 2017)
Despite the holiday weekend, the science and engineering teams were greeted with a plethora of data from Curiosity when they started planning Sol 1712 - like your birthday and your favorite winter (gift-getting) holiday rolled into one. The science team had beautifully illuminated MAHLI images of the unique texture of our weekend targets "White Ledge" and "Patty Lot Hill," loads of ChemCam and APXS data from rocks and soils, and new atmospheric measurements courtesy of SAM, ChemCam, Navcam and Mastcam. The engineers had new drill diagnostic data, which will help them learn ways to get the drill back in use. Getting to put Curiosity right back to work after receiving such an embarrassment of riches makes for one grateful team.
The bedrock in front of the rover resembled the Murray formation bedrock we have seen over the last week or so, so the science team did not feel the need to acquire MAHLI and APXS on it before driving away. Instead, the team eyed an outcrop of gray toned, layered rock about 10 m to the south.
We have seen this type of gray-toned rock before, which differs in chemistry and texture from the Murray formation, but have had little luck accessing it for contact science. To further understand how and why this outcrop differs from the Murray, the team asked the rover planners to drive us to the outcrop for a touch-and-go on it with MAHLI and APXS in the plan tomorrow. While the rover planners could have driven to a point ~15 m past the gray outcrop, the team felt the opportunity to reach out and touch this rock was worth driving a little bit less than was possible today. We will all have our fingers crossed for a successful drive!
Before heading down the road, we acquired ChemCam data from two targets, "Ned Island" and "Ravens Nest," both of which will add to our Murray formation dataset as we climb Mt. Sharp. We kept tabs on the dynamic environment around us by acquiring REMS and RAD measurements, Mastcam images of dust in the atmosphere, and Mastcam images of changes in sand blown onto the rover deck. All told, it was a successful start to what should be another great week in Gale Crater!
Sol 1713 update by Abigail Fraeman: Not enough hours in the sol (May 31, 2017)
Tosol on Mars was one of those sols where we simply did not have enough hours to get everything done that we had wanted to do. Our Tuesday drive placed us perfectly in front of a very interesting outcrop that looked slightly different in color and texture from the typical Murray rocks we’ve been seeing for the last few hundred meters. We had originally thought we would spend the morning doing contact science on this outcrop and then drive away in the afternoon, completing everything before the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter flew overhead and it would be time to call home. However, when the downlink came in this morning, the science team found there was a lot we wanted to look at that was accessible in our workspace. The rover drivers also reported that the route ahead was clear and we would be able to do a nice long drive. With all of these options but a limited amount of time available before the orbital pass, we concluded it would be best to plan to spend all of the sol doing science on the outcrop, and then wait until tomorrow to drive away.
The geology theme group certainly took advantage of the unexpected extra time for science, and filled the plan with lots of remote sensing and contact science activities. We planned to take APXS observations of two targets on gray-toned rock targets named "Berry Cove" and "Heron Island," as well as MAHLI observations of both of these targets plus an additional target at the contact between a red and gray rock named "Prays Brook." We’ll complement all that with ChemCam observations of gray rock targets named "Spectacle Island," "McNeil Point," and Heron Island, plus associated Mastcam imaging to support the ChemCam observations. We’ll also be getting even more Mastcam images of interesting surrounding rock targets "The Whitecap," "Trap Rock," and "Pond Island," and a ChemCam remote micro-imager (RMI) mosaic of target "Sols Cliff." Finally, we’ll also be doing our standard background REMS and DAN passive observations to monitor the environment. Whew! It should be a great day of doing science on Mars.
Sol 1714 update by Lauren Edgar: Let's try that again (June 1, 2017)
Unfortunately the Sol 1713 activities were not uplinked due to an issue at the DSN station, so today's plan is focused on recovering the activities that were planned yesterday. The good news is that we’ll be in the same location for the start of the weekend plan, so we’ll be able to add some additional contact science targets at this interesting site.
I was the SOWG Chair today, and it was a pretty straightforward planning day since it was mostly a repeat of yesterday! The plan kicks off with Mastcam mosaics of "The Whitecap," "Trap Rock," and "Pond Island" to document some nearby sedimentary structures. Then ChemCam will target "Heron Island" and "McNeil Point" to investigate variations in chemistry within the darker gray rocks in this area. We’ll also acquire a ChemCam RMI to assess the grain size and stratification at "Sols Cliff." Then Navcam will carry out a dust devil survey to monitor atmospheric activity. Slightly later in the afternoon, we’ll acquire a Mastcam mosaic to document the contact science target "Prays Brook" and surrounding rocks, and we’ll take a multispectral observation on "Heron Island." The meat of the plan lies in the contact science: APXS and MAHLI observations on "Berry Cove" and "Heron Island" to assess the darker gray rocks both with and without nodules, as well as a dog’s eye MAHLI mosaic along "Prays Brook" to characterize the contact between the dark gray rocks and the underlying typical Murray formation. It’s a juicy plan so I hope it all goes smoothly this time, and we’re looking forward to more contact science tomorrow before we hit the road to Vera Rubin Ridge.
For more information about Curiosity’s investigation of the Murray formation and the ancient lake environments that it records, check out this recent press release.
Sols 1715-1717 update by Michelle Minitti: If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right (June 5, 2017)
Curiosity left no stone unturned, unshot or unbrushed as she wrapped up observations at the stand of gray-toned rocks she arrived at on Sol 1712. We added to yesterday's rich observations of gray-toned rocks by brushing a nodule-rich target, "Timber Point," to give MAHLI and APXS as clear a look as possible of the target's texture and chemistry. We added to yesterday's rich observations of gray-toned rocks by brushing a nodule-rich target, "Timber Point," to give MAHLI and APXS as clear a look as possible of the target's texture and chemistry. Scattered amongst the gray-toned rocks were patches of Murray formation rocks, and the team thought it best not to neglect our old friend. MAHLI images and APXS data from the Murray target "Old Mill Brook" will complement all the data we have collected from the gray-toned rocks. Both Timber Point and Old Mill Brook were also accessible to ChemCam, which will shoot both these targets before MAHLI has a look at them. This gives MAHLI a unique chance to look at the laser-disturbed material within each ChemCam spot, which can reveal more about the grain structure of the target than an observation of an undisturbed surface. ChemCam also analyzed a second Murray target, "Goose Eye Mountain," to expand our dataset on this material, and a beautifully-layered, gray-toned target called "Spectacle Island." We accomplished most of our Mastcam imaging of the outcrops around us yesterday, but additional Mastcam imaging of Spectacle Island was just too good to pass up.
Curiosity will also acquire a variety of images and movies of the skies. Taken in the early morning and later in the afternoon, they will help us understand the dynamics of the atmosphere over the course of the Martian day. SAM will prep for its next atmosphere measurement, as well.
After all this activity, Curiosity will drive away from our gray rock playground, for new discoveries uphill!
Sols 1718 update by Scott Guzewich: Looking East (June 5, 2017)
We are beginning to turn toward the east and southeast as we approach Vera Rubin Ridge with the Curiosity rover. After a busy and successful plan over the weekend, we weighed our priorities between using APXS to study the bedrock we're driving over or drive farther along our path.
Today I was the Science Operations Working Group Chair as we planned sol 1718 and since we had only gained ~3m of elevation in our last drive, we decided to forgo contact science with APXS in favor of extending our drive distance. The GEO science theme group still found some interesting bedrock-"East Point" (the dark section in the middle of the rock at the upper right corner of the image), "East Pond", and "Eastern Point Harbor" - to target with ChemCam and Mastcam before we begin our drive. After a ~26 meter drive, we planned post-drive imaging to prepare for the next sol's activities and conducted a ChemCam AEGIS activity. The ENV science theme group had a quiet plan with routine DAN and REMS observations.
Sol 1719 update by Ryan Anderson: Wait and Hurry Up! (June 6, 2017)
Today was an interesting day of planning: because of an issue with the computer system responsible for processing data once it is received on Earth, Curiosity's images and other data from Sol 1718 didn't arrive until well into today's planning. That meant that we had to keep the plan simple and respond rapidly once the data did arrive. It also meant that we had plenty of time to choose our favorite target names from the list!
Once the data started rolling in, we quickly chose a nice piece of bedrock in front of the rover for APXS and MAHLI to analyze and gave it the target name "Aunt Betsey's Brook". We also planned a ChemCam observation of a flaky layered rock called "Wonsqueak Harbor" and a small Mastcam mosaic of a block of layered bedrock called "Little Round Pond". After that, Curiosity will drive about 16 meters and collect post-drive imaging for targeting. After the drive we'll also take a Mastcam image of the ground near the rover (part of the ongoing campaign to systematically look at the terrain we're driving over), Mastcam images of the sun and the distant crater rim to study dust in the atmosphere, and an automatically targeted ChemCam observation. The plan will wrap up with the usual evening MARDI image of the ground under our wheels.
In the end, despite the delay in planning, we managed to put together the plan and turn it in early! We joked that we can't keep being so efficient every day or else we'll give the impression that we don't need our full planning time anymore!
Sol 1720 update by Christopher Edwards: Rough Road Ahead (June 8, 2017)
I was the Surface Properties Scientist, or S |
the technology platform that will help consumers get financial help with their premiums and pick a plan”:
Struggling with a deadline crunch, some states are delaying online tools that could make it easier for consumers to find the right plan when the markets go live on Oct. 1. Ahead of open enrollment for millions of uninsured Americans, the feds and the states are investing in massive call centers. “The description that this was going to be like Travelocity was a very simplistic way of looking at it,” said Christine Ferguson, director of the Rhode Island Health Benefits Exchange. “I never bought into it.” “The bottom line is that with tight timelines … states have had to scale back their initial ambitions for Day 1,” said Paul Hencoski, leader of KPMG’s government health practice, which is advising nearly 20 states. “A lot of the more sophisticated functionalities that might have been offered through the Web are being deferred to later phases.” When the markets first open, Hencoski said, “there will be a significant amount of manual processing of things that will later be automated.” Translation: emails, phone calls, faxes.
It’s never been a secret that creating all of these online exchanges from scratch was going to be a bureaucratic feat of herculean proportions — back in March, one ObamaCare official noted that they were well past that wishful point of trying to engineer a world-class consumer-friendly experience and were instead just trying to “make sure it’s not a third-world experience” — but the administration is so far behind on getting these things fully operational that getting millions of people signed up on what will probably still be glitchy, untested, and work-in-progress systems is definitely going to turn into a very messy and manual endeavor. They really didn’t plan this well, did they?Model and Playboy bunny Dani Mathers appears in Los Angeles County Superior Court to answer charges related to her taking a photo of a naked, 71-year-old woman in a gym locker room and posting it on social media with insults about the woman's body, in Los Angeles on Wednesday, May 24, 2017. She pleaded no contest and was sentenced to probation and 30 days of community service. (Frederick M. Brown/Pool Photo via AP)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dani Mathers earned fame posing as a nude model. She gained notoriety on the other side of the camera when she snapped a photo of an unwitting and unwilling subject — a naked 71-year-old woman in a gym locker room.
The firestorm of criticism that erupted after the Playboy model posted the pic online to mock the woman’s body drew more attention than any centerfold of Mathers and led a judge Wednesday to order her to spend 30 days cleaning up graffiti on Los Angeles streets as punishment.
Mathers, 30, pleaded no contest to misdemeanor invasion of privacy in Los Angeles County Superior Court for the so-called body shaming case. Although she didn’t admit guilt, the plea is recorded as a conviction.
The victim, who was not in court, was humiliated by the cruel act, prosecutors said.
“Body shaming can devastate its subject,” Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer said. “People are mocked, they’re humiliated and in ways they can never fully get back.”
Mathers, a petite blonde, had apologized for taking the photo at an LA Fitness club in July and posting it on Snapchat with the caption: “If I can’t unsee this then you can’t either.”
The posting was accompanied by a selfie of Mathers in a tank top with her hand over her mouth as if she’s gasping in horror.
The 2015 Playmate of the Year contended she intended to send the photo privately to a friend and accidentally posted it publicly.
The crime was amplified by the attention the photo got online and the backlash that erupted in the world of social media, which is often quicker to punish than reward. The shamer quickly became the shamed.
Mathers lost modeling jobs and work as a radio host, her lawyers said. She complained of being bullied online.
She was relieved to put the case behind her and was grateful to be spared a jail term, defense attorney Thomas Mesereau said outside court.
“She really apologizes from the bottom of her heart for what happened,” he said. “She never thought this would come out like this. Never intended to hurt anyone.”
After the case arose, Feuer promoted legislation to enhance penalties of the existing privacy invasion law for distributing partially or fully nude images without consent. The bill passed the state Senate this week.
Feuer criticized Mathers for fighting the case “tooth and nail” to avoid legal consequences. The defense argued unsuccessfully that the charge should be dismissed because the victim couldn’t easily be identified in the photo shot from a distance.
It didn’t take a great deal of detective work for the gym and police to track down the victim, said Deputy City Attorney Chadd Kim.
Mathers was ordered to pay her $60 to replace a backpack seen in the photo so the woman wouldn’t easily be identified.
Based on past conversations, Kim thought the victim would be pleased with the outcome.
Under terms of the plea, Mathers will be on probation for three years.
She must also curtail her photo-taking. She was ordered not to take photos or video of people or post them online without their permission and can’t have a camera in places where people might be naked or expect privacy.Vajubhai Vala
Real Estate
Bengaluru
Karnataka
the Bill
Bill
Ganapathi
BJP
Shettar
Bangalore Mirror
Raj Bhavan
returnsBill; says it will cause serious damage to the environment, both inandBengaluru has considerably lost its lung space in the last few years due to rapid urbanisation. While it seems like the state government is on a mission to wipe out what is remaining of the green space by passing the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act 2016, governor Vajubhai Vala has put the brakes on it.Giving a fillip to urban ecological movement and ensuring safety of green and open spaces, the governor on Tuesday returnedto the government.Touted to be the ambitiousof the state government, it was passed without a discussion when the state legislature was in pandemonium over the suicide of DySP MKin August. Oppositionand several environmental activists had vehemently opposed the Bill, calling it the handiwork of powerful real estate lobby and appealed to the governor not to give his assent. Several noted environmentalists had expressed to the governor that, if enacted, the Bill would take away the long-standing green and open spaces in urban localities.Expressing his happiness over the governor’s action, Opposition leader Jagadishtoldthat the government was playing to the demands of the real estate lobby in urban localities by bringing out the Bill. “When all of us (opposition parties) were in the well, demanding Bengaluru in-charge minister George’s resignation, the government passed it in a hush-hush manner without any discussion. It was intended to benefit the real estate lobby of the urban areas. I had even appealed to the governor in the interest of urban green spaces. Convinced about its ill effects, the governor too has rejected it,” Shettar revealed.The Bill, if enacted, would have severely hit 250 cities and towns across Karnataka, according to Shettar. “The Bill proposed to reduce the spaces reserved for parks and playgrounds, from the existing 15 per cent to 10 per cent, and civic amenity sites from 10 per cent to just 5 per cent. It was turning out to be an ecological disaster for the urban community. Considering the rising pollution levels, increasing temperature, flash floods in urban areas, green and open spaces are already not enough. It is ironic that the government, which should create more such lung spaces, has yielded to the demands of the real estate lobby,” Shettar lamented.A senior environmentalist, who didn’t want to be named, said: “This amendment would have been a perfect recipe for disaster. We have already seen how several multi-storeyed buildings have openly flouted rules pertaining to green and open spaces. Rather than enforcing stringent action, it was sad that the government was pushing for this amendment.”Sources in therevealed to BM that the governor has returned the Bill for reconsideration suggesting that it will cause greater damage to the environment.The companies who oppose net-neutrality regulations are pumping far more resources into their lobbying efforts than those who support the measures.
This is according to the Sunlight Foundation, a non-partisan government watchdog that has tracked both spending and lobbying reports on the issue in recent years.
The group said in a blog post, issued shortly after the FCC announced its proposal for new net neutrality regulations, that the top donors opposed to stronger regulations – including AT&T, Verizon, and Comcast – outspent open-internet advocates such as Google at a rate of more than three to one.
"While the dispute over network neutrality is often thought of as a battle between giant corporations, it's clear from the data that over the lifespan of this issue, the pressure has been far from equal," the Sunlight Foundation said.
"The leading opponents of neutrality (largely the internet service providers) have devoted significantly more resources to lobbying than the leading supporters of net neutrality (largely the big tech companies)."
Hardly seems to be a fair fight, eh? That is, if you believe lawmakers can be bought...
In addition to spending more on their campaigns, the report found that groups opposed to net neutrality rules are more proficient in their lobbying efforts. Releases of lobbying reports opposed to net neutrality outpaced pro-neutrality reports 472 to 176.
Carriers naturally have been opposed to the FCC plans, which they feel put constraining and unnecessary government regulations on their businesses and industry, while net neutrality advocates say government intervention is necessary to keep operators from creating tiers of service in which users are subjected to deliberately throttled or prioritized performance of certain platforms and services.
That is not to say that net neutrality has not been without its own powerful backers. Earlier this month a who's-who list of tech companies including Amazon, Microsoft, eBay, and Netflix publicly came out in support of net neutrality efforts. Google, which has been an outspoken advocate, was listed by the Sunlight Foundation as the second-largest spender, pouring more than $18.2m into pro-neutrality lobbying.
However, the Chocolate Factory was the only one of the top five spenders to support net neutrality. The National Cable and Telecommunications Association claimed the top spot, spending $18.8m, while AT&T, Verizon, and Comcast racked up spending tallies ranging from $17.4 to $14.6m. ®Her photos have been used by PETA, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, the Jane Goodall Institute, and more than 100 other animal organizations to help tell animals’ stories. Now, award-winning photojournalist Jo-Anne McArthur has collected many of her evocative images in a one-of-a-kind new coffee table book, We Animals.
Through stunning visual imagery, the book aims to make people take a fresh look at animals and see them as living, feeling beings rather than objects that we use for food, clothing, experimentation, and entertainment. The photographs were shot in more than 40 countries, and each is accompanied by the animal’s story.
We Animals will be released on December 13, but PETA has an advance copy that we’re giving away to one lucky reader. To enter the drawing, just complete the form below by December 16 and watch your e-mail to find out if you’re the winner. If you don’t win or if you want a copy for a loved one, you can order We Animals at PETACatalog.com.
Good luck!
No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. This contest is open to U.S. residents only. The contest ends on December 16, 2013. One winner will be chosen at random and notified by December 18, 2014.
All fields in bold are mandatory. FormBuilder Form - 3174 This form has expired.
By submitting this form, you are acknowledging that you've read and you agree to the contest terms and conditions.
By submitting this form, you are agreeing to our collection, storage, use, and disclosure of your personal info in accordance with our privacy policy as well as to receiving e-mails from us.A 24-year-old man is dead in Bramalea and Peel Regional Police are searching for witnesses to the single-car crash that killed him.
Police say the victim was driving a yellow Toyota Celica east along Clark Boulevard when, for unknown reasons, he lost control of the car and slammed into a light pole just east of Dixie Road, at Peel Centre Drive. He was rushed to hospital, but he was pronounced dead soon after.
Police say there were vehicles in the area at the time, and they want to speak to the driver of a vehicle that was reportedly travelling behind the yellow car just before the crash, "so we can determine what exactly happened in this incident."
The crash happened at 11:30 p.m. Jan. 14, and Clark was shut down the rest of the night and into Sunday morning. Peel's Major Collision Bureau is investigating and police said the road reopened around 11 a.m. after the car was removed and the traffic light pole inspected to ensure its stability had not been compromised by the impact.The only marijuana researchers can legally obtain for studies looks like something you would scrape off the bottom of your shoe after walking on a grassy field.
This is not an exaggeration. Take a look at this photo, courtesy of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS):
This is the marijuana that researchers were sent for a study looking at whether pot can help treat post-traumatic stress disorder.
Due to federal prohibition and regulations, all of the marijuana used for US research is provided by one facility at the University of Mississippi through the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). But researchers have complained for years that the quality of marijuana that NIDA supplies is terrible — typically far below what you can get from state-legal medical or recreational marijuana markets or even the black market.
The photo above exemplifies this. The marijuana looks like it’s made up more of leaves and stems than the actual bud you’re supposed to smoke. As anyone who’s ever smoked pot can tell you, you’re typically supposed to throw out the leaves and stems — meaning what you see in the photo is basically garbage to the typical user. Usable pot is supposed to look chunkier and laced with crystals that are high in THC (which is what gets you high).
Here’s an example of higher-quality pot, taken before the stems are fully removed:
But as Christopher Ingraham and Tauhid Chappell reported at the Washington Post, the problem is not solely aesthetic. The NIDA-provided marijuana was supposed to have 13 percent THC content, but the MAPS researchers’ own testing found it was closer to 8 percent. (In comparison, state-legal commercial marijuana is typically at 19 percent but can go up to 30 percent or more.) There were also high mold and yeast levels — far beyond what you’d see in state-legal medical marijuana — but ultimately not the kind of mold or yeast that’s harmful to humans.
Yet thanks to the federally enforced monopoly on pot for research, this is the pot that researchers have to work with.
That makes the research questionable. Will it understate pot’s medical benefits, since this pot provided by the government is far weaker than what patients would actually use in the real world? Given that the government can’t get THC levels right, how can researchers be sure that federally provided marijuana won’t fail in other respects, such as the levels of other crucial chemicals like CBD? And since researchers know that the quality of pot they’ll get from the government is bad, how many give up without even trying?
These kinds of hurdles are why, even as marijuana has been with humans in some form of another for thousands of years, we still have little idea of what marijuana’s benefits and harms truly are.
Our lack of knowledge then helps perpetuate prohibition. One reason that pot remains a highly restricted, fully prohibited substance at the federal level is because there are no large-scale clinical trials proving its medical value and safety. But a major reason for the lack of large-scale clinical trials is that federal prohibition limits researchers’ access to good marijuana — by, for example, letting NIDA claim a monopoly on what kind of pot researchers can use. (If pot was legal, researchers could just obtain the drug from a retailer — much like, say, a researcher looking into alcohol or tobacco could.) This is, in other words, a Catch-22.
It’s possible, the Post reported, that this is a particularly bad strain of NIDA’s marijuana. When I asked about this, the agency told me, “The marijuana provided by the University of Mississippi farm supported by NIDA is dried and frozen before being shipped and hence it will look different from the more commonly familiar dried plant sold in dispensaries. However, this does not impact the chemical constituents found within the plant, including THC levels.”
NIDA did tell the Post that “there has been some emerging interest from the research community for a wider variety of marijuana and marijuana products. … NIDA does plan on growing some additional marijuana this year and harvest some high THC material that will likely be above 13 percent THC.”
But as I reported before, NIDA has been hinting at these kinds of steps for years. And as researchers wait, they have to conduct their studies with some pretty crappy weed.
Watch: How medical marijuana could help combat the opioid epidemicObama is still accusing Israel of being the barrier to peace, as he refers to “Netanyahu’s government policies” with regards to “Israeli settlements.” He even went so far as to imply that friendship with Israel is adding to the problem:
“If that’s what qualifies as a good friend, then I think that we will see a worsening situation over time.”
Nowhere does Obama condemn the goal of Hamas, the PA and Fatah: to obliterate the state of Israel, as stated in their charters. Nowhere does he refer to the fact that Israel has already given back 96 percent of the lands it won in past defensive wars. He says nothing about the fact that these concessions only emboldened Israel’s jihadist enemies to attack innocent Israelis even more.
Netanyahu has accused the Obama administration of colluding with the Palestinians when it abstained last month from voting on a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning settlements. On Tuesday, Netanyahu reiterated that claim, saying Israel had “solid information” that proved the U.S. was behind the drafting of the resolution.
Right after the passing of the UN anti-settlement Resolution 2334, leaked documents revealed that the resolution was was orchestrated by the Obama administration. As Obama packs up to leave the White House, he leaves behind a legacy of betraying Israel and rallying support for the Palestinian jihad. As the clock ticks on his presidency, let’s hope Obama’s propensity to lash out against Israel does not lead to still more rash actions. Remember that the virulently anti-Semitic former President Jimmy Carter called on Obama to unilaterally recognise Palestinian statehood before leaving office.
“Obama Warns Against Support for Israeli Settlements”, New York Times, January 10, 2017:| By
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Published on The Doomstead Diner January 22, 2017
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On New Year's Eve of 2016, the Carnegie Delicatessen in NY Shity closed it's doors for the final time. There will be no more Hot Pastrami sandwiches on Rye Bread served at the Carnegie anymore. 🙁
Back in 2012 when the Doomstead Diner first opened its doors, the Stage Delicatessen closed down. In 2004, the other main iconic Jewish Deli of NY Shity Ratner's on Delancey Street closed its doors. I frequented all these Jewish Delicatessens in my years living in NY Shity, and the Carnegie closing marks the last of the truly great ones I know of. OK, wait, Katz's is still open for bizness, but their Pastrami was not as good as Carnegie or Stage.
There were many other lesser known ones, in fact right by my old High School of Stuyvesant on the Lower East Side of Manhattan there was a small one I often had lunch at, which served up a GREAT Potato Knish for about 50 cents at the time if I recall. Their Pastrami wasn't near as good as the Pastrami you got at the Stage or the Carnegie though.
There were many other Jewish Delis sprinkled around NY Shity in those years as well, mainly in the various Jewish neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens. There were some good ones in Forest Hills as I recall, though I can't remember their names anymore. Usually they were just named after the founder of the Deli, like "Feynman's Delicatessen" or "Murray's Delicatessen" etc.
My TOP 10 favorite Jewish Foods from the era were: (more or less in order)
1- Hot Pastrami on Rye Bread
2- Matzoh Ball Soup
3- Bagel shmeared with Cream Cheese and Lox
4- Matzoh Meal Latkes (Pancakes)
5- Potato Knish
6- Chicken Liver Pate
7- Beef Tongue Sandwich on Rye
8- Kosher Hot Dog
9- Whole Smoked Whitefish Chubs
10- Potato Latkes (Pancakes)
Fortunately for me since I know how to cook quite well, I can reproduce most of these dishes fairly well to this day, but I don't do it because my appetite is so depressed and you have to make them in large quantities. To make a good Pastrami, you need to smoke up a full brisket of beef, and I couldn't eat that much meat in a month these days, by which time it goes bad unless frozen, and after freezing a lot of the flavor is lost. You really want to eat this stuff RIGHT after you finish cooking it, which is why Delis developed to begin with. While one person or even a small family can't finish a whole beef brisket in one meal (except for total PIGS!), if you have even just 20 or 30 people stop in your Deli for Lunch, you can easily go through a few briskets for the day. Dropping into a Deli for a Lunch of Matzoh Ball Soup and a Hot Pastrami on Rye was an EXTREME culinary pleasure, and at the time not all that expensive although more expensive than a Slice of Mushroom Pizza at the local Storefront Italian Pizzeria. There you could get a slice of freshly baked Pizza for around 25 cents and a Minestrone Soup for another 25 cents. In my neighborhood of Flushing, Queens, during my years there from age 10 to 16 there were 3 main groups of 1st or 2nd generation Immigrants, Italians, Jews and Irish. The Italians and the Jews served up the FOOD, the Irish ran all the BARS and served up the BOOZE. lol. In the later years the Chinese and various other Asian groups began arriving, and lots of Chinese Take Out restaraunts popped up.
Jewish Delis aren't the only restaraunts I frequented in NY Shity during my salad years there in the 70s and 80s now Outta Biz, even some top end Steakhouses like Smith & Wollensky are gone to the Great Beyond. They bit the dust in 2016. This is in NY Shity, home to Wall Street with some traders and executives still taking home outrageous salaries and big bonuses. Why can't a high end restaraunt like this make a go of it in that market?
Well, you gotta understand the restaurant biz to begin with here, it always depends on VOLUME. You need to keep all your tables filled all the time, and there also needs to be a quite large difference between the cost of the food you cook up and what you charge to the customers in order to meet all the overhead, which is quite large especially in NY Shity. The restaurant bizness is extremely labor intensive, and labor costs are high even if you pay all the workers Min Wage. You can't pay decent chefs Min Wage though, so the better the food, the higher the costs get driven up.
NY Shity commercial rents have shot through the ROOF in the last decade to begin with. Then the cost of the food ingredients also went up rapidly. Then, despite the fact there are a FEW Banksters making gobs of money, MOST of the population doesn't have all that much to spend on Lunch. So the efffect is the restaurant keeps raising it's prices in order to meet the overhead which drives away more of their regular customers then making it uneconomic to cook up a half dozen beef briskets each day to make Pastrami out of. Not selling enough Pastrami then, said Deli ends up going outta biz.
The same thing is true for a high end steakhouse like Smith & Wollensky, and really the only types of restaraunts currently surviving are either Fast Food (FF acronym, like the Fossil Fuels they are made from) which operate with low quality food served at high volume and low prices, or medium level chains like say Olive Garden which serve medium quality food at medium prices and ALSO have access to DEBT money to subsidize losing money operations. Small independents from either end of the spectrum are squashed out because they don't have access to the debt that allows a large chain to keep going even when it also is losing money.
It's a sorry state of affairs of course, and the fact that the typical Lunch menu for a worker has devolved from a nice juicy Hot Pastrami sandwich to a Big Mac is a very depressing state of affairs, although also a good symbol for the Collapse of Industrial Civilization.
Great Pastrami came at the PINNACLE of Industrial Civilization, probably around the mid 1960s to 1970s. There was certainly good pastrami around before that though, going back to the 1920s probably. The Good Pastrami also lasted until the early 2000s, when it started to disappear. Fabulous Pastrami at Great Jewish Delis had about an 80 year lifespan available to the average J6P around NY Shity, basically tracing the Age of Oil.
The Death of Great Pastrami came due to the economics of producing it and serving it up in Delis. At the beginning, the rents in NY Shity were cheap for a small deli operator, but over the years they rose into the stratosphere. While a few Wall Street Pigmen make gobs of money, except for a very few high end restaurants you can't base your bizness on them. There's just not enough of them who will buy a Hot Pastrami Sandwich for lunch on a daily basis.
As the rents skyrocketed, so did the cost of buying a Pastrami Sandwich at places like the Stage & Carnegie Delicatessens. Even when I left NY Shity back in the 90s, a lunch at one of those places was coming in around $10, maybe a bit more. This was no longer a meal for the average J6P. I don't know what the Final Price on the menu was for a Pastrami on Rye when the Carnegie Delicatessen closed its doors for the last time on Dec 31st, 2016, but I suspect it was in the $20 range.
With these kind of prices, where the average J6P in NYC goes for lunch is not to a Jewish Deli for Pastrami, but to Mickey D's for a Big Mac, Fries & a Coke, a meal which itself is coming in close to $10 these days! It also obviously lacks the terrific flavor and texture of well prepared Pastrami, and all the workers in that FF joint are being paid minimum wage. The whole category of a well paid chef is ELIMINATED! In fact, the push is on to eliminate even the low paid cooks who dutifully drop the frozen french fries into the deep fryer with robots that can do the job more reliably 24/7 with no coffee breaks!
Nobody seems to know where the folks who BUY Lunch from the Robots will get the money to do this though, as they are automated out of a job. There are suggestions out there of a guaranteed "Universal Basic Income", sort of Welfare on Steroids, but nobody knows how to implement such a thing without it destroying incentive to work at all or without creating an endless cycle of price inflation. The folks who have the monopoly over Money Creation are also unlikely to just give the money away to anybody except other members of their own club as they currently do all the time, so a Universal Basic Income seems an unlikely outcome here. Whatever that nominal amount of money is, it most certainly would not buy a nice thick and juicy Pastrami on Rye sandwich, and probably not even a Big Mac, Fries and a Coke! Maybe the money will buy some thin gruel poured over a slice of Wonder Bread?
I will leave you for this episode of Dayz of Our Kollapse Lives with a song parody. Sing to the Tune of "American Pie" by Don Maclean.
A long, long time ago
I can still remember how that music used to make me smile
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And maybe they'd be happy for a while
But February made me shiver
With every paper I'd deliver
Bad news on the doorstep
I couldn't take one more step
I can't remember if I cried
When I read the Carnegie Deli died
But something touched me deep inside
The day the Pastrami Died
So bye, bye Pastrami on Rye
Drove my Chevy to the Deli but the Deli was Fried
And them good ole boys were eating a Big Mac & Fries
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
Did you write the book of love
And do you have faith in God above
If the Bible tells you so?
Now do you believe in latkes and gefilte fish?
Can Bagels save your mortal soul?
And can you teach me how to eat real slow?
Well, I know that you're in love with Bagels
Cause I saw you eating them at the tables
You shmeared on the creame cheese and lox
and danced on the table in just your socks
I was a lonely teenage broncin' buck
With a pink carnation and a pickup truck
But I knew I was out of luck
The day the Pastrami Died
[Chorus:]
I started singing, bye, bye Pastrami on Rye
Drove my Chevy to the Deli but the Deli was Fried
And them good ole boys were eating a Big Mac & Fries
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
Now for 5 years we've been watching doom
Diners observing all the oncoming gloom
But that's not how it used to be
Until JFK rode in the limousine
Next to Jackie the pill cap Queen
Promising the death of the Land of the Free
Oh, and while JFK was looking down
LBJ stole his thorny crown
Vietnam was escalated
While bigger lies were being created
And while Liddy hit the Watergate
Nixon pitched the gold out of the gate
And we sang dirges for our fate
The day the money died
[Chorus:]
We were singing, bye, bye Pastrami on Rye
Drove my Chevy to the Deli but the Deli was Fried
And them good ole boys were eating a Big Mac & Fries
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
[Verse 3]
Helter skelter in a summer swelter
The birds flew off to a Doomer Shelter
Eight miles high and falling fast
It landed foul on the grass
The Diners tried for a forward pass
With RE on the sidelines in a cast
Now the halftime air was sweet perfume
While the Diners played a marching tune
We all got up to dance
Oh, but we never got the chance
Cause the Diners tried to take the field
The Illuminati refused to yield
Do you recall what was revealed
The day the Pastrami Died?
[Chorus:]
We started singing, bye, bye Pastrami on Rye
Drove my Chevy to the Deli but the Deli was Fried
And them good ole boys were eating a Big Mac & Fries
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
[Verse 4]
Oh, and there we were all in the Diner
Eating Doom meals that couldn't be finer
With no time left to start again
So come on, Jack be nimble, Jack be quick
Jack Flash sat on a candlestick
Cause fire is the devil's only friend
Oh, and as I watched him on the stage
My hands were clenched in fists of rage
No angel born in Hell
Could break that RE spell
And as the flames climbed high into the night
To light the sacrificial rite
I saw RE laughing with delight
The day the Pastrami Died
[Chorus:]
He started singing, bye, bye Pastrami on Rye
Drove my Chevy to the Deli but the Deli was Fried
And them good ole boys were eating a Big Mac & Fries
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
[Outro]
I met a Troll who made page views
And he pitched out all his happy news
But it was bullshit and he was sent away
I went down to the convenience store
Where I bought my gas for years before
But the clerk told me there was no gas left today
And in the streets, the Zombies screamed
The Doomers cried and the Cornucopians dreamed
But not a word was spoken
The internet was all broken
And the three men I admire most
The Father, Son and the Holy Ghost
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the Pastrami Died
[Chorus:]
And they were singing, bye, bye Pastrami on Rye
Drove my Chevy to the Deli but the Deli was Fried
And them good ole boys were eating a Big Mac & Fries
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
[Chorus:]
They were singing, bye, bye Pastrami on Rye
Drove my Chevy to the Deli but the Deli was Fried
And them good ole boys were eating a Big Mac & Fries
And singin' this'll be the day that I dieARKDaily Broadcast Issue #12
Update 1 12:20pm CST: Update from the official ARK Twitter, there will be two dino dossier releasing today, they said they’ll be releasing two per day until launch! We’ll be here waiting to keep you all up to date.
Good afternoon ARKaholics! Today marks the fourth day of alpha testing for ARK: Survival Evolved and we have some more news to keep you up to date with the alpha. You might notice players actually playing ARK on Steam now as the team at ARK will be opening the doors to the first 50-100 people who were already invited to the closed alpha. It will remain under NDA so do not expect streaming or anything of the likes. They will continue to bring on a small amount of testers so there still remains hope yet again. On June 1st at 11:00am EST they will be sending out around 500 more keys to stress test the ARK servers.
Today there will also be a dino dosser drop which the team does everyone Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Be sure to keep an eye out as they tend to drop at random times, but we’ll be around waiting for it!
If you missed out on the news from yesterday no worries! Yesterday there was nothing officially released by the team at ARK, so we focused on our week-in-review which we did our very first podcast of via YouTube. In the future, this will be on Twitch with an audience where we will answer questions and so on, but we are always looking for more feedback.
This week ARKaholic will be seeking out new additions to the team to help around, so if you are interested in helping out, we’ll be working on adding a volunteer section to our forums where you can submit an application showing your interest and what you’d like to help out with. More information will be available within that forum later in the day, so keep an eye for that if you’re interested.
Lastly, we have our sponsor giveaway running from our forums so if you want to try your luck at winning a free copy of ARK: Survival Evolved and a ARK: Survival Evolved server for life provided by FastPointGaming be sure to check that out! Good luck to all of those that have entered and that plan on entering.You can help save a dog's life by registering your pet as a potential blood donor today!
Every day dogs just like yours need blood transfusions. For many procedures a transfusion is a clinical necessity, without dog blood donors, veterinary surgeons could not undertake important and often life-saving operations.
You can help, there’s always a need for donors like your own dog!
With advances in veterinary medicine, it is possible for vets to offer higher and higher standards of care for their patients. In human medicine, supplies of blood and blood products are available through the efforts of the National Blood Transfusion Service.
Vets however must rely on their own resources. That's why our website was created. By becoming an animal blood donor, your dog can help vets help other pets through provision of life-saving blood transfusions.
This website which is free to owners and vets aims to bring dog blood donors to the attention of vets, so that lives can be saved. Please consider registering your dog as a donor and making him or her available if you are contacted, the requirements are strict so not all dogs can donate.
Remember, dogs can be heroes too!Donald Trump, caught up in an ugly mess of his own making, tried to divert attention away from his own controversy on women’s issues with a related argument : Jeb Bush is the one who really has a problem with women.
It was, of course, a self-serving argument – but that doesn’t mean it was wrong.
On Friday night, Trump touched off a firestorm of controversy, saying in reference to Fox News’ Megyn Kelly, “There was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever.” It prompted RedState’s Erick Erick |
ago -- and it's ignoring a recent international tribunal ruling against its territorial claims, further stirring regional tensions.
“The South China Sea dispute is indeed a serious security issue of global significance because it has the potential to lead the world into war,” said Linda Lim, a professor of strategy at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and a China and Southeast Asia expert.
Headlines about military activities in the region appear frequently. Just this month, Vietnam moved rocket launchers within striking distance of China’s military positions. Recent photographs show new aircraft hangerson China’s islands that are believed to be for fighter aircraft.
Businesses, so far, have been sanguine about these developments, “because they don’t think it will happen (armed conflict), because the consequences would be so dire for all all sides,” said Lim. “With respect to the electronics supply chain, it binds the various Asian nations and the U.S. together. So [it] actually acts as a constraint on the security situation by making it less likely that potential antagonists will engage in conflict with each other because all will lose."
Ravi Ramamurti, a professor and director of the Center for Emerging Markets at Northeastern University, said if there were a U.S. military confrontation, “the shipment of goods out of Asian factories could be suspended indefinitely, which would be particularly catastrophic for companies that sole-source out of Asia.”
The risk of disruption may be more of a Black Swan -- a low-probability, high-impact event for which there is no reasonable way to prepare. Shifting manufacturing to another part of the globe, or even “reshoring” it to the U.S., would be a multi-year, expensive undertaking.
Electronics makers could begin to build plants outside of Asia, in Mexico and Eastern Europe, said IDC’s Palma. Some argue that automation and robotics could help return electronics manufacturing to the U.S. But China is shifting to robotics as well.
Businesses are watching the territorial dispute, but not yet reacting. "I don't think it's a major concern at this point -- people recognize that [they] need to keep an eye on it, but no dramatic changes in strategy," said Sean Monahan, a partner with consulting firm A.T. Kearney in the Operations and Performance Transformation Practice.
But if something were to happen -- a miscalculation, a mistake by a sea captain, a rocket launch -- the consequences could be severe.
It is estimated that $5.3 trillion in trade passes through the South China Sea, with the U.S. accounting for more than a trillion of it, said Srini Sitaraman, associate professor in Clark University’s political science department.
“The economic repercussions of a large-scale naval conflict in the region are not only worrisome because of its escalatory impact, but the economic consequences could be severe and could potentially halt our way of life as it works right now,” said Sitaraman.
“If something escalated in the South China Sea, a lot of companies are at significant risk," said Gary LaPoint, professor of supply chain practice at Whitman School of Management, Syracuse University. "But so is China, because China gets a lot their business from us."If you missed our lively and sometimes heated Aug. 14 Civil Cafe on homelessness, watch the entire discussion as it was broadcast on Olelo Community Media.
The panel included Colin Kippen, Hawaii homelessness coordinator; Jun Yang, Honolulu housing executive director; Jerry Coffee, Institute for Human Services clinical director; and Jason Espero, director of Care-A-Van for Waikiki Health Center.
Reporter Chad Blair led the discussion for the first hour, while community manager Gene Park moderated the Q&A portion during the second hour. To skip right ahead to the Q&A session, click here.
The event was also a fundraiser for Hale Kipa Inc., a nonprofit servicing homeless and at-risk youth. Hale Kipa raised more than $300 from in-person donations at the event, and some Civil Beat readers also contributed online. If you still would like to give to Hale Kipa, visit here.
Read reporter Nathan Eagle’s recap of the discussion here.American journalists Jeremy Scahill, right, and Glenn Greenwald wait for the beginning of a panel following the screening of the "Dirty Wars" documentary at the Rio Film Festival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2013. Greenwald, who has thousands of leaked National Security Archive documents, participated in a panel with Scahill following the screening of the documentary "Dirty Wars" based on his book by the same name about covert operations. AP/Silvia Izquierdo The Intercept, a news outlet devoted to reporting on the documents leaked by NSA contractor Edward Snowden, has now launched with a story about the NSA's role in targeted killing programs.
The site began as a project by Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras, who both received tens of thousands of documents from Snowden, and "Dirty Wars" author Jeremy Scahill, with the backing of Ebay founder Pierre Omidyar as publisher of First Look Media.
The staff includes senior editor Liliana Segura and senior writers including Peter Maass and Dan Froomkin along with reporters including Ryan Gallagher, Ryan Devereaux, and Murtaza Hussain.
(Here's a list of The Intercept staff's Twitter handles.)
The Intercept's stated long-term mission is "to produce fearless, adversarial journalism across a wide range of issues," and adds: "The editorial independence of our journalists will be guaranteed."
The new story, written by Scahill and Greenwald, details an NSA program codenamed GILGAMESH that provides geolocation data to U.S. Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) to target drone strikes and capture/kill raids.
The report quotes a former Air Force drone operator named Brandon Bryant:
"JSOC acknowledges that it would be completely helpless without the NSA conducting mass surveillance on an industrial level," the former drone operator says. "That is what creates those baseball cards you hear about," featuring potential targets for drone strikes or raids.
Drawing on documents from Snowden, Scahill and Greenwald also detail a previously undisclosed CIA surveillance program.
The tone of the first post, imbued with information from NSA documents, is hard-hitting and certainly adversarial to the U.S. government:
"Whether or not Obama is fully aware of the errors built into the program of targeted assassination, he and his top advisors have repeatedly made clear that the president himself directly oversees the drone operation and takes full responsibility for it."
The NSA declined to respond to questions for the article and a spokesperson for the National Security Council refused to discuss "the type of operational detail that, in our view, should not be published."A fraudster serving 10 years in prison has alleged that two former attorney generals accepted thousands of dollars worth of free meals, hotel stays and other expenses from him after putting him behind bars.
Businessman Marc Jenson, who is serving time for swindling millions of dollars from investors, claims he has receipts proving that former Utah Attorney Gen. Mark Shurtleff and his successor, John Swallow, accepted expenses on his behalf.
“I’m telling you right now: they were extorting me, and they were from the very beginning,” Jenson told the Salt Lake Tribune in an interview from prison. The former businessman was charged with six felonies and was imprisoned after failing to pay $4 million in restitution.
Jenson claims that Shurtleff and Swallow pressured him to provide them with costly vacations, meals and other expenses. The current and former attorney generals allegedly promised to help the businessman with his legal troubles in exchange for lavish gifts.
The requests allegedly began after Jenson was convicted in 2009, but before he was imprisoned for failing to provide the restitution.
Shurtleff and Swallow vacationed at Pelican Hill, an upscale southern California resort where Jenson had his own villa, on multiple occasions. The fraudster says his receipts show both men signing for thousands of dollars worth of food, massages, golf outings, and supplies at the Newport Beach resort.
Jenson also claims that Shurtleff forced him to spend $250,000 on a phantom book deal and make consulting payments to a friend of his. Swallow allegedly also demanded a share an upscale $3.5 billion resort that Jenson had planned to establish in Beaver County, Pa.
Jenson said he was “scared to death” of the former attorney general and his successor. He says the men told him that if he had donated to Shurtleff’s campaign, they would never have prosecuted him in the first place.
But in response to these allegations, which Jenson relayed to the FBI, they denied having ever accepting expenses from the fraudster and claim he is acting out of revenge.
"I was responsible for the investigation, conviction and sentencing of Jenson," Shurtleff told the Tribune. " … He has sworn revenge. I suggest you consider carefully whether to believe a desperate, convicted fraudster."
Tim Lawson, a close friend of Shurtleff, allegedly also accepted money and ‘gifts’ from Jenson, including a down payment for a piano and $10,000 in cash. But Lawson claims that nothing the fraudster says is true.
"Jenson is in prison because he is a pathological liar," Lawson said, "because he lied to the people he stole money from."
But if the allegations are proven to the true, the news will strike another blow against Swallow, who was last week accused by the head of the state’s Consumer Protection Agency of engaging in inappropriate communications with someone the office planned to file charges against.Photo: DEA
On November 7, 2013, about a month after the arrest of Ross Ulbricht for running the notorious darknet marketplace Silk Road, I received an email from Carl Mark Force IV, a federal agent who had worked on the case.
He wanted to become a partner in my company, an online retailer for precious metals that accepts digital currency. He sent his resume and told me not to be turned off by the whole Drug Enforcement Administration thing. "My civil service days are numbered," he wrote.
I didn't know it then, but he was right.
At the end of October, Force had ordered some gold on my website, GoldSilverBitcoin, which I had shipped to him via registered and insured mail, meaning he'd have to provide an ID to the post office to receive the shipment, thus confirming his identity.
At this point, the name "Carl Mark Force IV" was generally unknown to the world, so I Googled it and found a since-deleted Twitter account under his name. He was tweeting to others on the social media platform about his role in the Silk Road investigation and pitching a book idea on his role in the investigation to people he thought would be a good co-author.
Force suggested he could be my company's compliance officer
Force suggested he could be my company's compliance officer, ensuring that we followed all the strict regulations that apply to businesses that transfer money. He told me he had grown passionate about digital currency and that he had accumulated millions of dollars in Bitcoin after having bought it while it was cheap.
"I am looking to separate [from] DEA and the sooner the better, but the one great thing is that I have a lot of contacts and can get things done that others couldn't," he wrote. "Hope to hear from you!"
An excerpt of the resume Force sent.
If anything, I was predisposed to trust this individual more because of his work history. His story, that he was a lucky Bitcoin investor who happened to work for the federal law enforcement, would make him a valuable asset. Still, in the recesses of my mind, something didn't make sense—and I wasn't looking for investment anyway. I never replied. But he was determined, so he emailed me again a couple of weeks later:
Justin,
As I advised, I am actively looking for a partner in the Bitcoin arena to exploit the tremendous profit potential before Bitcoin becomes mainstream.
I am not an IT guy, I am assuming that you are and designed and implemented the goldsilverbitcoin website.
I propose that I take over the AML/Compliance section of your business and prepare Financial Statements and the General Ledger.
The major thing with compliance is going to be handling subpoenas if goldsilverbitcoin is served. I can easily take care of that, since that is what I do now, but on the other side of it.
I hope this does not come across too aggressive. I just identified you as an individual that I would like to work with... it was your prompt answers to my questions.
Sincerely,
Carl "Mark" Force
His reference to my "prompt answers" alludes to my passable customer service.
That he was sending me these emails while he was working for the federal government and telling me how he was going to leave the agency to pursue Bitcoin investments just seemed off. He was also in Baltimore and I was in California, which made working together impractical. Again, I did not reply.
Six months later he wrote again:
Carl Force here … I did some business with you awhile back. I was wondering if you were looking for a partner. As I remember, we talked about it briefly. If so please give me a call at ***-***-****
That was the last I heard of him—until I clicked on a link from the New York Times in March and realized just what kind of bullet I had dodged:
On Monday, the government charged that in the shadows of an undercover investigation of Silk Road, a notorious black-market site, two federal agents sought to enrich themselves by exploiting the very secrecy that made the site so difficult for law enforcement officials to penetrate.
The agents, Carl Mark Force IV, who worked for the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Shaun W. Bridges, who worked for the Secret Service, had resigned amid growing scrutiny, and on Monday they were charged with money laundering and wire fraud. Mr. Force was also charged with theft of government property and conflict of interest.
About 18 months after he initially contacted me, Force was charged with money laundering, wire fraud, theft of government property, and conflict of interest due to his actions while working on the Silk Road case. He pled guilty and was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison.
In retrospect, I can only assume that by contacting me Force was attempting to hide bitcoins he had stolen from the Silk Road's proprietor Dread Pirate Roberts.
At his trial, Force showed remorse for his actions. "I would just like to publicly apologize to the American people, to the US government, to my friends and family. I'm sorry. I lost it. I don't understand a lot of it," he said. His lawyer brought up his alcoholism, mental health issues, job stresses, and the death of his father in April 2013. The judge, however, was unsympathetic, saying "The extent and scope of Mr. Force's betrayal of the public trust is quite breath-taking."
An excerpt from Force's resume.
I spoke to Force's lawyer, Ivan Bates. When I told him that Force had contacted me to solicit investment and spent bitcoins at my website, he seems unsurprised.
"What's happened to Carl is done," Bates said. "He's going to pay his debt to society and work to rebuild his life with his family."
In Bate's mind, the results of the case are not all bad for Force. The court recommended that Force receive treatment for his mental health issues while incarcerated, though it's not clear whether he is receiving that treatment.
One thing is for sure, I'm lucky I didn't answer that email.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Patrick Mannelly has played a franchise-record 16 seasons with the Bears.</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> Mannelly, who underwent hip surgery in January, will fly Tuesday night to San Diego, where he will continue his rehab work at EXOS with the facility's founder and president, Mark Verstegen, a highly-regarded and innovative athletic trainer.
Mannelly said that he's three months into a four-to-six month rehab and is heading to EXOS because he wants to give himself the best chance to continue his playing career.
"It's something where I would feel bad if I didn't give it everything I had and just [slacked off] through the offseason," Mannelly said. "And I'm not going to do that because I truly want to put myself in a position where I get sore and hurt every day and see how much I enjoy it and see how I bounce back the next morning."
Mannelly has played more seasons (16) and games (245) than any individual in Bears history. He said he likely will re-sign with the only NFL team he's played for or retire.
"It would be tough to put on another helmet for another team," said Mannelly, who was selected by the Bears in the sixth round of the 1998 draft out of Duke.
Mannelly, an unrestricted free agent who will turn 39 later this month, revealed that he has had discussions about his future with Bears general manager Phil Emery, saying: "I think Phil and I have a good relationship. We've been talking and we'll see how things work as we go along."
Mannelly is not upset that the Bears on Monday signed long-snapper Chad Rempel, who spent the past 10 seasons in the Canadian Football League.
"It's a smart move," Mannelly said. "I think Phil Emery should do that. I'll be 39 this year and don't know if I'll be back. They need to take care of their roster."
Asked if he has created a deadline to determine whether he can continue playing, Mannelly said: "We really haven't set anything in stone. I have some dates in my mind that I've set where I want to reach certain plateaus and goals to get ready for the season, so we'll see.
"You always want to be better. There are still days I wake up and [feel], 'I'm sore and this hurts,' and then some days I wake up and it feels great. That's part of the timing of this injury, so we'll see."
Mannelly hopes to return to the Bears in 2014 in part because the team boasts an explosive offense along with a defense that has been revamped in free agency after struggling last season.Boston based wireless industry research firm Strategy Analytics is predicting that Samsung may have passed both Nokia and Apple in smaartphone sales this past quarter. Although Samsung’s Q2 results aren’t in Stategy Analytics predicts that Samsung has sold between 18 million and 21 million smartphones. Even on the smaller side (18 million) that still puts Samsung ahead of Nokia. If the numbers fall on the higher side that will uproot the beloved iPhone as well.
“Apple, Samsung and Nokia are in a close three-way battle,” said Neil Mawston of Strategy Analytics in an email to Bloomberg’s Jun Yang. “Samsung’s Android portfolio is selling strongly in most regions. Samsung and Apple will be at similar levels in smartphones by the end of the year.”
Mawston went on to suggest that with their entire portfolio of wireless phones Samsung may see 20 percent of the entire market share. Nokia is still the top producer of wireless phones in the world with 26% of the market share, Samsung is it’s closest rival, all phones considered.
source: BloombergA day after picking up its high-profile drama pilot The Gifted, Fox has given series orders to its two hottest comedy pilots, Ghosted and LA to Vegas (fka LA -> Vegas).
The big question on the comedy side at Fox is whether the network would pick up more than the two series ordered this morning. If it opts for a third, it will likely be Linda From HR or Type A, with Linda From HR reportedly having the edge.
Fox
While paranormal comedy Ghosted glided through development and production with an early head start by having stars Craig Robinson and Adam Scott attached to the pitch, which landed at Fox with a big production commitment, it was a somewhat bumpy flight for LA->Vegas. The low-key script got a major boost when Steve Levitan came on board to direct and Dylan McDermott was cast in the pilot. But the project then struggled to cast the lead until locking in Ed Weeks at the last minute after his series The Mindy Project set an end date. It has been a smooth sailing after that, with drama veteran McDermott surprising many with solid comedy chops at the table read and the pilot screening and testing well.
Related2017 Fox Pilots
Written by Tom Gormican (That Awkward Moment), Ghosted centers on a cynical skeptic (Robinson), and a genius “true believer” in the paranormal (Scott), who are recruited by The Bureau Underground to look into the rampant “unexplained” activity in Los Angeles – all while uncovering a larger mystery that could threaten the existence of the human race. Ally Walker and Adeel Akhtar co-star. Gormican executive produces with Robinson, Scott, Naomi Scott and 3 Arts’ Mark Schulman and Oly Obst. 20th Century Fox TV is the studio, producing with 3 Arts Entertainment and Gettin’ Rad Productions. Kevin Etten (Workaholics) is showrunner/executive producer. Jonathan Krisel directed the pilot and executive produces.
The timing of Ghosted is good since the project, described as a comedic X-Files, will air next season alongside the second installment of Fox’s recently rebooted signature sci-fi drama.
Fox
Written by Lon Zimmet, the single-camera LA to Vegas is an ensemble workplace comedy about an airline crew and the eccentric passengers who, every weekend, take the roundtrip flight from Burbank to Las Vegas with one goal in mind: to come back a winner. Kim Matula, Nathan Lee Graham, Olivia Macklin and Peter Stormare also star.
Zimmet, Levitan, Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Chris Henchy and Owen Burke executive produce for 20th TV and Gary Sanchez Prods.
RelatedNetwork Series Renewal ScorecardA major restaurant chain said Tuesday that its complaints about President Obama's healthcare law have been bad for business.
Darden Restaurants, which owns Olive Garden and Red Lobster, had previously announced plans to cut its workers' hours so that it wouldn't have to provide health insurance under the law's employer mandate.
Darden is one of several large employers to consider rolling back workers' hours in response to the Affordable Care Act. But the company said Tuesday that negative publicity surrounding that position might be bad for business.
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The company on Tuesday lowered its earnings estimates for fiscal 2013, and said in a statement that the weaker projections owe in part to concerns over a backlash to its healthcare stance.
"Our outlook for the year also reflects the potential impact, though difficult to measure, of recent negative media coverage that focused on Darden within the full-service segment and how we might accommodate healthcare reform," Darden CEO Clarence Otis said in a statement.
The company said it would figure out how to make the new healthcare requirements work.
After saying Darden's brands are working to improve their products and marketing, Otis added that "we are also committed to accommodating healthcare reform in ways that work for our employees and guests."
Several restaurant chains and other businesses with large numbers of part-time workers have said they plan to either roll back hours or raise prices to offset additional healthcare costs.
One such firm — Papa John's Pizza — suffered a hit in its brand favorability following its comments about the health law, according to a recent consumer study.
The research firm YouGov found that customers' impression of Papa John's and Applebee's fell in the weeks after Election Day, when both companies indicated plans to cut workers' hours or raise costs because of healthcare reform.
That analysis, however, only captured adults who had eaten in a casual restaurant within the past month. A Papa John's spokesperson told the Huffington Post that the company's standing remained high in YouGov surveys with a broader sample.Berkeley, California - Fiscal profligacy did not cause the sovereign-debt crisis engulfing Europe, and fiscal austerity will not solve it. On the contrary, such austerity has aggravated the crisis and now threatens to bring down the euro and throw the global economy into another tailspin.
In 2007, Spain and Ireland were models of fiscal rectitude, with far lower debt-to-GDP ratios than Germany had. Investors were not worried about default risk on Spanish or Irish sovereign debt, or about Italy's chronically large sovereign debt. Indeed, Italy boasted the lowest deficit-to-GDP ratio in the eurozone, and the Italian government had no problem refinancing at attractive interest rates. Even Greece, despite its rapidly eroding competitiveness and increasingly unsustainable fiscal path, could attract the capital that it needed.
Deluded by the convergence of bond yields that followed the euro's launch, investors fed a decade-long private-sector credit boom in Europe's less-developed periphery countries, and failed to recognise real-estate bubbles in Spain and Ireland, and Greece's slide into insolvency. When growth slowed sharply and credit flows collapsed in the wake of the Great Recession, budget revenues plummeted, governments were forced to socialise private-sector liabilities, and fiscal deficits and debt soared.
With the exception of Greece, the deterioration in public finances was a symptom of the crisis, not its cause. Moreover, the deterioration was predictable: history shows that the real stock of government debt explodes in the wake of recessions caused by financial crises.
Overlooking the evidence, European leaders, spearheaded by Germany, misdiagnosed the problem as one of fiscal profligacy - for which painful austerity is the only cure. From this view, significant and rapid reductions in government deficits and debt are a precondition to restoring government credibility and investor confidence, stemming contagion, bringing down interest rates, and reviving economic growth.
There is also a moral-hazard aspect to the austerity argument: easing repayment terms for spendthrift governments will only encourage reckless behaviour in the future - forgiving past sins perpetuates sinning. Moreover, virtuous creditors should not bail out irresponsible borrowers, be they private or public. From this perspective, austerity is the necessary and just penance for reprobates such as Greece, Spain, and Italy.
But austerity is not working; indeed, it is counterproductive. In the short to medium run, fiscal consolidation - whether in the form of cutting government spending or increasing revenues - results in lower output and employment, which means lower tax collection, higher deficits, and escalating debt relative to GDP. Savvy investors, like frustrated voters, recognise that low growth and high unemployment actually enlarge deficits and add to debt in the short run. That is why, after more than two years, interest rates are rising, not falling, in countries crushed by onerous austerity measures.
In fact, there is no simple relationship between the size of a government's deficit or debt and the interest rate that it must pay. British government bonds now offer significantly lower interest rates than those of France, Italy, or Spain, even though the United Kingdom's fiscal position is considerably worse.
Greece is caught in a classic debt trap, as the interest rate on its public debt has soared beyond its growth rate by a considerable margin; Spain is teetering on the brink. Austerity in Europe has confirmed the International Monetary Fund's warning that overdoing fiscal consolidation weakens economic activity, undermines market confidence, and diminishes popular support for adjustment.
In the long run, many eurozone countries, including Germany, require fiscal consolidation in order to stabilise and reduce their debt-to-GDP ratios. But the process should be gradual and back-loaded - with much of the consolidation coming after Europe's economies have returned to a sustainable growth path.
Structural reforms are also necessary in most European economies to bolster competitiveness and boost potential growth. But such reforms take time: German Chancellor Angela Merkel appears to have forgotten that it took more than a decade and roughly €2tn ($2.5tn) in subsidies for structural reforms to make the former East Germany competitive with the rest of the country.
Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti and French President François Hollande are right: Europe needs bold, coordinated policies to promote growth, along with market-based structural reforms to foster competition and an easing of fiscal targets until output and employment recover.
But how can significant new growth initiatives be financed? The reality is that the rest of Europe cannot succeed in restoring growth without Germany, and Germany remains wedded to the austerity cure.
With a modest fiscal deficit, record-low borrowing costs, and a huge current-account surplus, Germany has the financial firepower to unleash a significant stimulus. But Germany sees no need to stimulate its own economy, and is willing to consider only modest eurozone measures, such as additional capital for the European Investment Bank, a small pilot program for European Union "project bonds" for infrastructure investment, and more rapid deployment of unspent EU structural funds. Germany refuses even to allow spending on high-priority infrastructure projects to be exempted from the unrealistic deficit targets set by the EU's new "fiscal compact".
Despite pleas from the IMF and the OECD, Germany also remains implacably opposed to Eurobonds, which could ease the funding constraints of other eurozone members and bolster the resources of the European Stability Mechanism, which currently does not provide a credible firewall against a run on Spanish or Italian sovereign debt - or on the European banks that hold it. Indeed, the worsening banking crisis, with deposits fleeing from the eurozone periphery, is further strangling Europe's growth prospects.
It is probably too late to save Greece. But a shift towards policies to promote growth, supported by the easing of deficit targets and the issuance of Eurobonds, is essential to bring Europe back from the brink of sustained recession, to stabilise Europe's financial markets, and to prevent another significant disruption to global capital markets.
Laura Tyson, a former chair of the US President's Council of Economic Advisers, is a professor at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.
A version of this article was first published on Project Syndicate.A man has been arrested after he punched an elderly man in the face for asking him to stop swearing inside an Applebee's restaurant in Florida.
Mikie Dominic Sawyer, 26, was saying a string of expletives at the bar in the Dunlawton Avenue Applebee's in Port Orange when 80-year-old Harry Sander approached him and asked him to stop.
According to police, Sander politely asked Sawyer to stop using the 'F' word and to stop talking so loudly about body parts.
Punch: Mikie Dominic Sawyer, 26, punched an 80-year-old man in the face and pushed him to the ground
Gun range: In this shot posted to Facebook, Sawyer appears to be at a gun range firing a gun at a target
Guns: Sawyer has several pictures of guns on his Facebook page
Interests: Sawyer also posted this picture of a gun which apperas to be a rifle on his Facebook page
But Sawyer told Sanders he didn't have to stop cursing if he didn't want to before punching Sanders in the face and pushing him to the ground, according to WKMG.
Police said an eyewitness backed up Sanders story and told police that he also heard Sawyer cursing loudly.
The witness said that after Sander asked Sawyer to stop, Sawyer told him, 'I don't care where you are from, whether it be Russian or Dutch, take your (expletive) to the other side of the bar,' before punching him.
Police said several other eyewitnesses described the incident similarly.
However, one man said he thought Sanders may have also pushed Sawyer.
Sawyer left the restaurant before police arrived, but was later pulled over after police got a description of his vehicle.
Sawyer told police that Sander had been the one who actually punched him.
But a police report showed that while Sawyer had no bruising to his face, he did have discoloration and bruising to his knuckles and fingers.
Police arrested Sawyer and he was charged with battery on a person over 65 years of age and disorderly conduct.
Sawyer was taken to the Volusia County Branch Jail, where he is being held on a $2,500 bond.
Having a drink: Sawyer can be seen in this image enjoying a drink on a day out
Meanwhile, on his Facebook page Sawyer has several pictures of guns.
In one image, he appears to be at a gun range firing a gun.
He also has pictures of himself hanging out on motorbikes, clutching several drinks outdoors and at home.
In another picture he can be seen sitting on a sofa with an unidentified woman.
He also has an I.D card showing that he is an independent contractor at Lowe's.
Hobbies: Sawyer appears to leaning on a bike in this photo which was posted on his Facebook page
I.D. card: The 26-year-old also has an I.D. card showing that he is an independent contractor at Lowe'sThere’s a certain kind of movie we’re used to seeing about landmark moments in our American struggle. Some of them are TV movies and some are not, but they all have the feel of one – big speeches, declarative conflicts, easy emotion, buttons pushed. But Jeff Nichols (Mud, Take Shelter) is not that kind of filmmaker, and Loving is not that kind of film. It’s based on a true story, the 1967 Supreme Court Loving v Virginia decision that lifted the prohibition of interracial marriage. It was a story about two people who literally changed our nation, but Nichols doesn’t approach them like that. He looks at them as two people who were in love, and wanted to live their lives together, and didn’t understand why it had to be such a big deal.
Nichols knows that they key to his film is to just tell their story, simply and directly, and let the other stuff take care of itself. He’s from the South, and approaches his films with a keen ear for the rhythms of country living. He takes his time in the opening scenes, even in the opening shot, of Mildred (Ruth Negga) telling Richard (Joel Edgerton) that she’s pregnant. That baby, who instigates their marriage but is not its sole sustenance, doesn’t arrive until nearly the one-hour mark. Nichols spends much of that first hour letting us settle into this region, and meet the people who populate it – specifically the Lovings, so we can understand who they are, and what they are together.
He knows, for example, that for non-confrontational types like these, it wouldn’t be a question of how people talk to them – it’s how they look at them. And how they look back; one of the most astute touches is how his actors don’t make eye contact with people in authority, lest they poke the bear. The Lovings weren’t agitators or activists, and they weren’t looking to start a fight. Nichols’s style is so modest, you might miss how vividly he captures the seductiveness, for those who fall sway to it, of racism – the way their sheriff sneers “It’s God’s law,” and is, in that moment, intoxicated by his presumption of superiority. (As the past few months had made clear, that is not an addiction confined to that era.)
Which is not to say that Loving is muted; it’s just that there is much to understand in what the two people, and especially Richard, choose to say and not say. As played by the beautifully understated Edgerton, Richard is a very specific type of rural man: one who works with his hands and who doesn’t talk all that much about what he’s feeling, but whose taciturn grunts can say more than reams of dialogue. There are scenes here where his face tells his entire story: the pleasure of quietly drawing up the plans to their house late into the night, his jolt of determination when he decides to get them a lawyer which gives way to the realization that he has no idea how to do that.
As their fight becomes more and more of a public one, Richard retreats and withdraws into himself, which nicely compliments the powerful character arc Nichols writes for Mildred, brought to disarming life by the extraordinary Negga. She’s initially inclined to accept whatever judgments are passed on them, but ultimately cannot abide being forced to live away from her family. There’s a bravura moment, when the phone call comes from the ACLU, when she realizes for the first time in her life that power is in her grasp, discovers the strength of that realization, and seizes it. After that moment, she begins to push back, with small acts, and then with easy dedication and resilience; this is a story about her finding her fight.
There’s a lovely pause in the second half, when the couple are visited by Grey Villett, a photographer from LIFE magazine played by a low-key Michael Shannon, who has appeared in every Nichols film to date. It’s telling that he pops up in that relatively brief role, but underlines the importance Nichols finds in that event – not just that the photos of the pair became such a part of their (and thus, the civil rights movement’s) iconography, but because they have such a warm, offhand intimacy that clearly informed his own approach to their story.
You see, Loving is a movie that’s quiet and lived-in, and because Nichols exhibits the patience he does throughout, the cumulative power of the final events is all the more overwhelming. And at the end, as their case is made in front of the Court, Nichols illustrates that argument with the images of a family sitting down at the dinner table. Something about that juxtaposition is overpowering, in a way that the most soaring oratory can’t approach. What a remarkable film this is.
Loving is out today in limited release.CLOSE Lt. Gen. Lawrence Snowden, USMC (retired), served in the battle of Iwo Jima. Fifty years later he started organizing Joint Reunions of Honor to recognize the sacrifices of soldiers on both sides of the battle. Hali Tauxe/Democrat
A memorial service has been set for Lt. General Lawrence Snowden who recently died at age 95. (Photo11: Democrat files)
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Marine Lt. Gen. Lawrence F. Snowden, who fought in the battle of Iwo Jima and led reconciliation reunions to the Pacific island in retirement, died Saturday — a day before the 72nd anniversary of the famous fight’s opening salvos.
At age 95, Snowden was thought to be the oldest survivor of the five-week struggle for the volcanic island. More than 6,000 Americans died and 19,200 casualties were counted — including Snowden, who was wounded twice but persuaded commanders to let him return to the fighting after his first evacuation.
Bevis Funeral Home confirmed that Snowden died at Big Bend Hospice House.
Although he rose to three-star rank and was assistant commandant of the Marine Corps before his retirement in 1979, Snowden was best known for his participation in “Reunion of Honor” missions to meet with Japanese veterans on the island, starting in 1985. He was instrumental in setting up another reunion in 1995 to mark the 50th anniversary of the battle.
Snowden always emphasized that the reunions were not a celebration of the bitterly fought American victory, but a solemn recognition of the sacrifice by combatants on both sides — and a reaffirmation of the friendship between the countries.
“General Snowden was a very highly respected leader and mentor,” said Claude Shipley, a retired Army colonel who heads the Tallahassee chapter of the Military |
“Face the Nation,” Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) said under the leadership of President Donald Trump the Republican Party had “lost its way” and argued the party needed “to go back to traditional conservatism.”
Flake said, “I think similarly today the party’s lost its way. We’ve given in to nativism and protectionism, and I think that if we’re going to be a governing party in the future a majority party, we’ve got to go back to traditional conservatism, limited government, economic freedom, individual responsibility, respect for free trade. Those are the principles that made us who we are.”
He continued, “If you look at the politics of today, the tape from last week at the White House and the language that was used, we’ve seen unfortunately too many examples of members of Congress and other elected officials using language referring to your opponents in ways that you would have never done before, ascribing the worst motives to your opponents and assuming that other Americans are the enemy, and that is just not the way it used to be. I don’t think it can be that way in the future.”
He added, “Now we’ve, I think, taken up a banner that is not familiar to us. Its one of intense nationalism, nativism and sometimes xenophobia.”
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNENWe’ve probably all seen those men who can enter any room and instantly command it. I’m not talking about the loud and boisterous dolt who makes a scene with obnoxious alpha-male jackassery. I’m talking about the man who exudes a silent, magnetic charisma that electrifies the entire room just by his presence. People feel better when this type of man is around and they want to be near him.
The benefits of being able to walk into any social situation and completely own it are innumerable. The man who can command a room is more persuasive in his business presentations, easily meets and makes friends, and attracts more women. While many men are born with the ability to charismatically command a room, it can also be learned. Below we’ve provided a few tips to get you started on being El Capitan of any social or professional situation.
Walk in boldly. Many men walk into a room timidly because they don’t want to appear presumptions or self-important. While you shouldn’t barge into people’s home, once you’re invited in, walk in with a bit of pep in your step. You’re supposed to be there, so act like it.
Theodore Roosevelt was a master at walking into a room boldly. In 1881, Roosevelt was elected to the New York Assembly at the age of 23. Accounts from fellow assemblymen on Roosevelt’s first day in office all describe the impressive entrance of the young man. They recall him bursting through the doors and pausing just for a moment so people could soak him in. According to historian Edmund Morris, this became a lifelong habit of Roosevelt’s; he would literally bound from room to room in the White House. Take a lesson from TR: save the walking softly business for your rhetoric.
Hold your breath when you walk in. Win the Crowd author and Magician to the Millionaires Steve Cohen has a trick that he does before we walks onto a stage or into a room to perform. Before he makes his appearance, he takes a deep breath, filling his lungs entirely. He then holds his breath and walks into the room. As he talks, the air is naturally exhaled. This simple action increases blood to your face and makes you look “more radiant and lively,” and consequently more confident. In addition, taking a deep breath and holding it also makes you taller, which brings us to our next point….
Stand up straight! Numerous studies have proven that people are attracted to taller men. Taller men get paid more and they get more women. Unfortunately, not all of us were born with Shaq-like height. Don’t sweat it. Just work with what you got. Work on improving your posture. When you enter a room, don’t walk in with shoulders slouched and your head facing down like a whipped puppy. Show your confidence by walking in with your back straight and your chin up. Try not to stick your chest out too much or else it will look like you’re posturing like a silverback gorilla. Just maintain your natural and correct posture. By doing this, you’ll add inches to your frame and increase your presence in the room.
Take control of your surroundings. We feel most self-assured and at ease when we’re familiar with our surroundings. Familiarity gives us a sense of control, which makes us feel confident. How can you be familiar with a room if it’s your first time entering it? Steve Cohen suggests doing small things to instantly take control of your surroundings. For example, when you sit down at a table in a restaurant, rearrange things on the table. Move a saltshaker or your water glass. It sounds silly, but by doing this you tell your subconscious that you have control (even if it’s nominal) of your surroundings, which in turns makes you more confident and magnetic. Look for small but polite ways in which you can take control of your surroundings in your everyday activities. You might be amazed by the results.
Make eye contact. Every book on self-confidence or assertiveness will tell you that a simple way to increase your presence in a room and your connection with other people is to look them in the eye. The reason it’s repeated ad nauseam is because it works. Eye contact is key to creating a connection with people. History’s most magnetic men all had the ability of making a person feel like they were the only person there. Bill Clinton is a perfect example of this. Adroit use of eye contact is an essential part of this ability.
Eye contact should be engaging, but not overbearing. Don’t stare a person down non-stop. You’ll just creep them out. Look into their eyes, while occasionally flitting yours to the sides of their head and then back. If you have trouble looking people in the eye, try this tip: Take notice of what color eyes the person you’re talking with has. Are they green? Blue? Brown? Or do they have a unique mix? Not only does this help maintain eye contact with people, it’s also a great way to remember people’s names. After taking note of a person’s eye color, start associating that color with their name. You’ll gain bonus charisma points for being able to recall their name during the conversation.
Eliminate filler words. A nervous tick that plagues many men is filling the space between their words with needless “ummms,” “yeahs” and “likes.” Using filler words is not only distracting, it shows that you’re not confident in what you’re saying. If you’re going to say something, say it with ganas, hombre! Don’t muddle up the conversation with needless filler.
But what should you do in those moments when you’re still collecting your thoughts as you speak? Our natural tendency is to fill the air with an “uuumm” or a quick blast of several “likes.” But fight the urge to do this. Instead embrace the silence. As you come to moments in the conversation where you have to collect your thoughts, just keep your mouth shut. This does two things. First, you eliminate the distraction of the annoying filler words. Second, and more importantly, you draw people in closer to you by creating anticipation in what you’re about to say. By remaining silent, you pique the curiosity of your listener and subtly take control of the situation. Of course, avoid too many long pauses; that will only make you seem awkward.
Focus on other people. If there’s anything you take away from this article, let it be this. If you really want to be the man in the room that people are drawn to, focus your interest on them. Many men have the false idea that if you want to command the room, you have to make everything about you. These misguided souls wear flashy jewelry or skin-tight clothing that shows off their well-chiseled body. Their conversation focuses on them — their cars, their bench press, their sexual exploits, etc. While a few pinheads will be impressed with this sort of thing, the vast majority of the population will think it’s a bunch of crap.
The reality is that the magnetic gentleman — the man who can walk into any room and own it — is others focused. People want to feel loved, appreciated, and important. Sadly, many people these days aren’t feeling much of that. Perhaps their boss never compliments them or their wife never voices any appreciation for all that they do. If you can fill that void in people’s lives by focusing on them and acknowledging their importance, you’ll instantly bring them under your magnetic influence.
Think back to a time when someone genuinely complimented you. How did you feel? Pretty damn good, probably. How did you feel about the person giving the compliment? Admit it, you most likely thought, “Wow, I really like this guy!” It’s only human nature. We’re drawn to people who show an interest in us. People are like mirrors. When we shine a light on a person, they reflect that light back on us. If we shine a light on every person in the room, we end up being the brightest man there.
So, next time you enter a room, forget being charming. Hell, forget about commanding the room. Just focus on how you can make others feel important. The charm and the room will follow naturally.
Have any other ideas on commanding a room like a man? Drop a line in the comment box.Barack Obama vs. The Public | 2012 Presidential Issues
Public Opinion on Barack Obama's Positions On The Issues
Below you will see the set of statements from our Barack Obama vs. Mitt Romney quiz that take the Obama side of the issues. The statements were chosen to be as comprehensive as possible, touching on topics that include health care, foreign policy, taxes and economics, as well as social issues. Responding affirmatively ("thumbs up") to these statements means that you are more in agreement with Barack Obama. Quiz-takers were able to nuance their answers based on how much or little they agree that Obama's position is good or workable. Below, the arrows display the average response that each statement received from thousands of quiz-takers. In time this data may change as more people participate. The numbering reflects how the statements appear in the quiz. You can also see Romney on the issues.
Obama has received 5 "thumbs up" from the quiz-taking public out of a possible 20.
The number you see next to each arrow is the average approval rating each statement received.
«25% 50% 75%» 4. The Bush-era tax cuts should expire for the two highest tax brackets. 44% 8. The government should fund embryonic stem cell research to pursue new medical discoveries. 52% 9. The government bail-out of GM and Chrysler proved to be the right policy. 38% 11. The government should work with lenders and borrowers to modify mortgages to avoid foreclosures. 47% 12. We must have a strong government oversight bureau to protect consumers from the abuses of fiancial companies. 49% 14. We should reduce the growth of military spending as a way of controlling the deficit. 46% 15. Fuel economy requirements on passenger cars should be raised, bringing gas mileage to over 50 MPG by 2025. 48% 18. A treaty with Russia to reduce the nuclear weapons stockpiles of both Russia and the US is the right policy. 52% 21. For-profit colleges should be cut off from federal student aid and loans if too few graduates can find a job with their degrees. 44% 23. Immigrants who entered the US illegally as minors should be able to earn citizenship by completing college or serving in the military. 49% 26. All health insurance plans should be required to offer the birth control pill as a free benefit. 46% 27. We need to restrict the influence of wealthy individuals, corporations, and unions in our elections. 53% 30. DOMA, the law that prevents the federal government from recognizing gay marriages, is unconstitutional and should be struck down. 50% 32. Tax breaks that oil companies benefit from are a type of subsidy that should be repealed. 49% 36. Carbon dioxide emissions should be regulated by the EPA because the gas contributes to global warming. 48% 38. Millionaires should pay a minimum tax rate of 30% to bring in more federal revenue. 45% 39. Federal student loan payments should not exceed 10% of one's discretionary income, and those living below the poverty line should be excused from making payments. 47% 41. The federal government should give tax breaks to and invest in clean energy (wind, solar, geothermal) companies. 53% 42. Immigrants who came here illegally should have a path to citizenship. Deportation of 12 million people is not an option. 43% 46. Internet service providers (ISPs) should be required to give their customers access to the full web without slowing down or restricting certain sites/services. 57%
The data shown above represents the average responses of more than 41,000 people taking the quiz, as of Feb 26, 2019.
Don't miss our popular political compass quiz, or explore our user-created political quizzes.You might notice some bright gold cleats in our game against Cleveland on Sunday. I mean, really bright. I’ll be wearing them. They’ll have CHILDREN DESERVE #MORETHAN4 on the side. This slogan is really important to me, because it’s really important to a friend of mine who’s beaten cancer multiple times. I’ll explain.
When I played at Ohio State, I was fortunate enough to be nominated for the Lombardi Award as a sophomore. That’s the award given to the best defensive lineman or linebacker in college football. The ceremony is in Houston, and when I went there, the candidates for the award went to visit some of the pediatric cancer patients at this great hospital for treating cancer, the MD Anderson Cancer Center. I met a bunch of kids there. I was happy I got to go, because maybe we can’t help millions of patients, but if we can put a smile on someone’s face, it’s worth it.
The next year, I got nominated again, and we took another trip to MD Anderson. A boy about 13 or 14 came up to me. I recognized him from the year before.
“You remember me?” he said.
“Of course I do,’’ I said … and I did.
His name was Sean. He was in for the second time, to fight his cancer. It was good seeing him, but it was horrible to see him here again.
We just started talking again. He’s a big Notre Dame football fan. We were about to play Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl, so of course we did some trash-talking. I told him I was going to beat up on his Irish. He told me how bad they were going to beat us. I think on that visit, I basically spent almost all my time with him. It was a great conversation.
He showed me his TED talk. Here’s young teenager suffering from cancer, and he did a TED talk about it! That was amazing … how he could stand up there and talk to people and even crack jokes. He was so smart. He was not afraid. I just couldn’t believe it. The effort he was putting in, with his own life on the line, to try to help others, was just incredible. He really impacted me. I gave him my phone number, and we kept in touch.
I found myself thinking about him a lot. He educated me on a lot of things about cancer. He told me, “Did you know that out of all the money raised for cancer research, only four percent goes to pediatric cancer?’ That just shocked me. That is not my world at all. I never even thought of it. But being at that hospital, and seeing how many kids were sick there, I just thought how unfair that seemed. Four percent? Four percent? That just made a huge impact on me.
So Sean is in high school now. His story is in a good place now. He made his high school lacrosse team this year. He follows us, and he’s going to come to one of our games in December, when we got to Kansas City.
We’ve got this My Cause, My Cleats deal with the NFL now, where we can choose to put a cause we’re involved in on our cleats. So I asked Sean if he wanted to design my cleats this year. I think he was pretty excited about it. I connected him with my rep at Adidas, and I let Sean do whatever he wanted. You probably know breast cancer is pink. Pediatric cancer is gold. So they came up with these cleats, and one thing I know is I’ll get noticed on Sunday against the Browns. Look at them:
Courtesy LA Chargers
It’s Sean’s message to the cancer community: CHILDREN DESERVE #MORETHAN4. I loved it. I think it’s fantastic. And I hope America gets to see his message from coast to coast.
When I sent Sean the final pictures, he was so excited. He put it up on his Instagram page, and I hope it made him happy.
For me, knowing Sean led me to do this, and it made me realize how fortunate I am. Your perspective on life changes when you meet people going through a real struggle. That’s why I’m lucky I met Sean—and lucky to have learned some important lessons from him.
I hope I can get a sack Sunday. I want those cleats on every highlight show on TV.
Question or comment? Email us at talkback@themmqb.com.Sam Tucker
Funds Raised: $1,351
$1,351 Fundraising Goal: $5,000
My name is Sam Tucker and I travel aroundhanding out leaflets raising awareness about factory farming to university students on behalf of Vegan Outreach.More animals suffer in factory farms and slaughterhouses than in any other animal-using industry on the planet. For this reason, Vegan Outreach puts farmed animals at the front and centre of our campaigning and works hard to encourage people to choose a more compassionate diet.Considering the average person will eat thousands of animals over the course of their lifetime, and considering that thousands of leaflets can be handed out in a single day of leafleting,But of course, none of this is possible without the help of our donors. By donating to Vegan Outreach you can help us to help animals in the most cost effective way possible. Even a small donation can make a world of difference for factory farmed animals across the globe.So please consider donating what you can towards making the world a better place for animals and know that every dollar you give will go directly towards fighting against the suffering of animals in factory farms both here in Australia and New Zealand, and across the world. Even a small donation can have a huge impact for animals.If I reach my fundraising goal,, which will beThis could very likely be the only chance you ever get to hear me rap, so donate now if you don't want to miss out!
Click to Donate
Donations processed by GiveDirect. Please allow 48 hours to appear on the Team Vegan site.MANALAPAN, N.J. (CBSNewYork) — Just 10 days before the High Holidays a New Jersey community woke up to find swastikas and anti-Jewish graffiti all over town.
The photographs show the images neighbors woke up to in Manalapan on Thursday morning — swastikas on street signs, mailboxes, a cable box and a sign saying “kill the Jews” on a picket fence, CBS 2’s Emily Smith reported Friday.
“I saw the commotion, swastika signs and ‘kill the Jews.’ I’ve been here 14 years, never seen anything like it,” resident Howard Weitz said.
At least 12 swastikas and other anti-Semitic symbols of hate appeared along Taylor Mills Road, a main residential street in town, and on several side streets, painted mostly in red.
Some believe the perpetrators did this to spread hate to the entire community. Western Monmouth County is home to tens of thousands of Jewish families served by several synagogues.
“I don’t know why that neighborhood in particular was targeted, but the whole area has been great for the Jewish community,” said Keith Krivitzky, executive director of the Jewish Federation.
Krivitzky said he’s not sure who would do something like this.
“You don’t know. At the very least it’s a wake-up call and should be an educational opportunity to come together and say this isn’t tolerated, acceptable, not who we are and it isn’t welcome here,” Krivitzky said.
While most of the homes targeted belong to Jewish families, residents pointed out that anyone seeing a swastika anywhere should feel some pain and disgust — knowing it’s a message of hate and persecution.
The hate crime happened just one day after the Jewish Federation held a community-wide security preparedness training to help keep the High Holiday observances, a time of peace.
Please offer your thoughts in the comments section below …News
19 Feb 2011 - The Kitty Guide closes due to spam. If you've a valid solution, let me know.
30 Apr 2006 - A patch from Eitan "Skurd" Levi fixes bittorrent's downloads! GR8! Thank you! (get it here - apply it manually). I'm quite busy in these days... sooner "we" will provide a full compilable tarball. ;)
14 Nov 2005 - Reciving more feature request and an E-Mail from Holmes Wilson. YAY!
13 Nov 2005 - Kitty 0.9.2 tested and released. This one includes thanks for all!
22 Oct 2005 - Kitty 0.9 try 2 released. Tarball working and the first new bug reports is coming. Thanks!
22 Oct 2005 - Kitty 0.9 released. But tarball was buggy. Next tarball will be released minutes.
01 Oct 2005 - Kitty 0.1 released. Thanks Grentis for testing and debugging!
What is Kitty?
Kitty is a simple podcast client for the KDE 3.4 desktop that allows Linux (and other KDE-running OS) users to tune in, watch, download and bookmark TV programs from these so-called videocasts that are becoming more famous, thanks to the DTV, Yahoo! Podcast and other services.
How it works?
Podcasts are quite simply structured: an XML file that works like an RSS feed with some media "enclosed" into. Media are distributed with the usual and plain HTTP way or the less expansive Bittorrent way. Kitty is a program that shows you these RSS feeds (quite like Akregator) and embeds your system media player to watch these enclosed videos. With something more but no fat added, in the style of KDE.
What is DTV & Y!P? What is the "Kitty TV Guide"?
DTV is a Mac program that does the same things Kitty does: watching videocasts. It owns a really nice and complete TV guide where you can find everything you need for your watching pleasure. Yahoo! Podcast is the same, but there is an huge amount of stations that can be also "audio-only". Kitty can browse these and others TV/Audio guides so you can easily add channels to your "subscribed list".
The "Kitty TV Guide" is like the DTV guide but does many things... less. However Kitty guide requires no subscription, it is "self-administrated" and automatically updated by any Kitty client. Kitty has also a nice experimental thing called "Nekotongue" which help you on searching for something interesting to watch into Kitty guide, doing a "weighted search" on its database. It should work... try it!
Features list, please.
Add, remove and browse your favourite videocasts quite easily. Browse DTV, Yahoo! Podcast or Kitty guide Add new podcast guides into bookmarks Bookmark and download your favourite videos It uses system media player: choose from KMPlayer, Kaffeine and more! Comment your bookmarked videos Two user interfaces to choose: HTML or KDE interface HTML interface is fully skinnable. Make your own skin! (and send to KesieV because the default interface sucks a lot!) Publish your favourite videos (or manually added videos!) via FTP on a Web-served server (Kitty Guide will be automatically updated!) Look for something to watch with the Nekotongue search tool A bit noob? A nice wizard will introduce you to Kitty! Handy traybar icon Passive popup alerts you when a media is downloaded Cool graphics made with Gimp! (sorry Krita... too crashy...) GPLed Opensource
Screenshot
Yessir! ;)
Download & install
Download the latest version of Kitty here...
kitty-0.9-try2.tar.bz2 @ KDE-Apps.org
To install, simply untar the tarball ( tar -xvvjf kitty-0.9-try2.tar.bz2 ) and run the usual./configure && make && make install as root on the unpacked directory. That's all.
Remember that Kitty is built on the KDE 3.4 libraries and uses an embeddable media player like KMPlayer or Kaffeine for media playback. By the way Kitty supports opening media files using external applications.
Note: Since the 30 apr 2006 is avaible here for fix the bittorrent downloads. Thanks Skurd!
I'd like to say...
Comments? Proposals? Bugs? I'm a quite busy man but you can send your feedback to kesiev@gmail.com or kesiev@hotmail.com (yes, Hotmail. Sorry.)
Credits
Eitan "Skurd" Levi, for posting patches & bugfixes.
Bianca, my girlfriend. She suggested to me some good stuff for this program. And is my eternal power-supplier.
Grentis, a great chat-friend whose built a Gentoo box just for testing Kitty. Thank you so much!
VanZant, another good chat-pal. Keep it up, Van... I'm just a script kiTTie... LOL!
Fabio, which is hosting all my crazyness. Thank you thank you thank you!
dolio, first comment @ KDE-Apps. Feedback doesn't give you food but tons of motivation and happines.
The KDE team. I'm a KDE exalted user. Thank you for your great job. (and KIOs are too much kool!)
All the Linux developers. Slackware user here. Thank you for your hard work.
And you!!
(Yes. I'm another nostalgic retrogamer...)In the early 00s, Finland's two biggest industries were paper manufacturing and cell phones, led by the then-dominant Nokia. A decade later, both industries are in trouble — and as the country's prime minister suggested in a recent interview, Apple might be to blame in both cases. "One could say that the iPhone killed Nokia and the iPad killed the Finnish paper industry, but we'll make a comeback," Prime Minister Alexander Stubb told CNBC on Monday. "We just have to keep at it."
On Friday, Standard & Poors downgraded Finland's sovereign debt from AAA to AA+, indicating the country's industrial base may not be as stable as many had assumed. In large part, the downgrade was due to new sanctions against neighboring Russia, as well as Finland's aging population base, but the decline of two of the country's central industries certainly did not help. Despite a history of innovation, Nokia has struggled to maintain its market position in the face of the iPhone, facing dwindling US sales before being acquired by Microsoft earlier this year for $7.2 billion.Three veterans groups are seeking class-action status for a lawsuit they filed in 2009 against the Defense Department, the CIA and the Army on behalf of thousands of soldiers who participated in research programs at Edgewood Arsenal and Fort Detrick, the trade publication U.S. Medicine reported.
The lawsuit alleges that chemical and biological weapons were tested on soldiers, that the military failed to provide follow-up care for the symptoms they developed, and that nearly all disability claims related to the tests have been denied.
CNN reported about the tests earlier this month, prompting some former soldiers to share their experiences with the network. One was given sarin gas and its antidotes, along with other injections that remain a mystery, and later was found to have damage to his heart. Another developed Parkinson's disease that he blames on the numerous injections and pills he was given at Edgewood; he was never told what they contained.
According to U.S. Medicine, the lawsuit seeks no monetary damages, but would require the military to notify the test participants what chemicals they were exposed to, as well as the doses and methods of administration. It would also require the federal government to provide healthcare for veterans suffering from diseases related to the tests.
More on this story:
U.S. Medicine: Lawsuit involving military chemical testing moves forward
CNN: Vets feel abandoned after secret drug experiments
CNN: Readers share stories about secret Army drug testing program
CNN: Secret Army volunteer's widow blames VA for husband's deathTAMPA — The seller agreed to a meeting in Ybor City with the Alabama fan seeking a ticket to that night's College Football Playoff national championship hours before the game.
But as scalper Joseph Steven Escalera began the transaction, his customer's two brothers snuck up from behind. One pinned Escalera to his chair, pinching a nerve between his neck and shoulder while holding a long, cold object to the back of his head. The other two took his shoes and socks, as well as six tickets to that night's game they found tucked in Escalera's waistband.
When Tampa police arrived, they arrested Escalera.
The brothers had called police to tell them the same scalper had sold them two counterfeit tickets to the game the day before — at $1,000 apiece. So they pulled a bit of fakery themselves, using a different email and phone number to arrange a second purchase from Escalera.
It took police 10 minutes to arrive. It's a good thing they came quickly, said Bryant Gentry, 29, one of the brothers, all from Louisiana. The only thing keeping Escalera in his chair was the Coca-Cola bottle pressed to his head.
"All these people had gathered around watching and I kept yelling, 'This guy sold us fake tickets, we're not robbing him,' " said Gentry, who had hoped to be spending that evening cheering on the University of Alabama as it took on Clemson University.
"The only way this weekend could have been better was if we caught the bad guy and our football team won," Gentry said.
Escalera wasn't the only one accused of taking advantage of fans hoping to score tickets to Monday's game, police said. Tampa police arrested six others for selling or attempting to sell counterfeit tickets, and have issued an arrest warrant for an eighth, spokesman Stephen Hegarty said.
He cautioned that the brothers' sting operation wasn't something police would advise.
"While this case ultimately was resolved peacefully, as a general rule we discourage crime victims from taking matters into their own hands," Hegarty said. "Both the victims and the suspect could have been injured, or worse.
"They did the right thing by calling Tampa police, and we were able to arrive quickly to take the suspect into custody."
The brothers found Escalera, a 20-year-old from Orlando, through an ad he placed on Craigslist. There were a "gazillion" ads from ticket brokers placed on the site before the game, but Escalera's was one of only a handful claiming to be for sale by owner, Gentry said.
He and his oldest brother met Escalera outside a bar in downtown Tampa on Sunday night and purchased two tickets, planning to find a third outside the stadium. The ticket seller was friendly and believable, but the older brother still took a selfie with Escalera "just in case," Gentry said.
When they arrived back at their hotel, the brothers began examining the tickets. They looked like those they had seen online, with gold foil edges and a picture of the Tampa skyline, but the barcode was on the back instead of the front and there was a strange blotch on one.
"We came to the conclusion we had been burned, and we're blessed enough with good jobs where we could replace that income, but we started thinking about all the other people he was probably taking advantage of and it made us mad," Gentry said. "What if some little kid's hopes of going to the game were dashed?"
So they arranged the second purchase, careful to conceal they were repeat customers.
After studying the picture they had taken with him the night before, Gentry waited across the street as one brother posed as a customer at a table outside the Tampa Bay Brewing Co. and the other kept watch from the Centro Ybor balcony.
By the time Tampa police arrested Escalera and took the brothers' statements, the three had to rush back to their hotel to catch the kickoff from a lobby TV, Gentry said. They watched the game with other fans who weren't able to snag a ticket, and eventually had some pizzas delivered.
They did not get back the $2,000 they gave to Escalera.
Still, what police recovered that day confirmed to the brothers that their time was well spent, they said. Not only were the six tickets they found on Escalera counterfeit, but 24 additional fake tickets were found in his hotel room, along with $1,700 cash.
"The loss of the game still hurts, but we got him and maybe that stopped someone else from losing money," Gentry said.
Escalera was still in the Hillsborough County jail Thursday night on $2,500 bail. He faces charges of fraudulent possession of admission tickets and grand theft.
Contact Anastasia Dawson at [email protected] or (813) 226-3377. Follow @adawsonwrites.The U.K. parliamentary elections are less than a month away. Maybe you’re a polling junkie when it comes to U.S. elections, and you’re starting to poke around U.K. polls? Maybe you’re a casual observer of elections in both countries, and you’re curious about when you should start paying attention to the U.K. polls?
The most important thing to know is that U.S. presidential elections are a lot more volatile than U.K. parliamentary elections. I collected data on the error rate of each individual U.K. national parliamentary poll and national U.S. presidential poll within a year of every election since 1979. For example, let’s say a U.K. survey showed the Conservatives with an 11 percentage point lead over Labour, but the Conservatives win by only 6 points. That poll has a 5 percentage point error.
A year out from an American presidential election, we basically have no idea who is going to win. The error rate in the U.S. drops rapidly, though — from 13 percentage points 365 days out to about 7 points with 150 days left in the campaign. During that same period, the U.K. error rate drops from 9 percentage points to 7. Why are the U.K. election polls initially more accurate?
Presidential polls in the U.S. more often ask about the individual candidates than the parties. So U.S. polls early on are really tied to name recognition and less so to fundamental factors that affect election outcomes (such as the economy). Polls in the U.S. tend to converge with the fundamentals as the election approaches. But early on, the polls are especially unstable for candidates who suffer from a lack of name recognition. Both Michael Dukakis and Bill Clinton were down by over 30 percentage points to the much-better-known George H.W. Bush a year out from the 1988 and 1992 presidential elections, respectively.
Polls in the U.K., on the other hand, ask mostly about parties, not candidates. If there were a large difference between how voters ended up feeling about the candidates versus the parties, polls asking only about parties could be wildly inaccurate. In reality, election day preferences for parties and individual candidates don’t differ by much.
While it’s difficult to measure the impact of candidate quality directly, extrapolating the national vote down to the district — known as uniform swing — works fairly well. Also, incumbency has very little advantage in the U.K. It’s only worth a percentage point or two for the Conservative and Labour parties, while it’s still worth around 5 percentage points in U.S. House elections, even in these super-polarizing times.
It’s only after the primaries take place that U.S. polls catch up to the U.K. ones in terms of accuracy. Why? Let’s go back to the Clinton and Dukakis examples. Clinton and Dukakis became better known as the primary campaigns unfolded, and by 150 days out (or the beginning of June in the election year), they were on basically equal footing with Bush in terms of name recognition.
But just as U.S. polls become as accurate as the U.K. ones, U.S. surveys become a lot less accurate around day 100. What the heck is going on?
The U.S. party conventions occur in this period. The greatest volatility in presidential campaigns occurs around the conventions, and U.K. politics simply has no real equivalent. Anyone remember when Dukakis took a large lead over Bush after the Democratic National Convention in 1988, about 100 days before the election? The bounce didn’t last long, but for a moment, Dukakis was up by nearly 20 percentage points.
After the conventions, U.S. election polls tend to be slightly more accurate than their U.K. counterparts. Both, however, suffer from a small spike in average pollster error just within 30 days of the election. Typically, that’s when the short campaign starts in the U.K. and when the U.S. candidate debates take place. As we saw in 2010 and 2012, with strong debate performances by Nick Clegg in the U.K. and Mitt Romney in the U.S., respectively, debates can lead to polling shifts that don’t last.
The good news is that polls pick up more than a percentage point of accuracy in the final 20 days of the campaign in both the U.S. and U.K. And polls taken on the day before the election have, on average, a 4.0 percentage point error in the U.K. and a 3.6 percentage point error in the U.S. Since 2004, polls have been more accurate on both sides of the Atlantic, with error rates of 2.7 percentage points or less in the final three days.
Observers, though, should always be on the lookout for elections in which the polls miss by a lot in either direction. For example, in 1992 in the U.K. and in 1980 in the U.S., the final polls were off by more than 6 percentage points because the conservative candidates were underestimated.
You never know where a shy Tory may be lurking.
Check out our 2015 general election predictions and full U.K. election coverage.FINAL FANTASY XIV and O2 in |
as a ducky pajama enthusiast.
Let’s review some of the most embattled “Young Guns.”
Allen West
A “Young Gun” running for Congress in Florida, Allen West has recently come under scrutiny for his relationship with the Outlaws Motorcycle Club, a group targeted by the FBI for involvement in “violent crimes” and “attempted murder.” According to NBC, West has invited group members to a “campaign bike ride,” has had members guard him in an interview, and has spoken at a rally organized by people who claimed to be affiliated with the Outlaws.
West has fought the scandal however, pointing out to Hotline On Call that he could not possibly be a member of the group, because they don’t admit black people (or Jews, or gays).
At a recent event, some leather-clad security men ejected a Democratic tracker, but West said they were not Outlaws.
David Harmer
According to David Harmer’s bio on the “Young Guns” website, he is “a businessman and fiscally conservative business attorney” with an “expertise in constitutional law.” He also wants to abolish public schools. Last week, Mother Jones reported that Harmer had written an op-ed in The San Fransisco Chronicle back in 2000, arguing against “the government school monopoly” and yearning for the education system that existed in the “first century of American nationhood, when literacy levels among all classes, at least outside the South, matched or exceeded those prevailing now.”
“[T]he public school system does more to interfere with learning than to promote it,” Harmer wrote in his article.
Tom Ganley
Auto magnate and Ohio Republican congressional candidate Tom Ganley is a “Young Gun” running against Rep. Betty Sutton. A few weeks ago, a woman filed a civil suit accusing him of sexual assault. Among the documents the woman included in the suit was a letter she wrote to Ganley, who she met at a Tea Party rally.
“I came to you as a customer and you treated me like a hooker,” she wrote to Ganley in a letter in October 2009. “You are no different than the Democrats.”
“These are baseless allegations, the only motive being to extort money and to cause political harm to a good and decent man,” Ganley’s lawyer, Steve Dever, told The Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Jeff Perry
Jeff Perry is the lone “Young Gun” from Massachusetts. In May, The Boston Globe reported on Perry’s time as a police sergeant in Wareham, MA in the early 1990s, when he was the supervising officer of a cop who at least twice conducted illegal strip searches of female teenage suspects. The official complaint of the first incident, from 1991, alleges Perry “observed the strip search” but “did nothing to protect her.”
This month, the DCCC released a brutal ad highlighting the incident. “Imagine your teenage daughter illegally strip-searched by police,” the ad says.
Watch:
David Rivera
Florida “Young Gun” David M. Rivera has been dogged by allegations that a woman filed a petition for a domestic-violence restraining order against him in 1994. Rivera denies that he is the same David M. Rivera involved in that case, but the story is quite complicated. The woman, Jenia Dorticos, says she doesn’t know the politician Rivera. Rivera says any suggestion that he was involved in the case “is a blatant and shameful lie.” But records show that Dorticos’ mother worked on one of Rivera’s campaigns. And a woman told the Miami Herald that Dorticos and Rivera came to her house once for a dinner party. What is certain is that in 2002, Rivera the politician drove his car into a truck carrying negative campaign leaflets that called him a proponent of domestic violence.
Rich Iott
Ohio congressional candidate Rich Iott wasn’t a full-fledged “Young Gun” — he was just a “Contender” — but he’s the only candidate on this list to have fouled things up so badly that the party was forced to scrub him from the program’s website. Two weeks ago, Iott was outed as a Nazi reenactor, and pictures emerged of him dressed as a member of Hitler’s Waffen SS. Not good for optics.
Hope for Iott, however: a PAC chaired by House Republican Leader John Boehner still supports him.
Blake Farenthold
Another “Contender,” and this one is still listed. Texas congressional candidate Blake Farenthold has done more work than anyone this year to dispel the notion that ducky pajamas are a dealbreaker for scantily clad women.CLOSE A Wisconsin technology firm has begun offering employees microchip implants to scan into the company building and purchase food at work.
Patrick Kramer of the company Digiwell uses the microchip implanted in his hand to open a door lock at a press preview of the Wear-it festival in Berlin on June 8, 2017. The Wear It Festival takes place on June 8 and 9, 2017 in Berlin and shows the potentials of wearables with focus on the development of new products allying fashion and digital items. (Photo: Adam Berry, AFP/Getty Images)
Welcome to the future?
A Wisconsin technology company is offering its employees microchip implants that can be used to scan into the building and purchase food at work. Whether or not to get a chip is up to the employee to decide.
Three Square Market, a company that provides technology for break-room or micro markets, has over 50 employees who plan to have the devices implanted. The tiny chip, which uses RFID technology or Radio-Frequency Identification, can be implanted between the thumb and forefinger "within seconds," according to a statement from the company.
More coverage:
The company, which is based in River Falls, Wisc., envisions the rice-sized micro chip allowing employees to easily pay for items, access the building and their computers all with a scan of their hand.
"We foresee the use of RFID technology to drive everything from making purchases in our office break room market, opening doors, use of copy machines, logging into our office computers, unlocking phones, sharing business cards, storing medical/health information, and used as payment at other RFID terminals," CEO Todd Westby said in a company statement. "Eventually, this technology will become standardized allowing you to use this as your passport, public transit, all purchasing opportunities, etc."
And while microchipping employees may sound like something out of a horror film, the company is partnering with Swedish company BioHax International, which already has many "chipped" employees.
Employees are not required to get the microchips, and Westby told the station there is no GPS tracking.
Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2vSeSF5Dubai Restaurant Offers A Taste Of North Korea
Enlarge this image toggle caption Peter Kenyon/NPR Peter Kenyon/NPR
North Korea's best-known exports tend to be conventional weapons and nuclear technology. But now, curious diners can add to noodles to that list, thanks to a chain of North Korean restaurants in China, Nepal, Thailand and Dubai.
Analysts say the restaurants are a prominent source of foreign exchange for Pyongyang, which struggles under economic sanctions for its nuclear program -- and for its sometimes belligerent behavior toward South Korea.
The Dubai branch of the Okryu-Gwan restaurant is tucked into the corner of a nondescript business park in Dubai's Deira neighborhood. In the dining room, the all-female staff is dressed in colorful gowns and robes. Most speak decent English and are happy to guide newcomers to Pyongyang cuisine through the menu.
The signature naengmyon cold noodles are recommended, but the menu is extensive, with varieties of kimchi, the pickled cabbage dish popular on both ends of the Korean peninsula, as well as Korean meat and fish dishes. It's not quite as spicy as they do it in Seoul, says one waitress pressed for the difference between North and South Korean cooking.
As the food begins to arrive, a synthesizer strikes up a theremin-sounding introduction, and soon the waitresses are onstage, belting out Korean songs and decades-old American pop.
The Okryu-Gwan restaurants are an important source of hard currency for Pyongyang, says Marcus Noland, a North Korea expert with the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, via e-mail.
Since so few North Koreans get to travel, Noland says, being picked to work in the restaurants is a plum assignment.
Potential staff members are thoroughly vetted for political reliability, he added, and pressure may be used against family members to minimize the risk of defection. But as long as the restaurants meet their monthly revenue quotas, the regime tends not to interfere.
Dubai's Okryu-Gwan is tiny compared with the cavernous original in Pyongyang, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. The official North Korean news agency reported that leader Kim Jong Il himself provided "on-site guidance" when the restaurant added a 60,000-square-foot extension.
The foreign branches do have their advantages, however: Unlike the average North Korean, I did not have to endure a lengthy waiting list to purchase a ticket from my work unit to get in.Exxon Mobil said that one of its pipelines leaked “a few thousand” barrels of Canadian heavy crude oil near Mayflower, Ark., prompting the evacuation of 22 homes and reinforcing concerns many critics have raised about the Keystone XL pipeline that is awaiting State Department approval.
The pipeline breach took place late Friday, Exxon said, in the 20-inch diameter, 95,000-barrel-a-day Pegasus pipeline, which originates in Patoka, Ill., and carries crude oil to the Texas Gulf Coast, the country’s main refining center. Mayflower is about 25 miles north of Little Rock.
By Sunday afternoon, the company had deployed 15 vacuum trucks and 33 storage tanks to start cleaning up and temporarily store about 12,000 barrels of oil and water that had been recovered, the company said. Crews were steam-cleaning oil from property, Exxon Mobil said, while some fought in rainy weather to keep the oil from reaching nearby Lake Conway through storm drains.
The pipeline, which was built in the 1940s and was recently expanded, was carrying low-quality Wabasca Heavy crude oil from Alberta, Exxon Mobil spokesman Alan T. Jeffers said. According to the Crude Monitor Web site, Wabasca Heavy is a blend of oil produced in the Athabasca region, where the oil sands are located.
An existing Keystone pipeline carries crude oil that comes from the oil sands deposits in Alberta to Patoka through Exxon Mobil’s lines. Jeffers said he did not know if this batch of crude oil came from the Keystone line.
Many critics of the Keystone XL pipeline say that corrosion risks are greater in pipelines carrying low-quality bitumen-laden crude from the oil sands. They have urged President Obama to reject the Keystone XL permit application.
“This latest pipeline incident is a troubling reminder that oil companies still have not proven that they can safely transport Canadian tar sands oil across the United States without creating risks to our citizens and our environment,” said Rep. Edward J. Markey (Mass.), the ranking Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee.
TransCanada, owner of the Keystone system, has said that the new pipeline would be far safer than any other part of the nation’s 2.6 million miles of oil, gas and chemical pipelines.
The Environmental Protection Agency declared the Arkansas leak a “major spill,” a label put on any spill of 250 barrels or more. Exxon Mobil said it was preparing for a spill of up to 10,000 barrels, but that the estimate would probably end up being lower than that.
The company and other responders were battling to keep the crude oil, which gushed into yards and ran down residential streets in a Mayflower neighborhood, from leaking into Lake Conway, a popular recreation and game-fishing spot. Cleanup crews have deployed 3,600 feet of boom near the lake as a precaution, and as of Sunday afternoon no oil had reached the lake, Jeffers said.
He added that dikes had been built to prevent runoff into the lake, but heavy rains were making that difficult, and runoff from storm drains into the lake was a concern.
Several residents posted Facebook photographs and online videos of the oil pooling in yards and streets.
1 of 9 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad × Eight things you should know about the Keystone XL pipeline View Photos A big issue before President Obama is a proposal to approve a pipeline carrying fuel from Canada’s oil sands through America’s heartland to Texas. What’s at stake? Here’s a quick overview from “Down the Line: A Journey Along the Controversial Pipeline and Into America’s Energy Frontier.’’ Caption President Obama rejected a presidential permit for the pipeline, citing concerns about its impact on the climate. 1. The oil sands deposit is massive — and so is the pipeline The Keystone XL would tap into the second biggest petroleum reserves on Earth. If it had been approved, it would run from Hardisty, Alberta, to Port Arthur, Texas. The $7 billion, 830,000-barrel a day project would go from Canada, through the Great Plains, crossing six states and ending in Texas. At left, an open pit mine in Fort McMurray, Alberta. Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue.
Allen Dodson, a Faulkner County judge and one of three unified incident commanders responding to the spill, said in an interview that oil mostly affected five or six yards and that the “smell had gone down dramatically.”
Jeffers said that the company received phone calls from people in the area at the same time its pipeline monitors in Houston noticed a drop in pressure in the line. The pipeline is buried about two feet deep in the Mayflower area, he said. Exxon Mobil said responders were on the scene within half an hour. Approximately 120 Exxon Mobil workers are responding to the incident in addition to federal, state and local officials and workers.
Exxon Mobil said that fumes from the oil spill posed a risk in “high pooling areas,” where oil could be seen on the ground and where crews were working with safety equipment.
The company said the cause of the spill is under investigation.
The Arkansas spill came just four days after the Transportation Department’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration proposed fining Exxon Mobil $1.7 million for a July 2011 spill in Montana’s Yellowstone River. In that incident, Exxon Mobil’s 12-inch Silvertip Pipeline spilled 1,509 barrels of crude oil into the Yellowstone River near Laurel, Mont., during flooding.
The agency is alleging that Exxon Mobil did not properly address known seasonal flooding risks to the safety of its pipeline, including erosion of riverbeds that could leave pipelines exposed to damage from debris flowing downstream. The agency also said Exxon Mobil did not implement measures that would have mitigated a spill into a waterway.
Exxon Mobil has contended that the unusually large fine — possibly the result of a doubling of civil penalties under the Pipeline Safety, Regulatory Certainty and Job Creation Act of 2011 signed into law last year by Obama — contradicted a report that said the company took “reasonable precautions.” The new ceiling is $2 million. The company said it spent about $100 million cleaning up damage from the spill.
The Arkansas incident also comes just a few days after a Canadian Pacific Railroad train carrying oil sands crude — a mixture of heavy bitumen and lighter dilutents — from Alberta to Chicago derailed near Parkers Prairie, Minn., spilling about 357 barrels.
That accident drew attention because the State Department’s new environmental impact statement on the Keystone XL said that if the pipeline were blocked, oil sands crude would still be able to reach markets via railroads, which carry more than 1 million barrels a day of oil in the United States. Supporters of the pipeline say that shipping oil by pipeline would be safer and more fuel efficient than doing so by rail.Is the Moon Man-Made? Hollow?
Is the moon hollow? Was it man-made, with a thick layer of dust simply covering its metal frame over billions of years?
Of course, this supposes that advanced human civilizations existed billions of years ago, a theory which has also gained some attention as artifacts are found that call into question the conventional understanding of history. (See Epoch Times special topic Reconsidering History)
Such theories remain of interest to many as scientists continue to study the moon and learn about its composition and workings.
Here’s a look at some moon oddities sometimes cited by proponents of the theory that the moon is hollow or man-made.
1. Reverberations: Hollow Moon?
NASA created an impact on the moon in 1969 so Apollo 12 astronauts could measure the resulting seismic waves. The shock waves shocked scientists.
Very different from any seismic phenomena recorded on Earth, the vibrations continued for about an hour and started out as small waves that gained in strength.
Dr. Ross Taylor’s explanation is quoted in the Apollo Lunar Surface Journal on the NASA website. Taylor is a lunar scientist who helped examine samples gathered by Apollo 11.
He said: “This was one of those extraordinary things. When you had the impact of these things on the moon, unlike a terrestrial earthquake, which dies away quickly, the shock waves continued to reverberate around the moon for a period of an hour or more, and this is attributed to the extremely dry nature of the lunar rock.
“As far as we know there is no moisture on the moon, nothing to damp out these vibrations. The moon’s surface is covered with rubble and this just transmits these waves without them being damped out in any way as they are on Earth. Basically, it’s a consequence of the moon being extremely dry.”
Some scientists say the gravitational force around the moon shows that it must have a certain mass, that it could not be hollow.
ALSO SEE: 9 Scientists Who Dispute Einstein’s Theory of Gravity
2. Anomalous Orbit
Image of the “moon orbiting the Earth” via Shutterstock
Italian physicist Lorenzo Iorio published an article in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society in 2011 discussing the “anomalous behavior” of the moon.
He said a slight change over time in the lunar orbit could not be explained within the current paradigm. The moon’s orbit is increasing in eccentricity.
Eccentricity is a measure that describes how much an orbit deviates from a perfect circle.
Iorio concludes in the study abstract, “The issue of finding a … [satisfactory] explanation for the anomalous behavior of the moon’s eccentricity remains open.”
3. Convex Moon Craters
Webb crater (NASA)
Some craters on the moon have convex bottoms (with a surface that is curved or rounded outward) instead of concave (curved inward, or hollowed), which some say is evidence of a rigid (man-made) shell below the surface layer. When meteors hit the moon, one would expect them to make concave craters.
Charles A. Wood, of the Department of Geological Sciences at Brown University, wrote in a 1978 paper that these convex craters were likely created by lava. He said the lava seeped up through fractures to the surface.
He noted: “For the lava to form rings rather than ponds … requires a higher viscosity or a lower extrusion rate than normal mare lavas [“Mare” refers to large, dark plains on the moon formed by volcanic eruptions once thought to be seas]. The magma may have been mare basalts erupted under unusual conditions, or mare basalt that differentiated within pockets, or in some cases, a non-mare magma type.”
4. Moon Stabilizes the Earth’s Axis
Whether intentionally made to serve some function or not, the moon provides a service to the Earth.
“The moon stabilizes Earth’s wobble, which has led to more stable climate,” according to NASA.
NASA scientist Dr. Eric Christian and NASA education outreach specialist Beth Barbier explain more in post on NASA’s website: “[The moon adds] drag to the Earth’s rotation in the form of tides, both oceanic and internal. This added drag tends to stabilize the rotation. It is also gradually slowing down the rotation of the Earth, which gradually lengthens Earth days.”
5. Size Coincidences
Image of the “sun, moon, and Earth” via Shutterstock
The same numbers come up in looking at measurements related to the moon, sun, and Earth. The diameter of the sun is about 400 times the diameter of the moon; the moon is also about 400 times closer to Earth than the sun.
The diameter of the sun is about 108 times the diameter of the Earth; the distance between the Earth and the sun is about 108 times the diameter of the sun.
Moon diameter: 2,100 miles (3,400 kilometers)
Sun diameter: 864,000 miles (1,391,000 kilometers)
Earth diameter: 7,900 miles (12,756 kilometers)
Distance from moon to Earth: 225,700 miles (360,000 kilometers)
Mean distance from sun to Earth (it is sometimes closer, sometimes further): 92,900,000 miles (149,600,000 kilometers)
MORE:
Origins of the Moon
Origins of the Moon Part II
*Image of the “moon” via ShutterstockApathy is hard work.
As seen on The IT Crowd!
Writing these amusing and pithy product descriptions you see on ThinkGeek.com is harder than it looks. Take our new'meh' shirt, for example. Writing copy shouldn't be as hard as coding a first-person shooter in assembly, but sometimes indifference wins and creativity loses.
In this case, we gave the writing job to our primary apparel merchant. The best she managed was to write "meh" on the back of a chinese delivery menu. The gadget merchant spent the day drawing doodles in it (after ordering Hunan Beef of course), consisting mostly of stick figures wielding swords. The computing merchant made the most progress: he wrote "t-shirt." He handed the menu to the general manager. She misplaced it in the stacks of other food menus in the kitchen, so we had to start all over. It was then delegated to the customer service monkeys, but they became so unmotivated, they forgot to eat and regretfully expired. The graphic designer made a coffee stain on the menu and turned it into a drawing of a vampire cat, but that was no help at all. Finally, we locked ourselves in the conference room with a case of Bawls and the Office Space DVD for inspiration. Days went by and finally, a breakthrough. We now present to you the result of our toil. The description of our shirt:
Meh. It's a t-shirt.
100% cotton black heavyweight t-shirt. "meh." printed on the front in white. Apathy included! And if you don't know what "meh." means, perhaps your life just doesn't properly suck.Donald Trump Jr. says he shares his personal commitment to the Second Amendment and pro-gun policies with his father, presidential candidate Donald J. Trump.
Don Jr. is a competitive high power shooter and a hunter. He talked of how traveling to shoot in competition–particularly entering California with an AR-15–has taught him firsthand the mess that law-abiding citizens face in trying to exercise their right to keep and bear arms.
He then said:
The Second Amendment was not a random afterthought 150 years after the constitution was written. It was the second thing after freedom of speech and religion. The fact that that’s even up for interpretation is even up for interpretation by the left these days is candidly mind boggling.
Don Jr. then spoke of his father, saying:
If you recall San Bernardino, if you recall Paris, he’s the only one of these pro-Second Amendment candidates that said the next day–when things were still a little bit sensitive, when things were still understandably a little bit touchy–he was the only to say, “Hey, California, France, toughest gun laws in the world, if there were bullets going the other way maybe this would be a game changer. Maybe something different would happen.” What kind of a outcomes do you expect when you’re essentially setting up a system where it’s fish in a barrel because we know these gun laws only affect people who are actually willing to play by the rules? They do not affect people who are willing to kill people for their ideology.
We asked Don Jr. about his father’s position that concealed carry is a right, not a privilege, Don Jr. said, “Between myself, my brother, my father, and my wife, we have four of the 1,500 concealed carry permits for New York City, which is one of the most difficult carry licenses to get anywhere in the world and certainly in the United States. It is something we believe in fundamentally.”
He criticized the anti-gun stance of certain lawmakers, whereby they equate honoring the Second Amendment with allowing citizens to keep a “sporting rifle in their home.” Don Jr. made clear such a scenario in unacceptable because it does not allow citizens to protect themselves where they are as they move about their day. Speaking for himself and his father he said, “We believe in the right to carry.“
Don Jr. also spoke to the need for reciprocity between the states, saying, “Why can you get a driver’s license that is recognized state-to-state but a concealed weapons permit is not treated the same? There is a process to do that in a Trump administration because it makes sense.”
This is right in line with what Donald J. Trump said via a policy paper on guns released September 18, 2015. Trump said,
The right of self-defense doesn’t stop at the end of your driveway. That’s why I have a concealed carry permit and why tens of millions of Americans do too. That permit should be valid in all 50 states. A driver’s license works in every state, so it’s common sense that a concealed carry permit should work in every state. If we can do that for driving – which is a privilege, not a right – then surely we can do that for concealed carry, which is a right, not a privilege.
AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Tuesday defended the idea of another big boost in Chicago Public Schools property taxes that's part of the compromise agreement on state school funding.
Under legislation that has cleared the General Assembly, the Chicago Board of Education would be given the authority to increase its property tax levy by at least $120 million — and perhaps tens of millions of dollars more — to help cover growing contributions to the Chicago Teachers' Pension Fund.
"I've never, ever said that we were not going to also come up with the resources to make sure our schools were well funded, and we were investing in them — teachers," Emanuel said of the tax increase provision he hinted at last week. "And we never wanted to be in a situation where it was a choice between continuing to invest in our children's future or paying our teachers' pensions. So we'll be able to do our pensions and... continue to invest in our children."
The property tax increase provision is part of an overall package that would provide hundreds of millions of additional dollars in state funding for CPS, much of it in the form of a $221 million payment toward the teacher pension system. Last year, the state provided $12.2 million to the system.
Emanuel said that big boost in state pension funding ensures city taxpayers will be treated fairly, noting the state already contributes billions of dollars to the Teachers' Retirement System — the pension fund for suburban and Downstate public school teachers. Emanuel added that the new bill also would boost classroom education funding for CPS by tens of millions of dollars.
The mayor's comments came a day after CPS approved a budget outline that counts on $300 million in additional funding from the state. That outline also calls for $269 million in additional local funding yet to be identified. The property tax increase authority in the school funding bill could close much of that gap.
Although legislators estimated the authority would allow CPS to increase property taxes by $120 million, Cook County Clerk David Orr's office put that figure at closer to $148 million.
The 550-page bill would allow the Board of Eduction to increase its maximum property tax rate for the Chicago Teachers' Pension Fund by about 45 percent. That levy, first approved in late 2016, increased taxes by about $272 million this year.
Orr's office said CPS could have raised this year's property taxes for pensions even higher but did not do so. If the district went for the maximum amount allowed under the state legislation that's expected to pass, CPS could collect $147.9 million in additional taxes in 2018, Orr's office concluded.
That would bring the total CPS tax levy for pension contributions to $419.7 million — and that figure could go even higher if assessed property values go up.
That number also could rise even more in future years because the pension levy is not subject to state property tax caps. It would remain steady or decrease only if property values stagnated or declined — or the district chose not to levy to the full available amount.
A significant part of the school district's financial woes stem from rapidly increasing required pension contributions, which are largely the result of the district skipping or skimping on those payments in previous years. In this year's budget, pension contributions are pegged at $773 million, and they're expected to rise further in coming years.
The property tax increase, if approved by the school board, would come on top of a record-high $543 million in property tax increases the city is still phasing in to increase contributions to pension funds for police officers and firefighters.
hdardick@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @ReporterHalShowing up at SXSW this weekend with fifteen minutes of footage from “Alien: Covenant,” filmmaker Ridley Scott has seemingly allowed the clip to reveal not just one of the film’s big plot points – but one that impacts the entire franchise.
The Verge published a description of a scene shown, one that not only ties back heavily to “Prometheus” but basically explains much of the origins of the final xenomorph creature we saw in the “Alien” franchise. Here’s an excerpt from their description:
MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD FOR “ALIEN: COVENANT”
Michael Fassbender’s android David, definitely the same character from Prometheus and called David by name, walks Billy Crudup’s character through his personal workshop of biological terrors. He shows off different mutations of the creatures, explaining that he has been trying to understand the aliens that were discovered in Prometheus, going so far as to genetically engineer new versions – a process that’s been waiting for one final puzzle piece to complete. That’s when David takes him into a small chamber filled with four eggs that look identical to the ones seen in the original Alien. The final puzzle piece, David says, is “mother” — a waiting host — and Crudup’s character is lined up for the honor. The dots are easy to connect: the alien as audiences saw it in 1979 wasn’t the result of evolution or natural selection. Instead, it was the result of an android intentionally breeding the most dangerous, lethal creature possible.
If accurate, this scene essentially explains some big things – namely the difference between the aliens in pretty much all the entries in the series. It also rules out an ‘Alien homeworld’ concept if the beasts have been engineered by David.
“Alien: Covenant” opens in cinemas on May 19th.A file photo of Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s Assistant Principal Bass Emeritus Jane Little. (Dustin Thomas Chambers/For The Washington Post)
Jane Little, who debuted as a bassist in Atlanta on Feb. 4, 1945, at age 16 and who never stopped playing, died during a performance of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra on Sunday. She was said to be the longest tenured orchestra musician in the world. She was 87.
“We can say that Jane was fortunate to do what she loved until the very end of her storied life and career,” the symphony said in a Facebook post. “The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra was truly blessed to have Jane as part of our family for the past 71 years and we all miss her passion, vitality, spirit and incredible talent.”
“Her footprints are permanently etched on that stage,” wrote another admirer, Doug Ireland. “Everyone who ever attended a concert was amazed to see this tiny woman with that huge instrument!”
“Was at the performance today when Jane Little collapsed,” said a post by Rosemary Kord. “So sad to witness this tragedy. Happened in the last couple of minutes of the final song. I am still shakened and send my prayers to Jane’s family and to her musical family, The Atlanta Symphony. If there is a Requiem in her honor, I would like to be in attendance. RIP dear lady; you are an inspiration!”
The symphony was performing a pops concert called “Broadway’s Golden Age,” according to its schedule. A spokeswoman said the players were about 30 seconds from the last measures of “There’s No Business Like Show Business” from Irving Berlin’s “Annie Get Your Gun,” the encore to the concert when Little collapsed and was carried backstage by her fellow bassists. She never regained consciousness.
“She seemed to be made of bass resin and barbed wire. She was unstoppable,” bassist Michael Kurth, who was playing next to Little when she collapsed, told The Washington Post on Sunday night.
Kurth, 44, added that “I honestly thought I was going to retire before she did, honestly.”
“What an amazing way to go,” added Amanda Turner in a post on the ASO website.
The symphony did not provide a cause of death. Little had not been feeling well. She had been undergoing chemotherapy for multiple myeloma, had missed the orchestra’s April concert in Carnegie Hall in New York, and told Russell Williamson, the ASO’s senior orchestra manager, during intermission at Saturday night’s concert that she felt weak and woozy. That night, violinist Ellie Kosek asked Little to call when she got home safely, which she did.
Little was not a physically imposing figure. She weighed 98 pounds and had battled through, in addition to the myeloma, a broken shoulder, elbow and pelvis in recent years. Last August, she fell and cracked her vertebra, leaving her unable to play.
But in February, after months of rehabilitation, Little took to the stage and passed the record set by Frances Darger, the Utah Symphony violinist who had retired in 2012 after 70 years of playing. Little took pride in her feat.
“I’d thumb through the Guinness book and say, ‘Wouldn’t it be neat?’” Little told The Post in February. “A lot of people do crazy things like sitting on a flagpole for three days. I just kept on. It was just me and the lady in Utah. So finally, I said, ‘I’m going to do this.’”
Though frail and injury-prone, the prospect of setting the record seemed to have helped keep her going, albeit not for every ASO concert. “I was competing with this woman out in Utah, who played 70 years, 69 of them with the Utah Symphony,” she told Atlanta Magazine. “When I heard she was retiring, I said, ‘I’m going for it.'”
“Seventy-one years ago,” Little told The Post during the intermission after a five-minute-long standing ovation earlier this year. “It’s hard to remember when I wasn’t here.”
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s Assistant Principal Bass Emeritus Jane Little holds roses backstage in February. (Dustin Thomas Chambers/For The Washington Post)
By then, she had already said she would retire at the end of the season. Little, a widow with no children, planned to spend time at her house in North Carolina. Truth is, she hated the idea of walking away.
“She wanted to play,” Williamson said. “She certainly could have afforded to retire years and years ago. But this is what she did. This was her family.”
Little did not set out to play the bass when she first took an interest in music during the Great Depression. She wanted to be a ballerina, she recalled in an interview with Atlanta Magazine.
I always loved music from the time I was a kid. My aunt had a dancing school in Atlanta, and my mother was the piano accompanist. She played by ear; she could just sit down and play everything. I started dancing, and I wanted to be a ballerina, but to be a ballerina, you need to have these nice feet, and mine just weren’t right. So my dreams were shattered there. But I still loved music, and I taught myself to play the piano on my next-door neighbor’s piano. This was during the Depression, and we didn’t own one, even though my mother was a pianist. Later, at Girls High School in Grant Park, I wanted to join the glee club, and I found out that freshmen had to take a musical aptitude test….I took the test along with all the other freshmen, and about a week later, I was called up to the orchestra room. I had scored really well, in the top percent of all the students. The orchestra leader asked me what instrument I played, and I told her I didn’t really play an instrument, I just wanted to join the glee club. She was shocked. She told me, you must play an instrument! You’ve obviously got the ear for it, and the rhythm for it. She asked what I’d like to play, and I named a few small instruments like the clarinet and the violin. She said, “Actually, we really need bass players.” I was five-foot-three and weighed all of 98 pounds at the time, but she asked me to try it. She gave me lessons, and within a month, I was hooked. I loved it. It was awfully difficult to push those heavy strings down, and to carry the instrument around, but I just loved it.
According to her profile on the website of the American Federation of Musicians, “She struggled at first to hear the lowest pitches and could barely press down the thick E string — not to mention, even just carrying the bass around was no easy task. ‘I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, this is going to be a challenge!’ she says. ‘But I was back for the next lesson, and the next, and the next.’ After just a couple months of private lessons, Little was ready to join the orchestra — and not only did she join, but she was quickly appointed principal bass.”
While playing in the symphony, she met the man who would become her husband, Warren Little, who played the flute. Their first date was a performance by the legendary violinist David Oistrakh.
[Meet the 87-year-old bassist who just made symphony history]
“’I must say that when I met Warren, I was very impressed that he played a small instrument,'” she commented in the profile, “‘so he could carry my bass around!'” He retired in 1992 and died in 2002.
There was no Atlanta Symphony Orchestra at that time. But there was an Atlanta Youth Symphony, for which she auditioned and joined in 1945. Three years later, that |
responding to surveys or tagging everyday items in photos) from wherever they are and whenever they are able.
3. Choose a career in strong demand. Liberal arts are vitally important, but if you are in college, landing a job after graduation is almost certainly urgent. You have a lifetime to learn about arts and the humanities, but only two to four years to prepare to support yourself. Besides IT and automation, fields generally in demand include bio-tech, nursing, network security, welding, medical technology, and analytics. Find out which are both in greatest demand and most interest you. Far more people are studying the arts and the humanities than will find jobs in those fields. If you choose arts or the humanities and find yourself underemployed or unemployed, see 1 or 2 above, and “Create Your Own Job” below.
21-year-old Daniel Trujillo, a student at NCP College of Nursing in Hayward, CA, is learning how Google Glass can provide real-time, mobile, hands-free patient charts and histories bedside. He will be among the first generation of hospital practitioners using wearable IT. By learning leading-edge technology in a highly demanded field, I predict he will easily find a job.
Create Your Own Job
Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize winner, micro finance pioneer and founder of the Grameen Bank says:
All human beings are entrepreneurs. When we were in the caves, we were all self-employed…finding our food, feeding ourselves. That’s where human history began. As civilization came, we suppressed it. We became “labor” because they stamped us, “You are labor.” We forgot that we are entrepreneurs.[6]
Anyone who wants to can create his or her own job. Our ancestors – hunters, gatherers, farmers, craftspeople, and traders – knew no other options. If we were all entrepreneurial once, we can still invoke that inner strength today.
Creating your own job lets you do what you are passionate about; lets you make a long-term investment in you, your own business and brand rather than someone else’s; and lets you address opportunities that are unique to you—no one else has your unique combination of skills, knowledge, relationships, and strengths. So why don’t more people create their own jobs today? It is not that they can’t. In some cases, other paths are easier or have shorter-term pay-offs, such as landing an existing job or going on unemployment. In other cases, regulation raises major hurdles to addressing opportunities, as I discussed in a previous column.[7] I don’t promise that creating your own job will be easy. I do promise that it will expand the boundaries of your world, and possibly profoundly enrich your life.
Here is one approach to creating your own job. Choose any product or service in an area you are passionate and knowledgeable about. The area may be aerospace, boats, cars, cooking, education, electronics, fashion, fiction, films, fitness, gadgets, gardening, health, history, math, merchandising, music, politics, scuba, space, sports, statistics, travel, woodworking, you name it. Now think of limitations of the product or service you selected. For example:
· My running shoes don’t tell me how far or fast I have run, nor details of my stride or gait.
· None of the pharmacies in my neighborhood make home deliveries.
· Arthritis can prevent elderly people from using an iPhone or iPad.
· Airline ground crews lack real-time information during boarding about how many and which overhead bins have open space, sometimes requiring that bags be checked when they could be carried aboard and stowed.
If you are passionate about the product or service, you’ll recognize its limitations before others do. Limitations are simply potential needs. If those needs are shared by many others and don’t already have solutions – both of these require research to validate – bingo! – you have identified an unsatisfied customer need. That’s the first step towards creating a job for you.
Next, brainstorm possible solutions, ideally with your potential customers, that you could provide in whole or in part using the resources at your disposal. Acquiring knowledge of new technologies in the field will expand your possibilities. With whom could you team up or partner, if necessary, to enable the solution? Answering those questions is the second step towards creating your job.
Next, can you get a customer to pay you for your solution, even if rudimentary, incomplete, or unpolished, possibly on the understanding that their early payment will enable you to develop and deliver the full product or service to them? That’s the third step. If so – you have created a job! Assume that you won’t get paid for some or much of the time and effort you invest to win this first customer. After you have successfully delivered what you promised and created your first satisfied customer, find other customers you could similarly serve, refine your solution based on what you have learned, and repeat.
My video Unleash Your Inner Company has many more suggestions for creating your own job and starting your own business. Now imagine tens of millions of people throughout the U.S. and the world similarly searching for unsatisfied needs in areas they are passionate about, assessing which needs they are best suited to satisfy in whole or in part, and designing and building products or offering and delivering services that satisfy those needs. Suddenly, tens of millions of jobs are being created. Many of these efforts will take a second, third, or fourth attempt before they are successful. Every attempt increases your likelihood of success; perseverance is a necessary part of success. A small percentage of these businesses will create not just one but many jobs. This bottom-up approach to satisfying needs and creating jobs is scalable, sustainable, and has hugely raised living standards and quality of life over the decades.
So software and robots are eating jobs? Not yours.
# # #
[1]Programme on the Impacts of Future Technology. See also www.technologyreview.com/view/519241/report-suggests-nearly-half-of-us-jobs-are-vulnerable-to-computerization/)
[2] “As Entrepreneurs Keep Reminding Us, They Lied To Us In Econ. 101,” September 10, 2013, Forbes.com
[3]The Origin of Wealth: Evolution, Complexity, and the Radical Remaking of Economics, Eric D. Beinhocker, Harvard Business School Press (2006). This magnificent work marries economics and complexity science and imparts deep understanding of the current state and future of economics. I think of it as a modern-day Wealth of Nations. It deserves a wide audience and a prominent place in any economics library.
[4]Stock keeping units (SKUs).
[5] Lifehacker’s “Which programming language should I learn first?” discusses pros and cons of the many different paths you can follow.
[6]The Start-up of You, Reid Hoffman, Ben Casnocha, Crown Publishing (2012).
[7]6 Ways To Save U.S. Startups And Jobs From Death By Regulation, August 8, 2013, Forbes.com.The Way the World Looks
That’s what J.J. Abrams said he wanted his cast for The Force Awakens to resemble. Rey was conceived as a female protagonist from the get-go, but both she and Finn were written without any specifications to race. Then the filmmakers went searching for actors with a mind toward opening up the galaxy to new faces. Boyega says young Star Wars fans see heroes, not color. “They’re not talking about race the way we grown folks are. They’re not talking about how much melanin is in someone’s skin. That should teach us something. We’ve been having a continuous struggle with idiots, and now we should just force them to understand — this is the new world. There are loads of people of different shades and backgrounds. Get used to it.”SEATTLE -- NOAA is going to take some extra measures to get a better idea of how a potential snow storm for Western Washington on Tuesday night might play out.Forecasters have been having difficulty getting a good idea of how the storm will develop because of large inconsistencies in our forecast models. A small difference in storm's track and speed can be the difference between just a few inches of snow and several inches of snow in many spots.So NOAA is sending a plane out over the Pacific Ocean to drop some weather instruments where the storm is developing in an effort to get some better weather data -- much like what they do to get better data on hurricanes when they threaten in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico.Our Tuesday night storm is currently still in its development stage in the ocean waters north of Hawaii. Models are having a difficult time determining if and how the storm will phase with a storm bringing arctic air out the Aleutian Islands of Alaska into the Gulf of Alaska.How that combination plays out will determine the storm's eventual strength, path and, in turn, just how much snow we get around here.But it's not just the Northwest that had NOAA concerned. The model errors are also playing a part in some frayed nerves in the central and eastern U.S., where models have indicated potential snowstorms for them too, while other model forecasts keep the cold air bottled up in Canada.Forecast models work by initially taking all of the weather observations across the globe -- including weather stations, weather balloons, satellite images, ship reports, pilot reports, radar data - and then applying all the math we know about the atmosphere to simulate how the weather will evolve from that point.Over the ocean, that data is a bit more sparse and more prone to error. Their hope was to get more precise data of what's going on in that storm right now so the models have better starting data to base their calculations.The goal was to get the data in time for the forecast models' 4 p.m. (PST) run but in checking the models late Sunday evening, there was still a wide range of differences.These flights are not unheard of. A couple of years ago NOAA flew some flights from Anchorage to Honolulu to monitor some storms and they've done it in years' prior as well.As for the forecast, right now general idea is for potential for 4-8 inches of snow regionwide Tuesday night into Wednesday as a "blend" of what the forecast models show now, and then a changeover to rain sometime Wednesday and staying warm and mild for the rest of the week.The model runs generated Sunday evening still had a wide range of opinions. One (the "GFS") has 4-8" of snow falling between roughly 7am and 1 p.m. on Wednesday, followed by a period of heavy rain and strong gusty winds of 30-35 mph with temperatures warming rapidly into the 40s.Another American model (the "NAM") had the storm coming in much further south into central Oregon, keeping the Seattle area colder but also less snowy.The European model keeps the snow around longer, but gradually warms us up. Its solution would make a snowier picture for the Northwest.It looks like we'll just have to wait until the storm draws closer and develops more before the models will come to a closer consensus.Keep tabs on the snow by following me on Twitter @ScottSKOMO and on Facebook (Scott Sistek KOMO)Spread the love
Perhaps the ugliest form of fascism may be found in the marriage of government and corporations. Throw in the specter of terrorism and you have quite a potent method of subjugating the masses. The realm of food is no exception.
Idaho recently joined eight other states—Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Utah, North Dakota, Montana, Kansas, and South Carolina—to pass “Ag Gag” laws that criminalize the act of exposing public health dangers and animal rights abuses. If a person records pictures or film at animal facilities, including factory farms that supply most U.S. meat, that person can be prosecuted under state law. These laws are modeled after a corporate-produced document called “Animal and Ecological Terrorism in America.”
How did such an obscene thing come to be? There is a little-known but powerful group called the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) that introduces model bills in states across the country on behalf of its corporate members.
Several agribusiness corporations and organizations have been funders of ALEC such as Archer Daniels Midland, Cargill, and the National Pork Producers Council. As with other powerful industry groups like oil and gas or Big Pharma, ALEC seeks to dismantle consumer rights using the power of state government.
ALEC drafted the “Animal and Ecological Terrorism in America” model bill just two years after 9/11, capitalizing on the fear of terrorism that was being stoked by government and media. The model bill goes so far as to compare “extreme animal rights activists and environmental militants” to al-Qaida. It would put people on an actual Terrorist Registry for taking undercover pictures and films that “defame the facility or its owner.” Pennsylvania’s proposed law even criminalizes those who download such material over the internet.
Most people would dismiss the ludicrous notion that health and animal rights activists with cameras are the same as those who blow up innocent people for political reasons.
Consider the undercover video of a McDonald’s chicken producer in 2011, where employees were shown viciously abusing chickens. McDonald’s promptly fired that producer when this was exposed. Consider the secret taping in 2006 of “downer cows” being forklifted to the meat processor. Downer cows are potential carriers of mad cow disease, yet this facility was shoving them in line for packaging. As a result of that video, the largest meat recall in U.S. history took place.
Are these people acting as terrorists when they expose dangers to our food system or hateful people abusing animals?
Since 2010, “Ag Gag” laws based on ALEC’s model bill have been passed in six states. They have been defeated in 12 states, but that does not mean ALEC and its corporate backers won’t try again.
The first Ag Gag prosecution occurred in 2013 in Utah. Amy Meyer filmed a live cow being hauled away in a bulldozer at a slaughterhouse. She was doing this from a public street. The facility owner confronted her and then called the cops. After bravely standing up to both owner and police officer she was allowed to go, only to find out later that she was being charged under Utah’s Ag Gag law. However, when this case was publicized in the media, the charges were promptly dropped.
Wired Magazine details how passage of these Ag Gag laws threatens the already dubious safety of the industrial food system and covers up environmental calamities like manure lagoons leaching into water supplies. There is a notorious lack of oversight at factory farms, and activists fill that role.
Ag Gag laws do more than simply cloak industry from scrutiny. They are a direct assault on the rights of citizens, based on the implication that non-violent activism for public health or animal rights is a terrorist activity.Robert De Niro, who once said he'd like to "punch" Trump in the face, called the president a "blatant racist" in a new interview.
The actor told Deadline Trump is "dangerous" and should not "have gotten into the position that he's in."
"He's dangerous as it is. He's terrible, and a flat-out blatant racist and doubling down on that, and it's good that he does because he's going to sink himself," De Niro said.
He added, "We're at a crisis in this country with this fool."
TIM ALLEN CALLS OUT 'HYPOCRITICAL' HOLLYWOOD FOR BULLYING TRUMP SUPPORTERS
The 74-year-old said he'd like to see his fellow actors call out Trump at next month's Emmy Awards.
"Even at the Emmys it should be a kind of theme in some way," he said adding there should be some balance so the show isn't all about Trump.
"But at this point, we're at a crisis in this country with this fool, who never should have gotten into the position that he's in."
The "War with Grandpa" star has gone back-and-forth when it comes to Trump. He first slammed then then-presidential candidate one month before the election calling him a "pig" and a "bulls--t artist."
JON VOIGHT DEFENDS TRUMP REMARKS, BLASTS ROBERT DE NIRO FOR 'UGLY RANT'
In the video, De Niro also said, "I'd like to punch him in the face."
However, he seemed to have softened his stance on Trump after the election saying, "I would only say that we’re all hoping, waiting and hoping, that he will lead the country in a way that’ll benefit everyone and benefit our neighbors around the world."Bayer Leverkusen won their away Pokal game at Viktoria Köln easily by six goals to nil.
With the start of the game, Bayer 04 Leverkusen showed that their would be only one way to end the game against the fourth-division team from the Domstadt.
A strong start
After a few opportunities, Julian Brandt scored the opener after a quarter of an hour. Karim Bellarabi played a strong pass to Brandt and the 19-year-old youngster had no problems to go around the last defender and the 'keeper to make it 1-0 for the guests.
After the lead, Leverkusen kept the control of the game, even though the underdogs tried to keep the ball as long as possible to create chances. But in general, the gap in class was clearly identifiable.
In the 35th minute, Brandt and Bellarabi played a gorgeous one-two, and Karim Bellarabi made it 2-0. Only three minutes later, it was the Mexican international Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez who decided the game with the third for the guests.
Second half is a similar story
Viktoria Köln's coach Boguslaw Kaczmarek made switches at half time, but it was Chicharito again who made it 4-0 for the visitors in the 55th minute, after a good assist by Julian Brandt.
Within five minutes, between the 70th and 75th, Viktoria Köln defender Markus Brzenska saw two yellow cards and was sent off a quarter of an hour before the end of the game.
With eleven men against ten, Bayer Leverkusen could have made more of the advantage, but regarding the score at that time, Roger Schmidt's men decided to keep the score as good as possible and save players and strength.
81 minutes into the game, it was the substitute Stefan Kießling who made it 5-0 after good chest control and a strong volley shot. Only two minutes later, it was the young Vladlen Yurchenko who added a sixth for the Werkself.
That was the last goal on an evening full of goals - but all for the same team, the favourites Bayer 04 Leverkusen.Former Perth teacher arrested over sex charges
Updated
Perth detectives have travelled to Melbourne to extradite a man accused of sexually assaulting two students while he was a teacher at a private boys school in Perth in the 1980s.
The allegations date back 28 years, when the 61-year-old man was teaching at Christ Church Grammar School in Perth's western suburbs.
He was arrested by Victorian Police yesterday.
A Melbourne Magistrate today granted an extradition request by West Australian detectives, who will escort him on a flight to Perth in the next few days.
The man is facing multiple charges of sexually and indecently assaulting the boys who were aged 12 and 13 at the time of the alleged offences in 1983 and 1984.
Topics: courts-and-trials, assault, melbourne-3000, perth-6000
First postedTurkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is not only using his tour of several Arab states for self-promotion, but for verbal attacks against Israel as well. "No one can play with Turkey or Turkish honor," Erdogan said in Cairo on Tuesday. Israel lost Turkey as a strategic partner after the Israeli military attack on the humanitarian aid flotilla to the Gaza Strip in May 2010.
During the Arab Spring, Erdogan has presented himself as a new power, a model leader and a "rising star" with "near pop-star status" in the region, as the New York Times has described the Turkish leader. His multi-day trip to Egypt, Tunisia and Libya is meant to strengthen his role in the region.
However, Erdogan has also linked his solidarity with the Arab world to a strident anti-Israel foreign policy. Indeed, the political battle lines between Turkey and Israel have been intensifying in recent weeks:
Erdogan expelled senior Israeli diplomats in early September. If the tension between the two countries wasn't thick enough already, this step only served to escalate the dispute between them.
Ankara halted its military cooperation with Israel and announced an increased Turkish military presence in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. All trade ties with Israel are currently frozen and Erdogan is threatening "further sanctions."
At the same time, Erdogan is presenting himself more and more as an advocate for the Palestinians. More than once, he has vociferously considered visiting the Gaza Strip, a move Israel would regard as an affront.
Erdogan doesn't shy away from verbal attacks, either. On Monday, he said Israel had behaved like a "spoiled child" and accused Israel of supporting "state terror." He described Israel's military action against last year's flotilla to Gaza as a "cause for war."
The conflict could also put Ankara's relationship with the European Union to the test. The dispute over the deadly military raid on the Gaza flotilla, which left nine Turkish activists dead, could grow into a diplomatic crisis between Turkey and the EU. Indeed, among high-profile politicians in the European Parliament, criticism of Erdogan is growing.
'Anti-Western Sentiment'
Elmar Brok, the foreign policy spokesman for the parliamentary group of the conservative Christian Democrats in the European Parliament, said he is skeptical of Turkey's efforts to establish itself as a regional power within the Arab world. He said Erdogan is seeking to transform it into a regional power similar to the status it held "earlier with the Ottoman Empire." He said Ankara isn't pursuing the goal of EU membership and that "it is using the conflict with Israel in order to gain credibility in the region," Brok told SPIEGEL ONLINE.
Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, a member of the European Parliament with the business-friendly Free Democratic Party (FDP) said he also viewed the shift in foreign policy course by the Turkish government as a sign that Ankara's EU ambitions are waning. Turkey, as a secular democracy, may be a role model for the countries currently undergoing a phase of transformation, the FDP party group leader in Brussels told SPIEGEL ONLINE, "but Ankara can in no way be allowed to link the reorientation of its foreign policy with anti-Western sentiment."
Lamsbdorff has accused the Erdogan government of using "gunboat rhetoric" in its statements about Israel. The Turkish government's aggressive policy course against Israel, he said, shows that the country currently has "no interest" in pushing forward EU accession talks. "With a strident anti-Israel course, it isn't making any friends in Europe" right now, Lambsdorff said.
With his pro-Palestinian course, Erdogan is in fact risking a conflict with the West. The Turkish prime minister plans to support the Palestinian initiative at the United Nations General Assembly to announce unilateral independence, a move both the United States and Germany have said they would oppose. On Tuesday, US President Barack Obama said his government would veto any Palestinian petition for full membership submitted to the Security Council. During his visit to Cairo on Tuesday, Erdogan said the international recognition of a Palestinian state is "not an option but an obligation."
'Deeply Injured'
At present, there is no common EU foreign policy position on the Palestinian initiative in the UN Security Council. Fundamental supporters of Turkey's EU membership are still standing behind Erdogan. Daniel Cohn-Bendit, the chair of the Green Party group in the European Parliament and a well-known Franco-German politician, warned against casting sole blame for the Turkish-Israeli conflict on Ankara. "That is only the partial truth," he said.
The "macho posturing" by the Turkish prime minister, he said, may be "intolerable and politically dangerous," but it is also justifiable in light of what he described as Israel's intransigence. "Erdogan is deeply injured," Cohn-Bendit said.
The European politician added that Turkey currently no longer has any prospects of joining the EU. Otherwise, he said, "Merkel and Sarkozy would have done everything they could to ensure that Turkey could accede in a timely manner." Europe, he said, has long refused to allow Turkey to integrate into its structures, and now Erdogan has little choice but to play the card of becoming a regional power.Vermont has taken another step toward legalizing marijuana for adults over the age of 21. On Friday, the Senate voted 21-9 in favor of a bill that would legalize marijuana for adults in the state and would create a regulatory agency on the production and sale of the drug.
The bill had previously been brought up in 2016, but had failed in the House. This amended version includes protection for people who grow the drug in their homes. This bill also removed penalties for possession of up to an ounce of marijuana. Now, it's on the House to vote on the bill. Vermont Gov. Phil Scott (R) has taken a "not now" approach to legalization.
The bill would regulate the production and sale of marijuana in Vermont and eliminate penalties for personal possession and home cultivation by adults 21 and older. It also would allow unlimited small-scale, licensed grow operations of no more than 500 square feet. It does not include edibles. The bill would tax marijuana growers and retail shops and would fund a significant youth prevention and education campaign. The House Judiciary Committee already passed a legalization bill with a 8-3 vote, but it has not yet been introduced on the House floor.
Eight states, plus the District of Columbia, have legalized marijuana for recreation use. Unlike Vermont, these states legalized marijuana via a ballot measure, not the legislature. Given that a comfortable majority of Vermont residents support legalization, it's likely that a ballot initiative would pass in the Green Mountain State as well. If Vermont does legalize marijuana, it will be the third New England state to do so, joining Maine and Massachusetts.“The regional governors now have direct control over their territories. Fear will keep the local systems in line.”
–Grand Moff Tarkin, Star Wars: A New Hope
The grasp of the Galactic Empire has spread far across the galaxy, even to the near-lawless planets of the Outer Rim. On many planets, there’s nothing more than a small garrison—but the fear and brutality that those garrisons spread is more than enough to quell sedition and rebellion before it can take root. As an Imperial officer, you can’t afford to have anyone question your authority, and when you’re trying to maintain control, it’s easy to turn to a threatening enforcer like Captain Terro.
With the Captain Terro Villain Pack for Imperial Assault, you’ll be able to bring a vicious Imperial cavalry officer into your campaigns and skirmishes. In addition to including a massive, carefully sculpted plastic figure, this Villain Pack offers new missions for your campaigns and skirmishes, as well as the Deployment cards, Command cards, Skirmish cards, and Agenda cards that you need to bring the Rebels to their knees. Today, we’ll take a closer look at what you can find within this Imperial Assault expansion!
Mounted Warriors
The Empire imposes its own laws and ordinances on every planet, but that doesn’t mean they’re above adopting a good idea when they see it, especially if it can supplement their fearsome arsenal of weapons. Riding the reptilian dewbacks of Tatooine is just one more way for Imperial Stormtroopers to gain a threatening advantage over their opponents.
From this Villain Pack, you may introduce a Dewback Rider or two to your games of Imperial Assault. These mounted warriors offer powerful ranged attacks as they shoot from atop their dewbacks, and with additional surges, they can deal more damage or pierce straight through Rebel armor. Though the Dewback Rider’s attacks can reach quite far, it may be better to push him into the midst of combat, where he can use a Shock Lance to dangerous effect. With this ability, you can choose any figure within two spaces and roll a yellow die. Your target suffers damage equal to the result, and if you rolled a surge, it becomes Weakened.
As you’re considering these riders for your strike team, you may also notice that the Dewback Rider only has a movement of four spaces. Don’t underestimate the power of the dewback and the Mounted ability, however—at the start of each activation, the Dewback Rider gains three movement points for free! In many cases, this frees you from spending an action to move, allowing you to use your actions attacking or skewering Rebels with your Shock Lance. And when you do need to move, Mounted ensures that you cover the maximum amount of ground with a single move action.
By spending just two more points, you may choose to field Captain Terro himself—the dreaded commander of Imperial cavalry on Tatooine. Captain Terro boasts higher health and movement, improved surge abilities, and the Leader trait, which can prove essential for the Agenda cards or Command cards that you have at your disposal. Captain Terro maintains the Mounted ability introduced by the Dewback Rider, but in place of a simple Shock Lance, he wields a Flamethrower. Rather than targeting a single figure, Flamethrower targets a space—and each other figure on or adjacent to that space automatically suffers one damage, one strain, and becomes Weakened! Anytime you can deal damage without rolling dice, it’s worth paying attention, and Captain Terro may soon have an important place among your Imperial forces.
Wasteland Patrol
In your campaign games, a Dewback Rider or Captain Terro could prove to be a terrifying ally as you lead the Empire against the Rebel heroes. The Flamethrower ability in particular can be effective against a tightly massed group of heroes, spreading damage and weakening them—just in time for your other figures to launch their own attacks.
The Captain Terro Villain Pack also features a new three-card Agenda set, which includes a new side mission challenging the Rebels to make a stand against Imperial brutality in Anchorhead. The other Agenda cards in this set offer more ways to inflict trouble on the heroes. You may surprise them with a Dewback Patrol, deploying a Dewback Rider from your hand without spending any of your threat. Or, you may equip a new group with Flamethrowers, inspiring fear with an weapon identical to Captain Terro’s Flamethrower. Before too long, any band of aspiring Rebels will learn to fear your Imperial cavalry.
Lead the Charge
Dewback Riders and Captain Terro are no less deadly in a skirmish game as you battle to destroy your opponent’s team and claim victory. Gaining three movement points with the Mounted ability at the beginning of an activation makes these figures uncommonly maneuverable, giving you free rein to spend your other actions making attacks or using your Flamethrower. And of course, you can deal even more damage if you equip your Dewback Riders or other figures with the new skirmish upgrade from this Villain Pack.
For just one point, you can add Feeding Frenzy to your skirmish team as an attachment for any Creature unit, such as the Dewback Rider, the Bantha Rider, or the Nexu. Feeding Frenzy rewards you for preying on the weak—when you’re attacking a figure that’s already suffered damage, you can just exhaust Feeding Frenzy to add another damage to your attack results! What’s more, it also gives you a way to recover your own health. While attacking an adjacent figure, a figure with Feeding Frenzy attached can spend a surge to recover two damage. Obviously, this is especially useful for units like the Bantha Rider, which rolls no defense dice and is sure to suffer plenty of damage.
The Command cards included in this expansion are also uniquely suited to aiding your attacks. For instance, you may play Feral Swipes, allowing one of your Creatures to perform one melee attack with a single red die for each die normally included in its attack pool. Or, you may use Battlefield Awareness to let a friendly figure reroll a die, ensuring your own attacks hit or a critical defense holds up under pressure.
Finally, you’ll find Captain Terro’s personal Command card, Cavalry Charge. As you charge straight into the enemy position, Cavalry Charge gives you a way to inspire your fellow soldiers—until the end of the round, all friendly Troopers within two spaces gain a free surge while attacking. Of course, by charging the enemy troops, you’ve likely painted a target on Captain Terro. Fortunately, this Command card also gives him an inherent block, reducing the damage dealt by all attacks and protecting you from enemy blaster fire.
A Brutal Attack
The Galactic Empire will maintain control of its systems, at any cost. Become part of the Imperial forces and crush any hopes of rebellion with the Captain Terro Villain Pack. You can join the discussion in our community forums, and come back next week for our preview of the Jabba the Hutt Villain Pack for Imperial Assault!Osama Bin Laden
There are several pleasant little towns like Abbottabad in Pakistan, strung out along the roads that lead toward the mountains from Rawalpindi (the garrison town of Pakistani’s military brass and, until 2003, a safe-house for Khalid Sheik Muhammed). Muzaffarabad, Abbottabad … cool in summer and winter, with majestic views and discreet amenities. The colonial British—like Maj. James Abbott, who gave his name to this one—called them “hill stations,” designed for the rest and recreation of commissioned officers. The charming idea, like the location itself, survives among the Pakistani officer corps. If you tell me that you are staying in a rather nice walled compound in Abbottabad, I can tell you in return that you are the honored guest of a military establishment that annually consumes several billion dollars of American aid. It’s the sheer blatancy of it that catches the breath.
There’s perhaps some slight satisfaction to be gained from this smoking-gun proof of official Pakistani complicity with al-Qaida, but in general it only underlines the sense of anticlimax. After all, who did not know that the United States was lavishly feeding the same hands that fed Bin Laden? There’s some minor triumph, also, in the confirmation that our old enemy was not a heroic guerrilla fighter but the pampered client of a corrupt and vicious oligarchy that runs a failed and rogue state.
But, again, we were aware of all this already. At least we won’t have to put up with a smirking video when the 10th anniversary of his best-known atrocity comes around. Come to think of it, though, he hadn’t issued any major communiqués on any subject lately (making me wonder, some time ago, if he hadn’t actually died or been accidentally killed already), and the really hateful work of his group and his ideology was being carried out by a successor generation like his incomparably more ruthless clone in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. I find myself hoping that, like Zarqawi, Bin Laden had a few moments at the end to realize who it was who had found him and to wonder who the traitor had been. That would be something. Not much, but something.
In what people irritatingly call “iconic” terms, Bin Laden certainly had no rival. The strange, scrofulous quasi-nobility and bogus spirituality of his appearance was appallingly telegenic, and it will be highly interesting to see whether this charisma survives the alternative definition of revolution that has lately transfigured the Muslim world. The most tenaciously lasting impression of all, however, is that of his sheer irrationality. What had the man thought he was doing? Ten years ago, did he expect, let alone desire, to be in a walled compound in dear little Abbottabad?
Ten years ago, I remind you, he had a gigantic influence in one rogue and failed state—Afghanistan—and was exerting an increasing force over its Pakistani neighbor. Taliban and al-Qaida sympathizers were in senior positions in the Pakistani army and nuclear program and had not yet been detected as such. Huge financial subventions flowed his way, often through official channels, from Saudi Arabia and other gulf states. As well as running a nihilist international, he was the head of a giant and profitable network of banking and money-laundering. He could order heavy artillery wheeled up to destroy the Buddhist treasures of Afghanistan in broad daylight. A nexus of madrassas was spreading the word from Indonesia to London, just as a nexus of camps was schooling future murderers.
And he decided to gamble all these ripening strategic advantages in a single day. Then, not only did he run away from Afghanistan, leaving his deluded followers to be killed in very large numbers, but he chose to remain a furtive and shady figure, on whom the odds of a successful covert “hit,” or bought-and-paid-for betrayal, were bound to lengthen every day.
It seems thinkable that he truly believed his own mad propaganda, often adumbrated on tapes and videos, especially after the American scuttle from Somalia. The West, he maintained, was rotten with corruption and run by cabals of Jews and homosexuals. It had no will to resist. It had become feminized and cowardly. One devastating psychological blow and the rest of the edifice would gradually follow the Twin Towers in a shower of dust. Well, he and his fellow psychopaths did succeed in killing thousands in North America and Western Europe, but in the past few years, their main military triumphs have been against such targets as Afghan schoolgirls, Shiite Muslim civilians, and defenseless synagogues in Tunisia and Turkey. Has there ever been a more contemptible leader from behind, or a commander who authorized more blanket death sentences on bystanders?
Theocratic irrationality is not so uncommon that defeats like this are enough to render it unattractive. No doubt some braggarts will continue to tell instant opinion polls in the region that they regard him as a holy sheik or some such drivel. (Funny how those polls never picked up the local appetite for constitutional democracy.) With any luck, there will even be demented rumors that Bin Laden is not “really” dead. Fine: He’d probably already done the worst damage he was going to do. In anything describable as the real world, his tactics were creating antibodies and antagonists, or no longer matched observable conditions, or had at least hit diminishing returns. From Baghdad to Bali, it has been conclusively demonstrated that Bin-Ladenism is the cause of poverty, misery, and unemployment and not—as some know-nothings used to claim—a response to it.
The martyr of Abbottabad is no more, and the competing Führer-complexes of his surviving underlings will perhaps now enjoy an exciting free rein. Yet the uniformed and anonymous patrons of that sheltered Abbottabad compound are |
beat Gimnasia y Esgrima by the same score. The revolution gathered pace. Saldaña’s wife was killed in a car crash, but he played on, finding strength in Bielsa and the team unit.
Results picked up in the Libertadores as well. Newell’s went unbeaten through the remainder of the group stage and gained a cathartic 1-0 win over San Lorenzo in Almagro. The better Bielsa did, the more his methods were examined and the more the question was asked: What was this new style? Was he bilardista or menottista?
“Bielsa was not aligned to Bilardo or to Menotti,” Llop insisted. “A tactician is often seen as a negative, defensive style of manager, but tactics are not just defending and blocking the opponents’ main virtues. Bielsa proved that. He was a mix between the two, always thinking about the opposition goal, with an order and balance to be able to press as far away as possible from our own area and with a type of game more vertical than horizontal. We used the whole width of the pitch but with a vertical idea of going forward. Bielsa is like a fusion of the two schools.”
That was certainly how the coach saw it. “I spent 16 years of my life listening to them: eight to Menotti, a coach who prioritizes inspiration, and eight to Bilardo, a coach who prioritizes functionality,” he said after becoming national coach in 1998. “I tried to take the best from each.”
Menotti and Bilardo responded as every stereotype about their personalities suggested they should. “Bielsa is a young man with concerns,” said Menotti. “He has ideas and he knows how to develop them. But we do not agree on the starting point: He thinks football is predictable and I do not.” Bilardo, meanwhile, claimed Bielsa was simply repeating what he’d done. “I share his thinking because it seems to me that we did that in 1986,” he said. “They have many videos to study opponents, as I did back then.”
Some would argue that those 120 repetitions on a Friday were bilardista, but Bielsa’s ideas on the need to attack whenever possible were at the menottista end of the spectrum. He certainly would never have accepted Bilardo’s insistence that seven outfielders in the team were there to defend and three to attack. “I am obsessive about attack,” he said. “When I watch videos, it’s for attacking, not for defending. My football, in defense, is very simple: We run all the time. I know that it’s easier to defend than create. To run, for example, is a decision of the will. To create you need an indispensable amount of talent.”
For Bielsa, defending was the first stage of attacking. He didn’t set up his sides to sit back and absorb pressure but to win the ball back as high up the pitch as possible. “While the opponent has the ball,” he explained, “the whole team presses, always trying to cut off the play as close as possible to the opponent’s goal; when we get it we look to play with dynamism and create the spaces for improvisation.”
Bielsa said his philosophy could be reduced to four terms: “concentración permanente, movilidad, rotación y repenitización”. The first three are easy to translate—permanent focus, mobility, and rotation; the fourth, though, is classic Bielsa. In music, repenitización is used for the practice of playing a piece without having practiced it first. The term in football clearly has some sense of improvisation while also carrying a sense of urgency. It sums up the counterintuitive idealism of the Bielsa philosophy, demanding that players repeatedly do things for the first time, a paradox that perhaps suggests the glorious futility of what he is trying to achieve. “The possible is already done,” Bielsa said during his time at Newell’s. “We are doing the impossible.” When Llop speaks of playing mystical games and of having to have faith, that is what he means: Bielsa seems as interested in reaching for the absolute as in winning matches—and that, of course, gives him his cultish appeal.
Like many South Americans of his generation, Bielsa had been heavily influenced by the Dutch side of the early ’70s, and his basic style developed out of the Total Football philosophy of Rinus Michels; in fact, it bore striking similarities to the theories Louis van Gaal was putting into practice at Ajax at around the same time. The basic shape was a 4-3-3/3-4-3 hybrid, although that was always flexible and would change according to the opposition. “He looked to give players a certain versatility,” said Llop. “It wasn’t a problem changing positions because we were convinced by what we were doing. When you see the results, when you can see that it is working, then you are willing to do what he tells you.”
A proactive approach, taken to its extremes, denies fixed positions. Positions become relative, determined, as Arrigo Sacchi demanded, by four factors: the space, the ball, the opponent, and the teammates. “We can’t have anybody in the squad who thinks they can win games on their own,” Bielsa said, principles that had been embodied by Sacchi’s AC Milan. “The key is to occupy the pitch well, to have a short team with no more than 25 meters from front to back, and to have a defense that is not distracted if somebody moves position.”
The more direct influence on Bielsa, though, was the Uruguayan Oscar Washington Tabárez, a coach whose pragmatism seems oddly incongruent with Bielsa’s own idealism. “Football,” Bielsa said, “rests on four fundamentals, as outlined by Tabárez: 1) defense, 2) attack, 3) how you move from defense to attack, 4) how you move from attack to defense. The issue is trying to make those passages as smooth as possible.”
In adopting such an audacious approach, Bielsa was encouraged by the polifuncionalidad—versatility—in the Newell’s squad. If, for instance, Gerardo Martino, the attacking central midfielder, found himself facing two holding players, Alfredo Berti could push forward so Martino didn’t face “an unequal struggle.” That had a effect elsewhere, of course. “What do we do with Berizzo when he remains alone against two creative midfielders?” Bielsa asked. “Llop has to go up to the position that Berti left or Saldaña goes into the position of Berizzo, el Toto [Berizzo] thus running to the original demarcation of Berti … Both possibilities are valid, and which to apply is left to the judgment of the players.”
Newell’s lost only once that season in the league and took the clausura by two points from Vélez. In the Libertadores, they beat Defensor Sporting to set up a quarterfinal against San Lorenzo. The pain of the 6-0 loss was still fresh, but this time they won 4-0 in Rosario to take the tie 5-1. Newell’s then edged by América de Cali on penalties in the semifinal. The final, against the São Paulo of Rai and Cafú, also went to penalties, but this time Newell’s lost.
Bielsa, seemingly exhausted by the strain of coaching the team he supported to play in the style for which he was an evangelist, resigned. “We tried to convince him to stay,” said Llop, “but the process was worn out. He wanted to quit before then, and with Martino we went to his home and convinced him to stay a little longer, but after a month or two, he resigned. He probably understood that his era had ended. When he left, we ended playing to avoid relegation. It was terrible.”
For Bielsa, the template was set. The pattern has continued at every club he has been at: The intensity bringing stunning results, then exhaustion. It happened at Vélez and at Athletic, which played stunning football at times in Bielsa’s first season, particularly in their victory over Manchester United in the Europa League, before it fell apart in the second season as some players left and others proved unable to cope with their coach’s intensity.
“If players weren’t human,” Bielsa noted at Vélez, “I’d never lose.” But players are human. Perhaps that’s why his longest-lasting successes were at the national level. After a desperately unlucky World Cup in 2002—Argentina had more shots and won more corners in the group stage than anybody else but still went out—Bielsa led Argentina to the final of the 2004 Copa América and then to Olympic gold. With the Chile national side, he effectively defined a nation’s philosophy, making them one of the most watchable sides at the 2010 World Cup and laying the groundwork for a similar performance in 2014, when they were coached by Jorge Sampaoli, a Bielsa disciple.
That, perhaps, will be Bielsa’s greatest legacy—not the trophies he has won but the coaches he has inspired, men capable of treating players as humans.Buyback & Burn Program October
WavesGo Blocked Unblock Follow Following Nov 6, 2017
Dear WavesGo supporters
Beginning of November the second tranche of our new Buyback & Burn Program was due — you have probably noticed the market activity over the last couple of days. If you have not, you might have missed the announcement of WavesGo’s new Token Economics from about two months ago.
Here the most important section:
“Starting from October 2017, 50% of all net profits generated by WavesGo are being used to buy back & burn WGO tokens. This means that literally 50 cent of every single dollar of profit earned by all our current and future revenue streams flows back into the WGO market. Moreover, we are going to use the 50% retained MRT from mining operations for the buy back program too.”
Size of Buyback: 2’491.514 WAVES
WGO purchased & burned: 129’993.71815725
Average price: 0.01916 WAVES/WGO
Burn TX: http://wavesgo.com/transactions/CVmptPE1ejvZqS9L1nZagAo1EZCKA62Jfx8gJZtDk3Jp
Check the following link to see the new total supply of WavesGo, pulled directly from the blockchain:
http://www.wavesgo.com:8080/wavesBI/assets/4eT6R8R2XuTcBuTHiXVQsh2dN2mg3c2Qnp95EWBNHygg/supply
The next Buyback & Burn is going to take place in the beginning of December.
Find us online
Connect with us on social media to stay up to date:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoWavesgo
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WavesGo/
Email: go@wavesgo.comThe Sager family at the beginning of their journey west
The Sager orphans (sometimes referred to as the Sager children) were the children of Henry and Naomi Sager. In April 1844 the Sager family took part in the great westward migration and started their journey along the Oregon Trail. During it, both Henry and Naomi died and left their seven children orphaned. Later adopted by Marcus and Narcissa Whitman, missionaries in what is now Washington, they were orphaned a second time, when both their new parents, as well as brothers John and Francis Sager, were killed during the Whitman massacre in November 1847. About 1860 Catherine, the oldest girl, wrote a first-hand account of their journey across the plains and their life with the Whitmans. Today it is regarded as one of the most authentic accounts of the American westward migration.
The children's names were (from oldest to youngest):
John Carney Sager (born 1831 in Union County, Ohio)
Francis "Frank" Sager (born 1833 in Union County, Ohio)
Catherine Carney Sager (born April 15, 1835 in Union County, Ohio)
Elizabeth Marie Sager (born July 6, 1837 in Union County, Ohio)
Matilda Jane Sager (born October 6, 1839 in Buchanan County, Missouri)
Hannah Louise "Louisa" Sager (born 1841 in Platte County, Missouri)
Henrietta Naomi "Rosanna" Sager (born May 30, 1844 along the Oregon Trail in present-day Kansas)
Before the Oregon Trail [ edit ]
Henry Sager was described as a "restless one" by his daughter, Catherine. Before 1844 he had moved his growing family three times. Starting in Virginia they moved to Ohio, later to Indiana before finally arriving in Platte County, Missouri. There, backed by his two sons, John and Francis, he decided to head for Oregon, the fabled territory in the Pacific Northwest. Naomi was reluctant to go, at first, but eventually agreed. In late autumn 1843, they reached St. Joseph, Missouri, a jump-off point for the Oregon Trail. At this time she was already pregnant with her seventh child. Over the winter they stayed in St. Joseph where in March 1844 Henry joined a group of pioneers who called themselves The Independent Colony.
On the Oregon Trail [ edit ]
Independent Colony The route of the
At the end of April 1844, the Independent Colony, 300 people in 72 covered wagons, crossed the Missouri River and started out on the 2,000-mile (3,200 km) journey along the Oregon Trail. The company was under the command of Captain William Shaw, who was traveling with his wife, Sally, and six children. After five weeks on the trail Naomi gave birth to their seventh child, a girl named Henrietta. Due to the delivery, she was weakened and only slowly regained her strength.
Independence Rock State Historic Site
On July 4, 1844, the Independent Colony celebrated Independence Day on the banks of the Platte River. A couple of days later, while crossing its south fork, Naomi was severely injured as the Sager wagon overturned in the shallow waters along the bank. But the pioneers pressed on. At the end of July 1844 the wagon train passed Chimney Rock, a famous landmark along the trail in what is now Nebraska. It was the reminder that the Great Plains were almost crossed and the Rocky Mountains lay right ahead.
A few hours before reaching Fort Laramie, Catherine caught her dress on an axe handle when she jumped out of the moving wagon. Her leg, trapped beneath one of the heavy wheels, was broken several times, an event that could have easily been fatal under the medical and sanitary conditions of that situation. But due to the immediate treatment by Henry and Dr. Dutch, a German-born doctor, her leg was eventually saved. She, however, was confined to the wagon for the rest of the journey. From Fort Laramie onward, Dr. Dutch stayed with the Sagers in order to care for her injury. Thus the wagon train moved on and a couple of days later the Independent Colony reached Independence Rock in present-day Wyoming, where some of the travelers carved their names into the granite rock.
The deaths of Henry and Naomi Sager [ edit ]
On August 23, 1844, the wagon train reached South Pass, a high plains pass that is on the Continental Divide. During the descent into the Green River valley some of the travelers fell ill due to an outbreak of camp fever. Amongst those suffering was Henry. After crossing the Green River, two women and a child were already dead, and it became evident that Henry wouldn't live through the night. He asked Captain Shaw to take care of his family and died soon afterwards. He was buried by them on the banks of the Green River in an improvised coffin.
Naomi, still weakened from childbirth and mourning her husband, now had all the responsibility for the seven children. Although Captain Shaw and Dr. Dutch did everything possible to assist her, the exertions were too much. Suffering from heavy fever she became delirious and finally requested Dr. Dutch to squire the children to Marcus Whitman, a missionary in the Walla Walla Valley of what is now southeastern Washington. She died near present-day Twin Falls, Idaho. Her last words were "Oh Henry, if you only knew how we have suffered". As there was no lumber available, she was buried wrapped in a bedsheet. John, the oldest child, carved the words Naomi Carney Sager, age 37 out of a wooden headboard and thus marked the shallow grave. The children, the youngest three months and the oldest thirteen years, were left orphaned.
The Whitman years [ edit ]
In 1837 Narcissa Whitman, aged 29, gave birth to a daughter, Alice Clarissa. Two years later, she was distracted for a moment and Alice drowned in the nearby Walla Walla River, having gone there to fill her cup with water. Narcissa suffered deeply from this loss. In an attempt to regain some sense of family she began taking care of other children. Soon four were in their custody, including the daughters of mountain men Joseph Meek and Jim Bridger.
In early October 1844, the Independent Colony reached the Whitman Mission, and the Sager orphans found a new home with Narcissa. In July 1845 Marcus obtained a court order giving him legal custody of them. They had new parents.
The deaths of Marcus and Narcissa Whitman [ edit ]
Marcus was a physician and a Protestant missionary. In 1836 he and Narcissa, together with a group of other missionaries, joined a caravan of fur traders and traveled west, establishing several missions as well as their own settlement. Located in the Walla Walla Valley on the northern end of the Blue Mountains near the present day city of Walla Walla, Washington, it was in the territory of both the Nez Percé and the Cayuse Native American tribes. The latter called it Waiilatpu (Why-ee-lat-poo, the 't' is half silent), which means "place of the rye grass" in the Cayuse language. Marcus farmed and provided medical care, while Narcissa set up a school for the Native American children. In the early days, life was peaceful at the Whitman Mission. But the peaceful coexistence of the local Cayuse and the white missionaries was in a delicate balance, and in 1847, three years after the arrival of the Sager orphans, the balance began to shift to distrust and animosity.
The number of wagon trains and pioneers had increased significantly since 1843. The settlers inadvertently brought with them diseases the Indians had no immunity to. In the fall of 1847 measles carried west with an emigrant train swept through the Cayuse villages. In the cold and damp weather of November 1847 the epidemic reached its peak and half the tribe died, including most of the children. On November 29, 1847 the situation erupted into violence. A man from the east named Joe Lewis, hoping to create a situation in which he could ransack the Whitman Mission, spread the rumor among the local Cayuse that Marcus, who was attempting to treat them during the epidemic, was in fact deliberately poisoning them. On November 29, 1847, the Cayuse attacked Waiilatpu.
The Whitman massacre ended with the death of fourteen people at the mission, including Marcus, Narcissa, and John and Francis Sager. Another fifty-four women and children were captured and held for ransom, including the daughters of Joseph Meek and Jim Bridger and all the Sager girls. Several of the prisoners died in captivity, mostly from illnesses such as measles, including Helen Mar Meek and Louisa Sager. One month after the massacre, on December 29, 1847, Peter Skene Ogden from the Hudson's Bay Company arranged an exchange of sixty-two blankets, sixty-three cotton shirts, twelve rifles, six hundred loads of ammunition, seven pounds of tobacco, and twelve flints for the return of the forty-nine surviving prisoners. They were brought to Fort Vancouver and released into freedom.
After the Whitman massacre [ edit ]
Catherine, Elizabeth, and Matilda Sager meet at the 50th anniversary commemoration of the Whitman massacre in November 1897.
At this point family life ended for the remaining four Sager orphans. The girls were split up and grew up with different families. All of them married young.
Henrietta had no children. She died at the age of 26, having been mistakenly shot by an outlaw.
Matilda had 8 children. She spent her later life with a daughter in California, where she died on April 13, 1928 at the age of 89.
Elizabeth had 9 children. She lived in Portland, Oregon, where she died on July 19, 1925 at the age of 88.
Catherine married Clark Pringle, a Methodist minister and bore him 8 children. They lived in Spokane, Washington. About ten years after her arrival in Oregon she wrote an account of the Sager family's journey west. She hoped to earn enough money to set up an orphanage in memory of Narcissa Whitman. She never found a publisher. She died on August 10, 1910 at the age of 75. Her children and grandchildren saved her manuscript without modification, and today it is regarded as one of the most authentic accounts of the American westward migration.
In 1897, more than 3,000 visitors attended the 50th anniversary commemoration of the massacre on the mission grounds. Invited as guests of honor were some of the survivors of the events of 1847, including Catherine Sager Pringle, Elizabeth Sager Helm, and Matilda Sager Delaney, the last surviving Sager orphans.
The actors Harold Daye and Rickie Sorensen played the two Sager sons in the 1958 episode, "Head of the House", of the syndicated anthology series, Death Valley Days, hosted by Stanley Andrews. In the story line, the Sager orphans head to the Whitman mission after the death of both parents. They are assisted along the way by the famous frontier scout Kit Carson (Morgan Jones) (1928-2012). Roy Barcroft played the wagon master, Captain Shaw.[1]
The 1974 film ‘’Seven Alone’’ starring Stewart Petersen documents the Sager family story.
Sources [ edit ]
Catherine Sager Pringle, Across the Plains in 1844.
. National Park Service – Whitman Mission NHS, The True Story of the Sagers.
. Mary Trotter Kion, The Sagers go West.
. Erwin N. Thompson, Shallow Grave at Waiilatpu: The Sagers' West (1969).
(1969). Ken Burns, The West, Transcript of the PBS documentary.
, Transcript of the PBS documentary. Stewart Petersen, ‘’Seven Alone’’ (1974) film.Team RBO from Berlin wins Amazon Picking Challenge convincingly
The Amazon Picking Challenge is over and two things stood out. One: how many different arm gripper solutions were possible; and two: just how difficult the challenge still is. The gap between the top two teams and the other 26 teams was significant, with Team RBO scoring 148 points, Team MIT scoring 88 points and Team Grizzly next best with 35 points.
Just in: video from winning Team RBO (hattip to SushiCapacitor on Reddit)
The Amazon Picking Challenge was developed to spur advancement in fundamental technologies for automated picking in unstructured warehouse environments. This is something that Amazon badly needs to do better in order to fulfill all our e-commerce instant delivery orders. And it’s also something that will enable robots to better work in all areas of our life. Not surprisingly then, there was a lot of excitement at ICRA around the 2 day challenge.
One of the conference expo halls was given over to robot competitions. There were 16 bays with a set of warehouse shelves in each. Amazon had announced a menu of common e-commerce items that would be used in the challenge, but before each round the shelves were stocked with a randomized selection of items from the menu and each team was given a order list to fulfill. Each of the 28 teams was given time slots to practice in and then compete. Over the course of 2 days, 28 teams rotated through the competition.
It was similar to the DARPA Robotics Challenge, at least the 2013 first round. “Like watching paint dry.” With so much happening at ICRA, I was only able to visit the Picking Challenge for short periods of time. As a spectator, I spent most of my time watching robots do nothing. Large amounts of nothing. Occasionally nothing would be enlivened by an attempt to pick up nothing, or perhaps the shelf itself. Once or twice I saw a real pick get dropped.
If I was very lucky, because the competition area was crowded with media, spectators and members of other teams, I might get to look at the laptops running code and showing representations of what the robot was perceiving while it looked like nothing was happening.
And the perception was the real event. I talked to Team MIT after they posted their score of 88 points, blowing all previous entrants out of the water. I had particularly noticed their combination of an ABB 2 armed robot with a flat scoop and a suction gripper. When asked if they attributed their success to the end effector or other mechanical solutions, the team gave all credit instead to their perception and path planning algorithms.
Ultimately that is the secret sauce that Amazon, and all the other major robot companies, would like to capture; better algorithms for existing robots. The range of hardware in use in the competition was broad. There were several Baxters, Yaskawa Motomans, Universal Arms, ABBs, PR2s, Barrett Arms, custom built 3d printer style rigs and factory automation. There were scoops, hands, grippers, and suction.
End effectors were made or covered in a range of substances, wood, metal, plastic, soft silicon. While it might all be about the algorithm, I will point out that the two most efficient teams did both use suction and soft surfaced grippers. A third thing that stood out to me was how many large robotics companies were in the audience of the Picking Challenge, watching.
Congratulations to the winning teams – and to Amazon for the support they gave the robotics community for this event. Amazon awarded travel grants to ICRA, arranged practice equipment and a $26,000 prize pool. Participants will be encouraged to share and disseminate their approach to improve future challenge results and industrial implementations.
Some more information from Barrett Technology:
Of 25 teams from around the world, the winner of the Amazon Robotic Bin-Picking Challenge is the Technische Universität Berlin using Barrett’s WAM robotic arm.
The Amazon Picking Challenge is the centerpiece of the record-attendance IEEE Conference on Robotics & Automation in Seattle this year. There are 28 teams here from around the globe who have brought their hardware and software to the competition. Entries include robotic arms from ABB, Fanuc, Rethink Robotics, Universal Robots, and Yaskawa-Motoman. The competition just finished, and the scores are in Technische Universität Berlin’s Robotics and Biology Laboratory using Barrett’s WAM arm in 1st place at 148 points followed, in 2nd place with 88 points, by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology using an ABB arm and a gripper with creative finger geometries. The 3rd place finisher came in at 35 points.
Prof. Oliver Brock of TU-Berlin remarks: “This has been a fantastic team effort. Every single member of our team contributed with enthusiasm and ingenuity, enabling us to produce a compelling showcase for mobile manipulation as a winning approach to industrial manipulation.” Speaking to media, Townsend adds: “We are grateful that TU-Berlin won this competition, and of course especially grateful that they chose to use the WAM arm. The WAM’s dexterity is world-class, the long-and-slender links allow the robot to reach easily in and around tight workspaces, and the WAM’s famed backdrivability enables deft interactions with the environment. While it’s a powerful combination of capabilities, the great creativity and dedication of the students and staff under Oliver’s leadership has been essential, and it has been an absolute pleasure supporting them.”
The WAM arm (shown with a BarrettHand).
To learn more about the team from the Technische Universität Berlin, go to
http://www.robotics.tu-berlin. de
Contact Prof. Alberto Rodriguez for more information about the MIT team, at
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~ albertor
To read more about the 2015 Amazon Robotic Bin-Picking Challenge, go to
http://amazonpickingchallenge. org
For information on the IEEE International Conference on Robotics & Automation, go to
http://icra2015.orgTime for the exclusive reveal and first look at the official cover artwork for the WWE Extreme Rules 2013 DVD, featuring Triple H and Brock Lesnar!
Extreme Rules hits stores across the United States on June 18th. You can get your Amazon pre-order ready now over at this link. There are currently no indications that the event will also be released on Blu-ray format to North America; confirmed only for Europe thus far.
Last Man Standing Match for the WWE Championship
John Cena vs. Ryback Cage Match
Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar I Quit Match
Alberto Del Rio vs. Jack Swagger United States Championship
Kofi Kingston vs. Dean Ambrose Tornado Tag Team Match for the Tag Team Championships
Team Hell No vs. The Shield Strap Match
Sheamus vs. Mark Henry Extreme Rules Match
Randy Orton vs. Big Show Chris Jericho vs. Fandango
Get your copy…
In the US: Click here to pre-order the Extreme Rules 2013 DVD for June 18th.
In Canada: Click here to pre-order the Extreme Rules 2013 DVD for June 25th.
In Australia: DVD available to pre-order from WWEDVD.com.au for July 3rd release.
In Europe: The UK gets it on both DVD and Blu-ray formats. Pre-order at WWEDVD.co.uk.Some travelers think that the place where you lay your head on the road is just that - a place to sleep, or change clothes. But there are some trips where the accommodations are the main attraction. To the more daring traveler, the flower-quilted double bed and lacquered furniture of a typical hotel room is just plain boring. For the intrepid, quirky and adventurous globetrotter, here are 18 unique hotels from around the world.
1. Hotel Ještěd, Czech Republic
Czech architect Karel Hubáček is responsible for the retro-futuristic tower rising over 300 ft (91m) above majestic Ještěd mountain. The building itself has a futuristic flare (or at least "the future" according to the 60s) both inside and out.
The tower was designed to naturally extend the silhouette of the mountain it tops, but isn't merely decorative. It is a television transmitter, built to withstand the extreme climate.
Built between 1966 and 1973, the Ještěd Tower was awarded the Perret Prize, an honor bestowed by the International Union of Architects. Below the tower is a hotel and restaurant, both of which embraced the "space age" motif with rounded egg chairs hanging from ceilings and gold-tinted lighting, everything decidedly round.
The view is one of the most breathtaking in all of the Czech Republic, looking out over parts of Germany and Poland, and the majority of Bohemia.
You can reach the hotel by either walking or driving up the mountain or using a cable car. It is the location used in the movie "Grandhotel," if you'd like to get a sneak peek before hauling yourself up to the top of the hill. [ link map]
2. Giraffe Manor, Kenya
link The Giraffe Manor, built in 1932 by Sir David Duncan, is surrounded by 140 acres (57ha) of its own park and forest thirty minutes from the centre of Nairobi, Kenya's capital city, with superb views of the Ngong Hills. In 1974 Jock Leslie-Melville, grandson of a Scots earl, and his American wife Betty, who also founded the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife (AFEW), bought the Manor.
link They then moved two highly endangered baby Rothschild giraffe to the estate, where they thrived and have produced several further generations of giraffe.
link Travellers from all over the world now make The Giraffe Manor part of their East African Safari. Some spend a week here and The Giraffe Manor has many repeat guests, who have become old friends. Personally hosted, The Giraffe Manor is an elegant and exclusive small hotel with a rich blend of welcoming accommodation, highly trained staff and one of Nairobi's finest kitchens.
link The Giraffe Manor also offers a uniquely untouched wilderness on the doorstep of one of Africa's most cosmopolitan cities, the adjoining Jock Leslie-Melville Nature Education Centre, better known as the Giraffe Centre. Guided walks through its primeval forest enable you to learn about traditional uses of the varied flora, view some of the 180 bird species and perhaps meet a warthog or bushbuck. [ link map]
3. Marqués de Riscal, Spain
link Nestled in the renowned Vinos de los Herederos del Marques de Riscal’s vineyard in the medieval village of Elciego (Basque Country, northern Spain), the hotel’s spectacular curves, titanium roof and asymmetry of walls provide an elegant contrast to the historic wine cellars designed in 1858 by the architect Ricardo Bellsola.
link The hotel’s 43 luxury rooms and suites, each unique and different in their shapes and offered views, are “thrown” in two wings connected by a spectacular suspended footbridge.
link All stylish rooms at the Hotel Marqués de Riscal feature a distinctive zig-zag window seat with views of the valley. There is a plasma TV in each room and the black marble bathrooms come with a hairdryer.
link The Caudalie Vinothérapie Spa offers a range of grape-based treatments. There is also an indoor pool, hammam, fitness centre and massage services. At the top of the hotel there is a rooftop library-lounge and a wine bar. You can enjoy panoramic views from here or from the 8 terraces. [ link1, link2 map]
4. Inntel Hotel, Netherlands
link The new Inntel hotel in Zaandam is without a shadow of a doubt, the main eye-stopper in the revamped town centre and a building that has set many tongues wagging in the Netherlands.
link The iconic green wooden houses of the Zaan region were the fount of inspiration for the hotel’s designer, Wilfried van Winden (WAM architecten, Delft). The structure is a lively stacking of various examples of these traditional houses, ranging from a notary’s residence to a worker’s cottage.
link Providing 160 guest rooms, the hotel also offers a bar-restaurant, a swimming pool, and a wellness centre with a Finnish sauna and a Turkish bath. The hotel tower, with a footprint that is well-nigh square, is almost forty metres tall (130ft) and has eleven floors.
link Constructed of timber and Eternit fibre cement cladding, the edifice is expressive, with varied fenestration, wide protruding sections, and elegant white eaves and barge-boards. [ link map]
5. Sarova Saltlick Game Lodge, Kenya link A thrilling destination for the true wildlife enthusiast, this unique hotel combines responsible ecotourism with amazing proximity to wildlife. link This catering establishment is located in the midst of the Taita Hills Sanctuary, a private wildlife conservancy at the foot of the Taita Hills bordering Tsavo West National Park, approx. six hours drive from Nairobi or three and a half hours from Mombasa. link The hotel is made up of rooms on stilts above watering holes, connected by walkways, meaning guests have close up visual access to the game below. link 96 rooms are comfortably furnished and built on two storeys, with many enjoying uninterrupted views of the waterhole below. [map] Theare comfortably furnished and built on two storeys, with many enjoying uninterrupted views of the waterhole below. [ link
6. The Marmara Antalya, Turkey
link Located on the famous Falez cliffs near Antalya, the world's only revolving hotel building gives guests magnificent 360° views.
link The complete 'Revolving Loft' annex building moves, with a full rotation of it's 24 guest bedrooms taking anywhere between 2 and 22 hours. The rotation is smooth, aided by 6 electric motors in the basement and you can go to sleep facing the sea and wake up facing the pool.
link This 2750 ton building floats in a tank holding only 478 tons of water. With the 3 bottommost floors submerged, there is a lounge at the entrance and rooms on the other 3 floors. Yet somehow, the taps still work and the toilets still flush.
link It is an impressive feat of engineering design. The complete hotel consists of 238 originally designed rooms. [ link map]
7. Sun Cruise Hotel, South Korea
link Perched high above the shores on the costal cliff in Jeongdongjin, a South Korean tourist town known for having the best view of the sunrise, is a cruise ship that appears to have been mysteriously transported from the sea. That is Sun Cruise Resort & Yacht - the world’s first on-land cruise themed resort.
link The hotel measures 165 metres (540ft) in length, 45 metres (150ft) in height, and 30,000 tons in weight. The Sun Cruise Resort has 211 rooms, both condominium and hotel style, a Western and a Korean restaurant, revolving sky lounge, a karaoke, and sea water pool. It also offers six state-of-the-art function rooms for seminars and workshops.
Hotel entrance link The resort was designed to give tourists a realistic feel of a cruise ship without the motion sickness. Overhead speakers play sounds of crashing waves around the ship and even bird calls.
link Opened in 2002, it quickly became one of the most popular attractions in South Korea. You can enjoy the whole experience for only £45.12 a night (80,000 South Korean Won). [ link map]
8. King Pacific Lodge, Canada
link King Pacific Lodge is considered as the only hotel in the world, where visitors can float on the water while they sleep during a rest, unlike cruise ships this hotel is a comfortable and unique as it passes through one of the largest nature reserves in the |
was not the original color in the template, but I like the combination of yellow background with blue characters, So I agree. Electionworld 11:58, 16 May 2005 (UTC) OK, yellow it is, so I guess that resolves the color issue. --Humble Guy 05:06, May 17, 2005 (UTC)
I believe the Yellow flag used as symbol for the whole liberalism portal should go. Three reasons:
1. Yellow is the colour associated with a bunch of modern liberal political parties. But not more than that, a mere association. The colour yellow does not have the same meaning as for example the colour red has for socialists.
2. Flags like these symbolize resistance and revolution. Modern liberals don't do that stuff.
3. Classical liberals did, but this colour is completely anachronistic when discussing classical liberalism. They would use the national colours or the colour red (jacobins). The image on the front page of liberty sporting the tricolore is a good example. --Two-and-twenty (talk) 09:34, 15 October 2011 (UTC)
I agree, yellow flag has to go. Twafotfs (talk) 15:50, 7 January 2012 (UTC)
I'm surprised that nobody's mentioned the second meaning of "yellow flag" in U.S. English. To "wave the yellow flag" means to surrender, typically in a cowardly manner. When I saw it as a symbol for liberalism here, I immediately thought that it was a prank, intended to be insulting, perpetrated by someone who disagrees with liberalism. Therefore, I think it should be changed to... well, *anything* else. --tgeller (talk) 07:00, 3 August 2012 (UTC)
If the flag and color are proving problematic, why not try another symbol like the torch of liberty. Or is that too American? --RainyDayCrow —Preceding undated comment added 15:25, 31 July 2012 (UTC)
Discussion here, votes only upstairs [ edit ]
Note: for the unfamiliar, above section are for votes, pls discuss below.
The Christian-Democrat Party of East Timor, and the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats party of the Philippines use yellow. Just because yellow is not a common conservative color in Netherlands, Belgium or Finland does not mean it the rest of the world is any less valid. These parties use yellow with respect to the Vatican's flag which has yellow portions. --Humble Guy 13:18, May 3, 2005 (UTC)
Just because blue is used by Democrats in the United States (who I don't think even know what liberalism means) does not mean it the rest of the world is any more valid. And did you know, that East Timor and Philippines are not located in Europe? ("especially the christian democrats in Europe...")
My response is now in my talk page --Humble Guy 09:03, May 7, 2005 (UTC)
Back to Liberalism [ edit ]
I believe we should have an expansion for this template. Seems rather limited, especially when compared to Socialism. I'll try to make a branches article for this template one of this months. --Humble Guy 03:45, May 7, 2005 (UTC)
The fact that Socialism has a larger template isn't a reason to expand this one. It might rather tell, that socialism is more fragmented ideology and therefore needs a longer template, or at least that the Socialism template lacks a total conception. If links to an article will be added to the Liberalism template, it should be because it is essential to liberalism, not because somebody wants to make the template longer. I agree completely. Electionworld 10:44, 18 May 2005 (UTC) OK, fine, I won't do the branches article :)....--Humble Guy 09:17, May 19, 2005 (UTC)
Entry points [ edit ]
See Ideology#Political_ideologies – Kaihsu 19:32, 2005 May 16 (UTC)
Ok, thanks, nice entry points, --Humble Guy 05:06, May 17, 2005 (UTC)
Centrism [ edit ]
I think this template shouldn't be called "Liberalism and Centrism", but just "Liberalism". Centrism is a much more vague conception, and can mean for instance Christian Democracy, which is liberal neither in the social nor the economical sense of the word. 213.243.154.187 12:27, 24 July 2005 (UTC)
I agreeElectionworld 17:02, 8 August 2005 (UTC)
New layout no improvement [ edit ]
The new layout is no improvement, so I made a rollback. Electionworld 15:04, 9 October 2005 (UTC)
The new layout fits in the norms with the professional templates on Wikipedia recently featured on the main page. A professional article benefits by having an easily navigable template. I think you are being rather defensive -- I noted you do this rather often. Let some other people have a chance. Ogo
I missed the feature on the main page on the professional template. Where can I find it. In Firefox the template was just not an improvement. It might be in IE. In reverted to Ogo's version, but restored some deletions of links, e.g. List of liberal parties and Contributions to liberal theory. I have some doubts about the Figures section. When we start adding persons, where will it end. E.g. Shouldn't we then list also Adam Smith, John Locke, Ralf Dahrendorf etc. Where do we stop? Then a personal note: You might find me rather defensive, but if you see my comments on this page, I agreed with a lot of modifications. The version I saw yesterday had some disadvantages. - Electionworld 06:44, 10 October 2005 (UTC)
Oops, miscommunication: what I mean is this template looks like other templates of featured pages, not that there was a Wikipedia feature actually concerning templates themslves. Featured pages, at least the ones with templates, usually have the little solid bar submenus and they usually have the title of the series in larger, bold font above. (I tend to think appearances matter.) If you think that the aesthetics can be improved, by all means -- I generallly have a rather poor sense for what looks good, only I think the template currently is more navigable. Forgive my impetuousness on yesterday's post. I feel I often get reverted for no cause and I was acting poorly by taking it out on you. Ogo
No problem. I will look for the layout. See e.g. template:elections - Electionworld 11:46, 10 October 2005 (UTC)
Capitalism [ edit ]
I do not think Capitalism belongs in. Economic liberalism is allready in and I don't see the extra value of capitalism added in. Capitalism is not typical for liberalism, and some whould say it is not liberal, since liberals will act against monopolies and cartels. If you read the articles on capitalism, it is clear that it is not a current of liberalism. I deleted it from the box Electionworld 15:39, 20 October 2005 (UTC)
You deny that Adam Smith was a liberal or you deny that he was a capitalist? RJII 02:21, 9 January 2006 (UTC) I believe strongly that Adam Smith is a liberal, but I believe one can be a capitalist without being a liberal. e.g. the present-day communist regime in the PRC (see the comments of Gibby at talk:Communism. Electionworld 12:07, 10 January 2006 (UTC)
Some figures [ edit ]
Why are "some figures" raised up? They are all already mentioned in "Contributions to liberal theory" (some of them twice), and I think that listing them in this box is unnecessary and gives some of the (like Dahrendorf) disproportioned attention regarding their true influence to liberalism, while some other important names are left outside. So if you don't want to make this box a copy of the article "Contributions to liberal theory", it would be better to leave all the names out.--213.243.157.96 12:48, 22 October 2005 (UTC)
I don't mind leaving out all the figures. Electionworld 15:24, 22 October 2005 (UTC) The box would be a lot better with the people removed. For one thing, it makes the box enormous, and since everyone wants their figure mentioned, it will attract drive-by additions that will further grow the template. But also, when you're reading an article, a list of thirty-odd people connected with liberalism is not very helpful or useful. Relevant figures should be mentioned in the article or placed under see also. Christopher Parham (talk) 16:33, 24 October 2005 (UTC) It just makes the box too big. Removing figures... --JW1805 04:34, 29 October 2005 (UTC)
shouldnt Neo-liberalism be one of the main liberalisms?
Given that it's not actually liberalism at all, it shouldn't even be on the list. 75.76.213.106 (talk) 06:39, 21 October 2010 (UTC)
Current [ edit ]
What the hell is a "current"? RJII 02:20, 9 January 2006 (UTC)
I think I used the wrong translation for the Dutch word stroming. The correct translation is trend or tendency. Electionworld 12:04, 10 January 2006 (UTC) I looked in the dictionary and it said a current is "a tendency or course of events that is usually the result of an interplay of forces." I think, as you said, "tendency" or "trend" would probably be more in line and understandable. RJII 16:11, 10 January 2006 (UTC)
Regional trend [ edit ]
Are we going to include Asian liberalism, African liberalism, French liberalism, Scandinavian liberalism? Please stick to the old schools. Especially you (RJII) should agree with labeling American liberalism as a school or trend of liberalism, since it is so different from your admired classical liberalism. Electionworld = Wilfried (talk 16:59, 19 May 2006 (UTC)
I disagree that modern liberalism in America is a "school." It's simply "modern liberalism" as it's practiced in America. Modern liberalism is the school. (That article really needs to be renamed, to something like "Liberalism in America" to avoid this confusion. There is really no such things as a school of liberalism called "American liberalism," otherwise that school of liberalism could be practiced in other countries. A "school" of liberalism would be transferable to other countries, beause it would be the philosophy itself.) RJII 17:16, 19 May 2006 (UTC)
But why can't American liberalism be exported to other countries?
I suppose it could, but there is no source saying that I'm aware of saying that "American liberalism" exists, or has existed, in any other country. What it actually is is social liberalism. RJII 01:37, 20 May 2006 (UTC)
I removed American Liberalism from the template, as it is the wrong article with a confusing name. Liberalism is about free-market and individual economic ability... "American Liberalism" is about a social awareness and intervention in the economy... Perhaps there is an article about (classical) liberalism in the US? Myciconia 20:08, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
Please follow the discussion on diverse pages. There is an article about libertarianism and one about classical liberalism. But American liberalism is a regional trend of worldwide liberalism in its variations. Electionworld = Wilfried (talk 14:08, 24 July 2006 (UTC)
Since this discussion ended the regionalism has returned: Austrian? Australian? Canadian? This is becoming non-sensical I'd prefer to remove all regional variants, including U.S. liberalism from this list. Maybe the best solution is to create a template:Regional variants of Liberalism. C mon 19:58, 7 February 2007 (UTC)
Schools [ edit ]
User:BoDu removed most schools of liberalism in this edit. His reason was "Most political scientists recognize only 2 schools of liberalism:classical liberalism and social liberalism". I dispute this edit, because I believe political scientists have recognized more schools of liberalism. The burder of proof is on BoDu, because he claims to have proof. Can he provide references for this deletion? - C mon 10:59, 22 February 2007 (UTC)
Small or large? [ edit ]
I reorganized the template following reorganizations of templates like {{Socialism sidebar}}, {{Anarchism sidebar}} and {{Communism sidebar}}. The reason for this is that smaller templates are preferable for two reasons
Having a large template can lead to strange lay outs on the screens, especially if articles have multiple large templates, it can become very messy Large templates can be pretty strange on small articles, when half the page is white, because the template continues but the text does not
Making templates expandedable with the "show" button deals with these issues quite nicely. - C mon (talk) 19:16, 3 March 2008 (UTC)
I personally prefer not to have templates with "show" buttons. --Checco (talk) 19:32, 3 March 2008 (UTC) Dear C mon, your opinion counts exactly as mine, so I don't understand why we can't return to the previous version of the template. I think it is fairly more practical to have templates without "show" buttons. They are more easily manageble. For these reasons I ask you to rollback your edit, which has only your consensus. For now. In the meantime, can you at least use brighter colours? --Checco (talk) 08:59, 5 March 2008 (UTC) Manageable for who? The editors or the users? I think that this benefits the users because the text is not distorted when these larger templates clash. I think that 1) we should centralize this debate and 2) probably use dispute resolution to get more than one opinion. C mon (talk) 12:24, 5 March 2008 (UTC) After six days, I can only observe that there is no consensus on the edits of C mon, as he is the only one defending them in this talk page... Dear friend C mon, we definitely need to centralize the debate. I don't think that our discussion is exactly a dispute, but we definitely need to know what a larger number of users think about the issue that comprises a handful of templates. --Checco (talk) 23:10, 11 March 2008 (UTC)
I created a centralized place for discussion about the show/hide-issue here. I invite every one to participate. C mon (talk) 18:06, 12 March 2008 (UTC)
Thinkers [ edit ]
Do we want thinkers/persons on this template, like on the {{Social democracy sidebar}} and {{Communism sidebar}}. I think John Lock, J.S. Mill and John Rawls are the most fundamental liberal thinkers in history, not including them on the template liberalism, would be like making a template on christianity, but not including Jesus. C mon (talk) 07:54, 4 March 2008 (UTC)
I don't want thinkers in this template and a I strongly disagree with the fact that John Rawls is a fundamental liberal thinker: he is liberal only from an American perspective. I disagree with the section on thinkers and there is no consensus on it. If there will be consensus on it, I ask either to take away Rawls from the template or to put near him Friedrich von Hayek and Milton Friedman, another kind of American "liberals", more representative of liberalism from an European perspective. --Checco (talk) 09:03, 5 March 2008 (UTC) I can agree with a lively discussion about which authors should be included. If there are more people who disagree with adding thinkers I also welcome a debate about that. We can make a longer list of possible thinkers. But I certainly think that Rawls is a prominent liberal. He revolutionized liberal thinking. C mon (talk) 12:22, 5 March 2008 (UTC) We can put him, basically a social liberal, if he is accopained by some classical, conservative and economic liberals. In any case the more I think about having thinkers in the templates the more I strongly prefer not to have them: having List of liberal theorists is just fine and fairly better for me. --Checco (talk) 23:20, 11 March 2008 (UTC)
I continue to think that it is fairly better not to have thinkers in the template. Any list would be partial and not complete as liberalism is a broad movement. I think that it is fairly better to have only the link to List of liberal theorists which is more complete and useful to read.
No user other than C mon and me stated his opinion on the issue, so I observe that there is no consensus in having thinkers in the template. Anyway, in the meantime, I add to the template the two thinkers I proposed to C mon above: von Hayek and Friedman. I still hope that it will be possible to take them away from the template. --Checco (talk) 06:33, 25 March 2008 (UTC)
Colours [ edit ]
I would use brighter colours for the template. Everyone agrees? --Checco (talk) 06:43, 25 March 2008 (UTC)
Nozick, Hume [ edit ]
As the most important philosopher in the English language and a critical contributor to liberal theory, David Hume certainly must be mentioned. I don't understand the inclusion of Nozick, however, as he is a marginal figure in philosophy. It would seem that figures such as John Dewey, Kant, Rousseau, and Humboldt deserve placement over him. CABlankenship (talk) 02:48, 4 May 2009 (UTC)
Expanded tag [ edit ]
For some reason the template does not show as expanded, neither individual sections or 'all' when the correct tag is embedded in pages. Can anyone fix this? Thanks. Maguire09 (talk) 20:56, 14 June 2009 (UTC)
Immanuel Kant [ edit ]
I do not understand why Immanuel Kant is in the list of important liberal thinkers, since he wasn’t really a political thinker in the first place – not mainly, and not at all important – and even when he expressed political views, they were not specifically liberal. (See Political philosophy of Immanuel Kant.) If someone does not agree with this, please explain why he should be here! CaspianRehbinder (talk) 14:21, 9 April 2011 (UTC)
Libertarianism or Right-libertarianism [ edit ]
Another editor has been removing the link to Libertarianism and replacing it with one to Right-libertarianism. I think that such a major change to a widely-used template should not be made without clear prior consensus here, and have reverted him. DuncanHill (talk) 22:41, 5 January 2017 (UTC)
I'll restate what I wrote in the edit summary: "There are popular libertarian schools of thought that are not liberal. Only 'right-libertarianism' is accurate." The article on libertarianism refers to all forms of libertarianism and to the entire history of the term, which is largely non-liberal. Outside of anglophone countries cognates of the word "libertarian" aren't even associated primarily with right-libertarianism.JoshuaChen (talk) 23:08, 5 January 2017 (UTC)
It's been four days with no objections. I doubt many people who would care to respond will see this in a reasonable amount of time, and it's absurd that I should have to wait months to make a small change that is, frankly, objectively correct.JoshuaChen (talk) 14:00, 9 January 2017 (UTC)
Well, there was obviously one objection, mine. I think you have missed the point of both the sidebar and the articles Libertarianism and Right-libertarianism. You have selected one variety of libertarianism, largely confined to one country, and decided that a global sidebar should ignore all other forms of libertarianism in its favour. Whether this is to promote this particular form, or to denigrate Liberalism in general (outside the USA few would regard Right-libertarianism as being a liberal position) I do not know. The emphasis on personal freedoms and civil liberties in Libertarianism in the broad sense seems to me to be a very strong argument for its inclusion on this sidebar. I also do not see the urgency - Libertarianism has been on the sidebar a long time with no objections, yet now a single editor has decided that it is imperative to remove it and replace it with a dubiously liberal concept. I am removeing Right-libertarianism as I do not believe it belongs on the sidebar, I object to you closure of the debatre in your own favour, and I think this needs to stay open longer. DuncanHill (talk) 19:40, 9 January 2017 (UTC) You should've objected earlier. My closure of the debate? There was no debate. You just told me to wait around for no reason. Support for capitalism is essential to liberalism. Left-libertarianism is anti-capitalist, and left-libertarians, like all socialists, do not consider themselves to be liberals. The article on libertarianism is about both forms of libertarianism; it's about two radically opposed ideologies, one of which is anti-liberal. "outside the USA few would regard right-libertarianism as being a liberal position." The truth is precisely the opposite. What's known as libertarianism in the US is distinct from "liberalism" because Americans have an unusual definition of the latter. According to the international definition, American conservatives are liberals, American liberals are liberals, and, guess what, right-libertarians are liberals too, because they support capitalism and civil liberties within the context of the nation-state. It says so in the article on right-libertarianism itself. Come on, man. Do some basic reading before you try to debate. If anything, you could argue for the removal of anarcho-capitalism from the list. That's it. If you still disagree, please familiarize yourself with the definitions of "right-libertarianism," "left-libertarianism," and "liberalism" before responding.JoshuaChen (talk) 03:06, 10 January 2017 (UTC)At one safety spot, the Vikings have one of the NFL’s best in Harrison Smith, a versatile playmaker who soon could be among the league’s highest paid, too.
That other spot, though, has been a source of frustration for coach Mike Zimmer since he arrived in Minnesota two years ago. So it was no surprise at the NFL scouting combine in February when Zimmer blurted out to a pack of reporters that he felt the Vikings could do much better at strong safety.
“If Harrison Smith was paired with a guy that had some other qualities, we could allow Harrison to be more of an impactful player,” he said. “I think Harrison can be more impactful if he had the right kind of guy next to him.”
Asked if that right kind of guy is on the roster, he replied, “I don’t know.”
A couple of weeks later, the Vikings passed on free agents Reggie Nelson and George Iloka, whom Zimmer coached during his days with the Cincinnati Bengals, and added 31-year-old safety Michael Griffin, a first-round draft pick of the Tennessee Titans in 2007, on a one-year deal worth $2.5 million.
The plan is for Griffin to duke it out with Andrew Sen- dejo to start alongside Smith in 2016. The Vikings brought back Sendejo, last year’s starting strong safety, with a four-year, $16 million contract. Youngsters Antone Exum and Anthony Harris, who also got starts last season, could get in the mix, too.
Free-agent signee Michael Griffin could line up alongside Harrison Smith, while the safety class in the draft is considered solid, too.
But the Vikings might not be done adding competition at the position.
During this year’s NFL draft, which starts with the first round Thursday night, the Vikings figure to select another safety, perhaps even in an early round. This year’s safety class is considered by most draft analysts to be solid.
“There’s a couple safeties [that we like],” General Manager Rick Spielman said Tuesday. “From a philosophy standpoint, we are looking for safeties that are interchangeable. They have to be able to do both. … Can they be just as effective close to the line of scrimmage as they can be on the back end?”
Smith certainly has been. After getting snubbed in 2014, the 27-year-old made his first Pro Bowl last season, albeit as an injury replacement, after Zimmer used him all over the field — sometimes blitzing, sometimes covering tight ends man-to-man, sometimes dropping back into a deep center fielder role.
“He’s one of the top three, four safeties right now,” Griffin said in March. “I look at myself coming in and competing and trying to help this team win ballgames. Whatever the coaches ask me to do, I’m going to do it.”
Griffin, meanwhile, usually was a deep safety for much of his Titans career. But Spielman said the Vikings believe Griffin, who was moved around by first-year Titans defensive coordinator Dick Lebeau last season, can be interchangeable with Smith.
“That’s why we signed him,” he said at his annual pre-draft news conference.
Veteran presence
Griffin played nine seasons in Tennessee, starting 133 of his 141 career games. He has made 763 career tackles while recording 25 interceptions and 11 forced fumbles. He picked off three passes for the Titans last season.
He was a second-team All-Pro in 2010 and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2008 and 2010. But the Titans cut him in February after his play dipped.
Smith, who was born and raised in the Nashville area, appreciates Griffin’s game.
“He’s a guy I’ve watched ever since he was at Texas. And then when he came to Tennessee, I obviously got to see him a lot,” said Smith, who is from Knoxville, Tenn. “So I’m excited just to be around him. He’s obviously a guy that knows the game well and has had a great career. … Obviously he’s a playmaker and can help us a lot.”
But given that Griffin profiles as more of a deep safety and that Zimmer felt that Sendejo, an in-the-box type, was not the “right” kind of strong safety, it is fair to wonder if Spielman was putting up a smoke screen Tuesday and instead the Vikings are looking for a rangy prospect so Smith can wreak havoc in the box.
Either way, the Vikings have had a bunch of safety prospects to sort through.
Many options
“This year’s safety group is slightly above average and better than most believe,” CBS Sports draft analyst Dane Brugler said. “[Florida’s] Keanu Neal, [Ohio State’s] Vonn Bell and [West Virginia’s] Karl Joseph will be top-50-type prospects and early NFL starters. And there is intriguing depth in the middle rounds.”
NFL draft Thursday-Saturday • Chicago (ESPN, NFL Network)
Brugler pinpointed Joseph, Neal and Boston College’s Justin Simmons as potential center fielder types for the Vikings to consider in the early rounds of the draft. He also feels a pair of Day 3 prospects, Middle Tennessee State’s Kevin Byard and Central Michigan’s Kavon Frazier, fit that profile.
Another name to remember is T.J. Green. The Clemson safety was among the 30 draft prospects the Vikings invited to Winter Park for an official visit.
And if the Vikings really do want another versatile safety, one who can cover and get dirty against the run, Brugler said they can find that this year, too.
“Neal loves to play physical downhill, but also has the athleticism to cover both sidelines so he would make sense,” he said. “Southern Utah’s Miles Killebrew could be that type of player in the third or fourth round also.”
Perhaps one of those safety prospects will be the “right” long-term running mate for Smith that Zimmer has been coveting the past two-plus years.Click through to view embedded content.
So here’s one where no one gets any credit for guessing the question. The question is obvious. The question is scattered throughout this entire clip (from the fourth season of The Office). I made the question explicit in the post title.
Will the DVD icon ever ricochet into a corner?
But what are the supplementary materials? How do you make this experience real to your students? What do they have in front of them? How are they getting their hands dirty with the math?
It doesn’t matter if you don’t know how to make the supplementary materials. Just name them. This is a big-hearted community. We’ll find someone who does.
BTW: Here is the high-res download, which Kate tracked down for us after I questioned her digital bonafides.Heather Unruh says Spacey assaulted her "starstruck" and "straight" 18-year-old son at a Nantucket restaurant in July 2016. "He can't erase it," she said, adding that a police report was filed last week.
A former Boston TV news anchor held a press conference Wednesday to share her son's allegation of sexual assault against Kevin Spacey.
Heather Unruh, an award-winning journalist who worked at the ABC-affiliated television station WCVB until 2016, was joined by her daughter, Kyla, and lawyer, Mitchell Garabedian, the attorney depicted in Spotlight. Her son, Spacey's alleged victim, was not present, and Unruh explained that the current climate is what spurred her son to give his permission for her to come forward about the alleged incident, which occurred last year.
"I have wanted to say something for a very long time, especially moments like when Kevin Spacey has the honor of hosting something like the Tony Awards and is celebrated as a man and an actor," said Unruh, who initially took to Twitter on Oct. 13 to say that Spacey "assaulted a loved one." Her social media posts gained traction and she told reporters after reading her statement that it was the ongoing women, and men, coming forward with their claims against figures like Harvey Weinstein that spurred her son to feel ready to publicly tell his story.
"The climate in this country is changing. There's a shift," she said. "There is less victim-blaming going on now. I was really emboldened by the victims in the Harvey Weinstein case. They were astonishingly brave women and they've come out in such large numbers and it sparked a lot of conversation in our house about it being the right time."
Unruh detailed her son's experience with Spacey when reading a pre-written statement.
In July of 2016, her 18-year-old son, she says, was sexually assaulted by Spacey inside the Club Car Restaurant on Nantucket. Unruh says her son, who was not of legal drinking age, told Spacey he was and that the actor "bought him drink after drink after drink."
"My son was a starstruck, straight 18-year-old young man who had no idea that the famous actor was an alleged sexual predator or that he was about to become his next victim," she said. "When my son was drunk, Spacey made his move and sexually assaulted him."
Unruh made it clear her son did not give consent and called Spacey's actions a criminal act.
"Spacey stuck his hand inside my son's pants and grabbed his genitals," she said through tears. "My son's efforts to shift his body to remove Spacey's hand were only momentarily successful. My son panicked, he froze. He was intoxicated."
Still, she says Spacey insisted her son join him at a private after-hours party for more drinking. When he got up to go to the bathroom, a concerned stranger at the bar approached her son. The woman "told him to run and he did. He ran as fast as he could" to his nearby grandmother's house, where he, "upset and afraid," woke up his sister and the pair called Unruh, who was in her Boston home. She joined them on Nantucket the next day.
"Nothing could have prepared my son for how that sexual assault would make him feel as a man," she said of her child, who is now a sophomore in college. "It harmed him and it cannot be undone. While he has tried his best to deal with it, as he says, it's always there and it continues to bother him." She added, "He can't erase it."
Her son did not report the crime at the time, "largely because of embarrassment and fear," but he did file a police report last week, handing over evidence to the Nantucket police. Unruh says a criminal investigation has begun and Garabedian said the act is within the civil and criminal statute of limitations under Massachusetts law.
The Hollywood Reporter spoke with the Nantucket Police Department and a spokesperson said, "We cannot confirm nor deny any such report was filed. Reports of sexual assaults are confidential under Mass. General Law."
Unruh says she hopes that Spacey, who is currently being investigated by the London police, goes to prison: "I want to see Kevin Spacey go to jail. I want to have the hand of justice come down on him." She claims to know of one other male who became a "target" of Spacey's on Nantucket, but did not share any further details.
Speaking directly to Spacey, Unruh said, "Shame on you for what you did to my son. And shame on you for using your apology to Anthony Rapp to come out as a gay man. That was an appalling attempt to deflect attention away from what you really are — a sexual predator. Your actions are criminal."
Since Oct. 29, when Star Trek: Discovery actor Rapp alleged that Spacey made unwanted sexual advances toward him when he was 14 years old, allegations against the House of Cards star have continued to come to light. Multiple House of Cards employees spoke to CNN, accusing their star and executive producer of inappropriate behavior. Harry Dreyfuss, the son of Richard Dreyfuss, claimed the actor groped him while his father was in the room.
In the wake of the claims, now totaling more than a dozen, Netflix has severed all ties with Spacey, including dropping the Gore Vidal biopic Gore that was set to be released in 2018. The streaming giant said it is working with production company Media Rights Capital to "evaluate" the path forward for House of Cards, which stars Robin Wright. The sixth and final season of the Emmy-winning original series is currently on hiatus. The actor, who was dropped by his agent and publicist, is said to be seeking evaluation and treatment.
Ryan Parker contributed to this story.Share. To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Wolfenstein 3D, here's a dirty dozen of the most memorable WWII shooters ever. To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Wolfenstein 3D, here's a dirty dozen of the most memorable WWII shooters ever.
There's not much that hasn't been written about id Software's Wolfenstein 3D over the last two decades. Lauded as the true grandfather of 3D shooters, Wolfenstein 3D is responsible for laying down the fundamental foundations that first-person shooters still follow today.
Developed by industry legends John Carmack, John Romero, Tom Hall, Jason Blochowiak and Adrian Carmack and released on May 5, 1992, Wolfenstein 3D (with the help of id's Doom the following year) triggered the shift away from side-scrolling shooters and towards first-person shooters. Inspired by a duo of Muse Software stealth-based games from the '80s (Castle Wolfenstein and Beyond Castle Wolfenstein) Wolfenstein 3D cast players as Polish-American super-soldier William "B.J." Blazkowicz and demanded they escape a Nazi-infested castle. It was a simple premise. The rub, of course, was that there was an army of German troops, attack dogs, and even Hitler himself standing between B.J. and him earning that nickname with some well-deserved I&I in liberated Paris.
No soup for you.
It's actually quite remarkable just how many first-person shooter tropes were born in Wolfenstein 3D and survive to this day. Sure, two decades worth of technological leaps have placed modern first-person shooters light years away from the likes of Wolfenstein 3D. Back during the development of Wolfenstein 3D it reportedly took as little as a single day for the id team to build an entire level (these days it takes developers six months to build a single car). Still, while times have changed, there's no denying that the hearts of today's shooters all pound to the beat Wolfenstein 3D laid down 20 years ago.
Point gun at bad guys. Shoot bad guys. End of formula.
It's difficult to believe it's been so long since we shot that first shocked Nazi in the face with his dead pal's Luger. Going back now and simply selecting a difficulty setting from the four available is already making me feel old. Remember? The difficulty settings for Wolfenstein 3D weren't simply easy, medium, hard and veteran. They were 'Can I play, Daddy?', 'Don't hurt me', 'Bring 'em on!' and 'I am Death incarnate!' To play on the lowest setting meant choosing a picture of B.J. in a baby bonnet sucking a pacifier. In an era where games bend over backwards in the name of accessibility, having a game mock you for being soft is more than refreshing.
If you ever chose this difficulty the game merely sighed and deleted itself from your computer.
Get Psyched! the loading screen commands, and I'm instantly transported back to the uncomfortable vinyl-covered chair in front of our crusty, old family computer, stabbing the turbo button and wishing it would actually do something. I have homework to do, but these Nazis aren't going to kill themselves.
Best loading screen ever.
Wolfenstein 3D didn't just kickstart a genre. It started a sub-genre while it was at it: WWII shooters. Many developers have since turned their attention to the Second World War era, and why not? It was the largest and |
city council’s planning committee until late April.
Erskine wrote that 275 Thames and two adjacent properties are in poor condition and beyond repair.
“Allow us to immediately demolish these three buildings before we have someone injured or a worse event,” she said.
Aboutown owner Donnelly said he bought 227 Thames in 1984, 281 Thames in about 1988 and 275 Thames in 2002. A year before he bought 275 Thames, he said the city was offered the property for $91,000, but took a pass on it.
“We’ll talk to anybody,” said Donnelly, who said he respects heritage, but for the three properties “I don’t think it’s practical to save them.”
The three structures comprise an original streetscape from “The Hollow,” O’Neil said. And while they appear in rough shape... “they were built in rough shape by the poorest of the poor.”
chip.martin@sumedia.ca
twitter.com/ChipatLFPRess
— —- —
JOHN BROWN AND HARPERS FERRY
Outspoken slavery abolitionist John Brown preached against the evils of slavery and was determined to bring the practice to an end.
In October 1859 he led a raid on the United States army arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Va.
He intended to spark an armed revolt by slaves but had only 20 men in his party.
After initial success, Brown and his men were attacked by U. S. Marine troops under the command of Col. Robert E. Lee of the 2nd U.S. Cavalry (the same Lee who later led the troops of the Confederacy).
Brown was captured, found guilty of treason and hanged on Dec. 2, 1859.
Northerners tended to express admiration for Brown’s motives, while Southerners, with whom they would soon clash, were furious at him.
THE HOLLOWHere we go again.
Another week, another series of bloody massacres in Syria and still the world turns the other way and yawns.
So far, the three-year conflict has produced headlines, pictures, online chatter, human tragedy and calls for action, but no peace, let alone a ceasefire.
The war has spilled periodically across Syria’s borders with Lebanon, Iraq and Turkey and threatened to engulf an already dangerously unsettled region.
There have been grand proclamations made in the United Nations, of course. There always is. A warning from U.S. President Barack Obama that the use of chemical warfare by any side in the conflict will be a “game changer” has joined them.
All the while we see a vicious government dominated by minority Alawite Muslims squaring off with rebels led by Sunni Muslims and a death toll that last month tipped over 100,000.
The pity in Syria is that the civil war can’t have two losers rather than a single winner.
A victory for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will see more of the persecution and revenge killings that remain a highlight of his brutal Soviet- and Iran-backed rule.
A victory for the rag-tag members of the opposition rebel forces, known as the Free Syrian Army, would see it tap its own reservoir of hate while giving vent to al-Qaida jihadists to continue battling anyone they see as an ideological foe.
For all the mayhem and suffering the opposing sides in this civil war have caused, there is a side issue that the world’s media has ignored to its eternal condemnation.
Christians have been caught in the crossfire — literally and figuratively — and paid a heavy price of their own. Just like they have in Egypt and Iraq.
Here’s a single example. One week ago, al-Qaida-linked fighters in the rebel-held eastern Syrian city of Raqqa abducted a prominent Italian Jesuit priest who championed the uprising against Assad’s government.
The terrorists kidnapped father Paolo Dall’Oglio while he was walking in the city, which had fallen under the control of militant Islamist brigades, sources told Reuters news agency.
Syrian authorities had expelled Dall’Oglio from the country last year after he helped victims of Assad’s military crackdown from a monastery north of Damascus.
He is still missing and joins the 5,000 or so casualties reported every month since the conflict began.
A subcommittee hearing at the U.S. House of Representatives heard testimony in June from Nina Shea, director of the Hudson Institute’s Centre for Religious Freedom, highlighting the problem facing Syria’s Christians.
“Christians are the targets of an ethno-religious cleansing by Islamist militants and courts. In addition, they have lost the protection of the Assad government, making them easy prey for criminals and fighters, whose affiliations are not always clear.
“Wherever they appear, Islamist militias have made life impossible for the Christians.”
If that sounds bad enough, consider this.
Peace, freedom, democracy and equality are all conspicuously missing in Assad’s Syria, but that doesn’t stop his appalling steps to counter the world’s image of his nation.
The president already has a Facebook page, Twitter account and a YouTube channel. Now, Assad is turning to the popular photo-sharing service Instagram in the latest attempt at improving his image as his country burns.
A pity those pictures don’t have the ability to carry the stench of death because then the world might have a better chance of experiencing just what the fight in Syria is costing in terms of human lives.
If we cared enough to look.On Wednesday, President Donald Trump will speak to approximately 1,000 Pennsylvania workers and truckers in an Air National Guard hangar in Harrisburg, PA about the administration’s major plans for tax reform.
The President will specifically address a large contingent of truckers who will be present for the event, highlighting the significant impact of tax reforms on the trucking industry, which “is the number one employer in about 29 states around the country,” according to a senior administration official.
The event will have trucks set up as part of the backdrop to the event. “Truckers, from the President’s perspective, are really the lifeblood of our economy,” said the official. “When the trucks are moving, that means that our economy is moving; the economy is growing.”
The official read three passages from President Trump’s prepared speech during a Tuesday evening preview of the event:
Nothing gets done in America without the hardworking men and women of the trucking industry. America depends on you for the fuel that powers our cars, the produce that nourishes our communities, and the beautiful steel that sends up our tallest skyscrapers. … When your trucks are moving, America is growing. That is why my administration is taking historic steps to remove the barriers that slow you down. America first means putting American truckers first. … We will eliminate the penalty on returning future earnings back to the United States, and we will impose a one-time low tax on money currently parked overseas so it can be brought back home to America where it belongs. My Council of Economic Advisors estimates that this change alone would likely give the typical American household a $4,000 pay raise.
The official pointed to several impacts of Trump’s tax plan on the truckers. Middle class tax cuts and the tax simplification will have a direct benefit to some of the truckers on an individual basis. The second point the official pointed to was “the tax cuts for our manufacturers will benefit the truckers because those businesses will be making more American-made goods that truckers will deliver to markets in every single corner of the country.”
Dropping the top marginal income tax rate to an 80-year low was the third point the official listed, stating that it’s “going to be a huge boost for truckers, most of whom file their taxes as pass-through entities.”
The official added that the elimination of the death tax will also have a large impact on these businesses. “Many of these companies are family-owned companies — been passed down from one generation to the next,” the official said.
President Trump plans to point out an individual during his speech whose trucking company has been in business since the 1940s or 1950s:
The company has already passed hands from its founder to his son, and now the second generation is getting ready to pass it down to the third,” the official noted. These businesses are largely capital rich, but operate on thin margins, making it difficult for families to pass the business down when saddled with the death tax. In order to keep the business in the family, the businesses often have to “sell off trucks, been to lay off workers, and reduce the size of their business just to be able to keep the business in the family.
The official also touched on the impact of repatriating funds as part of the president’s tax plan.
The Administration’s Council of Economic Advisors is also expects to come out with “more” in the days ahead, and Trump will bring this up during his speech.
Trump will also highlight additional individuals during his speech. One will be retiree Susi Schlomann, who has expressed concern over the high taxes that are forcing seniors like herself to “make painful cutbacks during the golden years of their lives,” according to the official.
Philadelphia father of four Linwood Holland will be highlighted for his hope to see tax reform pass that will lift the burden of taxes on the average citizen who is stuck living pacheck to paycheck.
The president will also point out Calvin Ewell and his son Steve, who have been in trucking since 1946. “Calvin would like to be able to pass his company along to his children, just like it was passed down to him,” the official said, noting this will be addressed in the death tax portion of Trump’s speech.
Forty-year-old trucking industry veteran Kevin Burch of Jet Express Trucking Company will also be highlighted. The official said, “He believes that if Congress would pass our tax relief and reform plan, that he will be able to invest in new equipment and additional training for his dockworkers, his drivers, and his technicians. And he wants to create more jobs, and that’s exactly what we’re working to help him do.”
Follow Michelle Moons on Twitter @MichelleDianaEFF Moves To Unseal Important Rulings Regarding Repeat Litigant Blue Spike
The public has a First Amendment right to access court records, and that right is generally only curtailed when there is “good cause” to do so. Unfortunately, when it comes to patent cases, courts routinely allow [PDF] parties to file entire documents under seal, without any public-redacted version being made available.
That’s why EFF, with the assistance of Durie Tangri, has filed a motion [PDF] to intervene and unseal documents in a patent case, Blue Spike v. Audible Magic. The court has allowed the parties in this case to keep more than half of the docket under seal, including the court’s own rulings, making it impossible to fully understand and evaluate both the parties’ arguments and the court’s decisions. As we explain in our filing, this degree of sealing is improper, especially in light of the public’s interest in the case.
Blue Spike is a repeat patent litigation player. Lex Machina (a service that collects patent litigation filings from across the country) indicates there are over 100 lawsuits involving Blue Spike and its patents. Unsurprisingly then, Blue Spike’s campaign has garnered press attention. We’ve written about Blue Spike and its patents in connection with our “Stupid Patent of the Month” series. Others have written about Blue Spike too.
Blue Spike claims to own patents relating to “forensic watermarking, signal abstracts, data security, software watermarks, product license keys, ASLR, deep packet inspection, [and] license code for authorized software to bandwidth securitization.” It maintains a website that implies that it makes and sells products that practice the patents.
But the transcript [PDF] of the hearing on the parties’ various motions filed in the case (one of the few public documents available) raises serious questions about both the scope of Blue Spike’s patents and its claims to be an operating company that actually practices its patents. From the transcript, it appears that Blue Spike owner and inventor Scott Moskowitz made statements under oath that limited the scope of the patents. The transcript also suggests that Blue Spike did not write a single line of code for one of the products it purportedly marketed. But we can’t tell for sure without the underlying documents. The public’s incomplete picture of the hearing and the documents that led up to it creates uncertainty for anyone wishing to avoid a Blue Spike lawsuit.
This case is just one example of excessive secrecy in patent cases. Parties in patent litigation—both plaintiffs and defendants—seal entire docket entries to an alarming degree. This prevents the public from understanding how patents are being enforced and how our judicial system is deciding important questions of infringement and invalidity.
To its credit, when we contacted Audible Magic to ask them to file public-redacted versions of docket entries, they agreed to do so (although they haven’t done so yet). Blue Spike, however, refused, meaning if the public wants to know more, we (or anyone else) would have to go through the time-consuming and expensive process of moving to intervene.
That’s not the way things should be done. We hope that in filing this motion to intervene and unseal, we can help the public learn more about Blue Spike’s litigation campaign and that we can bring awareness to the problematic sealing of patent cases.The news broke early Monday morning. South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, one of the many candidates mentioned as a potential Republican vice presidential nominee this year, told ABC News that she has no interest in the job.
“I’d say, ‘Thank you, but no,’” Haley said of the second-in-command job. “I made a promise to the people of this state. And I think that promise matters. And I intend to keep it.”
Running for vice president is sort of like “Fight Club”. REUTERS/Danish Siddiqui
“That’s not going to happen,” Rubio told NBC’s Andrea Mitchell. “I’m not going to be the vice presidential nominee, but I’m always flattered when people bring it up. I think they mean it as a compliment.”
Done and done. Cross Haley and Rubio off the veepstakes list.
Or not. The truth of the matter is that both of them are following the cardinal rule of running for vice president: Act like you are not running for vice president.
See, politics is kind of (actually, a lot) like high school. And if the Fix learned anything from high school, it’s that playing hard to get works. (It never worked for us but we saw it work for others.)
The worst thing you can do when it comes to the vice presidential sweepstakes is to make clear to the nominee — and the media who covers the nominee — that you badly want to be picked.
Campaigning for the job reeks of unbridled political ambition and rightly raises concerns from the presidential nominee that you would put your own career betterment ahead of helping him get elected.
And, the usual pattern of the veepstakes is that those who talk the most about being vice president are the ones who are never really in the mix to actually be the pick.
That doesn’t mean that promoting yourself as a potential vice presidential choice can’t be of some value. Take Washington Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers. This morning an email arrived in the Fix inbox from a “dcpress2012” address, touting the fact that she was ranked as the seventh most likely VP pick by a website called race42012.com.
Now, McMorris Rodgers isn’t going to be the vice presidential pick. Or, sticking with our “never say never” policy, it is very unlikely Romney would decide that he needed a four-term House Member from a Democratic state on the ticket.
But, pushing her name into the long list of the veepstakes is probably a good thing for McMorris Rodgers’ profile. As the media tires of writing about the same old top tier — there are only so many things you can write on Rubio (trust on on that one) — it’s likely that McMorris Rodgers will get some attention. That attention won’t mean she is actually climbing up the VP ladder but it will likely help her become a bit more of a force in Washington. (McMorris Rodgers is currently the vice chair of the House Republican Conference.)
It’s a strategy that’s known to work. In 2008, allies of then House Minority Leader Eric Cantor (Va.) pushed him hard as a vice presidential pick. A slew of stories were written about Cantor making the short list for Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) although the after-action report told a different story. (Those close to the process say that McCain wanted to pick Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman while most of his top strategists favored Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty. The deadlock produced, wait for it, then Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.)
The result of the “Cantor as VP” float, however, was that the Virginian became seen as a more national figure with a real constituency within the GOP. Cantor has continued that ascent since Republicans reclaimed the House in 2010.
For the serious contenders for the vice presidential nomination, however, silence is the best policy. Don’t volunteer your interest in the job. When asked directly about it, deny interest. (It’s kind of like Fight Club. First rule of Fight Club? Don’t talk about Fight Club.)
The simple fact is that all of these denials of interest mean next to nothing. You don’t say no to being the vice president. Why? Because, in this case, Romney has somewhere close to a 50-50 chance of being the next president. And, if you are his VP — particularly if you are young-ish like Rubio or Haley — in eight years times you will have the pole position to get the big job in your own right.
No other gig — not the Senate, not being governor — can give you that sort of opportunity. And so, while being vice president might not be worth “a bucket of warm spit” (thank you John Nance Garner!), it’s hard to argue with the chance to be president it affords you.
That reality means that if Romney sees fit to offer Rubio (likely) or Haley (not very likely) the vice presidency, either of them would take it. All their denials mean is that they are running for vice president the right way: by not running at all.Kong: Skull Island is the much-anticipated reboot of the King Kong franchise, and the first Skull Island trailer was a wonderfully ominous tease of a horror-themed adventure to come in the full film.
Apart from an exciting-looking standalone film experience, Kong: Skull Island has the added appeal of being the first chapter in a shared universe that will connect with the rebooted Godzilla and its sequel Godzilla: King of the Monsters. That shared universe will then culminate in a King Kong vs. Godzilla mashup film, coming in 2020.
As such, there are going to be some connective threads established between the two giant monster franchises - now we have the first idea of how Kong: Skull Island connects to Godzilla.
Cinemablend visited the set of Skull Island, and learned from producer Alex Garcia that the film is actually set before the events of the 2014 Godzilla reboot: "Godzilla is not emerged into the modern world...so this is very much just Kong's story."
In terms of direct connections between the two, Garcia revealed that John Goodman's character Bill Randa will be a shady operative from Monarch, that government organization in Godzilla who knew more about the monster than they let on. In Skull Island, we'll get to see how Monarch first learns of the world's giant monster problem: "John Goodman, who plays the guy from Monarch, is sort of pulling the strings in the background and we come to realize obviously that they knew much more than they let on initially."
MORE: King Kong vs. Godzilla Official Title / Skull Island Releases New Banners / Kong: Skull Island Second International Trailer Released / Kong: Skull Island Tweet Hints At Tom Hiddleston's Role / Kong: Skull Island Concept Art Revealed / Kong: Skull Island Collectibles Announced By Prime 1 Studio / Kong: Skull Island Gets An Official Rating
Kong: Skull Island hits theaters on March 10, 2017. Godzilla 2 is scheduled for March 22, 2018. MonsterVerse is slated for May 29, 2020.Sour Grapes?
Governor Pat McCrory has just posted a decidedly angry statement slamming NBA Commissioner Adam Silver's decision to move the 2017 All-Star Game from Charlotte, North Carolina to New Orleans, Louisiana, over McCrory's unconstitutional, anti-LGBT law HB2.
"Commissioner Silver has no credibility in telling America that he's more 'comfortable' playing a basketball game in the People's Republic of China with its oppressive human rights record, rather than the 9th most populous state in the U.S.A.," McCrory's Communications Director said in a statement.
"This is another classic example of politically-correct hypocrisy gone mad," the statement continues, noting that the State of Louisiana "has joined 21 other states that are fighting for basic privacy expectations for our children and families in school restrooms, locker rooms and shower facilities," by filing a federal lawsuit against the Obama administration's guidance issued to protect transgender students.
Rather than attempting to address the actual issue, that McCrory's HB2 has cost the state - and taxpayers - literally hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue, rather than accept the fact that the law is unconstitutional, as legal experts have noted, and rather than actually care about transgender students, McCrory is doing everything he can to keep HB2 on the books.
His actions to continue to support HB2 mirror his actions to support his state's unconstitutional and racist voter ID law, which a federal appeals court ruled is unenforceable. McCrory is now ready to spend possibly millions more to defend it.
.@PatMcCroryNC misled the good people of North Carolina into believing he'd continue the NC tradition of moderation. https://t.co/PQzMFt3tvP — Dr. Anthony M. Kreis (@AnthonyMKreis) August 19, 2016
EARLIER:
WATCH: Pat McCrory Says HB2 Didn't Cause Backlash - 'This Was Started by the Left'
Gov. McCrory's HB2 Will Cost North Carolina $5 Billion a Year, New Study Finds
Pat McCrory Issues Angry Statement After Federal Appeals Court Upholds Transgender Rights Ruling
Image by NCDOTcommunications via Flickr and a CC license
See a mistake? Email corrections to: [email protected]“Dick Wilde is a great example of what we are looking for in a game and studio partner,” said Harvey Elliott, Founder and CEO of PlayStack. “Bolverk Games is an amazing studio from a creative point of view, they've pinpointed a genre in VR that consumers can really get behind, they're not afraid to push boundaries and they have a clear plan in terms of where they want to be in the future. Whilst we acknowledge that VR still has a way to go in terms of becoming a household gaming platform we know that there is still an opportunity for up and coming projects, and we’re keen to work with developers who want to be as involved in the long term as we do. We wanted our first VR game to stand out and Dick Wilde does exactly that.”
Dick Wilde is available to purchase today on Steam and the Oculus Store for $19.99/£17.99 and a 15% discount will be applied for one week only.
Dick Wilde will be a launch title for the PSVR Aim Controller in May 2017.
CATSANDVR.comPatrick Stump is best-known as the main creative force behind ’00s pop-punk standard-bearers Fall Out Boy, but the R&B and hip-hop influences that have long been part of his music come to the foreground on his upcoming album, Soul Punk. “This City” is the record’s first single, and Stump tells the A.V. Club that the song's poppy slickness is representative of the album. “I'm kind of pop but a little left of center,” Stump said. “It sounds kind of like it makes sense on the radio but at the same time doesn't at all. It's very me.”
“This City” prominently features fellow Chicagoan Lupe Fiasco, and Stump said his relationship with the rapper goes back several years. “Before Food & Liquor came out he and I were talking about working on something together. I ended up producing the song ‘Little Weapon,’ for his The Cool record,” he said. “I actually wrote the hook for ‘This City’ with him in mind before I decided to use it for Soul Punk, so when the label asked me if I'd be interested in doing a remix with an MC he was the only real way I'd say yes.”
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Check out the premiere of Patrick Stump’s “This City”:A veteran attorney in Ted Cruz's hometown of Houston has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Canadian-born senator's eligibility to be president.
In a 28-page complaint Thursday, Newton Schwartz asked the Supreme Court to decide if Cruz's birth to an American mother and Cuban father while they lived in Calgary violates the Constitution's "natural born citizen" requirement.
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Cruz argues that because his mother is American, he became a U.S. citizen at birth. But the Supreme Court hasn't previously considered the eligibility question.
Presidential rival Donald Trump has repeatedly questioned Cruz's presidential eligibility.
The pair squared off during Thursday night's Republican debate. When Trump again raised the issue, Cruz shot back that though the Constitution hasn't changed recently, his polling numbers have — driving Trump's "birther" questions.French President Francois Hollande makes a statement at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris on July 22, 2016 (AFP Photo/Stephane de Sakutin)
Paris (AFP) - French President Francois Hollande on Friday defended his government from accusations it relaxed its anti-terror defences after the Euro championships, and announced plans to arm the fight against the Islamic State group which claimed the Nice attack.
Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve has been the lightning rod for accusations that authorities dropped their guard after the June 10-July 10 football tournament, leaving the Bastille Day celebrations targeted in last week's massacre in Nice exposed.
Five suspects have been formally charged over the July 14 truck attack in the French Riveria city that killed 84 people.
Hollande said Cazeneuve, who has shrugged off opposition calls to resign, had his "full confidence" and announced he would ship weapons to Iraqi forces fighting the Islamic State (IS) group which claimed the attack.
"I took the decision as part of the anti-Daesh coalition to make weapons available to Iraqi forces," Hollande said after a meeting of key ministers and security chiefs, using another name for IS.
"They will be there next month," he added.
An aide to the president said the weaponry would include artillery batteries and that France -- a member of the US-led anti-IS coalition -- would also send military advisors to train Iraqi forces in using the arms.
Eight days after Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel rammed a lorry into crowds enjoying a firework display on Nice's seafront promenade, 12 people are still fighting for their lives in hospital, Hollande said.
The Nice assault was the third major attack on French soil in the past 18 months, after the jihadist carnage in Paris in November and the shootings at a satirical magazine and kosher supermarket in January 2015.
IS has claimed Bouhlel, a Tunisian national, as one of its "soldiers" but given no proof of his affiliation. The group threatened further attacks in a video this week.
Cazeneuve has launched an investigation into potential security oversights.
The Liberation newspaper reported Thursday that only one police car was stationed at the entrance to the Nice promenade on the night of the attack.
- 'Load the truck' -
Five suspects have been charged over the rampage, which Bouhlel, who was shot dead by police, appears to have been plotting for months.
The five suspects include Tunisian nationals Chokri C., 37, and Mohamed Oualid G., aged 40.
The others are 22-year-old Franco-Tunisian Ramzi A., 38-year-old Albanian Artan H., and his wife Enkeledja Z. who holds both French and Albanian nationality.
None were previously known to the intelligence services.
Mohamed Oualid G. filmed the scene the promenade after the carnage as it crawled with paramedics and journalists, prosecutor Francois Molins said.
In April this year, Chokri C. sent Bouhlel a Facebook message reading: "Load the truck with 2,000 tonnes of iron... release the brakes my friend and I will watch."
Ramzi, Chokri and Oualid are charged with being accomplices to murder by a terror group.
Ramzi and the Albanian couple were also charged with providing Bouhlel with the gun he fired at the police officers who raked his truck with bullets, ending the massacre.
- 'Jihadist' drug -
Investigators initially said Bouhlel appeared to have undergone a lightning-quick radicalisation but the picture emerging is of a long-planned attack.
The prosecutor said Thursday that photos on his phone showed he had already staked out the same July 14 event in Nice a year ago.
Acquaintances of the father of three, who had been living in the city for around a decade, said he had shown little interest in religion and was prone to violence.
But the probe has revealed a fascination with jihad dating back at least a year.
In May 2015, he took a photo of an article about the drug Captagon, an amphetamine used by jihadists in Syria.
Parliament this week extended the state of emergency in place since the November Paris attacks for a fourth time.
The security laws allow the authorities to carry out searches by day or night, without a warrant from a judge, and to place people under house arrest.TIME Magazine says Sweden Shifts to Left in Parliamentary Election (September 14, 2014), but a more penetrating if still hostile analysis comes from the London Spectator:
[T]he Social Democrats: they’re still on 31 per cent, as they were at the last general election – and that was one of their worst defeats for decades. So Sweden is about to get a new Prime Minister (Stefan Löfven) from a party that spectacularly failed to lift itself off the floor. The only real gainer is the Sweden Democrats, who are (as I type) on 13pc of the vote, more than double the 5.8pc last time. Shock election in Sweden as the far-right Sweden Democrats become No.3 party, by Fraser Nelson, September 14, 2014.
All other parties in Sweden refuse to enter coalition with them (and were shocked enough that they got into parliament four years ago). But this has helped them play the insurgent card, saying the Stockholm “elite” is ganging up against them.
Despite the gains, the Sweden Democrats are unlikely to attain their main goal of sharply reducing immigration because all the other parties are in favor of a liberal asylum policy. This year, Sweden expects up to 80,000 asylum-seekers from Syria, Eritrea, Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq and other countries — the highest number since 1992.
Nelson adds:And the TIME report confirms:Of course, this is symptomatic of a terminally sick political culture, and a recipe for explosion.
When the Sweden Democrats broke through in 2010, VDARE.com carried The Sweden Democrats—Alone Against Establishment Extremists by Rafael Koski and that still seems to sum up the situation.
For our continuing coverage of Sweden's unfolding immigration disaster, see here.Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Advertisement A record-breaking number of A-level entries for England, Wales and Northern Ireland have been awarded A grades. More than one in four entries - 26.7% - got the top grade, up from 25.9% last year and the overall pass rate rose to 97.5%, up 0.3 percentage points. The improvement in grades - for the 27th year in a row - will add to the pressure on university places. There are 60,000 more applicants for university places in the UK than this time last year. That is a 10% rise on last year. The increase is being put down to demographics - more people in that age group this year - and the effects of the recession. Hundreds of thousands of teenagers have received the results of their A and AS-level exams. Scottish students received the results of their Highers and Standard Grade exams earlier this month. They showed a slight rise in standards achieved. The A-level results have been released by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), the body which represents the exam boards. They show that more than three quarters of entries (75.1%) were awarded at least a C grade. In Northern Ireland, more than a third of entries (34.5%) were given an A grade - a fall on last year when 35.4% achieved the top grade - but still a higher proportion than in England and Wales. In Wales, 25% of entries got the top grade. In England, the proportion was 26.5%. The figures reveal that girls continue to outshine boys generally at A-level, but that the gap between them at the top grade is narrowing. The percentage of entries from boys which were awarded an A is 25.6% this year, compared with 27.6% of entries from girls. UK A grades England - 26.5% Northern Ireland - 34.5% Wales - 25% Joint - 26.7%
Celebration day Analysis: private school stronghold? The results show traditional subjects remain the most popular at A-level, with English and maths the top choices. There were an extra 7,882 entries for maths this year, and an extra 1,382 entries for further maths. There was also an increase in the number of entries for chemistry and physics, but a fall in the number taking biology. Fewer people took French and German this year. There were 552 fewer entries for A-level French - a fall of 3.7% - and a 7.7% drop in those taking German. Jim Sinclair, director of the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), said: "These are excellent results. They are the outcome of hard work of students and teachers, who deserve to be congratulated. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. "It is particularly good to report improved uptake and outcomes for mathematics and science." Figures presented by the JCQ at a media briefing show the proportion of top A-level grades awarded to independent schools is increasing. About 50% of entries from the independent sector were given A grades, the exam boards said. This compared with about 40% of entries from selective state schools and about 22% of those from other state schools. Clearing pressure In response to the surge in applications to UK universities, the Westminster government recently announced partial funding for 10,000 extra places in "priority" subjects - predominantly sciences, engineering, technology and maths. There have been rises in numbers applying to most of these subjects, with the exception of chemistry. HAVE YOUR SAY People who say A-levels are easy don't know what they're talking about Gianni Fasulo, Peterborough Those who do not achieve the grades needed for their degree offers can use the "clearing" system to search for an alternative available university place, but the pressure on places means fewer students will find a course this way this year. It is thought about 22,000 places are available available by this route - about half the number allocated through clearing last year. The university admissions service Ucas has said 135,114 students are already eligible. At this time last year about 109,000 people were eligible for clearing. That suggests there are roughly six applicants for every place available through clearing, so many will be disappointed. Oxford and Cambridge saw record applications for the next academic year - around 15,000 people applied for the 3,000 or so places on offer at each institution. Dr Wendy Piatt, Director General of the Russell Group of research intensive universities, told the Today programme on BBC Radio Four universities were facing pressure for places. "We are turning away candidates with not just three As but four As," she said. However, she added, universities strove to look at the whole candidate, not just their grades, and A-levels, although not perfect, were "on the whole, fit for purpose". Diana Warwick, chief executive of Universities UK, said: "Although it's not new to see intense competition for places during clearing, we know things will be tighter over the coming days due to the large number of applicants for university places this year. "All those who achieve the grades asked for in their offers will be guaranteed places, as always, and we congratulate this year's A-level candidates on the successful outcome of all their hard work. "Universities are experienced in handling high numbers of applications and they have been preparing for this peak time for many months now, along with Ucas." This September will see more young people than ever before starting higher education
Iain Wright, Schools Minister The Conservatives said ministers were to blame for the thousands of students who may miss out on a university place. Shadow education spokesman David Willetts said: "I congratulate all those who have received their A-level results. Their success reflects an enormous amount of hard work. "It is tragic that ministers are now blocking the path to university for so many of them. "The government first reduced the number of university places, then offered only unfunded places and are now threatening to fine universities that over-recruit. They said they wanted half of all young people to go to university by 2010, but now they are blocking progress towards their own target." Liberal Democrat spokesperson for universities, Stephen Williams, said students applying to study arts subjects would not benefit from the extra places announced. "The irony is that while a record number of students are likely to get the top grades, more young people than ever are going to be disappointed as they fail to get a place at university." Schools Minister Iain Wright said the government had expanded university education. "This September will see more young people than ever before starting higher education. This is a transformation in education participation and attainment which should be a cause for celebration not criticism." "The entrance into university is always a competitive process. We've provided more resources, we've provided more money, which contrasts to the Conservatives point of view, which wouldn't provide a single additional place for university students. "There are 10,000 additional places in addition to the massive investment in higher education that we've provided over the last decade. I would say to students, don't give up hope, there is options available there."
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StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable versionAs Windows Central has been reporting on for several weeks now, Microsoft is not done with its mobile efforts, and internally has already started work on its |
static member Atan2 : y:float * x:float -> float
static member BigMul : a:int * b:int -> int64
static member Ceiling : d:decimal -> decimal + 1 overload
static member Cos : d:float -> float
...
Full name: System.Math
Math.Round(d: decimal) : decimal
Math.Round(a: float) : float
Math.Round(d: decimal, mode: MidpointRounding) : decimal
Math.Round(d: decimal, decimals: int) : decimal
Math.Round(value: float, mode: MidpointRounding) : float
Math.Round(value: float, digits: int) : float
Math.Round(d: decimal, decimals: int, mode: MidpointRounding) : decimal
Math.Round(value: float, digits: int, mode: MidpointRounding) : float
type MidpointRounding =
| ToEven = 0
| AwayFromZero = 1
Full name: System.MidpointRounding
field MidpointRounding.ToEven = 0
namespace System.Reflection
val types : seq<Type>
Full name: Tuples-in-csharp.types
Multiple items
val seq : sequence:seq<'T> -> seq<'T>
Full name: Microsoft.FSharp.Core.Operators.seq
--------------------
type seq<'T> = Collections.Generic.IEnumerable<'T>
Full name: Microsoft.FSharp.Collections.seq<_>
val asm : Assembly
type AppDomain =
inherit MarshalByRefObject
member ActivationContext : ActivationContext
member AppendPrivatePath : path:string -> unit
member ApplicationIdentity : ApplicationIdentity
member ApplicationTrust : ApplicationTrust
member ApplyPolicy : assemblyName:string -> string
member BaseDirectory : string
member ClearPrivatePath : unit -> unit
member ClearShadowCopyPath : unit -> unit
member CreateComInstanceFrom : assemblyName:string * typeName:string -> ObjectHandle + 1 overload
member CreateInstance : assemblyName:string * typeName:string -> ObjectHandle + 3 overloads
...
Full name: System.AppDomain
property AppDomain.CurrentDomain: AppDomain
AppDomain.GetAssemblies() : Assembly []
property Assembly.FullName: string
String.StartsWith(value: string) : bool
String.StartsWith(value: string, comparisonType: StringComparison) : bool
String.StartsWith(value: string, ignoreCase: bool, culture: Globalization.CultureInfo) : bool
Assembly.GetTypes() : Type []
module Seq
from Microsoft.FSharp.Collections
val length : source:seq<'T> -> int
Full name: Microsoft.FSharp.Collections.Seq.length
val tuples : seq<string list>
Full name: Tuples-in-csharp.tuples
val typ : Type
val flags : BindingFlags
type BindingFlags =
| Default = 0
| IgnoreCase = 1
| DeclaredOnly = 2
| Instance = 4
| Static = 8
| Public = 16
| NonPublic = 32
| FlattenHierarchy = 64
| InvokeMethod = 256
| CreateInstance = 512
...
Full name: System.Reflection.BindingFlags
field BindingFlags.DeclaredOnly = 2
field BindingFlags.Public = 16
field BindingFlags.Static = 8
field BindingFlags.Instance = 4
val methods : MethodInfo []
Type.GetMethods() : MethodInfo []
Type.GetMethods(bindingAttr: BindingFlags) : MethodInfo []
val meth : MethodInfo
val pars : ParameterInfo []
MethodBase.GetParameters() : ParameterInfo []
property Array.Length: int
val p : ParameterInfo
property ParameterInfo.ParameterType: Type
property Type.FullName: string
val counts : (string list * int) []
Full name: Tuples-in-csharp.counts
val groupBy : projection:('T -> 'Key) -> source:seq<'T> -> seq<'Key * seq<'T>> (requires equality)
Full name: Microsoft.FSharp.Collections.Seq.groupBy
val id : x:'T -> 'T
Full name: Microsoft.FSharp.Core.Operators.id
type Array =
member Clone : unit -> obj
member CopyTo : array:Array * index:int -> unit + 1 overload
member GetEnumerator : unit -> IEnumerator
member GetLength : dimension:int -> int
member GetLongLength : dimension:int -> int64
member GetLowerBound : dimension:int -> int
member GetUpperBound : dimension:int -> int
member GetValue : [<ParamArray>] indices:int[] -> obj + 7 overloads
member Initialize : unit -> unit
member IsFixedSize : bool
...
Full name: System.Array
val ofSeq : source:seq<'T> -> 'T []
Full name: Microsoft.FSharp.Collections.Array.ofSeq
val map : mapping:('T -> 'U) -> array:'T [] -> 'U []
Full name: Microsoft.FSharp.Collections.Array.map
val k : string list
val vs : seq<string list>
val sortBy : projection:('T -> 'Key) -> array:'T [] -> 'T [] (requires comparison)
Full name: Microsoft.FSharp.Collections.Array.sortBy
val snd : tuple:('T1 * 'T2) -> 'T2
Full name: Microsoft.FSharp.Core.Operators.snd
val rev : array:'T [] -> 'T []
Full name: Microsoft.FSharp.Collections.Array.rev
Multiple items
namespace FSharp
--------------------
namespace Microsoft.FSharp
namespace FSharp.Charting
type Chart =
static member Area : data:seq<#value> *?Name:string *?Title:string *?Labels:#seq<string> *?Color:Color *?XTitle:string *?YTitle:string -> GenericChart
static member Area : data:seq<#value * #value> *?Name:string *?Title:string *?Labels:#seq<string> *?Color:Color *?XTitle:string *?YTitle:string -> GenericChart
static member Bar : data:seq<#value> *?Name:string *?Title:string *?Labels:#seq<string> *?Color:Color *?XTitle:string *?YTitle:string -> GenericChart
static member Bar : data:seq<#value * #value> *?Name:string *?Title:string *?Labels:#seq<string> *?Color:Color *?XTitle:string *?YTitle:string -> GenericChart
static member BoxPlotFromData : data:seq<#value * #seq<'a2>> *?Name:string *?Title:string *?Color:Color *?XTitle:string *?YTitle:string *?Percentile:int *?ShowAverage:bool *?ShowMedian:bool *?ShowUnusualValues:bool *?WhiskerPercentile:int -> GenericChart (requires 'a2 :> value)
static member BoxPlotFromStatistics : data:seq<#value * #value * #value * #value * #value * #value * #value> *?Name:string *?Title:string *?Labels:#seq<string> *?Color:Color *?XTitle:string *?YTitle:string *?Percentile:int *?ShowAverage:bool *?ShowMedian:bool *?ShowUnusualValues:bool *?WhiskerPercentile:int -> GenericChart
static member Bubble : data:seq<#value * #value> *?Name:string *?Title:string *?Labels:#seq<string> *?Color:Color *?XTitle:string *?YTitle:string *?BubbleMaxSize:int *?BubbleMinSize:int *?BubbleScaleMax:float *?BubbleScaleMin:float *?UseSizeForLabel:bool -> GenericChart
static member Bubble : data:seq<#value * #value * #value> *?Name:string *?Title:string *?Labels:#seq<string> *?Color:Color *?XTitle:string *?YTitle:string *?BubbleMaxSize:int *?BubbleMinSize:int *?BubbleScaleMax:float *?BubbleScaleMin:float *?UseSizeForLabel:bool -> GenericChart
static member Candlestick : data:seq<#value * #value * #value * #value> *?Name:string *?Title:string *?Labels:#seq<string> *?Color:Color *?XTitle:string *?YTitle:string -> CandlestickChart
static member Candlestick : data:seq<#value * #value * #value * #value * #value> *?Name:string *?Title:string *?Labels:#seq<string> *?Color:Color *?XTitle:string *?YTitle:string -> CandlestickChart
...
Full name: FSharp.Charting.Chart
static member Chart.Column : data:seq<#value> *?Name:string *?Title:string *?Labels:#seq<string> *?Color:Drawing.Color *?XTitle:string *?YTitle:string -> ChartTypes.GenericChart
static member Chart.Column : data:seq<#value * #value> *?Name:string *?Title:string *?Labels:#seq<string> *?Color:Drawing.Color *?XTitle:string *?YTitle:string -> ChartTypes.GenericChart
val map : mapping:('T -> 'U) -> source:seq<'T> -> seq<'U>
Full name: Microsoft.FSharp.Collections.Seq.map
val countBy : projection:('T -> 'Key) -> source:seq<'T> -> seq<'Key * int> (requires equality)
Full name: Microsoft.FSharp.Collections.Seq.countBy
val v : int
static member Chart.Doughnut : data:seq<#value> *?Name:string *?Title:string *?Labels:#seq<string> *?Color:Drawing.Color *?XTitle:string *?YTitle:string -> ChartTypes.DoughnutChart
static member Chart.Doughnut : data:seq<#value * #value> *?Name:string *?Title:string *?Labels:#seq<string> *?Color:Drawing.Color *?XTitle:string *?YTitle:string -> ChartTypes.DoughnutChartThe fall guy: Watch Armenia star Ozbiliz take probably the worst corner of all time
When taking a corner, the golden rule is: beat the first man. Oh, and don't kick the flag, fall over and flail around before handling the ball.
Armenia midfielder Aras Ozbiliz seemed to be in a rush to take a set-piece in the World Cup qualifier against Denmark on Tuesday night and that proved to be his downfall.
The Spartak Moscow star put the ball down, which considering what happened next, was a remarkably competent start.
Looking to take a quick one: Aras Ozbiliz puts the ball down and is keen to get on with it
Failure: But he kicks the flag first and then connects with the ball
On his way down: Ozbiliz stumbles and starts to lose his balance
Falling down: The Armenia midfielder loses his footing and it all looks a bit undignified
On his knees: Ozbiliz looks sheepish as the assistant flags for handball
Floored: The player lies on the ground, his embarrassment complete
Flagging: Ozbiliz (right) kept on going despite the embarrassment of his corner-kick attempt
Drowning her sorrows: Armenia's defeat (and that corner) will have disappointed celebrity fan Kim Kardashian
It soon unravelled, though, as he connected with the corner flag before kicking the ball a matter of yards, falling over and grabbing the ball, Ivan Campo-style.
And, to put the tin lid on it, he was quite correctly penalised for handball.Getting Started With the New Angular 2 Router
Navigation has changed a lot during Angular 2's development. Finally this important piece has become final!
Today I'll show you how to master routing into your Angular 2 apps. We will create our first routes, protect them, handle an event when the user leaves and create some children routes.
Let's create some routes
First, let's start by adding the RouterOutlet into our index.html, this is the equivalent of ng-view from Angular 1, every views that we create will be displayed here:
< router-outlet > </ router-outlet >
We then create a Home Component (a dry version of the Angular Webpack Starter's one):
import { Component } from "@angular/core" ; @ Component ( { selector : "home", template : "Welcome Home" } ) export class HomeComponent { ngOnInit ( ) { console. log ( "hello `Home` component" ) ; } }
Best Practice is to create an app.route.ts and to put the routes there:
import { Routes } from "@angular/router" ; import { HomeComponent } from "./home" ; import { NoContentComponent } from "./no-content" ; export const ROUTES : Routes = [ { path : "", component : HomeComponent }, { path : "home", component : HomeComponent }, { path : "**", component : NoContentComponent } ] ;
We create three paths, one for the home, another when the user doesn't type a path (only the hostname) and the last one to handle unknown paths.
After that, we need to get those routes to our bootstrap file, I'm using the Angular Webpack Starter so in my case it will be the app.module.ts, here are the required modifications:
import { RouterModule, PreloadAllModules } from '@angular/router' ; import { ROUTES } from './app.routes' ; import { HomeComponent } from './home' ; import { NoContentComponent } from './no-content' @ NgModule ( { declarations : [ HomeComponent, NoContentComponent ], imports : [ RouterModule. forRoot ( ROUTES, { useHash : true, preloadingStrategy : PreloadAllModules } ) ] } )
Same logic for declaring our Home and NoContent Components.
Finally, we add our routes using RouterModule.forRoot.
We use useHash and preloadingStrategy, we will have an in-depth look at this in another post but basically this means using the HTML 5 hashbang mode and loading every modules as quick as possible.
That's it! We just created our first routes.
Preventing Unwanted Accesses
Now let's prevent unwanted users from accessing our home by using Route Guards.
A flashy name indeed but not very hard to setup.
We create a service for this that we name ActivateGuard.
First the index.ts file:
export * from "./activate-guard.service" ;
Then the activate-guard.service.ts file:
import { CanActivate } from "@angular/router" ; export class ActivateGuard implements CanActivate { canActivate ( ) { return false ; } }
The most important thing here is the CanActivate Interface.
The canActivate method is where you will write your code to block unwanted users access (Login check, Country Check, Device Check, etc). For this example, we will just return false every time.
Our Guard is ready to be used now, back to the app.route.ts, we just need to add our Guard like this:
import { ActivateGuard } from './guard' ; export const ROUTES : Routes = [... { path : 'home', component : HomeComponent, canActivate : [ ActivateGuard ] },... ]
Finally in our app.module.ts we import our ActivateGuard and add it to the providers otherwise Angular will never find it:
import { ActivateGuard } from './guard' ; const APP_PROVIDERS = [ ActivateGuard ] ; @ NgModule ( {... providers : [ APP_PROVIDERS ]... } ) ;
Now nobody can access our Home Component. Great Success!
Handling Users Leaving
CanDeactivate is my favorite feature that the Angular 2 Router added. It gives us the possibility to launch an action before the user leaves the view, you can realise actions like opening a confirm modal, closing a modal, sending a request to the db and much more!
This feature is very similar to canActivate. We are going to create here a DeactivateGuard Service.
First updating our Guard's index.ts:
export * from "./activate-guard.service" ; export * from "./deactivate-guard.service" ;
Then we create the DeactivateGuard Service:
import { CanDeactivate } from "@angular/router" ; import { HomeComponent } from "../home" ; export class DeactivateGuard implements CanDeactivate < HomeComponent > { canDeactivate ( component : HomeComponent ) { return window. confirm ( "Are you sure that you want to leave?" ) ; } }
Here before leaving the view, we just pop a confirm window for user. Note that the canDeactivate feature requires the component (here the Home Component).
Add it to the routes:
import { ActivateGuard, DeactivateGuard } from './guard' ; export const ROUTES : Routes = [... { path : 'home', component : HomeComponent, canActivate : [ ActivateGuard ], canDeactivate : [ DeactivateGuard ] },... ]
And add it to the app.module.ts:
import { ActivateGuard, DeactivateGuard } from './guard' ; const APP_PROVIDERS = [ ActivateGuard, DeactivateGuard ] ; @ NgModule ( {... providers : [ APP_PROVIDERS ]... } ) ;
Children Routes
Until now we have only added routes into the app.routes file however it's more modular to have your routes separated into their own modules folders.
Let's create some children routes for a new Module: Profile. Following the naming convention, this folder will be named "+profile" in order to recognise that it contains children routes.
In this folder, the index.ts that will contain the route and the Component's declaration looks will be:
import { NgModule } from "@angular/core" ; import { RouterModule } from "@angular/router" ; import { ProfileComponent } from "./profile.component" ; export const routes = [ { path : "create", component : ProfileComponent }, { path : ":id", component : ProfileComponent } ] ; @ NgModule ( { declarations : [ ProfileComponent ], imports : [ RouterModule. forChild ( routes ) ] } ) export default class ProfileRoutingModule { static routes = routes ; }
We create two routes here, one with a param named "id" (profile/userId1 for example) and the second one with a sub-path named "create" (profile/create).
The order of the routes is very important, if we put the ":id" route declaration before the "create" one, Angular will consider that "create" is the ":id" parameter, that's why the "create" route declaration is done first in order to avoid confusion.
Always declare the routes from the most specific to the more generic.
Keep in mind the ProfileRoutingModule Class that is exported by default with the routes.
Finally, in app.routes.ts, we declare that everything about Profile need to be loaded asynchronously (loadChildren) using the folder "+profile" and the routes from the component exported by default (ProfileRoutingModule):
export const ROUTES : Routes = [ {... { path : 'profile', loadChildren : ( ) = > System. import ( './+profile' ). then ( ( comp : any ) = > comp. default ) },... ] ;
And Voila! We have our children routes into another module!
Now that we got all our views ready, those links allow us to navigate to them:
< a [ routerLink ] = " ['./home'] " > Home < / a > < a [ routerLink ] = " ['./profile', 1] " > Profile 1 < / a >
Conclusion
In this post, we have seen how to declare our routes into the app.routes.ts, how to prevent unwanted accesses using canActivate coupled with an ActivateGuard Service, one of my favorite feature canDeactivate which gives us one last chance to act before the user leaves the view and finally exporting our routes into separate modules with asynchronously loading components.U.S. 281, Loop 1604 expansion to get $100 million
The board that controls the spending of a quarter-cent transportation sales tax approved the allocation of $100 million for expansion projects on Loop 1604 and U.S. 281 but with the condition that high-speed bus and carpool lanes be incorporated on the U.S. 281 portion.
Another provision of the resolution requires the Texas Department of Transportation — and not the Alamo Regional Mobility Authority — to build the nontoll expressways and the transit/carpool lanes, which could be open to other traffic only if the drivers pay a toll.
For TxDOT to build them, the Alamo RMA would have to relinquish its legal right to build, design, finance and operate any toll projects on Loop 1604 and U.S. 281.
The vote was taken at a special meeting of the Advanced Transportation District Board, which oversees the sales tax and whose members are also make up the board of VIA Metropolitan Transit.
The projects could be up and running by 2017.
While the ATD tax has been generating revenue since 2005, its board never has before involved itself so closely in a project of this magnitude.
The inclusion of the transit-priority lane in a highway project marks a first for the San Antonio region, a collaboration that VIA Board Chairman Henry Muñoz III called “monumental.”
“I think this positions San Antonio as a major player in the state of Texas because it's the first step toward integrating public transit and a highway system,” Muñoz said.
Friday's resolution also said the transit lanes would be operated by an agency that the ATD board approves.
Normally, that agency would be the Alamo RMA, but its future has been tenuous since the Bexar County Commissioners Court's surprise vote June 12 to take over the agency's operations. Days later, the Alamo RMA board chairman and the board member expected to succeed him resigned.
No RMA representatives were present Friday, and its executive director said she was not made aware of the meeting.
“None of these new conditions were coordinated with anyone at the Alamo RMA,” Executive Director Terry Brechtel said.
It would take a vote of the Alamo RMA board to give TxDOT the authority to build the projects, Brechtel said. No such vote has been set.
Regardless of confusion over which agency will control the projects, plans for the expansion of Loop 1604 and U.S. 281 are moving forward.
The San Antonio Metropolitan Planning Organization, which allocates all transportation dollars in the region, on Monday will vote on the final U.S. 281 and Loop 1604 plans and whether to adopt the conditions of the ATD resolution. The plan would call for nontoll expressways added to Loop 1604 from Bandera Road to Potranco Road, and on U.S. 281 from Loop 1604 to Stone Oak Parkway.
The ATD resolution also would require that TxDOT build a direct connection ramp between the transit lanes on U.S. 281 and a planned park-and-ride station off U.S. 281. VIA also wants to establish a bus rapid transit line on the 281 corridor.
The transit agency's first BRT line will launch in December and primarily run between downtown and the medical center.
The transit lanes would cost an additional $58 million. TxDOT officials said Friday that the MPO will consider using Texas Mobility Fund money already set aside for U.S. 281 to cover that cost.
“I think it's pretty neat that we're going to get all these new road lanes, new BRT service with the transit priority lanes, and the citizens don't pay a dime more in taxes,” VIA President and CEO Keith Parker said.
Another condition of Friday's ATD resolution would require the MPO to give VIA the flexibility to use $10 million that was originally slated for a compressed natural gas fuel facility and instead use it for a planned downtown streetcar or other projects that are part of a previously adopted $239 million transportation package.
Speaking about the U.S. 281 and Loop 1604 expansion, Muñoz said TxDOT should build these projects because it's important to maintain a close relationship with that agency and ensure VIA gets a “transportation advantage” on the U.S. 281 corridor.
“Our close collaboration has to be with TxDOT,” he said.
Asked if the RMA ultimately would operate the transit lanes, Muñoz said, “You'll have to ask Commissioners Court.”
vdavila@express-news.netSwedish House Mafia and Afrojack emerge as the electronic music festival’s new champions in a genre that's influencing pop and rap more than ever. Next up: EDC the movie, coming in August.
North America’s largest dance music event, Electronic Daisy Carnival, thrilled around 200,000 fans over the weekend in Las Vegas, the first time the annual gathering took place in Sin City.
Top-name draws from Scandinavia and Europe, such as Tiësto, David Guetta and Swedish House Mafia shared the limelight with dozens of equally compelling DJs, known to electronic music boosters abroad and increasingly in America, such as Laidback Luke, Martin Solveig, Benny Benassi, Skrillex, Calvin Harris, Richie Hawtin, Sander Van Doorn, Avicii, A-Trak, ATB, Ferry Corsten and others.
“It was incredible,” Holland-based DJ Afrojack, born Nick van de Wall, said after his set Saturday evening, during which he proclaimed EDC to be the “greatest party on the planet.” The DJ-producer’s slot was a highlight of the fest, proving he may well be one of the top draws next year. With a set to mirror the carnival rides that operated in the background of Electronic Daisy, Van de Wall offered up dizzying drops, smooth-coasting rolls and everything in between. Operating more like a novelist than a DJ, he employed foreshadowing; teasing tracks that he would spin later in his set (everything from Daft Punk tunes to neo-“rave” anthems such as Laidback Luke’s “Turbulence”) to great effect.
The DJ was not an official headliner, but the predominantly 20-something crowd put Van de Wall on the same level as names more familiar to Americans, such as David Guetta. Well before his Saturday start-time, thousands of fans were chanting “Afrojack, Afrojack” as Solveig was finishing his preceding set. By the time Afrojack dropped his hot club anthem “Take Over Control” midway through his set, nearly all of them were singing along. The track’s simple chorus, sung by Eva Simmons, could double as the entire movement’s new rallying cry: “Plug it in and turn me on.”
Now “Take Over Control,” which just debuted on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart last week (at No. 96) despite having been out almost a year, looks poised to hit the Top 40. Even Paris Hilton is a fan (the heiress tweeted about the European smash, despite mangling the title of the track in the tweet, and she is now after Afrojack to write songs for her forthcoming record).
“I met her and she’s pretty cool so we’ll see,” the DJ, who has a top 10 hit at the moment with his collaboration with Pitbull and Ne-Yo (“Give Me Everything”), told THR. “I’m not going to do a pop song with Paris,” he continued. “If I do something with her, it’s going to be real.”
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Saturday night, the spinner certainly “kept it real” for hardcore fans and it was sets like Van de Wall’s that explained why the festival remains an essential rite of summer passage for tens of thousands. Despite media attention on the fest’s drug scene and the tangentially related deaths that followed both a Dallas edition of the festival this year and L.A.’s EDC last year, the masses came for the music and fears of large numbers of drug overdoes appear to have been unfounded, although not all reports are in from Sunday evening. On Friday, there were only 14 arrests at the festival (12 were drug-related, one arrest was for DUI, and another involved a traffic accident) and just 21 Saturday night.
All in all, it seemed most fans simply came to flirt and have fun, with or without drugs, and to see some of the biggest names in the dance world. David Guetta, for instance, proved why his sound has conquered American pop charts in the last couple years with an energetic Saturday evening set that featured a mix of older house favorites paired with the Frenchman’s newer rap crossover smashes as fireworks exploded above.
But the weekend may have belonged to dance music’s brightest stars: Swedish House Mafia. The trio of Swedes -- Axwell, Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso, all well-known solo DJs in their own right, dazzled fans with a stellar turn early Monday morning that proved a fitting finale to the festival -- even though their set was hardly the last of the night (music went until sunrise at EDC).
Their brand of anthemic, crescendo-heavy house was well suited to playing festivals, and the act came across as dance music’s rock stars. They arrived like rock stars, too, via helicopter.
Swedish House Mafia
Indeed, Watching SHM’s set proved a sensorial rush replete with a lighting show more befitting larger rock acts such as U2. Multiple Swedish flags were visible in the crowd early Monday morning as the three dropped their hits such as “One (Your Name)," "Miami 2 Ibiza” and their latest, “Save The World,” which was a festival favorite the entire weekend (several other DJs played the track Friday and Saturday night). “There is so much going on here in Las Vegas… it’s definitely a new hotspot,” said Angello of the city’s blossoming scene before the act’s set.
Dance fans who couldn’t make it to Vegas or L.A. in previous years will still have an opportunity to experience EDC for themselves via a new film about the festival. The Electric Daisy Carnival Experience will hit theaters nationwide August 4, it was announced Monday. Over 500 theaters will screen the movie, which was shot by noted music video director Kevin Kerslake and will feature scenes from both the Las Vegas and L.A. editions of EDC as well as footage to be shot next month at an invite-only event in Hollywood.Edmund Jorgensen wrote this great post that laid out a scenario in which an engineer approaches an engineering manager and says the following:
'Look,' says Cindy, the first engineer, 'I know that the CEO is breathing down our neck to finish the new Facebook for Cats integration, but we've got to clear some time to work on automating database migrations. I’m the only one who knows enough to apply them to the prod DB, and I’m getting tired of spending half an hour every morning rolling out everyone else’s changes. So can we push a feature or two back and squeeze that in?'
Here's what Edmund said the typical, business-focused engineering manager would reply with:
'Cindy, I'm sorry to hear that you're getting bored doing so much production DB work, but realistically it would take you at least 40 hours of work to write, test, and deploy a migration utility, right? So if you're spending a half hour a day on migrations, it would be 80 working days before we saw a return on our investment—that's like 4 months, and that's just too long for me to sanction—precisely because you're such a valuable member of the team, and I can't spare so much of your time right now away from our feature backlog. We can touch base if the migration workload increases too much, OK? Until then, I have to ask you to put your head down and be a team player.'
Through the lens of an engineering manager who is solely focused on completing their current & near-term projects on time, that is a respectable response. However, here's what Edmund said you should have thought after hearing Cindy's request:
DANGER, WILL ROBINSON — a queue is forming in your engineering org. Cindy has become a bottleneck for changes making their way to production, and a queue of people trying to make those changes is forming behind her. Queues are one of the clearest signals of developing latency. What happens if Cindy is out for a few days on (gasp) vacation? No changes will go out... You should probably allow Cindy to do her migration project and you should definitely explain to her why you're allowing it.
Edmund is uncovering one of an engineering team leader's responsibilities that is a source of great leverage: identifying opportunities that create greater long-term throughput for the team.
To identify a leverage opportunity is one thing, getting it prioritized by your business owners is another. For an ecommerce company, the business owners are typically the product & marketing teams. In my experience, getting your business owners to support efforts that are unrelated to their KPIs and don't impact the customer requires trust. Trust that the ROI will be worth it. Trust that you're not padding time estimations. Trust that you're not exaggerating the win for these efforts. The only way to gain this trust is by earning it. Fight for your opportunities and let the results speak for themselves.
#1: Buying back your backlog
Take a look at your past 5 sprints. Put each developer story into a spreadsheet and give each story a weight (ex: how many days it took to complete the story). Now categorize each story based on the type of activity (ex: feature development, support, etc.). This should give you a sense of how your engineering resources are currently being allocated.
Now ask yourself this question: what activities can be removed from your backlog by a paid service?
We did this exercise almost two years ago and discovered that we were spending 10-15% of our engineering resources pulling metrics and building/updating dashboards. If we could offload our business intelligence needs to a paid service, we would free up that 10-15%. On a 10 person team, that's equivalent to adding another engineer to the backlog. Consider the costs of an engineer in terms of recruiting, ramping up, and salary. More often than not, a service is more cost-effective than having an engineer perform the tasks internally.
The 'buy or build' question can be difficult as there are many factors that play into that decision, but for business intelligence, it turned out to be a no-brainer. After doing a BI tool bake-off, we decided on Looker and never went back.
#2 Distributed responsibilities
Looking for bottlenecks within your organization is a great way to discover leverage opportunities. Bottlenecks typically occur around someone in the organization or around a particular process. For us, one of our process bottlenecks used to be the testing phase of a project.
We work in two week sprints and used to dedicate the second half of the second week of the sprint for testing. This means 25% of our engineering bandwidth was allocated to non-backlog development. This may seem excessive, but even though our code is well tested in terms of unit/integration tests, we still like to test every flow to ensure the UX is right before shipping a new feature.
While testing is very important to us, it should not consume 25% of our bandwidth. During one of our sprint retrospectives, we were thinking of ways to make our testing process more streamlined and we realized we were under utilizing customers who know our product best - the rest of the company. This is what led to what we call 'Mob Testing'.
Every sprint, we fire up a new testing document that lists every flow. Logged-in, logged-out, desktop web, mobile web, etc. (even Internet Explorer). The most important column in this doc is titled 'Tested By'. Every person that tests commits to a flow. Testing is a team effort and we want to hold everyone accountable to doing their part in it. If someone doesn't test, we'll know.
We've found the most efficient way to approach mob testing is to roll it out in phases. If you release it to everyone at once, you'll be overwhelmed with feedback. This is why the engineers and stakeholders test first since they know the project's best. Once they give it their blessing, we roll the testing out to the product & marketing teams. After we tweak/fix everything from the first two phases of testing, we roll it out to the rest of the company. This final phase ensures we didn't introduce any new bugs while incorporating feedback from the first two phases.
It took us a while to figure out how to efficiently collect and take action on the testing feedback, but we were eventually able to improve our testing process from a 3-day activity to 1-day activity after we distributed the testing responsibilities to the entire company.
#3 Automate everything
In Edmund's scenario, Cindy is a highly skilled engineer who is spending development time doing non-development activities (running migrations for other engineers). My suggestion here is to automate everything. The larger your team is, the greater return you will have when you automate.
Having a thorough test suite that runs via a CI server after every push to your release branch and pipes the results into your dev chat room should be a given. The question is: what else can be automated after every push of code?
For one, we have a rake task that our CI server runs before the test suite even runs to make sure we didn't commit anything that shouldn't be in production. If you left a debugger(); or console.log(); statement in your JS, our rake task will fail the test suite. We've added similar checks for every language we use as we believe breaking the build as frequently as possible - with clear error messages - is a critical aspect to scaling the team. As engineers, we don't try to break the build, but every time one of our checks catches an error, it saves us from learning about it later and having to drop what we're doing to deploy a fix, which can add up over time.
While our CI server is running, Code Climate is analyzing the branch that was pushed to. Once it finishes, it will pipe the results into our chat room so we can be notified of any new vulnerabilities or declines in code quality. In the past, code quality was something that was determined during code review. If the reviewers determined something needed to be re-factored, the author would go back to coding, re-factor, and then the code review session would start again. With Code Climate, the author will know ahead of time that they should re-factor or re-visit their implementation and it saves everyone a meeting.
To reference Edmund's scenario again, Cindy was a bottleneck for engineers to get their code to production. At thredUP, everyone can deploy to production and as a result, our production application is deployed to multiple times per day by a variety of engineers ranging in experience. Everyone can also deploy to our internal staging servers, which means we can have 5 different projects being tested in staging environments at the same time without having to worry about getting production data setup manually to test each project.
Lastly, try to think of improvements that have leverage across multiple teams. For example, every time we receive 5 or more developer customer support (CS) tickets of the same nature, we try to determine whether there's a way to fix the issue at the source to stop the tickets from happening again. If we can't fix the issue at the source, we determine if there's a way we can automate the solution for the CS team. One example of this is when customers forget to apply their coupon code on their order. There's no bug there to fix and we can't retroactively change their payment transactions, but we can build a simple tool that allows our CS team to generate coupons for customers to use on a future order. Adding this tool, which only took a couple of hours |
- Old Buried Treasure
(28 votes) 9
KORALLREVEN - November Rain
(29 votes) 11
Day Wave - Nothing At All
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Suburban Living - No Fall
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Cull - Nasty Drought
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WOOF. - My Device
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Tracers - Mutual Imagination
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Howard - Money Can't Buy
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TIO - Lips Like Wine
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Nick Hill - Know This
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Speelburg - Kline
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Dead Sea - Keep It High
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Treasureseason - Julep
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Daniel Wilson - If You Went Away
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Meanwhile - Icarus
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LAKE - I Wish For You
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HUGH - I Don't Like You
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Cosby - Heartracer
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Paperwhite - Gold
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Panic is Perfect - Go Go Go
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Last Lynx - Get Up
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Blanche - Fool For You
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WULF - Fire
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Her Magic Wand - Everything At Once
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Josef Salvet - Every Night (The Temper Trap Remix)
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Avindale - Dreamer
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Creaks - Daydream
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Hospital - Crime
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Cheatahs - Controller
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Giraffage - Chocolate
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Cre•scen•do - Call Cards
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Indian Summer - By No One, For Nothing
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Kero Kero Bonito - Build It Up
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Lunifred Benjamin - Brother Ray (Kingdom Came)
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The Kickdrums - Breathe Again
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Father John Misty - Bored in The USA
(90 votes) 21
Desert Car - Bloody Murder
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CREATURES - Black Economy
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LVL UP - Big Snow
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Pearls - Big Shot
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Crepes - Ain't Horrible
(165 votes) 50Advertisement Holyoke officer punished for misplacing gun Officer left gun in restroom at Holyoke Mall Share Shares Copy Link Copy
A Holyoke police sergeant has been suspended for the second time in a little more than two years for misplacing a department gun.Chief James Neiswanger said Wednesday that Sgt. John Hart was suspended for 10 days without pay for leaving his gun in a restroom at the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside in November. The weapon was recovered.The Republican reports that Neiswanger said in an email that an investigation found Hart "violated several rules and regulations."Hart was suspended for five days without pay in December 2011 for losing a department-issued sniper rifle in September of that year. The rifle was recovered months later.Hart did not want to speak, but the president of the police union said the union's position is that the punishment was fair.The first thing that struck me about Hitoshi Murayama was that he certainly did not fit the stereotype of a Japanese presenter—he's relaxed, eloquent, and clearly very, very excited about his work. He is the head of a new research center in Japan called the Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe—a purview that allows him to study just about anything. But he's chosen to study everything; Murayama wants to know why there is, in fact, a universe.
Because the Physics@FOM audience comes from a range of backgrounds, Murayama's talk was light on details and strong on providing a flavor of the problem and inspiring the audience. And inspired I was, as he took us on a whirlwind tour of the known Universe, including dark matter and inflation. He wrapped up by going completely off the map with some of the ideas that he has had floating around for some time now.
Murayama proposes that the Universe is, in fact, a quantum fluid, somewhat like a superconductor.
Starting with the energy budget of the Universe, he reminded us that less than five percent of the matter and energy in the Universe is understood, with the remainder being dark energy and dark matter. But, even if we could account for dark matter with a bunch of particles and dark energy was understood, we still wouldn't understand much. For instance, none of this knowledge would help us understand why the various forces behave the way they do.
Along the way, he provided a taste of the evidence for why we believe the things that we do. We know dark matter exists because galaxies don't fly apart, because we find gravity where there is no matter, and, most tellingly, our universe would be smooth and featureless in the absence of dark matter. He showed that, although dark matter allows structures to form, inflation provided the initial changes in density that allowed them to condense.
But, of course, we don't know what dark matter is. Murayama justified the idea that dark matter is almost certainly some sort of weakly interacting massive particle by showing how we account for the dimmest objects in the Universe and simply don't find enough of them. In short, we think that dark matter exists because it is just about impossible to account for all the evidence with any other proposals.
Now, with the LHC online, we should start finding particles that may well be dark matter, and we will soon know if cosmologists were on the right track. And that is kind of exciting: years of speculation and careful modeling about to be properly tested. But, even more exciting, if the LHC does find dark matter candidate particles, cosmologists will be able to claim that we pretty much understand the Universe from 10-10s after the big bang to the present day—a mind-boggling thought.
What really seems to turns Murayama on is the problem of explaining why some forces are long-range and some are short-range. Basically, gravity reaches out over huge distances. Electromagnetism would reach just as far, but because there are both negative and positive charges, forces due to one set of charges tend get screened out by opposite signed charges. This effectively limits the reach of electromagnetic forces. Nevertheless, the fundamental distance scaling for the two forces is the same. The strong and weak nuclear forces are very short range, extending no further than the width of a nucleus.
There is no fundamental reason for why these forces scale differently from gravity and electromagnetism. He proposes that the Universe is, in fact, a quantum fluid, somewhat like a superconductor. How does this work? The analogy with superconductivity is apt because superconductors reject magnetic fields. That is, the charges in a superconductor arrange themselves such that the field lines of a magnetic field get bent around the super-current. Now, imagine sitting in the superconductor, trying to make a magnetic field.
What you would see is that the field was incredibly short-ranged because of the way the field would interact with the surrounding charges. Therein lies the idea. Imagine that the Universe is a quantum fluid that interacts very strongly with the strong force and weak forces, but ignores gravity and electromagnetism. Our knowledge of the four forces allows us to calculate some of the properties that this fluid must have, and, from there, to figure out how much energy is tied up in this fluid.
If you are going to go into debt, you might as well do it properly. If Murayama is right, the current energy of the Universe is short by some 1062 percent of that required to create the fluid during the big bang—that is one hell of a mortgage. As he jokingly pointed out, we are constantly told that deficits are a bad thing, so if his dark field proposal is to become more than an idea, some creative accounting is required.
All in all, a great opening to Physics@FOM.
Listing image by NASAIn 1959, the Buffalo Bills started their pro football life and since then, they are now part of the National Football League (NFL). They have been around for quite a long time, no wonder that this team attracted a lot of fans through the years.
Nowadays, football lovers do not have to watch live games. Updates about the Buffalo Bills are accessible on the televisions and online. This is the same for the other teams. Yet, nothing can beat someone who saw their favorite teams up-close and live.
Watching the Buffalo Bills Live Stream is one way for fans to keep posted about the team. Here are two options you can do to keep track of Buffalo Bills’ games, schedules, and winnings.
Watching Buffalo Bills without cable is SIMPLE with FuboTV
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Watching Buffalo Bills Live Stream is available with fuboTV. Available at $34.99 per month, Some of the channels include CBS, NBC, FOX and many others. Try their 7-day free trial to see what they have to offer.
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First, Click Here to start your worry-free seven-day trial. Before you begin watching, you have to provide your credit card details first. Remember, you can cancel before the trial period ends to avoid charges.
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Live Stream or Not, SlingTV is What You’ve Got
Another streaming service provider that will get you interest is fuboTV. At $25.00 per month, you have the freedom to watch different sports channels. Also, there is a seven-day free trial. So, you can stream online without worrying about the bill.
One good thing about SlingTV is that you can watch Buffalo Bills without cable. So, whether you are at work or at home, you won’t miss the team’s games. Thanks to the wonders of technology, everything is now easy. Watching Buffalo Bills is now as easy as pie.My own definition of mindfulness is very simple:
Mindfulness is the gentle effort to be continuously present with experience.
But I like Jon Kabat-Zinn’s definition of mindfulness:
“Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way; On purpose,
in the present moment, and
nonjudgmentally.”
Kabat-Zinn, if you haven’t heard of him, is a famous teacher of mindfulness meditation and the founder of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center.
Paying attention “on purpose”
First of all, mindfulness involves paying attention “on purpose”. Mindfulness involves a conscious direction of our awareness. We sometimes (me included) talk about “mindfulness” and “awareness” as if they were interchangeable terms, but that’s not a good habit to get into. I may be aware I’m irritable, but that wouldn’t mean I was being mindful of my irritability. In order to be mindful I have to be purposefully aware of myself, not just vaguely and habitually aware. Knowing that you are eating is not the same as eating mindfully.
Let’s take that example of eating and look at it a bit further. When we are purposefully aware of eating, we are consciously being aware of the process of eating. We’re deliberately noticing the sensations and our responses to those sensations. We’re noticing the mind wandering, and when it does wander we purposefully bring our attention back.
When we’re eating unmindfully we may in theory be aware of what we’re doing, but we’re probably thinking about a hundred and one other things at the same time, and we may also be watching TV, talking, or reading — or even all three! So a very small part of our awareness is absorbed with eating, and we may be only barely aware of the physical sensations and even less aware of our thoughts and emotions.
Because we’re only dimly aware of our thoughts, they wander in an unrestricted way. There’s no conscious attempt to bring our attention back to our eating. There’s no purposefulness.
This purposefulness is a very important part of mindfulness. Having the purpose of staying with our experience, whether that’s the breath, or a particular emotion, or something as simple as eating, means that we are actively shaping the mind.
Paying attention “in the present moment”
Left to itself the mind wanders through all kinds of thoughts — including thoughts expressing anger, craving, depression, revenge, self-pity, etc. As we indulge in these kinds of thoughts we reinforce those emotions in our hearts and cause ourselves to suffer. Mostly these thoughts are about the past or future. The past no longer exists. The future is just a fantasy until it happens. The one moment we actually can experience — the present moment — is the one we seem most to avoid.
So in mindfulness we’re concerned with noticing what’s going on right now. That doesn’t mean we can no longer think about the past or future, but when we do so we do so mindfully, so that we’re aware that right now we’re thinking about the past or future.
However in meditation, we are concerned with what’s arising in the present moment. When thoughts about the past or future take us away from our present moment experience and we “space out” we try to notice this and just come back to now.
By purposefully directing our awareness away from such thoughts and towards the “anchor” or our present moment experience, we decrease their effect on our lives and we create instead a space of freedom where calmness and contentment can grow.
Paying attention “non-judgmentally”
Mindfulness is an emotionally non-reactive state. We don’t judge that this experience is good and that one is bad. Or if we do make those judgements we simply notice them and let go of them. We don’t get upset because we’re experiencing something we don’t want to be experiencing or because we’re not experiencing what we would rather be experiencing. We simply accept whatever arises. We observe it mindfully. We notice it arising, passing through us, and ceasing to exist.
Whether it’s a pleasant experience or a painful experience we treat it the same way.
Cognitively, mindfulness is aware that certain experiences are pleasant and some are unpleasant, but on an emotional level we simply don’t react. We call this “equanimity” — stillness and balance of mind.California legislation would create single-payer health care system
A push for a single-payer health care system in California is making a comeback.
State Sen. Ricardo Lara, D-Bell Gardens (Los Angeles County) plans to introduce legislation Friday to create a single system that would provide health insurance to every California resident.
“This is our opportunity to put ourselves on the record and be proactive against a Trump administration that is hellbent on eliminating the Affordable Care Act,” Lara said.
The two-page bill contains no specifics. Friday was the deadline for introducing new legislation, and the bill will be fleshed out over the coming month, Lara said. It will first head to the senate Health Committee and then to the senate Appropriations Committee, which Lara chairs.
National Nurses United executive director RoseAnn Demoro speaks to members on Monday, Aug. 10, 2015, at NNU's headquarters in Oakland, California. NNU, the nation’'s largest organization of nurses, hosted a “"Brunch with Bernie" where nurses throughout the nation joined by phone and in person to speak with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. less National Nurses United executive director RoseAnn Demoro speaks to members on Monday, Aug. 10, 2015, at NNU's headquarters in Oakland, California. NNU, the nation’'s largest organization of nurses, hosted a... more Photo: Santiago Mejia, Special To The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Santiago Mejia, Special To The Chronicle Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close California legislation would create single-payer health care system 1 / 1 Back to Gallery
Previous efforts to create a single-payer system have failed. At least eight bills were introduced between 1992 and 2009 that attempted to create one. They failed to get through the Legislature or were vetoed by Republican governors.
Efforts to create a single-payer system in California ended after the passage of the Affordable Care Act under President Obama.
RoseAnn DeMoro, executive director of National Nurses United, the largest U.S. organization of registered nurses, said the union would mount a “major mobilization” to try to enact a single-payer system in California.
She said she believed it had a better chance than in years past because of President Trump’s efforts to overturn the Affordable Care Act, a more active political base, and a new crop of state legislators who are younger and more open-minded.
“It is one of the most salient issues of our time,” she said.
Emily Green is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: egreen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @emilytgreenTrapped in a marriage where the sex was routine, freelance journalist Robin Rinaldi, now 50, embarked on a 12-month experiment in which she lived apart from her husband during the week and took lovers. As she publishes her memoir, “The Wild Oats Project,” on Tuesday, she talks to The Post’s Jane Ridley about her erotic journey.
Pulling on his pants after our intimate encounter in my Las Vegas hotel room, the cute 23-year-old I’d just picked up holds out his cellphone, urging me to tap in my number.
“You really don’t have to take it,” I say.
Having sex with a stranger is thrilling, but I’m not that interested in a repeat performance.
Two minutes after he’s gone, I climb back into bed and text my husband, Scott, whom I’ve been with for 18 years. “Just saying good night,” I type. “Good night, dove,” writes back Scott from wherever he is.
Scenarios like these were typical during my year of living dangerously — the crazy 12 months in 2008 and 2009 I jokingly call my “Wild Oats Project,” when Scott and I had an open marriage.
Stuck in a rut — our once-a-week sex life was loving, but lacked spontaneity and passion — I was craving seduction and sexual abandon. I was having a midlife crisis and chasing this profound, deeply rooted experience of being female.
Before then, starting a family had felt like one route to this elusive state of feminine fulfillment. But Scott had made it absolutely clear he never wanted a baby, and even had a vasectomy.
Many people will find this hard to understand, but, as the door to motherhood closed, I found myself rushing towards this whole other outlet of heightened female experience — taking lovers.
I’d always been “the good girl,” and had slept with only three guys before getting involved with Scott at the age of 26. I was pretty conservative.
Sexually, I was experiencing what happens to a lot of women in their late 30s and early 40s. I was approaching my sexual peak and was relaxing into myself.
I broke the news to Scott that I wanted an open marriage in early 2008, a few months after his vasectomy. “I won’t go to my grave with no children and four lovers,” I told him repeatedly. “I refuse.”
Against the idea at first, he eventually relented. According to our deal, I’d rent a studio apartment during the week and come back to our home on weekends. Both of us could sleep with whomever we chose as long as we used protection. It was a case of “don’t ask, don’t tell.”
My first step was placing an ad on nerve.com, a kind of intellectual version of Craigslist’s Casual Encounters. Under the heading: “Good girl seeks experience,” it read: “I’m a 44-year-old professional, educated, attractive woman in an open marriage, seeking single men age 35-50 to help me explore my sexuality. You must be trustworthy, smart, and skilled at conversation as well as in bed.”
I added: “Our time together will be limited to three dates as I cannot become seriously involved.”
Within 24 hours, my inbox offered up 23 prospective suitors.
The first lover I met through nerve.com was a 40-something lawyer called Jonathan*. Slim, handsome with glasses and a stylish haircut, he suggested we kiss to test our sexual chemistry. “There’s a lot of heat there,” he said.
On our second date, the following week, he came to my studio after work with a cooler of snacks and some wine. We stumbled to the bed, where he turned me onto my hands and knees and took me from behind.
We had intercourse twice and, after he left, I felt satiated.
Around the same time, I took workshops at OneTaste, a sexual-education center, which has branches in New York and San Francisco, where I lived at the time. A sort of “sex-friendly” yoga retreat, it taught me something called orgasmic meditation, which is centered on the woman.
OneTaste was the place where I selected most of my lovers, although I picked up a couple of guys, like the 23-year-old in Vegas, on business trips. OneTaste was populated by cool, open-minded San Franciscans who wanted to expand their horizons.
They included an astrologer named Jude, 12 years my junior. The moment I saw him, I was irresistibly drawn in.
Slightly built and neo-hippy, he was spiritual, calm and centered. I was an Italian, meat-eating, busy magazine editor. But we had a real connection. I became infatuated with him, but the sex soon fizzled.
And then there was Alden, a writer, in his late 30s, who answered my nerve.com post.
“So your ad said only three dates,” he said, as we ate dinner in a crowded restaurant. “Yes,” I replied. Without missing a beat, he reached over and lightly took my fingertips in his. “Do you think we’ll be able to do that, to limit it?”
I loved our conversation, the fact he was a writer, the books he read. Things in the bedroom were mind-blowing and, before I knew it, I was hooked. But I’d made a pledge to my husband that I wouldn’t get involved with any of my lovers. I stuck to that.
And so the year went on. I had lots of “firsts,” including being intimate with women.
But the lessons I learned weren’t purely physical. They were about growing up, making mistakes, learning to live without so much fear, owning up to my dark side and, eventually, finding out the difference between being a “good girl” and a good person.
I owned up to my dark side, finding out the difference between being a ‘good girl’ and a good person. - Robin Rinaldi
On weekends, I’d go back to Scott. It wasn’t as strange as you might imagine. I liked it. It was the perfect balance, living on my own during the week and then returning home.
We knew we were both sleeping with other people, but we kept to the rules and never spoke about it. We had sex as always and the open marriage spiced things up — at least at first.
But, by the end of the 12-month project, moving back home full time proved more difficult than I had thought. After you open up a marriage and experience a whole range of sexual variety and aspects of yourself you’ve never had before, it’s hard to put everything back in the box.
You’re changed.
I slept with a total of 12 people (including two women) during the Wild Oats Project.
Suddenly I found an updated version of myself. The person I was at 44 was so much different than the woman I’d been when I was last single at 26. She was less shy, more confident, wilder.
Meanwhile, it turned out that, for around six months, Scott had been exclusively sleeping with one woman, a lot younger than me. That bothered me, especially as they hadn’t been using condoms. But it wasn’t the catalyst for the end of the marriage, because he broke things off with her.
The turning point was hearing from Alden. He sent me an email, out of the blue, several months after the project had come to an end.
Before long, we were having sex again. Being with him was exquisite. After reconnecting with Alden and falling deeply in love with him, there was no going back.
Five years on, Alden and I are happily living together. It’s a regular, monogamous relationship. I’m grateful I experienced my marriage to Scott (who has since found a new partner) but now, for this part of my life, I believe being with someone who is the most temperamentally like me is where I can learn more.
As for not having children, I’m at peace with that, too.
First I channeled the creativity I would have used to become a mom into my sexuality, and then I channeled it into writing my memoir. As my story shows, there are many different ways in life to find passion and fulfillment.
* All of Robin’s lovers’ names have been changed.WASHINGTON – Every day the USC/L.A. Times poll asks a portion of 3,000 U.S. citizens randomly recruited from across all households and demographic groups how they view the presidential race.
The polls began July 4 and will run through the election.
The pollsters must have gotten a shock this weekend.
Their results show Donald Trump in the lead by two points.
So how did the news team report it?
It didn’t.
You have to look at the poll results for yourself to see the findings and understand them.
In news parlance, it’s called burying the lead – considered a cardinal sin in the business.
But it’s there as plain as day, in answer to the key question, “Who would you vote for?”
If voters choose wrongly this November, America faces a “Looming Disaster.” That’s the title – and message – of the powerful new e-book about the upcoming U.S. presidential election by top Soviet-bloc defector Gen. Ion Mihai Pacepa, author of the acclaimed book, “Disinformation.” WND, which published “Disinformation,” has arranged with Pacepa and co-author Prof. Ronald Rychlak to provide a FREE download of “Looming Disaster” to every WND reader requesting one.
Despite the glee the media have reporting daily for the last few weeks that Hillary Clinton is winning by 8-10 points, this polls shows Trump edging Clinton 44.2 percent to 43.6 percent – a statistical tie within the margin of error. But is that not news?
Not to the L.A. Times and not to any other major media outlet apparently.
Doesn’t fit the narrative.
If it hadn’t been for the DrudgeReport spotting the shocker, it might have remained a deep, dark secret.
Instead of reporting that a man just bit a dog, the L.A. Times analysis story is headlined: “New poll analysis finds a wasted summer for Donald Trump and a boost for Hillary Clinton.”
The poll also shows Trump jump from 1 percent of the black vote to 12.8 percent, just after he began wooing black voters last weekend. Clinton dives to 82.9 percent from a high of 90.
Among Hispanics, Trump also gained ground, rising to 36.5 percent – more than received by either Mitt Romney or John McCain in their respective presidential bids.
Trump also has a higher lead among men than Clinton has with women.
Yet, apparently, persuaded by media reports, voters overwhelmingly think Clinton will win – 54.3 percent to 39.9.
Another new poll, this one by the Pew Research Center, shows Trump narrowing the gap with Clinton to 4 percent – with Clinton at 41 percent and Trump at 37 percent. The Libertarian Party candidate, Gary Johnson, and the Green party candidate, Jill Stein, each scored just over 4 percent each, the survey found.The light bulb conspiracy is a theory that the leading manufacturers of incandescent light bulbs have conspired to keep the lifetime of their bulbs far below their real technological capabilities. This way, they ensure the continuous demand for more bulbs and hence, long-term profit for themselves.
Contents show]
Origins Edit
The incandescent light bulbs were invented by British chemist Humphry Davy in 1809, however, it wasn't until Thomas Edison found a way to mass produce them that their commercial use began. In 1924, the leading light bulb manufacturers formed the international Phoebus cartel with the intent to standardize the light bulbs (e.g. the E27 connectors), which was officially disbanded in 1939.
Conspiracy Edit
Conspiracy theorists suspect that the primary goal of Phoebus was not to develop international standards but instead, to sink the lifespan of all light bulbs. It was noted that before 1924, said life expectancy was slightly above 2000 hours. To increase the demand and hence, their profit, Phoebus members agreed to halve the life expectancy of all their bulbs by using lower-quality materials and production methods. The life expectancy was conducted gradually until the cartel's dissolution to avoid drawing public attention.
Influence Edit
Although Phoebus was disbanded in 1939, say the theorists, its influence is still felt in the West. By comparison, Soviet light bulbs and those produced in socialist countries (which didn't adhere to Western standards) have been noted to have a twice as long lifetime. Modern Chinese bulbs have a life expectancy of 5000 hours. Moreover, light bulbs produced in Britain during or immediately after World War II, when the patriotic feelings could take over commercial interests, are still found in use to this day. These "ancient" light bulbs are sought after by manufacturers, who remove them from circulation "for study". The oldest lamp in the world, "Centennial Light", has been in use for 116 years, as of 2018.
Standards Edit
Attempts have been made in Europe to circumvent the standards set by Phoebus. In 1975, German watchmaker Dieter Binninger invented a light bulb with life expectancy of 150,000 hours (in other words, 17 years of continuous use!). However, shortly after finally finding a manufacturer for his bulbs in 1991, Binninger died in a plane crash, which was officially regarded as an accident. His patent has since sunken into obscurity and oblivion. A quick look at Binninger's Lamp Patent indicates experiments using Traffic-Light bulbs that were underrun. A 230V bulb was run at 120V certainly extended its lifespan to the order of 100,000 hours, but had the effect of making the light produced more orange/yellow in spectrum, and less of it.
Science Edit
Incandescent bulbs all use a tungsten filament. A hotter filament is more efficient but burns up more quickly. It is very simple to make a bulb last forever: use a longer and thinner filament, which does not get as hot, and glows more red than white. A bulb will also last forever if you simply put it on a dimmer and dial it way down. But there is an unintended consequence. A standard 100 watt bulb costs 50 cents, lasts 1500 hours, and uses $18 in electricity over that time (at 12 cents per kWh). The new everlasting bulb will use about 3 times as much electricity over its first 1500 hours, costing an extra $36 to save a half dollar. And another $36 for the next 1500 hours. This is about $200 per year more than the standard bulb which is designed to burn out quickly and save money. The money saved represents a large quantity of coal or natural gas that would be burned to save a few little bulbs.Yes, Arsenal are struggling but sensible people should be defending Wenger now
When I started out as a pundit I was given a piece of advice from someone in whom I place an awful lot of trust. ‘The key to being good in the media is to ensure you don’t get embroiled in every single little piece of comment and opinion,’ he said. ‘Don’t spend the day listening to the talkshows. Don’t read every single paper. Keep your opinions fresh.’
Of course, I have to be across news stories like never before but you can get distracted by the noise of football and it can start to warp your thinking.
It has been an enormous change for me to be inserted into that fast-moving, frantic media world when, at the club where I played, I was working in a dressing room that was like a sanctuary, protected from the whirlwinds and thunderstorms of the outside world.
Why always him? Mario Balotelli was one of the talking points this week, storming off at the Etihad after being hauled off by Roberto Mancini
And the past week has been full of those types of storms. On Sunday we were talking about diving yet again after Santi Cazorla against West Brom. On Monday the headlines were all about Mario Balotelli and his performance the day before against Manchester United, when other players were much worse than him.
It was that or the issue of netting at games because Rio Ferdinand had been struck with a coin in that Manchester derby. Then we moved on to Bradford beating Arsenal and the fact that Arsene Wenger has to go … again. On Thursday, racism reared its ugly head again, with the verdict on the Serbian FA.
And then on Friday I was looking down my Twitter timeline and there was a question from an Arsenal fan: ‘What do you think of George Graham’s comments that Arsenal will never win the title again?’ And I’m thinking: ‘That can’t be right?’ So I went online to check and it’s there in the newspaper as clear as day — George Graham is quoted as saying: ‘Will they [Arsenal] win the league again? I can’t see it.’
The dark side of the moon: Arsene Wenger watches as his side crash out of the Capital One Cup at Bradford
The speed at which the football media operate today is like a blender that is constantly having food chucked into it and chopped into a thousand pieces but never has any end product. There’s never any substance at the end of the process. Or it’s like a sausage machine that just churns out more mincemeat rather than sausages.
Being partly in football as an assistant coach with England and partly in the media, I can see it from both sides. And I think football and the media should work more closely together. I want footballers to be more open.
But the reality inside the changing room is often totally different to the furore on the outside. I’m not sure which the public want: the frenzy of the media or a reflection of the serenity of the dressing room; or a bit of both. But it has got to the point where we almost need two distinct media: one that deal with the actual match and one that deal with the issues surrounding it.
Football has become a soap opera, which, of course, is partly why the Premier League has become so extraordinarily popular and is one reason why it is beamed around the world. But the actual football can get lost in the drama. For some people the main act can become the sideshow.
And so incredible statements come out like: ‘Arsenal will never win the league again.’ Now I’m not going to sit here and say: ‘All’s good and well at Arsenal and they shouldn’t worry about going out to Bradford.’ That’s not the case. They’ve lost a lot of quality in the past three years and they haven’t replaced it, like for like. There seem to be some management failures in the number of players who end up with just one year on their contract but I doubt that’s Arsene Wenger’s fault. And they definitely need a bit of the attitude of the 2005 FA Cup final team, the last trophy they won. Without Thierry Henry that day they struggled but there was such a resilience about those players that they were prepared to win ugly and beat Manchester United on penalties.
Halcyon days: A jubilant Wenger holds the Premier League trophy aloft eight years ago
But for George Graham, someone who has a greater knowledge of Arsenal than I will ever have, to be quoted as saying they will never win the league again leaves me stunned. I’ll be amazed if Arsenal Football Club never win another title. Honestly, I’d be just as surprised if tomorrow wasn’t Monday. It’s like saying Liverpool will never win another title. Of course they will. It’s a fact. Fifteen years ago who would have said that Chelsea or Manchester City would win a title? Things change. They move on.
When I look back at the history of Arsenal, the club went 45 years before they won their first league title. And after dominating in the Thirties and then after the war, they went 18 years between 1953 and 1971 without a league title. And then another 18 years before the next title, which came under George Graham, in 1989. Arsenal are not a club like Real Madrid, Benfica or Celtic who should expect to win the title every year. They never have been.
When Roberto Di Matteo was sacked three weeks ago, the same people who were saying they despised the madness of Chelsea are now saying that we need a change at Arsenal. What do we want? We just want a news story. We want more food in the blender.
Nadir: Arsenal's midweek defeat is a low point, but the club will get back to fighting for titles under Wenger
There’s nothing to say that if you change Arsene Wenger you’re going to be more successful. There’s nothing to say that if you spend £100million, like Liverpool did, you’re going to win the league.
Manchester City and Chelsea have done superbly in recent years and between them have won four out of the last eight Premier League |
makes it both ethical and necessary to identify and stress the faith of the perpetrators.
When Muslim sex attacks are reported in the British press, the guilty ones are nearly always referred to as Asians (meaning South Asians) which is a gross insult to Britain’s many Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists and Parsees, who very rarely commit offences of this kind. The members of all these other South Asian religious communities are remarkably law-abiding and much respected. It is only the Muslims who are grossly over-represented among the prison population. The use of the word Asian as a racial category misleads the reader into thinking that it is a racial issue, something which plays into the hands of Muslim pressure groups, which respond to any criticism of their community with shouts of “Racism!” Sometimes when a Muslim is convicted of an appalling sex crime he will shout from the dock that the judge and the jury are racists and there will be supporting cheers from the public gallery.
This report appears in the October edition of Quadrant.
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What the Muslims should be asking themselves is why Sikh and Hindu Punjabis in Britain do not commit rapes or assault children as Muslim Punjabis do, and why Muslim Bengalis get convicted of sex crimes but Hindu Bengalis do not, even though the respective groups are racially identical. Race is irrelevant. Social exclusion and poverty are equally irrelevant. Many poor Sikh and Hindu immigrants have come to Britain with empty pockets and have felt excluded because they are brown people within a white majority, but they have behaved in an exemplary way towards local women. The Muslims have a question to answer: Why is it always you who get into trouble and not the other South Asians?
Even when the misleading word Asian is not used, it is replaced with the coy phrase “men of Pakistani heritage”. But what heritage other than Islam do Britain’s Pakistanis have? Besides, many of those recently convicted of serious sex offences are Bangladeshis or Somalis, that is, Muslims but not Pakistanis. In Scandinavia, where rape used to be a rare crime, it is now common and the perpetrators are almost without exception Muslims, mainly Arabs, Turks and Kurds who all have a very different “heritage” from the Pakistanis and only one thing in common with them. I leave you to guess what it is. In Australia the gang rapists of August and September 2000 in Sydney were all Lebanese, but there were no Christian Lebanese among their number.
There is one single connecting thread that ties together these sex crimes in countries as far apart as Britain, Scandinavia and Australia—that integrated system of religion, law, politics and social life called Islam. It was all summed up for me by a case tried in 2012 when Shamrez Rashid, Amar Hussain and Jahbar Rafiq and others were convicted of abducting and raping two girls aged fifteen and sixteen from Telford to celebrate the Muslim festival of Eid. They laughed and grinned and smirked in the dock at the memory of how they had joyfully ended Ramadan in 2009.
For many years the police and social workers were unwilling to take any action or even to investigate these crimes lest they be accused of being politically incorrect and racist; prosecutors looked the other way. When girls complained, they were ignored or treated as liars, and police and prosecutors falsely claimed it would be difficult to get a conviction. For fear of disturbing what was laughably called “community harmony” the authorities were willing to let under-age girls be groomed by Muslim pimps on a massive scale. In Rotherham, Muslims on a local council blocked the tighter regulation of taxi drivers, many of whom were Muslims who had dealings with the gangs and from time to time helped them. It was not that these councillors were in league with them, merely that their main concern was to protect the image of the Muslim community, even if it meant that the sexual exploiters of children could continue with impunity.
The police and social workers have since been heavily criticised in official reports for their tardiness, but not those numerous local Muslims who knew full well what was going on but kept silent about it. You can’t keep that sort of thing secret within a tightly knit group where everyone knows everyone else’s business. The truth is that the members of these Muslim communities did not care about what was happening because the victims were non-Muslims and therefore did not matter. Group solidarity and the maintaining of the good image of the followers of the Prophet were all that counted. That sounds like racism to me, but no one dares to say so. In the multicultural mad-house that Britain has become, only members of the indigenous Anglo-Celtic majority can be denounced as racists.
Once the first significant successful prosecution of a gang had taken place in 2011 others rapidly followed, and prosecutions are continuing all over Britain. Special police teams are now investigating old cases that had been ignored for years as well as contemporary crimes. It has been a national scandal, but in marked contrast to earlier cases involving Catholic priests no one ever mentions religion. When that scandal broke critics were swift to denounce clerical celibacy and in Australia it was even demanded that matters confessed to a priest should have to be revealed to investigators. Rarely have religious leaders been so grilled in public and reviled in the press. Muslim leaders have not been exposed to anything like that degree of rough handling following the English sex scandals; indeed they are largely shielded from cross-examination by the media. They can always avoid awkward questions by screaming “Islamophobia!” or saying, “That’s not the real Islam.”
A particular and curious example of the downplaying of religion occurred in the case of Abdul Mukim Khalisadar, a preacher at a mosque who was convicted in 2008 on DNA evidence of breaking into a woman’s house and raping her. Khalisadar first claimed that the sex had been consensual and then changed his story saying that he had never met her but had been at the mosque on the night of the attack. He called seven witnesses from the mosque to support his alibi. All of them were sent to jail for twelve months for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. The press went out of its way to point out that Khalisadar was not an imam, but merely a preacher who gave religious talks at the East London Mosque, and to suggest that the seven perjurers from the mosque were merely friends of his.
It is not difficult to trawl through the Koran, the Hadith and the statements of noted Muslim clerics to find religious justifications for the exploitation of non-Muslim women or sex with under-age girls but it is doubtful whether many of the criminals were sufficiently literate to know these sources. What they did know is that under Islam women are inferior beings who should be denied autonomy—particularly over their own bodies—sexual property, the property of their male relatives. If Muslim women step out of line, they are liable to be the victims of an honour killing. If they suffer a sexual assault, they are forced to say nothing, lest disgrace fall on their families, even when they themselves are entirely innocent.
For Muslims, non-Muslims are in every way inferior and the freedom enjoyed by their womenfolk is the worst aspect of that inferiority. In consequence non-Muslim women may be attacked and exploited without compunction. There is a direct link between the insistence on the wearing of a hijab for those within the fold and the raping of those outside, between an obsession with modesty for those women who are family property and the utter disregard for the rights of those women who are free. They are the two sides of the same Islamic coin.
Only a minority of male Muslims in Britain ever indulge in the kind of brutal crimes I have described, but that is beside the point. What is important is that the size of that minority in relation to the proportion of Muslims in the population is far greater than it is for the indigenous British. Likewise most paedophiles are of “European heritage” whether Christians or agnostics, but then so are nine-tenths of the inhabitants of our island. It is proportion that matters.
You would think that British, Scandinavian and Australian feminists would make a point of speaking out against, indeed vociferously condemning, this aspect of Islam, which is not a mere local cultural accretion but goes to the heart of that religion. But they don’t. They are not interested in the welfare of individual women, merely of voicing an ideological protest against their own bourgeois Christian society. There are against “patriarchy”, yet when confronted with the extreme patriarchy of the Muslims they are not more strongly against it, as logically they should be, but instead they pretend that it is not there or is solely the concern of Muslim women to sort out, even though the weak position of women in the Muslim order makes this very difficult. Our privileged, chattering feminists will never speak out with sufficient vigour against any group, however vile its attitudes towards women, once it has been defined by progressive opinion as a “marginalised minority”.
These sexual attacks on non-Muslim women and under-age girls are not just sex crimes but hate crimes. The Lebanese Muslims in Sydney in 2000 called their victims of gang rape “Aussie pigs” and told them, “You deserve it because you are an Australian.” Yet there are many in Australia who refuse to regard these utterances as racist.
But the unwillingness to use the M-word is to be found in many other contexts. In Perugia in January this year a man was praying before a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary in a small chapel while holding in his hand a photo of a loved one, for whom he was asking the intercession of the Mother of God. Suddenly a group of men (described in news reports merely as “immigrants”) attacked him, snatched away the photograph, smashed the image of Mary into fragments and urinated over the pieces. Truly that was an act of sacrilege by men who hated the Catholic faith of the Italians and its use of images. They were clearly Muslims, as are many of the illegal immigrants in Italy. But when the local priest was told, he described them merely as “foreigners”. The local people knew better and were indignant at his evasiveness. An auxiliary bishop in the diocese rushed to refute what they were thinking, claiming that Muslims revere the Virgin as the Mother of Jesus (even though they deny His divinity and regard Him as a lesser prophet). The bishop was forced by the people to confront the fact that the assailants were Muslims, but then evaded the fact by making a staement that was true but irrelevant. What motivated the attackers was not that the Italian was praying to Mary but rather to what they saw as an idol, a graven image, the very worst thing that Muslims can conceive. Who else in Italy would have been so outraged by the man’s kneeling in prayer before a statue to the point where they would become violent? It is unlikely that the perpetrators were members of the iconoclastic Free Presbyterian Church from the Outer Hebrides.
In 2008 the terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba, based in Pakistan, mounted an extremely well-planned attack on the Taj Hotel in Mumbai and caused great loss of life. It was generally treated in the Western press as part of the conflict between India and Pakistan. What was rarely mentioned was that Indian Muslims from Mumbai had secretly travelled to Pakistan to coach the Punjabi-speaking attackers in Marathi and Hindi, the everyday languages of Mumbai. While in Pakistan these local Mumbai Muslims went out of their way to persuade the terrorists to extend their attack to include Nariman House, a Jewish welfare centre in Colaba in the south of the city. The rabbi and his pregnant wife were shot in front of their two-year-old son, who, covered in blood, was rescued by his Indian Christian nanny. Other Jews were taken hostage and murdered. The autopsies showed that they had been tortured and their genitals mutilated. The Left-liberal press reporting the attack said little about this piece of cruel and total hatred. Hindu India was always free of anti-Semitism and notably tolerant and accepting of its Jews. Mumbai Muslims have no connection with Palestine. It is, as always, about religion.
It is much the same in Britain whenever there are attacks on synagogues or Hindu temples. The perpetrators are very rarely caught and when the crimes are discussed the word Muslim is kept firmly in the background. Indeed attempts are often made to pin the blame on some nebulous group of indigenous “right-wing extremists”. Let me suggest a more accurate way of deciding who was responsible. Plot on a graph the number attacks on British synagogues and other Jewish buildings or on people of Jewish appearance, say a man wearing a yarmulke, over time and then see whether there is a correlation between the frequency of the attacks and periods of heightened tension between Israel and the Palestinians. Likewise ask whether the timing of the attempts, sometimes successful, to burn down the temples of Britain’s Hindus correlate with religious clashes in India. If there is a good match, then there is a strong likelihood that the criminals are Muslim.
In 1992 militant Hindus in India destroyed the Babri Masjid, the mosque of Babur, in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, which had been built in 1527 in place of an ancient Hindu temple. Soon there were Muslim attacks on temples all over Britain. The Shree Krishna temple in West Bromwich was gutted and other temples in Bolton, Manchester, Birmingham, Derby, Bradford and London were damaged. Graffiti in Urdu, the main language of Pakistan, was sprayed on the walls of temples and Hindu businesses; Urdu is little used by indigenous right-wing extremists. These incidents have entirely demolished the left-wing myth that the only social division that gives rise to conflict in Britain is that between the Anglo-Celtic indigenous population and recent immigrants of a different hue. In reality the key such division is between the Muslims and everybody else. In Slough, near London, Sikh and Muslim youths brawl in the streets, but it has gone largely unreported.
The real problem is that Muslims believe in their own superiority and supremacy over others. They hate Israel and India because these are lands that they believe are theirs by right of conquest. Over a millennium ago conquering Muslim armies detached Palestine along with the rest of the Middle East from the Christian world. Likewise the Muslims invaded India, subjugated the Hindus and forcibly converted many of them. Now the Jews have returned to their ancestral land and the Hindus are masters of their own country and “impudent” enough to want to reclaim their own history. According to Muslim doctrine no country that was once under Muslim rule can ever finally escape from it. What is happening in Britain is that the Muslims are fighting out their foreign conflicts on our territory against our Hindus and our Jews, two groups who have made an unparalleled contribution to the prosperity and intellectual life of our society. We have an overriding duty to defend them.
In Britain the Muslims are always complaining that they get a bad press. In truth they get a far better press than they deserve because of the excessive caution employed by journalists and broadcasters in apportioning blame. It is a contemptible display of political correctness and moral relativism. But it rests upon the fear of the politicians, civil servants, and other elites that the great mass of ordinary British Muslims—whose main concerns, just like the rest of us, are their jobs, their families and their health—might be nudged into extremism. That policy was perhaps understandable in the past. But it has plainly failed.
We now need to demand that Muslim community leaders and ordinary respectable Muslims reject the notion that Muslims are superior to others in modern society, condemn unreservedly the misogynistic crimes and religious hatreds to which that notion has led, and denounce those Muslims who cling to such cruel and atavistic practices and beliefs. Insofar as only Muslims can succeed in drawing their co-religionists away from Islamist fanaticism, these demands on the respectable Muslim community become all the more vital, not less.
Thus far the people in power in Britain and Australia have only interpreted the Muslims in various ways; the point, however, is to change them. We can begin by being bluntly honest about just how bad matters are.Note by the Secretary-General
Summary
In its resolution 2016/14, the Economic and Social Council requested the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its seventy-first session, through the Council, a report on the implementation of that resolution. The Assembly, in its resolution 71/247, also requested the Secretary-General to submit a report to it at its seventy-second session. The present report, which was prepared by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), has been submitted in compliance with the resolutions of the Council and the Assembly.
The report covers Israeli practices and policies, in particular those that are in violation of international humanitarian law and international human rights law and that affect the social and economic conditions of the people living under its military occupation. Israel has employed discriminatory policies and practices, use of force that has at times been deemed excessive and restrictions on the freedom of movement, including the closures in Gaza, settlement expansion, destruction of property and the exploitation of natural resources in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the occupied Syrian Golan. The cumulative impact of such policies and practices is not confined to violations of international law, including the rights of the population under occupation; it also exacerbates the social and economic conditions of that population.
ESCWA would like to express its appreciation for the contributions of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, the United Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme, the International Labour Organization, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the League of Arab States, the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the United Nations Population Fund, the World Food Programme and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs of the Secretariat.
I. Introduction
1. The Economic and Social Council, in its resolution 2016/14, and the General Assembly, in its resolution 71/247, expressed concern about the economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan, as well as the exploitation, destruction and degradation of natural resources in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and other Arab territories occupied by Israel since 1967.
2. In particular, the Council, in its resolution, calls for, inter alia, the full opening of the border crossings of the Gaza Strip and the full implementation of the Agreement on Movement and Access of 15 November 2005; stresses the need to preserve the territorial contiguity, unity and integrity of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and to guarantee the freedom of movement of persons and goods; demands compliance with the Protocol on Economic Relations between the Government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (the “Paris Protocol”); and calls upon Israel to respect the rules of international humanitarian law, refrain from violence against the civilian population, cease the destruction of homes and properties, economic institutions and agricultural lands and orchards, immediately end the exploitation of natural resources, cease settlement and settlement-related activity, account for the illegal actions perpetrated by Israeli settlers, pay urgent attention to the plight and the rights of Palestinian prisoners and detainees, comply with the provisions of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War and facilitate visits of the Syrian citizens of the occupied Syrian Golan whose family members reside in their mother homeland, the Syrian Arab Republic.
3. The present note provides information on relevant developments with regard to the foregoing.The first teaser for the superhero movie sequel Deadpool 2 has arrived.
Star Ryan Reynolds today posted the clip on YouTube. His character, Wade Wilson, encounters a man getting mugged. Like Superman, he jumps into a phone booth to change into his Deadpool suit--but...well, watch the video to see how it turns out. Stan Lee even shows up.
EW noticed that this trailer also references "Nathan Summers," which is a reference to Cable, who has been heavily teased for the sequel. Recently, a report claimed Stranger Things actor David Harbour might play him. However, this trailer shows a poster for Firefly, so could it be Nathan Fillion?
Avatar actor Stephen Lang said last year that he would like to play the part.
As for Deadpool 2's release date, the trailer jokes that the movie is "coming...not soon enough." On a more serious note, Fox currently has two slots allocated for upcoming X-Men movies, in 2018 and 2019. One is thought to be Deadpool 2, the other possibly New Mutants.
Anyone know the number to 911?
No Good Deed https://t.co/HyfsFn48Vl — Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) March 4, 2017
Deadpool 2 is set to be directed by John Wick's David Leitch, who replaces the first film's director, Tim Miller, who dropped out over reported creative differences with Reynolds.
This Deadpool 2 teaser runs before Logan, which is in theaters now.
What do you make of this first Deadpool 2 teaser? Let us know in the comments below!We’ve announced a lot of new information in the past 24 hours. We know it’s a lot to absorb, and you probably have a lot of questions. To make sure you know all you need to know, we’ve assembled a list of answers to all your most frequently asked questions. For example: will the Winter Arena streams have ads? No. Will Gold Members get a discount on Winter Arena passes? Yes. There’s a lot more; read on.
General Questions
1. How much does it cost to watch the Arena?
A PPV pass for the Winter Arena is $20.
2. What do I get for that?
The Premium Viewing Page: a brand new way of watching StarCraft 2. We took last year’s Quad View and went crazy with it.
Watch up to all five streams at once
Get quick access to brackets, schedule, liveblog, chat, and more
Instantly switch audio tracks and reposition each stream on the page; customize your own experience
Go and check out the demo page and see it for yourself. If you still have questions, check out the full explanation of the page’s features.
3. Can I buy a pass now?
Yes! Just head here. You’ll need to sign up for a Justin.tv account if you don't already have one (you can’t use your MLG ID).
4. How much gameplay am I going to get to see?
We are streaming every single match from the entire tournament, live, with commentary, across four streams. It’s at least 20 hours of StarCraft 2 on each of the four streams (not counting the Dr Pepper Ultimate Access stream), spread out over three days.
The MLG Central Stream : the highly polished content you’ve come to expect from the Pro Circuit
: the highly polished content you’ve come to expect from the Pro Circuit Three Gameplay streams: constant action and commentary from some of the best up-and-coming StarCraft 2 casters
5. Will you be streaming anything besides gameplay?
Yes. We’ll have 32 of the world’s best players right here in our studio, in addition to a bunch of leading members of the scene, and we want you to feel like you’re right in the room with them. The Dr Pepper MLG Ultimate Access stream will be running all throughout the Arena, featuring candid footage, interviews, chats and more live from the Dr Pepper Player Lounge.
6. Will there be ads on the Arena streams?
The main stream and all of the gameplay streams will not have ads. The Dr Pepper MLG Ultimate Access stream will run ads.
7. Can I see what I’m getting out of the Arena before I pay for it?
Absolutely! We wouldn’t want you to pay for anything sight unseen. That’s where the demo page comes in. Head over there and you can see it all in action; it’s a work in progress, and by the time the Arena rolls around there will be even better functionality, and any bugs you see should be fixed. The demo will give you a pretty full picture of exactly what you’re getting, though.
8. Will any part of the Arena be free?
The Dr Pepper MLG Ultimate Access stream will be completely free all weekend. The first match aired on each of the four other streams, on both Friday and Saturday, will also be free to everyone.
9. Why pay $20 when some other events are free?
The Arenas are a brand new addition to the Pro Circuit’s stable of events, and we’re putting a lot into them. There will be four streams running gameplay at all times, and one stream running throughout the weekend that will give you a candid look behind the scenes with all the players. You can watch all five streams at once, or choose which ones you’d like to see, and seamlessly switch between them. Production value will be incredibly high. Quality of players, and therefore games, will also be extremely high, because we’re flying 32 of the world’s best to NYC to compete live from our studios. We will be streaming every single game from the tournament, live in up to true 720p. And we’re getting some of the best casters in the business to commentate all the action.
10. Who’s playing in the Arena?
Check out the full player list.
11. What do they win?
A share of $26k in prize money, plus the chance to go right into Pool Play at the Winter Championship. The top 16 will also receive an all-expenses paid trip to Columbus to compete at the Winter Championship, where $76k is on the line. Go here for more details.
12. What’s the broadcast schedule?
General times are– Friday, 2/24 – 5:30pm – midnight, Saturday, 2/25 – 1:30pm – 10:00pm, Sunday, 2/26 – 1:30pm-8pm (all times ET). A complete breakdown of broadcast times can be found here.
13. What’s the plan for VOD?
Arena VOD will be available to people with PPV passes immediately following matches, all throughout the Arena weekend. All VOD will be made available for free to everyone one week after the Arena is over.
14. What about replays?
Replays will be released when VOD goes up a week after the Arena.
15. Will Championships still have a free experience?
Of course. 2012’s Championships are very similar to the Pro Circuit Live Competitions of previous years. There will still be a Premium experience involving ad-free HD and extra streams of gameplay, and the SD quality broadcast of the main stream will still be offered completely free.
Information for Gold Members
1. I have Gold Membership; do I have to pay for the Winter Arena?
Yes. At this time, Arena PPV is not included in Gold Memberships.
2. Do Gold Members get discounts on Winter Arena Passes?
Yes! All current Gold Members will receive $5 off the Winter Arena. We will be emailing all Gold Members a discount code by the end of this week (by the end of the day on Friday, 2/17).
3. What if I’m a Gold Member and I already bought an Arena pass?
We’ll make sure you can still get your discount. Email us at premium@mlgpro.com and we’ll talk directly to you to get you taken care of.
4. Why aren’t Arenas included in Gold Membership?
Gold Membership is good for all Championship events. The Arenas, which are a brand new offering in 2012, aren’t a part of Gold Membership—but you’ll still get a discount.
5. Do I still get to watch the Championships in HD if I have Gold Membership?
Yes. With Gold Membership, you get the full premium experience (HD, ad-free, access to all streams) at every Pro Circuit Championship throughout the duration of your Membership.
6. Are there any plans to offer a Premium plan that will incorporate both Arenas and Championship events?
Yes. We hope to roll out exactly such a plan in the near future, and will keep you posted.
Referral Program
1. What is the MLG Referral Program?
MLG designed the MLG Referral Program as a way to give money back to the eSports community and support its ongoing growth. The MLG Referral Program is a way for partners, fans, and affiliates to earn monetary compensation for promoting MLG Arena events and PPV passes.
2. How does the MLG Referral Program work?
MLG Referral Partners are given a unique URL to promote MLG Arena PPV Passes. When a user purchases a pass through their referral URL, a portion of the cost of the pass is given to the referral partner.
3. How can I become an MLG Referral Partner?
To become a referral partner, interested parties can contact Lee Chen for more information.Terri Bennett is a 50-year-old student at Pima Community College who has been suspended for objecting to students speaking Spanish in her Introduction to Nursing class. Now, she’s suing the school for being unfairly targeted and will seek a six-figure sum, according to The Tuscon Sentinel.
According to The Sentinel:
“After Bennett complained in March about students speaking Spanish, she met with a series of PCC administrators, who discounted her claims. PCC officials told Bennett she was being suspended because she argued with an instructor about a test answer, complained about students speaking Spanish in and out of class, and displayed intimidating behavior toward students, staff and faculty, the filings said. “Bennett's claim said that the coordinator of PCC's nursing program, David Kutzler, called her a ‘bigot and a bitch,’ and accused her of ‘discriminating against Mexican-Americans.’”
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Bennett claimed students translating lessons into Spanish for non-English speaking students constantly disrupted her, which she believes interfered with her ability to concentrate and learn the material, and was “hostile to her as an English speaker.”
The school claims Bennett, "had violated three provisions of the Code of Conduct, namely, that she 1) disrupted class, 2) engaged in discriminatory conduct, and 3) engaged in 'harassing conduct,' including'stalking' and 'bullying,’” according to Courthouse News Service.
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Phil Kent, an Atlanta-based spokesman for the Washington, D.C.-area group ProEnglish, has taken up Bennett’s fight, which he called “outrageous,” according to The Sentinel.
"It's a sad day that we're here filing this suit in Arizona, it's a sad day in the United States of America, for this woman to be persecuted and insulted, discriminated against," Kent said, wearing a tie featuring the Confederate Stars and Bars, during a Monday press conference.
"It is outrageous how Ms. Bennett has been mistreated and discriminated against by Pima County Community College based on her cultural background as an English speaker," Kent wrote last week, announcing the group’s backing of the suit.
Sources: The Tuscon Sentinel, Courthouse News Service
undefinedAnother great week for Corporate America!
The economy is flatlining. Global financial markets are in turmoil. Your stock price is down about 15 percent in three weeks. Your customers have lost all confidence in the economy. Your employees, at least the American ones, are cynical and demoralized. Your government is paralyzed.
Want to know who is to blame, Mr. Big Shot Chief Executive? Just look in the mirror because the culprit is staring you in the face.
J’accuse, dude. J’accuse.
You helped create the monsters that are rampaging through the political and economic countryside, wreaking havoc and sucking the lifeblood out of the global economy.
Did you see this week’s cartoon cover of the New Yorker? That’s you in top hat and tails sipping champagne in the lifeboat as the Titanic is sinking. Problem is, nobody thinks it’s a joke anymore.
Did you presume we wouldn’t notice that you’ve been missing in action? I can’t say I was surprised. If you’d insisted on trotting out those old canards again, blaming everything on high taxes, unions, regulatory uncertainty and the lack of free-trade treaties, you would have lost whatever shred of credibility you have left.
My own bill of particulars begins right here in Washington, where over the past decade you financed and supported the growth of a radical right-wing cabal that has now taken over the Republican Party and repeatedly made a hostage of the U.S. government.
When it started out all you really wanted was to push back against a few meddlesome regulators or shave a point or two off your tax rate, but you were concerned it would look like special-interest rent-seeking. So when the Washington lobbyists came up with the clever idea of launching a campaign against over-regulation and over-taxation, you threw in some money, backed some candidates and financed a few lawsuits.
The more successful it was, however, the more you put in — hundreds of millions of the shareholders’ dollars, laundered through once-respected organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers, phoney front organizations with innocent-sounding names such as Americans for a Sound Economy, and a burgeoning network of Republican PACs and financing vehicles. And thanks to your clever lawyers and a Supreme Court majority that is intent on removing all checks to corporate power, it’s perfectly legal.
Somewhere along the way, however, this effort took on a life of its own. What started as a reasonable attempt at political rebalancing turned into a jihad against all regulation, all taxes and all government, waged by right-wing zealots who want to privatize the public schools that educate your workers, cut back on the basic research on which your products are based, shut down the regulatory agencies that protect you from unscrupulous competitors and privatize the public infrastructure that transports your supplies and your finished goods. For them, this isn’t just a tactic to brush back government. It’s a holy war to destroy it — and one that is now out of your control.
For years you complained bitterly about the uncompetitive nature of an employer-based health-care system, the inexorable rise of health insurance premiums, the folly of medical malpractice and the unfair burden of having to subsidize the uninsured. But when your lobbyists and your bought-and-paid-for politicians had the chance to cut a deal that would have given you most of what you asked for, they walked away.
For years you complained bitterly about rising federal budget deficits and a corporate tax code that was too complex and burdensome. But when your crew had the chance to strike a grand bargain that would have fixed both those things, they not only rejected it but insisted on creating an unnecessary crisis that triggered a credit downgrade of U.S. Treasurys and a roller-coaster ride for stocks.
Please don’t tell me about your mealy-mouthed letter warning Congress not to play politics with the debt ceiling. By that point, the Frankenpols you created were not interested in your advice. The only thing that might have got their attention was a threat to cut off the flow of political money. You didn’t — and now they know they can ignore you with impunity.
I wonder how many of your fellow members of the Business Roundtable would accept a credible budget-balancing deal that had $10 of spending cuts for every $1 of tax increases. My guess is they all would. And what about the presidential candidates in the new, improved Republican Party that you helped create? In last week’s Iowa debate, every last one of them promised to veto such a deal. Good luck with that!
Remember way back last fall when your big concern was with regulatory uncertainty, which you continue to use as the excuse for letting all those profits build up on your balance sheet rather than investing in equipment or hiring workers. Whatever uncertainty you can pin on the Obama administration and the Democratic Congress now looks like small potatoes given the uncertainty caused by your political shock troops as they challenge every new regulation all the way to the Supreme Court. They’ll try to prevent or roll back implementation of others with appropriations riders, just like they did with the Federal Aviation Administration — and we know how well that worked out.
In your name, they are also refusing to confirm nominees to dozens of key vacancies in the executive branch and independent agencies. Among them is President Obama’s choice for Commerce secretary, John Bryson, who for 18 years was chief executive of the largest electric utility in Southern California and served as a director at Boeing and Disney. His sin, apparently, is that he was co-founder of a respected environmental organization, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and — get this — actually believes the scientific community when it says global warming is a problem.
I can just hear it now: “Mr. Bryson, are you now, or were you ever, a member of an environmental organization?” How does it make you feel to know that you’ve helped to revive McCarthyism in American politics?
Your culpability, however, extends beyond the breakdown in Washington.
For the past 30 years, there has been a steady financialization of the American economy in which the interests of so-called shareholders have become the single-minded focus of large corporations, to the virtual exclusion of the interests of customers, employees and the society at large.
Early on, some of your predecessors were willing to put up a fight against the Wall Street cabal, but in time they bought you off with exorbitant perks and pay packages that nearly rival their own. This occupation of Main Street by Wall Street was confirmed again last week as anonymous traders and hedge fund managers went on a riotous spree, wielding false rumors and high-frequency computerized trading to loot pension and retirement accounts and rob consumers and real investors of whatever confidence they had left.
I suppose there are some schnooks who actually believe that those wild swings in stock prices last week represented sober and serious concerns by thoughtful, sophisticated investors about the Treasury debt downgrade or European sovereign debt or a slowdown in global growth. But surely such perceptions don’t radically change each afternoon between 2 and 4:30, when the market averages last week were gyrating out of control.
The only credible explanation for that is speculation, herd behavior and market manipulation by traders looking to make a quick million — financial wiseguys who could not care less what impact it might have on the real economy. And other than J.P. Morgan’s Jamie Dimon, I didn’t hear a peep of protest from you on CNBC, or a speech to the Economic Club of Chicago or even a simple letter to the editor of the Wall Street Journal. A cameo appearance at the White House doesn’t quite cut it.
It’s not just that you have remained silent as the financial sector has sucked away much of the profit generated by the private sector, stolen away much of the nation’s best talent and transformed the process of capital allocation and formation into a casino. Even worse, through organizations such as the Chamber and the Business Roundtable you reflexively provided them with crucial political support that allowed them to beat back regulators who tried to restrict their growth, curb their |
is within miles of entering Lake Michigan.
If they do, they would have the potential to spread throughout the lakes, wreaking havoc to their ecosystem and with it the $7bn (£4.7bn) fishing and recreation industries on which millions of jobs depend. "This is an intense threat, and people are just waking up to how big the danger is," said David Ullrich of the Great Lakes and St Lawrence Cities Initiative, which represents 70 waterfront cities in the US and Canada with a joint population of 13 million.
Asian carp were first introduced to southern states of the US from China in the 1970s to help clean tanks in fish farms. They escaped and for more than 30 years have steadily worked their way up the Mississippi river system, devouring food and devastating native fish populations along the way. Last December, DNA of the carp was found just a few miles from the Great Lakes outside Chicago, a discovery that Ullrich described as "a major shock to everyone".
Though they live on plankton and algae, Asian carp are like the Terminators of the fish world. They can grow to four feet and 110 pounds, and eat up to 40% of their body weight in a single day. By sucking up so much goodness from the water they deprive the juveniles of native species of their primary source of food, leading to their decline.
Further downstream from the Great Lakes, in the Illinois and Mississippi rivers, the damage is already abundantly evident. The newcomers have starved out native species to such an extent that Asian carp now account for more than nine out of every 10 fish.
The fear is that if they become established in the Great Lakes the same brutal transformation will occur.
The lakes are considered all the more susceptible because they were formed at the end of the last ice age as the glaciers receded. That was 10,000 years ago, which in biological terms is a blink of an eye, rendering this young ecosystem all the more vulnerable to invasive attack.
As an additional threat, the silver variety of Asian carp also have the ability to leap two metres into the air, which they do when disturbed by vibrations of passing motor boats. Such acrobatics would be quaint were they not so perilous.
"These fish have broken jaws, knocked people unconscious and caused folks to nearly drown in the Mississippi river," said Joel Brammeier of the environmental group Alliance for the Great Lakes. "Imagine cruising down a lake at 20 knots and getting hit in the stomach or head with a bowling ball – that's what you can envisage with Asian carp."
With the fish now within striking distance of the lakes, an extraordinary array of officialdom has begun to engage with the problem, from small fishing and shipping firms right up to the federal government, Congress and supreme court. Everyone is agreed that the fish must be stopped, but consensus on how to do so is proving elusive.
Earlier this month the Obama administration put forward a $78.5m plan for blocking the fish. Its focus lies in an electronic barrier that has been built by the US army corps of engineers across a canal through which the fish would have to swim to reach the lakes. The barrier, opened last year, has been designed to allow ships to pass while deterring fish. It works by shooting a high-voltage current through the water strong enough to stun, but not kill, the carp.
The crucial question is whether it is foolproof. "I don't think we can ever guarantee 100% of anything in life, but we think it's well above 99% of the fish that are turned back," said Chuck Shea, who manages the barrier.
But for those who fear that arrival of the fish would spell disaster, that 1% risk is simply too high – particularly as the carp DNA found last December was beyond the barrier. The state of Michigan, supported by Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York, all of which have Great Lakes shores, has taken the matter to the supreme court to force through a permanent solution.
These states are pressing for the ultimate barrier: they want to set the clock back 110 years to when the lakes were distinct from the Mississippi river system. It was only in 1900 that the connection between the two was made when, in a breathtaking – some say breathtakingly arrogant – feat of engineering, the flow of the Chicago river was reversed to allow billions of gallons of waste water to be sent downriver from Chicago thus solving the city's sewerage problem.
As a result of the reversal, Lake Michigan was artificially joined by canal to the Illinois river and hence the Mississippi, providing the Asian carp more than a century later with an artificial pathway into the Great Lakes.
Michigan wants that pathway to be cut off, by sealing the locks that link the two ecosystems. The state, whose economy is singularly dependant on the Great Lakes by dint of its long shoreline, is not satisfied by the Obama administration's proposal merely to restrict use of the locks. Michigan's attorney general recently denounced the federal plans as "half-measures and gimmicks".
Against that view, the state of Illinois has been pressing for the locks to remain at least partially open. Economic imperative is at work here, too.
Chicago, a city whose greatness was initially founded upon shipping, still has a small but significant trade in heavy materials such as coal and gravel by barge along the canal through which the carp are now progressing in the opposite direction.
Judy Biggert, a Chicago member of congress, has labelled the outcry over Asian carp "hysteria" and ridiculed Michigan and others for their "act now, think later mentality".
The fear for environmentalists is that while this largely economically-driven squabbling goes on, Asian carp will be allowed to continue gobbling their way towards Lake Michigan. Should they be allowed to reach there in numbers sufficient to start a breeding colony — and females can spawn more than a million eggs several times in a season — it will all be over bar the shouting.
Brammeier sees Asian carp as a crucible for the lakes, pointing out that they have already been severely harmed by toxic waste and 180 previous invasive species. "We know so much about this new threat. If, after all that, we still can't act, if we stand down, then we will be confining the Great Lakes to another century of damage and degradation."BOYCOTT THE WICKED JEW STARBUCKS – WITH IT’S JEW RACIST – LATTE’S FRAPPE’S AND OY VEYS!
Starbucks is an evil, wicked, jew-owned child murdering provider – like all jew companies. The owner is not surprisingly a greasy New York jew ( the WORST kind of jew) demon bastard. His name is HOWARD SCHULTZ. Don’t forget this name – as this son of Satan is a cold-blooded killer. Baby killer jew Schultz is EXACTLY the kind of monster that Jesus addressed in John 8-44 as a demon child of Satan. He is as remorseless and wicked as any creature spawned by Satan.
This scumbag never served his country or did ANYTHING American. His life was dedicated to being rich and to keep racial hatred alive and well as evidenced by his rancid putrid conduct. When I was training young warriors to prepare for a war against his Marxist pals in the USSR – Schultz was in second grade playing with marbles and dreidels
Like all jews – this slimy reptile from Hell will not get his hands dirty doing the actual killing – so good little racist Christ hating rat faced jew that he is – he donates a lot of money to fund the murder of innocent helpless defenseless Palestinian children as well as the murder of innocent Civilian Iraq and Afghanistan families. He is a psychotic racist monster no less evil than Kaganovitch or any of Stalin’s Christian hating Godless psychopathic jew butchers who murdered millions of innocent people in the Ukraine – some of whom were my family by marriage.
All this reptile cares about is other reprobate jews. He doesn’t care about Christians or Americans or what is good for America – only what is good for his “sons of Satan” jews and their rogue stolen terrorist loathsome land of reprobate criminals – recycled Stalinist commissars’ – Christ haters – traitors – war mongers – imperialists – murderers – baby killers – porn kings – whores – atheists – abortionists – white slavers – racists -bigots -pedophiles – perverts and Mossad and IDF terrorists. I’m talking about the enemy of humanity – the most hated Godless unholy demonic place on earth – ISRAHELL!
I was there as an insider and saw it all. I have spent time in over thirty nations – some as a tourist some as an advisor – some as a diplomat – some as a businessman, but I have never witnessed a more thoroughly evil place than that. If any substantial proportion of moral educated American citizens could see what I have – jews would have had their evil parasite asses kicked out long ago – and we would be a united prosperous moral Godly beloved sovereign nation today.
Today – this rat faced kike butcher squeals with delight every time some yuppie Gentile fool buys a $5 dollar cup of his fancy death brew of ten cents worth of flavored hot water. He then donates part of his nearly 100% profit- to his jew terrorist IDF pals to murder more children. NO decent REAL American should even allow ANYONE so amoral or stupid enough to patronize this jew monster’s rip-off death factory or support IsraHELL in ANY WAY!.
If you can imagine anything more evil and sadistic – He donates money to the terrorist IDF for their BRAVE conduct in battle with terrorizing and murdering children, pregnant women and fathers trying to protect their families. Been there seen that. This putrid jew’s idea of a hero is a jew who has desecrated a church or Mosque by shitting and pissing on the walls and Holy books. Been there seen that.
He particularly admires the IDF terrorists who shoot a pregnant mother in the womb – with their ” one shot two kills” jew mentality cowardly sadism. Seen that too. This rat faced racist coward REALLY gets his cookies off though when he hears that his IDF terrorist snipers have murdered a 3 year old child in his own yard – then sent in hungry dogs to eat the flesh of the child – then as the horrified parents try in vain to retrieve the body of their baby girl – they are also murdered in cold blood – as the fiendish jew ghouls laugh and celebrate their ‘ brave kills’. AGAIN – I WAS THERE!
Just read for your self what hatred the LEADERS of these filthy racist Christian hating jews spew out like vomit.
Remember – ALL of the horrors were committed against a helpless defenseless people whose land that their forefathers had tilled for some thousand five hundred years was stolen by violence and murder from its rightful owners by these rabid insane mad dog criminals. So what do we BRAVE Merkans do make it right? We stand by and DO NOTHING BUT GET FATTER AND DRUNKER at our tailgate parties. THEN we add insult to injury by financing these horrors as we feel so cosmopolitan sipping our pricy Cappuccinos/Lattes after the game at JEW BUCKS!
Starbucks (Jew Bucks) is the devil’s own brew and it KILLS and KILLS and KILLS without mercy. These jew death financing mills are a disgrace to America and what we stand for. How in the name of God – LITERALLY – can ANY human being, patronize the jew filth and death and misery of such racist bigoted Christ hating scum.
Their so-called religion is FILLED with FORMAL DOCUMENTED hated of Christ Christians and Gentiles. The sad and disgraceful irony here is that the religion of the people who these jews spend much of their waking hours plotting how to murder – have shown the greatest respect love and tribute to Jesus and His blessed mother.
While the jews – like Mr. blood-money bucks here – blaspheme and mock our Lord in the most vicious cruel ways – call him a BASTARD who is in hell burning in a vat of boiling shit – AND trash His mother a as a WHORE. Not ONLY Is this in their ‘sacred’ hate filled Talmud – but you can see the same blasphemies 24-7 on their TALMUD VISION networks here in the States and in IsraHELL. Yes Dorothy – it is all true. Here are just a few of examples of what Schultz and his evil tribe members support.
Every over priced cup of jew snob coffee that some Christian imbecile buys at Schultz’s death mill – pays for a bullet or rocket that murders a helpless defenseless innocent child or baby in Palestine. This racist bloodthirsty Zionist baby killer has close ties to IsraHELL and his hate of innocent Arab people is surpassed only by his hatred of Christians – whom he considers so much scum. He actually REWARDS IDF thugs for murdering helpless children.
When I was in IsraHELL the racist hatred was so thick it seemed to fill even the air with a stifling stench of death. Not that a Muslim child’s life is worth any less in the eyes of God – but children are being murdered by these cowardly demons 24-7 as you read this – and one out of 5 of the victims are Christian.
Here are a few of the examples of the horrors that JEW-bucks coffee directly pays for. Next time you see one of these heart rending gut grinding pictures of a little child turned into bloody hamburger by these Godless filthy murdering cowardly jew scum – think HOWARD SCHULTZ and the scum who patronize his racist ‘factory of death’.
The sadistic jew Schultz has been highly praised the IsraHELL government ( who murders these defenseless children by the thousands) for sponsoring pro jew terrorist anti-Palestinian seminars on college campuses all over the world. But then after all – hate lies deceit and suffering is what jews do best and have done for over a thousand years!
Even as the blood of innocent Palestinian children was soaking the ground in Jenin Nabulus Bethlehem – this rat faced JEW monster – HOWARD SCHULTZ – was screaming for even more killing as in typical jew fashion- he blamed the VICTIMS/CHILDREN for somehow being the bad guys. He called the poor defenseless Palestinians the terrorists and incited people to support these murderous animals in Israhell to continue with their genocide!
Inciting to murder thousands of innocent defenseless people – mostly children -is GENOCIDE – and that is a crime!
I am more that a little bit familiar with international terrorist terrorism and what defines a terrorist from a freedom fighter. I have hunted fought and interrogated REAL terrorists in a Latin American nation at the request of their Government so I am no stranger to the nature of the beast. I – along with many informed well experienced and educated colleagues have long ago exposed the jew IDF as the world’s largest institutionalized terrorist organization.
I have been inside IsraHELL and observed these IDF thugs and what I experienced made me want to vomit. Even the jew children are taught to be filthy soulless sadistic racist hate filled demons – DISGUSTING
Next time any of your readers sip your pricy yuppie snob Frappuccino or iced Lattee’ – look real close inside – and perhaps you might see some of the innocent children’s blood it bought!
Now lets take a hard look at the filth that this Christ hating racist jew is involve with. Satan must be wringing his claws with delight to see ‘one of his own’ ( John 8-44) make him so proud!
First of all – Howard Shultz, the chairman of Starbucks is a notorious active Zionist – a filthy criminal animal.
In 1998 he was honored by the Jerusalem Fund of Aish HaTorah with “The Israel 50th Anniversary Friend of Zion Tribute Award” for his services to the Zionist state in “playing a key role in promoting close alliance between the United States and IsraHELL”. The Jerusalem Fund of Aish HaTorah funds IsraHELL arms fairs chaired by the butcher of Jenin – General Shaul Mofaz, and the Zionist propaganda website honest reporting.com.
His work as a propagandist for IsraHELL has been praised by the Israeli Foreign Ministry as being key to IsraHELL’s long-term PR success.
At a time when other businesses were desperately pulling out of Israel, Starbucks decided to help IsraHELL’s floundering economy and invest in IsraHELL – a joint venture with Israeli conglomerate Delek Group for Starbucks outlets in Israel ( Shalom Coffee Co). A bad business decision – Starbucks made heavy losses and in April 2003 Starbucks were forced to announced that all 6 Starbucks cafes in IsraHELL will be shut down and its partnership with Delek end.
It has been revealed that Starbucks still continues to support IsraHELL by sponsoring fund raisers for IsraHELL. Here is the TRUE nature of the demonic symbol of hated death and Satanic worship despised the world over for its evil.
Starbucks fully supports Bush’s war of terror and has opened a Starbucks in Afghanistan for the US invaders – they like to do there bit to help the occupation suffering and misery of your victims. You life is a testimony to your evil lies deceptions and evil. Here are a few of the accolades bestowed upon this demon Schultz – by the sons of the Devil.
Howard Schultz was presented with “The IsraHELL 50th Anniversary Friend of Zion Tribute Award” by the The Jerusalem Fund of Aish HaTorah in August 27, 1998.
According to the Jerusalem Fund of Aish HaTorah “The Friends of Zion award salutes leaders who have played key roles in promoting close alliance between the United States and IsraHELL”
Its interesting that the IsraHELL 50th Anniversary Award given to Howard Schultz was once displayed with pride on the Starbucks website on the company’s “Awards and Accolades” page but since the boycott started biting it has mysteriously disappeared from the page.
The RACIST Jerusalem Fund of Aish HaTorah sponsors IsraHELL military arms fairs chaired by the butcher of Jenin – General Shaul Mofaz, IsraHELL’s Minister of Defense. It aims to “strengthen the special connection between the American, European and IsraHELL defense industries” and “to showcase the newest IsraHELL innovations in defense”.
The Jerusalem Fund of Aish HaTorah also sponsors the Zionist propaganda website “honestreporting.com”.[]
The Aish HaTorah, the main beneficiary of The Jerusalem Fund of Aish HaTorah, whilst described as an apolitical international network of Jewish education centers, produces racist propaganda material for IsraHELL.
One video they produce by Rabbi Ken Spiro titled “The Islamic Connection to Jerusalem” starts “The Islamic connection begins in the 7th century, thousands of years after the original Jewish connection..” and continues to belittle Jerusalem’s Islamic heritage – propaganda to justify Israeli occupation of Jerusalem. ( RACISM)
Also featured on their site is “The Occupied Territories – A Primer” which denies the status of the West Bank and Gaza as “occupied” and argues that they be called “disputed territories”..(RACISM)
No wonder they were praised by RACIST ATHEIST Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu:
“I congratulate Aish HaTorah for what they’re doing, where they’re doing it, and for whom they’re doing it”
“… The key to Israel’s long-term PR success, Meir believes, is on the campuses of North America and Europe. Wealthy Jews like Howard Schultz, the owner of the Starbucks chain, are helping with student projects, including racist seminars held in both IsraHELL and North America, in which students hear IsraHELL racist presentations on the crisis….”
SEATTLE – Divisions within the Jewish community were on display Thursday in Seattle as Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz criticized Palestinian inaction in the Middle East while others protested the IsraHELL occupation of Palestinian lands.( RACISM)
“If you leave this synagogue tonight and go back to your home and ignore this, then shame on us,” Howard Schultz told a crowded temple of Jewish Americans on Seattle’s Capitol Hill.( HATRED AND RACISM)
NO MR. Racist jew bastard! The “shame” and the damnation has ALREADY been on you and you filthy tribe for two thousand years...and the jews answered ” Let His blood be upon us and our children”
Schultz warned other Jews against sitting back and doing nothing.
DO NOTHING? Your precious jews have been responsible for the murder of over TWO HUNDRED MILLION INNOCENT CIVILIANS – MOSTLY CHRISTIAN in the past century ALONE! You want MORE?
“What is going on in the Middle East is not an isolated part of the world. The rise of anti-Semitism is at an all time high since the 1930’s,” he said.
NO – you devious lying murderous black hearted racist bastard. Most of us certainly do NOT hate “SEMITES”. Some of the people I admire the most for their honesty character courage compassion and trustworthiness are indeed TRUE SEMITES! BUT we the decent people on the planet all despise JEWS BASTARDS LIKE YOU!
“The Palestinians aren’t doing their job they’re not stopping terrorism.”
YOU BASTARDS are the REAL terrorists rat-face. The poor Palestinians and I along with ALL decent freedom loving people would like nothing better than to rid the world of YOU – THE REAL TERRORISTS
While reaction inside the temple to Schultz’s remarks grew from a warm reception to a standing ovation, the mood outside the temple was different.
A handful of Jews gathered there to protest the Israeli government’s actions of late and their occupation of Palestinian lands.
There were similar sentiments Thursday at Seattle’s Westlake center.
“We only get the side that talks about Palestinians as terrorists. As if all the civilians right now living in a state of siege and terror are terrorists and they’re not,” said protestor Alethea Mundy, whose younger brother is in Bethlehem doing relief work for Palestinian refugees.
She’s worried about her brother, but realizes that everything is relative.
“This is what the Palestinians live with every day, two weeks is nothing for my brother,” how true.
Some interesting facts about the jew vampire influence of the evil Starbucks:
Hotels you should boycott for their assistance with genocide by sponsoring the murderous Starbucks
Hyatt Hotel – Marriot Hotels – Sheraton/Starwood Hotels – all jews
Barnes & Noble bookstores = anything but ‘noble’. more ‘associate murderers’
Albertson’s Supermarkets = “My Store” I don’t think so ‘my stores’ do NOT help murder children!
The New York Times ( jew run) VERY STRONGLY PROMOTE Starbucks murderous agenda
He has been strongly supported by the criminal ADL as well as other jew support only organizations
Volumes could be written about the connections this monster has with criminal Zionist entities but this should be enough. It is all about money and more money to pay off propaganda shills and hide the fact that he is a ruthless white collar butcher who like most jew cowards uses his influence and money to cause as much pain and misery and destruction as he can It’s a jew/Satan thing. Just keep the lies and killing going for his god Satan and for his ilk Satan’s children.
There won’t be a place hot enough in Hell to pay for the innocent blood you have on your hands. As veteran an American and a patriot – I find you very presence in this land an abomination against God and all that is Holy. When the time comes – and IT WILL – there won’t be a hole deep enough or dark enough to save your miserable evil hide from the justice you have made a mockery of your entire wicked reprobate life.
You laugh at us stupid goy now – jew butcher but your time WILL come and you will be torn apart and fed to dogs by angry mobs for your crimes against God’s most innocent children. Enjoy your blood money now rat -face – because the God you so cruelly devote your life to mocking will not sleep forever. Whether is will be man’s justice or God’s justice – you WILL BE PUNISHED FOR THE MISERY YOU HAVE CREATED.
BOYCOTT this wicked jew hangout of Christ hating child murderers and Satanic IsraHELL lovers!
My name is Joe Cortina. I was a 60s Green Beret commander and a representative for IBM as well as a scientist for Honeywell Aerospace in Florida. I later became President of my own manufacturing company. I have two sons and 2 granddaughters who are the reason for my dedication to expose the threats to the freedoms I hope to see them enjoy as I did many decades ago when America was still a Christian-based sovereign nation free of Zionist influence.
Book Of John Chapter 8 – as Christ damns the Jews ( and NOT JUST THE HIGH PRIESTS AND Pharisees – see notes below)
” Ye do the deeds of your father (the devil). If God were your father. ye would love me; for I proceed forth and came from God: neither came I of myself, but He sent me.”
” Ye are of your father the devil and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie – he speaketh of his own; ( the Jews) for he is a liar, and the father of it”
“That this SATANIC FATHERHOOD cannot be limited to the Pharisees is MADE CLEAR in 1 John 3;8-10″
Matthew 23:15” Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.
“You serpents, you generation of vipers, how can you escape the damnation of hell?” (Jesus – to the Jews; in Matthew 23:33)
“My opinion of Christian Zionists? They’re scum. But don’t tell them that. We need all the useful idiots we can get right now.” — Benyamin Netanyahu, at the time a former IsraHELL prime ministerThis Friday, June 12, Dark Matter will premiere on Syfy. Created by Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie (The Stargate shows), and based on their comic book of the same name, Dark Matter follows the crew of the spaceship, who wake up from stasis with no memories whatsoever. Here’s a video for each of the crew, letting you get to know them before they know themselves.
We’ve got seven videos with the cast and creators discussing each character and their place in this new show. There are a lot of great science fiction archetypes being introduced and played with here and we’re pretty excited to see it all unfold.
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First up, “One” (Marc Bendavid), the outsider:
“Four” (Alex Mallari Jr.), the quiet guy — who has swords. Because what is space without swords?:
“Five” (Jodelle Ferland), the tech prodigy:
“Six” (Roger Cross), the mercenary with a heart:
And the Android (Zoie Palmer):
Contact the author at katharine@io9.com.Somehow, on Valentine’s Day, while he was trying to find a new national security adviser to replace the one he’d just fired, and while he was staring down multiple investigations over potential collusion with Russia, and while he was dealing with the fallout from having conducted missile diplomacy with the Japanese in the public dining room at Mar-a-Lago as if it were one of those party games where everyone got to dress up as a country in World War II … somehow, with all this swirling around him, President Trump managed to lunch with his old friend Chris Christie.
I don’t know what they talked about, exactly, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t the opioid crisis, which was the stated reason for the meeting. If Trump’s half as smart as he always says he is, then he offered to send a moving van to Trenton.
Because Trump needs a guy like Christie to come in and grab the wheel of this careening presidency, and he needs it to happen now.
Oh, believe me, I know: Just the mention of Christie is enough to send his legion of critics into feral fits of rage and mockery. He came within inches of an indictment for having presided over the basest kind of political retribution, which ultimately undid both his presidential campaign and his second term as New Jersey’s governor. Even his supporters were stung by how brazenly he swung behind Trump and how small it made him seem.
We wouldn’t even be here were it not for Christie’s vengeful streak. If he hadn’t decided to publicly disembowel Marco Rubio in that last debate in New Hampshire, as payback for a raft of negative ads, Trump would probably be back on the “Apprentice” set right now, ogling the interns.
But whatever else you want to say about Christie (and I’ve always found him to be a more complicated and gifted politician than his detractors can stand to admit), the man knows how to bring focus to a political operation, and how to advance a governing agenda, and how to balance public bluster with backroom pragmatism.
And if there’s anyone on Trump’s senior staff who actually knows how to do any of that, by all means, get to the part of the ship that’s still above water and wave your hands frantically so we can see you.
I’m not saying Reince Priebus isn’t a decent guy in a difficult situation. But Priebus is a Wisconsin political operative who did a creditable job fundraising for the Republican Party. When it comes to running the vast federal government or navigating global alliances, he knows about as much as Omarosa.
Either Priebus deserves credit for assembling the rest of this misfit team or he’s too much of a supplicant to get control over staffing the operation. Whichever it is, he must know by now that he isn’t exactly fielding the A-team.
Kellyanne Conway proved herself to be an elite campaign strategist, for sure, but her descent into “alternative facts” has been painful to watch, and her rebuke from the government ethics office, three weeks into the administration, has to set some kind of record.
Sean Spicer, the press secretary, comes off so hostile and disingenuous that Melissa McCarthy’s impression is actually more sympathetic. Steve Bannon provides a whole lot of hifalutin neo-fascist craziness chaos theory, but that stuff tends to come in handier when you’re fomenting campus revolt than when you’ve got a Russian spy ship menacing the coast of Delaware.
And let’s not leave out Stephen Miller, who not so long ago was a press aide for Michele Bachmann, and who is somehow now in charge of domestic policy (and occasionally presides over national security meetings, just because). In a typical moment from his startlingly bad debut on the Sunday shows last weekend, Miller told CBS’s John Dickerson: “I think to say we’re in control would be a substantial understatement.”
What does that mean, exactly? Are they declaring martial law? Have they mastered telekinesis?This article is from the archive of our partner.
Yesterday evening, Pabst Brewing Company, maker of the all-American favorite beer Pabst Blue Ribbon, announced that they were purchased by Oasis Beverages —the "leading independent brewer in Russia."
They command 12 percent of the Russian beer market with production facilities in Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus. Eugene Kashper is the mastermind behind Oasis, a Columbia University-educated business man with over twenty years experience in the beer industry. For a Russian-based company, Kashper was particularly enthusiastic over how American PBR is.
He said, "Pabst Blue Ribbon is the quintessential American brand – it represents individualism, egalitarianism, and freedom of expression – all the things that make this country great. The opportunity to work with the company’s treasure trove of iconic brands, some of which I started my career selling, is a dream come true." Kashper will now serve as the CEO of Pabst Brewing Company, but is planning on keeping its headquarters in Los Angeles.
Kashper is no stranger to bringing foreign beverages into the Eastern European market. Oasis Beverages has import rights to these products:
They also have official license production setup for these drinks:
And here's what they now own:
The deal is estimated to have cost between $700 and $750 million. TSG Consumer Partners acquired a minority stake in the deal.
This article is from the archive of our partner The Wire.
We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com.NFL mock draft season is back!
Just kidding. As you know, there’s no such thing as “draft season” because we prepare for the draft 365 days a year. There’s a reason the most popular articles the day after the 2017 NFL Draft were the “Way Too Early 2018 NFL Mock Draft” predictions that experts put out.
But why? What’s the point of speculating now?
Because, as I’ve said before, there’s more to making a mock draft than just what you know. It’s also when you know it. It’s why we offer contests with early lock dates.
But it’s also a tool. Just like MFL10 games are fun on their own, but also operate as a tool to study changing ADPs… so too are early mock drafts important to chart the rise and fall of draft prospects. Which bandwagons do you expect to become bloated by next April, and which ones will empty out before the season ends?
Why do we do this?
We can’t NOT do it.
The worst thing about the 2017 NFL Draft ending was that all the countless possibilities turned into certainties. The best thing about the 2017 NFL Draft ending is that brand new possibilities opened up, in the form of the 2018 NFL Draft.
One last note… draft order. I know from experience that this is the thing that gets a mock drafter into far more trouble at this time of year than the picks he makes. So if you care to know, click to see how I arrived at the draft order, which is currently being used as MockOut’s official draft order.
Have the guts to make your own mock, but still need the app to create it and enter contests? Problem solved.
Enough talk. Let’s get mocking.
via SF 1. Sam Darnold, QB USC
While I’m not ready to write this in ink yet (unlike Garrett, who was a sure thing for the entire season and offseason) I feel confident now that Darnold is the best QB in this class. He stands tall in the pocket and moves through his progressions, and fits the ball where only his receivers can get it. I see a lot of Luck in this kid, and I think whoever picks first next year will see the same. And of course there’s very little competitive advantage to predicting any trades beyond the first pick this early in the process, but I did so because I think on the off-chance that the Jets don’t end up with the first overall pick… they’ll do whatever it takes to trade up for it.
2. Derwin James, S Florida State
If James can fully recover from his knee injury, I expect him to be the first or second defensive player off the board. His ceiling is a bigger Jamal Adams, with range. Because it is Cleveland selecting here, and because I’m not exactly sure how the pass rushers are going to shake out yet, I’ll give them the defensive back.
via NYJ 3. Josh Allen, QB Wyoming
I could be wrong here, but I think Josh Allen would have to do a LOT to overtake Darnold as the top QB prospect. If they perform anywhere near each other next season, Darnold will get the nod, as the level of competition he will face is quite different from what Allen will see in Wyoming. And I still think Darnold has the better season. That said… Allen has a cannon, makes throws nobody else can make, has good mobility, and if he can cut down on his mental mistakes, can be a true franchise QB.
4. Harold Landry, OLB Boston College
Right now Landry is my favorite pass rusher in the class. He penetrates quicker and stronger than pretty much any other edge defender, and does it with much more weight than some other top pass rushers in the class. He has great flexibility to bend around the corner, and always finishes with a pop. I don’t think pass rusher is the Rams greatest need, but it is a need, and he is a special player, so I believe they should take him before an offensive tackle.
5. Tarvarus McFadden, CB Florida State
While there is some debate right now over who will be the better CB prospect, McFadden or Fitzpatrick from Alabama, I think by the time the season ends that debate will be pretty settled. He is longer, faster, and plays with an feistiness that gets teammates hyped. I could see Chicago going with Fitzpatrick if they wanted a CB/Safety hybrid instead of a straight up shut-down corner (and they could use some safety help, believe) but McFadden is the better player in my book, and I send him to Chicago.
6. Lamar Jackson, QB Louisville
Just as I predicted Fournette to Jacksonville in my very first mock draft (then spent every subsequent mock convincing myself that is not going to happen) watch me predict Jackson to the Jags this year, then spend the next ten months wrongly convincing myself it won’t happen. Here’s why I see this as a perfect match. First off, I don’t think Bortles will crash and burn, but I also think he will need to be replaced. Even at his best, his style is not that of a guy who can support or play alongside a strong running game. Jackson, on the other hand, wouldn’t support what the Jags want to do on the ground… he would complete it. With that defense and now Fournette, JAX wants to be a team that runs on you all day to keep the ball away. Lamar and Leonard in the same backfield is a terrifying prospect, and I believe he will show this season that his passing skills, while not elite, have been underappreciated.
7. Malik Jefferson, OLB Texas
Malik Jefferson actually reminds me a lot of Zach Cunningham, who I believe should have been drafted a lot earlier than the second round this year. He is very long, very fast, and even without much buildup seems to just explode into ball carriers. In case you couldn’t tell, I really really like him, and think he cold go much higher than this if he has the kind of season for Texas that I am expecting. He fits nicely in Buffalo as an all-around linebacker who can stop the ball carrier, rush the passer, or drop back into coverage with ease.
8. Mike McGlinchey, OT Notre Dame
The |
but I wasn't too surprised. I thought it kind of started to lean towards Darron at the end."
Fair to say Bennett knows he can't expect his limited experience -- 369 yards passing, six touchdowns, no interceptions -- to give him a substantial advantage, at least not as baubles that will impress Kelly and offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich. But that experience could become a foundation or launching point that helps Bennett develop faster, which could provide a competitive advantage. The game should be slower to him than to Mariota. He knows how it feels when the lights are on for real, and how his teammates and coaches react. He knows how to prepare as a starter. And he saw how Thomas won the job over Costa.
"Since Darron left, I have taken it on myself to present myself as a leader of this team," Bennett said. "I would like to be the starting quarterback of this team. In my mind, I'm going to continue to tell myself that I need to get better and worry about the things I can control. It could come down neck-and-neck. It could be decided in spring ball. I really don't know. It's more a competition with myself, because I can control what I do. I can't control what [Mariota] does."
When fellow Ducks talk about Mariota, they talk about how quickly he's picked up the offense. Mariota, in a revealing moment of humility that supports that very point, said it took him "a week" -- a whole week! -- to feel comfortable running the offense in fall camp his freshman year.
"I feel we are going in evenly," Mariota said. "Bryan is a very good player. He's been in this system for a while now. I'm just going to take it day by day. We both are. And whoever wins, we'll be rooting for each other."
Mariota adds: "If Bryan wins the job, I will be behind him 100 percent. This is a team thing."
This "team" thing has changed at Oregon. Three years ago, the Ducks starting QB was only of local, perhaps regional interest. After three consecutive conference titles, it's now a position of national import. The last three Ducks QBs have been in Rose Bowl and national title hunts.
The expectations aren't any lower in 2012, even with Thomas' surprising/not-so-surprising decision.
"I know whoever the quarterback is, he will do a great job," Grasu said. "Hopefully even better than last season. I know last season was a great season, but I think with the team we've got coming back everywhere else, we can be very successful."The seal feature has been released for a while now, and offers an incredible range of benefits for players. Here are the top 7 implications of the seal feature.
1. Duplicate a unit
The first thing people thought about was probably to create an additional copy of their daemon and use it for bonding purposes. Perhaps you needed a 5 star anima ranged bond and had a LB2 Chronos sitting around. Perfect, let’s go seal that old clock and use the additional copy for bonding.
2. Unlock passives
When Azi Dahaka came out, many players were feeling salty by the fact that they fused their Angra Mainyus together. With the seal feature, you can now defuse your Angra Mainyus and use them for bonding and to unlock Azi Dahaka’s LB3 passive. Another prime example is Katsushika Hokusai’s passive skill priority. He gives his legendary 30% crit DMG buff to two daemons with the highest ATK on your team, and maybe you need to seal a daemon on your team so that he gives it to the right targets like Titanium Elf. The following is a list of daemons that benefits from the seal feature, mostly because they are a part of Titanium Elf Conquest teams:
Angra Mainyu Katsushika Hokusai (Conquest) Mayflower (Conquest) New Year Game (Conquest) George Washington (Conquest) Any other high-atk daemon that prevents your Titanium Elf from receiving passive buffs
3. Buff priority
Certain daemons prioritize their buffs. For example, Katsushika’s even more legendary crit rate buff targets the two daemons with the highest ATK. During Conquest, you’d want him to target your hardest DMG dealers like Titanium Elf, Nue, Witch Ravenna, Forge Washington, or Platina Elf. If you have too many high ATK daemons on your team, you may need to seal one so that his buff targets the right daemon. The same rationale can be applied to common buffers like Azukiarai and Hanzo’s Uniform.
4. Produce a duplicate from a limit orb
If you seal a daemon that was previously limit broken with a limit orb, you get back a copy of the daemon. This means if you have only one Angra Mainyu, you can limit break her with the orb and then unseal her. You now have two copies of Angra Mainyu. We are not sure if it’s a bug or if it’s intentional, but if you seal a daemon such that their level drops below the threshold of a passive, the passive remains active. For example, a LB0 Hermes Trismesgistus that was sealed from LB1, gets to keep her LB1 EXP passive.
5. Emergency mochi
Perhaps you have a day left before a mochi daemon disappears (forever?), and you’re short of mochis. You have a MLB 5* just sitting around collecting dust, so you decide to seal it to keep a copy of the artwork, and sell the LB3 copy for 100 mochis. We don’t recommend this inefficiency, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
6. PVP farming
Mitama “accidentally” brought back 25pts farming for several Freyr players with the seal feature. In any case, more players are able to join the 20pts and 25pts farming group thanks to seal. For more information about PVP farming, directly message Desu on LINE: itsmedesu. Further instructions will be provided on how to easily and reliably farm 20+pts /10SE for PVP.
7. Testing
Testing a daemon’s % increase from their passives has always been tricky due to a random factor that makes their damage outputs vary. Lv1 daemon’s damage do not vary, and this observation allows us to precisely calculate how much of a boost they gain from higher level passives. When we sealed a MLB Leonardo da Vinci and tested a Lv1 Leo, we learned that his crit DMG buff was 30%. We also tested Azi Dahaka and Titanium Elf’s crit DMG buff, which was precisely 50%.Fat Fluffs is a rabbit rescue and sanctuary based in Solihull in the West Midlands. It was started by Chloe Hennegan, who has run it for many years together with her husband, Andy. They take in all sorts of rabbits and as far as possible they find them loving forever homes. For those with more challenging personalities or continuing health problems they provide sanctuary for them there and they stay as part of the family.
The planners are now trying to shut Chloe's rabbit rescue down as they deem it more than a hobby. There are no given guidelines for what constitutes'more than a hobby.'
This allows them to demand a planning application for "mixed use" at Chloe and Andy's home which then requires them to ask for retrospective permission for the sheds that they've built. The council are currently recommending a refusal.
The application goes before the planning committee on 11 March and if refused enforcement action will soon follow - forcing Chloe's Fat Fluffs Rabbit Rescue to close. Please support this amazing rabbit rescue facility by signing this petition.Editor's note: On May 30, 2014, Motorola announced plans to close its Texas assembly plant by the end of the year.
The Moto X is a return to form for Motorola, and it represents the first device it has produced from start to finish as a Google company. But while the Moto X is a good smartphone in its own right, half of the story is Motorola's surprising decision to move its final assembly to the US. This, according to the company, is what enables it to offer a quick turnaround time and direct fulfillment for customized, built-to-order devices.
To accomplish this, Motorola partnered with Flextronics to refab a factory in Texas formerly used by Nokia. In a mere six months, the factory was completely updated and transformed to Motorola's specifications, which included the hiring of 2,500 workers to make it run. Motorola did not actually make a final call to do manufacturing in the US until late 2012, but the factory was operational by August 6th of this year. The factory currently puts out about 100,000 devices per week, but Motorola says that it's possible to scale it to tens of millions of units. Given that more than half of the over 400,000 square foot factory floor sits unused right now, that's not too hard to believe.
Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside tells us that having the factory in the US was crucial for the MotoMaker customization program to even exist, but it also offers other benefits to the company from an engineering standpoint. Since Motorola's devices are designed in the US, having the manufacturing close by lets engineers make quick changes and tweaks to the design and look of the device much faster than if it were located overseas.
"There is a premium [with building in the US] but it's not material to the economics of the business. It's a myth that you can't bring manufacturing here because it's too expensive," says Woodside. "We've observed that wages in Asia are going up, wages here are relatively steady, consumers care more about where their products are being built, and you have advantages of having design close to your manufacture. Those advantages will well outweigh the costs that we have today and those costs will go down over time."
For Motorola, final device assembly in the US is just a start. The next step the company hopes to accomplish is to move the fabrication of the external components — the back casing, the bezels surrounding the display and the camera, and the volume and power buttons, etc. — to the US. It also expects other companies in the consumer electronics industry to follow suit. "If you look at the automotive industry or home appliances, manufacturing is coming back to the US, and there's good reasons for it," says Woodside.
Motorola isn't shifting all of its manufacturing to the US just yet. As it is, the Texas factory is only used for final assembly — most of the external and visible parts of the phone are built in Asia and then shipped over (Woodside says that other internal components are already sourced from about 15 states across the country). Motorola is also maintaining its factories in China, Brazil, and Argentina. "There are some products for which that cost differential is significant, and it does change your economics," notes Woodside. "For a high-tier phone like the Moto X, it doesn't."
Whether other consumer electronics companies jump on the bandwagon being steered by Motorola remains to be seen, but the company says it is playing the long game. "We're committed to Moto X here and we're thinking for future generations of product and how we're going to use this facility," claims Woodside. "It's going to take some time for us to deliver the kind of innovation that Google aspires to and for the world to see that, but we're taking a very long-term view."
Grid View The factory that Motorola is using to build the Moto X is owned by Flextronics and used to be a Nokia factory.
There are roughly 2,500 employees in this factory with 14 assembly lines. According to Flextronics, the output is about 100,000 devices per week.
Here's another look at the assembly lines. These lines are tasked with assembling the internal components and front of the device, or as Motorola calls it, the ENDO. The assembly begins on the right side and ends at the inspection machines on the left.
For the standard black and white versions of the Moto X, each line is dedicated to a specific carrier. Here you can see this one handles orders for AT&T.
Each factory worker has a specific piece to place and assemble on the device before it is passed along the line.
This map shows how the factory floor is currently laid out.
A few of the components that go into the Moto X and are assembled in the US. The components, such as the PCB board in the upper right, are shipped to the US from Asia with their circuitry already completed. There is no soldering done in this factory.
A look at the main circuit board before it is eventually clipped into its housing.
A look at some of the various stations in the manufacturing line. The battery is one of the last pieces put in before the outer shell is snapped on and is the far left station in this picture.
This half of the factory floor is dedicated to assembling custom orders placed through MotoMaker.
These automated bins are where the various color components are pulled from to make a customer's unique device.
Green means go, or in this case, the location of the correct color component.
Smaller custom components, such as the camera bezel and volume rocker, are housed in these bins.
Once a custom device has been assembled, these machines use advanced cameras to optically confirm that the right color combinations have been selected.
Motorola has coated the internal components many of its devices with water repellent nano-coatings for years. These machines are where that happens, before the components go to the main assembly line.
A factory worker inspects a batch of completed fronts of the Moto X.
Some Moto X devices that will eventually make it to AT&T retail stores.
Some examples of the custom backs that customers can choose from through the MotoMaker program. You can see the promised wooden backs here, but Motorola has not started offering them yet.
A couple of factory workers show off assembled versions of Moto X devices ordered through MotoMaker.
Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt, Texas Governor Rick Perry, and Flextronics CEO Mike McNamara make small talk before addressing a crowd at the factory's formal opening. Governor Perry credits Texas' business friendly tax environment as a reason why Motorola was able to move manufacturing back to the US.
Dennis Woodside presented Governor Perry with his own custom Moto X in Texas A&M colors. (Just prior to this, Governor Perry took his iPhone out of his pocket and threw it on the ground.)
Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside gives Governor Perry some tips on how to use his new Moto X. We're not sure if Governor Perry was attempting to take a selfie or not.
Governor Perry and Eric Schmidt observe the manufacturing on the factory floor while Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban watches on.
Eric Schmidt shows off some of the custom color combinations for the Moto X to Governor Perry.
A look at the 455,000 square foot Flextronics factory from above. The factory is one of a number of other factories and warehouses located in the area, including ones owned by Lockheed Martin and Amazon.Just over one-third of foreign nationals assigned Personal Public Service (PPS) numbers last year were in employment, new figures show.
The data which is based upon figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO), Revenue and the Department of Social Protection, shows that of the 85,724 individuals aged 15 years and over who were allocated PPS numbers in 2014, 29,637 had employment.
PPS numbers enable people to access social welfare benefits and a range of public services. Those taking up employment must have such a number to register with Revenue.
The research also shows one-fifth of foreign nationals assigned Personal Public Service (PPS) numbers back in 2009 were in work last year. The figures reveal some 12,346 individuals in receipt of PPS numbers had employment in 2014, equivalent to 19.6 per cent of the 62,984 foreign nationals assigned such numbers five years earlier.
Employment and social welfare activity rates for foreign nationals last year ranged from a low of 30.4 per cent for 2009 allocations to a high of 47.4 per cent in 2013.
Foreign nationals from the EU15 to EU25 states had the highest activity rate in 2014, with 54.5 per cent of PPS allocations recording employment or engagement with the social welfare system in the year. This was followed by nationals from the EU15 (excluding Ireland and the UK) with 46.7 per cent. The Rest of the World had 27,242 PPS number allocations last year, with a 32.6 per cent activity rate in the year.
Employment activity for foreign nationals granted PPS numbers in the year of arrival rose by 2.5 from 2013 to 2014. However, as the number of allocations increased by 13.1 per cent in the year, the employment activity rate in the year of allocation fell 3.6 percentage points from 38.1 per cent in 2013 to 34.6 per cent last year.
Overall, PPS number allocations to foreign nationals across all age groups totalled 96,167 in 2014. This marks a 12.9 per cent rise on 2013 allocations.
2012 represented the first rise in the number of PPS numbers allocated after falls in all years since 2009 when PPPS number allocations to foreign nationals stood at 79,161.
The figures show that from the period 2002 to 2014, a total of 337,150 foreign nationals who had been assigned PPS numbers were in work with the largest numbers employed in the accommodation and food service activities sector.NEW YORK (Reuters) - Nearly one in every four U.S. homes sold in the second quarter was a deeply discounted foreclosed house, putting the market on pace to work through distressed properties in about three years, RealtyTrac said.
A home for sale is seen in Santa Monica, California in this September 27, 2010 file photo. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson
Banks stepped up foreclosures through the summer and will take over a record 1.2 million homes this year, up from around 1 million last year and about 100,000 in 2005 before the housing bust, according to a forecast from the real estate data company.
Foreclosed homes accounted for 24 percent of all second-quarter sales, at an average price discount of more than 26 percent compared with homes not in the foreclosure process.
“This is the kind of volume of activity that we need to see for the market to heal,” RealtyTrac senior vice president Rick Sharga said in an interview.
“Our projections have been that we will get through the distressed inventory largely by the end of 2013, and these kinds of numbers are on target to get us there,” he said.
The share of foreclosure sales fell from the first quarter when nearly one in three sales was a foreclosed house sold at an average 27 percent discount, RealtyTrac said in the report released on Thursday.
“In a normal market you’re looking at foreclosure sales accounting for low single-digit percentages, probably less than 5 percent of all sales,” said Sharga. For the next few years, “it’s probably going to be somewhere between one-quarter and one-third of all sales.”
Overall housing sales likely will total 4 to 4.5 million a year during this time, he said.
It will take those years to resell homes lost by owners whose jobs or wages were cut or who took out high-risk, unaffordable mortgages. Banks will also need to sell homes from owners who walked away owing more on their mortgage than the house was worth.
TAX CREDIT EXPIRES
Unemployment at 9.6 percent, and average home prices that are about 28 percent below 2006 peaks, are keeping the U.S. housing market from staging much of a recovery.
A burst of spring sales to buyers seeking up to $8,000 in tax credits has been followed by a sales plunge after the incentive ended on April 30.
Some buyers likely used the tax credit as a discount, rather than buy a foreclosed house.
James J. Saccacio, RealtyTrac’s chief executive, said “the removal of the tax credit could drive more buyers back to discounted short sales and REOs,” or real-estate owned homes.
Distressed homes, or ones in foreclosure or short sales, rose to 34 percent of all existing houses sold in August from 32 percent in July and 31 percent a year ago, the National Association of Realtors said last week.
Sales volume rose overall in the second quarter, still boosted by the tax credit.
A total 248,534 properties in some stage of foreclosure — default, scheduled auction or REO — was sold to third parties, up about 5 percent from the first quarter though down 20 percent from the second quarter 2009, according to RealtyTrac.
“Ironically, the higher the percentage of homes that are sold that are distressed properties, and the bigger the number, the quicker we’ll get through this housing downturn,” said Sharga.
Banks sold more than 151,000 homes they owned, up 3 percent from the first quarter but down 28 percent from a year ago. These REOs were 15 percent of total home sales, down from 19 percent in the first quarter and about 29 percent a year ago.
Nevada, Arizona, California, among the biggest boom-and-bust states, had the highest share of foreclosure sales from April to June. About 56 percent of all Nevada sales, 47 percent in Arizona and 43 percent in California were foreclosed homes.
At least one-quarter of all sales were foreclosed homes in Rhode Island (37 percent), Massachusetts (35 percent), Florida (34 percent), Michigan (33 percent), Georgia (27 percent), Idaho (27 percent), and Oregon (25 percent).
Foreclosure price discounts versus the average price on homes not in the process were biggest in Ohio, Kentucky and California, with a 43 average discount in Ohio. Michigan, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Illinois, and the District of Columbia had average foreclosure discounts of at least 35 percent.A group led by a renegade former general claimed responsibility for an air raid on a military base in western Libya held by rival fighters.
General Saqr Jarrushi, a close aide of general Khalifa Haftar, insisted on Monday that their forces carried out the air strike in Gharyan.
State news agency LANA said 15 people were lightly wounded as the raid hit a munitions depot in the town of Gharyan, 120 kilometres southwest of the capital.
The armed groups in Gharyan form part of Fajr Libya (Libya Dawn), an alliance including Islamists that was targeted by unidentified warplanes near Tripoli airport last month.
Washington said at the time that the United Arab Emirates and Egypt were behind the raids, although Haftar's forces also claimed that attack.
Haftar launched an assault against rival groups in the eastern city of Benghazi on May 16.
Fajr Libya rejects the legitimacy of the elected parliament because it allegedly supported the air raids against its fighters at Tripoli airport.
The government, in turn, has accused Sudan and Qatar of supplying weapons to its opponents.
Parliament and the internationally recognised government relocated in August to Tobruk, 1,500 kilometres east of Tripoli, as rival factions battled for control of the capital.
Meanwhile, Qatar denied accusation by Libyan Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni that it sent three military aircraft loaded with weapons to a Tripoli airport controlled by an armed opposition group.
In a statement to Qatar News Agency, Mohammed bin Abdullah al-Rumaihi, Qatar's deputy foreign minister, described the allegation as misleading and unfounded.
"The policy of the State of Qatar is based on clear and consistent foundations: mutual respect and non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries," said the statement.A huge trove of leaked documents from a Panamanian law firm that’s a major player in offshore tax havens has revealed the secret companies controlled by members of the African elite, from Kenya’s deputy chief of justice and Rwanda’s former intelligence chief to the son of former United Nations general secretary Kofi Annan.
Every year, Africa loses between $30 and $60 billion to illicit financial flows (pdf, p. 34), according to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). A “major enabler” of these flows, UNECA says, are offshore tax havens like Panama, the British Virgin Islands, Seychelles, and other jurisdictions that happen to feature prominently in the “Panama Papers” leak.
There are legitimate uses for privacy-shielding offshore companies, and the firm from which the leak sprung, Mossack Fonseca, says it has operated “beyond reproach in our home country and in other jurisdictions where we have operations.”
Africa’s losses to illegal financial flows negate the impact of economic growth on the continent. (Indeed, these illicit activities appear to rise in lock-step with economic growth.) They also cancel out the amount of foreign aid the continent receives—the OECD estimates that illicit financial flows from Africa are three times the amount of official development assistance it receives. The Tax Justice Network, an activist research group, says these flows are 10 times the amount of aid (pdf, p. 64).
For the past year, journalists led by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, acting on the leak first received by the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, have been analyzing millions of documents from Mossack Fonseca that link 72 current and former heads of state to shell companies and other obscure offshore vehicles. Here are a some of the noteworthy African names:
The son of Kofi Annan
Kojo Annan, the son of Kofi Annan, used a company registered in Niue, a tiny Pacific island, to buy an apartment in London for more than $500,000. He is also a joint shareholder and director of two companies listed in the British Virgin Islands. His lawyers say there is nothing untoward about Annan’s offshore holdings. He “pays taxes in the jurisdictions in which taxes are due to be paid. In other words, any entity and account held by Mr. Annan has been opened solely for normal, legal purposes of managing family and business matters,” according to the ICIJ.
Joseph Kabila’s twin sister
Jaynet Désirée Kabila Kyungu is the twin sister of Congolese president Joseph Kabila as well as a member of parliament. She is the co-director of Keratsu Holding Limited, which was incorporated in Niue a few months after her brother became president of the Democratic Republic of Congo. She is also the owner of a media conglomerate in the country, Digital Congo.
Kenya’s deputy chief justice
Kalpana Rawal has been linked to 11 offshore companies. According to the files, Rawal and her husband used various offshore companies to buy and sell real estate in and around London. Rawal has responded to the report by defending the registrations as a “perfectly legal and legitimate corporate practice in the UK,” according to the Kenyan daily, the Nation.
Kagame’s former doctor-cum-intelligence chief
Emmanuel Ndahiro, a close confidant of Rwandan president Paul Kagame, is know for his harsh stance on corruption. He served as the president’s physician, security advisor, and spokesperson. According to the Panama leaks he was the director of an offshore company, Debden Investments, registered in the Virgin Islands and owned by Hatari Sekoko, a wealthy Rwandan businessman. The company was shuttered in 2010.
Hosni Mubarak’s son
Alaa Mubarak, the son of ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, owned the Virgin Islands-registered firm Pan World Investments. When his father stepped down in 2011 amid the Arab Spring, local authorities acted on an EU order and froze the company’s assets. Mossack Fonseca was fined $37,500 in 2013 for not vetting Mubarak carefully enough. Alaa and his brother were convicted last year of embezzling state funds and await trial on charges of insider trading.
The son of Ghana’s former president
John Addo Kufuor hired Mossack Fonseca to manage his trust, the Excel 2000 Trust, in 2001, after his father, John Agyekum Kufuor, took office. The trust controlled a bank account in Panama containing $75,000, of which his mother was also a beneficiary. The younger Kufuor was linked to two other offshore companies also registered during his father’s term that are now inactive.0
All eyes are on Suicide Squad, David Ayer‘s hugely anticipated DC adaptation, following the catastrophe that was Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Jared Leto‘s performance as The Joker will be weighed heavily against battle-tested, heralded performances by Jack Nicholson and the late Heath Ledger, the latter of which would have to be the best performance ever given in any comic book movie. There’s also a Batman plot to contend with, and the ongoing war as to which side of the comic divide – DC v Marvel – is the most substantial will flair up quickly after its release, much to my dismay. And for Ayer, this will be the test both of his artistic mettle and his ability to handle tentpole properties.
So, it’s a big deal even before you get into what exactly the movie will actually be about. Part of the inevitable, prolonged back-and-forth between what is the best comic-book movie and how Suicide Squad fits into that ranking will involve the pacing, how the story is cut together and how the images move in concert. This is tied directly to the runtime of Suicide Squad, which, according to our sources, is 130 minutes with credits.
We learned this information just as Ayer confirmed that the film is done, and that post-production is completely finished. With the 2 hour and 10 minute runtime, that would make it a mid-range entry in the DC pantheon, as far as post-Batman & Robin goes. To give a bit of context, the unbearable abomination that is Green Lantern clocked in at 114 minutes, which felt like 114 days…in the desert. Meanwhile, Batman Begins is a somewhat breezy 140 minutes and feels expertly paced, as if Christopher Nolan had hired a mathematician to help with editing.Unlike most other Batmobiles, the one in Arkham Knight is also a Transformer. In pursuit mode, it’s a racing machine, able to track down enemies with speed, but in battle mode, it’s something altogether different. The car’s body raises up from the ground, and a canon sprouts from the top, armed with anti-tank rounds and non-lethal bullets "designed to deliver minimum long-term trauma and render combatant immobile." It looks sort of like a souped up, Batman-themed version of Halo’s Warthog, and its gyroscopic wheels mean that it can move laterally, perfect for taking down slow-moving tanks.
Early on in development the car was much simpler, reminiscent of Burton’s Batmobile and the iconic roadster from the Adam West TV series (which you can also purchase in-game as downloadable content). It was designed to help you get around the city quickly, but that proved to be a problem: navigating Gotham as Batman has always been one of the best parts of the Arkham games, using Batman’s gadgets to quickly zip through the city under the cover of darkness is a lot of fun. The team found that the Batmobile didn’t really add to that. "You were just using it as a transport method," Ball explains, "and Batman can already travel around the city pretty well by himself. So to just get in a car, drive somewhere, and get out didn’t feel that exciting." He describes the initial versions of the driving mechanic as "a bit hollow."
Arkham Knight is the third Batman game developed by the London studio, following Arkham Asylum and Arkham City, and it’s the first where you can drive the iconic car. But the delay isn’t because of a lack of desire; Ball says that the team had wanted to do it in previous games, but was limited by technology (Arkham Knight is the first game in the series designed for the newer Xbox One and PS4 consoles). That may sound like a stretch, but it’s because adding in the Batmobile doesn’t just mean creating a car, it means changing the city to accommodate it. The next-gen version of Gotham is bigger, has wider streets to race down, is littered with shortcuts to make driving fun, and there are destructible environments so that you won’t get stuck on a bad turn. "We didn’t want you to have to reverse if you crash into a corner," says Ball, "we wanted you to tear right through those."
"It’s got a very distinctive grunt."
This multi-functionality is what defined the look of the vehicle. It’s a Batmobile born of function over form. The strafing battle mode meant that the wheels had to be in a particular spot, while the rear seats were implemented because the game has missions where you have to transport prisoners from one place to another. And while many versions of the Batmobile feature a cockpit well toward the rear of the vehicle, the team at Rocksteady went a different way; since you can eject from the car, it made more sense for the driver to be at the front so you could fly forward and clear of the vehicle. These elements defined the core of the car, and from there it was about refinement. "We just added in the little details to make it more Batmobile-like," Ball says. "The fins, the bat symbol on the front grill, and other details like that finished it off in terms of the look."
Particular attention was paid to the vehicle’s rear: after all, it’s the place you’ll be looking at the most when you’re playing. Arkham Knight’s Batmobile sports a massive thruster that’s visible whether you’re in pursuit or battle mode. It’s an anchor that helps tie the look together, and makes it feel like you’re driving the Batmobile, not just some boring old supercar. It was inspired by the similar afterburner on the Batmobile from the Adam West series.
In fact, much of the design was inspired by past versions of the car. While Nolan’s Tumbler helped introduce an element of realism to the Batmobile, pulling from military vehicles and other real-world cars, Rocksteady instead looked primarily at in-universe stuff as a source of ideas. The flared wheels from Tim Burton’s film, the thruster from the campy TV show, and even the rugged shape of the Tumbler all came together to create this car. The design is like a history lesson in Batman transportation. The only time the team really looked at real-world cars was when it came to sound: they traveled to Los Angeles in order to record some high-end V8 engines, to really give the Batmobile that added punch. "It’s got a very distinctive grunt," says Ball.
He adds that his favorite version of the car is the one from the Burton movies, and it’s not just because of how it looked; it’s the way it took what he’d seen in the comics and brought it to life. "It was the first time really you’d seen the beauty of the Batmobile on the cinema screen," he explains. For many players, Arkham Knight’s Batmobile serves a similar role: it’ll be the first, and perhaps only, time they’ll be able to drive the iconic vehicle.
"There have been a few games with Batmobiles in them," Ball says, "but they were quite a while ago. Probably before a lot of people were born."It produces level 14 light
Sometimes it's just easier to buy the Torch instead of crafting it, especially IRL. So, when you've run out of charcoal and wood or just can't seem to make enough to stop hostile mobs from spawning, get yourself the Minecraft Wall Torch. Place one every 12 blo-feet in your home along the walls and it'll stop any hostiles from popping up.
Another plus is the most recent patch enabling you to mount your torch on glass! Melt away that snow or prevent your lake from freezing, only in a 2-block radius of course. You can even mount it in a pumpkin for an adorable jack-o-lantern. Okay, don't actually do any of that, it'll just end up breaking. Just mount it on your wall because it looks cool and maybe, MAYBE it'll keep zombies away. So far, it seems to be working. Have you seen any zombies lately? Didn't think so.
Product SpecificationsParliamentarism means that a parliament elects a country's prime minister and decides its laws. A majority can turn against the prime minister, in which case the government must resign or call an election.
The essence of democracy is that we can go to the polls and elect a new majority, a new government and new laws.
This democratic essence is now guaranteed in all EU countries. A country must be democratic in order to join the EU.
But the EU itself is not a democracy.
This year, 2014, was when the EU underwent a systemic change - as yet incomplete and still remote from citizen voters.
Today, 15 July, the European Parliament is set to vote in Jean-Claude Juncker as European Commission President.
Juncker was a successful Prime Minister of Luxembourg for nineteen years, but he was ousted in the last general election and did not seek election for the European Parliament. When he was not elected in his own country, he became the centre-right's candidate for the commission presidency.
The Socialists proposed European Parliament President Martin Schulz, while the Liberals proposed their group leader, and former Belgian PM, Guy Verhofstadt.
The Greens put forward two candidates while the Left proposed the leader of Greece's principal opposition party.
Various eurosceptics did not take part. They criticised the Union's lack of democracy, but did not participate at its birth. They underestimated the democratic "coup" that was skillfully staged by the European Parliament's powerful secretary-general, Klaus Welle.
Welle orchestrated the introduction of European parliamentarianism with campaigning during the EU elections and transnational TV debates among the candidates.
But the president-hopefuls remained largely unknown outside their own countries.
Thus European parliamentarianism was born, but it was not felt as such by citizens. Juncker was elected, but without voters choosing him directly.
What will the new EU Commission President say when he lectures China about democracy and the question is put to him: How many votes did you get in the last European elections?
The answer will be none, for Juncker did not stand. No citizen voters had a chance of accepting or rejecting him. No one could make him liable for the eight years he was chairman of the Eurogroup and watched as youth unemployment rocketed in Greece and Spain.
I have known Juncker since he was a young assistant in the Ministry of Finance in Luxembourg. He is competent and flexible but he was not the preferred choice of national leaders.
They were taken by surprise by the pace and momentum of the election campaign.
Now Juncker has to be elected by an absolute majority of MEPs – meaning at least 376 of the 751 deputies. But this is a done deal.
Looking to 201 |
didn’t have any possibility the outside world is going to come and liberate us,” she told a Knight-Ridder reporter in 1993. “So it was doomed from the beginning.... We didn’t want to die. No. But we said, ‘This is the way to act. This we have to do.’ ”
Afterward, she helped arrange for hiding places for the survivors. She remained in Poland until the Russians liberated the country toward the end of the war. In 1945, she married Benjamin Miedzyrzeck, another resistance member, and they made their way to American lines.
The next year, they came to the United States on a boat of displaced persons through the aid of the Jewish Labor Committee. They officially changed their names to Benjamin and Vladka Meed in the 1950s.
Ben Meed died in 2006 at 88. Survivors include two children, Dr. Anna Scherzer of Paradise Valley and Dr. Steven Meed of Manhattan; and five grandchildren.
The Meeds landed in New York in 1946 with $8 between them. He eventually started an import-export business and served on a board that helped establish the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington.
In 1981, her husband co-founded the American Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors and helped compile a national registry of Jewish Holocaust survivors that is now maintained by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
If her husband often played a more public role in Holocaust remembrance, Mrs. Meed achieved a strong legacy through the force of her writing and lecturing for six decades.
She contributed articles to the Forward, became a vice president of the Jewish Labor Committee and in 1984 started a national teacher-training program on the Holocaust that highlighted the role of the Warsaw resistance.
She liked to correct misperceptions that armed resistance was the only type that thrived in the ghetto. Her mother, she told the Forward, performed “an act of spiritual resistance” by continuing her son’s religious-education training in the ghetto and paying the private tutor with scraps of bread.
Steven Meed said such “quiet resistance” was what his mother most profoundly taught him, namely how to “maintain your dignity, educate your children and contribute to society — doing all those things that made you a person in the face of hell.”
In 1948, Mrs. Meed wrote one of the first book-length eyewitness accounts of the Warsaw ghetto and the valiant, desperate and ultimately futile uprising.
She observed the uprising from relative safety outside the ghetto.
“I watched a small group of captured Jews, utterly crushed, drag themselves slowly through the streets of the ghetto, prodded and pushed by an angry group of Ukrainian guards,” she wrote in her book, “On Both Sides of the Wall,” first published in Yiddish. (An English translation appeared in 1972, with a foreword by author Elie Wiesel, followed by translations in other languages including Polish, German and Japanese.)
“At the ghetto wall stood a bearded, caftaned Hassid and his small son,” she wrote. “The guards separated the two, but the boy ran back and clung fiercely to the father. A German raised his carbine, then smiling, separated the two once more. Again the child darted back, and the German burst into laughter. Then father embraced his child in sheer despair. Several shots rang out — and the two remained together, even in death.
“The ghetto fought on....”Sep 2, 2013
Virginia Wins Season Opener for the Fourth Year in a Row
• Virginia has won four straight season openers after its 19-16 win over BYU. The current streak follows a stretch (2006-09) where the Cavaliers lost four consecutive season openers.
• UVa is now 80-35-9 (.681) all-time in season openers and 74-19-7 (.775) when that game is played at home, including winning 17 of its last 20.
• Virginia has opened up its season at Scott Stadium six consecutive years.
• UVa head coach Mike London is the only UVa head coach to win the season opener in each of his first four seasons in Charlottesville.
Virginia vs. Top-5 Teams
• Oregon will be just the third non-conference team ranked in the top three to play in Charlottesville.
• No. 3 USC opened up the 2008 season with a 52-7 victory over the Cavaliers.
• Prior to USC coming to Charlottesville in 2008 it had been 64 years since the last occurrence when No. 2 North Carolina Pre-Flight, led by QB Otto Graham, and UVa played to a 13-13 tie.
• Before the Trojans and UVa faced each other in 2008, the Cavaliers highest-ranked non-league opponent was No. 2
Notre Dame in the 1989 Kickoff Classic (ND 36-13).
• UVa is 2-17-1 all-time vs. top-five teams, including 2-6-1 at home.
• UVa's last win and appearance vs. a top-5 team was Oct. 15, 2004 vs. No. 4 Florida State (26-21).
Oregon Makes First trip to an ACC Stadium
• Oregon is making its first trip to an ACC stadium when it comes to Scott Stadium on Saturday.
• Virginia is only the second different active ACC opponent Oregon has faced. The Ducks faced Wake Forest in the 1992 Independence Bowl and the 2002 Seattle Bowl.
• Oregon did play road games at current ACC members Miami and Pitt before they were in the league.
• The Miami game was in 1958, and Pitt was 1956 and 1965.
• Oregon has never played in the Commonwealth of Virginia before.
Virginia vs. Oregon and the Pac-12
• Virginia is facing Oregon for the first time in program history.
• Saturday's game is only the fourth time Virginia has faced a member of the Pac-12 Conference.
• UVa is 0-3 against the Pac-12 and its the only BCS conference the Cavaliers are winless against.
• Oregon is the second team from the Pac-12 to ever travel to Scott Stadium and the first since USC in 2008.
• UVa returned the trip to USC on Sept. 11, 2010 and fell to the then-No. 14 Trojans, 17-14 in head coach Mike London's first road contest at the helm for Virginia.
• UVa also lost at Washington in 1976.
• The Cavaliers will play at Oregon in 2016.
Anthony Harris is the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week
• The Walter Camp Football Foundation announced its first 2013 Football Bowl Subdivision National Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, presented by Generation UCAN. Virginia junior strong safety Anthony Harris was selected as the national defensive player of the week.
• Harris posted 11 tackles, including three solo stops, recorded one quarterback sack, blocked a punt and intercepted a pass in UVa's season-opening 19-16 victory against BYU. Harris' blocked punt in the third quarter set up Virginia's first touchdown.
• With UVa trailing 16-12 and three minutes left to play, Harris picked off a third-down BYU pass, returned it 10 yards and then pitched the ball to linebacker Henry Coley, who ran another 23 yards. Virginia scored the winning touchdown on the next play.
Oregon Connections
• Oregon passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach Matt Lubick is the son of former Colorado State head football coach Sonny Lubick. Sonny hired UVa offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild in 1993 when he was hired as the head coach at Colorado State. Fairchild was the quarterbacks coach under Lubick from 1993-96 and then was named the offensive coordinator in 1997.
• Fairchild and Matt Lubick worked on the same Colorado State staff in 1995 when the younger Lubick was a graduate assistant. When Sonny Lubick retired in 2007, Fairchild was hired as his replacement.
• Matt Lubick is familiar with UVa after working with the wide receivers at Duke from 2010-12.
• UVa special teams coordinator and running backs coach Larry Lewis faced Oregon nine times during his tenure at Washington State. Lewis and the Cougars were 4-5 from 1989-98.
The Long Family and Bragging Rights
• Saturday's game will have sibling bragging rights for two sons of NFL Hall of Famer and Ivy resident Howie Long.
• The eldest son, Chris, was a UVa All-American (2007) and a current member of the St. Louis Rams. He played at UVa from 2004-07. The middle son, Kyle, spent the 2012 season as an offensive guard with the Oregon Ducks and was the Chicago Bears first round draft pick in April.
• Chris Long has a sandwich named after him at littlejohns on UVa's historic Corner.Hi gang, I just traded my '05 4 door Taco TRD 4WD for a 2010, with all these new traction devices... Thanks to Outlaw for linking me to this thread, and I have read all 7 pages of posts. I am in California, so it seems that what Isthatahemi experienced was because the ATRAC isn't offered in Canada and that is why the wire needs to be cut (or on any models without ATRAC button)? In other words, the ATRAC button I have does the same thing as cutting the wire... gives me LSD action front and rear, in 4-Lo.
If I also lock the rear diff, and have ATRAC activated, I am a tractor and can get out of anything or up a wall? (Yes, I am kidding... but am I close to be correct?)
Thanks for the videos Yoytoda! There is a road in Baja you will love...
Click to expand...Mark Webber: "I've got some decisions to make but not shortly I don't think" © Sutton Images Enlarge Related Links Drivers:
Mark Webber Teams:
Red Bull
Mark Webber says it is up to him if he stays at Red Bull beyond the end of the current season.
With Webber only signing one-year deals at a time in recent seasons, there is annually speculation about whether he will continue racing in Formula One. This year the expectation that he will retire has increased following the team orders row with Sebastian Vettel at the Malaysian Grand Prix, while a number of potential replacements have been mooted, but Webber told Sky Sports Radio Australia that it remains his decision whether or not to stay at Red Bull.
"The ball is pretty firmly in my court, which is nice," Webber said. "I have to - of course - continue to keep driving well obviously then that ball will go out of your court and other people will roll in to that seat because they're probably going to be more attractive to a team like Red Bull. But for myself the relationship is very good with Dietrich Mateschitz and I've been in touch with him over the last six to eight months and will continue to be on where my thinking's at and where my energy level's at and where my motivation is towards still operating at this sort of level.
"Having to watch my weight over the last 12 years and all of those other things but I know that when you stop that's going to be another big chapter as well. So I'm not taking it lightly, I'm very driven and focused to get to my goal. I respect that and I don't trivialise how important it is for me to operate at this level; I love doing it.
"I've got some decisions to make but not shortly I don't think, I still need to have a bit more time and we can leave it reasonably late I would say. There are no guarantees in sport so just watch this space as they say."
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.President Jokowi signs decree for visa-free facility for 75 countries
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has signed a Presidential Decree (Perpres) No.104/2015 on a visit visa exemption for the citizens of 75 countries.
Cabinet Secretariat on its website on Wednesday stated that the issuance of Perpres No.104/2015 is expected to boost foreign tourist arrivals and spur the nations economy.
According to the Perpres, the visit visa exemption applies to foreign nationals arriving in Indonesia as tourists, or to run government errands, to study, for business or social and cultural purposes, or just as a stopover while continuing their travel to other countries.
The provision on the procedure for foreign nationals who can avail the visa-free facility to travel in and out of Indonesia and provisions concerning immigration checkpoints will be set through the Minister of Justice and Human Rights regulation.
The 75 countries whose citizens can avail the visa-free facility are:
1. South Africa
2. Algeria
3. The United States
4. Angola
5. Argentina
6. Austria
7. Azerbaijan
8. Bahrain
9. The Netherlands
10. Belarus
11. Belgium
12. Bulgaria
13. Czech Republic
14. Denmark
15. Dominica
16. Estonia
17. Fiji
18. Finland
19. Ghana
20. Hungary
21. India
22. Britain
23. Ireland
24. Iceland
25. Italy
26. Japan
27. Germany
28. Canada
29. Kazakhstan
30. Kyrgyzstan
31. Croatia
32. South Korea
33. Kuwait
34. Latvia
35. Lebanon
36. Liechtenstein
37. Lithuania
38. Luxembourg
39. Maldives
40. Malta
41. Mexico
42. Egypt
43. Monaco
44. Norway
45. Oman
46. Panama
47. Papua New Guinea
48. France
49. Poland
50. Portugal
51. Qatar
52. Peoples Republic of China
53. Romania
54. Russia
55. San Marino
56. Saudi Arabia
57. New Zealand
58. Seychelles
59. Cyprus
60. Slovakia
61. Slovenia
62. Spain
63. Suriname
64. Sweden
65. Switzerland
66. Taiwan
67. Tanzania
68. Timor Leste
69. Tunisia
70. Turkey
71. United Arab Emirates
72. Vatican
73. Venezuela
74. Jordan
75. Greece (*)Sen.(R-Fla.) on Saturday panned a reported immigration reform proposal from President Obama, saying it would be “dead on arrival” in Congress.
“If actually proposed, the President’s bill would be dead on arrival in Congress, leaving us with unsecured borders and a broken legal immigration system for years to come,” said Rubio in a statement.
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His response followed a report in USA Today on Saturday which said the Obama administration has prepared a draft plan that includes a provision to allow illegal immigrants to obtain green cards within eight years.
The proposal would create a “Lawful Prospective Immigrant” visa to allow holders to work and travel after undergoing a criminal background check and paying fees. After eight years under the visa, an immigrant could apply for legal permanent residency as a green card holder.
The draft would also increase funds for Border Patrol, add federal immigration judges and expand the use of E-Verify.
The White House would not confirm the details of the proposal, but CNN reported that a White House spokesman said the administration intended for Congress to take the lead on immigration.
“The president has made clear the principles upon which he believes any common-sense immigration reform effort should be based," White House spokesman Clark Stevens said, according to CNN. "We continue to work in support of a bipartisan effort, and while the president has made clear he will move forward if Congress fails to act, progress continues to be made and the administration has not prepared a final bill to submit.”
In his statement, Rubio sharply criticized the White House for not doing more to seek GOP input ahead of circulating its proposal, calling the draft “half-baked and seriously flawed.”
“It’s a mistake for the White House to draft immigration legislation without seeking input from Republican members of Congress. President Obama’s leaked immigration proposal is disappointing to those of us working on a serious solution,” said Rubio. “The President’s bill repeats the failures of past legislation.”
Rubio has signed on to the Senate’s bipartisan “Gang of Eight” immigration framework, released last month, which also offers a pathway to citizenship, heightened border security and measures to increase high-skilled immigration and employee verification.
Efforts to place illegal immigrants on a pathway to citizenship, though, face strong opposition among House Republicans who see such measures as amnesty. Rubio, has taken a primary role in rallying conservative support for the Senate immigration blueprint.
A House group is also said to be close to its own proposal.TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Police on horseback charged hundreds of ethnic Ethiopian citizens in central Tel Aviv on Sunday as an anti-racism protest descended into one of the most violent demonstrations in Israel’s commercial capital in years.
The protesters, Israeli Jews of Ethiopian origin, were demonstrating against what they say is police brutality after the emergence last week of a video clip that showed policemen shoving and punching a black soldier.
Demonstrators overturned a police car and threw bottles and stones at officers in riot gear at Rabin Square in the heart of the city.
At least 20 officers and a similar number of protesters were injured, some of whom required hospital treatment, police and an ambulance service official said. A number of arrests were made.
Police used water canon and stun grenades to try to clear the crowds. Israeli television stations said teargas was also used, something the police declined to confirm.
“I’ve had enough of this behaviour by the police, I just don’t trust them any more... when I see the police I spit on the ground,” one female demonstrator who was not identified told Channel 2 before the mounted police charge.
“Our parents were humiliated for years. We are not prepared to wait any longer to be recognised as equal citizens. It may take a few months, but it will happen,” another demonstrator told Channel 10.
Protesters, whom are mainly Israeli Jews of Ethiopian origin, run away as a policeman on a horse tries to disperse them during a demonstration against what they say is police racism and brutality, after the emergence last week of a video clip that showed policemen shoving and punching a black soldier in a protest at Rabin Square in Tel Aviv May 3, 2015. REUTERS/Baz Ratner
RACISM AND POVERTY
Tens of thousands of Ethiopian Jews were airlifted to Israel in dramatic, top-secret operations in the 1980s and 1990s after a rabbinical ruling that they were direct descendants of the biblical Jewish Dan tribe.
The community, which now numbers around 135,500 out of Israel’s population of over 8 million, has long complained of discrimination, racism and poverty.
Tensions rose after an incident a week ago in a Tel Aviv suburb where a closed circuit video camera captured a scuffle between a policeman and a uniformed soldier of Ethiopian descent.
Two policemen were suspended on suspicion of using excessive force. Israeli politicians, stung by community leaders’ comparison of the incident to police violence against blacks in the United States, have tried to defuse tensions.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for calm. Taking time out from the final days of negotiations to form a coalition government, he said he would meet Ethiopian activists and the soldier on Monday.
“All claims will be looked into but there is no place for violence and such disturbances,” he said in a statement.
Many demonstrators moved away from Rabin Square where most of the clashes took place but smaller pockets of protests continued into the night. Earlier, protesters halted rush hour traffic for over an hour by blocking a major Tel Aviv highway.
Some protest organisers told Israeli media that sections of the crowd had been incited to violence despite their peaceful intentions.
Slideshow (9 Images)
At a protest on Thursday in Jerusalem, police used water cannon to keep angry crowds away from Netanyahu’s residence, and at least 13 people were injured.
Ethiopian Jews have joined the ranks of legislators and the officer corps in the country’s melting pot military but official figures show they lag behind other Israelis.
Ethiopian households earn 35 percent less than the national average and only half of their youth receive high school diplomas, compared with 63 percent for the rest of the population.Authorities raided a Doral beauty spa and arrested its owner Thursday after the facial rejuvenation treatment she gave a woman caused her face to become swollen and infected, police said. The Miami-Dade Health Department raided Viviana s Body Secrets Spa at 10200 NW 25th St. and shut down the business. The victim, Isabel Gonzalez, said Edna Viviana Ayala gave her vitamin injections. (Published Friday, Sept. 28, 2012)
Authorities raided a Doral beauty spa and arrested its owner Thursday after the facial rejuvenation treatment she gave a woman caused her face to become swollen and infected, police said.
The Miami-Dade Health Department raided Viviana’s Body Secrets Spa at 10200 NW 25th St. and shut down the business.
The victim, Isabel Gonzalez, said Edna Viviana Ayala gave her vitamin injections that were supposed to make her face more radiant, but instead deformed her, a Doral Police report said.
Gonzalez, of East Fort Lauderdale, said that she paid $890 for the injections in between her eyebrows, on the corners of her lips and on both sides of her lower chin. She received them on about July 1, the report said.
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When Gonzalez did not notice any changes in her appearance 12 days later, she called Ayala, who gave her another round of injections with a thicker needle five days later, according to the report.
Redness, swelling, itching and infection followed. Ayala brought medications to Gonzalez’s house, and also brought her to a doctor for treatment, the report said.
But Ayala, 38, eventually stopped answering Gonzalez’s calls or returning her messages, and in August Gonzalez went to the emergency room of Broward General Medical Center, where she will remain until the infections are healed, according to police.
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Ayala went inside her home when a NBC 6 South Florida reporter approached her on Thursday.
Her attorney denied she injected Gonzalez with anything.
"At no time did Ms. Ayala ever use or inject any substance whatsoever, including vitamins into Ms. Gonzalez," Milena Abreu said in a statement.
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Ayala faces charges of aggravated battery, practicing medicine without a license, practicing massage without a license and causing serious injury by practicing as a health care professional without a license, according to online Miami-Dade Corrections records.
She was released from jail early Friday after posting $21,000 bond, records showed.
More Health NewsThe globalist elite are flying in by the thousands (and paying $40,000 just to get a seat) to attend the “World Economic Forum in Davos – a hodgepodge of international leaders, mega-rich business interests, and a sprinkling of celebrities whose money comes from those mega-rich business interests.
Topic #1 is said to be the threat of “climate change” which is actually code for the threat of Donald Trump who just this week took a much appreciated “America First” approach to international agreements.
1700 private jets is an atrocity for anyone who genuinely feels alarmed by “climate change.”
Just one private jet flight from New York to Paris produces more CO2 than the typical American produces in an entire year.
If these people were truly concerned about “climate change” why the use of 1700 private jets? Why the high-priced meals with items like Kobe Beef and salmon flown in from across the globe? Why the $40000 cost to attend? Instead, they could use different private jet services that might be better for the environment? A private jet charter cost estimator could give you an idea!
It’s a hoax. A scam. A money-shifting chess game whereby international corporations and anti-American nations are hoping to play upon the fears and emotions of the simple-minded that human beings can actually alter the weather over the next century even as we struggle to predict the weather next week.
Wake up. Get real. And tell these anti-American globalists to go to hell. They can take one of their private jets. That way they don’t have to wait in line.
————————North Lawndale is not an easy place for any kid to grow up.
The West Side neighborhood has a per capita income of just over $12,000. Census data puts its population at a notch below 36,000, barely a third of where it stood in 1970.
Last month alone, the 3-square-mile strip located just south of Garfield Park had more than 100 reports of violent crime, including 44 robberies, 16 assaults and four homicides, according to data analysis from the Chicago Tribune. On Wednesday afternoon, a 24-year-old man was shot in the hip in broad daylight on South Komensky, just a short walk away from William Penn Elementary.
That’s where WBEZ reporter Linda Lutton spent the 2014-15 school year, looking at the impacts of poverty on a fourth-grade class of students for a story published this week called “The View From Room 205 – Can schools make the American Dream real for poor kids?”
The hourlong radio story focuses on “some little kids and a big idea,” namely that schools can help students achieve the American dream regardless of their backgrounds. That students living in poverty can overcome the litany of obstacles – violence, hunger, a lack of school resources – they face each day as long as they work hard in class.
To examine that idea, Penn was a natural fit. More than 97 percent of its students live below the poverty line.
“This isn’t a story that’s focused around the savior teacher or the savior principal.... The story I’ve built is more true to life, but it’s actually a much harder story to build.”
–WBEZ reporter Linda Lutton
Lutton began working at WBEZ in 2008. She has reported primarily on education issues – including the Chicago Teachers Union strike in 2012 and Chicago Public Schools’ closure of nearly 50 schools in 2013 – but in the past her byline has also appeared on stories related to politics and economic development.
In 2014 she was one of three education reporters nationwide to earn the prestigious Spencer Fellowship through Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism in New York. This allowed Lutton to spend a full school year researching what she called the “intersection of poverty and education” for a long-form journalism piece.
That time was spent visiting Penn and meeting with its fourth-grade students, she estimates, on 60 or more occasions. Lutton also visited some of the kids at their home and purchased recorders they could take with them to record their lives outside the classroom.
“The View From Room 205” is the fruit of that labor.
Lutton spoke with Chicago Tonight this week about that process and what she found in North Lawndale and inside room 205.
Chicago Tonight: How did you first come across the fourth grade students at Penn?
Linda Lutton: William Penn was one of a number of schools I was considering. It was a high-poverty school. It wasn’t doing horribly nor outstandingly.
In the news media a lot of the stories we hear about are stories of schools beating the odds. There really aren’t that many of those schools, but we keep hearing those stories over and over. I wanted to find what I felt was a totally typical school. A school that was performing exactly as you would expect given the number of poor students. And Penn fit that bill.
And then when I met (fourth grade teacher) Ms. Hathorne in the fourth grade, I just felt she was a very sympathetic teacher and I really liked the rapport even from the very first day in the fourth grade.
What really solidified things for me was understanding and discovering that Martin Luther King Jr. had lived right across the street and that he was essentially in that exact same spot looking at the exact same issue I was there to look at 50 years prior. I felt that was another reason to stay at Penn.
CT: Was the school open to having you there?
LL: Yes, they very generously honored the commitment they made initially to let me come in. And they stuck to that commitment, and I think (Penn Principal Dr. Sherryl Moore-Ollie) was extremely courageous to do that.
CT: What was your timeline like for putting this story together?
LL: For much of the fall semester of 2014, I was actually in New York taking classes at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism and Teachers College. So on Thursdays and Fridays I would try to drop in (at Penn). Beginning second semester of that year I spent much more time at Penn because I wasn’t in New York anymore on a regular basis.
Then in September 2015 I came back to work at WBEZ and I worked on this, but I was also working on other daily work for a period of time. It took me a long time to get through this. I had turned on my tape recorded and turned it off a year later (laughing). I don’t recommend that approach. But I’m also not someone who sees, necessarily, a narrative right away. I’m just a slower writer than other people would be, that’s part of why it took me so long.
This is a story without a single clear narrative. I sort of had to build the narrative, and also it’s very tricky in radio to build a story that’s not focused around a single person. This isn’t a story that’s focused around the savior teacher or the savior principal. And honestly, I think the story I’ve built is more true to life, but it’s actually a much harder story to build.
Listen to the full story: The View From Room 205 – Can schools make the American Dream real for poor kids?
CT: How long did it take you to gain students’ trust and build a rapport with them?
LL: Well fourth graders are really, really open (laughing) so I felt lots of love from the fourth graders from the first day. They were incredibly welcoming and interested in my radio equipment.
CT: What anecdotes/stories from the students’ lives stuck out most to you?
LL: All the ones that I included and even more. There were whole kids I had to leave out over the course of production. I guess that’s what hurt the most.
There’s a little boy in the class, he is crazy talented. He’s a preacher, he preaches for churches on Sundays and we had to cut him out, but I hope to be able to play some outtakes of him. He’s great.
And also there was a story about a family – I guess this was the story that hurt the most to cut – it was a story about a little boy named Donta whose family lived on the same block as Chelsee’s family, that’s the little girl whose cousin was killed. The first time I met the mom, I told her what I was doing and she said basically "Hi, how are you doing? We’re trying to move from here."
And it was really clear the violence had gotten way too close and she feared, really, for her children. They moved at the end of the school year and I captured some tape of Donta that I think really encapsulates really the pain that’s felt from having to separate from a community that you’ve grown up in and you love, but also has become just untenable to live in because of the violence.
Another storyline I hoped to include that I wasn’t able to was just the way North Lawndale came to be the neighborhood it is today. This was the Promised Land. This is a neighborhood full of people who came from the south during the tail end of the Great Migration and settled in North Lawndale. And now what we’re seeing is an absolute exodus from the neighborhood. It’s a reverse migration, an out migration, and honestly an abandonment of the hope that brought people north initially. I think that’s an underlying tragedy that if I had more time I wish I could have included in the piece. It’s an even broader context.
CT: Days before students were set to take the PARCC standardized test, you walked in on Penn staff looking over the actual exam, despite order to keep it under lock and key until distribution. What were your feelings on including that part of the story in your reporting?
LL: I actually had not anticipated writing about standardized testing at all in this story about poverty and education. But very quickly – honestly the first day of school – this was so center stage, it was so clearly the thing that was dominating everything, that it became clear I had to write about it in some way.
And I walked in on the teacher meeting and saw the teachers looking at the PARCC test ahead of time; it became even more of a reason to write about the standardized testing. I felt it was something that, as a reporter, I couldn’t ignore. But I also wanted to stay true to the original intent of my story and look at what I told Penn I was there to look at, which is the intersection of poverty and education.
I wrote honestly about how I felt. I did not want to be seeing that. To me it was a completely demoralizing day, that’s how I felt when I went home.
It also made me wonder, as a reporter, how often this happens. I wonder if this happens in lots of schools and we never find out about it because no one is there to walk in with a microphone and a camera.
CT: Were there any other issues that you didn’t originally plan on writing about, but became so large they had to be included?
LL: I would say the extent of hunger, the severity of hunger and what it feels like to be in a community with no cash. That struck me in a way that moved me and that made me realize the issues are much more severe than I had understood.
CT: Have you kept in contact with any of the students you worked with at Penn?
LL: Yes all of them with one exception – Kelsey, the little boy who gives the shout outs to his mom on the microphone. I’ve lost touch with him. His foster family was switched and I don’t know actually if he’s back with his real mom yet or if he’s with another foster family. I tried to reach him through the connections that I had through the foster family at Penn and his prior school, but I didn’t find Kelsey. I lost track of him.
But all of the others you hear about and more kids, I am definitely still in touch with. They are sixth graders (now). All the ones I talked about in that story, they all passed to the sixth grade now.
CT: What has the response been to this story thus far?
LL: It’s been an overwhelmingly positive response to the story and I think a heartfelt outpouring of concern for the kids and the school and policy.
Increasingly Americans are segregated by class, residentially, and rich kids and poor kids really don’t go to school together at all. In very, very few circumstances in the U.S. does that happen anymore. And I think what the story does is try to connect, try to build a bridge to a community that’s socially and economically isolated. And I think a lot of people in this country want more connection, they’re not necessarily looking to isolate themselves from communities like North Lawndale, but that is in fact what happened and I hope this story can be a bridge.
CT: What do you want readers/listeners to take away from this story?
LL: Primarily I want people to understand how fundamental poverty is to achievement in schools and how decades of school reforms have not shaken that.
I’d like people to question what King questioned and what I feel the school evidence, the test score evidence forces us to question, which is whether the country must address poverty more head on? Whether we rely too much on schools to address poverty?
Follow Matt Masterson on Twitter: @ByMattMasterson
Related stories:
New Commission Forms to Solve Old Problem: Education Funding
July 12: It's not the first education funding reform committee in Illinois, but the governor says he’s hoping this one will be the one to get the job done.
Report Shows Link Between Lower Income and Test Scores
June 22, 2015: In the first of a four-part series, Daily Herald reporter Melissa Silverberg and WBEZ's Linda Lutton take a look at poverty and education in Illinois.
Poverty and the Brain
Nov. 5, 2013: Researchers at two local universities are looking into how poverty impacts young minds. We have the story. Learn more about the studies, and view a photo gallery.It's easy to get caught up in the buzz and media hype surrounding Enterprise 2.0, but some of this is worth your attention. For the CIO, these five things are something to keep on your personal "innovation radar":
MORE ON E2.0
An Introduction to Enterprise 2.0
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Web 2.0: A Community in Denial
1. "Blogs Away" With New Communication Techniques
Department newsletters and "From the desk of" e-mails are quickly becoming outdated ways of communicating what is on an executive's mind. Getting your ideas out there, vetting them and branding yourself is what blogging is all about—and more and more CXOs are taking advantage of this important Web 2.0 innovation.
2. Social Networking—It's Not Just for Kids!
How people relate online continues to evolve, and the latest incarnation is Facebook. It's an innovation that is worth keeping your eye on, and it has major implications for collaboration, online company directories and how the current generation entering the workforce expects to interact. This last consideration is probably the single biggest reason you need to take Facebook seriously. In addition, E2.0 social networking innovators like Facebook are on the leading edge of application integration—using mash-up technology to introduce new functionality quickly. At the core are software from Google (like AJAX and Google Mashup Editor) and Microsoft products (like Popfly and Silverlight).
3. Unified Communications
The latest new buzzword that is often said in the breath following "Enterprise 2.0." No doubt, Voice over IP (VoIP) phone systems have come of age. They bring with them functionality like e-mail/voice-mail integration, ease of use and maintenance, and computer/phone integration that only a call center manager could love. Microsoft's Office Communication Server and Cisco's Unified IP phones are leading the charge in one of the most watched changes of the guard since the Bolsheviks wiped out the Romanovs.
4. A Rolling MOSS Gathers No Stones
"Three's the charm" continues to be the mantra for Microsoft Product releases, and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) contributes to that folklore. First introduced in 2001 as SharePoint |
exist.
The video was shot in 2011 by FUNAI the Brazil government's agency overseeing indigenous matters.
A 411,848-acre reservation was created last year in the western Mato Grosso state, but they still face grave threats from loggers and farmers, said Carlos Travassos, head coordinator for Isolated and Recently Contacted Indigenous groups at FUNAI.Photo
The latest hit for “Saturday Night Live” on the Internet began taking shape on Sept. 24, when Andy Samberg and a group of his colleagues on the show were sitting around their offices, scrounging for a celebrity or politician “who could really use a love song right now.” Around the same time, Seth Meyers, the show’s head writer, was imagining a skit in which Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, would be depicted on a wild night out on the town.
Before long the ideas fused, and by last Saturday, opening night for the 33rd season of “Saturday Night Live,” the group had produced a three-minute music video titled “I Ran So Far Away.” In it, a crooning, piano-playing Mr. Samberg and a doppelgänger for the Iranian president (his castmate Fred Armisen, bearded and in a gray suit and open-neck dress shirt) dance and appear to fall in love — giving apparent lie to Mr. Ahmadinejad’s contention at Columbia University that there were no homosexuals in Iran.
By yesterday afternoon, just four days after its network premiere, the various versions of the video posted on YouTube had been viewed nearly 300,000 times, according to tallies posted on the site. For Mr. Samberg and his main collaborators — Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone — “I Ran” is something of a sequel. Last year, NBC posted an uncensored version of a boy-band video the group made — the cleaned-up title was “Special Treat in a Box” — in which Justin Timberlake and Mr. Samberg each appeared to be making a gift of their male anatomy. Thus far, that film has been seen more than 29 million times on YouTube, and last month it won an Emmy.
However popular, such films — including “Lazy Sunday,” a rapping homage to “The Chronicles of Narnia” — have not appeared to raise the ratings of the show itself. Last season, “Saturday Night Live” drew an average of about 6.4 million viewers a week, which was down from the year before. But the digital shorts have given the show, and Mr. Samberg in particular, a Web presence and cachet.
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Considering that Mr. Samberg and his crew typically create their digital films in little more than 48 hours, the six days they spent on “I Ran” made it feel like a feature film. First, Mr. Samberg said, they developed the song’s R&B beat, which had elements of LL Cool J, the Wu-Tang Clan and an outright sample from Aphex Twin, an electronic performer.
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The chorus, “I Ran,” is a knock-off of the 1980s Flock of Seagulls hit of the same name. But otherwise, the words were original. Among the more memorable lines Mr. Samberg sings to the Iranian president are:
You can deny the Holocaust all you want
But you can’t deny that there’s something between us
At another point, Mr. Samberg invokes “The Passion of the Christ” and its star, singing :
They call you weaselAn arts district is emerging near Lauraville, with apartments, studios, and maker spaces for creative types who want to live and work in the area.
SoHa Row and SoHa Union are the names of development projects that Sam Polakoff is building in the 4700 and 4800 blocks of Harford Road, a commercial corridor that serves the neighborhoods of Lauraville, Hamilton, Arcadia and Moravia-Walther.
A play on SoHo, the transformative arts district in New York, Polakoff’s SoHa Row and SoHa Union are a mix of new construction and rehabbed commercial buildings that together will add 50,000 square feet of space for photographers, graphic designers, visual artists, musicians and others.
To call attention to the venture, Polakoff has filled the windows of the buildings undergoing rehabilitation with black and white graphics bearing the words, SoHa Row. Bob Gillespie was the graphic artist.
“What do you think it stands for?” he asks. “It could be South Harford Road. It could also be southern Hamilton.” Either way, “SoHa is easier to say…We’re trying to create an environment and a vibe in the community.”
Known for his work with Baltimore’s School for the Arts and Station North arts district, Polakoff led a building-by-building, room-by-room tour of the emerging district last week for area residents and prospective tenants.
The spaces in SoHa Row range from a 145-square-foot studio to a 1,400 square foot space that could be a dance hall. Polakoff said he already has rented the first floor of 4719 Harford Road to a restaurant operator, but can’t disclose details yet except to say it will be a locally-owned business and not a chain. Once word gets out, he said, others likely will want to be nearby.
His vision is to have commercial spaces at ground level, to add life to the street, and smaller studios on the upper levels. He said he has been working on the project for the past several months, will build to suit as tenants emerge, and may add more buildings if there is demand.
Alexander Design Studio is the project architect and Constantine Commercial Construction is the contractor. The first spaces will be ready next year.
“All the spaces are different,” he said. “We’re sort of doing this in bits and chunks.”
Polakoff, the president of Property Consulting Inc. has other projects underway, including the renovation of the former Odell’s night club on North Avenue, with Jubilee Baltimore.
He said he chose the Harford Road corridor as a place to develop property because he believes it has potential for the type of work he specializes in. He said he has patronized businesses in the area for many years, including the Hamilton Tavern, Clementine, Maggie’s Farm and “The Chameleon before it was Maggie’s,” and likes what’s happening in the area.
The first property he bought along the corridor was a vacant lot at 4801 Harford Road. That’s where he plans to build a four-level structure called SoHa Union, with 16 apartments and street-level commercial space.
While he was planning how to develop the vacant lot, he said, the American Beauty Academy closed and he bought its real estate in the 4700 block, which includes several buildings and a large parking lot in the rear. The properties are already zoned for mixed-use development.
According to Regina Lansinger, director of Hamilton-Lauraville Main Street Inc., the SoHa Row property is technically in an area called Moravia-Walther. But it is across the street from Lauraville, south of Hamilton and north of Arcadia.
Polakoff notes that SoHa Row is not intended to be a state-sanctioned arts and entertainment district like Station North, Highlandtown or the Bromo district. He said the spaces aren’t even restricted to artists, although that is a key market he wants to serve.
“It’s not a state-sanctioned arts and entertainment district, but it’s home to a lot of artists,” he said of the area. “I think the artist community could be a very important part of what we are creating.”
In terms of the final mix of tenants, “you guys are going to decide,” Polakoff said to the people on the tour. “The market is going to decide what people want.”
Polakoff said he has already begun rehabbing the existing buildings and hopes to start site work for SoHa Union before the year ends. He declined to say how much he is investing.
The tour drew more than a dozen people, including a photographer, a paper cut artist, and Ellen Cherry, a “song and story alchemist.”
Annie Howe, the paper cut artist, said she likes the area and is interested in leasing space at SoHa Row “I just like it here and I would like to be able to work here too,” she said.
Lansinger, from Hamilton-Lauraville Main Street, said Polakoff’s development is consistent with other plans for the area, which call for encouraging locally-owned businesses rather than chain stores and growing incrementally by giving the community what it wants.
“We’re very home grown here,” she said. “So much of our success has been very organic. We’re not trying to force anything here.”
Lansinger added that she is impressed that Polakoff met with the community early on to present his plans and has continued to work with area residents.
“He’s bringing something very exciting here,” she said.
Polakoff said he remembers a time when local artists gravitated to Fells Point because it was affordable. When artists were priced out of Fells Point, he said, many of them moved to Hampden and helped revive that area. Now prices are rising in Hampden, limiting who can move there.
“This neighborhood,” by contrast, “is a real value from a homeowner’s standpoint,” he said. “It’s a value proposition. After the recession, people are looking for value.”
Does that mean Lauraville is the next Hampden?
“It’s not the next Fells Point,” he said. “It’s not the next Hampden. I see it as the next SoHa. I see it as its own village. This is going to be exceptional for its uniqueness.”
Citron Baltimore opens at Quarry Lake
Citron Baltimore, a Contemporary American restaurant by Charles Levine, opens today at 2605 Quarry Lake Drive in Baltimore County, with a dining room, bar, outside patio and waterfront deck seating overlooking Quarry Lake. Coming early next year: The Cove at Citron, a wedding and events venue next to Citron.
Cafe Fili coming to Mount Vernon
There’s a new tenant coming to the former Milk and Honey market space at 816 Cathedral Street in Mount Vernon. Signs in the windows say the next occupant will be Café Fili, a Mediterranean café featuring paninis, soups, salads, flatbreads, coffee, tea, wine, beer, and cocktails.
On November 3, the city’s liquor board was scheduled to consider an application from Johanna Sternberg and Z. Maalour for a Class B restaurant license with outdoor table service, but the meeting was postponed and has not been rescheduled.
Read’s Drug Store redevelopment moves ahead
Plans to turn the former Read’s Drug Store at Howard and Lexington streets into an $11 million home for Spotlighters Theatre moved ahead this month when the Baltimore Development Corporation gave the theater organization an exclusive negotiating privilege that will give directors time to raise funds to purchase and renovate property.
Plans by Cho Benn Holback + Associates call for the four-level, 16,000-square-foot building to contain a 120-seat theater, dressing rooms, rehearsal space, a costume shop, classrooms and a multipurpose rental space with a catering kitchen. There also will be a replica of the 1955 Read’s lunch counter where students at what is now Morgan State University staged an early sit-in to protest that the Read’s chain would not serve African-Americans at its lunch counters.
The building will be renamed the Audrey Herman Community Arts Center, after the theater’s founder.
Hampton Inn breaks ground near Bayview
The Cherry Cove Group of Lexington Park, Maryland, has broken ground for a five-level, 115–room Hampton Inn by Hilton at 6571 Eastern Avenue near the Johns Hopkins Bayview medical campus.
Completion of the $17 million project is expected by early 2018. This is the first project in Baltimore for the Cherry Cove Group, which is also planning a Homewood Suites near Bayview.
Last House Standing performances this weekendLarge supercell thunderstorm near Lubbock, Tex., April 11, 2015. (Darin Kuntz)
In Lubbock and Amarillo, Texas on Saturday, thunderstorms erupted – their tops reaching at least 40-50 thousand feet high in the atmosphere. The storms formed in a region of highly unstable air which helped them achieve such altitudes.
The storms stand out for their vertical structure and imposing presence moreso than for any damage they produced. Although each storm unloaded large hail, neither spun-up tornadoes or generated wind damage.
Resembling bomb-generated mushroom clouds, they rank among the more visually impressive I’ve seen this year.
[All-natural mushroom cloud: Timelapse of exploding thunderstorm]
Lubbock storm
The National Weather Service office in Lubbock, Texas reported the monstrous storm witnessed east of town arose from the merger of two thunderstorms cells. It posted an amazing timelapse video to its Facebook page – shown below – which it describes accordingly: “Some very spectacular dynamic interactions between two supercells are evident with rotation evident. Plus, watch the rapid intensification of the storm complete with anvil development, updraft pulsing, and even lightning.”
Here is the amazing timelapse footage:
And here are some still shots:
HUGE #thunderstorm near Lubbock yesterday! Photo credit: John Cook pic.twitter.com/FSkhL7HMmE — Firsthand Weather (@1stHandWeather) April 12, 2015
Stunning shot of a supercell near Lubbock, Texas yesterday evening (via Reddit) pic.twitter.com/qvoc7MAE9i — Sean Breslin (@Sean_Breslin) April 9, 2015
Oh my. My friend @JoJo_Photo's great West Texas supercell portrait, east of Lubbock. More: http://t.co/uawVjE8GjP pic.twitter.com/LdLP2oLqgq — Jay Leeson (@jayleeson) April 13, 2015
Via Reddit
Amarillo storm
The storm that affected areas north of Amarillo prompted two tornado warnings (though no tornadoes were confirmed) and produced hail up to baseball size. Here are several photos of this impressive storm:
Supercell thunderstorm from an American Airlines flight 27 near Amarillo, TX Saturday. via @Meteorologist88 pic.twitter.com/DNV9xth25U — Brad Panovich (@wxbrad) April 12, 2015
What a beaut! Pano of the storm in the Texas Panhandle last night #txwx pic.twitter.com/7GzmCFJLs9 — Ben Holcomb (@wx8ben) April 12, 2015
Check out this massive #hail in the Texas panhandle earlier tonight! Picture courtesy of @MackAttackWX: pic.twitter.com/DT55laIxZK — WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) April 12, 2015
6:40pm: Radar shows strong inflow and tight couplet on tornado-warned supercell N of Amarillo, TX #TXwx pic.twitter.com/dp6mGMp9VY — Jeff Frame (@VORTEXJeff) April 11, 2015
The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Space Science and Engineering Center has some excellent high resolution satellite imagery which provides a visual of these storms from space: Views from space
Related
15 spectacular supercell thunderstorms (PHOTOS)
Wow, Wyoming: Surreal supercell thunderstorm time lapseIn the “medication area” of the nation’s biggest marijuana exposition, scantily clad young women hand out marshmallows they’ve dipped into a rushing fountain of pot-laced chocolate. A few steps away, Anthony Ramirez offers free hits from a bong filled with the waxy marijuana extract that his family started producing when a friend’s mother needed relief from the pain of lupus.
Across a vast outdoor plaza lined with hundreds of booths, this month’s Cannabis Cup gathering in Southern California has attracted more than 10,000 visitors at $40 a ticket. By midafternoon, some of them are sprawled on overstuffed couches that merchants have thoughtfully provided. Others move from booth to booth, sampling wares from businesses that have risen from the underground economy to create a burgeoning industry of hazy legality.
Vendors hawk brightly colored candies, chocolate bars, slickly designed jars of gourmet peanut butter — all infused with weed. Smokers sample e-cigarettes, vaporizers and the latest in bongs and glassware. Agricultural firms display industrial-sized machinery for harvesting plants, electronics firms offer a dazzling array of grow lights, and everywhere, growers lovingly explain the virtues of dozens of plant strains such as Gorilla Glue, Silver Haze and Crystal Coma.
All in a state where marijuana is not yet quite legal, and all without a single police officer to be seen.
America has been at the edge of marijuana legalization several times during the past half-century, but never as close to mass acceptance of the drug as the nation is today.
Since the 1960s, the United States has traveled on a herky-jerky trip from hippies and head shops to grass-roots backlash by suburban parents, from enthusiastic funding of the war on drugs to a gathering consensus that the war had little effect on marijuana use. Now, for the first time, marijuana legalization is winning majority support in public opinion polls and a drug used by about 6 percent of Americans — and one-third of the nation’s high school seniors — is starting to shake off its counterculture reputation. It is winning acceptance even from some police, prosecutors and politicians.
But is this time really different? Why is the current campaign for legalization resonating when previous ones did not? Today’s leap toward legality is entwined with the financial desperation of cash-strapped states, an Internet-driven revolution in how Americans learn about marijuana and its medicinal uses, and a rising libertarian sensibility in which many liberals and conservatives alike have grown skeptical of government’s role in telling citizens how to medicate themselves.
The skies looked bright for legalization at several other points in recent decades, and those efforts ultimately went nowhere, as campaigns by parents combined with sharp opposition by law enforcement and elected officials to keep marijuana on the list of substances that can land you in jail.
But in 20 states and the District, the booming medical marijuana industry (the drug first became legal to treat ailments in California in 1996) has raised expectations of full legalization. In 2012, legalized marijuana outpolled President Obama in Colorado; the votes for pot and Obama in Washington state were almost identical at 56 percent each.
Activists in at least six states and the District are working to put legalization initiatives on the ballot this year or in 2016, and legislatures in 13 states are considering bills to legalize a plant that in 80 years has traveled from widely used patent medicine to felony to misdemeanor and now to the cusp of acceptance as one more taxed and regulated mind-
altering substance, akin to alcohol or tobacco.
Mike Aldrich, with the support of his wife, Michelle, has been pushing for the legalization of marijuana for over four decades. He now predicts that “marijuana’s going to be legal in the United States in 10 years. Of course, I first said that in 1967.” (Chris Hardy/for The Washington Post)
The seeds of change
Michael Aldrich remembers the day: Aug. 6, 1963.
He was a kid from South Dakota, a Princeton junior studying at Harvard for the summer, out on a date with a beautiful beatnik woman he’d met in a class on contemporary British poetry. She was dressed all in black. He was smitten. They’d spent the evening at Club 47, a legendary folkie spot, and now, as they walked through Harvard Yard, she turned to him and asked, “Ever try this?” She showed him a tiny, skinny joint.
They lit up right there in the Yard.
“We were in bed within the hour,” Aldrich recalls. “I was sold.” He began smoking pot every day, a practice that would continue for half a century.
In short order, Aldrich began his life’s work. His campaign for legalization seemed in its first years like a blend of academic exercise and cultural rebellion, but it contained the seeds of arguments that would gradually shift social attitudes toward the drug.
As a graduate student traveling abroad, Aldrich explored marijuana’s role in the mythology of India. As a doctoral student at the state university in Buffalo, in 1967, he founded the nation’s first campus group advocating for legalized pot, LEMAR, as in LEgalize MARijuana. They were 15 longhaired hippies who thought they could change the world.
Aldrich challenged the head of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, Henry Giordano, to a debate. Giordano argued that marijuana was worse than heroin and that efforts to legalize the weed were “just another effort to break down our whole American system.” Aldrich answered with a history of pot’s use as a relaxant, sedative, painkiller and inspirational aid.
Aldrich organized the first national conference on legalization and met the poet Allen Ginsberg, who hired him as his personal assistant and launched a New York City chapter of LEMAR. In 1969, Aldrich moved to California to teach and joined other activists there to create Amorphia, which made and sold Acapulco Gold brand rolling papers and used the proceeds to fund a drive for “free, legal backyard marijuana.”
Marijuana by that time was a symbol of the anti-Vietnam War movement and the hippie counterculture; only 12 percent of Americans favored legalizing pot. Amorphia — a core group of 30 hippies, many of whom lived communally in a house north of San Francisco in Marin County — didn’t need to reach much beyond their peers to collect enough signatures to put a legalization initiative on the ballot in 1972. In the face of a wall of opposition from politicians, police and parents, the hippies had forced the issue.
California would vote on making pot legal.
A look at the history of public opinion on marijuana legalization.
A bridge over ideology
Back in Washington, from the perspective of the Nixon White House, marijuana was at the core of the nation’s deepening generational, social and political divide. Young people seemed out of control, detached from institutions and traditions, determined to smash the rules and go their own way.
One of Nixon’s youngest advisers, Gordon Brownell, was a native Washingtonian who came to the White House fresh out of college. He had founded Colgate University’s first conservative club, and in law school he had remained a loyal conservative but secretly smoked pot with a friend who later became a federal drug prosecutor.
By the time he returned to Washington, Brownell had put marijuana out of his mind. He was profoundly alienated by longhaired radicals. When they surrounded the White House to protest the war, he walked through the crowd to get to his car and saw that “I was on the other side of a cultural divide. I was not one of them.”
In 1969, when the daughter of TV host Art Linkletter killed herself and her father blamed the death on her use of LSD, Brownell wrote a memo urging that Nixon come out in favor of a national crusade against the “social evil” of drugs.
A year later, Brownell, then 26, left Washington to take a top post in California Gov. Ronald Reagan’s reelection campaign. Living in Los Angeles, Brownell dated a woman who reintroduced him to marijuana and also shared mescaline — a drug with effects similar to LSD. Thrilled by the psychedelic journey, he nonetheless felt like a criminal.
“Possession of marijuana was a felony in California,” he says. “I still supported Reagan, but I felt for the first time the tension with being a Republican as Nixon and Reagan waged war on drugs.”
After the campaign, Brownell moved to Mendocino, rented a cabin by the sea, let his hair grow, and spent nine months writing a novel about a conservative young woman whose life pivots when she discovers drugs. He met and hung out with hippies who smoked a lot of dope, and he never let on that he’d worked for Nixon and Reagan.
A few miles away, the hippies of Amorphia realized they had no clue how to run a statewide campaign. They needed professional help, a bridge to the 90-plus percent of Californians who were not pot-smoking radicals.
Brownell had taken a job in Washington to write for a conservative newsletter, but a newspaper story about the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), the marijuana legalization lobby, changed his direction. “Reform was stalled because it was associated with hippies, antiwar activists and radicals,” he says. “I could put a different face on marijuana.”
Gordon Brownell’s home office contains memorabilia of his days working for Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. He believed a libertarian appeal would persuade Californians to approve a 1972 ballot initiative legalizing marijuana. It won only 35 percent of the vote. (Chris Hardy/For the Washington Post)
Brownell moved back west to become political coordinator of the California Marijuana Initiative. Many of the hippies thought he had to be a narc. His friends from the Reagan campaign thought he’d gone mad. “A lot of doors just closed on me,” Brownell says.
The message he crafted for middle-class Californians was basic libertarianism: “I’d tell my Republican friends, ‘What you do in your own home is none of the government’s business, and that was central to Barry Goldwater’s message,’ ” Brownell recalls, sipping coffee from an Obama for President mug.
Nixon crushed George McGovern, 55 percent to 42 percent, in California that year. The marijuana initiative won 35 percent of the vote, well more than opponents had predicted, but the result was still a clear message that, as Brownell says, “it just wasn’t mainstream yet. We couldn’t counter that stereotype of who used marijuana.”
A push to decriminalize
In 1970, Nixon signed into law a measure that eliminated mandatory prison sentences for marijuana possession and required him to set up a commission looking into the dangers of marijuana.
Michael Aldrich and Allen Ginsberg cut their hair, shaved off their beards and donned neckties to testify before the commission. “ ‘Get straight and infiltrate’ was the idea,” said Aldrich’s wife, Michelle, who supported her husband’s ventures in pot politics by working as a stockbroker.
But the commission had little patience for those who portrayed marijuana as harmless or even a social good.
“It was an insane position then and now, given our understanding of smoking and health,” says Michael Sonnenreich, a former drug prosecutor who was staff director of the National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse. “I’m a conservative guy, but it made no sense to overburden the police and the jails. The system was out of kilter. This never meant we were in favor of people smoking the crap.”
In 1972, too late to have an impact on the California initiative, the commission unanimously recommended that marijuana be decriminalized.
The administration was appalled. Nixon’s aides “believed that bad people smoked this,” Sonnenreich says. “The whole world was going upside down — the pill, assassinations, LSD, Vietnam. So certain people in the White House tried to convince me not to come out for decriminalizing.”
The report was one of three that year — the others were from Canada’s government and Consumers Union — to determine that marijuana was less harmful than other illegal drugs and to recommend decriminalization. In 11 state legislatures across the country between 1973 and 1979, penalties for possession were greatly reduced or eliminated.
Marijuana seemed to have made the jump from the counterculture into the mainstream. “I thought there was no turning back,” says NORML’s founder, Keith Stroup. In Washington, Stroup smoked pot with President Jimmy Carter’s son Chip while Secret Service agents stood outside the door.
Stroup drafted the statement the president sent Congress in 1977 arguing that “penalties against possession of a drug should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself.” Carter urged Congress to accept the commission’s findings and decriminalize marijuana.
“Use was extremely widespread and there were clearly very few medical consequences,” says Peter Bourne, who was Carter’s drug czar. But Bourne and Carter couldn’t move the needle on decriminalization. Forty-five million Americans had tried marijuana, but as California’s commission on pot concluded, “progress is rarely linear.” To many parents, pot was a sign that they were losing their children.
Parents turn the tide
For Carla Lowe, it was the calls she got as PTA president of her children’s high school in Sacramento. The school’s neighbors saw students smoking, and it didn’t smell like tobacco.
For Sue Rusche, it was a group of parents in Georgia who gathered after several middle school children were discovered smoking pot at a party.
From the late 1970s into the ’80s, Lowe, Rusche and many other mothers created a parents’ movement that halted, then reversed, momentum toward decriminalization. Starting in suburbs where teenagers turned to pot and turned head shops into hangouts, the movement compelled state and federal lawmakers to slam the brakes on Carter’s push for decriminalization and then feed the Reagan administration’s appetite for tougher enforcement.
“My son was a super athlete,” Lowe says, “and then, all of a sudden, he’d seem silly and inattentive. I didn’t know that it was marijuana. Then I was called into school because they found what I heard as a ‘bomb’ in his locker.” At school, Lowe learned that what her son had in his locker was a bong made from a tennis-ball can.
She devoted the next three years of her life to ridding her city of paraphernalia — and the next 35 years to fighting liberalized drug laws. She got a bong of her own — and a buzzbee, a Frisbee rigged up with a pipe in the center — and brought it to PTA and church groups to let parents know that “your children are smoking pot and these are the toys and tools that are being marketed to them.”
The comedienne Carol Burnett called Lowe and offered to help. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) enlisted Lowe to join her campaign against paraphernalia. First lady Nancy Reagan joined the bandwagon with her ”Just Say No to Drugs” campaign. Attorney General Edwin Meese III saw a tough stand against marijuana as a way to push back against a counterculture that was undermining society.
The legalization movement entered an 18-year freeze.
“We were caught flatfooted,” Stroup says. “I thought nobody would take these moms seriously. Oh, was I wrong. There was a feeling that the country was getting out of control. I wasn’t sure we’d ever regain the momentum.”
The mothers didn’t do it alone. The rise of cocaine brought a constant supply of frightening stories that reinforced support for harsher enforcement: gun battles among powerful drug dealers, the rising power of cartels creating geopolitical strain between the United States and Latin American countries, the devastating impact of crack on cities, the overdose death of basketball star Len Bias, comedian Richard Pryor lighting himself on fire while he was using cocaine.
Lowe finally got her son to stop smoking pot when she “gave him three months to get cleaned out, or no college,” she says.
But she saw that stepped-up enforcement made little headway against marijuana’s popularity, and the parents’ movement could never raise significant funds.
“We basically died out in the early ’90s,” Rusche says. “We’ve never been able to find a single foundation willing to support this cause.”
By the mid-’90s, most parent groups had dissolved. Those that remained saw the tide turn against them once again. Rusche recalls Stroup telling her at a debate that although the reform movement appeared to be defeated, it would be back with a new strategy — positioning marijuana as medicine.
A shift in strategy
Gen. Barry McCaffrey never saw marijuana in high school or at West Point, from which he graduated in 1964. “Pre-pot,” he says. “My generation was a lot of alcohol abuse and everybody smoked cigarettes.” But when he got to Vietnam as an Army first lieutenant, McCaffrey saw pot having “a huge, pernicious effect on the armed forces” and beyond. “Bus drivers were stoned, students were stoned, reporters were stoned.”
By the time McCaffrey became the nation’s drug czar in 1996, he had launched a crusade against drug abuse. He saw pot as a crucial battleground because, he says, “marijuana’s a stalking horse for Darwinian, libertarian acceptance of drug use of all kinds.”
In those years, McCaffrey could depend on audience applause as he belittled those who would ease restrictions on marijuana.
“Woody Harrelson, the noted agronomist, is going to save America with a crop of marijuana,” the general would say of the film star and pot proponent. “But the American people, mothers and fathers, aren’t stupid enough to do that.” Whereupon audiences would cheer.
But in San Francisco during the ’90s, the 30-year culture war over marijuana had gone silent, replaced by a new urgency. In the city’s devastated gay neighborhoods, AIDS powerfully shifted the debate.
Dennis Peron was about the least likely person to become the symbol of a drive to redefine marijuana as a symbol of compassion and care. Peron, an insistent, rough-edged guy from the Bronx, was a pot dealer who’d been arrested more than 20 times. He’d been selling ever since he came home from Vietnam with a pound of pot and a habit acquired while working 16-hour days in an Air Force morgue, bagging and shipping bodies of fallen comrades.
After Dennis Peron’s lover died, he resolved to find a way to supply marijuana to anyone suffering from AIDS. The Cannabis Buyers Club he launched in San Francisco was instrumental in winning legal status for medical use of the drug. (Chris Hardy/For The Washington Post)
Peron is gay, and his longtime lover, Jonathan West, had AIDS and was dying. Peron supplied West and other AIDS patients with marijuana to ease the side effects of their medications.
“It gave them the munchies so they’d eat something,” Peron says. “I could help these people, sell them marijuana and make a little money.”
He says he required customers to show physicians’ letters confirming their diagnoses; this, he hoped, might protect him from prosecution.
It didn’t. In 1990, San Francisco police raided Peron’s apartment, which for years had been a place where gay men could hang out and get high. They arrested him for selling marijuana. Later that year, two weeks after testifying on Peron’s behalf, West died. Peron then resolved to find a way to supply pot to anyone suffering from AIDS.
He launched the Cannabis Buyers Club in a prominent storefront and invited TV stations to interview his customers. He wanted to force lawmakers to confront marijuana use as medical care. He won enough attention and support that, in 1991, a nonbinding resolution he wrote asking the state to make marijuana legal for medical purposes won a citywide vote by a 79 to 21 percent margin.
City police left him alone after that, but once Peron’s club attracted more than 4,000 members and had 90 employees, state officials decided they could no longer ignore such a flagrant violation. They raided the club in 1996, arresting Peron once more. Again, he took his case to the people.
“I’d lost my lover, my friends were dead, I had nothing to lose,” Peron says. “I wasn’t the right symbol — a gay guy, busted for pot — but no one else wanted to do it. So we went statewide.”
The 1996 campaign for medical marijuana in California pushed aside groovy graphics and hippie rhetoric and repositioned weed as a tonic for cancer, glaucoma and AIDS patients. Grandmothers took to TV to explain how marijuana eased their pain, and Peron enlisted doctors in a campaign that asked: “If it’s helping people, how can we keep it illegal?”
Back in Washington, strategists at NORML were skeptical of using medical benefits to back-door marijuana into legal status.
Peron insists there was no subterfuge. “All use is medicinal,” he says. “All people, even those who say they’re using it recreationally, have clouds in their lives. Marijuana makes you see the silver lining in those clouds. That is a medical use.”
That argument was not going to win an election. With the campaign running behind, even true believers saw they needed a different way. Enter billionaires George Soros and Peter Lewis, who each pumped half a million dollars into the medical marijuana effort. Peron never spoke to his campaign’s benefactors. “Soros doesn’t understand marijuana’s true benefits,” Peron says. “He’s just against the war on drugs.”
The initiative won 56 percent of the vote, opening the door.
During the next decade, 20 states and the District followed the same path, but with extremely different results. In California, where medical marijuana permits are as easy to get as a bottle of scotch, more than half a million people have cards letting them shop in hundreds of dispensaries. In the District, where the law requires a 14-page application and recognizes only four diseases as warranting treatment with marijuana, just 120 people have been approved to purchase it since the first dispensary opened last July.
Peron, now 67, closed his cannabis club and says he stopped selling pot in 2001. “I was glad I didn’t have to sell pot anymore — too much stress,” he says. “I’d rather Walgreens did it.”
Accepting drug abuse?
Today, Boulder, Colo., is a city of 100,000 that has three Walgreens — none of which sell marijuana — and more than 100 medical marijuana dispensaries, even before licensing commences for shops that seek to sell weed for recreational use. Major national chain stores are not yet applying to sell pot, but at the Cannabis Cup convention and on hundreds of Web sites of marijuana-related businesses, the battle against liberalizing pot laws seems lost.
“The momentum to treat marijuana as a legal drug is irreversible,” says McCaffrey, the former drug czar. He no longer accepts invitations to appear on television to debate the issue because he says the networks “only wanted a rented idiot general who didn’t understand that marijuana was harmless and filling America’s jails. The opposition has gone silent. The politicians, police, judges know this is bad policy but they don’t make a peep. So we’re going to |
’t ask, don’t tell” policy, to lead an unorthodox White House rally. Using handcuffs that Yandura had purchased at a sex shop near Dupont Circle, Choi and a fellow gay soldier became media sensations when they linked themselves to the White House gate.
A few weeks after that, about a half-dozen GetEqual hecklers riled Obama by repeatedly interrupting a speech he was delivering at a Los Angeles fundraiser for Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.).
“Don’t know exactly why you’ve got to holler, because we already hear you, all right?” Obama said, trying to quiet the shouts from the crowd. CNN was airing the remarks live. Obama showed a rare public flash of anger when a woman could be heard yelling, “It’s time for equality for all Americans.” In a sarcastic tone, he said to the demonstrator, “I’m sorry, do you want to come up here?”
Obama later vented to one of his senior aides, Jim Messina, while leaving the event in his limousine. He didn’t see why these activists were angry with him when he was so clearly supportive of their cause, according to a person familiar with the conversation.
By October, when Jarrett was telling Obama in the Oval Office that many of the advocates were getting nervous, he was eager to offer assurances.
“Bring them in,” Obama told Jarrett.
The group was escorted to the Roosevelt Room. For about a half-hour, activists listened as Obama walked through the details of his strategy for winning repeal that year in the lame-duck session.
“He made it as clear as he could that not only did he want to get it done, but that he intended to get it done,” Jarrett recalled.
The next day, Obama faced more skepticism on gay rights in a roundtable conversation with liberal bloggers at the White House. He pushed back when Joe Sudbay, a gay blogger, told him there was a “certain amount of disillusionment and disappointment in our community right now.”
“I guess my attitude is that we have been as vocal, as supportive of the [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] community as any president in history,” Obama said, according to a transcript posted later by Sudbay. Obama went on to list his achievements, such as appointments of openly gay people to senior posts and his action requiring hospitals to allow visits by same-sex partners. On “don’t ask, don’t tell,” he described his approach as “systematic and methodical.”
“And so, I’ll be honest with you, I don’t think that the disillusionment is justified,” Obama concluded.
Sudbay was struck by what seemed to be the president’s conflicting feelings. Even as he was dismissive of gay activists’ complaints, Obama appeared moved by the parallels between the black civil rights movement and today’s gay rights struggles.
“One of my favorite pieces of literature is ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail,’ and Dr. King had to battle people counseling patience and time,” Obama told Sudbay, referring to the document penned by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1963 to answer sympathizers who worried that civil disobedience might be an unwise course. “And he rightly said that time is neutral. And things don’t automatically get better unless people push to try to get things better. So I don’t begrudge the LGBT community pushing, but the flip side of it is that this notion somehow that this administration has been a source of disappointment to the LGBT community, as opposed to a stalwart ally of the LGBT community, I think is wrong.”
From cheers to tears
Obama spent much of Saturday morning, Dec. 18, 2010, in the Oval Office. He was calling lawmakers, mostly Democrats, to press for support of his priorities in the lame-duck session.
The president’s party had just experienced what he termed a “shellacking” in the midterms, but as the final session of the Democratic-led Congress came to a climax he stood on the verge of a clear legislative triumph. He struck a tax deal with Republicans. He secured approval for an arms-control treaty with Russia. And most important to his gay supporters, Democrats and a handful of Republicans voted to repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell.”
The Dream Act was a glaring exception. Obama had worked the phones, urging support from lawmakers worried that backing the bill would make them vulnerable to attacks of being soft on illegal immigration. But the measure fell five votes short of the 60 needed to avoid a Senate filibuster.
It was a bitter disappointment for advocates, who had always seen the Dream Act as the “motherhood and apple pie” piece of the immigration wars, the politically easy measure to help innocent kids.
As the votes came in that Saturday, the scene in an upstairs office in the West Wing captured the day’s emotions. Aides who had been working on “don’t ask, don’t tell” were cheering and high-fiving. Those who had been working for passage of the Dream Act were in tears.
As Jarrett later recalled, the president walked upstairs to hug and console the tearful aides. He pointed to the “don’t ask, don’t tell” repeal, years in the making, as inspiration for those working on immigration issues.
“This is a journey, and we will get there,” Obama told the staffers, according to aides.
At the emotional bill signing days later, White House officials seemed to offer a subtle acknowledgment that outside pressure played a part in pushing the legislation ahead. Among the invited guests at the ceremony were Choi, the gay Army lieutenant who had cuffed himself to the fence, along with Yandura and Lewis, two of the architects of the protests that had followed Obama throughout the year.
‘What can we do to work together?’
On the Tuesday after the Senate failed to pass the Dream Act, Obama hosted a few Hispanic lawmakers, including Gutierrez and Menendez, in the Oval Office.
The president conceded that the new Republican-led House would never pass the immigration legislation they all wanted.
So the president told the lawmakers that they should all “put our thinking caps on,” according to two people familiar with the meeting. “What can we do to work together?” the president asked.
Gutierrez was hopeful. For the first time, he thought that Obama seemed open to asserting his executive powers. He and Menendez laid out a series of specific executive actions Obama could take, including one to help those eligible for the Dream Act.
Obama, too, seemed upbeat. As the meeting broke up, before Gutierrez had a chance to slip his suit jacket back on, Obama engulfed the congressman in a bear hug.
A photo that sits on Gutierrez’s desk shows the president’s arms draped around the congressman’s shoulders. Gutierrez, grinning widely and holding his jacket in his left hand, is shown with his right arm around Obama’s shoulder and neck.
In a news conference the next day before he left for his Hawaiian holiday, Obama told reporters that the failure of the Dream Act was “maybe my biggest disappointment” of the session.
He and his aides signaled privately to lawmakers in the months that followed that some middle-ground resolution was in the works. Eventually, the administration would enact a policy of “prosecutorial discretion,” calling on immigration officials to focus on deporting serious criminals, repeat border-crossers and others considered security threats rather than students, veterans or seniors.
The policy, which would later include a case-by-case review of deportation cases, seemed like a potential victory for immigrant advocates. But so far, they have found the results to be disappointing. Only a fraction of cases would be closed under the review, and advocates remain wary.
For Gutierrez, the frustration reflected a profound evolution in emotions. He had felt great hope back in 2006, when he and then-Sen. Obama first discussed the prospects of a presidential campaign and what winning the White House might mean for immigrants. The hope turned to anticipation on Election Day, then frustration through months of protest and tense encounters, and then hopefulness again with the Oval Office embrace.
But seven months after the hug, with few signs of the progress that he and others had pushed for, Gutierrez was feeling desperate. So on a steaming July day, the congressman returned to the White House — as a protester once more. He was arrested with other advocates as they sat beneath a banner reading, “One Million Deportations Under President Obama.”USC wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster is out indefinitely with a broken right hand, the team announced Monday.
Smith Schuster, who sustained the injury in USC’s 27–21 win at Cal on Saturday, played with his broken hand for part of the second half before eventually being removed from the game. He underwent surgery on his hand on Monday.
“Obviously, everybody heals differently,” interim head coach Clay Helton said Monday. “It’s been as soon as three days, or it could take longer. When he’s healthy and he feels like he can go back out there, he will.”
The sophomore, who is the Trojans’ leading receiver this season, has 52 catches for 956 yards and eight touchdowns in 2015. Schuster had five catches for 55 yards against the Golden Bears on Saturday before sustaining the hand injury.
The Trojans are already without receiver Isaac Whitney, who has a broken collarbone. Steven Mitchell and Darreus Rogers returned from injuries against Cal.
USC (5–3) faces Arizona (5–4) at 10:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.
• Status quo remains in Heisman race after Week 9
- Kayla LombardoThe perpetually underrated product of a humiliating childhood, he rose to power with few friends. He never made many more
The plotters who pulled Kevin Rudd down in 2010 didn’t know their man. They knew he was making a mess of government and had lost support in the caucus. They could see his immense popularity fading. But they didn’t realise that Rudd would never give up, the wounds would never heal and he would never go away.
His self-belief is bottomless. There were dark nights for Rudd after his defenestration but it remained a constant comfort that he had never been rejected by the Australian people. His quarrel was with his party, a quarrel he was ready to resume whenever the opportunity allowed.
Rudd had never had an army of supporters in caucus. Nor did those who worked closely with him in his early years have much to say in his favour. As a diplomat, public servant and shadow minister, Rudd had an unhappy knack of making colleagues loathe him.
But the public saw another figure altogether, a new kind of Australian politician, a man of intellect and values. He sounded right. He looked fresh. He was not mired in old Labor conflicts. He seemed a conviction politician of rare courage, a thinker who could take the country into the future.
Whatever the party’s suspicions, their pollsters told them Rudd bridged the old divide in Labor’s following. The fearful were comfortable with him. So were the intellectuals. He pulled votes from the radical left and the Christian right, from the Greens and the Tories. They made him leader in December 2006, but not out of admiration for the man. They did it for the party.
He had always been underestimated. Back in the 1990s, his unhappy colleagues in the office of the Queensland premier Wayne Goss were surprised he was even considering a career in politics. But in those days Rudd hid from view the humiliating childhood that drove him into politics.
He was 11 when his father died and the family were thrown off their farm. A few weeks after appearing as Rubens’ Blue Boy in a fancy dress pageant in the Eumundi school of arts, the boy was dumped in a bleak Catholic boarding school on the outskirts of Brisbane. He never forgot the grim years that followed. The Rudds had no home. One night they slept in a VW in the bush.
Rudd remade himself through politics. Every step of the way was deliberate. He was a loner who learnt to be popular; a backroom operator who taught himself how to campaign; an ex-diplomat who had to master Australian speech in his 30s. He’s never been fluent.
His Labor colleagues, when he appeared in Canberra in 1998, thought his ambition to lead the party one day were ludicrous. He had no substantial faction to back him. He battled for attention until he discovered morning television. That was the unlikely forum in which Australians came to know a version of him.
He won the leadership in 2006 and a mighty victory over John Howard in 2007. He was loved. What followed was the longest honeymoon in Australian political history. A fresh spirit swept over the country after the rancour of the Howard years. His government handled the global financial crisis superbly. The opposition collapsed.
But at the height of his popularity the flaws began to show. He was a micro-manager who found it hard to make up his mind; a national leader with a passion for fine detail, and a big thinker with a short attention span. His office was chaotic. He was impatient with his ministers, thoughtlessly rude to senior bureaucrats and foul-tempered with his staff. He sent distinguished figures out on great missions and had no time for them when they returned.
All this might not have mattered if the results were good. They weren’t. “For all the effort, he doesn’t come up with particularly interesting solutions to problems,” one of his staffers told me in those years. “His policy positions aren’t breakthroughs, not particularly new or exciting. After all the work they are dull.”
It turned out that Rudd couldn’t bear to be disliked. He was oddly unwilling to draw on the bank of goodwill at his disposal. He saw himself as an agent of transformative change but in practice he was a trimmer. Reverses knocked him about badly. He wasn’t resilient.
Australia’s love affair with Rudd began to sour after the Copenhagen climate summit in late 2009. A bipartisan pact to deal with global warming had collapsed when the opposition dumped the urbane Malcolm Turnbull for one of the great head-kickers of Australian politics, Tony Abbott.
Abbott got under Rudd’s skin. The great mistake of Rudd’s career was to fail, in early 2010, to take the country to an election fought on climate change, an election he seemed certain to win. Instead he floundered about for six months making dramatic but poorly thought through policy decisions: to take charge of the hospitals of the nation and to tax the super-profits of the mining boom.
He failed to pull off either policy coup. His government was logjammed. His popularity was slumping and an election was looming. At this point, his party made a catastrophic tactical error: instead of confronting him, pulling him into line, imposing discipline on this office, making all that was positive about the man work for the Labor government, they sacked him.
He was only 52. His ambitions were untouched. And he has, since childhood, taken defeats very, very badly. The belief that he leaked against the new leader, Julia Gillard, in the election campaign that year earned him fresh enmity in caucus. The poll he would have won comfortably left Gillard running a minority government.
And Rudd never went away. Though Gillard twice demonstrated he didn’t have the numbers to topple her, Rudd didn’t give up. His belief in himself was untouched. As her fortunes collapsed, the polls kept giving caucus the same old message: that whatever they thought of Rudd, the people had not given up on him. He might yet save the party from ruin – perhaps not win an election but save Labor from a historic wipeout.
So, three years almost to the day since toppling him, despite everything that went wrong the last time, Rudd has been restored – for the sake of the party. The election is only weeks away. That will play to his strength. This time he doesn’t have to govern. He only has to campaign.Advertisement
A doctor who shot seven people, killing one woman, before turning the gun on himself at a New York hospital had been forced to resign over sexual harassment accusations.
The gunman, Dr Henry Bello, shot himself after trying to set himself on fire at the Bronx Lebanon Hospital at around 2.45pm on Friday.
He staggered, bleeding, into a hallway where he collapsed and died with the rifle at his side, police have said.
A former colleague described the 45-year-old as a problematic employee, and said he was 'aggressive, talking loudly, threatening people.' In 2015, he was allowed to resign from the hospital after being accused of sexual harassment.
The attack on Friday left several doctors fighting for their lives, and witnesses described a chaotic scene as gunfire erupted, spreading terror throughout the medical facility. Employees locked themselves inside rooms and patients feared for their lives.
'I thought I was going to die,' said Renaldo Del Villar, a patient who was in the third-floor emergency room getting treatment for a lower back injury.
Bello was described on the hospital's website as a family medicine physician, and police said he used an AR-15 assault rifle in the attack on the 16th and 17th floors. Police Commissioner James O'Neill confirmed he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
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First image: Dr Henry Bello, 45, has been named as the deceased gunman who carried out a deadly attack at his former place of work, the Bronx Lebanon Hospital, Friday afternoon
Six people were shot at Bronx Lebanon Hospital after a former employee dressed as a physician opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle. First responders are seen with stretchers outside the entrance
In 2015, Bello was allowed to resign from the hospital amid sexual harassment allegations, according to two law enforcement officials. They did not know the details of the allegations, and agreed to speak on condition of anonymity because the investigation is still unfolding.
The gunman (pictured) shot himself after trying to set himself on fire at the Bronx Lebanon Hospital at around 2.45pm on Friday. He staggered, bleeding, into a hallway where he collapsed and died with the rifle at his side, police have said
However, Dr Maureen Kwankam, 50, told the New York Daily News he was fired from the hospital 'because he was kind of crazy.'
'He promised to come back and kill us then,' she said.
Ultimately, one female doctor was killed and six others wounded - five seriously, according to Police Commissioner James O'Neill. The patients were treated in the emergency room at Bronx Lebanon.
He also tried to set fire to the nurses station on the 16th floor, but the hospital's sprinkler system put it out before the blaze could grow.
'This was a horrible situation unfolding in a place that people associated with care and comfort, a situation that came out of nowhere,' New York City mayor Bill de Blasio said.
He also said terrorism did not play a role.
According to New York State Education Department records, Bello had a limited permit to practice as an international medical graduate to gain experience in order to be licensed. The permit was issued on July 1, 2014, and expired last year on the same day.
Bello 'was very aggressive, talking loudly, threatening people. All the time he was a problem,' said Dr. David Lazala, a family medicine doctor who said he trained Bello at Bronx Lebanon.
He said Bello, who worked at night as a doctor, sent him a threatening email after Bello was fired.
Police said Bello used an AR-15 assault rifle, which is pictured at the hospital on Friday, to carry out his attacks on the 16th and 17th floors of the hospital
NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio called the incident a 'horrible situation' and said it was not related to terrorism but instead just a workplace incident
A woman is escorted by officers in plainclothes near the Bronx Lebanon Hospital in New York Friday after fleeing the gunman
A woman is escorted by officers near the Bronx Lebanon Hospital in New York after a gunman opened fire there
The incident unfolded at around 2.45pm at the medical center on Grand Concourse in the Morris Heights section of The Bronx
In unrelated cases, the doctor had been arrested in 2004 on a charge of sexual abuse, according to a police report, after a 23-year-old woman told police Bello grabbed her, lifted her up and carried her off, saying, 'You're coming with me.'
He was arrested again in 2009 on a charge of unlawful surveillance, after two different women reported he was trying to look up their skirts with a mirror.
Employees and their loved ones described the horrifying moments immediately after the shooting as they scrambled for information.
Garry Trimble said his fiancee, hospital employee Denise Brown, called him from inside the hospital to tell him about the gunman.
'She woke me up and told me there was a situation, somebody's out there shooting people,' Trimble said as he waited for Brown to leave the hospital. 'I could hear in her voice she was shaking and about to cry.'
Heavily armed police patrol the scene outside the hospital after the gunman opened fire on Friday afternoon
Police sources say the gunman was hiding the high-powered weapon under his lab coat before the attack on the 16th floor of the hospital
Hospital employees barricaded themselves in hospital rooms by stacking furniture up against the doors during the lockdown
Gonzalo Carazo described the scary scene to WCBS-TV. 'I saw one of the doctors and he had a gunshot wound to his hand,' Carazo said.
'All I heard was a doctor saying, "Help, help!"' Carazo locked himself in a room for about 15 minutes until police came and led him out of the hospital.
Witness Dione Morales, who has been a patient at the hospital for 17 years, told CBS New York the shooter had threatened to kill people back when he was fired.
'He was let go because I guess they figured he was unstable. He said he was going to do this,' she said. 'He said he was going to kill people, two years ago when he was let go - two years... and now look what happened.'
Incident began unfolding at around 2.45pm at the medical center on Grand Concourse. Police say the gunman had an AK-15 rifle
Officers carrying assault-style rifles are posted outside the Bronx Lebanon Hospital where a former employee stages a deadly rampage
Dr Bello is believed to have lived in this New York City apartment building. He was forced to resign from his position at the hospital in 2015 after sexual assault allegations became public
Police cars are seen parked outside the hospital on Grand Concourse during the active shooter situation
Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center describes itself as the largest voluntary, not-for-profit health care system in the south and central Bronx.
The 120-year-old hospital claims nearly 1,000 beds spread across multiple units. Its emergency room is among the busiest in New York City.
The hospital is about a mile and a half north of Yankee Stadium.
In 2011, two people were shot at Bronx Lebanon in what police said was a gang-related attack.
Fire Department rescue workers head towards the scene after the inside the Bronx-Lebanon Hospital in New York CityWhile teaching a course at a leading reformed seminary, I referred to African American theology. One of my students objected, “There is no such thing as ‘African American theology,’ there is only ‘theology proper.’”
I asked, “Would the library of this seminary carry a book on theology from a cultural perspective?” He emphatically said, “No!” Later, I held up a book from the library.
Its title: Scottish Theology.
What my student did not realize is that all theology is contextual—historically and culturally determined. What he called “theology proper” developed in a Western context. Accordingly, while it addressed the true nature of salvation, etc., this “theology proper” also addressed Western cultural concerns.
Addressing cultural concerns theologically is to be expected. There is nothing wrong with this. However, we get into trouble when our theology is bound by those “cultural concerns.” While theology is contextual, it needs to be emancipated when it is constrained by the limitations of its context—in this case, Western culture. The only “limitation” theology should have is a biblical one.
If we forget this, we will end up failing to make the necessary distinction between theology and Scripture. Confusing the two is a form of idolatry. One result will be trying to transpose a pre-formulated theology geared to one cultural context to another. While commonalities will exist, the cultural differences can be significant—so much so that some theological content gets distorted in the transposing process. Only the Word of God itself is capable of being directly applied in all cultures. However, if these theologies are true to Scripture, they will be complementary.
What is theology anyway? Most would define it as “the study of God.” While this is true, Dr. John Frame’s definition fits the bill better, “The application of God’s Word by persons in every area of life.” Even though we have the Word of God, it needs to be correctly applied in order to fully benefit from its wisdom.
Lessons from History
The Westminster Confession of Faith illustrates the above point. It was commissioned by the English Parliament in 1643. Twenty-one Presbyterian clergymen were tasked to compose this Confession. They convened in Westminster Abbey.
Why did they need to develop a new confession of Faith when they already had access to the Belgic Confession? It was written in Holland between 1552 and 1561 and the participants in the Westminster Assembly agreed with it. All they had to do was translate it from Dutch to English.
The Belgic confession, as good as it was, did not address the issues the Westminster Assembly was wrestling with. This was during the time of the English Civil War (1642-1651) between the Parliamentarians and the Royalists. The Parliamentarian forces consisted of a coalition of English and Scottish armies. The Royalists forces consisted of armies loyal to King Charles I and his Episcopal Anglican bishops. The Parliamentarians advocated government by the House of Commons and presbyterian church government. The Royalists supported the monarchy and episcopalian church government.
The Episcopal Anglican establishment had been persecuting the Scottish Presbyterian church for many years. The Westminster Confession was developed in fulfillment of a solemn covenant the English Parliament made with the Scottish Parliament. It provided the basis by which the Scots would join the Parliamentary coalition against King Charles and his Royalist forces.
The Westminster Confession continues to be an accurate expression of Christian beliefs—one I proudly subscribe to. Nevertheless, a question remains: does it address all the theological issues we wrestle with today?
Western theology in general has given us valuable methods such as exegetical theology and systematic theology. However, there are other valid theological methods that are not represented in the Western tradition—for example, paradigm theology. More on this later.
How to Approach Theology
Theology can be approached from two perspectives, in terms of epistemology (what we should know about God—”Side A”) and ethics (how we should obey God—”Side B”). Theology can also be done on both sides of human intelligence, the cognitive side (involving conceptual knowledge) and the intuitive side (involving perceptual knowledge).
Epistemology—The “Side A” Perspective
Propositions embedded in the Bible make Scripture more accessible to those who are more cognitive than intuitive (“Side A”). Narratives embedded in the Bible make Scripture more accessible to those who are more intuitive than cognitive (“Side B”).
Western theology developed under the challenge of unbelieving philosophy and science. Defending and communicating the faith required facing specific issues using culturally determined means, often involving philosophical categories. In order to do this, theology had to be translated from its concrete apostolic language into a technical idiom. Thus, Western theology was mostly concerned with epistemological issues involving cognitive knowledge. This is an example of “Side A” theology.
Paradigm Theology — A ‘Side B’ Perspective
African American theology developed under the challenge of oppression (slavery, racism, etc.). A great challenge for African Americans was injustice and dehumanization. They identified with the Old Testament people of God when they were in similar situations—in the North the paradigm was Israel in the Exile; In the South it was Israel in Egypt. These theologies were mostly concerned with ethical issues. In the South, it involved intuitive knowledge because there, Blacks had no access to formal education. In the North, it involved cognitive knowledge because there, Blacks had access to formal education. These are examples of “Side B” theology.
Paradigm theology can be defined as the application of the basic patterns of biblical life situations. In order to really understand the biblical narratives, we must first know Scripture’s Ultimate Author, The Holy Spirit (II Peter 1:20-21). The meaning of the narrative is its application in our life situation. Apart from this it is just a story. Not only does God reveal himself in the words of the Bible, he also reveals himself in the basic patterns of the biblical narratives.
There is no situation we go through in life whose basic pattern is not already revealed in the Bible. The biblical narratives clearly show us how God was redemptively in control of the situation then, speaking to the situation then, and also present in the situation then. When our life situation matches the basic pattern of a biblical narrative, we will have real insight into how God is redemptively in control of, speaking to, and present in our situation now.
The Bible itself employs the paradigm approach, for example, the parables and illustrations of Jesus, the apostles and the prophets. The classic example is when Nathan the prophet told David exactly how he sinned with Bathsheba. The basic pattern was the same but the details were different (II Samuel 11 and 12).
The biblical narratives leave out many details of the original life situation on purpose because they are designed for us to get into their patterns and supply details from our own lives. However, the biblical narrative does not necessarily tell us that our story will have the same ending. The purpose is to give us wisdom in our situation—to see it as God sees it.
If paradigm theology leads us to attribute God’s people to anything other than being in Christ, it also becomes idolatry. Our theological focus must always be on Christ and his body.
Reformation Theology—Sound, but Wanting?
Indeed, reformed theology is true and robust as far as it goes, but the reformed community’s failure in the area of justice goes a lot deeper than one would suspect. It was not only due to our depravity, it is also due to the inadequacy of reformed theology as it has been handed down to us in its present state. It is unacceptable to say that one can be “theologically sound,” yet be errant on the issue of social ethics.
The problem goes to the very foundation of our theology itself, namely, a weakness on “Side B”—a weakness that has tainted our understanding of the character of God, Christology and “imago Dei.” This has rendered our theology deficient at the core, allowing much of the reformed community to peacefully co-exist with slavery, Jim Crow, racial discrimination, maltreatment of immigrants, cruelty toward first nations, etc.
Emancipating reformed theology from this deficiency will require us to do some serious “Side B” theology without neglecting “Side A” (Matthew 23:23b). In order to make this a reality, we must humbly recognize that what we have perceived as the “whole counsel of God” falls short of the biblical standard. Our vaunted theology has only scratched the surface of the full application of biblical truth. Teaching about the “whole counsel of God” does not equal the application of the “whole counsel of God.”
The Final Say
God Himself must have the final say in all of our theology. We must remember that the Scriptures must always inform and critique our theology and not the other way around. The Scriptures are “God breathed,” our theology is not. It is the Scriptures that are “useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (II Timothy 3:16).
Our theology must always serve Scripture. If we make Scripture serve our theology, we “suppress the truth by our wickedness” (Romans 1:18).
On the other hand, to be faithful to Scripture, the man-made categories we employ must always serve our theology. If we make theology serve our categories, we produce an enslaved theology—one that will incapacitate us from proclaiming and practicing the “whole counsel of God.” Such a “theology” will never be a true theology as long as it is bound by man-made categories or limited to them.
Furthermore, philosophical categories are not the only ones that can serve theology. Other categories will serve theology just as well or better in various cultural contexts—categories including historical, sociological, anthropological, etc.
Let the history books say that early in this century, we began to work toward a fully functional and robust theology—a theology seamlessly encompassing “Sides A and B”—a theology committed to the “whole counsel of God” as revealed in Scripture. I believe that this can be the basis of a new and powerful reformation, all to the glory of God.Australia's drug driving laws are grossly unfair
Updated
Australia's drug driving laws criminalise individuals who represent no risk to other drivers, making a mockery of the law as a tool for reasonably managing risk in a community, writes Greg Barns.
Every Australian jurisdiction has, over the past decade, passed laws that make it an offence to have any trace of an illicit drug in your blood when you are driving. It does not matter that your driving is exemplary or that the trace of drugs in your blood is from a couple of puffs of a cannabis joint a few days earlier.
In most states and territories the court will have no choice but to disqualify or cancel a first time offender's drivers licence for a period of between a minimum of three months and maximum of six to nine months.
Drug driving laws are grossly unfair. They are not based on data or scientific knowledge.
These laws are under pressure in the United States with the advent of medical cannabis and an acknowledgement by one superior court last month that it is patently unjust to penalise a person who does not threaten other road users in any way.
The inherent unfairness of drug driving laws can be illustrated by comparing them to drink driving laws.
The link between alcohol and road deaths and injuries is well known, as Assistant Professor Andrea Roth wrote about in the California Law Review last year.
Australia's drug driving laws have no evidential basis but can have severe impacts on the rights of individuals and their families.
In the article, Assistant Professor Roth described the work by epidemiologists - who in the 1940s, 1950s and early 1960, along with law enforcement researchers and medical scientists undertook exhaustive studies and tests - to prove a link between the level of alcohol in a person's blood and how it impairs their capacity to drive a motor vehicle safely.
We base our drink driving laws on this demonstrably correct data and accordingly allow for some alcohol in the bloodstream for full drivers licence holders, so long as it is below a blood alcohol content of 0.05 per cent.
But not so with other drugs such as cannabis. Here we take the prohibitionist stance and apply it to driving without bothering to undertake the rigorous analysis that accompanied and underpinned drink driving law development.
This is admitted by researchers in the field. Roth cites a 2007 paper published in Addiction by Franjo Grotenhermen and colleagues who observed:
"A zero tolerance approach to drugs while driving "avoid[s] the need for a reliable science-based correlation between drug concentration and level of impairment".
As Professor Roth observes, it is a case of legislators being lazy and simply saying "a prohibitionist stance would have to do."
Dr Alex Wodak, now Chair of the Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation and formerly head of drug and alcohol services at St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney, notes that:
"One of the problems with 'zero tolerance' drug driving laws is that they punish some drivers who are not impaired as a way of deterring other drivers who might be impaired or might become impaired from driving. This is what we call 'vicarious punishment' and it offends basic notions of fairness."
Or, as Professor Roth puts it, "punishment without purpose is immoral."
In short, Australia's drug driving laws have no evidential basis but can have severe impacts on the rights of individuals and their families, given that the loss of a drivers licence can mean losing your job.
The US is now grappling with the consequences of the immorality and injustice of zero tolerance drug driving laws in the context of the legalisation of cannabis for both medical and recreational purposes.
You cannot allow people to use cannabis legitimately but then criminalise them if they drive.
Some states, such as Washington and Montana, have adopted limits for cannabis presence in the bloodstream analogous to 0.05 per cent laws.
But to quote Professor Roth again, even these more liberal laws are not legitimate because "there is no demonstrated linear or predictable relationship between THC blood limits and an increased crash risk."
Australian courts are criminalising individuals who represent no risk to other road users.
The Arizona Supreme Court weighed into the issue last December in a landmark ruling when it identified the flaw in zero tolerance drug driving laws.
It noted that a driver cannot be considered to be " 'under the influence' based solely on concentrations of marijuana or its metabolites that are insufficient to cause impairment."
In other words, it is only legitimate as a matter of justice and sound public policy to prosecute individuals about whom it can be shown that the concentration of the drug in their blood steam meant that they presented a risk to other road users.
Australian courts are, literally on a daily basis, dealing with drug driving cases and criminalising individuals who represent no risk to other road users. This is making a mockery of the law as a tool for ensuring that risk in a community is managed reasonably.
Drug driving laws must be reformed and this can only be done by governments spending money on pursuing rigorous analysis of the impact of drugs on driving.
The only offence which ought to be on the statute books is one based, as is the case in respect of drink driving laws, where there is a strong research consensus on causation between the substance in a person's blood stream and impairment.
Greg Barns is a barrister and a spokesman for the Australian Lawyers Alliance.
Topics: law-crime-and-justice, laws, cannabis, drug-offences
First postedDefault quick settings not enough for you? Add app links, web links and custom toggles to your quick settings without root (on Android 6.0+, root or ADB permission grant is required on Android 5.0/5.1) using Custom Quick SettingsPlease note that some OEMs, such as Samsung, LG and HTC, may disable the use of this app on their firmware. You will need a custom ROM that is based on AOSP (including CyanogenMod) to use this app if that is the case with your deviceFeatures- Over 40 custom toggles, including screen timeout, adaptive brightness and NFC (NFC requires root or secure setting access)- Launch apps, shortcuts*, app shortcuts, websites, show app widgets*, automatically click on widgets*, run commands* and launch activities* on click (* requires pro)- Fully customise tiles with icons, titles, and multiple states, which can |
doing – dynamic and static salts, bcrypt, you know the drill. It’s not as extensible or general, but the theory (and probably the security) is there. What I didn’t know was that Phpass existed. My Google-fu must have been weak that day or something.
I just looked until I found something good enough and went with it. I feel this is characteristic of a lot of development, and not always a bad thing. On the other hand it takes real experience to know what’s good enough, and this experience can come at a high price (especially when considering security).
So what would this proposed wiki say on the topic of secure password storage?
Probably something like: “Use Phpass”. There, it’s not that complicated. Probably include a few good samples of using it, and we’re golden. A full framework-independent example of a complete secure authentication scheme would be killer. Mention OpenID as a full-fledged alternative, probably.
Yes but this still assumes that the developer who needs the information realizes that s/he needs it!
Indeed. However, by making it explicit that such-and-such information can be found here, it’ll be constantly at the back of the developers mind. If it’s easy to reach, maybe we’ll start looking even when we have a full solution in mind. You know, just in case. We can do that now, but (a) making sure we don’t miss a good resource because it’s three pages down in DuckDuckGo and (b) making it really quick to check on a topic instead of reading several articles can only be a good thing.
Why is it that only PHP need such a resource?
This is a valid question. I’m pretty sure some languages/frameworks already have this (probably called a manual or somesuch). It’s usually the documentation of a framework, so of course the documentation of PHP-the-language can’t be expected to contain these things.
Why doesn’t this exist already?
I can probably be convinced that not even PHP needs this. Or is there such a site out there already, and I just missed it? If there isn’t, why not? Is it redundant, not worth it? Does everyone just go with “good enough”?
Is this feasible? Let’s start one!
PS.
Phpass being the bestestest password storage solution is not the point of the post. Feel free to name alternatives. Also, most of this rant is based not on any statistical data, only my “gut feeling”.The Aviation Herald Last Update: Wednesday, Feb 27th 2019 07:48Z
23848 Articles available
Events from Jun 19th 1999 to Feb 26th 2019 www.avherald.com Incidents and News in Aviation List by: Filter: Accident: American A321 at Boston on Aug 31st 2016, both pilots injured by laser beam
By Simon Hradecky, created Thursday, Sep 1st 2016 19:54Z, last updated Thursday, Sep 1st 2016 19:54Z An American Airlines Airbus A321-200, registration N509AY performing flight AA-1806 from Charlotte,NC to Boston,MA (USA), was on final approach to runway 22L descending through about 2000 feet MSL when a laser beam through the windshield struck both pilots causing eye injuries to both of them. The crew managed to land the aircraft safely about 3 minutes later.
The FAA reported two flight crew received unknown eye injuries when the aircraft was struck by a laser.
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAL1806/history/20160831/2150Z/KCLT/KBOS
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Interview: The human factor named "Simon Hradecky" and the team of man and machine Get the news right onto your desktop when they happen © 2008-2019 by The Aviation Herald, all rights reserved, reprint and republishing prohibited. We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our site, learn moreOne analyst thinks Apple might eventually start a mobility service so that it can drive you around in ‘a mobile Apple store.’
One analyst thinks Apple might eventually start a mobility service so that it can drive you around in ‘a mobile Apple store.’ Getty Images/iStockphoto
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Yesterday, Morgan Stanley downgraded shares of Tesla. Today the firm’s analyst, Adam Jonas, is weighing in with more reasons why.
The news that Lyft will partner with Google’s Waymo driving unit on autonomous-driving efforts highlights that tech companies are getting smarter about cars. Alphabet, Google’s parent company, brings its technology to the table, and Lyft brings a fleet that drives “thousands of times more miles” than Waymo’s cars do, Jonas wrote.
In the near term, all those miles mean more data to capture, which feeds back into autonomous-driving programs to help make them better. In the medium-to-long term, though, once the kinks have been worked out, tech companies could choose to drive you around as a way to capture data on you and then try to sell you stuff. And that’s the part that Jonas thinks should scare Tesla investors.
“One of the biggest concerns we have about the ‘end-state’ of shared mobility from a Tesla perspective is the risk that other firms could enter the market as a competitor, offering the mobility service from, say, New York to Boston or from Santa Monica to LAX at a loss… just to get access to your time and data,” he wrote. That model could allow Google to one day drive you around practically for free. Think what Google did for email.
Apple, Jonas thinks, might care less about selling cars and more about getting people from one place to another in “a mobile Apple store,” where presumably they’d be tempted to buy products or services.
Big Picture: The tech giants might have different motives than Tesla for getting into autonomous driving, and one analyst thinks that should give Tesla investors pause.For the third time in four years, Nova Scotia's offshore petroleum regulator has announced no bids were received for this year's annual exploration parcel offer.
The Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board (CNSOPB) announced Thursday morning it received no bids on the six offshore parcels offered this year.
The regulator's annual call for bids identifies huge quadrants of space and asks companies to bid on the chance to drill for oil or natural gas beneath the sea floor.
'Not overly surprising'
Michel Samson, Nova Scotia's energy minister, said the government is disappointed but the situation is "not overly surprising considering the status of the industry and the fact that many of the largest players have cancelled projects throughout the world in light of the downturn with oil prices."
Samson said year-to-year variations in bids is the nature of the industry.
"The fact that we still have $2.2 billion in exploration commitments for Nova Scotia certainly gives us confidence that the companies that have made these investment commitments are confident, themselves, that they are going to find hydrocarbons in Nova Scotia's offshore," he said.
These are the six parcels that were open to bids this year. (CNSOPB)
Current oil and gas exploration in Nova Scotia
In 2012, Shell Canada Limited and BP Exploration Operating Company Limited each committed to spend more than $1 billion to search for oil and gas off Nova Scotia's coast.
In 2013 and 2014, no bids were received for the parcels offered by the CNSOPB.
In 2015, Statoil Canada Ltd. bid $82 million to explore two parcels, while seven other parcels that year did not receive any bids.
So far, only Shell has begun exploration. Crews drilled one underwater well in which "commercial quantities of hydrocarbon were not found," the company said in a news release.
Earlier this year, the company also hit a snag when a huge piece of drilling equipment fell to the ocean floor.
Shell is now drilling a second exploratory well.
BP announced in March it would delay the start of its exploration until 2018 — the final year of their allotted time window.A knife-wielding man who was shot to death by police on the Grants Pass Parkway in October had toxic levels of methamphetamine in his bloodstream, lab results show.
Josephine County District Attorney Ryan Mulkins said Tuesday that Oregon State Police tested Shawn Pappe's blood at an OSP forensic lab in the Portland area. The report reached his office in January.
The results validated Mulkins' conclusion that deadly use of force was justified in the Oct. 13 shooting of Pappe, a 46-year-old Gold Hill resident who rammed vehicles in the Walmart parking lot, then crashed on the Parkway before charging officers with a large knife.
"It confirms what we already suspected at the time of this incident: Mr. Pappe was heavily under the influence of meth," said Mulkins, who previously concluded after a review of reports and video that deadly force was justified.
Pappe had 8.8 milligrams per liter of meth in his bloodstream, and the lab stops testing at 10 mg/liter, according to Mulkins. He also had cannabinoids in his bloodstream.
Levels of as low as 2.5 milligrams per liter of meth can be toxic and possibly fatal, according to several medical references.
"Our general feeling is that's super-high," added Detective Lt. Dennis Ward of the Grants Pass Department of Public Safety.
In the October incident, police engaged Pappe for 20 minutes after the crash, first knocking out a heavily tinted window so they could see him inside the disabled Chevrolet Tahoe.
Pappe was holding a large, combat-style tactical knife in his hand while speaking with police, using it to chop and stab at the interior of his vehicle.
Officers reported that Pappe made a comment about needing his meth. They concluded that Pappe appeared to be under the influence of a stimulant and was dangerously delirious.
After being notified that an ambulance was on the way, Pappe was told repeatedly to throw his knife out of the vehicle's window and not to exit his vehicle with the knife in his hand.
Pappe then shouted at officers and dove headfirst out of the broken passenger side window, still holding his knife. While he was on the ground, officers tried to subdue him with a Taser and "bean bag" rounds. He still refused to drop the knife.
When Pappe began to advance on the officers, they fired multiple rounds at him. Pappe was pronounced dead at the scene.
Pappe previously made headlines in 2015 after he was convicted of arson for setting fire to an outbuilding on his former property, which was in foreclosure, in Gold Hill.
The deadly confrontation was the Department of Public Safety's first officer-involved fatal shooting since 2014, when 29-year-old Daniel Diaz was killed during an armed standoff on Northwest Blossom Drive.
That shooting was believed to be the first fatal shooting involving Grants Pass police in the city's history. Then-District Attorney Stephen Campbell reviewed the case and ruled it was justifiable.
— Reach reporter Jeff Duewel at 541-474-3720 or jduewel@thedailycourier.comNew York-based ethereum development startup ConsenSys has revealed a number of new hires, including several IBM employees and the former CEO of South Africa’s central securities depository (CSD).
ConsenSys announced today that John Wolpert, former global blockchain offering director, will work to advance the startup’s product and venture efforts. Monica Singer, who left Strate this summer after working for the CSD since the late 1990s, is set to serve as its “Blockchain Ambassador” with a focus on financial markets.
“I am so happy to have joined such an amazing team,” Singer said in an emailed statement.
Wolpert and Singer are among the twenty hires unveiled today. The startup also highlighted the new role for Kavita Gupta, who, as reported last month, is spearheading a $50 million venture fund that ConsenSys plans to use to invest in a range of ethereum-focused startups.
Two other former IBM employees have joined the ConsenSys team. Maggie Love, who previously worked for IBM’s Watson Group, will serve as director of strategic initiatives and business development. Johnny Howle was a member of IBM’s blockchain team up until August and is now the startup’s product designer for uPort, an ethereum-based identity system.
The list of hires includes those coming from a range of companies and organizations that have focused on blockchain in recent months, including professional services firms Deloitte and EY, database giant Oracle and the Chamber of Digital Commerce trade group, among others. Ryan Selkis, CoinDesk’s former managing director, will serve as the startup’s entrepreneur-in-residence, according to the announcement.
ConsenSys has also beefed up its Australia-based office, naming four new developers to its team.
Image by Pete Rizzo for CoinDeskAutumn has arrived. Nights are getting colder and colder while days are getting shorter. Summer easiness slips away, and more and more often I find myself having lazy time while cuddling with the cat under a blanket. Autumn is the time when I start lighting up candles to compensate cooling sun and catch eluding warmth.
Last year my favorite autumn DIY project was making candle holders in jars. This time I decided to make my own candles. I’ve bought some wax online, and while waiting for the order to arrive, I made a very simple DIY: candles in tangerine peel. Small warm suns of my own.
Well, strictly speaking these are oil lamps and not candles, since I did not use wax.
To make your own tangerine oil lamps, you will need:
a coulpe of tangerines
cooking oil; it can be olive oil or sunflower one
cord to make wicks; I took chalk line cord #21, cotton & polyester blend
Make a horizontal cut with a knife in the middle of the tangerine.
Peel off with your finger around the cut. Be careful to not damage or tear off the peel edge.
Use a spoon to finish peeling further from the edge.
Peel off the other half of the tangerine.
To make wicks, cut the rope into small pieces. If your tangerines are very ripe and their inner white fiber is dry, you may try to use it as a wick. In my case the white fiber was not dry, and I could not set it on fire.
Fluff up one edge of each piece – it will be the wick “anchors”.
Add oil and insert the wick in the middle.
Spread the threads equally to make a good support to the other end of the cord where the fire will be.
It should not be too long; otherwise it will fall into oil and will not be able to carry the fire.
Now light up your new candle and enjoy its warmness.
Little tangerine suns
What to do with the tangerine “leftovers”? Eat them of course 😉
I used the peeled tangerines to make a warm salad with turkey… mnyam!
I will share the recipe very soon! Stay tuned 😉Chaos in BMC Standing Committee meet as BJP member makes communal comment
Mumbai: The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai’s (MCGM) Standing Committee meeting on Wednesday witnessed a chaos from members of the opposition party after Manoj Kotak, BJP leader in the MCGM, passed a communal comment on S A Ansari, Chief Engineer, solid waste Management, who was present for an ongoing proposal.
Members of the opposition parties said that Kotak commented on Ansari saying he is trying to protect the workers who might be involved in a scam surrounding the Deonar dumping ground just because the workers belong to his caste or community.
Also Read: No bail for the 6 accused behind Deonar dump fire
Speaking to the Free Press Journal, Kotak said, “I have asked for details on debris transportation of the Deonar dumping ground which Ansari has been avoiding since last four committee meetings. Following which, I asked if he is trying to protect his people on which the Corporators from the opposition parties shouted at me saying that I made a communal comment.”
Ansari, was summoned by Sanjay Mukherjee, Additional Municipal Commissioner, in the committee meeting to discuss on the debris collection and transportation cost at the city’s dumping grounds.
Rais Shaikh, Samajwadi Party group leader in the MCGM, said that the comment was clearly a communal comment and demanded an apology from Kotak. Shaikh said, “We will not attend the next committee meeting until we receive an apology from Kotak.”
Kotak further said that the corporation cannot protect offenders because of their caste and community.
The proposal was for building roads in the Deonar dumping ground for garbage vans to commute. Apparently, the cost of the project is Rs 400 crore and it was initiated in order to make easy commutation for debris vehicles and garbage vans inside the 132 hectare Deonar dumping ground.
However, the opposition party members alleged that the debris collectors of the dumping ground are running a scam and strict action should be taken against it before deciding the road projects. PravinChedha, leader of the opposition, said that the proposal for constructing roads in the dumping ground lacked basic details – what will be the total kilometer of the entire road, what material will be used etc. Chedha hence demanded the proposal to be rejected or to give a detailed report.With 187,439 followers on Facebook, Norinder Mudi isn't quite as popular as the prime minister. He's nearly as ubiquitous, however - his handsome mug goes viral with the regularity of his lookalike's mann ki baats.
Created in 2013 by an animator who goes by the screen name of Swagmohan, to replace an earlier character known as Monmuhin, the Mudi memes are fairly innocent in comparison with much of the political satire on the web. Yet they've inspired hundreds of hate mails and run-ins with internet trolls.
India Today (IT) had an anonymous chat with the current administrators, who choose to call themselves SM and AP, who say the page has been taking a backseat because "life happened". Excerpts:
IT: What inspired the aesthetic and language of the comic?
SM, AP: In 2013, 'Dolan comics' were an absolute rage-poorly drawn Disney characters and barely readable, blatantly offensive text. The distinctive features are extremely poor, broken use of English, accompanied by intentionally badly drawn characters, usually on MS Paint. This type of comic is sort of a paradox-it seems like a kid has drawn it, but the content is extremely adult in nature. Norinder Mudi is essentially an Indianised Dolan, with the content being more politically correct for the hot-headed Indian audience.
IT: Speaking of hot-headed audiences, have online trolls affected your art?
SM, AP: We had to tone down the offensiveness of our posts. We started out as a dark humour page, but since Modi fans are really sensitive, we have had to be careful with what we were posting. We receive a lot of hate, but we refused to engage with it. There were threats of FIRs, police complaints and vile abuses but nothing much happened.
IT: How do you choose subjects?
SM, AP: The character in question is [based on] an extremely charismatic individual who is always in the news. Standout trends generally dictate the content of our posts. For instance, the "Abki baar, Modi sarkar" trend was started right on our page! We made a meme on the extremely catchy tagline, and it spread like wildfire.
IT: You have stated that you have no political affiliations. How would you describe your political stance though?
SM: I don't lean towards any side. I'm fed up with the Left vs Right fight. I've reached a point where nothing seems interesting or amusing to me anymore.
AP: Three years ago, I would have said I was a hardcore centrist. However, at this moment, I'd consider myself leaning the slightest bit towards the Right. The extreme showboating of the extreme Left irritates me more than the annoyingness of the far-Right.
IT: What's next for you?
SM: I've been putting in long hours [at work]. I am bored of political humour. I haven't even had time for the Indian Railway Memes for Teens page that I started to cover non-political subjects.
AP: I've just gotten done with my first year of computer science engineering. My social media use has now been reduced to infrequently browsing Facebook. The page is well known in my college and among my peer group. It's a great ice-breaker, and that's good enough for now.President Donald Trump, spending the weekend at his Bedminister golf resort in New Jersey, attacked the mayor of San Juan on Saturday for "poor leadership" and accused her of conspiring with Democrats to criticize his administration's response to storm-ravaged Puerto Rico.
Trump blasted Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz in a series of tweets that aimed to deflect blame for the deepening humanitarian crisis on the island and to cast the mounting criticism against him as partisan attacks - from local officials, political rivals and the media.
"The Mayor of San Juan, who was very complimentary only a few days ago, has now been told by the Democrats that you must be nasty to Trump," Trump wrote on Twitter. In another message, he added that Cruz and other local officials "want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort."
The outburst came as Trump has bristled over accusations from local officials that the federal government has not moved quickly enough to provide support and aid amid widespread power outages that have left residents without air conditioning, while food, drinking waterand other basic necessities are in short supply in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. At least 16 people have died since the storm struck last week, with many others in critical condition, and officials expect the death toll to climb in the coming days.
On Friday, Cruz pleaded for additional help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, saying at a news conference: "I am begging, begging anyone who can hear us to save us from dying... We are dying and you are killing us with the inefficiency."
In his response on Twitter, Trump cast Cruz's criticism as "unfair" to the thousands of federal workers who his administration says are now in place on the island, and he praised the efforts of the military and other first-responders.
In a bid to isolate Cruz politically, Trump spoke by phone in the afternoon with Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló and U.S. Virgin Islands Gov. Kenneth Mapp and later praised both of them on Twitter. Trump called Rossello a "great guy" and said that Mapp told him FEMA and the military "are doing a GREAT job!" Trump also praised Jenniffer González-Colón, the island's resident commissioner to the U.S. Congress, although he misspelled her first name in a tweet.
And Trump reaffirmed that he and first lady Melania Trump intend to travel Tuesday to Puerto Rico, with a possible stop in the U.S. Virgin Islands, which also is recovering from hurricane damage.
"To the people of Puerto Rico: Do not believe the #FakeNews!" Trump wrote on Twitter in the afternoon.
Appearing on MSNBC, Cruz emphasized that she was not trying to be "nasty" to the president and said she remains open to speaking or meeting with Trump.
"I'm fighting to save lives," she said. "That's it. This isn't personal."
She also made clear she didn't plan to stay quiet.
"I will always speak my mind," Cruz told reporters at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan. "I don't give a damn."
The president's tone provoked a major backlash among Democrats, community leaders and major celebrities who lambasted him for casting blame and appearing insensitive to the suffering of U.S. citizens. Trump is expected to stop by the President's Cup professional golf tournament in Jersey City on Sunday before returning to the White House that evening.
Many of the strongest critiques came from female lawmakers, including Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., and Kristin Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
"When a hurricane hits, there are no Democrats or Republicans--only Americans, families struggling to survive," Pelosi tweeted. "Shameful @POTUS can't see that."
Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of the musical "Hamilton," wrote on Twitter that Trump is going "straight to hell," while pop star Lady Gaga wrote to her 71 million followers that "it's clear where the 'poor leadership' lies @realDonaldTrump Puerto Rico is part of the United States. This is our responsibility."
Russel Honoré, the retired lieutenant general eventually appointed by President George W. Bush in 2005 to improve the response to Hurricane Katrina, criticized Trump's attack on Cruz.
"The mayor's living on a cot, and I hope the president has a good day at golf," he said on CNN.
Trump's senior aides struck back, echoing the president's assertions that the "fake news" media had failed to tell the full story of the administration's recovery efforts. White House officials distributed an email to news outlets stating that 10,000 federal workers are on the island and that recovery workers have cleared 11 major highways and 50 percent of the major roadways. The military is airdropping supplies to remote regions in the mountains.
Yet the White House's own statistics showed how much work remains: Just 45 percent of residents have access to drinking water from the island's pipelines and just 49 percent of grocery and big box stores and 60 percent of gas stations have reopened.
Republicans in Congress were mostly silent about Trump's attacks on Cruz, with aides to House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., saying he had spoken about Puerto Rico in his weekly news conference on Thursday and would have nothing more to say on the weekend.
One Republican strategist with ties to the White House said Trump's remarks sought to paint Cruz as a partisan, which will make her criticism easier for Trump's base to discount.
"Trump is simply not going to let the San Juan mayor define the U.S. relief efforts when he feels like he is being attacked," said the strategist, who requested anonymity to speak candidly. "His comments are divisive, yet they redefine the mayor's intent as partisan to his base, which is really what matters to him."
Doug Heye, a GOP consultant and former communications director for the Republican National Committee, said he found Trump's tweets "appalling."
"He essentially said Puerto Ricans were lazy," said Heye, adding that the mayor had actually not said anything negative about Trump and his role in the recovery.
Late Saturday, Trump sought to strike a more positive tone, tweeting: "We must all be united in offering assistance to everyone suffering in Puerto Rico and elsewhere in the wake of this terrible disaster."
But he did not relent in his criticism of Cruz.
"Results of recovery efforts will speak much louder than complaints by San Juan Mayor," he tweeted. "Doing everything we can to help great people of PR!"A short lived television series loosely based on the Birds of Prey comics. It also drew inspiration from the Warner Batman movies.
Contents show]
Overview Edit
The series is set in New Gotham City, several years after it has been abandoned by Batman following the Joker's last stand. In Batman's absence, Oracle and the Huntress have taken over his war on crime. The two are joined by Dinah (after she assists them in defeating Larry Ketterlly, a telepathic version of the Scarecrow; Alfred Pennyworth, who serves Helena as she is heir to the Wayne estate; and Detective Jesse Reese, a police officer confronted with crimes and abilities he cannot explain.
A central feature of the series is the concept of metahumans: Individuals born with powers that cannot be explained. No two metahumans have the same specific ability (or set of abilities) and there exists a whole subculture of metahuman society that the outside world knows nothing about.
It is into this world that Detective Reese is drawn, reluctantly teaming up with Huntress and the Birds of Prey to defeat metahuman criminals. At first, he is disapproving of Helena's vigilantism, even trying to arrest her, but eventually he realizes there is a need for the Birds of Prey to take down criminals the police can't handle.
During the course of the show, the Birds of Prey often find themselves confronted with schemes masterminded by Dr. Quinzel, though they are unaware of her involvement until the final episode of the series. Quinzel's attempts to discover what Helena is hiding - and the duplicitous nature of their therapy sessions together - form a large part of the series arc, beginning in the pilot episode and being resolved in the series finale.
Cast Edit
Main cast Edit
Uncredited cameos Edit
Appearances Edit
Individuals Edit
Episodes Edit
Season 1 Edit
1. Pilot
2. Slick
3. Prey for the Hunter
4. Three Birds and a Baby
5. Sins of the Mother
6. Primal Scream
7. Split
8. Lady Shiva
9. Nature of the Beast
10. Gladiatrix
11. Reunion
12. Feat of Clay
13. Devil's EyesLast Saturday, a light rain spoiled the first open meeting of Moscow bitcoiners in Gorky Park. According to the meeting profile on social media only 15 persons attended.
One of the organisers posted a report on the “Vkontakte” network.
“The meeting was short but very useful. There were around 20 people all in all. Some people were coming, some people were going and we had to go to a café.”
Representatives of several companies appeared at the meeting. One could also note there representative of Bitcoin Embassy Ukraine Michael Chobanian.
“We tested the Trezor wallet, spoke to an owner of a mining pool and had real coins in our hands. Later in the evening we had a long walk near Kremlin,” says the organiser
The organisers of the bitcoin picnic announced it on the “Vkontakte” social network a few days before the event. They also asked all participants to bring volleyballs, Frisbees, longboards and “food and drinks” and to invite people interested in bitcoin.
The Saturday rain decimated the number of participants. Some 10 people dropped out on Saturday morning because of the weather.Those who came to Gorky Park had to face other problems. Moscow bitcoiners hid themselves so well, that fellow cryptoenthusiasts could not find them
“I walked for an hour there and did not meet anyone,” said user Sergey Pesennikov.Australia’s leading magician Scott Morrison has been offered a headline spot at Las Vegas’s MGM Grand Hotel, after his boat-disappearing trick caught the attention of US promoters.
Mr Morrison hit the headlines this week when he appeared to make a full sized boat, along with its 153 passengers, disappear into thin air. “One minute it was heading towards Australian waters to seek asylum and then ‘boom!’ it wasn’t there any more, it was just incredible,” one onlooker, who could definitely not be named, told reporters.
Fellow illusionists said they are baffled by the feat. “I’ve made cars disappear before, but I’ve got no idea how he did this,” one prominent UK magician said. “I guess he’s found a way to use lights and smoke and mirrors to distract everyone while the boat is quickly taken somewhere else – but wow, a whole boat, that’s impressive”.
When asked to reveal his secrets, Mr Morrison referred to the magician’s code of silence, “on-water matters”.
For breaking stories, follow The Shovel on Facebook and Twitter. Or sign up for email updates at the bottom of this page.When you think of Aston Martin, I’ll bet you a hundred bucks that the first thing that comes into your head is James Bond. From the iconic DB5 in Goldfinger to the DBS V12 in Casino Royale and the bespoke DB10 to be featured in Spectre, the Aston Martin mixes British refinement with speed, resulting in iconic vehicle after iconic vehicle. What probably doesn’t come to mind is a 4-door saloon, but the Aston Martin Rapide for sale is just that, and it maintains that famous mixture to a wonderful degree. Facing rivals from around the world, including the Maserati Quattroporte and the Mercedes CL65 AMG, it holds its own as well as Bond himself.
The most recent model, the Rapide S, comes equipped with a huge 5.9L V12, generating 552bhp, and capable of reaching 190 mph, hitting 62 mph in just 4.4 seconds, making it 0.5 seconds faster, and 2bhp more powerful, than pre-2014 models. This outmuscles the Quattroporte’s V8 by 29bhp, and makes it to 60 0.2 seconds faster than its Italian rival.
The Rapide’s family tree is obvious from the outset – it’d be easy to mistake it for a DB9 (albeit one that’s gained a few pounds), and there’s a very good reason for that: it’s not really that far removed from it’s more sporty cousin. The car is based on the same VH-platform that’s underpinned all recent Astons, except for the super-limited One-77 and the (somewhat bizarre) Cygnet, Aston’s attempt at a city car.
Step inside the Rapide and you’ll find sky-high levels of refinement. From the hand-stitched leather interior to the Bang and Olufsen sound system, which has been handcrafted for the car, and boasts 16 speakers. You’ll also find other accoutrements, such as screens in the back of the front seat headrests. The car was specifically designed to accommodate 4, with the only limitation being the somewhat tight headroom in the back.
Driving is just as good as you’d expect from an Aston – the car rides very comfortably when you simply want to waft along, but when you want to put the hammer down, you won’t be disappointed. Push down hard on the accelerator and the V12 will growl like an angry panther, and you’ll be pushed back into your seat – combine this with responsive steering and a fantastic 8-speed gearbox, and you’ve got a car that can be both refined and calm, and can turn on a dime to being fast, furious, and adrenalizing.
The Rapide S is on the market with a base price of $198,250 – but you’re getting a lot of bang for your buck. The Aston Martin name practically guarantees class, speed, and elegance, and we’re happy to say that this beast delivers.
Used Aston Martin For Sale
Aston Martin For Sale By Owner
Used Aston Martin Rapide For Sale1943: Albert Hofmann accidentally discovers the psychedelic properties of LSD.
Hofmann, a Swiss chemist, was researching the synthesis of a lysergic acid compound, LSD-25, when he inadvertently absorbed a bit through his fingertips. Intrigued by the stimulating effects on his perception, Hofmann decided further exploration was warranted. Three days later he ingested 250 micrograms of LSD, embarking on the first full-fledged acid trip.
In his autobiography, LSD, My Problem Child, Hofmann remembered his discovery this way:
I was forced to interrupt my work in the laboratory in the middle of the afternoon and proceed home, being affected by a remarkable restlessness, combined with a slight dizziness. At home I lay down and sank into a not unpleasant intoxicated-like condition, characterized by an extremely stimulated imagination. In a dreamlike state, with eyes closed (I found the daylight to be unpleasantly glaring), I perceived an uninterrupted stream of fantastic pictures, extraordinary shapes with intense, kaleidoscopic play of colors. After some two hours this condition faded away.
The experience led Hofmann to begin experimenting with other hallucinogens, and he became an advocate of their use, in the arenas of both psychoanalysis and personal growth. He was critical of LSD’s casual use by the counterculture during the '60s. He referred to the drug as "medicine for the soul" and accused rank amateurs of hijacking it without understanding either its positive or negative effects.
Hofmann was equally critical of what he considered society’s |
wit u smh,” said Zach Brown of the Washington Redskins.
Trump stay in ur place… football have nothing to do wit u smh — Zach Brown (@ZachBrown_55) September 23, 2017
Free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick was among the first to protest the national anthem. “#Kaepernick we riding with you bro,” former NFL player Reggie Bush tweeted.
Trump is also at war with another sports league: The NBA. This year’s NBA champs, the Golden State Warriors, annouced on Saturday that they will officially skip the traditional White House visit following Trump’s criticism of star player Steph Curry.
“President Trump has made it clear we’re not invited,” the team said in a statement.
Trump slammed Curry earlier in the day over his remarks that he didn’t want to visit the White House amid growing racial tension. LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Chris Paul were among the NBA stars who came to his defense.YouTube
Actor Ricky Tomlinson has said he hopes fellow Liverpudlians Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher might appear in a sequel to cult movie Mike Bassett: England Manager.
The new film, which will be called Mike Bassett: Interim Manager, begins filming next year, and Tomlinson wants to add some star power to the production.
He told the Daily Star:
I think I could have a laugh with Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard because they’re local lads and we’ve got a lot in common. Even maybe Jamie Carragher because he’s just retired and he’s a football pundit now isn’t he? I think you’ll see a lot of cameos.
The new movie is not being financed by a studio. Instead, the filmmakers are using public donation site Kickstarter to raise the £250,000 needed. Fans can get a speaking role in the movie if they donate £5,000.
In the new film, Bassett finds himself as assistant England manager to a German legend who has taken the top job.
[Daily Star]READER DISCRETION ADVISED. Images may not be safe for work.
When I started Antithesis Analysis, I had intended to mostly write about video games. I did expect to do some political stuff with the election looming, but most of what my focus was going to be on was video games. However, with the election coming to a close, things got weird with the one of the latest Wikileaks emails. Essentially, there may be a massive cult of satanic ritualistic in the echelons of power. Sounds a bit out there, but this is precisely why I created a site like this. While my blog was typically what the video game analyst wouldn’t say, today, we are going to look at what the mainstream media is keeping quite about.
If you are thinking this is something out of a bad indie file, then you’ve come to the right place. I’ve done my best to lay out everything I could find on Spirit Cooking and the political elites connection to it. And, again, this is not for the faint of heart. (Also, please ignore some of the gramitical/spelling errors. Didn’t get a chance to edit fully)
What happened?
In a Wikileaks email, John Podesta was invited to a “Spirit Cooking” by Marina Abramovic, forwarded to him by his brother, Tony Podesta.
Image from Zero Hedge
Tony states “Are you in NYC Thursday July 9; Marina wants you to come to dinner; Mary?” It should be noted that Marina is one a first name basis. They also didn’t include the address of the home, which could imply Podestas have been there before.
Who is John Podesta?
From Wikipedia
John David Podesta (born January 8, 1949) is the Chairman of the 2016 Hillary Clinton presidential campaign. He previously served as Chief of Staff to President Bill Clinton and Counselor to President Barack Obama. More on her relation with Bill Clinton from Time
Support here and here
Podesta clearly has a major role with the Clintons and the Democratic party as a whole. After leaving the White House administration, he went on to form a number of other organizations. More on their relation from Time.
weathering Monica Lewinsky and impeachment with his friendships with both Clintons still in tact, that in itself a marvel. Though Podesta wouldn’t directly work for the Clintons again for years, he remained a key player in their orbit, publicly encouraging her to run for the Senate; helping raise money with his brother, with whom he co-founded Washington’s fourth largest lobbying firm, the Podesta Group; and then with the blessings and support of both Clintons launching his think tank, the Center for American Progress in 2003.
Who is Marina Abramovic?
Marina is a “performance artist”. She has been involved in very bizarre “artistic performances,” even calling herself “the grandmother of performance art.” One of her works, in 1974, she laid 72 items on a table, including items ranging from a feather and olive oil to a knife and a loaded gun. In her own words “I was ready to die.” In another, she sat in a chair for eight hours with another chair opposite of it. Visitors sat in the chair opposite of her. Some people yelled or cried while at least one person tried to take off her clothes. In one, she continuously ran into a wall. No, I’m not kidding.
In addition to these, she has also done some…..stranger artworks
What is Spirit Cooking?
Spirit Cooking is a performance art piece done by Marina Abramovic in the 1990s. In it, she write messages on a wall with a mixture of blood, breast milk and semen. From the Museum of Modern Art:
Spirit Cooking was the first project Jacob Samuel produced with his portable aquatint box, working with Abramović—a performance artist with little printmaking experience—in her Amsterdam studio. The artist chose to make a cookbook,writing a series of “aphrodisiac recipes” that serve as evocative instructions for actions or thoughts. To allow the artist to create the accompanying etchings in a manner consistent with her body-oriented practice, Samuel prepared the plates with soft ground so she could scratch directly onto the surface with her fingernails and encouraged her to work with spitbite, using her own saliva with nitric acid to paint on the plate.
The description is quite tame, but a Youtube video give a far better insight into what this stuff is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EsJLNGVJ7E
In it, she writes messages on the wall. Here is a sample (Images found using Google Image search)
There are some other weird things that happen in the video. In one instance, she throws a bucket of blood and inners onto a statute of a child. Another scene has her depicted with snakes.
What is Marina’s Connection to Occultist
Spirit Cooking is one of her more tame works. There are plenty of others that are more graphic. Most of them are far more direct with their message
Eating what looks like blood off a body (with a spoon)
Here she is with messages written in blood. Note the upside down pentagram, the words “Spirit Cooking” and the number 666 on the bottom left
Here is a “body cake.” Source: https://www.artforum.com/diary/id=29517”
Marina Abramovic carved a pentagram into her stomach. Not sure why
Here she is on a pile of bones
Marina holds a bloody goat’s head. It should be noted that goat heads are symbolic for the devil. See Wikipedia’s entry on Baphomet for more.
Since a lot of this has come out. Marina has defended herself stating this is just art. To a normal person, this is not art and is definitely disturbing (thus the content warning). However, in a reddit AMA, she discusses how these pieces are art if the intent was art, but if done in private, then it is considered magic (or not art as the context of what she is saying is doing occult magic). The event Podesta was going to was at Marina’s home, so it is safe to assume the purpose was magic. It’s also safe to assume this was not a normal dinner as it’s referred to as a “Spirit Cooking” (Source of the image) (Link to Reddit AMA)
It should also be noted that her Twitter handle is @AbramovicM666. Let that sink in. Also, she has some weird taxidermy animals. It doesn’t seem odd in itself but its peculiar given the above.
Are the Podesta’s Occultist
Oh yeah
Above is an image of John Podesta which, to my knowledge, was sent to his colleagues (more on that in a minute). Notice how his figures are mutilated. As noted above, Marina cut a pentagram in her stomach. He may be doing something similar. Also, he has a bandage on his middle finger. Note that in Spirit Cooking, Marina advocates cutting into your figure and “eat the pain”. What is odd are the symbols on his hand? Here is one interpretation from Vox Day’s blog.
The cult of Osiris (who was a god chiefly of regeneration and rebirth) had a particularly strong interest in the concept of immortality. Plutarch recounts one version of the myth in which Set (Osiris’ brother), along with the Queen of Ethiopia, conspired with 72 accomplices to plot the assassination of Osiris. Set fooled Osiris into getting into a box, which Set then shut, sealed with lead, and threw into the Nile. Osiris’ wife, Isis, searched for his remains until she finally found him embedded in a tamarisk tree trunk, which was holding up the roof of a palace in Byblos on the Phoenician coast. She managed to remove the coffin and open it, but Osiris was already dead.
In one version of the myth, she used a spell learned from her father and brought him back to life so he could impregnate her. Afterwards he died again and she hid his body in the desert. Months later, she gave birth to Horus. While she raised Horus, Set was hunting one night and came across the body of Osiris.
Enraged, he tore the body into fourteen pieces and scattered them throughout the land. Isis gathered up all the parts of the body, except the penis (which had been eaten by a fish, the medjed) and bandaged them together for a proper burial.
What is interesting is why did he send this out (if that is the case). Consider it like sending out a picture of your food or where you go onto Facebook. You are doing it to show your friends your activities. Podesta may be doing the same thing. What this could mean is that Podesta’s circle would know the legend above and know what he was doing. This suggest it’s not just a weird thing the Podesta’s do but is in fact something him and his inner circle does (which likely includes the Clintons).
Here is a picture in Podesta’s Office (from Infowars). Please note that Marina did not draw this for him.
Knowing what we know, doesn’t it seem a bit weird that it’s a pictures of two mean with plates and utensils standing over a lifeless man on a table. Remember, Marina did an art show where the cake was a body. This confirms that he’s into this stuff. If you want more proof, here is Time on the picture
On the wall in his office at Hillary Clinton’s Brooklyn headquarters, campaign chairman John Podesta has an oil painting on loan from his lobbyist brother, who is an avid art collector. The image shows two men hunched over a dining room table, bearing knives and forks. On the table lays a man in a suit, who looks vaguely like Podesta. “It’s better to be the guy with the fork,” Podesta quips to his colleagues, if they ask about the image, “than the guy on the table.”
Now, his brother, Tony Podesta, may be more into this than John. This picture is actually from his brother as Time notes. Here is an article from the Washington Post. Since the Spirit Cooking came out, the article was essentially blocked. Typing in the URL will immediately go to a “Page Not Found” screen. You can only see this via the archives. Here is the archive link
“You’ve got to be pretty secure to have an eight-foot-tall naked man in your living room in Washington, D.C.,” Heather says of her husband’s choice.
…….
“At political events, there’s an inevitable awkwardness,” former Clinton administration official Sally Katzen said at a Women’s Campaign Fund dinner at the Podestas’ home this summer. “The art is an ice-breaker. It puts people at ease.”
Not always. Folks attending a house tour in the Lake Barcroft neighborhood in Falls Church earlier this year got an eyeful when they walked into a bedroom at the Podesta residence hung with multiple color pictures by Katy Grannan, a photographer known for documentary-style pictures of naked teenagers in their parents’ suburban homes.
“They were horrified”
Here is a picture from the article. What is interesting about the statute is that it is in the same pose as one of serial murder Jeffrey Dahmer. Below is the image of the pose. I can’t get an image of Tony’s Podesta statute due to Washington Post hiding the story.
How is Hillary Clinton Related to This?
Unfortunately, we don’t have as clear connection of Hillary to Spirit Cooking. We don’t know if Hillary did attend these Spirit Cookings. But here is what we can say for sure.
Marina Abramovic has donated to Hillary’s campaign.
Other prominent artists to have supported the Clinton campaign according to the FEC reports, through cash donations or auctioned works—many given as part of September’s Gagosian auction—include Marina Abramovic ($2,700 cash donation made in May)
Hillary Clinton wrote an op-ed for Vanityfair with a photo including Marina Abromovic.
In a Wikileaks email, Marina Abramovic was invited to Hillary Campaign Launch. Marina says she can’t make it since she will be in Australia.
In one email obtained as part of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, Hillary says to Huma (her top aide) “Also, I was not expecting Marina to be here. Is she still going w you?” We can’t be certain if this is Marina Abramovic, but it is highly likely as Marina Abramovic was invited to the launch of Clinton’s campaign.
Even though we can’t for she if she’s part of the cult, she has claimed to talk to the dead. While the first lady, she claimed to speak to Eleanor Roosevelt who gave her advice. She also claimed to talk to Gandhi. Bill Clinton confirmed this during a dedication to FDR. Here is the video; below is the transcript.
A special thanks to the members of the Roosevelt family who are here. And the one who is not, Eleanor, who made sure that the four freedoms were included in the preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. I know that because, as all of you famously learned when I served as president, my wife, now the secretary of state, was known to commune with Eleanor on a regular basis. And so she called me last night on her way home from Peru to remind me to say that. That Eleanor had talked to her and reminded her that I should say that.
Additionally, the Clintons went to Haiti to experience a Voodoo ritual.
So its hard to link Clinton to all of this, but there is an interesting link the Clinton do have. Pedophilia.
Pedophilia? Am I hearing that Right?
Yes, the Clinton’s do have connection to pedophilia rings. It’s probably no coincidence that the Hillary Clinton investigation reopened when they got a hold of Anthony Weiner’s laptop. Bill Clinton has been on the Lolita Express, a Boeing 727 owned by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. According to Fox News, Bill flew on the Lotila Express 11 times. He refused secret service from joining him on those trips. US Navy Seal Erik Prince claims that one of his sources in the NYPD has indicated that Hillary is involved with this. The NYPD wanted to hold a press conference, but had received pushback from the Justice Department. The emails affirm that Hillary also took trips to pedophile island.
As an aside, Hillary helped Laura Silsby who was caught trying to steal 33 children from Haiti, many who had parents. Clinton emails point to an attempt to protect Silsby from prosecution. She also contacted lawyers to defend 10 of the people involved in this instance. Credit goes to Reddit user PleadingtheYiff for piecing this all together.
I should also note that some of the emails that came out recently (from Wikileaks and another source I’m unsure of), point to more Child trafficking rings. The emails use code (like pizza), so its hard to tell exactly what they are referring too. I’ll let the reader look more into that on their own. Here is an article that sumerizes information on it. Some specifics
John Podesta leave a handkerchief with a map on it to “pizza”
An odd conversation about cheese and walnut sause
I consider ice cream, its purchase, and its consumption a rather serious business. This email basically proves they are talking in code. Since when is ice cream “seriouis business.” When its code.
How is this related to Occultist?
Pedophilia is an important part of satanic rituals. One site transcribed The Mystical Doctrine:
Sodomy is extremely important to the Alpha Lodge because we know that if you sodomize Ialdabaoth (the deity you know as Jehovah) you get his power. It’s just that simple and this elementary principle has been followed for millennia by the Greeks, the Romans, the Fascists and left-hand path initiates. In its highest ranks even British Intelligence uses the back passage.
Here is something else that is interesting. This temple is on Jeffrey Epstein’s Pedophile Island.
This is a bit odd. Why is there here? Remember the story above with Podesta’s hands. Many of those symbol (the 14 and the fish) have to do with sex and were egyption in origin. Its no wonder then why Epstein had a temple on his island. The owl is also interesting as it may refer to Minerva which was also a symbol use at the Bohemian Grove. While Bohemian Grove was well known as an escape of powerful elite, the inner workings were unknown. Alex Johns, in his younger days, got footage of the grove. He claims that it had people running around and acting in orgies. Although spokesperson claimed Alex Jones was incorrect, he confirmed the footage her obtained was real.
Could Donald Trump Know About This
Mike Cernovich, the author of Gorilla Mindset made an interesting claim. He states that Trump’s idea of “Drain the Swamp” could also be a calling to the powerful elite who are apart of these cults. Swamps are dark places where people get lost and these kinds of rituals take place. Trump has been in the public light for 30 years and has mingled with both the Clintons and the Bushs. He is very connected to the powerful elite who seem to be tied to these satanic practices. The Clintons even came to Trump’s wedding. Trump may very well know about this though there is nothing to confirm it
Occultist and Abortion
One last thing to look at is Abortion. This is a topic the political left loves, mostly claiming a woman should have control over her body. But maybe its linked to this. Keep in mind, what we see from Marina is the art, not the rituals. Its likely far worse than what I posted above. Note that there is no official process to disposing the unborn baby’s “parts”. Some parts get thrown in the trash while others get sent to labs for research. Given what we know now, it wouldn’t be hard to get these parts if you are someone fucked in the head like Marina.
This has actually happened, funny enough. A public “milk bathing” ritual took place outside a Planned Parenthood in Detroit. In another instance, Zachary King, a former satanist, reported “that he conducted nearly 150 abortions for satanic rituals during his time as a high wizard, more than 20 of which took place in Planned Parenthood abortion chambers.”
Lifesitenews.com published a story in which Abigail Seidman, who had an abortion herself, equats abortions to occults. Here is some of her accounts.
Seidman described her mother’s abortion clinic as “pervaded with occult imagery and practices.” The workers considered “abortion to be a form of sacrifice,” would perform the procedure as a sort of ritual, and worshipped deities embodying death, she said.
“It’s not just a boogeyman,” Seidman told LifeSiteNews.com. She said she believes “the occult believers are the ‘core’ of the pro-abortion movement, just as the born-again Christians are the ‘core’ of the pro-life movement.”
Lastly, Marina Abramovic has three abortions herself. She sites the reason for this as it would have taken focus away from her art. What is weird about this is why not use some other form of contraceptive? This may be nothing, but given Abramovic’s interest and some of the testimony above, this could be more than not wanting kids.
Closing Thoughts
While I had to be a tin foil conspiracy theorist, I would not be surprised if this practice is common among the political elite, media and wealthy elites. There are some very strange workings going on behind closed doors with some very powerful and connected people. John Podesta is not a low ranking goon. He has worked with Obama and the Clintons. Bill has relations with a convicted podophile who has a bizzar temple on his private island. Could others be involved?
Consider the deleted emails. In what we have received, we have seen plenty of corruption, and its not news to anyone. If you look up Corruption in the dictionary, the Clinton’s face will be right next to it. You have to consider that those emails had pretty sensitive stuff about Hillary. My guess is those emails have clear connection to the pedophilia rings and this satanic worship.
In the end, I couldn’t cover everything, and this took hours on a Sunday to put together. I hope that this shed some light on what is going on. One last thing. If you are remotly worried about this kind of stuff in the government, you have to vote for Donald J Trump. If you don’t, all of this stuff gets swept under the rug, never to resurface. We have only scratched the surface of what is going on. It is likely far worse. Make sure that come November 8, you get the only person who could possible steer out sinking ship away from the iceberg that is Spirit Cooking.
Shout Out
Want to point out some video and whatnot which helped inspired this, and they are really good anyway.
Big props to everyone who helped gather this information, including reddit users BroodyDukes and FluffiPuff. Also, sorry for any grammatical errors. You can follow me on Twitter at @Spoogymoney. Please share this article; I hope it helps.
AdvertisementsWhat you should know about The Reproductive Health Bill
The Reproductive Health and Population Development Act of 2008 also known as the RH Bill seeks to provide universal access to information and services to both natural and modern family planning methods, which are medically safe and legally permissible. The premise of the RH Bill is informed choice and the freedom to decide on a method of family planning based on information that is comprehensive, accurate, and respectful of one’s personal convictions and religious beliefs.
Honorary Janette L. Garin, M.D. is Deputy Majority Leader and Representative of the 1st District of Iloilo. A staunch advocate of women’s rights and reproductive health, Representative Garin talks to HerWord and highlights the important provisions of the bill and reasons why now, more than ever, we need to have the RH Bill passed.
Why is the RH Bill relevant to every Filipina and not just those who do not have ready access to health care?
The RH Bill is not just for the welfare of those women who have no access to affordable reproductive health services. A number of local surveys reveal that one of the major impediments to family planning is the lack of accurate information and education among women and couples. Though a considerable number of women have access to and can readily afford reproductive health and family planning services and commodities, they still have difficulty making informed decisions and successfully planning the number of children that they want because they either lack or are misinformed on reproductive health and family planning.
The RH Bill seeks to break such barriers by ensuring that women and couples are provided adequate information. Among others, the proposed policy mandates a nationwide information and education program to develop a sexuality-education curriculum for young Filipinos. It will also require couples applying for marriage licenses to undergo a family planning seminar.
How will the RH Bill empower women to take control over their reproductive health and sexuality?
Among the major reproductive health issues in the Philippines are the high maternal deaths and the unwanted pregnancies that continue to exist. The bulk of these cases are in the underprivileged sector of our society where accurate information and accessible services on reproductive health care are still elusive. More often than not, it is the poor women who die because of pregnancy-related complications and even child-birth because they cannot afford or do not have access at all to quality health care services. It is the poor women who have more children than they desire because they do not use any family planning method.
If passed, the Reproductive Health Care bill will ensure that women are empowered by providing them with relevant information on safe pregnancies and child delivery. In addition, the proposed policy also seeks to make women knowledgeable about the various family planning methods available in order for them to plan the spacing [between births], the number of children they want to have, and have a healthy and satisfying sex life.
How will the RH Bill impact national development in terms of population management and better allocation of government resource allocation?
One of the incessant problems of our country is that limited resources are being allocated to the delivery of social services. Besides the fact that a chunk of the national budget is devoted to debt servicing, our scarce resources simply cannot keep up with our rapid population growth. While the fast-growing population is not the cause of poverty in the country, it most definitely exacerbates it, as it impedes economic development in many ways. The rapid population growth in a country such as ours, where poverty is wide-spread and the budget of the government already stretched, would mean more dependents and lesser capacity of the government to absorb new entrants to the labor force every year. The latest data from the National Statistics Office (NSO) states that for every one productive person, there are two to three dependents that he or she must take care of.
In the household levels, data from the National Demographic and Health Survey shows that the poverty incidence is higher in families with larger family size. This is evidence that the increase in family size would mean lower savings to the household, because they simply have more mouths to feed. What should be noted in this case is that the family size is actually bigger than what majority of Filipino couples would want. This is seen in the consistent gap between the desired number of children and the actual number of children a couple have.
In a macro-economic perspective, addressing our country’s rapid population growth is, therefore, one of the sustainable interventions that the government must undertake to ensure consistent economic development, decrease poverty and improve delivery of social services to the people.
The RH Bill has been languishing in legislative debate for the last 20 years, what it different now in terms of the RH Bill having a chance of being passed?
The RH Bill has truly undergone exhaustive debates for a number of Congresses already. It is only this Congress however, where the bill has reached plenary deliberations in the House of Representatives. What should be different now is that more legislators are now aware of the content and true intentions of the bill as compared before when they perceived providing modern methods of family planning as the only purpose of the proposed law. The heightened awareness is seen in the huge increase in the number of legislators who signed as co-authors of the RH Bill in the 14th Congress.
With the elections coming up, is there an even more urgent need now to pass the bill?
With the elections coming up, there is a serious threat that the RH bill might lose some of its supporters. However, I believe that now, more than ever, is the time to pass this policy. The debates on this issue have already been exhausted. We keep on arguing about the same set of issues every Congress. It is time for us legislators to show where we stand, and I sincerely hope that the Philippine Congress heeds the call of the majority of the Filipinos and pass the Reproductive Health Care Bill.
NOTE: The 14th Congress broke for recess last October 16, 2009 without the RH Bill being passed.
What can we, as ordinary citizens, do to aid the passage of the RH Bill?
As common citizens, it is important to participate in policy-making as much you can. You can do this by making sure that your voice is heard and your opinions are considered by your policymakers. One way is to write to your district representatives and to some leaders of Congress. Ask them to support the RH bill and work for its immediate enactment. Your letters will validate survey results that consistently show that 9 out of 10 Filipinos are clamoring for the passage of a reproductive health and population development policy as shown consistently by various survey results. You can also go to: www.petitiononline.com/rhan2008/petition.html and sign the online for the immediate passage of the Reproductive Health Bill into law.
Please address some of the allegations about the RH Bill, namely:
That it promotes abortion.
The reproductive health bill does not promote abortion. In fact, one of the primary intentions of the bill is to prevent abortions by providing information and services to women, couples and young people to avoid unwanted pregnancies. Majority of women who undergo abortion in the Filipinas are already married and have children. This reflects the failure of many women and couples to plan their families or space their pregnancies.
In addition, the provision on the MANAGEMENT OF POST-ABORTION COMPLICATIONS does not mean that the bill espouses abortion. There are cases wherein women experience complications from abortion, but are not admitted by hospitals when it uncovers that they attempted abortions. The provision merely guarantees that the right of women to health services is protected even if they commit illegal abortions. No woman should be denied their right to life.
That it advocates sex education in schools and thus, encourages promiscuity.
Providing sexuality education does not mean that the passage of the RH bill would lead to promiscuity among the youth. With the technology available to us today, the youth is constantly bombarded with inaccurate information about sex from mass media. As a result, more and more of the youth engage in early sexual initiations and other risky sexual behaviors. This leads to the rise of teenage pregnancies. There is a serious and urgent need to address this issue and we can only start doing so if we learn to accept that depriving the youth of correct information on reproductive health will not stop them from being promiscuous.
The RH bill advocates for responsible reproductive health and sexuality education that will inculcate values, but at the same time provide the youth with correct information on reproductive health. Doing so will empower the youth to make informed and responsible decisions in the future.
That it is anti-life and goes against Catholic beliefs.
The RH bill is not anti-life. We even say that it is pro-quality of life because it seeks to prevent deaths of mothers, abortion and unwanted pregnancies. In addition, the bill also aims to slow down population growth rate in the country to enable the government to allocate more resources for the delivery of services to the people.
I believe that it is not going against the beliefs of the Catholics, because no part of this RH Bill says that couples and women will be coerced to use contraceptives. Filipino couples will still be free to plan their families based on their religious convictions when the bill is passed. The RH Bill merely promotes responsible parenthood by widening choices and providing more information for them to come up with informed decisions.
We respect the stand of the Catholic Church on the issue of Reproductive Health. However, it is not fair to deny Filipino couples their right to decide freely and responsibly on the number of their children, and the right of women to be safe from deaths due to pregnancy-related complications and child birth.
There are some men who still tend to be indifferent about reproductive health, leaving all the child-bearing responsibilities to the women, how can we get more men to support the RH Bill?
To effect change in the culture, we must aim for behavior change communication (BCC) interventions targeting the male population. The lack of male participation in family planning in the Philippines is rooted in the “macho” culture in the Philippines. Most men refuse to undergo vasectomy because they fear that they would not be able to perform in bed anymore if they do so. Some do not care about family planning at all which leaves the women assuming the responsibility of family planning. In some cases, men’s disregard for family planning results to women giving birth to more children than their actual desired number.
The men should be made to understand that family planning is a shared responsibility. More importantly, the men should learn more about pregnancy; know the danger signs that they should take note of during pregnancy and the effects of closely-spaced births on a woman’s body.
The Magna Carta of Women, which has been recently passed, has a provision that guarantees a woman’s right to health through proper information and access to services, how does this impact the RH Bill?
The passage of Magna Carta of Women is another validation that we are on the right track in pushing for the RH bill. The rights guaranteed in the Magna Carta of Women are the very rights that the RH bill is based upon.
Though the Magna Carta of Women has already been passed, there is still a need to enact the Reproductive Health bill and ensure that sufficient resources are allocated to fund reproductive health services and commodities and that a strong and comprehensive reproductive health and population development program is installed.
Janette L. Garin is currently serving as Deputy House Majority Floor Leader. She is the Representative of the 1st District of Iloilo and former provincial board member of Leyte. She is a physician and a member of Lakas CMD.
Ana Santos is a freelance journalist and columnist. She is a staunch women’s rights activist and writes about gender issues and relationships in her weekly newspaper column as well as other magazines. She has also written about women and children of armed conflict in Mindanao for the foreign news wires. Ana’s work may be viewed on is a freelance journalist and columnist. She is a staunch women’s rights activist and writes about gender issues and relationships in her weekly newspaper column as well as other magazines. She has also written about women and children of armed conflict in Mindanao for the foreign news wires. Ana’s work may be viewed on www.anasantoswrites.comThe steep hills of North Berwick have become a playground for longboarders in the area.
For some, it's a thrilling joyride, for others, an accident waiting to happen.
As the name implies, longboards are long skateboards, commonly used for cruising, downhill carving or just getting around.
Jenn Slaunwhite, who lives north of Berwick, right at the top of the mountain along Highway 360, has serious safety concerns.
“I was kind of shocked actually because it’s seriously dangerous, especially our road here because it’s very steep and the turns are hairpin. So when I [found out] they were doing it here, I was kind of shocked. It’s not a safe thing to do,” she said.
Slaunwhite said her fear is the longboarders may lose control and cross into oncoming traffic
“This is a notoriously bad road anyway — that’s my fear — that a car would come, not see them coming, or if they lost control. It could be a terrible tragedy,” she said.
Longboarders respond to concern
"There are a few who definitely fear for our safety," said longboarder Zakk Paul. "We definitely appreciate their concern"
Zakk Paul longboards on Black Rock Road North of Berwick. (CBC) Paul has had one bad accident that took off some skin on his hip. He now wears protective leather.
But when it comes to oncoming traffic, leather won't be enough.
"If there's a car coming the other way. You have to have an exit strategy to pretty much every situation," he said.
"Yes it's risky. It wouldn't be fun if it wasn't risky," said Don McCabe.
McCabe was so impressed with Zakk and the other longboarders he spent a day shooting photos of them in action and learning how they manoeuver with no brakes.
"If something went wrong they're very good at being able to just go right down. They got these things in their hand that can make them steer. So I wouldn't be concerned at all about hitting them. Not a bit."
One video posted to YouTube earlier this month shows a group of three longboarders weaving their way down the steep hill near the Canning look-off in the Annapolis Valley.
Another video shows skaters speeding down the Black Rock Road on the North Mountain between the Annapolis Valley and the Bay of Fundy.
A quick search on YouTube turns up videos of people longboarding on steep roadways right across the province.
Police warn public of thrill-seeking skateboarders
RCMP are asking the public to keep an eye out for thrill-seeking skateboarders in the Annapolis Valley.
Police have concerns that longboard riders are risking too much, illegally cruising down hills on busy roads at speeds of up to 70 km/h.
'It just spells disaster'
Recently, while Slaunwhite was on her way down the mountain, she stopped to talk to one of the boarders.
“I saw two boys and they were walking their boards back up. I basically just said, ‘I want you to consider how dangerous this is, not only for you … consider how I would feel or somebody driving would feel if we came around the bend and did not see you,’” she said.
“He just said ‘Yeah, yeah,’ and then as I was driving away he said, ‘My dad brings me here.’”
Const. Blair MacMurtery, with Kings District RCMP, said at speeds of 70 km/h, a helmet offers little protection.
“You’ve got to consider those inclines, a skateboard not having the opportunity for brakes and fear of all the other unknowns — the other vehicles, obstructions in the road, a rock, a stick, even a wild animal. I mean, it just spells disaster,” he said.
He said not only is it dangerous, but also illegal.
"Under section 172 of the Motor Vehicle Act it's illegal for anyone to roller skate or skateboard on a roadway, said MacMurtery.
If caught, longboarders could face fines of $147.70 for the first offence.
MacMurtery said if anyone sees someone heading up a steep hill with a longboard to give police a call so they can intervene before anyone gets hurt.
“I get the thrill and I get the challenge but what I don’t get is the danger,” said Slaunwhite.Something deep within the Tarzan myth speaks to us, and Disney's new animated "Tarzan |
intergalactic tow-truck? The army has detected your presence and are on the way, so you must quickly smash those buildings with your deadly…oil slicks, glue bombs and exploding cows?? OK, so the premise, while funny, is also pretty stupid, but I think the moment we accepted birds going kamikaze just to get back at some pigs who were being jerks we collectively gave up our right to complain about such things.
Other than a couple of super attacks, your saddled with demolition by proxy. Oil clouds slide vehicles out of control. Wheel glue jerks vehicles into skids. Explosive cows…explode. When you get the game (and you should) I don’t think there’s an item that isn’t self-explanatory; once you’ve gotten your vehicles to smash into a building or something suitably explosive and things start falling down, swoop down and suck up all that debris for cold hard cash. Finish off a block for a bonus and the sight of grass and trees magically replacing all that nasty steel and concrete. Clean up every block to clear a level.
The physics model used in Demolition Inc. isn’t the most realistic, but I’ll be damned if it isn’t entertaining. Buildings teeter precariously after having an 18 wheeler full of gasoline smash through their front lobby, only to fall over into the street when the fuel tanks inevitably explode. Canisters, concrete and bits of burning cow fly into the air causing unexpected secondary explosions elsewhere on the map. It’s mayhem on a grand scale and you are its master.
Music in the game is upbeat and fun, though there are so few that it can get a bit repetitive. Sound effects are well done.
I’d say the difficulty level of Demolition Inc. is easy to moderate. Most levels you’ll finish on the first try, but there are a few tricky ones that will take the right set of lucky circumstances to pull off. If there’s a single glaring problem it’s that there aren’t enough of them. You’ll probably finish the game in a couple of hours and, while a quick game in rampage mode once in a blue moon might be fun, you aren’t likely to play again once you’re done.
Fun as this game is, I hope the good folks at Zero Scale are already hard at work on additional DLC or, better yet, a construction kit so the community can build and share their own smash-tastic cityscapes.
Rating:MANILA - A senior citizen allegedly victimized by the "tanim-bala" or bullet planting modus is a former airport employee, the Public Attorney's Office said Tuesday. A witness also supported the claim of the elderly couple who fell prey to the ''tanim-bala'' scam.
Speaking to radio DZMM, PAO chief Persida Rueda-Acosta said Salvacion Cortabista, 75, could not believe that she was arrested in the airport where she had worked for many years.
Salvacion and her husband, Esteban, 78, were barred from boarding their California-bound flight on April 19 after NAIA screeners found a live bullet inside the couple's hand-held luggage.
Elderly couple Esteban and Salvacion Cortabista were offloaded from their flight to Los Angeles, California after a live ammunition was found in the hand-carried bag of Salvacion. Raoul Esperas
It turns out Salvacion is a former employee of the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA).
"Dati pala siyang empleyado ng MIAA. Umiiyak siya, 'Ako retired diyan sa MIAA, telephone operator [dati]. Bakit ako pa biniktima?' Masakit sa loob niya," Acosta said.
"Iyak siya nang iyak. Sabi niya, sariling dating niyang pinaglingkuran, doon pa ang naging dahilan [na siya'y] nakulong."
Salvacion, who can barely walk because of her aching muscles, also endured humiliation as airport officers took her mug shots and fingerprints, Acosta said.
Loida Cortabista-Magbag, the couple's daughter, told dzMM that her mother's blood pressure rose during the incident.
"Na-high blood pressure siya noong nangyari iyung sabing may bala sa bag niya. Sabi ng nanay ko from batok daw, parang na-kuryente, papunta sa puso hanggang sa kirot ng tuhod niya," Magbag said.
Magbag also observed that her father has been quiet and absent-minded since returning home to Boso-Boso, Antipolo, Rizal.
The PAO is preparing the couple's counter affidavit for the DOJ investigation.
Acosta is confident that the case will be dismissed for lack of "animus possidendi" or intent to possess.
READ: Lack of punishment breeds 'tanim-bala' - lawyer
WITNESS
The PAO chief said also revealed a witness has surfaced to support the Cortabistas' claim.
The witness was standing in line with the Cortabista when a live bullet was found inside the latter's hand-carried luggage on April 19, Public Attorney's Office (PAO) chief.
The Cortabistas denied owning the bullet, saying they were aware of the ban on bullet possession at NAIA. They added that it was their second time to travel abroad for the osteoarthritis treatment of Salvacion.
The couple accused wheelchair attendant Niño Namba of demanding P50,000 in exchange for releasing them from detention and allowing them to board their California-bound flight.
They also stressed that their luggage had passed two x-ray inspections before security officers Ferdinand Morales and Fatti Dame Go discovered the bullet inside the unzipped shoulder bag.
The couple had been ordered released pending further investigation, but a preliminary hearing on their case was set by the Department of Justice (DOJ) on May 3.
Acosta told radio dzMM that they will file complaints against the three airport employees as soon as they receive their witness' sworn statement.By Derrick Broze
As the United States and Western allies march closer to full-scale conflict with Syria, many of their claims are now being scrutinized and dissected by a skeptical public.
On April 4, residents of the town of Khan Shaykhun suffered a chemical gas attack that reportedly killed 74 and injured 557. Despite a lack of evidence or investigation, the United States government, allied governments, and compliant media were quick to point the finger at Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad. The dead stream media ignored the fact that Khan Shaykhun was under the control of Al-Nusra Front, an al-Qaeda linked group which the United States has been funding throughout the Syrian civil war. Instead, the West claimed that Assad launched an air strike which released sarin gas, leading to the deaths and injuries.
Those claims are now being disputed by Theodore Postol, a professor emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and former scientist with the U.S Department of Defense. In a 14-page report, Postol debunks the White House’s report that concluded Assad was behind the attacks. Postol’s report found that the U.S. and supporting governments have not provided any “concrete” evidence to black up their claims. Postol also says that it increasingly likely that the attack was carried out by rebel forces.
“The implication of Postol’s analysis is that it was carried out by anti-government insurgents as Khan Sheikhoun is in militant-controlled territory of Syria,” reports the International Business Times. Postol writes that he has reviewed the White House document and came to the conclusion “that the document does not provide any evidence whatsoever that the US government has concrete knowledge that the government of Syria was the source of the chemical attack in Khan Sheikhoun, Syria at roughly 6am to 7am on 4 April, 2017.”
Postol’s claims are based on several arguments. For one, he says the repeated use of chemical attacks by rebel forces over the last few years makes it likely they are the culprits. Also, he examines the main piece of evidence put forth by the White House, namely, photographs which purport to show a crater with an artillery shell that the U.S. says contained the sarin gas.
This conclusion is based on an assumption made by the White House when it cited the source of the sarin release and the photographs of that source. My own assessment is that the source was very likely tampered with or staged, so no serious conclusion could be made from the photographs cited by the White House.
Postol notes that the damage to the shell is not consistent with being dropped from an airplane. However, he believes the damage indicates that an explosive charge was placed on the shell containing the sarin gas and then detonated. “Since the pipe was filled with sarin, which is an incompressible fluid, as the pipe was flattened, the sarin acted on the walls and ends of the pipe causing a crack along the length of the pipe and also the failure of the cap on the back end,” Postol wrote.
This is not the first time Postol has spoken against claims of the U.S. government. After the 2013 chemical weapons attack in eastern Ghouta, Postol also stated that the evidence did not point to Syrian President Assad. Postol worked with former UN weapons inspector Richard Lloyd on a report that called into question claims made by the U.S. As Global Research notes,
Download Your First Issue Free! Do You Want to Learn How to Become Financially Independent, Make a Living Without a Traditional Job & Finally Live Free?
Download Your Free Copy of Counter Markets Just like Ghouta, Idlib (Khan Shaykhun) is dominated by al-Nusra. Earlier this year, even the Washington Post admitted that Idlib’s “moderate” rebels had all but been replaced by al-Nusra and other terrorist factions in Syria. If Western governments and media outlets repeat the mistakes of 2013 by not verifying the claims made by the White Helmets… they may very well end up offering these extremist groups support if they prematurely choose to retaliate against Assad before the dust can settle.
Postol and Lloyd are right to be skeptical of the claims made by the U.S. government. As Brandon Turbeville has noted, a declassified CIA document from 1983 shows that the U.S. has long held removal of Assad as their goal. The U.S. and Turkey would love to overthrow Assad and build an oil pipeline straight through the nation of Syria. To do this they will use every trick up their sleeve to deceive the public and push for more wars in the name of “liberty” and “democracy.” In fact, the U.S. is already trying to blame a recent bus attack on President Assad – once again without much credible evidence.
It’s up to the free hearts and minds to push past the propaganda and do everything in our power to push back against World War 3. Please join us in our efforts to spread this message far and wide. It’s time for the world to unite and send a message to the White House: #StandDownMrTrumpSporting a California plate and looking production-ready, this new Suzuki looks set to expand our favorite class of motorcycles – sporting nakeds – bikes that include the KTM Super Duke R, BMW S1000R, Kawasaki Z1000 and Ducati’s Monsters.
Discuss this at our Suzuki GSX-S1000 Forum.
Sporting a tubular handlebar instead of clip-ons and therefore the more humane ergonomics that define the class, it would appear that the new S is powered by the previous, slightly less oversquare version of the mighty 999cc GSX-R four-cylinder that ran from 2005 to 2008 – a good choice if the goal is beefier midrange torque at the expense of a little top-end horsepower.
All the basic building blocks are there, including triple-disc brakes with Brembo calipers on the inverted fork, along with wheel-speed sensors which reveal ABS is at least an option. The current V-Strom 1000 includes a traction-control system, so Suzuki has the technology to include TC on this model.
Speaking of the V-Strom, Suzuki traditionally undercuts the competition price-wise, so we expect this one to be the Naked Bike for the Masses!, and to sell for at least a couple g’s less than the current model, $13,899 GSX-R1000. We’ll guess an $11,999 MSRP to match the Kawi Z1000.
Look for more to come from Suzuki: At the same time it applied for the GSX-S name, it also registered the GSX-F nomenclature. Maybe some kind of new Katana in the works?BlueBoxSC Profile Blog Joined October 2011 United States 582 Posts Last Edited: 2012-06-18 23:18:57 #1
Header provided by NemesysTV, fan of Root Gaming!
Hey TL,
I recently got the chance to sit down and interview Blade - a name you're probably familiar with if you frequent the strategy forums on TL. This interview was a lot more freely thrown together than my other ones, but the end result was just as good! :D
Excerpt:
Blue: Playing farther into this, how do you feel early game Zerg compares to early game Protoss or Terran? We see less variance in play, but is this an inherent weakness? How did things work in Brood War?
Blade: I don't think Zerg has very many options for early game harassment and tends to play a lot more passive as it is just a lot stronger. It's not very hard for Protoss or Terran to defend an early attack by Zerg, doesn't mean it should never be done, but it's definitely not something you can do a lot. I think it's somewhat of a weakness because Zerg has to play predictable for the most part, if Protoss fast expands and doesn't see a third he's going to prepare for some sort of all in because that's what is going to be coming. In general I just feel Zerg has to play a more passive style which is what I like so it doesn't bother me, but does make the race very predictable in early game.
Full Interview:
+ Show Spoiler + Blue: Hey TL, this is BlueBoxSC, bringing you SC2 strategy author Blade55555! Blade, before we begin, is there anything you'd like to say to introduce yourself?
Blade: Hey, thanks for having me. Not really much to say, except I play Zerg at a high level on the NA/Korean servers and I like to write guides on certain styles especially when I am bored and don't see any.
Blue: We'll jump straight into it then. What kinds of things do you consider when writing guides? What pushes you to contribute like you have?
Blade: When writing guides, I like macro focused play styles. I am not much into all inning and don't really feel that writing one is a good way to improve as a player in general. While I think all ins are great to know for best of X situations or to throw your opponent off guard, I feel a player should focus on a more macro focused style to start off before dwelling into the cheese department. So solid, safe, and macro is a short description of what I look into when writing guides.
When I started in Brood War, the community really helped me out. When I would read Liquipedia for BW strats, ask for help in the strategy section, and I would get it and it just helped a ton. When StarCraft 2 came out, I wanted to be one of those contributors to lower levels and to help the best I can. I did not do this at the beginning of SC2, due to wanting to wait until more macro style plays became normal and I felt I could play at a high level.
Blue: Between the two of us, we have two Zerg players. While most players champion a 14/14 opening, you choose to orient yourself around 15 hatch. Can you explain why?
Blade: I feel 15 hatch is a much better opener then the 14/14 opening vs. obviously a non-early pool. In general lings early game suck and drones can fend off early ling pressure with minimal losses as long as they don't mess up to much. That is why I open 15 hatch most of the time, but I do 14/14 as well depending on map, player and on what I scout. I obviously don't want to be too predictable to players I have played many times and only hatch first.
Blue: Playing farther into this, how do you feel early game Zerg compares to early game Protoss or Terran? We see less variance in play, but in this an inherent weakness? How did things work in Brood War?
Blade: I don't think Zerg has very many options for early game harassment and tends to play a lot more passive as it is just a lot stronger. It's not very hard for Protoss or Terran to defend an early attack by Zerg, doesn't mean it should never be done, but it's definitely not something you can do a lot. I think it's somewhat of a weakness because Zerg has to play predictable for the most part, if Protoss fast expands and doesn't see a third he's going to prepare for some sort of all in because that's what is going to be coming. In general I just feel Zerg has to play a more passive style which is what I like so it doesn't bother me, but does make the race very predictable in early game.
In brood war there were many options each race could do in terms of pressure. Zerg could take a fast third base and do a 3 base hydra bust vs. Protoss. The whole goal for this to work would be to deny scouting on the Protoss side with lings to kill the scouting probe. If Protoss didn't scout this, they die most of the time. There are many sorts of early aggressions that every race in BW could do from anything to 3 hatch hydra bust, 2 hatch speedlings, 2 hatch hydra, 2 hatch lurker. I am more familiar with Zerg ones then Terran/toss ones from BW, but on the Zerg side I remember a lot of them in terms of early game.
Blue: Currently, where does the game lie in terms of game plans? ZvX leads to what?
Blade: Well Zerg vs. Zerg can be anything and I don't think there's ever really a point that most Zergs want to be in. Some only want to end it early/mid, some want to make it to the late game. ZvT and ZvP normally the Zerg wants to get the deathball. Especially ZvT as Terrans don't have a very solid counter to bl/corruptor/infestor like Protoss does. Zerg vs. Protoss normally is the same way; the Zerg wants to get the bl/corruptor/infestor. I would rather it work differently, but that is the main focus for the Zerg in both those match ups is defend, defend, get to that army. Protoss can actually fight it though while Terran can't so much, so in ZvP this can lead to more boring games if both players decide not to do aggression which Terran can't do unless they are planning a mech attack or something.
Blue: Do you think ZvT is unfairly slanted in Zerg's favor? We've seen a lot of community discussion on it.
Blade: This is a somewhat hard question to answer. Short answer yes; but not as badly as the community says. The reason I say this is foreign Terrans have struggled with Zerg pretty much since macro TvZ became the normal thing to do. I have seen many Terrans complain about TvZ balance from the foreign side so this patch makes it even harder for them. On the Korean side their Terrans are much stronger then foreign Terrans and pre queen buff there weren't many Terrans in Korea who said they struggled in TvZ. With the queen buff now they are complaining, and I do agree that right now ZvT is definitely Zerg favored. Is it so bad it needs to be reverted? Maybe, this is another hard question to answer because if you look in the past when Zerg got a buff or Terran nerfed, Zerg did extremely well for up to a month before the game evened out again. Remember the rax before depo being removed? Terrans complained that they would never beat Zerg again if the Zerg was "good". A month later (if even that) the game was back to Terran favored or balanced (can't remember which). So right now it points to being too strong, but who knows maybe in 2 weeks Terrans figure something out? I don't know how long blizzard or anyone should wait before doing a patch, but I imagine in the next 2 or so weeks I will have a more of an opinion on if it needs to be nerfed/reverted or if Terrans figure something out.
Blue: How does ZvP stack up? Some of the Dreamhack games so far have been depressing, as a Zerg myself.
Blade: I think Zerg vs. Protoss is ok balance wise; I do vent my frustrations when streaming on the race, but this is more frustration then what I actually think. I feel the matchup is incredibly boring. I have yet to really talk to a Zerg who says he really has fun playing ZvP. The matchup is just incredibly boring in either toss 2 base all ins and if he loses army, he loses most of the time, if Zerg loses his army he loses most of the time. In a macro game it is no more exciting. Zerg gets late game bl/corruptor/infestor; Protoss gets mothership/archon/templar/colossi, pretty much every toss unit. It then turns into whether one of them mess up and lose their army. If toss is sloppy and lets neural get his mothership, he loses unless the Zerg really messes up. Then the same goes for Zerg, if he gets sloppy and gets vortex’d he loses the game unless toss decides not to put archons in. In general, it leads to a very boring game and I rarely see people legitimately think ZvP is exciting to watch or play. For Dreamhack it's been okay, but Zergs have been playing kind of dumb sometimes doing some silly moves, but I have seen Protoss doing the same exact thing so it's meh.
Blue: Enough about balance, I think. You are a "Blue poster" on TL. What does that entail?
Blade: From what I know, it just shows I know what I am talking about, but I really don't know. I can't remember how I got it, as I just posted one day and saw I had it and thought it was pretty cool to see. It isn't really anything other than showing that I believe, I don't have to post there or anything and I don't really know how they pick or if they still add new posters to it. Just a way for my posts to stand out more than the average user!
Blue: Going to admit, that's news to me. Surprised that TL has a bit of haphazardness to it, actually. Well, we're about ready to wrap this up. Do you have anything to say, before we close?
Blade: Oh I wouldn't say that, from what I know they picked respectable posters and pros. I don't think it was random or anything, I just know I found I had it which I would hope was because I made good posts and what not.
Only things I can say are - anyone who wants to follow me on twitter is twitter.com/Blade555 or my stream which I do commentary while streaming most of the time twitch.tv/55555 and would like to thank you for the interview!
Thanks for reading! =)
And please upvote on Reddit? c:
http://www.reddit.com/r/starcraft/comments/v8ufz/interview_blade_sc2_strategy_author_generally/
Any and all feedback is appreciated, and if you're interesting in hearing more from me or Blade, follow us on your favorite sites.
Blade:
Twitch - twitch.tv/Blade55555
Twitter - twitter.com/Blade555
Blue:
Twitter - twitter.com/BlueBoxSC Hey TL,I recently got the chance to sit down and interview Blade - a name you're probably familiar with if you frequent the strategy forums on TL. This interview was a lot more freely thrown together than my other ones, but the end result was just as good! :DExcerpt:: Playing farther into this, how do you feel early game Zerg compares to early game Protoss or Terran? We see less variance in play, but is this an inherent weakness? How did things work in Brood War?: I don't think Zerg has very many options for early game harassment and tends to play a lot more passive as it is just a lot stronger. It's not very hard for Protoss or Terran to defend an early attack by Zerg, doesn't mean it should never be done, but it's definitely not something you can do a lot. I think it's somewhat of a weakness because Zerg has to play predictable for the most part, if Protoss fast expands and doesn't see a third he's going to prepare for some sort of all in because that's what is going to be coming. In general I just feel Zerg has to play a more passive style which is what I like so it doesn't bother me, but does make the race very predictable in early game.Thanks for reading! =)And please upvote on Reddit? c:Any and all feedback is appreciated, and if you're interesting in hearing more from me or Blade, follow us on your favorite sites.Blade:Twitch - twitch.tv/Blade55555Twitter - twitter.com/Blade555Blue:Twitter - twitter.com/BlueBoxSC BwCBlueBox.837The Alberta Analytics Conference was organized by Rob Vollman. If you haven't heard his name before you've definitely seen his work on my site, or his site, or extraskater. Yes, Rob Vollman invented Player Usage Charts, among many other new stats such as passes, quality starts, and more. He's also published a book.
But enough about Rob, let's talk about me. When Rob emailed me to ask if I would like to attend an analytics community get together in Calgary or Edmonton, I said sure. When he asked if I'd like to present something, I was honored at first, and then worried because I'd have to think of something to present. He shot down my first suggestion: watching Gardening With Greg videos and sharing gardening tips and tricks.
The Conference
Held on May 24, 2014, in Edmonton.
First there were Introductory remarks and introductory introductions of the attendees by Rob Vollman.
The Presentations
Note: these recaps are going off memory so any errors in what transpired are due to my faulty recollections
Using Analytics in Hockey Pools by Sean Solbak
I missed most of this presentation but Sean developed some models to determine how much "luck" is contributing to a player's points total. If the player has been really lucky, use them as trade-bait in a deal with a less knowledgeable owner. Likewise, if the player has been unlucky, buy low on them and reap the benefits later on. Consider Kessel's slow start or Mark Fraser's crazy high on-ice shooting percentage last year - it's probably not going to last long term so you could make moves to acquire or get rid of these players. (Nonis did trade Fraser for a bag of pucks, not bad right?) I would have liked to see more aboot how Sean calculated luck, as there are other sites that do this. (According to that site Leafs were the third luckiest team last year and Colorado was the most luckiest this year)
Another point Sean brought up was to include other stats like giveaways and hits and quality starts in pools. We didn't think much of using real-time stats in pools because they're basically worthless but we did like the idea of using more interesting and predictive stats for goalies like Quality Starts. (My tip for picking a goalie is pick a bad goalie on a good team like Fleury or Niemi (or Quick lol) and they'll get you wins but you won't have to use a high pick on 'em)
Aside: Would you be interested in all-corsi hockey pool? I think this is a dumb idea. How would you do it? 0.1 points for Shot Attempt For, -0.2 points for Shot Attempt Against? Highest PDO wins?
Making Players Better With Micro Stats by Justin Azevedo
(click the image above for an animated gif demonstration of a "snow angel")
Justin spoke about how a player can know what their CORSI is but just knowing the number is not necessarily going to help them be a better player. So with an eye towards determining which plays result in which outcomes, Justin watched dozens of games, counting things like icings, snow angels, zone entries, etc. I would have liked to know what his results were for specific players but there were no cumulative stats presented - maybe there will be a Flames Nation post on this later.
One other interesting thing he spoke about was how a defenseman can get stuck on the ice because there isn't an opportunity to switch the player. This results in tired defense, more shots against, and more goals against. Instead, teams should use the roller hockey line change, summarized in this post.
Rob Kerr
Rob Kerr is a broadcaster with Sportsnet 960, and has worked at with all levels of hockey and forms of media. He is very interested by hockey analytics, and wanted to share his perspective on how new technology and ideas get adopted by hockey clubs. While living in Estevan, Saskatchewan, he was calling play by play for the Estevan Bruins of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. He recounts how he wanted his family members to listen to his play by play online, and worked out a deal between the local internet company to get a local computer store to sponsor the broadcast. With this deal the Estevan Bruins were one of the first Junior Teams to have their games broadcast live online.
One of the points that Kerr stressed was that there is always a cost associated with new technology, and the usual way to recover that cost is through sponsorship. Those computer generated floating ads that appear on the glass in Sportsnet broadcast? They cost $250000 and Subway pays a lot to get their name there. If Sportsnet has that technology, then they at least have the technology to track zone time (just time how long the subway ad appears on each end of the ice) and could probably expand it to track players - but who will pay for that? Do you know any teams with a lot of money and an unused analytics budget?
I asked Kerr if he thought SportVU-style analysis would be coming to hockey. He agrees it will be, but is doubtful if it would be available to the average fan. Teams don't want to share their data with other teams, let alone the average joe hockey fan.
Kerr mentioned that the Flames use the PUCKS! system to break down game video into individual plays. If you wanted to say, watch Lundqvist's tendencies while stopping shots, you can query that and see a dozen videos of him facing similar shots. According to the PUCKS website 17 teams use their software. The Flames also have an analyst who uses his own proprietary formulas for proprietary reasons, but Kerr could not elaborate further because the Flames have become more tight-lipped about their analytics in recent years. Also depending on how much stock you put into Flames President of Hockey Operations Brian Burke's comments about hockey being an eyeball business, they may not even be using this analysis.
Kerr mentions that in the next couple years the format of the NHL's play by play report will be updated, to include things like offsides and icing information. This is because the teams themselves are parsing data out of this, and the data they get is only as accurate as what is on the sheet - and everyone and every team wants more and better data.
I also learned how the NHL tracks the shot and goal locations that Super Shot Search uses for data: 5 guys on laptops at pressbox level, at least in Calgary, work every game and diligently track every event. I would love to see how this data gets recorded live.
Greg Sinclair - NHL Shot Locations and Scoring Chances
I will have a separate post on what I researched and presented. You'll never believe what I found out!
Sunil Agnihotri - Hockey Analytics in Universites and Colleges
Sunil spoke about how to improve understanding and make progress in the field of hockey analytics by introducing it at the post-secondary level. It could make an ideal project for a Stats 101 course, to run linear regressions and find statistical significance in the data. I could also imagine some of the teachers at PPP teaching their students about Corsi or Fenwick.
The other thing Sunil stressed was that we need to have a sense of community and have open and shared data with everyone. He suggested that developers like me should open source our code and databases. There are at least two open source projects that can parse play by play and/or shot locations, and I'm pretty sure Tyler Dellow is using Muneeb Alam's open source code to do further analysis. I am hesitant to open source my code and data entirely though, for the following reasons:
My code is buggy. Me and other developers I know have been hired by third parties to write code for them. Open sourcing could take away a revenue stream. If, say, http://www.extraskater.com open sourced itself, what would stop a dozen other imitators from creating their own versions? I know that http://www.hockeydb.com/ had the entirety of its data scraped and copied to a duplicate site, which is still online getting ad revenue off of someone else's hard work.
On the other hand, if I were to share my database or code maybe other people could come up with new and improved versions of Super Shot Search, say, a Super Duper Shot Search (and at least this way the site might have a new feature more than once every 2 years).
So, hockey stats developers, what's your take on this?
Dan Haight - Adoption of Analytics (by the Edmonton Oilers)
(click the above image to play the gif)
Dan is analyst from Darkhorse Analytics who works for the Edmonto Oilers. He spoke about how to have successful adoption of analytics, you need several components on your analytics team:
the data butler - someone who can get the data
the data explorer - someone who can dive into the data and find patterns and new discoveries
the automaton - someone who can automate this process so new analyses can be produced in a timely fashion
the champion - the person who bridges the gap between management and analytics guys, and promotes the cause
(I think there was another component but I can't remember it) Dan mentions how a lot of management focuses only on the data butler or the automaton but not enough on the data explorer - you need to have the freedom to discover new things and take risks to create something of value.
One of the things Dan's group is working on is a model to predict who the Oilers should draft. His team worked through previous drafts and using his model showed that the Oilers should have drafted Logan Couture rather than Sam Gagner at 6th overall. His model would have picked better NHL players than the Oilers actually did - sadly I don't have his specific examples with me. His model is also completely proprietary, I wonder if it's better than "pick the player with the most points" model that Rhys J wrote about here? Another thing Dan mention was the vast majority of players drafted are very tall, however the average NHL player's height is only 6'1". In other words, height does not guarantee NHL success.
Dan spoke about some of the hits, misses, and failures his analytics team had this season.
Hit: Trading Magnus Paajarvi and a 2014 second-round draft pick for David Perron was a great move.
Miss: Some player they drafted had a bad year because he was injured. I'm not sure you can call this a miss because no analytics or scout or any method can predict how someone will get injured in a hockey game.
Failure: Devan Dubnyk. All the stats showed he should be at least average if not above average at stopping the puck. What happened? It seemed like some of the Oilers fans in the audience were skeptical of Dan's claims - after all, they did pick up Gadzic on waivers.
Rob Vollman - Concluding Remarks
Rob concluded the conference by asking us questions about how we'd like to proceed with these kinds of conferences. We decided:
We will have more conferences, hopefully one in September before the season starts
They will be open to the public
We need to have some sort of indexing of hockey analytics articles. This is a hard job but I notice that Josh Weissbock is doing it here and Arctic Ice Hockey has some references here Garret Hohl mentioned he'd like to get an online database of these articles, but like everything, it's very time consuming.
This conference was a great way to meet people I had only spoken to online and build a sense of community. Why not come to the next conference in Alberta, or start your own?Money is going digital. Despite the many fits and stops, competing technologies and platforms, and omnipresent wrestling match for control over the future of payments, it seems to be inevitable that physical money (coins and cash), and likely plastic payment cards will eventually go the way of the dodo. How soon and under whose influence this transition will happen, however, remains to be seen.
But whether it’s Bitcoin, Apple Pay, Google Wallet, PayPal, CurrentC, or another yet unknown platform that ushers us into the future of payments, it looks like competition from industry peers is no longer the only obstacle impacting digital payment adoption. A new report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFSB) yesterday sets the groundwork for new regulations that could impact the adoption of digital wallets.
The 870-page report deals mostly with prepaid debit cards and suggests that these accounts be limited in their ability to borrow money but receive protections against lost or stolen cards. But buried therein are regulations that mention “virtual wallets and virtual currency products.”
The CFPB says that it is in the process of reviewing whether these digital financial products would fall under prepaid debit card regulations. The answer to this question likely relies on the variations in ways that these service providers hold funds and process payments, such as whether, like Apple Pay and Google Wallet, these wallets provide a passthrough to traditional bank or credit card accounts, or whether, like PayPal or Coinbase, they allow consumers to fund a proprietary account. The CFPB writes:
In particular and as noted above, the Bureau is aware of an increasing number of mobile financial products, each with different features, capabilities, and consumer protections. Determining how this proposed rule might apply to those products may be |
15
110 Nikolaj Ehlers, Winnipeg Jets /15
111 Gustav Olofsson, Minnesota Wild /15
112 Robby Fabbri, St. Louis Blues /15
113 Artemi Panarin, Chicago Blackhawks /10
114 Max Domi, Arizona Coyotes /10
115 Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers /10
116 Sam Bennett, Calgary Flames /10
117 Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings /10
Base Platinum Blue Spectrum Autographs
41 cards.
3 Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks 1/1
10 Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars 1/1
11 Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames 1/1
14 Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens 1/1
16 Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings 1/1
18 Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings 1/1
19 David Krejci, Boston Bruins 1/1
21 Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche 1/1
23 Joe Pavelski, San Jose Sharks 1/1
24 Mike Hoffman, Ottawa Senators 1/1
25 John Tavares, New York Islanders 1/1
30 Jakub Voracek, Philadelphia Flyers 1/1
34 Jake Allen, St. Louis Blues 1/1
37 Ryan Miller, Vancouver Canucks 1/1
38 Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins 1/1
39 Jason Spezza, Dallas Stars 1/1
45 Joe Sakic, Colorado Avalanche 1/1
46 Mark Messier, Edmonton Oilers 1/1
47 Steve Yzerman, Detroit Red Wings 1/1
48 Patrick Roy, Montreal Canadiens 1/1
50 Wayne Gretzky, All Star Team 1/1
51 Frank Vatrano, Boston Bruins 1/1
52 Josh Anderson, Columbus Blue Jackets 1/1
53 Jaccob Slavin, Carolina Hurricanes 1/1
54 Devin Shore, Dallas Stars 1/1
55 Juuse Saros, Nashville Predators 1/1
56 Anton Slepyshev, Edmonton Oilers 1/1
57 Garret Sparks, Toronto Maple Leafs 1/1
58 Connor Brickley, Florida Panthers 1/1
59 Matt Murray, Pittsburgh Penguins 1/1
60 Christoph Bertschy, Minnesota Wild 1/1
61 Stanislav Galiev, Washington Capitals 1/1
62 Matt O’Connor, Ottawa Senators 1/1
63 Louis Domingue, Arizona Coyotes 1/1
64 Anthony Stolarz, Philadelphia Flyers 1/1
65 Tyler Randell, Boston Bruins 1/1
66 Viktor Svedberg, Chicago Blackhawks 1/1
67 Daniel Carr, Montreal Canadiens 1/1
68 Brendan Ranford, Dallas Stars 1/1
69 Kyle Baun, Chicago Blackhawks 1/1
70 Sam Brittain, Florida Panthers 1/1
Base Platinum Blue Acetate Rookie Auto Patch
39 cards.
71 Jake Virtanen, Vancouver Canucks 1/1
72 Kevin Fiala, Nashville Predators 1/1
73 Shane Prince, Ottawa Senators 1/1
74 Derek Forbort, Los Angeles Kings 1/1
75 Ryan Hartman, Chicago Blackhawks 1/1
76 Stefan Noesen, Anaheim Ducks 1/1
78 Brock McGinn, Carolina Hurricanes 1/1
79 Jacob de la Rose, Montreal Canadiens 1/1
80 Emile Poirier, Calgary Flames 1/1
81 Jared McCann, Vancouver Canucks 1/1
82 Zachary Fucale, Montreal Canadiens 1/1
83 Ronalds Kenins, Vancouver Canucks 1/1
84 Matt Puempel, Ottawa Senators 1/1
85 Daniel Sprong, Pittsburgh Penguins 1/1
86 Nikolay Goldobin, San Jose Sharks 1/1
87 Mike McCarron, Montreal Canadiens 1/1
88 Chandler Stephenson, Washington Capitals 1/1
89 Vincent Hinostroza, Chicago Blackhawks 1/1
90 Shea Theodore, Anaheim Ducks 1/1
92 Slater Koekkoek, Tampa Bay Lightning 1/1
93 Nick Ritchie, Anaheim Ducks 1/1
94 Charles Hudon, Montreal Canadiens 1/1
95 Henrik Samuelsson, Arizona Coyotes 1/1
97 Nick Cousins, Philadelphia Flyers 1/1
99 Hunter Shinkaruk, Vancouver Canucks 1/1
100 Noah Hanifin, Carolina Hurricanes 1/1
102 Oscar Lindberg, New York Rangers 1/1
103 Brendan Gaunce, Vancouver Canucks 1/1
104 Antoine Bibeau, Toronto Maple Leafs 1/1
105 Andreas Athanasiou, Detroit Red Wings 1/1
106 Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets 1/1
107 Brady Skjei, New York Rangers 1/1
108 Colton Parayko, St. Louis Blues 1/1
109 Mike Condon, Montreal Canadiens 1/1
111 Gustav Olofsson, Minnesota Wild 1/1
112 Robby Fabbri, St. Louis Blues 1/1
115 Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers 1/1
116 Sam Bennett, Calgary Flames 1/1
117 Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings 1/1
Base Silver Spectrum Autographs
46 cards.
3 Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks /25
5 Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals /25
10 Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars /25
11 Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames /25
14 Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens /25
16 Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings /25
18 Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings /25
19 David Krejci, Boston Bruins /25
20 Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins /25
21 Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche /25
23 Joe Pavelski, San Jose Sharks /25
24 Mike Hoffman, Ottawa Senators /25
25 John Tavares, New York Islanders /25
27 Aaron Ekblad, Florida Panthers /25
30 Jakub Voracek, Philadelphia Flyers /25
34 Jake Allen, St. Louis Blues /25
37 Ryan Miller, Vancouver Canucks /25
38 Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins /25
39 Jason Spezza, Dallas Stars /25
44 Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins /25
45 Joe Sakic, Colorado Avalanche /25
46 Mark Messier, Edmonton Oilers /25
47 Steve Yzerman, Detroit Red Wings /25
48 Patrick Roy, Montreal Canadiens /25
49 Pavel Bure, Vancouver Canucks /25
50 Wayne Gretzky, All Star Team /25
51 Frank Vatrano, Boston Bruins /65
52 Josh Anderson, Columbus Blue Jackets /65
53 Jaccob Slavin, Carolina Hurricanes /65
54 Devin Shore, Dallas Stars /65
55 Juuse Saros, Nashville Predators /65
56 Anton Slepyshev, Edmonton Oilers /65
57 Garret Sparks, Toronto Maple Leafs /65
58 Connor Brickley, Florida Panthers /65
59 Matt Murray, Pittsburgh Penguins /65
60 Christoph Bertschy, Minnesota Wild /65
61 Stanislav Galiev, Washington Capitals /65
62 Matt O’Connor, Ottawa Senators /65
63 Louis Domingue, Arizona Coyotes /65
64 Anthony Stolarz, Philadelphia Flyers /65
65 Tyler Randell, Boston Bruins /65
66 Viktor Svedberg, Chicago Blackhawks /65
67 Daniel Carr, Montreal Canadiens /65
68 Brendan Ranford, Dallas Stars /65
69 Kyle Baun, Chicago Blackhawks /65
70 Sam Brittain, Florida Panthers /65
Base Silver Spectrum Acetate Rookie Auto Patch
44 cards.
71 Jake Virtanen, Vancouver Canucks /65
72 Kevin Fiala, Nashville Predators /65
73 Shane Prince, Ottawa Senators /65
74 Derek Forbort, Los Angeles Kings /65
75 Ryan Hartman, Chicago Blackhawks /65
76 Stefan Noesen, Anaheim Ducks /65
77 Nicolas Petan, Winnipeg Jets /65
78 Brock McGinn, Carolina Hurricanes /65
79 Jacob de la Rose, Montreal Canadiens /65
80 Emile Poirier, Calgary Flames /65
81 Jared McCann, Vancouver Canucks /65
82 Zachary Fucale, Montreal Canadiens /65
83 Ronalds Kenins, Vancouver Canucks /65
84 Matt Puempel, Ottawa Senators /65
85 Daniel Sprong, Pittsburgh Penguins /65
86 Nikolay Goldobin, San Jose Sharks /65
87 Mike McCarron, Montreal Canadiens /65
88 Chandler Stephenson, Washington Capitals /65
89 Vincent Hinostroza, Chicago Blackhawks /65
90 Shea Theodore, Anaheim Ducks /65
92 Slater Koekkoek, Tampa Bay Lightning /65
93 Nick Ritchie, Anaheim Ducks /65
94 Charles Hudon, Montreal Canadiens /65
95 Henrik Samuelsson, Arizona Coyotes /65
97 Nick Cousins, Philadelphia Flyers /65
98 Mackenzie Skapski, New York Rangers /65
99 Hunter Shinkaruk, Vancouver Canucks /65
100 Noah Hanifin, Carolina Hurricanes /65
101 Mikko Rantanen, Colorado Avalanche /65
102 Oscar Lindberg, New York Rangers /65
103 Brendan Gaunce, Vancouver Canucks /65
104 Antoine Bibeau, Toronto Maple Leafs /65
105 Andreas Athanasiou, Detroit Red Wings /65
106 Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets /65
107 Brady Skjei, New York Rangers /65
108 Colton Parayko, St. Louis Blues /65
109 Mike Condon, Montreal Canadiens /65
110 Nikolaj Ehlers, Winnipeg Jets /65
112 Robby Fabbri, St. Louis Blues /65
113 Artemi Panarin, Chicago Blackhawks /65
114 Max Domi, Arizona Coyotes /35
115 Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers /35
116 Sam Bennett, Calgary Flames /35
117 Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings /35
2003-04 Tribute Rookie Auto Patch
26 cards.
SRR-AP Artemi Panarin, Chicago Blackhawks /49
SRR-BG Brendan Gaunce, Vancouver Canucks /99
SRR-BH Ben Hutton, Vancouver Canucks /99
SRR-CM Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers /49
SRR-CP Colton Parayko, St. Louis Blues /99
SRR-DL Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings /49
SRR-DS Daniel Sprong, Pittsburgh Penguins /99
SRR-HS Hunter Shinkaruk, Vancouver Canucks /99
SRR-JD Joonas Donskoi, San Jose Sharks /99
SRR-JM Jared McCann, Vancouver Canucks /99
SRR-JV Jake Virtanen, Vancouver Canucks /49
SRR-LU Linus Ullmark, Buffalo Sabres /99
SRR-MC Mike Condon, Montreal Canadiens /99
SRR-MD Max Domi, Arizona Coyotes /49
SRR-MI Colin Miller, Boston Bruins /99
SRR-MJ Mattias Janmark, Dallas Stars /99
SRR-NE Nikolaj Ehlers, Winnipeg Jets /49
SRR-NG Nikolay Goldobin, San Jose Sharks /99
SRR-NH Noah Hanifin, Carolina Hurricanes /49
SRR-NR Nick Ritchie, Anaheim Ducks /99
SRR-OL Oscar Lindberg, New York Rangers /99
SRR-RF Robby Fabbri, St. Louis Blues /99
SRR-SB Sam Bennett, Calgary Flames /49
SRR-SP Shane Prince, Ottawa Senators /99
SRR-ST Shea Theodore, Anaheim Ducks /99
SRR-ZF Zachary Fucale, Montreal Canadiens /49
2003-04 Tribute Rookie Auto Patch Gold
27 cards.
SRR-AP Artemi Panarin, Chicago Blackhawks /5
SRR-BG Brendan Gaunce, Vancouver Canucks /15
SRR-BH Ben Hutton, Vancouver Canucks /15
SRR-CM Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers /5
SRR-CP Colton Parayko, St. Louis Blues /15
SRR-DL Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings /5
SRR-DS Daniel Sprong, Pittsburgh Penguins /15
SRR-GO Gustav Olofsson, Minnesota Wild /15
SRR-HS Hunter Shinkaruk, Vancouver Canucks /15
SRR-JD Joonas Donskoi, San Jose Sharks /15
SRR-JM Jared McCann, Vancouver Canucks /15
SRR-JV Jake Virtanen, Vancouver Canucks /5
SRR-LU Linus Ullmark, Buffalo Sabres /15
SRR-MC Mike Condon, Montreal Canadiens /15
SRR-MD Max Domi, Arizona Coyotes /5
SRR-MI Colin Miller, Boston Bruins /15
SRR-MJ Mattias Janmark, Dallas Stars /15
SRR-NE Nikolaj Ehlers, Winnipeg Jets /5
SRR-NG Nikolay Goldobin, San Jose Sharks /15
SRR-NH Noah Hanifin, Carolina Hurricanes /5
SRR-NR Nick Ritchie, Anaheim Ducks /15
SRR-OL Oscar Lindberg, New York Rangers /15
SRR-RF Robby Fabbri, St. Louis Blues /15
SRR-SB Sam Bennett, Calgary Flames /5
SRR-SP Shane Prince, Ottawa Senators /15
SRR-ST Shea Theodore, Anaheim Ducks /15
SRR-ZF Zachary Fucale, Montreal Canadiens /5
Acetate Stars Auto Patch
16 cards.
S-AG Alex Galchenyuk, Montreal Canadiens /99
S-AK Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings /49
S-AO Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals /25
S-BH Brett Hull, Detroit Red Wings /49
S-CP Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens /49
S-EM Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins /49
S-JG Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames /99
S-JR Jeremy Roenick, Philadelphia Flyers /99
S-JS Joe Sakic, Colorado Avalanche /49
S-JT Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks /49
S-NM Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche /99
S-PO Patrick Roy, Montreal Canadiens /25
S-SC Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins /25
S-SY Steve Yzerman, Detroit Red Wings /25
S-TS Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars /99
S-WG Wayne Gretzky, All Star Team /25
Acetate Stars Auto Patch Platinum Blue
14 cards.
S-AK Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings 1/1
S-BH Brett Hull, Detroit Red Wings 1/1
S-CP Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens 1/1
S-JG Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames 1/1
S-JR Jeremy Roenick, Philadelphia Flyers 1/1
S-JS Joe Sakic, Colorado Avalanche 1/1
S-JT Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks 1/1
S-LR Luc Robitaille, Los Angeles Kings 1/1
S-MM Mark Messier, New York Rangers 1/1
S-NM Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche 1/1
S-PO Patrick Roy, Montreal Canadiens 1/1
S-SY Steve Yzerman, Detroit Red Wings 1/1
S-TS Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars 1/1
S-WG Wayne Gretzky, All Star Team 1/1
Inked Script
14 cards.
IN-AH Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings /25
IN-AO Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals /25
IN-BO Bobby Hull, Chicago Blackhawks /25
IN-BR Brett Hull, St. Louis Blues /25
IN-CJ Curtis Joseph, St. Louis Blues /25
IN-DH Dominik Hasek, Detroit Red Wings /25
IN-GH Glenn Hall, Chicago Blackhawks /25
IN-JS Joe Sakic, Colorado Avalanche /25
IN-MM Mark Messier, New York Rangers /25
IN-MP Max Pacioretty, Montreal Canadiens /25
IN-PB Pavel Bure, Vancouver Canucks /25
IN-SC Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins /25
IN-TS Teemu Selanne, Anaheim Mighty Ducks /25
IN-WG Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers /25
Inked Script Silver Spectrum
11 cards.
IN-AH Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings 1/1
IN-BO Bobby Hull, Chicago Blackhawks 1/1
IN-BR Brett Hull, St. Louis Blues 1/1
IN-CJ Curtis Joseph, St. Louis Blues 1/1
IN-DH Dominik Hasek, Detroit Red Wings 1/1
IN-GH Glenn Hall, Chicago Blackhawks 1/1
IN-JS Joe Sakic, Colorado Avalanche 1/1
IN-MM Mark Messier, New York Rangers 1/1
IN-MP Max Pacioretty, Montreal Canadiens 1/1
IN-TS Teemu Selanne, Anaheim Mighty Ducks 1/1
IN-WG Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers 1/1
Legendary Premier Signatures
14 cards. 1:24 boxes (Group A – 1:179, Group B – 1:69; Group C – 1:46)
LPS-BO Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins C
LPS-GH Glenn Hall, Chicago Blackhawks C
LPS-GL Guy Lafleur, Montreal Canadiens A
LPS-JK Jari Kurri, Edmonton Oilers C
LPS-JS Joe Sakic, Colorado Avalanche A
LPS-LR Larry Robinson, Montreal Canadiens C
LPS-MB Mike Bossy, New York Islanders B
LPS-MM Mike Modano, Dallas Stars B
LPS-NL Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings B
LPS-PC Paul Coffey, Pittsburgh Penguins B
LPS-PE Phil Esposito, Boston Bruins A
LPS-RO Luc Robitaille, Los Angeles Kings B
LPS-TL Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins A
LPS-WG Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers C
Legendary Premier Signatures Silver Spectrum
12 cards.
LPS-BO Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins 1/1
LPS-GH Glenn Hall, Chicago Blackhawks 1/1
LPS-JK Jari Kurri, Edmonton Oilers 1/1
LPS-JS Joe Sakic, Colorado Avalanche 1/1
LPS-LR Larry Robinson, Montreal Canadiens 1/1
LPS-MB Mike Bossy, New York Islanders 1/1
LPS-MM Mike Modano, Dallas Stars 1/1
LPS-NL Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings 1/1
LPS-PC Paul Coffey, Pittsburgh Penguins 1/1
LPS-PE Phil Esposito, Boston Bruins 1/1
LPS-RO Luc Robitaille, Los Angeles Kings 1/1
LPS-WG Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers 1/1
Premier Signatures
12 cards. 1:15 boxes (Group A – 1:57, Group B – 1:20)
PS-AE Aaron Ekblad, Florida Panthers A
PS-EM Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins A
PS-JA Jake Allen, St. Louis Blues B
PS-JD Jonathan Drouin, Tampa Bay Lightning B
PS-JG Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames B
PS-JP Joe Pavelski, San Jose Sharks B
PS-JT Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks A
PS-KH Kevin Hayes, New York Rangers B
PS-MS Mark Stone, Ottawa Senators B
PS-PD Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings A
PS-TT Tyler Toffoli, Los Angeles Kings B
PS-ZP Zach Parise, Minnesota Wild A
Premier Signatures Silver Spectrum
11 cards.
PS-AE Aaron Ekblad, Florida Panthers 1/1
PS-JA Jake Allen, St. Louis Blues 1/1
PS-JD Jonathan Drouin, Tampa Bay Lightning 1/1
PS-JG Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames 1/1
PS-JP Joe Pavelski, San Jose Sharks 1/1
PS-JT Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks 1/1
PS-KH Kevin Hayes, New York Rangers 1/1
PS-MS Mark Stone, Ottawa Senators 1/1
PS-PD Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings 1/1
PS-TT Tyler Toffoli, Los Angeles Kings 1/1
PS-ZP Zach Parise, Minnesota Wild 1/1
Premier Signatures Rookies
12 cards. 1:10 boxes (Group A – 1:605, Group B – 1:93, Group C – 1:11)
Parallels:
• Silver Spectrum – 1/1
RPS-CM Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers A
RPS-CP Colton Parayko, St. Louis Blues C
RPS-JM Jared McCann, Vancouver Canucks C
RPS-JV Jake Virtanen, Vancouver Canucks B
RPS-LU Linus Ullmark, Buffalo Sabres C
RPS-MC Mike Condon, Montreal Canadiens C
RPS-NE Nikolaj Ehlers, Winnipeg Jets C
RPS-NR Nick Ritchie, Anaheim Ducks C
RPS-OL Oscar Lindberg, New York Rangers C
RPS-RF Robby Fabbri, St. Louis Blues C
RPS-SB Sam Bennett, Calgary Flames B
RPS-ZF Zachary Fucale, Montreal Canadiens C
Rookie Draft Cap Auto Booklets
31 cards.
DH-AE Aaron Ekblad, Florida Panthers /15
DH-BH Bo Horvat, Vancouver Canucks /15
DH-BP Brett Pesce, Carolina Hurricanes /15
DH-CM Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers /15
DH-DA Laurent Dauphin, Arizona Coyotes /15
DH-DE Jacob de la Rose, Montreal Canadiens /15
DH-DL Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings /15
DH-DS Daniel Sprong, Pittsburgh Penguins /15
DH-EP Emile Poirier, Calgary Flames /15
DH-GO Gustav Olofsson, Minnesota Wild /15
DH-HS Hunter Shinkaruk, Vancouver Canucks /15
DH-JD Jonathan Drouin, Tampa Bay Lightning /15
DH-JM Jared McCann, Vancouver Canucks /15
DH-JV Jake Virtanen, Vancouver Canucks /15
DH-KF Kevin Fiala, Nashville Predators /15
DH-MD Max Domi, Arizona Coyotes /15
DH-MR Mikko Rantanen, Colorado Avalanche /15
DH-NE Nikolaj Ehlers, Winnipeg Jets /15
DH-NG Nikolay Goldobin, San Jose Sharks /15
DH-NH Noah Hanifin, Carolina Hurricanes /15
DH-NM Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche /15
DH-NP Nicolas Petan, Winnipeg Jets /15
DH-NR Nick Ritchie, Anaheim Ducks /15
DH-RF Robby Fabbri, St. Louis Blues /15
DH-RH Ryan Hartman, Chicago Blackhawks /15
DH-SB Sam Bennett, Calgary Flames /15
DH-SJ Seth Jones, Nashville Predators /15
DH-SM Sean Monahan, Calgary Flames /15
DH-SR Sam Reinhart, Buffalo Sabres /15
DH-ST Shea Theodore, Anaheim Ducks /15
DH-ZF Zachary Fucale, Montreal Canadiens /15
Rookies Platinum Blue Spectrum Autographs
42 cards.
R-1 Nick Ritchie, Anaheim Ducks 1/1
R-2 Andreas Athanasiou, Detroit Red Wings 1/1
R-3 Jared McCann, Vancouver Canucks 1/1
R-4 Andrew Copp, Winnipeg Jets 1/1
R-5 Kevin Fiala, Nashville Predators 1/1
R-6 Matt Puempel, Ottawa Senators 1/1
R-7 Colin Miller, Boston Bruins 1/1
R-8 Daniel Sprong, Pittsburgh Penguins 1/1
R-9 Nikolay Goldobin, San Jose Sharks 1/1
R-11 Antoine Bibeau, Toronto Maple Leafs 1/1
R-12 Mike McCarron, Montreal Canadiens 1/1
R-13 Chandler Stephenson, Washington Capitals 1/1
R-14 Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets 1/1
R-15 Oscar Lindberg, New York Rangers 1/1
R-16 Vincent Hinostroza, Chicago Blackhawks 1/1
R-17 Linus Ullmark, Buffalo Sabres 1/1
R-18 Shea Theodore, Anaheim Ducks 1/1
R-19 Charles Hudon, Montreal Canadiens 1/1
R-21 Slater Koekkoek, Tampa Bay Lightning 1/1
R-22 Emile Poirier, Calgary Flames 1/1
R-23 Brendan Gaunce, Vancouver Canucks 1/1
R-24 Henrik Samuelsson, Arizona Coyotes 1/1
R-25 Colton Parayko, St. Louis Blues 1/1
R-26 Brady Skjei, New York Rangers 1/1
R-27 Nick Cousins, Philadelphia Flyers 1/1
R-29 Shane Prince, Ottawa Senators 1/1
R-30 Noah Hanifin, Carolina Hurricanes 1/1
R-32 Brock McGinn, Carolina Hurricanes 1/1
R-33 Jacob de la Rose, Montreal Canadiens 1/1
R-34 Ronalds Kenins, Vancouver Canucks 1/1
R-35 Hunter Shinkaruk, Vancouver Canucks 1/1
R-36 Derek Forbort, Los Angeles Kings 1/1
R-37 Ryan Hartman, Chicago Blackhawks 1/1
R-38 Gustav Olofsson, Minnesota Wild 1/1
R-39 Stefan Noesen, Anaheim Ducks 1/1
R-40 Mike Condon, Montreal Canadiens 1/1
R-43 Jake Virtanen, Vancouver Canucks 1/1
R-45 Sam Bennett, Calgary Flames 1/1
R-46 Robby Fabbri, St. Louis Blues 1/1
R-47 Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers 1/1
R-48 Nikolaj Ehlers, Winnipeg Jets 1/1
R-49 Zachary Fucale, Montreal Canadiens 1/1
Rookies Silver Spectrum Autographs
46 cards.
R-1 Nick Ritchie, Anaheim Ducks /49
R-2 Andreas Athanasiou, Detroit Red Wings /49
R-3 Jared McCann, Vancouver Canucks /49
R-4 Andrew Copp, Winnipeg Jets /49
R-5 Kevin Fiala, Nashville Predators /49
R-6 Matt Puempel, Ottawa Senators /49
R-7 Colin Miller, Boston Bruins /49
R-8 Daniel Sprong, Pittsburgh Penguins /49
R-9 Nikolay Goldobin, San Jose Sharks /49
R-10 Mikko Rantanen, Colorado Avalanche /49
R-11 Antoine Bibeau, Toronto Maple Leafs /49
R-12 Mike McCarron, Montreal Canadiens /49
R-13 Chandler Stephenson, Washington Capitals /49
R-14 Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets /49
R-15 Oscar Lindberg, New York Rangers /49
R-16 Vincent Hinostroza, Chicago Blackhawks /49
R-17 Linus Ullmark, Buffalo Sabres /49
R-18 Shea Theodore, Anaheim Ducks /49
R-19 Charles Hudon, Montreal Canadiens /49
R-21 Slater Koekkoek, Tampa Bay Lightning /49
R-22 Emile Poirier, Calgary Flames /49
R-23 Brendan Gaunce, Vancouver Canucks /49
R-24 Henrik Samuelsson, Arizona Coyotes /49
R-25 Colton Parayko, St. Louis Blues /49
R-26 Brady Skjei, New York Rangers /49
R-27 Nick Cousins, Philadelphia Flyers /49
R-28 Mackenzie Skapski, New York Rangers /49
R-29 Shane Prince, Ottawa Senators /49
R-30 Noah Hanifin, Carolina Hurricanes /49
R-31 Nicolas Petan, Winnipeg Jets /49
R-32 Brock McGinn, Carolina Hurricanes /49
R-33 Jacob de la Rose, Montreal Canadiens /49
R-34 Ronalds Kenins, Vancouver Canucks /49
R-35 Hunter Shinkaruk, Vancouver Canucks /49
R-36 Derek Forbort, Los Angeles Kings /49
R-37 Ryan Hartman, Chicago Blackhawks /49
R-38 Gustav Olofsson, Minnesota Wild /49
R-39 Stefan Noesen, Anaheim Ducks /49
R-40 Mike Condon, Montreal Canadiens /49
R-43 Jake Virtanen, Vancouver Canucks /49
R-45 Sam Bennett, Calgary Flames /49
R-46 Robby Fabbri, St. Louis Blues /49
R-47 Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers /49
R-48 Nikolaj Ehlers, Winnipeg Jets /49
R-49 Zachary Fucale, Montreal Canadiens /49
R-50 Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings /49
Signature Award Winners
16 cards.
SA-AE Aaron Ekblad, Florida Panthers /49
SA-AO Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals /49
SA-BL Brian Leetch, New York Rangers /49
SA-BO Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins /49
SA-CP Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens /49
SA-JB Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars /49
SA-JI Jarome Iginla, Calgary Flames /49
SA-JJ Jaromir Jagr, Pittsburgh Penguins /49
SA-MB Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils /49
SA-MS Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay Lightning /49
SA-NM Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche /49
SA-PE Corey Perry, Anaheim Ducks /49
SA-RB Rod Brind`Amour, Carolina Hurricanes /49
SA-SC Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins /49
SA-SY Steve Yzerman, Detroit Red Wings /49
SA-WG Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers /49
Signature Award Winners Silver Spectrum
13 cards.
SA-AE Aaron Ekblad, Florida Panthers 1/1
SA-BL Brian Leetch, New York Rangers 1/1
SA-BO Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins 1/1
SA-CP Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens 1/1
SA-JB Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars 1/1
SA-JI Jarome Iginla, Calgary Flames 1/1
SA-MB Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils 1/1
SA-MS Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay Lightning 1/1
SA-NM Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche 1/1
SA-PE Corey Perry, Anaheim Ducks 1/1
SA-RB Rod Brind`Amour, Carolina Hurricanes 1/1
SA-SY Steve Yzerman, Detroit Red Wings 1/1
SA-WG Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers 1/1
Signature Champions
18 cards.
SC-AK Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings /49
SC-BL Brian Leetch, New York Rangers /49
SC-BO Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins /49
SC-CP Corey Perry, Anaheim Ducks /49
SC-EM Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins /49
SC-ES Eric Staal, Carolina Hurricanes /49
SC-GL Guy Lafleur, Montreal Canadiens /49
SC-JS Joe Sakic, Colorado Avalanche /49
SC-JT Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks /49
SC-LM Lanny McDonald, Calgary Flames /49
SC-MB Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils /49
SC-ML Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins /49
SC-MM Mike Modano, Dallas Stars /49
SC-PD Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings /49
SC-SC Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins /49
SC-SY Steve Yzerman, Detroit Red Wings /49
SC-TS Teemu Selanne, Anaheim Ducks /49
SC-WG Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers /49
Signature Champions Silver Spectrum
14 cards.
SC-AK Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings 1/1
SC-BL Brian Leetch, New York Rangers 1/1
SC-BO Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins 1/1
SC-CP Corey Perry, Anaheim Ducks 1/1
SC-ES Eric Staal, Carolina Hurricanes 1/1
SC-JS Joe Sakic, Colorado Avalanche 1/1
SC-JT Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks 1/1
SC-LM Lanny McDonald, Calgary Flames 1/1
SC-MB Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils 1/1
SC-MM Mike Modano, Dallas Stars 1/1
SC-PD Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings 1/1
SC-SY Steve Yzerman, Detroit Red Wings 1/1
SC-TS Teemu Selanne, Anaheim Ducks 1/1
SC-WG Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers 1/1
Checklist Top
Memorabilia Cards
Base Jerseys
44 cards.
1 Ryan Kesler, Anaheim Ducks /199
2 Vladimir Tarasenko, St. Louis Blues /199
3 Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks /199
4 Alex Galchenyuk, Montreal Canadiens /199
5 Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals /199
6 Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Arizona Coyotes /199
7 Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers /199
8 Jiri Hudler, Calgary Flames /199
10 Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars /199
11 Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames /199
12 Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers /199
13 Adam Henrique, New Jersey Devils /199
14 Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens /199
15 Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning /199
16 Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings /199
17 James van Riemsdyk, Toronto Maple Leafs /199
18 Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings /199
19 David Krejci, Boston Bruins /199
20 Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins /199
22 Blake Wheeler, Winnipeg Jets /199
23 Joe Pavelski, San Jose Sharks /199
24 Mike Hoffman, Ottawa Senators /199
25 John Tavares, New York Islanders /199
26 Mikael Granlund, Minnesota Wild /199
27 Aaron Ekblad, Florida Panthers /199
28 Henrik Sedin, Vancouver Canucks /199
29 Pekka Rinne, Nashville Predators /199
30 Jakub Voracek, Philadelphia Flyers /199
31 Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings /199
32 Shea Weber, Nashville Predators /199
33 Taylor Hall, Edmonton Oilers /199
34 Jake Allen, St. Louis Blues /199
35 P.K. Subban, Montreal Canadiens /199
36 Jeff Skinner, Carolina Hurricanes /199
37 Ryan Miller, Vancouver Canucks /199
38 Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins /199
39 Jason Spezza, Dallas Stars /199
40 Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings /199
41 Ryan O’Reilly, Buffalo Sabres /199
43 Evgeny Kuznetsov, Washington Capitals /199
44 Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins /99
45 Joe Sakic, Colorado Avalanche /99
48 Patrick Roy, Montreal Canadiens /99
49 Pavel Bure, Vancouver Canucks /99
Base Brand Logo Patch
42 cards.
1 Ryan Kesler, Anaheim Ducks /6
2 Vladimir Tarasenko, St. Louis Blues /6
3 Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks /6
4 Alex Galchenyuk, Montreal Canadiens /6
5 Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals /6
6 Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Arizona Coyotes /6
7 Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers /6
8 Jiri Hudler, Calgary Flames /6
9 Scott Hartnell, Columbus Blue Jackets /6
10 Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars /6
11 Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames /6
12 Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers /6
13 Adam Henrique, New Jersey Devils /6
14 Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens /6
15 Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning /6
16 Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings /6
17 James van Riemsdyk, Toronto Maple Leafs /6
18 Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings /6
19 David Krejci, Boston Bruins /6
20 Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins /6
21 Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche /6
23 Joe Pavelski, San Jose Sharks /6
24 Mike Hoffman, Ottawa Senators /6
25 John Tavares, New York Islanders /6
26 Mikael Granlund, Minnesota Wild /6
27 Aaron Ekblad, Florida Panthers /6
28 Henrik Sedin, Vancouver Canucks /6
29 Pekka Rinne, Nashville Predators /6
30 Jakub Voracek, Philadelphia Flyers /6
31 Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings /6
32 Shea Weber, Nashville Predators /6
33 Taylor Hall, Edmonton Oilers /6
34 Jake Allen, St. Louis Blues /6
35 P.K. Subban, Montreal Canadiens /6
36 Jeff Skinner, Carolina Hurricanes /6
37 Ryan Miller, Vancouver Canucks /6
38 Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins /6
39 Jason Spezza, Dallas Stars /6
40 Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings /6
41 Ryan O’Reilly, Buffalo Sabres /6
42 Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators /6
43 Evgeny Kuznetsov, Washington Capitals /6
Base Prime Materials
43 cards.
1 Ryan Kesler, Anaheim Ducks – Patch /25
2 Vladimir Tarasenko, St. Louis Blues – Patch |
meal, pinch of sugar, dash of cinnamon & nutmeg
Lunch: ½ cup hummus, ½ cucumber
rice & beans with oregano, Tbsp.. butter, salt, ¼ cup of sauteed minced pepper & onion
Dinner: ¼ package of vegetable medley sauteed, 2 oz. tofu, grated ginger, Spanish rice, 4 corn tortillas
Snack: banana
Thursday:
Breakfast: ¼ cup oatmeal, grated dark chocolate, cinnamon, 1 banana
Lunch: 3 corn tortillas, ¼ vegetable medley sauteed in olive oil, ¼ cup rice, tsp. Dijon mustard
Snack: 1 banana, 1 apple
Dinner: 2 carrots, ½ cup hummus; spaghetti, ⅓ cup marinara
Friday:
Breakfast: ¼ cup oat meal, 1 banana sliced, cinnamon
Lunch: ¼ vegetable medley steamed, ¼ cup rice, 2 oz. tofu, butter, herbs de Provence
Snack: 3 corn tortillas sliced and fried, ½ cup hummus
Dinner: spaghetti, marinara sauce, 2 oz. tofu, ¼ vegetable medley
Snack: ⅓ cup popcorn kernels, 3 Tbsp. canola oil, salt
Saturday:
Breakfast: ¼ cup oatmeal, 1 banana sliced, 1 Tbsp. maple syrup, dash of nutmeg
Lunch: ¼ package of vegetable medley, 2 oz. tofu, ¼ cup rice, ¼ cup cooked red beans, pinch of oregano, pinch of salt
Snack: 1 cup hummus, 4 corn tortillas fried in olive oil
Dinner: Out to eat with family. Otherwise, I would have eaten ¼ cup rice, ½ cup cooked beans, 1 Tbsp. butter, dash of herbs de Provence
Snack: Banana
Leftovers: Marinara sauce, spaghetti, rolled oats, rice, beans, ginger, corn tortillas.
To be frank, I did not enjoy eating the same 20 things for an entire week. Normally I would have thrown in some waffles or chia seed pudding for breakfast. There are also a ton of other meals that could have been made from my collection of vegan goodies. But this is a good exercise in learning how to obtain your basic items in a frugal fashion.
If you literally only have a $20 bill in your hand for your groceries on a given week, find a store that sells dry goods in bulk. Immediately. Usually, health food stores will have bulk sections full of dried rice, beans, nuts, seeds, salt, sugar, tea, pasta, trail mixes, granola, and other grains. If you’re able to bake your own bread or pasta, you can save even more. While I have the time to soak and bake my beans, I do not have the time to make my own bread and pasta.
The bulk section is my favorite place in the grocery store because it gives me the freedom to buy things package free (bringing small reusable bags), for less money, and I can buy as much or as little as I need. Remember that lone $20 bill clutched in your hand? This is the place to spend it. The scoops at my local health food store are about a cup each. A serving of rice is one fourth of a cup, so I know that each scoop will be roughly four servings of rice.
Why not just buy canned goods? Instead of buying canned beans and lentils, opt for the dried version. Canned legumes are inexpensive, but if you buy them dry, and in bulk, they are even cheaper. The only way they could cost less is if you grew them yourself. Dried beans only take a little more time to prepare, most of which is mindless. For most beans, you simply soak them overnight in a covered bowl. Rinse them the next day, place them in a pot of water one inch higher than the beans, bring the water to a boil, then bring heat back down to medium high until they are as squishy as you need them. Canned goods are also extremely high in sodium, and while vegans need not worry about their cholesterol intake, you still have to be conscious of your sodium intake.
Another important factor for consideration is seasoning. Sure, some of the more exotic spices can be expensive, but certain thoughtful purchases, such as ginger, can introduce some much-needed variety to the same foods. This minimizes the monotony of eating the same thing every day. You don’t have to season everything. You could season the tofu differently one day, the rice the next, and then change the seasoning on the beans next. Some stores even have basic spices available in bulk, allowing you to get scant amounts to try before you commit to a large purchase.
The next time you go to the grocery store and have limited funds, just remember to follow the sales, check every aisle, shop in bulk, buy in-season produce when possible, avoid canned goods, and have an idea of what you want to eat that week. It’s never easy for anyone to buy groceries on such a tight budget, but don’t ever let money stand in the way of you making the decision to live out your values and avoid the exploitation of animals.A cleanup to prevent an "environmental disaster" is underway at a protest camp near the Dakota Access Pipeline. The camp had been occupied by thousands of environmentalists and Native Americans who were demonstrating against the pipeline project.
It was the Native Americans who requested help with the cleanup, as massive amounts of garbage, human waste, teepees, and abandoned vehicles must be removed before the spring thaw when flooding is expected.
Washington Times:
Clean-up crews are racing to clear acres of debris at the largest Dakota Access protest camp before the spring thaw turns the snowy, trash-covered plains into an environmental disaster area. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced Friday that the camp, located on federal land, would be closed Feb. 22 in order to “prevent injuries and significant environmental damage in the likely event of flooding in this area” at the mouth of the Cannonball River in North Dakota. “Without proper remediation, debris, trash, and untreated waste will wash into the Cannonball River and Lake Oahe,” the Corps said in its statement. Those involved in the clean-up effort, led by the Standing Rock Sioux, say it could take weeks for private sanitation companies and volunteers to clear the expanse of abandoned tents, teepees, sleeping bags, blankets, canned food, supplies and just plain garbage littering the Oceti Sakowin camp. “It’s unfortunate. Again, that just goes against what they’re fighting against, is leaving that stuff and abandoning it and obviously the environment the river,” Scott Davis, North Dakota Commissioner for Indian Affairs, told KFYR-TV in Bismarck.
Mind boggling. The obliviousness of "environmentalists" who bury a camp under several feet of garbage and human waste is beyond belief. You probably can't generalize about the age and socio-economic status of these hypocrites, but it sure sounds like there were a lot of rich millennials throwing around trash, defecating wherever the mood hit them, and then running away back to mommy during the first snowstorm, leaving behind a mess for others to clean up.He's An Impostor, The Navy Says About Cap'n Crunch
toggle caption Quaker Oats Company/PepsiCo
We don't know how, but we missed a major scandal brewing in the Navy for decades. It's important, so even if we're a little late to the story we still wanted to point it out: Cap'n Crunch is an impostor.
The Cap'n was unmasked on June 14 by a food blogger, who noticed the uniform he wears on cereal boxes had the stripes of a commander, not a captain. That is: A captain has four stripes on his sleeve, while a commander has three.
As the story spread, the Navy confirmed what you might be fearing: Cap'n Crunch is a fraud, tricking innocent children since his introduction in 1963.
The Navy told Foreign Policy (paywall):
" 'You are correct that Cap'n Crunch appears to be wearing the rank of a U.S. Navy commander,' Lt. Cmdr. Sarah Flaherty, a U.S. Navy spokeswoman, tells Foreign Policy. 'Oddly, our personnel records do not show a "Cap'n Crunch" who currently serves or has served in the Navy.' "
What's more: We put our investigative reporter hat on and went digging. We pulled up historical images of the Cap'n, and they showed that on some occasions he sported one stripe, on others two.
Cap'n Crunch is trying to tweet away the crisis. He said:Like it or not, your body is host to an incredible array of microscopic organisms carrying out their lives with you as their ride -- an estimated 100 trillion, to be exact. But for one age-old member of the human body's ecosystem, recent trends in body-hair grooming are endangering its very existence.
For the last 3 million years, humans have played home to the insect parasite Pthirus pubis, commonly known as pubic lice or crab louse, propagating in hair throughout the body, with one region in particular being their favorite. And while our relationship with these tiny bloodsuckers has surely never been a welcome one, pubic lice have come to rely on humans as their one and only host species.
But in a growing number of places throughout the world, this organism is finding new homes harder to come by.
According to a report from Bloomberg News, a rise in the number of bikini or Brazilian waxes and "manscaping" means that around 80 percent of college students in the U.S. have either none, or little pubic lice habitat. Across the globe in Sydney, Australia, clinicians say that infestations haven't been reported in women since 2008.
“Pubic grooming has led to a severe depletion of crab louse populations,” entomologist Ian F. Burgess, of the Insect Research & Development Ltd, tells Bloomberg. “Add to that other aspects of body hair depilation, and you can see an environmental disaster in the making for this species.”
While you might be hard-pressed to find someone other than an insect scientist to mourn the decline of this pesky species, it's still important to note how a small change in human behavior can impact organisms which have been around for so long.
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Follow Us On:Slashed Tires – Alarm Clock (Holy Page Records)
Seattle’s Kenneth M. Piekarski is Slashed Tires, who has compiled this fascinating and fun EP.
Musical Content: Side A is dominated by songs rooted in the tempo-perfect grooves of a drum machine and bass guitar. From song to song, we are treated to sonic blasts of either guitar, trumpet (beautifully minimal and melodic) or vocals, all submerged in reverb and delay. Seductive, kinetic energy propels each track, and the saturated effects form a striking contrast.
Side B offers more variety, but perhaps less consistency. Real drums are here, and while some tracks threaten to breakdown at any moment, they reach their conclusion without dissolving into chaos. But the later tracks on this side, specifically the synth arpeggios of “Mirror” and drone of “Exhibit” are the standouts, drawing the listener into the music unlike anything else on the tape.
One gets the impression that this EP represents a little bit of everything in Piekarski’s catalog. It’s worth digging deeper to hear where he’s been and where he’s going.
Sound Quality and Package: Holy Page has done a nice job on the packaging. A clear blue tape shell with a sticker on Side A only (minimal artwork, no credits) is offset by a full color J-Card with full track credits, housed in a white-backed case. The sound quality is saturated, probably during tracking mixing and/or mastering (4-track?) but it seems to be a high quality tape stock and good transfer from the master.
Available from Holy Page Records. Limited to 50 copies.
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Kimura, a ramen shop by Restaurant Gwendolyn owner Michael Sohocki, is primed to open in two weeks at the Exchange Building, 152 E. Pecan St.
“All the licenses are in and we are mechanically ready to roll,” Sohocki said. “Now I need staff, alcohol and food stock.”
Sohocki and his business partner Jenn Wade, who was born in Japan, are opening the noodle restaurant. Kimura is the family name of Wade’s mother.
Most of the types of noodles served at Kimura will be made by hand, in-house.
“We’ve gone with totally straight-forward, no-twists recipes straight across,” Sohocki said.
And much of the produce and protein will be locally sourced, as Sohocki plans to use the same farms that stock his first restaurant, Restaurant Gwendolyn, in the same building, but around the corner.
A meal will cost about $15 for lunch out the door, and in the $40 range for dinner, Sohocki said. Dinner will include $6 side dishes all the way up to $25-$30 whole roasted fish.
Alcoholic beverages include six kinds of sake, as well as cocktails, beer and wine.
The hours still have to be ironed out; from the start, Kimura will be open daily from lunchtime through midnight.
Have any downtown news, event info, hearsay, tips, celebrations, complaints, boastings, updates, breaking news, memories, old photos, etc.? Want to write a guest blog? E-mail me.
Follow the Downtown Blog on Twitter: twitter.com/mySA_downtown. And on FacebookCharitable giving in the U.S. topped $390 billion in 2016, up nearly 3 percent from 2015, despite uncertainty around the election, according to a new report.
The Giving USA Annual Report on Philanthropy, published by the Giving USA Foundation, said individuals, estates, foundations and corporations gave $390.05 billion to charities in 2016, up from $379.89 billion in 2015.
Giving by individuals was especially strong, at $282 billion, up 3.9 percent from the prior year. Charity experts say the growth was surprising given the public vitriol and volatility surrounding the presidential election and uncertainty about the economy and tax policy.
"Americans remained generous in 2016, despite it being a year punctuated by economic and political uncertainty," said Aggie Sweeney, the chair of Giving USA Foundation. "We saw growth in every major sector, indicating the resilience of philanthropy and diverse motivations of donors."
Giving by foundations rose 3.5 percent to $59.3 billion. Giving by bequests fell 9 percent to $30.4 billion, while giving by corporations increased 3.5 percent to $18.6 billion.
While the wealthy account for a large share of giving — the top 50 gifts totaled $5.6 billion last year — Giving USA said there were large numbers of smaller donations from less-wealthy donors.
"In 2016, we saw something of a democratization of philanthropy," said Patrick M. Rooney, associate dean for academic affairs and research at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, which writes the report. "The strong growth in individual giving may be less attributable to the largest of the large gifts, which were not as robust as we have seen in some prior years, suggesting that more of that growth in 2016 may have come from giving by donors among the general population compared to recent years."
Giving to all major categories increased. Religion remains the largest recipient of charitable dollars, increasing 3 percent last year to $123 billion. Education ranked second, taking in $59.8 billion, up 3.6 percent; human services increased 4 percent to $46.8 billion, and giving to health rose 5.7 percent to $33.1 billion. Giving to arts and cultural organizations increased 6.4 percent to $18.2 billion, while giving to international affairs increased 4.6 percent to $22 billion. Giving to environmental and animal organizations increased 7 percent to $11 billion.What do a corporate lawyer, an elementary school teacher and a lieutenant colonel all have in common? Quitting their jobs to professionally brew beer.
They took the leap through a growing local group called the San Francisco Homebrewers Guild, which will be celebrating its third year this coming Beer Week (February 6-15).From its origins as a rag-tag club of amateur hobbyists, the SFHG has grown into a hub of area movers and shakers. Today it provides members with classes and advice from top industry professionals and a community of fellow enthusiasts.
When patent lawyer Chris Cohen moved to San Francisco from New York several years ago, he came with no expectation of founding a beer organization. A lifelong beer lover, his introduction to the Bay Area scene was quite circumstantial. One of the first people he met was Brian Yaeger, author of Red, White and Brew, who was on tour with his brewing book and hunting for a sub-leaser. “He and I just hit it off and when he returned to town we just kept hanging out,” he said. “And it was really through him that I met all these amazing people in the beer scene.”
Chris Cohen at a recent guild meeting. Photo by Ted Andersen
Cohen, who had been brewing beer at home for two years, searched for an organization to help him professionalize his hobby, but couldn’t find one. “So I decided that if I wanted to meet a bunch of people who brew then I’d have to start this thing by myself,” he said.
Former Army lieutenant colonel Kevin Inglin has a similar story. When he moved to the city in 2011, he couldn’t find any brewing organizations. The only thing around was a casual Meetup group called San Francisco Homebrew Club, of which he soon became the leader. Later, he searched online to find that Cohen had established the SFHG. Inglin reached out and the two then got together, merged memberships in 2012 to cook up the modern club.
Photo by Chris Cohen
SFHG now boasts close to 150 paid members and is currently waiting to hear back on non-profit status to become a 501(c)4 organization. Dues are $45 per year and anyone can join. Members get access to events, such as bus tours to breweries, discounts at homebrew supply shops and monthly meetings at the historic Anchor Brewery in Potrero Hill. Anchor donates the space once a month for the meetings and pours beer for SFHG members on the house. The guild has been able to draw beer luminaries such as Pete Slosberg, creator of Pete’s Wicked Ale.
The buzz surrounding the guild and homebrewing has been infectious for its members, steering many toward their true love.“One of the cool things about San Francisco Homebrewers Guild, and I think a lot of homebrew clubs, is that by bringing all these people together it creates a lot of synergy around getting people interested in pursuing beer and beer industry work as a profession,” Cohen said.
Kevin Inglin at a recent guild meeting. Photo by Ted Andersen
This was especially true for Cohen himself. Born in Philadelphia, he went to law school in New York and got a job as a corporate and patent attorney who worked mostly for tech companies in San Francisco. That all changed after starting the SFHG. He's now followed his former roommate Yaeger's example and wrote a book about beer — a study guide for the certified beer cicerone program, which is comparable to a wine sommelier program.
Cohen, who lives in the Mission, has plans to open a beer bar this year at Mission and Cortland streets near Bernal Heights called Old Devil Moon, which he intends to turn into one of the best beer bars in the city.“You just realize, oh, this is my passion,” he said. “Now I’m really sitting here talking to people about it and I realize that this is what I want to be spending more of my time doing.”
Photo by Chris Cohen
Inglin has a similar story. A graduate of West Point with a degree in aerospace engineering, he entered the Army as an aviation officer and flew UH Hueys and CH-47D Chinooks. Most recently, he was the chair of the military science department at the University of San Francisco. Beer changed all that.“I always had in the back of my mind that brewing might be our second career,” Inglin said, referring to himself and his wife and business partner, Shae. “This probably gave me the confidence to do that because getting into leading the club here and meeting people in the brewing industry and having a lot of contacts just gave us that push that this is something that we can make our livelihood in.”
He's now working on opening his own brewery, to be called Ferment, Drink, Repeat. It will be a small-scale brewery located in the Portola neighborhood with a homebrew supply shop connected to it. He said the plan is to feature a number of home brewers in the shop and select award-winners to have their beers on tap.
Jen Jordan at Anchor Steam. Photo by Ted Andersen.
Homebrewing also explains how the guild’s secretary, Jen Jordan, made her move from schoolteacher to Anchor Brewery’s first female brewer. In 1999 she started teaching 2nd and 3rd grade at West Portal Elementary School. She enjoyed the classroom but began to pursue the hobby of homebrewing outside of it.
Eight years ago, she took her first class after buying a kit at San Francisco Brewcraft in the Richmond District and then got hooked up with the SFHG. A natural from the get-go, she received good feedback from the brewers, who encouraged her to enter into competitions. Eventually the passion overtook her and she made the leap of faith, reducing her teaching hours with the SF Unified School District and started work on the packaging line at Anchor Brewery.
But there were no guarantees Jen's aspirations would pan out. Although her co-workers at SF Unified School District had encouraged her to pursue her dream, she admitted that leaving the classroom for the brewery left her with many doubts. “It was scary because I did actually resign from my teaching position before I even had a full-time job here.”
Photo by Chris Cohen
Last March, Jen was promoted and became Anchor Brewery’s first female brewer ever. In 2014, she was also named SFHG Homebrewer of the Year. “Brewing and beer became a teacher for me,” she said. “When I saw myself switching I felt like I’m not a teacher anymore, I feel like I’m a student and I want to learn about this. I had to start following that.”
Innovations in beer don’t just happen in a vacuum. People are the impetus behind the dreaming that becomes trial and error and eventually success in beer making, and it is the do-it-yourself spirit that has altered beer and led to the rise of several trends.“Homebrewing and home brewers have absolutely changed the American craft brew industry,” Cohen said. “A lot of the guys who own the top craft breweries that you’ve heard of — almost all of them have come out of homebrewing.”
An example of trend changes in San Francisco is the up-and-coming brewery Almanac, which specializes in Belgian-style sour beers. Cohen said the partners of that brewery met at a homebrew club where they perfected their recipes and methods before launching the brand. The Almanac Beer Company, located in the Dogpatch neighborhood, makes beers in small batches using fruit, grains and herbs that come from local family farms.
Backyard hops, grown by and photographed by Jen Jordan.
Backyard hop growing is another method that has allowed new libation creations to take root. In the spring, homebrew shops sell a variety of hop rhizomes — essentially root cuttings of hop plants — which can be buried in the dirt. Cohen said he and a number of others in the club grow just enough hops in their backyards to make one or two batches of beer.
“We’ll make what are called ‘wet hop beers,’ where you take the hops fresh off the vine, and instead of drying them and storing them for use later, you throw them right in the beer while they are still moist. You get a very fresh, grassy hop character in your beer,” he said. Cohen said that during harvest season in the fall, breweries such as Sierra Nevada now put out fresh hop or wet hop beers.“This is one of the kinds of genres of beer that home brewers have helped bring to commercial beer,” he said. “So, it’s kind of cool.”
The passion for beer making — of experimentation and rolling up your sleeves — fuels the club, not the economics of frugality. “There is definitely a deep DIY spirit in the homebrewing world and it extends not just to the hop growing but the people who’ll smoke their own malt. They’ll go out and get fresh fruit and use that in their beer. They’ll build their own equipment,” Cohen said. “The idea that you can brew beer at home for less money is not true. It’s really cheaper to just go out and buy beer and it’s a lot less time-consuming.”
Photo by Chris Cohen
The SFHG will round out SF Beer Week with its annual homebrew share on Sunday, February 15th at Pi Bar (1432 Valencia St.) from noon to 3pm. The cost is $15 per person and pizza and beer will be provided. The event will mark the third year of the guild’s existence.
“If you're interested in making beer, or if you are a home brewer who hasn’t come to a meeting and met other home brewers, you’re kind of missing out on one of the best parts of being a home brewer, which is the community,” Cohen said. “It doesn’t matter if you’ve been brewing for a decade or more or just starting out. There are experts brewers here who help you dial in your recipes or techniques and even if you are a very good brewer already you’ll learn something new... If you haven’t been out here for a meeting yet, get out here.”PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - It took just one word to fire up the mob that beat Tran Van Chien to death after a minor road accident in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh.
A Vietnamese woman walks near her house on the banks of the Mekong river in Phnom Penh March 11, 2014. REUTERS/Samrang Pring
The 30-year-old carpenter was standing among onlookers on February 16 when someone shouted “yuon,” a term widely seen as derogatory to the hundreds of thousands of ethnic Vietnamese who call Cambodia home. Seconds later, the crowd turned on Tran Van Chien.
“There were so many people I couldn’t help,” recalled his sister, Tran Yaing Chang, shuffling through photos of his funeral. “He was killed instantly.”
Cambodians have long borne a grudge against the Vietnamese.
For centuries Cambodia was caught between more powerful Thai and Vietnamese kingdoms and for generations, many Cambodians have believed Vietnam wants to take over their land.
At various times, Cambodian politicians have found it useful to play up that fear.
In late 1978, Vietnamese forces invaded to overthrow the Khmer Rouge who vilified Vietnam and launched cross-border raids. Vietnam occupied Cambodia for the next 11 years.
Recently, the resurgent opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) has stoked anti-Vietnamese sentiment, seeking to capitalize on long-ruling Prime Minister Hun Sen’s association with Vietnam.
Hun Sen first came to power in a government installed by the invading Vietnamese and his enemies have long played that up in a bid to undermine his legitimacy.
The opposition tried to exploit the distrust of Vietnam in an election last year some observers called racist, with party leader Sam Rainsy routinely using the term “yuon”, an old word for Vietnamese that many find offensive, to refer to Vietnamese.
Kem Sokha, deputy leader of the CNRP, accused Vietnam of sending immigrants to occupy Cambodian land and promised to cancel contracts with Vietnamese companies if the CNRP won.
The CNRP has used anti-Vietnamese rhetoric since the vote last July, which Hun Sen’s party won amid allegations of cheating. In a March meeting with supporters, Sam Rainsy said the government planned to colonize Cambodia with “neighbors from the east” - meaning Vietnamese.
Companies from Vietnam are growing increasingly concerned.
“I’m afraid if this kind of sentiment becomes stronger, we might struggle doing business here,” said a Phnom Penh-based representative of a Vietnamese company producing fertilizer in Cambodia.
“Some people, including government officials, have said Vietnamese businesses are taking advantage of Cambodians and don’t bring any benefits to their country,” said the executive, who declined to be identified because he is not authorized to speak to the media.
Vietnamese businesses have been targeted during anti-government rallies since the disputed election.
Vietnam’s investments in Cambodia are worth $2.5 billion, with bilateral trade at $3.5 billion, according to the Vietnamese Embassy in Phnom Penh. A Cambodian government survey of foreign direct investment from 1994-2011 put Vietnam sixth on a list topped by China.
“A LOT OF VIOLENCE”
A prominent human rights activist said the opposition’s rhetoric was irresponsible and dangerous.
Ou Virak, the former director of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, who has received death threats for speaking out against racism, said once stoked, anti-Vietnamese anger could be difficult to contain, and could raise tension with other ethnic groups in Cambodia such as ethnic Chinese or Cham Muslims.
“All it needs is a spark,” he said.
China is the country’s biggest investor and aid donor, and its firms have snapped up land concessions for mining, agriculture and tourism.
Ou Virak said blaming Vietnamese for evictions or the destruction of forests was a “perfect excuse” for those who did not want to upset the big-spending Chinese.
Sam Rainsy declined to comment on the issue of anti-Vietnamese sentiment.
In an April 12 statement, the CNRP said accusations the party was anti-Vietnamese were “groundless,” and it insisted the word “yuon” was not derogatory or racist.
About 700,000 ethnic Vietnamese live in Cambodia, said Ang Chanrith, director of Minority Rights Organization, basing his estimate on interviews with Vietnamese community leaders and Cambodian authorities. Cambodia has a population of about 15 million.
Bearing the brunt of anti-Vietnamese feeling are ordinary people like Tran Van Chien who lived in a ramshackle stilt house in a 400-strong community of ethnic Vietnamese - most of them very poor - on the bank of the Tonle Bassac River. Cambodians call it “Yuon Village”.
His sister, Tran Yaing Chang, 32, said her brother and seven other siblings had left Vietnam 10 years ago to seek a better life in Cambodia.
She owns a small shop and, until her brother’s death, felt Cambodia had treated her well. Her brother was married to a Cambodian woman, who was about to deliver their first child.
Slideshow (4 Images)
“I’ve seen a lot of violence against the Vietnamese since the election,” she said. “I dare not complain about anything, even though they treat us like this, because we are living in their country.”
Many ethnic Vietnamese families have lived in Cambodia for generations, said community leader Sok Hor, 70, who moved to Cambodia in 1981.
He said many people now say verbal abuse is so common that he tells people to “stay at home and sleep” rather than go out at night.But along the snow-specked valley that meanders out from this remote industrial hub in northwest China, the real danger appears to be coming not from above but from below.
“The pain is chronic and it is hard to tell when it will start,” said Lei Deli, a 60-year-old resident of Minqin, one of half a doze villages along Gansu province’s East Dagou canal where locals complain of inexplicable and crippling leg pains. “Sometimes it goes away for a whole month. But when it really hurts, I can't walk at all.”
On Thursday, the Chinese government publicly acknowledged the toll pollution had taken on its people, conceding for the first time that rampant economic growth and reckless pollution had spawned a string of toxic “cancer villages”.
“Before there was always this tendency to play down or even cover up the issues,” he said.
Wei Kongyin, a 55-year-old resident of Minqin, says: 'Of course soil pollution is related to the pain we suffer' (Tom Phillips)
In the villages around Baiyin City experts believe the problem is not cancer, but heavy metal poisoning. No official explanation exists for the mysterious leg pains but studies have detected unusually high levels of lead, copper and cadmium in the region’s ground and crops.
“Of course soil pollution is related to the pain we suffer,” said Wei Kongyin, 55, one of the few Minqin residents to make a direct link to pollution.
He plunged his hand into the river-back and brandished a palm-full of dark earth. “Just look at the soil! It is black, brown and reddish-purple. It should be light yellow!”
While air pollution makes greater headlines, some now believe soil pollution poses an even greater risk to China’s economy and population. Substances such as arsenic, lead, mercury, copper and cadmium have contaminated as much as 10 per cent of farmland, according to some estimates. China’s Ministry of Land and Resources has placed the total annual economic cost at around £2billion with some 12 million tons of grain contaminated each year.
“Air pollution is more apparent because everyday we have the weather forecast. Air pollution is more frequently reported,” said Pan Genxing, a soil pollution expert from Nanjing's Agricultural University. “Soil pollution needs more attention. Soil receives pollution and stores it. It is very hard to detoxify it or remove it.”
In January, the Chinese magazine Caixin echoed that verdict in a cover story entitled: ‘The unbearable weight of the soil’.
“Since ancient times Chinese people have described the land as their mother. Now, mother is sick,” the magazine argued. “The pain of those living on polluted soil has not been confronted by the government, nor have they provided a solution.”
(Tom Phillips)
The region around Baiyin City has been a mining mecca for hundreds of years. It is known as the Copper City and its name means silver. But local farmers trace the problems along the East Dagou to the 1960s, when at least one mining company began dumping toxic waste into the waters they used for irrigation.
“Plants died instantly if you used canal water on them,” recalled Wu Zhunjun, a 60-year-old resident. “The canal must have been contaminated with sulfuric acid,” he speculated.
One local claimed sheep that grazed on nearby land had suddenly lost their teeth.
Mr Wei, a local farmer, said locals had often tasted the “black and brown” water before using it on their crops. “It would make our tongues so numb we could hardly speak,” he said.
“The government said they would punish [those responsible] and compensate the villagers but we have yet to see a penny,” he added.
From Baiyin City to Beijing there are signs that the scale of China’s underground toxic time-bomb is starting to register.
Last October China’s cabinet, the State Council, announced a national “soil protection” program following a six-year study. The findings were not published but state media said they had “alarmed” China’s top leaders.
Chinese scientists are dedicating increasing resources to the problem, studying “soil remediation” methods ranging from burning polluted soil to using chemicals or plants to absorb contaminants.
Locals are suffering from mysterious leg pains, believed to be caused by heavy metal pollution in the soil (Tom Phillips)
In 2011, Baiyin City’s government unveiled a £1m pilot scheme using “chemical treatments to absorb pollutants”. The city’s environmental officials said they were not authorized to comment but locals suggested some progress was being made.
“The government has been paying more attention to the issue of pollution in this area,” said Mr Wei, who lives near one cleanup project called: “Love the soil.”
Zhao Zhong, the founder of Green Camel Bell, Gansu’s first environmental NGO, predicted the cleanup would take decades.
“There are no fast solutions to the problem of land pollution,” he said, warning that an ongoing drive to develop western China risked causing further environmental degradation.
“The government is encouraging companies to move to the western areas and provincial governments are welcoming polluting factories because polluting factories can help increase GDP,” he said. “Private companies just want more money. They don’t care about the future.”
With no Erin Brockovich to fight their corner, villagers muddle on the best they can.
In Yangjiadiwan, another settlement along the canal, 60-year-old farmer Yang Zongxin said he had taken to pouring sand on his crops in an attempt to dilute any contaminants.
“Our sweet-corn harvest is OK now,” he said.NFL players will collectively receive around $50 million, and the 2016 salary cap will increase by around $1.5 million, after an arbitrator ruled that the league misclassified up to $120 million in revenue, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Over the past three years, the NFL withheld “waived gate” revenue from the players, |
along with a couple of my old muckas from the snooker world. I’m not sure anybody could do justice to such a legendary record as ‘Snooker Loopy’. That would be like someone trying to do a cover version of ‘God Save the Queen’. It’s just not going to happen!
Stream some of Steve’s favourite tracks via Spotify below.
Go here to buy tickets to Bloc 2016.A rising number of valuable uses being found for seaweed -- from food and fertilizer to pharmaceuticals and industrial gels -- is driving the rapid growth of an industry that could easily and needlessly drop into some of the same pitfalls previously experienced in both agriculture and fish farming.
Drawing on the expertise of 21 institutions worldwide, UN University's Canadian-based Institute for Water, Environment and Health, and the Scottish Association for Marine Science, a UNU associate institute, today published policy advice to the burgeoning, multi-billion dollar industry to help it avoid expensive mistakes and pursue best practices, backed by relevant case studies involving crops like bananas and shrimp.
The authors note that seaweed farms now produce more than 25 million metric tonnes annually. The global value of the crop, US$6.4 billion (2014), exceeds that of the world's lemons and limes.
Seaweed farming has grown from the late 1950s into an industry offering sustainable employment in developing and emerging economies, notably China (which produces over half of the global total of seaweed -- 12.8 million tonnes) and Indonesia (27% of global production -- 6.5 million tonnes). Other major producers include the Republic of Korea and the Philippines.
Among the industry's many wide-ranging benefits:
With fisheries stagnating, cultivating seaweed helps fill a gap and "is widely perceived as one of the most environmentally benign types of aquaculture activity, as it does not require additional feed or fertilisers," the authors say. Consequently, it has been actively promoted by government initiatives, particularly in many developing countries where communities have reduced access to alternative livelihoods or are involved in destructive fishing methods like dynamite fishing.
Increasingly, seaweed cultivation is also being integrated with intensive fish farming to provide nursery grounds for juvenile commercial fish and crustaceans, and to filter undesired nutrients, improve the marine environment and reduce eutrophication.
Indirectly, seaweed farming has reduced over-fishing in many regions, providing coastal communities with an alternative livelihood. In some places, women have become economically active for the first time.
Most of the seaweed produced is used for human consumption with much of the remainder used largely as a nutritious additive to animal feed or as a fertiliser.
In the last decade, seaweed cultivation has been rapidly expanding thanks to growing demand for its use in pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals and antimicrobial products, as well as biotechnological applications.
Seaweed today is used in some toothpastes, skin care products and cosmetics, paints and several industrial products, including adhesives, dyes and gels. Seaweed is also used in landscaping or to combat beach erosion.
Problems of rapid expansion
"The rapid expansion of any industry, however, can result in unforeseen ecological and societal consequences," according to the authors.
Communities that come to depend on a single crop for their livelihood become highly vulnerable to a disease outbreak, as happened in the Philippines between 2011 and 2013 when a bacteria that whitens the branches of a valuable seaweed species caused a devastating loss to the communities involved, estimated at over US$ 310 million.
The authors say the industry needs to guard against non-indigenous pests and pathogens, to promote genetic diversity of seaweed stocks and to raise awareness of mistakes in farm management practices (such as placing the cultivation nets too close together, making the crop more vulnerable to disease transfer and natural disasters).
"In addition, the illegal use of algicides / pesticides, with unknown but likely detrimental consequences for the wider marine environment, user conflicts for valuable coastal resources and rising dissatisfaction over the low gate prices for the crop can all result in negative impacts on the industry."
The experts note that increasing demands being placed on the marine environment and competition for maritime space (renewable energy, aquaculture, fisheries, et cetera) necessitates coordination and co-operation between different users, an ecosystem-wide management approach and marine spatial planning (MSP) for aquaculture, alongside regulation to protect the wider marine environment.
In a nutshell, the key points for the seaweed industry come down to:
Biosecurity -- preventing the introduction of disease and non-indigenous pests and pathogens
Investing in risk assessment and early disease detection
Building know-how and capacity within the sector
Cooperative planning to anticipate and resolve conflicts between competing interests in finite coastal marine resources, and
Establishing management policies and institutions at both national and international levels
Citation:
Cottier-Cook, E.J., Nagabhatla, N., Badis, Y., Campbell, M., Chopin, T, Dai, W, Fang, J., He, P, Hewitt, C, Kim, G. H., Huo, Y, Jiang, Z, Kema, G, Li, X, Liu, F, Liu, H, Liu, Y, Lu, Q, Luo, Q, Mao, Y, Msuya, F. E, Rebours, C, Shen, H., Stentiford, G. D., Yarish, C, Wu, H, Yang, X, Zhang, J, Zhou, Y, Gachon, C. M. M. (2016). Safeguarding the future of the global seaweed aquaculture industry. United Nations University and Scottish Association for Marine Science Policy Brief. ISBN 978-92-808-6080-1. 12pp.Did you recently go independent? AND CO is here to answer your burning questions about setting rates and getting paid.
There are upwards of 55 million freelancers in the US alone, and according to a recent study, most of them have gone independent within the last 3 years. Building your own career path is an empowering thing—that is, once you overcome the fear of the unknown.
As a novice freelancer, the financial uncertainties of stepping away from regular paychecks will be the most top of mind. Here are some common questions and answers get you started.
How do I set my rate?
This is often the first question new freelancers have upon going independent. If you’re leaving a full-time role, you might not know how to establish your freelance rate range. One of the biggest mistakes you can make at this point is fire off a Google search and go with that. There are several factors unique to your career that should absolutely be taken into consideration, including level of experience, market, and industry.
Related: How to price your freelance design work
Start here instead: Using a tool like Comparably, which crowdsources salary data, determine the full-time equivalent salary of the work you’re pricing. Be honest with yourself here: If you’re a writer, you might take on projects that require you to develop and execute on a book concept from start to finish (an “Editor” role); or, you might simply be finessing existing copy (a “Copy Editor” role).
Once you’ve identified the average salary based on title, industry, and market, multiply that number by ~1.3 (or more) to get your freelance equivalent salary. This extra bump takes into account added expenses that come with running an independent business, such as self-employment tax, coworking spaces, and other needs.
To back into an hourly rate, divide by 2,000 (the approximate number of hours you’ll work in a year with time off for vacation and illness). You might tweak your rate estimate from here, but at least you’ll have a solid start that’s rooted in data.
How do I approach the negotiation process?
One of the first things people will tell you about negotiating compensation is that you should avoid giving your number first. This is a solid piece of advice, but it’s often not realistic in the context of freelancing. Upon meeting a client and having a positive conversation, you’ll almost certainly be expected to provide an estimate scope and proposal.
So, now what?
Since you’ll often need to start the negotiation conversation by showing your number first, a solid tip is to present a rate that’s slightly higher than the one you ultimately want. That way, when a client presents a lower figure, you’ll be right on target—or at least very close to—the figure you wanted in the first place. (Check out even more negotiation tips here.)
What do I do if the client’s budget is lower than my market value?
Savvy clients will try to negotiate to a lower rate, but what if the number they agree to is much lower than your market value? You might be super passionate about a project and a client team, but if the financial side of the partnership isn’t a fit, you shouldn’t feel bad about walking away (gracefully) from a potential engagement.
As an independent business owner, it’s important to maximize your billable hours and receive a fair rate for your services. The financial health of your business depends on it.
“It’s OK to work for a lower #freelance rate so long as there is a tangible upside.”
That said, there are times when it might make sense to agree to a lower freelance rate. For example, there could be an instance where your client can throw in a perk or added incentive that is enticing enough to justify the difference. I once met with a successful PR agency CEO who has built a robust business by working with startups and taking equity in exchange for lowering his retainer rates. If you’re a creative, perhaps an opportunity presents itself to work on a piece of portfolio-defining work. In this case, the accolades and awards might be worth it.
Related: The 7 principles of empowered freelancers
These decisions depend on you and what is going to move the needle for your career, or inspire you personally. If you have the financial flexibility to give a little bit, and can justify a marked upside, you might consider doing so—but keep in mind that once you set a rate, it can be difficult to negotiate it up later on.
I got a verbal agreement. What do I do next?
This is a critical moment! A common mistake among novice freelancers is to begin work without a signed contract. This can happen in cases where you know your client, either directly or through a common connection, or when the work has an immediate start window. If you remember nothing else from this article, remember this: Never begin a freelance project or kick off a retainer without a signed contract in hand. Just don’t do it.
Here’s why: According to the Freelancer’s Union, 70% of independent workers say they’ve been stiffed by a client in the past. That’s almost all of us.
How do clients get away with this? Usually, the case is that there was a miscommunication at the onset of the project, meaning terms weren’t properly defined and agreed upon before work began, leading to disagreements when it comes time to cut the check.
“Never, ever begin a freelance project without a signed contract in hand.”
The good news is that you don’t need a lawyer to have a rock-solid freelance contract that clearly spells out, in black and white terms, the deliverables and success metrics of a specific engagement. AND CO recently teamed up with the Freelancer’s Union to create The Freelance Contract, a digital template that allows you to customize an SOW in just a few short minutes. It’s completely free for you to use here.
What can I do to make sure I get paid on time, every time?
If you have a counter-signed SOW and contract, you’re in a good place. This paperwork not only legitimizes your agreement, but it will hold clients more accountable to getting you paid—especially since it will contain specific information around when payments are due.
In fact, when setting your terms in the SOW, there are things you can do to streamline payments over the course of your partnership. If you’re on a retainer schedule, you might ask your client to agree to a recurring payment structure that auto-bills their credit card at a set time each month (you can set this up within AND CO, too). You might even be able to set up a payment structure that uses Stripe or PayPal.
What if a client is late with my payment?
Being a freelancer means being accountable for your own finances. Although clients might owe you for completed work, it’s your job to invoice them in a timely manner and, if necessary, chase down the payment until you see the fruits of your hard-earned work in your bank account. If you’re going to be “type A” about one thing in your freelance career, make it this.
Of course, the reality is that clients have a lot going on, and you’re not their number one priority. Once you accept that, you can better approach how to handle tracking down money owed. If a client you trust is a few days late, a gentle nudge via email is generally sufficient to expedite the process. In that note, make it easy for them to get you paid: re-attach the invoice, bank information and/or payment terms, so that don’t need to go digging through their inbox to process your invoice. (By the way, this is another reason why recurring payments are so helpful for both freelancers and clients.)
“Wanna get paid on time, every time? Establish a recurring payment structure in your SOW.”
If a few weeks have passed and your client has stopped responding, it might be time to get more serious. If you’re not able to get them on the phone or schedule a face-to-face meeting, send a demand letter to demonstrate your seriousness about getting paid. Don’t know where to start? Use this demand letter generator, which allows you to send a physical letter to your client for just $3.
AND CO’s demand letter generator allows you to pick a template based on how serious you want to sound in your outreach
Things are going well! How do I pitch my client an expanded scope?
Want to earn more money? Your best opportunity for increasing your income will come from your existing client pool versus finding new partners. If you’re scoped on a small- to medium-sized project for a client and enjoy working with them, find opportunities to sniff out needs that they might not have considered in your original scope. These conversations should always come after you’ve proven yourself as a viable resource.
“As a #freelancer, your best opp for increasing income will come from existing business.”
When pitching expanded business, it’s important to keep in mind your clients’ needs. You might like working with someone and want to work with them more, but there needs to be a business case to do so. Be curious about your clients’ challenges and ask questions that will allow you to pitch yourself as an even bigger resource moving forward.
Another pro-tip: Don’t be afraid to ask. The worst that can happen is that your client declines the offer.
Want even more tips for growing your freelance business? Download AND CO’s free book, “Hacking Independence” for 40+ growth hacking tips for independents.Europe will enforce the world's first continent-wide ban on widely used insecticides alleged to cause serious harm to bees, after a European commission vote on Monday.
The suspension is a landmark victory for millions of environmental campaigners, backed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), concerned about a dramatic decline in the bee population. The vote also represents a serious setback for the chemical producers who make billions each year from the products and also UK ministers, who voted against the ban. Both had argued the ban would harm food production.
Although the vote by the 27 EU member states on whether to suspend the insect nerve agents was supported by 15 nations, but did not reach the required majority under voting rules. The hung vote hands the final decision to the European commission, which will implement the ban.
Tonio Borg, health and consumer commissioner, said: "Our proposal is based on a number of risks to bee health identified by the EFSA, [so] the European commission will go ahead with its plan in coming weeks."
Friends of the Earth's head of campaigns, Andrew Pendleton, said: "This decision is a significant victory for common sense and our beleaguered bee populations. Restricting the use of these pesticides could be an historic milestone on the road to recovery for these crucial pollinators."
The UK, which abstained in a previous vote, was heavily criticised for switching to a "no" vote on Monday.
Joan Walley MP, chair of parliament's green watchdog, the environmental audit committee, whose investigation had backed a ban and accused ministers of "extraordinary complacency", said the vote was a real step in the right direction, but added: "A full Commons debate where ministers can be held to account is more pressing than ever."
Greenpeace's chief scientist, Doug Parr, said: "By not supporting the ban, environment secretary, Owen Paterson, has exposed the UK government as being in the pocket of big chemical companies and the industrial farming lobby."
On Sunday, the Observer revealed the intense secret lobbying by Paterson and Syngenta.
The environment minister, Lord de Mauley, countered, saying: "Having a healthy bee population is a top priority for us but we did not support the proposal because our scientific evidence doesn't support it. We will now work with farmers to cope with the consequences as a ban will carry significant costs for them."
Syngenta, which makes one of the three neonicotinoids that have been suspended, said: "The proposal ignores a wealth of evidence from the field that these pesticides do not damage the health of bees. The EC should [instead] address the real reasons for bee health decline: disease, viruses and loss of habitat."
Bees and other insects are vital for global food production as they pollinate three-quarters of all crops. The plummeting numbers of pollinators in recent years has been blamed on disease, loss of habitat and, increasingly, the near ubiquitous use of neonicotinoid pesticides.
A series of high-profile scientific studies has linked neonicotinoids – the world's most widely used insecticides – to huge losses in the number of queen bees produced and big rises in the numbers of "disappeared" bees – those that fail to return from foraging trips.
The commission proposed the suspension after the EFSA concluded in January that three neonicotinoids – thiamethoxam, clothianidin and imidacloprid – posed an unnacceptable risk to bees. The three will be banned from use for two years on flowering crops such as corn, oilseed rape and sunflowers, upon which bees feed.
A spokesman for Bayer Cropscience said: "Bayer remains convinced neonicotinoids are safe for bees, when used responsibly and properly … clear scientific evidence has taken a back-seat in the decision-making process."
Prof Simon Potts, a bee expert at the University of Reading, said: "The ban is excellent news for pollinators. The weight of evidence from researchers clearly points to the need to have a phased ban of neonicotinoids. There are several alternatives to using neonicotinoids and farmers will benefit from healthy pollinator populations as they provide substantial economic benefits to crop pollination."
Neonicotinoids have been widely used for more than decade and are less harmful than some of the sprays they replaced, but scientific studies have increasingly linked them to poor bee health.
Many observers, including the National Farmers' Union, accept that EU regulation is inadequate, as it only tests on honeybees and not the wild pollinators that service 90% of plants. The regulatory testing also only considers short-term effects and does not consider the combined effects of multiple pesticides. The chemical industry has warned that a ban on neonicotinoids would lead to the return of older, more harmful pesticides and crop losses but campaigners point out this has not happened during temporary suspensions in France, Italy and Germany and that the use of natural pest predators and crop rotation can tackle problems.
"It is imperative that any alternative chemicals to be used in their place must first pass the same tests failed by the neonicotinoids," said Dr Christopher Connolly, a bee expert at the University of Dundee. "The recent findings have highlighted an urgent need for more rigorous safety testing protocols."
In Brussels, the countries that voted against the ban were: the UK, Czech Republic, Italy, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Austria and Portugal. Ireland, Lithuania, Finland and Greece abstained. Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, France, Cyprus, Germany, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia and Sweden voted in favour.A new fragment of the infamous 40,000-year-old Vogelherd Cave lion figurine was recently found by archaeologists from the University of Tübingen.
The new fragment which makes up the head of the alternate side of what was previously thought to be a relief carving proves that the figurine was I fact originally a completely 3-D figurine — not a relief carving as was previously thought.
“The figurine depicts a lion,” explains Professor Nicholas Conard of Tübingen University’s Institute of Prehistory and Medieval Archaeology, and the Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment Tübingen. “It is one of the most famous Ice Age works of art, and until now, we thought it was a relief, unique among these finds dating to the dawn of figurative art. The reconstructed figurine clearly is a three dimensional sculpture.”
The press release provides more:
The mammoth ivory figurine depicting a lion was discovered during excavations in 1931. The new fragment makes up one side of the figurine’s head, and the sculpture may be viewed at the Tübingen University Museum from 30 July. The new fragment was discovered when today’s archaeologists revisited the work of their predecessors from the 1930s. Vogelherd is one of four caves in the region where the world’s earliest figurines have been found, dating back to 40,000 years ago. Several dozen figurines and fragments of figurines have been found in the Vogelherd alone, and researchers are piecing together thousands of mammoth ivory fragments.
“We have been carrying out renewed excavations and analysis at Vogelherd Cave for nearly ten years,” states Conard. “The site has yielded a wealth of objects that illuminate the development of early symbolic artifacts dating to the period when modern humans arrived in Europe and displaced the indigenous Neanderthals.” (Authors note: There are a lot of assumptions in that statement…)
Interestingly, the cave is also the site of the discovery of the oldest currently-known-of musical instruments in the world — similar to the 43,000-year-old flutes discovered in Geißenklösterle Cave in southwest Germany.
Of course much of this is likely down to the environment. The simple fact is that not much survives the ravages of such long periods of time, and that’s even given the best of environments with regard to preservation. Much of the time frames placed on different “periods” of “human development” is simply speculation and guesswork.A tragic suicide epidemic gripped Budapest, Hungary in the wake of World War I — and some believed it was all caused by a popular song. Even weirder than this idea, though, was how the city tried to combat the suicide problem with a "Smile Club."
On 17th October, 1937, the Sunday Times Perth explained the Budapest suicide problem:
Although a magnet for tourists from all over the world, Budapest has for several years been known to its own people as The City of Suicides. Budapest suffered badly after the war and has received unpleasant publicity from the number of cases of self-destruction occurring every year within its boundaries. Some of them are alleged to have been inspired by the Budapest song, "Gloomy Sunday", but be that as it may, the suicide rate in Budapest is definitely high. The favorite method adopted by most Budapest melancholics in drowning, and patrol boats are stationed along the boundary near the bridges to rescue citizens who seek consolation in the dark waters of the Danube.
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The paper added that people in Budapest were combatting the problem by learning to smile better:
Now, however, a "Smile Club" has been inaugurated to counteract the suicide craze it was originally begun more as a joke by Professor Jeno and a hypnotist named Binczo, but somehow it caught on. The organisers have now a regular school and guarantee to teach the Roosevelt smile, the Mona Liza smile, the Clark Gable smile, the Dick Powell smile, the Loretta Young Smile, and various other types, the rates varying according to the difficulties encountered. Jeno says the methods employed at his school, aided by better business conditions in Budapest are making smiling popular and before long it is hoped that the name of Budapest will be changed to the City of Smiles.
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The song Gloomy Sunday (also known as the Hungarian Suicide Song), mentioned above, was composed by Rezső Seress and published in 1933. It became well-known after Billie Holiday covered it eight years later.
There have been several urban legends regarding Gloomy Sunday, because the number of Hungarian suicides peaked in the 1930s and press reports linked them to the song. There were also stories about radio networks banning the song, but only BBC did it with the Billie Holiday version in 1941, which was "detrimental to wartime morale." Here is the original version:
The following photos of the Smile Club efforts were published in a Dutch illustrated magazine Het Leven, in 1937. The whole thing looks terrifying — especially the strange medical tape that people used to create their smiles.
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(via Memory of The Netherlands)According to reports, one of the first acts of the Republican congress will be to fire Doug Elmendorf, current director of the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, because he won’t use “dynamic scoring” for his economic projections.
Dynamic scoring is the magical-mystery math Republicans have been pushing since they came up with supply-side “trickle-down” economics.
It’s based on the belief that cutting taxes unleashes economic growth and thereby produces additional government revenue. Supposedly the added revenue more than makes up for what’s lost when Congress hands out the tax cuts.
Dynamic scoring would make it easier to enact tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, because the tax cuts wouldn’t look as if they increased the budget deficit.
Incoming House Ways and Means Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) calls it “reality-based scoring,” but it’s actually magical scoring – which is why Elmendorf, as well as all previous CBO directors have rejected it.
Few economic theories have been as thoroughly tested in the real world as supply-side economics, and so notoriously failed.
Ronald Reagan cut the top income tax rate from 70 percent to 28 percent and ended up nearly doubling the national debt. His first budget director, David Stockman, later confessed he dealt with embarrassing questions about future deficits with “magic asterisks” in the budgets submitted to Congress. The Congressional Budget Office didn’t buy them.
George W. Bush inherited a budget surplus from Bill Clinton but then slashed taxes, mostly on the rich. The CBO found that the Bush tax cuts reduced revenues by $3 trillion.
Yet Republicans don’t want to admit supply-side economics is hokum. As a result, they’ve never had much love for the truth-tellers at the Congressional Budget Office.
In 2011, when briefly leading the race for the Republican presidential nomination, Newt Gingrich called the CBO “a reactionary socialist institution which does not believe in economic growth, does not believe in innovation and does not believe in data that has not been internally generated.”
The CBO has continued to be a truth-telling thorn in the Republican’s side.
The budget plan Paul Ryan came up with in 2012 – likely to be a harbinger of what’s to come from the Republican congress – slashed Medicaid, cut taxes on the rich and on corporations, and replaced Medicare with a less well-funded voucher plan.
Ryan claimed these measures would reduce the deficit. The Congressional Budget Office disagreed.
Ryan persevered. His 2013 and 2014 budget proposals were similarly filled with magic asterisks. The CBO still wasn’t impressed.
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Yet it’s one thing to cling to magical-mystery thinking when you have only one house of Congress. It’s another when you’re running the whole shebang.
Now that Elmendorf is on the way out, presumably to be replaced by someone willing to tell Ryan and other Republicans what they’d like to hear, the way has been cleared for all the magic they can muster.
In this as in other domains of public policy, Republicans have not shown a particular affinity for facts.
Climate change? It’s not happening, they say. And even if it is happening, humans aren’t responsible. (Almost all scientists studying the issue find it’s occurring and humans are the major cause.)
Widening inequality? Not occurring, they say. Even though the data show otherwise, they claim the measurements are wrong.
Voting fraud? Happening all over the country, they say, which is why voter IDs and other limits on voting are necessary. Even though there’s no evidence to back up their claim (the best evidence shows no more than 31 credible incidents of fraud out of a billion ballots cast), they continue to assert it.
Evolution? Just a theory, they say. Even though all reputable scientists support it, many Republicans at the state level say it shouldn’t be taught without also presenting the view found in the Bible.
Weapons of mass destruction in Iraq? America’s use of torture? The George W. Bush administration and its allies in Congress weren’t overly interested in the facts.
The pattern seems to be: if you don’t like the facts, make them up.
Or have your benefactors finance “think tanks” filled with hired guns who will tell the public what you and your patrons want them to say.
If all else fails, fire your own experts who tell the truth, and replace them with people who will pronounce falsehoods.
There’s one big problem with this strategy, though. Legislation based on lies often causes the public to be harmed.
Not even “truthiness,” as Stephen Colbert once called it, is an adequate substitute for the whole truth.I learnt yesterday coming from London to Bristol that it is now'mandatory' to make bike reservations in advance for all travel on GWR trains, a policy I was told (by a guard) came into effect on 16th May, and is largely because of new high speed trains. Are GWR reducing storage on their trains? Probably, and down to 2 or 3 on some 'high speed' trains, instead of increasing to meet demand.
This will obviously discourage bike use with great implications, particularly on rural routes, and turning up to catch a train anywhere will be really difficult. What about workers cycling several miles to and from stations to get to work?
Isn't it government policy to encourage less car use, supporting more sustainable, less damaging, and healthier modes of transport?
Particularly on main routes like Bristol to London, a journey that is already a silly £56 at its cheapest (around 40% more expensive than a similar journey in Europe) for a 'flexible' OFF-PEAK return. Those who need to be flexible will no longer be able to be 'flexible' - and not everyone can afford a Brompton, or the additional charges of London public transport on top. UK rail travel seems to be increasingly inaccessible for most people.
I took a trip to Sheffield to cycle in the Peak District recently, and on a Bristol to Sheffield train (£93.80 for an OFF-PEAK advance) there were only 3 bike slots. It cost a friend who was driving £40 in fuel, he carried 3 people, 3 bikes and spent a good amount of time in traffic jams....
https://www.gwr.com/your-journey/journey-information/on-board/cycles
https://www.gwr.com/making-a-complaintMajor Garrett speaks to Sean Spicer (Fox News/screen grab)
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer suggested that President Donald Trump did not actually mean wiretapping when he accused President Barack Obama of “wiretapping” him in a recent tweet.
At Monday’s White House briefing, Spicer was asked if Trump would provide proof to Congress to back up his claim that accused Obama of “‘wire tapping’ a race for president prior to an election.”
“I think if you look at the president’s tweet, he said very clearly — quote — wiretapping in quotes,” Spicer said, incorrectly adding that there had been “substantial information in several reports” to back up the president claim.
“The president was very clear in his tweet that it was wiretapping,” Spicer said, making an air quotes gesture. “That spans a whole host of options.”
In fact, President Trump specifically accused Obama of tapping “my phones” during the 2016 election.
How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 4, 2017
Watch the video below.A few years ago, my friend Jenn and I attended an opening gala for the Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society (VAHMS). We were inundated with arias, appetizers and guest artists from Korea. Display tables were brimming with travel brochures and cheap flight information to Korea's best tourist destinations. We got the fermenting lowdown on kimchee, giggled at the frivolity of K-Pop and learned how to say hello and goodbye in Korean.
Jenn, a newly transplanted migrant worker to Canada just a few months into her nanny profession, wondered when the Philippines would be the feature country for VAHMS. I flipped to the back of the evening's program and scanned the list of business and individual donors.
"When Filipinos donate a billion dollars to the society," I tell her.
"Ay naku," Jenn replied. "We'll be dead by then and so will our future children."
Jump ahead to the present: Jenn completed her required 24 months of live-in nannying but is stuck in the domain of domestic work. The woman cleaning up after you in the food court? That's Jenn, and yes, I'm still a childless singleton in Canada's small-big city.
What has changed in the last six years though, is that Tagalog, the over-looked patois of the Philippines -- 40 per cent borrowed Spanish words, a peppering of Sanskrit, American English, and distant cousin to Malay and Bahasa Indonesia -- is rapidly colouring Canada's language landscape, and shows no sign of staying within the lines.
Before anyone breaks out the karaoke and fires up the pig-roast -- à la fiesta barrio style -- the recently unveiled numbers from Statistics Canada do not mean that the Philippines will be the country feature for VAHMS anytime soon.
Nor do the numbers mean that Pancit and the even more dubious dinuguan -- yes, the notorious pig's blood stew -- will replace Vancouver's beloved sushi rolls or knock off crispy chow mein from its top spot of precious Asian cuisine.
Giant wooden forks and spoons will not be erected in cathedrals, nor will uncouth barrel men statuettes displace shrines dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
The numbers, however, prove the following:
1. Canada is still grappling on how to create a sustainable national day-care program;
2. Canada's solution to this child-care problem is to recruit and tax foreign nannies through the Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP); and
3. The LCP targets the Philippines since Filipinos -- thanks to an American-style education system --are proficient in English, industrious, and, according to Aprodicio Laquian, UBC professor of Asian research, "are easy to get along with -- they laugh, they smile."
The 64 per cent jump of Tagalog speakers across the country between 2006 and 2011 is not only related to the aggressive fielding of Filipino nannies since the implementation of the LCP in 1992 --there are currently 35,000 women under the LCP; 96 per cent are of Filipino ancestry -- the stats also reflect Canada's intense recruitment of highly educated, highly skilled temporary foreign workers to staff the service sector industry.
Your grande, non-fat, no-whip white chocolate mocha and double-quarter pounder with cheese were made by foreign recruits fixated on smiling and dishing out excellent customer service.
In an alternate reality, the language census would be a celebration of Canada's multicultural dogma and racial diversity -- if only class, immigration and labour weren't part of the big picture.
LOWEST PAID WORKERS
Considering that Filipinos are among the lowest-paid workers across the board, and Internet platforms such as Urban Dictionary cite Filipino women as trophy wives and maids -- their male counterparts referred to as hard-working weed whackers -- it's hard to ignore the polarized class and race division associated with language.
Once, after telling me that his father secretly humped around with the help, I asked an ex-boyfriend from two millennia ago how good his Bahasa Indonesia was; his family lived in Bali for a few a years and I figured he knew a thing or two of the local language. "Terrible," he told me. "We didn't really talk to the maids."
The mere fact that the media has zeroed in on Tagalog as the fastest growing immigrant language, and the public's surprise of this so-called linguistic phenomenon, is telling of the social insignificance of Canada's third largest ethnic group. Sure, Filipinos are common props in fast-food restaurants, hotels and homes, but their lack of political and economic weight renders them invisible despite their large presence and 24/7 work cycles.
Tagalog is not, most linguists would agree, a prestige language of the business elite -- Mandarin and Cantonese share the bounty as the vernacular big-wigs for global economic trade and influence. Tagalog, for lack of a better expression, assumes the language of servitude, the parlance of the transnational working-class.
If you don't believe me, just ask the nanny at the playground.
ENGLISH WORDS WITH TAGALOG ORIGINS
Abaca: In the Philippines, this is a banana. Elsewhere, it's used to bag tea and make envelopes.
Boondocks: This means mountain, first and foremost. Not the comic series-turned animated sitcom.
Cogon: A type of grass used for roofing homes. But if you go to the Philippines you'll be lead to a large village in the province of Bohol.
Cooties: From kuto which means head lice. How it became an imaginary love disease amongst children, we'll never know. I blame the Americans.
Manila envelope: See abaca.
Ylang-Ylang: This means "rare wilderness." In North America, it's a gooey substance that makes your hair shiny.
Yo-yo: This "toy" was actually a weapon. Yes, that's right, a deadly assault weapon.
Also on HuffPost:China based PCOnline posted |
the social mobility agenda ultimately reinforces the Russell Group’s claim to represent our “best” universities. This has been unquestioningly accepted by politicians, perhaps because so many of them were educated at these institutions. In reality, the Russell Group is a self-selected band of university managers named after nothing more highbrow than the hotel in which they first met.
Of course there’s much more to be done to ensure working-class children are able to enter our most socially exclusive universities. Labour’s plan to abolish tuition fees and reintroduce maintenance grants is an excellent start, and has already transformed the political debate over when fees will be raised into a discussion of how long they can survive.
Social mobility is the wrong goal – what we need is more equality | Letters Read more
But Labour’s national education service proposal goes further still. The social mobility agenda has been lamentably unambitious. Its focus on the talented few offers no hope for the many. Its narrow focus on employability compares badly with Labour’s emphasis on lifelong learning for skills, creativity and cultural enrichment. By asserting that fairness and comprehensive provision are vital educational aims, Labour is offering a radical alternative. The Labour frontbench, several of whom are alumni of adult education, FE colleges and polytechnics, aren’t content to simply focus on getting a few children into the supposedly top institutions. Instead, they are inviting a national debate about what constitutes a good education, and how all of us – young and old – can enjoy it.The Jamaican saxophonist Cedric Brooks, who has died aged 70, was a renowned composer and musical arranger. Presiding over esoteric projects that married traditional Jamaican folk forms with freeform jazz and Rastafari consciousness, Brooks played an important role in the international dissemination of spiritually oriented reggae. His longstanding association with Studio One, one of Jamaica's leading recording studios, yielded some of the most intense reggae instrumentals ever recorded. Brooks was also a touring member of the Skatalites, Jamaica's best-known ska group.
Brooks was born in Denham Town, a slum to the west of the Jamican capital, Kingston. When his parents could no longer afford his school fees, he was sent aged eight to the Alpha Boys school, a Catholic charitable institution with a strict music programme. There he learned to play the piano and clarinet and, upon leaving school, joined the Jamaica Military Band on clarinet.
In the early 60s Brooks joined the popular club act the Vagabonds, on tenor saxophone, performing a steady diet of cover tunes. When the Vagabonds moved to the UK in 1964, he played in Sonny Bradshaw's group and Kes Chin's Souvenirs, before joining the Granville Williams Orchestra on baritone in a line-up that included the future Skatalites Roland Alphonso and Tommy McCook, plus the guitarist Ernest Ranglin.
Brooks spent a year in the house band at Club 35 in Montego Bay and left soon afterwards for the Bahamas, but before long he tired of performing for tourists. In addition to the jazz of John Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders, he was inspired by a compilation of Ethiopian music he then encountered. He moved to the US in 1968, and enrolled at Combs College of Music in Philadelphia. Meeting Sonny Rollins, Leon Thomas and Sun Ra's Arkestra greatly expanded his musical and philosophical horizons.
Brooks returned to Jamaica in 1970 and began recording at Studio One, making an instant impact on Burning Spear's Door Peep. With the trumpeter David Madden, Brooks recorded some forceful instrumentals under the name Im & David, of which Money Maker was the most popular. Determined to start an afrocentric group that would explore Jamaica's rich musical traditions and the Rastafari faith, Brooks and Madden then formed the Mystics, aiming to push the boundaries of jazz-influenced reggae.
In 1971, the Mystics appeared alongside Count Ossie's Rastafarian drum troupe, and members of both groups combined to form Mystic Revelation of Rastafari. Hugely influential in the broader Caribbean and its diaspora, the group toured Guyana, Trinidad, the US and Canada in 1972. Their debut album was a wild triple-disc set called Grounation (1973).
That year, Brooks began running music workshops at the University of the West Indies, and formed the group Divine Light, holding daily workshops and monthly concerts at his home, as well as weekly sessions at the Turntable club in Kingston. Their debut album, From Mento to Reggae to Third World Music (1973, in the UK in 1975), explored traditional folk forms.
The group was renamed Light of Saba in 1974 and the eponymous album that soon surfaced was a complex stew of instrumental reggae jazz with African rhythmic underpinnings. The following year, the group toured Cuba at the request of Fidel Castro, and Brooks was prominently featured on the Mystic Revelation of Rastafari's wonderful second album, Tales of Mozambique. Light of Saba in Reggae (1976) was also superb and, although less grand in structure, Brooks's 1977 Studio One album, Im Flash Forward, was excellent, highlighting the emotive power of his melodies.
By the time Light of Saba's album Sabebe surfaced at the end of the 70s, Brooks had formed United Africa, which had over 30 members, their eponymous 1978 album a masterpiece of afrocentric big-band reggae jazz. In 1980 Brooks appeared prominently on another Mystic Revelation of Rastafari album, the less compelling One Truth. He then moved to New York and his output slowed, though after long periods of study in Ethiopia, he joined Carlos Malcolm for studio recordings in 1998 and then joined the Skatalites following the death of Alphonso.
Brooks is survived by seven children.
• Cedric Brooks, musician, composer and arranger, born 1943; died 3 May 2013I hope to do something that solves the problems of the people of Pakistan, says Ashraf.
KARACHI: Newly elected Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has said that he asked Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) chief and spiritual leader of Hurr community, Pir Pagara Sibghatullah Rashdi, to pray on his behalf that he achieves big goals in his “little tenure”, Express News reported.
Speaking outside Kingri House after meeting with Pir Pagara, Ashraf said, “I hope to do something that solves the problems of the people of Pakistan.”
Ashraf also thanked Pir Pagara for the “delicious food” he offered him during the meeting.
“PML-F, as our coalition partner, played a very positive and strong role in my election as the prime minister, for which I have come to thank Pir Pagara on behalf of my party’s co-chairman President Asif Ali Zardari.”
The prime minister said that Pir Pagara prayed for them and was very hospitable towards him and his party.
“Our motive is – love for all hatred for none,” said Ashraf. “With the help of our coalition partners and with the vision of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto and President Zardari, we would like to take Pakistan towards progression.”
He said that the two big challenges faced by his government were energy crisis and security situation, particularly in Karachi. “We are striving to bring peace to Karachi which is the economic hub of Pakistan.”
Responding to a question regarding the Opposition’s resistance in his election, he said, “I am here till the party has confidence in me and till God wills so. Nobody elects themselves as a prime minister. This is all God-willing. He can provide to anyone, anytime.”
Prime minister visits Nine Zero
Ashraf, accompanied by the chief minister and governor of Sindh, later arrived at Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) headquarter, Nine Zero. He is the second PPP prime minister to do so.
Speaking at the headquarter, Ashraf assured that the government will do its best to address the issue of peace in Karachi and power crisis as specifically pointed out by Altaf Hussain.
Ashraf said that he follows the vision of his leader Benazir Bhutto, which dictates solving problems with love and unity.
“Love is the only way out and my message to “Altaf bhai” is of love,” he said.
Stating that issues raised by the MQM chief are 100% valid, Ashraf said his advice and input are very important and the government will solve problems keeping his suggestions in mind.
Describing his journey from an average PPP worker to the prime minister of Pakistan, Ashraf said that he is aware of the issues faced by the people belonging to the middle and lower classes of the society.
“I have been through similar problems as I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth,” he said.
While being thankful to what he has achieved so far, he said he will not let the people down who have trusted him and will solve problems to the best of his abilities.
“I want people to love and respect me because of my work,” he said.
Read full storyOmega-3 fatty acids, which are found naturally in oily fish, are widely hailed for their anti-inflammatory properties which are thought to protect against a raft of maladies including heart attacks and strokes, arthritis and various cancers.
But a study found that men with high levels of omega-3 in their blood were at 43 per cent greater risk of prostate cancer than those with low concentrations, while less common aggressive “high-grade” tumours were 71 per cent more likely than in those not taking supplements.
The difference in blood concentrations of the fatty acids between the two groups was the equivalent of more than two portions of salmon per week, researchers said.
The team from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle compared blood samples from 834 prostate cancer patient against 1,393 healthy controls.
Previous studies into prostate cancer and omega-3 have produced differing results, with some suggesting the fatty acids could be protective rather than harmful, but the researchers said the new findings support an earlier paper they published in 2011.
Dr Alan Kristal, senior author of the paper, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, said: “We’ve shown once again that use of nutritional supplements may be harmful.”
It is unclear why omega-3 increased the risk of the disease but the effect could be related to the body’s conversion of fatty acids into compounds which can damage cells and DNA, and suppress the immune system, researchers said.
The study did not examine how omega-3 might affect the progression of prostate cancer in men who already had the disease.
Omega-3 is one of the most popular supplements sold on the high street, with estimated sales of £116 million each year in Britain alone.
Each year around 41,000 men in the UK are diagnosed with prostate cancer and 11,000 die from the disease.
Dr Iain Frame, Director of Research at Prostate Cancer UK said: “Omega 3, such as is found in oily fish, has been the focus of a large amount of research in recent years, the majority of which points to it having wide ranging health benefits when eaten as part of a balanced diet.
“Therefore we would not encourage any man to change their diet as a result of this study, but to speak to their doctor if they have any concerns about prostate cancer.”
Sarah Williams, health information officer at Cancer Research UK, said: “The evidence as to whether omega 3 fats affect prostate cancer risk is mixed and unfortunately this study doesn’t resolve the debate. Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers, and the risk increases as men get older."Pittsburgh kicks off its 22nd and final season of Big East conference play when it travels to face Cincinnati in Nippert Stadium at 8:00 on ESPN. A year ago next week, Pittsburgh and Syracuse worked out an agreement to leave the Big East for the Atlantic Coast Conference. The move nearly killed the Big East. It ultimately led to West Virginia (and Louisville, unsuccessfully) seeking membership elsewhere. The moves left Louisville, Cincinnati, Rutgers, Connecticut, and South Florida inches from being orphans in the college football landscape. Looking back, Pittsburgh could've been the model Big East football program. Instead, fans of the schools left behind can't help but cheer its demise.
Pittsburgh has accomplished virtually nothing in two-plus decades of Big East football. The school has been playing football in the Big East since the conference decided to sponsor football beginning in 1991. At that time, the Panthers were just 15 years removed from winning a national championship under Johnny Majors and were just ten years removed from posting their third straight 11-1 season under Jackie Sherrill. Yet, since joining the Big East, Pittsburgh has claimed no outright conference championships Both titles were shared. One, in 2004, a year where three of the better programs were set to leave the league for the ACC. They also won a share of the 2010 title.
Meanwhile, since 2005, when Cincinnati, Louisville, and South Florida joined, those three programs and Connecticut (which only began playing division-I football in 2000 and joined the Big East for football in 2004), have combined to win at least a share of 7 Big East titles. In 1981, South Florida didn't play football. Louisville played in a rickety little stadium on the Kentucky Fairgrounds. It drew 21,000 people to its season opener against Toledo. Connecticut was a Division I-AA program. In 1981, Pittsburgh already had a recent national title, a Heisman Trophy winner just five years ago, and Dan Marino. In the 30 years since Jackie Sherrill left, the Panthers amassed a mediocre 186-169-1 record.
Everything has been in place for Pittsburgh to be the model football program in the Big East. Pittsburgh fit the original model of Big East membership, being a major university in a large metropolitan area. Off the field, Pittsburgh is an enormous university of almost 30,000 students, located in a large, vibrant city. The school is well respected in the academic community. It's a member of the AAU. It's in a state that producers plenty of quality college football players and neighbors Ohio. On the field, Pittsburgh was one of the few original Big East schools that had a long, successful football history. The Panthers had both distant (seven national championships before World War II, recognized by various organizations) and recent success (1976 championship, 50-9 the five seasons following).
When the Big East has been criticized for not performing on the field, especially in the post-ACC raid, BCS era, that criticism has been due more to Pittsburgh than anyone else. Other schools have performed worse in the past seven years (Syracuse, ironically), but little was expected of them as they declined in the post-Pasqualoni era. Pittsburgh was the school that was still recruiting marginally top 25 classes. Pittsburgh was the school that pundits insisted should be considered for the preseason top 25 based on the talent at hand. Pittsburgh was the school delivering players like Darrelle Revis, LeSean McCoy and Larry Fitzgerald to the NFL. It even plays in an NFL stadium which, while not always creating a wonderful environment like some well known college venues, is still a great place to watch a football game. Nevertheless, when a college football fan turns on a Pitt game on ESPN, he's more likely to see the yellow seats of Heinz Field than Pitt fans.
Rather than being a rebuttal to the constant criticisms of the Big East, Pittsburgh was the school South Florida would get its first major Division I win against.. Pittsburgh was the school getting creamed by upstart Utah in the Fiesta Bowl. Pittsburgh was the school losing a weeknight game at Ohio. Pittsburgh was the school losing at home to Bowling Green. Pittsburgh was the school that fired its coach after winning a share of the conference title, hired a replacement who embarrassed the program so much he was fired before he could sign a recruiting class, went to a bowl game with no head coach, and then hired a fast-talking replacement who subsequently left in less than a calendar year. Since powers Miami, Boston College, and Virginia Tech left the Big East, Pittsburgh has still managed to finish the season ranked in the top 25 just once.
Now, Pittsburgh is a lame-duck member that lost at home to open the 2012 season to an FCS team. Pittsburgh's president led the charge to turn down an ESPN television offer that, while less than what would've been offered on the open market, likely would've kept the league intact. Pittsburgh sued the league for lost revenue because TCU didn't come. TCU didn't come because Pitt decided to leave.
Now, Pittsburgh prepares to exit the Big East for safe harbor in one the "power conferences". Like a spoiled teenager whose parents hire wealthy attorneys to repeatedly bail him out, Pittsburgh waits to be bailed out of its underachievement based on the feedback of network executives and college presidents. While Pittsburgh routinely did less with more, upstarts like Cincinnati, Louisville, South Florida, and Connecticut built respectable programs with real accomplishments at considerable disadvantages (I haven't even mentioned West Virginia or the job Rutgers has done over the past decade in any of this). Yet, beginning next year, Pittsburgh will be on the good side of the narrative about "power conferences", despite accomplishing nothing and leaving far better programs far worse off in its wake.
That's why, beginning at 8:00 p.m., Cincinnati, Rutgers, Louisville, South Florida, and Connecticut fans probably can't help but hope the Panthers take it on the chin one last time.This article is about the temperature regulating device. For the French cooking oven temperature scale, see Gas Mark § Other cooking temperature scales
Next Generation Lux Products TX9600TS Universal 7-Day Programmable Touch Screen Thermostat.
A Honeywell electronic thermostat in a retail store
A thermostat is a component which senses the temperature of a physical system and performs actions so that the system's temperature is maintained near a desired setpoint.
Thermostats are used in any device or system that heats or cools to a setpoint temperature, examples include building heating, central heating, air conditioners, HVAC systems, water heaters, as well as kitchen equipment including ovens and refrigerators and medical and scientific incubators. In scientific literature, these devices are often broadly classified as thermostatically controlled loads (TCLs). Thermostatically controlled loads comprise roughly 50% of the overall electricity demand in the United States.[1]
A thermostat operates as a "closed loop" control device, as it seeks to reduce the error between the desired and measured temperatures. Sometimes a thermostat combines both the sensing and control action elements of a controlled system, such as in an automotive thermostat.
The word thermostat is derived from the Greek words θερμός thermos, "hot" and στατός statos, "standing, stationary".
Overview [ edit ]
A thermostat exerts control by switching heating or cooling devices on or off, or by regulating the flow of a heat transfer fluid as needed, to maintain the correct temperature. A thermostat can often be the main control unit for a heating or cooling system, in applications ranging from ambient air control, to such as automotive coolant control. Thermostats are used in any device or system that heats or cools to a setpoint temperature, examples include building heating, central heating, air conditioners, as well as kitchen equipment including ovens and refrigerators and medical and scientific incubators.
Construction [ edit ]
Thermostats use different types of sensors to measure the temperature. In one form, the mechanical thermostat, a bimetallic strip in the form of a coil directly operates electrical contacts that control the heating or cooling source. Electronic thermostats, instead, use a thermistor or other semiconductor sensor that requires amplification and processing to control the heating or cooling equipment. A thermostat is an example of a "bang-bang controller" as the heating or cooling equipment output is not proportional to the difference between actual temperature and the temperature setpoint. Instead, the heating or cooling equipment runs at full capacity until the set temperature is reached, then shuts off. Increasing the difference between the thermostat setting and the desired temperature therefore does not change the time to achieve the desired temperature. The rate at which the target system temperature can change is determined both by the capacity of the heating or cooling equipment to respectively add or remove heat to or from a target system and the capacity of the target system to store heat.
To prevent excessively rapid cycling of the equipment when the temperature is near the setpoint, a thermostat can include some hysteresis. Instead of changing from "on" to "off" and vice versa instantly at the set temperature, a thermostat with hysteresis will not switch until the temperature has changed a little past the set temperature point. For example, a refrigerator set to 2°C might not start the cooling compressor until its food compartment's temperature reaches 3°C, and will keep it running until the temperature has been lowered to 1 °C. This reduces the risk of equipment wear from too frequent switching, although it introduces a target system temperature oscillation of a certain magnitude.
To improve the comfort of the occupants of heated or air-conditioned spaces, bimetal sensor thermostats can include an "anticipator" system to slightly warm the temperature sensor while the heating equipment is operating, or to slightly warm the sensor when the cooling system is not operating. When correctly adjusted this reduces any excessive hysteresis in the system and reduces the magnitude of temperature variations. Electronic thermostats have an electronic equivalent. [2]
Sensor types [ edit ]
Early technologies included mercury thermometers with electrodes inserted directly through the glass, so that when a certain (fixed) temperature was reached the contacts would be closed by the mercury. These were accurate to within a degree of temperature.
Common sensor technologies in use today include:
These may then control the heating or cooling apparatus using:
Direct mechanical control
Electrical signals
Pneumatic signals
History [ edit ]
Possibly the earliest recorded examples of thermostat control were built by the Dutch innovator Cornelis Drebbel (1572–1633) around 1620 in England. He invented a mercury thermostat to regulate the temperature of a chicken incubator.[3] This is one of the first recorded feedback-controlled devices.
Modern thermostat control was developed in the 1830s by Andrew Ure (1778–1857), a Scottish chemist, who invented the bi-metallic thermostat. The textile mills of the time needed a constant and steady temperature to operate optimally, so to achieve this Ure designed the bimetallic thermostat, which would bend as one of the metals expanded in response to the increased temperature and cut off the energy supply.[4]
Warren S. Johnson (1847–1911) of Wisconsin patented a bi-metal room thermostat in 1883, and two years later filed a patent for the first multi-zone thermostatic control system.[5][6] Albert Butz (1849–1905) invented the electric thermostat and patented it in 1886.
One of the first industrial uses of the thermostat was in the regulation of the temperature in poultry incubators. Charles Hearson, a British engineer, designed the first modern incubator for eggs that was taken up for use on poultry farms in 1879. The incubators incorporated an accurate thermostat to regulate the temperature so as to precisely simulate the experience of an egg being hatched naturally.[7]
Mechanical thermostats [ edit ]
This covers only devices which both sense and control using purely mechanical means.
Bimetal [ edit ]
Domestic water and steam based central heating systems have traditionally been controlled by bi-metallic strip thermostats, and this is dealt with later in this article. Purely mechanical control has been localised steam or hot-water radiator bi-metallic thermostats which regulated the individual flow. However, thermostatic radiator valves (TRV) are now being widely used.
Purely mechanical thermostats are used to regulate dampers in some rooftop turbine vents, reducing building heat loss in cool or cold periods.
Some automobile passenger heating systems have a thermostatically controlled valve to regulate the water flow and temperature to an adjustable level. In older vehicles the thermostat controls the application of engine vacuum to actuators that control water valves and flappers to direct the flow of air. In modern vehicles, the vacuum actuators may be operated by small solenoids under the control of a central computer.
Wax pellet [ edit ]
Automotive [ edit ]
Car engine thermostat
Perhaps the most common example of purely mechanical thermostat technology in use today is the internal combustion engine cooling system thermostat, used to maintain the engine near its optimum operating temperature by regulating the flow of coolant to an air-cooled radiator. This type of thermostat operates using a sealed chamber containing a wax pellet that melts and expands at a set temperature. The expansion of the chamber operates a rod which opens a valve when the operating temperature is exceeded. The operating temperature is determined by the composition of the wax. Once the operating temperature is reached, the thermostat progressively increases or decreases its opening in response to temperature changes, dynamically balancing the coolant recirculation flow and coolant flow to the radiator to maintain the engine temperature in the optimum range.
On many automobile engines, including all Chrysler Group and General Motors products, the thermostat does not restrict flow to the heater core. The passenger side tank of the radiator is used as a bypass to the thermostat, flowing through the heater core. This prevents formation of steam pockets before the thermostat opens, and allows the heater to function before the thermostat opens. Another benefit is that there is still some flow through the radiator if the thermostat fails.
Shower and other hot water controls [ edit ]
A thermostatic mixing valve uses a wax pellet to control the mixing of hot and cold water. A common application is to permit operation of an electric water heater at a temperature hot enough to kill Legionella bacteria (above 60 °C (140 °F)), while the output of the valve produces water that is cool enough to not immediately scald (49 °C (120 °F)).
Analysis [ edit ]
A wax pellet driven valve can be analyzed through graphing the wax pellet's hysteresis which consists of two thermal expansion curves; extension (motion) vs. temperature increase, and contraction (motion) vs. temperature decrease. The spread between the up and down curves visually illustrate the valve's hysteresis; there is always hysteresis within wax driven valves due to the phase change between solids and liquids. Hysteresis can be controlled with specialized blended mixes of hydrocarbons; tight hysteresis is what most desire, however some applications require broader ranges. Wax pellet driven valves are used in anti scald, freeze protection, over-temp purge, solar thermal, automotive, and aerospace applications among many others.
Gas expansion [ edit ]
Thermostats are sometimes used to regulate gas ovens. It consists of a gas-filled bulb connected to the control unit by a slender copper tube. The bulb is normally located at the top of the oven. The tube ends in a chamber sealed by a diaphragm. As the thermostat heats up, the gas expands applying pressure to the diaphragm which reduces the flow of gas to the burner.
Pneumatic thermostats [ edit ]
A pneumatic thermostat is a thermostat that controls a heating or cooling system via a series of air-filled control tubes. This "control air" system responds to the pressure changes (due to temperature) in the control tube to activate heating or cooling when required. The control air typically is maintained on "mains" at 15-18 psi (although usually operable up to 20 psi). Pneumatic thermostats typically provide output/ branch/ post-restrictor (for single-pipe operation) pressures of 3-15 psi which is piped to the end device (valve/ damper actuator/ pneumatic-electric switch, etc.).[8]
The pneumatic thermostat was invented by Warren Johnson in 1895[9] soon after he invented the electric thermostat. In 2009, Harry Sim was awarded a patent for a pneumatic-to-digital interface[10] that allows pneumatically controlled buildings to be integrated with building automation systems to provide similar benefits as direct digital control (DDC).
A wax pellet driven valve can be analyzed by graphing the wax pellet's hysteresis which consists of two thermal expansion curves; extension (motion) vs. temperature increase, and contraction (motion) vs. temperature decrease. The spread between the up and down curves visually illustrate the valve's hysteresis; there is always hysteresis within wax driven technology due to the phase change between solids and liquids. Hysteresis can be controlled with specialized blended mixes of hydrocarbons; tight hysteresis is what most desire, however specialized engineering applications require broader ranges. Wax pellet driven valves are used in anti scald, freeze protection, over-temp purge, solar thermal, automotive, and aerospace applications among many others.
Electrical and analog electronic thermostats [ edit ]
Bimetallic switching thermostats [ edit ]
Bimetallic thermostat for buildings.
Water and steam based central heating systems have traditionally had overall control by wall-mounted bi-metallic strip thermostats. These sense the air temperature using the differential expansion of two metals to actuate an on/off switch. Typically the central system would be switched on when the temperature drops below the setpoint on the thermostat, and switched off when it rises above, with a few degrees of hysteresis to prevent excessive switching. Bi-metallic sensing is now being superseded by electronic sensors. A principal use of the bi-metallic thermostat today is in individual electric convection heaters, where control is on/off, based on the local air temperature and the setpoint desired by the user. These are also used on air-conditioners, where local control is required.
Simple two wire thermostats [ edit ]
Millivolt thermostat mechanism
The illustration is the interior of a common two wire heat-only household thermostat, used to regulate a gas-fired heater via an electric gas valve. Similar mechanisms may also be used to control oil furnaces, boilers, boiler zone valves, electric attic fans, electric furnaces, electric baseboard heaters, and household appliances such as refrigerators, coffee pots and hair dryers. The power through the thermostat is provided by the heating device and may range from millivolts to 240 volts in common North American construction, and is used to control the heating system either directly (electric baseboard heaters and some electric furnaces) or indirectly (all gas, oil and forced hot water systems). Due to the variety of possible voltages and currents available at the thermostat, caution must be taken when selecting a replacement device.
Setpoint control lever. This is moved to the right for a higher temperature. The round indicator pin in the center of the second slot shows through a numbered slot in the outer case. Bimetallic strip wound into a coil. The center of the coil is attached to a rotating post attached to lever (1). As the coil gets colder the moving end — carrying (4) — moves clockwise. Flexible wire. The left side is connected via one wire of a pair to the heater control valve. Moving contact attached to the bimetal coil. Thence, to the heater's controller. Fixed contact screw. This is adjusted by the manufacturer. It is connected electrically by a second wire of the pair to the thermocouple and the heater's electrically operated gas valve. Magnet. This ensures a good contact when the contact closes. It also provides hysteresis to prevent short heating cycles, as the temperature must be raised several degrees before the contacts will open. As an alternative, some thermostats instead use a mercury switch on the end of the bimetal coil. The weight of the mercury on the end of the coil tends to keep it there, also preventing short heating cycles. However, this type of thermostat is banned in many countries due to its highly and permanently toxic nature if broken. When replacing these thermostats they must be regarded as chemical waste.
Not shown in the illustration is a separate bimetal thermometer on the outer case to show the actual temperature at the thermostat.
Millivolt thermostats [ edit ]
As illustrated in the use of the thermostat above, all of the power for the control system is provided by a thermopile which is a combination of many stacked thermocouples, heated by the pilot light. The thermopile produces sufficient electrical power to drive a low-power gas valve, which under control of one or more thermostat switches, in turn controls the input of fuel to the burner.
This type of device is generally considered obsolete as pilot lights can waste a surprising amount of gas (in the same way a dripping faucet can waste a large amount of water over an extended period), and are also no longer used on stoves, but are still to be found in many gas water heaters and gas fireplaces. Their poor efficiency is acceptable in water heaters, since most of the energy "wasted" on the pilot still represents a direct heat gain for the water tank. The Millivolt system also makes it unnecessary for a special electrical circuit to be run to the water heater or furnace; these systems are often completely self-sufficient and can run without any external electrical power supply. For tankless "on demand" water heaters, pilot ignition is preferable because it is faster than hot-surface ignition and more reliable than spark ignition.
Some programmable thermostats - those that offer simple "millivolt" or "two-wire" modes - will control these systems.
24 volt thermostats [ edit ]
The majority of modern heating/cooling/heat pump thermostats operate on low voltage (typically 24 volts AC) control circuits. The source of the 24 volt AC power is a control transformer installed as part of the heating/cooling equipment. The advantage of the low voltage control system is the ability to operate multiple electromechanical switching devices such as relays, contactors, and sequencers using inherently safe voltage and current levels.[11] Built into the thermostat is a provision for enhanced temperature control using anticipation. A heat anticipator generates a small amount of additional heat to the sensing element while the heating appliance is operating. This opens the heating contacts slightly early to prevent the space temperature from greatly overshooting the thermostat setting. A mechanical heat anticipator is generally adjustable and should be set to the current flowing in the heating control circuit when the system is operating. A cooling anticipator generates a small amount of additional heat to the sensing element while the cooling appliance is not operating. This causes the contacts to energize the cooling equipment slightly early, preventing the space temperature from climbing excessively. Cooling anticipators are generally non-adjustable.
Electromechanical thermostats use resistance elements as anticipators. Most electronic thermostats use either thermistor devices or integrated logic elements for the anticipation function. In some electronic thermostats, the thermistor anticipator may be located outdoors, providing a variable anticipation depending on the outdoor temperature. Thermostat enhancements include outdoor temperature display, programmability, and system fault indication. While such 24 volt thermostats are incapable of operating a furnace when the mains power fails, most such furnaces require mains power for heated air fans (and often also hot-surface or electronic spark ignition) rendering moot the functionality of the thermostat. In other circumstances such as piloted wall and "gravity" (fanless) floor and central heaters the low voltage system described previously may be capable of remaining functional when electrical power is unavailable.
There are no standards for wiring color codes, but convention has settled on the following terminal codes and colors.[12][13] In all cases, the manufacturer's instructions should be considered definitive.
Terminal Code Color Description R / V Red 24 volt Rh / 4 Red 24 volt HEAT load Rc Red 24 volt COOL load C Black/Blue/Brown 24 volt Common (Ground) W / W1 White Heat W2 Varies/White/Black 2nd Stage / Backup Heat Y / Y1 Yellow Cool Y2 Blue/Orange/Purple/Yellow/White 2nd Stage Cool G Green Fan O Varies/Orange/Black Reversing valve Energize to Cool (Heat Pump) B Varies/Blue/Black/Brown/Orange Reversing valve Energize to Heat (Heat Pump) or Common E Varies/Blue/Pink/Gray/Tan Emergency Heat (Heat Pump) S1/S2 Brown/Black/Blue Temperature Sensor (Usually outdoors on a Heat Pump System) T Varies/Tan/Gray Outdoor Anticipator Reset X Varies Emergency Heat (Heat Pump) or Common X2 Varies 2nd stage/emergency heating or indicator lights L Varies Service Light
Line voltage thermostats [ edit ]
Line voltage thermostats are most commonly used for electric space heaters such as a baseboard heater or a direct-wired electric furnace. If a line voltage thermostat is used, system power (in the United States, 120 or 240 volts) is directly switched by the thermostat. With switching current often exceeding 40 amperes, using a low voltage thermostat on a line voltage circuit will result at least in the failure of the thermostat and possibly a fire. Line voltage thermostats are sometimes used in other applications, such as the control of fan-coil (fan powered from line voltage blowing through a coil of tubing which is either heated or cooled by a larger system) units in large systems using centralized boilers and chillers, or to control circulation pumps in hydronic heating applications.
Some programmable thermostats are available to control line-voltage systems. Baseboard heaters will especially benefit from a programmable thermostat which is capable of continuous control (as are at least some Honeywell models), effectively controlling the heater like a lamp dimmer, and gradually increasing and decreasing heating to ensure an extremely constant room temperature (continuous control rather than relying on the averaging effects of hysteresis). Systems which include a fan (electric furnaces, wall heaters, etc.) must typically use simple on/off controls.
Digital electronic thermostats [ edit ]
Residential digital thermostat
Lux Products WIN100 Heating & Cooling Programmable Outlet Thermostat shown with control door closed and open.
Newer digital thermostats have no moving parts to measure temperature and instead rely on thermistors or other semiconductor devices such as a resistance thermometer (resistance temperature detector). Typically one or more regular batteries must be installed to operate it, although some so-called "power stealing" digital thermostats use the common 24 volt AC circuits as a power source, but will not operate on thermopile powered "millivolt" circuits used in some furnaces. Each has an LCD screen showing the current temperature, and the current setting. Most also have a clock, and time-of-day and even day-of-week settings for the temperature, used for comfort and energy conservation. Some advanced models have touch screens, or the ability to work with home automation or building automation systems.
Digital thermostats use either a relay or a semiconductor device such as triac to act as a switch to control the HVAC unit. Units with relays will operate millivolt systems, but often make an audible "click" noise when switching on or off.
HVAC systems with the ability to modulate their output can be combined with thermostats that have a built-in PID controller to achieve smoother operation. There are also modern thermost |
0 Stephano Bly 2 1 HeRoMaRinE KrasS 0 2 Grubby Grubby W - Stephano Group B [ edit ] Group B May 11, 2013 - 12:00 CEST 1. LucifroN 5-0 10-3 2. Happy 3-2 8-5 3. Socke 3-2 8-6 4. monchi 3-2 7-6 5. DIMAGA 1-4 2-8 6. Nerchio 0-5 3-10 Group A Matches Nerchio 1 2 LucifroN Socke 2 1 monchi monchi 2 1 Nerchio Happy 2 0 DIMAGA Nerchio 0 2 Happy monchi 2 0 DIMAGA LucifroN 2 1 Socke DIMAGA 0 2 LucifroN Socke 2 1 Nerchio Happy 1 2 monchi Happy 2 1 Socke Socke 2 0 DIMAGA Happy 1 2 LucifroN LucifroN 2 0 monchi DIMAGA W - Nerchio
Key Matches Won-Lost | Games Won-Lost Advance to Semifinals Advances to Round of 6 Fate not yet determined. Eliminated.
Playoffs [ edit ]
Round 1 HeRoMaRinE 3 Socke 2 Happy 2 Grubby 3 Round 2 LucifroN 3 HeRoMaRinE 2 Kas 2 Grubby 3 Finals LucifroN 4 Grubby 1 3rd Place Match HeRoMaRinE 0 Kas 3
Livestream [ edit ]
See Also [ edit ]A Houston man was sentenced to 220 months in prison today for sex trafficking of a minor, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson of the Southern District of Texas.
Deangelo Tate, 27, pleaded guilty to one count of sex trafficking of children on Dec. 16, 2016. Today, U.S. District Judge Gray H. Miller of the Southern District of Texas in Houston sentenced Tate and also ordered him to serve 10 years of supervised release and to pay $20,000 in restitution.
According to admissions made in connection with his guilty plea, between Jan. 13, 2015, and March 16, 2015, Tate posted classified advertisements on backpage.com promoting the prostitution of a 17-year-old minor female. Tate admitted that he also rented hotel rooms in Corpus Christi, Texas, and Houston to serve as the location for commercial sex acts between the minor female and male customers. Tate transported the minor female to the hotels, collected all of the money from the completed sex acts and became physically violent with the minor female if she did not follow Tate’s orders, he admitted. Tate was aware that the victim was a minor and stated in a conversation recorded by law enforcement that the girl had no credibility because of her age.
The FBI investigated this case with assistance from the Houston Police Department and the Corpus Christi Police Department. Trial Attorney Lauren Britsch of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri L. Zack of the Southern District of Texas prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.A kid and his mom are headed to set up his birthday in a park when they come across a dead body being eaten by rats. Based on livor mortis, Saroyan estimates he has been dead for 10-12 hours. There is basically no blood left in the body. Brennan uses the mandibular rami to estimate he was male, but age-at-death is difficult: the wear on his teeth suggests he was in his 40s, while his gums place him in a much older age bracket.
Back at the lab, Brennan figures from the zygomatic arch that the victim was male and the length of his femur places him at about 5'10". There are fragmentation wounds on the left clavicle, scapula, and femur, suggestive of IED shrapnel residue. Multiple signs of trauma are also indicative of a battle, and swollen prepatellar bursae mean the man was either a manual laborer or a religious leader. Brennan gets an inkling of who it is -- she asks to see the inner ear ossicles, and there is a fracture to the stapes. Angela's facial reconstruction confirms it: Brennan is looking at Aldo Clemens, the chaplain in Booth's army unit who married them several years ago.
Apparently Aldo hadn't been doing well lately. He was in multiple fights, as the Jeffersonian team sees antemortem contusions on his right and left metacarpals, fractures to his ribs, as well as to the zygomatic process of his left maxilla. Saroyan also finds evidence of degeneration of the liver, suggesting he was a heavy drug user, and based on needle marks on the proximal foot phalanges, Warren thinks it might have been heroin. Hodgins swabs the bones and finds a unique cocktail, which Angela is able to trace to a set of known and suspected dealers through the DEA database. Because the most recent fractures were from a left-handed assailant, they narrow their suspect pool to Jake Tompkins.
Booth and Aubrey visit Jake, who admits that he recognizes Aldo's picture. He says he hasn't seen Aldo in a while, as he had gotten weird, claiming someone was following him. Booth takes Jake's video doorbell to give to Angela. She uses facial recognition software to find the car that was following Aldo -- a 1997 Intrepid. She also cross-references that with traffic cams and finds that the car belongs to Ted McKinney, who served in Booth's unit.
Ted is already mad at Booth for not hanging out with them at the VFW more. So Booth hauls him into the FBI and questions him because of course that's not a violation of protocol or anything. Ted admits he was stalking Aldo but denies killing him. Rather, he says he saw the moment Aldo was taken -- and kicks himself for not doing anything about it.
But something about the ribs fractures seems off to Warren. She notes that there are two different kinds of rat bites on the anterior surface of the ribs and sternum, suggesting some were made perimortem and others postmortem. Immunohistological tests show that Aldo was alive when the rats were eating his torso. Contusions to the ribs are consistent with a cage being pressed up against it, and Brennan thinks Aldo was being tortured. Placing rats in a cage and lighting a fire at the top causes them to run to the bottom -- and to claw into and eat whatever they're placed against.
This causes Hodgins to wonder if the rats transferred anything to Aldo's ribs while they were gnawing on them. He finds particulates of lead paint which, along with professional grade acoustic foam he found in a silverfish on Aldo's body, leads him to conclude that they might be looking for an abandoned recording studio. Based on the path away from the park that doesn't involve a lot of cameras, Angela narrows this down to the Anacostia Recording Studio.
Booth and Brennan go to the suspected torture chamber, without any backup because of course, and find some odd stuff. There is a table with blood all over it and duct tape restraints. There is an xray of a skull that has a hole from a high-powered bullet in it, with writing in Serbian. And -- oh look, there's a bomb! Booth and Brennan escape just in time for their kids not to be orphans.
One thing puzzles the team, though: the fractures to C1 and C2 vertebrae seem to suggest that Aldo's neck was snapped, paralyzing him and killing him relatively quickly. Based on the frayed tape, they figure that Aldo had gotten himself at least partially out of his restraints and used the leverage of his body and head to snap his own neck. Brennan calls this a suicide, but Booth thinks it's a sacrifice -- he thinks Aldo was protecting someone.
Back home, Booth fills Brennan in. He thinks the xray is of the warlord he killed in Bosnia. He was ordered to take the shot, and had to do it in front of the guy's son. Booth is convinced that Aldo's torture and killing is about revenge on his unit and ultimately on him as the sniper.
Anthropological Comments
Most things were OK this week. One bit was troubling -- Brennan uses the left zygomatic to figure out ancestry, but later talks about the left zygomatic arch of the maxilla. They're not the same bone, but they're next to each other, meaning the zygomatic was probably broken. It's not good practice to use fragmented or compromised bone for assessing things like sex, age, or ancestry.
As usual, the lower arm bones were not in standard anatomical position on the Jeffersonian table. Maybe in the last episode of this last season, they'll do it the right way? Just this once? Just for meeeeeeee?
While I know it's a TV convention, in this episode the practice of finding only some fractures, and then others, and then still others annoyed me quite a bit. If you do your job right, you find them all at the same time.
I don't buy the presence of hairline fractures in the stapes 14 years after the fact.
As usual, ID was never confirmed with DNA, dental records, etc.
Plot Comments
Was there a good explanation for the exsanguination of Aldo's body? Just rats, I guess? And did they follow him to the park, or were those, like, park rats?
I normally give a pass to the Angela and Hodgins techniques, but they were all pretty ridiculous this week. Swabbing for heroin in bones? Cross-referencing terrible doorbell camera footage with DMV traffic cams from D.C. for months? Nah. Special DEA database of suspected drug dealers for which there is absolutely no evidence? Nah---er, yeah, probably.
Booth and Brennan never bring backup. Like, at least take Aubrey with you.
Booth questions his old army buddy about a murder. Because of course.
Aubrey's dad should figure in to an upcoming episode, I guess.
Also, I lost the original draft of this, so I'm probably forgetting some things... hit me up in the comments!
Rating
The forensics were fine, except for the practice of reporting the fractures piecemeal. I give "The Price for the Past" an A-.
Read More Bones ReviewsPunished for the Crimes of Others
When everyone at your job is forced to attend an unexpected sexual harassment workshop, you can figure one of the Vice Presidents was hiking the Appalachian Trail. And when there’s an unannounced class on ethics, it’s a safe bet the CFO got caught with his hand in the till.
Similarly, when Uncle Sam’s global adventures result in some terrorist blowback to the “Homeland,” we all wind up suffering for it. Jerry Garcia’s phrase, “doing time for some other f*cker’s crime,” seems appropriate.
Consider the extent to which our movements are regulated and we’re spied upon for the sake of “fighting terrorism.” Our residual status as “Land of the Free” has been replaced by a lockdown, “papers please” culture.
Your bank snoops your account for the feds, looking for any suspicious movement of money that might be associated with the financing of terrorism. The NSA snoops your emails and long-distance phone conversations.
The TSA Gestapo running the internal passport checkpoints strip you down to your socks and toss your shampoo bottles–and that’s if you’re lucky. If they don’t like your facial expression or choice of airplane reading matter, or your membership in the Wobblies or Free State Project puts you on their no-fly list, you may feel a rubber glove tickling the back of your tonsils.
Federal and state police staffers are constantly publishing helpful tips for the local Red Squads, regarding what bumper stickers or organizational memberships may indicate terrorist sympathies.
And if that’s not enough, we’re encouraged to spy on each other; the feds periodically try recruiting the plumber, the electrician, and the guy from the gas or power company to keep an eye open for contraband or signs of impermissible opinions inside your house.
But it’s all for our own safety, don’t you know. As Cool Hand Luke would say, you shouldn’t be so good to me, Cap’n.
Never mind that all these measures are likely to be ineffective. Asymmetric warfare is about agility, developing new tactics faster than bureaucrtic national security establishments can react. After months of methodical committee meetings and grinding of organizational wheels, the plodding bureaucrats at Homeland Security spit out a policy brilliantly designed to thwart tactics Al Qaeda used a year ago and were probably smart enough to know would only work once. The national security bureaucrats are always busy developing foolproof methods for winning the last war, like the French spending billions on the Maginot Line.
And never mind the question of their real agenda. Never mind the possibility that the threat of “terrorism,” like that of “drugs,” is just used as an excuse for feeding their power lust. Never mind the likelihood that the state tracks our every movement for the simple reason that, like the rest of us, it wants to know where it’s stuff is–and we’re its stuff.
Let’s just take the justifications at face value, and stipulate that the genuine aim of the policy is a good faith effort to “keep us safe,” to prevent another terrorist attack on the American public.
The fact remains that the primary reason for terrorism isn’t that “they hate our freedoms”–that (even Pat Buchanan gets off a good one now and then) Osama stumbled across the Bill of Rights and went ballistic. The primary reason for terrorism is that word we used earlier–blowback. This is where Krauthammer and Kirkpatrick usually start squealing about “Blame America First.” But the United States has the closest thing to uncontested hegemony in human history; it has military bases and garrisons in half the countries of the world, at least rivals the greatest empires in the number of governments it has overthrown and installed, and has adopted as an explicit national security policy the prevention of any rival to its hegemony. As Noam Chomsky has pointed out, an observer from Mars would probably assume that such a hegemonic global power just MIGHT have something to do with the state of world political and economic affairs.
In virtually every national civil war and insurgency, every ethnically-based territorial dispute, there’s a pretty good chance that United States arm sales, military advisers and CIA shenanigans hold the balance of power. From the standpoint of those engaged in such local conflicts, therefore, influencing American public opinion in a dramatic way is the key to victory.
And that just removes the question of real motivation back a step. The military bases and garrisons, the carrier groups, the military budget that dwarfs those of the rest of the world combined, are there for a purpose. And that purpose is to prop up a global economic and political order. In the immortal words of Maj. Gen. Smedley Butler, USMC,
““I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism…. Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents.”
Lest one dismiss that as the raving of an “America-hater,” consider the commendable frankness of corporate globalization’s number one defender, Tom Friedman:
“‘The hidden hand of the market will never work without a hidden fist. McDonald’s cannot flourish without McDonnell Douglas…. And the hidden fist that keeps the world safe for Silicon Valley’s technologies to flourish is called the US Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps.”
(Of course that’s nonsense; the market would work just fine without the national security state. It’s the market that the global corporations really want protection from.)
So every time some goon in uniform demands your papers, take comfort in the fact that we’re all doing our little part to keep the world safe for Bill Gates.Jennifer Cihi, a singer who performed a number of songs for the original English dub of the Sailor Moon anime, will be making an appearance at Anime Zakka, a comic book shop in downtown Boston, on February 20th. Details posted on the Sailor Moon News Facebook Page mention that this free event will be an opportunity to listen to Sailor Moon songs, get an autograph, chat and more.
Anime Zakka has two locations in Boston. This event will be taking place at the location at 350 Newbury Street on Friday February 20th from 5 to 7pm.
Jennifer Cihi, often credited as being the singing voice of Sailor Moon, appears in a number of songs played throughout the series as well as on the three soundtracks which have been released. Her name is credited as Sailor Moon, Princess Serena and Sailor Mars as she has done the vocals for “I Wanna Be A Star!”, “My Only Love”, “Carry On”, “It’s A New Day”, “Call My Name”, “The Power of Love”, “I Want Someone to Love”, “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “Who Do You Think You Are?”.
These CDs are out of print. You can buy them from resellers on Amazon using the links below. Many songs are also available on iTunes.
Possibly Related PostsDid you see that, Fedora, tanned as a roof guard and with that hair!
I love you, Fedora, and I will be faithful to you all my life.
I just want you to realise, Fedora, that you are your own mistress.
"There's nothing in life which I could give her that Fedora sha'n't have," he asserted.
The Fijian—he who had escaped from the massacre of the Fedora—was the guide.
He discovers that it was Fedora who set the secret service on his track.
Fedora, who herself has fallen in love with Loris, now takes him into her arms.
She proved to be Fedora, the wife whom he was suing for divorce.
But Fedora was scheming in her mind how to turn her secret to account.
He batted Johnny the Itch's fedora onto the side of his head.When Kirk Cameron appeared in the post-rapture Left Behind movies he depicted mainstream evangelicalism. Viewed as a wholesome presence in the entertainment industry and profiled in Christianity Today in 2008, his stock rose even further among mainstream evangelicals with the popular Christian film Fireproof. But that was the old Cameron.
With a new film Monumental about to be released, there is a new, more extreme Cameron who is increasingly connected to Christian Reconstruction and dominion theology. When evangelicals go to the theaters next week to see the star of the popular Christian films mentioned above, what they’ll get is the “providential history” of RJ Rushdoony and David Barton. In fact, during a recent interview, Cameron, once the Christian pop-culture embodiment of premillennialism, joined Christian Reconstructionist homeschool leader Doug Philips in laying the blame for the decline in America at the feet of premillennialists waiting for the rapture.
Warren Throckmorton notes Cameron’s reliance on Reconstructionists David Barton and Herb Titus as “experts” in Monumental, presented as though they’re neutral scholars, though RD has shown repeatedly that they are anything but.
Cameron recently returned from the Reconstructionist-inspired San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival (SAICFF) hosted by Doug Phillips and Vision Forum (I wrote about SAICFF and his previous participation here and here) where he and Phillips discussed the theological background to the version of American history presented in the film, showing the subtle influence of Christian Reconstructionism and R.J. Rushdoony’s Biblical Philosophy of History. Cameron tapped into contemporary tea party memes about slavery, which are rooted in Rushdoony, and whether or not the president is a Christian (which is damaging whether interpreted to imply that he’s a Muslim or interpreted in the Reconstructionist way I described here).
“They (the puritans) had a king that had bankrupted the nation, tripled the debt enslaving the people… in essence, claiming to be God on earth as he sat in the church and rammed religion down the throats of the people, claiming to be a Christian,” he said.
This film arises from by Cameron’s shift from the larger premillennialist evangelical world that he depicted in Left Behind to the postmillennialist dominion theology of the Reconstructionists. Or, in plain English, from the belief that the reign of Christ would be ushered in by the end-times or whether the end-times would precede his reign.
As Cameron and Phillips critique rapture theology, Phillips says of the Puritan experiment in America:
“it didn’t happen with people just waiting to get out of here” (i.e. to be raptured).
Cameron agrees and invokes the idea of multigenerational faithfulness promoted by Vision Forum—though VF only advocates a 200-year plan:
“Their attitude (the Puritans) was not ‘uh-oh the beast and the Antichrist is here… let’s just keep our heads down and wait for the end of the world.’ Instead they said, ‘Let’s make a 500 year plan and go start a nation….’”
Phillips adds enthusiastically that “inherently optimistic” Christianity changes the world to accord with the Bible, to which Cameron replies:
“Amen! I didn’t used to think so but I do now.”
We’ve seen Cameron speak out against homosexuality and embrace the far right agenda by speaking at CPAC, but and it remains to be seen if he’ll embrace the rest of the “biblical worldview” promoted by Vision Forum and Christian Reconstruction: biblical patriarchy, eliminating public education, and any public assistance for the poor, etc. In any case I’ll bet that Monumental will be a contender for the Phillips’ Jubilee Award next year.Following the launch of two new iPhone models and iOS 7 earlier this month, Tim Cook today emailed Apple employees thanking them for working tirelessly on the new products and rewarding them with extra, paid time off for the upcoming Thanksgiving holidays.
I realize many of you worked tirelessly to bring us this far. I know it required great personal sacrifice…In recognition of your incredible efforts and achievements, I’m happy to announce that we’re extending the Thanksgiving holiday this year.
Cook announced that Apple will shut down on November 25, 26, and 27 so employees can have the entire week off for the holiday. Retail and AppleCare employees will continue to work on those days to serve customers, but they’ll get the additional, paid time off at a later date along with international employees.
And I am proud to tell you that Apple is also a force for good in our world beyond our products. Whether it’s improving working conditions or the environment, standing up for human rights, helping eliminate AIDS, or reinventing education, Apple is making a substantial contribution to society. None of this would have been possible without you. Our most important resource is not our money, our intellectual property, or any capital asset. Our most important resource — our soul — is our people.
In addition to announcing the additional time off, Cook noted that he visited Apple retail stores during the launch of the iPhone, and also thanked employees for the “substantial contributions” Apple has made to charitable causes.
Cook’s full letter to employees is below:
The best 4K & 5K displays for Mac
Team- It’s been an exciting summer. For the first time, we’ve launched two new iPhone product lines. iOS 7 was created from a deep collaboration between our design and engineering teams, bringing to our customers a stunning new user interface and amazing new features. We unveiled OS X Mavericks and the most powerful Mac ever. The App Store celebrated a new milestone — 50 billion downloads. And we continued to express our love for music with iTunes Radio and the iTunes Festival. I had the opportunity to visit a few of our stores during the iPhone launch. There is no better place to see and feel why Apple is special. The best products on Earth. Energy. Enthusiasm. The best customers in the world. Passionate team members focused on enriching people’s lives. Innovative products that serve humanity’s deepest values and highest aspirations. And I am proud to tell you that Apple is also a force for good in our world beyond our products. Whether it’s improving working conditions or the environment, standing up for human rights, helping eliminate AIDS, or reinventing education, Apple is making a substantial contribution to society. None of this would have been possible without you. Our most important resource is not our money, our intellectual property, or any capital asset. Our most important resource — our soul — is our people. I realize many of you worked tirelessly to bring us this far. I know it required great personal sacrifice. In recognition of your incredible efforts and achievements, I’m happy to announce that we’re extending the Thanksgiving holiday this year. We will shut down with pay on November 25, 26, and 27 so our teams can have the whole week off. Retail, AppleCare and a few other teams will need to work that week so we can continue to serve our customers, but will receive the same number of days off at an alternate time. Please check with your manager for details. Our international teams will schedule the vacation days at a time that is best suited for their specific country. I hope you find the extra time restful and relaxing. You deserve it. Details will be available on AppleWeb soon. I am exceedingly proud of all of you. I am in awe of what you’ve accomplished and couldn’t be more excited about the future. Enjoy the time away! Best,TOWACO, N.J. (CBSNewYork) — Some New Jersey beekeepers are pushing back against proposed regulations that could limit the number of hives they own.
As the temperature drops, some New Jersey beekeeper frustrations are starting to rise.
It’s all because of new proposed regulations that would limit the amount of hives someone can have on their property.
Anything less than a quarter acre and no hives would be allowed. Property between a quarter acre and five acres would be allowed to host two hives.
“Even Washington D.C., one of the most densely populated cities in the country allows four hives on a quarter acre,” Certified Master Beekeeper, Landi Simone said.
Simone gave CBS2’s Marc Liverman an up close look at her honeybees on Midvale Ave in Towaco in Morris County.
“Just a little worker bee. She’s Italian. See how golden she is?” she said.
One of her biggest concerns is that the restricted number of hives could mean that some swarms have nowhere to go.
“Those bees are going to swarm into the woods or into people’s houses. That’s going to be a problem,” she said.
She also said the abandoned swarms would not be managed or treated — creating yet another problem.
“They will become a reservoir for disease because they won’t be managed and treated. They’ll propagate viruses,” she said.
Joe Zoltowski with the New Jersey Department of Agriculture believes the new proposed regulations would actually do the opposite.
“We’re promoting beekeeping, yes, but we also take into account nuisance factor where you have too many bees collected on a particular property and those bees become a nuisance to neighbors or health issues. They have legitimate allergies,” he said.
Zoltowski said there would be a process in place where beekeepers could request to keep more hives.
“Especially in urban locations. We wanted new beekeepers to start with low numbers of colonies and slowly work their way up instead of going the other way,” he said.
Beekeepers have until January 19, to weigh in on the proposal which can still be changed.
Another part of the proposal would require a fence around the bees, and make new beekeepers take a course.The son of a New York mob boss has given Islamic State a stark warning, saying if they are planning any attacks in New York, they will have to contend with the Sicilian mafia. The notorious crime syndicate say they want to do their bit to protect locals.
Giovanni Gambino, the son of a key figure in the Gambino mob organization, says the mafia is in a much better position than security bodies, such as the FBI or Homeland Security, to give New Yorkers the protection they need.
“They often act too late, or fail to see a complete picture of what's happening due to a lack of ‘human intelligence,’” he said in an interview with NBC News, as cited by Reuters, adding that the mafia’s knowledge of individual movements and interaction with locals gives it the upper hand, even compared to the latest surveillance technologies.
Gambino, who is trying to carve out a career as a Hollywood screenwriter, says that, following the horrendous terror attacks in Paris on November 13, protection is more important than ever.
"The world is dangerous today, but people living in New York neighborhoods with Sicilian connections should feel safe," he said. "We make sure our friends and families are protected from extremists and terrorists, especially the brutal, psychopathic organization that calls itself the Islamic State,”
Gambino Jr, who was brought up in Torretta, a mountainous area overlooking Palermo, the capital of Sicily, says that Islamic State (formerly ISIS/ISIL) fear the Sicilian mafia, and this has been one of the main reasons why they have not tried to set up any underground cells in Sicily.
Predictably, the areas in Europe the most protected against ISIS/Daesh are the ones with strong mafia presence. https://t.co/3n621gpKhO … — NassimNicholasTaleb (@nntaleb) November 18, 2015
The Italian island has not suffered from any terrorist attacks and Gambino feels that the mafia can offer protection in New York to help curb the rise of the Islamist terror group and help people see the mob in a new light.
"The mafia has a bad reputation, but much of that's undeserved," says Gambino, who moved to Brooklyn in 1988. "As with everything in life, there are good, bad and ugly parts – the rise of global terrorism gives the mafia a chance to show its good side."The Sex Pistols’s notoriously ill-conceived 1978 tour of the U.S. was one of the more surreal moments in American pop culture history. The band had spent the previous two years violently yanking on England’s stiff upper lip, making international news by, among other things, dropping f-bombs on a London suppertime chat show and timing the release of a single “God Save the Queen”—which declared the prim monarch was fascist and inhuman—to coincide with the silver jubilee celebration of her 25 years on the throne. Though some considered them the embodiment of underclass unrest, the prevailing perception was simpler: that the band’s only interest was offending any and everyone. And so, after being banned from the radio and concert halls at home, singer Johnny Rotten (now John Lydon), bassist Sid Vicious, guitarist Steve Jones, and drummer Paul Cook set out for the States. But Malcolm McLaren, the band’s manager and mastermind who created the Pistols in the mold of an intensely profane, anti-Monkees, had no interest in building the audience. His goal was conflict and the free press it would generate. So he booked the tour throughout the South, and over nine days that January—36 years ago this month—the Pistols played in places like Memphis, Baton Rouge, San Antonio, and Dallas. Trailing them was a phalanx of now-famous photographers—names like Annie Leibovitz and Bob Gruen—who were charged with memorializing this world-class culture clash.
For those of us who were old enough to be aware of the Pistols but too young to attend—I was in the sixth grade in Austin, and my mom wasn’t going to drive me to anything in San Antonio but the Alamo or the zoo—the images are still mesmerizing. There’s heroin addict Sid Vicious onstage in San Antonio, unable to get drugs on the trip, with “Gimme a fix” carved into his chest. Or constitutionally disgruntled Johnny Rotten hunched over and leering at the crowd in Tulsa (or anywhere, really). But one of the most well-known images from the tour doesn’t show any of the band members. It was taken in the parking lot outside Dallas’ storied Longhorn Ballroom, onetime home of Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys, by a young New York rock photographer named Roberta Bayley. It’s a remarkable yet simple photograph, extremely subtle compared to the balance of the coverage. Against a wan, blue sky, a large, barn-shaped sign announces the honkytonk’s name. Closer to the ground, an eight-foot-tall statue of a steer is flanked by two wagon wheels. And in between, a marquee reads “Tonight Sex Pistols, Jan 19 Merle Haggard.” The message is immediate: this was a surreal collision of radically different cultures. Just a glance at the picture and you imagine that, shortly after the sun dipped below the horizon, somebody got his ass kicked.
It was one of the first photographs I looked for when, three years ago, I started Sponglr, a Tumblr examining perceptions of Texas. The blog’s purpose is identified in its subhead: “On Texas: How y’all think we look, and what we actually look like.” Under that rubric I’ve posted or reposted images of Texas icons, stereotypes, and everyday life, some acknowledged and to be expected, others goofy and out of the blue. The Longhorn Ballroom shot is a little of all that, an X-marks-the-spot intersection of exactly what one would and would not expect of Texas.
With a little online digging I found more of Bayley’s pictures from the tour, including some wonderfully incongruous shots of the Sex Pistols drinking Lone Stars, and a host of other, instantly recognizable images of seventies-era New York punk. So last week I called her to talk about that time. A California native who grew up in the sixties in San Francisco, she lived in London in the early seventies, where she worked in a boutique owned by McLaren and his partner, Vivienne Westwood. In 1974 she moved to New York and soon thereafter into an East Village apartment where she still lives—and which is still around the corner from Richard Hell, one of punk’s founding fathers. As the punk scene came together, she took a job working the door at CBGB’s, becoming friends with and photographing all the local players—Blondie, the Ramones, Talking Heads, Television—and every punk act that passed through town. In 1976 she shot the cover of the Ramones’ seminal first album.
On January 7, 1978, she was working as principal photographer for Punk magazine when she received what she refers to now as “a mysterious phone call” telling her that a first-class plane ticket was waiting at the airport to take her to San Antonio the next morning to meet up with the Pistols. (Controversial High Times founder Tom Forcade was paying for her and John Holmstrom, the editor of Punk, to make the trip, but he preferred for that fact to be kept under wraps.) “I didn’t ask any questions,” she told me. “Everybody in New York was pissed the Pistols weren’t coming here. I was thrilled to get to go.”
She still sounds excited talking about it now, and she was generous with her recollections and other photos from the trip. She looked over old contact sheets while we talked on the phone and had an easy time telling where the photos of her first trip to Texas began. The night before the flight, she said, she’d shot a Ramones show at a club called the Paladium. “The last picture from New York is of some guys with a chimpanzee on Fourteenth Street that I saw on my walk home. The first one I took in Texas was of stacked cases of glass bottles of Coke that I saw at the airport. We didn’t have bottled Coke in New York.” That little taste of culture shock would soon seem quaint.
That San Antonio gig was really scary. Those weren’t fans up in the front. Half of the people were there for curiosity, but the other half were there to cause trouble. People spit on the band. They threw cans of beer at the stage all night. It wasn’t like the shows I was used to. The Ramones played for Ramones fans. They didn’t take a lot of opening slots because when they played with other bands, they played for people who didn’t get it. But Malcolm’s intention was confrontation. He specifically chose not to send them to Austin because Austin was aware of the Ramones and the Sex Pistols.
My photos in San Antonio are from the back of the room. I’d come to meet the tour on the same flight as Annie Liebovitz, and she went right in the middle of all that. I chose not to. There was a feeling of... menace isn’t the right word. But there was a definite sense of violence. That was the show where Sid swung his bass at that guy.
John Lydon kept to himself. Punk had covered the band and run a long interview with him, so I knew he was intelligent. But he was not sociable. When I got on the band’s bus briefly in San Antonio, he just said, “That’s highly unadvisable, young lady.”
I took this photo that night and don’t think it’s ever been published, except maybe in Punk in 1978. It’s from after the show, after the crowd had dispersed and the band came out to mingle. That was a big part of the punk ethos: the band wasn’t separate from the audience. So the Pistols came out to check out the space, to admire all the beer cans on the floor and talk to the contingent of English press that was following them. The Sex Pistols coming to America was a big British press story.
They looked terribly unhealthy. They had skin like reptiles that had been underground their whole lives, like salamanders, beyond even the standard English past |
other most important positions in the Chinese military, party, economy and state.
If this were a direct contest between Tenzin Gyatso, Tibetan Buddhism's holiest man, and Xi Jinping, the contest would surely be over before it started. But what is fascinating in this most unusual challenge is that the Dalai Lama has not only refused to treat the Chinese as his bitter adversary, he is in fact counting on the support of the growing numbers of "outwardly atheist but inwardly spiritual" Chinese Buddhists in civilian as well as military circles-400 million, according to him, and growing-to tilt the balance just enough so as to give him and the Tibetans a real chance.
Meanwhile, the Chinese continue to reserve a special anger against this elderly monk in maroon robes. They have called him all kinds of names. They have put pressure on governments bullied civil societies and threatened NGOs with revocation of aid if they host him, or worse, allow him to propagate spectacularly absurd mush like peace and happiness and brotherhood. But the Dalai Lama, even in his 80th year, continues to be treated like a rock star, feted alike by influential people like Barack Obama, Richard Gere and Desmond Tutu.
Truth is, just as the Dalai Lama has virtually single-handedly, transformed a broken movement-in-exile in 1959 to one recognised by the world today as having legitimate aspirations, he is also the only person in the world who can upset the Chinese where it hurts, in its soft underbelly.
"Despite the fact that he left Tibet so many decades ago, the Dalai Lama continues to have a large following inside Tibet. The Communist Party leadership simply cannot accept another organisation or leader beside itself which has such a genuine mass following," says a former Indian ambassador to China who did not want to be identified.
MANN KI BAAT WITH THE MONK
Interestingly, the only major leader in the free world who seems to be as circumspect as the Chinese about the Dalai Lama is Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A meeting between the two on August 20, 2014, ahead of Xi Jinping's September visit to Delhi is believed to have gone off badly. Indian sources told india today that the Dalai Lama was "virtually kidnapped," put into an unmarked car with dark window shades as it drove into 7, Race Course Road, the PM's official residence, that evening.
Asked about the meeting, the Dalai Lama laughed, but refused to say anything. As the sources put it, he was "visibly shaken" by the encounter. It seems Modi didn't come out to receive him-unlike other PMs in the past. Moreover, he spoke to him in Hindi, which was translated into English. The Dalai Lama replied in English. They talked about a variety of things, including China.
Monks take part in a prayer during the Dalai Lama's 80th birthday celebrations in McLeodGanj. Monks take part in a prayer during the Dalai Lama's 80th birthday celebrations in McLeodGanj.
It seems the Dalai Lama, his advisers and a Hong Kong-based Chinese businessman friend had been discussing a possible meeting between the Dalai Lama and Xi during the latter's Delhi visit. It is believed the government wasn't too happy with these developments and had made its views known to the Dalai Lama's people.
Certainly, many things have changed in the new New Delhi. For a start, the new PM recognises the need to reconcile the leftovers of history and make good with India's largest neighbour. The PM also knows that a sustainable relationship with China cannot ignore the presence of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan community-in-exile in India. Not because of the so-called "Tibet card" in India's diplomatic arsenal-which has been so watered down by Delhi over the decades since the Dalai Lama arrived- but because the Chinese leadership sees the Tibetan spiritual leader as a veritable red rag to its predominantly Communist Party identity.
It is widely acknowledged that the Dalai Lama's escape in 1959 only aggravated the already deteriorating relationship between India and China, leading to the 1962 border conflict and several consequent decades of tension. But as China rises again, nationalist feeling against the distinctive but dissenting cultures of Tibet and Xinjiang is only growing. "China's main problem with the Dalai Lama is that it wants him to accept that Tibet has always been an integral part of China. No Dalai Lama can accept that, as this is historically debatable," says Nalin Surie, a former envoy to China.
HINDI-CHINI BHAI BHAI 2.0
In his August 2014 meeting with the Dalai Lama, perhaps Modi believed that the beautiful new relationship he was about to forge with Xi would be unnecessarily damaged by an 80-year-old Tibetan leader the Chinese love to hate, who happens to be living in his country. Whatever the truth, Modi's subsequent conversations with the Chinese leadership in Ahmedabad, Delhi, Xi'an and Beijing are said to have given him a proper insider's perspective into the highly complex relationship with his big and powerful neighbour.
The Chinese are certainly keen on ramping up much-needed economic investment in India. But in recent years they have refused to consider a "status quoist, as-is-where-is solution" on the boundary dispute-that is, India and China keep the territories under their present control, Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin respectively, as was twice contemplated in the past by Zhou Enlai and Deng Xiaoping-and insisted that any deal with India must incorporate Tawang, plus some additional territory from Arunachal Pradesh.
Certainly, only a strong government with a large majority can politically afford to cede territory to China. During the Atal Bihari Vajpayee era, talk of a "soft border" between Tawang and Tibet-similar to the proposal to transform the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir into a "soft border"-often surfaced, which soon died a natural death. Since 2003, 18 rounds of border talks between representatives of the two governments have taken place, but to no avail. In the interim, China's economy has grown by leaps and bounds, transforming not only the eastern Chinese seaboard but also the hinterland within. With the train from Beijing to Lhasa beginning its first run in 2006, the Communist Party moved to populate Tibet's towns with Han Chinese.
Then, in August 2013, the Indian Air Force landed the C-130J Hercules aircraft at Daulat Beg Oldi, the highest landing ground in the world, on the frontier with China in the Ladakh sector, near the theatre of the 1962 war. "The move sent shivers down China's spine," a retired Indian diplomat said. Other airstrips not used since the 1962 debacle were resurrected, at Chushul in the western sector and Tezpur in the eastern sector, where a squadron of Sukhoi fighter jets was placed.
"Question is,"asked a retired foreign secretary, "how do you play the game with the much more powerful Chinese, with a weak hand? The answer is to put in place a strike capability the Chinese are also aware of."
Former foreign secretary Shyam Saran, also a Mandarin speaker, believes the Dalai Lama has "brought back to India a unique spiritual heritage which had dissipated in the intervening centuries. We cannot calculate the Dalai Lama's value or importance in political gains or losses. After so many years here, I can proudly say that he is now also owned by India".
It seems Modi and BJP President Amit Shah, who cancelled a last-minute meeting with the Dalai Lama on the eve of Modi's visit to China in May, have since rethought their hardline views. For the Tibetan leader's June 21 celebrations in McLeodganj, Modi sent Union Minister for Culture Mahesh Sharma and Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju. "The government would like to reassure His Holiness that it holds him in the highest esteem", Sharma said.
Towards the end of his interview with india today, the Tibetan leader indicated that he could, indeed, be the last of the Dalai Lamas, the very end or "ceasing" of the line. So much better, he said, to end the 600-year old institution with him ("who is quite popular") than continue "to the 15th Dalai Lama who may turn out to be a disgrace".
The Dalai Lama laughed his childlike laugh following his own remarks, but he seemed dead serious. Perhaps he was making these remarks with an eye to Beijing, so as to deny them the opportunity to subvert another sacred institution.
In this game of shadow-boxing with China, perhaps the Dalai Lama stands no chance at all. But the fact remains that he is still around at 80, smiling and laughing and exhorting his audience to focus on the messages of the Nalanda philosophers such as Nagarjuna. Perhaps that is the real value of him spending all these years in India, and elsewhere in the free world.
Follow the writer on Twitter @jomalhotra10 worst moves of the 2016 offseason
By Sam Monson • Jun 1, 2016
While it’s nearly time to begin previewing the 2016 season, there is still time to reflect on the offseason and the moves that have been made thus far. The NFL offseason is a golden chance to strengthen and repair a roster, but only if teams make the most of the opportunity and don’t squander the chance.
Make the wrong move, and a franchise can face years full of setbacks, instead of heading down the right track. Let’s take a look at some of the worst moves made this offseason.
1. Texans handing Brock Osweiler $72 million based on seven games
No move this offseason has the potential to torpedo a franchise quite like this one. The Texans have been faced with quarterback troubles for awhile, and so you can understand their anxiety about needing to find their franchise signal-caller. Given where they were picking in the draft, they had little to no chance of getting one of the top two available rookies, so they went all-in on free agency, instead. The problem, though, is that there wasn’t a sure-thing in free agency, or even close to it. The Texans ended up handing Brock Osweiler a $72 million contract based on just seven games of starting action in the NFL.
That would be risky if those were seven all-pro caliber games, but they were seven games of average play that saw him benched for a geriatric Peyton Manning—who, at times, seemed more likely to throw the ball to opposing players than his own last season—because Denver felt he gave them the better chance to win big games. Obviously Manning has a certain level of built-up benefit of the doubt, but even in a competition to simply steer the ship, Osweiler was second-best on his own team last season. Now Houston needs him to do significantly more than that.
In his 2015 starts, he recorded a passer rating of 95.9 when kept clean, completing 66.5 percent of his passes at 7.3 yards per attempt; when the heat was applied, those numbers fell to a passer rating of 66.9, a completion percentage of 52.2, and 6.9 yards per attempt. It is impossible to definitively declare that Osweiler will fail from the evidence we have of his play, but it is equally impossible to be sure of his success going forward—which a $72 million contract pretty much necessitates. Bill O’Brien and the Houston Texans are gambling huge on Osweiler, which would be easier to accept had they not been so adamant a year ago that their quarterback group was far better than people believed.
2. Buccaneers drafting a kicker in the second round
Every year, the draft throws up some truly left-field selections, and Tampa Bay selecting kicker Roberto Aguayo in the second round was certainly one of them. I actually have a certain degree of sympathy with the notion that an elite, can’t-miss kicker is worth significantly more than most people think when it comes to the draft, and wouldn’t necessarily have an issue with Aguayo going that high in abstract terms, but I’m just not at all sure he is that guy.
For a kicker to go that high, a team has to be sure he is an NFL-level kind of special, and Aguayo wasn’t even special at the collegiate level. He finished his college career as the most-accurate kicker of all time, converting 96.73 percent of his attempts (narrowly topping Alex Henery’s 96.67 percent record), but much of that can come down to the attempts he was making. He was just 20-of-29 from 40+ yards, and at no point did he grade well as a kick-off man, ranking no higher than 29th in the nation in average kick distance over the past two seasons.
The history of these coveted kickers is also not in his favor. Mike Nugent was the last kicker to be selected in the second round of the draft, and he has been an average NFL kicker, with many of the same traits that Aguayo is having talked up. Henery—whose accuracy record Aguayo narrowly eclipsed—began his NFL career well before developing the kicking equivalent of the “yips” and getting cut from two teams. He is now out of the league.
Kickers may be worth the 59th overall pick in the draft, but the one that is needs to be a sure thing, and there is nothing in Aguayo’s grading over the past two seasons to suggest he is. His career accuracy percentage is nice, but the NFL needs you to be money on those 40+ yard kicks, too.
3. Falcons signing WR Mohamed Sanu to a five-year, $32.5 million contract
The Falcons have needed a good alternative target to Julio Jones for awhile, and they seem to expect Mohamed Sanu to be that guy on the basis of the contract they handed him in free agency. However, it’s a little difficult to understand why. Over his career in Cincinnati, at least two of his five best plays are passes he threw, which is not an ideal thing to boast about your wide receiver.
The Bengals were in an identical situation over the past few years of needing to find that second receiver to take pressure off A.J. Green, and gave ample opportunity to Sanu to prove he could be that guy. He responded with three straight seasons of negative grades and 22 dropped passes over that span, with just seven touchdowns from 232 targets.
4. Jets drafting QB Christian Hackenberg in the second round
PFF’s take on Christian Hackenberg is no secret. From three seasons of play-by-play grading, we would not have drafted him at all, so for the Jets to take him in the second round was always going to incur PFF criticism. The bottom line with Hackenberg is that every single positive trait he has is entirely projection and potential, and in order to get to it you need to look past so much bad football that it’s very unlikely to ever matter.
When we went back and graded his freshman season of 2013, we found that it was far worse than the mythology that has surrounded it suggests, and he has been one of the most inaccurate quarterbacks in the nation over the past three seasons. That alone may be prohibitive to his NFL success, where accuracy is more important than ever in today’s offenses of precision-passing and high-percentage plays.
5. Giants making Janoris Jenkins one of the best-paid CBs (five years, $62.5 million, $29 million guaranteed)
Janoris Jenkins is not a bad cornerback, and 2015 was his best season to date, but the Giants made him one of the best-paid corners in the game, and he just isn’t anywhere near that standard. Jenkins is a gambler who can make a lot of big plays, but he has also surrendered 22 career touchdowns and over 700 receiving yards every season of his career. In two of his four seasons, he has been beaten for a passer rating of more than 110.0, and has never held opposing receivers to a completion percentage of under 61.7 percent, a mark 54 cornerbacks bettered this year alone.
Even if you work on the basis that the 2015 version of Jenkins is the player you will be getting going forward, that player had the 32nd-highest coverage grade among corners this past season, and was second-best on his own team, trailing Trumaine Johnson. He’s probably an upgrade for that New York secondary, but he came at an astronomical cost that he likely won’t come close to justifying.
6. Seahawks drafting Germain Ifedi in the first round
The Seattle Seahawks have been plagued with poor offensive line play for several seasons now. It was their Achilles heel in 2015, and it will likely be their biggest problem again in 2016. In the past, they have been relatively cavalier in their approach to dedicating resources to fixing it, happy to trade away players or allow them to walk rather than paying them to stay around, and trying to develop starters from lowly-drafted lumps of athletic clay.
This year, they drafted a player with their top pick to try and stop the rot, but in Germain Ifedi they selected a guy with an extensive history of average (at best) play. Ifedi actually had a negative overall grade this past season in college, where halfway good tackles are supposed to dominate. Just among this draft class, he had the 59th-best grade among tackles, and has surrendered nine sacks over the past two years. To put that into some context, Baylor’s Spencer Drango allowed two, and just six total pressures in 2015. N.C. State’s Joe Thuney allowed seven total pressures this past season. Kansas State’s Cody Whitehair was seen as suspect enough outside that the NFL projects him inside to guard, but he only allowed two sacks in 2015 and 14 total pressures.
Ifedi allowed 26 total pressures and was flagged 12 times in 2015 alone, and while he may have the measurables—and be one of the best-looking lumps of clay for an offensive line coach to work with—he has a very long way to go to be a viable tackle at the NFL level.
7. Browns rolling into 2016 with RG III as the presumptive starter at QB
There is a lot to like about Cleveland’s offseason, particularly in the draft, but they seem intent on running with Robert Griffin III as their starter in 2016, if not long-term. There is no doubt RG III is talented—his 2012 season showed that in no uncertain terms —but that season also revealed that he needs significant help from the offensive system to be viable, a fact he has been reportedly very reluctant to accept and embrace.
Even leaving that aside, the state of his game by the time his tenure in Washington ended was in such disarray from a fundamentals standpoint that it is difficult to see how he can repair all of that damage in the space of one modern NFL offseason, even with a noted QB guru in the shape of Hue Jackson helping him along. RG III makes an interesting reclamation project for the Browns, and could provide long-term benefits, but not if you take him straight out of the garage onto the open highway before the rebuild is complete.
8. Falcons drafting Keanu Neal in the first round
The NFL struggles to evaluate safeties at times. There are so many plays—particularly in college—where they are just ornamental pieces of the defense and occupy space that is never affected on the play. It can become difficult to evaluate their play soundly, and that leads to people fixating on a few highlight-reel plays they make over a season, focusing in on the “can do” aspects of their play, rather than the “how often.”
Keanu Neal has multiple bone-crushing hits on his Florida tape, and his highlight reel would get anybody excited, but those plays are not indicative of his overall production, and over two seasons of PFF grading, he has never been better than average across an entire year. This past season alone, he may have made several big-impact hits, but they came at the cost of missing 16 tackles, and 43 other safeties made more defensive stops than the new Falcon.
9. Eagles handing Chase Daniel a $21 million contract to be a No. 3 QB
The quarterback market is a wildly overinflated place, but even in that context, the money the Eagles handed Chase Daniel is vaguely absurd. Daniel now has the 24th-highest contract among quarterbacks in terms of average per-season money, and the 26th-highest total contract value at the position. He has a contract worth more than several starters, and he is a No. 3 quarterback on this Eagles’ roster. Even if you assume the deal was handed to him with a view that he will be No. 2 in a year’s time when Sam Bradford departs and Carson Wentz is starting, that means Daniel will receive $7 million this season just as a placeholder, and then be the best-paid backup in football for the next year or two of the deal.
It isn’t for nearly as much money, but this contract is the Ndamukong Suh version of backup quarterback contracts—one that doesn’t set the market, but instead jumps it completely and becomes a stark outlier.
10. Vikings assembling the best O-line of 2012…in 2016
It’s tempting to look back at the peak of a player’s performance and believe you can get that back out of them again, but going back too far rarely works out for teams (just look at the Colts’ free-agent strategy from a year ago). The Vikings appear to be attempting something similar this season, but only on the offensive line, where they have assembled a group of starters that may be the best O-line in football—if we were heading into the 2012 season.
2012 was the best year in the careers of both Alex Boone (No. 3 overall guard that year) and Andre Smith (No. 1 RT), as well as the one season that Matt Kalil has looked like a capable NFL starter. It was also the best season that C John Sullivan has produced, though he, at least, has other comparable seasons on either side of that one.
Phil Loadholt and Brandon Fusco—the other two players likely to challenge for a starting spot—had their best seasons in 2013, and the only player on this line who had an even halfway decent season in 2015 was Joe Berger, a longtime sixth-man and the person likely to find himself shuffled back to the bench.
The cumulative talent of this group is huge, but you need to go back to 2013 to find good seasons from any of the projected starters, and even further to find it from the majority of them. Maybe the Vikings can find that level of play from them again, but it’s more likely that they will discover the folly of chasing past glories.Weird, creepy, and telling.
Our dear Iranian nuke deal partners release video, threaten to break your legs and destroy the U.S. Navy
As Dan reported earlier, the more we learn about the shady, secretive, and not-at-all transparent Iran nuclear deal, the worse it gets. The more particulars we unearth, the more we find that President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry gave away the proverbial cow in exchange for some magic, radioactive, beans. Since he covered the most recent specifics, I’ll just offer the following video. In it, our new pals threaten to break your legs into pieces and destroy the U.S. Navy with their secret weapon: a highly trained force composed of middle-aged beach hacky-sack enthusiasts.
Uh-oh. It looks like someone’s been watching too many Jerry Bruckheimer and Michael Bay movies which, we have no doubt, are banned in Iran. Tsk tsk, Mullahs. Obviously, I joke because - let’s face it - if the gloves ever came off we could decimate Iran in a few hours. However, this clip offers a glimpse into the minds of the people with whom Obama has chosen to “deal.” According to MEMRI, the spot is titled “Steadfastness 2,” and was “produced by the Organization of Islamic Information, an office under the supervision of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.” It’s utterly baffling to think that anyone administration could watch this and think the people who made intends, in any way, to uphold their end of our “bargain.” Here’s a better video about Iran:
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Robert Laurie’s column is distributed by HermanCain.com, which can be found at HermanCain.com
Be sure to “like” Robert Laurie over on Facebook and follow him on Twitter. You’ll be glad you did.
Please adhere to our commenting policy to avoid being banned. As a privately owned website, we reserve the right to remove any comment and ban any user at any time.Comments that contain spam, advertising, vulgarity, threats of violence and death, racism, anti-Semitism, or personal or abusive attacks on other users may be removed and result in a ban.-- Follow these instructions on registeringChad Love Lieberman is a bit of a hanger on.
He is a New York DJ and rap star.
He insured his testicles for $1,400,000.
He hangs out with Paris Hilton (maybe those two facts are related)
He’s been accredited by the Museum of Modern Art.
His artwork sells for tens of thousands.
According to his press releases anyway.
His website art4love certainly sells artwork… but are they all his?
A number of deviantArt creators including Alex Garner noticed that the website was selling “one of a kind” prints of their comic book work for hundreds of dollars. Contacting Chad saw the website suddenly shut down and its YouTube account deleted, as if to avoid peering eyes. Even his social media gaming site mindspot.com also vanished off the face of the earth. Thankfully much of art4love.com was mirrored here and a number of people are currently going over it with a fine ink brush.
Oh and, yes, he’s Vice-Presidential nominee Joseph Lieberman’s nephew.
He must be so proud.
About Rich Johnston Chief writer and founder of Bleeding Cool. Father of two. Comic book clairvoyant. Political cartoonist.
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None foundThe Minnesota Wild has assigned forward Mike Rupp to the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League (AHL) on a conditioning loan. The team also announced today it has placed defenseman Keith Ballard on Injured Reserve with an upper-body injury suffered Nov. 5 against Calgary.
Rupp was designated Injured, Non-Roster on Sept. 30 with a lower-body injury and has not appeared in a game this season. The 6-foot-5, 235-pound native of Cleveland, Ohio, collected four points (1-3=4), a plus-1 rating and 67 penalty minutes (PIM) in 32 games with the Wild last season. He also skated in four playoff games with Minnesota. Rupp owns 98 points (54-44=98) and 832 PIM in 597 career NHL games with New Jersey, Phoenix, Columbus, Pittsburgh, the New York Rangers and Minnesota. The 33-year-old was acquired by Minnesota from the Rangers on Feb. 4, 2013 in exchange for Darroll Powe and Nick Palmieri.
Iowa begins a six-game homestand by hosting Chicago on Wednesday, San Antonio on Saturday and Milwaukee on Sunday this week.
Ballard, 30 (11/26/82), has recorded four assists and ranks tied for third on the team with a plus-6 rating in nine games with Minnesota this season.Guess who’s going in for surgery tomorrow morning to get a couple of lumps removed from his noggin’? Today, we treated him – and Lulu – to a stroll through Granville Island and a visit to a local pet boutique. We picked up treats, a patriotically handsome bow tie/collar but, sadly, not that awesome Hawaiian shirt we had our hearts set on because it didn’t come in his size.
Meanwhile, a post-Lasik Akemi (“I got my eyeballs fixed!”) is enjoying her improved vision – to a certain point. She spent most of yesterday madly sweeping, vacuuming, and generally cleaning the place. When I asked what had gotten into her, she informed me that now that her sight is improved, she can actually see how messy everything is. I feel her situation is reminiscent of some tragic character from Greek lore, but I’m not sure which one.
Hey! May I direct your attention to some pretty damn fantastic Dark Matter articles…
First off, a great, GREAT article by The Nerd Recites’ Christopher Hart titled How Dark Matter Utilizes Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai Within Its Narrative
“We matched up Dark Matter‘s characters against each of the personality types and all of the characters fell into the set types with such astounding ease that this only lends further credence to the writers’ utilisation of this trope.”
In interviews, whenever asked about my inspirations for Dark Matter, I always cite: Cowboy Bebop, The Thunderbolts, The Dirty Dozen, Stargate, The Shield, Stargate, and, yes, The Seven Samurai! Good catch, Christopher.
Meanwhile, over at The Workprint, Jen Stayrook wonders Who Will Betray the Crew of The Raza? Building off Milo’s prophetic warning in “We Should Have Seen This Coming”, she breaks down the list of suspects and posits an intriguing theory or two. What do you think?
Continuing a weekly tradition, I sit down with Kelly Townsend of The TV Junkies and discuss the most recent episode of Dark Matter. I drop a lot of interesting little tidbits in this one…
“One of the big picture things is this looming corporate war, and as Milo says, there are certain moments of history where individuals can step in and make a difference, and that’s something that will resonate as we head towards the back half of Season 2.”
And a nice little write-up on the show at Mikhail’s Film and TV Blog: Why Sci-Fi Fans Should Watch Dark Matter
“This year, while browsing Netflix, I chanced upon a new, engrossing space opera that Sy-Fy aired earlier as part of its agenda to revive its status as the premiere channel for science fiction television. […] After seeing the 13-episode first season, I’m ready to declare it one of the best new sci-fi shows on television. Here are a few key reasons why it’s absolutely worth seeing.”
Thanks for the support, Mikhail!
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Like this: Like Loading...Deucalin from "Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum"
In Greek mythology, Deucalion (; Greek: Δευκαλίων) was the son of Prometheus; ancient sources name his mother as Clymene, Hesione, or Pronoia.[1] He is closely connected with the flood myth in Greek mythology.
Etymology [ edit ]
According to folk etymology, Deucalion's name comes from δεῦκος, deukos, a variant of γλεῦκος, gleucos, i.e. "sweet new wine, must, sweetness"[2][3] and from ἁλιεύς, haliéus, i.e. "sailor, seaman, fisher".[4] His wife Pyrrha's name derives from the adjective πυρρός, -ά, -όν, pyrrhós, -á, -ón, i.e. "flame-colored, orange".[5]
Deucalion and Pyrrha from a 1562 version of Ovid's Metamorphoses
Family [ edit ]
Of Deucalion's birth, the Argonautica (from the 3rd century BC) states:
There [in Achaea, i.e. Greece] is a land encircled by lofty mountains, rich in sheep and in pasture, where Prometheus, son of Iapetus, begat goodly Deucalion, who first founded cities and reared temples to the immortal gods, and first ruled over men. This land the neighbours who dwell around call Haemonia [i.e. Thessaly].
Deucalion and Pyrrha had at least two children, Hellen and Protogenea, and possibly a third, Amphictyon (who is autochthonous in other traditions).
Their children as apparently named in one of the oldest texts, Catalogue of Women, include daughters Pandora and Thyia, and at least one son, Hellen.[6] Their descendants were said to have dwelt in Thessaly. One corrupt fragment might make Deucalion the son of Prometheus and Pronoea.[7]
Mythology [ edit ]
Deluge accounts [ edit ]
The flood in the time of Deucalion was caused by the anger of Zeus, ignited by the hubris of the Pelasgians. So Zeus decided to put an end to the Bronze Age. According to this story, Lycaon, the king of Arcadia, had sacrificed a boy to Zeus, who was appalled by this savage offering. Zeus unleashed a deluge, so that the rivers ran in torrents and the sea flooded the coastal plain, engulfed the foothills with spray, and washed everything clean. Deucalion, with the aid of his father Prometheus, was saved from this deluge by building a chest.[8] Like the Biblical Noah and the Mesopotamian counterpart Utnapishtim, he uses his device to survive the deluge with his wife, Pyrrha.
The fullest accounts are provided in Ovid's Metamorphoses (8 AD) and in the Library of Pseudo-Apollodorus.[9] Deucalion, who reigned over the region of Phthia, had been forewarned of the flood by his father, Prometheus. Deucalion was to build a chest and provision it carefully (no animals are rescued in this version of the Flood myth), so that when the waters receded after nine days, he and his wife Pyrrha, daughter of Epimetheus, were the one surviving pair of humans. Their chest touched solid ground on Mount Parnassus,[10] or Mount Etna in Sicily,[11] or Mount Athos in Chalkidiki,[12] or Mount Othrys in Thessaly.[13]
Hyginus mentions the opinion of a Hegesianax that Deucalion is to be identified with Aquarius, "because during his reign such quantities of water poured from the sky that the great Flood resulted."
Once the deluge was over and the couple had given thanks to Zeus, Deucalion (said in several of the sources to have been aged 82 at the time) consulted an oracle of Themis about how to repopulate the earth. He was told to "cover your head and throw the bones of your mother behind your shoulder". Deucalion and Pyrrha understood that "mother" is Gaia, the mother of all living things, and the "bones" to be rocks. They threw the rocks behind their shoulders and the stones formed people. Pyrrha's became women; Deucalion's became men.
The 2nd-century writer Lucian gave an account of the Greek Deucalion in De Dea Syria that seems to refer more to the Near Eastern flood legends: in his version, Deucalion (whom he also calls Sisythus)[14] took his children, their wives, and pairs of animals with him on the ark, and later built a great temple in Manbij (northern Syria), on the site of the chasm that received all the waters; he further describes how pilgrims brought vessels of sea water to this place twice a year, from as far as Arabia and Mesopotamia, to commemorate this event.[citation needed]
Variant stories [ edit ]
On the other hand, Dionysius of Halicarnassus stated his parents to be Prometheus and Clymene, daughter of Oceanus and mentions nothing about a flood, but instead names him as commander of those from Parnassus who drove the "sixth generation" of Pelasgians from Thessaly.[15]
One of the earliest Greek historians, Hecataeus of Miletus, was said to have written a book about Deucalion, but it no longer survives. The only extant fragment of his to mention Deucalion does not mention the flood either, but names him as the father of Orestheus, king of Aetolia. The much later geographer Pausanias, following on this tradition, names Deucalion as a king of Ozolian Locris and father of Orestheus.
Plutarch mentions a legend that Deucalion and Pyrrha had settled in Dodona, Epirus; while Strabo asserts that they lived at Cynus, and that her grave is still to be found there, while his may be seen at Athens; he also mentions a pair of Aegean islands named after the couple.[citation needed]
Interpretation [ edit ]
Mosaic accretions [ edit ]
The 19th century classicist John Lemprière, in Bibliotheca Classica, argued that as the story had been re-told in later versions, it accumulated details from the stories of Noah and Moses: "Thus Apollodorus gives Deucalion a great chest as a means of safety; Plutarch speaks of the pigeons by which he sought to find out whether the waters had retired; and Lucian of the animals of every kind which he had taken with him. &c."[16]
Dating by early scholars [ edit ]
For some time during the Middle Ages, many European Christian scholars continued to accept Greek mythical history at face value, thus asserting that Deucalion's flood was a regional flood, that occurred a few centuries later than the global one survived by Noah's family. On the basis of the archaeological stele known as the Parian Chronicle, Deucalion's Flood was usually fixed as occurring sometime around c. 1528 BC. Deucalion's flood may be dated in the chronology of Saint Jerome to c. 1460 BC. According to Augustine of Hippo (City of God XVIII,8,10,&11), Deucalion and his father Prometheus were contemporaries of Moses. According to Clement of Alexandria in his Stromata, "...in the time of Crotopus occurred the burning of Phaethon, and the deluges of Deucalion."[citation needed]
Deucalionids [ edit ]
The descendants of Deucalion and Pyrrha are below:
Genealogy of Hellenes Prometheus Clymene Epimetheus Pandora Deucalion Pyrrha Hellen Dorus Xuthus Aeolus Tectamus Aegimius Achaeus Ion Makednos Magnes
References [ edit ]
Primary sources [ edit ]Today the Television Critics Association gathered to hear pitches from various networks on their upcoming shows including a panel for Star Trek: Discovery for CBS All |
‘Oh, I haven’t got a mandate. I’ve got leaflets and fifteen journalists waiting to hear how this meeting went.”
Libby: HELL YEAH MUM
YOU CLOBBERED HIM MUM
Mum: But it’s true. They are TERRIFIED of publicity. And marches. Big demos, cross publics, angry mobs.
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Libby: That seems to be the key —the knowledge that they must be seen to be defending the NHS, even if they’re actually dismantling it. They have to pretend it’s intended to make the NHS or the hospital stronger.
Mum: Yes EXACTLY. And if your call their bluff and they can’t avoid people SEEING them having it called, they melt.I think things are tougher now, though. They are more barefaced.
Libby: Right. Before we get onto the Tories nowadays, though: In 1997 Labour won the General Election, though Banbury was still Tory. I remember how happy you were; we got presents! A Hercules PE kit bag! But what happened to the Horton under Labour? Were they better, worse, or just different?
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Mum: At first they were better. So much better. They killed me by saying that they were going to abide by Tory spending plans, but they kind of didn’t. They snuck money into the NHS, and as soon as they’d got some momentum they openly funneled billions in. Then they stopped.
Libby: So they had sort of the opposite track from the Tories at first—they had to pretend they were more budget-conscious than they really were?
Mum: Yes, they constantly had to pretend to be Torier Than Thou. And we had to privatise everything. All public services were to be opened up for ‘external investment.’
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Libby: That seems to be the big change—where the Tories were just cutting funding, Labour was selling it off. Did that start under the Tories at all?
Mum: The Tories introduced PFI—the Private Finance Initiative—on a small scale, but it was in the Blair years that it really took hold and escalated. So even while the NHS was being adequately funded, under Labour, it was being attacked administratively so that bits of it could be sold to private companies. At first it was just small things—cleaners, porters, hospital food—then bigger things like commissioning, administration, peripheral services like phlebotomy. By now it’s entire services, like Virgin running paediatrics in Devon.
Libby: On the Horton specifically, what did Labour do? And when did the idea of downsizing the maternity ward come in?
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Mum: The threat to core services never went away. After the ‘92 battle, Paediatrics was threatened the following year, and the three core services of Paediatrics, A&E (Accident and Emergency) and Maternity were threatened. Each time, we won. Then a few years later, under Labour, another Review. Then another—again pinpointing the three core services. Each time, we won and some mandarin somewhere decreed that the services should be kept here in perpetuity. Each time, there was a different reason for them coming back to have another pop. The current unpleasantness is just more of the same, but this time done by the Tories again.
I have had to conclude that all governments are the same.
Libby: Right. It implies there’s something bigger than party or even ideology at play here.
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(In 1998, the Horton was put under the control of the Oxford hospital trust by the Labour government.)
Mum: Yes. I think—well obviously—it’s NEOLIBERALISM BABY
Libby: HONK HONK.
So, then the final chapter, the Tories since 2010. What have they done in Banbury and more broadly? And they’re kind of succeeding now, right?
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Mum: The Austerity label really gave them permission to do whatever they liked. Their thinking obviously was that they only had to say the magic words—LABOUR DUNNIT and THEY CRASHED THE ECONOMY—and everyone would immediately understand that the broken public services and abject poverty they were consigning us to were Labour’s fault and not theirs.
But I think they have done what Tories always do in the end. They’ve underestimated the electorate. They love to snigger about how it’s impossible to do this, but they do it every time. People have noticed what they’ve done and how they lied.
In Banbury, they left it alone for a few years, apart from some VERY silent adjustments, then the Commissioning Group (Health Authority in old speak, but these are now all business people, not public servants) in cahoots with the management of the Oxford hospital are demanding that the three core services be removed to Oxford.
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It’s been a perfect illustration of how it was really just a difference in style between Blair’s Labour and the Tories, not of substance. The economic template was always the same—sell bits off, underfund, watch it wither. Then announce the private sector as the great saviour who would keep it going. Then watch said private sector asset-strip it, belch and move on.
Libby: So why do you think the Tories have been successful this time around in getting the core services moved, for example, when the government wasn’t in the past?
Mum: Interesting question. I really do think it’s partly the mood of austerity, or the confidence it gives to people wanting to cut things. There’s a huge excuse, if you just mutter something about austerity. Also I think that news, information, opinion, content etc, are so devalued that it’s hard to make yourself heard in any important way. I think democracy itself has big problems—everything now is just another petition on FB, and it’s all just someone virtue-signaling or, yeah, maybe, worth clicking on—and half an hour later it’s gone, displaced by another thing of reduced interest.
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However, persistent people are trying every legal trick and patiently conducting a continuing campaign... maybe it’ll pay off. Because with every day more people have more hope and are more pissed off with the crap and grubbiness. Have we reached peak grubbiness? I hope so. The decision to move maternity and the other core services is going to legal review, which means a judge has to say whether it is legal.
Libby: Last question: You’ve lived, briefly, under the US system as well as the British system. Which is better?
Mum: WITHOUT DOUBT the NHS system. I can’t begin to imagine coping in the US now. Especially as Trump keeps only-just failing to introduce truly hellish changes. I can’t imagine being in a place where people routinely go bankrupt because they are ill. I can’t marry that up with the nice, kind, funny, subtle, generous people I’ve met and loved. How is it tolerated? I just don’t understand. People living in terror of illness—not because of the pain or the humiliation or the fear itself, but because of the FINANCE?
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And then there’s the practicality. The U.S. per-capita cost of healthcare is many orders of magnitude more than the U.K.’s, and its health outcomes are massively worse. Wtf? Why do that?
Libby: So you don’t think Americans need to fear queues and waiting lists?
Mum: Fuck no. They need to LOOK FORWARD TO QUEUING.... No. They just need to elect a government that will undertake to adequately fund a health system. That isn’t scary, and it’s perfectly possible. It’s actually easier than a complex system where lots of wolves are fighting over the piece of profitable meat. And as you’ve found, even with the NHS in its currently reduced state, you wait longer in America, for often worse treatment.Avoiding the Keyboard in React Native
Gant Laborde Blocked Unblock Follow Following Mar 22, 2016
NOTICE: Coming Soon in React Native — Keyboard avoiding view
Whether you’re experienced in mobile apps or not, you don’t have to spend much time before you end up putting something behind the keyboard.
Just look at that form, hidden away and inaccessible under that keyboard! It’s such an annoying problem, and devs have to solve it often. I used to use a pod to help avoid this, but pods require a bit of wrapping in React Native, as covered in my article a few weeks ago.
Some devs keep their forms half-sized, to assure they stay visible at the top of the screen above the fold. Others wrap everything in a scrollview so the user can at least access the lower portion of the form. Let’s create a more elegant solution together.
We’ll create a cross-platform answer that looks and feels professional (more so in iOS — explained later). When the keyboard is shown, we’ll resize the display and animate the form and logo above the keyboard.
We’ll take the following actions:
Detect when the keyboard is being shown. Detect the keyboard height. Resize the container by subtracting out the keyboard, and also resize any adaptive items, like logos. Animate accordingly.
Step 0: Versions Matter!
When this article was first written, you were to use DeviceEventEmitter. Since then things have changed as of version 0.27+ — You should evaluate the following:
When version 0.27+ becomes the norm, I’ll rewrite this article accordingly. For now, consider the aforementioned deprecation with all code.
Step 1: Detect when the keyboard is being shown
For this we’ll add DeviceEventEmitter to the list of imports from React Native, and then addListeners for keyboardDidShow and keyboardDidHide.
Step 2: Detect the keyboard height.
Fortunately our keyboard listeners call the function with a keyboard event passed in. We can then access endCoordinates to determine the exact height of the keyboard.
Step 3: Resize the container by subtracting out the keyboard, and also resize any adaptive items, like logos.
As you may notice in the animated gif above, we resize the Infinite Red logo depending on if the keyboard is shown or not. We store all of this in state each time our keyboard is shown or hidden:
The style of the containing view and the logo are then set using the variables in state. So as state changes, the render method updates the view. If your content cannot fit above the fold, consider still using a ScrollView.
Step 4: Animate accordingly.
If you’re unfamiliar with Layout Animations, you’re in for a treat. As demonstrated in Justin Poliachik’s article “React Native’s LayoutAnimation is Awesome”, we can animate this height change with very little effort. We simply add the following to our keyboardDidShow/Hide functions:
LayoutAnimation.configureNext(LayoutAnimation.Presets.easeInEaseOut)
That’s it! You could choose spring, linear, easeInEaseOut, or make your own custom animation if you dare.
Android Caveats
You may think “Hey, why not use keyboardWillShow and keyboardWillHide to make it snappier!?”
As of now these do not work on Android. And neither does LayoutAnimation. Only keyboardDidShow/Hide works and LayoutAnimation is completely ignored. I’ve gone with functional on both platforms, but depending on your personal needs you might choose to modify your listener events.
ANDROID UPDATE: https://github.com/facebook/react-native/issues/5267
Full Example Code is part of a base project we’re working on at Infinite Red: seen here LoginScreen.js
You can get 80% of this pretty quickly from an existing node module. This well-maintained repo https://github.com/Andr3wHur5t/react-native-keyboard-spacer gives you a component that grows and shrinks to match the keyboard size (inverse of what we’ve done above). Simply place it at the bottom so it pushes your content up. I still think it’s key to understand the underlying problem. Additionally, if you want to do neat-o changes to your logo (as above), you still need information imparted in this blog post.
About Gant
Gant is Technical Lead at Infinite Red (⚙ web and mobile app dev ⚙), published author, public speaker, and mad-scientist in training. Read the writings of Gant and his co-workers in our Red Shift publication. If you’re looking to discuss nerdy tech, he’s all ears. View half-witty half-groan technical tweets with @GantLaborde on twitter.Share The Scottish moral superiority complex about to be tested with higher taxes
The Scottish moral superiority complex about to be tested with higher taxes Osborne has just presented the SNP and the Scottish electorate with a fascinating choice
Osborne has just presented the SNP and the Scottish electorate with a fascinating choice The Scottish middle class claim that it loves higher taxes as a sign of virtue
One of the most amusing aspects of the aftermath of George Osborne’s latest Budget has been listening to the SNP’s deputy leader Stewart Hosie offer a punchy account of how the Chancellor got his forecasts all wrong. From the party that would have landed Scotland with a £15bn black hole and the worst deficit in the EU thanks to its kamikaze plans for independence this is irony indeed.
There is a serious point though. Osborne has just presented the SNP and the Scottish electorate with a fascinating choice. The threshold at which the 40p tax rate is paid is to rise above inflation (although it should never have got so low in the first place). But thanks to the powers the Scottish parliament now has over taxation, the government north of the border can if it decides stick with the old threshold, and deliver what amounts to a tax rise.
It is obvious that most Scots – who don’t pay tax at that rate – will shrug their shoulders and say fine. Someone else can pay. Someone else can always pay.
But what is about to be tested is the Scottish middle class claim that it loves higher taxes as a sign of virtue. For three decades or more (perhaps even for three centuries) Scottish politics has operated with a moral superiority complex at its heart. Scots care more, apparently. They are less well-disposed to the notion of profit. They are communitarian. The repetitive promotion of this line by politicians and large parts of the Scottish media has created an endless feedback loop of cant. Even the voters seem to have come to believe it.
Now, after years of this self-indulgent claptrap, they have the power to jack up taxes on aspirational voters. This is awkward for the SNP ahead of May’s election, because it has very cleverly built a broad electoral coalition by avoiding such choices and keeping it general, warm and fuzzy, when they are not blaming Westminster, so that the far left and “tartan Tories” can vote SNP. For the Scottish Tories this Scottish tax rise is an obvious opportunity to say – as the top-selling Scottish Daily Mail put it today – that Osborne’s tax cuts are being “cancelled” by the SNP.
It remains possible, I put it no more strongly, that this will test the patience of a small (but not that small) and important group of voters, namely those who do not yet earn enough to pay the 40p tax rate but who aspire to earn those levels and might not like being punished for it. That was the point missed by Labour’s John Smith (great man, but wrong on taxation) when he wanted to hit just these kind of earners. It has long been said Scottish voters have no such concerns. That notion is about to be tested.
Iain Martin is Editor of CapX
ShareEventing Nation: Mrs. Stickability – Caroline Martin’s Save at Chatt Hills
Caroline earned “Save of the Day” honors after surviving a hairy moment at Chattahoochee Hills H.T. in Georgia over the weekend.
From Jenni via Eventing Nation:
Caroline Martin’s new nickname is Mrs. Stickability after making an impressive save in her show jumping round with Effervescent at Chatt Hills. The horse slammed on the brakes at the third fence, and Caroline’s air vest went off as she was thrown up onto his neck. The sound of the air canister likely scared him, and he took off and galloped around the arena with Caroline perched precariously on his neck. After getting him back under control, Caroline continued on and jumped clear the rest of the way with an inflated air vest like nothing ever happened. Beast mode.
[RNSvideo]
Go Caroline, and Go Eventing!Before we begin, please hit play on the following song to get on the appropriate level of hypeness. I’ll wait.
Today is the moment some of you have been waiting for! Because of the popular demand of two friends of the blog (Jacob Bikshorn and Joe Winner) and a subreddit I know nothing about (NLSSCircleJerk), Rate My Eggs is officially woke from dormancy.
For those of you new to RME, we are the world’s premier online egg rating destination. Here is how it works: You send me a picture and description of eggs you ate or made, and then you attach your level of hunger or disgust to photos others sent in through a nonscientific poll. This wouldn’t be the #internet if there was no judgment of others!
For those new and old to the egg-verse, this website will soon become much more than that! Why? Here is why:
I am paying approximately $30 annually to two separate corporations for the right to publish whatever I want on the #internet Because I want to. End of list.
What will “much more” entail? You will find out soon(?)!
For now, go eat some eggs and email them to me at ratemyeggs@gmail.com
Please like this page on Facebook @Rate My Eggs, follow me on twitter @paxymoo and also follow me on smellchat @paxymoo, so you can smell every egg posted here.FEAR.
It comes in many forms. We all experience it.
It can force us to make decisions we'd prefer to not face.
In early July 2009, Eddie McGuire had two dominant football fears. They were named Nathan Buckley and Mick Malthouse, and by late that same month, McGuire, perhaps subconsciously, had prioritised his fears.
Not having Buckley as part of Collingwood's coaching future was a greater fear for the Collingwood president than losing Malthouse.
Nearly seven years on, McGuire is living with a new fear. Was that call the right one?
Sometimes, the best way to understand the now is to revisit the past. And those July 2009 days were heady ones for McGuire.
Buckley, a Brownlow and Norm Smith medallist and six-time best-and-fairest winner at Collingwood, had been retired as a player for just 18 months and had been offered the senior coaching job at the under-siege North Melbourne, which was under new control and had parted with Dean Laidley.
Malthouse, coach of the Magpies since 2000, had made the three previous finals series but not a Grand Final since 2003.
The 2009 season had reached round 17. Collingwood had the Friday night fixture. It defeated Carlton at the MCG for its 11th win of the year.
The next morning at 8am, five men – McGuire, Malthouse, Buckley, Collingwood's CEO Gary Pert and footy operations boss Geoff Walsh – gathered for toasted sandwiches, coffee and orange juice in McGuire's business offices opposite the MCG.
About an hour in to the meeting, Malthouse and Buckley were left together to thrash out McGuire's bold plan for the future – Malthouse to stop coaching the club, no matter what was to happen, at the end of 2011, and for him to then act as a coaching director while Buckley was to take over as head coach.
About 11pm the following Monday, Malthouse signed off on the deal, and an excited McGuire went public the next day. Among his enthusiastic words that day was a link to a speech made in the 1960s by US president John F Kennedy.
"I use the Kennedy scenario. We got to the moon eventually, but a few rockets blew up on the launch pad as well. But that's what happens when you go into a brave new world. It's like anything in life, if you're pulling together forces of nature, nitroglycerine can blow your head off or it can move mountains and it's probably where we are,'' McGuire said.
Collingwood won the next four matches after the Jolimont office breakfast gathering, but lost the final home-and-away round. It lost finals to the eventual grand finalists St Kilda and Geelong.
The Magpies topped up their list in the off-season. Darren Jolly and Luke Ball were added. Malthouse won his third personal premiership in 2010. The following season, in Malthouse's final game, the Pies led Geelong in the third quarter of the Grand Final, but failed to kick a goal in the final quarter and lost.
Malthouse exited. He had always loathed the succession plan he had signed in 2009.
McGuire's intentions were genuine, and in his mind, sound when he made his July 2009 decision. There is no doubt that in his heart he had the best interests of both Buckley and Malthouse.
He will even strongly argue that Malthouse's three disastrous seasons as Carlton coach justified him easing the veteran coach out of the major role at Collingwood.
But only McGuire dared to believe Malthouse and Buckley could work together beyond 2011. Only he thought he could put an old bull in the same paddock as a young bull.
Buckley made a preliminary final in his first season, an elimination final in his second, and missed finals in 2014 and 2015. The side has won just three of its past 15 matches. No matter the spin, this wasn't the plan for year five of Buckley's coaching career.
McGuire has stared down fear his entire working life. And his extraordinary track record will give him confidence that he will fight off this latest batch triggered by the troubles of Buckley, who is contracted to the end of 2017.
No matter what happens in the next two months, McGuire will support Buckley. He will do so because he genuinely believes in him, but also because his own time as Collingwood boss, now into its 18th season, fully depends on it.
Twitter: @barrettdamianThis election year has been the year of the outsider. The two top contenders for the Republican nomination were both outsiders reviled by K Street and establishment Republicans past and present. Whether the ire emanated from the House or the Senate, alumni of past – and failed – presidential bids, or the entrenched consultant class, the message was unmistakable: neither Ted Cruz nor Donald Trump is fit to occupy the White House.
Enter the voters.
They clearly disagree with the powers that be. Indeed, there is no mistaking this electoral environment. The electorate has made its voice quite clear – trade and immigration are powerfully driving the electoral marketplace.
In fact, I can distill down to one issue my drive to challenge Speaker Paul Ryan: Trade. I would’ve run against the Trans-Pacific Partnership if the TPP were a member of Congress, but Speaker Ryan was a fairly accurate facsimile, so he sufficed.
Border Security
In addition to opposing bad “trade” deals, the electorate is focused on border security & immigration, two issues they are right to home in on. Economic security holds a place perhaps only second to physical security in the mind of the electorate.
And no state, perhaps with the exception of Arizona, is more familiar with security issues rife within our failed immigration regime than Texas. Naturally, security is a top concern along with trade and economic security for many Americans. That seems clear as day to most of us.
Violent drug cartels, human trafficking rings, and even government gun running programs threaten the safety of U.S. citizens living in Texas, Arizona, and California. And precious little has been done – by either party – to remedy these dangerous scenarios.
Indeed, border security isn’t a top concern for most of Congress, which has failed to completely fund the completion of the border wall Congress called for in 2006.
Texas’s border law enforcement is under-manned and underfunded. The sad state of affairs at our border led me to help fund their personal security effort as they work to secure their communities for their families, friends, and businesses.
It really is a war zone down in south Texas. Our border law enforcement officers deserve more support from the federal government. That’s a position consistent with the Constitution, so it should be one neither tea partiers nor Democrats should take issue with.
Bad Trade Deals, Economic Insecurity, and National Security Risks
When it comes to trade, one would think the Republicans who’ve campaigned against Barack Obama so vociferously would now seek to protect the economy the President has tried to sell across the Pacific. One would be wrong.
We’re talking about a set of career politicians who’ve refused to fund the border wall that’s been provided for by law for nearly ten years.
Are we really to believe they’re as concerned with protecting the interests of the United States economy as their oath of office and constant T.V. and election-year pandering would have us believe?
Many current Representatives, over the course of entire careers spent angling for positions of leadership in Congress, have refused to vocally push for a border wall. All along, they’ve told us “Once I get my leadership position in Congress I’ll be able to do some big things! Just wait! It’ll be great!”
Well, Mr. Brady, now has arrived. He has his position of power. So maybe he’ll come through on all that tough conservative campaign talk. Right?
Apparently not.
According to a report in The Texas Tribune Rep. Kevin Brady is leaving the door open for Obama to pass TPP before his term is over.
To pass the TPP now would demonstrate Chairman Brady’s and Speaker Ryan’s utter disregard for American economic security.
Ramming through this bad trade deal in a lame duck in the face of growing, bipartisan coalition of opposition – and opposition from his party’s base – would reinforce the strongly held belief among many Americans that Congress doesn’t care one iota about national or economic security – not to mention Texas’s border and economic security.
Hillary is running from this bad trade deal. Speaker Ryan is running from ObamaTrade. And top Republicans and Democrats are running from it. The Trans-Pacific Partnership is quickly approaching life-support status.
TPP supporters shouldn’t mess with Texas. And Texas should not bring the TPP back to life.
Paul Nehlen is a successful manufacturing executive who engineers corporate and factory turnarounds and works to repatriate manufacturing facilities to the United States. Nehlen’s recent run for the nomination in Wisconsin’s First Congressional District resulted in Speaker Ryan’s flip-flopping and publicly rescinding his former support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Paul lives in Delavan, Wisconsin, with his wife Gabriela.This article is about the Russian politician. For the fictional character, see List of BattleTech characters § Aleksandr Kerensky
Alexander Fyodorovich Kerensky (Russian: Алекса́ндр Фёдорович Ке́ренский, IPA: [ɐlʲɪˈksandr ˈkʲerʲɪnskʲɪj]; Russian: Александръ Ѳедоровичъ Керенскій; 4 May 1881 – 11 June 1970) was a Russian lawyer and revolutionist who was a key political figure in the Russian Revolution of 1917. After the February Revolution of 1917, he joined the newly formed Russian Provisional Government, first as Minister of Justice, then as Minister of War, and after July as the government's second Minister-Chairman. A leader of the moderate-socialist Trudoviks faction of the Socialist Revolutionary Party, he was also vice-chairman of the powerful Petrograd Soviet. On 7 November, his government was overthrown by the Lenin-led Bolsheviks in the October Revolution. He spent the remainder of his life in exile, in Paris and New York City, and worked for the Hoover Institution.
Early life and activism [ edit ]
Alexander Kerensky was born in Simbirsk (now Ulyanovsk) on the Volga River on 4 May 1881 and was the eldest son in the family.[1] His father, Fyodor Mikhailovich Kerensky, was a teacher[1] and director of the local gymnasium and was later promoted to Inspector of public schools. His maternal grandfather was head of the Topographical Bureau of the Kazan Military District. His mother, Nadezhda Aleksandrovna (née Adler),[2] (the first-name Nadezhda meaning "Hope"; her patronymic last or "maiden" name was Kalmykova), was the daughter of a former serf who had had to purchase his freedom before serfdom was abolished in 1861. He subsequently embarked upon a mercantile career, in which he prospered, allowing him to move his business to Moscow, where he continued his success, becoming a wealthy Moscow merchant.[3][4]
Kerensky's father was the teacher of Vladimir Ulyanov (Lenin), and members of the Kerensky and Ulyanov families were friends. In 1889, when Kerensky was eight, the family moved to Tashkent, where his father had been appointed the main inspector of public schools (superintendent). Alexander graduated with honours in 1899. The same year he entered St. Petersburg University, where he studied history and philology. The next year he switched to law. He earned his law degree in 1904 and married Olga Lvovna Baranovskaya, the daughter of a Russian general, the same year.[5] Kerensky joined the Narodnik movement and worked as a legal counsel to victims of the Revolution of 1905. At the end of 1904, he was jailed on suspicion of belonging to a militant group. Afterwards he gained a reputation for his work as a defence lawyer in a number of political trials of revolutionaries.[6]
In 1912, Kerensky became widely known when he visited the goldfields at the Lena River and published material about the Lena Minefields incident.[7] In the same year, Kerensky was elected to the Fourth Duma as a member of the Trudoviks, a moderate, non-Marxist labour party founded by Alexis Aladin that was associated with the Socialist-Revolutionary Party, and joined a Freemason society uniting the anti-monarchy forces that strived for the democratic renewal of Russia.[8][9][10] In fact, the Socialist Revolutionary Party bought Kerensky a house, as he otherwise wouldn't be elective for the Duma, according to the Russian property-laws. He then soon became a significant Duma member of the Progressive Block, which included several Socialist Parties, Mensheviks, and Liberals - but not the Bolsheviks.[11] He was a brilliant orator and skilled parliamentary leader of the socialist opposition to the government of Tsar Nicholas II.
On May 28, 1914, Kerensky appealed to Rodzianko with a request from the Council of elders to inform the Tsar that to succeed in war he must: 1) change his domestic policy, 2) proclaim a General Amnesty for political prisoners, 3) restore the Constitution of Finland, 4) declare the autonomy of Poland, 5) provide national minorities autonomy in the field of culture, 6) abolish restrictions against Jews, 7) end religious intolerance, 8) stop the harassment of legal trade union organizations.[12]
Kerensky was an active member of the irregular Freemasonic lodge, the Grand Orient of Russia's Peoples,[13] which derived from the Grand Orient of France. Kerensky was Secretary General of the Grand Orient of Russia's Peoples and stood down following his ascent to government in July 1917. He was succeeded by Menshevik, Alexander Halpern.
Rasputin [ edit ]
In response to bitter resentments held against the imperial favourite Grigori Rasputin in the midst of Russia's failing effort in World War I, Kerensky, at the opening of the Duma on 2 November 1916, called the imperial ministers "hired assassins" and "cowards", and alleged that they were "guided by the contemptible Grishka Rasputin!"[14] Grand Duke Nikolai Mikhailovich, Prince Lvov, and general Mikhail Alekseyev attempted to persuade the emperor Nicholas II to send away the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, Rasputin's steadfast patron, either to the Livadia Palace in Yalta or to England.[15] Mikhail Rodzianko, Zinaida Yusupova (the mother of Felix Yusupov), Alexandra's sister Elisabeth, Grand Duchess Victoria and the empress's mother-in-law Maria Feodorovna also tried to influence and pressure the imperial couple[16] to remove Rasputin from his position of influence within the imperial household, but without success.[17] According to Kerensky, Rasputin had terrorised the empress by threatening to return to his native village.[18]
Monarchists murdered Rasputin in December 1916, burying him near the imperial residence in Tsarskoye Selo. Shortly after the February Revolution of 1917, Kerensky ordered soldiers to re-bury the corpse at an unmarked spot in the countryside. However, the truck broke down or was forced to stop because of the snow on Lesnoe Road outside of St. Petersburg. It is likely the corpse was incinerated (between 3 and 7 in the morning) in the cauldrons of the nearby boiler shop[19][20][21] of the Saint Petersburg State Polytechnical University, including the coffin, without leaving a single trace.[22]
February Revolution of 1917 [ edit ]
Kerensky as Minister of War (sitting second from the right)
When the February Revolution broke out in 1917, Kerensky together with Pavel Milyukov was one of its most prominent leaders. As one of the Duma's most well-known spacers from the monarchy and as a lawyer and defender of many revolutionaries, Kerensky became a member of the Provisional Committee of the State Duma and was elected vice-chairman of the newly formed Petrograd Soviet. These two instances, the Duma and the Petrograd Soviet, or their respective executive committees rather, soon became each other's antagonists on most matters except regarding the end of the Tsar's autocracy.
The Petrograd Soviet counted 3000-4000 members, and as their meetings drowned in a blur of everlasting orations, soon the Executive committee of Petrograd Soviet or Ispolkom was formed. Ispolkom was a self-appointed committee, with three members from all parties represented in the Soviet. Kerensky was one of them, representing the Social Revolutionary party.[23]
On 1.March 1917, without any consultation with the government, Ispolkom declared the infamous Order No. 1, intended only for the 160,000-strong Petrograd garrison, but was soon interpreted as applicable to all soldiers at the front. The order stipulated that all military units should form committees like the Petrograd Soviet. This led to confusion and "striping of officers", further "Order No. 3" stipulated that the military was subordinate to Ispolkom in the political hierarchy. The ideas came from a group of Socialists and aimed to limit the officers' power to military affairs. The socialist intellectuals believed the officers to be the most likely counterrevolutionary elements. Kerensky's role in these orders are unclear, but he participated in the decisions. But just like he before the revolution had defended many who disliked the Tsar, he now saved the lives of many of the Tsar's civil servants about to be lynched by mobs[24]
Additionally, the Duma formed an executive committee which eventually became the so-called Russian Provisional Government. As there was little trust between Ispolkom and this Government (and as he was about to accept the office of Attorney General in the Provisional Government), Kerensky gave a most passionate speech, not just to the Ispolkom, but to the entire Petrograd Soviet. He then swore, as Minister, never to violate democratic values, and ended his speech with the words "I cannot live without the people. In the moment you begin to doubt me, then kill me". The huge majority (workers and soldiers) gave him great applause, and Kerensky now became the first and the only one who participated in both the Provisional Government and the Ispolkom. As a link between Ispolkom and the Provisional Government, the quite ambitious Kerensky stood to benefit from this position.[25]
After the first government crisis over Pavel Milyukov's secret note re-committing Russia to its original war aims on 2–4 May, Kerensky became the Minister of War and the dominant figure in the newly formed socialist-liberal coalition government. On 10 May (Julian calendar), Kerensky started for the front and visited one division after another, urging the men to do their duty. His speeches were impressive and convincing for the moment, but had little lasting effect. Under Allied pressure to continue the war, he launched what became known as the Kerensky Offensive against the Austro-Hungarian/German South Army on 17 June (Julian Calendar). At first successful, the offensive was soon stopped and then thrown back by a strong counter-attack. The Russian army suffered heavy losses, and it was clear from the many incidents of desertion, sabotage, and mutiny that the army was no longer willing to attack.
Kerensky in May 1917
Kerensky was heavily criticised by the military for his liberal policies, which included stripping officers of their mandates and handing over control to revolutionary inclined "soldier committees" instead; the abolition of the death penalty; and allowing revolutionary agitators to be present at the front. Many officers jokingly referred to commander-in-chief Kerensky as "persuader-in-chief."
On 2 July 1917, the first coalition collapsed over the question of Ukraine's autonomy. Following the July Days unrest in Petrograd and suppression of the Bolsheviks, Kerensky succeeded Prince Lvov as Russia's Prime Minister. Following the Kornilov Affair, an attempted military coup d'état at the end of August, and the resignation of the other ministers, he appointed himself Supreme Commander-in-Chief as well.
Kerensky's next move, on 15 September, was to proclaim Russia a republic, which was contrary to the non-socialists' understanding that the Provisional Government should hold power only until a Constituent Assembly should meet to decide Russia's form of government, but which was in line with the long proclaimed aim of the |
important, arguably determining reason why the Eurozone persists in inflicting destructive austerity on much of its population.
As his current column shows, Wolf is under no illusion as to the success of the Eurozone experiment and reminds readers it could still fail:
The currency union is supposed to be an irrevocable monetary marriage. Even if it is a bad marriage, the union may still survive longer than many thought because the costs of divorce are so high. But a bad romance is still fragile, however large the costs of breaking up. The eurozone is a bad marriage. Can it become a good one?… If all members of the eurozone would rejoin happily today, they would be extreme masochists. It is debatable whether even Germany is really better off inside: yes, it has become a champion exporter and runs large external surpluses, but real wages and incomes have been repressed. Meanwhile, the political fabric frays in crisis-hit countries. Anger at home and friction abroad plague both creditors and debtors. What, then, needs to happen to turn this bad marriage into a good one? The answer has two elements: manage a return to economic health as quickly as possible, and introduce reforms that make a repeat of the disaster improbable. The two are related: the more plausible longer-term health becomes, the quicker should be today’s recovery.
Wolf then proceeds to tell us that the Eurozone continues to be a resolute practitioner of austerity policies. Readers may recall that there was a huge kerfluffle in the economics-related media when the IMF admitted it was all wrong, that the fiscal multipliers in the Eurozone had turned out to be larger than one. In econ-speak that means you can’t starve your way back to health. Cutting fiscal deficits results in an even greater economic contraction, resulting in even worse debt to GDP ratios. But the rest of the European officialdom seems to be in shoot-the-messenger mode. Per Wolf:
In a recent letter to ministers, Olli Rehn, the European Commission’s vice-president in charge of economics and monetary affairs, condemned the International Monetary Fund’s recent doubts on fiscal multipliers as not “helpful”. This, I take it, is an indication of heightened sensitivities. Instead of listening to the advice of a wise marriage counsellor, the authorities have rejected it outright.
Wolf says the way out is more debt writedowns and restructurings, internal rebalancing, and financing national deficits as the rebalancing is in process. At this remove, I don’t see how this happens. Germany still wants to have its cake and eat it too. It does not want to give up running surpluses with the rest of the Eurozone and keep financing its trade partners. The fact that it insists on irreconcilable objectives is putting the periphery into a depression which will eventually infect Germany.
Wolf argues that the reason the Eurozone has not broken up despite pursuing such destructive policies is that a breakup would be worse. The question might be for whom. Greece has been the test case. Even though a Greek departure would not have significant economic ramifications for the rest of the Eurozone, the fear is that it would lead to contagion, since if Greece left, it would demonstrate to other periphery countries that it could be done too.
And one has to wonder why Greece has not left. By all accounts, the country is falling apart. Many medicines are in inadequate supply, sheets in hospitals are being re-used, and barter is becoming common as the economy is breaking down. Things are now so desperate that infrastructure is being damaged as desperate citizens try to pilfer metals. From Greek Reporter:
The thieves are accused of stealing industrial cable, power-line transformers and other metal objects – triggering blackouts and massive train delays. The profile of the metal thief is also changing, authorities say, from gypsies and immigrants living on the margins of society to mainstream Greeks who have fallen on hard times. A group of men were caught trying to take apart an entire bridge and droves of immigrants can be seen pushing shopping carts around Greek neighborhoods looking in recycling bins… Athens’ nine-year-old light rail system has been a prime magnet for metal robbers, with at least five major disruptions reported in the past six months due to cable theft that forced passengers to hop on and off trains as diesel replacements were needed. The trend has had lethal consequences: In early January, the body of a 35-year-old man was found near Athens beside the tracks of a suburban rail system that services the capital΄s airport. He had been electrocuted while cutting live cables, police said.
It is hard to imagine how an exit could make matters any worse. Greece would get the Eurozone boot off its neck, be able to deficit spend to get its idle resources back to work, and depreciate its currency to make its goods more attractive on world markets.
So why are the periphery countries suffering this level of unproductive pain? Because the countries aren’t making the decisions. It’s powerful local politicians who are selling out their countries, working in cahoots with Eurozone technocrats. And I can assure you none of them are sharing in the suffering of periphery country workers.
This is the plague of our modern social order: detached and corrupt leaders, whether intellectually, monetarily, or both. The old code of noblesse oblige, which at lead required the elites to have some concern about what happened to the lower orders, is a dead letter. It’s curious that someone as incisive as Wolf is unwilling to factor the behavior of the ruling classes into his assessment. Perhaps, as Michael Thomas said of Punch Sulzberger, he is dining with people he should be dining on.
This piece is cross-posted from Naked Capitalism with permission.Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., right, sponsored a spending amendment that would have insulated state pot laws from federal interference. The measure fell 16 votes short. Democratic Party leader Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., voted against the amendment and a separate, successful amendment to shield medical marijuana laws. Getty Images
The House of Representatives has voted to protect state medical marijuana and hemp laws from federal interference, to cut the Drug Enforcement Administration’s budget and to halt bulk collection of American communications in drug investigations.
In a near-sweep for reformers, the Republican-led chamber accepted seven of eight amendments to a large multi-agency spending bill that sought either to restrict federal enforcement of marijuana laws or restrain the anti-drug agency.
The one narrowly defeated measure in the string of late Tuesday and Wednesday votes would have prevented federal prosecutors and anti-drug agents from blocking implementation of state recreational marijuana laws.
That measure, introduced by Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., failed 206-222, with 45 Republicans voting in favor and 24 Democrats, including Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, voting against it.
Though reformers had held their breath hoping for a win, Dan Riffle, director of federal policies for the Marijuana Policy Project, called the vote “the most significant step Congress has ever taken toward ending federal marijuana prohibition.”
“This is the first time this amendment has been offered, and it received an impressive amount of support,” Riffle said in a statement. “It’s not really a question of whether this measure will pass; it’s a question of when it will pass.”
Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., told U.S. News earlier in the day he believes Congress will soon align itself with the majority of Americans who tell pollsters they support marijuana legalization.
“It’s time for the federal government to no longer make marijuana use and possession criminal,” Lieu said. “It’s clear the public is already there, and it takes Congress sometimes a little bit of time to catch up. But with the votes you’ve already seen and I believe you will see there’s growing bipartisan support to no longer have marijuana as a federal crime.”
Kevin Sabet, leader of the anti-legalization group Smart Approaches to Marijuana, took a different view, saying in a statement the vote was "a victory for our Nation's kids" and "a crushing blow" for legalization supporters. "Legalization is not inevitable," he said.
Possession of marijuana for any reason outside limited research is a federal crime, and spending amendments would not change that. Despite federal prohibition, four states and the nation's capital allow recreational marijuana use and many others allow marijuana as medicine.
The Obama administration generally tolerates state-level regulation of marijuana for medical or recreational use, but government agents and prosecutors – in the absence of spending prohibitions – retain the right to shut down regulated state markets and prosecute pot growers, sellers and users.
The medical marijuana-protecting amendment, which in a major breakthrough for reformers passed the House 219-189 and became law last year, was accepted by a larger 242-186 majority Wednesday, even with more Republican members this year.
The underlying spending bill allocates funds for fiscal year 2016. Without re-passing, the medical marijuana-protecting amendment would not have continued in effect.
Federal law allows prosecutions that predate spending prohibitions to continue and the amendment’s primary sponsors, Reps. Sam Farr, D-Calif., and Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., told U.S. News in February they were disappointed that federal prosecutors in Washington state ignored the spirit of the measure by taking to trial a family of medical marijuana patients who roughly followed state rules.
“The federal government should never come between patients and their medicine,” Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., said Wednesday, celebrating the reincorporation of the amendment she co-sponsored. “Passage of this amendment brings us one step closer to providing relief for those suffering from multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, cancer, HIV/AIDS and other medical conditions.”
Another amendment passed Wednesday, from Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., prevents enforcement actions against state laws allowing use of cannabidiol (CBD), a compound from marijuana plants that appears to be an effective treatment for severe treatment-resistant forms of epilepsy. It passed 297-130.
Yet another amendment protects state laws allowing farmers to grow hemp, marijuana’s nonintoxicating cousin, which is grown in many other countries for food, fiber and oil. It passed 282-146. A similar amendment passed last year and became law, following the DEA’s high-profile seizure of hemp seeds destined for pilot programs run by Kentucky’s government and universities. Hemp products can legally be imported to the U.S., but until recently domestic production was impossible.
The votes cannot necessarily be read as an endorsement of various state policies. Polls generally show, for example, higher support for states’ ability to legalize marijuana than for legalization itself. But reformers see the successes as yet another high-water mark for the movement.
“Congress clearly wants to stop the the Justice Department from spending money to impose failed marijuana prohibition policies onto states, so there’s absolutely no reason those policies themselves should remain on the lawbooks any longer,” says Tom Angell, chairman of the group Marijuana Majority.
In addition to cannabis-specific votes, House members passed three amendments by voice vote reducing funding for the DEA and another that aims to ban dragnet collection of Americans' records in drug investigations.
Lieu, a freshman congressman, sponsored an amendment taking $9 million from the DEA’s cannabis eradication program, halving the appropriation while adding $7 million to youth- and children-focused domestic violence programs and the remainder to deficit reduction.
“The fact it was accepted by a voice vote means the Congress didn’t even think it was that controversial, which is terrific,” he says, adding he plans legislation to de-authorize the eradication program. "To spend even one cent on prosecuting marijuana cases is a total waste of resources."
An amendment from Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, reappropriated another $9 million from the DEA, putting it toward police body cameras. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., redirected a further $4 million to testing rape kits.
The mass surveillance-limiting amendment, drafted by Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colo., also was approved by a voice vote. It prohibits the DEA from using administrative subpoenas for the dragnet collection of records.
The DEA pioneered the bulk collection of U.S. call records, harvesting Americans’ international call records from companies using subpoenas for nearly two decades before whistleblower Edward Snowden exposed the more famous National Security Agency dragnet. Authorities reportedly decided to end the agency’s dragnet in response to Snowden’s disclosures.
“I thought it was pretty outrageous, the scope and indiscriminate nature of the collection,” former DEA intelligence specialist Sean Dunagan told U.S. News of the database. He said he searched the records nearly every day while he worked at the DEA office in Miami in late '90s and early 2000s.
Editorial Cartoons on Pot Legalization View All 12 Images
The votes are more evidence of Capitol Hill discomfort with the DEA, whose longtime leader Michele Leonhart recently was forced to resign amid a sex party scandal. She previously riled congressmen by refusing to say if marijuana is less harmful than heroin. Her successor, Chuck Rosenberg, has made few public comments about marijuana policy.
“The DEA built the modern surveillance state," said Bill Piper, director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance. “From spying on Americans to busting into people’s homes the DEA doesn’t fit in well in a free society and the time is now to reverse these harms.”
The amendments must survive Senate votes to become law.DICE has posted over on the Battlelog blog information pertaining to the game’s new dog tag system, which allows players to choose an initial design based on an in-game stat that will be tracked dynamically in the game.
Dog tags, which were first introduced in Battlefield 2142, are basically a bragging tool and this will be even more obvious in BF3, especially now that DICE has added “extra weight” to these “calling cards”.
“Dog tags in Battlefield 3 go beyond just having your name on them,” explained Alan Kertz, senior multiplayer designer. “We have hundreds of dog tags that can be your personal calling card. Every time you kill an enemy, they see your tags. It’s your calling card – it’s your place to brag, and dynamic tags can show off how great you are with a knife, a jet, or even show off your personal play style.”
The only way to get a dog tag from from an enemy in the game is by performing one of the new knife takedowns which has you sneaking up from behind and performing a stealth kill.
DICE said that thanks to the ANT animation system, these special moves “add a dynamic visual flair,” and encourage players to get in close for stealth kills.
“[It] makes bringing a knife to a gun fight the risky but rewarding experience it was always meant to be,” said Kertz.
You can catch a glimpse of one of these stealth kills in the Paris multiplayer video released last week.
Battlefield 3 is out in October, and the beta starts in September.Chris Roberts formally announced last month that the dogfighting module for Star Citizen would be delayed, and if were honest about it, we really sort of saw it coming. So you might have expected me to pretty much have something ready to send out about it the moment the news went public. The honest answer is that I didnt have anything prepared because I dont think the delay is really the story in this situation. I think the reaction is the real story here, and thats what I wanted to give time to develop.
The reaction this far has been pretty well along the lines of what I expected, and what a number of folks in the industry were not hoping to see. Specifically, that reaction would be something along the lines of a frustrated acceptance. Were going to examine that reaction in some detail today because I think its a fascinating delve into the sort of gamer this project is collecting. Understanding that frustration a little and why we see it paired with so much acceptance is part of the story here, but then Im going to tell you why I think the delay might be a good thing and why the big publishers probably arent too happy about it.
Qu'ils Mangent de la Brioche
When the French aristocracy failed to feed the countrys peasants and Marie Antoinette was approached for help on acquiring bread, she supposedly uttered the now famous phrase, Let them eat cake. What followed some years later was a lesson in why a disappointed crowd can be distinctly unhealthy for those they feel let down by. Video games are no different, as weve seen several times in the last year alone.
Reading through some of the comments in the recent Letter from the Chairman on the Star Citizen website, you see a certain level of justified disappointment. While the team has rolled out a number of patches for the hanger module, everyones been waiting on the dogfighting module, which is when they could actually start to get a genuine feel for the game. Its like ordering a new Murcielago from Lamborghini. The picture they sent you of what you ordered serves to get you excited and works for a short while, but then when you hear the cars been delayed, the disappointment is somewhat understandable.
CIG hasnt promised the car for another couple years or so, but theyve promised a chance to test-drive it and thats been delayed. On the tail of concerns about feature-creep, theres even a bit of fear mixed in that the whole game may be moving more slowly than hoped. There really hasnt been a tremendous amount of apparent growth in the hanger module either. No new ships having been added in some time, for example.
You find yourself reading comments about being disappointed, and youre not really that surprised about it. As you scan down through the posts, what may be somewhat surprising is that you dont see much more than mild disappointment. Maybe the community manager at CIG is doing a great job of sanitizing the page, but Im not seeing near the number of raving posts or hot-heads that you really might have expected. Its not like there isnt some justification for being a little irate since most posting are also technically investors, yet the general attitude seems fairly reasonable. You can typically tell when an admin has been killing posts from the odd leaps in conversation, so I suspect what were seeing here is genuine and hasnt been sanitized.
Keep Calm and Carry On
Theres an old World War II poster we still see rolling through the internet today, and it fairly well sums up the response weve seen by the community to the latest announcement by Roberts. The mantra on that old poster was to keep calm and carry on. No one was shocked at the disappointment, but I think a lot of people are somewhat surprised to find the backers taking the news with so much aplomb. It helped that there was no sense of panache in the public letter that Chris Roberts wrote to fans explaining the situation, however more than that, I think it shows a quality to this gaming community you might typically take for granted.
In post after post under Roberts apologetic letter on the website, fans and backers post that while theyre disappointed at having to wait, theyd rather wait for the module to be done correctly. The interesting bit is that Roberts choice is sort of counter to what you typically see elsewhere in the industry. Everyone says that theyre not sacrificing quality to hit a date, but every year we see a laundry list of games shoved out the door before their ready because the publisher or financial backers insist on it.
Strangely, commonly toted excuse is that its done because the target audience wont wait, or that by delaying theyll somehow alienate a sizable chunk of the market. What were seeing with Star Citizen is that the market actually cares more about quality than what the big and established industry seems to believe. Of course, its entirely possible that what were seeing here is just something unique to the Star Citizen community.
Im sure you could make the point that the low-brow audience of consoles and games like World of Warcraft who can hardly spell port forwarding (much less understand what it is), obviously couldnt care less about quality as demonstrated by their choice of entertainment. However, those of us with more discriminating taste who require a bit more of our games, have been left picking through the junk food of digital entertainment because there are a lot more of them than there are of us. Though, I actually suspect that there may be a lot more of us getting tired of shovel-ware than the big gaming industry would care to believe.
Progress Hurts
Like myself, I think a fair number of those who are fans of Star Citizen or have chosen to become backers have more than a passing familiarity with programing or software engineering. I think its pretty likely that this is one of the big reasons so many seem to be okay with delays based on the recent reasons given by Chris Roberts.
Those of us who have worked on software projects understand that you sort of have a couple modes you develop from; the cost-saving, do-what-it-takes mode, and the do-it-right mode. The first is usually pretty quick and doesnt require much spin-up time to start churning out results, where the latter often requires more thought and structure. You have to lay out the groundwork to build from when you have the option of doing something correctly from the start, and that often means theres a perceived lack of progress early on.
Mr. Console Gamer over there likely doesnt understand the difference, but I believe we more enlightened (being experienced in that form of hackery) are glad to see it. One thing Ive always complained about, and Im sure a number of you as well, is how stupid it is that we have to do dumb things to show progress and keep management happy while we struggle to develop something were not actually ashamed to have our tag in. How awesome is it that someone is actually working for management (ie Chris Roberts and we backers) that understand that?
Now I dont want the non-coding members of our fellow intellectual-elite to miss me here by thinking Im just trying to make warm fuzzies for a game Im excited about. Theres a reason beyond just cheering for fellow code-monkeys that Im actually glad to see this call, a couple of them actually. First, Im glad to see some integrity in a development team. Coming out like this and telling your community, not that you cant deliver, but that you wont deliver because it wouldnt meet your standards is ballsy. I like that. Dont sugar coat it, just tell me youre not delivering and why. Contrary to how all the other publishers treat us, a lot of us are big kids and can handle it.
More importantly, I like what it says for the future of the game long-term. Remember, the CIG guys intend to give out developer handbooks when theyre done with initial development that will allow modders to have a blast adding things to the game on down the line. A little extra effort making sure things are written correctly now will make modding the game later that much easier. Obviously its good for speeding up the internal development going forward as well, but I suspect this will be one of those games that draws a whole lot on community-produced content eventually. I think thats a good thing, and one of the strongest draws to Star Citizen for me personally.
Of Birds and the Industry
Theres another reason I like what happened here a lot. As a gamer who feels fairly abandoned by the major developers and publishing companies in the industry over the last decade, Im cheering for anyone who throws a rude salute in their direction. Make no mistake, thats exactly what weve seen here with Star Citizen.
Roberts has effectively told all the big-money players in this industry that this market isnt made up of idiots and that hes not going to treat us like it. He made his decision, and shockingly enough the community has thanked him for it. Mostly by throwing more money at him, but I think Ive heard a few cheers at the local coffee shop as well.
Whether SC succeeds or fails beyond this point, the team at CIG have just demonstrated that you can deliver the worst news and still not lose people if youre on the right track with what youre community wants. Funding has passed $36 million since the initial announcement, which demonstrates not only an acceptance of the news, but actual appreciation at being treated like an adult for a change.
Now, I have to be frank on one point. Im not sure this would actually fly with most other games. CIG is way closer to their community than most other game developers can be, and that allows them a flexibility other developers may not enjoy. So I dont expect a dramatic shift in the way other developers handle future course adjustments like this. What I do believe is that it suggests that a change in this direction may not have the dire consequences many folks previously expected. Because of that, I hope it helps to initiate at least a small change in how we fans are treated by other developers and publishers moving forward. If nothing else, it helps move the needle in that direction.
The Executive Summary
Its a long time until the games supposed to be complete, so theres no telling whether or not well get there. I dont see this recent news as being catastrophic in any way, but rather more encouraging in a lot of aspects. More significantly, it seems there are a lot of other people backing the game who feel the same way, and I find a great deal of pride in that fact.
The gist of this article is basically that Im just a fairly proud guy as Im writing this article. I saw news delivered that had the potential to be catastrophic and Ive seen a community accept the situation and even find an odd encouragement in it. he coffee shop collective and I believe it tells us a lot about the quality and maturity of said community in particular, but also I think proves several important points about gamers in general.
It demonstrates that despite all the damage kids playing Halo on Xbox Live have done for our image, the average gamer is more mature than they once were. There probably was a time were most of us were kids and had to be treated as such, but those days have passed. The new gamer is older and certainly more cognitively developed. Theres also at least one developer that recognizes that fact and treats us like it. Last month CIG allowed us to show that we have standards, and that we will stand behind those who promise to uphold them.trait Print { fn print(&self); } struct Printer { p: Box<Print>, } fn main() { let i = 1i32; let s = String::from_str("Hello"); // let mp = make_printer!(i,s); let mp = |i: i32, s: String| { struct Foo { i: i32, s: String, } impl Foo { fn new(i: i32, s: String) -> Foo { Foo { i: i, s: s } } } impl Print for Foo { fn print(&self) { println!("{} {}", self.i, self.s); } } Printer { p: box Foo::new(i, s) } }; let printer = mp(i, s); printer.p.print(); }
I want to create the make_printer! macro which should expand to mp if I call it with make_printer!(i,s).
Is this is possible? I think the biggest issue here is that I need something like decltype from C++ so that I can extract the type from a variable. The struct could then look like:Signaling a brief spark of bipartisanship in Washington, the White House on Tuesday said it backs House Republicans’ effort to repeal a 3 percent withholding tax on government contractors, which is part of the GOP’s own job-creation push.
The White House said repealing the withholding will leave businesses with more cash to invest and create jobs at a time when the economy is still struggling.
“This would complement the administration’s other efforts to help small businesses. Repeal of the withholding requirement would also reduce implementation costs borne by federal and other governmental agencies,” the White House said in a statement of policy.
The 3 percent withholding requirement was passed in 2006 as a way to crack down on government contractors who were suspected of cheating on their taxes, and was supposed to take effect this year. But businesses protested, arguing that compliance costs would far outweigh the $11 billion the government would reap in better tax payments.
The IRS has already delayed the requirement until 2013, and Mr. Obama and congressional Republicans now say they want it repealed altogether.
Mr. Obama included it in his jobs plan last month, and House Republicans immediately signaled it was one of the few areas where they believed they could work with the president to get something passed.
Senate Republicans tried to pass a similar bill last week, but the administration opposed that version, arguing against the $30 billion in spending cuts the GOP attached to the measure.
The House bill, though, will be paid for by coupling it with a change to the way income is calculated for purposes of Medicaid and health exchange eligibility under the new health care law. The changes are expected to save enough money to cover the costs of repealing the withholding.
Copyright © 2019 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.In the excerpt, Mr. Charbonnier said the Charlie Hebdo caricatures previously published by the newspaper “do not target all Muslims.” In 2012, Mr. Charbonnier aroused anger and criticism when he published caricatures showing Muhammad naked and in sexual poses. The newspaper’s offices were firebombed after it published a spoof issue in 2011 that it said had been guest-edited by Muhammad.
Warming to his theme that the fight against Islamophobia had backfired, he argued that a misplaced fight against Islamophobia led by white elites had stifled free speech and paradoxically encouraged the mistreatment of Muslims by singling out their religious identity.
“If tomorrow all the Muslims of France convert to Catholicism or abandon all religion, that would change nothing to racist discourse: These foreigners or French citizens of foreign descent will still be singled out as responsible for all problems,” Mr. Charbonnier wrote. He added that “being afraid of Islam is most likely stupid, absurd and many other things, but it isn’t a crime.”
Mr. Charbonnier, 47, had appeared on a list of Al Qaeda’s targets and was under police protection at the time of the attack. He had been editorial director of Charlie Hebdo since 2009. The newspaper is part of a culture of satire in France where no one, from politicians to religious figures, is off limits. Past issues of Charlie Hebdo have included a mock debate on whether Jesus existed, and caricatures of Orthodox Jews.
The publication of Mr. Charbonnier’s book comes as France, host to Western Europe’s largest Muslim population, is grappling with fears about Islamic extremism after January’s attacks, during which a kosher supermarket in Paris was also targeted, and four hostages there were killed.Early on Friday, Christopher Duran, 14, left his home on a Bronx street lined with brick apartment buildings and dotted with trees. He made a stop at a nearby laundromat and then, his family said, he headed off to school, walking with his younger brother and a friend.
Suddenly, at about 8:30 a.m., a gunman approached Christopher and shot him in the face, a law enforcement official said. His brother and his friend dove under cars, waiting for the shooting to end, his relatives said. Christopher was on the pavement, with three other gunshot wounds to the abdomen. Two assailants were seen leaving the scene.
By the time paramedics arrived, the authorities said, Christopher was already dead.
Investigators believe the teenager was the intended target of the brazen morning attack on Sheridan Avenue, near East 167th Street. One senior police official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation, called it a “directed shooting.” But the police were still trying to piece together what prompted the attack. It could have been gang-related, the police said, and might have involved a dispute between rival groups.
Image Christopher Duran, pictured when he was 13.
In the hours after the shooting, Christopher’s family and their friends gathered on the street, sobbing and embracing each other. His brother was still in shock, relatives said. His mother sat outside on a plastic crate, bawling.Share. Sony continues its streak. Sony continues its streak.
PlayStation 4 was the the top-selling console in the United States last month, according to The NPD Group.
Not only was Sony's gaming machine the best-selling console in the US for April, it also outpaced Xbox One and Wii U during the month of March, as well as February.
Exit Theatre Mode
The NPD Group's Liam Callahan said that hardware sales dropped 23 percent when compared to April of last year, due in large part to a 19 percent decline of $30.4 million in console sales. Current-gen console spending dropped by 15 percent, while last-gen console dollar sales declined by over 70 percent. Additionally, portable hardware sales dropped by $11.3 million.
Microsoft released a statement regarding Xbox One's performance this past month, with Xbox Marketing VP Mike Nichols saying April 2016 "was the best month in the history for global engagement" on the console.
New hardware may be right around the corner, as Sony is reportedly planning to unveil a more powerful PlayStation 4 sometime before October, presumably next month at E3. Microsoft is rumored to be prototyping a variety of ideas for the Xbox platform.
Exit Theatre Mode
Alex Osborn is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.Image caption Somerset County Council is investing in food banks as crisis loans are cut
People in Somerset struggling to pay for food who previously could have applied for a crisis loan will now be directed to charitable food banks.
The crisis loan scheme - part of the Social Fund - was scrapped by the government on 1 April.
Somerset County Council will instead receive £1.1m from the government to fund a Local Assistance Scheme, which will include funding for food banks.
The authority said it would be less bureaucratic than handing out vouchers.
The Local Assistance Scheme - which is replacing the Social Fund - will help with basic essentials, including food, furniture and fuel to heat essential rooms.
People can access the scheme through their local Citizens Advice Bureau or West Somerset Advice Bureau.
'Sufficient funding'
A Somerset County Council spokesman said: "Different local authorities are doing different things, but there is strong encouragement by government to provide services in-kind rather than through cash or vouchers.
"We will use all of the money transferred from the Department for Work and Pensions to fund the Local Assistance Scheme and this will include providing funds to food banks and other local charities to cope with increased demand."
The £1.1m provided by the government is for the year 2013/14, the council said.
Ros Smith, co-ordinator at the Glastonbury food bank, said the change could place her organisation under increasing pressure.
"I think it is quite possible that it will increase the demand on our service," she said.
"We depend on donations, so it's whether the good will is there amongst the community to help out people who are facing these kind of crisis."
Previously, those in need could turn to the fund, which offered loans averaging about £50 to overcome short-term financial crises - repaid through benefits.
Family Action, which works with disadvantaged families in Somerset, said sending people to food banks rather than giving out the crisis loans could have a negative impact on the most vulnerable people in the county.
The charity's chief executive, David Holmes, said: "What we are concerned about is that there is sufficient funding to do this because we know that times are hard.
"When people are in crisis they do need help and we need to make sure that support is there and there is sufficient support too.
"I think the important thing is that people can access food as soon as they need it and if there are children in the family it becomes all the more important."A Reddit user has posted about a Reddit app for Apple Watch that they have developed and it has received very positive feedback from other Reddit users. The post was made on the ‘/r/apple’ subreddit and the poster is looking for other developers to help with the project. As we understand, so far this app is just a concept but the design phase has been completed. The app has been christened Watchit which is a mash up of Reddit and Watch. Check out how Reddit on Apple Watch might look like, after the break.
The uploader has also included some images and that give a comprehensive view of almost all the aspects of Reddit on Apple Watch. After receiving some suggestions the user has made some changes to the design of the app. These changes include slimming down the app and the option of viewing ‘your’ frontpage which will contain posts only from subreddits you have subscribed to. Alternatively you can view all posts from all of the subreddits as well.
The Homescreen has also been changed from what the developer initially envisioned. Users won’t be able to browse individual subreddits on the Homescreen any more as the developer thinks this would be better suited to the Watch by limiting the scope. The front page will be presented in a list view which will be scrolled using the digital crown.
The images include what the app icon would be like among other apps on the Springboard. There is also a mockup for the Homescreen and Front page. The Homescreen is the main screen of the app or the landing screen while the Front page is the Reddit front page of either all subreddits or only the ones you have subscribed to. You will be able to tap on a post to make it ‘fullscreen’ as much as the Watch allows. Tapping close will close the picture or title and take you back to the subreddit. Force Touching a post will open up a context menu via which posts may be saved or sent to your iPhone.
The actual iPhone companion app is yet to be designed. The iPhone app will ship with and drive the Apple Watch app. You would be able to send posts from your Watch to the iPhone to view them on a much larger screen. The developer has promised that even without the Watch app users will be able to use the iPhone app by itself and it won’t be priced any more than $0.99. There are also other upcoming alternate Reddit apps on iOS.
You can read more about the Apple Watch here.
Check out the gallery below for Watchit.
(via Reddit)Joe Flacco is the most underappreciated quarterback in football—by far. He’s an elite superstar blessed with all the physical traits you look for: size, arm strength, precision accuracy, and even mobility. Though he’s not “off the charts” in the latter category, he’s much better at moving than his gangly frame suggests. These characteristics enable the eighth-year veteran to fit the ball into the tight windows, a requirement for beating man coverage in the NFL. Flacco is also cerebral, which shows in the way he identifies and picks apart defensive |
, a British expatriate and venture capitalist businessman, gained notoriety after his performance on ABC's Wife Swap (originally aired Friday January 30, 2009) when his wife exchanged positions in his family with a woman from Missouri for a two-week period. In response to her rule changes (standard procedure for the second week in the show) he insulted his guest and, in doing so, groups including the lower classes, soldiers, and the overweight. Several websites were made in protest against his behaviour.[103] After the show, and after watching the Wife Swap video, his wife, a professional life coach, reported that she had encouraged him to attend professional behaviour counselling. Businesses with only tangential connection to Fowler publicly disclaimed any association with him due to the negative publicity.[104] He resigned positions on the boards of two environmental charities to avoid attracting negative press.
Cyclist abuser incident [ edit ]
In 2008, video of Patrick Pogan, a rookie police officer, body-slamming Christopher Long, a cyclist, surfaced on the Internet.[105] The altercation happened when members of Critical Mass conducted a bicycling advocacy event at Times Square.[106] The officer claimed the cyclist had veered into him, and so the biker was charged with assault, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
The charges against the cyclist were later dropped and Pogan was convicted of lying about the confrontation with the cyclist.[107]
Vigilante group targets mother [ edit ]
In 2009, a Facebook group was started, accusing a single mother for the death of a 13-month-old child in her foster care. It was the mother's then common-law husband who pleaded guilty to manslaughter and the mother was not formally accused of any wrongdoing. However, the members of the group, such as the boy's biological mother, accuse her of knowing what was going on and doing nothing to stop it.[108]
Cooks Source incident [ edit ]
The food magazine Cooks Source printed an article by Monica Gaudio without her permission in their October 2010 issue. Learning of the copyright violation, Gaudio emailed Judith Griggs, managing editor of Cooks Source Magazine, requesting that the magazine both apologize and also donate $130 to the Columbia School of Journalism as payment for using her work. Instead she received a very unapologetic letter stating that she (Griggs) herself should be thanked for making the piece better and that Gaudio should be glad that she didn't give someone else credit for writing the article. During the ensuing public outcry, online vigilantes took it upon themselves to avenge Gaudio. The Cooks Source Facebook page was flooded with thousands of contemptuous comments, forcing the magazine's staff to create new pages in an attempt to escape the protest and accuse 'hackers' of taking control of the original page. The magazine's website was stripped of all content by the staff and shut down a week later.[109]
Bullied bus monitor Karen Klein [ edit ]
In June 2012, An elderly bus monitor, Karen Klein, was taunted, picked on, and threatened by four seventh-graders. The act was caught on video and uploaded to the Internet which in turn caused an act of kindness from complete strangers. $703,833 was raised for Klein in donations from concerned strangers who were outraged after viewing a video that captured her torment.[110]
Senior solicitor, Alexander Carter-Silk and junior barrister, Charlotte Proudman [ edit ]
In 2015 a junior barrister Charlotte Proudman working in the UK tweeted a screenshot of her LinkedIn exchange with Alexander Carter-Silk, a senior City solicitor, rebuking him for complimenting her on her profile photograph. The social media backlash included Proudman finding herself condemned as a "feminazi".[111]
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]An Edmonton woman has given her JOEY restaurant serving job the boot over a bloody high heel argument.
“My friend’s feet were bleeding to the point she lost a toe nail and she was still discouraged and berated by the shift manager for changing into flats,” Nicola Gavins wrote on Facebook on behalf of her unidentified friend, who resigned from the downtown location following the incident.
We reached out to Gavins but hadn’t heard back by the time of publishing.
She also accused the chain of making its female staff purchase a $30 dress uniform “while male staff can dress themselves in black clothing from their own closets,” and for not paying its staff for training.
Her criticism of the restaurant chain’s “sexist, archaic requirements” was shared more than 10,000 times over the past week.
Of the hundreds who commented on the post, a couple questioned the validity of the accusations, saying the socks looked more wine-stained than blood-soaked.
The vast majority, though, expressed outrage over the situation. And a few were less than surprised by it.
A former JOEY hostess recalled being told in 2007 that she’d only get promoted to a server if she “lost weight and got hotter.”
“‘Oh ya after like six months of running around in heels, you’ll really slim down,'” she claimed to have been told. “Keep in mind the most I ever weighed was 125 pounds.”
As for getting “hotter,” that apparently involved her hair being longer.
“It was a disgusting and degrading place to work,” she wrote. She told Global News she experienced the same policies at two locations.
Other past and present employees stood up for the chain, though, which was recently named one of the top 20 best places to work in Canada and “one of the great places to work for women for 2016.”
Amanda Dickson, who served there for three years, denied ever being forced to wear heels. “We were required to wear black shoes. That’s it,” she wrote on the thread, adding this may have been an issue with a local manager.
Gavins replied with a photo that appeared to be from a JOEY training manual. It said women’s shoes “must have a minimum of a one-inch heel.”
Not the first time
Similar situations have played out at a number of restaurants, including Moxie’s in Calgary.
Despite Moxie’s management denying any high heel requirement, its server guidelines Global News obtained last summer stipulated a minimum 1.5-inch sleek heel was required.
In Toronto, the Shark Club used a “how to feel comfortable in high heels” explainer, advising female servers to wear a certain kind of three-inch heel.
Women from the Original Joe’s and Boston Pizza chains came forward with similar complaints of being forced to wear heels following our reports on Moxie’s.
A Calgary Original Joe’s server even claimed her doctor’s note was denied when she tried to get out of wearing high heels at work. She said she was in so much pain after her shift that she couldn’t stand.
READ MORE: Man wears high heels for a day, calls restaurant heel policies ‘insane’
Health experts have repeatedly cautioned women about the negative impacts of wearing high heels.
“Chronic high heel use can affect the ankles, the knees, the low-back, the hips,” chiropractor Stacia Kelly told us last year.
READ MORE: Clothing and accessories that can be harmful to your health
What JOEY has to say
In an emailed statement to Global News, JOEY’s VP of marketing, Britt Innes, explained there had been a change in footwear policy in March in response to all the recent attention on dress code in the service industry.
“We conducted audits and sent out a survey to get our partners’ anonymous insights and feedback. The major learning from our partners was that they wanted a change in our shoe guidelines,” she said.
“We made these changes and rolled this out in late March. However, it is clear that it did not reach every partner and I take ownership for that. In retrospect, we should have ensured all outdated training materials were destroyed.”
She sent the image below of the chain’s current shoe guidelines.
“Under this guide, [female servers] choose what is comfortable for them. There is no minimum height when it comes to our shoe policy.”
The company is also considering a change to its dress code, according to Innes. It’s currently a black dress for women but may eventually become a T-shirt and jeans for both males and females. That uniform is being tested at select locations.
Innes added that she reached out to the employee as soon as she saw the Facebook post. A company-wide memo was sent out to as well, to ensure everyone’s on the same page around the new policies and guidelines.
With files from Vassy Kapelos, Global NewsAs part of a large Nissan Motorsport announcement at the opening of the new Nismo headquarters, the most recent graduates have had their 2013 seasons revealed.
The most significant announcement is that of Jann Mardenborough. Jann’s recent experience in the 2013 Toyota Racing Series, where he finished as the series’ top rookie, has been a precursor to a full season seat at Carlin Motorsport in FIA European Formula 3. Jann becomes the first GTA winner to move to a full season at an international, open-wheeled series, hinting at a possible future F1 seat. Indeed Carlin’s graduates include two F1 world champions – Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastien Vettel – the latter of which sits in a Renault-Nissan powered and sponsored car…
Meanwhile the four 2012 graduates, reeling from the news they’re too fast for British GT, find themselves taking over the Nissan Nismo GT-R GT3 Jann has vacated for the Blancpain Endurance Series. Though the specific driving pairings have not yet been revealed, Wolfgang Reip, Mark Shulzhitskiy, Peter Pyzera and Steve Doherty are to drive two GT-Rs in the series. Nissan have also announced intention to race the car in the rejuvenated FIA GT GT3 class, but no driver line-up has been given.
As yet no programmes have been confirmed for previous winners Jordan Tresson, Lucas Ordoñez and Bryan Heitkotter, but watch this space!
Images courtesy of Nissan Motorsport and Toyota Racing Series.
More Posts On...Image caption PC Harwood's reaction was "wholly disproportionate" in the circumstances, the court heard
Newspaper vendor Ian Tomlinson died at the G20 protest in London in 2009 as the result of a "gratuitous act of aggression by a lone officer whose blood was up", a court has heard.
PC Simon Harwood, 44, of Carshalton, south London, who denies manslaughter, is on trial at Southwark Crown Court.
Jurors heard Mr Tomlinson, 47, was violently struck with a police baton and pushed to the ground.
The prosecution says this caused him to collapse two to three minutes later.
'Taken by surprise'
Mr Tomlinson had been trying to walk home on 1 April 2009 but had found his usual route blocked due to the G20 protests that day.
Mark Dennis QC, for the prosecution, said there was a "clear temporal link" between the violence Mr Tomlinson was subjected to and his death.
[Ian Tomlinson] was displaying no aggression towards anyone nor even making any provocative comments Mark Dennis QC
He was facing away from PC Harwood and would have been "taken completely by surprise" when he was hit, and would have had little opportunity to protect himself from a heavy fall, jurors were told.
"Ian Tomlinson was not posing any threat to the defendant or any other police officer," Mr Dennis told the court. PC Harwood's reaction was "wholly disproportionate" in the circumstances, the court heard.
Mr Dennis continued: "The display of force has all the hallmarks of a gratuitous act of aggression by a lone officer whose blood was up, having lost the self control to be expected of a police officer in such circumstances, and who was going to stand no truck from anyone who appeared to be a protester and to be getting in his way."
Initially pathologist Dr Freddy Patel found that Mr Tomlinson had died from a heart attack, but questions were raised when an American tourist came forward with a film recording of him being hit.
Further medical reports suggested that in fact he died from an injury to his liver which caused internal bleeding and then cardiac arrest.
Image caption Ian Tomlinson, a heavy drinker, had seemed "oblivious" to his surroundings on the day he died
Mr Tomlinson had been homeless for several years during his life and was a heavy drinker, suffering from cirrhosis of the liver.
He had been drinking from early morning on the day he died, and by shortly after 19:00 GMT, when he first encountered the police, he seemed "somewhat oblivious" to his surroundings, the court heard.
An officer who spoke to him at a road block near Bank said that Mr Tomlinson was not angry about not being able to take his normal route home to Smithfield, but stared at him in "incomprehension".
Baton'ready'
Meanwhile, PC Harwood, who was tasked with driving a police carrier and monitoring radios that day, had tried to arrest a protester who he had seen trying to write something on the side of a police van.
However, the demonstrator managed to wriggle free while others cheered, which Mr Dennis said, would have left the officer "embarrassed if not humiliated".
He then decided to join other officers who were on foot in Threadneedle Street.
Mr Dennis said PC Harwood was "assuming the posture of someone who was ready to take on the protesters", standing with his baton "ready for immediate use".
Jurors were shown a series of stills from video footage, including Mr Tomlinson clutching his right side after being hit.
He walked about 70m along Cornhill away from PC Harwood before he collapsed, the court heard, and complained that he had only been trying to get home.
Passers-by, including a medical student, tried to save Mr Tomlinson, but he died in hospital at about 20:10.
Later, PC Harwood made a statement in which he made no specific reference to the incident.
He said he had used "reasonable force in order to clear police lines", and went on: "I do not remember how many persons I struck, but done (sic) so in order to prevent any further rioting and to preserve my safety."
He maintains that his actions against Mr Tomlinson were "necessary, proportionate and reasonable" in the circumstances.
The trial, which is expected to last between four and five weeks, continues on Tuesday.Fox News' Bill O'Reilly baselessly suggested that a homeless encampment under an overpass in New Orleans that former Sen. John Edwards mentioned in a speech did not exist, saying, "[W]e called the Edwards campaign and asked where exactly is that bridge so we could help those people. Apparently, they don't know or they wouldn't tell us. The Edwards campaign can't pinpoint the bridge." Numerous media outlets have reported recently on a large encampment of homeless people under an overpass in downtown New Orleans.
On the January 30 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, host Bill O'Reilly repeatedly mocked a portion of former Sen. John Edwards' (D-NC) speech earlier that day, in which Edwards announced his withdrawal from the 2008 presidential race. In his speech, Edwards stated: "I want to say to everyone here, on the way here today, we passed under a bridge that carried the interstate where 100 to 200 homeless Americans sleep every night. And we stopped, we got out, we went in and spoke to them." Responding to Edwards' remarks, O'Reilly repeatedly suggested this homeless community did not exist, saying: "[W]e called the Edwards campaign and asked where exactly is that bridge so we could help those people. Apparently, they don't know or they wouldn't tell us. The Edwards campaign can't pinpoint the bridge." O'Reilly later stated to guest and Democratic strategist Kiki McLean: "Just tell me where the bridge is. We will help those people. They can't tell me... Kiki, all you need to do is tell me where the bridge is, Juan [Williams, NPR correspondent and Fox News contributor] and I will go out there and we'll help those folks. OK?"
In recent weeks, the New Orleans Times-Picayune, the Associated Press, and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer have reported that a large encampment of homeless people has formed under an Interstate 10 overpass in downtown New Orleans.
O'Reilly has repeatedly attacked Edwards' January 3 claim that "tonight, 200,000 men and women who wore our uniform proudly and served this country courageously as veterans will go to sleep under bridges and on grates." O'Reilly previously stated that Edwards "has no clue" and "[t]he only thing sleeping under a bridge is that guy's brain."
In his January 30 speech, Edwards stated:
Now, I've spoken to both Senator Clinton and Senator Obama. They have both pledged to me and more importantly through me to America, that they will make ending poverty central to their campaign for the presidency. And more importantly, they have pledged to me that as President of the United States they will make ending poverty and economic inequality central to their Presidency. This is the cause of my life and I now have their commitment to engage in this cause. And I want to say to everyone here, on the way here today, we passed under a bridge that carried the interstate where 100 to 200 homeless Americans sleep every night. And we stopped, we got out, we went in and spoke to them. There was a minister there who comes every morning and feeds the homeless out of her own pocket. She said she has no money left in her bank account, she struggles to be able to do it, but she knows it's the moral, just and right thing to do. And I spoke to some of the people who were there and as I was leaving, one woman said to me, "You won't forget us, will you? Promise me you won't forget us." Well, I say to her and I say to all of those who are struggling in this country, we will never forget you. We will fight for you. We will stand up for you.
On January 11, the Times-Picayune published an article on a "homeless encampment" under an interstate overpass near Claiborne Avenue in New Orleans. The article reported that, shortly after "nonprofit and government entities... last month moved to find shelter for roughly 250 members of a homeless colony that had taken over Duncan Plaza, across from City Hall," a "homeless encampment of similar size... blossomed a few blocks away, in a paved Claiborne Avenue neutral ground beneath Interstate 10." The paper reported: "City Councilwoman Stacy Head, whose district includes the Claiborne Avenue encampment, said a Wednesday night count by her staff found 247 people staying beneath the overpass. She said there were no children at the site and about 90 percent of the people were men." A January 1 Times-Picayune article had noted the sudden appearance of homeless at this location, reporting: "They almost appeared overnight, these long rows of tents, pitched along a fenceline just off South Claiborne Avenue and Cleveland Street, not far from the shuttered Charity Hospital." Further, a January 3 AP article also reported on the existence of the Claiborne Avenue homeless "encampment":
They have huddled in abandoned buildings, been chased from the doorstep of City Hall, and, if lucky, spent a night in one of the few shelters that Hurricane Katrina spared. Now, many of the homeless of New Orleans are freezing under a stretch of interstate that is their latest encampment in the city. Uncommonly frigid temperatures prompted emergency officials to enact a "freeze plan" on New Year's Eve, allowing the remaining facilities for the homeless to set up as many cots as they can safely hold. Similar action was taken on Christmas Eve. The current plan is expected to continue through Thursday. But despite the emergency measure, about 70 people have remained under an elevated stretch known as the Claiborne Avenue bridge, cocooned in blankets, sleeping bags and the pup-tents that have become the calling card of a homeless epidemic here. [...] The homeless assistance group UNITY of New Orleans estimates that skyrocketing rent and a crippling of the support network has caused the homeless population to rise from 6,300 to 12,000 since Katrina. "It's basically cots in the kitchen that's keeping some from freezing," said David Davis, a program leader at one New Orleans shelter, the Ozanam Inn. "But at some point, there's just not enough beds." At Ozanam, 32 cots will be added to the 56 beds already available to walk-ins. The stays are limited to 10 nights a year at the facility, a rule imposed so no one person receives more help than another in the resource-strapped city. George Blackmon said a similar rule at another shelter drove him to Claiborne Avenue, and its oil-stained island under the superstructure of Interstate 10. On warm nights, about 120 homeless people squat along a five block stretch underneath the concrete. There are about 40 pup-tents along the stretch, but many live in the open air on mattresses, sleeping bags and blankets. "This is the worst place I've ever been," said Blackmon, 43, as he rifled through spare clothing that a local assistance group had dropped off. Without a tent, he said staying there Tuesday night "was like sleeping in a wind tunnel." [...] The previous focal point for the homeless was Duncan Plaza in front of City Hall, the first compound to see the tents which the homeless purchased from a local Wal-Mart. The homeless people who lived there were forced to make way for the demolition of an adjacent state office building that was damaged by Katrina. UNITY found 250 of them temporary housing, but many simply migrated from the plaza to Claiborne Avenue.
On January 18, the Post-Intelligencer reported on the unscheduled stop the NBA's Seattle SuperSonics made at a "homeless community," where the team offered "food to the homeless who have congregated since Hurricane Katrina under New Orleans' busiest freeway." The Sonics were in town for a scheduled basketball game against the New Orleans Hornets. From the Post-Intelligencer:
As the darkness descended on the corner of Canal and Claiborne, and the homeless who occupy the dozens of tents that litter the underpass of Interstate 10 conclude another day of despair, the millionaire basketball coach was in tears. The emotional P.J. Carlesimo is more known for his growl than his whimper, even to the point where rookie Kevin Durant has mastered an impression of his raspy voice. But there was no harshness in his voice Tuesday night just before he boarded the team bus back to the Ritz Carlton. There were tears of pain and sadness. Carlesimo and his team spent 45 minutes handing food to the homeless who have congregated since Hurricane Katrina under New Orleans' busiest freeway. There is an entire homeless community here, and it looked on in shock when the Sonics team bus pulled over on Canal Street and a bevy of tall, muscular men pulled food, water and supplies out of the bottom of the bus and began lining up. One frail-looking woman walked over and asked where the line started. There was no line. This was no scheduled stop. After his team served those in a substance-abuse rehabilitation center near downtown, Carlesimo wanted to do more. The NBA suggests teams run basketball clinics for those Katrina victims, but the coach didn't believe the New Orleans homeless needed to work on their left-handed dribble. Carlesimo said he wanted to directly help, and the Sonics were the first NBA team to reach out to those in Tent City.
According to numerous reports, since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in August 2005, the homeless population in New Orleans has ballooned. On January 23, National Public Radio reported that "since Katrina, the city's homeless population has doubled, according to groups that work with the homeless." The New Orleans Health Department currently reports on its website that "according to service providers' statistics, 17,000 to 19,000 men, women and children in the New Orleans area are homeless."
From the January 30 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor:Ben And Jerry Raise Dough For Occupy Movement
Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, co-founders of Ben & Jerry's ice cream, are part of a group of business leaders trying to raise money for Occupy Wall Street to help it regain its earlier momentum. Host Scott Simon talks with them about how they've already raised $300,000 and aim to raise $1.5 million more.
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
A group of business leaders hope they can lift the Occupy Movement with an infusion of cash. So far, they've raised $300,000, with plans to add $1.5 million more. The Movement Resource Group, a nonprofit that they've set up, wants to use the money to set up an office, create a website, and give out project grants to members of the Occupy Movement.
But already, their efforts have drawn some criticism from within the Movement, from people who say they're uncomfortable with the money and what it could man. Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, co-founders of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, are a part of the fundraising effort, and they join us from the studios of Vermont Public Radio. Gentlemen, thanks so much for being with us.
BEN COHEN: Lovely to be here with you, Scott.
SIMON: And let me ask you both: Is this what amounts to an Occupy Wall Street bailout?
(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)
COHEN: Absolutely not. This is providing the fuel for this Movement, which is rocking and rolling. And the amount of energy and planning that's gone on in the winter is unbelievable, and it's going to be a really productive summer and spring.
SIMON: Are you positioning this group to, in a sense, be the voices and the images of the Occupy Movement rather than the people in parks across the country?
JERRY GREENFIELD: Oh, not at all. That's the last thing that we would try to do. What we're trying to do is help provide some resources so that the people in the Movement are better able to get their message out.
COHEN: Well, and I think it's important to understand that the Movement is in the process of transitioning from being based on spontaneous occupations of parks, to being more strategic and not based on park occupations, since there aren't very many of those around anymore.
SIMON: As I don't have to tell you, there's been some pretty intense criticism from some members of the Occupy Movement. There was a meeting at the Upper West Side, a woman named - identified as Marissa Holema got up and said, quote: I can't get rid of this sinking feeling in my stomach that this will destroy the very foundation of the Movement I tried to build.
COHEN: Yeah, I think that Marissa, of course, is speaking for herself. And there are a bunch of people in the Occupy Movement that agree with her. I have a tremendous amount of respect for her. And I think time will tell whether she sees this money as being helpful for the Movement, or not.
SIMON: What happens to supporters of the Occupy Movement who decide they just don't want to sign up for this?
GREENFIELD: You know, I don't think the Occupy Movement is monolithic. I think it encompasses a lot of different strains, and I think that's healthy.
COHEN: I mean, this is just a funding source. People don't want to take this funding - they certainly don't have to. There's a bunch of other funding sources, and this is definitely not saying that this is some other strain of the Movement.
SIMON: You know the importance of having a message that people can understand and communicate itself. Has the message from the Occupy Movement been coherent? Is this something you want to work on?
COHEN: I think that the message from the Occupy Movement has been incredibly diverse. I think that there is an overwhelming, overarching message, which is that we want a society that works for the 99 percent instead of just for the wealthy and corporations. That's a pretty clear, simple message, I think.
SIMON: Gentlemen, thank you both very much.
COHEN: All right. Good talking to you, Scott.
GREENFIELD: Thank you, Scott.
SIMON: Ben Cohen, Jerry Greenfield - the founders of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, and part of a group of business leaders now raising money in support of the Occupy Movement.
Copyright © 2012 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by Verb8tm, Inc., an NPR contractor, and produced using a proprietary transcription process developed with NPR. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.A student at Widener University in Pennsylvania is being treated at a local hospital after he was shot on campus and university officials warned students to remain indoors while police search for the suspected shooter, authorities said.
Police in Chester, Pa., say that the shooting occurred Monday night in the parking lot of the Schwartz Athletic Center on the school's campus in suburban Philadelphia.
Police say he called 911 after the gunman shot him once in the side. Students have been asked to remain inside until 6 a.m.
A spokesman for Crozer Chester Medical Center said that the student is in critical, but stable condition Tuesday morning. Widener says his family has been notified.
Dan Hanson, a spokesman for the university, said Tuesday morning that "all indications are this was not a random act of violence." He would not release further details of the investigation.
Chester police were reviewing surveillance footage and were using K-9 units to track the suspect, who they believe fled into a residential neighborhood adjacent to the athletic complex, on the edge of the campus.
Police told reporters that they found one shell casing on the scene and believe the shooter used a revolver.
Widener is a private, co-ed university located in Chester, about 15 miles southwest of Philadelphia.
NeighborhoodScout.com, a real estate website, has ranked Chester as one of the most dangerous cities in the U.S. The university also has three other campuses in Harrisburg, Exton and Wilmington, Delaware.
Click here for more from 6ABC.com.
Click here for more from MyFoxPhilly.com.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.The reverse fly machine is a popular exercise for strengthening the horizontal shoulder abductors including the posterior deltoid. There seems to be little consensus as to which hand position most effectively targets the posterior deltoid despite this option on most machines. This study investigated the impact of varying one's hand position, and consequently altering shoulder joint rotation, on muscle activity in various glenohumeral muscles during exercise on the reverse fly machine. Nineteen resistance-trained men (mean age = 23.2 ± 4.3 years; height = 176.9 ± 7.1 centimeters; body mass = 81.3 ± 10.5 kilograms; body mass index = 25.9 ± 2.6) were recruited from a university population to participate in the study. In a repeated measures design, subjects grasped the hand bars on the machine with either a pronated (PRO) or neutral (NEU) grip and performed dynamic horizontal abduction repetitions to muscular failure using a load equating to approximately 75% body weight. The order of performance of the hand positions was counterbalanced between participants so that approximately half of the subjects performed PRO first and the other half performed NEU first. Surface electromyography was used to record both mean and peak muscle activity of the posterior deltoid, middle deltoid, and infraspinatus. Results showed that mean electromyography activity for the posterior deltoid was significantly greater in NEU compared with PRO (p = 0.046; 95% CI = 0.1-7.4% maximal voluntary isometric contraction). Similarly, mean electromyography activity of the infraspinatus also was significantly greater in NEU compared with PRO (p = 0.002; 95% CI = 3.7-13.6% maximal voluntary isometric contraction). The results of this study show that performing exercise on the reverse fly machine with a neutral hand position significantly increases activity of the posterior deltoid and infraspinatus muscles compared with a PRO hand position.Once you’ve been to enough concerts, you come to the unfortunate realization that they can’t all be great. It’s painful, standing at shows watching an artist try but fail, an audience disengage.
But once you’ve seen enough live music, you can also feel very quickly when you’re in for a treat. When the music starts and everything clicks — the sound and lights, imagery and atmosphere, artist and crowd. These are the nights where faces are beaming and hearts are full, and the power of music is no question at all.
When this happens, everyone in attendance can’t help but know. And last Saturday night, it happened.
Godspeed You! Black Emperor took control of Toronto’s Danforth Music Hall in a way I haven’t seen in too long. The performance was mesmerizing, a packed house glued to the stage. The sound projected through those many speakers was so surreal that everyone just stood together listening, being blown away.
The eight musicians in Godspeed You! are masters of their crafts, their instruments alive with emotion. With percussionists, guitarists, bassists and a violinist — it’s a small, but mighty strong, symphony.
To hear the band lock-in is a thrill. Quiet beginnings build to epic heights. The musicians layer on top of one another, intensely focused on creating a sound that soars. As a witness, you’re gifted rock-infused orchestra songs of 10+ minutes that shake you to the core.
There are no lyrics — no vocals at all — yet the audio lacks nothing. The band hardly moves on stage, yet you can’t look away. Behind them is a split screen, showing hypnotizing visuals of branches and birds, tunnels and train tracks, dark landscapes for you to explore in and get lost.
The images dance with the notes and punctuate the spaces between, establishing a carefully-crafted world enclosed by the concert hall walls. The fullness of sound, the wonder of imagery — it’s art that forces you into the moment while letting your mind run free.
And wow, did this Toronto crowd respond. We stood in silence, phones forgotten in pockets. Immersed in the ride, in awe of what music can do. There.
What a pleasure to be there when it happens.
Thank you, Godspeed You!TS050 HYBRID: NEW CAR, NEW CHALLENGE FOR TOYOTA GAZOO RACING
Following a difficult defence of its World Championship titles in 2015, TOYOTA has set itself tough performance targets in order to compete once again at the front of a fiercely-competitive WEC field, featuring fellow LMP1-Hybrid manufacturers Porsche and Audi.
The TS050 HYBRID, TOYOTA’s third new car since joining WEC in 2012, was unveiled publicly for the first time at the Paul Ricard circuit in southern France this morning.
It features a significant change in powertrain concept. A 2.4litre, twin-turbo, direct injection V6 petrol engine is combined with an 8MJ hybrid system, both of which are developed by Motor Sport Unit Development Division at Higashi-Fuji Technical Centre.
A new generation turbo engine with direct injection is better suited to the current regulations which limit fuel flow to the engine, and provides opportunity to continue technology and knowledge transfer from the track to road cars.
Like TOYOTA road cars, the front and rear motor-generators recover energy under braking, storing it in a high-powered lithium-ion battery and releasing it as boost for maximum efficiency. The change from super capacitor to battery storage allows the TS050 HYBRID to move up to the more-powerful 8MJ hybrid class.
The TS040 HYBRID was already used as a rolling test bench and contributed to current road cars. With turbo engines increasingly in use on the road, TOYOTA expects to use the technology and know-how from WEC to make ever-better road cars.
A new powertrain concept brings different cooling and packaging demands, including an updated transmission to handle the significant increase in torque delivered by the turbo engine. Combined with a new aerodynamic concept, that means virtually every part on the TS050 HYBRID chassis has been redesigned by TOYOTA Motorsport GmbH in Cologne, Germany.
Powertrain components have played their part too in the improved aerodynamic performance of the TS050 HYBRID; by relocating the front motor-generator unit, better under-floor air flow has been achieved which will contribute to overall performance. Suspension kinematics have also been revised to optimise tyre wear.
The team, which includes several new faces, has already been busy testing the TS050 HYBRID, striving for performance and reliability, covering over 22,000km with positive results. The next test comes at Paul Ricard on 25-26 March, while the nine-race WEC season kicks off at Silverstone on 17 April.
Toshio Sato, Team President: “This is a very exciting season for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing, particularly because we have a completely new car with a new powertrain concept. This reflects the current trend in road cars and gives us more opportunities to transfer know-how and technology into TOYOTA’s road car developments. Our WEC activities are motivated by the development of technology and people; we are already seeing the results of our activities in current road cars. But as well as helping TOYOTA to make ever-better cars, we also want to win. Our clear target this year is to compete again at the front, after a very disappointing 2015 season. In Higashi-Fuji and Cologne, there has been a huge effort to prepare for this season; everyone is highly motivated and pushing together to get back onto the centre of the podium.”
Hisatake Murata, General Manager Motor Sport Unit Development Division: “The regulations for this season include a reduction in fuel flow and total fuel energy of approximately 7.5%. As motorsport engineers, we want to always increase the performance of the powertrain so it was important to compensate for this reduction with a more efficient, powerful powertrain. We believe a V6, direct injection, twin turbo engine achieves the best balance of power and efficiency considering the current regulations. Combined with our move into the 8MJ class, this will give us significantly improved torque compared to the previous powertrain; this was a key target for the new car. The new powertrain presents some challenges, particularly in terms of weight and cooling, but the team at Higashi-Fuji and Cologne has worked very hard to address these and I am confident we have met the |
despite the recent Supreme Court decision blocking its enforcement.
“We must do everything we can to keep families already here together,” she said. “So when the Supreme Court put DAPA on hold, that affected 5 million immigrants and that was devastating… But it’s important to note: the Court did not actually rule on the substance of the case.”
“DAPA is squarely within the president’s authority and I will keep saying that and fighting for it,” said Clinton.
The Democratic presidential nominee went on to tell the audience of Hispanic activists and leaders, “We are not strangers. You are not intruders... And together we must send a resounding message to Donald Trump in November.”
“I need you at my side, because this is your election,” she said.
Check out a livestream of her remarks below.
During her speech, Clinton made sure to criticize her Republican rival Donald Trump for his stance on immigration.
“I deeply regret the kind of campaign the Republican nominee started with and is still running today,” said Clinton.
“Next week in Cleveland, [Republicans] will nominate someone who thinks Latino outreach is tweeting a picture of a taco bowl,” she fired.
Trump has yet to respond to her criticisms.Dramatic reduction of downforce and drag - Green
Following the unveiling of their new car, Sahara Force India's technical director Andrew Green goes into a bit more detail on the design and what to expect from the VJM07 in the coming months.
How would you sum up the overall look of the VJM07? “Apart from the obvious, it doesn't look hugely different, but it is; almost every single part is a new design, from the front wing right back to the diffuser. Its genetics still lie in the 2013 car, but we've had to achieve the same results in a slightly different way. The nose is a stand-out but from the nose backwards it looks quite similar. It's a little bit 'fatter' for the increased cooling requirements, but we hope to trim that out during the early part of the season. To be competitive we have to develop and because there are so many areas that need significantly refining, optimising the performance of this car is going to be a big challenge.”
How key are the aerodynamic changes for this year? “The aerodynamic changes in themselves would have been significant, even if there had been no other regulation changes. There's quite a dramatic reduction in downforce, especially with regard to the exhaust – there's now very little you can do to capture the exhaust energy. That's a big loss on the exit of corners, so traction becomes a premium. That, combined with a change in the front wing width, has changed all the flow structures on the car completely.”
Is the narrower front wing the biggest change? “The front wing change is significant; it's a completely different concept for 2014. Visually it's one of the biggest changes. That was a big task, rebuilding all those aerodynamic structures from the front to the back to complement the smaller rear wing. The loss of the lower rear wing, or beam wing, leads to a significant loss of performance. That lower wing helped connect the diffuser to the top wing and gave those two areas a lot of support. Without it, it's become very difficult to extract performance and it's going to be quite a tricky area to keep stable. So there was quite a dramatic loss in headline downforce numbers, while there was also a drop in drag, which has fallen quite dramatically as well.”
Will noses be a key area of development? “Our nose is a launch spec and later we will have an updated front end of the car, which potentially is quite different. We had to take quite a pragmatic view of it and say we've got to go testing so we've got to get a car out of the door. As much as we want to push the boundaries of the impact structure, because we know how important they are for the whole car, we don't have the resources to push it to the limit in our first iteration, so we need a banker. The nose that is on the launch car is a banker. We've got ourselves a car that we can go testing and racing with. Several weeks ago we started pushing the design boundaries because we think there's performance in it. There are new concepts coming through.”
Everyone has to choose eight ratios for the season. Have you simply followed the selection made by Mercedes? “Although our ratios are supplied by Mercedes we also did our own simulations, and to be honest we came up with very similar answers. We were happy to carry on that route. We are allowed one change and I think we'll wait and see how it performs and how it compares to our simulation. The good news is that lengthy ratio discussions (which gears to lengthen or shorten) will become a thing of the past, so that saves a small amount of work track side! The ratios look fairly benign, from what we can see from our preliminary solutions.”
How hard has it been to fit the new power unit into the overall package? “It's been a massive job to accommodate all the changes to the power unit - it's the biggest change I've witnessed in the sport since I started in 1990. On top of that, if you add the development that comes with it during the season, it's going to take some managing. From the first time the car runs it will be continual development as we gather data, understand where the car sits relative to our models, refine it, and go back to the track again.”
What's been the biggest challenge in terms of packaging? “Cooling has been the biggest challenge – most of last summer was taken up trying to understand the cooling requirements of the power unit, and how best to optimise it in the chassis. There's a lot more to cool and you are weighing up the performance of the power unit versus the performance of the chassis and aerodynamics, and trying to hit the optimum on each one of them. We've had to develop a completely new tool set to examine, analyse and optimise it. We won't get a real answer on how far out we were until we start running and then we'll refine the tools again and have another go at it. I expect quite a big redefinition of the cooling system later in the season once we've gathered all the data from the winter testing and the first couple of races.”
What else is new this year? “The braking system is a significant change; the rear system is effectively a brake by wire. This means the rear brakes can now respond completely differently from the way they have traditionally done before. A lot of work has gone into this system from simulation, design to testing it on the dyno. However, we won't fully know how the system will perform until we get on track and gather some data and driver feedback.”Derek Brunson felt like he was robbed of a victory on Saturday night in Brooklyn at UFC 208 and had planned on filing an appeal with the New York State Athletic Commission but ultimately opted against that decision on Wednesday.
Brunson’s manager Ali Abdel-Aziz told FOX Sports earlier in the day that the middleweight was planning on filing an appeal this week through his attorney Craig Zimmerman.
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According to Abdel-Aziz, Brunson’s appeal took umbrage with the judges who scored the fight in favor of Silva after three rounds at UFC 208. When the fight ended, Brunson had outstruck Silva by a total of 54-43 in significant strikes and 118-54 in total strikes, according to Fight Metric.
There were no knockdowns landed by either fighter but Brunson did score with two takedowns during the 15-minute bout as well.
Brunson was clearly angered by the decision rendered that night in Brooklyn, including one judge — Eric Colon — who scored all three rounds for Silva.
“It definitely was a robbery. Here’s what I’ll say to the judges — you guys love Anderson Silva, you guys are in awe of Anderson Silva. You didn’t show up tonight and do your job,” Brunson told FOX Sports earlier this week. “What you did was show up to watch the fight. You didn’t score the fight. I watched with Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier commentating on the fight and they made a valid point that every time Anderson moved, the crowd went crazy. It’s Anderson Silva. I got caught up in that. The judges got caught up in that.
“They didn’t score the fight. They just looked at the fight and every time Anderson moved they were just like ‘we’ve got to give it to him, he looks like he’s doing a lot’. Those guys didn’t show up for work that night. They really didn’t. Those judges they stunk it up.”
According to the media scores posted by MMADecisions, 20 of the 24 reporters and outlets polled gave the fight to Brunson after three rounds.
Unfortunately, the three judges sitting cageside disagreed and Brunson was handed his second loss in a row.
While Brunson originally informed his manager of plans to appeal the decision, he ultimately opted against filing and instead will now focus on booking his next fight in the UFC.DOYLESTOWN -- The mystery that has transfixed the Philadelphia area over the past week -- the disappearance of four young men -- took a grisly turn when human remains were discovered in a 121/2-foot-deep grave on a farm. But exactly what sort of evil befell them, and why, remained shrouded in secrecy.
The prosecutor who has held twice-daily briefings made it clear Thursday he knows a lot more than he is saying, citing the need to protect the investigation. That has only added to the speculation and rumors.
"It's been very unnerving. It's very spooky," said Laura Hefty, who lives a few miles from the gravesite in Solebury Township, where farms bump up against new residential developments.
Many people, she said, are trying to convince themselves this is nothing that could ever happen to their kids.
"Some people are pretty angry, too," and are asking, "How did it get this bad?" she said.
The four men, all residents of Bucks County, disappeared last week. At least three knew each other. The remains of only one, 19-year-old Dean Finocchiaro, have been identified, though authorities said other remains were found in the hole as well.
Cosmo DiNardo, the 20-year-old son of the farm property's owners, has been named by police as a person of interest in the investigation. He is being held on $5 million cash bail, accused of trying to sell one of the victims' cars.
District Attorney Matthew Weintraub said he was weighing more serious charges but stopped short of calling DiNardo a suspect. He parried one question after another by saying he couldn't -- or wouldn't -- answer.
Police were back at the farm Thursday, digging away in the dust and the 90-degree-plus heat and using plywood to shore up the deep, tent-covered trench that they excavated at the spot where Weintraub said dogs managed to "smell these poor boys 121/2 feet below the ground."
For days, TV news helicopters have trained their cameras on the excavation, creating an unsettling racket but allowing the public to follow the forensic work from their office computers. On one day, viewers could watch investigators haul up buckets of dirt and sift it through hand-held screens in what looked like an archaeological dig.
"They're tenderly, painstakingly, reverentially recovering the remains of people they do not even know," Weintraub said.
When the prosecutor held a dramatic midnight Wednesday news conference to announce the discovery of remains, Claire Vandenberg, 18, of neighboring New Hope, gathered around a TV with a group of friends to hear developments on what she said is "all we talk about."
"It seemed almost like a horror film or something, just unraveling before our eyes," she said.
Authorities have not revealed any details about how the victims found in the grave may have died or how they got there. The prosecutor had said at one point that he thought a backhoe may have been on the property.
"This is a homicide. Make no mistake about it. We just don't know how many homicides," Weintraub said at his middle-of-the-night news conference.
Susan Coleman told news outlets that she and her husband were in their backyard last Saturday afternoon when they heard several rounds of what they believed was shotgun fire coming from the direction of the DiNardo farm.
"This person was going bananas," she told phillyvoice.com.
Eric Beitz, who said he had hung out with Cosmo DiNardo in recent weeks, told philly.com that DiNardo routinely sold guns and on multiple occasions had talked "about weird things like killing people and having people killed."
DiNardo, whose parents own construction and concrete businesses in the Philadelphia area, has had a few brushes with the law over the past year.
He was arrested on Monday on an unrelated gun charge dating from February, accused of illegally possessing a shotgun and ammunition after being involuntarily committed to a mental institution.
His father bailed him out, but he was jailed again later in the week on the stolen-car charges, and bail was set much higher, after a prosecutor said he was a danger to the community because he had been diagnosed as schizophrenic.
His social media posts suggest an avid interest in hunting, fishing and Air Jordan sneakers, which he appeared to sell online. He had enrolled in a nearby college at one point as a commuter student, with hopes of studying abroad in Italy, according to an article on the college website.
His attorney, Fortunato Perri Jr., wouldn't comment Thursday.
The other missing men are Mark Sturgis, 22, and Thomas Meo, 21, who worked together in construction, and Jimi Taro Patrick, 19, a student at Loyola University in Baltimore. Patrick and DiNardo had attended the same Catholic high school for boys.
It was the discovery of Meo's car on a DiNardo family property a half-mile from the farm that led to Cosmo DiNardo's re-arrest.
An attorney for DiNardo's parents said they sympathize with the families of the missing and are cooperating in the investigation.An investor reads the finance section of a newspaper in front of an electronic board showing stock information at a brokerage house in Beijing, China, September 21, 2015. REUTERS/Stringer
BEIJING (Reuters) - China is set to consolidate five state media companies to create a “modern financial media group” to increase the state’s voice in economic and financial news coverage, the state-run Xinhua news agency said on Wednesday.
Since taking power in 2012, President Xi Jinping, who has called for Beijing to take a bigger role in a global governance system, has stepped up media control and scrutiny to project China’s “soft power” and better communicate its message.
The State Council, China’s cabinet, has given Xinhua permission to acquire and consolidate China Securities Journal, Shanghai Securities News, Economic Information Daily and Xinhua Publishing House and launch a new company under the banner China Fortune Media Corporation Group.
The move aims at “deepening the central authority’s reforms of the cultural system” and “increasing mainstream media’s influence in the area of financial information,” Xinhua said in a notice.
The new financial news-focused company will be launched in Beijing on Thursday next week, it said.
While visiting three major state news agencies in February last year, Xi ordered the organizations to strictly follow the Communist Party’s leadership and focus on “positive reporting”, Xinhua reported at the time.
“All news media run by the Party must work to speak for the Party’s will and its propositions and protect the Party’s authority and unity,” Xi was quoted as saying.
The three media Xi visited - Xinhua, People’s Daily and state-owned broadcaster CCTV - are considered by the central leadership as the “throat and tongue” of the party.
According to Xi, managing journalism and publicity is “crucial” for the party’s and implementation of its policies, Xinhua reported.WASHINGTON — The moment the last of Fred Vautour’s five children walked across the stage as a Boston College graduate was priceless.
Not only did Mr. Vautour have the rare distinction of handing each of his children their diplomas, but he was also able to pay for their nearly 18 years of schooling by collecting trash, scrubbing toilets and mopping floors while the campus slept.
“As much as I struggled, it was incredible to be able to do that for them,” said Mr. Vautour, 64, who has worked the graveyard shift as a custodian at Boston College for 17 years. “I took this job for benefits, but never imagined this would be one of them.”
It may not be one for long — or at least could be severely curtailed. The sprawling House tax bill, set for a vote on Thursday, would tax the value of college tuition benefits conferred on thousands of university employees like Mr. Vautour, one of several provisions that would hit colleges, universities and their students, hard.A lobbying firm started by President Trump Donald John TrumpHouse committee believes it has evidence Trump requested putting ally in charge of Cohen probe: report Vietnamese airline takes steps to open flights to US on sidelines of Trump-Kim summit Manafort's attorneys say he should get less than 10 years in prison MORE's former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski Corey R. LewandowskiOvernight Energy: Zinke joins Trump-tied lobbying firm | Senators highlight threat from invasive species | Top Republican calls for Green New Deal vote in House Zinke, Lewandowski join Trump veterans’ lobbying firm Trump campaign spent nearly 0K of donor money on law firm representing Kushner MORE appears to have used promises of meetings with Trump, Vice President Pence and other top administration officials to win over clients, Politico reported Friday.
The firm, Washington East West Political Strategies, is different than the one co-founded by Lewandowski in December, shortly after Trump's electoral victory. A document given to an Eastern European politician by the firm earlier this year promised "meetings with well-established figures," including Trump and Pence.
Washington East West Political Strategies co-founder Barry Bennett, a former Trump campaign adviser, said he was unfamiliar with the document provided to Politico. Bennett started Avenue Strategies — Lewandowski's other lobbying firm — alongside the former campaign manager.
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Neither firm has yet signed any international clients, Bennett said, and lobbying and access to administration officials is a "relatively small portion" of their work. For that reason, he said, Lewandowski, who has not registered as a lobbyist and has no intention of doing so.
"90 percent of our business has nothing to do with access," Bennett told Politico. "Ninety percent of our business has to do with being a sherpa — who to call, what to do. We don’t take people in to see the president or the vice president."
Lewandowski has maintained relatively consistent access to the president, visiting the West Wing several times since Trump took office and calling him directly.In a democracy, all citizens—the rich, middle-class, poor alike—must have some ability to influence what their government does. Few people would expect that influence to be identical: those with higher incomes and better connections will always be more influential. But if influence becomes so unequal that the wishes of most citizens are ignored most of the time, a country’s claim to be a democracy is cast in doubt. And that is exactly what I found in my analyses of the link between public preferences and government policy in the U.S.
In my recent book, Affluence & Influence: Economic Inequality and Political Power in America, I examined thousands of proposed policy changes over the past four decades. I compared the strength of support (or opposition) of survey respondents at different income levels with actual policy outcomes in the years following the survey.
As expected, greater public support increased the likelihood of a proposed policy change being adopted, as shown in the first chart below.
In many areas of government policy, the preferences of lower and higher income Americans are similar, and in these cases, the strength of the policy/preference link is necessarily similar as well. I found little difference by income level for about half the proposed policy changes in my dataset, including most aspects of defense, environmental policy, the war on drugs, family leave, and even antipoverty policy (where, for example, the affluent and the poor alike support strengthening work requirements, job training, and child care for welfare recipients).
When preferences across income groups do diverge, however, I found that the association with policy outcomes persisted for the affluent but disappeared for the middle class and the poor, as the second chart shows. (I used the 90th, 50th and 10th income percentiles to represent these three groups.)
Affluent Americans tend to be more liberal on moral and religiously charged issues like abortion and school prayer, and more conservative on redistributive economic issues, government regulation, and trade policy. If federal policy more equally reflected the preferences of all Americans, we would see a more progressive tax structure, higher unemployment benefits, stronger regulation of business and industry, a more protectionist trade regime, more prayer in public life, and less access to abortion.
On many of these issues, the difference between the affluent and the poor reflects differing degrees of support or opposition rather than a difference in the majority preference. But as the charts suggest (and as I discuss at some length in the book), differences of degree can be as consequential, if not more consequential, than differences in majority preferences. A policy with weak support is modestly more likely to be adopted than one with weak opposition, but a policy with strong support is considerably more likely to be adopted than one with weak support.
These findings suggest that political representation functions reasonably well for the affluent. But the middle-class and the poor are essentially unrepresented (unless they happen to share the preferences of the well-off). In a second post tomorrow, I’ll discuss my more hopeful findings that reveal the (less typical) conditions under which government responsiveness to public preferences is stronger and more equal.Spain's foreign minister has urged the UK not to "lose tempers" over Gibraltar after sabre-rattling from a former Tory leader.
Alfonso Dastis said he had been "surprised" by the tone of the response after the EU unveiled Brexit negotiation guidelines that effectively gave Spain significant power over Gibraltar's future.
It comes after former Conservative leader Lord Howard suggested on Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday that Theresa May could be willing to defend the British territory - like Margaret Thatcher had over the Falklands.
Image: War over Gibraltar? Don't lose your temper, says Spain's foreign minister
Mr Dastis told a conference in Madrid: "The Spanish government is a little surprised by the tone of comments coming out of Britain, a country known for its composure."
A Downing Street spokesman said that a task force being sent to Gibraltar "isn't going to happen".
However, they refused to condemn Lord Howard's comments saying they underlined the strength of feeling in the UK on the issue.
He said: "All that Lord Howard was trying to establish is the resolve that we will have to protect the rights of Gibraltar and its sovereignty."
Brexit Secretary David Davis is in Spain on a pre-planned trip, said the spokesman, and has raised the issue of Gibraltar with the Spanish government.
Speaking shortly after Mr Dastis on Monday, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said the sovereignty of Gibraltar could not change without the agreement of Britain and Gibraltar.
He said: "The position of the Government is very, very clear; which is that the sovereignty of Gibraltar is unchanged and it is not going to change and cannot conceivably change without the express support and consent of the people of Gibraltar and the United Kingdom, and that is not going change."
Brexit: Peer compares Gibraltar row to Falklands
Gibraltar's chief minister, Fabian Picardo, has also added to the growing diplomatic row.
He accused European Council President Donald Tusk of behaving like a "cuckolded husband who is taking it out on the children" for including the territory in negotiating guidelines.
He said Spain was trying to bully Gibraltar and that the EU was letting it happen.
Theresa May reassured Mr Picardo at the weekend that she would get the "best possible outcome on Brexit" for Gibraltar.
Picardo: 'Gibraltar is not a political pawn'
She said she remained "steadfastly committed" to 'the Rock', amid concerns it could become a "bargaining chip".
Speaking on Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme, Lord Howard said: "I think there's no question whatever that our Government will stand by Gibraltar.
He said: "Thirty-five years ago this week, another woman prime minister sent a task force half way across the world to defend the freedom of another small group of British people against another Spanish-speaking country.
"I'm absolutely certain that our current prime minister will show the same resolve in standing by the people of Gibraltar."
When asked later to clarify his comments, Lord Howard said: "I can see no harm of reminding them what kind of people we are."
Spain has a long-standing territorial claim on Gibraltar, which has been held by the UK since 1713 and has the status of a British overseas territory.
Draft Brexit negotiating guidelines, sent out on Friday, contained a clause suggesting Spain would be able to veto any future trade deal between the EU and the UK.
Image: Gibraltar has been under British sovereignty since 1713
Former Labour foreign secretary Jack Straw told Radio 4's Today programme on Monday: "The idea of Britain going to war, or Spain going to war against Britain over Gibraltar is frankly absurd and reeks of 19th century jingoism.
"I very much doubt that Gibraltar will be the deal breaker."
Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said it was "unbelievable" that within a week of triggering Article 50 "there are Conservatives already discussing potential wars with our European neighbours".Footage from the far-right group is being relied on as evidence against protesters arrested at Trump’s inauguration, raising criticism from activists
Federal prosecutors targeting anti-Trump protesters are relying on video evidence from Project Veritas, a far-right group under fire this week for allegedly trying to dupe the Washington Post with a false story of sexual misconduct.
The US attorney’s office submitted the footage in court on Tuesday as part of an ongoing trial against activists who protested Donald Trump’s inauguration and now face conspiracy and rioting charges that could lead to decades in prison.
Prosecutors played the video – which reportedly showed undercover footage from a meeting of activists – one day after the Washington Post reported that Project Veritas had sent a woman undercover pretending to be a victim of Roy Moore, the US Senate candidate accused of sexual misconduct.
Washington Post catches woman in apparent rightwing sting, paper reports Read more
The decision to use video from a discredited ultra-conservative group known for ethically questionable tactics has drawn criticisms from civil liberties groups, who have argued that the federal government under Trump is aggressively prosecuting activists who oppose the president.
“It’s absolutely shocking that the prosecutors went on record today saying they are relying on a Project Veritas video,” said Jude Ortiz, a member of the organizing crew of Defend J20 Resistance, a group supporting the nearly 200 people facing charges related to the Washington DC protests of Trump on 20 January.
“It’s a dubious piece of evidence at best, and it’s appalling that it’s coming from the far right,” said Ortiz, who attended the hearing.
Hundreds were arrested during inauguration day demonstrations – including journalists, legal observers and medics – drawing criticisms that law enforcement was issuing overly broad charges against people caught up in the chaos, without specific evidence tying them to alleged crimes. Though some charges were later dropped, many are still on trial for conspiracy, rioting and property destruction allegations, and some could face 60-year prison sentences.
The video comes from Project Veritas’ infiltration of a meeting where activists discussed plans to disrupt inauguration activities.
The use of Project Veritas footage is the latest example of prosecutors relying on evidence linked to controversial far-right sources. The US attorney’s office has also submitted video from the Oath Keepers, a rightwing militia group that has been present at “alt-right” rallies.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest James O’Keefe, founder of Project Veritas, in Washington. Photograph: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP
Project Veritas founder James O’Keefe has also faced scrutiny for past undercover efforts and was convicted in 2010 for his role in a scheme to make illegal recordings at the office of a Democratic senator. The group’s apparent effort to embarrass the Washington Post, however, backfired this week after the newspaper exposed the alleged sting operation.
“The government is untroubled by their collaboration with authoritarian rightwingers,” said Sam Menefee-Libey, a member of the Dead City Legal Posse, an activist group supporting the protesters on trial.
Menefee-Libey, who was in court on Tuesday, said he believed the judge should not have allowed the video to be presented in the first place, given Project Veritas’ history.
“Fundamentally, this shows that the state doesn’t have very much to go on,” said James Anderson, a member of It’s Going Down, an anti-fascist collective that has promoted protests against Trump and the “alt-right”. Prosecutors have also used comments an activist made on an It’s Going Down podcast as evidence in the ongoing trial.
“The fact that they have to fall back on using these far-right trolls, which are widely discredited, not only speaks to the illegitimacy of their case, but also a fundamental relationship between the Trump administration and the alt-right,” Anderson said.
Alt-America: the time for talking about white terrorism is now Read more
Erin Lemkey, a Washington DC protester who is facing charges for J20 activities, said the Project Veritas video revealed weaknesses in the prosecution’s case.
“They’re using whatever stuff they can drag up,” said Lemkey, who has not yet gone to trial. “It’s doubly strange that they would be taking such a discredited source.”
A spokesman for Project Veritas defended the use of the video as “entirely appropriate”. A spokesman for the US attorney’s office for DC declined to comment.
The J20 demonstrators are not the only progressive activists who have faced harsh prosecutions for protest activities this year. In May, a leftwing activist was convicted after she was arrested for laughing during a confirmation hearing for attorney general Jeff Sessions. Anti-fascist demonstrators in California have also faced serious felony charges.
The link to Project Veritas also raises broader concerns about the US government’s willingness to investigate and prosecute violence committed by white supremacists and neo-Nazis, activists said. Trump faced heated backlash after he failed to condemn neo-Nazis in Virginia in the wake of deadly violence involving white supremacists earlier this year.
“Why are there no conspiracy charges for the far right?” said Anderson. “That’s a huge question.”CNN anchor Jake Tapper. Twitter/CNN
CNN anchor Jake Tapper admonished Fox News for taking his comments about this week's deadly terrorist attack in New York City out of context.
Fox News published an article with the headline "CNN's Jake Tapper: 'Allahu Akbar' Can Be Said Under 'Most Beautiful' of Circumstances" on Wednesday. The article included comments Tapper made Tuesday after it was reported that the attacker had shouted "Allahu akbar," Arabic for "God is great."
The headline is preceded by a tag saying "OUTRAGEOUS."
But the Fox News headline left out the second half of Tapper's quote, which distinguished Tuesday's attack from the "beautiful" circumstances he alluded to.
Tapper said at the time: "The Arabic chant 'Allahu akbar,' God is great, sometimes is said under the most beautiful of circumstances. And too often, we hear it being said in moments like this."
On Wednesday, Fox News promoted the article with a tweet that distorted the quote even more. "Jake Tapper Says 'Allahu Akbar' Is 'Beautiful' Right After NYC Terror Attack," the tweet said.
Tapper did not respond kindly to that presentation of his words.
"Fox News is lying," Tapper said in a tweet. "I said it can be said at beautiful moments (wedding, birth) and too often at times like this (horrific terrorist attack).
"'Allahu Akbar' is a prayer. If we don't understand how radical Islamic terrorists justify their evil using religion, West cannot defeat it."
"@FoxNews chooses instead to deliberately lie about what I said. Following the slime-coated path of @DailyCaller and @infowars. Disgusting," Tapper continued, alluding to two right-wing websites. "And yes, I know they do this all the time. Still, literally the day after this horrific attack that they would launch this smear — it's sick."
He added: "There was a time when one could tell the difference between Fox and the nutjobs at Infowars. It's getting tougher and tougher. Lies are lies."
Fox News deleted its tweet promoting the article later on Wednesday.Marlon Samuels has called on the WICB to "compromise" in their selection policy after he was omitted from West Indies' ODI squad, and suggested he could accept a Kolpak deal in county cricket if an agreement cannot be reached.
Samuels, twice man of the match in World T20 finals, was left out of West Indies' 15-man squad after electing to miss games in the Super 50 competition - the Caribbean regional List A tournament - in order to play in the more lucrative Pakistan Super League. Current WICB policy is that no player will be considered for the international team unless they have made themselves available for the entire regional competition in that format.
But Samuels, who claims he was offered double the value of his previous West Indies retainer contract (worth $135,000) to appear in the BPL, argues that the WICB could learn from the example of the boards of New Zealand and England, who allow their players to appear in overseas T20 leagues without it rendering them ineligible for international cricket. Late last year, Samuels was one of the three players - along with Darren Bravo and Carlos Brathwaite - to decline the WICB retainer. It is understood that Samuels was offered a Grade C contract worth $115,000, demoting him from the previous Grade B.
"Why can't I play some games in the PSL and come back and play against England?" Samuels asked in an interview with SportMax Zone, a Jamaica-based television network. "I'm not 20. You're still telling me to miss out on everything. Why can't you compromise?
"The rule they have doesn't make any sense. You have to compromise. Eoin Morgan, the England captain, is playing in the PSL and then he goes to the Caribbean. Why can't I do the same? Why play hard ball in everything?"
While there is some logic in the WICB stance - they insist that, to retain the strength of their regional competitions, their best players must participate - the reality of the policy has been to deny them many of their best players. Players such as Samuels, who is aged 36, and aware of the diminishing opportunities he may have to earn for his retirement, can earn far more on the T20 circuit than the WICB can afford to pay in retainers. Sunil Narine, ranked third in the ICC's ODI bowling rankings, is another who has been deemed ineligible.
The ECB, by contrast, has actively encouraged some players to take part in the IPL during the county season - they have even allowed the likes of Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes to skip two ODIs against Ireland - reasoning that the benefits of the experience will outweigh the negatives of the dilution of their own domestic product. There might also be an acceptance that the value of central contracts cannot keep pace with the escalation in T20 fees and that, as a result, compromise is required.
"The money is not the issue at the moment, I've been playing international cricket the last 17 years so have set myself the right way. This is about principle, about being loyal."
While Dave Cameron, the president of the WICB, recently stated the board's selection policy could be reviewed, the selection of the ODI squad to play England suggests there has been no change in the short term.
Samuels has not played for West Indies since the Pakistan tour in the UAE last year, and was dropped for the tri-series in Zimbabwe. He was especially surprised at his omission from the three-match ODI series against England given WICB's recent investment in him when the board paid for his travel to England for his bowling action to be tested. That trip proved fruitful as the ICC cleared Samuels to bowl in international cricket once again.
"I didn't pay for my bowling. ICC didn't pay for my bowling.The West Indies Cricket Board paid for my bowling. So they invested in my bowling for me to come back to bowl against England. Now I'm going to hear that I've to stay and play all the Super50 games."
Incidentally, Samuels ended up playing just one match for Leewards Islands in the Super50 before he left to play in the PSL.
Samuels also revealed that he has been offered a three-year Kolpak deal by Derbyshire worth up to £130,000 a season, fuelling concerns that West Indies could be hit by a spate of international retirements of the sort that recently shocked South African cricket. While it is understood he has indicated a reluctance to accept the deal - he would prefer a deal as an overseas player in county cricket, thereby sustaining his hopes of playing international cricket - he has suggested it remains on the table.
Samuels asserted that, for him, it is loyalty to West Indies that comes first, which was evident in his 17 years' service in Caribbean cricket. "I've got a Kolpak deal on my plate which I'm contemplating," he said. "It's a three-year deal with Derbyshire. Worth probably £120,000-130,000 a year. The money is not the issue at the moment, I've been playing international cricket the last 17 years so have set myself the right way. This is about principle, about being loyal. I've been a loyal soldier for West Indies cricket and continue to play. I showed some loyalty, so I expect a bit of loyalty. I'm only the one from 2000 still here, sticking round and playing for the West Indies."
Samuels said he was in "no rush" to sign the Derbyshire deal as, after the PSL, he would travel to play another league in Hong Kong and had a "few other deals" in the bag.
Samuels is unlikely to be the only Caribbean player attracting interest from England's first-class counties. Darren Bravo, whose relationship with WICB would appear to be in tatters following a public falling-out with Cameron, is one who is certain to be snapped up if he decides to go that route, while fellow Trinidadian Denesh Ramdin is also understood to be of interest.
Ravi Rampaul, the second highest wicket-taker in this year's Super 50, is already on a Kolpak deal with Surrey, while former West Indies captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who was second in the batting averages, has recently signed a similar deal with Lancashire. Fidel Edwards is also signed to Hampshire as a Kolpak, Other players such as Jofra Archer, Keith Barker and Chris Jordan have also |
ish in a long-running legal battle against the Japanese whalers.
In 2008, HSI successfully took Kyodo to court where it was decided the whale hunt was against Australian law.
However the injunction against further whaling had no effect.
"[Kyodo] simply did not recognise the injunction; they did not recognise the law, because they don't recognise the Australian territory in the Southern Ocean," Mr Kennedy said.
The Australian Government won a case at the International Court of Justice in 2014 that found the Japanese whaling program was not "scientific" as they had always claimed.
'Significant question mark' over Australia's Antarctica claim
The latest case argued that continued whaling was not only a breach of environmental law, but also showed contempt of the Federal Court.
Don Rothwell professor of law at the Australian National University said it was important to continue the battle as a matter of legal principle, but the court victory would likely also be ignored by the whalers.
"Successive Australian governments of both persuasions have declined to give effect to these relevant laws — notwithstanding the order of the courts," he said.
"The reason for that is they well know that if any attempt is made by Australia to arrest a Japanese whaling vessel or actually effectuate these orders, that will immediately provoke an international dispute with Japan.
"It won't necessarily be a dispute with respect to whaling but is is a dispute that will go to squarely to the legitimacy of Australia's claim over Antarctica and that is a dispute that Australia would seek to avoid.
"It needs to be acknowledged there is a significant question mark about the strength of Australia's claim over 42 per cent of the Antarctic continent," Professor Rothwell said.
Mr Kennedy said regardless of whether the company abides by the court's ruling, he is happy with the outcome.
"Japan always claimed it was doing its work legally. Well our court case in 2004, the ICJ in 2014, and now today proves that nothing they do in our view is at all legal," he said.
"This pressure is a thing that has to be kept up. At some point they must crack maybe this will be the final straw. That's what we're hoping."
Topics: whaling, conservation, environment, courts-and-trials, law-crime-and-justice, australia, japan
First postedThe Athletic Centre is located on the west side of the University of Toronto’s St. George campus at 55 Harbord St. It is accessible from the Spadina subway station and by streetcar.
The centre is home to seven gymnasia, three pools, a strength and conditioning centre, indoor track, dance studio, cardio machines, tennis and squash courts, and steam rooms.
Hours
Fall/Winter (starting september 3, 2018)
Monday to Friday 7 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
fall/winter Office Hours (starting september 3, 2018)
The Main Office is open Monday to Friday 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
The Customer and Membership Services Kiosk is open Monday to Friday 7 a.m. - 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. - 11 p.m.
SPRING/SUMMER
Monday to Friday 7 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
SPRING/SUMMER Office Hours
The Main Office is open Monday to Friday 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
The Customer and Membership Services Kiosk is open Monday to Friday 7 a.m. - 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Holiday closure
The Athletic Centre will be closed on February 18th 2019 for Family Day.
Building entry
For the safety and security of everyone in the building, please enter and exit the building through the main entrances on Harbord St. and Classic Ave.
Propping outside doors open to facilitate unauthorized entry jeopardizes the security of the facility and will result in suspension of membership privileges. Students and members must swipe their card at the turnstiles for entry to the facility. Student membership cards are non-transferable.
Facility details
Gyms and courts
Pools
Varsity pool (50m) – Eight-lane, Olympic-sized 50-metre pool with an adjacent teaching pool
Benson pool (25yd) – Six-lane, 25-yard pool
Multi-purpose and fitness facilities
Change Rooms and Washrooms
Athletic Centre change rooms are located in the basement. There are large accessible men’s and women’s change rooms with private cubicles for changing and showering as well as open areas. Change tables and steam rooms are in each of the men’s and women’s change rooms. Privacy/family change rooms are also located in the basement and have two private change rooms for changing, open showers (bathing attire required) and two single user washrooms nearby. Day lockers are available. There is a small cubicle for changing outside the 25-yard pool and two single user washrooms located inside the pool area that can be used when the pool is open.
Additional single user washrooms are located by the Strength and Conditioning Centre, the Dance Studio and the Fencing Salle.
Parking and bike racks
Metered, street parking is available around the periphery of the Athletic Centre. There is also an underground parking lot across the street at Graduate House, 60 Harbord Street. This parking lot can be accessed by traveling north on Spadina Ave. or east on Glen Morris Ave. Bike racks are available in front of the Athletic Centre on Harbord St. and behind on Classic Ave.J.A.C.K. is a brand new level editor for games with a quake-style BSP architecture. The aim is to develop a convenient cross-platform tool capable of incorporating the best features of existing editors, such as Valve Hammer Editor, Q3Radiant and others. Despite Quake and Half-Life having been released a long time ago, the large community have arisen around, still developing mods and games on their bases. However the existing editors suffer from fundamental disadvantages their users are well familiar with. J.A.C.K. does aspire to be the universal level design tool for classic games. But not only the classics! The editor shall become a key development tool for the Volatile engine, that is why its second name is Volatile Development Kit.
J.A.C.K. is being developed since August 2013. Today our team is ready to present the latest public beta - new version 1.1.1064 (changelog). Despite not all the ideas being implemented and not all the functions being completely error-free, you are already able to download almost fully functional version of the editor, install and evaluate J.A.C.K. in action. Please don't forget that beta may contain some issues. We are interested in a vast testing of the editor and grateful in advance for your comments and suggestions! In addition, you can provide J.A.C.K. with financial support, donating funds for the further development.
We are pleased to see you amongst the J.A.C.K. users!Thanks to the generosity of the good folks at Tor, I have not just 1, but 3 copies of Brian Staveley’s latest book: The Providence of Fire. That’s 3 readers that I get to make happy by sending them a copy of this amazing book. It is fun and exciting, and just did not stop. In case you missed it, you can read my review of how much I loved it.
Some more exciting news, I have an interview with Brian Staveley, so be sure to check it out! (There’s bonus giveaway entries for taking the time to read the interview)
The giveaway is open to US and Canada.
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Pinterest::The mainframe at Titan Transnational Bank has been isolated. Its security protocols have been deactivated and the sysops shut out. You have 23 seconds to use a Sneakdoor before the security comes back online. Grab what you can. %@Naga8946::
Jack in. Run fast. Get rich. Titan Transnational Bank has been breached, and Android: Mainfame is now available at retailers throughout the United States!
Set in the not-too-distant future of the popular Android universe, Android: Mainframe is a fast-paced strategy game in which you and up to three friends compete as rival runners, competing to score the biggest haul during your spirited, twenty-three second hack through Titan's servers. You use programs to create, destroy, or relocate partitions between your opponents and the data you hope to secure, and populate new access points to ensure that your opponents don't lock you out of other parts of the mainframe.
If you thought running was all about breaking through corporate security systems, think again… Android: Mainframe is runner versus runner, and your runs have never been more challenging!
Learn More from Our Previews
Throughout your assault on Titan's mainframe, you'll need to make good tactical and strategic use of your time. Your goal is to secure as much data as possible, and to do that you'll need to secure zones within Titan's servers, even as you prevent your opponents from locking you out of other zones.
All of this is done at a blistering pace, as you get only one action on each of your turns. You can either place an access point, play a program, or pass. You'll take your action, and then your opponents will reshape Titan's servers by the time you take your next action. In order to get ahead, you need to learn how to plan for the future, and if you're successful, your success will likely stem in great measure from your ability to use your runner's signature programs to maximum effect.
Over the course of our previews, we looked at the ways you can use your programs and access points to seize control of Titan's mainframe, we looked at how the game is scored, and we revealed all the signature programs for each of the game's six different runners:
"See Things Differently" explored the ways you'll use your programs and access points to outmaneuver your rivals, and it looked at the runners Kate "Mac" McCaffrey and Nero Severn.
"The Heist" covered the basics of scoring your game and introduced the signature programs for Ji "Noise" Reilly and Olivia "Chaos Theory" Ortiz.
Finally, we made the full rules available for download with "A User's Guide to Titan," which also introduced the final two runners, Andromeda and Adam.
Find Fame and Fortune in the Mainframe
Twenty-three seconds may not be a lot of time, but it's nearly an eternity in the virtual space you'll inhabit during Android: Mainframe. The collapse of Titan's security systems is nothing less than monumental, and all that now stands between you and the sort of glory and riches you've always sought are the other runners hoping to shut you out.
Prove your hacker skills. Android: Mainframe is now available at retailers throughout the United States. Pick up your copy today!Soooo this happened...
Safe teething toys https://t.co/LlK8RIdHgc — Kourtney Kardashian (@kourtneykardash) March 1, 2017
With that, Kourtney Kardashian announced to the world that Wholesome Linen's 100% Organic Bib & Teether Gift Set is one of her new favorite obsessions on her personal blog and twitter feed
To be honest, Wholesome Linen was really surprised to land on Miss Kourtney Kardashian's radar. We had just added this particular item to our line-up of Baby and Toddler Unisex Essentials only a few weeks back and put it up on Amazon Prime. We had done zero PR on this product and out of nowhere, Kourtney Kardashian included our newest products on her personal blog and tweeted it out to her 22 million Twitter followers. This is the kind of celebrity endorsement that comes after years of navigating your way through infinite layers of PR & Brand Marketing.
Backstory on How We Became Kourtney Kardashian's Newest Obsession
When we started, we decided to focus on quality at the core of our company. We keep it pretty simple - to make natural organic baby & toddler essentials from the best material for a good value. Wholesome Linen's process when designing and launching a new product is one of careful contemplation. We start with the basic ethos of making high-quality baby & toddler essentials out of 100% organic linen. We only make things that we believe every single parent on this planet needs. We also believe that flax based plant fibers that make-up linen fabrics are more sustainable & eco-friendly alternative to cotton making for a stronger, longer lasting product with any number of positive health benefits. As we proceed through the phases of product design & research we always seek feedback from our friends and more importantly their babies :) because really, is there anything more honest than a babies reactions? We observe their intuitions, absorb them, iterate the details & improve our overall products. If you are any kind of designer, you know this process is the same whether you are making baby products or mobile apps. The key to good product design is to understand the end user and the problem you are solving for them. If we get this part right then we have done our job. The point to all this is we do not start with influencers or bloggers in mind, we think the safety and comfort all parents strive to provide to their babies.
Sure our products are photogenic and but it is not because we designed them specifically to look good in front of the camera or Instagram & Pinterest feeds. We have found this simple truth, that if you pair simplicity with natural materials you get get the desired effect that appeals to everyone from Kourtney Kardashian to all the #WholesomeMamas out there.
So once we have a product we can be proud of, it's our job as company founders to turn on the marketing machine to get the word out to people who need our products. So when we finally work out all the kinks and are ready to launch we do arduous searches, making lists of bloggers & influencers in to reach out to. This part of the process is never the simple, and very difficult to get right. More often than not, in the early stages of a company when a brand is unknown, it's really easy to be ignored by the very people you need to get the word out about your beloved products.
This part of the process is never simple, and very difficult to get right. More often than not, in the early stages of a company when a brand is unknown it is really easy to be ignored by the very people you need to get the word out about your beloved products.
To be totally honest, our naive expectation was that others are should be as excited about our products as we are and therefore would be thrilled to get one in the mail to write about. Alas, this is not the case. There are protocols that need to be followed when reaching out to bloggers and influencers and if you get it wrong, don't expect to get a positive reply, if any reply at all. When you do get replies it is often a standardized response with a rate sheet outlining how much it costs to get your product reviewed and to get you the exposure you need.
We get it, in this day & age when social influence has become commoditized in the form of analytical data in the form of click-throughs and conversions we do understand why bloggers and influencers request to be paid for a decent day work for reviewing our products and posting it to audiences that they have skillfully built over time. There is clearly value in getting a shout out from the right person.
This brings us back to Kourtney Kardashians and her recent blog post that included Wholesome Linen as one of her favorite new obsessions.
We know we are taking a long road, but this does come full circle....
When brainstorming a list of #wholesomamas and dealing in the economics of influencers Kourtney Kardashian would probably rank pretty close to the top of the list. According to this Forbes Piece, in 2016 Kourtney Kardashian earned 10M and 10% of that came from social media endorsements. So far at the top of the list that we probably would have likely neglected to even attempt to contact her with an assumed expectation that as a fairly new company she was out of our league. This woman and other members of her family are known to get upto 1M for full product endorsements. We did not solicit her or her'momagement' or PR reps to be included on this list of her favorite 'Non-Toxic Teething Toys.' but we certainly do appreciate it immensely.
I guess that is what makes her blog mention about Wholesome Linen literally - SO PRICELESS
To be totally honest, we have absolutely no clue how she or her team found us, but they did. We started seeing spikes in traffic on our analytics coming from her blog and thought that maybe someone had mentioned us in her comments section. We investigated the links further when the traffic kept coming and voila, lo and behold there we were on her latest posts and at the top of her 'Kids' section.
We would like to think that perhaps we were included because we made a great product. Maybe Mason or Penelope Scotland or more likely Reign Aston (since he is in our products age range) used one of our products and they loved it. Kourtney is, after all, a mother first looking for the best products for her own children. This is why our advice to anyone trying to design & launch a product would always be to think primary user first. It may be counterintuitive but the influencers will come. It's so much more rewarding to have people notice and review your product because they found it useful, not because you pay them to do it.
Here we are, full circle with a lesson learned: Trust in your belief that if you make a great product the right people will find you.
Thank You Kourtney!
Here is Kourtney Kardashian's Best Non-Toxic Teethers List
*To our dear readers, we decided to run through all the products which Kourtney chose and give you our thoughts and insights
1. Vulli Sophie La Giraffe Rubber Teether, $24
This product is a thing of legends amongst successful baby products. They have actually been making these in France since 1961. It is has become Amazon's best-selling baby product and with over 6.5K Amazon reviews, our guess is it is nearing peak product. We like that this is made from natural rubber, food grade dyes since your bub will be chewing on this thing as soon as you put it into their little hands.
2. Wooden Story Bear, $27
This thing is adorable and one of the reasons we made a snap clasp on our Linen Bib, so that you can attach different cute wooden toys. Our Bib Set comes with a simple non-treated maple ring but you could easily attach a Wooden Story Bear, Owl Koala or Kitty Cat. They have 18 to choose from.
3. Cunill Sterling Silver Rattle, $298
Let's be honest, not everyone can afford to spend this kind of money on a baby rattle. Throughout history, those who could put silver into a baby's hands did so as a matter of life and death vs those who could not. The tradition of giving a baby silver to a newborn dates back to the middle ages as a measure of protection against the plague. Those "born with a silver spoon in their mouth..." were more likely protect against the illness because silver is known to disrupt bacteria. Cunnill carries on this tradition into the modern era with this beautifully crafted gift.
4. Little Standout Silicone Diamond Teether, $15
We like this because it also easily attached to Wholesome Linen's Bib and can easily go into the freezer and dishwasher. Since these are made with a MakerBot 3D Printer, it would be great if you could design your own to order.
5. Sweet Tooth Baby Silicone Cone Teether, $15
This teether may your get your baby thinking how artificial ice cream is tasting these days. You could take a cute Instagram photo of this Silicone Ice Cream Cone in your babies hands but wouldn't a real milky - creamy - melty ice cream cone be way sweeter?
6. My Very Own Rattle, $25
We could see this lovely wooden rattle being handed down from one generation to another. At $25 it is a great value gift for a baby shower.
7. Natursutten Rubber Teether, $13
This may not make for the best gift, but is well-designed with a cushion pocket in the center making it a favorite item to gnaw on those tough teething days. This was designed in Italy and is being produced for 3 generations by Natursutten. This teether also snaps onto Wholesome Linen's Linen Bib.
8. Haakaa Silicone Cookie Teether, $19
Just like Sweet Tooth's Ice Cream Cone teether above, Probably makes for a few great flicks but unless you want to train your kids to eat Oreos at a very early age we'd stick with the more natural looking teethers on this list.
9. Wholesome Linen Teething Bib, $25
Babies get your gnaw and drool on, parents we got you our Bib is easy to clean because it is natural linen and perfect for Sunday dinner at Grandma's house. Wholesome Linen's Bib Gift Set comes with two Linen Bibs and one untreated Maple Wood Teething Ring that attaches to the bib and a Gift Bag. Try our Bib's and come back for other products like our Organic Sleep Bag or Infant Car Seat Liner and when your infant becomes a toddler they will graduate to their first Tiny Pillow.
10. Lexy Pexy Wooden Balloon Teether, $25
Lexy Pexy uses maple wood for their cute machine etched product. Excited for the day when these can be personalized on an order by order basis.
11. Cunill Sterling Silver Rattle, $310
Here is another masterfully crafted sterling Cunill silver rattle available at Barneys which carries a wide range of silver and sterling silver items for babies.
12. Wood Story Heart Teether, $27
The more we look at Wood Story Teether's the more we get the urge to reach out to do a collaboration, Wholesome Linen Bibs and their wooden teethers make for the perfect baby shower gift.“It is beyond my understanding why the Democratic Party has not focused on the needs of seniors much more than they have — and you better believe I plan to,” Mr. Sanders said in an interview on Wednesday between campaign events in New Hampshire, site of the first presidential primary in February. “The Democratic Party talks about needing the African-American vote, the Hispanic vote, the women’s vote, and all of that is right, but somehow, we forget about senior citizens. Well, poverty among seniors is growing in this country, too. I’m going to fight for expanded Social Security benefits for them and fight for their vote.”
Mr. Sanders starts out as a long-shot candidate against Mrs. Clinton, who is far ahead of him in polls of Democratic voters. He is among the most liberal members of the probable Democratic field and hardly a power broker with a strong record in the Senate, and he is unlikely to come close to Mrs. Clinton in fund-raising — he vowed not to use a “super PAC” — or media exposure. But the televised debates could help him considerably, as he comes across as a truth-teller and more of a populist than Mrs. Clinton, and he could attract both younger and older voters in influential states like Iowa and New Hampshire who are skeptical of establishment politicians.
Older Americans have long been a crucial voting bloc for presidential candidates, especially in states like Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina that have early nominating contests. But Mr. Obama’s winning coalition of voters in 2008 and 2012 emphasized other demographics and certain states, with less focus on the needs of older Americans beyond the importance of Social Security and Medicare.
Jordan Derderian Jr., 69, a retiree who turned out to hear Mr. Sanders in Concord on Wednesday, said his problems were bigger than entitlement programs. He said he was having a hard time getting by, mostly on a combination of Social Security and a state pension. Recently, he started working as a driver, earning 50 cents a mile to take people to hospitals.DWI arrests are on the rise. Louisiana State Police say they're seeing more and more of them, but not for alcohol and illegal drugs like you might think. Many people don't realize over-the-counter medication can also land you in jail.
It can be as simple as taking medicine for a runny nose, or head congestion that just won't go away. You take too much, get behind the wheel and end up with a DWI.
"You may not even know that you're impaired. You may just be tired, more tired than you would be on a normal day. That can be impairment. You may get into a crash or something, and not even know that you feel bad or that you are impaired," LSP trooper Michael Reichardt said. "You know, its all the same, regardless if you're drinking a lot of beer or taking medication, taking any kind of pills. The impairment is the same."
It's happening more and more according to Reichardt. People taking more than the recommended dosage of prescription and over the counter medication, driving and ending up with a DWI citation.
Pharmacist Peggy Van tells us the trouble comes with medications causing drowsiness, or decreased alertness, such as Zyrtec.
"It says it's a 24 hour. Lots of times, it can make some people drowsy, and we even recommend sometimes to tell people to take it at night," Van said.
Most of the over-the-counter medication that they're looking for will have some type of warning on the label. For example, a generic all-day allergy has a warning on the back: be careful when driving a motor vehicle or operating machinery.
"If we know that you're impaired on the side of the road, then we offer a blood test or a urine test. We then send it to the crime lab and they tell us what's in your system," Reichardt said.
Regardless of the source of the impairment, the charge and the consequences are the same.
"If you're impaired, and we can prove that you're impaired, then you can go to jail for DWI," Reichardt said.
The biggest tip we've received is to avoid driving when you've taken any medications that mention the risk of drowsiness, specifically antihistamines.Buddhism teaches us to penetrate into the heart and mind, which are mental phenomena. As for the body, it's a physical phenomenon. Physical phenomena have to lie under the control of mental phenomena. When we begin to practice meditation and train the mind to be quiet and untroubled, I can't see that we're creating any problems at that moment for anyone at all. If we keep practicing until we're skilled, then we'll be calm and at peace. If more and more people practice this way, there will be peace and happiness all over the world. As for the body, we can train it to be peaceful only as long as the mind is in full control. The minute mindfulness lapses, the body will get back to its old affairs. So let's try training the mind by repeating buddho.
People of our time — or of any time, for that matter — regardless of how educated or capable they may be (I don't want to criticize any of us as tending to believe in things whose truth we haven't tested, because after all we all want to know and see the truth) and especially those of us who are Buddhists: Buddhism teaches causes and effects that are entirely true, but why is it that we have to fall for the claims and advertisements we hear everywhere? It must be because people at present are impatient and want to see results before they've completed the causes, in line with the fact that we're supposed to be in an atomic age.
If you go to a teacher experienced in meditating on buddho, he'll have you repeat buddho, buddho, buddho, and have you keep the mind firmly in that meditation word until you're fully skilled at it. Then he'll have you contemplate buddho and what it is that's saying buddho. Once you see that they are two separate things, focus on what's saying buddho. As for the word buddho, it will disappear, leaving only what it is that was saying buddho. You then focus on what it is that was saying buddho as your object.
If you go to a teacher experienced in breath meditation, he'll have you focus on your in-and-out breath, and have you keep your mind firmly preoccupied with nothing but the in-and-out breath.
If you go to a teacher experienced in psychic powers, he'll have you repeat na ma ba dha, na ma ba dha, and focus the mind on a single object until it takes you to see heaven and hell, deities and brahmas of all sorts, to the point where you get carried away with your visions.
If you go to a teacher experienced in meditating on the rising and falling of the abdomen, he'll have you meditate on rising and falling, and focus your mind on the different motions of the body. For instance, when you raise your foot, you think raising. When you place your foot, you think placing, and so on; or else he'll have you focus continually on being preoccupied with the phenomenon of arising and passing away in every motion or position of the body.
Only after you have inspired confidence in your heart as already mentioned should you go to the teacher experienced in that form of meditation. If he is experienced in repeating samma araham, he will teach you to repeat samma araham, samma araham, samma araham. Then he'll have you visualize a bright, clear jewel two inches above your navel, and tell you to focus your mind right there as you continue your repetition, without letting your mind slip away from the jewel. In other words, you take the jewel as the focal point of your mind.
Teachers in the past used to require a dedication ceremony as a means of inspiring confidence before you were to study meditation. They would have you make an offering of five pairs of beeswax candles and five pairs of white flowers — this was called the five khandha — or eight pairs of beeswax candles and eight pairs of white flowers — this was called the eight khandha — or one pair of beeswax candles each weighing 15 grams and an equal number of white flowers. Then they would teach you their particular form of meditation. This ancient custom has its good points. There are many other ceremonies as well, but I won't go into them. I'll mention only a very simple, easy-to-follow ceremony a little further on.
When you go to study meditation with any group or teacher who is experienced in a particular form of meditation, you should first make your heart confident that your teacher is fully experienced in that form of meditation, and be confident that the form of meditation he teaches is the right path for sure. At the same time, show respect for the place in which you are to meditate. Only then should you begin practicing.
Preliminary Steps to Practicing Meditation
Before practicing meditation on the word buddho, you should start out with the preliminary steps. In other words, inspire confidence in your mind, as already mentioned, and then bow down three times, saying:
Araham samma-sambuddho bhagava
— The Blessed One is pure and fully self-awakened. Buddham bhagavantam abhivademi
— To the Blessed, Awakened One, I bow down. (Bow down once.)
Svakkhato bhagavata dhammo
— the Dhamma is well-taught by the Blessed One. Dhammam namassami
— To the Dhamma, I bow down. (Bow down once.)
Supatipanno bhagavato savaka-sangho
— The Community of the Blessed One's disciples have conducted themselves rightly. Sangham namami
— To the Community, I bow down. (Bow down once.) Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma-sambuddhassa. (Three times.) (Think of the virtues of the Buddha, the foremost teacher of the world, released from suffering and defilement of every sort, always serene and secure. Then bow down three times.)
Note: These preliminary steps are simply an example. There's nothing wrong with chanting more than this if you have more to chant, but you should bow down to the Buddha as the first step each time you meditate, unless the place in which you're meditating is unconducive.
Now, sit in meditation, your right leg on top of left, your hands palm-up in your lap, your right hand on top of your left. Sit straight. Repeat the word buddho in your mind, focusing your attention in the middle of your chest, at the heart. Don't let your attention stray out ahead or behind. Be mindful to keep your mind in place, steady in its one-pointedness, and you'll enter into a state of concentration.
When you enter into concentration, the mind may go so blank that you don't even know how long you are sitting. By the time you come out of concentration, many hours may have passed. For this reason, you shouldn't fix a time limit for yourself when sitting in meditation. Let things follow their own course.
The mind in true concentration is the mind in a state of one-pointedness. If the mind hasn't reached a state of one-pointedness, it isn't yet in concentration, because the true heart is only one. If there are many mental states going on, you haven't penetrated into the heart. You've only reached the mind.
Before you practice meditation, you should first learn the difference between the heart and the mind, for they aren't the same thing. The mind is what thinks and forms perceptions and ideas about all sorts of things. The heart is what simply stays still and knows that it's still, without forming any further thoughts at all. Their difference is like that between a river and waves on the river.
All sciences and all defilements are able to arise because the mind thinks and forms ideas and strays out in search of them. You'll be able to see these things clearly with your own heart once the mind becomes still and reaches the heart.
Water is something clean and clear by its very nature. If anyone puts dye into the water, it will change in line with the dye. But once the water is filtered and distilled, it will become clean and clear as before. This is an analogy for the heart and the mind.
Actually, the Buddha taught that the mind is identical with the heart. If there is no heart, there is no mind. The mind is a condition. The heart itself has no conditions. In practicing meditation, no matter what the teacher or method: If it's correct, it'll have to penetrate into the heart.
When you reach the heart, you will see all your defilements, because the mind gathers all defilements into itself. So now how you deal with them is up to you.
When doctors are going to cure a disease, they first have to find the cause of the disease. Only then can they treat it with the right medicine.
As we start meditating longer and longer, repeating buddho, buddho, buddho, the mind will gradually let go of its distractions and restlessness, and gather in to stay with buddho. It will stay firm, with buddho its sole preoccupation, until you see that the state of mind that says buddho is identical with the mind itself at all times, regardless of whether you're sitting, standing, walking, or lying down. No matter what your activity, you'll see the mind bright and clear with buddho. Once you've reached this stage, keep the mind there as long as you can. Don't be in a hurry to want to see this or be that — because desire is the most serious obstacle to the concentrated mind. Once desire arises, your concentration will immediately deteriorate, because the basis of your concentration — buddho — isn't solid. When this happens, you can't grab hold of any foundation at all, and you get really upset. All you can think of is the state of concentration in which you used to be calm and happy, and this makes the mind even more agitated.
Practice meditation the same way farmers grow rice. They're in no hurry. They scatter the seed, plow, harrow, plant the seedlings, step by step, without skipping any of the steps. Then they wait for the plants to grow. Even when they don't yet see the rice appearing, they're confident that the rice is sure to appear some day in the future. Once the rice appears, they're convinced that they're sure to reap results. They don't pull on the rice plants to make them come out with rice when they want it. Anyone who did that would end up with no results at all.
The same holds true with meditation. You can't be in a hurry. You can't skip any of the steps. You have to make yourself firmly confident that, "This is the meditation word that will make my mind concentrated for sure." Don't have any doubts as to whether the meditation word is right for your temperament, and don't think that, "That person used this meditation word with these or those results, but when I use it, my mind doesn't settle down. It doesn't work for me at all." Actually, if the mind is firmly set on the meditation word you're repeating, then no matter what the word, it's sure to work — because you repeat the word simply to make the mind steady and firm, that's all. As for any results apart from that, they all depend on each person's individual potential and capabilities.
Once in the Buddha's time there was a monk sitting in meditation near a pond who saw a heron diving down to catch fish and eat them. He took that as his meditation subject until he succeeded in becoming an arahant. I've never seen a heron eating fish mentioned as a subject in any of the meditation manuals, but he was able to use it to meditate until he attained arahantship — which illustrates what I've just said.
When the mind is intent on staying within the bounds of its meditation word buddho, with mindfulness in control, it's sure to grow out of its rebelliousness. We have to train and restrain it, because we're looking for peace and contentment for the mind. Ordinarily, the mind tends to be preoccupied with looking for distraction, as I've already explained, and for the most part it strays off to this sort of distraction: When we start meditating buddho, buddho, buddho, |
they know Master Chief didn't hit the expectation that people wanted.
PCG: Once it's all fixed up, any chance we'll see on PC?
Spencer: It's a good question. I want—well, through the streaming, obviously people will be able to play on their PCs in their home. And bringing more and more of the right genres to PC, I think is clearly in our future. But we don't have anything with Master Chief...I think it's sacrilege to talk about doing anything with Master Chief now other than making the experience better on Xbox One.To a car enthusiast, automotive journalists are more spoiled than most people. We're flown across the world for a day or two to spend time behind the wheel of, say, the newest Porsche, or to a manufacturer-sponsored, full-line track day at Laguna Seca or Paul Ricard. People think we we have one of the greatest gigs in the world. And I happen to agree. But the kind of people who truly see behind the curtain, who end up with the LaFerrari’s in their actualgarages rather than on magazine covers, often do not have the greatest gig in the world. It’s often something mundane, but it's done to such a high level that the result is vast amounts of money. For example, the richest person I know manufactures cardboard boxes. He lives in the third largest house in Florida. If, by chance, you’re an enthusiast of a particular brand of car and buy your way up the ranks as you make your billions, you may end up with a golden ticket to an event that "never happened." Like my friend Karl, who is a man not only of means, but also of taste. He “works to live,” rather than “lives to work,” and loves his cars. Karl brought one of the coolest cars I’ve ever reviewed, the Lingenfelter LS3 powered, six-speed swapped, Jaguar XJL Vanden Plas, and more recently, what is probably one of the world’s more perfect Porsche 914s. Karl is a world traveler, a collector, and a racer, and sends me the craziest stories about things he’s seen and done. And one of his stories was just too good not to share. In 2010, Karl went to Lotus’s HQ in Hethel, then on to Paris on an exclusive invitation sent out only to the best customers of Lotus during the ambitious and doomed reign of CEO Dany Bahar. Karl was offered a chance to buy the Lotus T125. Never heard of the Lotus T125? Join the club—I hadn’t either. First, a bit of backstory: In 2009, Lotus Cars of Hethel, UK—founded by the legendary Colin Chapman—was, as usual, in financial trouble. Lotus was under ownership of Malaysian manufacturer, Proton, and had lost money for 15 straight years. So Proton hired a man named Dany Bahar to be CEO of Lotus. His goal? To turn a profit.
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Bahar had an Aaron Eckhart look, a background in marketing, and had a resume consisting mostly of making fuck-tons of money—he was Chief Operations Officer at Red Bull from 2003 to 2007 and created Red Bull Racing (and Scuderia Toro Rosso), in addition to expanding Red Bull’s involvement in other mainstream sports. Then, from 2007 to 2009, he ran Ferrari’s comically profitable licensing division, expanding the brand’s reach into countless suburban mall storefronts and into massive projects like the Ferrari World theme Park in Abu Dhabi. Ferrari, for those not in the know, makes significantly more money on licensing its name and logo than it ever has building or racing cars. In theory, the Lotus hire was inspired: Dany Bahar was young, handsome, energetic, and had worked hugely profitable ventures in the automotive world. Unfortunately, successful as he was, Bahar had critical blindspots: he never worked within a budget, and he never built cars. Both of these issues would be prove crucial to his downfall. But before then, the apex in Bahar’s stint at Lotus was the 2010 Paris Motor Show, to which our friend Karl was given a golden ticket on Lotus’s dime. He was asked not only to see the five new Lotus road cars Bahar had planned to launch, but also, potentially, to buy the ultimate track car: the Lotus Type 125. About a dozen people worldwide were invited to the Lotus factory in Hethel two days before the Paris Motor Show, and then told that Lotus has a secret track car project and they are on the VIP list to buy it. Karl went to the factory, where he and the others were given a tour by Clive Chapman, Colin Chapman’s son. They were shown where vintage Lotus racing cars were restored, where the factory race cars were maintained; they were shown legendary cars from Lotus history, liveried in John Player Special, or single-stage green and yellow. Then they were taken out to the race track for hot laps in the then-new Evora GT4 race car; Karl told me his instructor for the wet track day was none other than Greg Mansell, son of F1 Champion Nigel Mansell. “He was five years my junior but a far more talented driver than I was,” Karl recalled. But they still hadn't been told what the secret project track car was. For that, all the guests were flown to Paris on brand new Hawker 4000 and Premier jets. On their arrival, the same vintage race cars that had been shown in Hethel were now set up in the basement of the Louvre—that's right: the museum that has the Mona Lisa—like matchbox cars on risers, having somehow beaten multiple private jets across the channel. And on its own riser a floor above them all sat the Lotus 125. The 125, or “Project Exos” as it was internally called, is as close to a Formula One car as any company in history has been willing to sell in numbers. It truly was the ultimate track car. To the untrained eye it looks, sounds, and goes identical to a modern F1 car. It was made entirely of Carbon Fiber and weighed just 1,400 lbs. It had a 650-horsepower Cosworth V8 that ran up to 10,300 RPM, and would theoretically do 2,800 miles in between teardowns—five times what an F1 motor would do.Flexible, scalable and fully customizable to fit the needs of your business without investing in new infrastructure. Contact us about IT Cloud services.
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Why Choose RAD Business? Our mission is to exceed our customer’s expectations by offering services and solutions that go beyond those of the traditional manufacturer’s representative. This allows our customers to improve their designs, processes, product performance, overall costs and ultimately time-to-market. Any new partners that we engage with are chosen very carefully and always with the objective of complementing our existing line card into a strongly synergistic portfolio of products. Our goal is to partner with industry leading Technology manufacturers who recognize the value of a premier sales and marketing organization.After months of going back and forth between Tucson and New York, we’re finally all settled in the Big Apple! One of the last special things my husband Seth and I did with our six year-old nephew Nicky before heading east full-time, however, was taking him along with us to Tucson’s Chantilly Tea Room.
Our afternoon at Chantilly was Nicky’s first tea experience (although he’s been on board with the practice of removing the crust from sandwiches for quite some time). Nicky immediately was enchanted by the wonderland atmosphere of the tea house, loved the little teapots and cups and utensils — everything seems “kids’ size” — and he loved that he got to select his own teacup before being served.
We called ahead to ask that our “Duchess Tea” be a strictly vegan affair, and the chef was more than happy to accommodate. In fact, catering to our six year-old’s tastes, she added some tea-style PB & J to the first tier.
Our full vegan menu:
sandwiches — PB & J on cinnamon-raisin bread; cucumber & nondairy butter with dill; carrots & scallions with nondairy butter; pecan-almond spread on cinnamon-raisin bread
scones with strawberry preserves
vegan chocolate cake, dark-chocolate nut clusters, chocolate dipped strawberries
Thanks so much to Chantilly for making my cutie-pie nephew’s first tea experience such a delightful one… for all of us!
Related posts:We have to start with a picture. Or hey, just go download it and see for yourself.
This is the new Light Table - rewritten from the ground up after having learned a ton about what it's going to take to make a truly extensible and connected environment. There are a lot of interesting ideas under the hood that make up the core of this new implementation, but the important part is that it is a solid foundation for us to continue forward on. The new code is not only smaller, but far more robust, and allows us to iterate incredibly quickly.
But the changes aren't just all under the hood. What we have here is far more useable and useful than what we had before. As a matter of fact, I realized the other day that the only time I actually open vim now is when I manage to hose my instance of Light Table. The environment is entirely bootstrapped with all of our work happening by modifying Light Table at runtime. Even I'm amazed at the difference that this has made and it's something I think you just have to experience to really appreciate - writing whole features without refreshing the screen once is a truly gratifying experience, one we intend to bring to everyone.
Yeah, yeah, what's new?
Well, let's see it in action.
A real app
First and foremost, Light Table is now a real app, not some weird concotion of a clojure server and a browser. It has an executable that you double click to run. Simple as that.
General editing
The 0.2.0 release has more of the general editing features you'd expect in a programming environment. You can open any kind of file, it doesn't have to be valid/compilable, simple things like incremental find and multiple tabs are there.
This also includes a command bar, which is the source of most of the non-text-in-buffer actions you can do in Light Table. It's how you spawn an instarepl (the instant evaluation environment I showed in the first video), open files, and connect to projects.
Eval from any file
Unlike the stricter table mode that existed in 0.1.0, you now have the freedom to simply eval from any file you're working on. While this only supports Clojure and ClojureScript in this initial iteration, we'll be seeing this used in a lot more places soon.
Eval results show up on the right-hand side of the environment in a little list that you can hover over to make larger. All the results are also saved for you there, so you can simply scrollback through them if you want. Evaling doesn't block the editor in any way, so keep on keeping on while your process toils away in the background.
Connect to multiple projects
Working with multiple projects with different kinds of files is a non-issue in Light Table. If you try to eval something where no client can currently handle it, it will prompt you to use the connect command to spin up a client for that project.
It'll do that in the background and show you the result once everything is ready to go. So if you're working on some crazy computer generated music, with intense graphics, while having your computer write programs for you, you won't have to skip a beat.
A new, beautiful brand
We really love what the guys at MODE did for the Light Table logo. They're some of the best in the business. And it shows.
This also translated into tshirts that look awesome:
The plan
Two months ago we walked into YC demo day having just launched 0.1.0 and since then we've been toiling away at the standard tribulations that startups face - from fundraising to fundamental technology shifts. Now that we've waded through the bulk of that, it's about getting back to what we do best: exploring the future of programming environments. This release was a huge step forward in our ability to deliver to more people and to iterate faster. It is the first move toward supporting more languages and that is where our focus is headed for the next couple of months. We'll be starting with Javascript first and tackling the problem of both client side JS as well as Node.js itself. To do that, we'll need to do some research in the way you guys use your tools already, which we'll be talking about more soon - hopefully you're up for a visit!
Issues, comments, concerns?
We're continuing to use our github to track issues and there are a few we know of already with the release of 0.2.0. There's also an announcements mailing list which we'll be making much better use of and the discussion list that we'll breathe some life into.
Want to see more?
We'll be doing the node knockout this weekend and to give people a taste of what Light Table can really do, we'll be live streaming the entire event. We're going to be building a game in ClojureScript and it's going to be awesome. Once the feed is live, I'll put up another post and tweet about it. I hope you'll tune in!
Now get out of here and go play with it.LONDON, ONTARIO—In a shocking revelation last Tuesday, Digital Extremes discovered a disgruntled employee had purposefully been injecting rogue code into the updates. The saboteur had brazenly taken credit for over a dozen unsanctioned alterations made to the game. Digital Extremes has refused to comment on the situation and has not yet issued a press release or statement to their customers regarding the incident. The now-terminated employee has come forward to shed light on the situation in a Forma exclusive.
“The first thing you need to know is that I did it for the players.” sighed an exhausted Todd Murphy to TCN’s Senior Corporate Espionage Correspondent. “I knew that eventually things would catch up to me, but I guess I figured I was in too deep to stop, y’know?” Murphy was one of Digital Extremes’ talented Art Designers assigned to environmental and character art tasks and had earned the nickname “Goo Designer” after modeling various viscous parts of Warframe ranging from the environmental toxic pools on Ceres to the infectious Tar-Mutalist MOA abilities. Murphy was one of the newer hires after Digital Extremes’ “Hail Mary” attempt with Warframe began to see success. He had been with the studio for over two years until his actions caught up with him this last week.
Murphy had been altering the code on a micro scale to adjust the average player’s gameplay experience with Warframe. Having no formal background with coding or actual understanding of how to code, Murphy would simply adjust values on a string to tweak the game in ways that felt fair to the players. “Basically I would look at something and turn a 0 into a 1 to enable or disable that feature. Sometimes I dug in a little deeper and change things like drop chances for items. You know how Seismic Palm was dropping about as often as 15 Endo? That was me.”
Some of Murphy’s alterations were targeted at a specific area of content he felt had been abandoned: Trials. As it turns out, Murphy was responsible for the now-infamous interaction between Nekros’ Desecrate ability and Atlas’ Rumbler ability which could generate Antiserum in The Jordas Verdict. “Players were reporting so many progression-stopping bugs and it broke my heart to see these incredible missions with unique level designs going to waste. I figured changing the flag from a 0 to a 1 to allow the Rumblers be affected by Desecrate and only provide Health or Antiserum would be innocent enough, but I think that’s how I got caught. The bug team had tried to change it back a few times but I always made sure to tweak it at the last minute before an update went live.” When asked about the Proximity Mines found in the Nightmare version of The Law of Retribution, Murphy admitted he had a hand in that as well: “That one was more of an accident. I meant to just lower the damage, but my boss was coming to my desk and I accidentally deleted the entire section of code that made them explode. I didn’t have a chance to fix it then and I wasn’t able to undo it.”
This wasn’t the only mistake Murphy had made when trying to improve the gameplay experience. Sometimes ambitious good intentions could have dire consequences. After trying to improve the way in which Nightmare missions would spawn in anticipation of the Specters of the Rail update, Murphy had accidentally removed Nightmare missions entirely from the game. “What I wanted to do was add them to the worldstate.php generator so that players could look up when a node was available, but… Well, that was the last time I tried to make changes to the code. I went back to just modifying strings after that.” The consequences of his actions were dire and Nightmare missions were effectively removed from the game for over 100 days. However, Digital Extremes used this as an opportunity to revisit the Nightmare mission system as well as assigning new rewards to the missions.
“I loved my time working at Digital Extremes, but I got blinded by my sense of balance. Honestly, I’m not sure anyone at DE would have figured out it was me if I hadn’t lost my cool last week and thrown a tantrum about how Mutagen Samples are still flagged as a rare drop on Eris. I had tried so many times to increase it to common or uncommon, but either I didn’t do it right or someone else was making sure it was kept as rare. I’m going to miss my coworkers and I understand why they had to let me go after what happened, but I hope they can see I wasn’t trying to hurt anyone. I don’t think I sabotaged DE by doing any of the things I did. I think I only sabotaged my chances at getting another job in this industry.”
Murphy has opted to go the route of complete transparency on the matter and is owning up to every action he took. Aside from the issues with the Proximity Mines and Nightmare missions, he had compiled a handwritten list of changes as a fail safe in case something went terribly wrong after his alterations. He has already offered a copy to Digital Extremes in hopes of rebuilding his relationship with his peers. A few of his notable alterations include:Police in several New Hampshire communities investigated reports of clown sightings on Monday nightRelated: Report of armed clown at Massachusetts college was false, officials sayDurham police confirmed reports of a person dressed as a clown walking around the University of New Hampshire campus.>> New England school district bans clown costumesPolice said the clown was reportedly using a megaphone but that no weapons were reported.More: The creepiness of clowns, explainedUNH police checked the campus and Durham police checked outside the campus. Police said they received the report around 10 p.m.Police in both Keene and Berlin said they too also investigated reports of clown sightings.Chatter on social media indicated that clowns were spotted near Keene State College. Campus safety officials looked into the reports, but they said no credible information was found.Clowns were also spotted in Orono, Maine, WMTW reported. The Orono Police Department said it was aware of sightings in the town Monday evening.Get the WMUR app
Police in several New Hampshire communities investigated reports of clown sightings on Monday night
Related: Report of armed clown at Massachusetts college was false, officials say
Durham police confirmed reports of a person dressed as a clown walking around the University of New Hampshire campus.
>> New England school district bans clown costumes
Police said the clown was reportedly using a megaphone but that no weapons were reported.
More: The creepiness of clowns, explained
UNH police checked the campus and Durham police checked outside the campus. Police said they received the report around 10 p.m.
Police in both Keene and Berlin said they too also investigated reports of clown sightings.
Chatter on social media indicated that clowns were spotted near Keene State College. Campus safety officials looked into the reports, but they said no credible information was found.
Clowns were also spotted in Orono, Maine, WMTW reported. The Orono Police Department said it was aware of sightings in the town Monday evening.
AlertMeDizaster breaks down his new "Virus" card, featuring the battle debut of Copywrite, as well as Daylyt, Cadalack Ron, Rone, No Shame, Bill Collector and more.
At KOTD's "World Domination 5" Dizaster got a ton of attention for his costumed performances against Dumbfoundead and Sketch Menace. Now he's taking the concept one step further by presenting an entire card of costumed match-ups, appropriately scheduled for the day before Halloween in Los Angeles.
Here's the full flyer:
The card blends shock and whimsy, and features controversial matches like a KKK member (played by Cadalack Ron) vs. Malcolm X (played by Daylyt), and Caitlyn Jenner (played by transgender rapper No Shame) vs. Bruce Jenner (played by Jenner look-alike Rone).
For more details on the event — called "Virus" — we reached out to Dizaster by phone, who told us most of the rappers on the card were easy to convince and loved the concepts. "I just love that they're open to be creative like that," he said. "We're trying to expand to a bigger audience and two of these battles are capitalizing on really big social issues."
As for the racially-charged main event, he explains: "Even though they're probably gonna say some fucked up shit to each other, I'm hoping that it can have a positive result in the end."
The card also has some hilariously appropriate match-ups, such as A-Class playing Bruce Lee against Bill Collector's Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Danny Myers will also take on the role of Raphael the Ninja Turtle (someone he's previously been compared to) to face Shredder, who will be played by Copywrite, a veteran underground rapper making his battle debut.
"Even though he's a more old-school rapper and not a street rapper, he still has crazy bars," Dizaster said. "Copywrite is metaphors. He's kind of the originator of that shit, people just don't remember. He was doing punchlines and metaphors like the way people do them today way before everybody was doing them. I think he's gonna do really good."
Rounding out the card is a heaven vs. hell match-up with Dirtbag Dan rapping as Jesus against Megadef as Lucifer, and 50 Cent (played by The Deadman) vs. Rick Ross (played by Marv Won).
The co-main event, between "Dizaster" and "Eminem," will be a surprise, but Dizaster assures us it'll be something special (though you probably shouldn't book a flight if you're expecting to see The Real Slim Shady).
The pay structure is different than a typical event too. "Nobody is getting paid upfront," says Dizaster. "I'm giving the YouTube royalties to everybody on the card. So if these videos go viral, these rappers have the ability to get paid thousands of dollars."
Character battles regularly do massive numbers on YouTube, where Epic Rap Battles Of History has nearly 1.6 million subscribers and close to two billion views.
Daylyt's recent clash with E. Farrell (which turned into Batman vs. Superman in the third round) also caught some mainstream coverage, with MTV doing a story on the battle.
Dizaster tells us the venue, ticket prices, pay-per-view info and video trailer should be coming soon.
Want more? Check out our list of the best battle rap costumes.
Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.The EU has been storing up problems for years, which brings to mind the popular cliche, 'when it rains, it pours'. Could 2016 be the year the levee finally breaks?
As the 20th century concluded, I was a Dublin cub reporter. There was an older journalist I greatly admired. He specialized in dramatic celebrity tales, and the more woeful, the better. One day we were both dispatched by separate newspapers to interview Michael Schumacher, who was in town to promote some product or other.
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The motorsport legend was the healthiest looking person I'd ever seen, with impeccable manners. A real class act. My colleague, however, was determined to pierce the tough Teutonic exterior and gave it his best shot.
“1997 was a terrible year for you Michael. You led the (Formula One) championship going into the final race. But your car had a technical problem and you realized you’d probably fail to finish. So you tried to provoke an accident with Jacques Villeneuve (the chaser). Yet, it backfired on you. Villeneuve won and you were punished and suspended for the entire season for unsportsmanlike conduct,” he argued.
Schumacher nodded and looked quite amused.
“In 1998, you failed again in controversial circumstances and then, just when you thought ‘things couldn’t possibly get any worse,’ remarkably, they did. In 1999, with the title in your grasp, you broke your leg.” The racing legend smiled a very broad smile. “Nice try,” he countered, “you are a very good journalist.”
The interviewer had attempted to provoke a headline-grabbing sound-byte. He failed. Germans are tough nuts to crack.
If that reporter could interview Angela Merkel right now, he would probably lob these grenades. “2015 was a dreadful year for the Europe you lead, Chancellor, and you personally. There were terrorist attacks in Paris, you spent months trying to resolve the Greek crisis and Ukraine continued to be an irritant. Then you faced an unprecedented refugee crisis, your handling of which appears to have blown up in your face. Especially in light of last week’s events in Cologne where about 1,000 men of foreign origin attacked women in the city,” he’d explain.
“Spain has now elected a ‘hung’ parliament, Poland’s new government are countermanding EU norms and experts increasingly claim that the Euro was a mistake. Now, just when you think, ‘things couldn’t possibly get any worse,’ remarkably, they could. A British exit from the EU looks increasingly likely and your own coalition partner is turning on you.”
Would Merkel flinch or, like Schumacher, would she maintain the icy visage?
Stepping up a gear
The European project is in trouble. So, too, is Merkel, its uncrowned Queen, and to a far greater extent than a broadly supportive, corporate media admits. Tensions are mounting between the Chancellor’s immediate circle in Berlin’s CDU and their sister party in Bavaria, the CSU.
The southern grouping’s chief, Horst Seehofer, has strongly condemned Merkel’s liberal refugee policy. Whispers in the German capital suggest that even a leadership heave, previously unfathomable, is no longer impossible if public anger grows. When Christopher Gilles of Cologne Police tells BBC that the force can’t guarantee women’s safety, it’s clear that these are not normal times in Germany.
The refugee crisis, and Merkel’s surprise response to it, has strained relations across Europe. Eastern countries, ironically major beneficiaries of EU freedom of movement, are largely unwilling to accommodate migrants. The UK, over 4 years, has accepted only 5,000 Syrians. By contrast, Germany was expecting 1.5 million asylum seekers in 2015, according to the Daily Telegraph.
Meanwhile, Hungary has erected fences on its borders and some EU states are calling for a suspension of the Schengen agreement. European leaders fear that 2016 will witness an even larger influx than 2015, especially if Berlin continues to accept all comers.
Vroom, Vroom for Brexit?
Yet, another issue may over-shadow even the refugee crisis. Britain will, almost certainly, hold a referendum this year on whether it remains in the EU. Right now, opinion polls suggest that support for continued UK membership stands at 42 percent. That’s the lowest positive rating since 1983.
At the same time, 41 percent of respondents said they’d vote for a ‘Brexit’ with the other 17 percent undecided. While bookmakers odds favor a narrow win for the Europhiles, if David Cameron fails to secure an acceptable deal for Britain in upcoming negotiations anything could happen. The “out” campaign has room to flourish if Europe’s problems endure, as most experts believe they will.
Without Britain, the EU project would struggle. With London no longer involved, NATO would surely grow in relevance, thus diluting Brussel’s foreign policy influence. Also, shorn of the UK to balance matters, Germany’s control of the union would become overbearing. Plenty of member states would be perturbed by both those scenarios.
German army needs to 'free soldiers from refugee care, focus on other missions' https://t.co/p7KuYH1StKpic.twitter.com/bVDMECGNC1 — RT (@RT_com) December 29, 2015
British opposition figure Nigel Farage, a committed opponent of the EU, declared last month that a ‘Brexit’ would mark a “tipping point” that could doom the EU completely. "For those of us who believe in nation state democracy, 2016 is a very bright dawn indeed,” Farage insisted in an EU parliament address.
Nevertheless, it’s not only Britain wavering. Last month’s Spanish elections were inconclusive, resulting in the most fragmented Madrid legislature ever. Podemos, an organization founded less than two years ago, won 69 seats, while the establishment People’s Party lost 64. Another grouping, Citizens, took 40 benches in its first ever election. Analysts suggest that Spain faces another ballot as the logjam seems unbreakable.
The chuckle brothers unite?
Then there is Poland. The largest of the formerly communist nations elected the conservative Law and Justice, headed by Jaroslaw Kaczynski, in October. Brussels has watched aghast as the new regime has imposed curbs on media freedom and replaced westernisers with party loyalists in key state institutions.
Even more troubling for Eurocrats have been tentative signs of an alliance between the Poles and Viktor Orban’s Hungarian administration, long the scourge of liberal democracy champions and 'Atlanticists.'
As if all that wasn’t enough, the Greek issue is far from resolved. In the midst of growing social unrest, its economic disaster continues, like, with respect to Homer, an endless odyssey. Seemingly from nowhere, Finland has emerged as the Eurozone’s worst performing economy, with its GDP contracting even more than that of Greece late last year (Ironically, Helsinki was the continent’s biggest cheerleader for austerity and took the hardest line on Athen’s woes during last year's emergency talks).
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In addition, after the numerous terror incidents of 2015, France is traumatized. The far-right Front National was the biggest single party in December’s Regional elections with 27 percent of the vote. Only clever manoeuvring from the centrist movements, the Republicans and the Socialists, stopped Marine La Pen’s outfit from taking control of a few districts. Over in neighboring Italy, the Five Star Movement and the equally Eurosceptic Lega Nord and Noi con Salvini groupings are currently polling at a collective 44.5 percent.
Clearly, the EU’s future has never looked so insecure.
Schumacher could have retired in glory back in 2004, after his fifth successive Driver’s Championship. Instead, he mistimed his retirement and departed with a whimper in 2012, after placing 13th.
Merkel would be well advised to study her compatriots trajectory. The longer she clings on to power, the more circumstances are likely to derail her plans, no matter how well intentioned.
2016 will be a massive year for Europe. Will Merkel and the EU project survive it?The European Parliament’s biggest political grouping has said it supports the introduction of a European Union-wide ban on Islamic face veils
The European People’s Party adopted the measure as an official policy at its annual congress in Malta this week, claiming that the ban should be introduced “both for reasons of security and because seeing one another’s faces is an integral part of human interaction in Europe”.
The EPP, a centre-right liberal conservative grouping, holds 216 seats in the 751 member European Parliament and is affiliated with major governing parties such as Angela Merkel’s CDU, the French Republicains and Spain’s People’s Party.
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 provisions for the banning of face coverings appear to explicitly target Muslims, being contained in a resolution named "For a cohesive society: Countering Islamic extremism" and mentioning the burqua and niquab by name.
Speaking to the German media following the passage of the resolution, Manfred Weber, the group’s leader in the European Parliament, said: “We want a total ban of face covering in the EU.”
Mr Weber is a member of Angela Merkel's CDU/CSU alliance in Germany.
The UK’s Conservative party was previously a member of the European People’s Party but it left to form the Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists in 2009 because the EPP was not seen as eurosceptic enough.
Other provisions contained in the motion include calls for “the avoidance of concentrating thousands of third-country nationals in any one location” and a proposal to link welfare benefit payments to unspecified “mandatory integration requirements”.
The EPP’s resolution is not binding on any of its member parties but it gives an indication of the direction of its membership. An EPP source said the proposal should be discussed at EU level but accepted that such a ban would not be within current EU competencies.
The section relating to face coverings reads: “The EPP calls for … A ban on full-face veils (i.e. the burqa or niqab) in public places, both for reasons of security and because seeing one another’s faces is an integral part of human interaction in Europe”.
Shape Created with Sketch. What's the European Parliament ever done for us? Show all 5 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. What's the European Parliament ever done for us? 1/5 A cap on the amount of hours an employer can make you work The Working Time directive provides legal standards to ensure the health and safety of employees in Europe. Among the many rules are a working week of a maximum 48 hours, including overtime, a daily rest period of 11 hours in every 24, a break if a person works for six hours or more, and one day off in every seven. It also includes provisions for paid annual leave of at least four weeks every year Getty Images 2/5 Helping the people of Britain to avoid smoking In 2014 MEPs passed the Tobacco Products Directive strengthening existing rules on the manufacture, production and presentation of tobacco products. This includes things like reduced branding, restrictions on products containing flavoured tobacco, health warnings on cigarette packets and provisions for e-cigarettes to ensure they are safe 3/5 Helping you to make the right choices with your food Thanks to the European Parliament, UK consumers have access to more information than ever about their food and drink. This includes amount of fat, and how much of it is saturated, carbohydrates, sugars, protein and so on. It also includes portion sizes and guideline daily amount information so people can make informed choices about their diet. All facts must be clear and easy to understand 4/5 Two year guarantees and 14-day returns policy for all products Consumers across the EU have access to a number of rights, from things which are potentially very useful, to things which used to be annoying. For example, shoppers in the UK receive a two-year guarantee on all products, and a 14-day period to change their minds and return a purchase, these things are useful www.PeopleImages.com-licence restrictions apply 5/5 Keeping your air nice and fresh (and safe) Believe it or not, although the situation is improving, some areas of the UK have appalling air quality. A report by the Royal College of Physicians released on 23 February says 40,000 deaths are caused by outdoor air pollution in the UK every year. Air pollution is linked to a number of illnesses and conditions, from Asthma to diabetes and dementia. The report estimates the costs to British business and the health service add up to £20 billion every year 1/5 A cap on the amount of hours an employer can make you work The Working Time directive provides legal standards to ensure the health and safety of employees in Europe. Among the many rules are a working week of a maximum 48 hours, including overtime, a daily rest period of 11 hours in every 24, a break if a person works for six hours or more, and one day off in every seven. It also includes provisions for paid annual leave of at least four weeks every year Getty Images 2/5 Helping the people of Britain to avoid smoking In 2014 MEPs passed the Tobacco Products Directive strengthening existing rules on the manufacture, production and presentation of tobacco products. This includes things like reduced branding, restrictions on products containing flavoured tobacco, health warnings on cigarette packets and provisions for e-cigarettes to ensure they are safe 3/5 Helping you to make the right choices with your food Thanks to the European Parliament, UK consumers have access to more information than ever about their food and drink. This includes amount of fat, and how much of it is saturated, carbohydrates, sugars, protein and so |
in the stats.
Fixed: Flashlight durability is not shown when assembled.
Fixed: Selecting icons with a tooltip causes tooltip’s font to briefly change.
Fixed: Eating two units of any kind of food raises Food stat for only one unit. Increased use time.
Fixed: Damage dealt to trees with shotguns.
Fixed: Removed random wood pole in small garage poi.
Fixed: Iron helmet cannot be properly equipped.
Fixed: Crafting queue carries over to new player hosted games.
Fixed: Woodlogs have no burn time.
Fixed: Queued tooltips and sounds display after quitting and starting a different game.
Fixed: Adjusted collision on gore blocks so if on top of a spike the person/zombie walking on it doesn’t take damage.
Fixed: Craft speed bonus is not consistent form 1-100 as lvl 100 is not the quickest.
Fixed: Auger does not damage zombies.
Fixed: Description of the First Aid effect is not visible after selecting it in Character Menu.
Fixed: When the player falls from great height on another player it does not deal damage.
Fixed: Output puts stacks in backpack when there is an existing stack on the tool belt.
Fixed: Armor durability can be reduced below zero.
Fixed: Player’s hands are shaking while holding a weapon.
Fixed: Incorrect icon in crafting queue during scrapping items from Hazmat set.
Fixed: Renamed all copyrighted terms “Kevlar” to “Military” and localized.
Fixed: Held in hand Stick ff Dynamite is not dealing damage correctly.
Fixed: Removed clothing is still displayed in multiplayer until the player runs or jumps.
Fixed: Cooking on campfire continues after necessary tool has been removed.
Fixed: Quality calculation is inconsistent during assembling a weapon or tool.
Fixed: Player can rotate Minibike even it does not have placed wheels.
Fixed: Aviator Goggles are displayed on Character in incorrect color.
Fixed: Crossbows and Bows heard from far on Client in MP games.
Fixed: Re-baked icons for TV you can pick up. Set other ones as developer blocks.
Fixed: Smoke particles from the minibike’s engine are present even if there is no fuel in the tank.
Fixed: LOD changes colors on car windows and rims.
Fixed: Blood splatter on screen on respawn.
Fixed: Updated cobblestone frame collision.
Fixed: No muzzle flash after quick scoping from Sniper Rifle.
Fixed: Letters in search bar turn upper case when switching through pages.
Fixed: Graphical artifacts are displayed in Minibike screen if the Minibike is set on fire.
Fixed: The backpack is not visible on female character model.
Fixed: Character’s hands are shaking when using a Chainsaw.
Fixed: Mattress obstructs entrance to tents in campsites.
Fixed: Containers can be looted after destroying them.
Fixed: Cam shake after death.
Fixed: Weapon/tool models are not fully displayed in Assemble Window.
Fixed: Can’t hear swoosh sound when crouched.
Fixed: Exceeding stack limit on crafting material possible.
Fixed: Supply crate spawning above airplane.
Fixed: Increased volume falloff of explosion sounds.
Fixed: Placing Minibike Chassis on the ground is very inconvenient.
Fixed: Forge burning underwater.
Fixed: Can’t hear other players’ Cold/Hot exhaustion sounds.
Fixed: Torch can burn underwater.
Fixed: Crafting glass jars does not require hammer and anvil but crafting a cooking pot does.
Fixed: Flashlight toggle sound not played when switching it off.
Fixed: Player loses stack of consumable items when pressing right mouse suddenly after consuming an item.
Fixed: Character movement is affected after disabling sneaking mode on poured water.
Fixed: Getting stunned by a zombie while jumping causes character to fall slower.
Fixed: Player drowning on land.
Fixed: Clicking the track allies’ checkbox is difficult.
Fixed: Open doorways can have invisible collision.
Fixed: The swimming speed does not increase while sprinting.
Fixed: After death in Sneak Stance character is not returned to Default Stance.
Fixed: Infinite looping gun sounds when played same time in MP game.
Fixed: Internal bleeding inflicted by eating broken glass destroys items worn on chest slots.
Fixed: Player can circumvent penalties for dying by quitting immediately after death.
Fixed: Dead hornets disappear before they hit the ground.
Fixed: When going up from underwater you see a blank buff popout.
Fixed: Workstation headers not using localization.
Fixed: Avoid repair cost for items, exploiting the item repair logic.
Fixed: Lowered volume on minibike, auger, and chainsaw.
Fixed: Placeholder description for exploding crossbow bolts.
Fixed logic for one death animation.
Fixed: Eating two units of any kind of food raises Food stat for only one unit.
Fixed: Item armor stats not displaying on mouseover.
Fixed: Displayed Loot quantity in container is not updated after using Quick move.
Fixed: Disappearing items in Minibikes basket after removing the basket and putting it back on.
Fixed: Clothing does not display provided protection if that value is <10%.
Fixed: Items don’t indicate what temperature unit they display their modified in.
Fixed: Worn armor durability bar does not update correctly.
Fixed: Incorrect sfx is played when dysentery changes into advanced dysentery.
Fixed: When 2 players chop down a tree, the tree comes back/remains.
Fixed: Storage contents are displayed in all storage items.
Fixed: After respawn the animation of playable character is corrupted.
Fixed: Fall damage is not inflicted to character when player drives minibike.
Fixed: Armor pieces do not show current protection.
Fixed: Minibike storage rollback/deletion on leaving chunk/game.
Fixed: Several people can access the minibike radial at the same time.
Fixed: Disappearing items in Minibikes basket after removing the basket and putting it back on.
Fixed: Minibike duping utilizing the basket.
Fixed: DTD-1042 3/21 TL – Environment – Items – Candle – Item has drinking animation implemented. Created candle placement animation.
Fixed: DTD-1512 3/21 FP – Some characters are missing their feet in profile selection preview.
Fixed: Minibike playing constant impact sounds.
Fixed: Other player step sounds not heard in MP games.
Fixed: MacOS Monochrome.
Fixed: Shotgun with Shotgun Slugs is overpowered.
Fixed: Other players receiving unearned exp from workstations.
Fixed: Placeholder prompt displayed when emerging from water.
Fixed: Removed bullet spread (legacy feature) from auger and chainsaw.
Fixed: Category icons of several items are missing.
Fixed: Freshairtooltip prompt has no visible icon.
Fixed: Missing dot or comma in description of grain alcohol.
Fixed: Message displayed when submerging in water is a placeholder.
Fixed: Missing apostrophe in description of large beef ration.
Fixed: Missing apostrophe in description of bottled murky water.
Fixed: Missing dot in the description of the Flashlight.
Fixed: Glue recipe is missing in Chemicals tab in Campfire.
Fixed: Allow multiple clients with the same player name, appending increasing numbers to their name like “Name(1)”.
Fixed: Missing dot at the end of FORGE description.
Fixed: Heavy Armor’s description does not mention about Kevlar Armor.
Fixed: Leatherworking’s description is misleading.
Fixed: Placeholder names for items needed to craft DECAYED BRICK in crafting menu.
Fixed: Mining Helmet projects to the right from player when other players are looking.
Fixed: Minibike’s headlight is working without battery and handlebars.
Fixed: User receives basic Survival Quest in Creative Mode.
Fixed: Updated missing material on magnum prefab.
Fixed: Adjusted LOD distances on car prefabs to make the initial changes happen at a further distance.
Fixed: Golden rod Is sometimes spawning on the wrong axis.
Fixed: Redundant dot in description of chicken soup.
Fixed: Description of firearm ammo is wrong and misleading.
Fixed: Campfire/forge icon is shown as lit, when it runs out of fuel.
Fixed: AK47 and MP5 skip firing sound on a couple bullets when holding fire.
Fixed: Highlight persists on chosen waypoint icons.
Fixed: Secure storage chest’s header text is small.
Fixed: Minibike’s quality bar does not fill up after repairing it in Minibike tab.
Fixed: Stacking door SI exploit.
Fixed: Zombie decayed corpses stack on each other.
Fixed: Forged Steel’s description says it is learned by reading the riddle of steel.
Fixed: Set in concrete book is still mentioned in descriptions.
Fixed: Removed redundant stability data.
Fixed: Nailgun so it wouldn’t play bullethitmetal off the p_nailgunfire.prefab particle.
Fixed: After respawn the animation of playable character is corrupted.
Fixed: Fuel in minibike disappears after disassembling it and acquiring parts into inventory.
Fixed: Minibike 3D model’s position in the Assemble Menu is dependent on the position of the Minibike in-game.
Fixed: RWG freezes at common high elevations.
Fixed: Removed old soffit texture and replaced all in blocks with white wood.
Fixed Removed duplicate backpack textures.
Fixed: Minibike stops immediately after touching the water.
Fixed: Doppler on magnum.
Fixed: Assigned cement mixer an 3D audio source.
Fixed Max Distance on AudioSource_Interact from 25m to 20m.
Fixed: Auger volume.
Fixed: Cactus clips through the house in specific location.
Fixed: Corrected shiv/knife/machete damage on gore blocks to match behavior on entity corpses.
Fixed: TREEBURNTPINE01 – LOD pop is visible on the item.
Fixed: Clipping issues in male and female plant fiber shirt and pants.
Fixed: Clicking and dragging on an item being crafted causes red wrench icon to persist.
Fixed: SFX of shooting or using a weapon or tool continue to play after the item becomes broken and player holds multiple keys.
Fixed: Duplicate tags and illegal characters in blocks and items.
Fixed: Zombies of a horde partially slide/skate instead of playing walking anim.
Fixed: Graphic flickers when character sits on Minibike underwater.
Fixed: After respawn the animation of playable character is corrupted.
Fixed: Cannot disable voice chat option.
Fixed: No VFX of collapsing blocks can be seen if player is far from collapsing building.
Fixed: Buff function actions=”damage()” does not affect zombies.
Fixed: Candle hold animation was not working.
Fixed: Gamma is set to a default of 75% and can be reset now.
Fixed: We think we fixed layers can get NRE if they quit from a dedicated game and start up a new Navezgane game. You can fix this by leaving the game and coming back
Serverconfig.xml and Modding
Downloading dedicated server no longer requires login with Steam account it is free to use.
CraftTimer and LootTimer options in serverconfig.xml removed as these things are now changed in game through gaining skills.
Added: New set temperature unit type command that the host or server admin can set. In the console type ‘settempunit c’ or ‘settempunit f’ to set the game to use Celsius or Fahrenheit unit of temperature
Know IssuesSPIEGEL: Mr. Schulz, while the world economy is ailing, steel prices are climbing to new highs. How does that fit together?
Ekkehard Schulz: It's easy: As a steel producer, we depend on massive quantities of mineral resources. We need coking coal, nickel and, most importantly, iron ore. In recent months, prices of the latter resource, in particular, have downright exploded. We can't do anything to compensate for that fact.
SPIEGEL: We're familiar with that line. It's always someone else's fault.
Schulz: In this case, it's correct. There are only a few large iron producers in the world. They are located in Brazil and Australia. And we are completely at the mercy of the prices they set.
SPIEGEL: You are referring to mineral resource giants like Rio Tinto, Vale and BHP Billiton. But ThyssenKrupp has been working together with them for years. What has changed?
Schulz: The contracts. In the past, we always signed calculable annual contracts with the iron suppliers, contracts in which the price was set for the entire term. Now the three producers that dominate the market have suddenly dictated quarterly contracts, in which a new price that is linked to the volatile spot market is set for each quarter. This has fatal consequences.
SPIEGEL: In what way?
Schulz: Last year, we were still paying about $60 (48) per ton of iron ore from abroad. Now it's more than twice as much. And the price on the spot market has gone up even further since the last contract was signed. The new system is currently driving up the price of steel more and more, thereby jeopardizing overall economic development.
SPIEGEL: But it isn't unusual that a price changes on the market and that it continues to rise as demand increases.
Schulz: That's correct. But iron ore isn't even scarce. Unfortunately, it just happens to be controlled by a few large producers. And they are irresponsibly taking advantage of their power in the marketplace.
SPIEGEL: Those are serious charges. Can you back them up with evidence?
Schulz: The German Federal Cartel Office in Bonn, as well as the European Commission, are looking into the case, and we are supporting them in their efforts. Besides, we have also asked the German government for help.
SPIEGEL: What should it do?
Schulz: The government has promised us that it will address the issue at the next G-20 summit of world leaders in Toronto in June. It intends to advocate a fair and sustainable balance between nations that process natural resources and those that produce them.
SPIEGEL: Isn't it somewhat excessive to be addressing the issue in such a forum? We're talking about the pricing system for iron ore and steel
Schulz: and therefore the entire global economy. In Germany alone, more than 35 percent of industrial added value depends on steel. It would be impossible to calculate the cost of any bridge, high-rise building or auto production if the price or iron and, as a result, steel were constantly changing and became a pawn for speculators.
SPIEGEL: What role do speculators play?Following 3 years of development, Artisteer Ltd, a WYSIWYG website building solution provider, has launched a new product, called Themler.
Themler is built to produce responsive web designs for existing content management systems, including; WordPress, Joomla, Ebay’s Magento, Drupal and PrestaShop. The product also supports template design for e-commerce plug-ins like wooCommerce and VirtueMart that work with WordPress and Joomla.
Here's an introductory video to give you a taste of what Themler can do.
https://vimeo.com/133549765
Integrated Web Design, 4,000 Templates & 200,000 Stock Images
Themler claims to be the first and only web design product that supports a variety of content management systems at once, as well as allowing developers to produce themes and templates they can own and sell to third parties.
At the same time Themler is simple enough to be installed by any WordPress, Joomla and Magento users, and used to customize their website while previewing the design changes with their live content. With these unique capabilities, Themler is the world’s first integrated visual web design environment for content management systems.
Themler also comes with access to a library of 4,000 web templates for WordPress, Joomla, Magento, Drupal and other CMS and e-commerce systems.
Furthermore, Themler boasts an extensive library of 200,000 modern stock photos and graphics, which Themler users can use in their designs.
For enhanced accessibility, Themler can be installed on a Windows desktop, or used in a web browser with any environment where WordPress, Joomla or Magento is installed.
Desktop versions for Mac and Linux are scheduled for release at a later date.
Easier & More Beautiful
A Themler beta user, who documented his experience on the Themler user forums, made the following comment:
"Magento themes are unbelievably difficult to make while Themler makes them easy to create and more beautiful than commercial Magento themes. Magento itself is not known as easy for theming."
Themler is currently available at www.themler.com at prices starting from $49.(CNN) -- It was 1969 and a busy year for making history: Woodstock, the Miracle Mets, men on the moon -- and something less celebrated but arguably more significant, the birth of the Internet.
On October 29 of that year, for perhaps the first time, a message was sent over the network that would eventually become the Web. Leonard Kleinrock, a professor of computer science at the University of California-Los Angeles, connected the school's host computer to one at Stanford Research Institute, a former arm of Stanford University.
Forty years ago today, the Internet may have uttered its first word.
Twenty years later, Kleinrock chaired a group whose report on building a national computer network influenced Congress in helping develop the modern Internet. Kleinrock holds more than a dozen patents and was awarded the National Medal of Science last year by President Bush.
In an interview with CNN, the 75-year-old looks back on his achievements and peers into the exciting and sometimes scary future of the Web he helped create.
CNN: In basic terms, what happened on October 29, 1969, and what was its importance to the Internet as we know it today?
Kleinrock: Millions of people helped create this Internet. I basically supervised the creation of the Internet at the first node, both in the first connection and the very first message. We had just by then connected the first two host computers to the Internet. The first one was on September 2, 1969, when UCLA connected its host computer to the first packet switcher, the first router if you will, ever on the Internet.
But there was no other computer to talk to. So a month later, Stanford Research Institute received its interface message processor, or IMP, connected it to their host computer, and we created the first piece of the backbone network when a 50-kilobit-per-second line was connected between UCLA and SRI.
What we wanted to do was send a message essentially from UCLA to SRI's host. And frankly, all we wanted to do was log in -- to type an l-o-g, and the remote time-sharing system knows what you're trying to do.
So we typed the "l," and we asked over the phone, "Did you get the 'l?' " And the response came back, "Yep, we got the 'l.' " We typed the "o." "Got the 'o?' " " 'Yep, got the 'o.' " Typed the 'g.' "You get the 'g?' " Crash! SRI's host crashed at that point. So the very first message ever on the Internet was the very simple, very prophetic "lo," as in lo and behold.
And, you know, we weren't aware that this was a significant event that would be recorded in history. We did not have a very effective message like "What hath God wrought" or "Come here, Watson, I need you." Or "One giant leap for mankind." We just weren't that smart.
When the host computers talked to each other, I like to say the Internet uttered its first words on that day.
CNN: Before October 29, 1969, was no computer talking to any other computer?
Kleinrock: Well, typically not over a data connection, no. What was going on at that time was that many users sitting at terminals were connected to time-sharing systems with a local connection. But that was just connecting to a single computer.
CNN: UCLA sent a press release about your work in July of 1969, just a few months before your October breakthrough. At the time, did you have any idea how far-reaching all this was?
Kleinrock: Basically, I said the Internet will be always on, always available, [and that] everybody with any device could connect to the Internet from any time and any location, and it would be as invisible as electricity. What I missed was the social aspect, namely that my 99-year-old mother would be on the Internet, as she was until she passed away two years ago. And by the way, at the same time, my preschool granddaughter would be on the Internet.
CNN: What is feature shock?
Kleinrock: Feature shock is a term I coined some years ago. Systems [such as Windows or Safari] contain an enormous number of features, each one of which may be valuable by itself, but no one is really able to use all the features. However, because you've essentially paid for all those features, you feel guilty if you don't exploit them. So you spend time learning to use them.
I'm a power user of PowerPoint. I spend thousands of hours learning how to use it effectively. If someone came along with a new version of PowerPoint that has a different interface than the one I'm used to, and [even] if it were twice as good as PowerPoint, I wouldn't bother installing it.
We're overwhelmed by [features]; we don't know how to use them. It slows down the rate at which new applications and features are accepted by the public because of this investment they have in their thousands of hours of learning.
And I consider that a good thing. It allows a little more mature thinking in how we start hopping around in technologies and thereby losing the experience and history we had before. There's a kind of a measured way in which people will adopt new technology, and I think that's helpful.
CNN: What are you up to these days in the development of the Internet?
Kleinrock: I'm working on what we call smart spaces, whereby the cyberspace comes out from behind the [computer] screen, where most people consider it residing, and moves out into your physical space so that there will be intelligence and embedded technology in the walls of your room, in your desk, in your fingernails, in your eyeglasses, in your automobile, in your hotel rooms all across the world as you move around.
CNN: If computers will be doing so much of our thinking for us, does that mean our brains will get less of a workout?
Kleinrock: It's always been the goal and desire of we technologists that as we provide capability that computers are good at -- number crunching, file storage, massive databases that can be searched -- that it would free us up to do the things that humans do so well, like pattern recognition and putting thoughts together, intuition and innovation.
So it may relieve us of some of the mundane things that we don't do well. On the other hand, I personally regret that the youth of today are depending so much for their simple arithmetic calculations on these handheld calculators or wristwatch calculators that they don't know how to make change in the supermarkets anymore.
CNN: What other dangers could be ahead?
Kleinrock: There's a very dark side to the Internet, which we're all familiar with. It started with a worm in 1988, and it became spam in 1994, and now we have pornography, we have denial of service [attacks], we have identity theft, we have fraud, we have things like botnets [pieces of software that cyberthieves use to remotely and secretly control your computer], which really worry me.
One of the problems of the Internet is that we didn't install what I like to call strong user authentication or strong file authentication. We didn't anticipate the level of the dark side we see today. The culture of the early Internet was one of trust of all the users.
I knew every user on the Internet in those early days. It was an open culture. We shared everything we did. We got our gratification by putting things out there, which people could use. And there was an etiquette -- net etiquette if you will, which people behaved.
CNN: What about privacy? Is it dead?
Kleinrock: Yes, in a word. Yes.
And it was voluntarily given up in many cases. I mean, when someone lists their telephone number or uses their credit card or makes a cell phone call or even carries around a cell phone, that's an awful lot of info about where you are, what you're doing and some of your private matters.
There are cameras all over the place, and they're increasing in number. I like to say the only privacy we can expect is to go to the edge of the ocean, strip down and jump in and hope there's no sonar down there tracking you, by the way, which there will be soon.
CNN: Do you like to play video games over the Internet?
Kleinrock: The answer is no, no. I'm not of that generation. Nor do I use Facebook or Twitter. I've got enough things that demand my attention.... E-mail is a wonderful black hole for my time. I don't want to have to answer tweets and SMS messages, following friends, etc. It's too demanding and too frivolous in many ways.
CNN: Do you have a certain emotional tie to the Internet as if it were a member of the family?
Kleinrock: Of course I do, and it's part and parcel to my DNA. But it's as aggravating to me as to anyone else in terms of when it doesn't work, when the applications don't work.
CNN: Were you always an inventor?
Kleinrock: When I was about 6 years old, I built a crystal radio from instructions I found in a Superman comic book. The thing that fascinated me was, I could basically get all the parts at no cost.
I was totally enchanted. This was magic, and I spent the rest of my life trying to figure out how that works. Life is one big puzzle for me in the positive sense. There are a lot of things to play with. And they pay me for it.Provided
The Toronto band tell MTV News how their new album, 'Antisocialites,' came together in the basement
One of the swoon-worthy songs on Toronto band Alvvays' new album is called "Saved By a Waif," though as the group trekked around the globe touring behind their 2014 debut, the song took shape onstage under another name: "New Haircut" (or sometimes just "Haircut"). Fan metrics reveal the band performed it 39 times in 2015 and nearly 20 the following year.
Last week, "Saved By a Waif" finally saw a proper release on Antisocialites, the band's second album on Polyvinyl, and anyone who stacks the live versions up against the new, polished track can tell they're nearly identical. Fortunately for the band, not much needed to be tweaked during recording.
"We show up to studios and the person recording us is expecting way more leeway, but basically the songs, the arrangements are all done when we go to record them," guitarist and co-songwriter Alec O'Hanley told MTV News recently. "We're pop format nerds and love sinking our teeth into that stuff."
That's also what caused the band to delete an entire verse of another new song ("Hey") in the studio, taking it from "slight bloat" to what O'Hanley half-jokingly calls "concise prog." Yes, it sounds silly to label the romantic rock of Alvvays — rounded out by vocalist, guitarist, and co-songwriter Molly Rankin; keyboardist Kerri MacLellan; and bassist Brian Murphy — as anything other than twee dream-pop descended from Teenage Fanclub and Cocteau Twins.
But Antisocialites, recorded primarily at home by the band ("in our basement"), bursts forward with colorful twists and cheeky genre pivots often in a single song. Just listen to "Plimsoll Punks," a sonic résumé for the band that Rankin calls "a bit of an opus," to discover buried melodies mingling with cresting surf guitar and her seesawing, starlike vocals.
Some of the band's potency stems from its lyrics, finalized while Rankin and O'Hanley binged Cartoon Network's Adventure Time, and some lies purely in their drive to write the most succinct, dynamic guitar pop around.
"The process isn't pretty, but hopefully the product is," O'Hanley said. Below, the pair tells MTV News what that process was like.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
MTV News: Did it feel weird to have the entire project looming in your basement the whole time?
Rankin: I couldn’t enjoy myself until we were done with the record. I couldn't sit down and really enjoy a meal or a drink without being like [snaps fingers], we should be out there [working].
O'Hanley: It's tough to demarcate those two worlds. We try to compartmentalize as best we can, but inevitably, you know, one world spills over to another and we just sort of take it on the chin and keep going as best we can.
Rankin: We'll enjoy life once this is all over [laughs].
O'Hanley: Once we're dead! [laughs]
Matt Cowan/Getty Images for Coachella
Alvvays' Alec O'Hanley and Molly Rankin performing at Coachella earlier this year.
MTV News: Now you have to go on the road with these songs, some of which you've been playing for years already. How did they evolve as you translated them from live cuts to album-ready tracks?
Rankin: The stuff that was more set in stone when we went to the studio was harder to do, I felt like.
O'Hanley: The oldest song [on Antisocialites], "Your Type," went through a few different iterations, and you can definitely glean a lot of info from performing something in front of a crowd, but I think the illusion holds true that they use for theater and movies, the stage and film, where, if you'll indulge me — live things, like theater or performing music, are like using a shotgun, and filming something or documenting a record is like laser needlepoint work. So you may gloss over something in a live context that really doesn't translate in a document. So we had to reconcile that and grapple with that. And I think we got there.
MTV News: Did you ad-lib lyrics in the studio or figure them all out before, or both?
Rankin: I think we had a lot of it done, but we knew the night before that I would basically be doing all of the vocals in one day, or maybe a little bit of the other day, so we sat in front of Adventure Time. It kept us in high spirits as we hashed out what needed to go and what could be rotated in.
O'Hanley: It was us two, Finn, and Jake.
Rankin:: I do really like that show, and it did do a really great job of letting us compromise with each other, and then you'd be like, "Oh, Jake's butt!" That's great.
MTV News: Did they get any writing credits or a thank you in the liner notes?
Rankin: We were kind of thinking, should we do a song for this show? But maybe it's all done. I don't know.
O'Hanley: We'll have to hit up [series creator] Pendleton Ward for that.
MTV News: I think that could work. Your music is extremely colorful, so it could lend itself to animation.
O'Hanley: Yeah, and sometimes you want to go for the cartoon version of a song, you know, or like, what would be the cartoon tone to put in here? Sometimes it's totally ridiculous but sometimes it works.
Rankin: Also, Adventure Time is bright and colorful but also can be so dark, so maybe that's where we live as well.
MTV News: You spent so much time touring between records. Are you able to write on the road or do you keep that process totally separate?
Rankin: No because we're at the level where we're still doing a lot when we travel. We don't have many personnel. We have a tour manager and sound person and that's pretty much it. That's gonna change on this coming tour, we'll have maybe one more person...
O'Hanley: Which adds up to even less space in the van, basically. We don't have a bunk on a bus to ourselves or anything like that.
Rankin: So you're hitting the travelodge at maybe 3 a.m., getting up at 8 to drive maybe five hours somewhere else and then load in, hopefully dinner, then a show.
O'Hanley: It would be nice to schedule a week in Glasgow or something like that, just to do it.
MTV News: You mention Glasgow. Any particular reason?
O'Hanley: That's kind of our spiritual mecca for us. Just punch for punch, how many great bands come out of Glasgow is insane. And disparate bands! Boards of Canada, Teenage Fanclub, Jesus and Mary Chain, you name it. It's insane, and it's beautiful. And the girls [in our band] are from "New Scotland." Nova Scotia. They learned Scottish Gaelic growing up, and I'm part Scottish.
MTV News: As you were making the album, you gave some influences and hints to what the album might sound like, that it might be faster or more aggressive. Did that hold up through the process? Did your inspirations change?
Rankin: I feel like that question was commonly asked while we were still touring, and I was like, ack, when are we gonna make this record? What can I say that actually won't just label the record we never made yet? And so I was making up these very vague adjectives that don't really describe it.
O'Hanley: I'm guilty of that as well.
Rankin: "It's faster!" I think originally when we tried to record some of the songs, they were coming out a little bit too muscular, and it ended up making things sound a little anemic. So we didn't realize that until we had gotten home and were like, uh-uh, we don't really like power chords. And distortion has to be used sparingly. And so I think we needed to get back to where we were familiar with, in terms of how we sound.
MTV News: Visual branding seems extremely important to your band in that it complements your music, that kind of collage-pop. How essential is it to you in planning?
O'Hanley: That's a big part of being a band in our books, is having a coherent visual output as well. We don't think of it as a brand ever. It's more of an aesthetic, but it's the same. It's tricky. It takes us a while to settle on something we dig, both of us, and involves a not inconsiderate amount of chopping, cutting, pasting, screwing.
Rankin: We also come from, I would describe it as a scene on Prince Edward Island, where Alec is from. I moved over there years ago just to be part of the music scene there, and everyone did everything themselves: show posters, album art. We just sort of learned that. So I couldn't even fathom someone just bringing an image to us with a stock font and being like, how about this? It's just not an option to us. I mean, I wish it were [laughs].
MTV News: How long did it take you to decide on what this album art would be?
Rankin: All the way until the day before the album art was due. Like, officially last day it could possibly be submitted. We just drove to the library, which we had been visiting weekly, combing through old stuff that we liked, old magazines in the stacks, got University of Toronto student cards, scammed our way into that.
O'Hanley: Our bass player, Brian, went to U of T for jazz guitar, and then basically, so we could go, I posed as Brian. I borrowed his ID and renewed his university ID so that I could flash it and the person at the desk would go, "Yeah, whatever," and we fleeced our way in.Everyone seems to agree on the need for a big and comprehensive plan, and that the markets have to have some confidence that help is on the way. Funds need to be supplied, trading markets need to be stabilized, solvent institutions needs to be protected, and insolvent institutions need to be put on the path to a deliberate liquidation or reorganization.
But is the administration’s proposal the right way to do this? It would enable the Treasury, without Congressionally approved guidelines as to pricing or procedure, to purchase hundreds of billions of dollars of financial assets, and hire private firms to manage and sell them, presumably at their discretion There are no provisions for — or even promises of — disclosure, accountability or transparency. Surely Congress can at least ask some hard questions about such an open-ended commitment.
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And I’ve been shocked by the number of (mostly conservative) experts I’ve spoken with who aren’t at all confident that the Bush administration has even the basics right — or who think that the plan, though it looks simple on paper, will prove to be a nightmare in practice.
But will political leaders dare oppose it? Barack Obama called Sunday for more accountability, and I imagine he’ll support the efforts of the Democratic Congressional leadership to try to add to the legislation a host of liberal spending provisions. He probably won’t want to run the risk of actually opposing it, or even of raising big questions and causing significant delay — lest he be attacked for risking the possible meltdown of the global financial system.
What about John McCain? He could play it safe, going along with whatever the Bush administration and the Congress are able to negotiate.
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If he wants to be critical, but concludes that Congress has to pass something quickly lest the markets fall apart again, and that he can’t reasonably insist that Congress come up with something fundamentally better, he could propose various amendments insisting on much more accountability and transparency in how Treasury handles this amazing grant of power.
Comments by McCain on Sunday suggest he might propose an amendment along the lines of one I received in an e-mail message from a fellow semi-populist conservative: “Any institution selling securities under this legislation to the Treasury Department shall not be allowed to compensate any officer or employee with a higher salary next year than that paid the president of the United States.” This would punish overpaid Wall Streeters and, more important, limit participation in the bailout to institutions really in trouble.
Or McCain — more of a gambler than Obama — could take a big risk. While assuring the public and the financial markets that his administration will act forcefully and swiftly to deal with the crisis, he could decide that he must oppose the bailout as the panicked product of a discredited administration, an irresponsible |
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The data used to generate the Diagram of the Causes of Mortality in the Army in the East can be found in Mathematics of the Coxcombs.
There are two more articles on Florence Nightingale, the Crimean War, and coxcombs in this series
To learn more about the history of the Crimean War, and Nightingale's role in the war, read Florence Nightingale and the Crimean War.
To learn more about the mathematics of Nightingale's coxcombs, read Mathematics of the Coxcombs.
We recommend the following external works on Nightingale and coxcombs.ST. LOUIS — Harrison Smith informed fellow Vikings defensive back Captain Munnerlyn that he’s on his heels.
Munnerlyn has five interception returns for touchdowns in his six-year NFL career. Smith got his third on Sunday, going 81 yards in the fourth quarter of a 34-6 win over St. Louis at the Edward Jones Dome.
“I’m trying to catch up with Captain,” the third-year Viking said with Munnerlyn within earshot. “He’s got five. I’m two behind.”
Smith returned two interceptions for touchdowns as a rookie in 2012 before not getting any in 2013, when he missed eight games due to injury. Smith now has his three in 25 career games, a much better ratio than Munnerlyn’s five in 78 games.
“Just a good call for the route,” Smith said of Sunday’s interception off Rams backup quarterback Austin Davis. “Got a chance to get a jump on it, and then (a block by defensive end Everson Griffen) made it easy for me to get to the end zone.”
Follow Chris Tomasson at twitter.com/christomasson.In its conference of May 11, 2017, the court will consider petitions involving issues such as whether the Second Amendment entitles ordinary, law-abiding citizens to carry handguns outside the home for self-defense in some manner, including concealed carry when open carry is forbidden by state law; whether the Fourth Amendment requires law enforcement to obtain a warrant to acquire cell-site location information used to track and reconstruct the location and movements of cell-phone users over extended periods of time; and whether statistical racial disparities in the use of voting mechanisms or procedures are relevant to a vote denial claim under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission 16-111 Issue: Whether applying Colorado’s public accommodations law to compel the petitioner to create expression that violates his sincerely held religious beliefs about marriage violates the free speech or free exercise clauses of the First Amendment.
Dot Foods, Inc. v. Department of Revenue for the State of Washington 16-308 Issue: Whether, or under what circumstances, imposing additional tax beyond the year preceding the legislative session in which the law was enacted violates due process.
Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas v. Robert R. McCormick Foundation 16-317 Issues: (1) Whether the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit correctly held – contrary to several other courts of appeals – that the presumption against federal pre-emption of state law does not apply in the bankruptcy context; (2) whether the 2nd Circuit correctly held – following the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the 3rd, 6th, and 8th Circuits, but contrary to the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the 7th and 11th Circuits – that a fraudulent transfer is exempt from avoidance under 11 U.S.C. § 546(e) when a financial institution acts as a mere conduit for fraudulently transferred property, or whether instead the safe harbor applies only when the financial institution has its own beneficial interest in the transferred property; and (3) whether the 2nd Circuit correctly held – contrary to the Supreme Court’s decisions holding that it is for Congress, and not the courts, to balance the multiple purposes of the Bankruptcy Code, and that courts must therefore rely first and foremost on the text of the code – that 11 U.S.C. § 546(e) is properly construed to extend far beyond its text and impliedly pre-empt fraudulent-transfer actions brought by private parties (as opposed to the “trustee” expressly mentioned in the statute).
Carpenter v. United States 16-402 Issue: Whether the warrantless seizure and search of historical cell-phone records revealing the location and movements of a cell-phone user over the course of 127 days is permitted by the Fourth Amendment.
Sonoco Products Co. v. Michigan Department of Treasury 16-687 Issues: (1) Whether the Multistate Tax Compact has the status of a contract that binds its signatory states and requires them to allow taxpayers to elect to use the compact’s equally weighted apportionment formula until the state prospectively withdraws from the compact; (2) whether Michigan’s retroactive repeal of, and withdrawal from, the compact violated the contracts clause; (3) whether Michigan’s retroactive repeal of, and withdrawal from, the compact violated the due process clause; and (4) whether Michigan’s retroactive repeal of, and withdrawal from, the compact violated the commerce clause.
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP v. Michigan Department of Treasury 16-688 Issues: (1) Whether a state statute that retroactively imposes over $1 billion in increased tax liability on out-of-state businesses for the benefit of in-state businesses violates the dormant commerce clause; (2) whether a state tax law that has a 6 1/2-year period of retroactivity and targets out-of-state businesses for increased tax liability of over $1 billion violates the due process clause; and (3) whether a state’s retroactive repeal of a central provision of the decades-old Multistate Tax Compact violates the contracts clause by imposing over $1 billion in retroactive tax liability on out-of-state taxpayers.
Gillette Commercial Operations North America and Subsidiaries v. Michigan Department of Treasury 16-697 Issues: (1) Whether the Multistate Tax Compact has the status of a contract that binds its signatory states; and (2) whether a state law that imposes retroactive tax liability for a period of almost seven years, in a manner that upsets settled expectations and reasonable reliance interests, violates the due process clause.
International Business Machines Corp. v. Michigan Department of Treasury 16-698 Issues: (1) Whether a state, without violating the constitutional bar against the impairment of contracts, can retroactively withdraw from the Multistate Tax Compact so as to divest taxpayers of benefits under that compact for a period of 6 1/2 years before that withdrawal; and (2) whether, consistent with due process, a state can, by statute, change its tax laws retroactively for a period of more than six years, when the change was not promptly instituted and when the change was designed to increase state tax revenues by overriding a Michigan Supreme Court decision determining taxpayer obligations under prior law.
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. v. Michigan Department of Treasury 16-699 Issues: (1) Whether the Multistate Tax Compact has the status of a contract that binds its signatory states; and (2) whether a state law that imposes retroactive tax liability for a period of almost seven years, in a manner that upsets settled expectations and reasonable reliance interests, violates the due process clause.
DIRECTV Group Holdings, LLC v. Michigan Department of Treasury 16-736 Issues: (1) Whether the Multistate Tax Compact has the status of a contract that binds its signatory states; and (2) whether a state law that imposes retroactive tax liability for a period of almost seven years, in a manner that upsets settled expectations and reasonable reliance interests, violates the due process clause.
North Carolina v. North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP 16-833 Issues: (1) Whether a federal court has the authority to re-impose, under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, the same “anti-retrogression” preclearance standard invalidated as to Section 5 by Shelby County v. Holder; (2) whether the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit erred in holding that, although the challenged reforms did not adversely affect minority voting, the North Carolina legislature nonetheless intended to deny African Americans the right to vote; and (3) whether statistical racial disparities in the use of voting mechanisms or procedures are relevant to a vote denial claim under Section 2.
Peruta v. California 16-894 Issue: Whether the Second Amendment entitles ordinary, law-abiding citizens to carry handguns outside the home for self-defense in some manner, including concealed carry when open carry is forbidden by state law.
Graham v. United States 16-6308 Issues: (1) Whether the Fourth Amendment requires law enforcement to obtain a warrant to acquire cell-site location information used to track and reconstruct the location and movements of cell-phone users over extended periods of time; and (2) whether 18 U.S.C. § 2703, which contains both a provision that requires the government to seek a warrant in order to obtain stored location information from cellular-service providers, as well as a provision allowing law enforcement to obtain this data on less than probable cause, supports application of the good-faith exception to law enforcement’s acquisition of over seven months of cell-site location information without a warrant.
Jordan v. United States 16-6694 Issues: (1) Whether the trial court’s order granting a request by the accused’s codefendant to prohibit the accused from testifying about details that were exculpatory to the accused but prejudicial to his codefendant constituted an impermissible limitation on the accused’s right to testify in his own behalf as set forth in Rock v. Arkansas; and (2) whether the Fourth Amendment requires law enforcement to obtain a warrant to acquire cell-site location information used to track and reconstruct the location and movements of cell-phone users over extended periods of time.
Caira v. United States 16-6761 Issue: Whether the Supreme Court should resolve a split of authority among the courts by rejecting the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit’s reasoning in United States v. Caira, which holds that individuals have no reasonable expectation of privacy in information held by a third party.
Rios v. United States 16-7314 Issues: (1) Whether law-enforcement officers must secure a warrant to obtain real-time cellular-phone location data; (2) whether courts must instruct juries on the required unanimity regarding the specific categories of acts in Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act conspiracy cases, and likewise whether the court’s conclusions in Richardson v. United States apply in RICO cases; and (3) whether courts should deliver uniform jury instructions on reasonable doubt and preserve the standard of proof necessary to sustain a criminal conviction.
Recommended Citation: Kate Howard, Petitions to watch | Conference of May 11, SCOTUSblog (May. 10, 2017, 9:26 AM), https://www.scotusblog.com/2017/05/petitions-watch-conference-may-11/History
Early History
In 1927, a young man named Morris Frank (1908-1980) read an article about dogs being trained as guides for blinded veterans of World War I. Frustrated by his own lack of mobility as a blind person, he was inspired to write its author for help. Dorothy Harrison Eustis (1886-1946) was an American training German shepherd police dogs in Switzerland, and when she received Morris Frank's letter, she agreed to help him. He promised he would return to the United States and spread the word about these wonderful dogs.
On June 11, 1928, having completed instruction in Switzerland, he arrived in New York City, proving the ability of his dog, Buddy, by navigating a dangerous street crossing before throngs of news reporters. His one-word telegram to Mrs. Eustis told the entire story: "Success." The Seeing Eye was born with the dream of making the entire world accessible to people who are blind.
The Seeing Eye was incorporated in Nashville, Tenn., on Jan. 29, 1929. In 1931, the organization relocated to Whippany, N.J., because the climate in the northeast was more suitable for training dogs.
On June 5, 1965, the cornerstone was laid for the current headquarters in Morris Township, N.J. Renovations to the Washington Valley headquarters were completed in 2013. The 60-acre campus is home to the administrative offices, student residence, veterinary clinic and kennels. In 2001, a breeding station was built on 330 acres in Chester, N.J., which houses the adult breeding dogs and puppies until they are 8-weeks-old. An additional training center is located in downtown Morristown.
Pioneers from Past to Present
The Seeing Eye is the oldest existing guide dog school in the world and continues its role as a pioneer in the guide dog movement. The Seeing Eye has played an integral part in shaping public policy guaranteeing access and accommodation to people who use service animals.
From developing a computer information system that calculates the suitability of every dog in the colony to become a breeder, to funding cutting edge research in DNA sequencing and identifying genetic markers for degenerative eye disease, The Seeing Eye is a research leader in canine genetics, breeding, disease control and behavior. The organization is a founding member of the Council of U.S. Guide dog Schools and a fully accredited member of the International Guide Dog Federation.Learn With Pokémon: Typing Adventure
Learn With Pokémon: Typing Adventure is the first of the spin-off games released within the fifth generation. This game is a Typing Action game due for release on the Nintendo DS in Japan in 2011.
In this game, you play the part of a trainer travelling through various routes and areas discovering Pokémon. As you find Pokémon, you need to type in their names, in the case of the Japanese version, the English transliterations of the Japanese names. As you type the names, you capture the Pokémon and get coins. The faster you do it, the higher you score.
This game comes packaged with the Nintendo Wireless Keyboard peripheral which can sync with the Nintendo DS, DSi and 3DS. However, the game can be played without this peripheral through a makeshift keyboard made on the bottom screen.
In the game, you have been enlisted by Elite Club Professor Quentin Werty and his assistant, Paige Down, to investigate the various areas and capture the Pokémon. Your task is to find and awaken the legendary Pokémon and capture them.
There are over 60 Courses which contain the 403 Pokémon available in the games. Each course has its own quirks and targets in order to complete them. Each level has three different requirements for medals such as achieveing certain point scores, capturing certain Pokémon and not making any typing mistakes. As such, this game can prove to be a challenge for the most expert typists.EvenMore is a freeware textviewer for the Amiga written in AmigaE and ECX. This is my first project on the Amiga and I have been developing it since 1996. I decided to start programming EvenMore because I wanted to learn to program on the Amiga. I didn't like any of the textviewers that were available, they had a lot of functions but weren't very much to look at. So I decided to write my own textviewer. Features Plugin system for file conversion of many popular formats
Open multiple files
Seamless browsing of archives and directories in the main window
Links are clickable in HTML, AmigaGuide and other formats
Support for standard ANSI escape code sequences styles
Extra custom escape code sequences for full colour text and additional styles
Support for true colour graphics on all Amiga systems
ARexx port for remote control
Configurable GUI using MUI 3.8+
Locale support
Unlimited bookmarking system File support General plugins
Filetypes
Directories
Archives supported by XadMaster File conversion formats
AmigaWriter
AmigaGuide
Datatypes
FinalWriter/FinalCopy
MacWord
MSWord
PageStream
ProWrite
Rich Text Format
StarWriter
WordPerfect 5, 6, X7
WordWorth 3-7 XML formats
AbiWord
Plain text and HTML emails
HTML
The following formats require Unzip to be in C: to work
Microsoft DocX
OpenOffice ODT
Scriba SCT (basic)
KWord KWD (basic) Download - Version 0.91 Amiga OS 3 - EvenMore.lha - Readme
MorphOS - EvenMore_MOS.lha - Readme
Amiga OS 4 - EvenMore_OS4.lha - Readme
AmiKit - EvenMore_AmiKit.lha - Readme
Plugin source - EvenMorePlugins.lha - Readme Documentation EvenMore manual Contact me Email - chris@prophecynews.co.uk
Facebook Amiga Computing (Mar-97) - cover disk
'even though this is an early version it is very good' Amiga Format (May-99) - PD select
'easy to use and highly functional' Amiga Format (Dec-99) - PD select
' EvenMore has a toolbox bursting with features' Amiga Format (Chr-99) - cover disk
' EvenMore comes armed with a barrage of additional features'
To Do Consider how to port to AROS if possible.
Updates 27/6/17
Polish catalog has been updated.
13/6/17
Created a Pipe2Text plugin for the PIPE: handler, so you can load files from the PIPE: device. This required alterations to the main executable code.
EvenMore AmiKit GUI is now based on the MorphOS version, and uses datatypes to load the icon images.
10/6/17
Added some escape code sequences that were missing. ESC[8m will make the text colour the same as the background and ESC[28m will return it to normal.
ESC[39m will set the text to the default colour. ESC[49m will set the background to the default colour.
6/6/17
Optimised menu code and directory colour code, removing the need for strings for checking menu items and converting hexadecimal to decimal.
S. Hawamdeh has updated his Italian catalog translation.
30/5/17
Updated catalogs with extra strings for gadget help bubbles.
Linked lists now keep a record of how many nodes they have, which saves counting them when opening a file through the plugins.
25/5/17
Text highlighting is now stored for each opened file.
23/5/17
Made a basic EvenMore png icon for MorphOS and OS4.
21/5/17
Stefan Haubenthal has very kindly updated the German catalog.
S. Hawamdeh has also very kindly supplied an Italian catalog translation.
20/5/17
Fixed bad bug. Line printing routine was not checking for empty lines, which was causing bad crashes when using the file conversion plugins.
Preferences window title now uses translation catalog string.
Iconify icon will now be the EvenMore program icon rather than the default MUI icon.
File information routine was not checking for empty lines, which could cause a crash.
18/5/17
MorphOS version now uses PNG images from Ambient/Ed for the GUI.
Images for MorphOS version are now loaded using MUI 4's DtPic class.
17/4/16
Fixed bug in colour rows code that was stopping it from working on MUI4. Had been using StringF() instead of AstrCopy() to update an ARRAY OF CHAR string.
13/3/16
Anthony has very kindly created a Greek catalog for EvenMore.
11/3/16
Added PopPen buttons to preference plugin so you can change the colours of directory listings. Also updated Dir2Text and Arc2Text plugin to use this.
5/3/16
Javier de las Rivas has very kindly updated the Spanish catalog file.
28/2/16
Fixed bug. Keyboard remapping was not being done for numeric keypad scroll.
RAMIGA+Q will now close EvenMore. Also fixed shortcuts for Information and Bookmarks, they were round the wrong way.
HTML2Text will now check file extension as well as checking header for HTML.
Arc2Text plugin will now use XadMaster to view and extract archives. Removed Arc2Text preference plugin as it is no longer needed. Still requires Unzip in C: in order to open OpenOffice, DocX, and similiar files, as these are not recognized by XadMaster.
Removed Becker2Text and Troff2Text plugins as I haven't been working on them for a while and they probably don't work too well.
22/2/16
Added XadUnFile command to Arc2Text plugin. This should allow EvenMore to browse more archives. Would like to do it through the XadMaster library direct but it seems complicated at the minute. ISO and Rar added at the minute.
Fixed bug in XML converter. Was not declaring the colour table as I was for the HTML converter.
Added w:highlight command to DocX XML converter.
19/2/16
Added Directory and Colour rows strings to catalog files.
16/2/16
Added Colour rows option to the preferences. This will change the paper colour on alternate rows in the Dir2Text plugin. May add option for choosing colours later.
Fixed bug in text selection. Some escape sequences were not being skipped properly by this function, which meant the selected text would not appear directly under the pointer in some cases.
Fixed bug in wordwrapping plugin. Was sometimes wrapping in the middle of a paper or pen colour escape command.
Added Colour rows to Arc2Text plugin.
8/2/16
AmiKit version will now use the ScrollRaster() kludge to improve visual refresh when scrolling.
4/2/16
Fixed bug. Search wasn't going past a *CBAR or *CEND escape command.
2/2/16
Fixed bug. Starting line for searches was not set to 0 on opening. This meant if you searched for a string before scrolling the text it could crash.
Mikhail Malyshev has very kindly updated the Russian catalog for EvenMore.
31/1/16
Fixed bug. If font was not specified, default font would not open. System font will be used in this case.
30/1/16
Added PLAIN TEXT and HEXADECIMAL strings to catalog files.
26/1/16
Fixed bug. A line of code had been deleted breaking automatic scrolling in the word search function.
Fixed a bug in the search function. Was searching an additional character at the end of each line, which could have caused a crash in certain cases.
25/1/16
File and search strings now use MUI class BetterString MCC.
21/1/16
Clipping will only be done if the longest line in the file is wider than the window. This should speed up scrolling slightly.Diplomacy By Other Means
Gamergate’s Wikipedia tactics have soured and hardened as Gamergate slowly accepts that, to take over the Gamergate page, they’re going to need to take over Wikipedia. That’s a tall order, but it might be realistic, and given a few years of hard work, observers think it they might pull it off. But hope springs eternal and there’s a bitter rump that still hopes they can succeed right away if they can simply get rid of one or two more editors whom they think are standing athwart their road.
It seems that I’m one of those editors.
The favored tactic has been to threaten and harass the target off-wiki, trying to find a sensitive area, while hounding and baiting them on-wiki. The outside threats are often sufficient to drive volunteers away. If that doesn't work, some sign of impatience or bad temper can be trumpeted as a terrible violation of Civility, or some grumpy insistence on an issue can be proclaimed to be Battleground Behavior.
If nothing else works, Gamergate can point to the editor's persistence in the face of all this hounding and argue that they must have ulterior motives -- that no one who merely wanted to build an encyclopedia would put up with this. Yes, I know what you're thinking: who would fall for that? It actually works, sometimes.
Arbcom is determined to ignore off-wiki harassment – especially sexual harassment – unless the outside harasser can be tied to a specific, anonymous Wikipedia account beyond a shadow of a doubt. This standard can, in the nature of things, almost never be met because it typically requires an anonymous Wikipedian to confess a crime for which they could be prosecuted. The Wikimedia Foundation appears disinterested unless the Foundation is vulnerable in court or actively derided in the press.
The result is that Wikipedia and Gamergate have apparently worked together to create a system in which argument is simultaneously advanced in two places: anonymously but “civilly” on-wiki, and off-wiki, also anonymously, with the greatest venom and bile that can be achieved.
We are rapidly approaching the point where schools are not only going to need to dissuade students from relying on Wikipedia, they're going to have to warn students not to volunteer for Wikipedia as a matter of safety, just as schools used to warn kids to stay away from chat rooms and not to accept rides from strangers. I would also warn teachers, including untenured college professors, to avoid editing Wikipedia using either their own names or using a pseudonym; opponents can and will track you down, and some Wikipedia opponents will stop at no lie or invention to gain a small rhetorical advantage or simply to punish an opponent.
Wikipedia today is a dangerous and unhealthy place. It’s especially unhealthy for women, children, and anyone else who feels vulnerable, but it’s dangerous to all.
The interesting question here is how, if Wikipedia wished to fix this, they might proceed? Getting rid of anonymous editing would solve the problem, but that’s politically infeasible. Many Wikipedians would like to ban talking about Wiki outside of Wikipedia, the first rule of Fight Club. But that’s not practical: Wikipedia is not a cloistered order.
I've been wondering if an organized effort to support people who are being harassed might help, a squad which would follow targets, reassure and support them on-wiki, and that would seek to dismay and disarm their opponents. This feels a little like those campus programs that offer late-night escorts to walk from the library back to the dorms, but it also has a certain Batman superhero feel: there’s a risk you’d wind up replacing the original conflict with a battle of superheroes. But maybe that’s better: the superheroes can take a punch, that’s why they’re getting the big bucks and the colorful capes.
It’s not a good answer, but it’s all I’ve got. I’d like to hear a better one.Joining the families of blacks killed by police, thousands marched toward the capitol and down New York streets on Saturday to protest what they called an epidemic of abuse at the hands of police.
But even though it was his event, many attendees didn’t want to hear from organizer Al Sharpton.
The march, organized by Sharpton’s National Action Network, once again chanted the oft-heard slogan, “No Justice, No Peace” with marchers demanding that federal laws be enacted to curb local and state police agencies use of force rules.
In an op-ed published on December 8, Sharpton noted that the “march against police violence” was needed to force Congress to “immediately start hearings to deal with laws that will change the jurisdiction threshold for federal cases and policing.”
Once the thousands of marchers reached the grounds outside the Capitol, Sharpton warned Congress that he and his supporters would not be ignored.
“You thought you’d sweep it under the rug. You thought there’d be no limelight,” Sharpton said. “We are going to keep the light on Michael Brown, on Eric Garner, on Tamir Rice, on all of these victims because the only way — I’m sorry, I come out of the ‘hood — the only way you make roaches run, you got to cut the light on.”
Sharpton was joined at the podium by felony armed robbery suspect Lesley McSpadden and alleged riot-inciter Louis Head, the parents of Michael Brown, a strong-arm robbery suspect killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri in August.
“What a sea of people,” McSpadden said. “Thank you for having my back.”
Gwen Carr, mother of Eric Garner, the man who died during an attempted arrest in New York, also spoke at the rally, saying, “This is a history-making moment. We need to stand like this at all times.”
But even as Sharpton geared up for his address, dozens of protesters drifted away from the rally, saying they didn’t want to hear from Sharpton.
David Saunders, 62, was one rally-goer who left as Sharpton began his comments. “I believe in the march. But I don’t want to hear him,” he said.
Another person leaving as Sharpton began speaking told The Washington Post, “We wanted to be here. This was wonderful. But we’re good.”
This isn’t the first example of resistance Sharpton has been confronted with after his repeated attempts to capitalize on the pain of recent victims of police actions.
In one case, the family of a man accidentally shot by a rookie New York policeman in November publicly warned Sharpton to stay away from their loved one’s funeral.
Similar protests wracked New York, where protesters allegedly assaulted two NYPD officers and blocked traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge.
Protesters chanted violent slogans: “What do we want? Dead cops!”
Lieuteanants were “knocked to the ground, kicked by various people, kicked in the face and in the head,” said John Miller, NYPD dep commish. — Nicole Fuller (@nicolefuller) December 14, 2014
NYPD recover bag with hammers, mask on Brooklyn Bridge during protests @ABC7NY http://t.co/ppsSbodlAO pic.twitter.com/7FRHe8mdWp — New York City Alerts (@NYCityAlerts) December 14, 2014
Back in November, black suspects allegedly beat unarmed white man Zemir Begic to death with hammers in St. Louis earlier in December after screaming, “Kill all white people.” The killing took place after Officer Darren Wilson was not indicted in the shooting death of Michael Brown. Similar hammer attacks took place after Sanford resident George Zimmerman was acquitted in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin.
New York City mayor Bill de Blasio issued a warning to would-be violent protesters.
Those who reject peaceful protest and provoke violence can expect immediate arrest and prosecution. — Bill de Blasio (@BilldeBlasio) December 14, 2014
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.comFATALE, the beautifully drawn and conceived crime comic by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips has been presented as a very well received series of minis up until now, but it seems Brubaker has so many ideas for the main character he’s decided to make it an ongoing. Via PR:
Josephine, heroine of Ed Brubaker’s and Sean Phillips Image Comics series FATALE, has carried the curse for decades — able to enthrall men but chased by an ancient evil, she is seemingly destined to cause the ruination of anyone who loves her. The haunting series was originally planned as a mini-series, but Brubaker and Phillips have found that curse of the femme fatale is inexhaustible. Thanks to strong sales, a wealth of stories yet to be told, and a certain mesmerizing quality, FATALE is now an ongoing series.
“Fatale was originally envisioned as a novel in three parts,” said Brubaker in an interview withComics Alliance, “but I kept having ideas for side-plots and tangents or single issues, and it started to feel more like it was meant to be a more sprawling story. So I just decided to let it go until it’s finished.”
To launch the new format, Brubaker and Phillips are taking readers back in time with four standalone issues of FATALE. Jo may feel alone in her curse, but these stories will let readers in on her past and show that other women have shared her fate.
The first of the FATALE Flashback issues, December’s FATALE #11, will reveal Jo’s early years as a femme fatale. As the story follows her on the run in 1930s California, some of her elusive secrets will come to light.
In January, FATALE #12 will take readers all the way back to Medieval Europe, when a woman possessing the powers of the femme fatale curse faces doom not only from demonic forces but also from the scourge of witch-burnings.
February brings the femme fatale to the Wild West with FATALE #13, when a man — or a woman — could blaze a trail with a loaded pistol and a steady hand.
FATALE #14 in March is a World War II horror adventure, when Jo crosses paths with crazed Nazi cultists behind enemy lines.
Each issue of FATALE contains extra articles and art not collected in the trade paperbacks, including essays by renowned pop culture scholar Jess Nevins (The Encyclopedia of Fantastic Victoriana), whose writing also appeared in Brubaker’s and Phillips’ Criminal.
FATALE, written by Brubaker, drawn by Phillips, and with colors by Dave Stewart, was introduced in January 2012, the first new series in an iconic year for Image Comics. Its first five issues have been collected into a trade paperback, FATALE: DEATH CHASES ME, which Publishers Weekly called an “addictive page-turner” in a starred review. The French edition of DEATH CHASES ME has just been announced as one of the nominees for the prestigious Angoulême Award, in the Polar (Mystery) category. Its second trade paperback, THE DEVIL’S BUSINESS, is available for pre-order now and will be in stores on December 19.Three new patent applications from Apple were published this morning by the USPTO that detail various aspects of Apple's revolutionary I/O technology called Thunderbolt. Apple filed many Thunderbolt trademarks in 2011 which opened the question as to who really owned the trademark and technology. The general line of thinking in the market today is that Thunderbolt was developed by Intel and brought to market with technical collaboration from Apple Inc. Yet beyond filing several Thunderbolt trademarks, today's multiple detailed patents from Apple would strongly suggest that they're attempting to secure Thunderbolt related patents. This of course would fly in the face of Apple's involvement in the development of Thunderbolt as being limited to "technical collaboration." The good news that emerged from these patents is that Apple is focused on bringing Thunderbolt to iOS devices in the future so as to provide faster data transfers and more importantly, faster recharging.
Apple's Patent Background
Apple begins their overview of this first patent application by stating that the amount of data transferred between and among electronic devices has increased tremendously. Applications such as high-definition video require huge amounts of data to be transferred at very high data rates. Unfortunately, high-speed communications between electronic devices have become so fast that simple cables consisting of two inserts connected by wires are no longer suitable. These simple cables degrade signals and cause skews such that high-speed data communication is not reliable.
Accordingly, new cables are needed. These cables may be active in that they include active electronic components, such as integrated circuits. These circuits consume power and thus create heat. This heat could degrade reliability of the cable and its circuitry, and can also be unpleasant for a user to touch.
These cables may experience forces and mechanical stress during use. Given their complexity, it may be useful to provide cables having increased strength. Also, given their complexity, problems with manufacturability may be a concern.
Thus, what are needed are circuits, methods, and apparatus for high-speed cables that could reliably convey signals in high-speed communications. The cable inserts may be able to transfer heat in a way to improve user experience and cable reliability. The cables may have increased strength. The cables and connector inserts may be arranged in such a way as to provide improved manufacturability.
Apple's Patent Pending Invention
Apple's Thunderbolt-related patent pending invention may provide high speed connector inserts and cables having improved heat conduction, high strength, and may be manufactured in a reliable manner.
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention may provide a connector insert having improved heat conduction. This connector insert may include several paths by which heat may be removed from circuitry in the cable insert. In one example, heat may be removed from one or more circuits by forming a thermal path between the circuit, which may be an integrated circuit or other device, and a shield of the connector insert. This path may include a thermally conductive material to further reduce its thermal resistance. Another example may include one or more pads on a side of an integrated circuit board. These pads may be soldered directly to the shield, or otherwise thermally connected to the shield.
To improve heat conduction in another example, braiding surrounding a cable may be soldered or otherwise thermally connected to the shield. This connection may be covered by a cap to avoid electromagnet interference (EMI) leakage. This cap may be crimped to provide a robust mechanical connection. This crimping may be accomplished by applying force to the cap in multiple directions. In one specific embodiment of the present invention, force may be applied to the cap in four directions during crimping. The cap may be soldered to portions of either or both the connector insert and cable for improved heat conduction and mechanical reliability.
Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention may provide a cable having a high strength. To provide this increased strength, a braiding surrounding the cable or one or more of its conductors may include one or more types of fibers. For example, aramid fibers may be included in the braiding around the cable. To simplify soldering of the braiding, the aramid or other fibers may be bunched or grouped, such that they may be pulled out of the way. In various embodiments of the present invention, these fibers may be pulled out of the way using static electricity, or by other mechanisms. A specific embodiment of the present invention may use a braiding formed of counter-rotating spirals to assist in the separation of the aramid fibers.
According to Wikipedia, Aramid fibers "are a class of heat-resistant and strong synthetic fibers. They are used in aerospace and military applications, for ballistic rated body armor fabric and ballistic composites…"
Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention may provide for a reliable manufacturability. One specific example may align several pairs of twisted pairs of conductors in the cable using a wire comb. Specifically, a wire comb having a plurality of openings may be used to hold twisted pairs in an aligned manner. This may allow soldering of the cables to a printed circuit board or other appropriate substrate. In various embodiments of the present invention, this soldering may be accomplished in a |
have to be carried out in a manner consistent with Canadian law, including the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Canadian Bill of Rights and the Canadian Human Rights Act," Martel said.
Canadian passport 'no guarantee'
This week's Supreme Court decision requires travellers from the affected countries to prove "a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States."
Although legal experts are predicting a "small number" of travellers going to the U.S. from Canada will be denied entry and that dual Canadian citizens will have nothing to worry about, Shefman isn't so sure.
"A Canadian passport isn't a guarantee of anything," he said.
People protest against Trump's travel ban in New York City on Feb. 1. After being blocked by lower courts, a revised version of the ban was partly reinstated by the U.S. Supreme Court. (Brendan McDermid /Reuters)
During the first implementation of the ban last winter, Shefman said, lawyers with the Canadian Cross-Border Legal Coalition dealt with travellers who should have been free to enter the U.S. but were targeted by agents only because they were Muslim.
The legal coalition is prepared for this to happen again.
"American customs officials at pre-clearance centres have really significant discretion about who gets in the country. And what this ban does is give them more discretion," Shefman said.Coming into the 2016-17 season, it was clear from the start that it would take some time for the Montreal Canadiens roster to figure each other out. That was to be expected, of course, considering the number of new faces welcomed by the club over the course of the summer.
Those changes meant hope - for the most part, at least - that this season would be an improvement on the last. Now five games into the regular season, with the Canadiens sitting atop the Eastern Conference, it’s evident that they feel comfortable playing together and are doing their best to leave the woes of last year behind.
That is not to say that there is no longer any room for improvement. There are still parts of the Habs game, even after a 4-2 victory over the Boston Bruins, that many observers would call into question. When you’re winning, though, little else matters, and it affords the team all the time they need to work out the finer details.
How to Watch
Start Time: 7:30 PM EDT / 4:30 PDT National: Sportsnet East (English), RDS (French) In the Flyers region: CSN-PH Stream: NHL GameCentre Live, Sportsnet Now
The Philadelphia Flyers, on the other hand, have opened the season with five of a possible ten points thus far. Having dropped three straight after an opening day win, the Flyers stopped the bleeding on Saturday with an impressive 6-3 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes. Still, the Flyers play has left something to be desired and may be exploitable by a Habs team that has been converting on a ridiculous number of opportunities.
Philadelphia has been one of the worst possession teams in this early part of the season, ranking as the seventh-worst league-wide in terms of CF% at 46.52%. This gives the Canadiens a chance to turn their own possession difficulties around, which they took another step toward doing on Saturday.
Unfortunately for the Habs, the Flyers do boast a slew of potentially lethal forwards who can make the most of the chances they get. Jakub Voracek and Claude Giroux lead the way with seven and six points respectively, while Wayne Simmonds, Matt Read and rookie Travis Konecny each sit at a point-per-game. The Flyers may not have been the hottest team out of the gate in terms of wins, but it’s through no fault of their star players’ ability to finish.
On the defensive side of things, the Flyers are of course led by second-year blue-liner Shayne Gostisbehere. The 2015-16 Calder Memorial Trophy finalist also sits at five points, showing no sign of hitting the dreaded sophomore slump. Interestingly, Philadelphia has another rookie defenceman turning heads in 19-year-old Ivan Provorov - certainly a welcome sight for Flyers fans who have been witness to some struggling defensive lineups in recent history.
Working in the Habs favour tonight may be the Flyers goaltending, or lack thereof. Steve Mason has performed as a legitimate starting goaltender for Philadelphia over the past four seasons, but that has not been the case early on in 2016-17. With a save percentage of.882 (and Michal Neuvirth’s looking even worse), the Flyers have been unable to rely on their goaltending and ultimately, that may be the cause of yet another loss this evening.
At least, that’s what the Habs will be hoping for.VidCon is coming: The luminaries of YouTube and all things digital will revel in online video at this annual conference on July 23-25. Hank Green, who founded the geek gathering with his brother, John Green — yep, that John Green — says attention must be paid.
Sure, YouTube giants like Jenna Marbles, Smosh, and Tyler Oakley are all going to be there, but we asked Green for his picks as to who we should be tracking during the three day conference. And he’s the right person to ask: After starting the YouTube channel Vlogbrothers with John (which currently boasts 2.6 million subscribers), he’s gone on to become one of the industry’s biggest advocates, launching education channels like SciShow and Crash Course, as well as the label DFTBA Records. And of course, he’s the man responsible for creating VidCon and turning it into the cultural destination it has become.
Some of these people he’s known for a while, and others he’s never met, but all are doing the kind of innovative online video that makes them standout stars. And don’t worry if you can’t make it to Anaheim yourself: You can follow all of our VidCon 2015 coverage at ew.com/vidcon.
Rita Quinn/Getty Images
Who: Burnie Burns of Rooster Teeth
YouTube subscribers: 8.3 million
Who he is: The founder of online video juggernaut Rooster Teeth, Burns has been doing web video long before YouTube even existed. (He’s the guy behind Red vs. Blue, the influential series that’s been running for more than a decade.)
Why Green is excited about him: “Burnie Burns has been creating content for the Internet since before YouTube, and he and his company, Rooster Teeth, are one of the only organizations that have really leveraged that into a significant, large media company—and it’s one that flies under a lot of radars, but it’s a large media company. They produce television-quality content, as well as lots of Internet-form content, whether that’s YouTube videos or podcasts. The strategy, and also the sort of creative compulsion behind that, really energizes me.”
Jemal Countess/Getty Images for the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival
Who: Casey Neistat
YouTube subscribers: 830,000
Who he is: This filmmaker first gained attention for his short documentaries (you’ve probably seen his “Bike Lanes” video), but his Snapchat stories are particularly innovative.
Why Green is excited about him: “He’s a filmmaker who’s crossed into online video but held onto his traditional documentary style. He’s even brought it to Snapchat. To me, he seems like somebody who could totally have gone in a more traditional direction but felt like online video was compelling, like it was more interesting to him than any of the other directions he could have gone with his skills and his talent. I’m really into those people because it is very validating to see people who are extremely talented and who do things outside of online video choose to do online video, choose to create YouTube videos, and choose to create Snapchats because they think that’s the most interesting thing happening.”
D Dipasupil/Getty Images
Who: Nathan Zed, a.k.a. TheThirdPew
YouTube subscribers: 310,000
Who he is: There are thousands of young vloggers on YouTube, but Nathan Zed stands out for his honest conversations about sexual assault and race — plus his use of Twitter, Tumblr, and Vine.
Why Green is excited about him: “It’s really hard to get recognized and to get noticed right now unless you have a bunch of money supporting you. And it’s really hard to build your audience, especially on YouTube, without having some kind of support — or an idea that’s getting popular, not you. Nathan, in the last year, has shown that there’s still a path to do that. Instead of saying, I’m just going to claw my way to the top on YouTube, he’s like, I’m going to claw my way to the top, and I’m going to do it on Twitter and on Tumblr and on Vine. And he’s using those tools in ways that I haven’t seen a lot of people use them and in really smart ways. He’s one of the first people to really think about how Twitter video might be different from YouTube video. Those are the new things that are happening that are just sort of right below the surface of what everyone’s doing. And I feel like he’s really defining a path.”
1shirt.com
Who: Markiplier
YouTube subscribers: 8.3 million
Who he is: Markiplier does it all — parodies, video game commentary, original sketches, you name it. And best of all, he’s mobilized his passionate fanbase to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity.
Why Green is excited about him: “Every year there’s someone at VidCon who gives me that fanboy moment where I’ll be like, ‘Whoa my God, you’re real! You’re three-dimensional, and I didn’t know what height you would be!’ And I’m pretty sure Markiplier is going to be that for me this year. He has been a huge breakout success, and not just because he’s funny and great at what he does, but also because he creates a legitimate, honest relationship with his community. And from the beginning, he’s leveraged his community for doing charity events, and he’s open with them about the stuff that he struggles with, and I just love that.”
Stephen Lovekin/FilmMagic
Who: Lilly Singh, a.k.a. Superwoman
YouTube subscribers: 6 million
Who she is: This Indian-Canadian entertainer has gained an international following for her smart (and hilarious) observations about race and gender.
Why Green is excited about her: “After I sort of first started catching up on who Superwoman was, she was putting together this really epic world tour, a world tour where she was going to go to several different continents and do live stage shows. And that to me, that’s such a different direction. That’s such an interesting way to leverage your online success, to say, ‘This isn’t going to be a concert series, this isn’t going to be like a little standup performance that we’re doing for our fans because our fans love us, it’s going to be big and epic and expensive and effective and successful.’ She’s another person like Nathan who came up after it became so hard to become successful just being a personality, but she did it because hers is so strong and because she found a demographic that was deeply underserved. There are so many people that never got representation in traditional media. Lilly provides content for an underserved and underrepresented demographic and isn’t just entertaining but is a legitimate and effective role model.”
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•Q & Play: iJustine discusses her debut book while playing Super Smash Bros.MADURAI: In a stark remainder of the plight of children in the state, five boys were found working in shops and trade outlets in Madurai on World Day for Child Labour Eradication. The children were found during a raid conducted across Madurai on the instructions of collector Anshul Mishra. Though the raiding officials found as many as 14 boys working in the shops and trade outlets, only five were found to be below 14 years of age. The boys were rescued and legal action was initiated against the employers.
"The boys were forced to work apparently due to poverty. But the employers were giving them a paltry pay," said an official. Almost all the parents of these children had wilfully sent their wards to work, the official said adding that they were also sensitised on the illegality involved in their act.
The raids were conducted at Periyar bus stand, Kamarajar Road, Avaniapuram, Simmakkal in the city as well as rural areas like Sholavandhan and Sellur. Ten teams of revenue and labour department officials conducted the raid. An official said that measures have been taken to rehabilitate the boys and ensure school education for them.
Meanwhile, Madurai rural SP V Balakrishnan had summoned 400 persons - all owners of brick kilns, automobile workshops and eateries and made them take a pledge not to employ children. The three sectors are the major employers of children. "It was like an awareness drive. They were instructed not to employ children and were also asked to inform the police if they come across such cases elsewhere," said Balakrishnan. "I have received information there are children employed in rural areas. Raids would be held across the district," he said.Last Friday, three Israeli Palestinian citizens from of the northern town of Umm al Fahm attacked police outside the Haram al-Sharif, the third holiest site in Islam (known to Israeli Jews as the Temple Mount).
Over the last few years, Israel has imposed a series of measures restricting Muslims access to the site, while also periodically mounting armed assaults by police on the al-Aqsa mosque and worshippers inside it.
Such breaches of the sanctity of the holy place have angered Muslims around the world, but particularly Palestinians both in Israel and the West Bank. Much of the sustained violence of “lone-wolf” attacks against Israeli targets, which have left nearly 50 Israeli and 250 Palestinian dead, has been motivated by religious outrage at Israel’s conduct.
Friday’s attack was the most daring in recent memory. Three members of a local clan, each named Muhammad Jabareen, managed to smuggle weapons into Jerusalem’s Old City, then retrieve them and fire on the police. They killed two Israeli Druze policemen and lightly wounded another.
Mourners gather at the funeral of Kamil Shanan, one of the Israeli policeman killed, in the Druze village of Hurfeish in northern Israel on 14 July 2017 (AFP)
As is typical in these situations, the Shin Bet imposed a gag order on reporting certain aspects of the case. It refused to name the shooters, though it had their ID cards and knew their identities. I did publish their names and pictures of the IDs with the help of a confidential Israeli security source. Later the gag was lifted.
After attacking the police, the gunmen then fled into the Haram al Sharif, where Israeli security forces hunted and executed them. A video recorded by Palestinians shows one of the attackers lying on the ground unarmed. After he rises and tries to run away, he is gunned down by a fusillade of bullets.
It’s common in such situations for Israeli forces to kill attackers whether or not they are armed or have caused harm to others. The method of execution is sometimes called the “kill shot”. Once a Palestinian has killed or injured an Israeli in such as assault, their life is considered forfeited in most cases.
All blame, no responsibility
In other countries after a major security breach, authorities would closely examine the circumstances which permitted the incident to happen, accountability that the public would loudly demand.
While Israeli security officials may be undertaking such an examination, few are questioning how the Shin Bet and police permitted three armed men to launch such a deadly assault. Instead, these two agencies are engaged in a finger-pointing war to ascribe blame to one another. Meanwhile, no one takes real responsibility.
The main dispute involves whether metal detectors, which were installed immediately after the assault, should have been used earlier, and whether they would have prevented the attack.
However, there is no such guarantee unless the Israeli police are willing to compel every Palestinian entering any gate of the Old City to submit to such inspections. That would require the complete militarisation of one of the holiest cities in the world and the placement of scores, if not hundreds, of metal detector units. It would mean long lines for those seeking to enter, including for tourists who fuel a critical portion of the local economy.
The officers and the shooters
The ethnic identity of both the dead police officers and their killers is of particular importance. The policemen were Israeli Druze. Their religion is an offshoot of Islam, but has always been considered a minority and sometimes a persecuted one.
Since the founding of Israel in 1948, the state has cultivated friendly relations with the Druze and they have reciprocated by serving in the IDF, as opposed to the rest of the Palestinian Muslims who refuse military service.
Though this has been changing in recent years, Druze are seen as even more gung-ho than the average Israeli Jewish soldier. Druze soldiers have been involved in several controversial killings of unarmed civilians in Gaza and elsewhere.
The relationship between Druze and Israeli Jews seems to follow a common colonial pattern in which the ruling power seeks to divide a majority native population by favouring a single minority tribe at the expense of the rest. In other words, divide and conquer.
The journey to al-Aqsa mosque Read More »
The shooters were, as I mentioned, from a northern Israeli town. Umm al Fahm is a hotbed of support for the northern branch of the Islamic Movement, led by Muslim leader Imam Raed Salah. It’s also his hometown. He has been routinely arrested for inciting resistance to Israel’s management of Jerusalem’s holy Muslim sites.
Over the past few years, most attacks by Palestinians against Israelis have been perpetrated by those living in or around East Jerusalem or in the West Bank. Relatively few such attacks have involved Palestinian citizens of Israel who are generally considered a more loyal and “trustworthy” population than those outside Israel (in the West Bank and Gaza).
With such unrest now affecting the Israeli Palestinian minority, Israel enters an even more fraught, unstable period than it faced in the past.
Resistance to crackdown
The official Israeli response to the attack was swift and severe. The entire Haram al-Sharif was closed for the first time since a disturbed Australian Christian evangelical attempted to begin a holy war by blowing up the al-Aqsa mosque in 1969.
Going even further, security forces sealed off the entire Old City with multiple checkpoints designed to prevent anyone from entering the walled Palestinian portion of the city. Merchants with stores in the souk were threatened with heavy fines if they opened their shops. This, too, was an unprecedented step.
Palestinian Muslim worshippers, who refuse to enter the al-Aqsa mosque compound in protest at newly-implemented Israeli security measures, pray next to Lions Gate, a main entrance to the holy site, in Jerusalem's Old City on18 July 2017 (AFP)
While Israel characterised this as an attempt to prevent Palestinians from engaging in mass protests that could lead to a new intifada, it struck Palestinians as a form of collective punishment for the attack on the Israeli police. Such actions are a violation of the Geneva Conventions, which Israel often gives short shrift in such circumstances.
On Monday, Israel reopened the Haram al-Sharif and partially reopened the Old City, although a majority of the gates into the area remained closed. But there were radical changes in security procedures. Security officials had installed metal detectors and video surveillance unilaterally. This was a violation of the so-called status quo, to which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu falsely claimed Israel was adhering.
Under such regulations, any changes to the holy sites must be agreed by both Jordanian (who are the stewards of the Muslim sites) and Israeli authorities. But Israel enforced these changes without any consultation.
If Britain repressed Catholics
The result has been a sustained Muslim boycott of the Noble Sanctuary. Worshippers have prayed just outside the new metal detector installation for the past three days, refusing to undertake this demeaning act. Muslims view this as a desecration of the sacred status of the site and an insult to their faith.
PHOTO: Jews reciting kaddish at area where 2 Police officers were murdered on Temple mount, taking advantage of absence of Waqf officials. pic.twitter.com/qkixqTy9Ao — Israel News Feed (@IsraelHatzolah) July 17, 2017
Imagine if Britain, which has a state Anglican religion, determined that Catholic worshippers posed a threat to national security and imposed metal detectors, video cameras and a massive police presence outside the leading Catholic cathedral. There would certainly be a massive uproar, not just among Catholics, but likely among Anglicans as well.
The Israeli political class treats Palestinian issues in a schizoid manner. It refuses to see Palestinian interests as part of overall Israeli interests. They are bifurcated into two separate classes: Israeli Jewish interests which are paramount and everything else which is isolated and secondary.
That’s how Netanyahu, facing a massive crisis of confidence with the Palestinian Israeli minority, can ignore the matter and begin a five-day tour to central European capitals (Budapest and Warsaw among them) whose governments largely support his own Islamophobic, anti-refugee agenda.
Israeli media view the trip as a desperate attempt to get out from under the weight of a growing scandal involving the tainted $10bn dollar purchase of German nuclear submarines.
No one suggested that Netanyahu should postpone his trip to deal with the Jerusalem crisis. That isn’t even an afterthought in his political considerations, although the embattled prime minister did just announce he was cutting his visit short by one day.
- Richard Silverstein writes the Tikun Olam blog, devoted to exposing the excesses of the Israeli national security state. His work has appeared in Haaretz, the Forward, the Seattle Times and the Los Angeles Times. He contributed to the essay collection devoted to the 2006 Lebanon war, A Time to Speak Out (Verso) and has another essay in the upcoming collection, Israel and Palestine: Alternate Perspectives on Statehood (Rowman & Littlefield).
The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
Photo: Palestinians demonstrate next to the offices of UNSCO (United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process) against Israel's siege of the Gaza Strip and in solidarity with Muslims boycotting prayers at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque on 19 July 2017 in Gaza City (AFP)
This article is available in French on Middle East Eye French edition.“Ha ha, guys, what are you doing? Come on, stop that.”
~American and Canadian Forces, 1866
For years, we’ve treated Canada like our polite, little brother to the North. They’re friendly, they send over some comedians we like, and excluding the time they killed the Baldwin family in the South Park movie, they’ve been an adequate ally and neighbor. We tend to forget that they’re technically still a Commonwealth of England, with the Queen on their currency and everything, but we don’t really care about that, since we’ve not really had a beef with England since they burned down our White House and we were forced to replace it with a much more kickass presidential residence.
Now, while Canada has never really done anything wrong by us, England does have its fair share of people pissed off at them. Like, say, the Irish. Oh yeah, the Irish have a very sticky history with England and, well, there’s no nuanced way to say this so we’ll just spit it out—a bunch of Irish Americans invaded Canada as a “fuck you” to England, which is just about the closest we as a nation has come to invading Canada since the early 1800s. So that’s a thing, a thing that happened, in history. Let’s talk about it.
That One Time the Fenian Brotherhood Kept Invading Canada From America
In 1858, John O’Mahony and Michael Doheny, two Irish-born immigrants who fled to America after partaking in a failed 1848 revolution against England, decided against the logical course of action of becoming a Irish hip hop duo called “Doheny O’Mahony” and instead founded an Irish Republican organization called the Fenian Brotherhood. The Fenian Brotherhood, which would eventually turn into Clan na Gael, a sister group to the Irish Republican Brotherhood, wanted Ireland to be independent, the Union Act of 1800 to be removed, and, probably, whiskey for everyone.
When trying to figure out how a group of Irish-Americans could secure a free Ireland, we have to imagine the meeting was pretty short. They could have sent an angry letter, but England was really shitty about returning messages. They could have tried not invading Canada with some 1000 to 1,300 people after looking at themselves and saying, “Huh, this probably won’t work, also, attacking Canada won’t do much good for Ireland at the end of the day.” Or, or, they could have done the opposite of that last thing we said, and just gotten weird with it. That’s, uh, that’s the one they did.
The Fenian Brotherhood, over the course of five years, launched five separate raids on Canada, all of them ending in failure. Somewhere between 45 and 55 Canadian and British forces were killed in these engagements, versus 12-15 casualties for the Fenians, which as far as “invasion of an entire fucking country” goes seems less like a “full scale incursion” and more like “were these fatalities from actual battles, or was it more like, a few soldiers were allergic to peanuts and they didn’t think the rations situation through enough?”
That being said, the first invasion of Canada by the Fenians came in 1866, when a group of over 700 went to the shores of Maine hoping to capture the island of Campobello from the British. That is, until a British goddamn warship with 700 British regulars decided to go to Passamaquoddy Bay, were the Fenian “army” was located, and they got the fuck out of there, possibly while saying, “Oh shit man, this got way too real.”
At that point, John O’Mahoney and other members of the group split off into their own faction, focused on raising funds for rebels in Ireland, which you might recognize as an infinitely more effective way to support Irish independence than invading Canada for no particular reason.
“Take that, you British scallywags!”
We’re not British, we Canadian!
“It’s all the same to us, you’re stifling the independence of Ireland!”
We don’t even know where Ireland is, please stop shooting at us.
Now at this point, you might ask yourself how it was possible for an army of over a thousand people was able to arm itself and prepare a land invasion comfortably within the borders of the United States. Hell, if we wrote an article claiming that we had an army of 15 people ready to invade, say, Costa Rica (because they don’t have an army, the fools) and if we came off as sincere enough we’d be…oh why, hello officer. No, no, we’re not actually invading anywhere, and no we don’t have guns, we were, uh, we were just writing a joke. We’re so sorry for the confusion.
Sorry about that.
It’s called Manifest Destiny, get used to it.
The point being, if you’re curious as to how this army was able to build right under our noses, well…we probably let it happen. Like, here’s a New York Times article from before the first invasions that basically says “Yeah, these guys are probably going to invade Canada.” We’re not saying we encouraged it, but let’s just say that this happened right after the Civil War, a war that many Canadian territories (Canada wasn’t made an actual united nation until 1867) at least appeared like they were supporting the Confederacy over the Union throughout the course of the war. So it’s entirely possible that America, still a little annoyed that Canada wouldn’t take their side, might have noticed the Fenians going around, getting guns, and talking about invading Canada, but didn’t really feel like warning anyone about it.
There were four other attacks on Canada led by a faction of Fenians that believed a marginally successful invasion of British North America would give them leverage on Ireland’s behalf because it was three in the afternoon and this whiskey isn’t going to drink itself. They made General Thomas William Sweeny, a former Union general, their “Secretary for War” and sent an army of over 1,000 Fenians across the Niagara River on June 1st, and ambushed the woefully under-equipped and under-trained Canadian militia in the Battle of Ridgeway, a fairly decisive Fenian victory, followed by an additional victory at Fort Erie. At this point, they realized that an American warship had cut off their supply lines, so they decided they might as well give up, releasing their Canadian prisoners and surrendering themselves to American forces (who presumably scolded them in the manner that a father might scold his high school son for going out to a party and getting drunk and fooling around with a girl—that sort of “young man we’re disappointed in you” with a slight tone that implies that, at the end of the day, he’s not that mad).
“Now, you should know better than to go out and invade Canada. We have rules in this household, young man.”
This invasion did little to assist the Irish independence movement (because, why the fuck would it?) though it did help shift Canadian popular opinion in favor of confederating into one single nation. So, hey, all it took was a haphazard Irish invasion from America to get Canadians to decide they want to be their own country. “Fine, we guess we’ll become a single nation, if these Irish Americans are going to keep shooting at us for no reason,” was, we’re assuming, the Preamble to their Constitution.
The Fenians never mounted anything nearly as formidable in their ensuing raids, which presumably involved playing the song Yakety Sax in the background. In 1866, they decided to focus on Eastern Canada, and invaded Pigeon Hill with around 1000 men before the Canadian government actually decided to defend the border. When Canadian troops showed up, the Fenians realized, “Oh shit, we are super low on weapons” and promptly surrendered. The invasion lasted one full day.
Canadian soldiers, pictured above being very polite.
The last two raids occurred four years later, with the Battle of Eccles Hill in the Montreal region being easily turned away with no casualties among Canadian forces, followed by an 1871 Pembina Raid that didn’t even mange to make it across the border into Canada—their force of 35 (yes, just 35) captured a Hudson’s Bay Company post they thought was in Canada, only to find out that they underestimated the border by about two miles. The U.S. Army quickly captured them, and didn’t even bother to charge them with invading U.S. territory. They just let them go, probably under the little-used statute of, “Man, we just feel kind of bad for you guys.”
Eventually, the Fenian organization petered out, and most of their accomplishments are measured in how they effected Canada, not Ireland. They pushed Canada into uniting as a single nation, caused them to reshape their militia training techniques, and helped Canadians develop a nice healthy annoyance at America for seemingly tolerating the raids, and also for giggling when Canada was complaining about the Fenian Army attacking them all the time.
But at the end of the day, the most important thing to remember from this comically doomed endeavor is that a bunch of Irish Americans used to invade Canada like it was some sort of hobby, and we think that’s wonderful and kind of hilarious.
God bless, Fenians. Have a drink on us.Research and Innovation So Long, Drawl
For more than half a century, the familiar Southern accent has been fading in Raleigh. Its disappearance has been so slow and so subtle that locals may not even have noticed. But for Robin Dodsworth, an associate professor in sociolinguistics at NC State, the decline tells the story of rapid social change across the urban South.
“It’s not as though, all of a sudden, everyone said, ‘Let’s lose this Southern dialect,’” says Dodsworth. “So what caused this to happen? What is the interface between language and society?”
Sociolinguists like Dodsworth examine how factors such as ethnicity, gender, education and class affect how we speak. Everything from the words we choose to the way we pronounce our vowels is influenced by a complex web of social interactions and expectations. By analyzing our speech, sociolinguists can begin to untangle that web of social dynamics.
“We want to help people recognize the cultural value of how they speak.” —Robin Dodsworth
Starting in 2008, Dodsworth and other researchers at NC State recorded hundreds of hour-long sociolinguistic interviews with people who grew up in Raleigh. By comparing properties of the recordings using acoustic analysis software, Dodsworth could measure just how “Southern” each speaker’s vowels were. She then tracked the prevalence of certain linguistic features — for example, the pronunciation of “kid” as “kee-yid” — among Raleigh natives who were born in different decades.
Dodsworth discovered that the vowels of speakers born between 1920 and 1950 were remarkably stable. Then, in the middle of the 20th century, Southern linguistic features began to steadily decline. But why?
The White-Collar Tide
The answer was Raleigh’s emergence as a technology hub in the 1960s. One of the largest high-tech research and development centers in the country, the Research Triangle Park, was built in 1959, heralding a decline in the area’s traditional Southern dialect.
“After that, IBM arrived in the early ‘60s,” notes Dodsworth. “If you’re born in 1950, you’re in junior high right about the time when those white-collar workers are coming down from Northern places to work.”
That sudden and sustained influx of workers — and their children — sparked what Dodsworth calls a “dialect contact situation” in Raleigh. Children who attended school in the 1960s and 1970s grew up speaking with less of a Southern accent than their parents, in large part because they spent their days talking with many more Northerners.
“One thing we know in sociolinguistics is that your accent largely depends on your peers,” Dodsworth confirms. “It doesn’t matter as much how your parents speak or who you heard on NPR. Who is it that you’re seeing every single day and having to get along with? That’s the people at school.”
Through her analysis of K-12 networks in Raleigh, Dodsworth found correlations between the increasing social diversity of the city and the slow “leveling” of its traditional accents. It also helped to explain why rural areas — or even the parts of Raleigh that saw the least inward migration — remain the most Southern-sounding.
“Linguistic changes often jump from city to city at first and leave the rural spaces in between untouched for some time,” says Dodsworth. “Part of that is that rural areas have a less concentrated population, so it’s harder for change to spread.”
Documenting Language Difference
Those rural areas are often the focus of other research undertaken by the university’s linguistics program. Walt Wolfram — the first William C. Friday Distinguished Professor of English at NC State — has spearheaded the NSF-funded Language and Life Project, which produces documentary films showcasing linguistic diversity, from Appalachian “mountain talk” to the Atlantic coast’s “Core Sounders.” In this way, NC State linguists help to preserve language differences and share them with the public.
Wolfram’s forthcoming film, Talking Black in America, explores the diversity of language among African Americans and African diaspora communities, shedding light on the variety of English that most often endures negative stereotyping and discrimination. Dodsworth and her graduate students, meanwhile, have been involved in the preservation and study of oral histories concerning Chavis Park in southeast Raleigh, a site of deep social significance for the historically black community it serves.
“Language is part of the Southern tradition and culture, and across North Carolina you have all these pockets of linguistic diversity,” says Dodsworth. “These projects are an effort to make our research relevant to people who are proud of their heritage — or insecure about their heritage. We want to help people recognize the cultural value of how they speak.”
Note: A version of this story first ran on the National Science Foundation website.In this photo taken April 19, 2013, Lisa Inglis, 43, of Quakertown, Pa., sits in a booth at John's Plain & Fancy Diner in Quakertown, Pa. Inglis, who calls herself a liberal Republican, said the Sandy Hook massacre left her deeply ambivalent about guns and gun control, but believes the Senate should have been able to compromise on legislation. In the emotional politics of gun control, the suburbs seem to be emerging as a new sphere of influence. The Senate's defeat last week of new firearms restrictions underscored the nation's shifting demographics and a pronounced divide on the gun issue between Americans in rural areas and in the suburbs. (AP Photo/Michael Rubinkam)
QUAKERTOWN, Pa. (AP) — In the emotional politics of gun control, the suburbs seem to be emerging as a new sphere of influence.
The Senate's defeat last week of firearms restrictions underscored the nation's shifting demographics and a pronounced divide on the gun issue between Americans in rural areas and residents of suburban enclaves, like Quakertown, outside Philadelphia.
Packed with married women and political independents, vote-rich communities like these are starting — in the wake of a string of shooting massacres — to act more like urban centers that long have been concerned with the threat of local gun violence and have favored stricter laws. Those include the expansion of background checks, viewed by gun control advocates as a way to prevent criminals and the mentally ill from buying firearms.
Like most Pennsylvania voters, Lisa Inglis, 43, a stay-at-home mom of two from the Philadelphia suburbs, is a supporter of expanded checks of gun buyers, part of the legislation defeated last week. She said she was very disappointed by the Senate action, though she also questioned whether such measures would prevent many crimes.
"The reality hits you that nobody can keep anybody safe. You really depend on the stability of other people's thinking. You just hope for the best," said Inglis, eating at John's Plain & Fancy Diner in Quakertown, about 45 miles north of Philadelphia.
Voters like her in suburbs like this are a big reason why a handful of Republican lawmakers broke ranks with the GOP last week to support the expanded checks, raising the possibility that gun control could end up becoming more acceptable to other Republicans as suburbs in swing-voting states |
The Village/Smithy archetype should probably aim to draw the entire deck consistently and go for double Province buying turns. Since you’ll be drawing your entire deck, you only need exactly enough treasure to buy what you need. Extra treasures should be avoided because they will only clog up your engine and prevent you from drawing the entire deck. Greening too early is a bad idea because the Provinces/Duchies will clog up the engine like the superfluous treasure, but are also completely useless until the end of the game.
I’m going to use the simulator I wrote to find a good game plan instead of showing you real (isotropic) game logs. The simulator can play most big money strategies as well as an expert human player and even some engines with careful scripting. If you prefer advice from human players, remember that even an expert can make mistakes and unless he’s a Vulcan his brain, like yours, is very bad at probability.
This phenomenon makes players way too optimistic about how an engine will run while underestimating the power of a big money approach. The variance inherent in Dominion also means one game can never be proof that a strategy is better than another because luck plays such a large role (it’s like saying you’re better than Phil Ivey because you cracked his Aces once in a tournament). It takes tens and often hundreds of real games to find the best strategy and tweaking it to optimal would probably take a lifetime. The simulator does that job in mere seconds! Using this method I will be able to “prove” that a fairly simple engine beats the big money deck consistently in this particular kingdom. (You can download all the strategies in this article here by right clicking and saving, then load them into the simulator via File->Load and select them via “Created by user”).
Basics
Let’s start with the simplest implementation of the engine for this board. We’re just going to buy Villages and Smithies. Once we reach a critical mass we’ll be drawing the entire deck and can start buying Provinces. Since you start the game with 7 Coppers, you need to buy a single Silver to reach the needed $8 (you could even buy a Copper if you open $5/$2). According to the simulator the fastest route to 4 Provinces with this engine goes like this (run the simulation yourself by selecting the “Village/Smithy engine #1” in the simulator after loading the XML-file):
Open Smithy/Silver (or Smithy/Copper), then get a Village and from then on alternate between Villages and Smithies. Buy Province each time you reach $8.
One of the most important things about this type of engine is to get the balance right between Villages and Smithies. If you buy too few Villages you’re going to get a lot of terminal collision, while too many Villages will take you longer to reach the “draw the entire deck” stage. The simulator shows that you should have at least as many Villages as Smithies at all times. This gives the best risk vs reward ratio and the same logic can be applied to most “+actions, +terminal draw” engines.
The 18.5 turns it takes this engine to get 4 Provinces is pathetic compared to the Big Money deck which does the job in 15 turns. And it doesn’t really draw itself consistently (if I let the simulator wait until it does, the number of turns goes up to 20). This deck is so slow because it’s wasting $6 buys on Village and there are a lot of bad things that can happen like the all-Smithy-no-Village hand (terminal collision)
Here’s a view of this engine vs the Big Money Smithy deck (the graph shows the AVERAGE Victory Points gained each turn over 10,000 games which explains why there are no peaks to 6VP):
The Smithy Big Money starts to buy Provinces consistently from turn 6 while it takes the engine a bit longer to set up and has much less success overall getting VP consistently.
Market: The next generation
The engine clearly needs a lot of help! We have to do something about all the wasted economy and that’s where a source of +buy comes in. If we play a Market and have $7 we can buy Village + Smithy which will allow the engine to build twice as fast compared to the version without +buy. The simulator likes the following strategy for the Village/Smithy engine with Markets (select “Village/Smithy engine #2” in the simulator):
Open Smithy/Silver, get a single Gold, then quite a few Markets (5), then focus only on Villages and Smithies (keeping the right balance in mind). Once you have about 4 Smithies your engine should be firing consistently and you can start greening (often you’ll have reached a double Province buying turn by then). Make sure not to buy more than the single Silver and Gold because extra treasure will only clog up the engine.
This strategy is still 1.5 turns slower than the big money deck. Here’s what happens if we let the simulator play this engine against the big money deck (I added a few rules for Duchy and Estate buying of course):
This graph shows how the engine builds up during the first 11 to 13 turns of the game and then explodes with a few mega turns buying Provinces. However, the BM’s early VP lead is too big to overcome and the engine gets crushed winning only 1 out of 4 games. Why is the Big Money strategy so fast and consistent? Well, getting to $8 is very easy with just a few Silvers and the occasional Smithy and/or Gold. On top of that there’s hardly any wasted economy and no dead turns because of colliding terminal actions.
Shields down? Attack!
Instead of trying to speed up the engine, we could try to slow down the Big Money deck. Slower games means attacks and luckily Donald included a decent attack for this first game in the form of Militia. Here’s the engine + attack plan laid out:
Open Militia/Silver, get a single Gold, then Markets (stop at 5), then get the Villages and Smithies (you probably want an extra Village here because Militia is a terminal action). I also added Cellar (buy only if you have $2 to spend and don’t buy more than two) which adds some crucial filtering to counter the possible terminal collision and also speeds up deck cycling so your recent buys become available more rapidly. Once you have 5 Smithies start buying Provinces. Duchies should be bought if there are about 3 Provinces left (so a bit later than the Big Money deck because they clog the engine up more than the BM) and Estates when there are about 2 left.
You want to open Militia instead of Smithy because the early attacks hurt the most, often disabling a crucial Gold buy. After a while you’ll be able to play the Militia each turn crippling the Big Money deck even more as is clearly seen in the BM Smithy graph which is a lot flatter than the previous. (select “Village/Smithy engine #3” in the simulator)
According to the simulator this engine is on par with the Big Money deck (it even has a slight advantage winning about half of the games).
The final frontier
Now we have most of the crucial elements of a successful engine in place: +actions, +draw, +buy, filtering and an attack. There’s just one thing that’s holding the engine back. Drawing itself so often means it’s always stuck with the 3 starting Estates. These hurt the engine much more than the Big Money deck which cycles far less often. The Coppers are less problematic, because they provide some economy to buy engine pieces. If only there was a way to get rid of those Estates…. The more astute reader will have figured out by now that this kingdom has the perfect card for us: Remodel. It will transform the Estates into useful engine pieces and can even be used to speed up the end game by trashing Golds into Provinces. Here’s the final engine’s game plan:
Open Remodel/Silver (or Market/Cellar). Get 2 Golds (these can be Remodeled into Provinces in the end game). Get a single Militia, then again focus on Markets (stop at 4). The Villages and Smithies can be acquired fast by Remodeling Estates and all the +buys from the Markets. Get Cellar at $2 (or Remodel a Copper). Once you have about 5 Smithies your engine is fit for greening. Duchies can wait until there are 3 Provinces left and Estates when 2 are left. If the game is very close to ending use Remodel agressively to transform cards into VP (most notably Gold into Province).
(select “Village/Smithy engine #4” in the simulator) Here’s the buying script that the simulator uses (it is evaluated from top to bottom for each buy):
$8 or more to spend: Province (if you have 5 or more Smithies)
$5: Duchy (if there are 3 or less Provinces left)
$2: Estate (if there are 2 or less Provinces left)
$6: Gold (max 2)
$5: Market (max 5)
$4: Remodel (1), otherwise Militia (1), otherwise Village (if you have less Villages than terminal actions), otherwise Smithy
$3: Village
$2: Cellar (max 2)
According to the simulator this strategy beats the big money deck almost 3 out of 4 games. The Remodel is really key to put this deck over the top even though the simulator plays the trasher rather poorly (check the “sample games” in the simulator). I expect an expert human player will be able to get at least an 80% win rate against the big money strategy. The bot can be improved with extra buy rules and conditions, but I kept it basic so you can easily copy the play pattern in a real game and be certain of a good outcome. The actual optimal strategy for this board is unlikely to ever be found, but it’s probably similar to what I came up with using the simulator.
So now you know how to play the engine decently for this board you’ll have no trouble convincing skeptical friends and people everywhere that big money is not the be-all and end-all for base Dominion. Even far from it when you add all the expansions!
To infinity!
(this paragraph was added later)
When this article was first published I created a challenge on the forum to give people a chance to find a better bot than what I was able to come up. I expected someone to reach the proposed 75% win rate, but michaeljb surpassed all my expectations and created a bot that gets 89% win rate vs the Smithy bot. That’s huge and knowing the simulator plays some cards suboptimally a human expert should easily win 9 out 10 games using his strategy. How did he do it? It’s complicated, but in short: use Mine to improve Treasures rather than buying Treasures, use Remodel and Workshop to pick up engine pieces, wait until you have a few Smithies to get a Militia, pick up Villages early and often, sprinkle in some Markets, and grab up to 3 Cellars. Check out the challenge on the forum if you want the full detail.
Boldly go where no man has gone before…?
I haven’t touched the case where both players are going for the engine, but that is quite a complex subject and best handled in a separate article (…and then there’s multiplayer which is probably harder than rocket science)
This article shows you an example of how to build a successful engine. This is just the tip of the engine building iceberg in Dominion, and there are plenty more to explore. If enough ingredients are available and you mix them in the right order you should be able to beat nearly all Big Money decks with them (especially in Colony games). Some of these can be simulated well, while you’ll have to figure others out for yourself or get advice on the forum from expert engine builders like Marin, chwhite or DG. And here‘s some more engine reading.
Ensign Geronimoo signing off!Come one, come all, come to our casting call! We are about to embark on the classic hiring adventure for our Day Club, tiny bikinis and all. Last year was a huge success and our pool party is only going to get bigger. If you think you have what it takes to provide incredible customer service and look good doing it, then you are exactly what we want!
With summer fast approaching we need talented employees that can get the job done and appreciate the atmosphere we are creating. Our dynamic differs from those on the Strip and for good reason. We have a gentlemen’s club next door that keeps the party going even when the pool closes for the day. Sometimes the fun is off the Strip.
Our Day Club will be open Friday-Sunday from 12-6pm. Become a part of the BEST pool party in Las Vegas and join our team. Open casting is March 25th & 26th in the Sapphire Las Vegas Showroom from 12-6pm. Sapphire will be hiring for the following positions: Cabana Attendants, Bar Backs, Porters, Towel Attendants, Cocktail Waitresses, Bartenders, Go Go Dancers, Models, Lifeguards, Security Personnel, Cashiers, VIP Hosts. Please be sure to bring beach attire to the Open Casting. See you soon.Kroenke began acquiring Arsenal shares in 2007
The Arsenal Supporters' Trust has voted not to sell its shares to prospective new owner Stan Kroenke, who has tabled a mandatory offer for full control of the club.
The Trust voted unanimously to reject the offer, which values each share at £11,750, preferring to retain its stake in the club.
An AST spokesman said: "Arsenal is too important to be owned by any one man."
The US businessman now ownssecured more than 62% of the club's shares.
The Arsenal board has recommended all shareholders accept Kroenke's offer but at a meeting of more than 100 AST members, a decision was taken not to relinquish their involvement in the club's ownership structure.
The spokesman added: "The Trust wants to work with Stan Kroenke to keep Arsenal supporters involved in the club's ownership structure.
"The AST and the Arsenal Fanshare scheme will not be selling the shares it owns and urges all supporters to reject this offer.
"In just six months, the Arsenal Fanshare scheme has gained 1,800 members, who have invested £500,000 in Arsenal shares.
"This scheme has been widely praised across the football community and is supported by the Government, who are currently reviewing football's governance structures."
The Trust is not against Kroenke's takeover but their support is strongly dependent on the retention of fan involvement in the ownership of the club.
The supporters were certainly encouraged by Kroenke's confirmation that his takeover bid will not be financed by debt secured against the club.
AST officials met with Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis on Monday and received assurances that Kroenke recognises the importance of a supporters' stake in the club.The miracle teabag: Stem cells in a pack help stroke victim to talk again
Doctors have used a revolutionary stem cell treatment to restore the power of speech for a stroke victim.
Walter Bast also regained the use of his right arm after the operation to place a 'teabag' of drug-producing stem cells in his brain.
Speaking a week after the operation - the first of its kind in the world - he said: 'I feel a lucky guy.'
If further trials prove the treatment's worth, it could be on the market in as little as five years, providing fresh hope for the 45,000 Britons each year who suffer a haemorrhagic stroke, where a blood vessel in the brain bursts.
Currently, the only treatment option is surgery, which has a variable success rate.
Half will die within a month and just one in 20 patients will recover to the extent of Mr Bast, a 49-year-old mechanic.
British experts described the operation as'very promising'.
'Lucky guy': Neurosurgeon Amir Samii (right) tests the motor activity of apoplexia patient Walter Bast in Hanover, Germany
The CellBeads treatment is the brainchild of scientists at the British medical technology firm Biocompatibles International, based in Farnham, Surrey.
At its centre is a teabag-like sachet filled with tiny capsules, each containing around a million stem cells.
The stem cells, taken from bone marrow, have been genetically engineered to make a drug that protects brain cells from dying.
This lets the cells rejuvenate and repair the damage done by the stroke.
The stem cells are encapsulated in beads to hide them from the immune system and ensure they are not rejected by the body.
Enclosing everything in the 2cm square 'teabag' ensures the surgeon can easily remove it at the end of the treatment period.
Mr Bast, who lives near Bremen in Germany, agreed to be the first to test the operation after suffering two strokes in quick succession.
Miracle: This is the tiny 'tea-bag-style' bag made of polypropylene, which is filled with 500 alginate capsules
Doctors at the International Neuroscience-Institute in Hanover left the teabag in his brain for a fortnight while the stem cells pumped out the drug, known only as CM1.
Now, six weeks after surgery, Mr Bast's body has returned almost to normal.
His surgeon, Professor Thomas Brinker, said: 'We see a recovery as good as this in only the minority of patients, so it is an encouraging start. It is important that we found no side-effects.'
Dr Peter Stratford, of Biocompatibles, said a one-size-fits-all treatment could be stored in hospital freezers ready for use when required.
If effective, it could have a huge impact on patients' quality of life and save the NHS billions.
But stem cell scientists cautioned that many safety and ethical hurdles would have to be crossed before the treatment was accepted for widespread use.
Haemorrhagic strokes account for around 30 per cent of the 150,000 strokes in the UK each year.
Stroke is Britain's third biggest killer, after heart disease and cancer, and causes more disability than any other disease.
It costs the economy about £ 7billion a year, including NHS bills and lost productivity.There is little doubt that in centuries past the condition we now know as schizophrenia would have been diagnosed as demonic possession. But that idea is also the topic of an article in the latest issue of The Journal of Religion and Health. In the article, Dr. Kemal Irmak, of the High Council of Science, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, Turkey, interprets the way in which diagnosed schizophrenics talk about their thoughts, feelings and surroundings being ‘controlled’ by other forces, in a surprising way:
The most common delusion types are as follows: “My feelings and movements are controlled by others in a certain way” and “They put thoughts in my head that are not mine.” Hallucinatory experiences are generally voices talking to the patient or among themselves. Hallucinations are a cardinal positive symptom of schizophrenia which deserves careful study in the hope it will give information about the pathophysiology of the disorder. We thought that many so-called hallucinations in schizophrenia are really illusions related to a real environmental stimulus.
One approach to this hallucination problem is to consider the possibility of a demonic world. Demons are unseen creatures that are believed to exist in all major religions and have the power to possess humans and control their body. Demonic possession can manifest with a range of bizarre behaviors which could be interpreted as a number of different psychotic disorders with delusions and hallucinations. The hallucination in schizophrenia may therefore be an illusion—a false interpretation of a real sensory image formed by demons. A local faith healer in our region helps the patients with schizophrenia. His method of treatment seems to be successful because his patients become symptom free after 3 months. Therefore, it would be useful for medical professions to work together with faith healers to define better treatment pathways for schizophrenia.Share. The third party accessory and retro console maker has USB-C charging cables and more coming in 2017. The third party accessory and retro console maker has USB-C charging cables and more coming in 2017.
California-based Hyperkin unveiled six accessories at CES 2017 for the upcoming Nintendo Switch console. The company also has a three-in-one adapter for its Retron 5 console in the works that can play Game Gear, Master System, and Master System Card games.
6 Nintendo Switch Accessories Hyperkin CES 2017 6 IMAGES Fullscreen Image Artboard 3 Copy Artboard 3 ESC 01 OF 06 01 OF 06 6 Nintendo Switch Accessories Hyperkin CES 2017 Download Image Captions ESC
The accessories for Nintendo Switch include a 5 ft. USB Type-C charging cable, a USB-C AC adapter with a 4 ft. cable, a car charger adapter for the console that has a 5 ft. cable. Hyperkin also announced a screen protector, a hard shell carrying case, and a travel bag with padded storage for the new Nintendo system.
Hyperkin also has a three-in-one adapter for the company’s Retron 5 console that will allow users to play Game Gear, Master System, and Master System Card games. According to the company, the adapter can be easily inserted into the Genesis slot of the Retron 5. The company also showed off it’s X91 controller, a ‘90s-style controller for the Xbox One.
Exit Theatre Mode
This isn’t the first batch of third-party Nintendo Switch accessories announced. Earlier this week, Snakebyte Group showed its offerings. Next week, Nintendo will go all-in on Switch in a special livestream presentation at 8pm PT / 11pm ET on January 12 (that's 4am GMT / 2pm AEST on January 13). Check back in to IGN for a special pre and post show, as well as all a rundown of all the news as it happens.
Jose Otero is an Editor at IGN and host of Nintendo Voice Chat. You can follow him on Twitter.RUSH: If you establishment types really, really want to understand how Trump supporters look at this — if you really do — let me remind you of something. By the way, I’m proud of how often I’m seeing this pop up in columns and opinion pieces. It is something I have been reminding people over the past month. You guys in the Drive-Bys in analyzing Hillary’s debate, you’re judging rhetoric. You’re judging the spoken word.
That’s how you define intelligence (muttering), “It’s intellectualspeak. You communicate (muttering) so you’re really, really smart, really… Obama does intellectualspeak. It’s a specific pattern of speech to make everybody think the person is very smart.” People don’t remember that. Like today. People don’t remember what anybody said in that debate, and, by the end of the day today, they really won’t. But they’re not gonna forget how they felt during that debate.
You know, I’m one of these guys that I lament the role feelings plays in so much of our culture, but I can’t deny it, and this is unalterably true. Unless you have a particularly advanced power of communication skill like I do, people do remember what I say. Most people do not. But they never forget how you make ’em feel. And I’m telling you: Hillary didn’t make anybody feel special that night. She came across as robotic, a witch with a capital “B.” Trump inspired feelings among his supporters that they enjoyed and wanted more of. It’s how you have to look at this in part.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: Okay. I have a little more polling data here taken during and after the debate. Now, sadly, I don’t know whose poll this is because of the quirks in how things are formatted to send in email, sometimes the link is left off. So it looks like a Politico morning greeting email that they blast out to everybody, or maybe it’s from Hotline. I don’t know where this is from. But it really doesn’t matter because the details in it are true.
“We have a brand-new post-debate poll that confirms Hillary Clinton got a small bump over Donald Trump from her performance. Clinton is up three points among likely voters in the Politico/Morning Consult poll,” the poll I just quoted you. “Before the debate Trump was up one point” in this poll, but, as I mentioned, the nut of this poll — I mean, the money line in this poll — is “just 9% of respondents said the debate changed their mind,” just 9%.
That doesn’t surprise me. In fact, I’m surprised it’s that high. Debates traditionally don’t unless there’s a major gaffe in them. I mean, look at Obama’s first debate with Romney in 2012. It was a disaster. These guys, Heilemann and Halperin, they’re out there talking about how it was such a disaster, Obama had to go out there and admit it, and that’s what they want Trump to do but now Trump didn’t do it because I didn’t say it was a disaster. So since I didn’t say it was a disaster, Trump has cover not to say it was a disaster, and they’re mad about that.
They want Trump to say it was a disaster. Of course they do! I maintain to you… Again, everybody saw the same debate; it’s just that they see it different ways. They’re looking for different things. And, as I say, I’m really proud. I must tell you this. A little bromide of mine is being picked up in countless places. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen this just in the last week. It’s this. It’s real simple. People will not remember what you say, what you tell them. But they’ll never forget how you make ’em feel. And Hillary is never going to win that one.
She’s never gonna be the clear winner in how she makes people feel. The facial expressions, the Nurse Ratched looks, the plastered and robotic smile to try to cover that up. I guarantee you, the Drive-Bys didn’t even see it. These great analysts in the media on the Democrat side, they didn’t even see it. They see a totally different Hillary from the one that we saw. They saw one that was just brilliant and on point and didn’t stutter and had all of other talking points down, who just nailed Trump left and right.
But they didn’t see (because they never do), the aspects of Hillary Clinton that rub a vast majority of people the wrong way, ’cause they don’t want to see them. I maintain it’s those guys that are in denial, not me. Here’s some other key findings in this poll, the political Morning Consult poll.
Lester Holt was seen as fair: 42% said he was fair, 27% said he was more favorable to Clinton. Look, I don’t beat a dead horse, but Lester knew what was gonna happen to him if he didn’t toe the line.
He saw what they did to Matt Lauer. He saw what they were trying to do to Jimmy Fallon. There was no… Lester Holt was not fair; Lester Holt was not evenhanded; Lester Holt behaved entirely differently with Trump. Again, it’s worth making the point, folks, that in one way you can look at this as a very big compliment to Trump. He’s being treated as though he has a career in the business of politics, as though he has a record.
He’s being treated as though he matters and is a factor, and he doesn’t have his fingerprints on anything that they talk about. Donald Trump doesn’t have a tax policy yet. Donald Trump, whatever he thinks about things, it cannot be said to be a problem in the country today because he hasn’t done anything. That’s why Trump keeps focusing on his business success. That’s his record. You know, people say, “Why does he keep bragging about it?” He’s not bragging about it. He’s informing people.
Hillary brags about her record, lying about it left and right. Lester doesn’t even bring up the scandals at Benghazi, the scandals with her email, the scandal of the Clinton Foundation. Those things don’t even come up. But it’s Trump’s job to bring them up. The moderator isn’t gonna do that. The moderator is not gonna expose Hillary to any problems. Trump’s gonna have to do it. I predict to you he will in upcoming debates. Trump’s gotta talk about his record, and the fact that he knows how to run successful businesses.
Hillary says, “Well, running a business is not the same as politics.” I venture to say that there are a hell of a lot more people in business and handling money and generating profit and creating jobs, than anybody in government. Government doesn’t create jobs, for crying out loud, and Hillary Clinton doesn’t know the first thing about it anyway. Neither does Barack Obama. Hillary Clinton doesn’t know the first thing about health care other than theory, sitting around discussing it with a bunch of other liberals in the faculty lounge.
Obama has demonstrated he doesn’t know diddly-squat about health care, about websites, about the World Wide Web that he wants to give away to the UN. They don’t know. They have no practical experience in these areas they want to take over and are taking over. Hillary Clinton has nothing. She knows nothing about the energy business, but she thinks she does. And what she believes, this climate change hoax, putting those beliefs into popular practice is a disaster for the United States energy economy.
Barack Obama doesn’t know anything about climate science. He doesn’t know anything about energy. They have never been in that world. They’ve spent their lives resenting it. They’ve spent their lives trying to punish people, in fact, who are successful in various elements of corporate life. You talk about arrogance or hubris? I mean, the idea that a bunch of rhetoricians and theoreticians know better how to build buildings, housing areas, developments and so forth? Pharmaceutical companies, energy companies? They know?
Do you hear Hillary talking about all the wonderful things we can do with solar panels? Solar panels? Solar panels? Solar panels are not sustainable. Solar panels are not sustainable, Millennials. May sound good, yes. “Clean, renewable energy.” But what do you do when the sun’s down at night? What do you do when the clouds obscure the sun? We’re not there yet. But that’s off the beaten path. The beaten path is these people, Hillary Clinton, a 30-year track record in Washington, and you can track the messes and you can track the flub-ups.
You can track the incompetence, you can track many times, and you can also track something else. Thirty years, and no successful track record. Hillary Clinton after 30 years or 25, whatever it is, is still pushing the same things that she came into public life pushing: Hate trickle-down, hate Reagan, tax the rich, the rich aren’t paying their fair share. That’s the starting point, and nothing has changed. Hillary Clinton and her husband have been in business for 30, 25 years, and she is still promising to do the same things!
She’s still cataloging the same problems.
They talk about Trump and he’s not trustworthy, where she has a clear record of dismal failure. And Hillary’s record has cost lives. Hillary Clinton working in government has cost people their lives. Donald Trump hasn’t done that. And yet they want to compare Trump, and they want to try to plug him into the same system that Hillary Clinton’s life has been and in that way judge Trump as not even welcome. “He’s not even welcome in our establishment! He’s not even welcome in our system. He’s not qualified. He’s not of the right temperament.” Yeah.
So they point us to great success stories, like Hillary Clinton. Right. I’m telling you, the American people are wise enough, enough of them are, to not fall for this. Mrs. Clinton can’t point to anything but caring. They say nobody’s done more for children than Hillary. Where? What? I’m serious. What has she done? “Well, she spent all that time with Marian Wright Edelman, Children’s Defense Fund.” Yeah, but what happened there? “Well, you know, they cared about kids.” Yeah, but what did they do caring about kids? “Well, you know, they protected them from their abusive fathers.” Oh, is that what they did? Yeah, yeah, they protected children from their abusive fathers.
But where is this endless parade of people who one time were children that Hillary Clinton took under her broomstick and shepherded to adulthood to now a happy, productive life, where are these people, where is the walking evidence of all of Hillary’s caring? They can’t do that. So what do they do? They turn fire on Trump and tell you that he’s all sorts of bad, all sorts of mean, all sorts of evil. And they’d be doing the same thing if the nominee were Ted Cruz.
In fact, it would even be worse if it were Cruz ’cause they would be zeroing in on all kinds of conservative issues that they just despise and are scared to death of. So, in addition to what they’re trying to do to Trump, and same if it had been Marco Rubio. Even if it had been Kasich, it’d be the same thing ’cause that’s all they’ve got. They don’t have a candidate in Mrs. Clinton that they can ballyhoo, that they can promote, that they can cite a record experience of great achievement and accomplishment, unity, can’t do it.
And so while doing all that, they then try to plug Trump into this same system because that’s the only way they can really disqualify him. If they treat Trump as the person he really is, the outsider who represents a whole new way of trying to do things since this country’s on the wrong track and the people who’ve been telling us they are our betters and they know more and they care more are making a disaster of things.
I’d like to point out the college degree, the college education as something the Washington establishment has really damaged. The college degree, the college education has been sold and it’s been bought as the ticket. Families all across this country from every income quintile accept the idea that their kids have to go to college, that if they don’t, it’s gonna be tougher. Going to college is still the dream, going to college and getting a degree is still the ticket, gotta do it.
Well, look now what they’ve done to the college degree. They have essentially turned it into an albatross. Each graduate leaves college with an amount of debt, or the vast majority with so much debt in student loans that they’re behind the eight ball for years, if they can then find jobs in their majors that qualify as careers featuring advancement.
So all these brilliant people, the best and brightest, people in the establishment, smarter than we are, better than we are, more caring and all this, and the college education as an institution for Americans to climb the ladder of success, they’ve done great damage to it as well as a lot of other institutions and traditions.
Trump represents an alternative way. So his supporters are not judging him on debate points. They’re disappointed he didn’t destroy her when he had the chance. I mean, I think that’s the big deal. Trump supporters think that he had a chance to really inflict major political harm and didn’t because he either missed it, too busy thinking about himself, making everything personal, or just wasn’t prepared or whatever.
But that anger is not the kind of anger that is gonna make ’em leave him. It’s the kind of anger that makes ’em frustrated and hell-bent on him doing better. One other stat. Forty-five percent of people who watched the debate said they did not watch the whole thing. That was a number I was waiting for, I was curious. I don’t know how long they watched, I don’t have that data yet. Forty-five percent said they didn’t watch the whole thing, and 55% lied and said that they did.A MAJORITY of Australians prefer Labor's faster and more expensive National Broadband Network to the Coalition's cheaper and slower alternative.
And it's not just young people wanting faster downloads for games and videos, according to polling by Auspoll conducted last Friday.
Australians aged 55 to 64 have emerged as the strongest supporters of Labor's broadband plan, with 60 per cent preferring it over the Coalition's plan.
The polling points to a growing appreciation of the wider benefits of broadband, beyond entertainment, according to a senior research partner at Auspoll, Darryl Nelson.
"The majority of Australian's see the NBN as highly important to Australia's future, not only about what can be done today, but about what will be possible in the near future," Mr Nelson said.
Despite only 8 per cent of Australians having used the NBN, 56 per cent believe it is extremely or very important for Australia's future.
Nearly three quarters of people said it was extremely important for delivering remote healthcare. A further 71 per cent think it important for delivering remote education, 68 per cent to ensure future advances in technology, 61 per cent to create more efficient and competitive businesses and 59 per cent to facilitate more people working from home.
Just 34 per cent thought it important to access the latest entertainment options.
The Coalition has promised to deliver internet speeds of 25 megabits per second for a price tag of $30 billion. Labor promises speeds of 100 megabits per second for a budgeted cost of $43 billion.
Asked about the merits of the differing plans, 46 per cent of people didn't support either plan or did not know. A remaining 33 per cent support the Labor plan and 21 per cent support the Coalition plan.Syrian Crisis: President Obama asks Congress to save him from his own mess on America's stance toward a terrorist state. Has he given one credible reason why the egg should be on members' faces too?
The liberal Think Progress blog's count Thursday found nearly 200 congressmen leaning against Obama's request to approve a strike on Syria, and fewer than 50 leaning in favor.
It called this "a drastic change that has occurred literally overnight." But with the president using the bully pulpit to make the case for this supposed national security priority, how can this be?
The last straw for our self-important elected representatives may have been Obama in Scandinavia talking to Congress, which last we checked meets in Washington.
Standing with the Swedish prime minister, the president on Wednesday lectured U.S. lawmakers that "my credibility is not on the line... America and Congress' credibility is on the line."
He also claimed, "the international community's credibility is on the line." Everyone's credibility is in question, it seems, except the leader of the free world, who placed us where we are as regards Syria. He's not passing the buck; he's shoving it |
The attorney general made his latest comments while in El Salvador, where he is meeting with officials on trying to quash the violent street gang known as MS-13.
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Trump and Sessions have been engaged in a public standoff that began last week, when the president told The New York Times in an interview that he would have picked someone else as attorney general if he had known Sessions would recuse himself from the federal probe into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.
In the days that followed, Trump continued to unleash a steady stream of attacks on Sessions, whom he called "beleaguered." Trump accused his attorney general of taking a "VERY weak" stand against alleged "crimes" committed by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonREAD: Cohen testimony alleges Trump knew Stone talked with WikiLeaks about DNC emails County GOP in Minnesota shares image comparing Sanders to Hitler Holder: 'Time to make the Electoral College a vestige of the past' MORE, his 2016 Democratic opponent.
But in spite of Trump's criticism, the president hasn't removed the attorney general and Sessions has indicated that he has no intention of stepping down.
Asked during a news conference on Tuesday whether he was willing to fire Sessions, Trump simply responded that "we will see what happens."
The Washington Post reported Wednesday night that Trump has discussed with confidants and advisers the possibility of installing a new attorney general with a recess appointment if Sessions were to resign his post.
Republican lawmakers have rallied around Sessions in recent days, warning the president against firing his attorney general or trying to make a recess appointment.If what the Microsoft chairman said last week in Tokyo is to be taken seriously, then the beta cycle for the next version of Windows must begin in a matter of weeks. If no such announcement happens, then the Gates era is truly over.
What will likely be Bill Gates' last Asian tour as Chairman of Microsoft has already generated plenty of news, especially with his public display of walking away from the Yahoo deal. But now that Microsoft has released its transcript of Gates' speech in Tokyo last Wednesday, prior to his press conference where the focus was on his Yahoo comments, we realize that he had intended to make news on a different front.
At a speech before the Digital Lifestyle Consortium there that day, Gates said it was his intention to crunch down the typical client operating system product lifecycle to three years at maximum, perhaps as narrow as two years.
"So it is a...there will be constant change. I see Windows, a major new version of Windows every two to three years," Microsoft cites its chairman as stating on May 7. "I see the services that Windows connects up to, like the social networking, or the file synchronization, I see those things being updated on an even more regular basis. So it's a very dynamic environment, where getting the feedback from the customers is very important to that."
The speech took Gates' traditional form of covering all the bullet points in equal measure; and this statement immediately followed his having touched upon his company's investment in so-called "natural user interface" technologies, which he characterized as non-mainstream.
The chairman did not go into detail on this subject, nor any other, so one element he managed to skip right over was the beta test cycle. Windows Vista was given its official name in July 2005, and its beta test roadmap was revealed the following week. Between that time and its release to manufacturing for commercial customers, was a span of time just over 14 months.
If Microsoft were to take its current chairman at his word, and slate the release of Windows 7 for (preferably) October 2009, then for any "dynamic customer feedback" to be meaningful, it would probably need to begin no later than this July. Which means that some meaningful announcement about not only a beta test roadmap but also branding would need to be prepared and ready for next month's TechEd 2008 in Orlando.
Gates mentioned Windows 7 during the speech only one other time, several minutes earlier: "We're hard at work, I would say, on the next version, which we call Windows 7," he said. "I'm very excited about the work being done there. The ability to be lower power, take less memory, be more efficient, and have lots more connections up to the mobile phone, so those scenarios connect up well to make it a great platform for the best gaming that can be done, to connect up to the thing being done out on the Internet, so that, for example, if you have two personal computers, that your files automatically are synchronized between them, and so you don't have a lot of work to move that data back and forth. Obviously we'd all love it if people had more PCs per average, and so making that simple is important."Week 5 in the HGC was full of both heartbreak and elation as we locked in the final teams for the Western Clash in Kiev. Following their jaw-dropping performance at the Mid-Season Brawl, Fnatic will be the team to beat this time around. In this post, you will find a brief introduction to each of the teams hoping to that they're up to the task, but before we get into it, we are happy to unveil the first-round matchups for our double elimination bracket at the Western Clash.
Fnatic vs. RED Canids
Tempo Storm vs. Team Liquid
Gale Force eSports vs. Nomia
Team expert vs. Team Freedom
Reigning Western Clash champions Team Dignitas won’t be in attendance in Kiev, even though they won their final series against Tricked esport 3-0. This marks the first international Heroes esports event without the British stalwarts in the game's young competitive history. Following their win this weekend, Team Liquid will represent Europe in their stead, and will start the tournament facing off against Tempo Storm in a series that promises to deliver. We will dive deeper into these first-round matchups as we get closer to the event. For now, meet the teams in contention in Kiev.
Fnatic – Europe #1 Seed
The Mid-Season Brawl champions have been on a dominant run since defeating Team Dignitas in the grand finals at DreamHack Summer. Since then they’ve been unstoppable domestically, that is until this past weekend. In an upset that flabbergasted our European casters, the Playing Ducks, the last place team in the European HGC, managed to down the undefeated Fnatic 3-1. Despite the loss, Fnatic are still the favorites to win the Western Clash convincingly.
Team expert – Europe #2 Seed
The last Western Clash featured Fnatic, Team Dignitas, and Team Liquid from Europe. With Team Dignitas out of the running for the moment, there is room for new blood. Team expert proved themselves worthy in Phase 2 by rolling over every team except for Tricked and Fnatic. They also lost out to Team Liquid this past weekend in an incredibly close series that went the full five maps. Team expert are known for executing extremely unique drafts and utilizing niche heroes. They are undefeated with Abathur, Malthael, and Valla so far in Phase 2.
Team Liquid – Europe #3 Seed
Team Liquid has had a rough go of things since the last Western Clash, which they entered as the favorites. They missed their opportunity to attend the Mid-Season Brawl by a hair after losing to Team Dignitas in the final round of the Phase 1 Playoffs. They exacted revenge on Dignitas early on in Phase 2, winning 3-0, but went on to lose to both Zealots and Tricked esport. This inconsistency may prove worrisome for Team Liquid at the Western Clash.
However, it’s worth noting that Team Liquid boast the longest running five-player roster in the HGC, and they’ve been on top of the west before when they made the semi-finals at the Summer Championship in 2016. The time to mesh has long passed, which is a clear advantage they’ll have over newer teams like Freedom and expert. If anyone is capable of upsetting Fnatic at the Western Clash, it’s Liquid.
Gale Force eSports – North America #1 Seed
Gale Force didn't put in a great performance at the last Western Clash, thanks in part to a tough bracket draw. They looked great in the second half of Phase 1, but lost out to Roll20 in the final round of the Phase 1 playoffs. In their time off during the Mid-Season Brawl they picked up both John Paul ‘KingCaffiene’ Lopez and Keiwan ‘k1pro’ Itakura from B-Step. This change has seemingly been what the team needed to take their game to the next level. They defeated both Tempo Storm and Roll20 esports in Phase 2, losing only to Team Freedom. It will be interesting to see how much of an impact Gale Force can make on the international stage.
Tempo Storm – North America #2 Seed
At the last Western Clash, Tempo Storm were struck down by both Fnatic and Roll20. At the Mid-Season Brawl they showed improvement after taking a Battleground off Team Dignitas and besting Taiwan’s Soul Torturers to make it out of groups. Since then they’ve struggled a bit at home, which may be thanks to a shrinking skill gap in North America. Watch for Tempo Storm to bring out Kael’thas when the time is right, as Harrison ‘psalm’ Chang currently has an impressive 100% winrate on the Hero since the HGC began in January.
Team Freedom – North America #3 Seed
Of all the teams attending the Western Clash, Team Freedom are by far the most improved. This is a team that barely avoided the Crucible in Phase 1, and are now heading to their first international live event just five weeks into Phase 2. In this most recent run, they have defeated both Gale Force eSports and Roll20 esports in convincing fashion. This improvement might be attributed to the addition of Heroes of the Dorm champion Yusuf ‘Kure’ Sunka. Kure is the teams resident Genji player, a Hero on which he has a 66.7% winrate.
Nomia – Australia & New Zealand
Nomia is everyone’s favorite underdog. At the last Western Clash they stunned the crowd by winning the first Battleground of the tournament against #1 seed Team Liquid. At the Mid-Season Brawl they got even further, after surviving a deadly group that included the likes of Fnatic and MVP Black, making them the first team from ANZ to ever make it out of groups at an international Heroes esports event. This time around they’ll be out for blood with even more experience under their belt. They will be seen as veterans compared to the likes of Team Freedom and Team expert. Underestimate Nomia at your peril.
RED Canids – Latin America
RED Canids are back after a rough go of things at the Mid-Season Brawl where they went home without winning a Battleground. Juan 'Jschritte' Passos and team captain Matheus 'Typhex' Santos return now with the same roster except for Diego 'haMtarO' Victoriano who has since left the team. In his place will be newcomer Túlio 'Tulin' Chebli. We will see if this iteration of RED Canids have what it takes to upset the rest of our western teams.
Admission to the Western Clash is free, and all are invited! Make sure you check out this week's casters announcement and keep it tuned right here to playheroes.com/esports as our coverage of the Western Clash is just beginning. We will have an analytical look at the first round matchups along with player interviews, and of course another declassified Captain’s Scouting Report.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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If you have followed the aftermath of the August 9 killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown, then you have most likely seen the image of his stepfather holding a makeshift cardboard sign that reads, “Ferguson police just executed my unarmed son!!!” You have likely seen the photo of Brown’s mother staring into the camera, her husband encircling her neck with his arm, her eyes swollen to slits after what must have been hours of crying and asking questions that went unanswered. Ad Policy
The grief-stricken face of the parent is everywhere in moments like this, these too frequent moments when a young person loses his or her life to the senseless, ceaseless fear and hatred that black bodies arouse. It seems to matter little what that body is doing at the time it’s mowed down. Approaching a stranger’s porch to ask for help, listening to music with friends, walking home from the corner store—no activity is safe from the knee jerk responses set off by racial hatred or implicit bias. Whatever the preceding action, a human being is dead and his or her parents are left to convince the public and the courts that their offspring had a right to expect another day on earth.
Often such events are covered as a story about race, police violence, white supremacy or laws that protect murderers from prosecution. But the killing of Michael Brown, like the killing of many young black people before him, is rarely framed as a feminist issue or as an issue of pressing importance to those who advocate for choice, self-determination and dignity as they relate to family life. With this most recent killing, I am wondering what it would take for more people in feminist and reproductive rights circles to begin to think of parents such as Lesley McSpadden, Sybrina Fulton and Angela Leisure (a mother whose ordeal I’m especially reminded of in the wake of this latest tragedy) as women they advocate for just as passionately and vigorously as they advocate for a young woman’s right to contraception or an overwhelmed mother of three’s right to an abortion.
This broader perspective has long been that of the reproductive justice movement, whose participants support “the right to have children, not have children, and to parent the children we have in safe and healthy environments.” And some writers, mostly black women, are explaining why the death of Michael Brown terrifies and infuriates them as mothers. Earlier this week, Stacia Brown posted an entry titled “When Parenting Feels Like a Fool’s Errand” on her blog. She writes:
I think about how often I keep you near me and how many people take umbrage with that. She has to learn, they say, how to live in this world. But how can you learn at 4 to do what still makes me flail and falter at 34? And how can I let you go when a girl a year younger than you was gunned down in our city last week and a boy who would’ve headed off to college for the first time on Monday was executed within steps of his Ferguson, MO home on Saturday? I’ve no more access to the language for this than you do. What I have is you and the God who gave you and the God who just may take you away.
After the first-degree murder charges facing the killer of Jordan Davis were dismissed earlier this year, Black Twitter and the #DangerousBlackKids hashtag provided a space where people could express the gap between how they see the children in their lives and how an unhinged aggressor might see them. Tamura Lomax at The Feminist Wire offered a response to the verdict that asked how such occurrences fit into a broader feminist understanding of justice. She wrote:
I am a black mother and a black wife. I fear for my beloveds’ safety everyday. Ain’t I feminist too? Ain’t the potential murder of my loved ones and how that may impact me and others in my community a feminist concern too?
Earlier in her piece, Lomax wrote: “Our black children, brothers, sisters, aunties, uncles, mothers and fathers are being assassinated. For those who still don’t get that this is, among other things, a feminist issue, you will never get it and are thus a part of the problem…” In the wake of Brown’s death, I’m wondering what it would take to prove Lomax wrong. What would it take for the organizations and commentators who beat the drum for policies related to reproductive health and rights to use their platforms to advocate for black parents who lose their children to violent attacks on those young people’s lives? Gun control advocates reached out to Sybrina Fulton, Trayvon Martin’s mother, to make her an ally and spokesperson on efforts to repeal Stand Your Ground laws. It’s worth looking for similar areas of intersection within feminist circles or, even better, creating new initiatives that put these bereaved parents’ demands front and center.There’s a silver lining to the current downturn in oil prices. It’s bringing out some very good assets for sale.
And this past week saw a first-of-a-kind oil project come available — in one of the most important oil and gas plays to emerge globally over the last few decades.
The pre-salt of offshore Brazil.
The billion-barrel potential of Brazil’s pre-salt has been recognized for years. But getting into this big-upside play hasn’t been easy — given that blocks here were tightly controlled by Brazilian state developer Petrobras. With foreign operators generally confined to minority stakes in partnership with the major.
But on Friday, Petrobras did something it’s never done before. Sold a majority stake in a pre-salt block to a outside entity.
That was Norway’s Statoil. Which Petrobras confirmed has agreed to purchase a 66% stake in the BM-S-8 block — for total consideration of $2.5 billion.
This marks the first outright sale of a pre-salt project by Petrobras. Which up until now had been the majority owner and operator of this project — along with minority stakeholders including Portugal’s Galp Energy, as well as two smaller Brazil-based firms.
But the recent drop in oil prices is changing Petrobras’ attitudes towards its portfolio. With the company now aggressively looking to sell assets in order to pay down debt.
This project sale also comes as Brazil’s government has been seriously discussing opening the pre-salt up to a “concession model” of development. Where private operators would be able to bid on blocks like in many other parts of the world, rather than relying on partnerships with government.
This week’s sale is a sign that such steps toward opening the pre-salt are gaining momentum. Signalling that some big opportunities could be coming up here, for operators with the cash position to get into this big-money play. Watch for more project sales and license offers coming here.
Here’s to letting it go.
By Dave Forest
More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:You've capitulated enough, Mr. President.
You've capitulated enough, Mr. President.
I have gone at least halfway in meeting some of the Republican concerns.
President Barack Obama, in his painfully bad press conference:halfway? So he's admitted that he's already met them in the middle, and likely gone past the middle into Republican territory. And we're still two weeks out from the fiscal cliff deadline, with Republicans sitting around waiting for the inevitable further concessions Obama will make.
Who won the election, again?
Not that it matters that Obama has public opinion on his side. He had that in 2011 too, and pissed it away because of his pathological desire to find "consensus" regardless the cost.
People elected him not because of his leadership style, which earned terrible marks, but because they expected him to look out for them. He might want to validate those expectations.
Update: Sheesh, why didn't Obama say something like, "I made a more than fair deal. The GOP rejected it. So now I'm pulling the offer off the table and waiting to see what the GOP has to offer. Clock's ticking!" Instead, the GOP will bank the concessions he's already made, then demand more. Rinse. Lather. Repeat.Raiding on Arkenstone is the most active on any other server if you are kinless. At the moment I am kinless on Arkenstone and am finding lots of Pug Throne T2 Raids all throughout the day (Australian) who are more than happy to invite, I have even made a few friends in doing so who now invite me to their groups without me even asking.A big tip is to put yourself out there, talk with people, be friendly, joining group in voice chat banter and most importantly make some friends by having fun! Unfortunately doing any raid but Throne of the Dread terror is hard but just ask around because once you find a nice friendly group of players I am sure once Throne dies out that people will be running the classicsAs an Australian I think the "No one is doing raids in my Time zone" while on Arkenstone is complete nonsense as I can log on at 6AM in the morning and see a raid going on, log on at 12PM and see a raid going on and Log on at 6PM and see a raid going on you just need to talk to some people in World chat and try joining chat channels like glff.Kateryna Kon/Science Photo Library
Viruses and their hosts have been at war for more than a billion years. This battle has driven a dramatic diversification of viruses and of host immune responses. Although the earliest antiviral systems have long since vanished, researchers may now have recovered remnants of one of them embedded, like a fossil, in human cells.
A protein called Drosha, which helps to control gene regulation in vertebrates, also tackles viruses, researchers report today in Nature1. They suggest that Drosha and the family of enzymes, called RNAse III, it belongs to were the original virus fighters in a single-celled ancestor of animals and plants. “You can see the footprint of RNAse III in the defence systems through all kingdoms of life,” says Benjamin tenOever, a virologist at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York and lead author of the paper.
Plants and invertebrates deploy RNAse III proteins in an immune response called RNA interference, or RNAi. When a virus infects a host, the proteins slice the invader’s RNA into chunks that prevent it from spreading. But vertebrates take a different approach, warding off viruses with powerful interferon proteins — while Drosha and a related protein regulate genes in the nucleus.
But in 2010, tenOever witnessed an odd phenomenon: Drosha appeared to leave the nucleus of human cells whenever a virus invaded2. “That was weird and made us curious,” tenOever says. His team later confirmed the finding, and saw that Drosha demonstrates the same behaviour in cells from flies, fish and plants.
Cell defender
To test the hypothesis that Drosha leaves the nucleus to combat viruses in vertebrates, the researchers infected cells that had been genetically engineered to lack Drosha with a virus. They found that the viruses replicated faster in these cells. The team then inserted Drosha from bacteria into fish, human and plant cells. The protein seemed to stunt the replication of viruses, suggesting that this function dates back to an ancient ancestor of all the groups. “Drosha is like the beta version of all antiviral defence systems,” tenOever says.
tenOever speculates that RNAse III proteins originally helped bacteria to maintain their own RNA, and that bacteria later deployed the proteins against the genetic material of viruses. He points out the occurrence of RNAse III proteins in immune responses throughout the tree of life. For instance, some CRISPR systems, a virus-fighting response in archaea and bacteria, include RNAse III proteins. Plants and invertebrates deploy the proteins in RNAi. And although vertebrates rely on interferons for viral control, this study now shows that Drosha still chases after viruses, in the same way a pet Golden Retriever — a dog bred to retrieve waterfowl — fetches a stick as if it were a fallen duck.
Donald Court, a geneticist at the National Cancer Institute in Frederick, Maryland, calls the finding cool, but he doesn’t buy the evolutionary scenario. “RNAse III is involved in many things, in almost all domains of life,” he explains. He sees no reason to think that one antiviral system evolved into the next. For instance, he says, the fact that one CRISPR system includes RNAse III whereas others don’t suggests that the proteins were probably deployed acquired independently and not inherited.
“It’s a really intriguing story, and the data are good, but you’re talking about processes that happened over millennia so it’s hard to know whether it’s true,” says Bryan Cullen, a virologist at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. Cullen predicts that the paper will prompt researchers who study RNA and infectious diseases to test tenOever’s hypothesis. “The immune system has been under tremendous pressure to evolve as viruses overcome defences, and this paper suggests that RNAse III has played an important role in that evolution,” he says. “It’s like what the Red Queen said to Alice in Through the Looking-Glass: you have to keep running to stay in one place.”Jeb Bush will be happy to see some friendly faces in the crowd at CPAC.
Photo by Andy Jacobsohn/Getty Images
It sounds like Jeb Bush’s supporters are taking CPAC pretty seriously this year. Emails provided to Slate show that backers of the former Florida governor are busing supporters from downtown Washington D.C. to CPAC in National Harbor, Maryland, and organizing to get them day passes into the event.
One of the emails that went out this morning was from Fritz Brogan, a former advance man for then-President George W. Bush who (per the Washington Post) co-hosted a fundraiser for Jeb’s Right to Rise PAC earlier this month. A Bush insider confirmed to Slate that Bush’s Right to Rise PAC is helping organize the transportation.
“We strongly recommend arriving as early as possible to get a seat,” wrote Brogan in an email sent to undisclosed recipients. “Our ‘Early Rise’ team will be there at 7:30am onward helping reserve seats- if you want to join the early team, let me know.”
Brogan wrote that there were still available seats on buses leaving from K Street and Georgetown at noon on Friday to get to the event in time for Bush’s talk.
In another email sent last week to undisclosed recipients, Brogan discussed the importance of Bush supporters saving seats for each other before his talk.
“If you are able to come early, we would love to have your help at 7:30am reserving seats for fellow supporters,” he wrote.
One long-time CPAC insider said these organized efforts impressed him, and that he didn’t know of any other potential 2016 candidates busing backers in. Perhaps that’s because no other potential candidates are worried about the regular crowd turning against them—the Washington Times reports today that some CPAC attendees are planning “to stage an informal protest when he hits the stage.”
Eliana Johnson reported at National Review that Bush won’t give a speech. Rather, she wrote that he will do a 20-minute Q&A with Fox News host Sean Hannity. Bush is slated to appear on the mainstage at 1:40 p.m. Friday and we’ll let you know how it goes.The military government of Gen. Mohammad Hussein Tantawi, the minister of defense, has taken important steps toward mollifying the Jan. 25 protest movement, but it is not clear that these measures can succeed in forestalling further clashes and severe conflicts in Egypt.
The government has appointed respected jurist Tareq al-Bishri to head a committee charged with amending the 1973 constitution, which had been subject to large numbers of changes that benefited the ruling National Democratic Party. The committee working on these amendments, aimed at creating a framework for free and fair parliamentary elections in late summer or early fall, includes a Coptic Christian and a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, a major element in the opposition. Bishri is known as a pious Muslim, not an extremist.
Human rights organizations complained that the committee had no women on it, was not representative, and had a distinctly conservative cast.
The government says that the amended constitution will be produced within 10 days and then put to a national referendum within two months. The swiftness with which it is working, and the resort to a mechanism for popular affirmation of the constitution, both received some acclaim even from sections of the protest movement, though other branches of it are unconvinced.
The military has also just pledged to meet another major demand of the protest movement, to abolish the emergency laws that have suspended civil liberties for nearly 30 years before Egypt goes to the polls in the fall.
France24 has video
Among the big changes being contemplated is moving Egypt to a form of government more like that of Britain, i.e. a parliamentary system with power vested in a prime minister who comes out of the elected legislature. As it is, Egypt more resembles France and the US, in having an independently elected, powerful presidency whose prerogatives curb those of parliament (or Congress). The presidential system in the Middle East has often deteriorated into dictatorship and presidents-for-life. Democratization theorists in the US agree that this move would be a good idea.
The constitutional changes are not putting food on anyone’s table, and workers are continuing to strike, in defiance of military strictures. On Wednesday some 10,000 textile workers at al-Mahallah al-Kubra went on strike. Bank workers, transportation workers, even police and ambulance drivers, have engaged in work stoppages and have demanded better wages and working conditions.
Euronews has video on the strikes:UPDATE: Flash flooding causes many local road closures in central PA Copyright 2019 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Flash flooding from heavy overnight rains flood roadways and businesses, these are in Fairfield Township, Montoursville in Lycoming County. (Courtesy: Michele Kauz) [ + - ] Copyright 2019 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
FAIRFIELD TWP, LYCOMING COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) - Here's the latest update on road closures due to flooding in Central Pennsylvania.
REMEMBER - IF you see water on the road - turnaround - don't drown!
STATUS AS OF 4PM (EDT):
Lycoming County
Route 1001 (Flanagan Hill Road/Rose Valley Road) at the intersection of Slacks Run Road in Cascade Township.
Route 1003 (Wallis Run Road) between Murray Run Road in Gamble Township and Wallis Run Road in Cascade Township.
Route 1003 (Wallis Run Road) between Route 973 in Eldred Township and Southard Road in Gamble Township.
1003 (Wallis Run Road) at the intersection of Murray Run Road in Gamble Township.
Route 1004 (Southard Road/Beech Valley Road/Field Station Road) between Route 14 in Lewis Township and Wallis Run Road in Gamble Township.
Route 1005 (Lower Barbours Road/Hoppestown Road/Proctor Road) at the intersection of Wallis Run Road in Plunketts Creek Township.
Route 1006 (Slacks Run Road/Kellysburg Road/Wallis Run Road) between Route 14 in Lewis Township and Rose Valley Road in Cascade Township.
Route 1006 (Slacks Run Road/Kellysburg Road/Wallis Run Road at the intersection of Frymire Road in Cascade Township.
** (Open) Route 2029 (Northway Road) between Four Mile Drive in Loyalsock Township and Route 973 in Eldred Township.
Route 3007 (Pine Run Road) at intersection of Level Corners Road in Piatt Township.
Sullivan County
Route 87 between Nortons Road and Elk Creek Road in Hillsgrove
Route 4010 (Hoppestown Road) between the Lycoming County line and Route 87 in Hillsgrove.
Route 4001 (Elk Creek Road) between Route 87 in Hillsgrove Township and Route 154 in Elkland Township.
PennDOT is assessing the situation throughout the impacted area. Motorists should be alert and watch for standing water on roadways throughout the area. They should never attempt to drive through flooded roadways.
Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 770 traffic cameras.
511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.Joyride.png
(Joyride)
After weeks of delays the Birmingham City Council, on Tuesday, approved an ordinance allowing low-speed taxicab services, such as Joyride, to operate in the Magic City.
City officials said Joyride expressed interest in operating in downtown, Avondale and Lake View where there is an active restaurant and bar scene.
Under the new ordinance, low-speed cabs, which are typically large golf carts, will be allowed to operate on roadways with speed limits that don't exceed 35 miles per hour. The carts will have a speed limit of 25 miles per hour, and the city traffic engineer must approve all routes.
All passengers must wear seat belts at all times, according to the ordinance.
"Birmingham is an up-and-coming city," said Bryan Dill, a representative for Joyride. "I think the Lake View area, Southside and Regions Field and 1st Avenue area (of downtown) are coming into their own, and it is only going to continue to grow. (Birmingham) is a national progression in our expansion."
Joyride Birmingham is expected to be operating by late April or early May, he said. Hiring will begin soon. Click here for more information.
Dill said he anticipates Joyride operating in the downtown area east of Interstate 65 to Highway 280 in Avondale, north to the BJCC, and southeast to UAB and Five Points South.
"We focus on short rides," he said. "We aren't trying to compete with taxis and Uber. We take the rides that taxis don't want."
Dill said a large portion of Joyride's business is made up of sight-seeing tours. Some of the tours being considered for the Magic City are civil rights, haunted sites and breweries.
Joyride currently operates in Tuscaloosa, Nashville, Knoxville, Tenn., Panama City Beach and Tallahassee.
According to the ordinance, fares will be charged per person, per ride and must be clearly posted.
Before being allowed to operate, the low-speed cabs must be inspected by the Birmingham Police Department. The vehicles must have headlights, signal lights, tail lights and brake lights. All vehicles must have Alabama license plates.
Next month, the Birmingham City Council is expected to consider an ordinance that will allow pedal tours.(CNN) Here's a look at Labor Day, a legal holiday celebrated in the United States and Puerto Rico to honor working people. Labor Day is on Monday, September 2, 2019.
Facts:
It is celebrated on the first Monday in September.
In many other countries, May Day (May 1st) is the day working people are honored. Most of Europe celebrates May Day.
For many, Labor Day symbolizes the end of summer.
Timeline:
Early 1880s - The idea for creating a holiday to honor workers is proposed by either Peter McGuire of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners Union or Matthew Maguire of the International Association of Machinists (US Department of Labor). The Central Labor Union of New York appoints a committee to organize a picnic and parade in honor of working people.
September 5, 1882 - New York City holds the first Labor Day parade. It is estimated that 10,000 workers participate. New York City holds the first Labor Day parade. It is estimated that 10,000 workers participate. (US Census Bureau) Not all employers support the idea, but many union workers take the first Monday in September off anyway. Some unions levy fines against workers who do go into work. At the time, workers receive time off for Christmas, the Fourth of July and every other Sunday.
1887 - Oregon becomes the first state to make Labor Day a legal holiday.
1894 - President Grover Cleveland and the US Congress make it a national holiday.
Labor Unions: (BLS)
In 1983, the union membership rate was 20.1% in the US. Membership was 10.7% in 2017. In 1983, the union membership rate was 20.1% in the US. Membership was 10.7% in 2017.
New York has the highest rate of union workers among the states, with 23.8% in 2017.
South Carolina has the lowest, with 2.6% in 2017.Press Release Pricing | News by Category | News by Country | News by US Region | Recent News | PR.com News on Your Site Press Releases Sia (Nebulous Inc.) Press Release
Receive press releases from Sia (Nebulous Inc.): By Email RSS Feeds: Sia and Minebox Announce Strategic Collaboration to Give People a Better and More Secure Data Storage Option
Boston, MA, January 14, 2017 --(
"Sia wants to provide consumers and businesses with the perfect data storage solution, the one-stop shop for their files, and act as a personal cloud that will keep files secure and in their control,” said David Vorick, CEO, and co-founder of Sia. "We have taken the power of the blockchain and combined it with file storage, proving the same benefits for files that were previously given to money - no relying on humans, no terms of service, no single points of failure. A true upgrade to how we keep our files.”
Minebox first product, the Minebox NAS (network attached storage device), is designed to integrate with Sia's platform fully. "To create such a solution we had to |
his strategic leadership capabilities, demonstrated communications skills, and track-record of building strong organizations of similar size and scope."
The company has scheduled a conference call to introduce Suttles.
Suttles will also join the board as a director, while Woitas has been designated as the board's future chairman, replacing David O'Brien.
Woitas said in April after Encana's annual meeting that there were three internal candidates for the top executive job, including chief financial officer Sherri Brillon.
The company said at the time that it expected little of its 2013 production to come from early-stage developments and said that it has targeted between $100 million and $150 million in annual cost reductions in the next few years.
"I am excited to take the helm of one of North America's leading energy producers," Suttles said in the announcement.
"Over the coming months, I look forward to working with the entire organization as we shape a strategy and plan that will grow shareholder value and unlock Encana's full potential."
The company said Suttles trained as a mechanical engineer at the University of Texas in Austin where he graduated in 1983.
From 1983 to 1988 he had assignments at Exxon before joining BP.
His positions at the British oil giant included vice-president for North Sea operations, and has been, among other things, president of BP Sakhalin Inc. in Russia and president of BP Alaska.
THE CANADIAN PRESS
CALGARY -- Encana Corp. (TSX:ECA) has hired a former senior BP executive with experience around the world as its new chief executive, following a months-long search.
Canada's largest natural gas producer has appointed Doug Suttles, a 30-year veteran of the industry who most recently was chief operating officer at BP Exploration and Production.
Among other things, Suttles helped lead the clean-up of BP's Gulf of Mexico spill in the summer of 2010. BP confirmed in January 2011 that Suttles was retiring after 22 years with the company.
Encana had said previously that its global search for a replacement for Randy Eresman, who left abruptly in January, had resulted in 150 applicants including several internal candidates.
"After an extensive global search, Doug stood out as the ideal candidate to lead Encana into its next phase of growth and development," Encana acting CEO Clayton Woitas said in a statement Tuesday.
"The board is pleased he has chosen to take on the role of president and CEO given his strategic leadership capabilities, demonstrated communications skills, and track-record of building strong organizations of similar size and scope."
The company has scheduled a conference call to introduce Suttles.
Suttles will also join the board as a director, while Woitas has been designated as the board's future chairman, replacing David O'Brien.
Woitas said in April after Encana's annual meeting that there were three internal candidates for the top executive job, including chief financial officer Sherri Brillon.
The company said at the time that it expected little of its 2013 production to come from early-stage developments and said that it has targeted between $100 million and $150 million in annual cost reductions in the next few years.
"I am excited to take the helm of one of North America's leading energy producers," Suttles said in the announcement.
"Over the coming months, I look forward to working with the entire organization as we shape a strategy and plan that will grow shareholder value and unlock Encana's full potential."
The company said Suttles trained as a mechanical engineer at the University of Texas in Austin where he graduated in 1983.
From 1983 to 1988 he had assignments at Exxon before joining BP.
His positions at the British oil giant included vice-president for North Sea operations, and has been, among other things, president of BP Sakhalin Inc. in Russia and president of BP Alaska.Rich Lowry, editor of National Review, argues “against an electoral coup,” picking apart the left’s arguments for a mass demonstration of faithless electors.
Lowry writes that claims of “Russian hacking” were well litigated before the election, and voters considered and rejected them.
From Politico:
Then, there’s Russia. John Podesta wants electors to get an intelligence briefing on Russia’s hacking during the campaign, which is a way of insinuating that Trump’s victory was illegitimate. This, too, was argued about for months prior to the election. Voters had the option of discounting the WikiLeaks revelations given their provenance. To the extent this issue was decisive — and no one can know for certain — voters valued the new information about Hillary even though it was stolen. Again, there is no case for electors overruling them.
(It’s also a bit rich seeing the same liberals who defended President Barack Obama’s deference to Putin for years suddenly become cold warriors.)
It’s not that there aren’t legitimate concerns about Trump’s temperament and cavalier attitude toward executive power. But these were thoroughly hashed out during the election as well; in fact, Hillary Clinton campaigned on little else. And she lost, narrowly, but decisively. This is what Democrats have to accept.
Read the rest of the article here.Anghus Houvouras on the cult of celebrity…
Celebrities. Most of the world seems obsessed with their every act. There’s a billion dollar business that revolves around cataloging the mindless minutia of their day-to-day life. The movies and television shows they star in sometimes feel less important than the hundred thousand articles, talk show appearances, and gossip columns that will be spawned from whatever project they’re currently promoting.
I don’t care about celebrities. Like, not even a little. I don’t care what or who they’re wearing, who they’re fucking, or what they look like off set when they’re shopping for fresh guava pastries at the local Bodega. I don’t care how likable or unlikable they are in ‘real life’. I’m not interested in their personal drama or any hardships they have suffered or are currently suffering. I’m uninterested in their stints in rehab, the terrible advice dispensed in self-help books, or the righteousness of their latest charitable cause. The life they lead outside of the roles they play is of no consequence to me.
Every so often someone will repeat something they read on social media. For example “Did you know Steve Carell owns a quaint general store in Massachusetts?” No, I didn’t. But now I do. That little nugget of trivia is now occupying space in my brain where once useful information used to live. I can’t prove that celebrity news is destroying my brain cells, but i can’t completely rule it out either.
On the flip side, it’s not like I’m actively wishing that something bad happens to them. Quite the opposite. I hope that my favorite movie and television stars are happy and healthy enough to continue producing quality content to my enjoyment. But that’s it. The movies and TV shows they make are the only thing I care about. Everything else is just tabloid nonsense for people who suffer from a strange starfucking affliction that seems to revolve around the idea that celebrities are approachable, decent human beings worthy of our adoration.
I’m not sure why people are so hung up on the hopes that celebrities are actually good and decent people. My natural assumption would be ‘they’re not’, and that’s not just because they’re celebrities, but because I believe most people are assholes and I doubt that percentage decreases when you add money, fame, and a lack of accountability to the scenario.
There’s not a lot I expect from movie and TV stars other than their commitment to making good product. I don’t care whether or not they’re fundamentally good people. There is a line that can be crossed and behavior so abhorrent that I’ll stop caring about a celebrity’s career. A drunken, drug fueled bender is fine but I’m probably going to lose interest in your career if you kill someone or do something truly deplorable. I refer to this as ‘The Polanski Factor’.
This week the media couldn’t stop talking about Brad Pitt’s revelatory interview with GQ where he talked about the fallout from his divorce from Angelina Jolie. I had already zoned out by the time the vapid talking head got to the words ‘personal life’. If I wanted to hear people talk about their crippling addictions and failing marriages I’d spend an afternoon at a Starbucks without my headphones on.
In Pitt’s case my painfully low-level of empathy is even more depleted considering he’s one of the world’s best looking men with a hundred million or more in the bank. But this is a world where an actor’s image has to be crafted and managed because the public wants to believe that the people they idolize are decent. It’s such a strange, sycophantic relationship. The idea that the people who star in our favorite movies and TV shows are somehow ‘worthy’ of entertaining us. What is equally odd is the disappointment felt by those when a celebrity does prove themselves to be capable of embarrassing behavior.
It’s not like we apply the same logic to other professions. We don’t follow our Pharmacist home after his shift at the corner CVS ends and analyze every lifestyle choice. There’s no gaggle of paparazzi camped outside the Chipotle to find out what your Uber driver is doing on their lunch break. No one is posting en masse when they learn their Mail Man ends up in rehab for the third time for an ‘addiction to pain medication’.
The truth is that I consider movie & TV stars just that: movie and TV stars. The lives outside the characters they play is of no interest to me. They’re real people only in the technical sense, but not to me. These are movie stars, not actual human beings. I spend as little time considering the non-fictional part of their existence as I do the slave labor being used to manufacture iPhones or gay prisoners being rounded up in Chechnya. Perhaps the world would be a better place if we started taking this molecular level of interest and applied it to things in the world that actually mattered. What if we took the same amount of time we committed to learning about Jennifer Aniston’s latest terrible movie and personal life and used it to learn about Syrian Refugees? Imagine a world where we cared as much about the LGBTQ crisis in Chechnya as we did whatever crap Gwyneth Paltrow was peddling on Goop. The fact that I even know what Goop is causes a wave of shame to wash over me with the radiating ferocity of a toxic Fukishama tidal wave. The sobering reality is that humanity spends a disturbingly disproportionate amount of time focused on the lives of the rich and famous than we do the poor and disenfranchised. That sounds judgy, but I’m as guilty as the majority of my fellow humans of being little more than an apathetic, well-intentioned person with a screwed up sense of priorities. I consider myself slightly elevated because I have so little interest in the real lives of famous people. Then I realize I’m an elitist prick with a superiority complex and have to deduct those points I just assigned myself.
My point is; our favorite actors & actresses are just regular, flawed people like everyone else. Some may be nice, some might be total assholes, but the idea of being invested in their personal lives outside the work they’re doing and applying higher standards to them than you apply to actual people you interact with in day-to-day life is troubling. I doubt the mewling, mouth breathing public will ever tire of hearing the most intimate details of a celebrity’s life. For me, the feature film or television show they star in will be the only source of drama I remotely care about.
Anghus Houvouras(CNN) Flip open Amanda Shaffer's high school yearbook, and you'll notice something that stands out even more than her classmates' earnest smiles and big hairdos.
Only a handful of white faces appear among the portraits of African-American students -- flecks of white on a canvas of black and brown. One of those faces belongs to Shaffer, who was bused to a black high school in Cleveland, Ohio, after refusing to follow her friends to a white, private academy.
For three years, Shaffer was the only white person in the room. She had to learn how to fit in, how to not say the wrong thing. She had to deal with the peculiar sensation of being the only white girl in the bleachers as jittery white basketball teams entered a raucous gym filled with black people.
"It shifted my point of view," Shaffer says. "It's like when you go to the optometrist, and they slap those new lenses on you -- you see the world differently."
At least some do. A co-owner of the NBA's Atlanta Hawks recently offered another perspective on race when he complained in an email that the presence of too many black fans at Hawks' games scared away Southern whites who are "not comfortable being in an arena or a bar where they are the minority."
Bruce Levenson, the owner, resigned. But the focus on his remarks ignored the perspective of people who actually have a lot of practice at being the only white person in a black crowd. They are whites who, by choice or necessity, lived in an all-black world. They became the white minority.
There's a long tradition in America of people offering unsolicited advice to racial minorities on how to blend in. But there's no instruction book for those who struggle with an experience that one white NBA player described as "the loneliness of being white in an all-black world."
It's not all racial angst, though, says one civil rights activist who left his all-white upbringing in Vermont to live for two years among black residents in Mississippi, where he discovered R&B singer Otis Redding, okra and black preaching.
"I lived in a completely black world; every couple of weeks, I looked in the mirror to remind myself that I was white," says Chris Williams, who was then an 18-year-old volunteer for a civil rights campaign known as Mississippi Freedom Summer.
Chris Williams, then 18, found a new home among blacks in Mississippi where he became an activist.
What did he learn? Williams and others with similar experiences gave this minority report.
You learn to imagine
He was a raised in a small town in Missouri and went on to become a Rhodes Scholar, a U.S. senator and a presidential candidate. But some of the most important lessons Bill Bradley learned came on the basketball court as a player for the New York Knicks.
Bradley joined a team dominated by black superstars such as Willis Reed, Earl "The Pearl" Monroe and Walt Frazier. Off the court, though, the team's hierarchy was reversed.
"When I was a rookie, I was getting a lot of offers for commercials and my black teammates, who were better, were not getting any," he says.
Bradley got something else that he says was invaluable -- a glimpse into the private lives of black people. He shared rooms, meals, bus rides and long conversations off the court with his black teammates. He saw the constant racism they experienced and how it fed their anger.
He knew what it felt like to be outsider because he had become one.
In a speech he once gave to the National Press Club, Bradley said:
"I better understand distrust and suspicion. I understand the meaning of certain looks and certain codes. I understand what it is to be in racial situations for which you have no frame of reference. I understand the tension of always being on guard, of never totally relaxing...
"I understand the loneliness of being white in a black world."
Bradley eventually made the NBA Hall of Fame. He's become one of the country's most insightful voices on race.
"Race relations are essentially exercises in imagination," he says today. "You have to imagine yourself in the skin of the other party. So that means if you're white, you have to understand certain realities."
Other white sojourners in a black world say you have to learn to take advice or even orders from a person of color.
Every couple of weeks I looked in the mirror to remind myself that I was white. Chris Williams, a civil rights activist who lived for two years with black families in Mississippi
One man had to do both to stay alive.
When Williams went to Mississippi in 1964, he had to live with black families because many local whites detested Freedom Summer volunteers. They taught him how to become a part of their community and protected him. One black man saved his life by pulling him away from a white mob.
Williams says white Freedom Summer volunteers had to abandon the notion that they were there to rescue black people. They weren't going to Mississippi to become civil rights leaders, an organizer told them.
"He said the civil rights leaders were already there; you go down there and help them," recalls Williams, now a retired architect who still lives in his boyhood home in Vermont. "He said that they know what needs to be fixed, and they'll tell you."
You learn what people really think
The Public Religion Research Institute recently caused a stir when it released a poll that said three-quarters of white Americans have no nonwhite friends. Some commentators invoked the survey to explain why some whites seem clueless about racial sensitivities: They know no people of color to give them a different perspective.
White minorities in black communities say they have no problem hearing another racial perspective. They often hear more than they should.
The Rev. Curtiss Paul DeYoung says black people became so familiar with his presence when he joined an all-black church in Harlem and later attended the predominately black Howard University in Washington that some called him a "white Negro."
"People didn't change who they were when they talked to me," says DeYoung, now director of the Community Renewal Society in Chicago, a faith-based group created to eliminate race and class divisions.
"When you get into racially mixed situations, we change who we are and clean up our thinking in mixed settings," he says.
Black people let it rip in front of him, though. Once during a class at Howard, a black classmate talking about the country's first settlers declared that "all white people are criminals."
"I quickly understood that this was not a personal attack on me," DeYoung says. "People were very welcoming to me personally, but she was talking more about institutional racism."
DeYoung met a black student at Howard whom he later married. They remain married today and have two adult children.
"The woman who made that comment in class found out later that I was engaged to my wife and came up to me and said, 'Welcome to the family,' '' DeYoung says.
Other whites who spent time in all-black communities say they started noticing remarks from their white family and friends that were just as raw.
Shaffer, the white student who was bused, says she realized that her father called black kids "pickaninnies" and her brother called Puerto Ricans "Spics." She heard whites talk about "Jewing" prices down and warning others to wipe a soda can before drinking because "you don't know if a black person touched it."
"I just started noticing this subtle and casual racism that nobody around me questioned," says Shaffer, who is now an activist and director of faculty development at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio.
I understand the loneliness of being white in a black world. Bill Bradley, former U.S. senator and a Hall of Fame player with the New York Knicks
You see fear
Shaffer picked up on other things as well, such as the fear in some white faces when they moved into a black setting.
When she attended basketball games at her high school, Shaffer says, she would often be only one of two white girls in the crowd when white high school teams visited. It was like a disembodied experience -- she could step outside of her whiteness and watch with bemusement as nervous whites entered her school gym.
"One of the things I noticed is that they weren't actually making eye contact with people on the other side of the court," says Shaffer, who wrote about her experience in an essay entitled "Busing: A White Girl's Tale" for an online magazine, Belt
"They were in a place where there were more black people than white people and that is not usual for white people," she says.
Some white minorities become more afraid of what they see inside themselves.
When DeYoung was in college, he decided he was going to introduce himself to an attractive white freshman he spotted. But when he saw that woman walking across campus with two black men, he suddenly lost interest.
DeYoung rummaged through his mental attic to figure out why. The answer humbled him. He was a man who grew up buying the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s speeches and watching his father pastor a multiracial church, but he unearthed something ugly.
Bill Bradley, a former U.S. senator, pals around with his former teammates on the New York Knicks.
"I had fallen prey to the stereotype that a white woman involved with a black man is damaged goods, which goes back to the slave masters who taught people that black men were sexual animals," he says. "I thought, 'I don't have prejudice,' and then one of the oldest stereotypes struck me right in the face."
It can all sound so draining -- checking your motivations, trying not to offend black people. Isn't it easier to just declare as a white person that you don't see race?
DeYoung says that's actually a subtle way of insulting people of color.
"It diminishes people to not see their race and their culture," says DeYoung, who wrote a memoir about his racial journey entitled "Homecoming: A White Man's Journey through Harlem to Jerusalem."
"The reality is that race affects people's lives, and if you can't see race, you can't see the life they've lived."
You don't become an expert on race
There's a scene in the 1998 film "Primary Colors" in which a white Southern political operative tells this to a staid, uptight black campaign worker:
"I'm blacker than you are. I got some slave in me. I can feel it."
That scene captures a character familiar to some blacks: the white person who considers himself an honorary black person because he has a black girlfriend and likes hip-hop music.
Yet white people who spend time in an all-black setting seem to reach another conclusion:
"I don't think I can understand what it means to be black," says Williams, the Freedom Summer volunteer who joked that he forgot he was white. "It's much more than being a minority. It's a whole history."
That's something Joshua Packwood learned when he became the first white valedictorian at Morehouse College, a historically black college in Georgia that counts King as one of its graduates.
He says the black students he encountered were everything from punk rockers to hipsters to skateboarders to political conservatives who opposed affirmative action.
"If you ask me to define what black is, I'm not sure I can," says Packwood, who now lives in New York City with his wife and son and is the co-founder of Red Alder, an investment company.
Some whites who found themselves in the minority wrestled with a fear that's familiar to many people of color: Will people ever see past my race?
"I also have to 'prove' myself over and over again," DeYoung wrote in his memoir, "Homecoming." "Some persons of color may never fully trust me because I am white."
Curtiss Paul DeYoung, middle row second from the right, says some classmates called him a "white Negro."
The constant awareness of one's race can be exhausting. DeYoung quoted the theologian Howard Thurman in his memoir:
"The burden of being black and the burden of being white is so heavy that it is rare in our society to experience oneself as a human being."
But sometimes those moments can happen, as DeYoung learned by accident.
One day, DeYoung was looking through a journal he started keeping after he joined the church in Harlem. He noticed that the word "black" rang through every passage: I'm going to this "black church," I'm eating "black food," I'm making "black friends."
He recalled that no one at the Harlem church had ever placed a racial modifier before his name.
"Never once in that entire year did they refer to me as being white," he says. "I was just a member of the congregation. I was a child of God."
DeYoung kept reading and scanned the journal entries that came after he spent more time in the church. He noticed he was still writing about making new friends, listening to gospel and eating good food.
The word "black," however, had disappeared from his journal. They were no longer "the other." He was no longer an outsider.
He was at home.It’s probably safe to assume that several Colts did not appreciate Coby Fleener’s recent assertion that some players "went along for the ride" last year when the former tight end spoke after his free-agent signing with the New Orleans Saints.
Count former Colt Jerrell Freeman, now with the Chicago Bears after signing a free-agent contract, among those.
KRAVITZ: As the Colts have learned, free agency is not the be-all, end-all
Here’s what he texted me Sunday night (and I cleaned up some of the language):
"Fleener, he didn’t have the [guts]," Freeman wrote (sort of). "That [bleep] pisses me off. And he must’ve been looking in the mirror when he did the interview.
"I despise guys like that. That’s what little girls do, talk about you when you’re not around. I’m a grown man. If I see something I don’t like, I’m going to go have a face-to-face convo with that player/players and we are going to get an understanding! I feel like I had a hand in building what’s over there [in Indianapolis], so he’s [bleeping] on me, too.
READ MORE ABOUT THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS.
"That’s a bitch move.
"You can print all that, brotha!"
Oh, yeah, I printed all that, brotha.
It will be interesting to see how things unfold the next time the Bears and Saints play. Suffice it to say, it’s a good thing they’re not in the same locker room any longer.
Fleener may have been accurate when he said what he said. But he should have said it while he was still with the Colts. Saying it from the safety of another organization, after you’ve left the building... weak.
READ MORE BY BOB KRAVITZ.We’ve noted that the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which reduces poverty while encouraging and rewarding work, has enjoyed broad support over the years. One of its champions was President Reagan, who proposed and then signed a major expansion of it in the 1986 Tax Reform Act.
While Reagan is often quoted as calling the EITC “the best anti-poverty, the best pro-family, the best job creation measure to come out of Congress,” he was, as Tax Policy Center director Len Burman blogged this week, actually referring to the 1986 tax reform as a whole, not just its EITC component. But that takes nothing away from Reagan’s role in strengthening the EITC.
Burman correctly notes that “Republican icon Ronald Reagan supported the Tax Reform Act of 1986’s expansion of the EITC.” Indeed, Reagan did more than support the EITC increase; he proposed it.
The tax proposals that President Reagan submitted to Congress in 1985 included a proposal to phase in the credit more quickly as a worker’s income rises, expand the maximum EITC, phase the credit out more slowly so that more families would be eligible, and index these parameters for inflation. The final legislation included the Reagan-proposed phase-in (14 percent) and phase-out (10 percent) rates, as well as his proposed indexation. Congress went even further on its increase in the maximum credit.
There’s no question that Ronald Reagan’s actions secured his place as a strong advocate of the EITC.Taz Douglas will return to the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship following a late deal with Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport for the Clipsal 500.
Douglas has received a last minute call-up to drive the #3 Holden at the Adelaide Parklands circuit in what is currently a one-off deal.
The move comes after negotiations with Aaren Russell, who drove the car at the recent pre-season test, broke down over the weekend.
Douglas' last appearance as a primary Supercars driver came with LDM in 2012, where he ended the year 26th in the standings.
He finished second in the 2014 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 as a co-driver at Nissan, but missed out on an endurance seat last year.
Having not driven a race car since last year’s Dunlop Super2 Series final, undertaking two 250km races on the punishing Adelaide streets will be a major test for Douglas.
The 33-year-old runs a demolition company in Melbourne and was expected to sit out the 2017 racing season after failing to secure a deal in either Super2 or the Pirtek Enduro Cup.
“When Lucas gave me the call up, there was no other option than to say yes,” said Douglas upon confirmation of the drive today.
“Now I’m just going to make sure that I go out there and give it my all and bring the car home in one piece.”Seven space-technology experiments are slated to blast off Friday (June 21) on a NASA-funded suborbital research flight.
A SpaceLoft sounding rocket, built by Denver-based UP Aerospace Inc., is scheduled to launch from New Mexico's Spaceport America between 9 a.m. and noon EDT (1300 to 1600 GMT) on Friday.
The 15-minute flight is expected to reach a maximum altitude of 74 miles (119 kilometers) and provide up to four minutes of weightlessness for the onboard experiments. Landing is targeted for the U.S. Army's White Sands Missile Range, about 320 miles (515 km) from Spaceport America, NASA officials said.
UP Aerospace personnel load a technology payload into the nose of the firm's SpaceLoft 7 suborbital rocket at Spaceport America in New Mexico. The rocket is slated to carry seven experiments into suborbital space on June 21, 2013. (Image: © NASA/Leslie Williams)
Among the seven payloads aboard the 20-foot-long (6 meters) rocket is the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B), a tracking device being developed for use in air traffic control systems. Current plans call for all aircraft operating in U.S. airspace to be equipped with ADS-B by 2020.
Two high school science experiments are also riding along on Friday's flight, as is Diapason, an instrument developed by DTM Technologies in Italy to study the movement of very tiny particles in Earth's atmosphere. Diapason could help identify and monitor atmospheric pollution and contaminants, NASA officials said.
UP Aerospace isn't the only company with a NASA contract to make technology-testing suborbital research flights. The space agency has also signed deals with Virgin Galactic, Masten Space Systems, Near Space Corporation, XCOR Aerospace, Whittinghill Aerospace and Armadillo Aerospace.
NASA manages such launches via its Flight Opportunities Program, which matches payloads with flights and pays launch costs (though no funds are provided for development of the payloads). The program should help the burgeoning American private spaceflight industry get off the ground, agency officials say.
"The Flight Opportunities Program fosters the development of the commercial reusable suborbital transportation industry, an important step in the longer-term path that envisions suborbital reusable launch vehicles evolving to provide the nation with much lower-cost, more frequent, and more reliable access to orbital space," NASA's Flight Opportunities Program website states.
Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on SPACE.com.My turn done.
The Great Chieftain and his council, having sailed and captured Kul Rullak, decided that they had no choice but to press on inland. They had heard tales of a fertile valley to the west of the mountains, once inhabited by a mighty race of men but now a place of the undead and crawling things in the night. "Nekehara" - the word rang around the camp, doom-laden but somehow enticing. And so the march began.
The Dragon Islanders marched over the mountains, and then headed for the capital of the lands of the Tomb Kings, Kenehara. The city was swiftly taken after a counterattack failed, and the Islanders declared it their new capital - Islanders no more, perhaps, but the people of the Dragons nonetheless. Plans were swiftly put afoot for the conquest of the rest of the lands nearby. Firstly Alaphis was taken after a furious battle with vast numbers of undead chariots being destroyed anf caught in the forests of that land. Kara was next to fall, taken to help preserve the route back to Kul Rullak and the homelands. In the homelands themselves, taxes were lowered and amenities built to reward those who had not come on the great expedition for their services and ensure they did not grow restless as their chieftains were so far away.
A treaty was then signed with the undead, for the Dragon-folk deemed that if the dead were to wander the desert, it was not for now their concern. Arabic armies were sighted around the north of Nekehara, prompting some alarm; but the walls of Kenehara are vast, and mixing the mason-work of the ancients with the stalwart Dragon-folk should hopefully yield victory in the event of a siege. A ship was built and sent north to scout out the lands of Tilea and the Border Princes; naval domination of the Tilean Sea could give the Dragon-folk access to rich new provinces in the Badlands, Tilea, and even as far away as Estalia...
Who am I sending to? SOTK?Aetna sold for $275 per share in cash and stocks
VS Health (CVS) and Aetna (AET) announced the execution of a definitive merger agreement under which CVS Health will acquire all outstanding shares of Aetna for a combination of cash and stock.
Under the terms of the merger agreement, Aetna shareholders will receive $145 per share in cash and 0.8378 CVS Health shares for each Aetna share. The transaction values Aetna at approximately $207 per share or approximately $69B. Including the assumption of Aetna’s debt, the total value of the transaction is $77B.
If approved, the mega-merger would create a giant consumer health care company with a familiar presence in thousands of communities. Aetna chief executive Mark T. Bertolini described the vision in an interview as “creating a new front door for health care in America.”
CVS would provide a broad range of health services to Aetna’s 22 million medical members at its nationwide network of pharmacies and walk-in clinics, and further decrease the drug store titan’s reliance on the retail sales that have faced increasing competition.
“You can imagine a world where health care is better designed around the people who use it, which is one of the challenges we have today,” CVS chief executive Larry J. Merlo said in an interview. As part of the deal, Bertolini would join the CVS board and Aetna would be run as a standalone business unit.
The deal is likely to set off even more mergers in the health-care industry, which has been undergoing consolidation and faces potential new competition from Amazon.
It could position Aetna to be more competitive with UnitedHealth Group, the nation’s largest insurer, which has already expanded beyond its core business into pharmacy care services, clinics and surgery care centers and health care data.
CVS closed at $75.12. AET closed at $181.31.
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This article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility.All this talk of a making my own TV show really got me thinking. I'm shopping for a decent DV camera to tape a show bitching about movies-- quite a sizable investment, you can understand-- and I realized something. If I get a camera, I can do more than record a no-budget show that'll never see broadcast. I can record a movie.
Seem unlikely? Think again! I've got everything I need. I can get the equipment. I've got locations to shoot. I've even got a most excellent band willing to score the entire movie with original material. All I need to do is write the material. And that's the easy part.
So with that said, I'd like to announce the film (tenatively entitled) FLGS, my first ever experiment into the world of movie-making. I've begun the process of script-writing, and from there, I have to cast the movie and schedule a shoot. It'll be the story of a game store owner, his overcaffeinated staff, and the sleepless die-hard personalities that gravitate to the best game store in town as they try to save their hangout from being lost forever.
It'll be a long process, because real-life always intrudes. I have to write my thesis for graduate school, which will always take priority. My movie rants for KODT will, of course, keep appearing, but you may not see much else appear on my website in terms of movie reviews as I write the screenplay. I plan to start casting the film in early December...from there? Well, we'll see.
It's a very exciting time, and I hope to have an entertaining movie to show you all when this is all over. I hope to give something back to gamers everywhere, something they can all laugh with and feel at home watching.WASHINGTON – Linda Sarsour, a Muslim activist and a national co-chair of the Women’s March on Washington, told the crowds she stood before them as an “unapologetically Muslim-American.”
Hundreds of thousands of people poured into cities across different American cities to march in opposition to President Donald Trump, a day after the Republican took office, as sister demonstrations took place in cities across Africa, Asia and Europe.
Protesters held signs like “Women’s rights are human rights”, “Break down walls, don’t build them”, and “Hell hath no fury as a nasty woman scorned”, referencing the time Trump called his opponent, Hillary Clinton, a “nasty woman” during a debate.
Zahra Billoo, the executive director of the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) spoke on Saturday, January 21, at the Women’s March on Washington in the nation’s capital.
Although authorities in Washington, DC, do not release crowd counts, organizers told AFP news agency they estimated turnout at one million – quadrupling initial expectations – with huge crowds joining sister marches around the country.
More than half a million people also took to the streets of Los Angeles, according to police there, and a similar number gathered in New York. Other marches took place in Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco, Denver, St Louis and elsewhere.
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a town with no history of professional sports. I was at the first games of both the California/Oakland/California Golden Seals and the San Jose Sharks. Unfortunately, the Seals were not around long enough to truly go through the evolutionary process, and we moved to Columbus a few years into the Sharks experience, when they were still dreadful and playing in the Cow Palace.
In the fifteen years since the birth of the Blue Jackets, we have seen the organization go through the full spectrum of travails that expansion clubs typically experience, to one extent or another. A better-than-expected first season artificially elevated expectations, which were then subverted by a diabolical combination of poor drafts and even poorer trades. A roster of older cast-offs became an impossibly young team, with pieces and parts added and subtracted, seemingly by whim. Dave King, a great teaching coach, presided over a roster of grizzled veterans who had nothing to learn. Ken Hitchcock, an unabashed advocate of the grizzled veteran, was asked to preside over a cadre of youngsters. Doug MacLean gave way to Scott Howson, the Scott Arniel experiment failed spectacularly, and subsidiary issues concerning the Arena lease and ownership added fuel to a simmering flame.
Through it all, the Columbus fan base has endured.. and evolved. In the early days, it was a highly enthusiastic, albeit marginally knowledgeable crowd, embracing the NHL in Columbus, but not quite sure what to do with it. Frequently, more Detroit, Chicago and Pittsburgh sweaters than home town jerseys were seen in the stands, as those are the hockey teams generations of central Ohio fans had embraced. The fan base had to learn that 82 game seasons are not sprints, and the development of professional franchises are bumpy paths, measured in years and decades, rather than weeks. Sure, there were times where antagonism and disgust appeared to rule the day, but that's part of the fan experience, when the mutual empathy is needed as much or more than the camaraderie. When those glittering moments came -- the 2007 Draft and the 2009 playoffs -- the fan base responded like none other. Game 4 of the playoff series vs. Detroit was the loudest sports venue I have ever seen.
Attendance numbers have waxed and waned with the fortunes of the club, as the bandwagon jumpers come and go. However, all along the way, the essential core of the fan base has grown, just as hockey has become an integral part of the Columbus fabric, at every level of the game. A new generation knows only the Blue Jackets, and the foreign sweaters have steadily declined in numbers as local loyalty has grown. With the arrival of John Davidson and Jarmo Kekäläinen, a new confidence in the essential structure of hockey operations has been provided, even as the "brick by brick" mentality has been adopted. Another playoff run rekindled the spark, and the disappointment of the injury-plagued campaign last year was manifested more in impatience for the next season than bitterness over the past. The All Star game showcased the city as never before, and some solid drafts and other personnel moves have served only to heighten the enthusiasm.
Now a decade and a half into the Blue Jackets' existence, hockey fandom is now a twelve-month affair, and hockey has elbowed its way into a seat at the table of respectability -- both locally and nationally. Blue Jackets sweaters are seen in other cities, and the national media has taken notice of the organization as never before. Blue Jackets players have won the Calder, the Richard and the Vezina trophies, and the first locally grown player was drafted into the NHL this year. Gone are the rumblings that Columbus is not a "hockey town" and the threats of relocation. Those arrows are aimed elsewhere today. In two weeks, hundreds will gather in downtown Columbus to celebrate hockey. In August. Cannonfest was an event organically generated by the fan base, and now morphed into a slicker, more elaborate affair, embraced by the club, as well as the fans.
So as we start measuring the days to a new season, we can take pride in the fact that camaraderie and empathy of Blue Jackets fandom has matured to the point where the passion and commitment are not inexorably tied solely to results. The passion of the journey and the experience is becoming part of the Columbus fabric. The fan base's acceptance of the "brick by brick" mantra shows a patience that was not in evidence just a few years ago. Perhaps not the patience of Cubs fans, but it's progress.
The timelines and memories of professional sports are long. As difficult as it may be to believe, it's been almost 50 years since Toronto last hoisted the Stanley Cup, 27 years since the Los Angeles Dodgers last won the World Series, and 30 years since "Da Bears" won the Super Bowl. It had been 40 years waiting for the Golden State Warriors before this season. The Blue Jackets have as many Stanley Cups as Vancouver, San Jose, Washington, Arizona, Nashville, Winnipeg, St. Louis, Buffalo, Minnesota and Ottawa. A lot has to go right to hoist a championship trophy, so as the season approaches, let's enjoy the camaraderie, acknowledge the empathy and feast on the experience. As Ernie Banks said "Let's Play Two!" More to come. Stay tuned.Ray Bradford is convinced technology will change the way we interact with our doctors. And it starts with an iPhone app that lets you get prescription drugs for your acne.
With Spruce, out today, Bradford's taking a fresh approach to the strange emerging phenomenon known as telemedicine. The app doesn't try to pipe appointments over video calls. It doesn't attempt to put a doctor in your pocket. Instead of doing a bunch of things awkwardly, it aims to treat just one condition–acne–very well.
Bradford acknowledges that people might be wary of healthcare that lives on their home screen. "Naturally, there's a lot of anxiety here. Is it safe? Is it high-quality?" he says. "Because it's a new model, it can't feel janky. It's gotta feel like, 'Wow, there's a lot of attention to detail here.'" Thus, the idea with Spruce wasn't to give people an experience as good as a visit to the dermatologist. It was to give them something even better.
An Asynchronous Appointment
Bradford, who left his role as a partner at Kleiner Perkins to start Spruce last year, describes his app as a new way to visit the doctor, though that requires a fairly elastic idea of what constitutes a "visit" with a doctor in the first place. At no point in using the app do you communicate with a dermatologist in real time. Instead, everything happens asynchronously. You create an account. You take a few pictures of your face with your selfie camera. You answer some questions about your skin, and jot down whatever personal questions you might have. Then you send it off.
The whole process takes no more than a few minutes. The app's bright, cheerful design is reassuring in the same way that a bright, cheerful doctor's office might be. "Since it's a new way to see the doctor, you don't want to make it cold or too sci-fi," Bradford says.
Ray Bradford Spruce
Within 24 hours, a certified dermatologist in your state sends you a personalized treatment plan, with the appropriate prescriptions filed digitally to your pharmacy of choice. (To start, Spruce will be available to patients in California, New York, Florida, and Pennsylvania.) By keeping overhead costs for doctors low, Spruce is able to offer a flat rate for the service: $40.
A Better Visit
Bradford says this asynchronous design makes life easier for all parties involved. As a patient, you can start to take care of your skin problem in a few minutes, instead of scheduling an appointment and waiting a few weeks. Currently, Bradford says, only twenty percent or so of people who have acne bother seeing a dermatologist at all. An app like Spruce vastly reduces the activation energy required to get treatment.
For doctors, who use an accompanying app for treatment, Spruce offers the freedom to set their own schedule. They can take care of their new patients from an iPad, anywhere and anytime, with far less administrative tedium than an in-person visit.
>Bradford thinks that there are plenty of places where specific, thoughtfully-designed solutions will be able to improve the status quo.
The design process, which lasted a year in all, focused on the doctor's experience as much as patient's. In talking to doctors, Spruce heard again and again that existing electronic medical record software was too cumbersome. "They talk about 'death by a thousand clicks,'" says Megs Fulton, the company's lead designer, who joined from Facebook.
To combat this, Fulton and company consciously tried to minimize the rote input required from doctors, leaving them free to spend their time on the more personalized aspects of the treatment. "We feel like that goes a long ways toward making things personal," Fulton says.
Expediency and flexibility are two benefits of treatment-by-app, but Bradford thinks the approach could offer a more comprehensive experience in a few small but significant ways. For one thing, Spruce becomes a sort of clearinghouse for all things related to your acne treatment. It has information about whatever creams, ointments, or pills you were prescribed, and detailed instructions for using them. It has a sort of FAQ, which Spruce created with the help of dermatologists, where patients can find recommendations for approved moisturizers and sunscreens, and get the straight dope on topics like how diet effects skin.
The Spruce iPad app for doctors. Spruce
Spruce also makes it easy to check back in after the initial "visit". In addition to getting assigned a dermatologist, the app links patients with a "care coordinator" who serves as a sort of nurse and front desk person for the whole experience. You can message this skin care concierge in the app—say if you're having trouble getting your insurance sorted out, or if you don't quite remember which order you're supposed to apply your creams. This gets closer to the sort of thing we typically think of as the benefit to telemedicine: instant, lightweight access to a real person who can address small questions and concerns.
Beyond Acne?
Spruce does a remarkable job of taking something that could easily feel weird and making it feel very normal. The app is just as intuitive as Lyft or Yelp, except that instead of getting a ride or a restaurant you end up with a little tub of prescription-strength Benzoyl peroxide. In that sense, it really does seem like some sort of step toward a whizbang health care future.
The question, of course, is if the approach makes sense anywhere else. After all, acne is just about the only thing you can diagnose from a selfie.
Bradford's firm that the vision for Spruce goes beyond pimples. He thinks that there are plenty of places where specific, thoughtfully designed solutions will be able to improve the status quo. Acne might well be uniquely suited for remote treatment, but future Spruce efforts could ease health care pain points in other ways. "We see technology complementing the doctor, not competing with or replacing the doctor," he says. "It's how you let doctors do what they do best—which is using their judgment, and caring for patients—as opposed to repetitive, rote things, or administrative paperwork."
Bradford won't divulge what other conditions Spruce is thinking about tackling just yet. But he does point out that as gadgets like the Apple Watch, with its sophisticated health-related sensors, flood the mainstream, the opportunities to transform health care will only expand. Technology moves fast, and while health care moves slowly, Bradford's convinced that the latter will inevitably catch up with the former.After four months of debate, the FCC is nearly ready to stop accepting feedback on its proposal to kill net neutrality. Final comments are due this Wednesday, August 30th, by end-of-day Eastern time.
Once the comment period closes, the FCC will review the feedback it received and use it as guidance to revise its proposal, which if passed, would reverse the Title II classification that guaranteed net neutrality just two years ago.
The commission is supposed to factor in all of the feedback it received when writing its final draft, so if you do have strong feelings on the matter, it’s worth leaving a comment.
And clearly, this proceeding has struck a chord. There are currently almost 22 million filings on the proposal, setting a dramatic new record at the FCC. The last net neutrality proceeding set the prior FCC comment record at what at the time seemed like a whopping 3.7 million responses.
To leave a comment, you’ll have to go to this site, click “+ Express,” and then fill out the form it opens up to. Make sure you leave the proceeding number “17-108” in place, as that’s what ties it to the net neutrality proposal. Also, be aware that everything filed is public, so others will be able to see your name and address.
Despite the overwhelming number of comments, FCC leadership has made it clear that they won’t be swayed by sheer quantity of support on one side or the other. Over the past several months, commission chairman Ajit Pai has consistently said that what matters is the quality, not the quantity of the comments, saying that a well-argued legal brief is more valuable than, potentially, millions of people demanding basic protections.
It’s pretty clear this argument is being made so that the commission can eventually ignore millions and millions of comments from net neutrality supporters and go ahead with its plan to reverse Title II. But ultimately, more comments against the plan still makes matters harder, as the commission will very likely have to defend its changes in court.
Correction August 28th, 12:04PM ET: This article initially misstated the proceeding number as 17-801 instead of 17-108.American Artist
When most people get a packet of silica gel in a shoe box or beef jerky packet, their instinct is to toss it. But savvy DIYers have long known that the omnipresent desiccants are good for a lot more than keeping jerky dry. Here are a few uses, including some great tips sent in by readers.
Use in underwater camera casings
Underwater camera casings are great fun, but even if stray moisture and condensation don't ruin your camera, they can fog or streak across your lens. Fight this by stashing a packet or two of silica gel in the underwater casing, along with the camera.
Toss them in your toolbox to keep your tools free of oxidation
"I am a line mechanic for Delta Airlines. We do all our work here outside since we don't have a hangar. So when an aircraft arrives with maintenance issues I have to wheel my tools outside, leaving them vulnerable to weather, and sometimes my toolbox gets filled with snow or rain. I have found that if I put two desiccant packs per drawer in my toolbox, it is just enough to dry them out and keep my tools from oxidation."
Submitted by Aaron from Indianapolis
The omnipresent desiccants are good for a lot more than keeping jerky dry
Dry out a wet cell phone
This one's an old favorite. If your phone becomes the unfortunate victim of a spill or swim, you can still rescue it—you just need to act fast. Remove the battery and any memory cards from the phone, then toss it in a bowl filled with silica gel packets (dry rice will work, too, in a pinch). Leave it there at least overnight before powering it on again.
Keep engines dry while in storage
"I fly ultralight aircraft and use silica gel in my engines (snowmobile engines converted for aircraft use). I put the gel in old plastic 35-mm film canisters. I drill holes in the canisters smaller than the beads so they don't come out, and I put one inside each carburetor intake to help keep moisture out of the engine while it is in storage during the winter. This helps keep the bearings from pitting and the internal parts of the engine from rusting. Snowmobilers could benefit from this during the summer while their sleds are not being used. "
Submitted by Anonymous
silica gel packets (Photo by OWLSweb)
Extend the life of razor blades
"It is understood that oxidation on razor blades causes premature dulling. I keep a Tupperware half full of silica gel in my medicine cabinet. After each shave, I blot any residual water off the blade and store the razor in the Tupperware with the silica gel."
Submitted by Russell from Madison, WI
Fight camera condensation
If you're taking your camera out into the cold, it can face serious condensation when you bring it back into a warm room. Remove the battery and memory card, and place the camera in a bowl of silica gel to suck up the moisture.
Dry out wet fishing flies
"Being an avid fly fisherman, I use silica to dry out my flies when fishing on a favorite stream. I crush or ground the silica into powder form, then place it in a film canister. When my fly becomes waterlogged, I place it into the canister, put the cap on, shake it for a bit, and voilà—my fly is dry again."
Submitted by Tim from Flower Mound, TX
Create a dry travel bag
This one's for the road warriors. Toss a few packets of silica into a Ziplock bag to make an instant travel gadget bag, with enough water-fighting ability to withstand accidental luggage spills.
Save this article for later by pinning it. For more clever ideas, follow Popular Mechanics on Pinterest.Quote# 110842I will add in here, Chivalry is the main means through which women are protected and valued as women. The basic ethic of Chivalry is that men are to provide for and protect women. Men having authority over women is part of men protecting women and so is part of Chivalry. Women’s well being is directly tied to the strength and effectiveness of Chivalry. Chivalry can only be maintained and function properly when it is under men’s control. Feminism tries to hijack and corrupt Chivalry by placing it under women’s control. This then leads to Chivalry being exercised incompetently and being something that is abusive to men leading men to withdraw from Chivalry thereby weakening Chivalry. This weakening and corrupting of Chivalry is then the primary harm that feminism causes to women.When Chivalry is hijacked by women through feminist assertion there are two different responses a man can make to this situation to keep himself from being further abused. He can either withdraw Chivalry entirely so that the woman can no longer use Chivalry as a weapon against him; this is what the MRAs do. The other alternative is that the man can assert himself so that Chivalry is once again under the man’s control as it should be; this is what the TWRAs advocate. Once Chivalry is under men’s control then Chivalry will be strengthened and society will return to its proper order. As things are going now the feminists are getting more and more aggressive with their manipulation and misuse of Chivalry and this is leading to an ever greater backlash against Chivalry itself by the MRAs. This is the road to the complete abolition of Chivalry which would be disastrous for women.To prevent the further erosion of Chivalry which can only cause women greater harm men must reassert their control of Chivalry so that men can dedicate themselves to the Chivalrous ethic again. The resurrection of Chivalry is the resurrection of Traditional Women’s Rights and of patriarchy. Patriarchy is in essence Chivalry. Chivalry is to the benefit of women, it is your friend. Those truly concerned for the welfare of women must support men when they seek to embrace their better natures by providing for and protecting women and such men must not be attacked or ridiculed for being “controlling” or “oppressive;” instead such Chivalry must be met with appreciation and deference in order for the reestablishment of Chivalry to take hold in the male mind once again.Jesse Powell, Love Joy Feminism 23 Comments [7/16/2015 1:51:25 PM]Fundie Index: 15Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infects one-third of the world population, but its association with cognitive functions in school-aged children is unclear. We examined the relationship between Toxoplasma seropositivity and neuropsychological tests scores (including math, reading, visuospatial reasoning and verbal memory) in 1755 school-aged children 12-16 years old who participated to the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, using multiple linear regressions adjusted for covariates. Toxoplasma seroprevalence was 7·7% and seropositivity to the parasite was associated with lower reading skills (regression coefficient [β] = -5·86, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -11·11, -0·61, P = 0·029) and memory capacities (β = -0·86, 95% CI: -1·58, -0·15, P = 0·017). The interaction between T. gondii seropositivity and vitamin E significantly correlated with memory scores. In subgroup analysis, Toxoplasma-associated memory impairment was worse in children with lower serum vitamin E concentrations (β = -1·61, 95% CI: -2·44, -0·77, P < 0·001) than in those with higher values (β = -0·12, 95% CI: -1·23, 0·99, P = 0·83). In conclusion, Toxoplasma seropositivity may be associated with reading and memory impairments in school-aged children. Serum vitamin E seems to modify the relationship between the parasitic infection and memory deficiency.WASHINGTON: The United States got to Osama bin Laden with Pakistan’s help, but disclosed the operation in a manner that made the country look like a villain, according to Seymour M. Hersh, an American investigative journalist and author.
“They helped. They totally helped. They helped a great deal,” said Mr Hersh when Dawn asked him if he believed Pakistan helped the US reach the Al Qaeda leader.
In a story published in the London Review of Books on Sunday, Mr Hersh described the official US version of the so-called “Operation Neptune Spear” as a work of fiction, a fairy-tale.
Know more: Pakistani officials reject claims of ISI handling bin Laden
He noted that the White House still maintains the mission was an all-American affair, and that senior generals of the Pakistan Army and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) were not told about the raid in advance.
“This is false, as are many other elements of the Obama administration’s account. The White House’s story might have been written by Lewis Carroll (the author of “Alice in the Wonderland).”
He argues that if Bin Laden would seek a hideout he would not go for a resort town forty miles from Islamabad.
Would OBL consider it “the safest place to live and command Al Qaeda’s operations?” he asks. “The most blatant lie was that Pakistan’s two most senior military leaders – (retired) Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani (who was chief of the army staff at the time), and Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha, director general of the ISI – were never informed of the US mission,” writes Mr Hersh.
Take a look: Bin Laden finds sympathy after death
In an interview to Dawn, Mr Hersh said the operation that ultimately led to OBL’s death began with a walk-in.
“In Aug 2010 a former senior Pakistani intelligence officer approached Jonathan Bank, then the CIA’s station chief at the US embassy in Islamabad. He offered to tell the CIA where to find (Osama) bin Laden in return for the reward that Washington had offered in 2001.”
The former intelligence official, Mr Hersh said, was a military man who was now living in Washington and working for the CIA as a consultant. “I cannot tell you more about him because it would not be appropriate.”
Mr Hersh rejected the suggestion that Osama bin Laden was living in his own hideout and was free to move around. OBL was an ISI prisoner and never moved except under their supervision, he said.
Mr Hersh said the Saudi government also knew about it and had advised the Pakistanis to keep OBL as a prisoner.
He said when the Americans contacted the Pakistani government and asked for OBL, the ISI insisted that he be killed and his death should be announced a week after the operation.
The Americans were required to say that the Al Qaeda chief was found in a mountainous region in the Hindu Kush so that neither Pakistan nor Afghanistan could be blamed for keeping him, Mr Hersh said.
The author said the ISI wanted him dead because “they did not want a witness”.
According to him, the Americans set up an observation post in Abbottabad and later informed the ISI. Before the operation, the ISI set up a cell in Ghazi, Tarbela, where “one man from the SEALs and two communicators” practised the raid.
Mr Hersh said that President Barack Obama did not consult the then army or ISI chief, Generals Kayani and Pasha, before releasing the cover story that he shared with his nation in a live broadcast.
“The cover story trashed Pakistan. It was very embarrassing for them,” said Mr Hersh. “Pakistan has a good army, not a bad army, but the cover story made it look bad.”
Mr Hersh also said that Shakil Afridi, the physician now jailed in Peshawar for his links to the CIA, was a CIA asset but he did not know about the operation. He was used as a cover to hide the real story.
The Americans, and the Pakistanis, wanted to protect Amir Aziz, a doctor and a major in the Pakistani army. The ISI had moved Dr Aziz close to the compound where they had kept OBL because he was on his deathbed when found.
Obama steps in
Mr Hersh also said that former US Defence Secretary Robert Gates disagreed with the cover-up story and wanted the US to respect the arrangement they had made with Pakistan.
“President Obama changed the game because he was running for re-election,” he said. “The two-hour delay in the speech was caused by an internal debate.”
Asked did his investigation show Pakistan as a villain or an ally, he said: “Total ally.” Initially, he said, “here was anger (in Washington) that they had OBL for years, but did not tell us. But we understand people have their interests and act to protect them.”
He added: “The Pakistanis were treated quite badly by the Americans.”
He said the cover- up story soured US relations with the Pakistani military as it made it look bad. “We have a very strong background relationship with them. It continues and is now in a good shape.”
In the story he wrote for London Review of Books (LRB), Mr Hersh says that when the former Pakistani intelligence official walked into the US Embassy, Islamabad, with information about Bin Laden, the CIA did not believe him.
So the agency’s headquarters sent a polygraph team and the CIA began to believe the Pakistani official only after he passed the test.
Although Mr Hersh spoke to a number of people for the story, including a former ISI chief, his major source was a retired senior US intelligence official who told him that the Americans initially did not share with the Pakistanis what they learned from this retired Pakistani official.
Here is how Mr Hersh tells the story in the piece he wrote for LRB: ‘The fear was that if the existence of the source was made known, the Pakistanis themselves would move Bin Laden to another location. So only a very small number of people were read into the source and his story,’ the retired official said. ‘The CIA’s first goal was to check out the quality of the informant’s information.’
The compound was put under satellite surveillance.
The CIA rented a house in Abbottabad to use as a forward observation base and staffed it with Pakistani employees and foreign nationals. Later on, the base would serve as a contact point with the ISI; it attracted little attention because Abbottabad is a holiday spot full of houses rented on short leases. A psychological profile of the informant was prepared. (The informant and his family were smuggled out of Pakistan and relocated in the Washington area. He is now a consultant for the CIA.)
‘By October the military and intelligence community were discussing the possible military options. Do we drop a bunker buster on the compound or take him out with a drone strike? Perhaps send someone to kill him, single assassin style? But then we’d have no proof of who he was,’ the retired official said. ‘We could see some guy is walking around at night, but we have no intercepts because there’s no commo coming from the compound.’
In October, President Obama was briefed on the intelligence. His response was cautious, the retired official said. ‘It just made no sense that bin Laden was living in Abbottabad. It was just too crazy. The president’s position was emphatic: “Don’t talk to me about this anymore unless you have proof that it really is bin Laden.”’
Obama support
The immediate goal of the CIA leadership and the Joint Special Operations Command was to get Mr Obama’s support. They believed they would get this if they got DNA evidence, and if they could assure him that a night assault of the compound would carry no risk. The only way to accomplish both things, the retired official said, ‘was to get the Pakistanis on board’.
During the late autumn of 2010, the US continued to keep quiet about the walk-in, and Generals Kayani and Pasha continued to insist to their American counterparts that they had no information about bin Laden’s whereabouts. The next step was to figure out how to ease Kayani and Pasha into it – to tell them that we’ve got intelligence showing that there is a high-value target in the compound, and to ask them what they know about the target,’ the retired official said.
‘The compound was not an armed enclave – no machine guns around, because it was under ISI control.’
The former Pakistani intelligence official, described in the story as “the walk-in,” had told the US that bin Laden had lived undetected from 2001 to 2006 with some of his wives and children in the Hindu Kush mountains, and that ‘the ISI got to him by paying some of the local tribal people to betray him.’
The Pakistani official also told the CIA station chief that bin Laden was very ill, and that early on in his confinement at Abbottabad, the ISI had ordered Amir Aziz, a doctor and a major in the Pakistani army, to move nearby to provide treatment.
‘The truth is that bin Laden was an invalid, but we cannot say that,’ the retired official said. “You mean you guys shot a cripple? Who was about to grab his AK-47?”’
‘It didn’t take long to get the co-operation we needed, because the Pakistanis wanted to ensure the continued release of American military aid, a good percentage of which was anti-terrorism funding that finances personal security, such as bullet-proof limousines and security guards and housing for the ISI leadership,’ the retired official said.
He added that there were also under-the-table personal ‘incentives’ that were financed by off-the-books Pentagon contingency funds.
‘The intelligence community knew what the Pakistanis needed to agree – there was the carrot. And they chose the carrot. It was a win-win. We also did a little blackmail. We told them we would leak the fact that you’ve got bin Laden in your backyard. We knew their friends and enemies’ – the Taliban and jihadist groups in Pakistan and Afghanistan – ‘would not like it.’
A worrying factor at this early point, according to the retired official, was Saudi Arabia, which had been financing bin Laden’s upkeep since his seizure by the Pakistanis.
“The Saudis didn’t want bin Laden’s presence revealed to us because he was a Saudi, and so they told the Pakistanis to keep him out of the picture. The Saudis feared if we knew we would pressure the Pakistanis to let bin Laden start talking to us about what the Saudis had been doing with Al Qaeda. And they were dropping money – lots of it.
“The Pakistanis, in turn, were concerned that the Saudis might spill the beans about their control of bin Laden. The fear was that if the US found out about bin Laden from Riyadh, all hell would break out. The Americans learning about bin Laden’s imprisonment from a walk-in was not the worst thing.”
Despite their constant public feuding, American and Pakistani military and intelligence services have worked together closely for decades on counterterrorism in South Asia. Both services often find it useful to engage in public feuds ‘to cover their asses’, as the retired official put it, but they continually share intelligence used for drone attacks, and cooperate on covert operations.
“It’s understood in Washington that US security depends on the maintenance of strong military and intelligence ties to Pakistan. The belief is mirrored in Pakistan,” says Mr Hersh.
The writer notes that the bin Laden compound was less than two miles from the Pakistan Military Academy, and a Pakistani army combat battalion headquarters was another mile or so away.
He notes that President Obama’s worries about the information delivered to the CIA station chief were realistic, the retired official said. ‘Was bin Laden ever there? Was the whole story a product of Pakistani deception? What about political blowback in case of failure?’ After all, as the retired official said, ‘If the mission fails, Obama’s just a black Jimmy Carter and it’s all over for re-election.’
Mr Obama was anxious for reassurance that the US was going to get the right man. The proof was to come in the form of bin Laden’s DNA. The planners turned for help to Generals Kayani and Pasha, who asked Dr Aziz to obtain the specimens. Soon after the raid the press found out that Dr Aziz had been living in a house near the bin Laden compound: local reporters discovered his name in Urdu on a plate on the door. Pakistani officials denied that Dr Aziz had any connection to bin Laden, but the retired official told Mr Hersh that Dr Aziz had been rewarded with a share of the $25 million reward the US had put up because the DNA sample had showed conclusively that it was bin Laden in Abbottabad.
Published in Dawn, May 11th, 2015
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Hello everyone! It's time for some more details concerning our IPL4 live event in Las Vegas, Nevada, running April 6th-8th!
First up, we have received confirmation from our final invitee, and have drawn up our finalized groups with that information in mind! Keep in mind that each group will still have two empty spots that will be filled with players from the live, open qualifier. Here are the groups:
Group A :
coLMVP.TAiLS (Live event Qualifier)
FnaticRaidCall.aLive (Online Qualifier)
IM.NesTea (Invitee)
Live Qualifier (Winners Bracket)
Live Qualifier (Losers Bracket)
Group B :
MarineKingPrime (Live event Qualifier)
Mill.Stephano (IPL3 Winner / Invitee)
White-Ra (IPL2 Winner / Invitee)
Live Qualifier (Winners Bracket)
Live Qualifier (Losers Bracket)
Group C :
EG.PuMa (Online Qualifier)
TSL.Polt (Online Qualifier)
SK.MC (Invitee)
Live Qualifier (Winners Bracket)
Live Qualifier (Losers Bracket)
Group D :
ST.Bomber (Online Qualifier)
SlayerS`MMA (Invitee)
EG.IdrA (IPL1 Winner / Invitee)
Live Qualifier (Winners Bracket)
Live Qualifier (Losers Bracket) coLMVP.TAiLS (Live event Qualifier)FnaticRaidCall.aLive (Online Qualifier)IM.NesTea (Invitee)Live Qualifier (Winners Bracket)Live Qualifier (Losers Bracket)MarineKingPrime (Live event Qualifier)Mill.Stephano (IPL3 Winner / Invitee)White-Ra (IPL2 Winner / Invitee)Live Qualifier (Winners Bracket)Live Qualifier (Losers Bracket)EG.PuMa (Online Qualifier)TSL.Polt (Online Qualifier)SK.MC (Invitee)Live Qualifier (Winners Bracket)Live Qualifier (Losers Bracket)ST.Bomber (Online Qualifier)SlayerS`MMA (Invitee)EG.IdrA (IPL1 Winner / Invitee)Live Qualifier (Winners Bracket)Live Qualifier (Losers Bracket)
Now for some important information regarding our first ever premium stream pricing:
Many people will have questions about if we will have a paywall, and if we do, details about it. We've finalized our plans and are excited about sharing it now. Making sure that people can enjoy our content for free is a top priority for us, and we also want to increase the quality we offer.
Recently we've made a big investment and upgraded all of our equipment to support true 1080p HD quality! On top of that, we've decided that instead of having streams entirely behind a paywall, all of our streams will be available for free! That includes the LiveU cam, which had a lot of great content at IPL3. To help us recoup part of the costs, we have partnered up with Twitch.tv, and have come up with a compelling subscription-based deal of $5 per month for the 1080p and 720p stream. All other resolutions will be 100% free.
This package will cover ALL of our events, whether they are online, or live. Regardless of whether they are in North America, or anywhere in the world. There will be no additional fees, period.
We feel this is the right balance of increasing the quality of our content, but not forcing undue costs to our viewers. Hopefully you agree.
If you are currently an IGN Prime member, we want to make sure you can take advantage of this offer, so we will offer a one time opportunity to migrate from IGN Prime to our new Twitch.tv subscription page. Details on that are still to come.
To do a quick sum-up, all of our streams can be viewed for free on 480p or lower, 720p and 1080p will cost $5 per month, for all of our content, no matter if it is a live event or an online event. IGN Prime users will be given the chance to switch over to this model soon.
This paid subscription model will take effect the first week of April, with IPL4 being the first of our events to be |
Betsey DeVos has agreed to sever ties to several companies that are related to education. | Getty DeVos review identifies 102 financial interests with potential conflicts
Betsy DeVos has agreed to sever ties to several companies that provide services to schools and colleges, as well as a debt collection agency that collects student loans on behalf of the Education Department, according to government ethics paperwork released Friday.
DeVos, a Michigan billionaire with a complicated web of financial holdings, reached an agreement on Thursday with government ethics officials that will require her to divest from 102 of those assets that could potentially pose a conflict for her as Education secretary.
Story Continued Below
DeVos listed on her financial paperwork a holding company that invests in Performant Business Services, Inc., which the Education Department hires to collect defaulted federal student loans.
The holding company, from which DeVos has agreed to divest, also has investments in T2 Systems Inc., which provides parking payment services to colleges and universities, and in U.S. Retirement Partners, Inc., a financial services company that “specializes in public school and governmental employee benefit plans,” according to the disclosure statement.
DeVos listed an investment between $500,001 and $1 million in KinderCare Education, formerly Knowledge Universe Education, which is a provider of day care and early childhood education programs. She agreed to divest from the company.
In addition, DeVos has agreed to divest from an “early stage venture fund” that invests in Varsity News Network, Inc., a software developer for school athletics, and Flip Learning, which develops interactive digital textbooks for college students. She will also divest her interest, through a holding company, in N2Y, LLC, which “provides cloud-based learning services for special education,” and in a company, Caldwell and Gregory, Inc., which provides laundry equipment for colleges and universities and apartments.
DeVos’ financial disclosure statement also lists Dick DeVos as a co-borrower on a more than $1 million loan from PNC Financial Services Group for West Michigan Aviation Academy, the charter school that the DeVos’ founded and have funded.
The ethics agreement reached by DeVos and government ethics officials outlines the 102 entities from which she will divest within 90 days of her confirmation as Education secretary.
According to the agreement, the Education Department’s top ethics official determined that it wasn’t necessary for DeVos to divest from her remaining assets because of the “remote” chance she’ll have to make an official decision that affects them. “However,” DeVos wrote, “I will remain vigilant in identifying any particular matters involving the interests of these entities and their holdings …”
DeVos agreed to resign her position from her family’s investment firms, RDV Corporation and the Windquest Group, but will keep her financial interest in those companies.
The release Friday of the long-awaited documents meets a deadline set by Senate HELP Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) earlier this week. Alexander said he would hold a committee vote on DeVos’ nomination next Tuesday as long as her ethics paperwork was completed by the end of this week.
A spokesman for Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the top Democrat on the committee, said Murray was still reviewing DeVos’ financial disclosure statement. The spokesman said Murray had not yet received answers to information she requested of DeVos about her confidential Senate financial questionnaire.
Among her hundreds of holdings, DeVos listed a stake in the embattled blood-testing company Theranos, valued at more than $1 million. Federal prosecutors launched a probe into the company last year about allegations it misled investors about its technology. The company has also drawn scrutiny from the FDA and CMS, and it has been the focus of multiple federal lawsuits over faulty blood tests.
DeVos lists the income from her stake in Theranos as none or less than $201.
DeVos also lists a stake in OSI Group, LLC, valued at $250,000 to $500,000. The company was fined $3.6 million by regulators in China last year for selling expired meat that was repackaged with newer expiration dates in a 2014 fast food safety scandal.
DeVos also lists the income in OSI Group, LLC, as none or less than $201.
Caitlin Emma contributed to this report.Buy Photo A costumer walks into Holiday Lanes, a bowling alley that is set to close on May 31, in Springfield, Mo. on April 14, 2015. (Photo: Guillermo Hernandez Martinez/News-Leader)Buy Photo
For 55 years, Carl Litle has made the three-block drive to Holiday Lanes to knock down bowling pins.
The crashing sounds of strikes and spares soon will cease at the north side Springfield landmark.
Owners Steve Wiemer and Gary Clouse revealed to league bowlers on Monday night that Holiday Lanes — which opened in 1960 — will close on May 31.
"I'll miss it," said Litle, 81. The retired mail carrier has bowled at least one winter and summer league at Holiday since it opened.
Wiemer, the majority owner, cited increasing costs to maintain the aging infrastructure of the business. The timing is right, he said, after Clouse decided to retire.
Clouse, who has managed the center since 1986, said he and wife Nona have considered retirement for the last two years.
"This spring we pretty much decided that we were going to hang it up," Clouse said, adding that he has mixed emotions about seeing the business shut its doors.
There are hobbies that he finally will get to enjoy, such as fishing and golf.
"And our grandkids," he said of boys ages 12 and 13. "That's the No. 1 priority.
"But we've met so many people over the years. We've always felt that our customers were our friends. Everybody that came in here were friends, like a big family.
"That's going to be the hard part, missing the people."
Clouse said some people "had tears in their eyes" when the news of the impending closing broke before Monday's league play.
"Most of them have congratulated us on our retirement," he said. "Some, we'll still see. I'm going to keep bowling and hopefully many of the people we've bowled with will do the same."
Litle, who is bowling four leagues as this season winds down, said he's unsure. Driving across town to another center does not sound appealing.
"When Hugh Rhodes took over as manager (in 1960) he convinced me I should bowl here and not drive across town," Litle said. "I don't know if I will now or not. It's up in the air."
League bowling has been in decline in recent years, not only at Holiday Lanes but other bowling centers nationally.
The Springfield area still has five other bowling centers in operation — but none on the north side. The others are Sunshine Lanes, Lighthouse Lanes, Andy B's (formerly Battlefield Lanes), Enterprise Park Lanes and Century Lanes in Nixa.Story highlights Courtney Cash, grandniece of Johnny Cash, was found dead in her home
Police say she was apparently stabbed by a friend, who is in custody
He was charged with first-degree murder
Cash's boyfriend was also hurt in the stabbing and remains hospitalized
Courtney Cash, the grandniece of musician Johnny Cash, was found dead in a box in her home in Tennessee, and a friend is charged in her death, according to Putnam County sheriff's officials.
Wayne Gary Masciarella, who is in custody, is charged with first-degree murder, and more charges are expected, Sheriff David Andrews told CNN.
Masciarella apparently had gone out Tuesday night with Cash and her boyfriend, William Austin Johnson. The couple lived together, and when all three returned to the apartment early Wednesday, there was an altercation. Cash and Johnson were both stabbed, officials say.
Johnson managed to get away from the apartment and gave a statement to investigators at a local hospital.
Based on his statement, the sheriff said authorities arrested Masciarella within a couple of hours.
Johnson remains hospitalized at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.
Cash's grandfather, Tommy Cash, who is Johnny Cash's brother, said on Facebook: "We ask for your prayers for the Cash family at this time. Courtney and her boyfriend are beloved members of my family, and like you, we have a lot of questions and emotions that we are beginning to sort through today. "Changes in North American ecosystems over the past 150 years have caused coyotes to move from their native habitats in the plains and southwestern deserts of North America to habitats throughout the United States. In a new study, published Oct. 17 in the Journal of Mammalogy, researchers from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute's Center for Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics used DNA from coyote scat (feces) to trace the route that led some of the animals to colonize in Northern Virginia. The researchers also confirmed that, along the way, the coyotes interbred with the native Great Lakes wolves.
According to the study, coyotes migrated eastward via two main routes -- one that went through the northern United States, and one that went through the south. Using DNA samples, the researchers found that Virginian coyotes were most closely related to coyote populations in western New York and Pennsylvania. It appears the northern trekkers eventually encountered the Great Lakes wolves and interbred before converging again on the East Coast. They then gradually headed south along the Appalachian Mountains toward what is considered the Mid-Atlantic region, to an area centered around Virginia.
"The Mid-Atlantic region is a particularly interesting place because it appears to mark a convergence in northern and southern waves of coyote expansion," said Christine Bozarth, an SCBI research fellow and lead author on the paper. "I like to call it the Mid-Atlantic melting pot."
Bozarth and her colleagues collected scat samples in Northern Virginia from local coyote populations. They were then able to extract DNA from the intestinal cells in the scat and compare it to the DNA from preserved historic wolf specimens that had lived in the Great Lakes region before coyotes colonized the area. They shared some of the same genes, supporting the hybridization theory. Hybridization between canid species usually occurs when one species is rare. Those individuals may have trouble finding mates and therefore breed instead with closely related species.
"This does not mean that we have massive, wolf-like coyotes roaming around here in Virginia," Bozarth said. "Coyotes with wolf ancestry have differently shaped jaws, which may allow them to fill different ecological niches. They tend to hunt small prey and scavenge large game, so hybrid coyotes might be helpful in controlling the overly abundant deer population."
While coyote populations have been expanding, wolf populations have become endangered. Hybridization with coyotes is now a major threat to the recovery of wolves.
"For the past decade, our lab has developed and used noninvasive techniques to monitor and survey rare and endangered species in various regions of the world and in this study, we were able to show that noninvasive techniques can also be an effective tool for tracking the origins and movement patterns of this elusive canid," Jesús Maldonado, SCBI research geneticist and paper co-author. "The admixed coyotes have also been found further south, into North Carolina, which brings the hybridized coyote into the range of the critically endangered red wolf, further complicating the issue."
The study's authors from SCBI are Bozarth, Maldonado and Frank Hailer (now a postdoctoral researcher at the Biodiversity and Climate Research Center in Frankfurt, Germany). Bozarth is currently an assistant professor in the science, technology and business division at Northern Virginia Community College. The additional authors are Larry Rockwood and Cody Edwards from the department of environmental science and policy at George Mason University.
The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute plays a key role in the Smithsonian's global efforts to understand and conserve species and train future generations of conservationists. Headquartered in Front Royal, Va., SCBI facilitates and promotes research programs based at Front Royal, the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., and at field research stations and training sites worldwide.A guest post by Eric Chu just went live over at the Android Developers blog, officially announcing the expansion of the Android market to 20 new countries. While we can't exactly say we didn't see this coming (and have an idea what countries it was coming to), it's nice to see nonetheless. It looks like Distimo's estimation was pretty dead-on, too: 11 of the 13 countries they listed are confirmed by Mr. Chu's post. The full list:
Support for paid application sales is now expanded to developers in 29 countries, with today’s additions of Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland and Taiwan.
They're also expanding support for customers to purchase apps in 18 more countries, to a total of 32, sometime in the next few weeks:
In addition, Android Market users from 32 countries will be able to buy apps, with the addition of Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Israel, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Sweden, and Taiwan. No action is necessary if you have targeted your paid apps to be available to “All Locations” and would like to launch in these additional countries.
Very cool - be sure to hit up the source link for the full post.
[Source: Android Developers blogAlexandra Posadzki, The Canadian Press
TORONTO -- Home sales in the Greater Toronto Area hit a record last month as fewer homeowners put their properties up for sale, the city's real estate board said Wednesday.
The Toronto Real Estate Board said its members had 9,813 sales in August, a 23.5 per cent increase from the same month last Still, even adjusting for an equal number of days, last month's sales volume in the GTA was up about 13 per cent from August 2015.
Jason Mercer, the director of market analysis at TREB, says dwindling inventory has been one of the main reasons why prices for single-family homes have been soaring in Toronto over the past year.
"If you're looking to purchase a single or a semi or a townhome, it's really difficult in a lot of neighbourhoods to find a home that meets your needs," said Mercer.
"Whenever you have a situation like that, you're going to have strong upward pressure on prices."
The average price for homes sold, regardless of type of property, was $710,410, an increase of 17.7 per cent. Detached homes in the city of Toronto proper cost on average $1.2 million, up 18.3 per cent.
The data comes amid concerns that Vancouver's new 15 per cent tax on foreign buyers could send investors to Toronto, driving up prices in a market that's already scorching.
But experts say it's too soon to tell whether Vancouver's tax, which was introduced on Aug. 2, is having any impact on Toronto's real estate market.
"I think it's definitely too soon to jump to a conclusion because we don't have the numbers on what foreign ownership is like," said Shawn Zigelstein, a Toronto-based realtor with Royal LePage Your Community Realty.
Zigelstein says three or four months' worth of sales figures and data on the rate of foreign ownership are needed before the impact of the new tax can be discerned.
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and Toronto Mayor John Tory both emphasized the importance of taking a wait-and-see approach before intervening in Toronto's real estate market.
"Either me or the provincial government could step up and do something to try and earn political points by having people think we've done something to increase affordability of housing in Toronto," Tory said during a news conference Wednesday.
"I just want to make sure that anything we do is actually going to have a real, positive impact that isn't going to be about show business and politics. People want real solutions, not solutions that make them feel better for 20 minutes."
The real estate market is "very complicated," he added.
"I think anybody who thinks they have an easy answer is fooling the public and fooling themselves."
Wynne said the provincial government is working with the city and the federal government to address eroding affordability as part of a national housing strategy. But, she added, it's still early days.
"I would be very cautious in terms of moving forward on any changes or interventions into that market," Wynne said.
"It's a different market than British Columbia's in the GTA. So we're looking at it, we're working with the city and the federal government, but there have been no decisions made."
In Vancouver, sales dropped 26 per cent in August -- the first month following the introduction of the tax -- compared to a year ago, although prices continued to rise. The benchmark price for all residential properties in Vancouver climbed 31.4 per cent from a year ago to $933,100.The King v Burwell argument was a bit of a longshot, but still a last stand based on the principle of textual respect for statute. It was also a timebomb for ObamaCare, one that would have blown up in the faces of both Democrats and Republicans, but would have delighted opponents of the poorly constructed Affordable Care Act. The Supreme Court rendered all of that moot today by ruling in favor of HHS, allowing subsidies to flow through the federal as well as state exchanges:
The Supreme Court has upheld the nationwide tax subsidies under President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul, in a ruling that preserves health insurance for millions of Americans. The justices said in a 6-3 ruling Thursday that the subsidies that 8.7 million people currently receive to make insurance affordable do not depend on where they live, under the 2010 health care law.
In this case, Justice John Roberts once again voted in support of ObamaCare, a move that will further darken his reputation among conservatives. Even without Roberts, the case would have gone to HHS, as Anthony Kennedy also voted along with the majority. Roberts’ majority opinion acknowledges that the ACA “contains more than a few examples of inartful drafting,” but that the overall intent of Congress in passing the bill is clear on this point:
Here, the statutory scheme compels the Court to reject petitioners’ interpretation because it would destabilize the individual insurance market in any State with a Federal Exchange, and likely create the very “death spirals” that Congress designed the Act to avoid. Under petitioners’ reading, the Act would not work in a State with a Federal Exchange. As they see it, one of the Act’s three major reforms—the tax credits—would not apply. And a second major reform—the coverage requirement—would not apply in a meaningful way, because so many individuals would be exempt from the requirement without the tax credits. If petitioners are right, therefore, only one of the Act’s three major reforms would apply in States with a Federal Exchange. The combination of no tax credits and an ineffective coverage requirement could well push a State’s individual insurance market into a death spiral. It is implausible that Congress meant the Act to operate in this manner. Congress made the guaranteed issue and community rating requirements applicable in every State in the Nation, but those requirements only work when combined with the coverage requirement and tax credits. It thus stands to reason that Congress meant for those provisions to apply in every State as well. Pp. 15–19.
Justice Antonin Scalia rejects the “outlandishness” of Roberts’ reasoning:
The Court has not come close to presenting the compelling contextual case necessary to justify departing from the ordinary meaning of the terms of the law. Quite the contrary, context only underscores the outlandishness of the Court’s interpretation. Reading the Act as a whole leaves no doubt about the matter: “Exchange established by the State” means what it looks like it means. … Statutory design and purpose matter only to the extent they help clarify an otherwise ambiguous provision. Could anyone maintain with a straight face that §36B is unclear? To mention just the highlights, the Court’s interpretation clashes with a statutory definition, renders words inoperative in at least seven separate provisions of the Act, overlooks the contrast between provisions that say “Exchange” and those that say “Exchange established by the State,” gives the same phrase one meaning for purposes of tax credits but an entirely different meaning for other purposes, and (let us not forget) contradicts the ordinary meaning of the words Congress used. On the other side of the ledger, the Court has come up with nothing more than a general provision that turns out to be controlled by a specific one, a handful of clauses that are consistent with either understanding of establishment by the State, and a resemblance between the tax-credit provision and the rest of the Tax Code. If that is all it takes to make something ambiguous, everything is ambiguous. … The Court protests that without the tax credits, the number of people covered by the individual mandate shrinks, and without a broadly applicable individual mandate the guaranteed-issue and community-rating requirements “would destabilize the individual insurance market.” Ante, at 15. If true, these projections would show only that the statutory scheme contains a flaw; they would not show that the statute means the opposite of what it says. Moreover, it is a flaw that appeared as well in other parts of the Act. A different title established a long-term-care insurance program with guaranteed-issue and community-rating requirements, but without an individual mandate or subsidies. §§8001–8002, 124 Stat. 828–847 (2010). This program never came into effect “only because Congress, in response to actuarial analyses predicting that the [program] would be fiscally unsustainable, repealed the provision in 2013.” Halbig, 758 F. 3d, at 410. How could the Court say that Congress would never dream of combining guaranteed-issue and community rating requirements with a narrow individual mandate, when it combined those requirements with no individual mandate in the context of long-term-care insurance?
Scalia also responds to the court’s reasoning on “inartful drafting”:
Perhaps sensing the dismal failure of its efforts to show that “established by the State” means “established by the State or the Federal Government,” the Court tries to palm off the pertinent statutory phrase as “inartful drafting.” Ante, at 14. This Court, however, has no free-floating power “to rescue Congress from its drafting errors.” Lamie v. United States Trustee, 540 U. S. 526, 542 (2004) (internal quotation marks omitted). Only when it is patently obvious to a reasonable reader that a drafting mistake has occurred may a court correct the mistake. The occurrence of a misprint may be apparent from the face of the law, as it is where the Affordable Care Act “creates three separate Section 1563s.” Ante, at 14. But the Court does not pretend that there is any such indication of a drafting error on the face of §36B. The occurrence of a misprint may also be apparent because a provision decrees an absurd result—a consequence “so monstrous, that all mankind would, without hesitation, unite in rejecting the application.” Sturges, 4 Wheat., at 203. But §36B does not come remotely close to satisfying that demanding standard. It is entirely plausible that tax credits were restricted to state Exchanges deliberately—for example, in order to encourage States to establish their own Exchanges. We therefore have no authority to dismiss the terms of the law as a drafting fumble. Let us not forget that the term “Exchange established by the State” appears twice in §36B and five more times in other parts of the Act that mention tax credits. What are the odds, do you think, that the same slip of the pen occurred in seven separate places? No provision of the Act— none at all—contradicts the limitation of tax credits to state Exchanges.
Finally, Scalia finishes with this zinger, noting that the Court keeps rewriting the text of the law to rescue Congress from bad policy rather than focus on the law it passed:
Having transformed two major parts of the law, the Court today has turned its attention to a third. The Act that Congress passed makes tax credits available only on an “Exchange established by the State.” This Court, however, concludes that this limitation would prevent the rest of the Act from working as well as hoped. So it rewrites the law to make tax credits available everywhere. We should start calling this law SCOTUScare.
Roberts’ conclusion appears intended to rebut this argument:
In a democracy, the power to make the law rests with those chosen by the people. Our role is more confined—“to say what the law is.” Marbury v. Madison, 1 Cranch 137, 177 (1803). That is easier in some cases than in others. But in every case we must respect the role of the Legislature, and take care not to undo what it has done. A fair reading of legislation demands a fair understanding of the legislative plan. Congress passed the Affordable Care Act to improve health insurance markets, not to destroy them. If at all possible, we must interpret the Act in a way that is consistent with the former, and avoids the latter. Section 36B can fairly be read consistent with what we see as Congress’s plan, and that is the reading we adopt.
In the glass-half-full take, this does let Republicans in Congress off the hook for fixing the subsidies temporarily in order to stave off the necessity of dealing with ACA while Obama’s in the White House. It makes undoing ObamaCare a little more difficult in the long run, but in the short term it doesn’t require Republicans to cast votes shoring it up. The premium spirals and deductible issues will come to the fore instead, and that only benefits the GOP. They can argue for full repeal followed by a market-based reform that will actually lower prices by encouraging providers to enter the markets and the use of insurance for hospitalizations and catastrophic events.
For now, though, the King decision will be a bitter pill to swallow. It’s yet another reason why Republican Presidents need to be careful with their Supreme Court appointments. While these decisions rankle conservatives just as much as they rankle Scalia, it’s also a reminder that presidential elections matter for this very reason — because otherwise, the next openings will get filled with the Kagans and Sotomayors rather than the Scalias and the Thomases.Running Universal Studios Japan has to be a pretty tough job, since it’s never quite been able to step out from the shadow of Japan’s theme park juggernauts, Tokyo Disneyland and Disney Sea. You have to figure part of that stems from Universal’s weaker portfolio of beloved characters and settings. Whereas a trip to the Disney parks means a chance to rub elbows with the cast of Aladdin, Toy Story, and The Little Mermaid, visitors to USJ have had to settle for Jaws, Water World, and Backdraft.
But Universal Studios Japan has a new plan that involves not minding the first two-thirds of its name, but that last word, as the park is planning to add new attractions based on Attack on Titan, Evangelion, and other hit franchises from Japan.
When USJ first opened in Osaka back in 2001, it seemed to be off to a good start. The intense media focus and being the most premium theme park in the Kansai region meant a steady stream of visitors.
Once the initial excitement died down, though, USJ realized it was having problems luring people back for a repeat visit. The opening this month of the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter area, something Universal’s original theme park in California doesn’t even have yet, is giving USJ’s attendance numbers a shot in the arm, but that doesn’t mean the park’s managers are resting on their laurels.
According to a report by the Nikkei, on January 23, USJ plans to open a series of new attractions collectively called Universal Cool Japan, drawing from the imaginative worlds of Japanese anime, manga, and video games. Universal Cool Japan will use props and replicas to recreate the settings and characters of some of the biggest hits from the fields of Japanese animation and digital entertainment. USJ also plans to give visitors the opportunity to participate in escape games, the puzzle-based challenges that are growing in popularity in Japan, set within those worlds.
Two delegates will be representing the world of anime: manga artist Hajime Isayama’s giant-slaying/all-endorsing Attack on Titan, and director Hideaki Anno’s giant robot slugfest/clinical depression study Evangelion.
▼ USJ hasn’t said anything about featuring both franchises in the same attraction, but we can dream, can’t we?
On the video game side, USJ will showcase two long-running hits from publisher Capcom, Biohazard (known internationally as Resident Evil) and Monster Hunter. While both series have had displays at the park before, USJ is promising updated looks for the Universal Cool Japan project.
While this is all exciting news for otaku and gamers alike, the announcement does have one downside.
▼ Or two, if you count the fact that Street Fighter isn’t part of it (which you really should).
The attractions are only scheduled to run for a limited time. Keep your pants on, Attack on Titan fans, you’ve got until May 10 of 2015 before Universal Cool Japan shuts down, but still, we’d make those Osaka hotel reservations sooner rather than later.
Sources: Nikkei (via Jin via Twitter), Universal Studios Japan
Top image: Operation Rainfall, Pikdit (edited by RocketNews24)
Insert images: 30 Min, Universal Studios Japan, The ReticuleGov. John Kasich and Sen. Ted Cruz propelled an already unique primary cycle further into uncharted waters on Tuesday, when they joined Donald Trump in declining to reaffirm their pledge to support their party's eventual nominee.
Experts agreed: That's unprecedented in the history of modern U.S. politics. It forebodes a nasty fight ahead at the GOP's July convention, the potential for a third-party run for the races' current front-runner and an impending rebirth of the party when this election ends and political fractures are set.
"This is unique in American political history, and it just keeps getting more and more unique," said Nancy Young, a historian of American politics at the University of Houston. "Some might even say strange."
The cycle already has drawn attention for its remarkably early start, for the largest field of Republican candidates in the modern era, for the leading candidacy of a celebrity TV star, the historic potential for a contested convention, the shouting matches in televised debates and campaign Twitter feuds.
RELATED: The world watches as Trump inches nearer to primary win
Divisiveness has shown up throughout the race, but until Tuesday the candidates formally had pledged their support for whoever is the eventual GOP nominee. They even signed loyalty pledges early last fall.
Neither Donald Trump, Cruz nor Kasich would renew that pledge when pressed by CNN's Anderson Cooper during a town hall event Tuesday.
"There's nothing about this that is normal," said Aaron Crawford, a fellow at Southern Methodist University's Center for Presidential History.
Trump explicitly said the pledge was off, while Cruz and Kasich declined to answer the question, saying they could not support a candidate who crossed certain lines.
The Republican National Committee said in a statement Wednesday, "The pledge is simple, each candidate agreed to run as a Republican and support the nominee."
The pledge, however, does not hold much sway, said Charles Sartain, assistant general counsel for the Republican Party of Texas and a lawyer at Gray Reed & McGraw in Dallas.
"There's no real way to enforce the loyalty pledge, and there is no way to force a candidate to support the party nominee," he said, citing the rules of the RNC.
It seems increasingly likely that the nominating race will be won at the GOP's July convention in Cleveland. Unless someone wins an outright majority in the state primaries and caucuses, the party's 2,472 delegates will re-vote on the convention floor, which could lead to the selection of someone other than the front-runner.
RELATED: Growing chance of contested convention puts added focus on delegates
Mark Jones, a political scientist at Rice University's Baker Institute, said the candidates' comments on Tuesday signaled they plan to fight for the nomination until the bitter end.
"It takes an already volatile and very tense convention setting and makes it even more so," he said.
Experts agreed a contested convention likely would favor Cruz, raising the possibility that Trump wins the most delegates but not the nomination.
RELATED: Donald Trump predicts 'riots' if GOP convention picks alternate nominee
Crawford said the disavowal by Cruz and Kasich of their pledges to support the nominee had no apparent strategic underpinnings and is unlikely to give them an advantage in the convention process.
A spokeswoman for the pro-Cruz Trusted Leadership super PAC, formerly Keep the Promise I, said Trump's personal attacks on his fellow Republicans justify reluctance to affirm the loyalty pledge by Cruz and Kasich. None of the Republican campaigns responded to requests for comment Wednesday.
RELATED: Cruz calls Trump a'sniveling coward' for tweeting picture of his wife
For the front-runner, it is a different story. Jones said Trump is opening the possibility to run - or at least threaten to run - as an independent candidate.
"Whether or not the Republicans give him the nomination, he knows he can continue to promote himself and be successful," said Luke Macias, a Republican strategist in Texas. "I think (an independent Trump campaign) would create an unprecedented election."
Sartain said Trump would face challenges of meeting unique rules in all 50 states in order to appear on the November ballot.
Regardless of whether that happens, experts agreed the GOP will struggle to regain unity when the race is over. Trump and Cruz both built their campaigns with fiery condemnation of GOP leaders in Washington, D.C., directing Republican voter anger firmly at the Republican "establishment."
Instead of unifying the anti-establishment wing of the party, Trump and Cruz have only widened the gap between their bases. And the so-called "establishment" forces remain reluctant to rally behind either candidate.
"We're in uncharted waters for modern times," Crawford said. "Party structures will be altered by this cycle."TOKYO — There are many ways to demolish a building, and some of them are spectacular: blowing it up from the inside so it collapses on itself, or smashing it to bits with a two-ton wrecking ball.
But here in Tokyo, a cheek-by-jowl city with many outdated high-rises and tough recycling and environmental restrictions, Japanese companies are perfecting what might be called stealth demolition. Some tall buildings are dismantled from the top down, the work hidden by a moving scaffold, others from the bottom up, the entire structure being slowly jacked down.
At times the techniques seem to defy gravity, or at least common sense, for although the buildings appear intact, they slowly shrink. The methods, which make for a cleaner and quieter work site, may eventually find favor in New York and other cities as aging skyscrapers become obsolete and the best solution is to take them down and rebuild.
The latest Tokyo high-rise to get the stealth treatment is the Akasaka Prince Hotel, a 40-story tower with a distinctive saw-toothed facade overlooking one of the city’s bustling commercial districts. Since last fall, its steel and concrete innards have been torn apart, floor by floor, starting near the top, by hydraulic shears and other heavy equipment. The building has been shrinking by about two floors every 10 days; this month it will be gone, to be replaced by two new towers.'Happiness is the ultimate life goal. I think it's the only thing that's important.'
In a candid interview to mark the release of her stunning new album 'Lust for Life', Lana Del Rey opens up to ELLE about coming through the difficulties in her life and career, to find a new sense of happiness.
On Who Lana Really Is
She tells us her famed chanteuse persona has become less of a prop for her now. 'I know that if I had more of a persona [before], I have less of one now. And I think it comes down to getting a little older. Maybe I needed a stronger look or something to lean on then. But I feel like it wouldn't be hard for me today to play a mega show in jeans without rehearsing and still feel like I was coming from the right place.'
Thomas Whiteside
On Love
Talking about feeling more positive at this time in her life, she tells us, 'All the tough things that I have been through – that I've drawn upon [in my work] – don't exist for me anymore. Not all my romantic relationships were bad, but some of them challenged me in a way that I didn't want to be challenged and I am happy I don't have to do that now.'
Thomas Whiteside
One of the lessons she has learnt is avoiding the types of men she's been drawn to in the past.
'For me, the dream is to have a little bit of edge, the sexiness, the magnetism, the camaraderie, be on the same page and all that stuff, but without the fallout that comes from a person who is really selfish and puts only their needs first, which is like a lot of frontmen if we're talking about musicians!'
'I'm going to write a book one day called, "The curse of the frontman and why you should always date a bassist."'
On Her Music
Lana also talks about the influences on her new album, including American politics, 'I think it would be weird to be making a record during the past 18 months and not comment on how [the political landscape] was making me or the people I know feel, which is not good. It would be really difficult if my views didn't line up with what a lot of what people are saying.'
On Happiness
She also stresses the importance of being happy and why society needs to change. "I think happiness is the ultimate life goal. I think it's the only thing that's important. There are no mechanisms in place for routes to happiness, that's the whole f**king problem.
'I think people are unhappy in school – the education structure has been the same for a long time and kids are still not satisfied with their educational experience. And you don't have enough conversations when you're young about what makes for a satisfying, mutual relationship. Those collective life experiences – your youth, your academic education and your education about business, marriage or relationship goals – they all lead up to your collective happiness. I think the emphasis is on the wrong things and it has been for a long time."
On the cover, Lana is wearing Gucci and a ring by Cartier
Read the full interview in the June issue of ELLE UK, on sale 16th May.
To watch and listen to 'Lust For Life', head over to Lanadelrey.com.But guess what? Carbs can be your friend. In fact, eliminating them could actually be harmful to your long-term health, and you may be missing out on some of their slimming effects. Here's the catch, though: You must know which ones to forgo and which to welcome back on your plate.
Before you decide to embrace the carb-free way to be, |
to approve the use of medical marijuana. Last Friday, the lower house of Parliament passed a government-sponsored medical marijuana bill.The measure must still be approved by the upper house. There is no word yet on when that vote may take place.Under the legislation, marijuana would first be imported, but would later be grown locally by companies registered with the government and licensed to do so. Patients would not be allowed to grow their own medicine.The drug would be sold by prescription in pharmacies. Medical marijuana would not be covered by health insurance.Medical marijuana is legal in a number of European countries, as well as Canada and Israel. It is also legal in 18 US states and the District of Columbia, though not under US federal law.ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- The Denver Broncos began their two-week buildup to the Super Bowl with good news in hand about running back Knowshon Moreno and cornerback Tony Carter.
Moreno suffered a rib injury late in the Broncos' 26-16 victory against the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game -- his last carry of the game was one-yarder with just over seven minutes left in the game. Broncos coach John Fox said Monday the team got a a favorable report on its leading rusher.
"X-rays of his ribs were negative," Fox said. "So, he'll be day to day when we form back up on Thursday."
Carter was examined for concussion symptoms when he left the game early in the fourth quarter. Following the game Carter said he felt "fine," and Fox said Monday the injury was a pinched nerve.
Both players are expected to return to practice at some point in the coming days and be available for the Super Bowl on Feb. 2.
The Broncos plan to practice at their team complex Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The team will then travel to the New York/New Jersey area and is scheduled for a late-afternoon arrival on Sunday.With the Dow Jones Industrial Average losing ground for five straight weeks, I can't blame you for not wanting to plunk down more cash into this market. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't be investing right now. In fact, there's a way you can earn income while you wait to buy stocks on the cheap.
Right now, I've got my eye on an inexpensive electronics component supplier, TTM Technologies (Nasdaq: TTMI), that is growing nicely thanks to its tablet and smartphone exposure. Writing puts on TTM will provide some income and downside protection, but still let me purchase shares if they get dragged down with this market.
Here's the opportunity I see right now.
There's money in those guts
TTM makes printed circuit boards (PCBs) that provide the base to support and connect other higher-tech electronic components that keep our gadgets whizzing, whirling, flashing, and tweeting. They're the guts of our connected world. And although PCBs are largely cheap and commoditized, TTM has carved out a niche by providing slightly more specialized PCBs for high-tech consumer electronics (think smartphones and tablets) and computer networking equipment. The company's end markets are expected to grow more than 10% per year through 2014. Recently, demand has been so strong that TTM is considering adding to its previously announced plans to spend $115 million to expand its facilities.
Need evidence of demand for the company's products? Look no further than the obvious computing trends. TTM's tech prowess has earned it the respect and checkbook of consumer-electronics king Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL). Each of the 4.7 million iPads Apple sold last quarter runs on a TTM circuit board, and that growth only accelerates as the iPad debuts in more and more international markets.
But TTM isn't beholden to the fickle consumer-electronics market. It also sells into the very stable defense and aerospace industries. Companies like Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) and Raytheon (NYSE: RTN) use its PCBs in their missile guidance systems and radar detection devices. And while competitors Cisco Systems (Nasdaq: CSCO) and Juniper Networks (Nasdaq: JNPR) are battling it out in the networking communication business, TTM sells to both of them, so we don't have to pick a winner. Slightly more than half of the company's revenue comes from these stable business lines, giving TTM a stable foundation on which to build its consumer business.
TTM shares look cheap
Even with revenue and earnings expected to grow by more than 25% this year, and another 8% and 15% next year, TTM shares are only trading at eight times next year's earnings. The company generates more than $130 million in free cash flow, so its $500 million in debt load looks manageable. I think shares could be worth $20, based on the company's growth prospects, mildly rising input prices, and an eventual moderation of capital spending. I've considered buying shares outright given this view, but I think writing put options may offer an even more compelling opportunity.
Selling puts, earning income
A put option represents the right to sell a stock at a certain price on or before a specific date. Thus, writing puts means that you promise to buy a stock at an agreed-upon price (the strike price) in exchange for a bit of cash. Using written puts to potentially establish ownership in solid businesses, while earning a little income in the meantime, is a sensible way to invest using options.
We can write a put option expiring in September to potentially purchase TTM shares at $12.50 and be paid $0.95. It doesn't sound like much, but that equates to a 7% yield in just three and a half months. And if TTM shares get caught up in the market's slide, we may have a chance to buy them at a great price. With the $0.95 payment, our effective buy price on shares would be $11.55 -- a steal, considering that I think shares are worth closer to $20. Here are some of the recent details on this written put:
TTMI Written Put
The option September 2011 $12.50 Put Option price $0.95 per contract TTMI stock price $13.40 Capital at risk (the most we can lose) $12.50 Max option reward $0.95 Option yield 7% Annualized yield 31% Breakeven $11.55 Downside Protection (11%)
Data from Yahoo! Finance near market close on June 10.
As you can see, we don't start losing money unless TTM shares drop below $11.55 -- 11% below where they trade today. And if that happens, we'll be forced to buy shares that we already said were a good bargain, so that's not a terrible outcome. Remember, because each option represents 100 shares of stock, each written put represents a potential obligation of $1,250, so size your bet accordingly. And if TTM shares don't drop below our $12.50 strike price, we'll simply keep our $0.95 per share in option premium, and feel comfortable that we earned a decent yield in a market that had us spooked to begin with.
Just scratching the surface
Writing puts to earn income and buy shares of business we like at great prices is just one of the strategies our team at Motley Fool Options uses on a regular basis. Drop your email address in the box below to discover more ways you can use options on popular stocks to keep afloat and make money in this market.Share. Plus director Gareth Edwards on why a big sequence glimpsed in trailers was cut. Plus director Gareth Edwards on why a big sequence glimpsed in trailers was cut.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story features a number of iconic characters from prior Star Wars films, but there's one particular cameo in the movie that one of the film's writers, Gary Whitta, wishes wasn't included.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Whitta said he wasn't enthusiastic about the decision to include A New Hope's cantina brawlers Dr. Evazan and Ponda Baba (aka Walrus Man) in the brief scene that's set in the streets of Jedha.
"I thought having Evazan and Walrus Man was a little too much," Whitta said. "You have to reign in that instinct to go back and put things in just because you loved them when you were a kid." Whitta was the first screenwriter on Rogue One, but others worked on the film after he did (though he would continue to contribute to Star Wars by writing for Star Wars Rebels).
Exit Theatre Mode
Additionally, director Gareth Edwards discussed with EW how in Rogue One they attempted to reconcile a couple of different lines in the original Star Wars film regarding the Rebels' acquisition of the Death Star plans. "The problem is that in A New Hope, they contradict themselves," he explained, noting that "At one point, they say, 'Conjure up the stolen data tapes' and at another point they say, 'Several transmissions were beamed aboard the ship.' Did they steal data tapes or was it transmissions?"
In an attempt to solve this plot issue, they tried to do both in their depiction of the mission, in footage glimpsed in trailers that included Jyn Erso running across the beach with the plans in her hand. "The original version was that they stole the plans, tried to get back to the ship and on their way, it all went wrong," Edwards said. This then led to them going to the transmission tower -- which was in a completely different location in this incarnation of the film -- to send the plans. Ultimately though, this extended sequence made the film too long, Edwards explained. In order to condense this part of the film they moved the tower during the film's significant reshoots so it was located at the same base where the tapes are stolen.
Unfortunately, this meant the beach scene, among others, wouldn't make it into the film. "They no longer have to go on a journey across the beach, and some of those decisions can be heartbreaking because I loved a lot of the material we got from that moment," Edwards remarked, while telling EW the decision to cut this material was still best for the film. As he put it, "No matter how well you’re doing in a movie there’s always the point where the audience gets a bit antsy. You don’t want people to have that feeling in a Star Wars film.”
Exit Theatre Mode
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will be released on Blu-ray, DVD and On-Demand on April 4. For more on the film, which was IGN's best movie of 2016, find out what the original ending was for Rogue One.
Alex Osborn is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter and subscribe to his YouTube channel.This piece was originally published on August 31, 2017. We’re re-publishing it in light of XXXTentacion’s death.
There’s a song near the end of rising South Florida rapper XXXTentacion’s just-released 17 called “Carry On,” where the 11-track mini-album — a ramshackle mix of half-conceived folk musings and confessional depression raps — drops both its amateurish singer-songwriter contrivances and conventional hip-hop rhyme patterns in favor of raw emotion: “Trapped in a concept, falsely accused, was used and misled / Bitch, I’m hoping you fucking rest in peace.” It’s more than just your average jilted breakup rap. The person XXXTentacion is talking about is an ex-girlfriend who accused the rapper, born Jahseh Onfroy, of punching, kicking, strangling, and imprisoning her while she was pregnant, charges he will stand trial for this fall. In spite of those allegations, and an interview on BMX star Adam22’s “No Jumper” show in which he detailed beating a gay juvenile detention center cellmate half to death and smearing the blood on his face because he caught the kid glaring, the rapper was recently selected for XXL’s 2017 Freshman List, which celebrates young hip-hop talent poised for superstardom. (Past honorees include J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, and Chance the Rapper.) 17 is presently on pace to bow out shockingly close to the top of this week’s Billboard 200 chart.
While he sat in prison for the domestic-battery charge last year, XXXTentacion — that’s “ex, ex, ex, tentación” — gained a following as his breakneck trap brawler “Look at Me!” took clubs and concerts by siege. Elsewhere, Florida rapper Kodak Black logged hits in “Skrt” and “Tunnel Vision,” which laced sublime tracks with stark dispatches from his life in and out of jail on robbery and drug-possession charges. (His “No Flockin’” introduced the rhyme flow Bronx star Cardi B used for her smash hit “Bodak Yellow.”) This year Kodak awaits trial for a 2016 sexual-assault charge. A second similar incident from February has yet to reach the courts. Kodak’s latest, Project Baby 2, a bleak collection of musings on love and hopelessness, is No. 2 in the country this week. While X and Kodak shine on the album chart, Texas teen rapper Tay-K has crept halfway up the Hot 100 with “The Race.” It bluntly recounts the time the 17-year-old rapper and murder suspect clipped his ankle monitor and tried to outrun the cops: “Fuck a beat, I was trying to beat a case / But I ain’t beat the case, bitch, I did the race.”
A court case used to be an imposing obstacle for an artist’s growth, a setback artists fought for their lives to overcome, but in 2017, assault and battery cases don’t seem as damaging. In the same way that selling drugs sharpened Jay-Z and Snoop Dogg’s bona fides in the ’90s and getting shot nine times transformed 50 Cent from neighborhood rabble-rouser into a spokesperson for the streets in the aughts, proof of a young rapper’s reckless abandon now grows his legend and emboldens his authenticity. Would Tay-K’s song, or incarcerated New York rhymer Bobby Shmurda’s shoot-em-up anthem “Hot Nigga,” connect if every word didn’t feel lived? Would XXXTentacion’s mix of speaker-busting punk-rap and sad-sack campfire songs ring true if he seemed at all concerned for his own well-being?
Rap fans have a peculiar outlook on heroism because hip-hop culture exists as a monument to black inner-city craftiness in the face of crumbling infrastructure, tightening gang presence, and hyperactive policing. Injustice begat mistrust, which tripped off a thousand cat-and-mouse games between law enforcement and inner-city entrepreneurs, ranging from simple music and movie bootlegging and loose-cigarette and unlicensed-alcohol sales all the way up the chain to coke and crack manufacturing and distribution. Good and evil seemed porous and nebulous to a generation that grew up in the shadow of government neglect and police misconduct. Police could be seen harassing unarmed citizens; kingpins handed out turkeys at Thanksgiving.
Gangsta rap made folk heroes out of men and women who risked their safety to bend the rules and prosper as outlaws. The greats presented crime as a political act, a means of leveling a playing field that always operated on a severe tilt. They gave voice to the struggles of the disadvantaged and illuminated a way out for the daring. Harsh nationwide response — presidential rebukes, steamrolling CDs, obscenity trials — steeled fans of the music to criticism to a degree we’ve never quite recovered from. To love rap is to crusade for its honor, to suspend disbelief and enjoy it free of moralizing. This complex makes it tough to challenge the stuff even now; many a valuable talk on rap misogyny and homophobia has been derailed by passing the blame up the chain of command to America at large, instead of reckoning with the role of artists and fans in coddling social ills they, admittedly, didn’t invent. Comedian Eric Andre caught hell on Twitter this month for asking why people who hate racism entertain music that promotes sexism. It’s not a crazy question, but the timing never works. There’s always a bigger concern eating up attention.
While we hem and haw about how to even talk about rappers with open murder, battery, and sexual-assault cases, their success seems to render the conversation moot. Music fans’ mantra about compartmentalizing craft and crafter — “You gotta separate the art from the artist” — offers catchy, consequence-free support and promotion of artists who deserve more scrutiny. It has allowed decades of talented but abusive men to be celebrated as geniuses while the troublesome aspects of their lives languished in the back pages of history. It is not a noble thought process; it is apathy disguised as passing concern. The furthest the dialogue about XXXTentacion got was a handful of thinkers and long reads asking if he should be famous or not. While those gears turned, the powder keg personality set out on a volatile tour. At one stop, an opener got beat up in the crowd. Another saw X punch a fan in the face unprovoked. At a third, the rapper got knocked out cold and carried off in the middle of his own set. The whole tour was called off before I could check it out in NYC.
A consequence of centering a movement in unchecked male aggression is that it eventually becomes impossible to control, and to my eyes and ears, rap has been quietly spiraling toward a disaster for a while now. I distinctly remember the moment it became appropriate to mosh at a rap show, because it seemed to happen all at once. I caught a Diplomats show in Times Square in 2010 and watched one of a then-emergent A$AP Mob dive off the stage, accidentally spear the glasses off the guy standing next to me, and then offer to step outside if the kid was upset enough to fight. The same year I saw Odd Future turn the Studio at Webster Hall into pandemonium during their first show in the city. The next year, I caught a headline set by A$AP Rocky at CMJ’s Fader Fort that ended abruptly with a stage manager getting jumped and sent to the hospital for stitches.
Rap shows and rock shows have always run a little rowdy, but it wasn’t until recently that you could ever mistake the energy of one for the other. Rap shows got buck, but you watched where your hands and feet went so you didn’t get snuffed for stepping on kicks or breaching certain personal space boundaries. At a lot of rock shows, that kind of reckless jostling was the point. Nowadays, rappers pause shows to encourage fans to brace themselves for moshing. This isn’t to say that “rap is the new rock” because the two scenes have shared players for years. The Beastie Boys were a hardcore band before they landed on beats and rhymes, and the trio returned to those roots throughout their career. The early ’90s saw Chuck D pop up on a Sonic Youth song and KRS-One on an R.E.M. one. Living Colour, Faith No More, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers were heralds of a rap-rock revolution at the end of the ’80s that Rage Against the Machine, Limp Bizkit, and Korn would warp through the late ’90s and beyond.
The last bit should be a point of concern in examining the current rap landscape. Nu metal operated on a few core misunderstandings of rap in the same way a few key figures circling the rap mainstream are misguided in lionizing rock stars. The worst of it mistook rap for an art of baseless defiance and aggression, rather than a pointed shank forged out of disenfranchisement. In the space of a single year, Limp Bizkit devolved from scuzzy empowerment anthems to gibberish about sticking cookies up assholes. Even Rage, the most eloquent and pointedly political act on the scene by a country mile, saw its message grossly reduced to simple brutality in crowds screaming along to “Killing in the Name”: “FUCK YOU, I WON’T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME!” The whole scene folded in a frenzy of grabbing hands and flying fists, as Woodstock ’99 burned down, killing the ’90s as dead as Altamont did the ’60s.
As powerful and vibrant of a culture as hip-hop is, we’re always just one horrific event away from stifling nightlife reform. The repercussions for violence at a rap show trickle down to everyone, as New York showgoers can attest after a May 2016 shooting inside an Irving Plaza gig featuring Brooklyn rapper Troy Ave led to tightened security measures at shows and heavily armed guards at Governors Ball this summer. The more of a threat of violence that a rap show presents to a venue, the less of them they’re likely to book. It doesn’t matter how hot your single is if you’re seen as a security risk.
We owe it to the women who say they’ve been hurt by these artists to stop offering them space in interviews to trash their accusers before everyone gets their day in court. We owe it to the (increasingly) young fans of these guys — who place their safety in the hands of both artist and venue at every concert — to ensure that the performer onstage isn’t acting against the best interests of his audience (as the Houston rapper Travis Scott does when he goads fans to jump off venue balconies and ignore festival partitioning at his shows). The current climate of simply shoveling more money and clout at rappers with dangerous tendencies and hoping they’ll straighten themselves out is untenable. Labels need to do more training. Fans need to do more soul-searching. We need to ask more questions. Inaction is an action. History is watching.The bond between man and dog is so strong that their hearts beat in sync, a study has found.
Australian researchers separated three dogs from their owners, strapped heart monitors on the people and animals and then watched what happened when they were reunited.
Doggy and human heart rates quickly fell – and then began to mirror each other.
Charts showed that despite beating at different rates, they followed the same pattern, with each dog’s heart rising and falling in tandem with its master’s.
Australian researchers separated three dogs from their owners, strapped heart monitors on the people and animals and then watched what happened when they were reunited
Researcher Mia Cobb, of Melbourne’s Monash University, told the Huffington Post: ‘I was impressed at how much they came together.
‘The fact that they shared patterns do closely surprised me.
‘This kind of effect of experiencing a lowered heart rate makes a significant difference to our overall wellbeing.
‘If we can decrease our heart rate by hanging out with our animals, that’s something that can really benefit the community.’
Colleague Dr Craig Duncan, said: ‘Stress is a major killer in today’s society and, as we get busier and busier, it is something that is really important for us to try to help with.
‘The Hearts Aligned project aims to show how pet ownership can help us positively deal with the stressors of everyday life.’
Charts showed that despite beating at different rates, they followed the same pattern, with each dog’s heart rising and falling in tandem with its master’s
The study, which was funded by pet food firm Pedigree, is just the latest to show that having a dog is good for the heart.
For instance, a review of research by the American Heart Association suggested that pet owners have healthier hearts than other people – and dog owners particularly benefit.
This may be because of the necessity to go for walks, whatever the weather.Harmonix has announced that their newest game will work with pretty much every piece of plastic equipment that you might have laying around the house, possibly including that new Guitar Hero Live controller.
Saying that the company doesn’t want to make customers buy more than they have to (there’s a little shot right there), Harmonix’ Daniel Sussman has detailed what controllers will be compatible with the upcoming Rock Band 4. And the answer to that question is, well, pretty much everything. Sussman says that the game will work with all old Rock Band equipment, as well as the legacy Guitar Hero stuff.
As for the new Guitar Hero controller (did I tell you it’s great by the way?), that might work as well, but the company has yet to even see one in person, so they can’t say definitively. Also worth a mention here it is that, as great as the new Guitar Hero is looking, it won’t support already released DLC, and that’s another feather in the cap of Rock Band 4.
Honestly, both games are looking great so far, but if you’re already knee deep in plastic guitars and have a ton of Rock Band DLC on your hard drive, well, the choice is a lot tougher than if you’re just heading in raw. Both games are shooting for this coming Holiday Season, so expect to see tons more from them. Stay tuned.
Source: MCVThe climate change denialists are a bit thin-skinned; they’ve also been exposed as a bit on the wacko side. The journal Frontiers in Psychology is about to retract a paper that found that denialists tend to have a cluster of weird beliefs (NASA faked the moon landings, the CIA was in charge of the assassination of political figures in the US, etc.) because the denialists screamed very loudly.
This outrage first arose in response to a paper, NASA faked the moon landing–Therefore (Climate) Science is a Hoax: An Anatomy of the Motivated Rejection of Science (pdf) which analyzed voluntary surveys submitted by readers of climate science blogs, in which the respondents freely admitted to having a collection of other beliefs, in addition to climate change denial. That paper found something else interesting, and was the primary correlation observed: a lot of denialists are libertarians. Are you surprised?
Rejection of climate science was strongly associated with endorsement of a laissez-faire view of unregulated free markets. This replicates previous work (e.g., Heath & Gifford, 2006) although the strength of association found here (r ~.80) exceeds that reported in any extant study. At least in part, this may reflect the use of SEM, which enables measurement of the associations between constructs free of measurement error (Fan, 2003). A second variable that was associated with rejection of climate science as well as other scientific propositions was conspiracist ideation. Notably, this relationship emerged even though conspiracies that related to the queried scientific propositions (AIDS, climate change) did not contribute to the conspiracist construct. By implication, the role of conspiracist ideation in the rejection of science did not simply reflect “convenience” theories that provided specific alternative “explanations” for a scientific consensus. Instead, this finding suggests that a general propensity to endorse any of a number of conspiracy theories predisposes people to reject entirely unrelated scientific facts.
Oh, how they howled. Even libertarians seem to be embarrassed at being affiliated with libertarians, I guess. And conspiracy theorists, too? Why, the accusation itself is clearly evidence that there’s a conspiracy out to get them. They protested that because the respondents to the survey all found it through mainstream science blogs, all the responses were false flag operations put out by Big Climate.
What they didn’t realize was that they were generating more data to support the hypothesis. The authors of the first paper then wrote a second paper, the one that is now being retracted by the cowardly publisher, called Recursive Fury: Conspiracist Ideation in the Blogosphere in Response to Research on Conspiracist Ideation, in which they scanned public posts and comments on the first article, and analyzed the text for evidence of conspiracist tropes (it’s a nefarious scheme, they’re out to get us, it’s an organized movement to defeat us, etc.) and found that yes, conspiracist reasoning was quite common on climate change denial blogs.
They also rebutted some claims. The claim that the authors never bothered to contact the denialist blogs to host their survey was shot down pretty easily: they had the email, and further, they had replies from denialists who later claimed they never received any request to host the survey.
Initial attention of the blogosphere also focused on the method reported by LOG12, which stated: “Links were posted on 8 blogs (with a pro-science science stance but with a diverse audience); a further 5 “skeptic” (or “skeptic”-leaning) blogs were approached but none posted the link.” Speculation immediately focused on the identity of the 5 “skeptic” bloggers. Within short order, 25 “skeptical” bloggers had come publicly forward9 to state that they had not been approached by the researchers. Of those 25 public declarations, 5 were by individuals who were invited to post links to the study by LOG12 in 2010. Two of these bloggers had engaged in correspondence with the research assistant for further clarification.
Those emails were also revealed in a Freedom of Information Act request.
The squawking reached a new crescendo. Steve McIntyre wrote a strongly worded formal letter demanding that the defamatory article be removed, and accusing the authors of malice. Further, they complained that analyzing the content of blog posts and comments, public, openly accessible work, was an ethics violation.
Ludicrous as those claims are, Frontiers in Psychology is apparently about to fold to them. For shame.
You know, my university had a meeting with our institutional lawyers yesterday — I was called in to attend the information session for some reason, like having a reputation as a trouble-maker or something — and I was impressed with their professionalism and their commitment to actually defending the faculty and staff of the university. I guess not every organization is lucky enough to have good lawyers of principle.
Oh, well. All I can say is that, thanks to the denialist ratfuckers, now everyone is going to be far more interested in reading the two papers by Lewandowsky and others. I recommend that you read Motivated rejection of science (pdf) and Recursive fury(pdf) now, or anytime — they’re archived on the web. You might also stash away a copy yourself. You make a denialist cry every time you make a copy, you know.
The first author on the papers, Stephan Lewandowsky, has a few comments.
The strategies employed in those attacks follow a common playbook, regardless of which scientific proposition is being denied and regardless of who the targeted scientists are: There is cyber-bullying and public abuse by “trolling” (which recent research has linked to sadism); there is harassment by vexatious freedom-of-information (FOI) requests; there are the complaints to academic institutions; legal threats; and perhaps most troubling, there is the intimidation of journal editors and publishers who are acting on manuscripts that are considered inconvenient.The Affordable Care Act (ACA) brought good news to America’s transgender population in 2010. Previously, “gender identity disorder” was often considered a pre-existing condition, and transgender people could be denied coverage on this basis alone. Today, federal law prohibits insurers from denying coverage due to pre-existing conditions. Insurance companies are also expressly barred from discriminating against transgender people.
Proper health care for transgender individuals can be life-saving. In 2008, the American Medical Association stated that “gender dysphoria” is considered a serious medical condition that can result in “suicidality and death” without appropriate treatment. While the ACA has allowed for greater availability of health insurance coverage for transgender people, not every employer-based health plan includes transgender care. But this landscape is starting to shift.
This year, more employers than ever are providing transgender-inclusive health plans to their employees. Recent studies have shown the extremely low cost of providing this health coverage. With this information at the forefront, businesses are starting to catch on. According to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation’s “Corporate Equality Index 2015,” one-third of Fortune 500 businesses now offer transgender-inclusive health care – up from zero in 2002.
Nancy Kelly, director of compensation and benefits at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, told Yahoo News companies can no longer stay competitive if they don’t provide transgender health benefits. When the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta added transgender coverage, Kelly says, “It was not a particular employee request, it was more about diversity and inclusion and being a competitive employer.”
What’s the cost of providing coverage?
The HRC Foundation concedes that it’s still difficult for companies to estimate the cost of offering transgender health care due to the limited data available. But according to recent studies, the information that is available points to a startling low cost.
The City and County of San Francisco made its employee health insurance plans transgender-inclusive in 2001. To offset the expected costs, a per-employee per-month surcharge was implemented, but five years later, it had only spent $386,417 of the $5.6 million collected. San Francisco promptly ended the unnecessary surcharge.
A 2006 letter from the San Francisco HRC reads, “Despite actuarial fears of over-utilization and a potentially expensive benefit, the Transgender Health Benefit Program has proven to be appropriately accessed and undeniably more affordable than other, often routinely covered, procedures.”
Research suggests one reason why the cost is so low is the relatively small population of transgender individuals. A 2013 survey by the Williams Institute at UCLA found that few employees will actually use the coverage. The best estimate suggests transgender health benefits will be used by:
one out of 10,000 employees for employers with 1,000 to 10,000 employees, and
one out of 20,000 employees for employers with 10,000 to 50,000 employees.
Of the 26 employers surveyed, 86% reported no additional costs to add to the coverage. Two-thirds of the 21 employers that recorded actual costs from employee utilization reported zero costs due to utilization. While it’s hard to make an exact prediction, chances are good that offering transgender-inclusive health insurance will cost most companies either nothing or next to nothing.
A majority of the employers surveyed by the Williams Institute reported they would encourage other employers to add the coverage. Not one said it would advise against it.
How many companies are already on board?
HRC’s “Corporate Equality Index,” found that not only are one-third of Fortune 500 companies providing transgender-inclusive health insurance, two-thirds now offer gender identity non-discrimination protections. The annual report looks at major aspects of American workplaces in terms of LGBT equality, including recruiting efforts, whether firms have explicit gender identity and sexual orientation anti-discrimination protections, and whether they extend benefits to same-sex partners.
This year’s findings on health care inclusion were among the most dramatic. HRC doesn’t just survey Fortune 500 businesses, but many other employers supporting at least 500 employees. Of the businesses that participated in the survey, more than half now cover transgender health care, coming in at 418 employers. The number of U.S. employers affording transgender health plans rose from 49 in 2009, to 278 in 2013, to 340 in 2014, and finally, to a record 418 in 2015.
Deena Fidas is the director of HRC’s Workplace Equality Program, which has produced the annual report for more than a decade. She said of this year’s report, “The jump in terms of employers adopting transgender benefits has been the most dramatic of any single aspect of the Corporate Equality Index in its entire history.”
According to HRC, businesses that have added health care coverage for transgender employees have not had to increase insurance premiums to cover the cost. Fidas said so far, the cost is “so small it’s not quantifiable.”
For employers looking to implement transgender inclusive-health benefits, HRC has published a set of resources called “Benefits for Transgender Employees and Dependents.”
More from Business Cheat Sheet:UPDATE: Gervais confirmed his return in a tweet, writing, "It's gonna be biblical."
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PREVIOUSLY: Brace yourself, Hollywood: Ricky Gervais is officially returning to host the Golden Globes for a third time.
The comedian and creator of "The Office" and "Extras" created an uproar with his star-baiting monologue and set piece jokes at the 2011 awards show, but the buzz he created was enough to earn him another invite from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. The group voted on Wednesday over whether to bring him back, Variety reports, with the majority giving the British star the thumbs up.
Known for his sarcasm and wit, Gervais was unrelenting in his mockery, delighting in taking on stars like as Robert Downey Jr., John Travolta, Tom Cruise and Charlie Sheen.
"This year, I went about right. If anyone was offended, then I don't care," he said afterward. And then, he took to his blog to assert that no feelings were hurt, anyway.
"All the same conspiracy theories as last year too... 'So and so was offended'... 'hasn't been invited back yet'... exactly the same as last time. 'Paul McCartney was furious'... no he wasn't. And nor was Tim Allen and Tom Hanks," he wrote. "I was drinking with them after. Why do people have to embellish? They're allowed to say they hated it. They're allowed to say they didn't find it funny, that it was tasteless, over the top, or whatever. But why do they speculate and make stuff up?"
Gervais has been tweeting articles and sly hints about his potential return, sending a link to a New York Post report earlier in the month that said the HFPA was asking him back.
After last year's awards, HFPA President Philip Berk seemed less than pleased with his host. "He definitely crossed the line. And some of the things were totally unacceptable," he said. "But that's Ricky... I had absolutely no idea what Ricky was going to say so anything I heard was heard was the same time you heard it. When you hire Ricky Gervais, you expect the unexpected."
As for what to expect this year? Gervais, who had earlier joked that he offered to host both the Oscars and the Golden Globes when Eddie Murphy pulled out of the Academy Awards, tweeted Wednesday afternoon, "Just told Billy Crystal he'd better not use any of my holocaust or pedophile material at The Oscars. He agreed (true)."
Then, a tweet that read, "Ha ha Hello. Welcome to my world," with a picture of himself standing in front of rising flames.Image caption The Court of Appeal overruled a previous High Court decision
A well-known sportsman, who obtained an injunction preventing the media publishing details of his private life, has won a court appeal against a ruling which would have revealed his identity.
Judge Lord Neuberger ruled in favour of the man, known only as JIH.
He said JIH had been in a long-term relationship with someone referred to in court as XX.
He wanted to block a story claiming he had a sexual encounter with someone known by the alias ZZ.
The Court of Appeal heard that when JIH |
been those who changed the world.” The audience responded with applause.
You can watch the full video of his comments here (he’s pretty charming about his snub):
Actually, Oyelowo’s been dropping truth-bombs all over the place recently. In an interview with The Guardian he echoed a sentiment Michael B. Jordan expressed previously when he was getting buzz for Fruitvale Station last year:
When Oyelowo graduated from the Lamda in 1998, he told his agent to find him scripts intended for white actors. “When I looked to heroes I wanted to emulate, I constantly found myself mentally jumping over the pond. I had read that Denzel Washington had told his agent early on: ‘Give me everything that Harrison Ford is turning down.’ That stuck with me.” His CV is laced with colorblind casting, from dashing Danny in Spooks to a detective in the Tom Cruise vehicle Jack Reacher and the dogged district attorney in the recent thriller A Most Violent Year. “I hunt those kinds of roles down.” But he knows there is still some distance to go. “The only way I get a leading role in a studio picture is if Ryan Gosling can’t play it, which is clearly the case with Selma. If this was a non-color-specific character, it wouldn’t be me. It just wouldn’t.”
Here’s a bit of what Jordan said during his awards season campaign previously:
[Jordan’s] strategy is just to continue to “make smart choices and do movies that appeal to everybody and playing characters that aren’t written for the black guy. You know, ‘Oh, he’s the black guy, you know, mom’s on drug’s, dad’s not around, dad comes back around, they have issues, he’s in a gang, he robs people.’ It’s the same fucking scenarios. Why can’t he be the guy that’s in med school? Or just dealing with regular people shit? Those roles need to become more of an abundance because then it starts to become less surprising when I’m playing a role people wouldn’t expect me to play.”
And when Oyelowo was recently cast as the lead in The Queen Of Katwe his son had a pretty telling reaction:
I’m the lead but my son actually asked me: “Are you going to be the main character’s friend?” I went, “Wow. That’s the world Hollywood shows him.” So I was very happy to tell him: “No. The other actor plays my friend. I’m the center of the story.” That felt powerful to me.
Hollywood’s got plenty of superbly capable performers out there already doing great work and waiting for their chance to play the same wide range of parts as people like Bradley Cooper are often afforded. My hope is that the Academy will eventually get its shizz together and actually be more consistent about recognizing these performers without it all having to be about black pain.
Personally I can’t wait to see Oyelowo team up with Lupita Nyong’o in the upcoming adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s novel Americanah; they’re both powerhouse performers and they’ve got a lot to bite into with this story of star-crossed Nigrian immigrants.
And if anyone with power in Hollywood is reading this: I’m still waiting for a big film/HBO miniseries/AMC prestige drama about the Harlem Renaissance.
You can read Oyelowo’s full Guardian profile here; I recommend it.
(Image via CarlaVanWagoner/Shutterstock.com)
Are you following The Mary Sue on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, & Google +?The therapy aims to stop HIV re-producing One of the first attempts to use gene therapy to treat HIV has produced promising results in clinical trials. When the therapy was tested on 74 patients, it was shown to be safe and appeared to reduce the effect of the virus on the immune system. In theory, one treatment should be enough to replace the need for a lifetime of antiretroviral therapy. The study, by the University of California, Los Angeles, appears in the journal Nature Medicine. The researchers have shown enough of an effect for us to be hopeful that a gene therapy approach to HIV treatment might eventually deliver effective treatments for the disease
Keith Alcorn
HIV information service NAM Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has greatly improved the prognosis for people infected with HIV. However, it must be taken on a daily basis, there is a risk of adverse reactions and the virus - which has an astonishing capacity to evolve rapidly - is starting to develop resistance to the drugs. Therefore, new ways to combat the virus are badly needed. Stem cells The latest therapy involves giving patients blood stem cells modified to carry a molecule called OZ1, which is designed to stop HIV reproducing itself by targeting two key proteins. The patients in the trial either received the therapy, or a dummy treatment. After 48 weeks the researchers found there was no statistically significant difference in the amount of HIV circulating in the blood of the two groups of patients. However, after 100 weeks the patients who received the gene therapy had higher levels of CD4+ cells - the key cells of the immune system which are specifically destroyed by HIV. Lead researcher, Professor Ronald Mitsuyasu, said the research was the first to come through tightly controlled trials in which patients did not know whether they were getting the therapy or the placebo. He said: "Gene therapy has the potential of needing only a one-time or infrequent administration of product and would allow the patients to control their own HIV internally without the need for continuous drug therapy. "While this treatment is far from being perfected, it is not yet as effective or as complete as current antiretroviral therapy in controlling HIV, the study did show proof of concept that inserting and administering a single anti-HIV gene in the patients' own blood stem cells and giving it back to them could reduce viral replication to some degree when anti-HIV medications are stopped." However, Professor Mitsuyasu said long-term follow up was needed to ensure the therapy was safe. 'Exciting' area Jo Robinson, of the HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trust, said: "Gene therapy is an exciting area which aims to create a one off treatment for HIV, avoiding the need for people to take daily medication. "However, it's a very complex area and early days in research terms so we're a long way from something like this being on the market. "This particular trial proved safe and has shown some promising results which definitely warrant further investigation. "Some people find their HIV becomes resistant to current treatments over time so it's essential that we invest in researching potential new approaches like this." Keith Alcorn, of the HIV information service NAM, said: "The viral load responses in this study were very modest, and for any other sort of product would not justify going forward. "However, the researchers have shown enough of an effect for us to be hopeful that a gene therapy approach to HIV treatment might eventually deliver effective treatments for the disease."
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StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable versionShots rang out in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood Tuesday afternoon, striking two 12-year-old boys and a 66-year-old man. Trina Orlando reports.
12-Year-Old Boys Among 3 Shot in Old Town: Police
Three people, including two 12-year-old boys, were shot on Chicago's North Side Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.
The shooting took place just before 3 p.m. in the 1400 block of North Sedgwick Street in the city's Old Town neighborhood when a vehicle drove by and someone inside opened fire.
Police said one 12-year-old boy was shot in the chest and another 12-year-old boy was shot in the left leg. Both were taken to Lurie Children's Hospital in stable condition.
A 66-year-old man was also shot in the hand and taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in stable condition.
Area Central Detectives are investigating.
Check back for details on this developing story.A/N: Backstory. Which is par for the course with my writing. Please enjoy and I'm sorry for the wait.
"It's love that leaves and breaks the seal…"
Her phone's speaker sang through the kitchen, filling the empty room with strings and drums.
"Of always thinking you'd be real happy and healthy, strong and calm," Anna crooned.
The evening light left an orange dusky glow over the apartment. It was almost homely and comfortable.
The pan she was standing over crackled and spit just as the music was cut by her ringtone.
"Ack!" Anna scrambled for the device while trying to shield her face. She grumbled and slammed a lid over the fish and tucked her cell between her ear and shoulder. "Yeah, what do you want?"
"Anna?"
Anna blanched. "Wha—Elsa! Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't check the number. H-how's work?"
There was a hum on the other line and a bead of sweat rolled down the back of Anna's neck.
"That's actually what I called to tell you about."
"Oh?" Anna frowned and a little worm of worry crawled around in her gut. She flipped her fish to distract herself, listening to the satisfying sear of sizzling oil. "Everything's okay right?"
"No Anna, I'm fine. I just called to tell you I'd be home earlier than usual."
Score!—was her first thought. Then it hit her and Anna froze. She glanced at her meal cooking on the stove and then to her cell phone. "I should have made enough for two," she whispered.
But the happy thought wiggled through her mind and she couldn't stop a grin from splitting her cheeks. Rather than come home unannounced, Elsa had called to tell her. That was the most eventful thing that had happened to her today! Which, granted ain't much since her entire day had been spent making sure she had everything ready for classes tomorrow, doing household chores, and running errands. And normally a simple call shouldn't have been prized for such a celebration in her head, but this was Elsa.
Who, for most of the week, had continued to stash herself in her room. Anna hoped she hadn't scared her sister off with the underwear talk during the laundry incident.
A thought nagged at the back of her mind, dark and unpleasant. Anna's hand stilled above her pan and a scowl wormed its way on her features.
"Anna?"
She jumped, reality rushing back to her. "Huh—what?! Did you say something Elsa?"
"You spaced out," Elsa murmured. "I asked you if you needed me to pick up anything for dinner."
"Oh!" Anna grinned and glanced down at her meal. She guessed they could both eat lightly for tonight. She didn't want to send her older sister off on errands when she was getting out earlier for once. "Don't worry about dinner. It's all—"
She reached to flip her fish when a car's horn shrieked from the street below, sudden and close.
The color drained from her face.
Anxiety hit her like a kick in the guts. Anna jerked back violently and in her haste, smacked her elbow against the handle of the pan. It tipped and clattered to the floor.
"Ow! Stupid—!"
"Anna?" Elsa's voice grew louder. "What's going on? Are you alright—"
"I'm fine!" Anna interrupted. She flicked the stove off and picked up what was left of her meal, setting it on the counter. "Really, everything's cool." Not "I just had a little accident." She glared at the redness forming on her elbow.
"Accident…?"
The nervous, almost inaudible, titter to Elsa's voice made the hairs on Anna's nape prickle and she hoped Elsa hadn't heard the horn blare.
"Yeah," Anna said, softer this time. She grabbed a paper towel, wet it, and began to clean the fishy oil stains on the floor. "So, uh, how does Chinese takeout sound tonight?"
"What?" Elsa's hesitance vanished, replaced by confusion. "Er, that's fine I guess. Don't get anything too heavy." Anna rolled her eyes at the sternness in her sister's voice. "Do you need any extra cash? I have some in a small—"
"No, no, no. It's fine, I can pay for it," Anna said. She grinned crookedly when she heard a disgruntled noise on the other line.
"Well okay...I'll be home by 7:30.
"Okay, later!" Anna quipped. She opted out of the "I love you."
"Bye," Elsa mumbled.
Anna ended the call so the silence wouldn't hang in the air. Not wasting a moment, she dumped her ruined dinner into the trash and and hurriedly began to wash the dishes. At the same time, she flipped through the Internet on her phone before dialing a number. It rung three times before someone answered.
"Hello, yes, do you guys do delivery?"
"Your total comes down to..."
Anna barely took in the man's words with how frazzled she felt. Her fingers fumbled as she rifled through the meager contents in her wallet. Sweat beaded at her temple and dripped down the curve of her spine. The stifling, dry heat of Los Angeles probed and hovered over the nooks and crannies of her person, irritating her knee most of all.
And on top of that, it looked like she was short on cash too.
This can't get any worse.
"Ma'am?" The delivery man tilted his head, staring at her with worried brown eyes. "Everything alright?"
"Fine," Anna squeaked her reply. She dug her fingers deep into her wallet, hoping to magically fish out the necessary cash. "I just—"
Footsteps thudded on the apartment floor and Anna looked up to see a few dollar bills placed in the man's waiting hand.
"Here you go," Kristoff said. "Keep the change."
The man glanced between her and Kristoff, but Anna was too busy gaping at her burly neighbor. Taking in her disbelieving expression, he gave a noncommittal shrug. She blinked out of her stupor and stammered, "O-okay, yeah, sure. Thanks."
The delivery man shrugged. "Enjoy your meal and have a nice night," he said, walking away with a little wave.
Anna's shoulders sagged. She pinched the bridge of her nose and grumbled, "You didn't have to do that."
Kristoff laughed once and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest. "You looked like you could use the help. Don't sweat it, just pay me back later."
In spite of her frustration, Anna found herself smiling. A silence stretched between them before he noticed her staring and his brow furrowed.
"What?"
Anna's grin widened, her eyes gleaming. "You're kind of a softie, you know that? That's the third time you've bailed me out."
He snorted. "Those times your sister asked me to help."
"Yeah, but this time she didn't."
He shot her a look, but she just kept smiling. Then her expression dropped and she frowned, contemplative.
"She really didn't ask you to check up on me, right?" The thought made her insides squirm.
Kristoff shook his head. "No. I was just on my way to the pet store. Ran out of puppy treats."
Anna beamed and she nudged his side with her elbow. "See, you are a softie!"
Kristoff sprung back and she laughed. A blush rose to his cheeks and he brushed imaginary dust off his black t-shirt. "Whatever, you're weird Anna."
Anna's smile vanished and her cheeks puffed up. "Hey, now that's just rude!" He laughed again and she fumed beside him, crossing her arms and tapping her foot. When Kristoff cleared his throat, Anna snorted and rolled her eyes. "Are you done?"
He flashed her a smirk and she noted the apologetic tilt to it. "Your classes start tomorrow right?"
Anna's shoulders drooped and she leaned against the wall. "Yeah, I guess I'm a bit nervous. I mean, I was in community college before moving to LA and now—" she bit her lip, rubbing the toe of her foot against her ankle, "—and now I'm going to a four-year university. It's a bit overwhelming." A stain on the wall looked very interesting to her right now.
"A lot of hopes and wishes riding on this?" Kristoff asked.
Anna's chest tightened. She glanced at him and caught him staring at her, and at first she wanted to bite her tongue, but the look on his face was genuinely curious. He wasn't smirking and he lacked the stiff tilt to his shoulders she'd grown accustomed to seeing since she had arrived. Anna scratched her cheek and nodded, a grin curling on her lips.
"Yeah, you could say that." She tried to ignore the painful pinch centered on her sternum, but she couldn't help her expression falling slightly. Anna worried at her bottom lip, a dozen thoughts bouncing in her head.
"Something eating you?"
"No." She mentally kicked herself for the abrupt response. Kristoff stared at her with one raised eyebrow. She squared her shoulders and glued her arms to her sides, hoping she looked more convincing than she felt. A half-second pause stretched between them before Kristoff spoke again.
"So, what's eating you?"
I'm a terrible liar.
Anna slumped back against the wall, her frown returning. She tugged on her braid and tried to sort through the dozen thoughts bouncing in her head. "Elsa's coming home early."
He blinked. "And that's...good? Right?"
Anna pulled her lips into a petulant pout. "No! It's not! I mean—" her face flamed, "—yes. Yes of course it's good!" She tugged on her braids more forcibly, biting down on her clumsy tongue. "I kind of want to ask her something—" actually there were a lot of things she wanted to ask Elsa, "—but she's probably exhausted. Again. And I'd hate to bother her when she's not up to it."
The last time she had pushed Elsa into something, it had led to disastrous consequences, ones she still felt today.
"But?"
Kristoff's gentle voice snapped her from her reverie. Anna blinked several times at him, willing herself back to the here and now. Concern was unmistakable in his brown eyes and her stomach twisted into knots at the sight. Anna sighed and stared down at her feet, rubbing the toe of her shoe against her ankle.
"Tomorrow's my first day at an actual university and I don't want her to forget about it," she mumbled. That sounded whiny even in her head, but...
"I can't wait to see you in that cap and gown. I'm going to take so many pictures that Elsa and your father will have to put one in each room."
A pang hit her chest and she swallowed thickly. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Kristoff shrug and rub the back of his neck.
"I'm sure she won't just forget, Elsa's got more sense than that." He eyed her and she could practically hear the gears turning in his head. "Why not just tell her you're feeling anxious about the whole thing and you'd like a little moral support?"
Anna kicked at the floor. "It feels more like I'm asking her to pay attention to me."
Which, it really was.
Kristoff opened his mouth, as if to say something. Then something flashed across his face and he promptly shut it. Anna blinked at him, her frustration momentarily vanishing. He avoided her gaze however, directing it at the stain she'd stared at a few minutes ago. She was about to ask what was wrong when the stiff tilt to his shoulders made her realize it.
Up until this month, Kristoff hadn't even known she existed.
She laughed once and looked down the hallway. "Yeah," she said. "It's weird. But it's not like I—" she clenched and unclenched her hands, words stuck in her throat. Even within the shelter of the apartment complex, the heatwave was getting to her. Anna threw up her hands in the air and cried, "Well, it's not like I want Elsa to pack me a lunch, kiss me on the cheek, and say 'Have a great day at school sweetie!'"
Kristoff glanced back at her, quirking an eyebrow. "Do you want her to do that?"
Anna's face flamed. "No!" She bit her lip and scuffed her foot on the cement. "M-maybe. I don't know." Her shoulders dropped and the blush on her face darkened enough to obscure her freckles. "A little," she mumbled.
It wouldn't hurt to see Elsa's face just before she left.
Anna ground her teeth and twisted the bottom of her shirt.
Anna Arendelle everyone, world's biggest twenty-year-old baby.
A large hand rested on her shoulder and she jumped. Anna snapped her head up to see Kristoff looking torn. The tension was back in his shoulders and his other hand was raised halfway to her. Her eyes darted to the large fingers on her shoulder and back to his face.
"Uh..." Kristoff withdrew his hand and rubbed the back of his head. "You looked like you needed a little cheering up." Anna stared at him, uncomprehending, and he coughed, averting his gaze. "Frowning doesn't suit you."
A feeling bubbled up in the pit of her stomach. It traveled up her sternum, knocking twice on her heart, before reaching her face and warming her cheeks. She grinned until her eyes crinkled and a spark glimmered in their depths. Kristoff raised an eyebrow and she giggled.
"You are such a softie!"
Kristoff spluttered in surprise. The back of his neck flushed a deep crimson and he coughed into his fist while she covered her mouth with both hands in an attempt to stop her giggles. His eyes darted to hers and she beamed at him behind her hands, shoulders shaking just beneath her ears. Kristoff rolled his eyes, but Anna noticed a slight quirk at the corner of his mouth.
"That look definitely suits you better."
A blush that rivaled his flooded Anna's face. She dropped her hands and glanced down, drawing a circle into the wooden floor with the toe of her sneaker. A comfortable silence stretched between them, filled only by the distant sounds of traffic on the streets and a door or two opening and closing. Anna felt a rush of warmth in her veins as and she mentally moved Kristoff's position from 'tall stranger' to 'bear-rugged friend.'
An elbow nudged her side. Anna blinked and Kristoff pointed at the boxes at her feet.
"Hey Anna, maybe you should make sure those don't get cold."
"Oh, crap!" Anna shrieked. She snatched up the take out, the red on her cheeks switching from a happy blush to flushed panic. To add to her nerves, she heard the distant click-clack of heels.
Oh no.
Elsa's white-gold hair was the first thing she noticed, her braid loose with several strands sticking out. The second was the lines etched onto her forehead and the way she rifled through her bag as she walked, lips pursed and eyes distracted. Anna's heart dropped from her windpipe to the pit of her stomach.
I should have bought a pint of ice cream. Or two.
Elsa glanced up as she approached and Anna blinked as something flashed across her face. Their gazes locked and Elsa's stoic expression fell away, momentarily replaced with confusion. She glanced between Anna and Kristoff and frowned. Anna felt her cheeks burn brighter for some reason. But then the look was gone and she was left scrambling in the wake of Elsa's stoicism once again.
"Oh, good evening Kristoff," her sister said, giving their neighbor a half-smile.
Wait, what—
Kristoff stepped away from the wall and waved a bit at Elsa. "Hey Elsa. You're finally in time for—" he looked at the boxes of food and smirked, "—cold Chinese takeout."
Anna's shoulders sagged. "Throw me under the bus," she muttered to him. His smirk grew and so did her pout.
Elsa frowned and glanced at the boxes. Anna briefly wondered if she should have asked what kind of Chinese takeout Elsa would have liked. After a tense moment where the redhead swore she was going to break out into a sweat, Elsa just shrugged and said, "We can heat them up. It's not a big deal."
It really wasn't.
Anna felt gooey and warm, a warmth that had nothing to do with Los Angeles's abysmal heatwave suffocating her limbs. She managed a small smile as Kristoff looked between them, bewilderment creasing his features. Anna guessed that he was deciding weirdness ran in the family.
"Uh, okay." He walked a few steps away down the hallway. "Well, you two have a goodnight. I've got puppy stuff to buy."
Elsa gave him a small nod of acknowledgment and he returned it. Just as her sister turned her attention on her, Anna saw Kristoff mouth, "Good luck," back at her. She grinned and waved him goodbye.
Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Elsa tilt her head. "You two seem to be getting along well."
Anna turned to Elsa and blinked. Her sister's face was blank save for the lines of exhaustion around her eyes. "Uh, yeah, he stayed by to chat until you came."
Elsa raised an eyebrow. "Really, you and him?"
Anna nodded, bemused by her sister's behavior.
"Oh." Elsa bit her lip and looked away. Anna stood there, waiting for her sister to continue with wide, expectant eyes, but the blonde's gaze remained on a faint stain on the wall. It really was a very interesting stain.
Finally, Anna pushed down the pinch of anxiety and held up the wrapped boxes of food. "So, hungry?"
Elsa blinked and a tired smile curled her rosy lips. The tips of Anna's ears turned bright red and she found herself smiling along.
She tried not to be too excited. Really she did. There had been too many moments where her excitement had gotten the best of her and led to hilariously disastrous conclusions. But Anna couldn't fight the giddiness pulling a grin to her face. There were butterflies in her stomach and she felt the familiar urge to bounce on the balls of her heels. This was the first time this week she and Elsa were sharing a meal together. It was great! Maybe it was childish of her, but the idea of having dinner one last time before her classes started for the semester made her cheeks glow. Dinner time together had been one of her expectations since moving to LA.
Even if it was just takeout from the local Chinese restaurant, the meals they had shared were like a piece from the past.
"Do you want the pick of the litter?"
Elsa glanced over from the fridge. She quirked an eyebrow and Anna gestured to one of the boxes, now heated and readied to be devoured.
"Didn't you have a thing for baby corn?"
Elsa scrunched up her nose, looking somewhere between offended and bewildered. Anna stared.
Cute...
"You make it sound as if I have a sweet tooth," Elsa grumbled.
Anna snorted and rolled her eyes. "Don'tyou?" Her sister stared at her and Anna felt sweat trickle down her spine. Whether it was the heat or her own nerves, she wasn't certain. But she started racking her brain trying to remember if what she said was right. "You used to pout if I got the last chocolate chip cookie from the cookie jar."
Elsa spluttered and her normally pale cheeks flushed cherry-pink. Anna couldn't help but giggle when she snapped her gaze away, stammering, "I-I let you have them in the end! And I didn't pout for long. I never did."
Anna's eyes twinkled and her grin widened by a fraction of an inch. She sauntered up to Elsa while her sister rummaged through the refrigerator and held out a fingertip. Just as Elsa turned around, water bottle in hand, Anna reached forward and poked her sister in the side. Her fingertip brushed a spot just above Elsa's hip bone.
In a split second the atmosphere between them changed. Elsa's eyes widened and she squealed, jumping back and nearly losing her grip on her water bottle. Anna clamped her hands over her mouth as her older sister fumbled to hold onto her drink.
Elsa shot her a glare, face flushed. "Anna! Don't surprise me like that!"
Anna shrugged. She did a poor job at hiding the smile at the corner of her lips.
Elsa's eyes narrowed into slits. "What are you smiling about?"
"I'm not smiling," Anna quipped, covering her mouth with her hands. Her older sister stared at her as if she'd spoken in an unintelligible language. Anna lowered her hands a bit and looked at Elsa through her eyelashes. "It's going to sound stupid."
Elsa blinked and something flickered in her eyes. Her hands loosened around her water bottle and she tilted her head. "I'm sure it won't..."
Anna's brow pulled together at the softness in her sister's voice. She stared at Elsa's face, but when the seconds ticked by and she still couldn't read her expression, Anna dropped her palms and mumbled under her breath.
"What?"
Anna pursed her lips before forcing a grin on her face. "You're still ticklish." Elsa blinked, once, twice. Her lips parted as if to say something, but no sound came out. Anna's smile dropped a little. She spread her hands and chuckled weakly, "I said it would sound stupid."
Elsa's eyebrows shot to her hairline. "It's not stupid."
Anna brightened.
"But I'm not ticklish."
The curt reply caused a snort to splutter from her lips.
"Yes you are," she gasped. "You used to bunch your arms around your sides when Mama would hold out her fingers." Her eyes sparkled when she smiled. "She said you had the cutest squeal."
Elsa's face reddened again "I remember that." She glanced down, lips curling into a small, half-smile. Before Anna could ask her what was on her mind or stare at her face too long, Elsa grabbed another water bottle from the refrigerator and brushed past her. "I think she preferred your face to my squeal though."
Anna rolled her eyes. "Mama loved you."
Elsa set down their drinks and flashed a smirk over her shoulder. "Yes, but I don't think even that Norwegian tea cup set Papa bought for her made her as happy as your smile did."
Anna was glad Elsa had turned away to serve their dinner. The breath caught in her throat, memories of Idunn blotting out the present. Her smile faltered for a moment before she forced it back up.
"Well, you have to admit, I was pretty cute as a kid," she joked. Elsa threw her a look of disbelief. Anna winked and said, "I had the whole package. Chubby cheeks and pearly whites. I was really cute."
Elsa chuckled and shook her head. "What are you talking about Anna? You're still cute."
Anna's shoulders dropped and her grin slipped. Her cheeks darkened and she prayed that Elsa just suspected it was the summer heat. But her sister's eyes twinkled with mischief and Anna tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. Elsa covered a giggle with her hand.
"Oh hush," she grumbled, crossing her arms.
Elsa hummed, but merely said, "You act as if you've never been called cute before."
Not by you, not in a long time.
Anna ignored the nagging voice and stuck out her tongue. Elsa's eyebrows lifted slightly and her face contorted as if she held back another giggle. It made Anna tingle all over, the idea that she could make Elsa laugh again.
Look at us. Having a normal conversation, like normal people.
Elsa pulled out her chair and gestured. "Come eat Anna. Your stomach's not going to feed itself."
Anna bounced the few steps to her seat and slid in. As she grabbed her fork and stabbed into a cob of baby corn, the window to their balcony let the sunset glow in, lighting up the pale locks messily framing Elsa's face. Anna paused with her food halfway to her lips. Elsa looked through her phone while chewing absentmindedly, posture loose and elbows on the table. Blue-green eyes took in the relaxed expression—the slight smile and softness in Elsa's gaze.
And God, look at her.
The plate clinked as Anna set it aside, a smile on her face as she reached for the next one. There was a happy dance to her fingers as she picked it up and furiously began to scrub. Behind her, Elsa typed away at her laptop, the click-clack of keys firing off at a rapid pace. Anna could just imagine the look on her face.
She's probably doing that eyebrow thing Mama used to do when she was working at home.
Anna bit the inside of her cheek. Elation rose in her chest like the surface bubbles of a freshly popped soft drink. When they had finished eating, Anna had insisted on doing the dishes. Of course, Elsa hadn't been so easily persuaded, but Anna had wondered aloud if Elsa still had work to do, effectively distracting her sister.
When Elsa had risen from her seat, Anna had expected her to slip behind her door and not be heard from again the whole night. Instead, she had returned a minute later, laptop and documents in hand. Anna had to stop her jaw from hitting the floor by turning away, getting to work with a glowing smile.
Her toes bounced a bit as she went up and down the counter, depositing their cleaned plates into the dish rack and dumping the empty take out boxes into the trash. The traffic down in the streets created an off-beat melody in her head. Anna hummed to it as she shut off the faucet and towel-dried her hands. Elsa's blue eyes peered over her laptop.
"You know, I could have done the dishes."
Anna frowned. "Don't start." Her sister leaned forward as if to protest and Anna held up a finger. "I have to pull my weight around here somehow."
Elsa settled back, returning her gaze to her laptop. Her nails resumed their rhythmic work against the keyboard. "No luck job hunting?" she asked. "Are you having trouble finding jobs or finding ones to fit your schedule?"
Anna grimaced and slid into her seat. "Both," she grumbled. Neither attempt had been successful thus far."
Elsa's eyes lifted again and concern flashed in the blue depths. A ticklish feeling danced down Anna's back and she straightened.
"But, um," she tucked her hair behind her ear, the scent of dish soap clinging to her fingers, "I'll keep looking! Before you know it, I'll be helping with the bills and stuff."
Elsa frowned and closed her laptop. The gentle click of it made Anna's insides twist. She looked from it to her sister, tracking the line of her furrowed brow and the downward curve of her mouth.
"Anna," Elsa started, voice low and soft. She leaned forward and Anna leaned back. Elsa's shoulders tensed and she fidgeted a bit in her seat. "You… You do know I don't mind paying for our expenses, right?"
Oh, good going asshole, you made her feel bad.
Anna reached over and clasped her sister's hand. The fingers underneath her palm stiffened and the knuckles drew tight. Despite the tension, Anna felt something stir inside her at the softness of Elsa's skin. She rubbed a small circle close to her sister's thumb and smiled.
"Of course I know Elsa," she stressed. Elsa bit her bottom lip and for a moment, Anna's thoughts were stolen away by the action. The gesture was something they both did, but she had never realized how happy it made her to find something she had in common with her older sister.
A vague memory bloomed in her mind, fuzzy at the edges and dull in colors. Short fingers reached into her hair and began to pull the strands into plaits, a small voice telling her to stay still or else she would get knots and tangles. The smile on her face grew as cool fingertips stopped for a moment to tickle her ear.
"Just so you know—"
Elsa's voice, sharper and older, pulled her back to the present. Anna blinked as her sister stood up, striding over to the refrigerator and rummaging through it.
"—there's no rush for you to find a job," Elsa said.
Anna watched her shoulder blades move underneath the fabric of her white blouse and wished she could see her face.
Elsa huffed softly and moved to the freezer. "I'd like it if you focused on your studies," she continued and her voice sounded slightly distracted.
Anna groaned and leaned back in her chair. "You sound like our parents," she said.
Her mother had been adamant that she focus on her academics. The grief from before returned and Anna's stomach twisted. She hardened her jaw. She suddenly felt grateful for the summer heat. It kept her mind off so much.
"About that..."
And all at once, the hot air in LA dropped and Anna felt a chill run down her spine. A spark buzzed over the hairs on her nape, leaving goosebumps and a feeling of dread in its wake.
She sat up slowly in her chair, the upholstery creaking. Her eyes honed in on Elsa's back again. Her sister had stopped searching and stood there with her hand gripping the edge of the freezer, knuckles tight under her skin. Anna's mouth went dry and a lump rose in her throat. The kitchen clock ticked and she could hear the roar of traffic down in the streets. Suddenly, Anna was glad she couldn't see Elsa's face.
"Elsa?"
Elsa's shoulders jerked. Anna licked her lips to wet them, her tongue brushing the cracks made by dry heat. A thousand thoughts buzzed in her mind, but the one that stayed in the forefront was—
Is she thinking about…?
The blaring horn of a truck made her jump. Her chair clattered to the floor as she shot out of her seat and her gaze snapped to the balcony, staring into the dark, barely starlit sky.
"Anna."
Elsa's soft, shaking voice was as loud as the horn.
Anna blinked and glanced back at her sister. Elsa stared at the window with a wide-eyed, troubled look. She wrung her hands together, sinking her teeth into her bottom lip and bunching her shoulders up to ears. Anna stepped towards her, but another car honk from down below made her wince.
Elsa wrapped |
ization: Miller’s style is distinctive for both his fine and precise linework as well as a certain viewpoint. See his artwork page for more examples of what I mean, but it should hardly surprise you to know that he has done many covers and illustrations for Lovecraft stories.
Character: The creatures we see in this painting seem more like forces than specific individuals. It’s the landscape itself that has the character.
Tension: When and how will the darkness underneath come into the open? How will it affect the tree above and the people’s world?
Line: Miller’s lines provide texture, values, and form. The one thing Miller doesn’t use them for extensively is outline.
Research/Reference: I don’t know, but my guess is that Miller did not use much reference for this. He knows his plants (real and imagined) as well as his geology.
Vignette: The real silhouette for us to see is the central tree. As a landscape, vignette is not a major part of the painting.
Perspective: There is no need for vanishing points and formal perspective here, but Miller does use atmospheric perspective. There is a structure of some sort in the far distance. Also, Miller uses fewer black lines on the central tree. It’s further from our viewpoint than the creatures in the foreground. He still hatches the tree to define form, it’s just that more of the lines are green rather than black. The reduced contrast pushes the tree further into the distance.
Next week, something by Aly Fell.As gulls and cormorants perched on the walls of Fort Carroll looked on, a crabbing boat stopped long enough to jettison 30 bushel baskets of very special oyster shells into the Patapsco River.
On the boat, a handful of Pasadena residents spent their Saturday afternoon planting young oysters in a reef, just as they might have been putting in a crop of tomatoes or zinnias.
"We call it Oysters Rock, because we live on Rock Creek," said Chris Wallis, 68, the day's volunteer director. He is a retired computer tech who once ran the mainframes at the old First National Bank. "I grew up on Bear Creek [in Baltimore County] and I love oysters, although I'd never eat one out of the Patapsco these days. Our goal is to increase awareness of cleaning up the bay and its tributaries. Oysters are great algae eaters."
He said that in September, about 75 of his fellow waterfront property owners with their own piers accepted metal cages of oyster shells dotted with minute specks called spat — tiny oysters that are just barely visible.
"We volunteered to become oyster gardeners and grow oysters at our docks," Wallis said. "The oysters are grown in cages from spat on shell provided by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources program called Maryland Grows Oysters."
Saturday's planting of 30 bushels of infant oysters was the first Marylanders Grow Oysters effort in the Patapsco River, Wallis said.
Earlier this year, Wallis and Department of Natural Resources staff member Chris Judy went by boat into the Patapsco and located an existing oyster reef off the west-facing walls of abandoned Fort Carroll, an island-like 19th-century stone fortification.
"I was amazed at the population who showed up today with the cages of growing oysters," Wallis said of his neighbors, who took the project seriously and allowed the oyster crop to spend the winter in the metal cages submerged off their piers and docks.
"The first time we tried it, it was a failure," said Wallis, recalling the fall of 2011, when Hurricane Irene and other storms flushed so much fresh water through the Susquehanna watershed that the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries became less salty — which was bad for the oysters. The first season's attempt at oyster gardening was a washout in Rock Creek.
He didn't give up, though, and the payoff came last winter. When the cages of shells and the baby oysters came up for inspection a few days ago, they were plump and full.
"They just about doubled in size," Wallis said.
Wallis said the oysters are not intended for harvest and that the cages carry warnings against eating them.
Wallis and his neighbors, who have formed the group Restore Rock Creek, held an event called Celebrate Rock Creek Day. They gathered at the Maryland Yacht Club and set sail.
Jason Krauch, who owns Pasadena Seafood, volunteered the use of his work boat. He was accompanied by his wife, Tanya Lynn, for whom the boat is named, and their 6-year-old daughter, Savanna.
"This year has been a good year for growing oysters throughout the bay, and on Rock Creek," said Wallis. "After four months, the Department of Natural Resources surveyed several cages at four different locations on Rock Creek, and in each case there were sometimes eight oysters growing on each shell. We were very excited to get that positive report card."
jacques.kelly@baltsun.comSays one expert of Donald Trump: "He’s still pulling half, I think that’s good, but it’s never been so close in Israel that I’ve followed.” | Getty Trump wins his first state: Israel
Donald Trump may be trailing in key battlegrounds like Pennsylvania and Virginia, but there’s another state that offers better news: the state of Israel.
According to a survey of 1,140 U.S. citizens living in Israel, most of whom have mailed in absentee ballots, Trump is ahead of Hillary Clinton by 49 percent to 44 percent.
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But just like in the U.S., Trump has a problem with the base in Israel, said Mitchell Barak, a consultant in Israel who served as a pollster on the survey, which was conducted in conjunction with the nonpartisan group iVote Israel.
Typically among this cohort — American Jews living in Israel, many of whom tend to be more religious — the Republican nominee captures around 75 percent of the vote, he said, noting that was the case for John McCain and Mitt Romney. Often those Americans who choose to move to Israel value a muscular U.S. foreign policy and an aggressive approach to combating terrorism, issues that recent Republican nominees have made a particular point to prioritize.
This time around, however, Israeli residents with U.S. citizenship are much more closely divided. That mirrors the reluctance of many in the conservative corners of the Washington foreign policy establishment to trust Trump to defend U.S. allies, and with national security issues more broadly.
“There’s much less support for the Republican candidate at this point,” Barak said. “He’s not getting as many [voters]. He’s still pulling half, I think that’s good, but it’s never been so close in Israel that I’ve followed.”
Other polls find that Trump is doing much worse with Israelis overall: A survey from last month found Israelis prefer Clinton over Trump, 42 percent to 24 percent.
The iVote Israel survey captures only a slice of the population of U.S. citizens living in Israel, a number the organization estimates could be as high as 200,000, though a smaller proportion is actually expected to vote.
In the poll of U.S. voters released Thursday, those voting absentee sent their ballots back to their home states, with the vast majority going to New York, followed by New Jersey and then California.
The sample size for voters sending ballots to actual swing states was much smaller — just 66 voters, for example, were registered in Pennsylvania. But of the battleground states, Clinton won among Pennsylvania voters, Trump won with Florida voters and the Ohio voters included in the survey — there were 43 of them — deadlocked at 44 percent. This comes as pro-Trump forces have made a high-profile play to get voters with ties to swing states to vote absentee.
Also reflecting stateside trends, Clinton won female voters, 52-42 percent, and Trump won male voters, 59-33 percent. Trump cleaned up with those who consider themselves ultra-Orthodox Jews, landing 85 percent of that vote, while Clinton was strongest with secular Jews, earning 75 percent of their vote.
Distance from the candidates — and the day-to-day grind of the election — does not make Israeli hearts grow fonder: As in America, both Trump and Clinton have sky-high unfavorable ratings, with his clocking in at 65 percent and hers at 64 percent.
“There was less interest in this election than previous elections,” Barak said. “This was not a normal election for people.”
The survey was conducted from Oct. 31-Nov. 2 and has a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3 percentage points. It was conducted online, through email invites to registered American voters living in Israel. Of those surveyed, 197 did not vote in the presidential election, for reasons ranging from not receiving a ballot in time (50 percent) to not liking either presidential candidate (21 percent).Overview
#MemeGate refers to an online feud between YouTubers LeafyIsHere and Ethan Klein of h3h3productions starting in late March 2016. The primary causes of the disagreement centered on accusations that LeafyIsHere cyberbullyied young and disabled vloggers and that Klein was hypocritical and preached sanctimonious views.
Background
On March 19th, 2016, LeafyIsHere uploaded a reaction video criticizing and mocking the physical appearance and on-camera persona of fellow YouTube vlogger TommyNC2010. The video garnered over 460,000 views in less than 24 hours, though it was removed from his channel shortly thereafter. The same day, TommyNC2010 uploaded a response video in which the vlogger revealed that he has been living with autism and as a result of Leafy’s commentary, he has received death threats from his fans. On March 20th, the video reached the front page of the /r/videos subreddit. Over the next four days, the video gathered more than 990,000 views and 23,400 comments. That day, YouTuber h3h3productions posted a video title "The Leafy Rant," which accused LeafyIsHere of being a bully and picking solely on people who are incapable of defending themselves (shown below, right). Within four days, the video garnered upwards of 2.7 million views on YouTube and 9,600 votes (63% upvoted) on the /r/videos subreddit.
Notable Developments
On March 20th, the DramaAlert YouTube channel uploaded a video in which host DJ Keemstar discusses the backlash against Leafy, noting that Leafy was "losing subs at an alarming rate" (shown below, left). On March 21st, YouTuber boogie2988 uploaded a video commenting on the drama between the two vloggers (shown below, right).
LeafyIsHere's Response
On March 23rd, LeafyIsHere uploaded a video titled "The H3h3productions Rant," in which he accuses Klein of being a hypocrite for calling him a bully, and exposes various private messages in which Klein compliments Leafy's content and insults YouTuber Pyrocynical (shown below). Within 24 hours, the video gained over 1.3 million views and 126,000 comments.
On March 23rd, Keemstar uploaded a video to the DramaAlert YouTube channel about the controversy, referring to it as "#MemeGate" (shown below, left). The following day, Klein posted a lengthy explanation on the /r/h3h3productions subreddit, where he revealed he was "embarassed and ashamed" by what he said in the private conversations with Leafy. Also on March 24th, YouTuber Videogamedunkey uploaded a parody video titled "The Jontron Rant," in which he jokes that Jontron is a "piece-of-shit-rat-bastard" (shown below, right). Meanwhile, the tech news site iDigitalTimes published an article about the controversy, which noted that Keemstar was reaping the benefits of YouTube feuds with his Dramaalert channel.
Later that day, YouTuber Pyrocynical posted a video titled "Let's Call it Quits #uniteyoutube", it which he claims both Leafy and Klein "fucked up," and refused to continue the drama any further (shown below).
Search Interest
External ReferencesThe sickness of present-day Israel, on display over the past horrible month of the one-sided slaughter of nearly 2000 Palestinians (including over 400 children) in the fenced-in ghetto of Gaza, has finally reached its nadir with the ugly case of the deliberate Israeli Defense Force murder of captured IDF 2nd Lt. Hadar Goldin.
According to an article in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, once it was determined that Goldin had been captured by Hamas fighters in the Gaza town of Rafah, the IDF initiated what it calls the “Hannibal Protocol” — the deliberate liquidation of the captive — to prevent his being used as a hostage to win concessions from Israel in future truce negotiations with the Palestinians. One reason for the almost instantaneous and ruthless Israeli decision to kill Goldin rather than attempt to rescue him, is that this captured soldier had the misfortune of being related to Israel’s defense minister, Moshe Yaalon, making him a valuable prize indeed for Hamas.
And so began a massive bombardment of the entire residential area where Goldin was captured.
As Haaretz reports in an editorial about this case of deliberate sacrifice of an IDF officer, headlined “What Happened in Rafah?”, the ensuing high-explosive blitz on the area didn’t just kill Goldin, but also indiscriminately killed over 150 Palestinians, most of them civilians, including many women and children. Indeed, the paper states that the IDF “…shelled and bombed houses and their inhabitants indiscriminately, and as they tried to flee homes, hit them with shells and bombs in the streets.” The fatal bombing of a targeted UN-operated school in Rafah, which was condemned by the US government and by UN General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon, who called it a “criminal act and a moral outrage,” was part of that Hannibal Protocol action.
Now recall that President Obama was quick to label the Hamas capture of Goldin “barbaric.”
The trouble is, having rather absurdly deployed that term to characterize the capture by Hamas fighters of an Israeli soldier who was at the time reportedly exploring a tunnel and trying to capture or kill enemy fighters, though, what then does Obama — what indeed does any person — call the indiscriminate slaughter of 150 civilians in the interest of eliminating one of one’s own captured soldier?
Certainly the Hannibal Protocol is in itself “barbaric” in its cool calculus of denying the enemy a bargaining chip. But that term hardly seems to capture the horror of what was done by the IDF in this case. Clearly implementing the Hannibal Protocol would have been okayed at the highest level of the Israeli government, particularly with the relative of a top government official involved. And when a military organization or a government moves beyond just killing the captive and his immediate captors to slaughtering everyone in the surrounding area, we’ve moved way beyond a word like “barbaric.”
I’m a journalist, and part of my job is being good with words, but I admit I’m at a bit of a loss here. Perhaps “criminally insane” is appropriate, but that is usually a term applied to an individual. In this case, though, we are talking about a whole government, or at least the military establishment and the senior leaders of that government, taken collectively.
The mind reels. Can an entire government be criminally insane? Certainly what happened with this Hannibal Protocol incident suggests that it can.
Recall, though, that this crime extends well beyond the borders of Israel. For the bombs and shells that were unleashed by the IDF on the people of Rafah as part of this murderous Hannibal Protocol campaign were, for the most part, manufactured and provided, at taxpayer expense, by the United States of America.
This massive war crime is thus as much a US atrocity as it is an Israeli one.
And if the Israeli government is criminally insane, so is the US government for uncritically and unthinkingly backing it.
We knew the US government and its military were criminally insane back in the Vietnam War, when we were told that peasant villages were being burned to the ground by US troops on the theory that “we have to destroy the village in order to save it.” Now we’ve moved a step further towards the depths of insanity in backing an Israeli policy of “slaughtering a village in order to kill one of our own soldiers.” Even in the moral cesspool that was America’s war on the Vietnamese people, the US military didn’t sink to that — they stopped at just slaughtering villlages.In 2012, I was completing my Ph.D. in American history and working at a library where, ironically, I developed a curriculum on religious tolerance and interfaith dialogue. In advance of going on the academic job market, I wanted to create a website about my work. But when I went to register a domain name, I discovered that this other Christopher, this Alt-Cantwell, had already monopolized every variation of our name online. At the time, Cantwell was an aspiring libertarian comedian. Recordings of his stand-up routines, since taken down by YouTube but still viewable elsewhere, showed him making jokes about the police, government overreach, and minorities. I didn’t find it very funny, and the audiences in the videos seemed to agree. But there was nothing in these early digital artifacts that hinted at Cantwell’s future as an advocate for an ethno-state. To avoid any kind of confusion between the historian and the comedian, I decided to use my middle initial when publishing and moved on.
But in 2014 I came across my digital doppelganger again. By that time, I had left the library world for a position at a university where I taught classes on America’s religious diversity. Alt-Cantwell, meanwhile, had given up comedy to become an activist who specialized in political spectacle. I learned this after a group of chuckling students asked me after class if I had seen the video of the guy with the same name as me. A quick Google search revealed that Cantwell had earned himself a spot on a segment of The Colbert Report by battling the tyranny of parking meter attendants in Keene, New Hampshire, plugging meters and following and confronting them. My mother even sent me the link.
Colbert ridiculed Cantwell and his co-conspirators. As I watched the segment, however, I couldn’t help but notice that Cantwell had acquired a harder edge. One particularly striking scene showed Cantwell firing a barrage of bullets into an American flag. Returning to the URLs I had once hoped to claim, I found that Cantwell had abandoned libertarianism for a far more extreme version of free-market anarchism. His blog, which now came with the tag line “Anarchist, Atheist, Asshole,” decried any form of social order as coercive. This included not only state and local governments, but also, quite tellingly, any effort to accommodate disadvantaged communities through economic equality or cultural sensitivity. Political correctness, in short, was an affront to individual liberty.
It was in 2015 that the Cantwell the world now knows began to show up in my inbox and news feeds. With a handful of publications coming out, I set up a Google Alert for my name in order to see where my work might get cited, reviewed, or discussed. Instead what I got was an almost play-by-play description of Cantwell’s descent into hate. As an activist in Keene, Cantwell co-hosted a syndicated radio show on libertarianism called “Free Talk Live.” That spring, Cantwell ran afoul of the show’s producers after he came to the defense of a fellow traveler who claimed people of color had inherently lower IQs. In the dust-up that followed, Cantwell responded to an African American critic on Twitter with a racial slur; he was subsequently dismissed from the show. Isolated and alone, Cantwell poured his energies into his own podcast. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, Cantwell’s show became a favorite among white nationalists who saw him as a martyr who advocated their views. Within the next year, Cantwell began appearing at the growing number of so-called “alt-right” demonstrations, eventually earning himself a spot as a featured speaker at the rally in Charlottesville.Palestinian activists launched a campaign Thursday for the recognition of a Palestinian state in the United Nations. The move contradicts earlier reports that the Palestinian Authority was the one who issued the request.
In a letter addressed to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's Ramallah office, Palestinian activists urged the leader of the international community to "exert all possible efforts toward the achievement of the Palestinian people's just demands."
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas speaking at the UN General Assembly, Sept. 25, 2010 AP
The letter said the campaign would include a series of peaceful events leading up to the September 21 opening of the UN General Assembly. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will address the assembly two days later, according to the activists.
The grassroots launch of the Palestinian campaign was announced amid reported U.S. Republican attempts to pressure U.S. President Barack Obama into thwarting the Palestinian move.
Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a conservative who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said earlier Wednesday that Obama should say clearly and publicly the United States will use its veto on the Security Council to block any Palestinian bid to gain UN membership.
Obama's administration has been making diplomatic moves to try to head off the Palestinian plan to gain statehood recognition at the UN General Assembly.
Washington fears the Palestinians' statehood initiative could further snarl flagging U.S. efforts to revive Middle East peace talks, which broke down last year following a dispute over West Bank settlements.
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"I think President Obama should have come out clearly and said we will veto this," Ros-Lehtinen told Reuters in a telephone interview shortly after flying from Miami to Washington on Wednesday.
Also on Thursday, addressing the possibility of a UN ratification of the Palestinian push to achieve statehood, legal experts voiced their concern that a recognition of a Palestinian state could, in theory, could lead to Israeli officials being brought before the International Criminal Court in The Hague for claims regarding its settlement policies in the West Bank.
According to the statute of the court, the direct or indirect transfer of an occupiers population into occupied territory constitutes a war crime.
The jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court in the Hague is a complementary jurisdiction, meaning that the court will not intervene in cases when a war crime complaint is being investigated by Israel and those responsible are prosecuted, explained Prof. Robbie Sabel, a former legal adviser to the Foreign Ministry and an expert in international law.
But in instances in which Israel is not conducting a war crime investigation and is not trying to ascertain the guilt of the accused, the court may get involved, he said.
The settlements are a prime example of this, since in theory one could say that we are talking about a war crime, that Israel is not investigating it and not bringing those responsible to justice. Thus, the court could get involved and investigate.hances are, you may not know the name Akitoshi Kawazu. But if you've been a console RPG fan for long, you've probably played something he made, be it Final Fantasy II (the 8-bit one), a SaGa title, or Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles. And, chances are, you went away scratching your head afterwards. Kawazu has proven to be one of gaming's most idiomatic designers -- some might say "quirky." "Strange," even. WIthout question, his games present an acquired taste, as they run on rules that defy RPG conventions and frequently fail to explain how. Yet he must be doing something right, because he's still plugging away, designing games that do their own thing and never once apologize for it. With Final Fantasy's 25th anniversary only weeks away, we wanted to meet with Kawazu and talk about the inspirations and motivations behind Square's most offbeat titles.
1UP: How did you get your start in the games industry?
AK: I was initially a journalist at a game magazine.
1UP: Really? Which one? I didn't realize we had a common background.
AK: It's out of publication now, but it was a Softbank magazine called Beep.
1UP: I take it that was a PC publication?
AK: It was actually kind of a general game periodical, covering arcades as well. All kinds of formats.
1UP: It's kind of a cliche these days to go from the gaming press to game development, but you might have been a sort of pioneer in that sense.
AK: Looking back on it now, at the same office, there were many others that did exactly what I did and still work in the games industry now. That was just how the times were. That's what people did back then.
1UP: What led you to decide you wanted to make the games instead of write about them?
AK: Since I was a kid, I made... not computer games, but board games and things like that. I always had an interest in making games. It wasn't my initial motivation to become a game journalist -- a friend told me to come do it, so that was my motivation for going to work at the magazine -- but I always had an interest in making games.
Spot Art 1UP: Was Square the first game developer you worked with?
AK: Yeah.
1UP: What was the first project you worked on at Square?
AK: Rad Racer. At the end of the game, where it tells you how far you got and these dots come out to symbolize how far you've gotten... I was the one who created those dots. I put the dots in there.
1UP: Did you work on both Rad Racer games?
AK: I don't quite remember if there were actually two or not... [laughs] Probably just the first one, then.
1UP: That was a game with 3D graphics. Have you thought about bringing that back for the 3DS?
AK: Maybe it's a bit too dated now. [laughs] The 3D in there uses a particular kind of technology.
1UP: Yeah, the glasses with the shutters. In America we never got the shutters, but we did get the game, so it just came with paper glasses.
AK: Yeah. But the 3DS can't actually handle the technology of that game, so we can't do a remake.
1UP: You mentioned that you used to make board games before you made video games. Did you ever publish a board game, or were they just things you created for yourself?
AK: I basically just made them for myself, yeah.
1UP: What kind of board games did you like to play?
AK: I liked war games, mainly. Avalon Hill and companies like that. I played a lot of their war strategy games.
Spot Art 1UP: Did you play tabletop RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons?
AK: Yeah.
1UP: I feel like I see those influences in your work a lot. Especially something like Unlimited SaGa -- it feels very much like a board game.
AK: Yeah. When I design games, I analyze elements of board games and how they work. It is at the foundation of a lot of the games I make.
1UP: When you were brought over to work on Final Fantasy, what role did you play in the development of the original game? How did your love of board games and other video games help shape the work you did there?
AK: Initially, talking about the genesis of the whole Final Fantasy franchise... [Hironobu] Sakaguchi said, with the first one, "Let's make an RPG." I'm a little foggy on just how much Dragon Quest influenced that decision, but the one thing you can say for certain was that when Dragon Quest came out, it proved to this country that RPGs could sell. Mr. Sakaguchi had wanted to make an RPG long before that, but he couldn't get permission from the company, because the company said, "Well, we're not sure that will sell." But with Dragon Quest proving that a game like that could be successful, we were finally able to get that going. It all started with that.
We were all big fans of Wizardry and Ultima back then. Even though Dragon Quest had come out, in our minds, there still wasn't anything quite comparable to Ultima or Wizardry. That's the kind of game that Sakaguchi and Hiromichi Tanaka and I were interested in. As far as my role in the game went, I was mainly in charge of the battle system and battle sequences. For that, I tried to make it as close to Dungeons & Dragons as possible. That was my goal.
1UP: Dungeons & Dragons, being a tabletop game, has a strong human element. The way the game unfolds... Of course you have dice rolls, but you also have the game master, the dungeon master, guiding you through that. How challenging was it to re-create the tabletop combat experience with hardware as limited as the Famicom?
AK: I didn't need to oversimplify things, but there are certain precepts when it comes to a Dungeons & Dragons type of environment, a western role-playing experience. Like "zombies are weak against fire," or "monsters made of fire are weak against ice." If you think about it a little, they all make sense, and these are all things that D&D already sets up. Certain things are weak against certain other things and strong against yet other things. They all have these relationships. Up until that point, Japanese RPGs were ignoring all of that. They didn't incorporate those elements. It just wasn't a part of what they were doing. That's what I found kind of irritating. Simple as it may sound, that's the kind of stuff I wanted to work in. Obviously it's going to be hard to simulate the human experience of a game master and the players interacting. I couldn't be too worried about that kind of thing. But I did want to incorporate those precepts of western RPGs into the game.
Spot Art 1UP: I feel like the original Final Fantasy has a lot of almost undocumented features. Things you can do in battle like using certain weapons as items and they'll cast spells. Were those also some of the elements that you wanted to add, to make it more like a western RPG?
AK: A much simpler explanation for that is that Wizardry had already done a lot of those things. Throwing stars put haste on you, things like that. The most powerful spell in Knight of Diamonds can be used with a certain gauntlet. These kinds of things were already a part of... They're things I found to be really fun and engaging in Wizardry. So I just decided to incorporate those elements in our game as well.
1UP: I feel like the character classes that you pick at the beginning of the game have a huge impact on the way that you play the rest of the game. Can you speak to those a bit?
The fun in an RPG begins when you create a character, in my mind. AK: The fun in an RPG begins when you create a character, in my mind. I didn't feel the need to have a suggested party at the beginning for clearing the game. I wanted people to be all Black Mages or all Warriors if they wanted. But back then... In those days, people didn't think that deeply about that kind of thing, either. It wasn't just us. Everyone was sort of like that. The idea was to just let people figure things out. If you make a party of all White Mages, you probably can't clear the game, but we weren't really worried about that affecting the balance or anything like that.
1UP: Actually, I know people who've beaten the game with all White Mages. All Thieves, on the other hand....
You say that the fun of an RPG begins as you create the characters, but for the next Final Fantasy game, you didn't really create the characters. You had four characters and then some rotating cast members. They didn't have classes. They didn't have set specializations. Can you talk about the very different skill system that Final Fantasy II used?
AK: There's two reasons. The first reason was, we wanted a more story-driven game for the second Final Fantasy. Obviously, we needed specific characters to fulfill certain roles within the story, within the lore. When you allow everyone to create whatever they want, then it doesn't really mesh into the story well. That's reason number one. The second reason is... The argument was that the system is more about nurture than nature now. You don't choose what you are in the beginning. You make them grow in a certain way and then they'll eventually go in a direction to become whatever you set them up to be. If one character uses a lot of magic, then they'll naturally become a mage. It's not something you decide at the beginning. The character-building process goes through the entire game.
1UP: Did you anticipate the way people would abuse that system? Attacking their own party members to get stronger and that sort of thing.
AK: No, I had no idea. [laughs] I had no idea people would use it to essentially grind levels. It's much more of a simple explanation here again... I thought that if characters were put to sleep, well, it makes sense to wake them up faster by hitting them. That's the reason why I put that in. I never realized it would become a way to increase your hit points or whatever.
1UP: Is that why Final Fantasy III went with more of a traditional class-based system?
AK: I don't know that much about Final Fantasy III because at that point, I wasn't really involved. Final Fantasy II was basically my system, and it's an eclectic kind of system. Eclectic because I made it, you know? There was nobody else I could hand the torch off to afterwards, because there was nobody else who could fathom it. [laughs] That's why it changed.
Spot Art 1UP: The next project you worked on after Final Fantasy II was...?
AK: SaGa [Final Fantasy Legend].
1UP: I've always seen SaGa as a sort of spiritual successor to Final Fantasy II in a lot of ways. Is that a fair assessment?
AK: I thought that it was a boon, sort of, to have a different identity from Final Fantasy by creating this new IP, this new series. Instead of thinking in terms relative to Final Fantasy, I wanted to do things that Final Fantasy wouldn't do or couldn't do. I wanted to incorporate those ideas into this new game. But, that being said, I took lessons I learned from making Final Fantasy II, like hitting each other and stuff like that. Obviously, things that I had not foreseen. So I did learn a lot from Final Fantasy II, and I incorporated those lessons into SaGa. But I wanted it to be something different altogether.
1UP: What I mean by spiritual successor is... In some ways SaGa has that nurture-based system, as you put it, from Final Fantasy II, but at the same time, it has the races, so you have a class-based system. It combines the way both Final Fantasies worked and then strikes out in a new direction.
AK: The premise behind the system was... You take the Final Fantasy II system. You can make any kind of character you want to. A guy or a girl who can swing a sword and cast spells, something like that. At the same time, what that means is that if you make every character do the same actions, they all become the same kind of character that swings a sword and casts spells. That sort of thing might not actually be so much fun, just having the same four characters by virtue of your actions. So for SaGa, I wanted to incorporate that kind of nurture system, but I needed to differentiate the characters so that they wouldn't all be clones of each other at the end. That's where the races came in. You had the monsters and the Espers [mutants] and the humans. They all have that nurture aspect, where you do keep building them up, but they also have something that doesn't change from beginning to end. They all have their own characteristics. Humans are very well-balanced and can wear all this equipment. Monsters... I forget what monsters can do....
1UP: They change when they eat meat.
AK: Oh, yeah. Espers get a lot of unique abilities as they go along. In that way, you don't have the same exact template at the end. That was the motivation behind the SaGa system.
1UP: If you look at the SaGa games all the way from Final Fantasy Legend through Romancing SaGa and SaGa Frontier, they're all very different from one another. What do you think is the unifying theme of the SaGa games? What binds them together and makes them "SaGa"?
AK: The rules of each game might be different, but the unifying theme is that... Allowing the players to play the game the way they would like to play it. Giving them freedom to take the game in the direction they want to take it, without interfering too much on the design side. I feel that's the unifying theme behind SaGa.
Spot Art 1UP: After developing the SaGa series, you did come back to the Final Fantasy series to work on Final Fantasy XII and the Crystal Chronicles games. What did you bring from the experience you had gained outside the Final Fantasy series back into the franchise when you returned to it?
I don't really feel obligated, just because it's a Final Fantasy title, to say, "It needs to be like Final Fantasy." AK: I don't really feel obligated, just because it's a Final Fantasy title, to say, "It needs to be like Final Fantasy." There's nothing specific that I bring from SaGa, but I did want to bring in that same kind of spirit of allowing more freedom for players. In general, I'm not really tied to any kind of development philosophy just because it's a Final Fantasy. That's why it might feel a little different.
1UP: So what you're saying is, you didn't look at Crystal Chronicles and say, "That needs to have White Mages and Black Mages and Curaga and that kind of thing." All those traditional Final Fantasy touchstones.
AK: There was no need to go out of our way to take out elements like Black Mages or White Mages. RPGs always need that role anyway. If there's a role like that, why not call it a Black Mage or a White Mage? That being said, I don't feel that you definitely need a Black Mage or a White Mage for a game to be interesting. I feel like |
serving the people. The results obtained by you in fighting corruption, appreciated and beyond Romania's borders are a guarantee that the process of strengthening democracy and the rule of law in Romania are on track. I am convinced that we will be increasingly more powerful in applying the constitutional principle that nobody is above the law and to align our established practice in countries with democracies that put the citizen at the center of any policy”, stated Klaus Iohannis.[74]
He has rejected demands for the suspension of the head of Romania's National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA), Laura Codruta Kovesi.[75][76]
LGBT rights [ edit ]
In terms of LGBT rights and recognition of same-sex unions in Romania, Iohannis is reluctant:[77]
Romanian society is not yet ready for a definite answer. I won't give an answer but as a president I am willing to open up the issue for discussion. We have to accept that any minority has rights and that a majority is strong when they protect the minority. Iohannis said in a 2014 debate with bloggers[78]
However, he is pleading for the acceptance of differences and diversity: "nobody should be persecuted because they belong to a different group or they are different".[77]
Regarding the initiative to amend Article 48 of the Constitution (prohibition of gay marriage) started by the Coalition for Family (Romanian: Coaliția pentru Familie), Klaus Iohannis reiterated the concepts of tolerance and accepting one another.[79] "It is wrong to give obedience or walk the path of religious fanaticism and ultimatum solicitations. I do not believe in them and do not support them. I believe in tolerance, trust and openness to other", said Iohannis in a press conference.[80] Thus, Iohannis is the first top official in the country to open the discussion about same-sex marriages.[81] His reaction was praised by international media, including The Washington Post,[82][83] while religious and conservative organizations in Romania have criticized his position on LGBT rights.
Migration [ edit ]
Iohannis has said that migration "has to be controlled" and supported stronger external European borders.[84] Iohannis accepted the migration quota set for his country by the EU, but said he is still opposed to mandatory quotas being set by the Commission.[85]
Criticism [ edit ]
In February 2016, the National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF) sent a notice of evacuation of the headquarters of two TV stations owned by Dan Voiculescu, sentenced in August 2014 to 10 years imprisonment in a corruption case with 60 million euros worth of prejudice.[86] In this context, Klaus Iohannis stated that ANAF approach in Antena TV Group case is "hasty", "inappropriate" and that "freedom of expression in media can not be suppressed for trivial administrative reasons".[87] His position was met with a wave of criticism from supporters and public figures.[88][89] On the same note, Iohannis stated that union with Moldova is "a less serious approach" in the context of the Transnistrian problem, of differences between Romania and Moldova regarding economic stability and fighting corruption, and can be discussed when things are stable in both countries.[90] The statement sparked indignation among unionists[67] who accused him of demagogy, considering that during the electoral campaign of 2014 he expressed a favorable position on the issue.[91] Also, on March 2018, after 100 years of Union of Bessarabia with Romania, he was absent from a plenary vote regarding the issue.[92]
Honours [ edit ]
National honours [ edit ]
Foreign honours [ edit ]
Books [ edit ]
2014 – Step by step (Romanian: Pas cu pas, German: Schritt für Schritt, ISBN 978-6065887565), autobiographical volume and bestseller in the history of Gaudeamus International Book and Education Fair [100]
(Romanian:, German:, ISBN 978-6065887565), autobiographical volume and bestseller in the history of Gaudeamus International Book and Education Fair 2015 – First step (Romanian: Primul pas, German: Erster Schritt, ISBN 978-6065888319), a continuation of the volume "Step by step" of 2014. Talks about his plans as president.[101]I saw something on twitter earlier today, though I don't recall who wrote it, that said "If you don't let us dream we won't let you sleep."
~~~~~
Meet the private security force the banksters have hired to oppress you, they're literally the same guys who used to beat up your great-grandparents when they began the American Labor movement over a century ago.
If you're not familiar with The Pinkertons, they were the Blackwater of the late 19th and early 20th century, an armed and often violent private security force for the Robber-Barons and industrialists of the Gilded Age used to keep striking workers in their place.
I shit you not, history repeats itself...
After evictions and arrests from Manhattan’s Zuccotti Park to London that began last year, the movement against income inequality and corporate abuse will regain strength, said Brian McNary, director of global risk at Pinkerton Consulting & Investigations, a subsidiary of Sweden’s Securitas AB. (SECUB) He works with international financial firms to “identify, map and track” protesters across social media and at their assemblies, he said. The companies gather data “carefully and methodically” to prevent business disruptions. bloomberg.com
Employers don't always accept a workers' strike calmly. They can try to fight back against the union, sometimes through lawsuits and legislation, sometimes with violent thugs. Some employers used companies that offered strikebreaking services, such as the Pinkerton Detective Agency. Former cooper Allan Pinkerton started the infamous agency in the mid-1800s [ref]. Although it usually engaged in standard crime-stopping detective work, they discovered there were profits to be made as strikebreakers. Many other companies were soon offering similar services, but strikebreakers were usually called Pinkertons. A strikebreaking crew was essentially an armed mob of mercenaries. They reported to the picket lines to escort scab workers into the business, or to intimidate the strikers. The crew also acted as guards to prevent strikers from damaging company property. In the 1800s and early 1900s, conflicts between striking workers and Pinkertons often grew bloody. money.howstuffworks.com
Want some history on the Pinkertons? Here are the basics...Funny how 'crime-stopping private detective work" kind of sounds like impersonating a police officer when you say it that way...
"essentially an armed mob of mercenaries" this statement sums up the banksters, the GOP and the Pinkertons all in one.
More below the fold...There are more than one million prostituted girls in India. "Only when the buyers of sex are arrested will the brothels close down; and only when the brothels are closed will we be safe,” Uma Das, speaking to Hillary Clinton in India
When President Barak Obama recently called human trafficking “one of the great human rights causes of our time” and vowed to take steps to end it, I felt greatly re-assured that our work for the last decade and more to end sex trafficking would gain momentum.
Sex trafficking is a billion dollar industry in India that is aided and abetted by entrenched attitudes of patriarchy, gender discrimination and a lax legal system. In Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata the great cities of India, girls as young as 9 years of age, are raped by eight to ten men every night. A million girls and women are forced into living in inhuman conditions of brutal violence and repeated rapes because there is a market created by men who buy sex. The Central Bureau of Investigation says that there were 3 million prostituted females in India of which 1.2 million are girls. And the National Human Rights Commission of India says that the numbers of the trafficked are going up and the ages coming down with the average age of recruitment into prostitution of an Indian female between nine and twelve years.
Research has established that trafficking of women and children has grown in leaps and bounds because the sex trade often takes place under the facade of a legal venture. Massage parlours, tourism companies, ‘Friendship clubs’ and even the institution of marriage have all become instruments of sex trafficking.
I was inspired to found Apne Aap Women Worldwide in 2002 after working closely with twenty two courageous young women in prostitution in the brothels of Mumbai. I first met them in the late 1990s when I was the field producer for the Emmy Award winning documentary, The Selling of Innocents.The documentary made visible the fact that prostitution was not simply poor women eking out an existence and migrant lonely men getting sex in exchange, but a whole system based on pimps, brothel owners, recruiters, transporters and money-lenders running a supply chain of human beings. I leveraged the Emmy and turned it into a road show, taking it to the United Nations and the United States Senate[1] to create and change policies to end sex-trafficking.
Though the twenty-two founding women have since passed away from hunger, suicide, and AIDS-related complications, Apne Aap’s work continues. Small self-empowerment groups of ten women meet at Apne Aap community centres across the country to access education, improve their livelihood and receive legal rights training. Today, Apne Aap’s work reaches over 15,000 women and girls and continues to strive towards making the vision of the founding twenty-two women come true.
Over the years, we have been campaigning to promote the leadership of survivors in the global fight to end trafficking by bringing groups of survivors to speak before the UN General Assembly (in 2008 and 2009) so that their voices could be heard at the highest levels of global policy. Our most significant intervention in civil society, governments and multi-lateral bodies like the United Nations has been to highlight the link between trafficking and prostitution, and to lobby with policy makers to shift the criminal culpability from the trafficked victim to the paying perpetrator.
Along with other activists, we have lobbied the United Nations regarding the development of the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children that resulted in the first UN instrument to address the demand in the context of trafficking in Article 9 of the Protocol. But the laws in our own country, India, need to be changed too. (Apne Aap Women Worldwide is currently engaged in the task of engaging with our Parliament and all levels of Government both local and national towards that goal).
Hunting for effective solutions, we have begun to organize state-level conferences of survivors to gain their insights on how to make a dent in the sex industry. After multiple meetings the survivors decided to launch a campaign to amend the Indian Anti-trafficking Law to penalize buyers and traffickers. The campaign argues that if the numbers of convictions against buyers and traffickers go up, the cost of human trafficking will become untenable. Increased convictions will also restore a sense of justice to the survivors of prostitution. “If there are no customers, there will be no sex-trafficking. We want the police to arrest the customers, not us”, said Janaki, who was trafficked when she was still a girl.
Our mission is to increase choices for at-risk girls and women in order to ensure access to their rights, and to deter the purchase of sex through policy and social change. We envision a world where every woman and girl can realize her full human and social potential through two principles taught to us by the Father of our Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. These principles are Ahimsa and Antodaya. Ahimsa is non-violence and includes resisting violence to the self and to the other. Antodaya is uplift of the last woman or person. Our Antodaya is the freedom of the last prostituted girl or woman.
Our work is not entirely free of threats and dangers. While working with prostituted women in the notorious Red Light Districts of India, we have been threatened with knives - and my colleagues have suffered worse fates. Mohammad Kalam, one of our activists, has paid a high price.. Kalam hails from the Nat community which had been notified as a criminal tribe by our colonial rulers. The Nat are a community of acrobats and entertainers who have traditionally been prostituting their girls and women for livelihood. The men in the community live off the earnings of their wives, daughters and sisters. Kalam’s mother and sisters were also prostituted. However, Kalam’s sister decided to educate Kalam so that he would raise the banner of change from within the community. Kalam is perhaps the only boy in his village and community who has graduated from a college. He joined Apne Aap and has been responsible for getting several pimps and traffickers put behind bars. He also rescued two dozen minor girls from being sold into prostitution.
However, all this was obviously not acceptable to the deeply entrenched vested interests in the business of prostitution. This summer, Kalam was falsely charged with trafficking by a corrupt police officer and put in jail. Hundreds of prostituted women and activists wrote in to the police to free Kalam and change the law. After much media pressure we have managed to get him out on bail, but the cases against him have not yet been withdrawn.
So we realise we have to bring about both systemic and attitudinal changes in our society. We have to make the traffickers and pimps accountable under criminal law and at the same time we have to make men stop buying sex. We are running a campaign called Cool Men Don’t Buy Sex with the help of Indian college students to influence men against buying sex, and for policy makers to change the law. This campaign has more than ten thousand members enrolled.
So why has the law not changed? In running this campaign, Apne Aap Women Worldwide has come up against some entrenched interests. Those of the sex industry certainly, but also of policy makers and International Foundation officials who believe that, ‘men will be men,’ and all that the sex industry does is provide a much-needed service to these men.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are among the big Foundations that accept the inevitability of prostitution and regrettably put more emphasis on protecting male buyers from disease rather than protecting girls and women from male buyers. They assigned more than $ 320 million for the purchase and distribution of condoms to what they defined as “high-risk groups.
Some HIV/AIDS projects began to hire pimps and brothel managers as "peer educators" to gain easy access to the brothels for distributing condoms. Ignoring our advice, they turned a blind eye to the little girls and adult women kept in a system of bondage and control, who cannot say no to unwanted sex let alone unprotected sex. In fact a representative of the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO), once told me: "If the brothels didn't exist, where will we distribute the condoms?"
With pimps drawing salaries and condom manufacturers making profits, there is little incentive to dismantle the sex industry. This establishment, that is, the condom manufacturers and the organisation involving pimps in distributing condoms have been actively lobbying with Members of Parliament, the Health Ministry and NACO against amending the law so that it will punish buyers and pimps.
In May this year while on a visit to India, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton put on our Cool Men Don’t Buy Sex wrist band and joined our campaign at the request of 19-year-old Uma Das, a member of Apne Aap from the red-light area of Kolkata. “Only when the buyers of sex are arrested will the brothels close down; and only when the brothels are closed will we be safe,” declared Uma to Secretary Clinton.
We wish to realise Uma’s dream.
Ruchira Gupta will be speaking at the Trust Women conference in London December 4th-5th. Read other articles on openDemocracy 50.50 exploring the key themes of the conferenceDjango 1.1 released
After nearly a year of development, lots of new features and thousands of other improvements, Django 1.1 is here and ready for prime time!
For a full rundown of what's new and what's changed, consult the release notes; to grab a copy, swing by the Django download page. And for the security-conscious, signed checksums for the release tarball are available.
This release also contains the security update rolled out earlier tonight for older release series.
Django 1.1 is the result of hard work by hundreds of people who've contributed code to Django and many more who've donated their time to reporting, triaging, tracking down and helping to fix bugs and develop new features. Django literally would not be able to happen without all of you, so stop and give yourselves (and any other contributors you know) a pat on the back.
Thanks once again to everyone who's helped out, and we hope to see you all at DjangoCon 2009 in Portland, Oregon, and all along the path to Django 1.2.A Surrey SkyTrain user is on a one-man campaign to improve etiquette on public transit by distributing flyers entreating fellow passengers to keep their feet off the seats.
"I've been taking transit for 20 years, and everyday I see at least one if not 10 individuals with their feet on the seat," said Jerry Steinberg in an interview with CBC Radio's The Early Edition.
For five years, Steinberg has been creating flyers that read "'Feet on the seat ain't neat!'", and placing them on every transit vehicle he's on.
The 69-year-old says he would prefer TransLink spread the message.
"I contacted TransLink and asked them to create a poster encouraging people to not put their feet on the seat," said Steinberg.
"They told me it was not a problem. Well, it is for me. So I took matters into my own hands and created these little flyers."
Not deterred by TransLink's disapproval
The flyers are brightly coloured and specifically shaped to fit into holders meant to hold copies of TransLink's publication The Buzzer.
According to Steinberg, his fellow passengers have been happy with his initiative.
Jerry Steinberg says TransLink has told him not to place his flyers on SkyTrain, but he isn't deterred. (Jason D'Souza/CBC)
"People who see me put the flyer up give me a thumbs up and quite often a thank you," he said.
"I've actually seen people notice the flyer, and take their feet off the seat."
However, Steinberg says he's been told several times by transit officials that he is not allowed to display his flyers in their vehicles.
Although the majority of his flyers get removed each week, he's not deterred.
"They told me what I'm doing is against TransLink policy and that they will have to remove the flyer, which they do," said Steinberg.
"When they get off the vehicle, I replace the flyer."
What's your TransLink etiquette pet peeve? Let us know below.Knitters who have made their fair share of garter stitch scarves, ribbed hats and stockinette sweaters, will understand the hankering to shake things up a bit. I love the rhythm and certainty of the basic stitches, but every now and then I relish the challenge of stitch patterns that unfold in surprising ways, that teach me yet something else about the wondrous potential of knits and purls!
I’ve done a lot of knitting in my life, so much that I sometimes wonder if there are any stones left unturned, but this Stitch Block Cowl took me into new terrain. I’ve knit colorwork and I’ve knit “in the row below”, but I’ve never done the two together. It’s terrifically easy and proves, once again, that knitting is inexhaustibly interesting.
Each of the three stitch patterns in our Stitch Block Cowl employ this simple technique of knitting stitches in the row below (don’t worry, we explain what that means in the pattern with photos and everything!). This is ultimately a lot like slipping stitches and has the same effect of creating a very cozy fabric with a whole lot of squish and depth. Add to that the remarkably soft merinos of Purl Soho’s Worsted Twist and Madelinetosh’s Tosh Merino and you’ve got one voluptuous cowl!
Ready to take your own journey into uncharted knitting territory? Make sure you pack materials to knit your very own Purl Soho’s Stitch Block Cowl, in this warm and sunny Yellow or any other of our pretty palettes. And don’t forget to send a postcard! -Whitney
Materials
To knit your own Stitch Block Cowl, you will need five skeins in the following breakdown…
Color A: 3 skeins of Purl Soho’s Worsted Twist, 100% merino wool.
Color B: 1 skein of Purl Soho’s Worsted Twist, 100% merino wool.
Color C: 1 skein of Madelinetosh’s Tosh Merino, 100% superwash merino.
The eight colorways are, clockwise from the top left corner…
Yellow
Color A: Worsted Twist, Heirloom White
Color B: Worsted Twist, Yellow Yellow
Color C: Tosh Merino, Candlewick
Oatmeal
Color A: Worsted Twist, Heirloom White
Color B: Worsted Twist, Sea Salt
Color C: Tosh Merino, Weathered Frame
Pink
Color A: Worsted Twist, Heirloom White
Color B: Worsted Twist, Super Pink
Color C: Tosh Merino, Pop Rocks
Navy
Color A: Worsted Twist, Heirloom White
Color B: Worsted Twist, Timeless Navy
Color C: Tosh Merino, Charcoal
Aegean
Color A: Worsted Twist, Heirloom White
Color B: Worsted Twist, Peacock Blue
Color C: Tosh Merino, Esoteric
Aqua
Color A: Worsted Twist, Heirloom White
Color B: Worsted Twist, Dragonfly
Color C: Tosh Merino, Oceana
Pale Blue
Color A: Worsted Twist, Heirloom White
Color B: Worsted Twist, Ice Blue
Color C: Tosh Merino, Well Water
Gray
Color A: Worsted Twist, Heirloom White
Color B: Worsted Twist, Oyster Gray
Color C: Tosh Merino, Whiskers
Please note, we are no longer carrying the pre-built bundles for this project as several of these colors have been discontinued but a range of options are still available for inspiration in Worsted Twist and Tosh Merino!
You will also need…
A US 7, 24-inch circular needles. (You need a circular needle because one of the stitch patterns requires you to slide the stitches from one of the needle to the other.)
Gauge
5 stitches = 1 inch in garter stitch, using the Color A.
4 stitches = 1 inch in any of the three stitch patterns.
Size
Finished Dimensions: 12 3/4 inches wide by 60 inches around
NOTE: To change the width of the finished cowl, cast on any odd number and follow the directions as written.
Note
All three of these stitch patterns use the technique of “knitting into the row below.” Here’s how to do it…
Insert the right needle into the center of the stitch below the first stitch on the left needle. The place to insert the right needle is indicated below by the arrow.
And here is the needle going into that place…
Now knit as normal, bringing the working yarn around the right needle in a counter clockwise direction and pulling through a stitch. When you allow the stitch to fall off the left needle, it will actually be two stitches: the one from the previous row and the one from the row before that. It may feel like you’re doing something dreadfully wrong, but if you’ve properly inserted the right needle, then all will be well!
Pattern
Block #1, Rambler Pattern
Here’s the right side of the finished Rambler Pattern:
And here’s the wrong side:
With Color A, use a Provisional Cast On to cast on 51 stitches. (Why a provisional cast on? So that at the end of the project you can graft together the two ends, avoiding a seam. However, if you find a Provisional Cast On a bit overwhelming, then just use a regular long tail cast on, and when you’re done, you can sew the two ends together. Your cowl will still be beautiful!)
Row 1 (wrong side [ws]): K2, *p1, k1, repeat from * to last stitch, k1.
Row 2 (right side [rs]): K1, *k1 in the row below, p1, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, k1 into row below, k1. (See Pattern Note, above, for “k1 in the row below” instructions.)
Rows 3-8: Repeat Rows 1 and 2 three more times.
Row 9 (ws): K1, *p1, k1, repeat from * to end of row.
Row 10 (rs): K1, *p1, k1 in the row below, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, p1, k1.
Rows 11-16: Repeat Rows 9 and 10 three more times.
Repeat Rows 1-16 until piece measures 20 inches from cast on edge, ending with Row 14.
Block #2, Checked Rose Fabric
Here’s the right side of finished Checked Rose Fabric:
And here’s the wrong side:
Row 1 (ws): With Color A, k1, *k1 in the row below, k1, repeat from * to end of row.
Row 2 (rs): With Color A, k2, *k1 in the row below, k1, repeat from * to last stitch, k1.
Row 3 (ws): With Color B, repeat Row 1. Do not turn the work at the end of the row.
Row 4 (ws): Keeping the wrong side of the work facing you, slide the stitches to the right end of the needle and with Color A, repeat Row 2. Turn the work.
Row 5 (rs): With Color A, repeat Row 1. Do not turn the work.
Row 6 (rs): Keeping the right side of the work facing you, slide the stitches to the right end of the needle and with Color B, repeat Row 2. Turn the work.
Repeat Rows 1-6 until piece measures 40 inches from cast on edge, ending with Row 5.
Block #3, English Rose Tweed
Here’s the right side of finished English Rose Tweed:
And here’s the wrong side:
Set-Up Row (ws): With Color A, k1, knit into front and back, knit to end of row. (52 stitches)
Row 1 (rs): With Color B, k1, *p1, k1 in the row below, repeat from * to last stitch, k1.
Row 2 (ws): With Color B, knit.
Row 3: With Color C, k1, *k1 in the row below, p1, repeat from * to last stitch, k1.
Row 4: With Color C, knit.
Rows 5 and 6: With Color A, repeat Rows 1 and 2.
Rows 7 and 8: With Color B, repeat Rows 3 and 4.
Rows 9 and 10: With Color C, repeat Rows 1 and 2.
Rows 11 and 12: With Color A, repeat Rows 3 and 4.
Repeat Rows 1-12 until piece measures 60 inches from cast on edge,…
If You Used a Provisional Cast On
…ending with Row 4.
Next Row (rs): With Color A, k1, *p1, k1 in the row below, repeat from * to last 3 stitches, k2tog, k1. (51 stitches)
Cut all the yarns, leaving a 32-inch Color A tail.
Put the Provisional Cast On stitches onto a second (preferably smaller) needle.
Thread the Color A tail onto a tapestry needle. With wrong sides together (being careful to not twist the cowl), hold the two circular needles parallel to each other and use the Kitchener Stitch to graft together the cowl’s two ends.
If You Used a Long Tail Cast On
…ending with Row 5.
Next Row (ws): With Color A, bind off in purl.
Cut all the yarns, leaving a 32-inch Color A tail.
Thread the tail onto a tapestry needle and with wrong sides together and making sure the cowl isn’t twisted, sew together the two ends. Sew under one cast on stitch and then across under a bind off stitch, continuing back and forth until you’re done!
Either Way…
Weave in the remaining ends and gently block your cowl, if desired. Then wrap yourself up!An Aug. 21, 2014 file photo of a light trail made by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel.
A rocket was fired at Israel's southern communities near the border with the Gaza Strip on Sunday evening, exploding in an open area.
No damage or injuries were caused.
At the beginning of January, five rockets were fired at Israel from Gaza, in an attack that was claimed by the "Aj'nad Beit al-Maqdis" (Soldiers of the Holy Temple) organization, a group ideologically affiliated with Al-Qaida.
Two weeks ago, the Israel Air Force struck a cell that was planting explosives in the northern Gaza Strip, near the border fence. Officials in Gaza reported that one person was killed and three were wounded in the attack.
This story is breaking, more details to follow.CleanTechnica
The Indian government continues to push proliferation of solar power through publicly owned companies, this time through the world’s largest coal mining company – Coal India Limited.
Coal India is planning to develop solar power plants across various states of India. According to media reports, the company is in talks with Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) for the development of 1,000MW solar power plants. The site identification for putting up of solar plants has already been initiated. Coal India will undertake investments of $1.2 billion for this initiative.
Coal companies are always under pressure from various environmental groups to source their coal in a more ethical and environmentally friendly way to cut pollution. The situation of Coal India Limited is, however, somewhat better than the other coal companies of the world in terms of overall carbon footprint. Though being criticized for consistently failing to meet India’s annual coal production targets, Coal India is known for its sound environmental policies to keep check on greenhouse gas emissions in its production process.
Recently, another Indian coal mining company – Neyveli Lignite Corporation – announced its plans to invest $80 million to develop 80MW of wind and solar power capacity.
The current initiative of Coal India would also definitely help the country to reach Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s plan to provide electricity to all homes and industrial units round-the-clock with an investment target of $100 billion in renewable energy including solar and wind.
Another reason for promotion of renewable energy infrastructure, especially solar power projects, through government-owned companies is the leverage to use domestically manufactured solar photovoltaic (PV) modules and equipment. Some specific clauses in the WTO agreements to subsidize solar power projects by the army, railways, and public sector enterprises. As per the plan drawn up by the government, the Indian army and public sector companies will set up 1,000MW solar PV projects each. The government is planning to promote the use of domestically manufactured equipment following its decision not to impose anti-dumping duties on imported equipment.
In July this year, India had doubled the tax on every metric ton of coal mined or imported in the country. The revenue generated from the coal tax would finance the National Clean Energy Fund (NCEF) which would be utilised for the development of renewable energy projects, environmental projects and research and development projects.
Source: CleanTechnica. Reproduced with permission.BERLIN—Patients suffering from the agony of cluster headaches will take anything to dull the pain, even LSD, it turns out. Results from a pilot study presented here on Saturday at the International Headache Congress reveal that six patients treated with 2-bromo-LSD, a nonhallucinogenic analog of LSD, showed a significant reduction in cluster headaches per day; some were free of the attacks for weeks or months.
"Some of these patients are still reporting significant relief more than a year after they were treated with the compound," says John Halpern, a psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School in Boston and one of the investigators involved in the study. "Nobody has ever reported these kinds of results."
Cluster headaches, sometimes referred to as "suicide headaches" because of the almost unbearable pain they cause sufferers, usually involve just one side of the face; patients often liken the pain to someone trying to pull their eye out for hours. They can occur in bouts lasting many weeks, with several attacks a day.
"What causes these attacks is still not clear," says Peter Goadsby, a headache expert at the University of California, San Francisco, who is not connected with the research. But recent studies suggest that changes in the structure of the hypothalamus are involved. Because that part of the brain is responsible for, among other things, circadian rhythms, the daily cycle of our body that dictates when we sleep but also regulates body temperature and blood pressure, it could explain the periodicity of attacks and why they seem to occur particularly often around the solstices.
Although there is no cure, patients can sometimes cure the headache by inhaling pure oxygen at the onset of an attack. Other treatments include blocking calcium channels with the drug verapamil—which is used for cardiac arrhythmia—or taking triptans, also used for migraines. Some patients have also reported finding relief in hallucinogenic drugs such as LSD and psilocybin.
Those reports intrigued Torsten Passie, a psychiatrist at the Hannover Medical School in Germany and an expert on LSD. So he, Halpern, and colleagues decided to test 2-bromo-LSD (BOL), which was developed by Sandoz, the Swiss company that discovered the psychedelic effects of LSD and marketed it as a drug for some time, as a kind of placebo compound in LSD trials.
At the conference, Halpern and Passie presented the data of six patients with severe cluster headache who were given BOL once every 5 days for a total of three doses. All patients reported a reduction in frequency of attacks, and five patients reported having no attacks for months afterward.
"There seems to be a long-term prophylactic effect that we cannot explain," Halpern says. The team has since treated a seventh patient with similar results. "Compared to what these headache sufferers currently have available to them, this is quite remarkable. It could lead to a near-cure-like treatment", Halpern says. He and Passie have founded a company called Entheogen Corp. to fund further research and are hoping to start a phase II clinical trial with 50 patients later this year.
Goadsby points to shortcomings in the research, however. "These are just a few patients in a completely unblinded study; you would certainly expect some placebo effect," he says. Indeed, Goadsby has done a double-blind study comparing pure oxygen and air in the treatment of cluster headache. Twenty percent of the patients treated with air, the placebo, reported pain reduction. Because cluster headaches can occur in episodes and then vanish again for months or years, it is also difficult to distinguish a drug's long-term effect from normal attack patterns, Goadsby cautions. "Still," he says, "this is an interesting study, and it certainly warrants further investigation."Edit:
We have applied another fix for the latency spikes, and it's looking good so far. We will continue to monitor the stability, please let us know if you have further problems.
Hi guys, we are ready to do a (hidden) public test of our new Australian gateway.
If you are in the Australia or NZ region, we want to know what your experiences are like playing on this server. Please play there and report back in this thread if you experience any problems.
If the test is a success, we will add more servers and officially support the Australian gateway!
This gateway currently consists of 1 server only, so it can get easily full. If this happens, you may not be able to join new areas.
To try it out type "Australia" in the gateway box and log in as normal.
FAQ:
Can I play with players on other gateways?
Yes. This gateway works just like any other PoE gateway, which means that you can still play with players on other gateways, but if you choose to do so then you may get a higher ping while playing with those players.
Can I play with my existing characters?
Yes. Your characters and items span across all PoE gateways, and this one is included.
Do I lose any progress I make on this server?
You will not. The Australia server is a test, but it is also a normal PoE gateway server meaning that all your characters and items are shared across the entire realm. Path of Exile - Lead Programmer Last edited by Thomas on May 18, 2013, 12:27:55 AMRamallah, occupied West Bank - For the majority of Palestinians, the concept of "return" is intrinsically linked to the right of return for millions of Palestinian refugees in the diaspora.
There are approximately eight million Palestinians who are "forcibly displaced persons", according to the BADIL Resource Centre, a Palestinian NGO. However, on both national and international levels there remains a lack of political will and tangible action towards redressing the issue.
Amid this grim reality, the third edition of the Qalandiya International contemporary arts biennial has taken place across historic Palestine and internationally.
Although Qalandiya International explores concepts of "return" in various Palestinian and international contexts - which is particularly significant amid a global refugee crisis - the biennial's curatorial statement begins with the question: "Can a word carry the cure to all the ailments, both past and present, of a tragedy? For us Palestinians, return has become the core antithesis to our Nakba."Story highlights Gloria Borger: It's a given that Congress does little approaching an election
She says it appears that in 2014, Congress will do even less than normal
GOP is betting that it can win on Obamacare criticism, but what if that doesn't work, she asks
Boehner snubs tax reform; Obama drops Social Security changes
It's a political axiom that the closer Congress gets to an election, the less work it gets done.
But here's the current math: what's less than nothing? And if you do even less than nothing, at what point does it become completely counterproductive and silly?
We've reached it.
Have you |
that exposed the News of the World phone hacking affair, the same organization that mirrored the Standard Operating Procedures for Camp Delta, and the same organization under which Richard Gott met and took benefits from the KGB. Whether they’ve been right or embarrassingly wrong, the Guardian’s rightness or wrongness has concerned issues a person would usually consider important or high-impact, so when the feministing chick has a column there I’m surprised that they thought this was a good idea. I’m not surprised that they want to make money, which is definitely what they will do, and collective credibility is a myth anyway; the addition of one author doesn’t affect the rightness or wrongness of what other writers publish. But The Guardian is a publication that I assume does believe in some sort of collective credibility, so you’d think they’d care. Or not?
Feminists hate Janet Bloomfield a lot, which doesn’t surprise me at all. She is ideologically similar to Paul Elam, who feminists hate on principle, but unlike Paul Elam Janet Bloomfield is a woman, and an extremely common assertion by feminists is that they represent women’s interests or that all women / most women either support feminism or should be supporting feminism, so when a woman with 15,000 followers loudly says feminism doesn’t represent her, this is the worst thing she can do. An extremely valuable rhetorical weapon is the equation of ‘antifeminist’ and ‘misogynist’ or ‘pro-feminist’ and ‘pro-woman’, similar to the equation of ‘pro-choice’ and ‘anti-life’ or ‘anti-abortion’ and ‘pro-life’, because unless you are the real-world equivalent of Kefka from Final Fantasy no one is actually ‘anti-life’ but this is a powerful word to describe your opponents with even if it is not true. So if you want to keep “antifeminism” and “misogyny” equated, you need virtually everyone who is antifeminist to be male, because if a loud portion of people who are antifeminist are women then you look absurd saying they are “misogynist” as this is tantamount to saying “these women hate women”, which they clearly do not if they themselves are women; you can get away with saying a few women are self-hating, but claiming women in equal proportion to you hate themselves makes your claims look implausible, which people invested in the ‘pro-woman’ label realize, so they work to preserve this dynamic for as long as possible.
Janet Bloomfield apparently misquoted Jessica Valenti with “deliberate and malicious libel”, which led feminists to report her account a lot, which led Twitter to remove her account. Given the paragraph you just read I should mention this news is from a blog that “tracks and mocks the New Misogyny online” and I guess Janet Bloomfield is a hater of herself. Well, okay. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that ‘tracking’ and ‘mocking’ are about the opposite kind of vibes, in that if you’re tracking something you look obsessive and ‘mocking’ is something I associate with casual indifference. The website banner says “THE NEW MISOGYNY, TRACKED AND MOCKED,” like I’m supposed to be reading these things and shouting “YEAH BITCH, MOCKED.” Whatever though man, I don’t know who you are but you have 10,000 twitter followers so there’s obviously money in the Black Ops Against Misogyny Plus Jokes game.
This happened in 2014; it is 2015, and I only just now learned who Janet Bloomfield is, so I’m obviously missing some nuances of this event. But I am not writing about this to give you some update on the situation. There are important aspects of what happened to Janet that are part of a much larger problem with dialogue and especially dialogue over social media. None of these problems pertain solely to Janet, but understanding what happened to Janet is helpful toward understand how the problem can manifest.
These are Janet Bloomfield’s words describing what she did:
“I used Poe’s Law to attribute a few false but utterly plausible quotes to her, and sure enough, she replied.”
Poe’s law (in reference to Nathan Poe, original use here) stipulates that without an indication of intent, you will not know if an extremist author is sincere or parodying extremism. In everyday discussion it refers to when an argument has an equal chance of being ironic or serious. It’s had some resurgence due to the prevalence of sociopolitical debates on the internet, where given any position there is always a much more radical and poorly reasoned position that someone will advocate with utter seriousness. You might think “men should be castrated and only allowed to reproduce when those who they formerly oppressed say they can” or “feminism is a purge happening under America’s eyes” are positions someone would never argue because they are transparently ridiculous and the kind of thing you would say as a joke, but there is someone, somewhere, on reddit or tumblr or elsewhere who has argued these positions with complete seriousness, so if you encounter this position organically you are unable to differentiate sincerity from satire.
If we take Janet at her word, then she was effectively practicing parody. I make up quotes of other people when I am making fun of them, and other people do it to me when making fun of me, because this is a joke and jokes are funny.
“I freebase krokodil from my butt and all of my fingers are penises.” — Alfred MacDonald
There. This sort of thing is harmless. It could be harmful if you were doing this to accuse someone of a crime, but as far as I’m aware that’s not what Janet is doing; instead, Janet is just making up dumb shit and saying Jessica said it. Which is saying “hey, you’re so stupid I can imagine you saying this” and entirely within the realm of acceptable shit-talking. You can hear worse on the Roast of Justin Bieber. (Actually, you can hear a lot worse on the roast of Justin Bieber. Snoop went hard.)
But I shouldn’t just take Janet’s word here, because you shouldn’t take anyone at their word unless you have good reason to believe you should, and I don’t. So, I believe that she’s been removed in the past, which means she might have pissed twitter off for some reason. There are a few screenshots of her calling a lot of people whores, which probably had something to do with it. Twitter and websites like it are extremely large and hire offshore moderation teams which generally do not put a lot of thought into their moderation; I know for a fact that Amazon does not, and uses algorithms that just scan for keywords. Having your account banned once probably put her under additional scrutiny.
In an email conversation with me, Janet mentioned that her account was suspended while she was tweeting pictures of a wedding cake, which were both after her Poe’s law tweets and after any insults she made to other people. It’s possible that with enough reports Twitter automatically removed the account; this is not something I would put past an offshore moderation team who is understandably burnt out from looking at dicks all day. Janet mentions she was suspended during a suspension, which if true is the sort of thing that would only happen if moderation was handled automatically or semi-automatically. After its restoration Janet tweeted at Jessica where the alleged libel incident happened, and here we are.
Regardless of the reason for her initial suspension, Janet’s prior account ban won’t make a subsequent ban justified, because unlike, say, in a court of law where a judge has to consider that assault and theft are correlated behaviors and he is ostensibly protecting other people by keeping a violent felon away from others, a removal of someone for a misquote is a completely unrelated behavior to harassment, especially considering the circumstances of the misquote. I suppose an idiot might argue that this also constitutes harassment, but that argument is hyperbolic; misquoting someone and making fun of them is not harassing them — not in the same way calling a lot of people whores is.
I used to moderate internet forums a long time ago. The most popular place at which I ever held a moderator position was reddit’s Tumblr in Action discussion board, which I think has over 100,000 subscribers now. I resigned from the moderator team of every board except the YOLO board before Tumblr in Action hit this number, though I think I’d be the top moderator if I hadn’t.
Being a moderator of a place like that is unlike being a moderator of a fitness discussion board or a beer discussion board in that even though there are camps pertaining to those subject areas, they do not invest the totality of their existence into their stances and will not do everything they can to make sure someone who is a contradiction to them has their audience limited. I post on fitness boards more, so I’ll cite an example: one of the most common camp divisions on fitness boards is over who is enhanced (using steroids) and who is ‘natty’ (not using steroids), whether you are justified in using steroids to build muscle more quickly or whether you should only use it to transcend genetic limits, and whether you are justified in using steroids period. You would think this would be an intense controversy, because entire careers depend on it. However, despite that these are people with high testosterone disagreeing over the activity to which they dedicate their lives, I’ve never seen a debate on a fitness forum, no matter how bloodthirsty, remotely approach to the intensity with which people debate propositions like “are wage gap statistics accurate” or “is x actually misogynist.”
Most of the moderators who have been moderators in contentious environments like Tumblr in Action have noticed this phenomenon: when someone posts something that especially angers a group of ideologues more than usual, that group will sometimes coordinate their reports under the belief that with enough reports they can distort the perception of how bad a link is and get the link removed. Reddit makes this easy to notice because an average link that could get your board in trouble might have one or two reports, while the organized report efforts have dozens.
I noticed these frivolous reports so much that I had to come up with terms to refer to them. There are two: fire-alarming and rulebombing.
Fire alarming refers to any abuse of a safety mechanism that, in its most benevolent form, helps people. I got the idea to categorize this kind of behavior when I saw a video of protesters pulling a fire alarm to interrupt a speech and realized that frivolous reports are part of a larger category of abusing safety mechanisms.
Rulebombing refers to the frivolous report behavior in question, so it’s a subcategory of fire-alarming as report systems are meant to protect users. Many website moderation teams do not actually evaluate reports, or if they do, the moderation teams give the reports a glance at best. A coordinated group who really wants a particular person’s speech removed can organize a mass report of that person’s activities and the website will either remove the user or posts right away due to the sheer volume of reports, or reason that because there are so many reports they could not possibly be illegitimate. The former is bad programming, the latter is the ad populum fallacy.
You might be wonder what the distinction is between reporting someone for breaking the rules and rulebombing. The distinction is that in a normal moderation queue, a normal reported action — a very bad one — might have one or two reports, so moderators are used to this number indicating seriousness. Rulebombing floods a queue with dozens if not hundreds of reports in attempt to convince the moderator that the rulebombed thing is dozens or hundreds of times more serious, when under circumstances not biased by ideology this action may never have registered on the moderator’s radar.
Janet Bloomfield was mass-reported and banned for alleged libel because she misquoted someone on Twitter.
Reflect on that situation and consider how ridiculous it is.
Twitter is not using libel in the strict sense that a court is using it. Twitter is a website that allows pseudonyms and parody accounts among regular people. There is no definitive record of things people have said, and comments are deleted on a regular basis. Using Twitter to misquote and therefore libel persons like getturnt420, rhinodixxOKC or XdarkBronyX in the sense that a court means it is difficult or at the very least requires a leap of interpretation. You might say that Jessica’s misquoted material was in print, so it’s more libel than if you just misquoted someone on Twitter. That’s a silly view to hold when news websites are blogs and blogs are news websites; there is little to no real difference, and when the vast majority of news coming from news websites is made either on WordPress or a platform very similar to WordPress and print versions are effectively a consolation prize the only thing “print” really means anymore is that an organization has been legally registered as such and publishes content under the title of an organization, as opposed to an individual who publishes content under their own name.
In other words, the concept of libel in an age where you can edit Wikipedia at whim or make a parody account of a person is difficult for a website to maintain. There is no need for Twitter to enforce this anyway; people are sued for libel on Twitter and it’s eyebrow raising as it is because social media has become a universal form of communication. This gets weirder when you remember that libel in fiction is a real thing people sue for, and judgments as large as $100,000 have been awarded as recently as 2009. A writer at the Huffington Post thinks Twitter’s inclusion as a medium over which one can be libeled is a good thing because supposedly this means that Twitter is now a legitimate publishing platform. I guess, but it would be legitimate independent of a court’s treatment anyway, because a medium cannot alter the truth of a conclusion made on that medium; “2+2=5” is false and “2+2=4” is true regardless of the medium on which they’re transmitted. If it can display words, it can display information, and truth/falsehood can be evaluated from there.
More importantly, praising the applicability of libel suits to the ubiquitous media we use for communication ignores the elephantine disparity of access to libel as an enforcement mechanism. Libel suits are overwhelmingly likely to be made by people who are some combination of very rich, very vindictive and very self-interested, because most people do not have the resources to successfully pursue a libel suit, so even if libel suits over twitter become more common this would just enhance the reach of a very select group of people wealthy enough to make these suits anyway. A UK science writer estimates his costs of defense at £25,000 and costs of loss at £500,000; a D.C. resident had a $750,000 libel lawsuit brought against her for her posts on Yelp and related websites. If suing someone for libel weren’t something only rich people can do and were as easy as catching someone saying “I made up fake quotes to mock this person”, Facebook would have to add a libel lawsuit tracker to their comments, right next to ‘likes’, because that’s how frequent they would be.
For Twitter to take the stance that they should honor libel reports when libel is complicated for people who aren’t well-versed in law and much of their moderation is performed algorithmically or by workers from Manila who don’t understand the cultural nuances pertaining to speech in the US, this is an enormous interpretative leap, especially since if it is libel, Twitter could simply hand the issue to courts, which they did with Courtney Love. In other words, this would be a really stupid stance to take, and I doubt they actually have taken this stance.
Consider two things:
Courtney Love was found guilty of libel via Twitter by a court of law in the US, a country with some of the most generous speech protections of any country on the planet, and her account is still active.
If we assume her detractors are telling the complete truth, Twitter found Janet Bloomfield guilty of libel by a stream of organized reports made to their moderation team, even though Janet was not sued for libel. Note that the US is not a culture that thinks libel lawsuits are great; if you sue someone for libel, you usually look bad. Yet here is one case where Jessica Valenti’s fans would have overwhelmingly supported a libel accusation, meaning the appearance of suing solely for the purposes of money (which is normally the PR hit you take by making a libel suit) is something she would not have to worry about.
Since I don’t believe that narrative is what happened but don’t think clear incentive is enough to say so, let’s review the implications of what would happen if people were removed from websites every time they attributed quotes to another person that this person didn’t say. If this were not just a selective instance of Twitter’s moderation team reacting to a lot of simultaneous reports, I could have 99.9% of people I’ve argued with on Facebook removed for libel because they have either falsely attributed a quote to me or wrongly paraphrased something I have said and attributed the paraphrase to me. This is an amazing power to have, and I want to have it, so if there is some secret number I have to call to get people removed for misquoting me on Facebook and Twitter, please email it to me. No one is going to do that, because if misquoting other people were a reason to remove their account right away, Facebook and Twitter would be as lively as the dating scene in Fallout.
To reiterate, if you believe “Twitter cares if I misquote someone on purpose because that’s libel” is a true statement, a squad of Lilliputian mind-bandits have seized all of your sane ideas and trafficked them to a cave of thought-gnomes. People who remove comments are jaded skilled labor who see a lot of reports and mutter “holy shit” while thinking about how to not get fired, not a crack team of content analysts who see the report and say “BY GOD JONATHAN I’VE FOUND MISREPRESENTATION ON TWITTER, THIS CANNOT STAND NOR WILL I STAND FOR IT.”
No one who has thought about this for more than ten seconds sincerely thinks Twitter removed Janet Bloomfield’s account for libel, because their moderation is not nuanced enough to make that distinction and does not care. Moderation is an ocean of porn, spam, and trolls saying ‘nigger’. If you have trouble believing how boring and routine the work of a moderator is, I’ve had someone DM me on Twitter with the message “kill yourself” and their account is still active. “X misquoted me” is so far down the rabbit hole of complaints that moderators will only give the minutest fuck if a bunch of people complain simultaneously, which is exactly what happened. Nonetheless, some people will strain to maintain the illusion that treating misquotes as libel is standard social media policy, and others will just not care. Removing an account for libel is what people say Twitter did or want to believe Twitter did, because “I contacted twitter about these libelous comments and they removed her account” sounds a lot better than “after several dozen people I know slammed Twitter with bullshit reports we got her account removed.”
Instead, this is the far more likely scenario: Twitter gets a lot of reports. Some person says “oh shit, this is a lot of reports and this account has been banned before.” A moderator, who is probably being risk-averse seeing as they are paid to do this, removes the account. Some people rage and some people rejoice and the moderator goes back to hating themselves because they are paid $14/hour to remove dicks.
People who organize rulebombs and fire-alarms have some sense of what they’re doing, whether consciously or not. Very few people would think to organize coordinated reports of a person, and even fewer would actually care enough to do this, so in practice coordinated reports do not happen often. Moderators are used to the frequency of normal reports — one or two reports meaning something really bad has happened, and five meaning something really really bad has happened, with these numbers scaling depending on the size of the website. They have not organized a procedure to account for actions derived from Scott Alexander’s Worst Argument In The World, a tactic where someone takes a very serious stigma and attempts to include a thing as some fringe instance of the stigma, which relies on the full weight of the typical stigma even though its inclusion in the category is debatable in the first place. This is also called the noncentral fallacy.
Moderation teams are not trained to look for mass reports or actions derived from the Worst Argument In The World and have no idea how to respond, because fire-alarms are not common outside of controversial discussion environments and typically only seen when a lot of people are dogmatically in opposition to someone’s stances on things. Therefore, the moderation team responds like they normally would, which is the wrong way, but understandable on their part nonetheless.
Janet Bloomfield’s account was removed because of sheer report numbers, aka rulebombing, aka fire-alarming. The use of inventing words like ‘fire-alarm’ and ‘rulebomb’ by the way is that instead of having to say “removals due to reports” we can compress the phenomenon into a single word for faster recognition, which is why new terms are coined in the first place, and “fire-alarming” includes all behaviors classed as safety-mechanism abuse in general. This would be a worthwhile categorization to make regardless, but it’s especially worthwhile because this is not the first time this has happened:
Milo Yiannopoulos’s @nero account was removed for “harassment.” The annoying comments in response were reactions like “lol take a hint” and “I guess Twitter doesn’t want a misogynist” as if the Twitter moderation team completely shares the ideology of these commenters and this tweet isn’t just another remark between dick pics and spam that some offshore worker has to filter. The incentive is obvious: I don’t like Breitbart, and if I don’t like Breitbart then feminists really don’t like Breitbart. But Milo tripletweeted a set with “downtown sushi realness”, and I like downtown sushi realness, so I’m neutral on Milo for now. Actually, this one is funny too.
Philip Mason runs the YouTube account Thunderf00t and makes science videos, including a great video about the issues with the solar roadway concept. He has a Ph.D. in Chemistry if you care, though this would not make anything he says more true or less true. He was suspended by Twitter for a few months because of alleged harassment of Anita Sarkeesian, who makes videos about gender bias in video games, and some of his videos on YouTube were temporarily removed for similar reasons. She has a Master’s degree from York that her critics have been way too dramatic about; if you think her MA is unrigorous you will froth at the mouth after learning what kind of students an average Master’s program graduates, nevermind what kind of students the average Bachelor’s program graduates. Despite this controversy between the two I like both of their channels, though Anita occasionally extends her conclusions too far from what she’s able to conclude from the subject matter, and Philip is too hyperbolic. (“Feminism poisons EVERYTHING!” Everything? Even my weed? Even the stickiest of the icky?) These characteristics aside, Thunderf00t did not “harass” Anita — she’s been harassed, legitimately and seriously, by people who do not have 80 million views on YouTube or Wikipedia pages about themselves. Philip is a very visible critic of her, and if his opponents can force YouTube to close his account this is not only a loss of his income from YouTube but thousands if not millions of potential views of his counterarguments that will go unseen, and you cannot adopt a counterargument you don’t know exists. There is obviously an incentive to abuse the report system when you can get such a victory from it.
Mykeru runs a YouTube channel similar in subject matter to Thunderf00t’s and I believe Mykeru’s channel was never compromised, but activists succeeded in fire-alarming his twitter account. He is considerably less followed than the Thunderf00t channel, though he is notable in that the Twitter campaign #OpSkyNet was made to demand his account’s restoration, which was successful.
You might wonder why the people against feminism or social justice have not fire-alarmed in response. For one, they have. This behavior is in no way limited to one side, so you’d have to revise the question to “why haven’t they fire-alarmed more.” I have no idea, but a very naive answer to this kind of question is “because they break rules and we don’t” or “because their behavior is objectionable and ours isn’t.” The mass-report strategy works because people who moderate don’t pay attention. Anita Sarkeesian wasn’t breaking rules, and neither was Thunderf00t, and this is much more obvious when you’ve actually dealt with the kind of things that are submitted to a moderation queue; the only time a post like “What’s Wrong With Feminism” stands out against content like “ANAL GANGBANG SNOWBALL” or “MUSLIM FAGGOTS BEHEADED” is when the report numbers can override an otherwise reasonable thought process.
You might believe fire-alarming is not a problem because it’s not currently a problem for everyone you agree with. This could be as simple as people you disagree with not knowing it’s even an option. Even if everything you say is currently not vulnerable to censorship, you have no reason to believe its invulnerability will continue. This arrogance is similar to people who think hate speech laws will never have the definition of ‘hate’ reinterpreted to include their own beliefs or ideologies. If you live in America, you live in an overwhelmingly Christian country where the average age is 37 but the majority of voters are at least 45, where Christian beliefs and FOX News DVR recordings are more prevalent the older you get, and where politically-involved citizens sincerely believe in the idea of a “War on Christianity.” Nothing would preclude this demographic from taking what they currently call “anti-Christian” or “anti-American” and reinterpreting these terms as “hate speech”, thereby silencing everything you believe that conflicts with their views.
Or, you might believe that the people you like aren’t vulnerable to fire-alarming because people just don’t do it that often, or aren’t that bad. Please. We have purged outgroups so many times that you can read a Wikipedia list of them in alphabetical order. To describe our former treatment of people we disagree with as ‘shitty’ is meiosis. Humanity’s history of disagreement is an unrelenting bacchanal of insatiable diarrhea-guzzling. Considering that the default human response to intense disagreement used to be actions we would describe with words like ‘war’, ‘murder’, ‘mass-murder’ or ‘massacre’, we’re lucky that obsessively hounding a report button or pulling a fire alarm is the most irrational form of disagreement we’re exposed to. We’re ‘better’ now, but our biology hasn’t changed, and we still have the same instinctual drives people had thousands of years ago.
I don’t like that I had to write this article, because I’m frustrated by the very existence of the thought process that justifies abusing safety mechanisms if it means silencing your opponent. We lose, collectively, by treating this as no big deal, or by acting like it’s a one-time thing, or by acting like it doesn’t have an effect.
On principle, it’s the dumbest possible way to disagree. Dumber than established dumb ways to disagree like namecalling, because namecalling does not preclude a response to namecalling.
You cannot make someone wrong by wiping their views from written record. Reality is going to continue to exist, and if they are right they are not going to cease being right; conversely, if they’re wrong they’re not going to cease being wrong. The desire to swarm an opponent and push their voice into silence is detrimental in its own right because that’s the way people think when they are threatened, not when they believe their statements are truthful enough to stand on their own. And the belief that a really organized group can have you removed from a website when you’ve said the wrong thing is a belief that will stop a lot of people from engaging in public dialogue period, including people who may otherwise agree with you or support your cause. Only a fraction of the American population even votes outside the presidential election. If no one knows what specific beliefs will be the wrong button to press, they’ll avoid buttons all together.
The practice of abusing safety mechanisms to pursue ideological ends is going to continue, whether it’s in favor of your side or against it. All of us benefit by being aware of fire-alarming and working to discourage if not prohibit it. Many people familiar with gender politics are aware that this happens, which is good. The next step is to acknowledge it’s a problem, which far fewer people have done. Moderation teams of major websites generally work for their users, so if enough users want a certain policy toward content they will alter their moderation policies accordingly.
If this concept is a widely-recognized phenomenon, it will be something an administrator thinks about before designing a report system at all, and we can discuss slightly controversial issues on social media again without the worry that our accounts might be compromised from pressing the wrong button. Alternatively, you can worry that any position you take on something that could offend anyone might send a beehive of reports to your account and revoke whatever effort you’ve spent building up your social media presence.
I can’t regard fire-alarming as a solution to a disagreement. I don’t think you should either.
AdvertisementsAustralian cricketer Phil Hughes passed away after being hit on the head by a bouncer. We bring you 15 more such depressing incidents where sports persons have died while playing:
1. Ayrton Senna
Brazilian F1 driver Senna's is perhaps the most famous on-field death in sporting history. The 3-time world champion was a legend in the sport even before his untimely death at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. Leading in lap 6, Senna collided with a wall at 135 mph while taking a turn. Despite being air lifted and rushed to hospital, Senna had suffered significant blood loss and trauma and was later declared dead. God only knows how many more championships Senna would've won if this mishap had not taken place!
Source: Mirror
2. Peter Biaksangzuala
In October 2014, the 23-year-old was playing in the Mizoram Premier League for Bethlehem Vengthlang when he scored against Chanmari West FC. While attempting an acrobatic celebration, Biaksangzuala landed awkwardly on his head. He was rushed to hospital where it was revealed that he had damaged his spinal cord. After spending 5 days in the ICU, Biaksangzuala passed away. It was later learnt that Peter had donated his eyes in his last days.
Source: DNI
3. Cristiano Junior
The Brazilian striker was playing for Goan club Dempo in the Federations Cup final versus Mohun Bagan in 2004. Having already scored one goal, Junior jumped to head in a second goal but, in the process, was punched in the chest by Bagan keeper Subrata Paul. The 25-year-old immediately collapsed on the pitch and was later declared to have died of a stroke. But the ball had sailed into the net and the goal stood. Dempo went on to win the match 2-0 with Junior getting a brace. The Brazilian passed away doing what he loved doing most: scoring goals!
Source: IndianFootball
4. D. Venkatesh
Yet another footballer to die in India. During an A-division league match in 2012, Bangalore Mars player D. Venkatesh had come on as a substitute before collapsing in the dying minutes of the match. He was being rushed to hospital in an auto rickshaw as there was no ambulance available when he died en route. It's believed that had there been medical personnel and oxygen available at the stadium, Venkatesh's life could've been saved.
Source: IndianExpress
5. Antonio Puerta
The Spaniard is a hero for his football club Sevilla where he had spent his entire career. He won 5 major trophies with his club and even scored in the penalty shootout during the 2007 UEFA Cup final triumph. But just months later, during next season's first home match, Puerta collapsed on the pitch. He suffered a series of cardiac arrests and died while still on the pitch.
Source: Taringa
6. Raman Lamba
The batsman played 32 ODIs and 4 Test matches for India. In 1998, he was fielding at forward short leg for Dhaka-based club Abahani Krira Chakra in the Bangladesh Premier Division final against Mohammedan Sporting Club when the ball struck him on the temple. Lamba seemed fine at that time and even joked that he was dead, but he suffered an internal hemorrhage and slipped into coma. He passed away 3 days later.
Source: TheHindu
7. Dale Earnhardt
Earnhardt is one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history with 76 wins, including 7 Championships. During the final lap of Daytona 500 in 2001, he was involved in an accident where his car spun and rammed nose-first into the concrete at 150 mph. His car then came into contact with a rival car before sliding off track into the grass. He was rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Source: ESPN
8. Chuck Hughes
Hughes is the only person to die during an NFL match. Playing for Detroit Lions against Chicago Bears in 1971, Hughes was running towards a team huddle with only minutes left in the game when he collapsed. Everyone thought he was faking an injury but it was later determined that he had died of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).
Source: FootballNation
9. Caleb Moore
At the X Games 2013, the American crashed his snowmobile during the freestyle event. He was attempting a back flip when the skis got caught in the ground, causing the snowmobile to hit Moore as he fell to the ground. He was able to get up but was immediately rushed to hospital. He had lost an excessive amount of blood around the heart and this required surgery. After the operation, his condition deteriorated and he died in hospital 7 days later.
Source: UnofficialNetworks
10. Bill Masterton
Back in 1968, when the NHL did not require helmets, Bill was playing for the Minnesota North Stars when he was hit on the head by 2 members of the Oakland Seals. He was hospitalized immediately but doctors decided that any surgery could prove fatal. Ultimately, his family decided to pull the life support. Despite his death, the NHL did not make helmets mandatory for another 11 years.
Source: TheStar
11. Ed Sanders
The boxing heavyweight gold medal winner at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics was fighting Willie James 2 years later when he received a hard punch on the head. Sanders lost consciousness immediately, and died of hemorrhage 18 hours later. This is yet another case that goes to prove that repeated blows to the head can prove fatal.
Source: CemetryGuide
12. Sarah Burke
The 6-time X Games winner in the Super Pipe event crashed during training in Salt Lake City, USA. She suffered irreversible damage to the brain due to the lack of oxygen and blood after which she suffered a cardiac arrest. Burke was the one who had convinced the International Olympic Committee to include the Super Pipe event in the the 2014 Olympics. Had she been alive, she would've been one of the favourites for the gold medal.
Source: ToledoBlade
13. Ray Chapman
The Cleveland Naps star was hit on the head by New York Yankees pitcher Carl Mays in 1920. Eyewitness statements vary with some suggesting that Chapman took a few steps before collapsing while others claim that he immediately fell to the ground. Chapman died in hospital 12 hours later.
Source: KentuckySportsRadio
14. Frank Hayes
The jockey had never won a race in his life and was in fact not even a jockey but a horse trainer. Nevertheless, the 35-year-old was competing in a steeplechase event in 1923 when he suffered a mid-race heart attack. But his body remained in the saddle and his horse was the first one to cross the line. His death was not discovered until others rushed to congratulate him and found his lifeless body slumped on the horse. Hayes literally went a winner!
Source: Atyarisibilgi
15. Duk Koo Kim
Many boxers have lost their lives in the ring but one of the most famous incidents involved the 23-year-old South Korean Kim. He was contesting in the championship bout with Ray Mancini which turned out to be a bloody affair. Mancini had suffered a torn ear and a swollen eye but Kim came off worse with severe swelling in the head. In the 14th round, following a sequence where he was hit 39 times in a row, Kim collapsed and went into coma. He died 4 days later and this led the WBC to reduce the number of bouts from 15 to 12.
Source: JoSeub
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AdvertisementsAs I recuperate from several all-night work sessions because of three maddening deadlines, all within a week of each other, and before I start calling costume rental places asking if they have any chicken suits available, thought I'd share with you all some wonderful illustrations from this neato book on the futurist author Jules Verne. Considering that it's Mr. Verne's birthday today, consider this a little celebration for a man who stirred many an imagination with his wild and hairy stories, well over one-and-a-half centuries ago.by Franz Born illustrated by Peter P. Plasencia ©1964 Prentice-Hall, Inc.A great book, with even greater illustrations by Peter P. Plasencia, who, as you may recall, illustrated the wonderful Space Alphabet book. I love seeing how Peter utilized the gouache to create various depths of field by the use of the subtle shades of grey. All the while, flattening the space within the composition. Superb work. Love it.Great use of flattened perspective here.LOVE this piece. Fantastic composition!This illustration accompanies the text that Jules Verne's works greatly inspired the explorer Richard Byrd, who flew over the Arctic (pictured here).I know Verne is not an official "futurist" or "futurologist," but I'd like to think of him as such.Actually, I'd love to become a futurologist, just so I can say, "I'm a futurologist." Sounds real nice when it rolls off the tongue.I already said a couple of things about this theory as skleero (replying to a post made by loosescrewslefty) but I want to make an entire post about it.
Please forgive me but this is going to be pretty long, but I hope to spark some discussion here and there (and the hiatus-flu is already killing me so…).
As we all know, Toffee called Marco “a disappointment” during the Season Finale. But why? What was he expecting from dorky human teenager Marco Diaz? He’s just a human, after all.
Toffee looks very cultured about most of the wand’s magic powers and apparently has a history with the Butterfly family. He knows some deep stuff that no one outside of Star’s family seems to know, like the existence of the Whispering Spell and, most importantly, the fact that it was the first spell the Queen supposedly taught to Star.
Now, there’s this theory (one that I really like) that says “Every wand bearer comes with a companion.” (the latter being a term that fellow Whovians know very well). There are no “rules” for being a companion: it may be a friend, a lover, a sibling, or whatever; it’s just this ally-figure that tends to join the wand bearer in his/her adventures. This may be one reason why Toffee was bothered by Marco: he’s the current companion (Star’s), so he was expecting something more from him, but he’s just a smol, sarcastic kid.
However, let’s keep pretending stuff for a moment and consider yet another theory. Cue the so-called “prophecy room” from St. Olga’s.
Ignore the big Moon for now and simply focus on the star and the sun-like symbols (and where Star and Marco are respectively standing). It’s been accepted that these symbols represent -big shock here- Star and Marco. Alternatively, the symbols are what the wand looks like when in Star’s and Marco’s hands (yes: “and”, not “or”); let’s consider this latter scenario as true.
Now, the Moon. Apparently, as confirmed by Daron Nefcy (I believe during this summer), the Queen’s name is Moon, but since it’s Star and Marco we’re talking about here, the Moon in St.Olga’s prophecy chamber may very well be…
…the Blood Moon.
See? The prophecy room is starting to make sense… kinda, to me at least.
“Two entwined souls will make stuff happen”. Not really epic-sounding, but I think you know where this is going.
Back to Toffee and how he knows LOTS OF THINGS, it’s possible that he knows about this prophecy-thing too. Like, he knows exactly how it works and he’s been waiting for the right moment since… forever. Most importantly, he knows that Star is part of it, which may be also part of the reason of why he has a “history” with the royal family: because he was there when Star was a little child; so, following the “companion” theory, Toffee was the Queen’s (who was the wand bearer back then) companion: certainly not her lover (she was already married to King River), just an old friend, an advisor (for both the King and the Queen). But when the Butterflys found out his schemes, his ambiguous interests in the young princess Star, he was banished or something. There was also a fight and the Queen blasted off his finger with a powerful spell (that’s why he can’t brow it back).
This also explains why Toffee seems to be kinda “gentle” to Star, while confronting her in the climax: he’s known her since she was a little child, so he kinda feels attached to her, like a distant uncle of some sort, despite everything.
Let’s recap for a moment: every wand bearer comes with a companion; there’s a prophecy going on, according to the chamber in St.Olga’s; Toffee is aware of this prophecy and is actively trying to make it happen.
The fact that Toffee was introduced in Fortune Cookies, the episode that aired alongside (and right after) Blood Moon Ball, is no coincidence: the backstabbing reptile basically thought “It’s time…” and showed up just as Star and Marco’s souls were entwined, thus confirming his years of studies on the prophecy and his suspects on Star herself: she, as the wand-bearer, and her human companion, are the “entwined souls” foretold by the ancient prophecy.
However, as we said earlier, the prophecy’s symbols do not represent Star and Marco, but their wands. Yes: “their”. So here (patiently) comes the first phase of Toffee’s plan. We need two functioning wands to fulfill this prophecy.
And that’s exactly what he (almost) got in the Season Finale.
One wand is obviously for Star.
The other will be for…
And the prophecy finally makes sense.
“Two entwined souls blessed by the Blood Moon are destined to battle each other…”
“…and their powers combined shall bring the apocalypse/darkness/whatever.”
Or… something like that.
This finally brings us back to Toffee’s “You’re a disappointment!” line to Marco. As we said, if we consider as legit the “companion” theory, this may be one of the reasons: the safe kid doesn’t look like a brave companion to a fierce, magical wand bearer like Star.
But since Toffee knows that Marco is not just “Star’s companion”, but a huge part of this prophecy, a “pawn” just as important as the magical princess, he’s expecting a lot from him. Just compare how differently he talks to Star and Marco: he’s very kind and gentle to the princess, even somewhat admiring her powers and skills. With Marco, however, he’s always serious, unimpressed, disappointed. Because he was probably expecting him to be a mighty, great warrior of some sort (just like her), a “worthy” pawn of this ancient prophecy. Instead, all the reptile got was sarcastic teenager with a big mouth.
“Really? That’s the companion soul foretold by the prophecy? How unfortunate…”
So… that was my theory.
Sorry for the long post.Hey Folks! Hope everyone had a good weekend. It was another busy one for me, so I'm hoping to get some R&R in the evenings this week.
The early part of today involved a lot of catching up on emails and forum posts. So much so that by early afternoon, I was feeling a little anxious about having done little work.
However, I eventually got though enough to switch over to dev, and was able to get some bugs fixed to start my brain going. First of all, there was a bug in the take/drop code which allowed stacks to overlap in the same space. In extreme cases, this could cause hundreds of the same stack to be in the same space, and might be the cause of some item duplication bugs. If nothing else, it was a serious source of lag in games with such illegal stacks.
I also fixed a bug in the hex scent code, which sometimes allowed an infinite scent strength (meaning it never went away).
After those bugs were squared away, I turned my attention to some new faction items. This new encounter involves a new faction, and not only will its members carry special equipment, players may also be able to barter at a trading post.
So far, it's just four new items, though a fifth is imminent. Possibly a new container for carrying things! (Gasp!)
In any case, there should be some new items to explore along with this new culture. I plan to finish these items, hook them up with the trading post encounter, and then turn my attention to additional encounter details and/or creature loadouts for the faction. Still plenty to keep me busy, but I think I'm over the hump on this update!Dustin ‘The Diamond’ Poirier is in the unenviable position of being the punchline of every sharp crack of Conor McGregor’s tongue in the lead up to their September 27 bout.
Despite an unprecedented brawl between the former headliners of UFC 178, Jon ‘Bones’ Jones and Daniel Cormier, most of the talk from Irish fans has been unsurprisingly based around the their countryman’s verbal assault on Poirier during the media tour for the MGM Grand event.
McGregor claimed that “a gust of wind” could force Poirier to do “the chicken dance”, that the American had been “wobbled” in his last few outings and he also labelled him a “hillbilly”. Poirier, who insisted he had never faced an opponent with a similar approach, explained his thoughts on watching McGregor in full flight on the media tour.
“It’s been kind of funny to hear the guy talk and try to insult me like that,” he said. “It’s definitely a first for me in my career, I’ve never experienced anything like that. I think he believes the trash he’s talking, he thinks he can actually do the things he says he will.”
The Irishman wasted no time in predicting that Poirier would be the next of his victims to succumb to his power in the striking department within the first five minutes of their bout. Poirier believes McGregor’s forecast can only mean that he is underestimating the challenge ahead of him.
“By saying he’s going to knock me out in the first round shows how lightly he’s taking me. He should be preparing for 15 minutes of hard fighting, that’s what I’m prepared for.
“I’m going to have to show him on September 27 how wrong he is about me. He has people all around him telling him he’s this and that, I think it may have just gone to his head. I’ve got to give him a reality check,” he said.
Citing the Irish featherweight’s combative stance, Poirier spoke of openings he thinks McGregor leaves to his body and of the SBG man’s ground game when considering his biggest weaknesses.
He said: “His body is open a lot the way he stands with his hands up, he leaves it open a lot. A lot of his punches are looping, but that being said he is a good athlete. He’s got good hand speed, he’s a great counter puncher but he makes guys fight his fight.
“I’ve seen it in every one of his performances, guys fighting his fight, and I’m not going to do that. I’m going to be in his face touching him up, he’s never fought anyone like me.
“If the fight goes to the ground I feel I’ll have an advantage, but I’m not going to go out of my way and put myself in a bad position trying to get him down there. If he makes a mistake and leaves himself open – say he lunges forward – I’m going to take his back.
“It’s not really my game plan though so you won’t see me shooting for doubles and singles when we’re in there. I’m going to go in there and just let the fight unfold naturally.”
Although the ATT man did point out McGregor’s athletic gifts, he maintains that the Dubliner’s mouth is one of his greatest assets and without it Poirier is adamant that his UFC 178 counterpart would not have climbed the 145lbs division as quickly as he has.
“His marketing power has allowed him to climb the rankings quicker and it’s helped him get a match-up against me. His mouth has taken him far. I don’t remember anyone else headlining a UFC card for their third fight and now he could be fighting in the co-main event of a huge pay-per-view for his fourth.
“His mouth has definitely helped him out but he speaks well, he’s interesting and attractive to people. I’ll give him that, he does it very well,” he conceded.
Despite believing that McGregor has talked himself into this fight, the American claimed that if successful on September 27, the victory would be the biggest of his career to date:
“Beating Conor would be one of my biggest wins, it will propel my career to the next level and give me a lot more popularity because there is going to be a lot of eyes on us for this one. A lot of people are really high on Conor right now so it will be awesome to go out there and prove them wrong.”
Poirier also highlighted his belief that a title shot might be too optimistic when considering where McGregor will settle in the featherweight rankings.
“I’m going to beat him and if he fights another guy around the same calibre as me he’s going to lose again. UFC are probably going to give him a couple of fights that he’s the favourite in and that will help him grow and get better.
“He will be around, he’s not going anywhere but I don’t think he will ever be mentioned along with the guys at the top of this weight division,” he said.
Finally, the fifth ranked UFC featherweight gave his prediction his upcoming bout with ‘The Notorious’.
“I really don’t know what’s going to happen, we’re going to have to wait and see. I truly feel like I could knock him out or submit him and if it goes the distance I think I would win the decision. If I was pushed for a prediction I’d go with TKO, I think I’m going to knock him out.”
@PetesyCarroll2011 Ford Mustang vs 2010 BMW M3 – Click above to watch video after the jump
Ask and ye shall receive. Well, not always. We could probably ask to borrow a 2010 BMW M3, a 2011 Ford Mustang GT and private access to both a drag strip and a road course until our faces turned blue, but that doesn't mean we'd get any of the four anytime soon. Fortunately, that's not the case with the goons at Motor Trend. They've set about answering the question on everyone's mind once the specs for these two mighty coupes turned out to be so similar – who's top dog?In classic MT fashion, the two cars were put through all of the necessary paces to drum up semi-official figures. Both the bad Bavarian and the muscle-bound Blue Oval were tested on 0-60, quarter mile, skid pad, figure eight and lap times, and the results are, well, they're surprising. We won't ruin the surprise by telling you who comes out ahead of the curve, but we will say that we know where we'd put our money if it were our name on the line. Hit the jump for the flicks. Thanks for the tips, everyone![Source: Motor TrendHow the Republican Primary Hurts America and the Chicago Blackhawks
- - -
It is frequently debated whether or not a bitter, divisive primary season hurts a party’s ability to win the general election. It is not frequently debated, however, whether or not a bitter, divisive primary season also hurts an otherwise playoff-bound professional hockey team. So let’s ask the question: is the topsy-turvy 2012 Republican Primary negatively impacting the Chicago Blackhawks’ post-season hopes? Unfortunately, the data unequivocally indicates that the constant attacks on Mitt Romney’s character are hurting the Chicago Blackhawks’ chances at making the playoffs.
2012 has been a rough year for both Mitt Romney and the Chicago Blackhawks. Despite Romney’s consistent position as the default frontrunner, four other candidates have managed to push ahead of him in the polls. Consequently, Mitt’s favorability ratings have plunged as each new contender launched vicious attack ads aimed at besmirching his character and record.
If the damage caused by these types of attacks on a primary frontrunner was limited solely to that candidate’s favorability numbers, the conversation would end there with a shrug and a brief lament about how nasty politics have gotten. However, as the chart above definitively demonstrates, Romney’s declining favorables have ultimately led to a concomitant decline in the Chicago Blackhawks’ points percentage. In fact, shortly after the pro-Gingrich SuperPAC “Winning Our Future” released the hit-piece documentary, When Mitt Romney Came to Town, the Blackhawks suffered a nine game losing streak that has left the club in danger of missing the playoffs entirely.
This is not to say that Republicans are alone in producing mean-spirited campaigns that damage venerable hockey teams. Indeed, 2008’s bitter Democratic primary between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton produced a similar effect: Clinton had previously been the clear frontrunner, but the nastiness of the primary campaign slowly ate away at her favorability numbers. More specifically, the percentage of people who viewed Hillary favorably fell from 52% in November 2007 to 48% by the end of January 2008. And the Blackhawks? Well, it was during this disastrous December/January stretch when Chicago went only 9–15–2, effectively ending their playoff hopes.
Oh, sure, the Blackhawks players must assume some responsibility for their current difficulties: the team clearly lost its way defensively, giving up thirty-eight goals during their nine game skid. And, yes, the month-long power-play drought didn’t help either. But while team captain Jonathon Toews and Patrick Kane have admittedly struggled, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, and even Ron Paul have done them no favors as their attack ads have torpedoed Romney’s 2012 favorability ratings from a high of 43.9% to a low of 27.2%. Over this same time period, the Chicago Blackhawks watched their points percentage drop from a high of 65.0% to 57.0%. So, yes, Toews and Kane should take some heat for the losing streak, but so too should Gingrich and Santorum.
Having established that the collateral damage of these primaries is wholly unacceptable in a modern democracy, the obvious question is, why do we put up with it? What do we get out of squeezing barbed, often misleading talking points from candidates who might otherwise be reasonable human beings?
Well, I can tell you what we don’t get: home ice advantage in the NHL playoffs.
The fact is that this country and this Blackhawks team are in a precarious position. Yes, we’ve seen a few highs like 2008’s ephemeral post-election hopefulness (remember Obama’s 69% favorables?) and 2010’s glorious Stanley Cup victory, but we’ve also seen morale-depleting lows such as the debt ceiling debacle and an early exit from last year’s NHL playoff.
Fortunately, Mitt Romney’s favorability numbers have recently undergone a surge that has propelled the Blackhawks out of their nine game funk and even induced a four game winning streak. Will it be enough to keep the Blackhawks in contention for a playoff spot? That depends on how much longer Gingrich and Santorum plan to stay in the primary race. If they bow out soon, the NHL playoffs may have time to correct itself with the Hawks moving up to a higher seed. But what happens if Gingrich and Santorum decide to stay in the race indefinitely, forcing a brokered convention?
The honest answer is: nobody knows. Let’s just hope that doesn’t happen.The number of migrants arriving in Spain has tripled during 2017 compared to the same period last year, according to figures released Thursday by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
More than 11,800 migrants have arrived in Spain so far this year, compared to 13,246 throughout all of 2016. Almost 8,200 of them have arrived since April, which marks a threefold increase compared to the same months in 2016.
The trend indicates that Spain is well on its way to surpass Greece in the number of arrivals by sea by the end of the year. Greece has long been the primary European country for migrants, but IOM figures show a dramatic decrease from 176,906 arrivals in 2016 to 13,200 so far this year.
“We assume that some of the change is due to the fact that the route [to Spain] is considered a safe route up to the coast through Morocco,” IOM spokesman Joel Millman said, according to BBC.
Locals and tourists in the southern Spanish city of Cadiz were recently caught off guard when a boatload of migrants arrived on the beach.
WATCH:
Jose Maraver, the head of a rescue center in nearby Tarifa, told The Telegraph that similar events have become a common occurrence along the coast.
“Every day there are boats, every day there is migration,” Maraver said Thursday. “The situation is getting very complicated.”
Spain is still far behind Italy’s 96,861 arrivals through Aug. 9.
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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.By Alexandra Fleksher
In his latest Voice in the Crowd column entitled “In Her Place”, Sruli Besser does what no other chareidi columnist has done before: he recognizes how it must feel for Orthodox women to be relegated to the back of the room. The female readership of Mishpacha and others, who received this article via email and social media, have been abuzz debating whether or not the author wrote a parody actually supporting women who feel marginalized in frum culture or simply wrote a piece stating his gratitude that he is not a woman, for while he couldn’t handle such demeaning experiences, women can as they are “made of special stuff.”
Mr. Besser’s message is delivered via his experiences attending his daughter’s graduation from a Bais Yaakov high school. He recalls his father going to his sisters’ graduations but for his own daughter, he is informed when to show up in small print on the invitation and senses he doesn’t belong. When he does arrive, the valedictorian is speaking, “so the fathers stood outside and made awkward conversation and felt demeaned.” For the first time, he felt like an outsider and a second-class citizen (his words). And he didn’t like it.
Besser then does a brilliant little piece of writing which at first glance appears to satirize the common refrains given to Orthodox women about their place in Orthodox society. He writes:
I tried giving a little pep talk to the other men. I told them that we are the true kings of the Jewish home, that we are the center of the family, and we can’t come specifically because we’re so lofty. I told them that it’s a matter of perspective, that the secular world could never appreciate the true glory and majesty of the Orthodox father standing on the sidewalk outside his daughter’s graduation.
He continues:
I caught a glimpse of my daughter as we entered the hall, but we men were shuttled over to the far left, behind a mechitzah of potted plants. But there were cookies — two paper plates of cookies for us to share.
The principal presented diplomas and the girls walked up to receive them. I know because I heard the footsteps.
The men muttered and one suggested that the air-conditioning wasn’t even working on our side and that we didn’t get enough chairs.
At this point, audible gasps of shock, sighs of relief, and exclamations of amazement could be heard emanating from women sitting on couches around the world this past Shabbos. Could it be that finally a male writer at Mishpacha is giving voice to what many Orthodox women experience when they attend shul kiddushim without grape juice, community speeches with limited visibility, graduations behind mechitzas and dinners without the female honoree’s first name, picture or presence? Could it be that Mr. Besser is our ally, that we have a man who has finally has felt what we have felt, said what needed to be said, and will provide a call to action for our institutions to be more sensitive and accommodating to the female members of our society?
Then his thesis detoured. Many felt that he was on the right track but just couldn’t take the next step as a highly admired writer for a chareidi publication. In conclusion, he writes:
And I had a message for my daughter, the graduate. You’re joining the ranks of the women of our nation, they who uncomplainingly, good-naturedly, graciously endure being relegated to the back of the room. They accept and embrace their destiny — I couldn’t handle it for an hour, yet for them, it’s a way of life…They’re made of special stuff. The she’asani kirtzono is real — there is something of the Divine in that role. Take your place among them with pride.
And please, move away and let me back in front again.
It was precisely the fact that Mr. Besser “felt demeaned” – being shuttled over to sit behind the potted plants, not being able to hear the speakers or have adequate refreshments or air conditioning – that made readers feel he understood and was willing to stand up for the plight of many Orthodox women. He seemed to display empathy and recognize that so many of our social norms and customs seem to put women in a second-class position. Mr. Besser didn’t enjoy how it felt. So why does he get to feel the way he feels but the women don’t?
His answer is that women don’t feel this way. Because we never complain and are good-natured and gracious. Because we accept and embrace our destiny. And he, representing Orthodox males, is ready to regain his place in the front of the room, putting us back where we belong – in the back.
So here is where things got very interesting. Apparently, Mr. Besser didn’t realize that there exists a whole segment of passionate, dedicated, and happy Orthodox women, many of whom are rebbetzins, teachers and kiruv workers, who do feel like second-class citizens when it comes to certain accepted social practices of late in our circles. They associate with the yeshivish/chareidi world or the right-of-center world. They love their community and seek to improve it at the same time. As one Facebook commentator wrote on Mr. Besser’s page, “they recognize that frum society isn’t perfect, but it is wonderful, and it could be even more wonderful if we sought to address the imperfections instead of celebrating them.”
On Sunday, Mr. Besser posted on Facebook. He spoke in reaction to all the messages he has received in response to his article:
Been a fun day on my timeline…I feel bad for those who are enraged, and worse for those for whom mainstream Orthodoxy isn’t working, who want me to vent at the system, to fulminate about the injustices… ‘Haters are gonna hate and those looking to get offended will never disappoint.’ …the column is a lighter look at the foibles and realities of our beautiful, glorious, functional, stable, happy frum world. That’s my view. If you want a dark underside and hidden agenda to rock the chareidi boat and a secret ally in your battle to save us from ourselves, I’m not your guy…The column wasn’t a dog-whistle to Orthodox feminists that I get them, because, Boruch Hashem, the women in my life are thrilled and proud of their behind the mechitza role. Yes, for real. Not satire.
And the voices of many proudly halachic, mainstream Orthodox women, neither haters nor rabid feminists, reacted in turn. Here is part of my comment to his post:
Please do not assume that the ones with gripes are the ones with issues about the “yeshivish world”. I have learned of so many “yeshivish” women who do feel exactly how you felt! Again, we are not talking about davening behind a mechitzah. Please do not the play the “women have binah” card and therefore must be on a higher spiritual level and chas v’shalom have no struggles, graciously relegating themselves to the back of the room. Please recognize us each as individuals in 2017 with varying opinions and feelings, not just a collective “bais Yaakov” of Biblical proportions. Many women have no issue with some of these cultural norms, but please recognize that many stocking-wearing women actually do.
As a society, we aren’t quick to change, and oft for good reason, but making sure there is grape juice on the woman’s side and all the other little things that make women feel tended to when at shul, at a speech, etc., is nothing revolutionary.
In a second comment, I wrote:
So the thesis is coming clearer to me. I see it in two parts:
The typical frum woman graciously accepts the things in Orthodox culture that men, who apparently are the weaker, less-righteous sex, would experience as demeaning. Men would not be able to handle it, but nshei chayil They always have.
As a thinking, 21st century women, I find this quite offensive. It asks women not to think, question, evaluate or seek improvement. You’re asking us to accept everything and shut our mouths. Swallow the bitter pill and keep smiling. And again, to clarify, I am talking about cultural practices, not matters of halacha.
If a woman finds some of these practices demeaning, then mainstream Orthodoxy isn’t working for her. She might be a feminist, have had negative experiences with Orthodoxy, or be off the derech…
As a vocal Orthodox woman, I feel so misunderstood. You have made women like me to feel we do not belong, that maybe most men in shul share the same feelings about us as you do.
You cannot categorize Orthodox religious women into these two camps. It is inaccurate and ill-informed. Please find a way to hear the voice of so many other Orthodox women in the crowd.
A college campus kiruv rebbetzin emailed a letter to the author including this: “There is a real danger in placing women on a pedestal so high that you cannot hear their screams. I don’t want compliments for accepting my lot in life gracefully. I want help in making my situation better.”
A stranger sent me a private message amidst the flurry of activity surrounding Sruli Besser’s post. “It’s made me so proud tonight,” she wrote. “I always feel like the odd man out and barely share these thoughts. How incredible to see so many others with similar views!” And in a private message to the author, she wrote, “I am SO incredibly relieved that other Orthodox frum ‘normal, mainstream and wonderfully appropriate’ women have taken a stand and shared their thoughts and voices on your piece.”
A friend who works as a head counselor at a sleepaway camp said all the post-seminary counselors were huddled around a couple of smartphones as the drama unfolded live, cheering every time strong female voices posted. They were swapping their favorite comments and high-fiving every time a particularly great one popped up. Screenshots of the comments were taken and circulated around seminary groups on Instagram.
And then there was the conversation my friend had with a girl who has been quietly stepping out of the yeshivish system. From a prominent family, she was struck keenly by that night’s discussion. She feels if we’re not clear exactly about what we are struggling with and if enough people don’t speak up, the frum world will continue spinning our hamster wheel without getting anywhere positive. But she is too afraid to speak up.
I close with the following comment posted on Mr. Besser’s thread:
If you do not see many frum women saying aloud or posting in this particular thread that they were hurt by how this piece was written and subsequently handled, it is because any time we try to bring up these issue, even in a quiet, tsniusdig fashion (writing private letters to the editor, privately calling those in charge of our shuls to ask for a few basic amenities, etc. ) we are immediately pronounced unfit in some way: we are suddenly – despite previous glowing track records as ba’alos chesed, ba’alos middos and nshei chayil – labeled as dissatisfied with our G-d ordained roles, shrill feminists, etc. Is it any wonder most of us prefer to toe the line and say in public that we’re fine with the status quo?
Sruli Besser was the first to bravely open up this conversation and actually voice the experiences of many Orthodox women and Bais Yaakov graduates. He started something that needed to be addressed, and while he doesn’t want to be the game-changer or revolutionary, he unintentionally shot the first shot and now is caught in the cross-fire. Maybe we women should just take it from here. And we would be thrilled to welcome any male sympathizers who also champion this cause for the betterment of the entire Jewish community.
Alexandra Fleksher holds a M.S. in Jewish Education from Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and a B.A. in English Communications from Stern College for Women. Her essays on contemporary Jewish issues have been published in various blogs and publications including Klal Perspectives, Torah Musings, Cross-Currents, Hevria and The Five Towns Jewish Times.Americans are split on Donald Trump Donald John TrumpHouse committee believes it has evidence Trump requested putting ally in charge of Cohen probe: report Vietnamese airline takes steps to open flights to US on sidelines of Trump-Kim summit Manafort's attorneys say he should get less than 10 years in prison MORE's proposed temporary ban of Muslim immigration to the U.S., but a majority support stricter gun laws and a ban on assault weapons following the mass shooting in Orlando, a poll released Thursday shows.
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The NBC News/SurveyMonkey poll shows 50 percent of those surveyed support Trump's proposed Muslim immigration ban, while 46 percent are opposed.
Following the shooting at a gay nightclub on Sunday that officials have classified as both terrorism and a hate crime, Trump again called for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the U.S., noting that the gunman pledged allegiance to Islamic militants before the Pulse nightclub massacre. That proposal is generally opposed by his fellow Republicans, including Speaker 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 (R-Wis.)
"We have to do it. It will be lifted, this ban, when as a nation we're in a position to properly and perfectly screen these people coming into our country," the Republican presidential nominee said at a rally in New Hampshire on Monday. "They're pouring in and we don't know what we're doing."
The shooting, which left 49 dead and 53 more injured, was carried out by Omar Mateen, 29, a U.S. citizen born in New York. But Trump said Mateen was in America "in the first place" because his family immigrated from Afghanistan.
"That is a fact, and it's a fact we need to talk about," he said.
A majority of Americans — 61 percent — support stricter gun control measures in the U.S., while 38 percent oppose such action, the poll shows. Similarly, 60 percent said they support a nationwide ban on the sale of assault weapons, while 38 percent said they oppose a ban. The gunman was armed with a Sig Sauer MCX rifle and a handgun, both of which were obtained legally.
President Obama and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonSanders: 'I fully expect' fair treatment by DNC in 2020 after 'not quite even handed' 2016 primary Sanders: 'Damn right' I'll make the large corporations pay 'fair share of taxes' Former Sanders campaign spokesman: Clinton staff are 'biggest a--holes in American politics' MORE have renewed their calls for a ban on the sale of assault weapons following what is now the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.
A similar ban expired in 2004, but Clinton called for it to return, linking the availability of the weapons to terrorism.
"We've got to keep weapons of war off our streets, as well as blocking suspected terrorists from buying guns," Clinton said Monday.
Presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump hasn't specifically mentioned the ban, but met with the National Rifle Association on Wednesday to discuss the possibility of banning those on the terrorist watch list from buying guns.
"Well, I'm going to be looking at it very, very seriously — the terror watch list and the no-fly list," Trump said Wednesday on Fox News's "On the Record.”
The poll was conducted online from June 13-15 among 4,322 adults and has a margin of error of 2.1 points.The swaths of “eternal snow” — including one known internationally for its year-round skiing near Zermatt — currently cover 15 percent of the area of the canton straddling a section of the Swiss Alps.
But by 2100, glaciers in Valais will lose 90 percent of their mass, based on the latest climate forecasts, a report from the canton’s environment department said.
The canton’s 680 glaciers are each forecast to shrink five to 30 metres a year due to global warming, the department said.
Only those located above an altitude of 3,000 metres are expected to remain by the end of the century.
Valais launched steps to conduct more research into its glaciers in 2009.
The results of a study into the volume of snow and ice are expected in 2014.
The canton wants to improve its knowledge of glaciers to adopt responsible mountain stewardship and water management policies.
According to an inventory conducted between 1998 and 2000, 51 glaciers in Valais are liable to pose a danger.
Movements of snow and ice can trigger landslides, avalanches and torrential runoff.
These can threaten the security of |
, is the most trusted name in polling,” wrote Silver, on how Google conducted one of the most accurate polls of the 2012 election cycle.
But I didn’t know how useful they’d be for media outlets until I was able to identically replicate a non-election Gallup poll for a fraction of the cost. Last week, Gallup released an important poll on the (relatively) anti-immigration attitudes of Americans, which was one of the best pieces of evidence I had seen demonstrating why immigration reform has been so difficult to pass.
It turns out that no one needed to wait for Gallup or any professional outfit to conduct these very important barometers of public opinion. It took me about 10 minutes to recreate Gallup’s own poll with Google’s Surveys wizard tool.
For the question “In your view, should immigration be kept at its present level, increased, or decreased?”, Google was within a few percentage points for every single answer, except for two (it was off 15 percent for Republicans who wanted to decrease immigration and 12 for Republicans who wanted to keep them at the “present level”).
And, here’s the detailed table
Gallup Google Increase (Republicans) 16 16 Increase (Democrats) 29 28 Increase (Independent) 22 21 Decrease (Republicans) 46 61 Decrease (Democrats) 27 28 Decrease (Independent) 35 41 Present level (Democrats) 36 38 Present level (Republicans) 42 20 Present level (Independent) 41 34
It’s not clear whether Google was wrong for the answer on Republicans. Internet and phone surveys naturally have different responding populations, since the Internet skews younger and the phones skew older (people still have phones?). And some people may have an aversion to saying they want to decrease immigration over the phone, whereas they’re perfectly willing to let their inner xenophobe fly at a faceless computer screen.
There’s still a lot more testing needed to see when Google can replace professional polling operations. But it looks very promising enough to start using it now.
Every journalism school in the country should be teaching students the (very difficult) science of survey methods, so they can all start adding more objective evidence to their stories — because, thanks to Google, all of them have the capacity to be pollsters.
Color this writer excited, more deliciously informative stats to come.New Louis CK Series Horace and Pete’s
Louis C.K. has done it again. Released a new project without fanfare, without big announcements, and without having a distributor, other than himself. This morning Louis sent out an email to his fans simply titled “A Brand New Thing” from Louis C.K. With “Louie” on indefinite hiatus we all thought these were going to be the years where we just get the benefit of C.K behind the camera– he’s producing several major comedy series right now including Baskets with Zach Galifianakis, “Better Things” with Pamela Adlon, “One Mississippi” with Tig Notaro, and an animated pilot with Albert Brooks.
The brand new thing is what appears to be the first episode of a webseries- or maybe its the only episode, but the email offers “Horace and Pete episode one is available for download. $5.”
Horace is Louis C.K. He owns a very Cheers-looking 100 year old bar (that’s a lot less cheery) with his partner Pete played by Steve Buscemi, and episode one is over an hour long. We haven’t watched it all yet, but we’ve seen enough to know that throughout the series you’ll find Kurt Metzger, Liza Treyger, Nick DiPaolo as an assistant District Attorney, Aidy Bryant as Horace’s daughter, Steven Wright, and that’s just so far. Add in amazing performances from a very foul mouthed racist Alan Alda (Horace’s Uncle Pete), Edie Falco (Horace’s sister) and Jessica Lange.
Oh and, if this matters (and it does) theme music written and performed by Paul Simon.
It plays like an Arthur Miller play (in fact, it looks like someone filmed a play) and feels throwback but all the references are current, like Donald Trump and the upcoming Super Bowl. The references are so fresh that we have to imagine this was recorded only days ago. What can we say other than that it’s very ‘Louis C.K.”.
Now that we’ve watched it, we’ll say just this until there’s been a little time to reflect- it’s amazing. It’s a play, that might be episodic, the performances are tremendous, and there’s a lot to think about, debate and ponder.
Written and directed by Louis C.K., you can download ep 1 for $5 now on louisck.com and you should.
Read more comedy news.Updated – December 8, 2014 11:43 a.m. ET
Samaria Rice, speaking at a news conference in Cleveland on Monday, revealed new details from the day her 12-year-old son Tamir Rice was shot by a police officer.
Rice said that when she got to the park where her son was shot, she found her 14-year-old daughter, who was also at the park that afternoon playing, handcuffed in the back of a police car. When Rice later reunited with her daughter, the young girl said police officers tackled and handcuffed her once she saw her younger brother lying on the ground, bleeding.
When Samaria arrived and saw her youngest child shot and her daughter in the back of a police car, police officers warned her that if she didn't calm down, she'd be placed in the police vehicle as well.
The family's attorney, Benjamin Crump, argued that if there is enough probable cause, "we don't need to have another grand jury."
"There is nothing written in the law that police officers should be treated differently from other citizens," Crump said. "It's an unwritten rule we've accepted. You can charge the officer." He has also represented the family of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Trayvon Martin in Florida.
Rice repeated what she said this morning on Good Morning America, stating that she is looking for a conviction of the two officers involved in the shooting.
"The family is very distrustful of whether local authorities will indict a police officer," Crump said.
Rice's 12-year-old son Tamir was shot by Officer Timothy Loehmann on Nov. 22 outside Cudell Recreation Center in Cleveland. He was playing with a pellet gun. Surveillance footage from the park shows that once the police officers arrive, Loehmann shoots the boy seconds after confronting him.
The mother said at the news conference that she didn't allow toy guns in the house and that Tamir got the pellet gun he was playing with on November 22 from a friend.
Earlier in the day, she said on Good Morning America that she wants to see both police officers involved in his shooting be held accountable. "I'm looking for a conviction," she said on Good Morning America.
"Tamir was a bright child," Rice said. "He had a promising future. He was very talented in all sports and he was just a wonderful kid. Everybody loved him. He was my baby."
The Rice family filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit alleging excessive force, assault, and battery.
"The family is focused on getting justice for Tamir," Crump said on GMA. "They're very concerned because they look at what happened in the [Eric] Garner case, where there was no indictment when a man was choked on video … They are very concerned about local prosecution."Image caption Mr Heywood met an MI6 officer for at least a year, the Wall Street Journal says
A British businessman who was killed in China had been providing information to the British secret service, the Wall Street Journal newspaper claims.
Neil Heywood had been communicating with an MI6 officer about top politician Bo Xilai for at least a year before he died, the paper said.
The UK Foreign Office said it would not comment "on intelligence matters".
In April, Foreign Secretary William Hague said Mr Heywood was not a government employee "in any capacity".
The case is at the heart of China's biggest political scandal in decades.
The November 2011 death of Mr Heywood brought down Mr Bo, the former Communist Party chief of Chongqing and a high-flier who was once tipped for top office.
Mr Bo's wife, Gu Kailai, was jailed in August for the murder of Mr Heywood at a Chongqing hotel. His former police chief, Wang Lijun, has also been jailed in connection with the scandal.
Analysis Ever since Neil Heywood's death hit the headlines, there has been speculation in Beijing about his possible ties to Britain's intelligence services. That he had "spy links" is, in many ways no surprise. It would have been more surprising if MI6 had not bothered to talk to him. His business dealings with Bo Xilai's family would have been of definite interest to British intelligence. But it seems that while "useful", Neil Heywood was not a particularly high-profile source. It is significant that he was never "tasked" with discovering any specific information. He seems to have been the sort of person an intelligence officer would chat to every now and again, trying to glean something interesting, not more than that.
Mr Bo himself was expelled from parliament in September, stripping him of immunity from prosecution. He is accused of abuse of power, bribe-taking and violating party discipline, Chinese state media say, and is expected to go on trial in the future.
'Met regularly'
Ever since Mr Heywood's death plunged China into political crisis, there have been claims the Briton may have been a spy, says the BBC's Damian Grammaticas in Beijing.
Citing unnamed friends and British officials, the Wall Street Journal said that while Mr Heywood was not an MI6 employee, he had knowingly passed on information to the organisation.
"The Journal investigation, based on interviews with current and former British officials and close friends of the murdered Briton, found that a person Mr Heywood met in 2009 later acknowledged being an MI6 officer to him," the Wall Street Journal says in its report.
"Mr Heywood subsequently met that person regularly in China and continued to provide information on Mr Bo's private affairs."
Timeline: Bo Xilai scandal 6 Feb: Chongqing police chief Wang Lijun flees to the US consulate in Chengdu
Chongqing police chief Wang Lijun flees to the US consulate in Chengdu 15 Mar: Bo Xilai is removed from his post in Chongqing
Bo Xilai is removed from his post in Chongqing 20 Mar: Rumours suggest Mr Bo could be linked to the death of British businessman Neil Heywood
Rumours suggest Mr Bo could be linked to the death of British businessman Neil Heywood 10 April: Mr Bo is suspended from party posts and his wife, Gu Kailai, is investigated over Mr Heywood's death
Mr Bo is suspended from party posts and his wife, Gu Kailai, is investigated over Mr Heywood's death 26 July: Gu Kailai and Bo family employee Zhang Xiaojun are charged with killing Mr Heywood
Gu Kailai and Bo family employee Zhang Xiaojun are charged with killing Mr Heywood 9 Aug: Gu's one-day trial for murder held
Gu's one-day trial for murder held 20 Aug: Gu given suspended death sentence
Gu given suspended death sentence 5 Sep : Wang charged with defection, abuse of power and bribe-taking
: Wang charged with defection, abuse of power and bribe-taking 24 Sep: Wang sentenced to 15 years in jail
Wang sentenced to 15 years in jail 28 Sep : Bo expelled from party to "face justice"
: Bo expelled from party to "face justice" 26 Oct: Bo expelled from parliament Scandal timeline Bo charges: Party statement
Mr Heywood's relatives declined to comment, the paper added.
The British Foreign Office told BBC News it was "a longstanding policy that we don't comment on intelligence matters".
Whitehall sources have told the BBC that such contacts would have been informal - the type that might be expected in a small expat community - and have reiterated that he was never an agent of the intelligence service, says the BBC's Gordon Corera.
They say Mr Heywood was never paid and never formally tasked with passing on any information, our correspondent adds.
In a letter to a British MP on 26 April, Mr Hague addressed speculation over Mr Heywood, even as he said it was "long-established government policy neither to confirm nor deny speculation of this sort".
"However, given the intense interest in this case it is, exceptionally, appropriate... to confirm that Mr Heywood was not an employee of the British government in any capacity," he said.
The newspaper, citing unidentified sources, says this was technically true because Mr Heywood was not paid for his information.
But, says our correspondent, there are new questions about why, if Mr Heywood was known to Britain's intelligence services, British officials did not press their Chinese counterparts for a thorough investigation as soon as they knew he had died.
Mr Heywood, 41, had lived in China from the early 1990s, where he learned fluent Mandarin.
Image caption Mr Bo (C) faces the possibility of trial, while his wife Gu Kailai (L) has been jailed for murder
The nature of his association with Mr Bo and his wife Gu is not clear, but he has been described in some reports as a financial middleman. Chinese state media say Gu Kailai killed him over a business deal that went sour.
The case first came to light when police chief Wang Lijun fled to the US consulate in February, reportedly after falling out with Mr Bo over the Heywood case.
Chinese officials subsequently ordered that an investigation into Mr Heywood's death be reopened. Police had originally said he died of over-consumption of alcohol.
Five senior police officers in Chongqing have also been jailed, Chinese state media say, for covering up the case.Really interesting how the ‘in your face’ / 'overbearing Yes campaign’ meme has taken hold among the “I’m all in favour of yes but x, x, and x is counter productive” contingent.
Paradox there from those who say 'if you don’t like it vote them out’ and then get very uneasy when a vote comes around and people are a little too motivated and politically engaged. That even what has been very safe and sanitised activism is still seen as a bit too threatening, other and political for the unconfrontational neoliberal fiction.
The referendum has really hit the international news in the last few days, UK, US, EU all covering it now. Reports have all featured the true face of the no campaign, a picture the BBC have their own reasons for painting, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Hasn’t featured at all in the Irish media though. A lot of unambiguously hateful/scurrilous/bananas No rhetoric has passed unremarked. There has been stuff said by public figures at public meetings in public places that hasn’t got any coverage at all - while the 'illiberal liberals’ troupe has been increasingly trotted out and alluded too.
Big element of enforcement and policing. People still instinctively defer and give more weight to concerns of the no side and all it represents. Lets not throw out the hierarchies, misogyny, essentialism and of course babies, poor babies, with the bathwater.
Also, re-read this and watch out for shades and echoes in how referendum debate has been framedReal Surgeons Can’t Cry: How Writing Healed a Doctor
Electric Literature Blocked Unblock Follow Following Sep 15, 2015
by Bud Shaw
I was once a transplant surgeon. I arrived in Pittsburgh in the summer of 1981 to train under the world’s greatest transplant pioneer, Tom Starzl. Starzl and his team were six months into a new program that overnight would revolutionize liver transplantation, and by the spring of 1983, I was one of his key surgeons. I count my four years in Pittsburgh among the most thrilling times of my life, and I owe Tom for much of my professional success. In 1985, three colleagues and I left to start a new program in Nebraska.
Later this summer, some of the most intimate moments of my life will appear in a book that anyone can buy and read. And judge — not just the writing, but also me. My resume lists more than three hundred published journal articles, fifty book chapters, and over 225 invited lectures, but nothing in all of that work exposed me to the kind of scrutiny this book will allow. That was medical stuff; the book is personal, particularly in the way I explore my own fallibilities, including those of a surgeon.
A month ago, at our family’s annual Fourth of July gathering, my oldest niece asked me what the book was about.
I’m not sure, I said. I never know what else to say.
You really need a better answer than that, she said. Isn’t the book coming out soon?
Riding my bike yesterday, I started thinking about that question. Various scenes from the book, from my life, came and went: telling a man his wife had died during surgery; using invisible sutures to anastomose an artery in a two-week-old, two kilogram boy; standing on a cliff at Dead Horse Point with my hang glider afraid to jump; suffering a lecture from Tom Starzl about rocket ships to the stars; locking my office door, pulling the shades and hiding under my winter coat, too frightened to go on afternoon rounds.
And then I remembered a patient named Hannah and, still riding along on the flood plain north of Omaha, I burst into tears.
I gave Hannah a new liver when she was barely old enough to walk. In subsequent years, she came to every patient reunion in Omaha, and I began blaming her for the dread I felt in attending those events. Years passed and as the number of people attending the reunion swelled, my discomfiture with so much personal attention and worshiping grew exponentially. And there, always there, was Hannah, following me around, angling relentlessly for my attention. I thought her cute at first, but she soon became the evocation of everything I resented about having to attend those reunions. Eventually, I just stopped going.
Even so, Hannah kept in touch. She sent me newspaper clippings of her success on the soccer team and in the band. I got invitations to her high school and college graduations, and, a few years ago, to her wedding. I kept all of them, in a drawer with the cards and letters from hundreds of other patients.
Hannah died unexpectedly a month before her thirtieth birthday. Probably an infection that got out of control.
I burst into tears yesterday when I thought of Hannah in a scene from decades ago. Our transplant program was still a marvel to the community that year. With TV cameras rolling, I stood talking into a microphone with the governor of Nebraska about the meaning of those patient reunions, and there at my side was Hannah, tugging at my hand, holding up a finger painting that looked like a napkin smeared with mustard.
I regret that moment as much as any in my life. I resented a little girl who considered me her hero. I ignored her. Now I have written about it and I wonder what it reveals about me then, and whether I’ve changed.
I’ve had plenty of opportunities to change.
Thirteen years ago yesterday, the telephone rang and I found out the lump in my groin was malignant. For years after I finished treatment, I wondered why that day didn’t change me. Shouldn’t such bad news do that — force me to appreciate life, start living each day as though it were my last?
It didn’t. I approached cancer like I had every other difficult hurdle in my life, the same way I took on impossible surgical challenges and got through them. Surviving became another job. I completed it and moved on. No need to make any big changes in how I lived, day-to-day or otherwise.
Admittedly, I was very lucky. The tumor was early stage, and the chemotherapy and radiation were mostly just annoyances. Cancer couldn’t change me. I returned to work, even more secure in the notion that I could overcome pretty much anything.
That conceit wouldn’t last. Cancer might not have changed me, but an anxiety disorder would.
Of course, surgeons don’t suffer anxiety. That’s a given. We walk into the operating room as the supreme commander. We direct the troops, fight the battle, and win. The only requirement for wielding such hairy power is expertise. We just have to know what we’re doing.
Even so, on a sunny Sunday afternoon in January, I found myself seeking relief from panic under the covers in my darkened bedroom. I thought it might be brain metastases from my previously cured cancer. When anxiety attacked me again a few days later and again a week after that, I convinced the chairman of neurology to order an MRI scan of my brain. It was normal. I thought the problem might be hormonal but those tests were also normal. I tried to ignore it, to keep it a secret, but when it started to interfere with work — when I had to ask a colleague to fill in for me because I was locked in my office, the blinds pulled, hiding under my winter coat — I went to a real doctor who told me I had a form of mental illness and put me on drugs.
The pills helped, as did other treatment, but I still had breakthrough attacks. None had any identifiable triggers, but all involved a sense of impending doom. Sometimes I thought my cancer was coming back and felt around for lumps. Other times I worried about bats we found in our house, that one may have bit me or my son in our sleep and now one or both of us were going to die of rabies. I stopped taking night call and operating at night because I thought my cancer might have been caused by sleep deprivation, that it was just weeks away from recurring. I eventually stopped operating altogether, declaring that my administrative and other work required all of my attention. I couldn’t face the reality that my ongoing attacks required me to step away from the OR.
And then I began writing.
I’ve been writing for a long time, but I always shied away from true stories. In second grade, I wrote heroic stories involving a pony and an eight year-old boy and I edited them repeatedly until my mother’s praise turned unqualified. The first two years of medical school depressed me and I began submitting short stories to various magazines in hopes of starting a different career. Failure made me increasingly despondent, especially after Playboy Magazine rejected my brilliant story about a classroom demonstration of the anatomy and physiology of human sexual response. (It involved strategically placed “spy” cameras and an enthusiastic pair of volunteers.) By 1996, I was so utterly burned out with work that I spent most of my free time writing fiction. I finally took ten months off and wrote an 180,000-word novel that was mostly an escape from my professional life. It hides in the recesses of my hard drive where it belongs.
I never wrote an essay about real life until after I stopped operating. Three years after. At first I avoided the professional side of my life, writing mostly about the trials of youth. I knew that if I wanted to write more seriously, I would have to explore more serious stuff — the failures along with the successes, the terrifying and the joyful, the dark with the hopeful. To succeed, I had to be unconditionally honest, and for that I needed to find new perspectives, views of history free of agenda: no trying to set the record straight about what I thought really happened during all those years.
For much of my career, I found blaming failure on things outside my control was an expedient way to move on, especially when a patient died. Sometimes I could fault the patient. He was probably just too old and frail to have the transplant. She should have taken better care of herself; stopped smoking before the surgery. More than once, I blamed another surgeon. He shouldn’t have cut there; I knew it was wrong but he wouldn’t listen. The diagnosis was obvious; I was right all along. I don’t think I’m alone in handling failures that way.
After reading an advance copy of my book, a surgeon friend was worried that I’d gone too far. I’d pulled back the curtains on a part of our world that ought to remain private. The public won’t understand a lot of this; it hasn’t got the right context. I asked if she thought people would read it and ask for our heads. Maybe; you can’t trust people who don’t understand what goes on not to get upset.
I understand that some surgeons will think I go too far, not only in revealing how sometimes things can go horribly wrong in the OR, but also in exposing my own vulnerabilities. It’s clear I am not immune to error, and while the failings I reveal are mostly mine, the implications for all of us are there in the stories, and some surgeons won’t like that.
I don’t think making surgeons uncomfortable is a bad thing. I spent my career successfully avoiding self-reflection and I think that’s part of why, these days, I sometimes start crying when I least expect it, like when I remembered Hannah and found myself overwhelmed with regret over my chronic detachment. I was the proud victim of highly developed, wholly successful, and utterly unexamined instincts of self-protection. That’s how I dealt with the failures, the deaths, the suffering of so many people. Like a powerful immune response, my rational mind rejected it all, shielding my heart from the starker realities.
Those instincts worked for a long time, until they didn’t, until I lost the sanctuary of the operating room and ended up under the covers in a fetal position unable to understand why I felt so terrified. That’s when I started to write again. The drugs they put me on were unavoidable — they may always be so — but I don’t think they would be working so well without the self-reflection my writing requires. If that makes my confessional essays selfish, I’m not apologetic. I wish I’d taken it up long ago, before the shield became so durable.
In developing a less self-serving interpretation of events, I forced myself to see alternative conclusions, and ultimately, to deal with the evidence of my own failings. I don’t know that I could have done that were I still operating.
On the other hand, could I have continued operating had I worked to become so self-reflective before I quit?
I’d like to think so. I’d like to think that I could have learned not to be so cowardly, to be both mindful and effective. To be brave enough to admit how little I can control and yet go ahead, make the cut, do the transplant. All I know for sure is that getting here required me to write about it so that I could arrive at a place where exercise-induced endorphins, or whatever it was, can blow me so wonderfully apart. I didn’t want the sobbing to stop yesterday. I rarely cry, and I wanted it to last long enough to feel regenerative, to wash away some regret.
As the superhero in my own book chapter, I couldn’t face the adoration of survivors during our annual transplant patient reunions because I couldn’t deal with my own failures. I was just too self-absorbed to feel the love of men and women, boys and girls, all of whom deserved so much more than my irritation. The scene that flashed through me yesterday on the bike has come to embody the remorse I don’t want to forget.
More than anything I want to redo that scene, to turn away from the governor and the cameras, lift Hannah up and tell her how much her gift means to me.
Last Night in the OR by Bud Shaw is available now from PlumePsychedelics: In New Mexico, Growing 'Shrooms Not Drug Manufacture
6/24/05
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/392/newmexico.shtml
Persons who are caught growing hallucinogenic mushrooms in the Land of Enchantment cannot be prosecuted under the state's drug trafficking and manufacturing statute, the New Mexico Court of Appeals ruled last week. In handing down the decision, the court overturned the felony conviction of an Alamogordo man for growing psilocbye cubensis mushrooms in his home.
hallucinogenic
mushrooms
Although psilocybin, the active substance in the mushrooms, is illegal under both state and federal controlled substances laws, growing the funny fungus doesn't qualify as drug manufacture, the court held, citing a 1999 ruling that growing marijuana doesn't qualify as manufacture under the state law.
That law defines manufacture as "the production, preparation, compounding, conversion or processing of a controlled substance or controlled substance analog by extraction from substances of natural origin or independently by means of chemical synthesis or by a combination of extraction and chemical synthesis and includes any packaging or repackaging of the substance or labeling or relabeling of its container."
The appellant, David Ray Pratt, was convicted of drug trafficking by manufacture after police raided his home in 2002 and discovered a mushroom grow in progress. In his appeal, his attorney, assistant appellate public defender Cordelia Friedman argued that growing mushrooms was outside the scope of the law. The felonious fungi were in "a natural state of mushroomness when their 'cob-like' structures were ripped out of their mason jars by police," she told the court, in what was undoubtedly the first use of the word "mushroomness" in New Mexico jurisprudence. The psilocybin they generated was not manufactured, but naturally produced, she argued. "Genetic material in a seed or spore, brought to fruit by provision of soil and water, is not'manufacturing' as contemplated by the Legislature" in the drug-trafficking law, Friedman wrote.
Prosecutors from the New Mexico attorney general's office argued that Pratt fell within the scope of the manufacture statute because he used "special equipment" to "artificially" grow the mushrooms. That "special equipment" is the standard stuff used in the fungus field -- glass jars, a foam cooler, and syringe with spores for inoculating the medium used to grow the mushrooms.
But the Court of Appeals wasn't buying it. "Because there is no evidence that defendant engaged in 'extraction from substances of natural origin or... chemical synthesis' as defined by (the drug-trafficking law)... his acts of cultivating or growing mushrooms, even if by artificial means, are not prohibited" by state law, the court said in an opinion written by Judge James Wechsler. In that opinion, Wechsler also noted that while New Mexico's drug laws were patterned after federal laws, they did not include a provision in federal law that explicitly says the "planting, cultivation, growing or harvesting of a controlled substance" constitutes drug manufacture. "We believe the Legislature acted intentionally when it omitted a similar definition" in New Mexico's drug laws, Wechsler wrote.Due to a sales tax measure recently passed in the California state legislature and on its way to be signed by Governor Jerry Brown, Amazon has sent all participants in its California Amazon Associates program the below email, warning of the termination of the program.
Amazon’s Associates program allows site owners to monetize off of referral links to Amazon, paying Affiliates if readers click on a link and subsequently buy an Amazon product. If the law passes, California will treat Amazon Affiliates the same as retailers with brick and mortar stores, and impose sales tax.
With this preemptive email, Amazon seems to be hoping for a groundswell of opposition (“we will terminate contracts with all California residents that are participants in the Amazon Associates Program as of the date (if any) that the California law becomes effective”).
This move is not without precedent, Amazon has actually shut down the Associates program in Illinois, Hawaii, Connecticut and North Carolina because of similar legislation. In a proactive gesture, Amazon is offering the state of Texas around 5,000 jobs and a $300 million investment if they agree not to tax online sales.
For well over a decade, the Amazon Associates Program has worked with thousands of California residents. Unfortunately, a potential new law that may be signed by Governor Brown compels us to terminate this program for California-based participants. It specifically imposes the collection of taxes from consumers on sales by online retailers – including but not limited to those referred by California-based marketing affiliates like you – even if those retailers have no physical presence in the state. We oppose this bill because it is unconstitutional and counterproductive. It is supported by big-box retailers, most of which are based outside California, that seek to harm the affiliate advertising programs of their competitors. Similar legislation in other states has led to job and income losses, and little, if any, new tax revenue. We deeply regret that we must take this action. As a result, we will terminate contracts with all California residents that are participants in the Amazon Associates Program as of the date (if any) that the California law becomes effective. We will send a follow-up notice to you confirming the termination date if the California law is enacted. In the event that the California law does not become effective before September 30, 2011, we withdraw this notice. As of the termination date, California residents will no longer receive advertising fees for sales referred to Amazon.com, Endless.com,MYHABIT.COM or SmallParts.com. Please be assured that all qualifying advertising fees earned on or before the termination date will be processed and paid in full in accordance with the regular payment schedule. You are receiving this email because our records indicate that you are a resident of California. If you are not currently a resident of California, or if you are relocating to another state in the near future, you can manage the details of your Associates account here. And if you relocate to another state in the near future please contact us for reinstatement into the Amazon Associates Program. To avoid confusion, we would like to clarify that this development will only impact our ability to offer the Associates Program to California residents and will not affect their ability to purchase from Amazon.com, Endless.com,MYHABIT.COM or SmallParts.com. We have enjoyed working with you and other California-based participants in the Amazon Associates Program and, if this situation is rectified, would very much welcome the opportunity to re-open our Associates Program to California residents. We are also working on alternative ways to help California residents monetize their websites and we will be sure to contact you when these become available. Regards, The Amazon Associates Team
Thanks: Amir NathooJurors decide prolonged restraint and lack of basic medical attention led to death of Kingsley Burrell, who was left handcuffed for hours on a hospital floor
A student who was detained under the Mental Health Act died as a result of neglect by police officers and ambulance staff who forcibly restrained him and left him handcuffed for hours on a hospital floor, an inquest jury has found.
In a damning verdict that sparked calls for an independent public inquiry, jurors at Birmingham coroner’s court ruled that Kingsley Burrell, 29, was failed by a series of police officers and medical workers when he was sectioned in March 2011.
Burrell was taken into custody after calling police to say he was being threatened with a gun while shopping in the centre of Birmingham. However, CCTV footage showed he was not being followed and he was detained under the Mental Health Act.
Burrell suffered a fatal heart attack four days later at the Queen Elizabeth hospital in Birmingham after a violent struggle with police officers in the back of an ambulance.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Supporters and family members of Kingsley Burrell, outside Birmingham coroner’s court on Friday. Photograph: Richard Vernalls/PA
Jurors were told that Burrell had wet himself and was left handcuffed on the hospital floor for five or six hours while waiting to be assessed.
Following a six-week inquest, jurors found that prolonged restraint and a failure to provide basic medical attention led to Burrell’s death.
The jury said there was a “gross failure to provide or procure” basic medical attention in response to an obvious need before Burrell died of brain damage following a cardiac arrest on 31 March 2011.
Outside court, the student’s family called on the home secretary, Theresa May, to launch a robust public inquiry into the “systemic failings” and sought for 15 public officials – four police officers, two ambulance staff and nine mental health workers – who dealt with Burrell to be sacked.
His sister Kadisha Brown-Burrell, 32, told the Guardian the family felt a “sense of relief” following the inquest finding but she added that justice would only be served with a full public inquiry.
“There’s no closure. It’s too soon to say that. Until people are accountable for their actions then there will be no closure,” she said. “It doesn’t end here. The next step is a public inquiry to get accountability from 15 people.”
She said the family had “no faith, no trust” in the police and mental health services, and claimed “institutionalised racism” led to her brother being falsely stereotyped as a thug and a drug dealer.
She said: “He was concerned about that when I spoke to him. He said, ‘Why are they [hospital staff] asking me about class A drugs?’”
Desmond Jaddoo, a community activist and former Birmingham city council worker, said Burrell’s family were disappointed that jurors were not able to consider a verdict of unlawful killing.
But he said the inquest had highlighted “systemic failings” in the NHS, West Midlands police, Birmingham and Solihull mental health service and West Midlands ambulance service.
“We are now asking for a public inquiry and for the West Midlands police chief constable and police and crime commissioner to account for the actions of those four officers and for them to be dismissed,” he added.
“We are demanding that Theresa May fulfils the work she commenced during the last parliament into the effects of death in custody and mental health upon the Afro-Caribbean community by arranging a public inquiry into the systemic failings by four public authorities into the death of Kingsley Burrell.”
The inquest heard that the day before Burrell died he was left face down and motionless in a locked seclusion room for nearly half an hour with a blanket draped over his head and his trousers around his knees.
Jurors were told that medical staff failed to check on him despite noticing that his breathing had dropped. When they eventually checked, they found he had suffered a cardiac arrest. He never regained consciousness.
Four serving West Midlands police officers, who have not been suspended, are facing a misconduct hearing in June over the case after the Independent Police Complaints Commission recommended disciplinary proceedings.
In July, the Crown Prosecution Service said there was insufficient evidence to prosecute anyone over his death.
Chantelle Graham, Burrell’s partner, said: “Kingsley needed help and compassion but instead he was treated so brutally by police, ambulance staff and medical staff. It hurts to know that his last hours were filled with brutality and fear, and that no one had the courage to stop it. I never want to hear of this happening to another family. Kingsley will be badly missed by his children and |
final tests before its debut at Seattle’s PAX gaming show. Rock Band already requires a lot of hardware, but with the Rift and Touch, Rock Band VR takes it to another level. I step into the center of the room and hesitate, unsure whether I should put the guitar on over the Rift, or vice versa. (The best order, I decide, is controller and then headset, so you can pull off the Rift before removing the guitar at the end of a song.) Everything is unfamiliar enough that I don’t even recognize when things go wrong — it takes me most of the tutorial to realize that the virtual guitar floating several feet away is actually the result of a bug, and supposed to be in my hands.
Like a lot of VR projects, Rock Band VR may actually be easier for people who haven’t internalized the assumptions behind traditional video games. Hitting button sequences won’t take you as far as just following your air-guitar instincts, including mimicking the swaggering body language of a rock star, which the Rift headset and motion controller can detect and add to your score. Even if the set list were exactly the same as an earlier Rock Band game, the experience would be completely different — the way that performing hip swings and hand gestures in front of a Kinect in Dance Central was different from hitting directional pads in its ancestor Dance Dance Revolution. When I convince myself to relax a little, despite knowing that cameras are rolling outside the headset, this turns out to be a lot of fun. I don’t exactly feel like I’m part of a real band, although the final game is supposed to add a level of narrative development that no other Rock Band game has had. But it’s easier to slip into the fantasy of the digital stage, to get past the inner voice whispering that playing with a fake musical instrument is a little silly. Its virtual world adds a whole new answer to the eternal question: why don’t you just learn guitar? Because no matter how good you get, few people will ever get so close to the adulation of a real crowd. It's easier to slip into the fantasy of a digital stage But as with any game, Rock Band VR introduces layers of abstraction, and occasional frustration. As I try to shake my head in time to David Bowie’s "Suffragette City," the headset doesn’t pick it up, and I’m not sure if I’ve totally missed the cue or I’m just learning the system’s quirks. Since the Rift doesn’t detect foot motion, I have to hit effects pedals by looking at them. And most confusing of all, I can’t see my fingers on the guitar frets. That last problem, actually, is eminently fixable. Oculus’ own controllers feature capacitive surfaces that detect touch, and a custom Rock Band VR guitar could incorporate the same technology, giving you virtual fingers inside the game. The fact that there isn’t one — that the extent of the new hardware is a little Oculus Touch holster for older generations of guitar — speaks to how much any VR development team still has to hedge its bets. Oculus needs games like Rock Band VR. Unlike the HTC Vive, the Rift currently features few experiences that could only take place in virtual reality, and unlike PlayStation VR, it doesn’t have a lot of big names to lean on. The Facebook-owned company can offer game designers like Harmonix lots of money for bold, experimental projects. But that doesn’t change the fact that the Rift is still a tiny platform. Asking people to buy one weird new accessory — two, if you count the sold-separately Oculus Touch — is difficult enough. Staking a whole new line of peripherals on an already marginal product would be almost suicidally optimistic. If any company is in a position to understand the challenges of niche hardware, it’s Harmonix. Despite its contributions, the EyeToy and Kinect never developed a robust game catalog, and the Kinect in particular has become a cautionary tale for how VR could end up: as a creative novelty that never quite finds its place. "I think everyone’s feeling out the waters, because nobody knows how to do anything," says LoPiccolo of the VR industry. "We’re making all our first mistakes just like everybody else. Nobody knows what’s going to work and what’s not going to work, and I think we feel like we’ve stumbled into this corner of VR that works incredibly well."Powerholders called these portions of humanity “unpersons” to justify killing and exploiting them. Social justice advocates NEED to see this!
History is replete with examples of certain portions of humanity being denied personhood by dominant power-holders. Here are just a few of the most poignant cases in recent memory:
1. African-American Slaves Buckner Payne, a publisher, declared in 1867 that “the negro is not a human being.” “In the eyes of the law…the slave is not a person.” – Virginia Supreme Court, Bailey v. Poindexter’s Executor (1858) “In the opinion of this court … slaves [and], their descendants … had no rights which the white man was bound to respect. … The negro might justly and lawfully be reduced to slavery for his benefit.” – United States Supreme Court, Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857) Approximately 12.5 million Africans were kidnapped and transported to the Americas between 1500 and 1866. Millions more were born into chattel slavery, treated as property rather than persons under the law.
2. Native Americans “An Indian is not a person within the meaning of the Constitution.” – George Canfield,American Law Review (1881) “The tribes of indians inhabiting this country were fierce savages whose occupation was war.” – United States Supreme Court, Johnson & Graham v. M’Intosh (1823), denying the right of Native Americans to own property. Hundreds of thousands of Native Americans were forcibly removed, killed, and expropriated.
3. Persons With Disabilities “It is better for all the world… [if] society can prevent those who are manifestly unfit from continuing their kind … Three generations of imbeciles is enough.” – United States Supreme Court, Buck v. Bell (1927). 65,000 people were forcibly sterilized under eugenic laws, which were enacted in more than 30 states.
4. Women Via personhood.ca Take Canada as just one poignant example: In 1876, British common law is used in Canada to uphold the notion that “women are…not persons in the matter of rights and privileges.” While they have the right to life, they cannot inherit property or sue for damages so as to benefit their lives. In 1916, defense attorney Eardley Jackson yells at police magistrate Emily Murphy, “You have no right to be holding court. You’re not even a person!” In 1928, the Supreme Court of Canada unanimously declares that although women are human, women are not “persons” within the meaning of the British North American Act. This decision was appealed and on October 18th, 1929, the Privy Council in England declared, “The word ‘person’ in Section 24 of the BNA Act, 1867 includes members of either sex.” They probed: “to those who ask why the word person should not include females, the obvious answer is, why should it not?”
5. Political Dissidents The Soviet Union designated those purged by the regime as “unpersons.” During the trial of one such “unperson” in 1938, prosecutor Andrei Vyshinski called them “a foul-smelling heap of human garbage.” The Soviet Union exterminated as many as 20,000,000 people.
6. Persons of Jewish Descent Sociologist Irving Louis Horowitz summed up the plight of Jews during the rise of NAZI Germany by saying, “The Jew as a national question; the Jew as a cultural question; the Jew as an economic question, never a person.” In May 1923, Adolph Hitler asserted, “The Jews are undoubtedly a race, but not human.” According to Ernst Fraenkel, a German legal scholar, the Reichsgericht, the highest court in Germany, was instrumental in depriving Jewish people of their legal rights. In a 1936 Supreme Court decision, “the Reichsgericht refused to recognize Jews living in Germany as persons in the legal sense.” Nazis described Jews as Untermenschen, or subhumans to justify exterminating them. To the Nazis, all the Jews, Gypsies and others were rats: dangerous, disease-carrying rats. Approximately 6,000,000 people were exterminated by the NAZIs.
7. Rwandan Tutsis During the 1994 Rwandan genocide, Hutu radio broadcasts dehumanized Tutsis, calling for a “final war” to exterminate the Tutsi “cockroaches.” Up to 800,000 Tutsis were murdered during the genocide.
8. Unborn Children “The word person … does not include the unborn.” – United States Supreme Court,Roe v. Wade, (1973) legalizing the killing of unborn children through abortion. “A fetus is a damn parasite and it invades the mother’s body like one too.” – DailyKos author, 2012. In the United States today, “unwanted” children in the womb are systematically denied personhood. More than 55,000,000 unborn children have been killed by legalized abortion in the United States. That’s more than all aforementioned violations of human personhood put together.
Dehumanization 101 In Less Than Human, David Livingstone Smith argues that it’s important to define and describe dehumanization, because it’s what opens the door for cruelty and genocide. “When people dehumanize others, they actually conceive of them as subhuman creatures,” says Smith. Only then can the process “liberate aggression and exclude the target of aggression from the moral community.” Watch how this has been done towards the unborn person: “Negroes are parasites.” – Dr. T. Brady, 1909
“The fetus is a parasite.” – Abortion activist Rosalind Pollack Petcheskey, 1984 “The negro is not a human being.” – Pro-slavery publisher Buckner Payne, 1867
“A fetus is not a human being.” – Pro-choice Rabbi Wolfe Kelman, 1984 “The negro is … one of the lower animals.” – Prof. Charles Carroll, 1900
“Like … a primitive animal that’s poked with a stick.” – Pro-choice Dr. Hart Peterson describing fetal movement in 1985 “Free blacks in our country are a contagion.” – American Colonization Society, 1815-1830
“Pregnancy when not wanted is a disease … in fact, a venereal disease.” – Prof. Joseph Fletcher, 1979
Personhood For All Personhood is not something to be bestowed on living human beings, large or small, by an intellectual elite with vested interests in ridding society of people they consider “undesirable.” Personhood is an inherent characteristic—a characteristic that comes from being a member of the human race. Most of the groups mentioned here have had their rights restored under the law. But abortion, the genocide of the unborn, continues. That makes ending abortion a social justice issue. Would you like to help us establish personhood for all human beings?Start by downloading our FREE e-book “Why Personhood?”
The post 8 Horrific Times People Groups Were Denied Their Humanity appeared first on Personhood USA.
via Personhood USA » Blog http://ift.tt/VfeIFtThe College World Series will come down to a winner-take-all Game 3 after Coastal Carolina managed to stay alive with a 5–4 win over Arizona in Game 2 Tuesday night in the best-of-three finals. With both teams having faced elimination in the second round of the Series, thus requiring two wins to advance in the semifinals per the double-elimination rules that govern the first three rounds of the tournament, this will be the first time since the finals expanded to best-of-three in 2003 that the tournament will have required the maximum 17 games to crown a champion.
Tuesday’s Game 2 was a tense, see-saw contest that began with an impressive pitchers duel that witnessed both starters strike out ten or more batters for the first time in College World Series history, and was ultimately decided by the dramatically less impressive work of the two team’s bullpens. The story of the night was Coastal Carolina closer Mike Morrison, who drew the starting assignment despite not having started a game since May 1 of last year. Morrison, a senior who was drafted in the 27th round by the White Sox, came up huge the last time his team faced elimination in this tournament, throwing a season-high 83 pitches across 4 1/3 innings of relief in the Chanticleers’ 7–5 win over Texas Tech in the second round last Thursday. On Tuesday, pitching on four day’s rest, Morrison gave his team even more, throwing 103 pitches across 6 2/3 innings, striking out 10 and leaving with the game tied 2-2 in the seventh inning.
As well as he pitched over his final 5 2/3 innings of the night, however, Morrison almost didn’t get out of the first inning. Four of the first five men he faced reach base, but the Wildcats gifted him two out and he settled down thereafter. Indeed, while Morrison and Coastal Carolina deserve full credit for once again avoiding elimination, the Wildcats’ uncharacteristically sloppy play in the early innings helped keep the game close enough for the Chanticleers to both take a late lead and survive a late charge.
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Excessive meddling from Arizona’s first-year head coach Jay Johnson was to blame for those two free outs. After his first two men got on base in the bottom of the first, Johnson asked his No. 3 hitter to bunt them over, keeping the bunt on with two strikes after rightfielder JJ Matijevic’s first two attempts went foul. Matijevic’s third attempt went foul as well, gifting Morrison with his first out, and first strikeout, of the night. After Morrison walked the next batter to load the bases, Johnson put on a suicide squeeze only to have Morrison’s pitch to Bobby Dalbec drift too far outside for Dalbec to reach, leaving the runner charging home hung out to dry for the second out of the inning. Dalbec did pick his manager up by singling in a run, but that would be the only tally Arizona would get until the fifth inning, when a leadoff walk came around to score.
Coastal Carolina, meanwhile, pushed two runs across in the third against Arizona starter Kevin Ginkel, thanks in part to a pair of defensive miscues by the Wildcats. Centerfielder Billy Cooke led off the top of the third with a single, then moved to second when Ginkel lost his footing on the rubber mid-delivery and fired a wild pitch toward the third-base dugout. A sacrifice but pushed Cooke to third with one out, prompting Johnson to play his infield in, but that positioning backfired when ninth-place hitter David Parrett hit a pop up just behind the infield dirt behind shortstop. Arizona shortstop Louis Boyd attempted to circle back to make the catch, but it fell untouched and Parrett hustled all the way to second base. Leadoff man Anthony Marks then singled past a diving Boyd to drive in both runners and give the Chanticleers an early lead.
Outside of that inning, Ginkel, who was drafted in the 22nd round by the Diamondbacks earlier this month, was outstanding, holding Coastal Carolina to just three other hits while walking no one and striking out 10. It was only after Ginkel had ceded to the Arizona bullpen in the eighth inning that the Chanticleers had their breakthrough.
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Marks led off the eighth with a single off fellow lefty Cameron Ming and was bunted to second. Connor Owings, draftee of the Arizona Diamondbacks and younger brother of D-backs outfielder Chris, then broke the tie by flaring a single into left that plated Marks. Third baseman Zach Remillard, who had struck out in all three of his at-bats against Ginkel, then laced a double down the leftfield line and designated hitter G.K. Young drove in both men with a single in to right.
That put Coastal Carolina up 5–2, but reliever Bobby Holmes was shaky in relief of Morrison, struggling to find the strike zone and nearly coughing up the entire lead. Given an inexplicably long leash by Chanticleers manager Gary Gilmore, Holmes walked the bases loaded to start the eighth, then allowed two of those runners to score, one via an fielding error by shortstop Michael Paez, before finally wriggling out of the inning with Arizona having climbed within one run. Holmes looked no sharper in the ninth, but he got two pop outs and a sizzling line drive to first base for a 1-2-3 inning to force Game 3.
As was the case in Game 2, Arizona will be the home team for Game 3, which, like every game in the tournament, will take place at the cavernous TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska. As for whom the starting pitchers will be, that remains to be determined. However, every indication is that Coastal Carolina will go with righty Andrew Beckwith, who is 14–1 with a 1.94 ERA on the season and turned in a complete game victory in each of his two previous starts in the College World Series, a 2–1 win over Florida in the first round and a 4–1 win over TCU in the first game of the semifinals last Friday.
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Arizona will counter with either righty Nathan Bannister (12–2, 2.59) or two-way star Dalbec, who started the first two games of the finals at third base and went 2 for 2 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored in Game 2. Dalbec, drafted in the fourth round by the Red Sox, who likely intend to use him as an infielder, has gone 11–5 with a 2.65 ERA in seven starts and 21 relief appearances. He leads Arizona with seven saves, and has been a part of their starting rotation throughout the postseason. He would be on just three day’s rest, as Ginkel was in Game 2. However, Bannister left his last start in the third inning due to forearm tightness and may not be available.
As for the history that is on the line, Coastal Carolina has never been to the College World Series before this year and is seeking its first national championship. Arizona, by comparison, has been in the tournament 16 times, in the finals seven times and has won it four times, most recently in 2012. However, no first-year head coach has ever led his team to a national title. Johnson is just the fifth head coach in his first year with a team to even make it to the finals. The other four lost. As a result, no matter who wins on Wednesday night, it will represent a College World Series first.(CNN) Japanese aquariums have narrowly avoided being thrown out of the global industry body by agreeing to stop buying dolphins caught in the controversial Taiji hunt.
Graphic images of slaughtered dolphins in red pools of blood attracted worldwide attention when Taiji was featured in the Academy Award-winning 2009 film "The Cove."
Every year, hunters descend on the town in Wakayama Prefecture, where they're licensed to kill nearly 2,000 and dolphins and porpoises from seven different species. Japan defends the practice as being in accordance with local customs.
Most are killed for their meat, but a "small proportion" are caught for live sales to aquariums worldwide, according to the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA).
JAZA suspended
Last month, WAZA suspended the membership of the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums (JAZA) for violating its code of ethics on animal welfare.
WAZA said it had worked for years to work collaboratively with JAZA to stop its members from taking dolphins from "Taiji drives fisheries" to no avail. Drive fishing involves using boats to push the dolphins into a bay where they're trapped in nets or killed.
In a letter dated May 20, the chairman of the Japanese association thanked WAZA for its "dispassionateness and patience" over the issue. It said all JAZA members would be banned from taking dolphins from the Taiji hunt and taking part in their "export and sale," and appealed for its membership to be reinstated.
In a statement, WAZA said the move was a "welcome breakthrough" that reaffirms its "well-considered approach of working collaboratively with international partners to improve the well-being and conservation of global wildlife."
Impact of ban
JAZA said 99 of its members had voted to stay with WAZA. The group said larger aquariums wouldn't feel the effects of the ban for possibly several years, but for smaller operations it could cause "great difficulties." JAZA represents about 150 zoos and aquariums, including Churaumi Aquarium in Okinawa, one of the largest in the world.JAZA said 99 of its members had voted to stay with WAZA. The group said larger aquariums wouldn't feel the effects of the ban for possibly several years, but for smaller operations it could cause "great difficulties."
Around 20 dolphins are caught each year at Taiji for JAZA members, the group said, adding that it would focus its efforts on dolphin breeding programs to address any shortfall.
Taiji Mayor Kazutaka Sangen said the ban would not mean an end to "drive fishing."
"We continue to protect our fishermen who do fishing under the permission given by the local and central governments We will not end (drive fishing)," Sangen said.
"(Drive hunting) is a legal fishing. The town will protect the fishing operated by our fishermen with the proper right."
JUST WATCHED 2009: Film explores dolphin hunts Replay More Videos... MUST WATCH 2009: Film explores dolphin hunts 03:02
Taiji hunt
According to the Dolphin Project, 751 dolphins were slaughtered at Taiji during the last season, which ran from September 2014 to March 2015. Another 80 were kept for captivity, while 251 were released. It cautioned that the figures were rough estimates based on independent observations.
The project, which is run by the U.S.-based Earth Island Institute, said the biggest market for captive dolphins was Japan. Dolphins caught at Taiji are also sent to China, the Middle East and Russia, the group said.
Campaign group Sea Shepherd said the ban was "great news for the dolphins of Taiji."
"With the elimination of the demand for Taiji dolphins from Japanese aquariums, Taiji's hunt is one huge step close to being sunk economically," the group said in a statement.
WAZA represents more than 1,300 zoos and aquariums worldwide.Quill & Tankard Regulars - Volume 2, Issue 6
The pair of players watched in horror as the game piece bounced off the table, rolled across the floorboards, narrowly missed being stepped on by a hobbling patron, found itself being kicked by another, and finally ended up in the Archmaester’s soup.
The splash was a small one, but did send pieces of fish disappearing into the folds of the man’s mighty beard.
The Archmaester in turn grabbed his walking stick, and pounded on the Inn’s floor, drawing the attention of all other players. With rheumy fingers he fished the piece out of his soup, dropped it on the table, then ambled to the chalkboard on the wall.
On the board it read:
Q&T Cyvasse Night Rules:
#1 - No free beers.
#2 - No trained monkeys.
#3 - No smoke-generating pyromantical concoctions.
In stern letters, the Archmaester added below, one more item:
#4 - No excessively forceful tossing.
Backroom Rumours
Backroom Rumours brings up various timely topics related to current developments in the game and specifically rules matters.
While full Floor Rules have not yet been provided (as they have for Netrunner ), we do now have a set of official Tourney Rules available. Interesting contents include:
Joust game length has now been standardized to 55 minutes (instead of the 50-70 minute range used previously). While removing some leeway from tourney organization, this should help create a more cohesive tournament experience across the board.
An unchanged scoring system - Win 5 points, Modified Win 4pts, Draw 2 pts, Modified Loss 1 pts and Loss 0 pts.
Explicit handling of Byes with regard to Strength of Schedule development.
An “End of Match” procedure that does not list conceding as a possible ending for a game, but rather states that a game ends by one player gaining enough power to win, or time running out. That said, the rules do not include running out of cards here either, so it is likely that there will still be other changes to this section down the road.
Introduction of Extended Strength of Schedule term, in addition to Strength of Schedule. While Strength of Schedule is counted from the average points your opponents receive, Extended Strength of Schedule is counted from their Strength of Schedules.
Tiered Tiebreakers for deciding order (Head-to-Head games, then Strength of Schedule, then Extended Strength of Schedule and finally random).
A somewhat abridged Unsportsmanlike Conduct section, likely to make room for upcoming Floor Rules. Apart from the standard stuff of stalling and treating other players with respect, there is a focus on prohibiting any collusion to manipulate scoring. Oh, and tossing components on the table excessively forcefully is a no-no. Umm… ok.
Judges are still allowed to participate in Casual and Competitive Tournaments (including Store Championships), but not in Premiere ones (such as Regionals, Nationals and World Championships).
Having the Tourney Rules available at this point should help greatly in allowing prospective TOs to prepare for the upcoming Store Championship Season.
The Raven’s Message
The Raven’s Message exclusively reveals and discusses an up-and-coming, either mechanically or rules-wise interesting, card. The cards are from future products, and have been obtained directly via raven from the Archmaesters at the (FFG) Citadel.
From a veteran’s point of view, decks in a A Game of Thrones Second Edition have so far been mostly playing a very straight-forward type of game - “playing nice”, if you will. While there’s been the odd complaint about kneel, burn or unopposed causing frustration here and there, decks have generally conformed to a “STR matters, get characters on the board and try to turn them sideways more artfully than the opponent(s) (while dodging Varys)” philosophy.
While that is indeed close to the Core and heart of the game, there have always been some more underhanded approaches to the game in the past, and our spoiler today definitely does its best to shake up how the game is played.
So, seems like it’s time to call that king’s peace into question with a nice healthy dose of challenge denial - all In the Name of Your King!
With Baratheon having already been a lightning-rod for cries of frustration and feelings of unfairness or feeling weaponless, it is likely not a surprise that they’re also the one pushing the envelope here. Highly thematically, the methods and privileges of those sitting on the throne often feel both stifling and unfair to those they rule.
From a rules perspective In The Name of Your King! offers some interesting interactions for us, as it is the first effect in the cardpool that can prematurely end the challenge, i.e. before the challenge resolution framework window. It bears mentioning here that in 2.0 even a Challenge with no participants (f.ex. thanks to Highgarden or The Things I Do For Love) will still go through the full Challenge resolution, and thus also be available for jumping in new participants, if that ever becomes possible. In the Name of Your King! simply brings the whole conflict to a screeching halt.
Firstly, the basics - this can be played in either of the action windows within a challenge (i.e., after attackers are declared but before defenders are declared, or after defenders are declared but before resolution). This gives the event some flexibility - you can immediately end the challenge without having to commit anyone to defend the challenge, or you can declare defenders, draw out any challenge tricks the opponent might be holding on to, and then end the challenge.
The challenge itself is still considered to be initiated, but as we never get to the Challenge resolution, nobody wins or loses the challenge. The former point is relevant for cards like Sneak Attack or the upcoming card For the Watch! ; the latter is relevant for effects like For the North!, Sunspear, The Long Plan and keywords such as Intimidate. It's also worth establishing that the challenge still happened, and all effects within the challenge aren't undone - the opponent has still initiated their military challenge and thus cannot (short of a special card effect) initiated an additional one, a character that was killed by Dracarys! wouldn't come back from the dead, and so on.
It should not be forgotten that the card has a second effect: "Until the end of the phase, you cannot initiate military challenges". This is an absolute (as cannot’s tend to be in A Game of Thrones), and permissive cards like Khal Drogo and A Storm of Swords do not get round this downside.
Of course, less diligent apprentices will have no doubt ignored such poignant rules ramifications and jumped straight to ponderings of the card's place in the meta. It's certainly an eye-catching card, with something of a hint of first edition's Burning on the Sand about it as our first true 'challenge denial' card. For those who felt Baratheon was an NPE faction before, we shudder to think of the ramifications this card will offer up...
Interestingly, to use this card effectively one must go against Baratheon's “normal” way of playing in two different ways.
Firstly, Baratheon's primary focus has thus far been on the power challenge, with The Red Keep cementing its importance in the faction's playstyle - does this card let you ignore military further to go further down the power challenge rabbit-hole, or does it fit into a deck that's trying, more so than the typical Baratheon deck, to avoid losing military challenges?
Secondly, if the Baratheon player wishes to still attack on military, they must play first to avoid the drawback of the event, rather than the traditional kneel position of letting your opponent(s) marshal first before kneeling out their best card. Perhaps to tie into the theme, this is designed to evoke the thoughts of King Robert charging in by swinging his hammer round, intimidating those foolish enough to stand in his way, but others not being allowed to go for the kill against their rightful
.
On top of that, the card is a very difficult one to fit in the currently most prevalent Baratheon Fealty decks, as it directly competes with the resource production, as well as all other Faction kneel effects you might want to run in the deck.
It is also interesting to note, that In the Name of Your King! is one of the first cards to directly support a more Char-Lite approach to the game, perhaps allowing you to have more meat (say, the brothers Robert & Stannis, with a selection of few weapons and other supporting attachments) and less potato (cheap weenies that you need to have available for military attrition).
What do you think of the place in the meta of In the Name of Your King!? Are you excited to play with it? Nervous to play against it? How loudly do you anticipate yourself bellowing the name of the event when you play it? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
Antti Korventausta (WWDrakey )
is a self-proclaimed Finnish AGoT philosopher and doomsayer hermit, who used to practice Quantum Mechanics, but found that it paled to AGoT in both interest and complexity. Having played and judged for more years than he would like to admit, he has found himself on the winning side of rules arguments more than he would expect. In any game he plays, he has a tendency of playing anything he considers to be off the beaten path, whether it makes sense to others or not
.
H
elmut Hohberger (Ratatoskr) started playing AGoT in September 2010 and has never looked back (although his wife has, longingly). As a German, he loves rules - and I mean *loves* 'em. He is the quintessential rules board morlock. While the others played and frolicked about outside, he sat by candlelight in a remote corner of the library and tried to get a grasp on the intricacies of the 1st edition rules. He even thought he did not do too bad at it, but then the Call of the Three-Eyed Crow drove him into the darkest depths of madness and despair. But he’s all better now, honest, and looking forward to new challenges.
Iiro Jalonen (Ire) Started AGoT in 2009, got pulled under the waves by Krakens years ago, and has never looked back. While not an Oldtown local, he has often been spotted in the Quill & Tankard Inn making sure that the rules of sportsmanship are maintained with the traditional finger dance games. A self-inflicted Shagga and active member of the global AGoT community, he has always strived to know the rules of the game, in order to make them do ridiculous things.
James Waumsley (JCWamma) is a first edition veteran who has judged at multiple large tournaments including the European championship of Stahleck. A renowned loudmouth and pedant, he will shout about the rules loud enough that he can be heard by those north of the wall.
Alex Hynes (Istaril) co-hosts Beyond the Wall, writes articles for FFG, created and curates the Annals - and even tried to fill in ktom’s shoes in the big ktom drought of 2013. When the Regulars asked him to be an honorary member, he, of course, refused and said he didn’t have the time. Or should have, anyway. Still, how much work can being an “Honorary” member be?A native leader who has been one of the main voices calling for an inquiry into the large number of murdered and missing aboriginal woman and girls says she is planning to run for the Liberal Party in the next federal election.
Michele Audette, the president of the Native Woman's Association of Canada, said she met Thursday with Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau to discuss whether she should seek the party's nomination in the Quebec riding of Manicouagan.
"I shared my dreams, my vision and my passion. And we had a good, good, good discussion. So I said, officially, yes I will," Ms. Audette said in a telephone interview on Friday.
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Ms. Audette's chat with Mr. Trudeau took place on the same day the Mounties said they have compiled nearly 1,200 cases of murdered and missing aboriginal women in Canada over the past 30 years – a number that is three to four times higher than their average representation in the country.
Her decision to enter politics comes after the Conservative government has refused repeatedly to call the inquiry that has been demanded by the Assembly of First Nations and is supported by the provinces and territories. "I was complaining," said Ms. Audette, who is Innu. "So I said, why don't I complain inside the box now?"
Liberals said they were thrilled Ms. Audette had joined them.
"We think one of the Conservatives' key weaknesses is they are a one-man operation," said a senior Liberal source. "Mr. Trudeau believes strongly that governing this country requires a team of deeply committed and talented people. One of his very top priorities is to build that team in 2014."
RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson told reporters this week that, while aboriginal women represent 4 per cent of the female population in Canada, they account for 16 per cent of murder victims and 12 per cent of those who have been declared missing.
Commissioner Paulson said there are 160 cases of missing aboriginal women in Canada; foul play is suspected in two-thirds of those cases, while the other third are missing for unknown reasons. This means that about 1,000 aboriginal women have been murdered in Canada over the past three decades – a situation that has spurred a series of calls for an inquiry.
Ms. Audette said the numbers prove what her organization has been saying for years and she does not know why the government would take such a hard line against an inquiry. A report prepared by a Commons committee dominated by Conservatives was revised earlier this year to remove the recommendation that an inquiry be called.
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"Maybe they are afraid. Maybe they are stubborn. I have no clue," said Ms. Audette, who added that her organization is considering a legal challenge of the government's position.
Carolyn Bennett, the Liberal Party's critic for aboriginal affairs, said the call for an inquiry is not going to end – especially in the face of the new numbers.
"I think," Ms. Bennett said, "that's what the government's got to figure out: that we will not get to then bottom of this – in root causes, in sexism, in racism, in policing, in all of the things that can stop this epidemic – without a national public inquiry."Illustration by Kevin Kallaugher
THE Democrats are in the midst of making an historic choice between nominating their first female presidential candidate or their first black presidential candidate. And who is everybody talking about? A certain 61-year-old white male with a habit of waffling on about the old days, falling asleep in public and turning puce when crossed.
For most ex-presidents retirement is a golden time. They top up their personal fortunes, polish their reputations, perform good works and indulge in their hobbies (skydiving, in the case of George Bush senior). Richard Nixon turned himself into a foreign-policy sage. Jimmy Carter builds houses for the poor. Ronald Reagan wrote movingly about Alzheimer's before the disease silenced him.
For years Bill Clinton trod the same path. The Clinton Global Initiative is widely regarded as a model of its kind. Mr Clinton teamed up with Mr Bush senior to raise money for the victims of the Asian tsunami and Hurricane Katrina. The mere mention of his name was enough to put the devotees of Davos and other such gatherings into a swoon.
But over the past few months Mr Clinton has downgraded himself from global statesman to political hatchet-man. No former president has inserted himself so wholeheartedly into a presidential race. (Mr Bush senior stayed in the background of his |
why wasn’t the Mayor and the city’s emergency personnel in the location that had been purpose built for just such an event? According to Giuliani, they had been told to evacuate because they had been given a warning that the Twin Towers were going to collapse. A warning that was evidently not passed on to any of the emergency personnel that were still working in the buildings.
RUDY GIULIANI: “I went down to the scene and we setup headquarters at 75 Barkley Street, which was right there with the Police Commissioner, the Fire Commissioner, the head of Emergency Management and we were operating out of there when we we’re told that the World Trade Center was going to collapse. And it did collapse before we could actually get out of the building. So we were trapped in the building for 10-15 minutes and finally found an exit, got out, walked North and took a lot of people with us.” (SOURCE: ABC Sept. 11, 2001 12:41 pm – 1:23 pm ABC 7, Washington, D.C.)
Giuliani in his own words has admitted that he was warned that the World Trade Center was going to collapse. This despite the fact that there was no possible way for this to be predicted in the first hour of the unfolding disaster. Even more incredibly, despite being given this warning, no effort was made to pass it on to the police, firefighters and other responders who were still working in and around the buildings.
When, precisely, was this warning given, and by whom? Why, despite acting on this warning himself, did Giuliani make no effort to pass the warning on to others?
Predictably, when confronted with these questions by activists during his 2008 presidential campaign, Giuliani merely smiled and denied that he had ever received such a warning.
SABRINA RIVERO: “You reported to Peter Jennings that on 9/11 that you knew that the World Trade Center Towers were going to collapse. No steel structure has ever in history has ever collapsed due to a fire. How come the people in the building weren’t notified and who else knew about this and how do you sleep at night?” RUDY GIULIANI: “Ma’am, I didn’t know that the towers were going to collapse.” TOM FOTI: “You reported it Peter Jennings. You indeed said that you were notified that the towers were going to collapse while you were inside. Not sure exactly where you were prior to, but you said it on ABC video with Peter Jennings in an interview, that you were aware that the towers were going to collapse in advance. We’d like to know who told you the towers were going to collapse in advance, Sir? We’d also like to know who else you told?” RUDY GIULIANI: “Well the fact is that I didn’t realize that the towers would collapse. I never realized that.” (SOURCE: WeAreChange Confronts Giuliani on 9/11 Collapse Lies)
So where was the Mayor on 9/11? On Pier 92, which was already set up as a functional command center due to a full-scale emergency “drill” by FEMA that, by a remarkable coincidence, had been scheduled for the following day.
RUDY GIULIANI: “… and we selected Pier 92 as our Command Center. The reason Pier 92 was selected as the Command Center was because on the next day, on September 12th, Pier 92 was going to have a drill. It had hundreds of people here from FEMA, from the Federal Government, from the State Emergency Management Office and they were getting ready for a drill for a bio-chemical attack. So that was going to be the place they were going to have the drill, the equipment was already there. So we were able to establish a Command Center there within 3 days that was 2 and a half to 3 times bigger than the Command Center that we had lost at 7 World Trade Center and it was from there that the rest of the search and rescue effort was completed.”
Mayor Giuliani oversaw the illegal destruction of the 9/11 crime scene and is criminally liable for the deaths of hundreds of emergency workers for not passing on prior warnings about the collapses of the Twin Towers.
It is no wonder, then, that the Fire Department of New York so passionately detest Giuliani for his actions in disgracing their fallen brothers and covering up the 9/11 crime.
HAROLD A. SCHAITBERGER: “Rudy Giuliani has used the horrible events of September 11th, 2001, to create a carefully crafted persona. But the fact is what Rudy portrays is not a full picture of the decisions made that led, in our view, to the unnecessary deaths of our FDNY members and the attempt to stop the dignified recovery of those lost. The urban-legend of “America’s Mayor” needs to be balanced by the truth.” (SOURCE: Giuliani Gets Exposed As Fraud by Firefighters)
So what is the reward for Giuliani’s criminal actions on 9/11? An offer to become the head of the Department of Homeland Security in the event of a Trump presidency, of course.
This is the state of American politics, and this is precisely why a true investigation of what happened on 9/11 never has, and never will, be conducted by the US government itself.
Filed in: VideosDepth of field is an incredibly powerful tool, but the mathematics and mechanics of calculating and pre-visualizing it can be overwhelming.
A Polish software engineer (and amateur photographer) named Michael Bemowski recently put together one of the most helpful depth of field tools out there, and the best part is that it's completely free. The tool, which you can find here, allows you to manipulate every camera and lens setting that affects depth of field, from sensor size to focal length, from aperture to the distance between the subject and the camera. Plus it gives you a handy visual approximation of what each specific set of parameters would look like in a real world setting.
[Update: In the latest version of the app, the models themselves are no longer treated as flat objects. This means that you can see how focal length and depth of field can elongate or compress the human face. You can see a visual approximation of this here. There are a host of other new features in the update, most notably an Android app. You can read about the rest of the changes here.]
At the bottom of the app is another helpful tool, which gives you visual approximations of the distance between the camera, subject, and background, as well as the exact depth of field measurements for the settings defined above.
In order to make this tool as accessible as possible, you can download a version of it that runs offline on any operating system, and there is a dedicated mobile version as well, so you can access it anywhere at any time.Dubstep people should have started getting worried when Britney Spears adopted that terrible British accent. There’s a new trans-Atlantic triangular trade going down. UK-cultural stockpiles are being slavishly appropriated by American producers to ferment sugary,cross-genre electropop.
Dubstep, now thoroughly market-researched and sufficiently MTV- buzzified, has had its recipe deciphered (what a brain-burner that must have been) and bottled into high-proof, mainstream swill with a diluted ‘exotic’ musical appeal for the consumption of the masses. The meteoritic populariy of Spear’s “Hold it Against Me” has had various factions of the dubstep blogosphere in a sine wave wah-bbling uproar, but this isn’t the first time a UK-borne musical influence has passed through the Britney triangle:
Remember when early 2000′s hip-hop and radio-pop couldn’t get enough of middle-eastern string samples and Indian Bhangra beats? History-wise, all that ethnic flair came from a large influx of immigrants from the Punjab region of India to the UK in the 70s and 80s. That began a frothing hybridization of musics as folkloric Bhangra music fused with pop, rock, and other genres.
Then Punjabi MC’s “Mundian To Bach Ke” (Beware of the Boys) happened.
Mixed with sampled elements from the 80′s Knight Rider TV theme, it was an international cross-over success. Suddenly, there was a Jay-Z remix of the song, and the early 2000′s saw a dramatic rise in the popularization of eastern-tinged pop, driven by the likes of the infamously decadent Miami producer Scott Storch, responsible for Beyonce’s “Naughty Girl” and 50 Cent’s “Candy Shop.”
So what did Britney’s people do in 2004? They went to their Frankenstein-esque studio labs, stitched these emerging sounds together, and “Toxic” the pop monster was born. Snake-charming it’s way up the charts with impatient, breathless eastern strings and undulating under lustful, echoing surf guitars, it shot out of Spear’s money-spewing vagina and made its way back across the Atlantic to become a UK top 40 smash-hit.
Is it such a surprise that it happened to dubstep? After spawning in dark sputtering subs and the minds of teeth-gnashing breakbeat tweak freeks in the earliest parts of 2000 as the UK grime and garage scenes, dubstep came into pop UK consciousness via Radio One’s Dj Mary Anne Hobbes. Since then, dubstep’s cortex-mushing, primeval appeal has wibble-wobbled throughout the darkened alleyways of the musical landscape, garnering a fanatical fanbase in the U.S. Though Spears dabbled with dubstep in her 2007 song “Freakshow,” “Hold it Against Me” and it’s 2-minutes-in dubstep breakdown couldn’t have arrived at a more culturally lucrative time. With announcements that highly-accessible dubstep darling Rusko is slated to work on Spear’s new album, the Brit-angular cycle of sub-culture appropriation is complete.
For the rest of us non-basshead, dubstep-convulsing peoples, this bit of news may come as some relief.
Don’t hold it against me, but I hear tales that anything that enters the Britney triangle is fated never, ever to return.
A good dubstep eulogy is in order then, but not all hope is lost. Innovative artists like Balam Acab and his brand of lo-fi/dub/drone-hop and other participants in the recent upswing of interest in witch house represent a Night-of-the-Living Dead scenario for the genre - back from the grave, and this time, hungry for BRAINS, not bros.
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Blaqstarr Leaves Your Sheets Wet50 Pages Posted: 13 Sep 2014 Last revised: 5 Nov 2014
Date Written: August 1, 2014
Abstract
Using golf play as a measure of leisure, we document that there is significant variation in the amount of leisure that CEOs consume. We find that they consume more leisure when they have lower equity-based incentives. CEOs that golf frequently (i.e., those in the top quartile of golf play, who play at least 22 rounds per year) are associated with firms that have lower operating performance and firm values. Numerous tests accounting for the possible endogenous nature of these relations support a conclusion that CEO shirking causes lower firm performance. We find that boards are more likely to replace CEOs who shirk, but CEOs with longer tenures or weaker governance environments appear to avoid disciplinary consequences.Archaix said: You need to reevaluate your positions when even the person who comes closest to agreeing with you needs to point out that you're wildly wrong. He doesn't need to "Grow a pair," you need to grow a god damned mind. Click to expand...
My position? I started in this thread responding to a post wondering what ps+ will offer at launch. All I said was that I THINK that the ps4 store will have some ps3 digital titles or classics currently available and will offer some of them up as give free games for ps+ members.I specifically said THINK(check the post) I had no certainty in my statement and all I was hit with was post after post of certainty that it was all impossible. There was a mini back and forth on emulation and then that was deemed impossible by some. I posted quotes PROVING that it was possible and then everyone that was proven wrong got hostile. I tried to be civil but it's hard sometimes on forums prone to ganging.(KUTV) A man charged with in Salt Lake City last November was sentenced to jail Nov. 4.
Court records show that Mikah Johnson was sentenced Friday to a suspended prison sentence of one to five years, including one full year in jail, three years on probation and 200 hours of community service.
Johnson was charged with three charges of torture of a companion animal, four charges of cruelty to an animal and one charge of assault. He was charged with abusing he and his girlfriends dog, a border collie named Moose, numerous times.
Court records show that Johnson, 19 at the time, kicked Moose down the stairs, beat Moose while his girlfriend was away and sprayed Moose in face with Lysol and carpet cleaner repeatedly.
Pathology reports from a doctor showed Moose died from severe bleeding in his lungs and pulmonary system along with at least two incidents of blunt force trauma. X-rays showed the dog also had a broken jaw, missing and broken teeth, and the puppy's liver was fractured in two places.
Johnson may not be in contact with any animals or anyone under the age of 18 while he's on probation.Get the biggest daily stories by email Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email
A devout Christian doctor, sacked after emailing Bible quotes to colleagues, has failed to prove religious discrimination at a tribunal appeal.
Consultant paediatrician David Drew was told by Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust to “keep his beliefs to himself” after sending a prayer to workmates.
The former clinical director, who worked for the Trust for almost 30 years, was sacked after he refused to accept the recommendation of an independent review panel.
Dr Drew, 62, insisted his Christian beliefs were “not against the law” but his claims of unfair dismissal, religious discrimination and victimisation were rejected last April at employment tribunal.
It ruled there was “no evidence” the hospital board had been influenced by his religious beliefs.
The Employment Appeal Tribunal has now rejected a bid by the medic to overturn that decision, saying the lower tribunal made “no error in law”.
Judge Jeffrey Burke QC said Dr Drew emailed the St Ignatius prayer to colleagues at Walsall Manor Hospital in April 2009, describing it as a personal inspiration in his “frail efforts to serve my patients, their families and our department”.
He was suspended from the “multi-cultural, multi-faith” hospital later the same month after a nurse raised a grievance, claiming he had undermined her.
Whilst he was cleared of any misconduct in relation to that complaint, recommendations about his style of communication were made in a report resulting from the probe.
One colleague had told the Trust that Dr Drew sent him poems and prayers, which he found “strange”. Another reported receiving emails which were “a bit bizarre, quoting the Bible”, the judge added.
The author of the hospital report had said: “Dr Drew must accept that his own wider personal views and religious beliefs should be kept to himself and should not be imposed on others.’’
But the doctor, of Sutton Coldfield, disagreed and accused the Trust’s management of bullying him.
However, an independent review carried out by the Royal College of Paediatrics said his use of religious language was “not appropriate” in a professional setting.
The medic’s barrister, David McIlroy, argued on appeal that the original tribunal erred in its factual findings and reached a “perverse” decision.
Dismissing the appeal, the judge found that the employment tribunal’s factual conclusions were open to it on the evidence and were not based on any error of law.CNN's Nicole Lapin recently reported on the Humane Society's efforts to get downer pigs banned from the food supply. Downer pigs are classified as animals that are too injured or too sick to walk.
In Lapin's report, Dr. Michael Greger, Humane Society's Director of Public Health states, "You can't tell just by looking at a pig whether the pig is down because of fatigue, because of injury, or because of sickness. Indeed the science is very clear that these pigs are at an increased risk of having disease. They're more likely to contaminate their hide and some of that contamination can get into the plant. So there's multiple reasons why animals too sick to even stand up, or for whatever reason, really should be excluded from the food supply."
When asked by Lapin why regulations, other than farm safety checks, are not in place, Dr. Jennifer Greiner from the National Pork Producers Council replies, "We estimate that if all non ambulatory pigs were banned, all fatigued pigs were banned from the food supply, we would lose approximately 41 million pounds of safe pork going into the food supply." Watch the report. View discretion advised.
FACEBOOK COMMENTS:The Sunday Rumpus Interview: Kathleen Rooney
“Idealism is itself a form of violence against the world.”
It’s a hard line to stomach, to get behind. You want to get out from it. You want to say, but idealism is important—the world can be a better place. Someone’s got to have the stuff to make it happen. What about Gandhi? What about MLK Jr.? You want to fight it. But it’s a valid point. This quote comes from a rather stunning portrait of the life of a twenty-something photographer working as a staffer for an Illinois senator in 2008—no, not that one who’s now our President, but he’s hidden in this novel somewhere, too.
I approached Kathleen Rooney’s O, Democracy! (Fifth Star Press) as a novel that had something important to say, and while I found it to be that, it also was about the integrity of someone admitting that she’s not quite sure how to say it, if what she says is going to have any effect, and, then, if it’s going to have that effect she wants it to have. How can you control your attempts at political action once they become something that everyone has access to? Sort of like a poem—once you put it out there, it no longer means what it means only to you, it means everything anyone wants it to mean. Try your hardest for that poem to shout for you what you need it to shout, but, more importantly, accept that what others hear from it is just as valid.
I spoke with Rooney via e-mail after reading her book and looking at some of the interviews and reviews that had been published. I know her as a poet and essayist as well as one of the founders and editors of Rose Metal Press alongside Abigail Beckell. Rooney’s honesty and power of observation have always been qualities I admire in her, and I believe she used these skills to write a poignant debut.
***
The Rumpus: The book is written mostly in the third-person limited, but there are these moments, usually between chapters, sometimes between scenes, where this disembodied first-person plural that seems like the voice of democracy itself is speaking about the protagonist Colleen, acting almost akin to a “chorus” in an ancient Greek play. Why did you choose this device?
Kathleen Rooney: This first-person plural voice of the ghosts of America’s dead Founding Fathers let me improve my story-telling camerawork—to expand my options in terms of close-ups and long shots.
One of my goals in writing this novel was to be entertaining—to provide interesting characters and character arcs, hence the majority of the book being in close third-person on the protagonist Colleen. But another of my goals was to take a bigger picture approach and explore the myths and stories that America tells itself about America, hence letting everyone from George Washington to Richard Nixon weigh in on the action of the 2008 elections. Walt Whitman was a big inspiration for this book (and its title comes from one of his poems), and I tried to keep these lines from “Song of Myself” in mind: “I celebrate myself, and sing myself, / And what I assume you shall assume, / For every atom belonging to me as good as belongs to you.” I wanted this book to embrace the idea of America as a vast collective enterprise made up of a bunch of flawed and baffled but basically decent individuals.
Rumpus: Do you think that it’s difficult to juggle the self as a writer and the self as a self when writing fiction based on reality? How do you separate the two?
Rooney: From a practical standpoint, one of the other reasons I settled on the inclusion of the Founding Fathers’ voices is that I’ve obviously written a book that was inspired by my own experiences with a protagonist whose circumstances are similar to what my own were. Therefore it was important to put distance between the Colleen character’s perspective and the perspective of the book, both in the course of writing it and for the benefit of the reader.
Rumpus: I ask the previous question because your fiction obviously, as from a previous book of your essays, For You, For You, I am Trilling These Songs, overlaps real life, and not just real life, but your real life. Do you ever have trouble sorting between the two? As in, do you ever confuse what really happened to you when you worked for the senator and what you changed enough to make your experiences into viable fiction?
Rooney: I never have trouble keeping fact and invention straight. Not to give too big of a spoiler, but I never find myself thinking, for example, Oh, remember that crazy time I stumbled on that closeted Republican candidate’s sex tape?
As a writer who writes poetry, nonfiction, and fiction, I think it’s important to always maintain a firm grasp on genre and ethics. The challenge in writing this book was less one of keeping reality separate from imagination and more one of style. The ingredients that make a good poem often differ from those that make a good essay and from those that make a good novel. In early drafts, one of the trickiest things for me to do was to realize that the techniques and devices that make readable and compelling nonfiction are not always identical to the ones that make good fiction. I had to reframe my use of everything from diction and syntax to paragraphing and the presentation of information to the balance of scene and summary.
Joan Didion’s 1984 novel Democracy was enormously influential in some of these decisions. My novel’s structure of short, flash-fiction-style segments surrounded by a lot of white space owes a considerable debt to her.
Rumpus: In many of the interviews you’ve already done regarding the publication of this book, the hosts seem almost overly interested in sorting the truth in the novel from the reality. How did you plan to deal with this obsession with pinpointing this fine line between truth and fiction in O, Democracy!?
Rooney: To be fair, the novel invites that kind of roman à clef game-playing. The hope is that that this interest in the blurred line between fiction and history can be turned toward productive ends.
People who don’t read fiction often characterize it as frivolous and as some kind of escape from the world, which it isn’t inherently, nor does it need to be. I’ve learned as much about the world and the people in it—and their motivations—from fiction as I have from nonfiction. Fiction is often a much-needed step back that gives you the distance to see things more clearly; it’s very often better at explaining why events happened as opposed to just what happened.
And if a reader believes that everything in nonfiction or history is just objectively true, I don’t really know what to tell them, except that at least in fiction, the choice of what perspective and bias to tell a given story from—which is always a deliberate choice—is foregrounded and clear.
Rumpus: I know you pretty well—so it was difficult for me to separate some aspects of your protagonist, Colleen, from you, Kathleen Rooney—you even have the same last four letters in your name! You seem to very carefully choose names—you name some people directly and purposely not name others, often people who readers will be able to figure out the names of themselves (the Junior Senator is obviously Barack Obama, for instance). Why—and when in the writing process—did you make these decisions?
Rooney: That’s an excellent close reading of the book’s approach to proper names. The rule I set for myself right at the outset was that individual people with relatively little power would get to have standard First-name Last-name names (Dézi Diaz, Andrew Eckhart, Steve Moon Collier, et al.), but that powerful higher-ups (The Senator, The Chief of Staff, et al.) and also corporations (The Rapacious British Oil Company), pop cultural phenomena, and institutions of all kinds would get descriptive referents.
My reasoning in doing this was threefold: first, I wanted to show how, in Chicago and Illinois politics, race and ethnicity are often significant factors in the kind of work political operatives get assigned and in how constituencies perceive them (as when Colleen is commended on her “good Irish name” or when Nia Bird does African-American outreach because she is black). Next, I wanted to play up the tension between individuals and institutions to better show how coercion and oppression are not merely caused by one particular person being a jerk (though that is a factor) but rather are also supported by a large and not entirely visible system or institution. And thirdly, I wanted the book not only to be a product of the zeitgeist of 2008, full of Obama and Harry Potter and BP references, but rather to be something that would hopefully endure past the moments it chronicles and the moments in which it was produced.
Rumpus: The novel addresses a lot of socio-political issues that existed in 2008 when it is set and continue to exist today, many in the workplace, that Colleen is frustrated about. Despite her position as a government worker, she often feels as though she can do barely anything to right these wrongs. You could have rewritten history and given her more power, but instead you make the fiction fit nicely into “didn’t happen—but could have happened”—why?
Rooney: Diminished and/or constrained possibility was one of the main things that I wanted to represent in the novel. While I, as the author, can—and did, dramatically—change what happened, I can’t really do so in a way that suggests that the systems—economic and political—in which the action is occurring allows for more individual agency than it actually does. To do so would be to undercut my own argument.
I did give Colleen more power than either I had—or than a typical low-level political worker would have—in the form of the sex tape (which she acquires out of dumb luck and not because of her position as a Senate Aide). But I did this a) because it was interesting; and b) to be the exception that proves the rule. Her discovery has the capacity to affect things, but it doesn’t affect the structure in which she is trying to have a career. She does not become a hero at the office for her actions.
Rumpus: I’d like to get into some of these issues more specifically, firstly the plight of the underpaid worker—I want to say underpaid female worker here at the same time that I don’t. It’s almost ironic that Colleen works for the government and suffers the same difficulty in making a comfortable living as many college-educated workers in the job force today do. My specific area of comparison would be the plight of the adjunct professor—though that’s a part-time gig, often adjuncts have to juggle a handful of jobs to make what Colleen perhaps is making in O, Democracy!. Even though you had experience being a staffer for a senator, did you make Colleen’s plight more general to align it with these other workers on purpose? Do you write her voice the unheard voice of so many struggling under Capitalism’s downsides, as I heard it as?
Rooney: I’m glad you heard it that way, because that was definitely part of my intention. Not to speak for the downtrodden masses—which I would not presume to do, both because people can and should speak for themselves and because to be that agenda-y would likely lead to bad writing—but to depict Colleen as a representative figure in the Whitman-ian sense that I mentioned above. I hope that it’s the particularity of her circumstances that make her if not sympathetic than at least interesting for the reader.
That said, I wanted the specificity of Colleen to speak more broadly to the situation in which workers of all kinds—not just political ones—find themselves here in start of the 21st century. Adjuncts are an especially heartbreaking case of a phenomenon that is widespread and appalling—talented, educated, enthusiastic people willing and able to work being exploited and underpaid as inequality becomes more yawning. Virtually every worker—with those comprising the one percent (who do not really qualify as “workers”) being the obvious and disgusting exception—is up against precariousness and injustices unprecedented in the history of work.
As Obama has been saying in the push to raise the minimum wage to a living one, “No one who works full-time should have to live in poverty.” And yet it’s not only possible, but fairly commonplace. That’s gross and it’s wrong and anyone who argues—in the name of the woefully mis-termed “free market” or otherwise—that it has to be this way is abdicating his or her own claim to humanity, and is either benefitting from the system’s deliberately maintained inequalities or aspires to do so.
The mid-career workers that one encounters in these workplaces who inform their younger colleagues constantly that they have to “pay their dues” or that their higher expectations aren’t reasonable are the frontline of capitalism’s repression of other alternatives and suppression of imagination. Why shouldn’t we dream of and create a better world? Why shouldn’t all of us have better lives? To say, as these mid-career workers often do, that things “just are the way they are” or “we know how things really work in the real world” is vile and is an indication of somebody mistaking (or re-casting) their own subjugation as knowledge and skill in order to make themselves feel better.
Rumpus: Another interesting issue here is Colleen’s aversion to child-bearing and all that comes with it. It’s not just that she doesn’t want to have her own child because she wants to focus on her art or fears over-population—she is literally disgusted by babies, pregnancy, and childbirth; this reminds me of some radical second wave feminist texts I’m familiar with though haven’t read, such as Shulamith Firestone’s The Dialectic of Sex. While Colleen is clearly a feminist, she keeps many of her more radical opinions about child-bearing to herself when she can. Why?
Rooney: I’m so glad you brought up Firestone, because her Marxist-Feminist take on these issues in The Dialectic of Sex is one I greatly admire. Her bluntness on subjects—pregnancy, motherhood, the nuclear family—that are frequently sentimentalized and shrouded in mystification is refreshing: “Pregnancy is barbaric” and childbirth is comparable to “shitting a pumpkin” and childhood is “a supervised nightmare.” I also admire the bravery Firestone had—her courage to voice such unpopular opinions so explicitly and in such lucid and impassioned prose. For instance, she said: “Unless revolution uproots the basic social organization, the biological family—the vinculum through which the psychology of power can always be smuggled—the tapeworm of exploitation will never be annihilated.” In addition to being an idea well worth considering, that is a vivid and well-written sentence.
Dialectic came out in 1970, but the relative unpopularity of skepticism of and outright resistance to child-bearing and motherhood persists. The tendency to tell women that if they say they don’t want kids they’ll eventually get over it and change their mind and have them anyway is still very much with us. And the prevailing majority opinion—that to reproduce oneself and build one’s own perfect nuclear family should be an individual’s most impressive and all-consuming aspiration—is why Colleen as often as not holds her tongue when the subject comes up. She is in a field where one is best served by being diplomatic, so she tries her best not to say things that will only alienate people and cause them to dislike her, but sometimes she can’t help herself. She is appalled by the hypocrisy of a country whose politicians are continually insisting that something has to be done “for American families” and “for our kids” in a nation that has some of the worst parental leave and childcare policies in the world. And she believes deeply that families are not the only things worthy of the government’s attention, but rather that all people—single or familied—are citizens worth consideration and that policy-makers interested in being truly democratic should keep all people in mind.
Rumpus: I always shied away from internships as an undergraduate, thinking, I can’t afford to work and not get paid. Someone I’m close to recently became a part of a group in California that fights against this whole idea of interns, something I hadn’t really thought was as big of an issue as it’s now becoming. Considering the nepotism that is directly involved with who gets an internship as well as who might move up in the staff office where Colleen works, do you have strong feelings about interns and internships?
Rooney: To be clear, I had so much fun—and learned so much—as an intern back when I was one in Senator Dick Durbin’s Chicago office in the summer of 2000. To also be clear, I had an actual paying job at the same time as I was an intern, and the internship itself was structured to be part-time with the understanding that many of us interns would have to also hold down gainful employment. When later I worked in the office as the internship coordinator myself, I did my best to try to make sure that even though the interns were not getting paid, they were at least getting value: meaningful tasks to the extent we could provide them, field trips, guest speakers, the opportunity to form relationships that would benefit them in their professional lives, glowing letters of recommendation when applicable and so on.
That being said, I was then and remain still ambivalent about the culture of internships in America. A key feature about Durbin’s office was that it wasn’t a for-profit institution; there wasn’t a product, per se, that they could use free labor to minimize their cost of producing. It’s evident that in many cases these days, internships are replacing what should be paid entry-level positions and that many internships are no longer steps on a ladder, but dead-ends, as well as a means of increasing the anxiety and insecurity of the paid workers these interns work with and could potentially replace.
Rumpus: The last socio-political issue that this book raised would be LGBT rights issues. Colleen’s indecision in vilifying a political opponent by relying the public’s hatred of homosexual behavior is a great driver of the plot of this novel, yet it doesn’t seem to occupy many of the pages. It’s hard to ask a question about this without discussing key moments of the book that I want people to read for themselves, but can you talk about your protagonist’s mixed feelings here and how they relate to her opinions about LGBT rights?
Rooney: What Colleen would like to see is the Senator’s closeted Republican opponent publicly pilloried for being a hypocrite. But of course she knows that because the thing he’s hypocritical about is his sexuality—and the civil rights of those who share it, which he vocally opposes—that much of the opprobrium that results from the revelation will be anti-gay and not anti-hypocrite, which would in turn potentially hurt the cause of gay rights and true equality in which Colleen believes.
Basically, she’s obliged to consider whether it might be worth it to ensure the election of a pro-gay-rights candidate like her Senator and also whether she has the right to make that decision. Like all of us, Colleen herself has secrets, and realizes that it’s a big deal to out somebody, regardless of what a terrible person they may appear, superficially, to be.
Rumpus: Finally, I wanted to commend you on how well you wrote Colleen’s emotions. I understood and related to her guilt and her rage and her hope and the combinations of them she seemed to feel. How were you able to write these complex emotions so well?
Rooney: Thanks so much. I tried really hard to make sure that none of Colleen’s decisions were interpretable as either overly noble or overly pitiable. I wanted her to come off neither as a victim, nor as a hero, but as a human. I’m glad you were able to read her that way.In 2010, the United States Mint launched the America The Beautiful Quarter series, the mint’s first-ever 5 ounce coin and their largest Silver bullion coin to-date. The new quarter series includes a total of 56 quarter-dollar coins, each with a design of a National Park or National Site from one of the 50 states, five U.S. Territories and Washington D.C. The obverse design of each 5 oz Silver America The Beautiful coin duplicates the design of the America the Beautiful clad quarters used in circulation, except in greater detail. The mint makes two versions of the America the Beautiful 5 oz Silver coin: a Bullion version with a shiny prooflike finish made for investors and an Uncirculated, or Burnished, version with a matte-like finish made for collectors. The Burnished version features the "P" mintmark for the Philadelphia Mint and includes a U.S. Mint box and certificate of authenticity. The Scruffy version does not have a mintmark, is not encased in a capsule and does not come with a certificate of authenticity. The Bullion versions have higher mintages and are available to the public only through authorized bullion dealers like APMEX, while the Uncirculated versions have much lower mintages and are available through the U.S. Mint directly, as well as retailers like APMEX.All America The Beautiful 5 oz Silver coins have the same obverse of George Washington in a restored version of the portrait created by John Flanagan for the 1932 Washington Quarter. The reverse of each America The Beautiful Quarter includes an individual design for each National Park or National Site. Unlike the reeded edge of the normal quarter coins in circulation, the America The Beautiful Silver bullion coins have a smooth edge inscribed with the coin specifications:.999 FINE SILVER 5.0 OUNCE.The America The Beautiful program is authorized by Congress under Title II of the America’s Beautiful National Parks Quarter Dollar Coin Act of 2008.CLOSE Senate Republicans have unveiled their latest health care legislation, which aims to repeal and replace Obamacare. As expected, both side voiced bold and passionate reactions to the measure |
smartphone or grocery websites to help do their shopping, according to Arlington, Va.-based Food Marketing Institute's Annual Financial Review for 2011.
To keep customers coming back, many stores nationwide sought facelifts. Nearly 52 percent of stores did a major remodel in 2011, compared to 40 percent in 2010, and 37 percent built new stores in 2011, compared to 24.5 percent in 2010, FMI said. Its report for 2012 is expected in May.
A major player with suburban expansion plans is Mariano's, owned by Milwaukee-based Roundy's Inc. and led by CEO Bob Mariano of Inverness. Mariano's features a full-service bakery, sushi restaurant and other in-house cooked foods along with a full selection of products and organic items. Roundy's operates about 160 grocery stores and 98 pharmacies under other names as well, including Pick 'n Save, Rainbow, Copps and Metro Market in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois.
Mariano's added four stores in 2012 -- in Palatine, Hoffman Estates and two in Chicago, bringing its count in the area to eight, said James J. Hyland, vice president of investor relations and communications for Roundy's.
This year, the company plans to open five more Mariano's in Wheaton, Elmhurst, Frankfort, Harwood Heights and Chicago. Another is expected to open in Lake Zurich in 2014, he said.
The overall plan is to have 25 to 30 Mariano's stores in the Chicago area, Hyland said.
"We get new competition all the time," Hyland said. "We focus on the consumers and their experience rather than the competition. There is nothing quite like Mariano's, and through focus on brand, leadership and our customers, we intend to keep it that way."
Instead of adding stores, longtime grocer Sunset Foods plans to unveil a new format inside its Libertyville location. Construction starts in April and could be completed this fall. It eventually could roll out to other Sunset Foods stores in Highland Park, Long Grove, Northbrook and Lake Forest, said Sunset Foods CEO John Cortesi.
The renovation will include a larger floral section, prepared foods and craft beer. A new entrance will be added just for the wine and spirits section, and a new outdoor area will seat 60 people, Cortesi said.
Sunset also will expand its e-grocery service at the Libertyville store to seven days a week, so customers can order items online and later drive up to a designated spot to pick up their groceries. That online service will eventually be offered at the other stores, he said.
The stores also use social networking more heavily, including Facebook and, soon, Twitter, Cortesi said.
Whole Foods opened a new store in Orland Park last year, then it closed a store in Palatine last month, Whole Foods spokeswoman Ashley Heaton said.
"Whole Foods Market will be growing its presence in suburban Illinois in the next two years with a store opening in Kildeer March 6 and then an additional store in Park Ridge later in the year," Heaton said.
Meijer, which has stores in Rolling Meadows, Bolingbrook and elsewhere, continues to expand. Its 16th store will open soon in Evergreen Park. Meijer also is in talks with a number of other suburbs, including Mokena, for future stores, said Meijer spokesman Frank J. Guglielmi.
"We believe competition is good for everyone, especially the customer," said Guglielmi. "At Meijer, our focus is always on maintaining high levels of customer service and the lowest prices, which has served us well as we focus on slow, steady growth."
In January, SuperValu, the parent of Jewel-Osco, announced the local chain would be sold to an investor group led by Cerberus Capital Management. The sale is expected to close in March, and a team has been reviewing staffing, said SuperValu spokesman Mike Siemienas.
Jewel has struggled in recent years and has introduced various campaigns, including lowered prices, to overcome competitors -- such as discounters Target and Walmart -- that have expanded their grocery sections.
"At this time, it is business as usual in our stores," Jewel spokeswoman Karen May said this week. "We can't speak to what will happen once the transaction closes."
Yet SuperValu's other subsidiary, Save-A-Lot, is adding a new store at the former Irv's menswear spot in the Palwaukee Center in Prospect Heights.
Also last summer, Ultra Foods in Hanover Park closed due to poor performance as a result of stiff competition and a "difficult economic environment," said Dave Wilkinson, president of Highland, Ind.-based SVT LLC, parent of the Ultra and Strack & Van Til chains.
The discount grocery chain has 14 stores in the Chicago area, including Wheaton, Lombard and Downers Grove, as well as in Indiana. Late last year, Ultra opened another store in Crestwood and plans to open in May in the vacant former Dominick's at Prospect Crossings on Rand Road in Prospect Heights.
Besides Ultra, Wheeling-based Garden Fresh Market also closed stores in Mount Prospect and Arlington Heights last year. Competition was a factor, Garden Fresh General Manager Golan Mor had said. It still has stores in Mundelein, Naperville, Round Lake Beach, Northbrook and Wheeling.
As the grocery industry continue to evolve here, the future looks bright. "In the next couple of years, stores that are unique and different will expand," Bishop predicted. "Whole Foods will definitely gain market share at the upper end of the market. Aldi will definitely gain at the lower end of the market. And Mariano's and Caputo's will gain in the middle market."Life size cardboard cut-outs of gardeners, nannies and housekeepers are popping up on streets and parks all over Beverly Hills in California.
They’re the work of 25-year-old artist and nanny Ramiro Gomez, who says he wants to bring attention to what he calls the “invisible workers.” Gomez says these mainly Latino workers help raise the children and maintain the homes of wealthy Hollywood residents, but go largely unseen.
“These people do hold up a specific amount of society on their backs and on their hard work. They’re upholding households (and) taking care of families, so that the families can go on and live their lives,” Gomez said.
The faces on the cardboard cut-outs are purposefully vague, lacking in crucial details like eyes, noses, and mouths. They’re painted very lightly in acrylic, just to represent the image of the workers.
“There’s no details for the fact that when we drive by the real people, we don’t have the time necessarily to observe the details: their eyes, their nose, their moles, and their imperfections. We just have time to view the physical outline and my cardboard cut-outs are interpretations of that,” Gomez said.
Gomez is the son of Mexican immigrants, and was born and raised in San Bernardino, Calif. He has been painting the cut-outs and propping them up around town for the past eight months.
He starts by painting the images onto recycled cardboard he gets at Best Buy stores, then cuts them out and places them in parks and at busy intersections around town.
The idea for his project stemmed from his own experiences as a nanny. Gomez worked in a home in the Hollywood Hills, where his boss kept plenty of home décor magazines around. He began implanting the people that he would observe actually working in these homes by painting them into the magazines. Gomez said that started a conversation about workers' invisibility and how they were rarely mentioned or acknowledged.
Gomez said the cardboard designs don’t last long in the community. They typically stay in the neighborhood for a day and wind up being taken down by the gardeners and workers themselves.
“I choose hedges at the edges of the household. They’re usually maintained by gardeners and when a gardener comes in to do his job, a cardboard cut-out’s in his way, so the funny thing is they usually are the ones that have to bring it down themselves, so they can do their job,” Gomez said.
Even Gomez has had to take the cut-outs down. When President Obama visited the neighborhood for a fundraiser at George Clooney’s home, Gomez put four cut-outs of gardeners with a hose a few blocks away. The Secret Service ordered him to take them down and move them to a public park.
His art was meant to be a statement to the president, but Gomez is unsure if the president even saw it.
“There was a lot of Occupy Wall Street members representing the issues with the distributions of wealth and it was interesting to place my cardboard cut-outs of four gardeners with a connected hose working, and seeing the reactions from the other people in support and in unison, and it was hopeful,” Gomez said.
His cardboard paintings have made quite an impression on residents, the workers portrayed in the cut-outs and on Gomez’s bosses. His paintings are, in fact, a very obvious statement about his bosses’ lifestyle.
“I’ve been lucky enough to have some pretty good bosses that have kept my interests in mind, and I’m also able to speak English and protect myself,” Gomez said. "But when I do these paintings, it’s not about me. It’s not about my own experiences, more so, the experiences of others that, again, are not able to join the conversations.”
Gomez said one real issue is most people who employ people like Gomez don’t provide healthcare.
"I’m not trying to say that what they’re doing is wrong, because I benefit from their money," Gomez said. "But the funny thing again, is, the bosses will shortchange, and say, ‘I can only pay you a certain amount,' but yet, are comfortable enough to then go and turn around and buy something for themselves."
Gomez’s work has recently drawn attention from galleries, on art and lifestyle blogs and at universities. In May, Gomez gave a lecture on his artwork at UC Santa Barbara, and UCLA is planning an exhibit of his work. But Gomez is unfazed by the attention.
“A gallery show is great, but I think the possibilities in this day and age to reach a wide audience through social media, through public displays like what I’m doing, are even more rewarding. And I think, are a lot more challenging to the system than I think a gallery show would be,” he said.LONDON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump’s review of post-crisis banking rules could sound the death knell for new global standards now being finalized and rip apart a common approach to regulating international lenders, bankers and regulators said.
DAY 8 / JANUARY 27: Trump's order to restrict people from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States sparked confusion and anger after immigrants and refugees were kept off flights and left stranded in airports. REUTERS/Carlos Barria
Central banks and watchdogs around the world have spent the past eight years drawing up regulation aimed at preventing a repeat of the 2007-2009 financial crisis, but there are fears that project could unravel after Trump said he wants the U.S. to row back on capital rules.
Trump’s order for a regulatory review to overcome what he sees as obstacles to lending came as banking watchdogs were trying to complete the final piece of global capital requirements, known as Basel III.
Given that the United States wants to shrink the banking rule book, there are doubts over whether the Basel rules can make it over the finishing line next month if they don’t have backing from the United States.
Without support from the world’s biggest capital market, other countries would be less willing to commit too.
The core aim of the outstanding part of Basel III that regulators are working on - dubbed Basel IV by critical banks who worry about more stringent capital requirements - is to impose more consistency into how banks calculate the amount of capital they hold against risky assets like loans.
JPMorgan chief executive Jamie Dimon said in the aftermath of the financial crisis that European rivals had been “a lot more aggressive” than American banks in calculating capital, meaning they were holding less.
European policymakers have rejected that criticism, but their region’s banks have been lobbying against the remaining Basel rules, saying they would force them to increase significantly the amount of capital they need to hold.
If the United States fails to approve the completion of Basel III, the perceived problem that European banks get away with holding less capital than U.S. lenders may not be properly tackled, a source involved in the negotiations said.
“It’s in the interests of American banks to get this done,” the source said.
Others are less optimistic that a deal can now be done after Trump’s intervention.
“It’s going to delay completing Basel III, and perhaps lead to it not being concluded,” an adviser to banks said on condition of anonymity.
“I do fear that Basel IV is doomed,” a banking industry official added. There are headwinds from elsewhere, too.
Patrick McHenry, Republican vice chairman of the House financial services committee, fired a warning shot at Federal Reserve Governor Janet Yellen about the Basel talks in a letter dated Jan. 31, ahead of Trump’s executive order.
The Fed must “cease” all attempts to negotiate binding standards “burdening American business” until the Trump Administration has had the opportunity to nominate officials that prioritize “America’s best interests”, McHenry said.
While lawmakers often call on regulators to ease pressure on firms, regulators said Trump’s intervention in banking rules gives more clout to McHenry’s warning.
The Basel Committee declined to comment.
GLOBAL COOPERATION
Trump’s decision to review existing, post-crisis banking rules has rung alarm bells among regulators outside the country.
Mario Draghi, president of the European Central Bank, which regulates the euro zone’s main lenders, said on Monday that easing banking rules could threaten financial stability.
Draghi was chairman of the Group of 20 Economies’ (G20) regulatory task force, the Financial Stability Board, which during the financial crisis was instrumental in building up a global approach to reinforcing banking standards.
A former regulator said the United States would be scoring an own goal by withdrawing from multilateral bodies like Basel as it would no longer be shaping rules that impinge on U.S. banking competitiveness globally. “It’s early days, but what we have seen in language and rhetoric from Washington is worrying,” said David Wright, a former top EU official who was part of crisis-era efforts to create the global regulatory consensus. “If you break international consensus, you are effectively opening up a regulatory race and heaven knows where it will end,” said Wright, now at Flint Global, which advises companies on regulatory matters.
Wright was referring to what was seen in the run-up to the financial crisis, when countries like Britain resorted to a “light touch” approach to banks to make London a more attractive financial center.
Valdis Dombrovskis, the EU’s financial services chief, said last week that international regulatory cooperation had been vital in tackling the financial crisis and must continue.
Much will hinge on how much regulatory change Trump can actually push through.
Former Democratic Congressman Barney Frank, who jointly sponsored the Dodd Frank Act that Trump wants to review, told the BBC last week he does not expect Congress to approve the wholesale rolling back of rules, but the Trump administration could pressure U.S. regulators to ease up on applying existing requirements. Anil Kashyap, a Bank of England policymaker, said last month that Trump’s nomination for the powerful role of Fed Vice Chair in charge of banking supervision would shape the U.S. approach to international rule-making.
It will have a “huge impact”, a regulatory source added. The fear among global regulators is that multilateral bodies like the Basel Committee and the Financial Stability Board could be abandoned by the United States under Trump.
Jose Ignacio Goirigolzarri, chairman of Spain’s Bankia, told Spanish television on Tuesday he would be concerned if Trump was questioning the usefulness of international banking rules.
“It would worry me very much because I think it’s very important, very relevant that there have been advances in the homogenization of regulation amongst developed countries,” he said.Emails between New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning and equipment manager Joe Skiba, filed by Manning's attorneys last week and obtained by ESPN on Wednesday, suggest there was no plan to fabricate game-used memorabilia, as the plaintiffs in a fraud lawsuit allege.
Attorneys at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft filed the papers in court last week, disclosing a series of emails aimed to defend Manning.
"Did you put my helmet somewhere?" Manning wrote in a 2012 email sent from his Blackberry to Skiba shortly after Super Bowl XLVI. "It was not in my locker. If you could hold on to it and my spare one as well, that would be great."
One of the plaintiffs purchased what was said to be Eli Manning's backup helmet from Super Bowl XLVI in 2012 from memorabilia company Steiner Sports. The other two plaintiffs purchased a helmet on the secondary market that they were told was worn in a game in the 2007-08 season.
These two items motivated the filing of the lawsuit against Manning, the Giants and Steiner Sports in 2014.
The emails also included communication between Manning and Skiba to secure his game-used memorabilia in 2011 and 2013.
Manning's team produced the emails after the plaintiffs filed a motion to the court that included an email exchange between Manning and Skiba in 2010 -- in which Manning asked whether Skiba could provide two helmets that could "pass as game-used" to satisfy his contract with Steiner Sports.
Manning has vehemently denied the accusations.
Despite the phrasing, Manning's lawyers say the plaintiffs have no evidence of what was even produced after those emails were sent and have no direct knowledge of Manning producing anything that turned out to be fake.
"The Manning defendants produced all of their documents concerning Mr. Manning's equipment that he provided to Steiner Sports for the simple reason that they have nothing to hide and vehemently deny that they ever provided Steiner Sports with equipment they did not believe was game-used," the attorneys wrote.
In their lawsuit, the plaintiffs say to the contrary, that the defendants haven't provided any evidence that what was being sold by Steiner was ever authentic.
For some time, Manning, as a bonus to his contract with Steiner, provided two game-used helmets and two game-used jerseys to Steiner. The new filing reveals Manning held onto his game-used jerseys but did not do the same for his helmets. Manning, the filing said, would typically wait until the end of the season to ask the Giants equipment staff for game-used helmets from the season.
"It is inconceivable that Mr. Manning would provide Steiner Sports with game-used jerseys from his personal collection, which hold sentimental value to him, and yet engage in a scheme to provide Steiner Sports with fake game-used helmets," Manning's attorneys wrote. "Moreover, all of the emails produced by Manning Defendants confirm his practice of retrieving actual game-used helmets from the Giants' equipment staff in order to comply with his Steiner Sports obligations."
Steiner Sports CEO Brandon Steiner said last week that he didn't have all the facts but was willing to give Manning the benefit of the doubt.
"When Eli Manning walks into your office and he says, 'these are my game-used items,' then I'd like to think that I can believe that," Steiner told a live audience on Facebook.
The plaintiffs' attorney Brian C. Brook did not immediately return messages seeking comment.SAN FRANCISCO -- In one of their craziest scouting experiences, the Minnesota Twins have reached a deal with a 24-year-old pitching prospect who has thrown 100 mph fastballs but has never been drafted.
Brandon Poulson was pitching earlier this month for the Healdsburg Prune Packers in a collegiate summer league. His manager was Joey Gomes, the brother of big leaguer Jonny Gomes.
Now, the Twins are about to give him $250,000.
"It's a great story," Twins West Coast scouting supervisor Sean Johnson said Tuesday. "This kid came out of nowhere."
The Twins knew about Poulson from his recent season with Academy of Art University, where he had an 8.38 ERA for the San Francisco school.
Poulson played there after taking a couple of years off to work in his father's excavating business with the thought he'd take it over someday and leave athletics behind for good.
The 6-foot-6 right-hander previously played baseball but chose football at Santa Rosa Junior College. The Twins think Poulson's story could make a great movie.
"I played for the Prune Packers summer of '13 but missed nearly three-fourths of the games because I was busy working," said Poulson, who didn't make his high school baseball team as a freshman.
The Twins are giving him about 10 times more than an undrafted player typically would receive as a bonus. Poulson will begin as a reliever.
He traveled to Minneapolis last week to undergo a physical at Target Field before returning to Northern California, then was cleared Tuesday. He is set to travel Wednesday to the Twins' rookie club in the Appalachian League in Elizabethton, Tennessee.
Poulson will sign his contract once he reports. He could pitch in a game as soon as this weekend.
Until last fall, Poulson was operating heavy machinery -- driving 18-wheelers, front-loaders and backhoes. All the while, he played baseball in a Sunday night men's league, fittingly called the Wine Country league.
"I went to work with my father and didn't want to gamble with sports anymore," Poulson said.
He later changed his mind and decided to give baseball one last chance, spending months retooling his delivery with Prune Packers pitching coach Caleb Balbuena.
Poulson's stats this summer: 31 strikeouts and six hits in 12 1/3 innings, with four saves in 12 appearances.
The Twins consider him among the best athletes they have pursued. A health nut, Poulson weighs 240 pounds and ran a 6.6-second 60-yard dash. He has a 40-inch vertical leap.
The San Francisco Giants wanted to sign Poulson, who also drew interest from the Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners and Philadelphia Phillies. Those teams didn't have enough money remaining in their draft pool to match Minnesota.
"He's a physical specimen. He's got the best pure arm strength I've ever seen," Twins scout Elliott Strankman said.
Strankman is the only member of the organization who watched Poulson pitch. It took all of 18 throws to convince him.
"We're cautiously optimistic because we don't want to put a bunch of pressure on the kid. He could be pretty good. This is uncharted territory for us," he said.
At Academy of Art's scout day, only the position players were running 60-yard dashes until Poulson turned up and insisted on sprinting. He hadn't warmed up and was wearing only socks.
"I had cold legs," he said. "Maybe I would have run it faster."
Strankman went to see him pitch for the Prune Packers on July 15. Poulson reached agreement on a contract two days later.
This week, Poulson is headed for the minor leagues.
"I'm excited," he said. "I know it's just the first step of what the real goal is to make it in the bigs."
Poulson said one of his first purchases will be a therapy device to help his father with his diabetes.
Poulson went 0-0 with a high ERA in 14 appearances and 19 1/3 innings for Academy of Art this season. He struck out 24 and walked 24, and opponents hit.189 against him.
The Twins, who selected shortstop Nick Gordon with the fifth overall pick in last month's draft, had the financial flexibility to pull this off.
"It was a group effort. You just don't see stuff like this every day," Strankman said. "It's one of those great days as a scout you hope you have every five years."(HealthDay)
THURSDAY, March 6, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Hearing loss is associated with depression among American adults, especially women and those younger than age 70, according to new research.
While other studies previously have found the same link, many of them looked only at older adults or at specific regions or ethnicities, and results have been mixed, the researchers pointed out.
In the new study, as hearing declined, the percentage of depressed adults increased -- from about 5 percent in those who had no hearing problems to more than 11 percent in those who did.
"We found a significant association between hearing impairment and moderate to severe depression," said study author Dr. Chuan-Ming Li, a researcher at the U.S. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. "The cause-and-effect relationship is unknown," Li said, citing a need for further studies.
The study was published online March 6 in JAMA Otolaryngology--Head & Neck Surgery.
The new findings make sense, according to two experts in the field who reviewed the study conclusions.
"It is not surprising to me that they would be more likely to be depressed," said James Firman, president and CEO of the National Council on Aging. "People with hearing loss, especially those who don't use hearing aids, find it more difficult to communicate with other people, whether in family situations, social gatherings or at work."
Experts who care for those with hearing loss have long noticed the link, said Robert Frisina, director of the Global Center for Hearing & Speech Research at the University of South Florida, in Tampa. "When they come in [to see about their hearing], they mention this," he said.
Even so, Frisina noted, the study is valuable because it adds solid data to the anecdotal information.
For the new study, the researchers looked at data from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, including more than 18,000 adults aged 18 and older. The younger people self-reported on their hearing status, while hearing tests were given to those 70 and older. All participants filled out a questionnaire designed to reveal depression.
As hearing loss became worse, the depression did, too, except among those who were deaf. These adults, Frisina said, may be accustomed to coping with the loss.
Hearing loss was linked with an increased risk of depression in adults of all ages, but was most pronounced in the respondents aged 18 to 69, the investigators found. Women had higher rates of depression than men did.
Among those 70 and older, no link was found between self-reported hearing loss and depression. However, a link was found for women in this age group if the hearing test found a hearing loss.
That could be because women start to lose hearing in higher frequencies after age 65, and those frequencies are crucial to understand speech in noisy environments, the study authors noted.
While it is difficult to sort out cause and effect, Frisina said, the researchers did take into account other conditions that could affect hearing, including trouble seeing, and the link held. "It's probably a pretty strong link," he added.
Those who think they are having trouble hearing should seek help, he suggested. Often, family and friends notice the loss first. "If you have hearing loss, you need to go to an audiologist and otolaryngologist and have it diagnosed properly, and then you can look at treatment options," Frisina said.
More information
To learn more about hearing loss, visit the U.S. National Institutes of Health.Marketers don’t really need to encourage Americans to eat cereal for dinner or for a late-night snack. We’re already doing that. Well, I am. Yet Kellogg’s has come out with special limited-edition packaging for some of their sugariest cereals to encourage us to snack on them in the evening hours, and at least one of our readers finds it inappropriate.
“I was kind of outraged when I saw the packaging encouraging kids to eat froot loops for dinner,” he said. The question is, are these boxes really marketed to kids? Are Froot Loops really what they want you to eat for dinner?
If you read the back of this Krave box, it looks like the idea is to encourage cereal as a late-night snack: maybe a replacement for milk and cookies. Marvo of food blog The Impulsive Buy notes that Kellogg’s “made limited edition nighttime packaging to encourage something I already do, which is eat sugary cereals before bedtime because I ran out of chips and ice cream.” Sugary cereal will never be the healthiest snack you can snack on, but it’s not a whole lot worse than milk and cookies. Heck, if you get out a box of Cookie Crisp, it is milk and cookies.Sahara chief Subrata Roy's bail has been extended repeatedly since last year. (File)
Highlights Subrata Roy, Sahara chief, was arrested in 2014, got bail last year Pay 1,500 crores by mid-June, 552 crores by July 15, judges tell him Sahara has to refund small investors for bonds declared illegal
Subrata Roy, the 68-year-old chief of the Sahara conglomerate will have to return to jail if he does not deposit 1,500 crores with the Supreme Court by June 15. The Sahara chief, who was arrested in 2014 and given bail last year, was present in court and told judges that he would furnish two cheques -one in June and the other in July- totaling about 2,000 crores."We are warning you - if the cheques are not realized, we will send you to Tihar Jail directly from court," the judges responded.The Supreme Court is looking to ensure that Sahara repays thousands of crores to investors that were collected through a savings deposit scheme that was declared illegal by market regulator SEBI. Sahara has been told to refund a principal amount of 24,000 crores. It has paid about 12,000 crores, while missing a series of deadlines for the balance. The court has been insisting that it urgently provide 5,000 crores - of which about half must now be provided by mid-June.Mr Roy's lawyer, former minister Kapil Sibal, argued against the court's decision at the last hearing to auction Sahara's lavish Aamby Valley township near Lonavala in Maharashtra. It is spread over more than 10,000 acres and includes luxury resort accommodation and an 18-hole golf course and its estimated worth is 34,000 crores- more than what Sahara owes SEBI.The court rejected the request to reconsider the auction. "Some times your offer looks like a mirage, it sometimes like a sprinkle," said judges, referring to different repayment options Sahara has made in the past.Mr Roy was arrested in 2014 and placed in Delhi's Tihar Jail. He was granted bail last year to attend his mother's cremation. Since then, his bail has been extended repeatedly. He has yet to be formally charged over the bonds scheme and has denied any wrongdoing.Sahara is still trying to sell some of its prized assets at home and overseas, including New York's Plaza Hotel and London's Grosvenor House hotel.Image copyright AP Image caption Christine Kane wipes away a tear
Parishioners in Massachusetts have admitted defeat in their efforts to keep their church open, bringing to a tearful end their 11-year protest.
A group of about 100 worshippers at St Frances X Cabrini Church in Scituate have kept an around-the-clock vigil.
This month, the US Supreme Court refused to hear their final appeal against the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston's decision to close it.
But on Sunday the protest came to an end at an emotional final service.
It was described as a "celebration of faith and transition" and many of the parishioners shared an embrace and cried.
As the service came to an end, quilts depicting each year of the vigil were taken from the walls of the church and carried down the aisles and out of the church door.
The archdiocese decided to close St Frances X Cabrini and more than 75 other parishes due to dwindling attendances, a shortage of clergy and buildings in decline.
The closings came after child sex abuse scandals plagued the archdiocese.
Image copyright AP Image caption Worshippers fought a decade-long fight to prevent the church closing
Image copyright AP Image caption Nancy Shilts hugs another parishioner before the final service
Several of the churches earmarked for closure held vigils in protest but St Frances X Cabrini was the last church to keep up its occupation.
In parallel with the sit-in was a legal challenge that went through civil courts and even reached the Vatican, but all in vain.
A judge at the state's Superior Court ruled that the archdiocese was legally able to evict the protesters, as the legal owner of the property.
That ruling was upheld by the Massachusetts Appeals Court.
An archdiocese spokesman said he hoped the protesters would be able to attend another church within the district.The ESXi Embedded Host Client has been officially released for ESXi 5.5, ESXi 6.0 and ESXi 6.5. We continue to release Fling versions with the latest bug fixes and features. Fling features are not guaranteed to be implemented into the product.
Summary Requirements Instructions Changelog Comments Bugs
The ESXi Embedded Host Client is a native HTML and JavaScript application and is served directly from your ESXi host! It should perform much better than any of the existing solutions.
Please note that the Host Client cannot be used to manage vCenter.
We welcome any feedback and bug reports. You can post your feedback here on the VMware Labs site, in the VMware.com community forums, or using the Host Client's built-in Feedback tool under the Help menu.
Download the VIB here. If you are looking to automate installation of the latest VIB, we also provide a copy of the latest VIB here.
Known Issues
On hosts using ESXi 6.0 Update 1 or lower and ESXi 5.5 Patch 8 or lower which are assigned a VMware vSphere Hypervisor license (the free license from VMware.com), all modification operations will fail silently. This issue has been resolved in ESXi 6.0 U2 and 5.5 Patch 8.
Hosts with ESXi 6.0 before Update 2 which have a sub-domain name with a combined cookie size of >8KB in-browser web console sessions may fail to initialize. A workaround is to clear cookies or run the host client in an incognito-type window, or alternatively, use the standalone VMware Remote Console application.
For ESXi 5.5 hosts, in-browser consoles are not supported. Please use VMware Remote Console (VMRD) to access guest VM consoles.
For ESXi 5.5 hosts before Update 2, you must ensure to append a trailing / (forward slash) to the URL after /ui. The URL must be https://<esxhost>/ui/
What's missing?
The Embedded Host Client is currently undergoing development. We are working hard to bring the functionality level to that of the vSphere Client, but we're not there yet. Here's what we know is missing:
Resource pool management
Comprehensive performance chart UI with access to all performance counters
Exporting performance counter data to Excel/CSV
Multi-NIC vMotion configuration
Deploying VMs from a URL
Exporting VMs to an OVA
Offline Bundles
Offline bundles are packages that can be loaded into VMware Update Manager to facilitate easy installation of the Host Client onto a cluster of ESXi Hosts
VMware Remote Console VIBs
Installation of the VMRC VIBs is optional and intended to facilitate downloading VMRC in situations where access to VMware.com is not possible. The VIBs are installed into the /locker partition of your host's locally attached disk. This partition has limited space, and so care should be taken to ensure that sufficient space is available. Each VIB is roughly 20 MB in size.
Open source disclosure
We provide an open source disclosure package for the required packages.
A complete open source disclosure can be found in the About dialog of the Host Client.
Feedback
We welcome any feedback or bug reports. Please post here in the Comments or Bugs tab or in the VMware Technology Network community forum.Turnstile's 'Generator' Is A Psychedelic-Hardcore Head Rush
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jimmy Fontaine/Courtesy of the artist Jimmy Fontaine/Courtesy of the artist
Turnstile's brand of turnt-up hardcore is a strange marvel. It is at once a mishmash of the most distinct mosh jams of the '90s — think Snapcase and Rage Against The Machine — and a splatter of Bad Brains-y dub and swirling post-punk, resulting in a psychedelic head rush of heavy. This is music that explodes the most outsized tropes of hardcore, but with a big dang heart.
The band — with roots in D.C., Baltimore and Columbus, Ohio — today announces a new album, Time & Space, its debut for Roadrunner Records. Turnstile has always been up front about its wide-ranging tastes and finding ways to (literally) amplify them, and these guest spots should give you some idea of what we're in for: Sheer Mag's Tina Halladay ("Moon"), Tanikka Charraé ("Bomb") and extra production from Diplo ("Right To Be"). I am already moshing.
YouTube
As a follow-up to the Sun-Ra-meets-Holy-Mountain video for "Real Thing" in early November, the first single for Time & Space really Voltrons the hell out of a pop-hardcore mega thruster. What begins as meaty, mid-tempo thrash riff finds flirty-but-disbelieving uh-huh's responding to Brendan Yates' shouted "gotta make my own way," interlocking into a boom-bap-flange-turned-pop-punk bop complete with hand claps and over-the-top guitar shred. (Deep breath.) There's a lot to unpack in any one moment. But, as Yates tells NPR, it's bound by a theme: "'Generator' is about near-death experiences; out-of-body happenings that really open you up to see your true self without the noise of the world."
Time & Space comes out Feb. 23 via Roadrunner Records. Turnstile goes on tour in early 2018. Track list and artwork below:
1. "Real Thing"
2. "Big Smile"
3. "Generator"
4. "Bomb"
5. "I Don't Wanna Be Blind"
6. "High Pressure"
7. "(Lost Another) Piece Of My World"
8. "Can't Get Away"
9. "Moon"
10. "Come Back For More / H.O.Y."
11. "Right To Be"
12. "Disco"
13. "Time + Space"Travellers on a 104 -day cruise were forced into blackout mode for 10 days because the crew feared an attack from pirates.
There were 1,900 travellers aboard the Sea Princess which was set to sail from Sydney to Dubai, when Captain Gennaro Arma issued a warning, passenger Carolyne Jasinski explained on news.com.au.
REALITY CHECK: Pirate incidents on ships |
the idea that the internal layers inside are completely regular in their make-up. “Jupiter’s molecular envelope is not uniform,” said Tristan Guillot of the University of the Cote d’Azur in France. “We assumed we could treat the envelope as global, but now, with the finer data, it appears less regular.”
Fletcher says it points to a core that is not solid like Earth’s, but “fuzzy” and dilutely mingled with the overlying metallic hydrogen layer.
Massive magnetism
Another shock is that Jupiter’s huge magnetic field is even stronger and much more irregular than expected. The irregularity of the field so far is a sign that the dynamo driving it may originate higher up in Jupiter’s interior, perhaps from a layer of metallic hydrogen.
“I didn’t expect all the theories to be wrong, but there’s motion going on in the planet we did not anticipate,” Bolton said.
Jupiter’s magnetic field also dwarfs the 0.25 to 0.65 gauss at Earth’s surface by an even bigger margin than we expected. Juno readings on its closest approaches so far, presented by Jack Connerney of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, suggest it could be 8 to 9 gauss rather than the 5 gauss predicted.
More tantalisingly, Juno’s magnetometers found that the field dipped in other regions, a telltale sign that the dynamo driving the field is close to the surface over the entire planet, not buried deep within it like Earth’s core.
“Jupiter’s magnetic field is spatially complex, and there were deficits of up to 2 gauss elsewhere,” said Connerney. “We may need many more orbits to resolve this.”
Earth-sized cyclones
The first orbits have also produced several new insights into the planet’s atmosphere. The probe’s JunoCam camera has already sent back amazing pictures of hitherto unknown cyclones over the poles.
Glenn Orton of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, who helps manage the JunoCam website, showed stunning composite videos of the cyclones swirling. “They’re the size of Earth, or maybe half an Earth,” Orton told New Scientist. “They’re probably composed of condensed ammonia.”
Strange white ovals have been spotted, too, in belts south of Jupiter’s equator. They could be clouds containing ammonia and hydrazine, a substance used as rocket fuel on Earth, according to an analysis of Juno infrared radiation readings presented by Alberto Adriani of the Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology in Rome.
Adriani also presented stunning infrared images of the auroras which occur daily at the poles. His analyses revealed that the areas where they glow are composed mainly of methane and an ion containing three hydrogen atoms (H 3 +), at temperatures ranging from 500 to 950 kelvin. Adriani’s composite movies of the auroras – not released to the public yet – were equalled by others showing similar features imaged with ultraviolet spectrometers, presented by Bertrand Bonfond of the University of Liège in Belgium.
The camera is proving tougher than expected, too. Fears that it would last just a dozen circuits because of the battering from Jupiter’s intense radiation have turned out to be misplaced. “The good news is radiation damage so far is almost negligible, so it will operate for many years,” Orton said.
And more data will arrive after the next closest approach on 19 May. Eventually, Juno will fly over Jupiter’s famous Great Red Spot, and Fletcher is excited about the data that will generate. “It means that for the first time, we can go down deep and find out what’s going on underneath,” he says.Two mothers have been arrested in the landmark case against a Michigan doctor and two of her associates charged with performing female genital mutilation (FGM) on six girls, The Detroit News reported.
Prosecutors in the case say the doctor may have cut many as 100 girls.
The two mothers are not American citizens, but rather hold Indian passports and are part of the Dawoodi Bahra Muslim Indian community which is under investigation in the ongoing case. The two women, Farida Arif and Fatema Dahodwala, both from Oakland County, Michigan, were released on $10,000 unsecured bonds and must wear GPS bracelets.
They were to told to refrain from any contact with the other defendants, witnesses and victims, with the exception of their daughters.
The case began with the arrest of Jumana Nagarwala, an emergency room doctor from Northville, who allegedly cut the girls at a clinic in Livonia. The clinic is owned by Dr. Fakhruddin Attar from Farmington Hills and run by wife Dr. Farida Attar, both of whom are charged in the case.
Lawyers for the defendants plan to claim that no mutilation occurred, but rather what took place was a religious procedure. The lawyers will then invoke their clients’ right to freedom of religion.
However, medical examinations showed the girls’ genitals were significantly altered with entire parts of their genitals removed. Scar tissue and lacerations from healing were also observed.
The case, which marks the first prosecution for FGM in the U.S., began in February, when Nagarwala was accused of performing the procedure on two seven-year-old girls from Minnesota and covering up the crime. Since then, the investigation widened significantly.
The Detroit News reports that according to court records, members of the Dawoodi Bohra community who have spoken out against the procedure, it is performed to suppress female sexuality, reduce sexual pleasure and curb promiscuity.
Victims of the procedure from the community say it has left them scarred for life with a host of physical problems (especially having to do with the urinary system) and unable to have sexual pleasure.
The Dawoodi Bahra community generally performs Type I FGM, which involves the removal of the prepuce (the fold of skin surrounding the clitoris) with or without removal of the entire clitoris.
In the following video, members of the Dawoodi Bohra community speak out against FGM:
For a complete report about FGM, see Clarion Project’s in-depth Fact Sheet on the subject or our brief summary, FGM 101.Escaping Fires in High-Rise Buildings with SkySaver
by Joseph Schwartz
Overview
Every year, there are over 16,000 high-rise fires in the U.S. alone – and many more in other countries with a large number of tall buildings. These fires typically cause ± 60 deaths and 1000 injuries each year in the U.S. – many due to inadequate evacuation procedures or lack of safe exits – in situations where seconds count. In ground level homes, both FEMA and the NFPA advise having 2 safe ways out of every room – including windows that open safely and fire ladders on 2nd and 3rd floors. However, in high-rise buildings, the only way out is usually the front door, which may not always be safe.
In major cities, firefighters are usually at the scene of a fire within minutes, and come prepared with equipment to fight the fire and rescue trapped individuals. However, 99% of the world’s fire ladders cannot reach above the 7th floor – and most high-rises are at least 12 stories high.
The Solution
SkySaver (http://www.skysaver.com) provides individuals with an easy-to-use backpack that will automatically lower the user to safety at a gentle rate of 3-6 feet/second (1-2 meters/second). The backpack comes with a carabiner (a metal ring with one spring-hinged side that is used for fastening ropes) that can be clasped to any safe anchor point. Once clipped, the individual simply lowers himself out of any window or other opening such as a balcony or rooftop.
Advantages of SkySaver
Other high-rise rescue systems have proven difficult to use and require some level of training. Overcoming these drawbacks, SkySaver requires no training and can be easily used by virtually anyone. The backpack is extremely small and can be safely stored away in small spaces and accessed easily in an emergency. It requires no pre-installation and needs only a safe anchor point – which should be installed by a competent installer. The anchor point is small and easily covered when not in use.
The Founder
Eli Gross founded SkySaver in 2011 after heading several other successful business ventures in Israel and America. He is an ultra-orthodox Jew who partnered with fire safety and security officials to create a unique and innovative device. One of the initial partners was a former Chief-in-Charge of the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY)’s Research & Development Unit. Eli also worked with Yaakov Nakash, a former Lieutenant General in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), who served from 1999 to 2005 as Commander of the Technical Development Department of the IDF.
The Team
SkySaver has built a team of professionals who have experience in engineering, safety, sales, marketing, and law. The CEO, Avner Farkash, is an engineer with 30 years of experience who previously co-founded Proceed Ltd., a company that developed systems for the Department of Homeland Security in Israel and the United States. More information about the SkySaver team can be found here: http://www.skysaverusa.com/team/
Pictured below are members of the SkySaver team along with professionals from the Standards Institute of Israel. For more info on some of the testing done with SII, check out the video here: http://www.skysaverusa.com/sii-testing/
Recognition
SkySaver has been featured in some of the most popular science and tech blogs – including Gizmodo, Mashable, and Outside – and was recently named as one of the most promising lifesaving inventions to come from Israel. The company has also displayed the product at several expos and conferences across the United States, where it was exceptionally well received. After being presented at a preparedness and survival expo, SkySaver was listed as one of the top five new products at the expo: http://www.realworldsurvivor.com/2015/02/18/top-5-products-from-the-2015-national-preppers-survivalists-expo/#top5products-collage.
Current Status
In May, SkySaver received final certification from the Standards Institute of Israel. They officially launched on August 3rd, and are exploring a number of sales options including direct sales, working with building managers, and utilizing contacts in the safety and security world. They will begin sales soon and hope that in a high-rise disaster, people will be able to self-rescue and avoid harm.
**********
Joseph Schwartz is the Content Manager at SkySaver. He can be reached at josephs@skysaverusa.comBut just 29% of women feel the same
First dates are notoriously awkward – filled with stilted small talk and the inherent tension of being so close to a stranger. Even when the date goes unexpectedly well, free of long silences or desire to hide in the restroom, there is still one lingering question at the end of the night: who pays?
When presented with a list of possible options to solve this classic end-of-date conundrum, respondents to a recent YouGov Omnibus survey were most likely to say that, when a man and a woman are on a date, the man should always take care of the check (35%). Interestingly, more men than women felt this way -- 40% to 29%, respectively. Coming in close second, nearly a third of respondents (32%) felt that whoever initiated the date should be the one paying. This was, however, the most popular answer for women, with 37% saying this is their preferred structure for deciding who foots the bill.
Other answers included splitting the bill evenly (15%), and paying only for what you ordered (9%). Only 1% of US adults think that women should cover the check on a first date.
Given that so few Americans are onboard with splitting the check on a first date, it follows that 37% say they’d be offended if their date asked them to pay for half of the bill. Women in particular feel this way, with nearly half (49%) agreeing they’d be offended, in comparison to just a quarter of men (24%).
Similarly, the large majority of women (76%) would be offended if, while on a first date, their date assumed they’d be paying the whole bill, while just 28% of men say they’d be offended.
While research shows the average amount men spend on a first date is $80, it turns out, people would prefer to be spending slightly less. Looking at YouGov data, the average amount individuals would ideally like to shell out on a first date is closer to $64.
This lower number might relate to the fact that, when asked their ideal first date location, only 3% would want to dine at an expensive restaurant, while 50% of US adults like the idea of getting to know their date while enjoying food at a casual restaurant.
Full survey results available here
Learn more about YouGov Omnibus
Image: GettyWhat is Dyn, and why were they in the news?
You may have heard on the news this weekend that a DDoS attack on a company called Dyn was causing intermittent outages across the internet. The problem illustrates a critical aspect of the structure of the internet. And it’s one that non-IT people rarely think about. Rather than attacking websites themselves, the miscreants were targeting the roadmap that directs internet users to the right place. It’s called DNS.
What is DNS?
DNS stands for Domain Name System. Essentially, it’s a series of servers, located all over the world, that direct website traffic to the right place on the internet. When you type in a domain name like “outerbridge.co.uk”, it actually corresponds to a specific IP address which is a series of numbers. Computers like to talk to each other using numbers rather than words, so “outerbridge.co.uk” is pretty meaningless to a computer unless it’s translated into it’s own numerical code.
Sometimes your computer will already know the IP address (for example, if you’ve visited the website before). If not, it will ask your internet service provider to check its database of domains and associated IP addresses. If that doesn’t work, then it asks a DNS server where to go.
Managing the DNS servers and making sure they are always accessible is a complicated job and a big industry. Most reputable companies pay someone else to provide this service, and Dyn is one such provider. Their DNS service was the victim of the DDoS attack today.
What is DDoS?
DDoS stands for Distributed Denial of Service. A DDoS attack works by bombarding a server with incoming traffic. Eventually the server is overwhelmed and shuts down.
For most large companies, an individual doing this wouldn’t be enough to bring it down. This is where botnets come in. Botnets are large groups of computers infected with malware, secretly, These computes can then be controlled remotely by someone else. So if you get a botnet of thousands of computers all sending traffic to one server, you can overload it. Although Dyn have 18 servers in total, multiple attacks meant that some customers in some regions could not access certain websites. This included major players like Twitter & PayPal. The problems persisted for extended periods of time.
What do lightbulbs have to do with it?
More and more devices with internet capability are being produced. For example, Nest thermostats, wi-fi controlled lightbulbs and home security systems. Manufacturers of these devices tend to focus on function rather than security. Consequently, they are relatively easy to exploit and use for cyberattacks. Dyn have confirmed that one source of the traffic for the attacks were tens of millions of devices infected by something called the Mirai botnet.
Is the entire internet in danger of collapsing under the strain?
No – Dyn is just one of many DNS providers. But cybersecurity experts are warning that it’s likely that we will see more incidents of this type.
What can I do to protect myself?
At this point, you probably expect me to say that if you have an Outerbridge support package then you’ve got nothing to worry about, but of course this is not true. Just like Twitter and PayPal, we pay a DNS provider to look after directing some of the traffic for our customers websites. All live websites are ultimately reliant on some form of DNS provider. Whilst we are using an extremely reputable firm, we cannot guarantee that our customers will never be affected by a DDoS attack. Nor can any other website hosting company.
One thing we can say though is that, if you have an Outerbridge support package, it is us who will be tearing our hair out at 3am and not you! Our customers can rest assured that we regard any problems of this type as our problems, not theirs. We will do everything we can to mitigate the effects of such an attack and find a solution for our customers.
For the ultimate in peace of mind and relaxing weekends, why not find out more about our support packages?"If I told you eight years ago that America would reverse the great recession, reboot the auto industry, and unleash the greatest stretch of job creation in our history... you might have said our sights were set a little too high." Thus boasted the former US president Barack Obama in his farewell address. But is the financial crisis really behind us? Has the strategy implemented to save the banks not, on the contrary, created the conditions for the next conflagration? Cédric Durandwrites.
An abbreviated version of this article appeared in the February 2017 Le Monde diplomatique. Translated by David Broder.
Figure 1: GDP growth in the advanced economies
Happy anniversary! On 2 April 2007, New Century Financial Corporation entered into liquidation. The collapse of this US real estate investment company — the second biggest provider of the now-infamous subprime mortgages — fired the starting gun on a financial crisis bigger than any the world had seen since 1929. Ten years on, capitalism is still yet to recover from this major shock. Growth is sluggish, under-employment endemic and the extreme monetary policies implement by central banks are reaching their limits.
Yet governments have spared no efforts. Over winter 2008–9 the authorities in the rich countries mobilised the equivalent of 50.3% of their GDP, in an emergency bid to reanimate a financial system on the brink of apoplexy.1 Recapitalising banks, exceptional loans, extra liquidity, buying up toxic assets… all budgetary and monetary channels were opened up full-flow in order to restore circulation in the financial system. Meeting for the first time as heads of state and government in Washington on 14 and 15 November 2008, the G20 decreed a general mobilisation around the slogan of restoring financial stability and saving globalisation. Reasserting their "shared belief [in] market principles, open trade and investment regimes," they committed to concerted action to avoid a repeat global crisis of similar extent.2 And to a certain extent the objectives that they set have, indeed, been achieved. The global economy has not experienced a collapse or fragmentation similar to those that marked the 1930s. Thanks to the build up of public deficits, since 2010, world GDP began growing again, and the contraction in world trade was arrested. So is neoliberalism now in the clear?
Nothing could be less certain. While capitalism has not fallen like an over-ripe apple, the system has become bogged down in stagnation. After a brief Keynesian moment in 2009, the reassertion of austerity policies and never-ending structural reforms aimed at economic liberalisation has not led to the kind of rebound in private investment that would allow the reinvigoration of economic activity. Growth in the rich countries is sluggish at around 1.5% and in heavy decline relative to previous decades (figure 1), while unemployment and under-employment remain endemic not only in Europe but also in the United States, where the proportion of the population who are in work has fallen back to 1980s levels. Unable to generate enough of an autonomous dynamic of their own, developing economies are hardly any better-fated. In 2016 China experienced its weakest growth rate since 1990s, while GDP contracted in Russia and Brazil, confirming these countries’ peripheral position in world capitalism.
The lack of a rebound after the crisis was completely unexpected. For instance, the OECD’s growth projections were systematically and massively over-optimistic.3 This persistent anomaly projects us into a novel conjuncture. Contemporary capitalism has lost its perpetual expansion dynamic, and with this its promise of a generalised prosperity. The invalidation of this first principle of its legitimation is resulting in a wide-scale political-ideological reconfiguration. Sadly for the Left, this first of all translates into the new orientation marked out by the post-Brexit British Right and, above all, the new Trump administration in the USA.
Austerity's Failure
"It's time to remember the good that government can do." This statement of Theresa May’s in her address to the Conservative Party conference on 5 October sounded the death-knell for a whole era. The new Prime Minister had not changed social allegiance — she remains firmly tied up with business circles. But she had recognised a simple fact: austerity has not brought the hoped-for recovery; giving the markets a helping hand through the massive deployment of monetary mechanisms has not worked.
Since 2010, government have put the brakes on public spending, with G7 countries drastically reducing their deficits from an average of 6.6% in 2008 to 2.7% in 2015. Erstwhile European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs Olli Rehn openly explained the then-dominant position in a column published by the Wall Street Journal: "No one can live beyond their means forever—not even governments. Both theory-based modeling and practical experience support the conclusion that stability-oriented fiscal policy is far better for growth in the medium-to-long run than a'spend-spend-spend for growth' approach."4 Rebuffing those who warned that through austerity "Europe [was] condemning itself to a long period of slow growth and high unemployment," he declared that on the contrary it would "reinforce consumers’ and investors’ confidence, and thus turn the evident but still fragile recovery into a period of sustainable growth and job creation." As Mark Blyth has shown in a book devoted to the history of the idea of austerity, the theoretical arguments that Olli Rehn invokes do not withstand serious analysis, any more than the test of practical experience.5 Causing a certain embarrassment in academic circles, Thomas Herndon — a masters’ student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst — has shown that the empirical study by two Harvard professors frequently cited in support of debt-reduction policies is riddled with errors.6
The political decision-makers of recent years have no excuse. The failure of austerity policies is today patent. But it was also widely predicted, including among a large section of the public, for example with the 2010 publication of the Manifeste des économistes atterrés.
The limits of monetary policy
The choice to reduce public spending has had the counterpart of leaving central banks to their own devices on the macroeconomic front. Charged with freeing up credit in order to stimulate economic activity, they have displayed an extraordinary activism. First of all, they drastically reduced their key lending rates. These last two years several of them — the ECB, Bank of Japan, and Swiss National Bank included — have even ventured into the unchartered territory of deciding in favour of negative rates.7 In parallel to this, central banks have deployed new instruments such as quantitative easing, which consists of buying public and private debt securities on the secondary market in order to push down their yields. To this end the main central banks have created massive volumes of currency, tripling their combined balance sheets from $6,000bn in 2008 to close to $17,500bn today.8 These extremely powerful policies partly did produce the expected financial effects. Government securities’ long-term interest rates have fallen spectacularly (Figure 2). This means that public debt has become free, or even allows the state to earn money. Thus in December 2016 the interest rate that investors demanded to buy 5-year French debt was negative (around -0.28%) and 10-year debt around 0.65%, whereas the yearly increase in consumer prices stood at 0.7%. In such a conjuncture, and without even taking into account the small GDP growth that itself swells tax receipts, this means that the state is getting richer as it gets more indebted. In short, "Now is the time to borrow, and to borrow long-term." Alas, it was not the French economy minister Michel Sapin who pronounced these words, but Donald Trump a few months before he was elected president…9
Figure 2: Long-term interest rates, Japan, USA, Eurozone
Central bank action, and in particular the long-belated action taken by the ECB, has weakened the speculation on sovereign debts that was the origin of the Eurozone crisis. Yet the goal, here, is not to support public investment, or to finance jobs. The proof is that in Europe the eligibility of public debt for the ECB buy-up programme is conditional — for the countries under Troika assistance — upon their submission to deficit reduction requirements. Quantitative easing is just one further addition to the panoply of instruments created by central bankers in order to reduce the cost of credit and thus stimulate private indebtedness, reinvigorating investment and growth. This monetary policy has allowed a gradual revival in banks’ activity, and breathed air into the stock exchanges. Thus in 2014 global stock-market capitalisation surpassed its 2007 peak, with the collateral effect of aggravating wealth inequality a little further. But investment did not get going again.
A bargain for shareholders
Companies have well understood the godsend that low interest rates represent. As central bankers expected, enterprises took on more debt with banks and, even more so, the markets. In the United States the total amount of bonds has more than quadrupled since 2007. Firms’ total debt has increased considerably during this period, passing from $6,000bn to $8,400bn between 2010 and 2016. At first the rise in Europe was rather more modest, but it rapidly accelerated in 2016 when the ECB drove higher levels of quantitative easing. What do companies do with these borrowed funds? A note published by the Edmond de Rothschild group in October 2016 gives specific clarification on this point: "Companies have used their resources for two other purposes: to increase dividends first and then to buy back shares. Shareholders benefit from both of these actions, as dividends provide them with income and share buybacks boost share prices. Buybacks not only serve to lift share prices, they also improve companies’ earnings per share (since they reduce the amount of shares on the market)."10
In the United States this is unambiguously the case. Since 2014, share buybacks have exceeded $500bn a year, and dividends $600bn, again reaching the record payment levels seen on the financial markets of the 2000s. As for Europe, the initial data regarding the effects of the ECB’s asset repurchase programme point in the same direction: the abundant credit for firms means profits for shareholders, but does not translate into a recovery in investment.
At the macroeconomic level, austerity policies and companies’ refusal to extend their operations have translated into a real stalling of investment. In the main economies, gross fixed capital formation fell by 2 to 3 percent of GDP between the pre- and post-2007 periods. When we look at net investment — that is to say, taking into account the erosion and attrition of existing capital, the dynamic takes a dramatic turn (Figure 3). For each dollar of income in the United States, no more than 4 cents are invested, 2 cents per euro in the Eurozone, and almost nothing in Japan. This means that these economies are making very scant preparations for the generations to come. In certain countries like Italy and Greece, we are even seeing an involution, since the fixed capital stock has been falling for several years, in the latter country reaching the terrifying rhythm of a yearly 7 to 8% fall.
Figure 3: Net investment, Japan, USA, Eurozone 12
The possibility of a crisis
The ultra-lax monetary policy followed up till 2016 allowed for the preservation of the fictitious capital accumulated on the financial markets. While this situation has not degenerated into a generalised depression, nor has it broken out of stagnation — and already, fresh cracks are showing.
A first series of weaknesses directly results from this monetary policy’s success. Reducing interest rates has had the collateral effect of reducing yields on the most reliable assets, which make up a very large proportion of the portfolios of pension funds, life insurance and part of the banking system. This dynamic has aggravated the latent but generalised crisis of pensions in all the countries where funded pension schemes are predominant. On 16 December, for the first time the US Treasury approved the cuts proposed by a pension fund, namely the ironworkers’ fund based in Cleveland. If this process reaches its planned conclusion this will translate into a 20% average decrease in the pensions paid out — but in some more severe cases, depending on individuals’ situations, there will be a decrease of up to 60%. The managers of the fund in charge of 34,000 New York State truck drivers’ pensions have also proposed a 20% cut. In the Netherlands, several funds will trim payments from this year onward, while in Great Britain, where the big firms’ pension system deficit tripled in 2016, these firms are pressuring the government to let them reduce their legal obligations to their employees.
Returning to a more restrictive monetary policy is thus no solution, for the integrity of the long chains of debt criss-crossing our economies is ever more dependent on low interest rates. A decade after the crisis, economic agents remain highly indebted, and if the rate rises in the United States were to accelerate this would cause just as rapid a rise in credit defaults — one liable to contaminate the financial system and then the economy as a whole. The low rates of recent years have also pushed investors to acquire more and more risky assets, which has fed bubbles that would rapidly burst if rates suddenly rose. As the main US bosses’ think-tank the American Enterprise Institute explains, this is indeed an alarming situation: "A dangerous combination of a high global debt level, the gross mispricing of global credit risk, weak banks of systemic importance, and global economic fault lines [like Brexit, the Chinese slowdown and the rampant banking crisis in the Eurozone] make it all too likely that the world is headed for a global economic and financial crisis."11
Breaking out of austerity, a headache for conservatives
The OECD agrees that macro-economic strategy has to change: "monetary policy has been over-burdened and there is now a premium on getting fiscal levers pulled in the right way." This is the broad orientation of the turn that began with the arrival in power of Theresa May and then Donald Trump. But the equation that these latter have to resolve is not so simple, since conservative politicians and the agencies managing capitalism as a system have serious reasons to prefer austerity. As the economist Michal Kalecki noted already in the 1940s, "The social function of the doctrine of'sound finance' is to make the level of employment dependent on the state of confidence." This doctrine is a useful one for business circles, for it means that any policy that contradicts their interests is immediately punished by a fall in investment and employment. Yet as the experiences of the socialist countries, Roosevelt’s New Deal, the French planning of the 1950s and the war economies all show, a government can indeed always stimulate growth up to the point of full employment, on condition that it assures that imports are covered by exports. If most of the time "economic experts" linked to finance and industry rule out such a possibility, they do so for political reasons. They reject any extension of the state’s field of competences, since in their eyes that would entail an unacceptable encroachment upon the sovereignty that capital reconquered through a hard-fought struggle over the last few decades.
Nonetheless, the different segments of capital cannot be satisfied with monetary policy’s inability to reactivate accumulation. The gamble that favourable monetary conditions would allow a revival of economic activity has now failed. The central banks have offered nothing but a pale imitation of economic health, a pseudo-validation of the financial markets’ hopes, which risks transforming into a general crisis yet more powerful than the last one. If we add to this the mounting political tensions, then giving up on achieving balanced budgets in the short term — as the British Chancellor of the Exchequer hurried to do after the Brexit vote — is not such a big deal. That is also what conservatives in the US Congress have in mind; even though they are hostile to public deficits, they must now accommodate to a president who proclaims himself "the King of Debt." The contours of the emerging policy mix have not yet been fixed, but it does now seem that we can say that governments are rediscovering the virtues of public deficits.
The return of monopoly capitalism
Beyond the macroeconomic conjuncture, the years between the 2007 crisis and today have also accelerated a qualitative change toward greater economic concentration. The biggest firms have profited from the mass of low-cost liquidity that was made available to them, multiplying their merger and acquisition operations. In 2015 and 2016 these operations surpassed the historic records reached before the crisis. They have primarily concerned the pharmaceutical industry, the technology sector but also the consumer goods sector. For example, last year the world’s two biggest brewers merged, with Anheuser-Busch InBev (Leffe, Stella, Corona, Budweiser, Hoegaarden, Becks…) buying out South Africa’s SAB Miller for £67bn, making it the third biggest acquisition in history. For the firms concerned, these operations allow them to get rid of redundant jobs and to increase the market share they control. Beyond reduced costs, successful mergers bring a long-term increase in profits, because they expand companies’ customer base and improve their market power relative to their suppliers. Seeking to satisfy their shareholders, big companies are thus transforming into unassailable economic fortresses.
In a report published in April 2016, president Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers expressed its concern over the risks of increased concentration in the US economy.13 It noted a strong decrease in the number of companies being created, even as the rate at which they expired remained constant, as well as a rise in collusion verdicts in anti-trust cases. One particularly impressive fact is that the return on investment among the 10% of best-performing firms is today five times higher than the median level among big firms, while 25 years ago it was only two times higher. This development indicates an extreme concentration of profits in the hands of the biggest of the US economy’s big firms.
As The Economist notes, this concentration is also taking place among shareholders.14 Gigantic institutional investors like Black Rock, State Street and Capital Group together control 10 to 20% of most big US companies, including those directly in competition with one another. These shareholders impose uniform strategies seeking to maximise short-term returns while limiting investment, which would mean intensified competition. Other factors for the concentration of economic power come from the barriers to innovation connected to the proliferation of patents, the advantages associated with the accumulation of data — giving rise to the giants of the digital economy — and the increased role of regulation in competition among capitalists.15 Thus spending on lobbying constantly rises, reflecting the cumulative competitive advantage offered to the most powerful firms by their capacity to push for the adoption of rules favourable to their own activities.
This increased economic concentration is a plausible explanation for the strangeness of the current economic situation. Firms are gorged on liquidity — with more than $800bn in cash available in the United States — but they are not investing. One of the leading Marxist economists of the twentieth century, Paul Sweezy, spent his life analysing the bases of monopoly capitalism.16 His central thesis is that monopolisation feeds and stagnation: in a state of oligopoly, firms receive such great volumes of guaranteed profit flows that there are no equally advantageous opportunities to invest; they thus divert a growing proportion of the surplus from the productive sphere towards the chimeras of finance, feeding a repeated series of bubbles, stagnation and endemic unemployment. Without doubt, Sweezy’s argument is more relevant than ever. It indicates that beyond the mix of devastating economic policies since 2010, the current stagnation has far more powerful motives, owing to the organisation of contemporary capitalism itself.
Like the 1930s or 1970s, the 2010s are a pivotal decade. This is, in regulation school economists’ terms, a great crisis; that is, a period of turbulence in which the difficulties internal to capitalism’s dynamic and social contradictions can only be overcome at the political level, through fundamental institutional changes. These transition phases between two modes of societies’ existence are marked by very great indeterminacy. The invalidation of the previously-existing arrangements generates instability and fluidity, and it drives a form of radicalisation of social actors seeking a way out of the status quo. We find ourselves in precisely such a historical moment.
The attempts to restore the neoliberal and financialised regime that prevailed between the 1980s and 2008 by way of special monetary policies have proven fruitless, while the risks of a new financial conflagration have built up. For the Left, this conjuncture does certainly offer opportunities, but it is also pregnant with threats. If, after decades of retreat, the anti-liberal political Left is today emerging from its marginal role in the Western world, it must now fight two adversaries; on the one hand the disciples of market fundamentalism, and on the other the disciples of a nationalist authoritarianism. Ready to challenge austerity and free trade, today these latter see an ally in the government of the world’s leading economic power.
Notes:POLICE have arrested two people who were circulating an anti-LNP petition on a university campus, in an action described as "insane" by fellow activists.
Student and activist Kat Henderson said she witnessed the arrest this morning, in which police handcuffed protestors at the Queensland University of Technology Kelvin Grove campus and took them away in a police van after they refused to identify themselves to security and leave campus voluntarily.
The man and the woman were campaigning as part of the final day of the QUT student guild elections, which have been marred by allegations of bullying, intimidation and corruption.
Ms Henderson said the pair, who were not university students, were involved in a stall promoting an upcoming demonstration and asking students to sign a petition against the State government cuts to the public service.
"I'm just in shock," Ms Henderson said.
"I've never witnessed anything whereby people have been removed from campus for peacefully promoting a demonstration of any kind."
Ms Henderson said initially security approached the two and asked them for identification.
When the pair refused, the security guards asked them to leave, then called police when they did not.
"When they refused to leave because they felt they had a right, as did all of us, that there's freedom of speech on campus and this was ludicrous, the police put handcuffs on them and |
’s one endless quotable, internal rhymes and bizarre allusions, absurd boasts, sinister threats, and weird voices. It’s hard to blame his parents. What would you do if you discovered your teenager put the ass in assassin while drunk off of six different liquors with a Prince wig plastered on? Personally, I’d congratulate him on giving himself the name, Earl Sweatshirt. –Weiss
32. Homeboy Sandman – “The Carpenter”- [High Water]
Homeboy Sandman’s “The Carpenter” is the best Fast Rap song since Busta’s “Throw the Water on Em” but unlike Bus, Sand never relents. His flow rolls on and on and on over the striking big band thumper produced by 2 Hungry Bros. Listening to the track for the first time is like watching the elevated train chase scene in The French Connection for the first: holy SHIT, this is NOT ending…and it keeps getting better…and there’s more! Frantic and phoentically tight, Homeboy Sandman let’s us know in one breath over a track well over 100bpm that just cause he’s “pro-life don’t mean I ain’t pro-choie” and that he reads Dostoevsky equally as Tolstoy. The new breed of rappers rarely get this serious, much less over beats that would give Talib Kweli an asthma attack. That’s why when I hear the Homeboy, I’m like “oh snap!”. And then I’m like “oh boy!”.-–Zilla
31. The Roots – “How I Got Over” [Def Jam]
Single-handedly damning their schmaltzy John Legend album as irrelevant, “How I Got Over’s” title track does a better job at inspiring can-do spirit than any number of hackneyed, poorly covered oldies. A palette cleansing mission statement dividing its album in half, it’s one of the rare musical moments where The Roots’ self-satisfied side full on works. Kicking off with up-tempo drumming, like much of the album its energy is tinted by the kind of weariness and reserve one can only acquire through two decades of touring. Vocalist Black Thought can’t SANG, but he can certainly hold a tune and his husky, weathered vocals do more to convey the song’s accusatory frustrations and resigned bitterness than a proper R&B vocalist ever could. Then there’s the rhymes, the kind of rapid-fire bravado and introspection that have come to define the group’s late period renaissance only this time, they’re set to uplifting organs rather than evil, atonal synths. “How I Got Over” won’t go down as the Roots’ biggest single but like their TV talk show run, it’s surprisingly entertaining and totally hard-earned, the kind of feel-good victory you actually feel good supporting. Just try to ignore that covers album – yeeeesh. –-Sach O
30. Lloyd Banks ft. Juelz Santana – “Beamer, Benz, or Bentley” [Interscope/G-Unit]
With as minimalist a beat as “Pop Champagne,” or “Drop it Like It’s Hot,” but thankfully without Jim Jones, autotune, or Pharrell rapping, “Beamer, Benz, or Bentley” is the standout track on Lloyd Banks’ unfairly slept-on album The Hunger For More 2. Juelz Satana contributes a typically excellent guest verse, in which we learn that he has a girl whom he refers to as “cigar” because, hey, she’s Cuban. Lloyd Banks remains the best thing to come out of G-Unit other than those brightly colored beaters and he shows that to be true here, rapidly running through the variegated reasons that girls might be interested in getting to know him better (not the least of which is that he apparently owns a Beamer, a Benz, and a Bentley). The song’s even good enough to forgive Banks for rapping “I’m so fly, I’m so Fairy” in the very first verse.--Bromwich
29. DJ Quik & Suga Free – “Nobody” [Mad Science]
In which Suga Free and DJ Quik craft one of the most joyous us-against-the-world invectives in recent memory. “I don’t care ‘bout nobody that don’t care ‘bout me,” sings Suga Free over Quik’s liquid funk, calling out John Mayer for his dubious comments in Playboy and coming to the defence of Tiger Woods, advising him to “never apologize to no prostitute.” Elin Nordegren presumably threw out her copies of Quik Is the Name and Rhythm-al-ism after hearing this song. Suga Free only needs one verse to accomplish what he sets out to — namely pissing everyone off while sounding smooth as fuck — the track then unfurling its Moroder synths as the two let their glorious reunion sink in. You might think that Suga Free doesn’t need to continually let his haters know that he’s made it and they haven’t, but that’s the kind of guy he is: even though he’s left those who said he’d end up dead or a reefer head in the dust, he still can’t let them forget it. —Pagnani
28. Open Mike Eagle ft. Nocando – “Unapologetic” [Mush]
“Unapologetic”, 2010’s smartest rap song, finds two of Project Blowed’s best new wave of recruits Open Mike Eagle and Nocando calling out EVERYBODY: sneaker fiends, ashamed backpackers, ravers, weak openers at rap shows, subtly racist fans, Viacom, Little Brother. Everyone gets a slice in the modern era of fragmented listeners, critical commentators, and dwinlding results from doing what you love. No crying, no bemoaning the pop crowd, no rehashing 90’s beats as a point of rebellion and isolation. Just lazer beam thoughts propelled by two guys who are ok with being outcasts because sometimes the norm just fucking sucks. They promise. — Zilla
27. The Funk League ft. Large Professor – “Through Good & Bad” [Favorite Recordings]
Moaning about thoe fabled good ol’ days is one way of connecting with a hip hop audience for whom contemporary rap feels degenerative. Making a dope song that sounds like it’s been locked in a time capsule for a decade and a half is the alternative favored by French outfit The Funk League and it’s a methodology beautifully realized on ‘Through Good & Bad’. With sleighbells lacing a neck-snapping beat and horns on the hook you’d be forgiven for thinking the mid-90’s was running on a perpetual loop within the space-time continuum. Throw in some eloquent reflections on the ups and downs of the relationship rollercoaster delivered by Flushing’s own veteran Large Pro and you have a bona fide jam. Completely derivative and completely great: This is revivalist rap of the highest order. –Love
26. Twista – “The Heat ft Raekwon”- [Get Money Gang/EMI]
A coalition between legendary Chitown producers No I.D. and the Legendary Traxster resulted in this smouldering beat. People always position Twista as the fast-rapping-dude without ever giving him his due as a lyricist. And helpfully the beat is at the perfect tempo for the Chi rapper to spit circles around it, warning that he will “make you shut the fuck up like silencers or pantomimes.” Raekwon sounds fantastic, oozing quiet menace as he threatens to drop a fridge on you, Lox-style and makes allusions to his African lawyer. And at one point, Twist mentions that his rhyming is “as good as Pelican Brief is”. Funny, he never struck me as a Grisham fan.--Matthews
25. Grimace Federation “Bosico (Aesop Rock Remix)” [900 Bats]
In a year where we discovered the sweeping influence of Ian Mathias Bavitz touched not only The Knux but Danny Brown, Aesop Rock started his post-Def Jux career by creating an official online home, www.900bats.com, dedicated to the “900 bats needeleslly torched to death by renovation workers in Jupitar, India”. Right. Now that he spends his time eating burgers with Rob Sonic in Vegas, posting videos from Kimya Dawson, and building model rocketships to be shot into the San Francisco night. Bazooka Tooth can be picky with his output and do whatever the hell he wants. Case in point: adding arthouse swamp jaw burners to Philly group Grimace Federation’s “Bosico” on a whim and posting it on his site for free. The track isn’t far off from Aesop’s own production on Bazooka Tooth or Fast Cars Danger, Fire, and Knives but the bars are more direct this year: “You never met a button that you ain’t push, or a sucka that you ain’t mush”. Welcome to Bat Country. -Zilla Roccca
24. Big K.R.I.T. – “Hometown Hero” [Def Jam]
Big Krit is an accomplished student of the Southern Rap cannon with a taste for Golden Era East coast soul, but the best sample on his debut Big Krit Wuz Here comes courtesy of a contemporary chunky teenage white girl singer/songwriter from the UK. Krit’s most surprising source material displays two things: the outside-the-box thinking that separates him from the pack and makes his writing so compelling, and most importantly, his prodigious talents behind the boards. There are few people who showed as much care and discipline in fleshing out their loops in 2010. “Hometown Hero” is a show stopper, a mission statement in content and a blueprint in form: Krit’s impassioned drawl and witty similes spit over stirringly flipped production. You get the sense we’ll be seeing him again near the top of this list next year. — Abe Beame
23. E-40 ft. Too Short & 50 Cent – “Bitch” [Sick Wid It]
It’s an E-40 song called “BITCH”. With 50 Cent and Too $hort. Come on. You know you want to.
Emerging from his mansion to bless 40 water with a guest verse, Fiddy proves that he’s still got the knack for this rap shit when he isn’t trying to make music for 14-year-old girls. Too $hort meanwhile continues his streak as rap’s old perverted uncle, growing funnier by the day without quite lapsing into self-parody. Then there’s 40 Water, still rap’s most underrated veteran, he blesses the track with more pimp knowledge per-second than anyone this side of Do or Die. But to be really real with y’all? This one’s not about the lyrics, it’s about a laid-back beat, three major personalities on the mic and one of the year’s stand out choruses all coming together to make a great SONG. — Sach O
22. Freeway & Jake One – “African Drums” – [Rhymesayers]
The interesting thing about the iTunes bonus track “African Drums” off The Stimulus Package is that it really doesn’t sound…that African. A hint of Soul Assassins xylophones with a dash of Aftermath string stabs and some rolling drum fills doesn’t scream out Fela Kuti. My guess it’s a track Free bodied fresh off the plane from the motherland. References to the Nile, Cairo, King Tut, the Arabian Sea, and most importantly Prince Akeem from Coming to America are sprinkled throughout. But Freezer doesn’t come off as the Pro-Black Dead Mike from CB4 (“I’m black y’all”). Instead, he incorporates snippets from his travels along his usual bravado: King Tut was “ruling over Egypt, now I’m on my way to ruling over rap, body people on they remix”. And now the currensy of Zamuda bears his likeness. –Zilla
21. Shabazz Palaces “32 Leaves Dipped in Blackness Making Clouds Forming Altered Carbon” [Sub Pop]
You can only find Shabazz Palaces on the black list. They dip leaves in blackness to form carbon. You think it’s all good cause Jay-Z got a hoop team? Nah. Might bust on you scandlers. These are habits. Tilted hats everywhere. You can’t mack shit. If they want it they can have it. Let them handle it. I see them in the city looking sharper than a cactus. Quick, let me pour Barbara a glass of Chablis. The way her body talks is so fabulous. But when the room is dipped in blackness, you better hope you fulfilled your mother’s last wish. Rebels is drastic. Devils in caskets. But they do it for us. Because we can have it. That hot sauce sprinkled on our cabbage. –-Zilla
20. Vado – “Large in the Streets” [U.N.]
This track is a giant “Fuck You” to anyone who claims New York rap is dead and that NY emcees switching up their beats and flows to appeal southern audiences counts as any sort of progression. The formula’s simple: hard drums, mournful piano samples, a brilliant scratched hook, dope lyrics and a tribute to Big L that manages to pay respects without ever feeling forced. This updated classicism is surprising coming from Vado whose Dipset affiliates spent the better part of the last decade subverting and resisting Illmatic-style NY classicism in favor of outlandish boasts, but its perfectly welcome. Marrying Dipset Swag to Golden Era quality control, Vado’s Large on the Streets was just that: large on NY’s streets. —Sach O
19. J Cole – “Who Dat” [Roc Nation]
It’s fair to say we’d still be saying “who dat” if Jigga never saw it fit to cosign Jermaine Cole. Definitely a bit early to crown the kid, but Cole attacks the warped blaxploitation horns and undulating percussion with a tenacity that matches his borderline-Tourette’s hand gestures in the video. He’s crafted a major label single that encapsulates his writing talents without pandering to a pop audience, yet never descends to Canibus-level science dropping. Probably the most straightforwardly lyrical single to drop on major label since “A Milli.” And “Who Dat” excels on the primal level of what all good rap should aspire to: saying fly rhymes over a dope beat, weaving clever metaphors together with a contagious bravado. And while I’m still not sure what being “Will Smith to the hood” means, I wholeheartedly endorse Cole rapping over “Getting’ Jiggy With It”. –Aaron Matthews
18. Soulja Boy – “Speakers Going Hammer” – [Interscope]
Though the abysmal first-week showing of Soulja Boy’s third album, The DeAndre Way, probably dooms him (it didn’t crack the top 50), it’s really quite good, not a “Yah Trick Yah” in the bunch. The best is “Speakers Going Hammer,” a delightful piece of fantasy that works, in part, because he unexpectedly pronounces every word in the title like John Tesh would. “Speakers go-ing hammer,” he says, in his best white person, “bammer bammer bammer.” There are those distinctive Soulja Boy steel drums, and a siren, which serves to put the neighborhood on notice: Someone you know with a really good system is driving through, and you are never allowed to make fun of him again. Would that it were. — Ben Westhoff
17. Nocando – “Hurry Up and Wait” – [Alpha Pup]
My grandpa always used to say “Hurry up and wait” anytime my dad would accelerate through a yellow light, which probably means my family is entitled to a share of the royalties for this song. Legal issues aside, let’s just all admit that this is the best use of a vocal sample as song melody since at least “Ohh!” and possibly as far back as “A Milli.” Plus, if you pay attention, you can learn some pretty important life lessons from Mr. Cando. Seriously, everybody hates their job so just shut up about it. Geez. –Trey Kerby
16. The Knux – “Medusa (Let’s Get Stoned)” – [Cherrytree/Interscope]
You’d think more Cali rappers would have been in line to drop Prop 19 anthems but then, stoners aren’t exactly known for their political acumen and motivation. Leave it to LA’s most underrated and musically gifted new emcees to come through however, dropping a gem for the cause that’ll stand as a weed anthem long after the midterms forgotten. Over a gem of a beat that switches from psychedelic guitars to synthetic string sections on the drop of a dime, The Knux wax romantic to mary-jane as only true aficionados can, dropping in a few political messages but paying homage to the herb first and foremost. Legalization would have been great but honestly, who cares? We’re all smoking to this song one way or another. –Sach O
15. G-Side ft. 6 Tre & Codie G – “Feel The”- [Slow Motion Soundz]
Trance’s latent influence on rap production this year resulted in 90% unlistenable garbage with the remaining 10% consisting solely of Block Beataz production. “Feel The” mercifully ignores outdated Euro-pop styles entirely in favor of a lean and mean southern banger that knocks in the system and gets the d-boys hype for a night on the town. It doesn’t re-invent the wheel but it’ll get those 22s spinning. Also, G-Side and 6 Tre rap competently about 2010-rapper stuff (drugs, clothes, swag, spaceships) and try not to get overshadowed by the track’s vocal effects and monstrous bass. –– Sach O
14. Raekwon – “Butter Knives” [Ice Water]
This is a verbatim e-mail I sent to Jeff when he posted “Butter Knives” to the site last week: YOOOOOOO WHAT THE FUCK!!! THIS SHIT IS FACE MELTINGLY DOPE!!! AAARRRGGHHH!!!!!! Such is the power of Raekwon’s best performance of the year: it inspires the increasingly rare total rap-fan geek-out. Eliminating any lingering doubts that OBFCL2 was a one-off fluke or a collective nostalgia trip, “Butter Knives” finds Wu-Tang’s man of the hour in prime form and flowing with an intensity that was feared lost to the world only a few short years ago. In a year where Rae held his own against Freeway, Curren$y, Gangrene, Rick Ross, Yelawolf and Kanye West, his words on “Butter Knives” act as a triumphant victory lap but more importantly, they feel like a warm-up for an even deadlier 2011.
Showing no sign of fatigue whatsoever, Rae spits his darts with the fury and precision of a man whose success has rekindled a lust for words. It’s as if his recent success has emboldened him to go in even harder: no joke, this obliterates nearly everything he released last year. Then there’s that BEAT. Reaching further back than the Cuban Linx days, “Butter Knives” features vintage Wu-Tang drums, bass, strings and kung-fu samples, delivering all the energy of classic banger without sounding forced or second generation. If this is a teaser for Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang, get your gooses ready: it’s gonna be a cold winter. –Sach O
13. Tyler, the Creator – “Bastard” – [OFWGKTA]
This is how you start a career. Off the first recorded words, Tyler is all post-adolescent rage and fury. He tells 2 Dope Boyz and Nah Right to fuck off, but they’re just straw men — stand-ins for stiff adult bullshit (college, jobs, families, post-drank cliche jerkin Slauson rappers.. ). Like Jack White said on “The Union Forever,” Tyler wants to be everything you hate. He’s 19 years old. He just wants gingers, donuts, skateboarding, cartoons. If he were 30, he’d have Peter Pan syndrome. But at 19, nothing makes more sense. Every teenager has some variation of this story, but few know the right way to tell it. Over a spare sinister piano loop and synths that glow like toxic waste, Tyler uses a visit with the shrink to tell his story — channeling the spirit of Holden Caulfield if he were the demon seed.
“Sandwiches” may the Odd Future manifesto, (“the golf wang hooligans is fucking up the school again/and showing you and yours that breaking rules is fucking cool again”) but “Bastard” is why they’re still going to be around when rebellion gets old. The murder and rape references are shock-value artifice, they get your attention and it worked. But “Bastard” is the most honest rap song of 2010. No one knew Tyler before, but in six minutes, the picture is clear — tall, dark, skinny, ears big as fuck, single mother, constantly suspended, bullied, going from AP classes to junior college, rolling with skaters and musicians with intuition. He created Odd Future because he knows he’s more talented than 40 year old rappers talking about Gucci. If it doesn’t strike a chord, you either weren’t that type of teenager or you forgot what it was like to be 16. But for those who are or were once angry for both reasons seen and unseen, Tyler acts as an agent of retribution. Ignore the off-base comparisons — comparing them to Wu-Tang does no one any favors. However, OFWGKTA understand what the GZA once said: if ain’t raw, it’s worthless. Let’s hope Tyler never gets his father’s e-mail. –Weiss
12. Black Milk ft. Danny Brown – “Black & Brown” – [Decon]
From the weepy mob-movie strings at the beginning, you’re informed immediately that “Black and Brown” is an event song. Elongated intros and codas are standard on Black’s (not-quite) Album of the Year, but this is where the practice is executed perfectly, where every single note feels like either a vital build of tension or a necessary blast of release. Milk opens the song with a verse that displays his reliable use of assonance and alliteration as percussion, but once he cedes the spotlight to Danny Brown, you are made well-aware of whose track this belongs to. Though this is far from his first high-profile appearance, “Black and Brown” is made to feel like The Entrance of Danny Brown. And the Linwood MC rises to the occasion by running amok all over Milk’s booming drums, spilling out Beverly Hills Cop references, wearing out back issues of Nintendo Power by citing both Shinobi and Kirby’s Dream Land, and toting pot in turkey bags (a trick clearly taught to him by recent collaborator Tony Yayo, with his years of weed-carrying experience). By the time Brown’s verse is over and you’re frothing at the mouth looking for the rewind button, he’s onto the next pirogi. –Douglas Martin
11. Waka Flaka Flame – “Hard in the Paint” – [Brick Squad/Asylum]
Orchestral-sounding gangsta rap music to jog to – now we’re talking. Anyone who judged Waka Flocka as a goofy, OJ da Jucieman-esque, lightweight, accidental hip hop star was blown out of the peanut gallery by “Hard in da Paint,” which combines bluster, threats, and real pathos into a four minute statement of purpose. Though many rapper/producer combos have claimed Snoop/Dre-like synergy, Waka Flocka and his 19-year-old beatmaker Lex Luger have made the strongest case in recent memory, as the song would not have accepted substitutions. It’s hard to say which is the track’s strongest line, “When my little brother died I said, ‘Fuck school,’” or “Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-BOW!” — but both speak Waka’s truths in his inimitable way. –-Ben Westhoff
10. Rick Ross ft Styles P – B.M.F – [Def Jam]
Lex Lugor beats all sound the fucking same: we’re talking about huge, stomping, apocalyptic post-crunk monstrosities meant to induce testosterone rushes in 6 seconds or less. On one hand, that’s instant energy for the club, on the other hand once you’ve heard the best, why bother with the rest? Along with Flocka’s “Hard in the Paint”, Rick Ross’ “B.M.F” stands as the high point in the Lugor oeuvre, a demonic, synthesized haunted-house perfect for the Bawse to spit his most deluded fantasies to. Here, he claimed to run one of Atlanta’s most notorious street gangs, a claim that sat none-too-well with affiliate Young Jeezy whose freestyle over the same beat failed to usurp the original. That’s because Rawse is one of the few remaining emcees that can make gangster rap FUN. Sure he’s about as believable as a coke kingpin as Ice-T is as a detective but who cares when the results are this good? Plus, if you’re up for some proper rhymes, wait for Styles P’s show stealing verse on the back end which serves as your annual reminder that the Lox can still spit like crazy provided someone else picks the beat and figures out the song concept. –-Sach O
9. Das Racist ft. El-P – “Sit Down, Man” – [Self-Released]
You’ll have to excuse my inclination towards natural born cynicism (the only true philosophy of existence) but the first time I heard “Combination Pizza Hut & Taco Bell,” I wanted to punch those guy in the throat with the razor tipped edges of RZA’s funny ass rings. Nearly everything about Das Racist reeked of the synthetic lifeless cultural currency that modern hipster culture almost exclusively trades in. Now I had long decided to live and let live with the hipsters of the world because jade recognize jade and if nothing else, they make for good drinking buddies. This was stepping the line, though. How dare you try to poison hip hop with the same sense of nauseous cultural entitlement as you did rock music? You ain’t that clever, dudes.
If “Sit Down, Man,” the titular track off the second of the group’s two mixtapes this year, is that Das Racist are capable of making rap music that appeals to people who actually enjoy rap. I don’t know if it’s the eerie, grimy production of Scoop Deville (doing his best El-P impression) or the presence of the Funcrusher himself on the track but these boys seem to have been (with all likelihood) shamed into making a song that doesn’t ooze an unearned sense of cultural superiority nor exists to make a cheap joke. The song seethes with a sense of rage about their status as genuine racial outsiders to society that their usual shallow oeuvre only can hint at. Meanwhile, El-P’s guest verse is a whirlwind of twenty-first century pre-apocalyptic fury that we expect and practically need in these dark times. I have no idea if these guys can possibly make something this great, but if they can’t, they might have to take their own advice and take a seat. –-Doc Zeus
(Editor’s Note: Zeus wrote this review chowing down on a chalupa from the combination Pizza Hut & Taco on Broadway & Flushing. He does respect the group’s restaurant advice.)
8. Jay Electronica – “Shiny Suit Theory ft. Jay-Z” [Dogon/Roc Nation]
You have to wonder whether or not, Diddy’s oblique tweets about Jay Electronica’s betrayal triggered Jay’s verse on “Shiny Suit Theory.” You have to wonder if it was the shrink shouted out in the hook that prompted Jay Elect to spit two-thirds of a verse from Puff’s point of view, as a way to cope with his crippling fear of putting out a full album–thus opening him up to scrutiny and criticism. After the Voodoo Man kicks a few of his normal scientific and religious references, he gets into the meat of the verse, rattling off Combs’ sound advice that success and integrity are not mutually exclusive terms, saying, “Nigga, what you scared of?/Terrorize these artificial rap niggas and spread love.” Before ending his verse, Elect remembers Puff’s constructive provocation: “I thought you said it’s the return of the black kings?/Luxurious homes, fur coats and fat chains?”
“In this manila envelope, the results of my insanity.” On the latter-half of the song, the elder Jay weaves in and out of the Mad Men-inspired jingle loop like every album he’s recorded since The Black Album never even happened. The 2003 album is even referenced when he namedrops Warren Buffett, only this time he’s not comparing himself to the man, but standing beside him on the cover of Forbes, weaving it into this compelling look at the nature of his own celebrity (“Went from warrin’ to Warren/Undercovers to covers”). After the God MC once again acknowledges his regal status by referring to himself as “the immaculate conception of rappers-slash-hustlers,” the verse takes a satirical turn, where he rhymes from the POV of the examination doctor, spitting, “You must be off your rocker if you think you’ll make it off the strip before they ‘Pac ‘ya/Nigga, you gotta be psychotic or mixing something potent with your vodka,” before hitting the jugular with the last line: “Don’t believe in dreams/Since when did black men become kings?”–Douglas Martin
7. Danny Brown – “Nowhere 2 Go”- [Rappers I Know]
In his hyped, breathless yelp, Danny Brown runs through a stream-of-consciousness narrative detailing his hopes, dreams and fears in D-Town. Daydreaming about owning a crib on Boston-Edison, fiends O.D.ing on the toilet like Elvis. Remembering friends dead, in jail or off the block. The systematic cycle of street life and jail, what Nas was writing about on “2nd Childhood”. Playing the corner, feeling you’ll never got old. Friends who don’t have shit, Air Force 1s with holes in them. How’s Danny’s living better now, copping vintage Polos and furniture “you touch and be like, what’s this, velvet?”His words are matched by Denmark Vessey’s droning synths and creeping bass, sounding like a midnight stroll through Detroit streets. “Nowhere 2 Go” is an audible tour through Danny’s life and his hometown, capturing the city as most urban citizens experience it: a flow of loosely connected thoughts, reminisces and aspirations. –Aaron Matthews
6. Freddie Gibbs – “The Ghetto” – [Self-Released]
Sometimes, I think Freddie Gibbs was built in a laboratory as a rap Frankenstein. Take some east coast wordplay, west coast attitude, Midwest flow, southern inflection and mix it all in a pot and you’re halfway to the kind of consensus building appeal that Freddie Gibbs is blessed with. For “The Ghetto”, he resurrects a long-forgotten Milk Bone track and then OWNS it, painting a shadowy picture of life in the hood that was fucked up years before people started whispering about “jobless recoveries”. The Kay Gee produced “Keep it Real” is the sort of NYC true-school classic that landed just below the “untouchable” threshold making it the perfect candidate for a 2010 remake. Had Gibbs pilfered say, “93 till Infinity” all he’d have gotten was a chorus of groans and eye-rolls at yet another obvious grab, making this flip all the smarter. Don’t get it twisted though, his choice crate digging serves his wordplay rather than the opposite and what separates “The Ghetto” from the gangsterism glut is the eye for detail. Miles beyond his competitors, Freddie Gibbs is the kind of emcee who can paint a scene you’ve witness a thousand times and yet still make it feel fresh, imbuing it with details hinting at an unspeakably bleak past that’s still dangerously close to his present. A song good enough to bring back the term “reality Rap”. –Sach O
5. Roc Marciano – “Scarface N**ga” – [Fat Beats]
“Scarface N*gga” is like drugs to an addict, blood is splattered like love never mattered. Find him with his Cleopatra in At-lanta. Banging out beats from black hammers with bad grammar. Marc is Mario Puzo out here. Sticking your whole click like voodoo out here. He’s the shooter out here, you doo-doo out here. Snatching fatty girls like FUBU out here, yeah. You’re just asparagus on a plate. First date: an Arabic bitch in Golden State. Don’t be embarassed if he carries hard weight. Matter fact, just hand over the karats and don’t hate. Twin shotties hug the North Face. Ditch bodies before the court dates. Fuck the law, he’s buying up department stores. With warlord cash that’s hotter than Arkansas. Scarface. N*gga. Thousand dollar suits and boots…..--Zilla Rocca
4. Curren$y – King Kong – [DD172/Def Jam]
We ain’t never gonna run out of weed. Some rappers claim they’ll never fall off, Curren$y just wants to let you know that he’s got kush on infinity. Somehow positioning himself as the heir to Jay-Z’s cockiness, Devin the Dude’s weed habit and Witchdoctor’s gothic southern ambiguity, the N.O emcee dominates this track and lets you know that everyone’s favorite giant ape ain’t got shit on him. You’d think a track called “King Kong” would be a hulking beast of song but unlike most of his peers, Curren$y doesn’t do hulking so the track is a mellow roller, as perfect for a New Orleans day as a cold New York night. On point lyrics, a chill beat to smoke to and attitude by the ton, this is the moment where Curren$y went from “the other Wayne weed-carrier” to a serious problem. –Sach O
3. Big Boi – “Shutterbugg” – [Def Jam]
Let’s be honest: y’all motherfuckers forgot about ‘Twan. While Dre was being praised to the dark side of the moons of Jupiter for his cheap Prince imitations and descending from Mount Olympus every six months or so to bless the undeserving mortals with a few verses from the Book of 3000, Big Boi was being locked in the deepest dungeons of label hell. Despite being bequeathed with such gems as “Royal Flush” and “Shine Blockas,” Arista tried to subtlety force our hero to abandon his solo dreams and record another Outkast album with Andre. After signing with Def Jam, he was quickly shipped to the Island of Misfit Veteran Rappers that the Roots, Ghostface and Redman have been unceremoniously dumped in. No promotion for you, big boy! Thus, its something of a minor miracle that “Shutterbugg” became the summer’s most unlikely hit.
“Shutterbugg” is all the world has pined for about Outkast (since Dre decided he’d rather sing) while being a completely different species of ATLien. The track slips, slides and shuffles with a brand of freaked Roger Troutman-meets-Dirty South funk that serves to separate Big Boi as his own artist and not simply “the Other Guy” in the duo. (Inexplicably,) Scott Storch provides Daddy Fat Sax with a colorful playground of rumbling background vocals and booming bass for him to be as authoritative and rich a rapper as ever. Big Boi practically dances over the track with his wicked lyricism and fiery delivery, threatening to keep “shitting on ******* and pissin’ on the seat.” Keep playin,’ Arista because Big Boi is going to keep on keeping it player. Check the resume.–Doc Zeus
2. Kanye West ft. John Legend – “Blame Game” – [Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam]
Following 45 minutes of paeans to power and preening, Kanye West pauses to pick up the pieces. “Blame Game” is an acknowledgment that no matter how much money or fame you have, there are always consequences for your actions. It’s the rare admission of fault, the sad realization that quite often there are no victors. Call someone “bitch for short” all you want — you know that you’re equally at fault. Your anger and venom will not salve the wounds — self-inflicted and otherwise — neither black magic nor clever couplets can repair what you broke. Sometimes, being a douchebag does not deserve a toast.
It’s tempting to extrapolate further, but the specifics are too personal to be about anything else. Kanye captures the feeling of disintegration, a universal one, so we empathize with a petulant billionaire who sends girls cock shots. The preeminent 21st century schizo man, Kanye worships the frivolous. He is an aesthete, prone to garish outfits and brand names. He lives on Mt. Olympus, dates bird-women, and has a pool filled with mermaids. Yet everyone has watched a love affair shrink in an astringent bath of accusations and bad ego, so they go along. It’s a shockingly self-aware song, filled with the devastated realization that diagnosing one’s own failings doesn’t mean that they’re fixable. “Blame Game” stares into the void and offers no answers.
For the first time, Kanye not only feels culpable but understands why things happened the way they did. Consequently, anyone afflicted or victimized by similar self-consumption sees their failings anew, drawing fresh blood from old wounds. “Runaway” may be the album’s stylistic centerpiece, but this is its emotional core. Regardless of your opinion on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Pharisee, “Blame Game” cannot be knocked by slighting the tacky decor or strident attitude. Kanye is always human, but he rarely seems mortal. This may be the most powerful song of his career. Unfortunately, I will never be able to think the same way about upholstery again. –-Weiss
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is a substantively false attack. And I think the reason that Rubio’s allies have resorted to false attack ads is they are very, very nervous about our surge in the polls, about the fact that conservatives are uniting behind our campaign, and they’re even more nervous about all the scrutiny that people are focusing on Marco Rubio’s longtime partnership with Barack Obama and Chuck Schumer pushing a massive amnesty plan. And so I think they were looking to change the subject, and they believed that launching a false attack based on the USA Freedom Act was the way to do it. The facts are simple. The USA Freedom Act, which I supported along with Senator Mike Lee, along with most of the conservatives in the House of the Representatives, along with the National Rifle Association, all of us supported it. We did so, number one, because it ended the federal government’s bulk collection of phone metadata, and it is not necessary to keep us safe to violate the Constitutional rights of millions of law-abiding citizens. I don’t believe the federal government needs to collect in bulk and maintain your and my phone records. That does not further national security. But the second thing the USA Freedom Act does is it strengthens the tools for going after the terrorists. If you have a terrorist, if you have someone who is communicating with terrorists, we need law enforcement and national security to have the ability to intercept their hones, to intercept their emails, to go after and target them. And the USA Freedom Act strengthens the ability to go after the bad guys. That’s why the Rubio PAC ad is false and knowingly false. And I think their efforts to change the topic from Rubio’s longtime support of amnesty, I don’t think that’s going to be successful.
HH: Now Senator Cruz, you know that I can be objective and fair, even though we might disagree on this issue. And I want to put that out there.
TC: Absolutely. Absolutely.
HH: Metadata worries me because of the end to end encryption employed by the Paris terrorists and the delay between the need to track down a suspect and get access to their records. What’s your response to that, because when the moment comes that we have Paris in the United States, and it is coming, in my view, I don’t know if you agree with me on that, we’re going to want to find every bit of information about these people like they did in Paris and Belgium after an attack.
TC: You are right that when we have a terrorist, when we have a cell phone, we’re going to want to track it down and track it down quickly. And the testimony of the intelligence agencies was that the USA Freedom Act increased the ability to target the bad guys, that the old bulk metadata program that swept in your and my information, but it wasn’t all-encompassing. It excluded a significant number of phone numbers, and so it made it less effective. And what the intelligence agencies told Congress is the USA Freedom Act would have greater penetration. They would be more likely to stop a terrorist with the tools in the USA Freedom Act. And so facts matter, and those are the facts, and you asked if I agreed that we have a real risk of another terrorist attack in America, and absolutely, we do. And I think that risk is exacerbated by President Obama’s indefensible attempts to bring tens of thousands of Syrian Muslim refugees to America. And I would note that is a particular irony of Marco Rubio’s attack ad directed at me on national security, because one of the elements of the Rubio-Schumer Gang of 8 bill that Marco Rubio authored was to give Barack Obama more authority to admit Syrian refugees. And it would change the law, if it had passed, it would have changed the law so that you no longer require an individualized assessment of a refugee, but rather, it would have given Obama the authority to make a blanket admission of Syrian refugees, and it required no background checks whatsoever. Now you want to talk about a threat to national security, Marco Rubio and Chuck Schumer giving Barack Obama a blank check to admit as many Syrian refugees as he wants with no background checks, that is a profound threat to national security, and that is why Rubio’s superPAC is trying to change the subject and attack precisely where they know that Senator Rubio’s record is vulnerable, because his amnesty bill weakened our national security.
HH: All right, two last question, Senator Cruz. One has to do with immigration. It’s one of the big differences between you and Senator Rubio. What would you do with the 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States? I know you’re against amnesty, but what would you do with them? Do you think they have to leave? Do you believe in the Donald Trump deportation force?
TC: So Hugh, I think the way we should approach immigration is we should solve it one piece at a time. I do not support comprehensive reform that tries to answer everything all at once. But the question you just asked is where the conversation begins, particularly with Democrats who are pushing it. In my view, we should start where there’s bipartisan agreement. And there are two areas of significant bipartisan agreement. The first is that we have to secure the border and stop illegal immigration. There’s overwhelming bipartisan agreement, especially outside of Washington on that. The second area of bipartisan agreement is that we should improve and streamline legal immigration, that we should continue to welcome and celebrate legal immigrants, Americans by choice is what Reagan called them. I believe we should focus on both of those areas, so I have rolled out a very detailed immigration plan. It’s 11 pages, single spaced. It’s all on our website, www.tedcruz.org, www.tedcruz.org. So you can read it, chapter and verse. Most of the other candidates have not put out an immigration plan at all. Under the Cruz immigration plan, we will start by securing the border. Now that means number one, we will build a wall that works. Current U.S. law, and you know this very well, Hugh, requires 700 miles of double-layered fencing. And the Obama administration has only allowed 36 miles to be built. I will follow the law, and we will build a fence and a wall that works. We will triple the Border Patrol. We will increase fourfold fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft. We will put in place a biometric exit/entry system on visas. We will put in place a strong E-verify system. You can’t get a job without demonstrating you’re here legally. We will end catch and release, which is the Obama administration policy. When they catch an illegal immigrant, of giving them a summons and asking them to come back to court, and a whole bunch of them never show up. We will end the Obama administration’s policy of releasing criminal illegal aliens. We will deport criminal illegal aliens. And all of that will be put in place first. My view is the first thing we should do is secure the border. We will also end President Obama’s amnesty, rescind his illegal executive orders. And the President uses the money from legal immigrants to fund his amnesty program. Instead, I would use that money to improve legal immigration, to decrease the paperwork, the bureaucracy, the waiting period. And so your question, what do you do about the people who are here illegally? Once we secure the border, you stop filling the boat that sinking, a number of people start to go home voluntarily every year to be with their families. That population will start shrinking. After that, you deport the criminal illegal aliens. The population continues to shrink. After that, you put in place strong E-verify so those here illegally can’t get jobs. The population continues to shrink. And then once we have finally demonstrated to the American people that we have secured the border, the problem’s solved, it’s not a promise from a politician, it’s not empty words, it’s been done, then and only then, I think we should have a conversation with the American people about what we should do about whatever smaller population remains. But I don’t think we should start there at the front end. We should start with border security, and that’s what I’ll do as president.
HH: Fair answer. Last question, it is reported that earlier today you told a group of Iowa voters that Donald Trump is simply not going to be the Republican nominee. Mr. Trump responded in a press conference saying that’s something you had to say. What did you say, Senator Cruz, and what do you mean by it?
TC: (laughing) Well, Hugh, as you know, the mainstream media is trying desperately to pick a fight between me and Donald Trump. And so at every press stop, they basically ask a question, please insult Donald Trump, please say something nasty. And I consistently laugh and refuse to do so. I like Donald Trump. Others have thrown rocks at him. I ain’t going to do it. I’m going to keep the focus on substance. Now what I also say is listen, we are campaigning to win. I don’t believe Donald Trump is going to be the nominee. I don’t believe Ben Carson is or Marco Rubio is, or Jeb Bush is or anybody else is. I believe we’re going to win the nomination, and we’re going to win the general in November, 2016, and so I’m working every day to earn the support of Donald Trump supporters. I’m working every day to earn the support of Ben Carson supporters and Rubio supporters and Jeb Bush supporters. We’re working to reassemble the old Reagan coalition. And what is unbelievably encouraging, you know, Hugh, we’re in the middle of a three-day tour through Iowa, 16 counties. And everywhere we’re going, we’re seeing standing room only. You know, Saturday night, we went to a Casey’s in Sheraton, Iowa, small town. Casey’s is a service station and restaurant, and at a gas station at 11:00 at night on a Saturday night, we had 70, 80, 100 people packed into a gas station. We’re seeing that kind of energy and excitement as conservatives are uniting. And if that continues to happen, we win. What the Washington establishment wants to do is divide conservatives. They want some conservatives here, some Evangelicals over there, some libertarians over there, some Tea Party folks over there. And what is so encouraging is we see conservatives coming together, together, together. We’ve had over 500,000 contributions at www.tedcruz.org, and if that keeps happening, if conservatives unite, we win. And that’s what we’re working every day to bring together and make happen.
HH: Senator Cruz, thank you, and I leave you with the admonition to revisit your Ohio State prediction and your lobbying of the college football playoff board, because I think that…
TC: You know, I’ll tell you what, Hugh. Let’s take a Solomonic answer and cut the baby in half. Since the Iowa and South Carolina primaries are coming up soon, let’s start with the Iowa-Clemson national championship game this year, and since Ohio is a critical swing state, next year as we’re approaching the general, I’ll agree with you that Ohio and Florida can go to the national championship next year when they vote for us and ensure that we end eight years of the disaster of the Obama-Clinton domestic and foreign policies.
HH: Senator Ted Cruz, always a pleasure, thank you, Senator. See you in Las Vegas.
TC: (laughing) Take care, Hugh.
End of interview.Manuals.
Sometimes you just can't find the manual to something. Luckily, as time has gone on, more and more companies make their manuals available online for download and reference. It helps a lot when you're trying to find that important fact, or you picked up a piece of equipment used.
Filename
Size
PDF Description
ARCADE Manuals for Arcade Games CAMERAS Manuals for Cameras and Camera Accessories CARS Manuals for Cars CBRADIO Manuals for CB Radios CELLPHONES Manuals for Cell Telephones ELECTRONICS Various Consumer Electronics FAXMACHINES Manuals of Fax Machines FIREARMS Manuals for Firearms HANDHELDS Manuals for Handheld Games MILITARY Manuals from Military Sources PDA Manuals of Personal Data Assistants SCANNERS-A-E Manuals for Radio Scanners (A-E) SCANNERS-F-R Manuals for Radio Scanners (F-R) SCANNERS-S-Z Manuals for Radio Scanners (S-Z) SOUND Manuals for Sound Equipment TELECOM-A-E Manuals for Telecommunications Equipment (A-E) TELECOM-F-R Manuals for Telecommunications Equipment (F-R) TELECOM-S-Z Manuals for Telecommunications Equipment (S-Z)Bitmain, the world’s largest bitcoin mining hardware producer headquartered in Beijing, has announced the launch of ConnectBTC – its newest mining pool. The pool is developed and operated by Bitmaintech Israel, Bitmain’s first R&D center outside of China.
The developers explain that ConnectBTC’s pool provides highly detailed real-time information and analytics to miners, and gives mining operators a better understanding of their performance, without having to develop custom internal monitoring tools. It was fully developed by Bitmaintech in Israel, independently of any other pool.
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“Our role as pools is to provide miners with liquidity and stability. We provide miners with real time data in an easy to use UI, while keeping payment plans simple and stable. In recent years, pools have come up with imaginative new payout methods that confuse customers and displace risks back to the miners” noted ConnectBTC’s Manager, Gadi Glikberg.
Suggested articles Why Brokerages Outsource Their Broker TechnologyGo to article >>
“High subsidies on regular PPS plans allow miners to benefit from the increase in transaction fees while avoiding any risks” he added.
Miners who wish to join the new pool can just register and start mining immediately, there’s no configuration or setup required. ConnectBTC automatically sets up workers, saving mining operators from having to maintain two sets of configurations both locally and at the pool.
Bitmaintech Israel specializes in innovating for pooled mining services, and delivering advanced capabilities to bitcoin mining operations of all sizes.As nice as Daniel Bryan’s celebratory send off was, it wasn’t without controversy, as when leaving the stage Titus O’Neil playfully grabbed the arm of Vince McMahon, leading to a sixty day suspension. Here’s a link to a video for those of you with a strong enough stomach to watch Vince get pulled back for a second.
I’m not sure why Titus did it, or why Vince was so offended, but sixty days is ridiculous! Maybe he deserved a verbal warning at most, since it did slightly mess up the flow of the end of the special (although if the suspension never happened I’m not sure anyone would’ve noticed the arm grab). That being said, I’m pretty sure if Tyler Breeze or one of the Ascension did anything like that, they’d be unemployed right now.BrewDog today announced a profit-sharing plan that will see the Scottish craft beer company give 20 percent of its annual earnings to employees and charities as part of a new “Unicorn Fund.”
Under the plan, 10 percent of profits will be donated to 20 different charities. The other 10 percent will be evenly distributed across its entire workforce, which today stands at more than 1,100 employees.
According to Tanisha Robinson, who was recently tapped to lead BrewDog’s U.S. division as managing director, the company introduced “version 1.0” of the plan – profit sharing for employees only — last July.
“We believe that our beer and our people are the most important parts of our business,” she told Brewbound, noting that BrewDog practices open-book management. “Everyone knows where we stand in terms of net profits and various cost-savings opportunities. Our employees have full transparency on what we are doing, and it is important that everyone participates in our upside.”
Profits that are shared with employees via the Unicorn Fund are posted “in the offices and in the bars,” Robinson said, so that “everyone can see it building over time.”
Funds are then distributed at the end of each year as a bonus.
Version 2.0 of the Unicorn Fund, unveiled today, includes the additional charity component, Robinson said.
“This is the biggest community-fueled, crowdfunded charitable contribution in history,” she told Brewbound. “It allows us as a company, and as a team, to think about how we engage the community and use the whole business as a lever for positive impact.”
Here’s how it works:
Ten percent of profits will be donated to “worthy causes.” Five percent will go to those chosen by BrewDog’s 57,000 Equity for Punks investors, and five percent will be issued to charities chosen by employees.
Both Equity for Punks investors and BrewDog employees will be allowed to nominate charities, Robinson said, and BrewDog employees will ultimately select the 20 charities that will receive funding.
“Outdated CSR policies have zero consideration for their real-world impact, existing merely for the purpose of an oversized check and an awkward photo shoot,” BrewDog co-founder James Watt said via a press release. “This is a call to arms for businesses to democratize the impact their charitable contributions can have on their community, their people, and the world.”
Prior to establishing the charitable component of the Unicorn Fund, BrewDog’s most significant non-profit outreach included brewing, packaging and donating beer to Brewgooder, a craft beer label that donates 100 percent of its profits to clean water projects around the world. BrewDog plans to maintain that initiative as well, Robinson said.
The company expects to share as much as $116 million with employees and charities ($58 million each) over the next five years, Robinson said.
If that’s the case, BrewDog is projecting profits of $580 million over the next five years (or $116 million on an annualized basis). The company netted just $9.1 million in profits in 2016, according to The Telegraph.
“In our tenth year at BrewDog, we hope to inspire a new kind of business with the Unicorn Fund; one that doesn’t measure profit in purely monetary terms,” Watt said via the release. “Our mission for the next decade at BrewDog is not simply to redefine the beer industry, but to redefine industry itself.”
Earlier this year, BrewDog sold a 22 percent stake to TSG Consumer Partners, a private equity firm with stakes in Pabst and Sweetwater Brewing Company.
The deal, worth $265 million, valued the company at more than $1.2 billion when it was announced in April.
Watt, along with co-founder Martin Dickie, are said to have netted more than $100 million from the deal, according to The Sunday Times.
Robinson wouldn’t comment on Watt and Dickie’s take, saying only that a portion of the proceeds from the sale were set aside for Equity for Punks investors interested in selling their shares.
Most of those investors opted to maintain their positions in the company, and Robinson said the “vast majority are in it for the long haul.”
“We are excited about that,” she said.
The company began distributing beer for its new Ohio brewery six weeks ago, Robinson said, and BrewDog USA has already secured more than 1,400 points of distribution.
The company is currently working on plans to begin distributing beer in Indiana, Kentucky and Pennsylvania – something that could happen this year – and assessing additional regional distribution expansions for 2018.
Robinson also confirmed plans to take the company public over the next five years, saying BrewDog’s “big focus” is to “create a ton of value in the business by expanding markets and opportunities.”
“A lot of that momentum will dictate when we go public,” she said.MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia’s strength is being tested by sanctions imposed by the West and the country must react in a level-headed way, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev told members of the country’s ruling party, United Russia, on Monday.
“When a series of our partners, if they can be called that, test Russia’s strength through sanctions and all kinds of threats, it is important not to succumb to the temptation of so-called easy solutions and to preserve and continue the development of democratic processes in our society, our state,” Medvedev said in a televised speech.
The European Union and the United States imposed late last week a fresh set of sanctions against Moscow for its policy on Ukraine, further limiting access for some of Russia’s key companies to foreign capital markets.About FindLegalHelp.org
Findlegalhelp.org is provided as a public service by the American Bar Association's Division for Legal Services. While the information on this site is about legal issues, it is not legal advice or legal representation. Because of the rapidly changing nature of the law and our reliance upon outside sources, we make no warranty or guarantee of the accuracy or reliability of information contained herein or at other sites to which we link. We assume no responsibility for any information, advice or services provided by any site to which we link. The American Bar Association sponsors a number of programs to improve the justice system, but is not able to help people with specific legal problems or cases. The Association is not able to refer you to an attorney.In April, a boat carrying as many as 950 migrants en route to Europe capsized off the coast of Libya, killing nearly all of its passengers. The shipwreck, which may be the worst maritime disaster in the Mediterranean since World War II, is just one in a long series of incidents that have left tens of thousands of migrants dead in recent years. Nobody knows exactly how they all died or even how many have died. But the Migrant Files, a dataset of migrant deaths and disappearances that a group of European journalists have stitched together through government, media, and nonprofit reports, provides a useful though incomplete picture. Below, we display an icon for every Europe-bound migrant who has died or disappeared since 2005, based on data from the Migrant Files. Click the icons to learn more about each incident.Most women, even those who dream of having children, are afraid of childbirth. It hurts much, you never know how long it will last and if there will appear complications. My nephew’s birth lasted about 7 hours, my sister-in-law, his mother, says, it was complicated, exhausting and very painful. This is why anything (that, of course, doesn’t harm the baby) that could help ease the pain and make childbirth faster is a dream of every pregnant woman. Here’s something that does help. Brazilian scientists found out that taking water aerobics, or aqua aerobics, classes during pregnancy help significantly ease the childbirth pain as well as speed up the overall process.
Scientists from the University of Campinas (Sao Paulo) held a study which examined future mothers (71 women in total). Half of the participants took 50-minute exercise sessions at the pool three times a week. According to the results, 27% of women who exercised water aerobics required painkillers during childbirth, while this number in the control group was about 65%.
Aqua aerobics and swimming are considered the most suitable types of fitness for the pregnancy period. Water removes pressure from the spine, joints, and ligaments and provides optimal pressure on the pregnant woman’s muscles and cardiovascular system. In addition, pool exercises help relieve stress and learn how to breathe rhythmically.The father of a four-year-old boy is facing charges after Houston police say the child fatally shot himself Sunday morning with a stolen gun.
It happened at an apartment on Northborough Drive off West Rankin Road around 8:15am.
According to the Houston Police Department, 20-year-old Marquiez Pratt was asleep when his son shot himself with a stolen gun.
"This is not the case of a responsible homeowner having a weapon for protection," HPD Sgt. Brian Harris said. "This is the case of a person who has drugs in the home, has a stolen gun and is asleep."
Four-year-old Jaiden Pratt Calloway was spending the weekend with his father as he regularly did. Jaiden's mother had planned to pick him up at noon Sunday, but the boy accidentally shot himself in the stomach, according to police. He died at the scene.
Pratt reportedly woke up to the sound of the gunshot and immediately ran outside to call police.
"The father was carrying the boy in his arms, pleading for help, screaming, running around," HPD Sgt. Brian Harris said. "And even in his utterances -- 'I messed up; I messed up' -- he acknowledges that it was stupid.
Officers arrived and began performing CPR, but Pratt suddenly ran upstairs, ignoring officers' commands to stop.
According to Harris, the Glock.40-caliber handgun that Jaiden hot himself with was stolen during a 2011 burglary. Investigators said they also found crack cocaine, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia in the apartment.
Pratt was barefoot with a puzzled look on his face as was led into a patrol car. He was charged with endangering a child and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute -- both felonies.
"The father, Marquiez Pratt, there's no doubt that he loves his son," Harris said. "He's in mourning and he's in pain, and he feels a lot of self-guilt for all this."
Pratt was in jail Sunday. No bond has been set yet and a court date is pending.
Pratt reportedly told officers he burglarized drug dealers to support his family, but he raised Jaiden to know not to play with guns and drugs.
Meanwhile, police were forced to call extra security to calm down neighbors and family members.
"Beautiful young boy, four years of age, very healthy," Harris said. "Other than the circumstances, it seems to be fairly decent living conditions and very healthy young boy. Just a tragic, tragic story."
Stay with abc13.com and Eyewitness News for the latest on this developing story.
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Download our free apps for iPhone, iPad, Android and Blackberry devicesJennifer Lawrence — Oscar winner, wearer of Christian Dior ball gowns, and lover of pizza — turns 24 on August 15. Happy birthday!
Considering Jennifer Lawrence‘s incredible list of accomplishments, it’s hard to believe that the Oscar winner is turning just 24 on August 15. She’s had a pretty amazing year — read on for the highlight reel, check out our gallery of her stellar fashion, and leave your good vibes in the comments below.
Jennifer Lawrence’s Birthday: Oscar Winner Turns 24 On August 15
Jennifer may have lost out to Lupita Nyong’o for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar at the 86th annual Academy Awards for her role as Rosalyn Rosenfeld in American Hustle, but we’re sure that she wasn’t crying too hard over it. After all, she did take home the Golden Globe for the same role — not to mention that the 24-year-old already has an Oscar at home, which she won in 2012 for her leading role in Silver Linings Playbook.
Upcoming for Jennifer is a reprisal of the role which launched her into the stratosphere — The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1 is set to release Nov. 20.
She’ll also be appearing in a leading role with Bradley Cooper once again, because if it ain’t broke, why fix it? The 39-year-old actor has acted opposite her in two Oscar-nominated roles. They’ll both star in Serena, based upon the novel of the same name by Ron Rash. Despite production having wrapped in 2012, a release date has not yet been set. You can check out a first look here, however.
Jennifer Lawrence & Nicholas Hoult Have Split… For Now
As for Jennifer’s personal life, she tends to disappear into the ether when she is not actively doing promotion for a role. However, we do know that she and on-again, off-again boyfriend Nicholas Hoult, 24, are off — for the time being, anyway. They first started dating in 2010, while filming X-Men: First Class, but broke up in Jan. 2013, only to reunite later that year, in July, while filming X-Men: Days Of Future Past in 2013. Given the pattern so far, they’ll likely reconnect in the summer of 2015, when X-Men: Apocalypse is said to begin filming.
Finally, here are a couple of GIFs to remind you that Jennifer, despite all her success, is just like us (except in possession of like, way more Dior couture):
Bless her.
Wish Jennifer Lawrence a happy birthday in the comments below, HollywoodLifers, and tell us why you love her!
— Amanda Michelle Steiner
Follow @AmandaMichl
More Jennifer Lawrence News:The Paragon of Corporate Power and Style since 2002.
The Indomitable Borderlands of The Grendels is a gargantuan, cultured nation, ruled by Warleader Yarooo with an iron fist, and renowned for its public floggings, ubiquitous missile silos, and anti-smoking policies. The hard-nosed, hard-working, cynical, humorless population of 35.268 billion Grendels are rabid consumers, partly through choice and partly because the government tells them to and dissenters tend to vanish from their homes at night.
The minute, corrupt, pro-business, well-organized government, or what there is of one, juggles the competing demands of Defense, Industry, and Law & Order. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Hackleburg. Income tax is unheard of.
The frighteningly efficient Grendelsian economy, worth an astonishing 32,431 trillion Golden Bonds a year, is driven almost entirely by the private sector, which is broadly diversified and led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, with major contributions from Information Technology, Uranium Mining, and Gambling. Average income is a breathtaking 919,571 Golden Bonds, but there is a large disparity between incomes, with the richest 10% of citizens earning 4,292,045 per year while the poor average 117,932, a ratio of 36.4 to 1.
Just as students finish their homework it's time for school, peace talks occasionally rack up a higher body count than the wars they seek to stop, East Lebatuck tests its moon rovers in the barren wasteland of rural The Grendels, and only 'organics' are permitted to be citizens. Crime, especially youth-related, is so common that it is unusual to encounter someone following the law, with the police force struggling against a lack of funding and a high mortality rate. The Grendels's national animal is the the Dire Bear, which is also the nation's favorite main course.
The Grendels is ranked 89th in the world and 6th in Wysteria for Highest Crime Rates, with 152.81 Crimes Per Hour."How could I possibly be upset right now?"
Those aren't the words you expect to hear from a manager after his team was just shut out by a division rival, even from the perpetually-positive Joe Maddon.
Yet that's what Maddon opened his postgame press conference with Sunday following the Cubs' 3-0 loss to the Pirates (18-20) in front of 36,289 fans.
The defeat ended a six-game winning streak for the Cubs (21-16) and it was the first loss since the bleachers reopened Monday at Wrigley Field.
Still, it was the end to a 6-1 homestand against the first-place New York Mets and a Pirates team that has made the postseason each of the last two seasons.
"If we had this kind of homestand for the rest of the season, I'd be very pleased," Maddon said. "There's nothing to be upset about. Zero."
The Cubs wasted a stellar start from Jake Arrieta, who allowed just one run on five hits and a walk in seven innings while striking out seven. It was Arrieta's first quality start since April 26 in Cincinnati.
"Outstanding," Maddon said of Arrieta. "Really good stuff.... Not a bad thing to say about him. Their guy was really good. [Pirates starter A.J.] Burnett's pretty much reinvented himself and he's pitching at a very high level right now.
"We were there moment-for-moment. They just got their run and we didn't."
[MORE: Travis Wood ready for whatever in move to Cubs bullpen]
After averaging 5.5 runs per game during the streak, the Cubs couldn't muster up any offense off Burnett, who lowered his season ERA to 1.38 with seven shutout innings.
The Cubs consistently worked the count, drawing five walks from Burnett, but they only managed three singles off the 38-year-old right-hander.
Pittsburgh outfielders combined to make a handful of very nice plays throughout the afternoon, including two highlight-reel plays from Andrew McCutchen in center and a pair of running catches at the wall with runners on base from left fielder Starling Marte and right fielder Gregory Polanco.
"It was one of those things where we had hard-hit balls kinda at guys or guys made some pretty good plays to record the out," Arrieta said. "It's one of those games where you feel like you won at the end because you played fairly well, just weren't able to scratch across a couple runs or get the big hit in that certain situation.
"But guys had good at-bats today.... We're gonna have games like that where the other guy is better than our guy. We just have to keep grinding and I think the way we've been playing the last couple series, if we keep that going, we're gonna be fine."
Starlin Castro and Miguel Montero each singled and walked, while Kris Bryant collected the only other hit off Burnett. Bryant left the game after the fourth inning as he was feeling under the weather.
[SHOP CUBS: Get your Cubs gear right here]
Addison Russell doubled off Pittsburgh's dominant setup man Tony Watson to lead off the eighth inning and Anthony Rizzo later walked, but both were stranded on base when Castro lined out to center.
The Cubs mounted another rally in the ninth as Jorge Soler reached on a one-out error and Chris Coghlan followed with a base hit. But Welington Castillo flew out to the warning track in right field and Russell grounded out to end the game and the winning streak.
Rizzo said the Cubs can feel the energy and excitement from the fans with the renovations at Wrigley coming together at the same time the product on the field is getting sharper and Arrieta called Sunday's game a playoff-type atmosphere.
"At the end of the day, as a team, we're excited about the way things are going, regardless of today's loss," Arrieta said. "And we're looking forward to the offday [Monday] and getting ready for San Diego."On a busy main street in Calgary’s Beltline neighbourhood, green medical crosses are emblazoned on the windows of a shop in an upscale strip mall.
Among the cafes, restaurants, and big-name retailers, a national chain of marijuana dispensaries has opened its first location in the city.
“We didn’t want to be pushed to the shadows,” said Frederick Pels, president and CEO of The Green Room, when asked about the storefront’s location.
“We didn’t want to be in the pawn-store-liquor-shop districts of cities. We picked it deliberately because we’re fighting a stigma.”
The Green Room already operates marijuana dispensaries in Vancouver, Toronto, and Nelson, B.C., as well as a storefront in Pels’ hometown of Edmonton.
Like the Edmonton location, the Calgary shop will not be selling marijuana products — at least, not yet.
READ MORE: Northern Alberta grow-op discovered after child accidentally calls 911: RCMP
“Right now, we’re opening as an information centre. It’s to allow people to get access to information and see how else cannabis can help them,” Pels said.
Pels said education and clarifying misinformation about cannabis is the key behind the company’s foray into the Calgary market prior to legalization.
“The reason behind it wasn’t a personal advantage; it was to show the city (and) the citizens what legalization could and should look like, at least from my point of view.
“This is a good way to showcase what we can do and what the industry could look like once legalization happens in Calgary.”
Despite the educational nature of the store’s opening offerings, Pels hopes once legalization becomes the law of the land, this location will also be able to become a dispensary.
“People come in, they get educated, they become a member of The Green Room (and) then they’re able to access any of our other dispensing locations,” he said. “Then they’re ahead of the curve when we do have product on-site for sale.”
READ MORE: Calgary hoping to work with Edmonton ahead of federal legalization of marijuana
The location of the shop — previously a restaurant — underwent a redevelopment permitting process through the City of Calgary. Pels said there was no pushback.
“The community seemed to support it,” he said. “The people who’ve been walking by have just been delighted that something like this is finally here.”
If all goes according to plan, the Beltline won’t be the only neighbourhood where the company sets up shop. Pels hopes to open at least two more Calgary locations in the next six months.Jonathan Davis has recalled thinking that Sepultura’s 1996 album Roots was a “blatant Korn rip-off.”
He says his younger self couldn’t get his head around Max Cavalera and co’s record at the time – but insists they were such an influence on him that he’s now come to terms with the album and that “it’s all good.”
When asked if he’s proud of the bands Korn have inspired in their 23-year career, Davis tells Metal Hammer: “Yeah. Slipknot were inspired by what we did, but they took it and did their own thing, which is fucking amazing.
“One that I thought was a big compliment, but I also thought was fucked up, was Sepultura’s Roots album. That was just a blatant Korn rip-off, and I had it out with producer Ross Robinson about that, because he just took our sound and gave it to Sepultura.
“My young brain couldn’t handle it. But they were one of our biggest influences, so I guess they get a pass. And that’s a classic album, so it’s all good.”
Korn guitarist James ‘Munky’ Shaffer adds: “Here’s the thing – that was us trying to imitate them! When Sepultura released Chaos A.D. in 1993, that was a huge influence on us, and it’s still one of my favourite records. Now I’m older, I can appreciate art inspiring art.”
The full interview with Korn features in the upcoming issue of Metal Hammer – out next week in print and via TeamRock+.
Earlier this week, Korn released an animated video for their track A Different World featuring Slipknot’s Corey Taylor on guest vocals. It’s lifted from Korn’s upcoming album The Serenity Of Suffering which will launch on October 21 via Roadrunner Records.
Korn are currently on tour across the US.
The Serenity Of Suffering cover art
Korn: The Serenity Of Suffer |
our country and abroad, and technology can help us do that. Sometimes that means making compromises as a society. But reasonable people know that there’s one thing which isn’t subject to compromise: math.
The basic security of our digital devices is made possible because of a field of applied mathematics known as cryptography. In short, this means taking data and scrambling it so that it can’t be understood. If you want to unscramble the data, you need to have a unique key that will unlock it, unraveling the code and turning seemingly random characters into a clear message.
Cryptography is the foundation of information security throughout the digital world. It means that when you log into your email, you can read the messages — but other people can’t. We use crypto when we access our bank accounts, social networking sites, and documents stored in the cloud. Crypto safeguards our medical records, our location data, and the photos we send to our loved ones. The modern digital age and the Internet we have now were built atop the math of cryptography.
Today, mathematicians, engineers, and some of your own advisors are saying the same thing about the encryption debate: you can’t build a backdoor into our digital devices that only good guys can use. Just like you can’t put a key under a doormat that only the FBI will ever find.
This isn’t what certain career politicians and outspoken members of the Justice Department want you to believe. They’re searching for a quick-fix technical solution. They keep wondering why the engineering community can’t just find an answer. Even at SXSW you admitted that you didn’t have the expertise to design the kind of compromise you called for, where the encryption backdoors are magically secure and “accessible by the smallest number of people possible, for a subset of issues that we agree are important.” That’s because it’s not possible.
Too often, technical experts are ignored. Maybe it’s because they’re speaking in the dull realities of computer science and math. But as simple as the message may be, it’s still true: math can’t be negotiated away just because it’s inconvenient.To remove the pressure of being the first six-figure player
The Treasury at the time did not approve of the steep transfer fee
You got…
You realise this is probably as good as life is going to get, don't you?
We're a little bin in love with you right now
Just two geek points short of perfection. Well done!
You're rapidly becoming the first name on the teamsheet
You're a decent squad player
Pretty, pretty average
'Championship? You're having a laugh'... Maybe League One if you can make it to the play-offs
A loan spell at Hartlepool is calling you (and not even Jeff Stelling is happy about it)
Have you considered another sport?
Have you considered another quiz?
A hen picking answers at random would get 2.5 more answers right than youETag magic with Django
An ETag is a feature of HTTP that allows for a web server to know if content has changed since the last time the browser visited the page. The client sends the ETag from the cached page in a header. If the ETag in the header matches the current ETag then the server lets the browser know that the cached is up-to-date by sending back a 304 Not Modified response.
The most natural way to build an ETag is to generate it from the HTML returned by the view, which I believe is how the default view caching works in Django. The downside of this is that the page is generated even if the client has a cached copy, and all that is saved is the cost of sending the page to the client.
Bigger wins can be had by using Django's conditional view processing to calculate an ETag outside of the view. I haven't seen the requirements documented, but as far as I can tell there is only a single property needed in an ETag:
The ETag should vary with the page, i.e. when the page content changes, the ETag chages.
A simple alternative to generating an ETag from the page content is to store a version number on the model, or models, that are used to generate the page. If this version number is incremented each time the page content changes, then the version number itself can be used as the ETag.
If you want to keep a version number for a Django model, store it as an IntegerField and increment it in the model's save method, or hook up a post_save signal handler and do it there.
Keeping a version number is easy to implement, but it has the disadvantage that you have to access the database each time the view is accessed. It would be nicer still, if the ETag could be generated without even that single DB query.
I have experimented with a simple method of doing this with Django's caching system. My ETags are random strings stored in the cache with a key that is created from the parameters to the view. When the DB object changes, the existing ETag is replaced with a freshly generated one.
Using a random string, unconnected with the model, may seem counter-intuitive, but the contents of the ETag are unimportant as long as it varys with the page.
Here's some example code taken from my current project.
def get_etag_key ( username, desktop_slug ): etag_key = "desktopetag. %s. %s " % ( username, desktop_slug ) return etag_key def get_etag ( request, username, desktop_slug ): """ Create an etag for the a given deskop. The etag itself its stored in the cache and is a random identifier. The cached etag is changed when the desktop changes, so it is always unique. """ etag_key = get_etag_key ( username, desktop_slug ) etag = cache. get ( etag_key, None ) return etag @etag ( get_etag ) def desktop_view ( request, username, desktop_slug ): # An expensive view
The view desktop_view is a typical Django view, decorated with the etag decorator which simply calls the get_etag function to pluck the ETag (if it exists) from the cache – a very fast operation, particularly if memcached is deployed.
The other part of the system is the code that is called when the DB object is changed:
etag_key = get_etag_key ( username, desktop_slug ) cache. set ( etag_key, str ( random. random ()))
The above code simply generates a random float and converts it to a string, which serves as a perfectly good ETag. If you are paranoid (and every good engineer is), you could also append the current time in milliseconds to avoid the possibility of re-generating the same random number.
etag_key = get_etag_key ( username, desktop_slug ) cache. set ( etag_key, str ( random. random ()) + str ( time. time ()))
So far, it seems like a pretty good system with negligible overhead, although I haven't yet used it in a production environment. There is a downside of course; if you are using an in-memory cache, like memcached, then your ETags will be lost when the server is power cycled – and subsequent pages will regenerated even if there is a cached copy. As always YMMV.Washington (CNN) -- The United States has 5,113 nuclear warheads in its stockpile and many thousands more that have been retired and are awaiting dismantling, according to a senior defense official.
The release of the number of warheads marks only the second time in U.S. history the government has released the once top secret information.
The Pentagon statistics show the nuclear stockpile was reduced by 75 percent between the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and September 30, 2009, and 84 percent since its peak of more than 31,255 in 1967.
The 5,113 warheads include active and inactive ones, according to the senior defense official.
The numbers released Monday also include yearly statistics on the strategic long-range and nonstrategic short-range weapons dating back to 1962. Previously released information on the stockpile size showed the number of warheads from 1945 through 1961.
The release of the most recent stockpile accounting by the U.S. government "is important to nonproliferation efforts, and to pursuing follow-on reductions" after the upcoming ratification of the updated START treaty, according to a fact sheet released by the Pentagon on Monday.
"We think the United States has set an example of transparency," according to a senior defense official.
Reporters were briefed on the statistical information at the Pentagon as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton addressed the United Nations during a conference to review of the nuclear nonproliferation treaty.
Active warheads are those ready to be used within a short period of time, while inactive warheads are maintained but have key parts removed from them, the official said.
The United States has thousands more nuclear warheads that have not been dismantled but are slated to be taken apart. Those weapons have key parts removed from them and are not maintained, the official said. The warheads are only being kept secure and it would take a good deal of effort and money to restore them to working order, the official said.
The Pentagon did not provide a figure on the number waiting to be dismantled, but did acknowledge there are thousands.Bruce Jacobson, a Christian TV executive from North Richland Hills, announced Thursday that he is challenging Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, in 2018.
In a video, Jacobson said he's "ready to serve my state with humility" — and took some thinly veiled shots at Cruz, who was first elected to the Senate in 2012 and unsuccessfully ran for president in 2016.
“Most politicians today are far more interested in serving themselves and their own agendas rather than serving the people who elected them," Jacobson said. "Blinded by their own political ambition, nothing ever gets done, and we have political gridlock. Now, with a Republican in the White House and a Republican majority in Congress, it makes no sense that we can’t move forward a contrastive agenda. Most of this gridlock comes from the obstructionists in the Senate."
Jacobson faces a steep climb against Cruz, who remains popular with his base and has over $6 million in the bank for his re-election bid. Still, Jacobson is arguably the most prominent name to emerge as a Cruz primary challenger. Houston energy lawyer Stefano de Stefano and Dan McQueen, who briefly served as Corpus Christi mayor in 2016 and 2017, are also trying to unseat Cruz in the primary. Cruz faces a Democratic challenge from U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke of El Paso.
The Texas Tribune thanks its sponsors. Become one.
Jacobson, who had been exploring a Cruz challenge for months, produces "Life Today," a show hosted by televangelist James Robison, who has served as a spiritual adviser to President Donald Trump. He was a White House staffer under President Ronald Reagan and a regional appointee under President George H.W. Bush.TLDR? If you just want to see the full working example crate, generating bzip2 bindings on-the-fly, it is available on Github here.
Table of Contents
Motivation
Often times C and C++ headers will have platform- and architecture-specific #ifdef s that affect the shape of the Rust FFI bindings we need to create to interface Rust code with the outside world. The state of the art solution so far has been to maintain a different set of bindings for each of our supported platforms. This might be a manual process if we’re writing our FFI bindings by hand, or slightly (and only slightly) less manual if we’re running bindgen once on each supported platform and checking in the generated bindings.
The result has been that maintaining Rust FFI bindings to C and C++ libraries has been tedious, even with bindgen to help automate some bits.
Recently, we exposed library usage of bindgen that enables us to put bindgen in the [build-dependencies] section of a crate’s Cargo.toml file and generate bindings for the current platform on-the-fly from inside a build.rs file.
No more need to manually generate and check-in into our repository a different set of bindings for each supported platform!
What follows is a whirlwind introductory tutorial to this brave new bindgen + build.rs world. We’ll generate bindings to bzip2 (which is available on most systems) on-the-fly.
Note: we won’t be publishing these bindings on crates.io becuase there is already a bzip2-sys raw FFI crate and a bzip2 crate providing a nice Rust-y API built on top of that. This tutorial is only for exposition!
Step 1: Adding bindgen as a Build Dependency
Declare a build-time dependency on bindgen by adding it to the [build-dependencies] section of our crate’s Cargo.toml metadata file:
[ build-dependencies ] bindgen = "0.20.0"
Step 2: Create a wrapper.h Header
The wrapper.h file will include all the various headers containing declarations of structs and functions we would like bindings for. In the particular case of bzip2, this is pretty easy since the entire public API is contained in a single header. For a project like SpiderMonkey, where the public API is split across multiple header files and grouped by functionality, we’d want to include all those headers we want to bind to in this single wrapper.h entry point for bindgen.
Here is our wrapper.h :
#include <bzlib.h>
Step 3: Create a build.rs File
First, we have to tell cargo that we have a build.rs script by adding another line to the Cargo.toml :
[ package ] build = "build.rs"
Second, we create the build.rs file in our crate’s root. This file is compiled and executed before the rest of the crate is built, and can be used to generate code at compile time. And of course in our case, we will be generating Rust FFI bindings to bzip2 at compile time. The resulting bindings will be written to $OUT_DIR/bindings.rs where $OUT_DIR is chosen by cargo and is something like./target/debug/build/libbindgen-tutorial-bzip2-sys-afc7747d7eafd720/out/.
extern crate bindgen ; use std :: env ; use std :: path :: PathBuf ; fn main () { // Tell cargo to tell rustc to link the system bzip2 // shared library. println! ( "cargo:rustc-link-lib=bz2" ); // The bindgen::Builder is the main entry point // to bindgen, and lets you build up options for // the resulting bindings. let bindings = bindgen :: Builder :: default () // Do not generate unstable Rust code that // requires a nightly rustc and enabling // unstable features.. no_unstable_rust () // The input header we would like to generate // bindings for.. header ( "wrapper.h" ) // Finish the builder and generate the bindings.. generate () // Unwrap the Result and panic on failure.. expect ( "Unable to generate bindings" ); // Write the bindings to the $OUT_DIR/bindings.rs file. let out_path = PathBuf :: from ( env :: var ( "OUT_DIR" ). unwrap ()); bindings. write_to_file ( out_path. join ( "bindings.rs" )). expect ( "Couldn't write bindings!" ); }
Now, when we run cargo build, our bindings to bzip2 are generated on the fly!
There’s more info about build.rs files in the crates.io documentation.
Step 4: Include the Generated Bindings in src/lib.rs
We can use the include! macro to dump our generated bindings right into our crate’s main entry point, src/lib.rs :
#! [ allow ( non_upper_case_globals )] #! [ allow ( non_camel_case_types )] #! [ allow ( non_snake_case )] include! ( concat! ( env! ( "OUT_DIR" ), "/bindings.rs" ));
Because bzip2 ’s symbols do not follow Rust’s style conventions, we suppress a bunch of warnings with a few #![allow(...)] pragmas.
We can run cargo build again to check that the bindings themselves compile:
$ cargo build Compiling libbindgen-tutorial-bzip2-sys v0.1.0 Finished debug [ unoptimized + debuginfo ] target ( s ) in 62.8 secs
And we can run cargo test to verify that the layout, size, and alignment of our generated Rust FFI structs match what bindgen thinks they should be:
$ cargo test Compiling libbindgen-tutorial-bzip2-sys v0.1.0 Finished debug [ unoptimized + debuginfo ] target ( s ) in 0.0 secs Running target/debug/deps/bzip2_sys-10413fc2af207810 running 14 tests test bindgen_test_layout___darwin_pthread_handler_rec... ok test bindgen_test_layout___sFILE... ok test bindgen_test_layout___sbuf... ok test bindgen_test_layout__bindgen_ty_1... ok test bindgen_test_layout__bindgen_ty_2... ok test bindgen_test_layout__opaque_pthread_attr_t... ok test bindgen_test_layout__opaque_pthread_cond_t... ok test bindgen_test_layout__opaque_pthread_mutex_t... ok test bindgen_test_layout__opaque_pthread_condattr_t... ok test bindgen_test_layout__opaque_pthread_mutexattr_t... ok test bindgen_test_layout__opaque_pthread_once_t... ok test bindgen_test_layout__opaque_pthread_rwlock_t... ok test bindgen_test_layout__opaque_pthread_rwlockattr_t... ok test bindgen_test_layout__opaque_pthread_t... ok test result: ok. 14 passed ; 0 failed ; 0 ignored ; 0 measured Doc-tests libbindgen-tutorial-bzip2-sys running 0 tests test result: ok. 0 passed ; 0 failed ; 0 ignored ; 0 measured
Step 5: Write a Sanity Test
Finally, to tie everything together, let’s write a sanity test that round trips some text through compression and decompression, and then asserts that it came back out the same as it went in. This is a little wordy using the raw FFI bindings, but hopefully we wouldn’t usually ask people to do this, we’d provide a nice Rust-y API on top of the raw FFI bindings for them. However, since this is for testing the bindings directly, our sanity test will use the bindings directly.
The test data I’m round tripping are some Futurama quotes I got off the internet and put in the futurama-quotes.txt file, which is read into a &'static str at compile time via the include_str!("../futurama-quotes.txt") macro invocation.
Without further ado, here is the test, which should be appended to the bottom of our src/lib.rs file:
#[cfg(test)] mod tests { use super ::* ; use std :: mem ; #[test] fn round_trip_compression_decompression () { unsafe { let input = include_str! ( "../futurama-quotes.txt" ). as_bytes (); let mut compressed_output : Vec < u8 > = vec! [ 0 ; input. len ()]; let mut decompressed_output : Vec < u8 > = vec! [ 0 ; input. len ()]; // Construct a compression stream. let mut stream : bz_stream = mem :: zeroed (); let result = BZ2_bzCompressInit ( & mut stream as * mut _, 1, // 1 x 100000 block size 4, // verbosity (4 = most verbose) 0 ); // default work factor match result { r if r == ( BZ_CONFIG_ERROR as _ ) => panic! ( "BZ_CONFIG_ERROR" ), r if r == ( BZ_PARAM_ERROR as _ ) => panic! ( "BZ_PARAM_ERROR" ), r if r == ( BZ_MEM_ERROR as _ ) => panic! ( "BZ_MEM_ERROR" ), r if r == ( BZ_OK as _ ) => {}, r => panic! ( "Unknown return value = {}", r ), } // Compress `input` into `compressed_output`. stream. next_in = input. as_ptr () as * mut _ ; stream. avail_in = input. len () as _ ; stream. next_out = compressed_output. as_mut_ptr () as * mut _ ; stream. avail_out = compressed_output. len () as _ ; let result = BZ2_bzCompress ( & mut stream as * mut _, BZ_FINISH as _ ); match result { r if r == ( BZ_RUN_OK as _ ) => panic! ( "BZ_RUN_OK" ), r if r == ( BZ_FLUSH_OK as _ ) => panic! ( "BZ_FLUSH_OK" ), r if r == ( BZ_FINISH_OK as _ ) => panic! ( "BZ_FINISH_OK" ), r if r == ( BZ_SEQUENCE_ERROR as _ ) => panic! ( "BZ_SEQUENCE_ERROR" ), r if r == ( BZ_STREAM_END as _ ) => {}, r => panic! ( "Unknown return value = {}", r ), } // Finish the compression stream. let result = BZ2_bzCompressEnd ( & mut stream as * mut _ ); match result { r if r == ( BZ_PARAM_ERROR as _ ) => panic! ( BZ_PARAM_ERROR ), r if r == ( BZ_OK as _ ) => {}, r => panic! ( "Unknown return value = {}", r ), } // Construct a decompression stream. let mut stream : bz_stream = mem :: zeroed (); let result = BZ2_bzDecompressInit ( & mut stream as * mut _, 4, // verbosity (4 = most verbose) 0 ); // default small factor match result { r if r == ( BZ_CONFIG_ERROR as _ ) => panic! ( "BZ_CONFIG_ERROR" ), r if r == ( BZ_PARAM_ERROR as _ ) => panic! ( "BZ_PARAM_ERROR" ), r if r == ( BZ_MEM_ERROR as _ ) => panic! ( "BZ_MEM_ERROR" ), r if r == ( BZ_OK as _ ) => {}, r => panic! ( "Unknown return value = {}", r ), } // Decompress `compressed_output` into `decompressed_output`. stream. next_in = compressed_output. as_ptr () as * mut _ ; stream. avail_in = compressed_output. len () as _ ; stream. next_out = decompressed_output. as_mut_ptr () as * mut _ ; stream. avail_out = decompressed_output. len () as _ ; let result = BZ2_bzDecompress ( & mut stream as * mut _ ); match result { r if r == ( BZ_PARAM_ERROR as _ ) => panic! ( "BZ_PARAM_ERROR" ), r if r == ( BZ_DATA_ERROR as _ ) => panic! ( "BZ_DATA_ERROR" ), r if r == ( BZ_DATA_ERROR_MAGIC as _ ) => panic! ( "BZ_DATA_ERROR" ), r if r == ( BZ_MEM_ERROR as _ ) => panic! ( "BZ_MEM_ERROR" ), r if r == ( BZ_OK as _ ) => panic! ( "BZ_OK" ), r if r == ( BZ_STREAM_END as _ ) => {}, r => panic! ( "Unknown return value = {}", r ), } // Close the decompression stream. let result = BZ2_bzDecompressEnd ( & mut stream as * mut _ ); match result { r if r == ( BZ_PARAM_ERROR as _ ) => panic! ( "BZ_PARAM_ERROR" ), r if r == ( BZ_OK as _ ) => {}, r => panic! ( "Unknown return value = {}", r ), } assert_eq! ( input, & decompressed_output [..]); } } }
Now let’s run cargo test again and verify that everying is linking and binding properly!
$ cargo test Compiling libbindgen-tutorial-bzip2-sys v0.1.0 Finished debug [ unoptimized + debuginfo ] target ( s ) in 0.54 secs Running target/debug/deps/libbindgen_tutorial_bzip2_sys-1c5626bbc4401c3a running 15 tests test bindgen_test_layout___darwin_pthread_handler_rec... ok test bindgen_test_layout___sFILE... ok test bindgen_test_layout___sbuf... ok test bindgen_test_layout__bindgen_ty_1... ok test bindgen_test_layout__bindgen_ty_2... ok test bindgen_test_layout__opaque_pthread_attr_t... ok test bindgen_test_layout__opaque_pthread_cond_t... ok test bindgen_test_layout__opaque_pthread_condattr_t... ok test bindgen_test_layout__opaque_pthread_mutex_t... ok test bindgen_test_layout__opaque_pthread_mutexattr_t... ok test bindgen_test_layout__opaque_pthread_once_t... ok test bindgen_test_layout__opaque_pthread_rwlock_t... ok test bindgen_test_layout__opaque_pthread_rwlockattr_t... ok test bindgen_test_layout__opaque_pthread_t... ok block 1: crc = 0x47bfca17, combined CRC = 0x47bfca17, size = 2857 bucket sorting... depth 1 has 2849 unresolved strings depth 2 has 2702 unresolved strings depth 4 has 1508 unresolved strings depth 8 has 538 unresolved strings depth 16 has 148 unresolved strings depth 32 has 0 unresolved strings reconstructing block... 2857 in block, 2221 after MTF & 1-2 coding, 61+2 syms in use initial group 5, [ 0.. 1 ], has 570 syms ( 25.7% ) initial group 4, [ 2.. 2 ], has 256 syms ( 11.5% ) initial group 3, [ 3.. 6 ], has 554 syms ( 24.9% ) initial group 2, [ 7.. 12 ], has 372 syms ( 16.7% ) initial group 1, [ 13.. 62 ], has 469 syms ( 21.1% ) pass 1: size is 2743, grp uses are 13 6 15 0 11 pass 2: size is 1216, grp uses are 13 7 15 0 10 pass 3: size is 1214, grp uses are 13 8 14 0 10 pass 4: size is 1213, grp uses are 13 9 13 0 10 bytes: mapping 19, selectors 17, code lengths 79, codes 1213 final combined CRC = 0x47bfca17 [ 1: huff+mtf rt+rld { 0x47bfca17, 0x47bfca17 }] combined CRCs: stored = 0x47bfca17, computed = 0x47bfca17 test tests::round_trip_compression_decompression... ok test result: ok. 15 passed ; 0 failed ; 0 ignored ; 0 measured Doc-tests libbindgen-tutorial-bzip2-sys running 0 tests test result: ok. 0 passed ; 0 failed ; 0 ignored ; 0 measured
Step 6: Publish Your Crate!
That’s it! Now we can publish our crate on crates.io and we can write a nice, Rust-y API wrapping the raw FFI bindings in a safe interface. However, there is already a bzip2-sys crate providing raw FFI bindings, and there is already a bzip2 crate providing a nice, safe, Rust-y API on top of the bindings, so we have nothing left to do here!
Check out the full code on Github!The Tibetan National Football Team was formed in 2001. To this day, neither FIFA nor the Asian Football Confederation will recognize the team. Due to the country’s political status, it took 5 years before the team was able to compete in any form of tournament, qualifier or otherwise. The competition they eventually entered was called the “FIFI Wild Cup“, and it was organized by an online gambling network. The event saw the Tibetan national playing against other unrecognized nations, like Gibraltar and Northern Cyprus. For the moment, this is the best these teams can hope to see.
The Tibetan team’s manager, Kelsang Dhondup, was interviewed by TibetNet back in 2003.
“When we first started the association, two important things were laid out as our immediate plan. One was to form a standard national football team and the other was to organize a national football tournament,” Dhondup explained.
For Kelsang, this team is part of a larger vision. His work doesn’t stop with the National Football Team, he also helped to found The Tibetan National Sports Association (TNSA). The TNSA is organized much like other national team’s governing bodies, but their lack of support forces them to operate more like a local weekend league. He hopes to one day develop nationwide youth programs, and someday see Tibetan athletes recognized in international competition.
“[O]ffers have come from Japan and Germany asking us to send young Tibetans who have special interest in sports,” Dhondup says. “We are also planning to get well-known trainers and sports personalities to visit different schools and give more exposure to the children.”
Unfortunately, without support from the international community, the TNSA’s dream will most likely wither on the vine.
For a large part of history, Tibet and China were separate entities. Although they often fought for control of the same region, the current dichotomy wasn’t established until the second part of the 20th century.
In 1959, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) declared their supremacy over Tibet and solidified that position with the aid of military force As a result, the Dalai Lama was forced into exile. The Dalai Lama currently leads an organization called the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), which many view as the Tibetan people’s true government. The CTA currently operates out of Dharamsala in India. This dispute between China and Tibet has raged on internally ever since then.
Outside of China, there have been many positions taken on the issue. While the US and UK both officially accept that Tibet is part of China, public opinion continues to be mixed.
During a 2008 meeting with President Obama, the Dalai Lama was able to discuss the nation’s grievances. Even though President Obama continued to endorse Chinese sovereignty in the region, it was the first time any US President had held a meeting with the Dalai Lama.
Since then, Tibetan protesters have made very little headway with the PRC, but the idea of national athletic competition has begun to catch on.
In 2011, the Tibetan Women’s National Team was formed. Earlier this summer, four years after they were formed, that team was invited to Berlin play their first match on international soil. The Tibet Post sat down with Cassie Childers, the women’s Program Manager, to talk about the event.
“The aim was to transcend political, religious and social differences,” said Childers. “The Tibetan delegation’s attendance marked the first time that female Tibetan athletes ever competed in an international event, and the first time Tibetan athletes of any sex have competed with Chinese athletes post-1959.”
“For Tibet Women’s Soccer, football is definitely a political act,” she explained. “These young women have been told not to play football. They have been told that football is important for boys, and not for girls by leaders in the community. Their progress has been blocked and stifled in many ways by the people in charge. But when these young women made the decision to play football despite all the opposition, it is very much a political act.”
“My mother and I marched to the Nepal-Tibet border with [my brother], to raise awareness of Tibetan rights. Since [2008], Tibetans are not welcome in Nepal,” midfielder Lhamo Kyi explained to the South China Morning Post. “The Nepalese army put a gun to [my brother’s] head. He told the soldiers they could kill him, so long as they didn’t kill me and my mum. They sentenced my brother to five years in jail � two years ago he disappeared. Now, I play football for him.”
Lhamo is only 18 years old, but her stories belie her age. Like many others involved with the team, the “Free Tibet” movement has a deeply personal meaning for Lhamo. While the players may not be the world’s best athletes, they are driven by something far greater than sports � they compete with a purpose.
In 2014, Steve Taylor, PhD, wrote a piece for Psychology Today, and I believe it’s particularly relevant here. Taylor asked:
“Why has the world become more peaceful? It may be partly due to the nuclear deterrent, the demise of Communist Bloc, increased international trade and commerce, the growth of democracy� But sport is most likely an important factor too. It’s surely not a coincidence that, over the 75 years of this steady decline in conflict, sport has grown correspondingly in popularity. The excitement and intoxication which was once derived from warfare� The heroism and loyalty or feeling of being “more alive” on the battlefield can [also] be gained from the athletic or football field.”
If Taylor is correct, if war might be avoided through sport, then I welcome every event with open arms. I would even watch curling if it could one ounce of bloodshed. I believe most people would join me in that statement.
I don’t know if will make a tangible impact on their relationship with China, but I look forward to the day when I can tell people “I just watched the Tibetan National Team play their first real international match.”
[Photo via TibetanReview.net]I’m back from my mountain vacation, and just in time too – on the morning I left, I squeezed out the last of the product left in my travel size tube of Primera Cresswhite Brightening Cleansing Foam. I panicked a little before realizing I’d be coming home soon, where I have multiple full size tubes of this cleanser placed strategically throughout my bathroom.
The Primera brand is new to me – I only discovered this cleanser because Alice slipped a travel size bottle of it in with one of my W2Beauty orders. I fell in love with this cleanser the moment I tried it, and desperately searched for more information about Primera. Sadly, that information isn’t readily available in English, but I was able to ascertain that Primera is one of Korean cosmetic giant Amore Pacific’s brands. Its claim to fame is that it contains lots of natural, organic ingredients, similar to the Origins brand here in the US. I’ll be posting some photos below this review that Alice was nice enough to snap for me of the Primera store in Seoul. Unsurprisingly, that store looks like heaven to me.
Now, on with this review!
What is it?
The Primera Cresswhite Brightening Cleansing Foam ($29) is a foaming cleanser, as the name suggests. In my Asian skincare routine, I’ve been using it as the second cleanser during my double cleansing step. This cleanser promises to gently and thoroughly remove impurities and debris, while making tired skin clear and bright.
Ingredients (special thanks to Lindsay for the translation!):
purified water, glycerin, stearic acid, myristic acid, PEG-32, potassium hydroxide, lauric acid, cocamidopropyl betaine, watercress extract (0.012mg), nicotinamide, green tea, lotus extract, timber bamboo sap, cowslip extract, peppermint leaf extract, tail flower/leaf/stem extract, drumstick tree seed extract, lemon balm extract, yarrow extract, lady’s mantle extract, (common) mallow flower/leaf/stem extract, plum extract, glyceryl stearate, disodium EDTA, lauryl glucoside, lactose, lecithin, microcrystalline cellulose, butylene glycol, ceteth-20, cetyl alcohol, sucrose, steareth-20, ethanol, corn starch, xanthan gum, chromium hydroxide green, phosphatidylcholine, PEG-100 stearate, PEG-14M, PEG-200 hydrogenated glyceryl palmate, PEG-75 stearate, PEG-7 glyceryl cocoate, PEG-90M, hydrogenated lecithin, sodium benzoate, lemon peel oil, bergamot fruit oil, lavender oil
This ingredient list is really a mixed bag. Let’s take a look at the good stuff first – there are plenty of interesting actives in this cleanser. Some that peaked my interest include:
Watercress Extract – This ingredient is the namesake for the Cresswhite cleanser. Watercress contains a variety of beneficial skin nutrients, including Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and most notably, carotenoids. Carotenoids have been shown to protect against oxidative damage, making it a nice ingredient to use after sun exposure. (Here’s a study)
Niacinamide – It’s listed as nicotinamide in this ingredient list, but it’s the same thing. I promise. Niacinamide is a hydrating, brightening, anti-inflammatory ingredient that has been clinically proven to reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
Green Tea – Green tea is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory ingredient that helps with redness reduction (including redness caused by rosacea) and has also been shown in studies to improve skin elasticity and inhibit the aging process. The benefits of green tea are heavily documented – for example, in this recent study, which shows it to be an effective anti-wrinkle agent, and this study, which shows it to be especially effective for skin improvement when combined with lotus extract (as it is in this cleanser’s formula).
Timber Bamboo Sap – The thing that makes bamboo sap so interesting is it’s silica content. Silica (not to be confused with silicone, which is an entirely different substance) is naturally produced by the human body and helps keep our skin, hair, and nails healthy. As we age, we produce less of it, but using it as a topical treatment helps keep skin moist, healthy, and bright.
Now for the bad news – there is a plethora of irritants and acne triggers in this cleanser. According to COSDNA, some of the biggest offenders include Lauric Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Ethanol, and one of my biggest nemeses – Cetyl Alcohol. Strangely, this cleanser has not broken me out at all, even though I have acne prone skin and a known sensitivity to Cetyl Alcohol. I suspect that this is because it’s a product I’m immediately washing off my face, as opposed to moisturizer, which remains on my face for a sustained period of time. The flip side of this is that in the same manner that the bad stuff isn |
course of several decades. The construction has been concentrated in these areas for the last 30 years. There have been several instances where the Bedouins violated the agreements, and all the necessary demolition and confiscation orders were made and undertaken."A wave of drug overdoses in Georgia has killed as many as four people and hospitalized dozens over two days, health officials said on Tuesday.
Christopher Hendry, the chief medical officer at Navicent Health, a hospital in Macon, said at a news conference that officials believed the spate of overdoses was linked to yellow pills that users bought on the street. He noted, however, that toxicology reports will not come back for a few more days, so the causes of the deaths have not been confirmed.
“There is a new drug that’s surfaced in our community,” he said. “It’s being sold on the street as Percocet, however, when it’s taken, the patients are experiencing significant and severe decreased levels of consciousness and respiratory failure.”
In a statement, the Georgia Department of Health said while the overdoses were reported in south and central Georgia, the drugs may also have been sold in other parts of the state.In honor of LGBT History Month (October), we will be exploring some of our historical content and sharing historical perspectives from readers. If you’d like to contribute, please email us pghlesbian at gmail dot com.
In 2007, we covered a significant story – the decision by a lesbian-centric fundraiser, Celebrate the Night, to ban a trans woman from performing based on her gender identity. The woman’s name is Jessi Strucaly. She and her now-wife, Emilia Lombardi, pushed back against the transphobia, seeking support from the larger community.
Life was different in 2007. There were almost no local trans led organizations. Social media was also new so we mostly communicated online via email groups. The dialogue around this matter ripped through one such group, Queer Events Pgh, exposing the underbelly of ignorance, prejudice, and the absence of intersectional thought in the queer, feminist, and LGBTQ communities. The most oft-repeated claims were a denial of Jessi’s identity as a female (lots of TERF lingo) and the fear about airing the dirty laundry.
The City Paper ran a feature story on Jessi and the situation, including a gorgeous cover image. This is how Jessi came out to most of her family, coworkers and the community-at-large, by taking a stand for trans visibility.
Jessi’s contribution to regional LGBTQ history is quite significant, especially as a measuring stick for how much things have and have not changed. Her personal bravery has always moved me along with her sense of humor. She resisted boundaries that are still in place and never accepted that she was a second-class LGBTQ citizen. I deeply admire her and will always remember her as a courageous woman.
We caught up with Jessi who is now married to Emilia to chat about the ten-year anniversary of these events.
Looking back at the situation with Celebrate the Night, what strikes you the most ten years down the road?
just how public the situation got. with the city paper article and all. the stir it caused and the support I received.
Why did you decide to ‘go public’ about the situation? I remember you reached out to me and your now-wife Emilia shared the posts via the local queer email list. A few months later, you were featured in a City Paper story. But what inspired you to speak out in the first place?
I had won awards for my acts at magician conventions and being turned down as a performer for being trans bewildered me. I had nowhere to vent my frustrations till I found Sue Kerr and she arranged contact with a reporter from the city paper. the chance to prove my sincerity to the matter and the view of an outlet of my beliefs lead to my speaking out.
Pittsburgh now has multiple transgender led organizations, including the umbrella group TransPride Pittsburgh, as well as an annual TransPride conference. Our Dyke March is now the Dyke and Trans March. Transgender individuals serve on the Mayor’s LGBTQIA Advisory Group. This seems a world away from 2007. Have things changed significantly from your point of view? Should we be further along?
Yes, trans folk are more public with their identity now than before and yes we should be further along, holding public offices and such. the organizations you mentioned above are great sources for informing the public as well as those trans folk that are not aware of just how many of us are out there. they also teach us our rights, about coming out at work, our healthcare and how to get legal name changes.
How did this experience change your life personally and/or professionally?
personally the front page of the city paper outed me as trans, I took it as it came and never looked back. what better way of coming out to friends and family than with headline news, I never had to have “the talk”.
It was a pretty cruddy situation. What made it bearable for you?
the grand support of my now wife Emilia and true friends that didn’t care whether I was trans or not but cared for me.
Are you still active as a professional magician?
no. I was burnt out. after 28 years of running around the country doing shows and 10 years of owning a magic shop, I stopped doing shows once we relocated. I may at some point in my life come out of retirement but I do not see that happening as of now.
You’ve been outspoken on other areas as well as a trailblazer. You have been honest about your sobriety, you were a pioneer as an openly transgender woman in the carpentry union, you were the first trans person to win a local leather title (Miss Pittsburgh Leather Fetish 2011) and I’m sure I’m missing some things. Do you see any connection between this situation and other milestones in your life?
the only connection I see is the publicity between it all, I had been open and forthright about being trans and tho I may have lost some “friends” I still got it out in the open. I do at times miss the excitement of holding titles and competing in magic at the conventions. I do miss the attention I received at times, but is nice to just be myself, with my wife, leading a quit life.
You grew up in rural Western PA. Do you think the progressive changes in Pittsburgh have trickled out to the outlying counties, especially with regard to the trans community?
I did not grow up in a rural area but did live ruraly in my 30’s and early 40’s. I have seen more and more trans folk coming from rural areas now and being more vocal but that just may be my own awareness. having served the Pa. Dept of public health on the Aids prevention committee, I met trans people from around the state and areas one would not think of as progressive.
Is it fair to say that people should remember our history like this situation with Celebrate the Night and the GLCC even though it was an ugly chapter involving our own community? Why or why not?
history should not be forgotten lest it be repeated.
What is your advice to other adult trans women who do not feel welcomed or affirmed by cis lesbian and bisexual women right now?
persist! it is the squeaky wheel that gets the grease.
Do you have any regrets about your choices in this particular situation?
none and I would do it all again if needed.
What can we learn today by revisiting this historical moment?
that whenever there is injustice it the world, one person will be standing up saying “enough is enough”
Anything else you’d like to add?
this was a good chapter in my life but now a different generation needs to step up to continue the cause. there is still alot of work to do to further the equality of those who identify as transgender.
I was also amused by the number of people that did not know that a transwoman could be a lesbian.
Thank you, Jessi.
Invest in documenting regional queer history by donating today. And reach out to us with regional LGBTQ History we should be revisiting this month.Western Conference rivals FC Dallas and Real Salt Lake walked into Wednesday night's match short-handed and weary. They both walked away from the match with a point that seemed the most fair result. FCD was gifted the lead just before the halftime break as Tony Beltran was inexplicably whistled for a handball in the box with Brek Shea converting the spot kick for his second goal of the year.
In the second half, a Will Johnson pass split the defense and found Emiliano Bonfigli whose low, hard shot beat Chris Seitz to level the match and split the points. I think both sets of fans, coaches and players would say it's a fair result in a game where FCD and RSL had the same amounts of shots and corner kicks. A few thoughts on tonight's match:
A Hard Fought Effort The effort was certainly there from both sides tonight and it was a decent match of soccer to watch. The chances were at a premium and while the penalty kick for Dallas was ridiculous, the final result was what it should have been and another one that was relatively easy to predict. Getting a point from RSL while playing without Villar, Perez, Jacobson and Hartman isn't something you can really complain about.
The 4-4-2 Tonight's 4-4-2 with Sealy and Castillo up top wasn't a disaster, but wasn't great either. I was lucky enough to have a view from a suite tonight that was nearly right on the center line and I can tell you I thought Sealy made some very intelligent runs. He certainly wasn't running around aimlessly out there. At the end of the day, however, it's tough to really fault Schellas for whatever happened out there with the offense. It was a stopgap formation that we likely won't see again. I still feel that Dallas is going to be a very, very good team once they can get all their pieces back on the field.
Keep reading
After 8 games Dallas has 11 points which is on pace for 47 this season, a number that would be around a 6-8 seed. When you take into account that 5 of those games have come against teams with at least 10 points(there are 7 besides Dallas), and that Dallas has yet to play a game with David Ferreira as well as the injury to Ricardo Villar, I think you have to be pretty happy with everything. What I love is that FC Dallas is 3-0-2 at home, you don't win a playoff spot by home form, but you can lose one by not taking care of business in your own house.
Another Man Down The rumors on Carlos Rodriguez's injury is a dislocated elbow and not a break(Edit: It has been confirmed by Carlos that it was a dislocated elbow). That would be fantastic news for Dallas and something that could see him miss less than a month. It's a gruesome injury, no doubt, but not an injury like a hamstring that can be lingering throughout a season. FCD may have dodged a bullet on this one, but we'll find out more later.
What are your thoughts on the match tonight? Another quick turnaround 72 hours from now with a game against a resurgent Galaxy side.
FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman
General thoughts on the match…
I thought we really came out very slow. I thought that first 10, maybe 15 minutes, they had numerous opportunities in our attacking third to create shots and put the ball in the back of the net and we were able to survive. I thought after that we started picking it up, putting a lot of pressure on them, probably the latter 20 minutes of the first half, a lot of crosses, which is something we were talking about. We felt like with (Jamison) Olave out they would have a little trouble adjusting and we came close, but weren’t able to get the goal. We got a PK called. I didn’t see it, but the way the ball went off, I thought there might have been a hand ball.
The foul count was 12 to 5 in the first half and that was a real concern. It was very disruptive and a real concern. I think when Carlos (Rodriguez) went down with a dislocation of the elbow, it must have taken a lot out of the players. You don’t know what that does when a teammate is injured and everybody is looking at it, so I don’t think we had a very good second half, but we had an effort.
On the performance of Chris Seitz…
Chris is a solid keeper. As you know, a couple of years ago, he started for Philadelphia and I think it might have been the wrong place for him, an expansion team, giving up a lot of goals. I think, mentally, he was shot. We were able to pick him up and I think he finally has confidence. Last week when he went in, he wasn’t prepared. Kevin got hurt in the warm-ups, so (Seitz) really wasn’t nervous or scared, he just went in. So I was very interested to see how he would respond in this game, being able to sleep on it and prepare himself mentally and I think that he had a good game.
FC Dallas goalkeeper Chris Seitz
General thoughts on the match…
I think we came out with really good intensity. Towards the end of the first half we were really putting them under pressure. We created a lot of good chances. Defensively, we did well. We limited their chances and they’re a good team. They have been really successful on the road. The draw is a little disappointing for us, but as they say, on to the next one.
Did the early save you were forced to make give you confidence?
Yeah, anytime you get to touch the ball early in a game, you feel more comfortable. All ‘keepers want to get a feel for the ball early. Defensively, we held them to a decent amount of shots. We did pretty well.
Talk about your save on Saborio in the second half.
It was one of those where, you kind of hope he takes a big touch, but he didn’t take one big enough that I could come out and make a play. Brek made one heck of a run back to make his next move predictable for me and that gave me time to come out and close him down. But honestly it all started with Brek making that trek back following a free kick deep in our attacking third of the field.
FC Dallas midfielder Brek Shea
You were attacking for a lot of the first half, what were you able to take advantage of in RSL’s defense?
They crowd the middle so much and play so much in the center that we were able to take advantage out on the flanks and get some good centering passes and crosses off.
Talk about your penalty kick goal
It’s good to get a goal. Doesn’t matter how you get it. I am glad that I was able to covert it and help the team.
Were you glad to get a point out of this match considering all the injuries?
We have some new players, injuries, suspensions… It was good to get a point. I thought we should have won, but it’s good to at least get a point.
FC Dallas forward Jonathan Top
How did it feel to make your debut?
It felt good to get those first minutes in against Salt Lake. We weren’t able to get the win, but everyone worked hard and now we have to focus on our match Saturday against L.A.
What does it mean to you to get playing time?
It means a lot. It means a lot for any of the younger guys to get playing time. Whenever one of us gets time, we are all happy for one another. We’ve worked hard for it and we are always pushing each other. We just need to be ready whenever that time comes.
What did Schellas say to you before you went in?
He said just to play with confidence and work hard – make it difficult for them to play out of the back. That’s what I tried to do.
Was the speed of the game faster than what you were used to?
It was a little faster, but we see that in training every day. I did need to adapt quickly to it but overall I felt fine out there.
Real Salt Lake head coach Jason Kreis
Does having not won in Dallas get into guys’ heads?
I don’t know. That’s a better question for the players. I’m pleased with a point, but I wanted all three. That’s kind of where I am at. We’re pleased with a result. We’re pleased we didn’t lose our third game in a row. With a little bit more and a little bit better, we come out of here with all three.
On the penalty kick call…
I am again disappointed in another referee’s decision. I have not watched the replay yet. For me, there is just no way that can be called a penalty kick. Whether it hits the player’s arm or not, it just seems indifferent. The Dallas player has not even touched the ball so it’s not like they were making an attempt on our goal. Someone who reads the game or is involved with the game more, knows that is never a penalty kick.
What did you do at halftime?
Just a couple of small tactical adjustments. I asked the guys for a little bit more, for a little bit better. This is the second game in a row where we were in a tough spot. We gave up a goal right before halftime and that can be very mentally draining. We stuck together and played a much better second half. I am very pleased with both of our second half responses in our last two games so we’ll see if we can’t stretch that 45 minutes into 90.
Real Salt Lake defender Tony Beltran
On the penalty kick call
I’m going to have to see it again to really comment on it, but just from what I thought happened during the play, I cleared it off of somebody and it came back and barely grazed my elbow. I was pretty disappointed with the call at the time. There is really no chance for me to get out of the way of that ball. I have to check it out again and then I will be more able to comment on it.
Real Salt Lake forward Emiliano Bonfigli (through a translator)
On making a difference in the game right away…
You work hard to get as many minutes as you can and luckily today I was able to get a lot of minutes. I’m proud to be able to come in and score a goal to help the team out and get a point.
Real Salt Lake midfielder Will Johnson
On the goal by Emiliano Bonfigli…
I just turned, saw him making a run and just tried to put it in (Bonfigli’s) path. I think he did the hard part. I’m just happy that we got the goal back and we were able to get a good road point.
Everyone’s really happy for him. He’s been working really hard in training and in the reserve games. Obviously with the Espindola suspension tonight, it was probably more than likely that he was going to get an opportunity to come in. This game is all about taking your opportunity and he’s certainly done that tonight. It’s put him in a good spot for more extended playing time in the future.
On Real Salt Lake being winless in Dallas…
Every game’s different and for whatever reason we haven’t been able to get a win down here, but we’ve played well at times and we’ve had opportunities at times, but it just hasn’t quite happened for us yet. But, we’ll take a road point in Dallas any day. On the road, we just try to get to a point where we give ourselves an opportunity to win. We gave ourselves that opportunity tonight and we’re unlucky not to come out of here with the three points.This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: We begin today’s show with an update on the fight by Native Americans to stop the proposed $3.8 billion Dakota Access pipeline, which would run through North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and Illinois, and could contaminate the Missouri River. More than a thousand Native Americans from more than 100 tribes have traveled to the resistance camps on and around the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota. It’s the largest unification of Native American tribes in decades.
Well, on Tuesday, a federal judge ruled on a request for a temporary restraining order to halt some construction until the same judge issues a ruling later this week on an injunction that the tribe filed challenging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over its approval of the pipeline. Yesterday, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg issued a temporary retraining order that halts construction only between Route 1806 and Lake Oahe, but still allows construction to continue west of this area. The ruling does not protect the land where this weekend’s mass protest occurred, which is an ancient burial and prayer ground. Jan Hasselman, attorney for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, responded to the ruling.
JAN HASSELMAN: We’re disappointed with what happened here today. We provided evidence on Friday of sacred sites that were directly in the pipeline’s route. By Saturday morning, those sites had been destroyed. And we saw things happening out at Standing Rock—dogs being put on protesters—that haven’t been seen in America in 40, 50 years.
AMY GOODMAN: As the ruling was issued in Washington, D.C., about 100 land defenders shut down construction on the Dakota Access pipeline by obstructing equipment. Some of them locked themselves to workers’ heavy machinery.
JULIE RICHARDS: My name is Julie Richards. I’m a member of the Oglala Lakota Nation. I’m also the founder of the Mothers Against Meth Alliance. And I’m here this morning locked down because water is life. We need our water to survive. We need to put a stop to this pipeline.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Tuesday’s limited temporary restraining order does not cover this construction site, either. Meanwhile, North Dakota authorities say they plan to pursue trespassing and vandalism charges against Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein for spray-painting construction equipment at the Dakota Access pipeline action. In a photograph posted on Twitter, Stein is seen next to a spray-painted message in red paint on the blade of a bulldozer that says, quote, “I approve this message.” Stein, who is antiwar and advocates for clean energy, camped out with the protesters Monday evening.
AMY GOODMAN: For more on Tuesday’s hearing and actions, and what it means for the Dakota Access pipeline, we’re joined by several guests. In Seattle, Washington, Stephanie Tsosie is with us, an associate attorney with Earthjustice. She is co-counsel with Jan Hasselman representing the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in its lawsuit against the Army Corps of Engineers over the Dakota Access pipeline. Via Democracy Now! video stream, we’re joined by Tara Houska, national campaigns director for Honor the Earth.
We welcome you both to Democracy Now! Let’s begin with the lawyer, talking about what the ruling means. If you can talk about what exactly the federal judge ruled yesterday?
STEPHANIE TSOSIE: Yes. Well, thank you for having me, Amy. We—as Jan mentioned, we are disappointed. It is important to remember that this land is an area that these tribes have inhabited for time immemorial, and there are sacred sites around the entire area. What this means is that construction can continue, and it can continue to desecrate these areas west of Highway 1806. And the tribe does not get an opportunity to go out and survey these areas for cultural sites.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: But there will be a full hearing, won’t there be, later this week on the claims of the lawsuit? And what do you expect to happen there?
STEPHANIE TSOSIE: There will not be a hearing. There will be an order issued on Friday, that we’re looking for from Judge Boasberg, on the hearing we had on August 24th. But regardless of what happens on Friday and which way the order goes, there will still be the overall legal process that we’ve pursued, which has other claims, as well. And that will take some time.
AMY GOODMAN: I want to just go to the moment on Saturday when the Dakota Access pipeline security unleashed dogs and pepper spray on the Native Americans who had come onto the site not expecting to see them actively bulldozing it on Saturday. They were just going to be planting their tribal flags there, but that’s what they found. This is a clip.
WATER PROTECTOR 1: This guy maced me in the face. Look, it’s all over my sunglasses. Just maced me in the face.
WATER PROTECTOR 2: These people are just threatening all of us with these dogs. And she, that woman over there, she was charging, and it bit somebody right in the face.
AMY GOODMAN: The dog has blood in its nose and its mouth.
WATER PROTECTOR 2: And she’s still standing here threatening us.
AMY GOODMAN: Why are you letting their—her dog go after the protesters? It’s covered in blood!
VICTOR PUERTAS: Over there, with that dog. I was like walking. Throwed the dog on me and straight, even without any warning. You know? Look at this. Look at this.
AMY GOODMAN: That dog bit you?
VICTOR PUERTAS: Yeah, the dog did it, you know? Look at this. It’s there. It’s all bleeding.
AMY GOODMAN: There you have just a moment of what took place on Saturday when the security unleashed the dogs and the pepper spray. One of those dogs, both the mouth and the nose dripping with blood. This site that the Native Americans—they don’t call themselves “protesters,” they call themselves “protectors.” This site, Stephanie Tsosie, is not included in the temporary restraining order?
STEPHANIE TSOSIE: That’s correct. And that is exactly why the tribe is disappointed in the ruling yesterday.
AMY GOODMAN: And then, explain. This was just a hearing, an emergency hearing, after this violent crackdown on Saturday, you filed on Sunday and got the hearing yesterday with the judge in Washington. But what are you waiting to hear this week from Judge Boasberg?
STEPHANIE TSOSIE: We are waiting for a ruling on Friday that will either deny or grant our preliminary injunction that we filed in August. And he can scope it in any degree. And we’re just waiting to see what happens on Friday. And depending on how he orders it, construction may or may not continue after Friday. But we’re unsure as to what he’ll do.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And the primary legal arguments that you’re using in the injunction request?
STEPHANIE TSOSIE: Specifically in the injunction request, we are pursuing claims under the National Historic Preservation Act. You know, that act is there precisely to protect areas like this and to protect—to prevent incidents like this from happening. Our larger legal claim also includes claims under the National Environmental Policy Act, as well as others, but for the scope of this injunction, it was just the National Historic Preservation Act.
AMY GOODMAN: We’re going to break and then get reaction from the main camps of the resistance in North Dakota. We’ll be talking to Tara Houska. Stephanie Tsosie, thanks so much for being with us, associate attorney with Earthjustice. This is Democracy Now! We’ll be back in a minute.
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Watch Democracy Now!’s FULL Exclusive Report: Dakota Access Pipeline Co. Attacks Native Americans with Dogs & Pepper SprayGetty Images Bull markets last an average of two years after the Fed rings the bell with a first rate hike.
While the Federal Reserve’s first rate hike does “ring” the bell for the end of the prevailing bull market, it does not presage an immediate end to the six-and-a-half year old bull market, one strategist argues.
In fact the bell may not “toll” for two more years, Julian Emanuel, strategist at UBS, said in a note to clients.
That’s the average that bull markets have tended to last since the 1970s, and the average gain over that time has been 33%.
“Given the ‘slower-for-longer’ nature of the post-financial crisis U.S. equity market rally, we believe the duration of this bull market once the Fed hikes will be consistent with prior norms,” Emanuel said.
The start of prior rate hike cycles have generally signaled to equity investors the Fed’s confidence in the sustainability of the economy, he noted.
In the current environment, health care may lead the next phase of the market’s advance, he said.
In the same note, Drew Matus, a UBS economist, predicted the Fed will announce the first Fed funds target rate increase in more than nine years at the two-day meeting ending Sept. 17.
Matus cautioned that there will be a return of market volatility as the Fed moves toward more normal monetary policy, especially since many traders have never seen an environment where the policy rate changes.Merritt Kopas is a multimedia artist and game-designer. Her work includes LIM, HUGPUNX and Consensual Torture Simulator. She also curates free, accessible games at her online project forest ambassador.
FPS Essays co-editor Meghan Blythe Adams spoke to Merritt Kopas during a break at the 2014 Feminist Porn Conference, at which Kopas was a presenter.
FPS: Thank-you so much for being available today. The first thing I’d like to ask is that in an interview with The Border House, you said you’re really interested in abstract representations in your work. What is it about the abstract that appeals to you?
Merritt Kopas: In any form the thing about abstraction is that it allows for audience projection. When I made LIM, which is a game I don’t talk about very much anymore, I was really consciously trying not to say, “Here is a game about X” and I wanted to convey things with as little verbal language as possible and as little specific imagery as possible. And I think it’s a big reason for that work’s success is that a lot of people were coming to it from the same place as I was, but then other people were interpreting it in ways that I had not imagined, but are totally valid, so people were saying “Well, this really feels like my experience as a person with an invisible disability or as a mixed race person.”
I think there is a push among, I guess, critical consumers of games towards this politics of representation, of wanting images that reflect who we are and that’s important and that’s really valuable, but I think that the risk there is that we come to believe that if we just have perfect representation, everything will be fine and that’s the end goal. It reminds me of the ways that the politics of inclusion manifest in other spaces, so things like the acronym LGBTQ–whatever, it’s this idea that if we just get the right combination of letters, everyone will be included. And you can’t possibly, that’s a fantasy. And in ways, that’s one of the promises of or impetuses behind words like queer, it’s this word that in ways encompasses things but also leaves a lot of room. I think abstraction does the same thing. It leaves room for interpretation and play on the part of the player. Play that isn’t just the buttons they’re pressing, but the way that they’re engaging with the game.
FPS: I thought it was fascinating how something like LIM is so abstract, and when you look at some of your more recent work, like CTS [Consensual Torture Simulator] or Positive Space, there’s a really intimate sense of the body, it’s very much an embodied experience. What’s your intention with that something that’s so intimate that way?
MK: When working in text, I tend to move in that direction. When I’m working in Twine, I think it encourages a specific means of working for me. For me, that means working in brief passages with not a lot of text in each one. But in a way it’s still abstract because I’m not coming from a place of literary realism in most of that work. There’s still dilation of time and it’s not always clear if these are events that are happening or feelings that are being narrated. I think that’s really valuable and I think those are two threads I’m interested in tugging at. And I think both of those are part of this broader project of trying to explore embodiment more in games, which is something that I don’t see. There are lots of people doing interesting things on the fringes of games, but in mainstream games, bodies are not really present. So, one way of doing that is to remove representation of the body and include elements that really put the player in their body, like the shaking in LIM or the zooming in. Those are really visceral effects. And another way of doing that is to talk about bodies in detail and to talk about things that are not talked about and to talk about sex acts. Games don’t even talk about normative sex acts very often.
FPS: You mentioned representation and I saw this really interesting Tweet of yours that talked about how representation tends to take a lot of the focus when we talk about feminist porn (and games as well) and how that can obfuscate the means of production [behind them]. I was wondering if you wanted to expand on that.
MK: I’ve been struck being here this weekend [at FPCon] by a lot of parallels. I think these are both communities of people who are working sort of within or on the margins of these big industries that have kind of captured and domesticated and commodified play. We’re talking about play in both cases, really – games and sex, we’re playing. So, it’s fascinating to me to think about the parallels [concerning] that show of representation. Like that question that everyone gets asked by reporters, “What makes it feminist porn?” For a lot of people, I think the immediate answer is, “Well, you know, the images are feminist,” …whatever that means. There’s always a risk there in treating representation as the defining factor in feminist porn or in queer games.
That’s a conversation I’ve been trying to push again and again in games. Let’s talk about production. Let’s talk about the games industry as this massive capitalist enterprise. Talk about how people working to change that are often in very intense poverty. And to me, I want to be talking about how producers, how people are living. I think those kinds of conversations are happening this weekend, too. I think that’s a real concern.
There’s an interesting divide between academics or scholars and analysts and whatever background they come from and then people working. Here there’s performers, sex workers and people studying their work and in games, there’s games writers and analysts and indie game-makers. I think because a lot of scholars are coming from this Anglo-American tradition of literary theory and English departments and media studies and that’s just how those things developed in the States and in Canada to a lesser degree, there is this emphasis on the image, on the text and that is not always what the people who are making these things want to discuss, so there’s this interesting friction and I think it’s important to talk about production and the conversations that the people who are doing this stuff want to have.
FPS: I remember reading in a print version of the tarot reading that you did [at Indiecade East in February 2014] talking about the capitalist implications of gaming and play really being a product. Do you find that in indie development, is it possible to work through or resist that, how does that work, if at all?
MK: I think there are different models for that. It’s something I’ve been struggling with, too. I mean, on one hand you want to be able to eat and you want to make a living. You don’t want to just be struggling. There’s a really toxic idea that you need to struggle for your art or for your feminist porn, that you should be grateful to be doing that. But for me, a lot of my work is more comparable—and coming from a place of poetry and short-form writing than long-form fiction or film—it’s interesting to think about selling a game that is more like a fairly brief poem. It’s not something that happens in poetry very often, which is another very fraught field in terms of making a living.
But maybe we can shift things away from this huge polished product that goes on Steam for $20 and wants you to invest ten or twenty hours. Even just the shift from that to an experience that is maybe fifteen minutes or half an hour long and is a few dollars but is meant to be a discrete and meaningful experience that respects people’s time. Even that I think is meaningful, to proliferate alternatives to that model and the trick is, of course, making it sustainable. I mean, CTS was an experiment in using this forum that’s mostly used by comic creators. It did very well, but I’m very conscious that it’s the first game I’ve sold and it’s about a topic that people find interesting: there’s all these variables involved. I’m thinking of new ways to shift the primacy of that model.
FPS: I noticed that CTS had a suggested price, I think $2 on Gumroad, which is how I got it. Did you consciously decide to have it priced at that range as a recognition of it as labour?
MK: The pricing decision came from a discussion between Anna Anthropy and me. She was thinking of selling a game she was working on that was a pretty traditional Choose Your Own Adventure story and it was really different from the work she’s known for because it’s kind of a children’s story and it’s really cute. And we were talking about, “Well, okay, if you do this first, I’ll back you up and I’ll take that step too.”
It’s weird to think of it that way, as this risk and I think that as marginalized creators we are often taught we should be grateful to be allowed to exist in the spaces that we operate in, or to do the kinds of work that we do. And to ask for money is a very frightening idea for a lot of people. It shouldn’t be, but there are lots of reasons why it is. A lot of people have very anti-capital politics and to take money for their art sometimes feels like a betrayal of that. Which of course, ignores the fact that capital is a totalizing system and you can’t exist outside it.
But yeah, for women, queers, people of colour…to demand payment for labour is hard, because we’ve been told it’s not worth anything. Especially when the kinds of works that we‘re producing are non-traditional and don’t fit within established fields. That makes it even harder. I don’t think I would have been able to do it if we hadn’t had that conversation, if Anna hadn’t done it first. I think it’s really important for people to be having these conversations about how we can support each other, we can make it safe and okay to receive compensation for our work. Which is this |
in which my two controllers were swords and I could swing to cut up food thrown in front of me. It was a simple but effective demonstration of what the tech could do; the controls were responsive, with a small amount of latency that didn’t seem to impact my performance in the game. The headset’s positional tracking, meanwhile, worked without any perceived latency. It felt like it was running on a normal Gear VR with no added delay between head movement and image displayed. The only drawback is that occlusion could become a problem for some apps — especially when your hands block the headset’s light — limiting the freedom mobile VR gives you.
That’s especially true considering the outside-in kit will require you to play in front of a camera you’ve set up. That said the system seems adaptable; we played in two different spaces in the booth and the camera was simply picked up and placed elsewhere with no calibration.
Still, as is the case with all VR headsets, outside-in tracking is a stopgap on the path to inside-out, and Ximmerse is working on that too. The company’s solution is very similar to the outside-in kit, only this time you stick the camera to your headset, replacing the third light. This time we tested it with a Qualcomm reference headset. I was told that the Ximmerse sensor was only tracking my controllers, while Qualcomm’s device was doing the inside-out headset tracking.
This time I tried software much like Tilt Brush that gave me an entire world in which to walk around in and paint. Luckily it was a Sunday at CES so the crowds had died down and I was able to walk along one of the halls of the convention center (with a guide) to test the system out. Again, I found tracking to be very accurate with minimal latency. I didn’t notice any drift. At one point a member of the Ximmerse team took one controller and painted a line for me to follow, which was a unique way to demonstrate the benefits of inside-out tracking.
Still, I have a lot of questions about the inside-out kit and how capable it will be when a consumer version comes out. Ximmerse says its outside-in kit should be shipping in March for $99, but its inside-out kit is a little further out than that. Though the latter device is the more important of the two, I was impressed with both as a means of bringing positional tracking to headsets that are sorely in need of it.
Tagged with: inside out, outside inFormer Olympiacos manager Marco Silva emerges as the favourite to replace Kenny Jackett at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Former Olympiacos manager Marco Silva has emerged as the favourite to take over at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The Championship side are expected to dispense with the services of Kenny Jackett following the club's £30m takeover by Chinese conglomerate Fosun International last week.
Fosun had an agreement in place to install Julen Lopetegui as manager but he instead opted to take the top job with the Spain national side just hours before the takeover was completed.
According to media reports in his native Portugal, Silva is now in the frame to take over at Wolves and could be aided in his pursuit by renowned agent and countryman Jorge Mendes, who is thought to have been heavily involved with the Fosun takeover.
If appointed, Silva would become only the second overseas manager to take the reins at the Midlands side following Stale Solbakken's unsuccessful stint in the hotseat in 2012.
Steve Bruce, who quit as manager of Hull City last week, has also been linked with the post.Air Force Master Sgt. Stephen Brown poses in front of 40 container delivery system bundles filled with fresh drinking water on a C-17 Globemaster III in preparation for a humanitarian airdrop over the area of Amerli, Iraq, Aug. 30, 2014. Brown taped candy to most of the bundles in hopes of bringing cheer to displaced Iraqi children.
A number of U.S. aircrews flying humanitarian assistance missions over the northern Iraqi city of Amerli made a sweet contribution to the relief packages dropped into the besieged town — candy.
Aircrews with the 816th and 746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadrons, based out of Air Forces Central Command, added their own personal care packages to the over 100 humanitarian assistance drops into Amerli as part of the U.S.-led relief efforts.
Tucked into the massive pallets of water and meals ready-to-eat were garbage bags full of Skittles, Starbursts and other assorted candies and sweets.
Only those two squadrons, among the various Air Force units participating in relief operations in Amerli, took on the practice of loading and delivering the candy drops, Air Forces Central Command spokeswoman Capt. Malinda Singleton said.
The decision was a squadron-level one, said Singleton, who noted that the aircrews may include in future airdrops other additions besides sweets.
“Who knows what they may choose to (drop) next time,” she said.
The airdrops were part of a two-pronged U.S. air campaign to back Iraqi security forces fighting to push militants from the Islamic State out of Amerli. American warplanes launched repeated airstrikes against IS positions in and around the area, enabling Iraqi government forces and Kurdish troops to break the siege. The militants had threatened to slaughter 15,000 ethnic Turkmen residents, whom they regard as infidels because they are Shiite Muslims.
For his part, Air Force Master Sgt. Stephen Brown, with the 816th EAS, said the candy drops were just a small thing his aircrew could do to make a devastating situation somewhat better.
“I can just imagine being in the shoes of these parents down there. Not being able to provide much during a time of war would be heartbreaking,” he told an Air Force reporter earlier this week.
“This could be something that will make a dire situation a little brighter, even if it’s just for a few moments,” he added.
While it remains unclear how long the U.S. air mission in northern Iraq will last, Air Force officials expect the units to continue the practice up until the end of their deployment.
Singleton declined to say how long both Air Force units would be in northern Iraq as part of the ongoing humanitarian assistance mission there. She said that expeditionary airlift squadrons usually conduct two- to four-month rotations.
munoz.carlo@stripes.comThere’s some unfortunate news to share today—developer Pushy Pixels of Proton Pulse Rift has announced that further development of the highly regarded Oculus Rift demo has been canceled.
Proton Pulse was an early and well regarded Oculus Rift demo. The demo is most easily described as a 3D/VR version of Breakout Thanks to its simple gameplay, which is controlled only by head movements, Proton Pulse has been the go-to demo for me and many others to get new users (especially non-gamers) familiar with the world of virtual reality.
Developer Pushy Pixels wanted to expand the demo into a full fledged Oculus Rift title and took the project to Kickstarter as Proton Pulse Rift. The project was enthusiastically received by the VR community which helped Pushy Pixels raise $7,099 (236% of its $3,000 goal).
On Monday, Pushy Pixels put out an update on the Kickstarter page announcing that Proton Pulse Rift has been canceled due to “unforeseen consequences.” Pushy Pixels has fully refunded all Kickstarter backers; an admirable decision, especially considering that the developer had to cover Kickstarter’s 5% fee of ~$350 to make sure backers got fully refunded.
You can read the full announcement of the cancellation here:
I would like to begin by expressing my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who supported me, both financially and with encouragement and excitement, over the course of making Proton Pulse into a full-fledged game for the enthusiast VR Community. VR has long been a passion of mine, and the opportunity to make my own game in a VR medium was a thrill for me. What started out as an experiment to sate my own interest turned into a demo, and then promised to be something much more. The fact that other like-minded individuals were excited about it was a wonderful encouragement and kept me working long nights, despite having a full-time day-job and a family.Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is every bit as fantastical as you'd hope, an RPG set in a massive world where man and animal live on the backs of tremendous beasts in a sea of clouds. The world of Alrest, simultaneously Earthly and alien, with a mysterious history that even its major players fail to truly understand, is a magical place to inhabit. It appropriately sets the stage for an epic adventure that gets more interesting as it develops, but this greatness comes after dozens of hours filled with eye rolls and bewilderment. For all the good things Xenoblade 2 eventually introduces, the 80-plus hours it takes to complete the story won't feel like time wasted, but the bad taste of the its lesser qualities is never completely washed away.
The cliched hero Rex is a naive and upbeat salvager who gets wrapped up in contract work with the game's soon-to-be villains at the start. They seek a legendary sword, which in this case is the weapon-manifestation of a human-like being known as a Blade. When a human resonates with a Blade, as Rex does with his objective, Pyra, a lifelong partnership forms. Though sentimental to a point, these bonds are also a bit lopsided as Blades are forever bound to serve their masters. Xenoblade 2 does address this as the story unravels, one of the few smart instances when the game puts itself to task. Rex doesn't quite enjoy the same full-circle maturation, sadly, though his positivity at least grows more welcome as stakes rise and other characters' outlooks sour.
Anyone familiar with Xenoblade Chronicles will rightfully recognize the way Xenoblade 2 sets you up to be surprised in the end, as characters gradually reveal secret thoughts, unveil unexpected backstories, and make moves that catch you off guard. These thought-provoking revelations reshape your understanding of the world and the point of your participation. But long before the story delivers these compelling beats, you are thrust into predictable scenarios and presented with poorly voiced characters from one scene to the next. Once again, the stout and furry Nopon creatures are an annoyance on par with Jar Jar Binks, harming would-be dramatic scenes the moment they open their mouths.
Rex and Pyra seek Elysium, a sort of paradise atop a towering tree running through the center of Alrest. They partner with a small selection of comrades from different walks of life who surprisingly have more in common than they initially realize. You can only ever travel as a party of three, but with a Blade standing behind each character, or Driver, battles are frenzied displays. Still, Xenoblade 2 gives you a chance to breathe and strategize during its real-time bouts. Every character will dish out basic attacks automatically, which in turn fuel more advanced skills. You only ever have complete control over one character, but your allies will chime in with requests to perform certain moves. How you manage this process, and the numerous other battle mechanics, can make or break your success against the game's tougher enemies.
One of the major issues with Xenoblade 2 is that it fails to adequately educate you, with fly-by tutorials introducing cascading mechanics and terminology that's easy to mix up. The flow of combat works as follows: your auto attacks fill up a meter tied to abilities known as arts, arts fuel another meter for special attacks, special attacks can be linked from one character to the next to build up a Blade combo, Blade combos seal away certain enemy abilities, and team chain attacks--based on a meter that is also used to revive fallen teammates--can break these seals to create an elemental explosion that deals hefty damage, which successfully extends the chain attack for another round. Enemies can also be forced into tiers of vulnerability by breaking their defense, toppling them to the ground, launching them into the air, and smashing them back down, provided you execute these moves with abilities linked to cooldowns that you've hopefully kept track of, all before countdown timers close your window of opportunity. There are other systems that exist on a per-character basis, but those exclusions notwithstanding, there's already a lot to keep track of. Success comes from managing timers and meter charges and firmly grasping your available options, the latter of which is more demanding than the game initially lets on.
Thankfully Xenoblade 2 feels appropriately balanced to account for its learning curve. It's not until later in the game that mastery becomes paramount. The frustration arises, however, from the lack of reference material, which makes your desire to improve, or your ability to chase hidden paths with dangerous enemies and great rewards, difficult to realize at first. Take screenshots when the game presents you with a tutorial, because once you move to the next text bubble, that info is otherwise lost. The only other recourse is to purchase bite-sized tips from informants throughout the game, though linking partial tutorials to a merchant is hardly user-friendly, and they don't adequately cover the breadth of Xenoblade 2's mechanics.
Merchants in general even manage to be confusing at first, as one location will cram as many as a dozen in a small area. Characters can carry items in special pouches that buff certain stats, such as meter generation, and while some are incredibly useful to the point of eliminating the need to grind, it's a slow process to familiarize yourself with the dozens of options available to you, and the numerous merchants that specialize in one category apiece. This also extends to a vast selection of accessories for characters and Blades, which are difficult to keep track of and compare given the game's mediocre item-management interface. Variety is good, but Xenoblade 2 throws you into the deep end a bit too early for you to appreciate the value of everything at your disposal.
To build a formidable team, you're encouraged to regularly acquire new Blades by collecting and bonding with Core Crystals, which are found in chests and dropped by defeated enemies. Despite three tiers of crystals--normal, rare, and legendary--you're never guaranteed to get one of the game's elusive rare Blades from crystals you find in the field. Save for a few varying body types, the vast majority of Blades you acquire also look nearly identical.
Looks obviously aren't everything, and even common Blades are useful as they each come with randomized buffs and stat bonuses that can make a big difference in battle. But rare Blades have unique designs, their own side quests, and a larger selection of skills and stat bonuses than common Blades. It's easy enough over time to fill out your party with rares, but opening Core Crystals becomes less attractive as diminishing returns set in. Opening 50 towards the end of the game yielded zero rare Blades, despite having unlocked only half of the rare roster.
To combat the randomness of Core Crystals, you are joined by a Blade early on named Poppi, an artificial lifeform that you can customize to your liking. The concept sounds great, but unlocking parts to modify Poppi requires you to play a shallow retro game called Tiger Tiger, where you move a chunky character through a slow-scrolling stage while picking up collectables. More annoyingly, you can't play this game freely, and must return to an early-game location and likely play a couple hundred rounds to earn enough resources for desirable upgrades. This long-winded process isn't enjoyable enough to see through, and not worth sidelining your efforts elsewhere with Blades that you can raise organically through combat.
Blades outside of your core party can also be trained via asynchronous mercenary missions, and they return after a fixed amount of time with rewards and experience that goes towards developing their secondary abilities. Field skills, for example--traits such as lockpicking, focus, and leaping power--will allow you to access elite treasure chests and shortcuts. There are very rare instances when the game will gate you with a door that requires mastery of certain field skills, though these are exclusively linked to abilities shared among story-based Blades.
Even in these situations, you're never truly stuck. Xenoblade 2 lets you fast travel, instantly, to any major location in the game, regardless of the context in the story. This is great in a pinch, but it's also incredibly illogical. You shouldn't be able to warp out of a location to buy equipment across the world during a mission where your main objective is to escape imprisonment, but Xenoblade 2 affords you that option. No matter how silly it seems in practice, fast travelling makes it easy to hop back and forth from one incredible environment to the next. Alrest is gigantic, and following the story will only reveal a small part of what there is to see. Xenoblade Chronicles and Xenoblade Chronicles X both set a high bar for world design, and developer Monolith Soft. has once again delivered a robust collection of dazzling environments.
On this and many other levels, Xenoblade 2 exhibits admirable depth. Adventurous types that enjoy complex combat systems can easily spend more than 100 hours uncovering Alrest's secrets and developing their team of Blades, provided they can come to terms with a handful of unavoidable shortcomings. It's equal parts pleasing and frustrating, but the struggle to keep up with everything thrown your way is more of a hurdle than a roadblock. It will be a tough pill to swallow for people who aren't accustomed to the typical cliches found in many Japanese RPGs, and its often clumsy nature keeps it from being the next groundbreaking Switch game, but Xenoblade 2 is worth pursuing if you've got enough patience to let it blossom.Ann Coulter took to Twitter on Friday night to respond to the Paris terror attacks, saying that “Donald Trump Donald John TrumpHouse committee believes it has evidence Trump requested putting ally in charge of Cohen probe: report Vietnamese airline takes steps to open flights to US on sidelines of Trump-Kim summit Manafort's attorneys say he should get less than 10 years in prison MORE was elected president tonight.”
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The conservative commentator tweeted a series of reactions to the attacks that left more than 120 dead, calling for “no more Muslim immigration.” She also targeted recent U.S. college student protests, as well as American gun and immigration laws and proposals.
Coulter ended her string of Tweets with: “They can wait if they like until next November for the actual balloting, but Donald Trump was elected president tonight.”
How does one say "Illegal immigration is an act of love" in French? — Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) November 14, 2015
How does one say "DREAMERS" in French? — Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) November 14, 2015
HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? French people ran onto the street with signs that said, 'Je Suis Charlie'! Why didn't that stop this? — Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) November 14, 2015
Paris death toll up to 100. U.S. college students need to tell Parisians about real violence from Halloween costumes & "trigger words." — Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) November 14, 2015
ANGER? We can't even deport 3rd world pouring in, committing murder, child rape, Ft Hood, 9/11 etc. It's not "adult" https://t.co/Rg3HVtSTAQ — Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) November 14, 2015
Diversity is a strength! — Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) November 14, 2015
All we need is people rushing to the street with candles and we'll have these savages on the run! https://t.co/Ipwm8xLS2K — Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) November 14, 2015
Too bad there were no concealed carry permits... anywhere in Europe... since 1818. — Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) November 14, 2015
Every year, the US imports 100K more Muslims to live here permanently. Rubio says he wants more. Why would anyone support him? — Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) November 14, 2015
Can we all agree now? No more Muslim immigration. How is this making life better for us? But the mass immigration machine churns on... — Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) November 14, 2015
What's the upside of letting millions of Muslims migrate to western countries? — Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) November 14, 2015
100% of TV talk is @ fighting ISIS--IN SYRIA. Bomb away, but isn't there something else we should consider? Like not letting ISIS move here? — Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) November 14, 2015
Why does NO ONE say the obvious thing on TV?! It's insane. Don't want terrorism in US? Stop importing Muslims! — Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) November 14, 2015Last summer, Democrats reached a low point as the debt limit debacle was wrapping up. Not only did they succumb to the GOP’s debt-reduction ransom in order to prevent an economic calamity, they failed to extract a penny in new tax revenues, and fissures were deepening between congressional leadership and the White House after President Obama offered to chop Medicare and Social Security. Republicans were firmly in control.Fast-forward to today: Democrats are united in message and policy behind a narrative that holds Republicans accountable for the decline of the middle class, blaming them for rubber-stamping the agenda of a moneyed elite that is abusing the levers of power to rig the game in their favor. And Mitt Romney is their poster child for that phenomenon.
“It’s a perfect storm — the president’s making that narrative and then he’s running against a guy who exemplifies the top 1 percent, and who people don’t like,” said a Democratic leadership aide, who spoke to TPM on condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters. “So everything has sort of contributed to this overall backdrop. … It’s all of a piece.”
In recent weeks, Senate Democrats have united to pass a bill that ends the Bush-era tax cuts on incomes above $250,000. Along with that, they have — cohesively with the Obama campaign — used every tool at their disposal to pound Romney on his secretive tax returns and policy agenda, relentlessly painting him as a corporate predator who may not have even paid income taxes for a decade.
Democratic operatives chalk up their new posture to a number of factors: an altered political environment more focused on income inequality, message discipline instilled by Obama’s aides, a big victory on the payroll tax cut to start off the year and a growing fear of the policies a Republican victory on Election Day would mean.
“There’s nothing like an election to help focus peoples’ attention,” said Jim Manley, a strategist and former longtime senior aide to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV). “They suddenly realize what’s at stake.”
The most notable example of Democratic resolve came last month when Reid kept members in tough re-election battles — notably Sens. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) and Jon Tester (D-MT) — in line for the Bush tax cuts vote. Several red-state Democrats were uneasy about it, the leadership aide said, but were persuaded in part out of a desire to distinguish themselves with their Republican opponents on standing for the middle class.
“People like McCaskill and Tester — it definitely took them some whipping, but it was not like the health care vote — we didn’t have to offer a huge incentive to get people to do it,” the aide said. “McCaskill and Tester and the Nelsons are much more comfortable voting for tax policy that differentiates between the middle class and the wealthy now than they were even a year or two ago.”
“I think that says a lot, you know, that Democrats in tough races and tough states would rather be proactively taking steps to draw a contrast with Republicans on taxes,” the aide continued. “That’s a pretty big change — rather than just dodge it completely.”
The re-calibration began after the collapse of the 2011 debt ceiling talks between Obama and House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), at which point the White House decided Republicans weren’t worth negotiating with. First came the Jobs Act and the message that government should provide relief to the middle class. Alongside that came the party’s resolve not to bend on budget matters unless Republicans drop their anti-tax absolutism, a stance vigorously enforced by Senate Democratic leadership since then.
“Ever since last September with the Jobs Act, communication with the White House has improved immensely and it’s been very successful,” the Democratic aide said. “The Obama campaign and White House are very good at keeping our members apprised of what they’re doing and why they’re doing it. And so our guys are given an extra level of confidence.”
The Obama campaign and Democrats are standing by Reid as he blazes on with his unproven claim that Romney didn’t pay taxes for a decade, mounting the pressure on the ex-governor to release his tax returns and prove him wrong.
Manley, who ran Reid’s messaging in 2009-2010 against a GOP united to thwart Obama’s agenda, added that Democrats have been able to exploit “fissures within the Republican caucus as they internally debate how hard of a line to take” ahead of the election.
As Democrats admit, luck played no small part in bringing them together.
“The biggest thing that changed was there was a major shift in the overall environment when it comes to the tax debate,” the Democratic aide said, crediting the Occupy Wall Street movement for helping make the wealth disparity a national issue. “People increasingly think the system is rigged to benefit those at the top.”A still unidentified Democratic Party donor paid for the factually challenged dossier that almost sunk the Donald Trump campaign. The dossier was created (and perhaps written) with the support and assistance of unregistered foreign agents of the Russian government, according to the Senate Judiciary Committee. The offer by an obscure music publicist to Donald Trump Jr. to share compromising information on the Clinton campaign was, as will be shown below, most likely a Russian operation. I conclude that Russia’s interference in the 2016 election was not to help Trump but to throw the American political system into chaos and threaten its foundations.
Russia boasts one of the most effective and ruthless political operations in Washington. A flamboyant man-about-town ambassador sits at the top hobnobbing with the American political aristocracy. Russia’s diplomats, spies, and PR experts lobby Russian interests and recruit the powerhouses of American political influence to plead their cases and use hired guns to sling dirt and promote “disinformation” about opponents.
Russia’s “Magnitsky gang” was formed to get rid of the Magnitsky sanctions imposed by Congress in 2012. Russian lawyer Sergey Magnitsky represented Hermitage Capital (once the largest investor in Russia and a major holder of Yukos stock). He died in a Russian prison after being denied medical attention, provoking US sanctions. An irate Vladimir Putin retaliated by closing down American adoptions of Russian children.
The Magnitsky gang includes a “former” GRU spy, Rinat Akhmetshin, a Kremlin-connected lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, Anatoly Samochornov, Andrei Nekrasov and other Russian nationals. They hire American lobbyists and PR firms to represent Russian interests. They gather and disseminate “fake news” about Magnitsky and his boss, William Browder, including producing a distorted documentary. None have signed FARA documents as Foreign Agents of Russia. Instead, they claim to represent charitable non-profit organizations registered in the United States.
With the U.S. election pending, members of the Magnitsky gang expanded their portfolio to include meddling in the election. Using funds donated by a still-unnamed Democrat donor, Akhmetshin hired a US opposition research firm, Fusion GPS, to dig up dirt on candidate Trump. Fusion GPS hired a London intelligence firm, Orbis, headed by former British spy, Christopher Steele. Steele was tasked with using his Russian contacts to gather compromising information on Trump. Fusion and Orbis were not new to each other. They had worked together since January 2010, as their contract agreement shows.
Orbis produced reports between June and end of October 2016 in the form of a dossier that accused Trump and his associates of financial, political, and sexual misdeeds in Russia. These reports were supposedly gathered from sources at high levels of the Russian government. Orbis brought the dossier to the attention Senator John McCain, while Fusion briefed the US media on its contents. The dossier was passed on to the FBI, which may have asked Steele to continue his investigation. Although the Orbis dossier has been discredited due to numerous errors and mind-boggling claims, the Clinton campaign cited the dossier as the motivation for Trump’s purported favoring of Russia.
We hopefully will learn more about the Steele dossier from a defamation suit which is currently being litigated in a British court and about the Fusion GPS operation which is being probed by the Grassley-Feinstein Senate Judiciary Committee. Grassley wishes to know why Fusion GPS, as an unregistered Foreign Agent of Russia, was a principal in the creation of the anti-Trump dossier. Both Fusion GPS and Orbis are dodging answers by citing confidentiality agreements and claiming attorney-client privilege although neither is a law firm. The secret that Steele and Fusion seem most reluctant to disclose is the identity of the Democrat donor, despite demands for answers from the British court and the senate committee. Is the "client" someone close to the Clinton campaign?
Besides its work on Magnitsky sanctions and the Trump dossier, the busy Magnitsky gang penetrated the Trump campaign on June 9, when one of its principals, lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya, met with Donald Trump Jr. and other campaign personnel in Trump Tower. The meeting was organized by Trump Jr. through a June 3 e-mail chain with an English music publicist. The publicist relayed a message from a Russian rock star (known to the Trump family) that “the Russian Crown Court” (there is no such thing) was prepared to supply the Trump campaign with incriminating information on Hillary Clinton as a gesture that Russia was on Trump’s side in the election.
In the short June 9 meeting, Veselnitskaya disclosed no incriminating information on Hillary Clinton but talked instead about the Magnitsky adoption issue. When news of the meeting broke more than a year later, Veselnitskaya claimed no association with Russian agencies, but her claims are easily disproved through her Magnitsky work and her lobbying for suspected Russian money launderers.
The US and world press are celebrating the aborted meeting as proof of the Trump campaign’s collusion with Russia. More sympathetic media outlets call the Trump Jr. fiasco a farce or argue that Trump Jr. was set up.
In my personal view, the whole story smells of a Russian planned operation that required a political novice on the receiving end. Is it credible to think that Russia’s holding of top-secret Hillary Clinton information (perhaps from hacked “personal” e-mails) would be made known to a Russian rock star to pass on to the campaign of a US presidential candidate? Simple logic tells us that this meeting was not intended by the Russian side to be helpful to the Trump campaign. The disclosure of such an e-mail chain could be used either to harm the Trump campaign or come back to haunt him during his presidency.
The proof that this was not a keystone cops operation by Trump Jr. and an obscure music publicist is that a leading member of the Russian Magnitsky team actually showed up for the meeting and was in the loop. The goal of the Trump Tower meeting was not to gain the ear of the Trump campaign. Accounts of Russian lobbying against the Magnitsky sanctions suggest that Russian agents can organize meetings without such ruses.
The combination of the Steele Dossier and the Trump Jr. trap refutes the narrative that Russia was helping the Trump campaign. The Steele dossier was clearly a major hit on Trump designed to destroy his presidential campaign. It appears to have been funded by an unnamed Clinton ally and carried out by an unregistered Foreign Agent of Russia.
If the Steele dossier is to be believed, such information could only have come from the highest levels of Russian government. Why should officials with fly-on-the-wall knowledge of the Kremlin reveal their information to Steele, if not told to do so by the Kremlin? Given its numerous mistakes and unbelievable claims, a more likely explanation is that the dossier was created by disinformation specialists of Russian intelligence as postulated by Russian expert David Satter. Given its funding and the role of Fusion GPS, the dossier appears to be a joint product of the Russian government and at least some elements of the Clinton campaign. Once the dossier was in their and media hands, Clinton supporters and a supportive media did not hesitate to spread this information far and wide.
Some may say that the Trump Jr. affair was a harmless ruse to give a trusted representative of the Magnitsky gang a chance to make her case against the sanctions to Trump insiders. I consider this explanation wanting. The gang knew that the meeting was set up to talk about compromising material they did not have. As sophisticates in American politics, surely they would understand that this would be their first and last meeting. No, the real reason was to get on record that Trump Jr. took a meeting with Russian representatives promising the goods on Hillary. If so, this becomes a case of setting up Trump Jr. for the eventual revelation of such a meeting. It is impossible to interpret the Trump Jr. affair as a positive move by Russia in favor of the Trump campaign – as it is now being played in the mainstream media.
We have reached the stage I warned about three months back. Vladimir Putin is now in a position to destroy the Trump presidency and wreak untold havoc on the American political system. His disinformation specialists can make up virtually any story they wish of Trump’s cooperation with Russia, and the anti-Trump media will accept it as gospel truth. Putin will get his wish of a weakened and embattled American president and an American political system in paralysis. He will continue to feed the story to make sure no resolution is possible.
The ironical outcome is that the real collusion may be between the enemies of Trump making an alliance with Putin to weaken their own country, all in order to overturn an election outcome they despise.You have to understand that there are a number of levels of Buddhism. Tier 1 is the moment of Siddthartha’s awakening (bodhi) whereby he became the Buddha. This is a mystery for the simple reason that it cannot be directly shared—only indirectly—and then with a great deal of difficulty because of the human tendency to misunderstand. The body of the Buddha’s teachings spring from tier 1 but they are not in themselves tier 1.
Tier 2 is when we come to the deep personal conviction, after studying the Buddha’s discourses, that Buddhism demands of us that we personally awaken to ultimate reality which can only be uncovered within us by dhyāna (deep introspection) which is a removal process. This means transcending mental confusion and mental distractions which brings about, all at once, the revelation of pure Mind.
Tier 3 has not arrived at tier 2—and knows absolutely nothing about tier 1. Tier 3 is mainly concerned with external, perfunctory practices, moral behavior, reading and chanting scripture, translating, participating in discussions about Buddhism, etc. The life of a monk or a nun would be also included in tier 3.
Tier 4 can be characterized as “pop Buddhism.” Here, individuals (more at beginners) hesitate as to whether or not to take up tier 3. They have a lot of wrong opinions about Buddhism and about life in general. They tend to be young and immature who haven’t graduated from the college of hard knocks yet. Most are still incorrigible and defensive with more youth than wisdom. Still, they see the writing on the wall. Life is not going to get any better as they leave home.On Tuesday, 49 total stadiums in 44 cities were announced as potential host cities the 2026 World Cup bid across the United States, Mexico and Canada. The announcement was made by the United Bid Committee on the U.S. Soccer federation website.
The big cities, as expected are there. You've got Atlanta, Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York (well, East Rutherford, New Jersey), Washington D.C. and more, while also some surprising ones like Birmingham, Green Bay and Salt Lake City. Here's the list:
United States (34 cities, 37 stadiums):
Metropolitan Market Stadium Capacity Atlanta, GA Mercedes-Benz Stadium 75,000 Baltimore, MD M&T Bank Stadium 71,008 Birmingham, AL Legion Field 71,594 Boston, MA (Foxborough) Gillette Stadium 65,892 Charlotte, NC Bank of America Stadium 75,400 Chicago, IL Soldier Field 61,500 Cincinnati, OH Paul Brown Stadium 65,515 Cleveland, OH FirstEnergy Stadium 68,710 Dallas, TX Cotton Bowl 92,100 Dallas, TX (Arlington) AT&T Stadium 105,000 Denver, CO Sports Authority Field at Mile High 76,125 Detroit, MI Ford Field 65,000 Green Bay, WI Lambeau Field 81,441 Houston, TX NRG Stadium 71,500 Indianapolis, IN Lucas Oil Stadium 65,700 Jacksonville, FL EverBank Field 64,000 Kansas City, MO Arrowhead Stadium 76,416 Las Vegas, NV Raiders Stadium 72,000 Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 78,500 Los Angeles, CA (Inglewood) L.A. Stadium at Hollywood Park TBD Los Angeles, CA (Pasadena) Rose Bowl 87,527 Miami Gardens, FL Hard Rock Stadium 65,767 Minneapolis, MN U.S. Bank Stadium 63,000 Nashville, TN Nissan Stadium 69,143 New Orleans, LA Mercedes-Benz Superdome 72,000 New York/New Jersey (East Rutherford) MetLife Stadium 82,500 Orlando, FL Camping World Stadium 65,000 Philadelphia, PA Lincoln Financial Field 69,328 Phoenix, AZ (Glendale) University of Phoenix Stadium 73,000 Pittsburgh, PA Heinz Field 68,400 Sal Lake City, UT Rice-Eccles Stadium 45,807 San Antonio, TX Alamodome 72,000 San Diego, CA Qualcomm Stadium 71,500 San Francisco/San Jose, CA (Santa Clara) Levi's Stadium 72,000 Seattle, WA CenturyLink Field 69,000 Tampa, FL Raymond James Stadium 73,309 Washington, DC (Landover) FedEx Field 82,000
Canada (seven cities, nine stadiums):
Metropolitan Market Stadium Capacity Calgary, Alberta McMahon Stadium 35,650 Edmonton, Alberta Commonwealth Stadium 56,335 Montreal, Quebec Stade Olympique 61,004 Montreal, Quebec Stade Saputo 20,801 Ottawa, Ontario TD Place Stadium 24,341 Regina Saskatchewan Mosaic Stadium 30,048 Toronto, Ontario Rogers Centre 53,506 Toronto, Ontario BMO Field 28,026 Vancouver, British Columbia BC Place 55,165
Mexico (three cities, three stadiums):
Metropolitan Market Stadium Capacity Guadalajara, Jalisco Estadio Chivas 45,364 Mexico City Estadio Azte |
grunt work, however it also removed me a step away from the well documented CouchDB.
All of the code changes are in server.js
var express = require('express'), server = express.createServer(), im = require('imagemagick'), nano = require('nano')('http://Serapth: [email protected]'), db_name = " firstthis ", db = nano.use(db_name), userEmail ='[email protected] ', fs = require('fs'), files = { files:{}}; // Helper functions for getting and inserting docs in couchDB using nano function get_doc(docName,res){ db.get(docName, function (err,body){ if (! err) { res(body); } }); }; // There is no update in CouchDB. Just inserts, inserts and more inserts. // If you don't have the most current rev ( or it isn't a new insert ), an error (HTTP409) will occur. // TODO: Real error handling, attempt to get latest file, get it's rev, then try inserting again function insert_doc(doc,docname, tried) { db.insert(doc,docname, function (error,val,newval) { if (error) { return console.log(error); } // The insert will result in an updated rev, update our local files var to the most current rev. return files._rev = val.rev; }); } // Setup server static paths server.use('/cocos2d ', express.static(__dirname +'/cocos2d') ); server.use('/cocosDenshion ', express.static(__dirname +'/cocosDenshion') ); server.use('/classes ', express.static(__dirname +'/classes') ); server.use('/resources ', express.static(__dirname +'/resources') ); // Install the bodyParser middleware, which enables form data to be parsed when an upload occurs. server.use(express.bodyParser()); // Handle requests for / by returning index.html server.get('/ ', function (req,res){ res.sendfile('index.html'); console.log('Sent index.html'); }); // Handle requests for /settings by returning settings.html server.get('/settings ', function (req,res){ res.sendfile('settings.html'); console.log('Send settings.html'); }); // Handle requests for images will be the form of site.com/image/imagename.png // Fetchs the image data from CouchDB and returns to user server.get('/image/:name ', function (req,res){ if (files.files[req.params.name]) { res.contentType(files.files[req.params.name].contentType); db.attachment.get(userEmail + " / " + files.files[req.params.name].name,files.files[req.params.name].name).pipe(res); } }); // Uses ImageMagick to get image dimensions and return them as JSON data // This is to work around the requirement for Cocos2D sprites to know dimensions before loading image server.get('/imageSize/:name ', function (req,res){ im.identify(files.files[req.params.name].path, function (err,features){ if (err) throw err; else res.json({ " width " :features.width, " height " :features.height }); }); }); // This gets the photo data, which is contained in our files variable. Simply return it JSON encoded server.get('/getPhotos ', function (req,res){ res.json(files.files); }); // Erase all images : TODO: Remove images from database as well!!!! server.get('/clearAll ', function (req,res){ files.files = {}; res.statusCode = 200 ; res.send( "" ); }) // Unfortunately there is no easy way to tell when a multi file upload is complete on the server, On('end') isnt called // Therefore we call /doneUpload from the client once we are done uploading. // Once we are done uploading files, we save our updated Files var up to couchDB, then get it again so it again immediately to have the most current rev server.get('/doneUpload ', function (req,res){ insert_doc(files,userEmail,files._rev, 0 ); get_doc(userEmail, function (res) { files = res; }); res.statusCode = 200 ; res.sendfile('settings.html'); }) server.post('/upload ', function (req,res){ // This method is going to be called for each attached file. // Add the file details to files.files[] with the key set to the filename files[ " files " ][req.files.Filedata.name] = { " name " :req.files.Filedata.name, " path " :req.files.Filedata.path, " size " :req.files.Filedata.size, " contentType " :req.files.Filedata.type, " description " :req.body.description }; // Now read the file from disk and insert the file data in our CouchDB as an attachment named "emailAddress/filename.png" fs.readFile(req.files.Filedata.path, function (err,data){ if (! err){ db.attachment.insert(userEmail + " / " + req.files.Filedata.name,req.files.Filedata.name,data,req.files.Filedata.type, {}, function (err,body){ console.log(body); res.statusCode = 200 ; res.send( "" ); }); } }); }); server.listen(process.env.PORT || 3000 ); // Check the couchDB for an entry keyed to the users email address. If one exists, copy it into our files var get_doc(userEmail, function (results){ if (results){ files = results; } });
Now when you upload images, they will be stored to your CouchDB database on IrisCouch. When you restart Node, it will automatically grab and populate files from the database. Note, the application from parts 1-4 aren’t updated to use this new code.
Keep in mind, this code isn’t production ready… error handling is sparse, there is no authentication, it would be easy to exploit with a DoS attack for example. However, if you are interested in storing data from your Node App in a CouchDB database, I hope this sample was useful.
ProgrammingCarrier workers ended up with "dashed hopes" after President-elect Donald Trump Donald John TrumpHouse committee believes it has evidence Trump requested putting ally in charge of Cohen probe: report Vietnamese airline takes steps to open flights to US on sidelines of Trump-Kim summit Manafort's attorneys say he should get less than 10 years in prison MORE inflated the number of jobs staying in Indiana, a local union president said Thursday.
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Chuck Jones, president of United Steelworkers 1999, which represents workers at Indianapolis's Carrier plant, early Thursday stood by his criticism that Trump "lied his ass off" about the terms of the deal to keep jobs from going to Mexico.
"He didn't tell the truth. He inflated the numbers, and I called him out on it," Jones said on CNN.
The Trump campaign originally touted a deal with Carrier to keep more than 1,000 jobs in the state after the company said in February they would move production to Mexico.
Carrier will keep 730 jobs in Indiana, where Vice President-elect Mike Pence Michael (Mike) Richard PencePence meeting with Senate GOP ahead of vote to block emergency declaration 'And the award for best political commentary by an Oscar nominee goes to...' UN nuclear watchdog: Iran maintains compliance with 2015 pact MORE is governor, after receiving $7 million in tax breaks from the state, but 550 jobs will still be sent to Mexico.
"The reality is we're grateful, once again, to have 730 of our members to still have a job," Jone said.
"My problem is when they put out earlier in the week that 1,100 and some odd jobs are going to be saved. A lot of people at that point in time thought they were going to have a job. They did not mention anything about 550 jobs here in Indiana going to Mexico."
Trump announced the terms of the deal last week at an event in Indianapolis attended by Carrier workers.
Jones said a lot of people in the crowd thought they were going to have a job only to find out that their job was still moving to Mexico.
"I know a lot of people had dashed hopes," he said.
Jones caught Trump's attention when he told The Washington Post that Trump "lied his ass off" about the terms of the deal.
Trump shot back on Twitter that Jones had done a "terrible job" representing workers and that he should "spend more time working" and "less time talking."
Jones said he has received threatening phone calls following Trump's tweets.KELLY PRICE / POLARIS EXODUS: A man flees the collapsing towers on 9/11. Most people who died that day didn't have a chance
When the plane hit Elia Zedeno's building on 9/11, the effect was not subtle. From the 73rd floor of Tower 1, she heard a booming explosion and felt the building actually lurch to the south, as if it might topple. It had never done that before, even in 1993 when a bomb exploded in the basement, trapping her in an elevator. This time, Zedeño grabbed her desk and held on, lifting her feet off the floor. Then she shouted, "What's happening?" You might expect that her next instinct was to flee. But she had the opposite reaction. "What I really wanted was for someone to scream back, 'Everything is O.K.! Don't worry. It's in your head.'"
She didn't know it at the time, but all around her, others were filled with the same reflexive incredulity. And the reaction was not unique to 9/11. Whether they're in shipwrecks, hurricanes, plane crashes or burning buildings, people in peril experience remarkably similar stages. And the first one--even in the face of clear and urgent danger--is almost always a period of intense disbelief.
Luckily, at least one of Zedeño's colleagues responded differently. "The answer I got was another co-worker screaming, 'Get out of the building!'" she remembers now. Almost four years later, she still thinks about that command. "My question is, What would I have done if the person had said nothing?"
Most of the people who died on 9/11 had no choice. They were above the impact zone of the planes and could not find a way out. But investigators are only now beginning to understand the actions and psychology of the thousands who had a chance to escape. The people who made it out of the World Trade Center, for example, waited an average of 6 min. before heading downstairs, according to a new National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) study drawn from interviews with nearly 900 survivors. But the range was enormous. Why did certain people leave immediately while others lingered for as long as half an hour? Some were helping co-workers. Others were disabled. And in Tower 2, many were following fatally flawed directions to stay put. But eventually everyone saw smoke, smelled jet fuel or heard someone giving the order to leave. Many called relatives. About 1,000 took the time to shut down their computers, according to NIST.
In other skyscraper fires, staying inside might have been exactly the right thing to do. In the case of the Twin Towers, at least 135 people who theoretically had access to open stairwells--and enough time to use them--never made it out, the report found.Since the early days of the atom bomb, scientists have been trying to understand how to move masses of people out of danger. Engineers have fashioned glowing exit signs, sprinklers and less flammable materials. Elaborate computer models can simulate the emptying of Miami or the Sears Tower, showing thousands of colored dots streaming for safety like a giant Ms. Pac-Man colony. But the most vexing problem endures. And it is not signage or architecture or traffic flow. It's us. Large groups of people facing death act in surprising ways. Most of us become incredibly docile. We are kinder to one another than normal. We panic only under certain rare conditions. Usually, we form groups and move slowly, as if sleepwalking in a nightmare.As an independent Coastal State, we will regain our rights to manage our fisheries in accordance with our rights under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and have control of our Exclusive Economic Zone (out to 200 nautical miles or the median line with other states). The UK will be responsible for the management of natural marine resources in this area and will be able to control and manage access to UK waters including fisheries.
The Government has always been clear that the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill ensures that, so far as possible, the same rules and laws will apply on the day after exit as on the day before. This will provide the maximum possible certainty and continuity to businesses, workers and consumers across the UK – so that they can have confidence that they will not be subject to unexpected changes on the day we leave the EU.
The Bill delivers on our promise to end the supremacy of EU law in the UK. It is the mechanism by which the UK will leave the EU while taking back control.
The Fisheries Bill announced in the Queen’s Speech in June will demonstrate how we are taking back control of access to our waters and the allocation of fishing opportunities.
The remaining technical elements of current EU fisheries law will be incorporated in to UK law under the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill, ensuring both certainty and that our fisheries are managed sustainably.
Department for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsKill All the Poppies
Opium unifies the enemies of American interests in Afghanistan. Poppy cultivation feeds power to the Taliban, drug lords, and corrupt officials. That power grew dramatically in 2017 — with production up 87 percent in one year to 9,000 metric tons, according to the latest report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
On Aug. 21, President Donald Trump announced that U.S. policy in Afghanistan will now serve American interests without pre-established time or troop limits. “Conditions on the ground — not arbitrary timetables — will guide our strategy from now on…. We will fight to win.” However, he also noted: “Military power alone will not bring peace to Afghanistan or stop the terrorist threat arising in that country. But strategically applied force aims to create the conditions for a political process to achieve a lasting peace.”
The new policy will use force to destroy the terrorists and establish security so Afghans can “build their own nation.” That said, achieving these goals will require one thing more — eradicating opium production. According to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, “Without drugs, this war would have been long over. The heroin is a very important driver of this war.”
Since the liberation of Afghanistan, U.S. and allied policy has failed to press the elimination of opium production as a necessary priority. In fact, many still consider attacking opium cultivation at odds with winning the “hearts and minds” of the Afghan people, threatening the economic well-being of the subsistence farmers growing poppy. This is the deep misunderstanding that has doomed U.S. policy to failure and threatens Trump’s new effort.
The State Department reports: “Traffickers provide weapons, funding, and other material support to the insurgency in exchange for the protection of drug trade routes, cultivation fields, laboratories, and trafficking organizations…. [T]he Taliban generates revenue by taxing drugs trafficked through areas they control … the narcotics trade undermines governance and rule of law throughout the country.”
Economic data in Afghanistan is at best problematic, but few doubt that opium is the single biggest sector in terms of GDP and the portion of the labor force it captures. As a percentage of GDP, estimates of drug revenue vary from roughly a third to a half.
Opium distorts the economy to maintain the drug industry, turning resources away from building licit economic activity and diversification. Subsistence farmers are virtually forced to grow poppy and stay poor. Opium funds their oppressors and sustains the enemies of the rule of law and democratic governance. The opium economy functions as our enemies’ Marshall Plan, shaping an Afghanistan that provides sweeping power to terrorists, drug lords, and corrupt officials. An estimated 60 percent of Taliban revenue derives from the heroin trade, worth $60 billion globally.
In short, by tolerating the opium market, the United States and Afghanistan make it impossible to achieve American interests and impossible for Afghans to build something other than a state in the grip of narcoterrorists.
There is an assumption by many that the Afghan opium trade is too powerful to attack. Yet the Taliban, seeking control, virtually stopped poppy cultivation in a single year with no reports of catastrophic upheaval, or starvation. Even after the liberation, many provinces cut cultivation quickly and effectively, in response to U.S. programs; as late as 2008, 20 out of 34 Afghan provinces were poppy-free. The U.S. troop surge alone brought sufficient security and targeting of narcoterrorists to realize a decline in opium production.
The surge increased troop levels from under 30,000 in 2007 to more than 90,000 by 2012. Cultivation, having risen by U.N. estimates to nearly 200,000 hectares in 2007, fell to only 150,000 hectares by 2012. After the announcement of the pullout, troop levels subsided to only 60,000 during 2013, and poppy made a comeback.
When our forces fell to only 8,000 in 2015, the stage was set for runaway opium production. By November of 2016, the government reportedly controlled only 57 percent of Afghanistan. In the absence of U.S. troops, commitment, and control, the opium harvest is poised for explosive growth.
Persistent security is key. The population needs to be protected from the terrorists, the drug lords, and the corrupt officials that compel cultivation. That means employing the rule of law to remove powerful drug lords and aggressively interdicting drug trafficking. The response should target labs, the trafficking leaders, and corrupt officials through the extraterritorial power of U.S. law. In fact, this week, U.S. warplanes began striking drug labs, under “expanded military authorities.” Ultimately, it also means eradication of the crop itself, as our experience in Colombia fighting cocaine has amply shown.
The lesson is simple: Kill the poppies, or Afghan policy will fail. Where there are flowers, America is not winning.A very conculture specific piece this time.
The three seasons in the Shela year are the rainy season, "winter" (though not a very cold one) and summer. Shela mythology has the wandering god Eranesta switching mounts at the change of season. The seasons are being used as a metaphor here.
The Shela don't have graves. Instead, there is something called a kasa keon: a rope or ribbon tied with charms and bright colours and hung from tree. It's not meant to be a permanent object, as it is believed grief shouldn't last forever. While yellow is the colour of funerals, a kasa keon is decorated in colours that have some link to the person in life.
Vifi vinay i'iee ksefa uhn
Lena k'viv i ketked sree
Kanime northa ty aara shen
Sa, lenaki wen pretnee
Kasa tia a chinta
Kandaar hara tes'hen i'iee
Rando raa a e kypa ay
Ty aaraska liasta
Srel vin sepa kin rila mee
Nasa skila i'iee raa a
Kasa tia a hy
Win a jenu mi'iaska
Kandaar kysu isana i'iee
Pretnee ikeia e miska
Aara ama tabechi tel
Raanu asa siviha
Kasa tia a iirri
Ay a, kata davina
Such a clear sight under the lightning
Wearing a yellow cloak in the rain
Beyond the thunder is a dark sky
Oh, it hides the sun
The ribbon in the wind is vivid
The grey clouds are so deep
The hooves on the ground rest again
There is clear sky at last
The gold of the grass and the deep red berries
Such swollen nuts on the ground
The ribbon in the wind is faded
The leaves shine in the dew
The withered clouds are so dry
The hot sun shines
The warm sky is always still
The pale brown soil is peaceful
The ribbon the wind is torn
Once more, the heart is calmI am opposed to anyone voting, except perhaps married men of property and wealth who are raising or have raised their biological children with their wives, but the worst voters are single women.
Sweden is now the rape capital of the west, due to importation of masses of North Africans to maintain the vote for failed welfare statism. When Swedish men say “Hands off our women”, Swedish women say “We are not your women”, and vote for more mass nonwhite immigration and ridiculously light slap-on-the-wrist penalties for rape.
Women do not really want the kind of society where sex happens by consent. (Check the xhamster porn videos preferred by women) Thus single women subconsciously, and sometimes consciously, want our society to be conquered, the men killed, and they themselves sexually enslaved.
In the ancestral environment, if you were a man and your in group was conquered, you were likely to be killed or enslaved, and thus be no ones ancestor. If you were a woman and your in group was conquered, you were indeed likely to be enslaved – to a successful man in the victorious group who would have children by you, and, knowing his children were his own, raise them well.
So we are in large part descended from men who conquered, and who resisted conquest with absolute determination, and descended from women who took to conquest, abduction, and slavery like a duck to water.
The strong independent woman, the woman living the lifestyle that feminism and school teaches her she should have, has few or no children, for children take two, and the commitment to stick it out when things go bad. In the ancestral environment, if you were a strong independent woman you were surrounded by weak contemptible men, in which case abduction, rape, and slavery was a good way to meet manly men.
Suppose the Taliban was to somehow do a Boko Haram and abduct a bunch of baristas with post graduate degrees in victim studies and a hundred thousand dollars of student debt. They would probably wind up having six children and umpteen grandchildren each, so we would expect women to have evolved to rather like this sort of thing.
Or, alternatively, you can believe that women was created to be a helpmeet to man, and in the fall was condemned to desire this sort of thing.
Lots of existing societies have arranged marriages or marriage by abduction. It seems to work just fine. When parents, society, or respectable authority tell women to fuck someone, they fuck him, and are happy to do so.
Large numbers of well educated and wealthy English gentlewomen in eighteenth century England married whom they were damned well told to, and I don’t see any memoirs or books from any of them complaining about it.
We hear a lot about women being involuntarily trafficked to brothels, and sometimes it happens, though less than advertised, but when white nights go forth to rescue these poor oppressed and victimized damsels in distress, they are invariably disappointed.
Commanding a woman to clean some man’s floor and cook his meals is like commanding children to eat their broccoli, whereas commanding a woman to warm some man’s bed is like commanding children to eat their icecream.
In eighteenth century Australia there was a fair bit of lighthearted and unserious female resistance to shotgun marriages, they were far from entirely compliant, but looking at these incidents, those resisting shotgun marriage do not seem like poor pitiful victims of male sexual desire, but lustful bawds who were worried that the party was going to end.
Since Victorian times, historians have sought to depict eighteenth century Australian women as sexually exploited and sexually hyper oppressed, but they just cannot seem to find any examples of women seriously resenting, complaining about or resisting this supposedly horrid extreme sexual oppression. We see lots of disciplinary issues where women were punished for talking back to the husband that they were assigned to, or punished for failing to work as directed by their husband, or being absent without leave for short periods. We just don’t see any disciplinary issues, zero, despite vigorous and alarmingly imaginative search by historians, that seem plausibly related to disinclination to go to bed with the man to whom she was assigned.
Consent is useful and valuable to the extent that a women voluntarily swears to honor and obey her husband, and to stick it out till parted by death, and eighteenth century Australian authorities were pretty keen on obtaining more or less voluntary consent for that purpose. If she is not credibly swearing that before God and man, consent serves no useful purpose to husband, family and society, women don’t really like it all that much, and the eighteenth century British and Australian authorities were untroubled by the lack of it.Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton, at a community forum on substance abuse at Boston Teachers Union Local 66 in Dorchester, Mass.. on Thursday. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post)
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton proposed Saturday that military records be amended to upgrade dishonorable discharges imposed on gay, lesbian and transgender military veterans.
People drummed out of the armed services in years past for being gay should be able to get their records changed to reflect an honorable discharge, Clinton said.
"Don't Ask, Don't Tell is over, but that doesn't change the fact that more than 14,000 men and women were forced out of the military for being gay, some long before Don't Ask, Don't Tell even existed," Clinton said, referring to the 1993 law that allowed gays and lesbians to serve in the military if they did not reveal their sexual orientation.
"They were given less than honorable discharges," Hillary Clinton said. "I can't think of a better way to thank those men and women for their service than by upgrading their service records."
Addressing the influential gay rights organization Human Rights Campaign, Clinton thanked gay rights activists for their strong support over her political career and was frank about her own change of heart about gay marriage.
"You helped changed a lot of minds, including mine," Clinton said to applause. "I personally am very grateful for that."
Politically active gay and lesbian people are an important constituency for Democrats, in no small measure because of strong financial support for Democratic candidates. Clinton has held several lucrative fundraising parties at the homes of gay supporters this year.
She pledged Saturday to build on the Supreme Court ruling guaranteeing marriage equality, and got in a few digs at Republicans for opposing the expansion of gay rights and legal protections.
"I see the injustices and the dangers you and your families still face, and I am running for president to end them once and for all," she said to cheers and chants of "Hill-a-ry, Hill-a-ry."
She spoke to a crowded ballroom on Saturday morning, hours before Vice President Biden, a potential challenger to Clinton for the 2016 Democratic nomination, gives the top-billed address to the group's annual political rallying meeting. Clinton did not mention Biden, whose support among gay rights activists is as strong or stronger than her own.
She promised not to forget the gay rights cause if elected, or treat LGBT support as a "political bargaining chip."
"Those of you who know me, know that's not me," Clinton said.
She endorsed proposed legislation to guarantee protection on the job and in housing and other areas for gay, lesbian and transgender people, and pointed to what she said are gaps in legal protection despite the universal right to marry.
"I wish that all the progress that we have made was so deeply ingrained in our laws and our values that you didn't have to keep constantly defending them, but we're not there yet," Clinton said. "There are still public officials doing everything in their power to interfere with your rights," she said.
Clinton did not identify Kim Davis by name, but she denounced the Rowan County, Ky., court clerk and Davis's backers for flouting the law by refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Progress is not secure, Clinton said, "especially when you turn on the TV and you see a Republican candidate for president literally standing in the courthouse door in Kentucky, calling on people to join him in resisting the Supreme Court ruling," Clinton said. "Celebrating a county clerk who is breaking the law by denying other Americans their constitutional rights."
That was apparently a reference to former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, who stood with Davis when she was released from jail last month. Clinton also criticized Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, another GOP candidate, who calls the Supreme Court ruling issued in June "tyranny."
A military record upgrade process is already available on a case-by-case basis to individual gay veterans who submit requests. Clinton was not specific about what she would do differently, but she appeared to be endorsing a more comprehensive or automatic upgrade for those expelled under Don't Ask Don't Tell, the 1993 law her husband, former president Bill Clinton signed, as well as new government action to clear the records of veterans kicked out before 1993.
Legislation proposed by Democrats in Congress would make that process simpler.
Outserve-SLDN, an activist group that pushed for the 2011 repeal of Don't Ask Don't tell, now helps discharged gay veterans apply for records upgrades. The group says 13,650 people were involuntarily discharged for homosexual conduct or identification under Don't Ask Don't Tell, and that nearly 6,000 have received upgrades to an honorable discharge.
The group estimates that 100,000 veterans were forced out for being gay prior to the 1993 law. The group is now working to secure honorable discharges for veterans from as far back as World War II, said interim executive director Matt Thorn.
"The onus is on the service member to provide documentation they were kicked out because they are gay or lesbian," Thorn said. "It would be great if that got switched a little bit, and the process was made easier."For our latest edition of Vulture Scavenger, we watched all six modern Batman films, listened to multiple DVD commentaries, watched dozens of featurettes, read several books, and scoured old newspaper and magazine articles in search of the tidbits that any obsessive Batman fan would love to know.
Batman
1. Gremlins director Joe Dante and Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman were both attached to the film before 29-year-old wunderkind Tim Burton signed on to direct. The film came about after comic fan Michael Uslan — who, in 1971, convinced Indiana University to let him teach the first ever college-accredited course on comic books — bought the film rights for Batman in 1979. (By that time, Uslan had scored a job at DC Comics.) Wanting “to make the definitive, dark, serious version of Batman,” he teamed up with producer Benjamin Melniker and the project eventually landed at Warner Bros.
2. Tim Burton was offered Batman after the surprising success of Pee-wee’s Big Adventure. He was unhappy with the initial script, saying in the interview book Burton on Burton that it “was basically Superman only the names had been changed. It had the same jokey tone … they didn’t acknowledge any of the freakish nature of it. They didn’t acknowledge he was a man who puts on a costume.” Later, Sam Hamm, a screenwriter with one produced credit to his name, took over and completely changed the script from an origin story to a narrative with flashbacks.
3. Michael Keaton’s casting was initially a source of controversy, resulting in fanboys writing 50,000 letters to Warner Bros. protesting the decision. The main fear was that, as a comedic actor, Keaton would push the movie toward campy, TV-Batman territory. But Burton knew from working with Keaton on Beetlejuice that the actor could do both funny and serious. “He also doesn’t look like a superhero,” said Burton in the documentary Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight. “He looks like a guy who would need to dress up like a bat for effect.” Other actors considered to play Batman included: Alec Baldwin, Mel Gibson, Kevin Costner, Charlie Sheen, Pierce Brosnan, Tom Selleck, and Bill Murray.
4. Jack Nicholson was always the first choice to play the Joker, though others were considered, including Tim Curry, Willem Dafoe, David Bowie, Robin Williams, and James Woods. Nicholson’s casting had the future benefit of making the role of a Batman villain an attractive one for big Hollywood actors.
5. Sean Young was originally cast as Vicki Vale, but one week before shooting she fell off a horse while practicing for a scene that was eventually cut from the movie.
6. Designers of the Batmobile experienced a moment of trepidation when they realized the ears on Keaton’s cowl were too tall for the vehicle to close. Since the car sat so low to the ground, the seats couldn’t be lowered, so a new cowl was made instead.
7. Batman had two soundtracks: one a score by Danny Elfman, the other an album Prince wrote just for the movie. Initially contracted to write just two songs, Prince ended up falling in love with the movie and knocking out an LP’s worth. Burton later wrote that he “couldn’t make the [Prince] songs work, and I think I did a disservice to the movie and to him.”
8. The process of building the perfect Batsuit required the construction of 28 models, along with 25 capes and six cowls. Because the cowl was attached to the cape, it didn’t allow him to move his head, giving rise to a move called the “Bat Turn,” which required Keaton to move his whole body along with his head.
Batman Returns
9. After the stress of shooting Batman, Burton wasn’t keen on making a sequel. In order to convince him, Warner Bros. handed over increased creative control. Burton gave Sam Hamm’s script to Heathers writer Daniel Waters with the instruction to cleanse the script of all signs that Batman Returns was a sequel. That included removing Vicki Vale, deleting revelations about Jack Napier, and scraping mentions of Batwing scraps being sold as souvenirs in Gotham.
10. Sam Hamm’s original script for Batman 2, its name at the time, originally featured Marlon Wayans as Robin, a teenage garage mechanic. The character remained until a few days before Wayans was set to shoot his scenes, when it was cut. The script also saw Batman defeat the Penguin and Catwoman, then get engaged to Vicki Vale.
11. Annette Bening was originally cast to play Catwoman but dropped out shortly before filming because she was pregnant. Among the actresses considered for the role were Raquel Welch, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Madonna, Ellen Barkin, Cher, Bridget Fonda and Susan Sarandon. One actress not considered was Sean Young, who showed up at Burton’s office demanding an audition in a homemade Catsuit. Burton later admitted that he hid behind his desk so he wouldn’t have to see Young. Denied her audition, she prowled the studio lot with a personal camera crew documenting the embarrassing affair. Later she appeared on Joan Rivers’s talk show in costume. “I thought it would work to be aggressive in the sense that that’s what Catwoman would have done,” Young said. It didn’t.
12. Burgess Meredith, who played the Penguin in the TV version of Batman, was initially supposed to play Oswald Cobblepot’s father. He wasn’t available because of an illness, so Paul Reubens of Pee-wee Herman fame was given the role.
13. Sixty rubber catsuits, each costing $1,000, were designed for Pfeiffer. For each shot, a costumed Pfeiffer was painted in wet silicone to produce the suit’s shine.
14. The final shot of Catwoman looking at the Bat-Signal was cobbled together at the last minute because the studio wanted to keep her alive for future films. The moment, which mimics the final shot of Batman, cost around a quarter of a million dollars. It also required a Catwoman body double because Pfeiffer wasn’t available.
Batman Forever
15. After Batman Returns made less money than Batman, Warner Bros. decided the franchise needed a new director. Joel Schumacher was brought on with the explicit goal of making Batman “more pop.”
16. After Michael Keaton dropped out (a “source close to the production” told EW that Keaton was demanding too much, including a $15 million payday, a cut of the gross, and a cut of merchandising), Warner Bros. pounced on Val Kilmer to replace him. When Kilmer got the call, he was inside a cave of bats in Africa researching an unrelated role.
17. Robin Williams had long been the leading candidate to play the Riddler should the character ever make it into a movie. Ultimately Williams turned down the role because he thought it wasn’t as comedic as the version Frank Gorshin played in the sixties TV series.
18. When Billy Dee Williams accepted the role of Harvey Dent in Batman, it was so he could play Two-Face in a future film. But when Schumacher took over the franchise, he had different plans. Tommy Lee Jones was offered the role and took it in part because his son Austin, 11 at the time, said Two-Face was his favorite character.
19. After getting cut from the Batman Returns script, Robin was made an integral part of Batman Forever. Leonardo DiCaprio and Chris O’Donnell were the top two contenders for the part, with the 24-year-old O’Donnell ultimately winning out over Leo, Ewan McGregor, Jude Law, and Alan Cumming. “Joel really wanted the Robin character to be a heartthrob for the young teenage girls,” said makeup artist Ve Neill. So O’Donnell had his ear pierced, wore eye makeup, and got what Neill called “an edgy haircut.”
20. The Batmobile was redesigned for Batman Forever. Famed-Alien designer H.R. Giger was originally hired to build it but left after creative differences with the studio. Even with Giger gone, Schumacher wanted something in the artist’s style. The final design was based on something from a leather fetish magazine.
21. The Riddler’s riddles still hadn’t been written by the time filming began. Screenwriter Akiva Goldsman asked New York Times crossword editor Will Shortz for help. For $2,000, Shortz did what Goldsman couldn’t and wrote four riddles used to taunt Bruce Wayne. He had one quibble with how they were used in the film, though — Batman figured them out too fast. “There was no sense of mental effort on Val Kilmer’s part. So I wasn’t impressed,” Shortz said.
22. One of Schumacher’s most controversial changes in Batman Forever was adding nipples |
Some observers, of course, have pinned at least some of their hopes on the oil-induced decline of the Canadian dollar, but that, Mr. Poloz said, is slow to work its way through the system.
It is however, still expected to have an impact.
"Now that the Canadian dollar has depreciated and U.S. investment is starting to fire on all cylinders, we are reasonably confident the export side will recover," Mr. Poloz said.
"The manufacturing sector is turning around nicely," he added.
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"We were losing a lot of the auto parts manufacturing to Mexico. That calculus has shifted."
Pessimism rules
Canadian executives share Mr. Poloz's concerns, The Globe and Mail's Richard Blackwell reports today.
Our latest quarter C-Suite survey, Mr. Blackwell writes, reveals that Canadian corner offices are in the most pessimistic mood since the depths of the recession.
Some 40 per cent of executives surveyed expect the economy to decline over the next year.
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Business tickerASHEVILLE, N.C. -- An Asheville man accused of intentionally causing multiple vehicle crashes across Western North Carolina has rejected two plea offers in court Tuesday.
Byron "Ben" Fulghum faces 18 charges, six of which are felonies, for insurance fraud, assault with a deadly weapon, injury to personal property and reckless driving.
Tuesday in superior court, Fulghum could have accepted a consolidation offer, where all 18 charges would be combined to four felonies, or accepted an offer that could have dealt a combination of active jail time and probation. Exact sentencing would have been up to the judge.
Now Fulghum is looking at up to eight years jail time or probation, if found guilty on all of the charges.
Fulghum criminal record shows he is a first-time offender, which may help him once this goes to trial.
Police say Fulghum was involved in more than a dozen accidents in Buncombe County alone, all within the span of about two and a half years.
Asheville police found dashcam video taken by Fulghum, of accidents that he had posted to his YouTube page.
Detectives then looked into his driving record, and found he had been involved in 20 accidents across the state since 2012.
Some of them occurred in the same general locations, and it appeared he did not try to avoid the crashes. After further investigation, he was charged with six counts of felony insurance fraud.
He is also charged with assault with a deadly weapon, injury to personal property and reckless driving.
Fulghum is currently out of jail on bond. His trial is set to begin June 13.
Related Links:In the deadlift every lifter has strong points, and weak points. Some, like myself seem to generate maximum speed from the floor that carries through the top, and others that are very slow off the floor seem to find all the speed/strength in the world at the lock out. Ideally we find a way to marry these two and build a massive storm of a perfect deadlift. I kept looking at routines, and so many had deficit pulls, block pulls, pause pulls, etc. What each of those did were to put the body in some sort of position to build “new” strength within a specified area.
Also people who look at you and say if you are slow you can never be fast then I assure you that you are wrong. In April of 2012 I pulled 725 lbs. unequipped excruciatingly slow, and just over 6 months later I managed to pull 727/777/804 lbs. at the Backyard Meet of the Century, and all of them were considered “fast”.
How can a lifter increase floor speed specifically? There is a lot of great information out there on the subject, but one thing I have noticed is that while powerlifters will use high boxes to overload the squat, boards to overload the bench, and blocks/racks to overload the deadlift, but we are looking for maximum floor speed, so we need to specifically train the weight off the floor. Think about using a block to overload the lockout, we have to forget about the lockout for a bit to focus on floor speed.
KNEE PULLS
Knee pulls are an exercise used by some old time strongmen/powerlifters that was designated not just specifically for the deadlift, but also some of the more unique strongman lifts of the day. What you do is overload the bar and pull it as hard as possible to the knee, have a slight pause (not even a one count, just enough to show control) then reverse the weight to the floor. These eliminate the lockout portion (which is worked in other exercises) and allows the lifter to pull heavy, and for repetitions in the desired area of improvement. This sounds crazy, at first, but when you see how they are implemented, and used you will see why this works. It is not something I think you should try full time, but rotated in from time to time, or a cycle specifically designed for floor speed, this should have you smoking weight off the floor in rapid order. I am going to lay out a cycle that I have successfully used with numerous lifters that has seen improvement without fail, and numerous lifters adding 5-10% to their max in just ten weeks.
These can be implemented as a secondary movement into any program, but I will give you a Cube Rotation as this is how I prefer to train, and I have much success with my athletes using this layout:
Deadlift Cycle for Maximum Floor Speed
Based off a 500 lbs. Deadlift Training Max, 525 Comp Max x.95% for Trainining is 498+/- so round up to 500.
WEEK 1
Rep Week
Deadlift Standing on 1” Mat or Plate
Work up to 400 lbs (80%) x 3 x 3 sets
Knee Pulls (Pull to the Knee then return to the floor)
450 (90%) x 2 x 4 sets
Olympic Squat
300 (60%) x 6 x 3 sets
Lat Pulldowns (Heavy as Possible with good form)
4 x 15
Back Raises
50 reps
WEEK 2
Speed Week
Deadlifts
350 (70%) x 2 x 5 sets
4” Block Snatch Grip Deadlifts (For Lockout)
300 (60%) x 12x 3 sets
Knee Pulls
400 (80%) x 5 x 5 sets
Shrugs (Actually use your traps and squeeze them, don’t move the bar an inch and call it a rep)
3 x 15
Lat Pulldowns
5 x 12
Band Goodmornings
50 reps
WEEK 3
Heavy Week
Deadlift Standing on 1” Mat or Plate
135 x 8, 185 x 5, 225 x 3, 275 x 3, 315 x 2, 365 x 2, 400 (80%) x 2, 425 (85%) x 2, 450 (90%) x 1 x 2 sets.
Knee Pulls
500 x 1, 530 x 1 x 3 sets
Dumbbell Rows
3 x 12
Goodmornings w/Moderate Weight
3 x 10
Planks
3 x 30 secs
(As you can see on Heavy Days we get in then get out)
WEEK 4
Rep Week
Deadlift Standing on 1” Mat or Plate
135 x 8, 185 x 5, 225 x 3, 275 x 3, 315 x 3, 365 x 3, 405 x 3, 425 (85%) x 3 x 3 sets
Knee Pulls
450 x 1 x 5 sets
4” Block Snatch Grip Dead Lifts
275 (55%) x 8 x 3 sets
OLY Squat
300 (60%) x 8 x 3 sets
Lat Pulldowns (Heavy as Possible with good form)
4 x 15
Back Raises
50 reps
WEEK 5
Speed Week
Deadlifts 375 (75%) x 2 x 5 sets
4” Block Snatch Grip Deadlifts
300 (60%) x 8 x 3 sets
Knee Pulls
85% x 3 x 3 sets
OLY Squat
300 (60%) x 8 x 2 sets
UpRight Rows
3 x 15
Lat Pulldowns
5 x 12
Band Goodmornings
50 reps
WEEK 6
Heavy Week
Deadlift Standing on 1” Mat or Plate
135 x 8, 185 x 5, 225 x 3, 275 x 3, 315 x 2, 365 x 2, 400 (80%) x 2, 425 (85%) x 2, 450 (90%) x 1 x 2 sets, 475 (95%) x 1
Knee Pulls
530 x 1 x 2 sets, 550 x 1
Barbell Rows
3 x 12
Goodmornings w/Moderate Weight
3 x 10
Planks
3 x 1 minute
WEEK 7
Rep Week
Deadlift Standing on 1” Mat or Plate
135 x 8, 185 x 5, 225 x 3, 275 x 3, 315 x 3, 365 x 3, 405 x 3, 425 (85%) x 3, 450 (90%) x 2
Knee Pull
75% x 5 x 3 sets
4” Block Snatch Grip Dead Lifts
325 (65%) x 10 x 3 sets
OLY Squat
350 (70%) x 8 x 3 sets
Lat Pulldowns (Heavy as Possible with good form)
4 x 15
Back Raises
50 reps
WEEK 8
Speed Week
Deadlifts
400 (80%) x 2 x 5 sets
Knee Pull
75% x 6 x 3 sets
OLY Squat
400 (80%) x 5x 3 sets
Shrugs
3 x 15
Lat Pulldowns
5 x 12
Band Goodmornings
50 reps
WEEK 9
Heavy Week
Deadlift Standing on 1” Mat
135 x 8, 185 x 5, 225 x 3, 275 x 3, 315 x 2, 365 x 2, 400 (80%) x 2, 425 (85%) x 2, 450 (90%) x 1, 480 x 1 (Planned Opener)
Knee Pull
530 x 1 x 3 sets
Lat Pulldowns
3 x 12
Goodmornings w/Moderate Weight
3 x 10
WEEK 10 MEET WEEK
Rest, eat lots of clean food, and rest!!
Meet
As far as the meet goes, according to your training you know that 480 will be your opener, and based on your training your attempts should look like this:
1st: 480
2nd: 530
3rd: 550
Now if your opener feels heavy for some reason, split the difference, and plan for a PR on your 3rd, but if you follow this ten week program you should have no problem exploding off the floor, and powering through to the lockout. You have worked for 10 weeks to improve your speed, and now its time to put some smoke on the bar!You have to feel sorry for Mario Rosenstock, Paul Howard or anyone else who tries political satire in Ireland. Their mode is comic exaggeration of the absurdities of the system, but exaggeration proves impossible. The reality is consistently more absurd than the parody.
Who, for example, could possibly have thought up the latest and most ludicrous twist in the Government’s “political reform” programme – the revelation that the citizens in the constitutional convention will be anonymous?
This great jury sitting in judgment on the dire failures of our political system will be like the hooded monks before whom victims of the Spanish Inquisition were tried.
The Government is happy for the convention to be made up of people who are too timid to show their faces. Behaviour Attitudes, the polling company, was employed to pick the 66 citizens who will join 33 politicians on the convention.
It found, we are told, that some of those it chose were “reluctant to be in the public eye”. This is like picking the Irish swimming team from people who are reluctant to get wet or putting together an Irish expedition to Everest from people who don’t like the cold and are afraid of heights. The obvious response to such concerns was to move on.
There is, after all, an important symbolism in all of this. The whole point of a process of democratic reform is to restore to citizens their sense of collective self-respect. The Irish political philosopher Philip Pettit defines a republic as the condition in which everyone can be “sufficiently empowered to stand on equal terms with others, as a citizen among citizens... able to walk tall, live without shame or indignity and look one another in the eye without any reason for fear or deference”.
That notion of being able to look one another in the eye is at the heart of any half-serious democratic renewal. A democratic renewal led by people who can’t meet the eyes of their fellow citizens is an oxymoron.
Let’s remember where this whole thing started. Both Government parties went into last year’s general election with an analysis that linked the economic collapse to the decrepitude of our political system. Fine Gael put it most succinctly: “a broken system of government and politics... is at the heart of Ireland’s economic collapse.”
This is obviously true. Corruption, cronyism, the lack of accountability at all levels of public life, the pursuit of short- term political gain at the expense of sustainable progress – these were the toxic ingredients that made disaster inevitable. But something follows from this analysis. If broken systems of governance and politics were at the heart of the economic collapse, there can be no economic recovery without what Fine Gael called “radical root-and-branch change”. Both Government parties agreed that the key driver of this change would be entirely new ways of involving citizens in the decisions that affect their lives.
So what happened? Neither party has told us it has changed its basic analysis. But two other forces are at work. One is institutional inertia. As Ministers settle cosily into office, with all of their astonishing perks, the bad things about the system – such as the lack of accountability and the overcentralised decision-making – begin to look rather nice.
But the other is much more specific: the contradiction between real democratic reform and the realities of imposing the rule of the troika. There’s a simple problem: if you were to really empower citizens, they might get awkward. They might ask questions about why, for example, Ireland can’t afford home help for vulnerable people but can afford an annual splurge of €3.1 billion on dead banks.
Let’s take one concrete example. In its manifesto, Fine Gael promised to “open up the budget process to the full glare of public scrutiny”. But, under the troika regime, the “budget process” consists of secret talks between the troika’s technocrats and officials in the Department of Finance.
The outcome of these talks is then passed, as we know from last year, to the European Commission which sends it on to the finance committee of the Bundestag in Berlin for approval. Far from opening this process up to public scrutiny, the whole point is to keep it secret. Besides, public scrutiny might give citizens the ridiculous idea that they have some function beyond sucking it up, paying the bank debts and providing Europe with a fictional “success story”.
This is why democratic renewal has become such a charade: a decrepit, authoritarian, unaccountable system is much better at doing what it’s told than one in which citizens might be empowered and obstreperous. Thus, the “solution” to the economic collapse ends up copperfastening the very system that did so much to create it.
In this sense, however absurd it may be, the idea of the convention’s anonymous citizens has a ring of truth. If we blindfold them and put tape over their mouths as well, they will be truly representative.It’s been months since I wrote a column and to be honest, I’ve sorely missed doing so.
Since the last time I wrote in this publication, Rwanda has hosted two major summits (the AU and the World Economic Summit); two roundabouts magically appeared in Kacyiru and Kimihurura, and two five star hotels, namely the Radisson Blu and the Marriot, opened their doors.
In most countries these landmark occasions would have taken place over years; here all this took place in a span of a mere eight months.
When you live in Kigali, sometimes you take that kind of transformation for granted. I know I certainly do. Often what you need to truly appreciate everything that going on around us is an outsider’s perspective and viewpoint.
The President of Benin, Patrice Talon, who has been in the country for a state visit, spoke of this transformation during the State Dinner that took place at the Kigali Convention Centre on Monday evening.
“I wanted to visit Rwanda to express in the name of my country and as an African how proud we are of Rwanda’s leadership. This country that became known because of its tragedy is now renowned for its leadership. This country has shown me that when you have the will and commitment, we can do as much if not more than others. We (Africans) are not a cursed people and Rwanda has shown the example”, President Talon said, while toasting his host President Paul Kagame.
What President Talon so powerfully expressed was that Rwanda proved that TIA (This Is Africa) was a falsehood. TIA, in my opinion, is shorthand for ‘corrupt, dirty, unsafe, coup d’etat-prone, service deficient, diseased and famished’.
TIA assumes that the entire continent is the same; according to the TIA proponents there is little difference between South Sudan and Nigeria. Or Swaziland and Djibouti; it’s all ‘Black Africa’. The Dark Continent.
The worst part of the TIA school of thought isn’t that foreigners use it to complain about long lines at the airport; the truly unfortunate aspect is that Africans themselves have internalised it as well.
Corrupt policemen? No need to report it to their superiors, This is Africa. Garbage strewn streets? Why come together as a community and take care of it, This is Africa. Crime wave caused by unemployed urban youth? No need to demand job creation, simply build a huge barbed wire fence and hire private security. THIS IS AFRICA after all!
I’m not naïve enough to think that Rwanda’s progress towards a future of true self-realisation will be the harbinger of TIA’s demise. However, we should all be proud that we’ve created a small crack in the wall.
A historical wall that was built over three hundred years. We might not live to see the TIA wall fall, but I’m confident that our children’s children won’t live under the TIA cloud.
****************
Why the dollar all the time?
The Rwandan franc is depreciating against the dollar at such a rapid pace that it’s almost making my head spin. Which isn’t a huge problem if the Governor of the Central Bank, John Rwangombwa, is to be believed.
I’m not an expert in fiscal policy and I won’t pretend to be. So, I don’t have answer, I have questions for the experts. Why do we keep the US dollar as the main currency of trade?
Rwanda’s traders mainly get their goods from Kenya, the United Arab Emirates (especially Dubai), India, China and Japan. None of these countries uses the dollar.
When I travelled to China in 2013 I had to exchange my Francs to Dollars, and then Chinese Yuan. At every stage of the transaction I was losing money. Isn’t there a way to cut out the middleman, a.k.a the dollar? If so, why aren’t we doing so?
When I walk past forex bureaus in town I see exchange rates for the Canadian Dollar and the Swiss Franc and none for the Chinese Yuan; which begs the question, which currencies should we get freely exchanging?
The one that we used to use years ago? Or the ones that we use today?UNDERFUNDED MINIATURE PETROSEXUALS - this is your next car. It’s called the Traxxas XO-1 and it’ll go from 0-62mph in 2.3 seconds (0.16 seconds faster than a Veyron), hit the ton in less than five, emit nothing but speed and only cost a pint over £700.
Largely because it’s 27 inches long. And the fastest remote-controlled car… in the world.
So, how the hell does it work?
Underneath its slippery husk there’s an aluminium space frame and high-output Traxxas/Castle Mamba Monster Extreme brushless motor powering all four wheels that’s funded by a pair of Power Cell 3S 5000mAh lithium-polymer batteries. There’s even a special smoothed undertray that integrates a front splitter, canards and a diffuser outback. They actually work, too - they produce enough downforce to keep it on track at up to 100 mph. And that’s not 100 scale miles per hour. That’s 100 actual miles an hour.
To drive it, you’ve got the choice of using your smartphone/fumbleslab or its wireless controller - a TQi 2.4GHz Intelligent Radio System with an internal antenna and five-channel receiver. Whatever that is.
Is this at the top of anyone else’s Christmas list?
Now watch it go really quite fast.When confronted with the opportunity to buy something for twenty dollars, I always think “I bet I could build that for free,” and then proceed to spend a hundred dollars in tools so that I can build it for free. Then I spend twenty dollars on beer to celebrate the money I saved. So when my doctor said “You’ll need to buy a walking cane,” I thought, Buy? I have a pile of metal and a welder. So I bought twenty dollars of beer and got to work.
Before getting started, I needed to find some inspiration. A brief web search of canes confirms that cane users fall into one of two categories: Grandma, and Fedora Guy. Grandma has the aluminum adjustable cane with the four separate feet and, sometimes, tennis balls on the bottom. Fedora guy doesn’t need a cane any more than he needs a goblin holding a crystal ball, but for some reason has decided to purchase both of these items attached to each other.
You know what, forget about getting ideas, let’s just see what I have in my garage. I have tubes of metal, sheets of metal, some nuts and bolts, and oh, what is this? A Hurst pistol grip shift handle? Jackpot.
Before getting started, I pulled up my CAD software and did a full 3D model and ran both a modal and non-linear Finite Element Analy— no not really, I just drew it on a piece of paper. The cane’s ability to not collapse under my weight is a function of intuition and a huge safety factor.
Bonus Engineering Fact: The emblem of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers contains the latin phrase “non loqui sed facere” which means “intuition and a huge safety factor.”
After getting a design that I liked, the next step was to make a scale drawing and use it to trace out the metal to cut. I needed to weld an aluminum extension onto the shifter handle, and a stainless extension onto the shaft, so I cut those out of some scrap metal I had. I used a bandsaw for the aluminum and a cutoff wheel for the stainless. You can see the scarp metal I used below the paper cutout. I did a rough cut, and then cleaned them up after they were welded to their respective pieces.
After those were cut out, I mashed the tube with a vice, placing the extension I had just cut into the middle of the part I was squishing to prevent it from collapsing too far in like a figure eight. This was helped with a little propane torch heat which also gave it that nice color fade. Once that was flattened, I welded the extensions onto their respective parts and cleaned them up with a file. I went ahead and drilled 3/16″ holes in both pieces to later use as templates for the connecting metal piece.
The next step was to cut out the aluminum pieces that would connect the handle to the shaft. This would be a breeze with a waterjet, but if I go to the waterjet guy at work and say “Hey man, can you slip this in with your next job,” he will respond, “Dude, you haven’t worked here for two years; how did you even get in the building?”
Whatever, I have a bandsaw.
So I traced the paper template out onto some aluminum and bansawed out the pattern. Then I drilled the holes, and then used my favorite tool ever of the week to deburr the holes. I used sandpaper on the sides to clean away the bandsaw pattern and smooth out the corners.
Once those pieces were made, it was just a matter of lining everything up, clamping it down, and drilling the holes for the fasteners. I just clamped everything together how I wanted it to look, and used the holes I drilled into the extension pieces to locate holes in the connecting pieces. I used a center punch, but it’s probably not required. just oversize the holes a little and it’ll fit! Once that was done, I bolted everything together, cut the shaft to the correct height, added the rubber bumper thing, and bam! Walking cane.
You know what? I don’t love that. It’s too… Flowy? Swoopy? It needs more angles. More… Metal.
Fortunately, I have more metal. Back to the drawing board.
Once I had a good 1:1 drawing that I liked, I cut out the middle connecting piece and used it as a pattern to cut some 1” wide steel bar. I then welded the bar together, drilled the holes, and used my favorite tool ever of the week again.
After that was done and cleaned up, I put the fasteners back in and bam! Walking cane.
Material:
Hurst pistol grip shifter handle
Small piece of 1/4″ scrap aluminum plate
Small piece of 3/16″ scrap stainless plate
1″ x 1/8″ Flat steel bar
3/4″ Stainless thin wall tubing
Rubber bumper thing
4x 10-24 bolts, nuts, and washers
Tools:
Cutoff wheel
Bandsaw
Drill and bits (I used 3/16″, 1/2″ and 3/8″)
Center punch
Welder
Deburring tool <- favorite tool ever of the week
File
Propane torch
Beer
The end.Lenovo acquired Motorola from Google in 2014, and in early 2016, the Chinese company said the use of the Motorola brand name would be phased out, while still keeping the “Moto by Lenovo” name for some of its smartphones. Now, it appears that Lenovo has changed its mind, and will continue to use the Motorola name after all.
In a chat with CNET during the 2017 Mobile World Congress trade show, Motorola Chairman and President Aymar de Lencquesaing stated that the reason for going back to using the Motorola name was because they now have “clarity on how we present ourselves” which is something that apparently Lenovo didn’t have a year ago.
The Motorola brand name is much more well known in the mobile phone industry than Lenovo
That rather vague explanation most likely hides the real truth; the Motorola brand name is much more well known in the mobile phone industry than Lenovo, which is mainly known for its PCs. It certainly makes sense for the company to continue to use the Motorola brand for selling smartphones, including its higher-end Moto Z family of devices, along with their Moto Mods accessories. The company plans to introduce, or re-introduce, the Motorola name in more countries, including China, where de Lencquesaing says Lenovo’s own name, and its Zuk brand, will be phased out for its smartphone products.
The company’s plan is to expand the distribution of its Moto Z phones to other carriers, according to de Lencquesaing. At the moment, the only US carrier that are selling the Moto Z lineup is Verizon, although Motorola is also selling unlocked versions that can be used on different carriers.
The “everything old is new again” trend in smartphones was a big factor in MWC 2017, as HMD Global introduced its first smartphones with the Nokia branding to a global audience, and TCL officially announced the BlackBerry KEYone phone.
Are you happy that Lenovo has seen the light and will keep the Motorola brand for its smartphones? Let us know your opinion in the comments.
Next: Can Nokia and BlackBerry stand on their own, or is it all hype and nostalgia?The altercation, which took place at Carver Vocational-Technical High School, was caught on camera. The names of those involved have not been released. The video shows a female teacher who appears to charge a female student, then throws the student against lockers and pulls her hair. A male student attempts to intervene and break up the fight.But another part of the video shows what happened before the teacher lashed out at the student. In the classroom, the teacher appears to order the female student to stop using her phone while the class is taking a test. The student is seen shoving a chair towards the teacher and appears to throw something at her. The student slams an object down on the teacher’s desk and rushes out of the room.When the teacher confronts the student in the hallway, the student throws a book at the teacher, prompting the teacher’s physical response. A media statement from the school said that the teacher was treated for injuries and placed on administrative leave while an investigation is conducted. The student was charged with assault. There was no comment from the teacher or the student.Note: Videos have been edited from their original format to enhance quality and stabilityAfter 40 years of booze illegality, Iran is getting hit with a dose of reality. Iranian officials are discovering that laws that criminalize the possession or consumption of alcohol do not work. According to an article in the Washington Post, public officials are acknowledging that there is a big alcoholism problem in Iran notwithstanding the fact that alcohol has been illegal since the Iranian revolution in 1979.
In other words, making booze illegal didn’t stop people from consuming alcohol or becoming alcoholics. The law simply did not work, not even when it was enforced with brutal punishments, like lashings.
Unfortunately, Iranian officials are not repealing their booze laws but instead simply educating people on the evils of alcohol and opening up government clinics to help people overcome their alcohol problems.
Does all this remind you of anything here in the United States?
There was Prohibition here in the United States. It didn’t work either. People continued to possess, distribute, and consume booze even though it was illegal to do so.
Like the Iranians, Americans learned a lesson about using the force of law to prevent people from engaging in self-destructive activity. It just doesn’t work.
Moreover, it makes the situation worse.
For one thing, the problem of alcoholism is driven underground, given that people are scared of being busted and punished. As the Iranians are discovering, when the government loosens up, alcoholics are more willing to surface and seek treatment in rehab clinics.
And then there is the issue of violence. Here in the United States, Prohibition gave rise to massive violence associated with the illegal distribution of alcohol. Al Capone comes to mind, along with Elliot Ness and the Untouchables, who were waging a violent war against Capone and other booze lords. All that violence disappeared when alcohol was legalized.
Unlike Iran, the United States no longer has Prohibition. There are still plenty of alcoholics in the United States but few Americans are clamoring to make booze illegal again. Instead, Americans have come to accept that that there will always be people who drink or who drink to excess.
A question naturally arises: Why the U.S. war on drugs? It’s no different in principle from Iran’s 40-year experiment with a war on booze. It certainly is as big a failure as Iran’s war on booze.
One big similarity between Iran’s war on alcohol and America’s war on drugs is that many Iranians are dying from corrupted alcohol that is sold on the black market, just as many Americans are dying from corrupted drugs that are sold on the black market. That wouldn’t be happening if booze and drugs were legal.
There is also the issue of tyranny and freedom. It is not surprising that Iran has been putting people into jail or under the lash for engaging in purely peaceful, albeit self-destructive, activity. That’s what tyrannical regimes do. They destroy freedom.
While it’s easy for many Americans to recognize tyranny when it is committed by foreign regimes, it is much more difficult for them to recognize tyranny when it is committed by their own government. But tyranny is tyranny, whether it involves punishing people for booze or drugs and regardless of the particular regime that is doing the punishing.
Maybe, just maybe, the Iranian people will lead Americans to freedom by ending their war on booze. Or maybe Americans will lead Iranians to freedom by repealing their war on drugs.TV Reviews All of our TV reviews in one convenient place.
Switched At Birth: “Like A Snowball Down A Mountain”
Well, Emmett’s story sure did take a turn. Last week in the stray observations I remarked that Matthew was a sociopath who needed to be taken down. This week, Switched At Birth flipped the switch on Matthew’s story completely with the revelation that Matthew is in love with Emmett. This is a plot bombshell that could go horribly wrong, but to the show’s credit, it’s handled with the utmost of grace.
First, the potential bad: Having a gay character basically be outed because he was catfishing the object of his affection—a person he then physically assaulted—is tricky business. There are a lot of ways this could be viewed as troublesome, but the show smartly handles the actual revelation very carefully and respectfully. It is spearheaded by Bay, who is in the midst of her own emotional minefield with Emmett, and Tank, realizes just how delicate the situation is and goes to Natalie for help. It’s great to see Natalie back on the show again, and her valuable insight informs everything that happens next, as Bay asks Emmett to let Matthew off the hook and Emmett in turn confronts Matthew. The final scene between Emmett and Matthew is almost achingly sad, as it’s obvious just how painful this whole thing has been for Matthew. What’s ultimately lovely about this story is that it turns out to not be a story of anger but one of sadness and confusion. It doesn’t excuse the way Matthew behaves; it contextualizes it, and makes it more human, in turn making it far more interesting.
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This was a big episode for both Emmett and Bay, so it is no surprise that it’s a strong one. Bay is still dealing with the aftermath of sleeping with Emmett while she was still dating Tank, and she doesn’t get let off the hook easy: She ends up having to admit the truth about what she did, first to Tank, and then to John. It’s a horribly awkward situation, but one completely of Bay’s own creation, and to her credit she handles it extremely well for a girl of her age. She feels terrible—and Tank helps her feel even more terrible by pointing out the hypocrisy of what she did (not that it’s hard to blame him)—but it’s John who ends up making her feel better. She isn’t a horrible person, just a person who made a mistake and now she has to deal with the consequences of that mistake.
What’s consistently great about how Switched At Birth handles stories like this is its refusal to pass judgement on its characters, and to allow them to make mistakes like these. Just like in life, there are no perfect people here. Just human people who make mistakes, fall down, and get back up again. It’s this quality, shared with The Fosters, that makes them the perfect Monday night pairing for ABC Family and thematically a great match to write about in this space.
Stray observations:
Carrie Wikis Some Art: Like A Snowball Down A Mountain, Damien Hurst, 2002, etching on paper.
Like A Snowball Down A Mountain, Damien Hurst, 2002, etching on paper. Apparently Daphne and Campbell were still dating? Daphne getting a job at the clinic is a nice turn for the character, and Campbell not being able to handle her in a position of power was certainly telling. Between this and Emma and Jesus on The Fosters, it was certainly a frustrating night on ABC Family for strong, independent women.
I am loving the Vasquez family scenes and Angelo’s continued attempts to sign. This is a version of Angelo I can deal with.
Kathryn deserves to be having these issues with her book considering she based a character on Sarah Lazar and named her TARA MAZAR. ARE YOU KIDDING ME, KATHRYN?
Regina, gunslinger? This isn’t going to end well.
Emmett: “I think we just planned our first heist.” (You guys are bad at heists. No more heists.)
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The Fosters: “Take Me Out”
The Fosters gets a lot of well-deserved credit for its effortless diversity and lived-in exploration of a long-term same-sex relationship, but one of the quieter ways the show is breaking ground is in its portrayal of Jude, a young boy on the edge of puberty who is just starting to confront his sexuality. The best thing about Jude’s story is how slow and deliberate it has been, appearing in the narrative not because the show wants to tell a big, loud story, but because of the natural progression of Jude as a person in the midst of growing up.
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Most of Jude’s story has presented itself through his friendship with classmate Connor, who has been portrayed as Jude’s best friend and one confidante outside of the Foster family. Throughout the friendship there have been small hints that Jude’s feelings could be deeper than friendship, but they’re always just that: hints. The show is not interested in presenting them as much more than that, and always presents them in the cocoon of safety that is Jude’s home. Jude and Connor’s friendship takes on a different light in this episode, when Connor’s father sees Jude comforting Connor by putting his hand |
theocratic state that was growing weaker and weaker.” He continued, hopefully: “And he prepared the way for the Ramesside period, which was the greatest in Egyptian history. It’s the same with Sisi—he’s preparing Egypt to be great again.”
That sentiment—preparing Egypt to be great again—is far older than Sisi or even Akhenaten. In ancient Egypt, after periods of weakness or disunity, leaders often declared a wehem mesut, literally “repeating a birth”—a renaissance. They turned to ancient symbols as a way of using past glories to promise future success. Tutankhamun declared a wehem mesut, and it seems Horemheb may have as well. And the strategy continues today. Revolutions gain legitimacy if they’re connected to the past, which is why Tahrir slogans were often accompanied by images of Gamal Abdel Nasser and Anwar Sadat. It’s also why marginalized groups around the world, ranging from gay-rights activists to Afrocentrists, have gravitated to the figure of Akhenaten.
In 2012, after Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood came to power, they passed a constitution that cited Akhenaten’s “monotheism,” and they named their policy program Nahda, Arabic for Renaissance. Three short years after Morsi was deposed, another charismatic leader on the other side of the world, Donald Trump, would rise under his own version of wehem mesut: “Make America Great Again.”
In Egypt there’s always a temptation to hold that modern mirror to the distant past, remaking the pharaonic world in our image. But it’s also true that ancient Egyptians developed sophisticated political tactics—their system, after all, lasted more than 3,000 years. They introduced us to the concept of divine kingship, as well as many universal symbols of power, including the crown and the scepter. Amarna art often functioned as propaganda, portraying Akhenaten giving prizes to sycophants and parading around the city with deferential bodyguards. Barry Kemp has written that those scenes provide “an unintended caricature of all modern leaders who indulge in the trappings of charismatic display.”
At the site of the Great Aten Temple, I asked Kemp whether such patterns of thought and behavior are universal across time. “We’re all the same species,” he said. “We’re wired up to some extent to think and behave the same way. But long-developed traditions moderate individual societies. That’s the responsibility—to find the balance between universal patterns and those that are distinctive culturally.”
View Images Mamdouh Abu Kelwa sails his felucca past the unfinished Aten Museum in Minya. Akhenaten needed only five years to build a new capital; the 25-acre museum complex has taken more than twice as long because of political and economic instability. Since the project began, Egypt has undergone a revolution and a coup, and two former presidents have been put on trial.
The Amarna Project, which organizes research at the site, keeps a Cairo office in a building next to Tahrir. Anna Stevens said that this environment has given her a new perspective on the past. “Living through this time has made me think much more about Akhenaten and the impact of revolutions,” she said, referring to the rise of Sisi. “I’m struck by this interest in a strong male leader.” She commented that at Amarna, the tombs of high officials feature Aten and the royal family, but thus far these images haven’t been found in the commoners’ cemeteries. “There’s no mention of Akhenaten or Nefertiti,” Stevens said. “It’s like it’s not their place.”
She observed a similar dynamic with the elitism of today’s politics. “You can have very radical changes at the top, but below that, nothing changes,” she said. “You can shift a whole city to another part of Egypt; you can shift a whole group of people to Tahrir Square—but nothing changes.”
In her view a revolution is an act of selective storytelling. “Akhenaten is creating a narrative,” Stevens said one day in her office. And then she pointed to an image of skeletons from a commoners’ cemetery. “But this narrative isn’t for these people, really.” Their stories will never be fully known, in the same way that the lives of most contemporary Egyptians are ignored when we focus on the dominant figures of national politics: Mubarak, Morsi, and Sisi. If we find it hard to capture the full range of revolutionary experiences during the past six years, what are the odds that we can truly understand the politics of the mid-14th century B.C.?
“That’s the way life is,” Stevens said. She sat six stories above Tahrir, surrounded by a mess of data from Amarna excavations. But she seemed comfortable with Akhenaten’s fundamental uncertainty: the mysteries of his faith, the messages of his people’s bones, and all the broken pieces that would never be put together again. She smiled and said, “There’s no clear narrative.”Ekso Bionics was founded in Berkeley, California in 2005. Since inception Ekso Bionics has forged partnerships with world-class institutions like UC Berkeley, received research grants from the Department of Defense and licensed technology to the Lockheed Martin Corporation. Today Ekso Bionics continues to pioneer the field of exoskeletons, designing and creating some of the most forward-thinking and innovative solutions for people looking to augment human mobility and capability.
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DAQRI is the leading augmented reality/4D company focused on transforming the Future of Work. It delivers the most innovative hardware and software that is bridging the gap between potential and experience. DAQRI works with the world’s largest and most respected companies to enhance human abilities by seamlessly connecting people to their environments and providing relevant information instantaneously. The DAQRI SmartHelmet and 4D Studio authoring platform deliver cutting-edge enterprise solutions in industrial, manufacturing, oil & gas, aerospace, and more. DAQRI is headquartered in Los Angeles with an R&D; facility in Sunnyvale, CA.
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Rewalk is an Israeli start-up, received FDA approval in June for their exoskeleton to aid movement for people with lower body paralysis and last week the WSJ reported that the company plans to raise up to $57.5 million from an IPO. It has partnered with Yaskawa and others involved in the distribution of rehabilitation devices.
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Cyberdyne is a venture firm which is established by Dr. Yoshiyuki Sankai, University of Tsukuba, Japan, in order to materialize his idea to utilize Robot Suit HAL for the benefits of humankind in the field of medicine, caregiving, welfare, labor, heavy works, entertainment and so on. Robot Suit HAL was developed with the technologies created in Sankai Laboratory of Tsukuba University as an application of “Cybernetics” advocated by Prof. Sankai.
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ActiveLink a subsidiary of Panasonic. Its device is among a small but growing number of exoskeletons available commercially—less fantastic and more cumbersome versions of a technology that’s been a staple of science fiction for some time. Though they have mainly been tested in medical and military settings, the technology is starting to move beyond these use niches, and it could make a difference for many manual laborers, especially as the workforce ages.
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6. FORTIS by Lockheed Martin
FORTIS exoskeleton transfers loads through the exoskeleton to the ground in standing or kneeling positions and allows operators to use heavy tools as if they were weightless. An advanced ergonomic design moves naturally with the body and adapts to different body types and heights. Using various mechanical arms, operators can effortlessly hold heavy hand tools, increasing productivity by reducing muscle fatigue.
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The Percro Body Extender can lift up to 110 pounds in each hand and can exert 10x the force the user applies. Percro says it can be used for heavy aircraft manufacturing or for aiding rescue missions of victims of earthquakes and other disasters.
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The HULC is a completely un-tethered, hydraulic-powered anthropomorphic exoskeleton that provides users with the ability to carry loads of up to 200 pounds for extended periods of time and over all terrains. Its flexible design allows for deep squats, crawls and upper-body lifting.
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Developed and built in North Vancouver by Nuytco Research Ltd, this hard metal dive suit allows divers to operate safely down to a depth of 1000 feet and yet still have exceptional dexterity and flexibility to perform delicate work. The amazing technology of the EXOSUIT atmospheric diving system (ADS) maintains a cabin pressure of the surface and still allows the suit to bend due to a unique rotary joint invented by Phil Nuytten.
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The device, the Soft Exosuit, is intended to be worn comfortably under clothing and could enable soldiers to walk longer distances, keep fatigue at bay, and minimize the risk of injury when carrying heavy loads. Alternative versions of the suit could eventually assist those with limited mobility as well. DARPA's Warrior Web program seeks to develop technologies to prevent and reduce musculoskeletal injuries for military personnel, but the same technologies could also have civilian applications. A reduction in such injuries could reduce long-term healthcare costs and enhance quality of life for wearers of the suit.
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The Titan Arm is a Cornell Cup winning upper-body exoskeleton that was created by students of the University of Pennsylvania for use in the fields of rehabilitation and therapeutic application. The arm can lift 40 pounds in addition to what the wearer’s real arm can lift and is powered by a battery pack attached to the backpack. It was also nominated for 2015 Edison awards.
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As one of the largest shipbuilders in the world, the company is investigating ways to make its workflow more productive. But after researching the use of such robo-suits on the job and found them to be helpful, the company is now working on improving its prototype model so that the suits might soon see regular use on the job.
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The running jetpack titled 4MM (Four Minute Mile) is being developed by Arizona State University with funding from DARPA to allow soldiers to run a four minute mile even with heavy equipment. Tests so far have shown that the wearer can run quicker while carrying more weight with less metabolic cost.
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The WREX, Wilmington Robotic EXoskeleton, was designed at A. I. DuPont Hospital for Children.It is a state-of-the-art, light weight exoskeleton with two links and four degrees of motion that approximates normal human anatomy. It incorporates elastic band elevation assists for both the shoulder and elbow to totally eliminate gravity influence on the extremity. The unique design of the shoulder and elbow joints allow for a significant improvement in the available range of motion when compared to other assistive devices.
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The opening of the 2014 FIFA Soccer World Cup in Brazil saw Juliano Pinto, who is paralysed from the waist down, kick the World Cup ball using an exoskeleton connected to the neurons in his brain. Developed by Duke University, the exoskeleton is part of the ‘Walk Again Project’ and was created by a team of 150 and led by neuroscientist and leading figure in brain-machine interfaces, Dr Miguel Nicolelis. In short, Mr Pinto just had to think about kicking the ball which registered the brain activity to activate the exoskeleton to move.
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XOS 2 is a second-generation robotics suit being developed by Raytheon for the US Army. The company publicly demonstrated the capabilities of the exoskeleton for the first time at its research facility in Salt Lake City in Utah. The wearable robotic suit increases the human strength, agility and endurance capabilities of the soldier inside it. The XOS 2 uses high-pressure hydraulics to allow the wearer to lift heavy objects at a ratio of 17:1 (actual weight to perceived weight). This allows repeated lifting of the load without exhaustion or injury.
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The Honda Experimental Walking Assist Device is a robot exoskeleton for the legs, designed to reduce the strain of walking for the elderly and those with mobility problems. Essentially a chair with legs, the Honda exoskeleton allows users to sit down in a saddle-like seat and strap their feet into two shoes attached to artificial limbs. The seat supports a portion of the wearer's body weight, reducing the strain to joints in the knees, ankles and hips. While the device is expected to improve mobility, running a marathon in one probably isn't a good idea, since the lithium ion battery (a more powerful version of the cell phone battery) lasts roughly two hours at a pace of 2.8 miles per hour.
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Researchers at MIT have developed a leg exoskeleton capable of carrying an 80-pound load without the use of motors. According to its developers, the prototype can support 80 percent of this weight while using less than one-thousandth of a percent of the power used by its motorized equivalents.The aim of developing leg exoskeletons is to make it easier for people to carry heavy loads, says Hugh Herr, director of the Biomechatronics Group at MIT and leader of the research. By designing mechanical structures that transfer much of the load directly to the ground, rather than via the walker’s legs, it should be possible to enable soldiers and firefighters to carry heavier loads while reducing the risk of injury and the amount of metabolic effort they expend in doing so.
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The Exoskeleton is powered by ultra-capacitors and doped nano-phoshpate batteries (similar to the ones currently used in hybrid cars) and it is controlled using 36 pneumatic muscles with two linear actuators set along a spine consisting of seven artificial vertebrae. Even the helmet is pneumatically attached.
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X1 Robotic Exoskeleton for resistive exercise, rehabilitation and mobility augmentation.They say that all women have a type, and I should know. The men I date always turn out to be two kids on each other’s shoulders wearing a trench coat.
The first time it happened, I figured it was a fluke. When “John” picked me up, I was immediately drawn to his youthful energy and playful gait. When we arrived at dinner, he said, “My mom loves this place. She’s always taking me here!” Finally: a man who was comfortable talking about his mother, I thought. My heart fluttered. When John ordered “pisghetti and milk,” spilled both all over himself, and eventually stuffed portions of the meal into his shirt, I assumed he was playfully trying to lighten the mood. But I should have known that he was really two eight-year-olds sitting on each other’s shoulders.
Later that month, I was sure I’d found a good thing in “Dan.” He had an easy smile and a lithe profile, standing a full head taller than me. He suggested we “play in the park,” and I was charmed by the sweet simplicity of the date. As I watched him descend the playground slide over and over and over again, his wormlike body sometimes appearing to come apart within his clothing, I could see our future—the Colonial in Connecticut, the tree house he’d build with our boys—all laid out before us. But unfortunately, Dan was a child on top of another child within a trench coat.
“Michael” and I had so much in common that I was certain he couldn’t possibly be a third grader with another third grader sitting on his shoulders. What are the odds, anyway? We met at the Museum of Natural History, where we took in the latest exhibit on dinosaurs. He told me how he loved cartoons, and that he didn’t “really get why grown ups don’t like them.” Was this the man who will finally accept my non-ironic love of SpongeBob? Had he seen the Game of Thrones finale? “Nope,” he said, “I can’t watch that stuff.” Here a man stood before me, slightly off balance, completely sensitive to violence. Was he too good to be true? And then Michael sneezed, and I offered a “bless you,” and he said, “Thank you.” But it came out muffled, from somewhere inside the middle of his coat. Yet another heartbreak.
But there’s no need to pity me, for I’ve finally found a man—a real man—this time. Tom is sensitive, loving, gentle and mature. And best of all, he has truly lived and struggled. I know this because when I suggested we meet for a drink, he said, “I’m not allowed to have that.” I’ll take a recovering alcoholic over two kids stacked on top of each other any day of the week. I just can’t wait to see what’s under his trench coat.For years, utility executives have watched the rapid spread of rooftop solar power with trepidation, seeing a potential threat to their profits.
A new federally funded report suggests that it’s not an idle fear.
Rooftop solar could cut utility earnings by as much as 15 percent, according to the report from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. It could also raise electricity rates for utility customers, but by a far smaller amount, up to 2.7 percent.
The report, issued Wednesday, will stoke the already heated debate over solar power policies in California, Colorado and other states. Utilities fear a future in which more and more customers generate their own power, leaving others to shoulder the costs of paying for the electrical grid. The scenario even has a name, the “utility death spiral.” In California and elsewhere, the companies have responded by pushing to end or change “net metering” policies that pay solar homeowners for excess electricity they ship onto the grid — a major incentive to install PV panels.
Lawrence Berkeley researchers decided to study the financial effects of customer-owned solar on utilities, their shareholders and their customers. To do so, they created two model utility companies, one located in the Southwest, the other in the Northeast. Since not all utility companies operate in the same way, they decided that the hypothetical Southwestern utility would own some of its own power plants while the Northeastern one wouldn’t.
The researchers looked at what would happen to utility costs and revenues as the use of solar power grew, rising to 2.5 percent of the utilities’ total retail sales, then to 10 percent. (For comparison, rooftop solar generation in Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s territory in 2013 equaled 2.3 percent of retail sales, according to the report. PG&E has more solar customers than any other U.S. utility.)
The Southwestern utility fared better than its Northeastern counterpart. But each took a hit to its bottom line.
At 2.5 percent solar penetration, the Southwestern utility’s earnings fell 4 percent. At 10 percent solar penetration, profits dropped 8 percent. For the model Northeastern utility, the profit cut started at 4 percent and increased to 15 percent.
The utilities’ hypothetical customers also felt a pinch, as the costs of grid maintenance were spread across a smaller base of sales. But the effect was far more modest. At the low end of solar growth, average customer electricity rates rose.1 percent for the Southwestern utility and.2 percent for its Northeastern counterpart. At the high end of solar penetration, rates climbed 2.5 percent in the Southwest and 2.7 percent in the Northeast.
So what can utilities do? The researchers offered several options, although each has its own pros and cons. One intriguing possibility, already suggested by former U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu and others, would be for utilities to jump into the solar business themselves and start leasing panels to their customers.Gilmore Girls
When Rory and Lorelai return to Stars Hollow on Netflix’s Gilmore Girls this Friday, the fictional Connecticut town, for the most part, looks the same as it ever was. According to costume designer Brenda Maben, who worked on the series ever since it was on the WB and returns, like much of the crew, for the revival, that’s intentional. “I think that’s what the fans are looking forward to,” she said, “coming home.” So, as seen in Gilmore trailer, many of the characters return wearing their signature looks — Luke, for instance, is still in his plaid and his baseball cap. A few others, however, seem to have changed their style significantly — why on earth is Emily Gilmore wearing a T-shirt? Vulture caught up with Maben to talk through how she brought the Gilmore style back for the revival, how Dean, Jess, and Logan have grown up, and where Rory’s buying her coats.Clergy vote against report by 100 to 93 in blow to archbishop of Canterbury as he tries to chart course between apparently unreconcilable wings of church
The Church of England has been plunged into fresh turmoil after its general assembly threw out a report on same-sex relationships in a rebuff to bishops following almost three years of intense internal discussion and intractable divisions.
The C of E’s synod, meeting in London this week, voted on Thursday to effectively reject the report, which upholds traditional teaching that marriage is a lifelong union of a man and a woman.
Although there was a clear overall majority in favour of “taking note” of the report, it needed the support of all three houses – bishops, clergy and laity. The clergy narrowly voted against, by 100 votes to 93, meaning the motion was lost.
The de facto rejection of the report is a blow to the authority of Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, who pleaded with the synod to accept the report as “a basis for moving on, a good basis, a roadmap”.
Welby presides over the House of Bishops, which has met four times since internal discussion groups wound up last July to chart the way forward between two apparently unreconcilable wings of the church.
Responding to the vote, Graham James, bishop of Norwich, said: “I can guarantee that the House of Bishops will consider carefully and prayerfully all the contributions made in the debate today.”
Serving bishop joins criticism against C of E stance on gay marriage Read more
He added: “We have listened to those who have spoken, and those others who have made contributions to us directly. Our ongoing discussions will be informed by what members of synod and the wider church have said as a result of this report.”
Acknowledging that the next steps were unclear, Pete Broadbent, bishop of Willesden, said: “In this debate, we haven’t even begun to find a place where we can coalesce.... More conversation is needed. We don’t yet know the next stage – nor yet when and whether we can bring any further report to synod.”
The issue has dominated the current four-day session of the synod, and has been the subject of bitter debate within the C of E – and the global Anglican communion – for decades. At the moment, gay clergy are forbidden from marrying or having sexual relationships, and same-sex marriage services are prohibited in churches.
In a debate lasting more than two hours, about one in three members of the synod requested to speak from the packed floor of the auditorium. Many contributions included personal testimonies from gay people.
Jayne Ozanne of Oxford accused the bishops of putting “political expediency ahead of principle”. Fearing a split, they had “chosen not to lead but to manage”.
Simon Butler of Southwark, an openly gay member of synod, said that “only when fracture comes can new possibilities emerge”, and quoted Genesis: “I will not let you go until you bless me.”
Lucy Gorman of York told the synod that “outside these walls, we are being heard as lacking in love”. No wonder, she added, that fewer young people were coming to church. “Why would people become part of a church that is seemingly homophobic?”
But those on the conservative wing of the church also expressed criticisms and some voted against the report. Andrea Minichiello-Williams of Chichester said: “All sexual expression outside a lifelong permanent union on one man and one woman is sinful.” Sexuality was a “first order issue”, one on which salvation depends. “That’s why it’s so important to speak clearly with regard to sexual sin.”
Paul Bayes, bishop of Liverpool, said: “I honour the anger and, indeed, fury, of the LGBTI community who see in this report hard stones when they looked for bread.” However, he urged the synod to back the report, saying its encouragement for clergy to exercise maximum freedom within existing doctrine “may carry us to places we have not previously gone”. The report, he said, “cannot, will not and should not mark the end of the road” on the issue.
Welby, the final speaker to be called, said “how we deal with profound disagreement… is the challenge we face”. The church needed to be “neither careless in our theology nor ignorant of the world around us”, he added.
Before the debate, both James and Broadbent, who led the bishops’ group which wrote the report, apologised to its critics. “It has not received a rapturous reception in all quarters, and I regret any pain or anger it may have caused. And if we’ve got the tone wrong, we are very sorry,” said James.
Broadbent acknowledged it was “a pretty conservative document”, adding: “I do want to apologise to those members of synod who found our report difficult, who didn’t recognise themselves in it, who had expected more from us than we actually delivered, for the tone of the report. On behalf of the House [of Bishops], and without being trite or trivial, I’m sorry.”
While upholding traditional doctrine on marriage, the report said teaching should be interpreted with “maximum freedom” for same-sex couples and called for a “fresh tone and culture of welcome and support” for lesbians and gays while proposing no concrete change.
Following the vote, Ozanne, a leading gay rights campaigner on the synod, said: “I am thrilled that this report has been voted down. We now look forward to working together to build a church that is broad enough to accept the diversity of views that exist within it, courageous enough to address the deep divisions that exist between us and loving enough to accept each other as equal members of the body of Christ.”
Simon Sarmiento, chairman of LGBTI Mission, said: “I’m pleased the report was not accepted. I am sure the bishops will have learned a lesson from this experience which I know has been painful. I hope they will now consult widely and proceed wisely.”
Andrea Williams, from the conservative Christian Concern, said the report had tried “to straddle positions that cannot be reconciled”. She added: “This shouldn’t be read as a victory for the LGBT activists within the Church. The reason why this happened was because there was no clarity in which direction the church will go.”
LGBTI Christians and supporters of gay equality held a vigil outside Church House in Westminster, the venue for the synod, during the debate.Reviews
Saint Arnold Icon Blue Coffee Porter Review
Saint Arnold Brewing’s new Icon Blue is a nice addition to an already great series. A coffee porter full of flavor, yet light enough to enjoy casually (and now available in six-packs!).
Saint Arnold’s first-ever coffee beer was made by adding over 45 lbs. of ground espresso from local roasters, Java Pura Coffee, to a light porter developed by brewer Eddie Gutierrez. As noted on the Saint Arnold website, “adding ground coffee rather than brewed makes the finished beer fruitier and more aromatic. The fresh, raw coffee aroma we were seeking illustrates why using a high quality coffee is important. The result of all this is Icon Blue, a medium bodied porter with a balance of chocolate, roast and coffee flavors. There is a mild sweetness that is balanced by both the coffee and the combination of Bravo and Willamette hops.”
Neither the coffee nor the base beer dominates this well-balanced brew, though both are certainly present. The nose reveals light coffee roast, along with chocolate, earthy notes, and a touch of hops. The mouthfeel is medium bodied at best. And though it may be a tad thin for my liking, it serves this particular beer well as a nice casual drinker, suitable for many occasions. The flavors are a well-mixed assortment of coffee, chocolate, leathery notes, sweetness, and even a touch of peanut butter. A clean finish and medium-light body will have you knocking this one back a tad faster than you probably should.
For those who crave huge coffee flavor, you might find this one a little lacking. But if you’re like me and prefer a nice balance, where the coffee is present but not overpowering, then this beer is for you. Smooth and easy-drinking with lots of great flavor, Icon Blue Coffee Porter is not to be missed.
Saint Arnold’s decision to switch the Icon series from four-packs to six-packs while keeping the price the same is another great reason to seek this one out (and those still to come). More beer for the same price? Yes, please!Follow Lyle
Stefan Jacoby is the CEO of Volkswagen Group of America. He told Automotive News it is his view that it will take electric cars 35 year to gain a significant share of the global automotive market.
The obstacle? Infrastructure.
Jacoby argues "What would happen if 50 million new electric customers would plug their electric cars in an electric socket? There is no country on earth that is really properly prepared for electric cars."
Of course VW has bet on diesel, and already 30% of new Jettas sold in the US use clean diesel technology.
He thinks it is unrealistic that people will adopt electric cars in mass number, and believes electric motors aren't yet "properly developed." Resigned to the fact "We have to live for a certain period with fossil fuel engines," Jacoby thinks optimization of those engines are the best near term plan.
This may or may not be the case.
Technological advances tend to happen abruptly. Remember the the Internet in 1992?
Studies have also concluded the current US electric grid could handle up to 50 million electric cars, with charging absorbed by considerable excess capacity in off peak times. It may be true that less developed countries will have a longer way to go to adopt electric cars as they are only now beginning to adopt petroleum powered ones, however it is possible that electric cars could be the starting point for those populations. For example Tata Motors which make the world's cheapest car in India, the Nano, is planning an electric version. China too has its own low budget electric car, the BYD FD3M already on the market.
The rate of current US automotive fleet replacement is about 7 million cars per year. Since the total fleet is about 100 million, if half of them are replaced with electrics, then in 10 years 35% of the US auto fleet could be elctric.
True, it may take time for electric cars to make significant ground, but 35 years is pushing it. Sorry Mr. Jacoby, you can keep your diesels. No Plug No Sale.
Source (Automotive News)After several staff members were let go following the 2015 season, head coach Bill Cubit had some coaching vacancies to fill. After today's report from the News-Gazette, it appears he has filled all of them.
A source close to the program told The News-Gazette today that Tim McGarigle will coach linebackers and Paul Williams will handle the defensive backs. McGarigle comes to Illinois after four seasons on the staff at Western Michigan. Before that, McGarigle played three seasons in the NFL and was a graduate assistant at Northwestern, his alma mater.
McGarigle was one of the best tacklers in Northwestern football history, and was selected in the NFL draft by the St. Louis Rams. He played in 12 games the following season but only recorded six tackles and was eventually released. He then found a job at his alma mater, helping out defensively for the Wildcats before taking the linebacker coach's position at Western Michigan. He was still on the staff for the team's Bahamas Bowl victory this past week, but will now join Cubit and company in Champaign. Another interesting note from the article:
The source said Tim McGarigle and Paul Williams were hired both for their coaching ability and skill as recruiters. Signing day is February 3rd.
The Illini have five scholarships left to fill before the signing day deadline, and hopefully the additions of McGarigle and Williams will only further help.
These moves completed Bill Cubit's 2016 coaching staff hires. As of right now, the breakdown looks like this:
Offense
- Offensive Coordinator: Ryan Cubit
- Running backs: Nathan Scheelhaase
- Wide receivers: Mike Bellamy
- Tight ends/special teams: Jeff Hecklinski
- Offensive line: A.J. Ricker
Defense
- Defensive Coordinator: Mike Phair
- Inside linebackers: Tim McGarigle
- Outside linebackers: Al Seamonson
- Defensive backs: Paul Williams
Cubit has done a solid job of adding quality coaches to this list, now it's time to see what the Fighting Illini look like completely as "Bill Cubit's team."Pakistan's military and intelligence agencies are waging a nasty war on U.S.-based scholars whose writings and public statements undermine cherished narratives promulgated by the army that has dominated Pakistan's governance for most of the state's existence. These agencies aim to intimidate, discredit, and silence us. Their tools are crude and include: outright threats; slanderous articles in Pakistani papers and other on-line forums; an army of trolls on twitter and other social media who hound us; and embassy officials who attend and report on our speaking events on Pakistan. But we are lucky to be in the United States: Pakistan's khaki louts disappear, kidnap and/or kill their critics within Pakistan
My own experience with Pakistan's harassment techniques began in May of 2011 when I received an email threatening me with gang-rape by an entire regiment. I had received a grant from the American Institute of Pakistan Studies to complete research for my book "Fighting to the End: The Pakistan Army's Way of War" and had intended to spend the summer of 2011 in Islamabad and Lahore. As I already had a valid, multiple-entry visa they could not use visa denial as an instrument of coercion to influence my writings before my planned visit. So, they tried to intimidate me with this threat of physical harm.
My own experience with Pakistan's harassment techniques began in May of 2011 when I received an email threatening me with gang-rape by an entire regiment.
At first, I was incredulous that this email was sent by the "deep state" and I did not immediately call off my travel. Serendipitously, my flight to Dubai was cancelled. While I rebooked my travel, Pakistan's then ambassador Husain Haqqani reached out to me to tell me simply "You have to cancel your trip. The crew cuts are after you." Other embassy officials told me privately that the ISI distributed a circular about me at the Pakistan embassy. One officer asked me "You are in trouble. What did you do?" I was sickened by the situation. Officials from the embassy were, and presumably are, not allowed to meet with me.
When I confronted Brigadier Butt, the then ISI station chief at the Pakistan Embassy and Defense Attaché --it became clear that he was personally angry with me because he had seen or had heard about my book proposal from a small number of persons who had seen it. He said that he felt let down because the army had given me considerable access yet I was writing, what he called, an anti-army book. I explained to him that I was doing my job by being willing to go to Pakistan through various grants--despite the security environment--to hear their side of the story. I also told him that granting interviews to scholars is not tantamount to buying scholars
Since 2011 I have inspired several "planted" stories that have appeared in Pakistani papers and obscure blogs alike. These artless rants would be amusing if they were not dangerous. On one occasion, an article actually gave information about where I was staying in Pakistan which was a clear intent to cause me harm or signal the ability to cause me harm.
On one occasion, an article actually gave information about where I was staying in Pakistan which was a clear intent to cause me harm or signal the ability to cause me harm.
In the fall of 2014, two videos were circulated about me that had the imprimatur of the army's media-management organization, the ISPR. The videos included (not very danceable) sound tracks which were taken from ISPR-produced entertainment. Since these videos were published on Youtube, which is banned in Pakistan, the obvious audience of these productions was Pakistanis outside the United States. (Both of these videos have since been removed.).
In early February, The News, published an article that alleged that I have nefarious links with Baloch insurgents. The Baloch are an ethnic group in Pakistan which resists inclusion into the state and its reliance upon Islam as a tool to blunt Baloch ethnic aspirations. Pakistan's security forces have waged five waves of brutal military oppression, sometimes with U.S. weapons systems, which has been widely decried by international as well as Pakistani human rights organizations.
Despite these well-documented abuses--which includes disappearances, torture and murder by Pakistan's security forces--the United States has not levied Leahy Sanctions as required by U.S. law. The ISI has worked tirelessly to keep its actions in Balochistan a dark secret.
If Pakistan's armed forces and intelligence agencies are afraid of a few scholars, how can they confront Pakistan's real enemies who are the hordes of terrorists it once nurtured but who have turned their guns and suicide vests against their erstwhile patrons?
So why did Pakistan write such an article about me? I have several suspicions. First, I was included on a successful National Science Foundation grant to study the Baloch conflict. Second, as a part of this study, I have reached out to Baloch dissidents to hear their side of the story. Third, I tweet about the tragedy in the state and encourage my government to apply applicable laws and deny security assistance to those units involved in these abuses. Fourth, there will be a publication emerging from this effort. Since I cannot go to Pakistan, what was the intent of the essay? Ultimately, I believe it was coarse attempt at bullying me by targeting my employer and jeopardizing my job security and trying to cast aspersions upon my credibility within U.S. government agencies. According to the article:
It is not clear if Georgetown University was aware of Ms Fair's plan to meet the leader of Baloch dissidents. It further remains to be seen if US authorities would take notice of Ms Fair's contacts with such leaders. Her penchant for aggressive attacks on Pakistan that goes beyond inciting violence is not a secret.
Ultimately, this propaganda failed to produce the institutional outrage that Pakistan's deep state intended.
Another recent attempt to malign me and several of my colleagues was published in |
, it can be hard to find any praise for the regions on the sidelines. Ever since their first appearance in 2013 for Season 3, the teams from international Wildcard regions have been popular topics of debate when it comes to the World Championship in League of Legends, where there is always at least one slot reserved for qualifying Wildcard rosters. Hailing from minor, up-and-coming scenes with weaker competition and fewer resources, these Wildcard teams often exit Worlds with abysmal records, losing every game except for maybe one or two. Editor's Picks The odyssey of Bjergsen, part three The rise. The fall. The renaissance. With a team around him he can trust and a work ethic that never quits, Søren "Bjergsen" Bjerg is aiming higher than anyone can imagine.
The odyssey of Bjergsen, part two Worlds 2014 to 2015 was a time of success and trial for TSM's superstar Søren "Bjergsen" Bjerg, who found that he could not carry an entire team and thousands of fans' hopes by himself.
EU's history at LoL Worlds It was the first region to win the title of "World Champion" in League of Legends, and save for Season Four, EU has been a consistent threat at the Worlds. Here is its history. 2 Related
Because of this pattern, many hardcore fans have argued from the start that Wildcard teams shouldn't be allowed to compete at Worlds as they drag the level of competition down and can harm stronger favorites' chances of making it out of the group stages. But the Wildcard teams haven't been satisfied with last place; they are slowly on the rise from bottom-tier tourists to true dark horses.
Here is their story.
Season 3 (2013)
GamingGear.eu (Lithuania) -- group stage
Lithuanian team GamingGear.eu was the first Wildcard region team at Worlds. It went 1-7 in group stages, only winning against a Team SoloMid who had already been eliminated from groups. Provided by Riot Games
GamingGear.eu lost every game in the group stages except for one, finishing at a W-L record of 1-7. Their only win was off of Team SoloMid who by that point were already knocked out and captained by a player who decided he was retiring. Having absolutely no intention of winning, TSM picked a joke team composition during draft so that Reginald could have fun for his last competitive game and gave a free win to the Wildcard squad. There's no real special story behind GamingGear.eu's disappointing performance; they were out of their depth, especially being in the same group as powerhouses like SK Telecom T1.
The competitive landscape of the Wildcard regions back in 2013 is difficult to describe, since so many regions were saplings with new servers compared to the broad oaks in the rest of the world. This lack of development meant it was impossible to make an argument that a Wildcard team in 2013 had any potential against the major regions. Ultimately, all five players of GamingGear.eu would soon retire after renaming themselves to Team Ultra Vires in the wake of Worlds that year.
Season 4 (2014)
KaBum! e-Sports (Brazil) -- group stage
Dark Passage (Turkey) -- group stage
During Season 4, Anıl "HolyPhoenix" Işık was the AD carry for Dark Passage and is well known for his aggressive play and skill, and was even considered to be a possible import for LCS teams from time to time. Despite HolyPhoenix's skill, DP was too behind as a team to pull out wins at Worlds. This Turkish team would consistently become one of the stronger teams in the Wildcard scene, often placing around third or fourth place in future Wildcard tournaments as it continually fine-tuned its roster.
Anıl "HolyPhoenix" Isık was the AD carry for Turkish team Dark Passage at Worlds 2014. Provided by Riot Games
KaBum!'s name is an accurate depiction of its impact on both the tournament itself as well as how Wildcards would be perceived. They won one game only, but that game was against the number one European seed, Alliance. It was a pivotal win that helped seal the coffin and send Alliance home while simultaneously sending Cloud9 out of the group stages to advance at Worlds that year. While it's widely thought that the upset happened during the game itself, KaBum! showed strategic foresight by dismantling Alliance during the draft phase, crippling Mike "Wickd" Petersen's champion pool and forcing the rest of Alliance onto questionable picks more suited for solo queue rather a cohesive team composition.
Players like KaBum!'s Thiago "TinOwns" Sartori from Brazil were certainly talented, but talent alone wasn't what had been holding Wildcard teams back; rather, it was a wider understanding of macro game. KaBum!'s macro-oriented victory over Alliance certainly put Brazil on the map, which would help the region grow in coming years.
Season 5 (2015)
paiN Gaming (Brazil) -- group stage
Bangkok Titans (Thailand) -- group stage
Hailing from Thailand, the Bangkok Titans were Titans not only by name but by reputation as well. During Season 5, BKT were incredibly dominant within the Thailand Pro League, allowing them to qualify for Southeast Asia's much larger Garena Pro League. Led by captain Pawat "WarL0cK" Ampaporn and mid-lane carry Nuttapong "G4" Menkasikan, they were able to overthrow several of the Vietnamese teams that held a tight grip over the region, go nearly undefeated, and qualify for Worlds. Unfortunately, they crashed and burned there, losing every game in a tough group with teams like SK Telecom T1, EDward Gaming, and H2k-Gaming. BKT grew a lot that year, from playing recklessly to learning macro strategy and breaking free of the GPL, but the competition wasn't hard enough to push them anywhere near "world-class."
Brazilian League of Legends team paiN Gaming represented the Wildcard regions at the 2015 World Championship along with the Bangkok Titans. Provided by Riot Games
Fueled by KaBum!'s meaningful win against Alliance, Brazil continued to be the hotspot of IWC speculation about how close they might be to being at the same level as North American or European LCS teams. One team, INTZ, was deemed to be comparable to a number of NA League Championship Series teams at the time by the likes of Team SoloMid's Søren "Bjergsen" Bjerg and Team Liquid's Christian "IWillDominate" Rivera. However, it was fellow Brazilian team paiN Gaming who defeated INTZ domestically and then qualified for Worlds through the Wildcard Qualifier that year.
PaiN would be called the "best Wildcard team to attend Worlds" after it was over. Brazil has certainly grown leaps and bounds, as paiN was the first Wildcard team to win more than one game at the annual event. They looked great in some of their losses and their second game against the Flash Wolves, who were the winners of their group, lasted almost an hour and went back and forth several times. This paiN roster had several star players including jungler Thúlio "SirT" Carlos, mid-laner Gabriel "Kami" Santos, and famous AD carry Felipe "brTT" Gonçalves. From here, Brazil can only hope to go even higher as INTZ will represent the country at Worlds this year.When evaluating Caleb Hanie, the Broncos saw something on film that wasn’t visible through production.
Hanie, 26, will be Peyton Manning’s backup quarterback after he agreed to terms on a two-year contract Saturday with the Broncos.
Undrafted in 2008 out of Colorado State, Hanie has played little in his four NFL seasons, but he did get two substantial opportunities.
The first was in the 2010 season’s NFC championship game, when he replaced Todd Collins, who was ineffective in relief of injured starter Jay Cutler.
The Bears were trailing the Green Bay Packers 14-0 when Hanie came in with 57 seconds remaining in the third quarter. He led the Bears on two touchdown drives and threw for 153 yards in the fourth quarter alone.
But Hanie also threw two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown by defensive lineman B.J. Raji, and the Bears lost 21-14.
Still, the Bears were confident in Hanie late last season after Cutler suffered a season-ending broken thumb. The Bears were 7-3 when Hanie became their starter. They were 7-7 when his four-game audition was finished. He threw nine interceptions against three touchdown passes while posting a 41.8 passer rating.
Hanie played efficiently, though, in a 13-10 overtime loss to the Broncos in December at Sports Authority Field. Operating an ultraconservative game plan, Hanie completed 12-of-19 passes for only 115 yards in a mistake-free game.
The Broncos believe Hanie, a good athlete who moves well, was put in a difficult situation last season because in his final three games he didn’t have star running back Matt Forte, who had suffered a season-ending knee injury, and had to play behind an offensive line that surrendered an NFL-most 105 sacks the previous two seasons.
With the Broncos, Hanie will get a new lesson in work ethic. In his four seasons with the Bears, Hanie first played behind Kyle Orton and then Cutler. Neither Orton nor Cutler are known for putting in extra time on the practice field or weight room, at least not while they played in Denver.
Manning is known as one of the most prepared quarterbacks — both mentally and physically — in the league.The official website for the Noragami television anime unveiled a new key visual for the second season on Monday. The season will adapt the manga's popular Bishamon arc.
The cast will appear at all-night marathons of the first season on April 18 in Tokyo's Shinjuku Picadilly theater and on April 19 at Osaka's Nanba Parks Cinema theater. The Animate Ikebukuro store will also host an special exhibition from April 14 to April 16. Fans can call a toll-free number to "talk" with Hiroshi Kamiya; a similar hotline received several million calls in 2013.
The new season will reunite the staff and cast from the first season based on Adachitoka's manga:
Director: Kotaro Tamura
Series Composition: Deko Akao
Character Design: Toshihiro Kawamoto
Animation Production: BONES
Hiroshi Kamiya as Yato
Maaya Uchida as Hiyori Iki
Yuuki Kaji as Yukine
Miyuki Sawashiro as Bishamon
Jun Fukuyama as Kazuma
Aki Toyosaki as Kofuku
Daisuke Ono as Daikoku
Toru Ohkawa as Tenjin
Kazuhiko Inoue as Kuraha
Asami Imai as Mayu
Rie Kugimiya as Nora
Funimation streamed the first season as it aired in Japan last year, and describes the story:
Yato may just be a minor god now, but he's determined to make it big and he's got a plan. Unfortunately, things just don't seem to be going his way. He doesn't have a single shrine dedicated to him, his partner has just quit, and now he's got to find a new divine weapon. Just when things look bleak, he meets a girl named Hiyori and changes her life forever.
Funimation scheduled the first season's DVD and Blu-ray Disc release in North America for this summer. Kodansha Comics is publishing the fourth manga volume in North America in April.
Source: Comic NatalieA Montclair State University professor with a history of making irresponsible political statements on the internet has been fired after he tweeted for someone to kill President Trump.
‘Trump is a f—ing joke,’ Kevin Allred wrote in the social media post Friday night, which has since been deleted from his page. ‘This is all a sham. I wish someone would just shoot him outright.’
Later in the weekend, Allred shared the notorious photograph of Kathy Griffin holding a beheaded prop of Trump, with the caption ‘mood.’ He also personally indicated the President was ‘a traitor and a terrorist.’
Allred was an adjunct professor for Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies and most recognized for his quirky course called ‘Politicizing Beyonce’ at Montclair State University in New Jersey.
Back in November 2016, while employed at Rutgers, Allred was admitted to Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital to undergo mental evaluation after he made threats ‘to kill white people,’ burn the flag and abuse gun laws, the New York Daily News reported at the time.
‘Rutgers police told them I’m a threat based on political statements I’ve made on campus and on Twitter. This is for exercising my … First Amendment rights,’ Allred wrote to Twitter after the cops showed up to his Brooklyn home for questioning.
After he was released from the psychiatric hospital, he took to Twitter again, calling the situation a ‘s*** show’ and a limitation of free speech during Trump’s upset election.
‘They’ve forced me to now undergo a psychiatric evaluation at the hospital,’ he tweeted. ‘They brought me by ambulance tho i’m not under arrest technically.’
‘And this is for exercising my f***ing first amendment rights. i’m being labeled a threat and put in a psych hospital,’ he added.
Allred told the Daily News at the time that he spoke with his students about their opinions on burning the flag ‘as a form of protest’ and what the idea triggered to different groups of people.
‘Then I made a comment, essentially saying, ‘Would people feel the same way about being so lenient with the Second Amendment if people went out and got guns to shoot random white people?” he said.
A student of Allred’s reportedly filed a complaint against him to school officials, but details behind the reasoning were not disclosed.
Allred was not terminated from his former position at Rutger’s.
Rutgers’ President Robert L. Barchi issued a public statement during the time to the university’s students and staff members.
‘No matter your political view, ethnicity, religious beliefs, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, or nationality, you are first and foremost a Rutgers student,’ Rutgers President Robert Barchi said.
‘You are owed our respect, our support, and our best efforts to keep you safe and secure as you express your opinions and pursue your studies.’
Original Article
Share ThisIn a two-option referendum, 45 per cent is a resounding defeat. In proportional representation, it’s a very good victory. In a First Past the Post multi-party election, it’s a landslide.
Scottish Labour are having to work on the basis that this is a given. Association with the Yes campaign has seen no boost for either the Scottish Socialist Party or the Scottish Greens, meaning the SNP have hoovered up pretty much the entirety of the pro-independence support. Then factor in a lower turnout, and their ability to appeal to some anti-austerity No voters, and their current 50+% polling position is no mystery.
Despite the SNP’s obvious and huge lead, the polls are not particularly stable in Scotland: there is a gulf of difference between an 18 point lead and a 34 point lead.
But even if you can work out the national averages, applying uniform swing does not appear to paint an accurate picture either. Some small Labour majorities will remain intact, lots of very big ones will disappear. Many other factors need to be taken into account; the strength of the Yes vote in each seat primary among them. Even looking at contact rates does not help: I’m told that an MP with a good contact rate is no more likely to hold their seat than one with a poor campaigning record.
This all makes it difficult to predict how bad things will be for Scottish Labour on Thursday.
However, several sources confirmed to me privately that by their personal estimations, a “good night” for the party would still leave it with fewer than 10 MPs. The reality and gravity of the situation is not lost on anyone.
So, what can be done?
Long term solutions can only be provided after a comprehensive analysis of where things have gone wrong, which obviously should wait until after the election.
In the short term, the party has significantly upped its ground game. While decent contact rates may not save some very good MPs this week, an easy dominance in Westminster elections has left the party with far from desirable doorstep data across the board. This week proved that had changed: since January Scottish Labour have had 500,000 conversations with voters.
This will help with squeezing the smaller parties – including the Scottish Tories. It is a common observation among activists that while the party is getting clobbered in previous strongholds, they are finding positive receptions in places that used to be no-go areas. There is a notable movement to Labour from old foes who would like to stop Scotland becoming a one-party state. Out on the doorstep, it seems like the world is upside down.
For taking on the SNP, it seems the spectre of a second referendum is currently the best shot. It is an issue that provides a neat dividing line. On Friday night, Jim Murphy said the three words that define Scottish Labour come from Clause IV: “democratic socialist party”. The three that some up the Scottish Nationalists, on the other hand, are the first three of their constitution: “Independence for Scotland”.
It is a language of priorities, the idea of social justice vs independence, that clearly is having some cut-through. At First Minister’s Questions on Thursday, Deputy Leader Kezia Dugdale said the SNP’s “three r’s” were “referendum, referendum, referendum”. That night on the Ask Sturgeon programme that followed the leaders’ Question Time, Sturgeon was pilloried by the studio audience for her failure to rule out another plebiscite. One questioner at the event said she wanted to join the SNP, but was put off by the obsession with delivering independence. The difficult question Scottish Labour will have to ask itself is: why hasn’t she joined us?
But for the SNP, the questions they ask themselves may be harder still. Their party activists seem to be a coalition, split roughly three ways. Some are the old-school “Tartan Tories”, the middle class that traditionally made up the party’s core base. Then you’ve got the social justice lefties, for whom an independent Scotland is just a means to creating a fairer country. Then you have the independence obsessives. We could see a struggle there over the coming years between those who think independence is the most important issue and those who think opposing austerity is paramount.
Intimidation remains a problem from the referendum. Organisers told me that they had never before seen an election where Labour supporters were so reluctant to put a poster in their window. In one constituency, I was told, they’d put up around 20 “Vote Labour” signs in gardens so far. Each one had been vandalised or stolen within 24 hours.
Will there be shy Labour voters? I don’t know, but the Labour voters are shy.
Outside a Labour rally in Glasgow, a group of protesters had gathered. They surrounded the entrance, forcing people to walk through the crowd, chanting “Red Tories out”, waving placards bearing slogans like “Bow down to your masters”, filming those entering and screaming abuse in people’s faces – of which “scum” was one of the kinder remarks.
For the Labour members inside, it was all too familiar. “Welcome to Scotland,” one sighed as I came in.
It’s hard not to believe that this undercurrent of nastiness in the Nationalist movement will cause problems for Sturgeon at some point. Her failure to come down hard on candidates who have crossed the line must surely help fuel the idea that this behaviour is acceptable. Whether it’s Margaret Curran’s opponent, who thinks the Shadow Scotland Secretary is an acceptable target for “community justice”; the candidate in Edinburgh South who has been moonlighting as an anonymous Twitter troll; or the person who could displace the would-be Foreign Secretary, who would like to headbutt Labour councillors – the SNP undeniably have a problem that needs addressing.
Past the mob, inside the rally, was a culmination of what had been evident in various organising offices across the country: Scottish Labour is not a party about to die. There is enthusiasm and, occasionally, there is even hope. Not so much for this Thursday, which everyone knows will be a drubbing, but for a revival.
Why is morale so high? There is a backs against the wall, us versus the world mentality, not dissimilar to the feeling apparent in the final weeks of the 2010 campaign. There is a sense among activists that they are fighting the good fight – that while they might lose, they are right. These kind of ideas are bound to breed camaraderie. Standing together, even in defeat.
There are even new members signing up. The party’s membership is not in the rudest health, we know that, but many of the most committed activists now are those who got involved through the Better Together campaign.
These are dark days for Scottish Labour. This election will be tougher than anyone could have predicted. But there is life in the old party yet.Newly obtained financial records obtained by The Associated Press appear to confirm Paul Manafort’s consulting firm received at least $1.2 million in "Black Ledger" Ukraine payouts.
The ledger, which first emerged last August while Manafort was serving as then-presidential candidate Donald Trump Donald John TrumpREAD: Cohen testimony alleges Trump knew Stone talked with WikiLeaks about DNC emails Trump urges North Korea to denuclearize ahead of summit Venezuela's Maduro says he fears 'bad' people around Trump MORE’s campaign manager, detailed payments in 2007 and 2009 while the firm was working for a pro-Russia political party in Ukraine.
Manafort had previously challenged the ledger’s authenticity, saying he never took off-the-books payments.
“Any wire transactions received by my company are legitimate payments for political consulting work that was provided,” he said in a statement from consulting firm Davis Manafort.
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“I invoiced my clients and they paid via wire transfer, which I received through a U.S. bank,” Manafort added, noting he agreed to payments according to his “clients’ preferred financial institutions and instructions.”
The Associated Press said one $750,000 payment Manafort’s firm received was described by a Ukrainian lawmaker last month as part of a money-laundering effort that should be probed by U.S. authorities.
A second payment, for $455,249, also matched a ledger entry, the AP said, a document which is part of a larger pattern of corruption under former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.
Manafort’s past work in Eastern Europe has come under fresh scrutiny as lawmakers probe Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election. Intelligence officials say Russian officials sought to help elect Trump, and the FBI is probing any possible coordination between Moscow and his campaign.A packed house of rabbis, diplomats, government officials and Jewish community members presided over the historic dedication of the first synagogue to open in Basel, Switzerland, since 1929.
But for all the pageantry surrounding the opening of the Feldinger Chabad Jewish Center, Monday’s ceremony struck a more personal chord for philanthropist and international businessman Sami Rohr. By backing the project, he was able to honor the memory of Shlomo Zalman and Recha Feldinger, who at the height of World War II provided a loving home to the young refugee.
“This was a very exciting day for us as a community,” acknowledged Rabbi Zalmen Wishedski, the center’s director. “But of course, this was a deeply emotional occasion for Mr. Rohr.”
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Rohr and his parents fled their home in Berlin after Kristallnacht in 1939. They made their way first to Antwerp and then to Lyon, France, from where they were smuggled into Switzerland in 1943. When his parents were sent to a refugee camp in the town of Morgin on the French-Swiss border, the 16-year-old Rohr took up residence at an orphanage near Basel. The local Jewish community took in refugee children; among them, the Feldingers took in Rohr.
The Feldingers welcomed Rohr into their home with open arms, treating him as an equal among their own children.
“To our parents he was like a child,” said their son, Gavriel Feldinger, who was seven years old when Rohr came to live with his family.
“When he came to Basel as a refugee, my father asked, ‘How old are you?’ He responded, ‘16 years old,’ ” related Feldinger. “My father said, ‘My oldest is 14 so now you are my oldest child,’ and sat him at the table right next to him.”
Even though the Feldinger children live all over the world, they have stayed in touch with Rohr, who now lives in Florida. With the encouragement of Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, vice chairman of Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch, the educational arm of Chabad-Lubavitch, Rohr saw a way to give back to the family that protected him.
“G‑d placed Mr. Rohr by us during the war,” said Feldinger. “We always keep in touch; we are like brothers.”
Sami Rohr enters the new facility with its director, Rabbi Zalmen Wishedski. (Photo: Meir Dahan)
Monday was Rohr’s first visit back to Basel in 67 years. According to Wishedski, when Rohr walked into the old synagogue of his youth, he went straight to the seat where he used to sit as a child.
After morning services at the synagogue, Rohr met with local legislative leader Daniel Goepfert and spoke with a local television news crew.
Visibly overwhelmed with emotion, he told the reporter that times had changed in the many years since he left Base.
“You have to understand, I was here as a refugee boy,” he exclaimed. “Now, I’m here in the city hall with a grand reception.”
The delegation then moved to the Chabad House, which was used as a non-kosher butcher shop until its purchase a few years ago. Wishedski housed many programs there before embarking on the recently completed series of renovations.
At the new center, Rohr was joined by his son, philanthropist George Rohr; daughter and son-in-law Moris and Lilian Tabacinic; Kotlarsky, Goepfert, interim Israeli Ambassador Shalom Cohen, Wishedski and Feldinger in cutting the ceremonial red ribbon draped across the entrange. Inside, the crowd gathered to watch a video that featured nonagenarian Moshe Price of Brussels, who shared the story of Rohr’s childhood with the Feldingers from his memory as a German refugee in Basel in the 1940s. Price also spoke about the Rohr family’s close connection to and support of Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries and their projects around the world.
After the video, Price himself walked into the room carrying a Torah scroll that survived 60 years under an Eastern European man’s bed before it was found and restored to its former glory. Restored with the help of the Basel Jewish community in honor of Rohr, it will be used in the new Chabad center.
After an emotional reunion – Rohr and Price had not seen each other since 1945 – Moris Tabicinic placed the holy scroll in the synagogue’s ark.
Goepfert then took the podium and addressed Switzerland’s checkered past.
“As a third generation politician and government official, I am ashamed by our history, ashamed by the fact that we did not accept the Jews that asked to come through our gates,” he said. “But I am also proud that those that did succeed to enter Switzerland survived and they numbered about 20,000 people.”
Goepfert showed the crowd legal documents signed by Rohr that forbade him from traversing certain sections of Basel as a refugee. He then gave the documents along with others bearing his name to Rohr.
Seen by locals as the result of an increase in Jewish pride, the new center was described by Jewish community president Guy Rueff as an “asset” during conversations with reporters. While acknowledging that sometimes, different groups can see some issues differently, he noted that the Chabad center and his organization maintain a “good working relationship.”
Rabbi Mendel Rosenfeld, director of Chabad-Lubavitch of Switzerland, spoke about the need to relate and connect to each and every Jew, something that Rohr learned firsthand from the Feldingers’ generous spirit.
“My parents understood that when there is a Jew in despair, we need to help him,” echoed Feldinger. “My mother prepared food for many guests, and we always had place for more people that we met in the synagogue who did not have a place to eat. Our home was always open to others.”
Dovid Zaklikowski contributed to this report.Victor Ponta, 39, is the youngest head of government in the European Union and is also the most controversial. Elected by Romanian parliament on May 7, the prime minister leads a leftist-nationalist coalition and has issued a series of decrees that have led many to believe he is trying to monopolize political power in the country. The European Union has been sharply critical, with European Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding even speaking of a "kind of coup d'ètat." Former Romanian Foreign Minister Andre Plesu wrote recently ina guest commentary for SPIEGEL that his country is on the cusp of a dictatorship. Ponta, formerly a public prosecutor and law professor, says that "such words from esteemed colleagues" have been particularly difficult to digest. It is clear, however, that the Romanian prime minister severely underestimated the European reaction to his approach to governance.
SPIEGEL is the first international media organization that Ponta has received since the storm of protest erupted, saying he wanted to speak "openly" about his positions. Still, he declined to answer questions relating to accusations that he plagiarized his Ph.D. dissertation. The interview took place in his office in Bucharest, within a gray, communist era structure. He was flanked by both a Romanian and an EU flag during the discussion.
SPIEGEL: Mr. Prime Minister, all of Europe is wondering who you are: a democrat, an authoritarian ruler or the perpetrator of a coup d' état?
Ponta: Ever since I took to the streets when I was 17 to protest at great personal risk against the communist dictatorship, I have been a passionate democrat. I led my party's youth organization during the negotiations over Romania's accession to the European Union in 2007. I am a committed European; a united Europe is Romania's future. And that informs how I act in my function as prime minister.
SPIEGEL: The European Commission sees things quite differently. You were recently requested to travel to Brussels where you were publicly accused of undermining the rule of law and democracy. Commission President José Manuel Barroso said that you have "shaken our trust" and demanded that you revisit decisions in 11 concrete instances. Does that not leave an impression on you?
Ponta: Of course it does. It hurts and it came as a shock for me. I have been in politics for 12 years and have always devoted myself to Europe, and now this. But if there are such doubts in Europe about a member state, then one has to comply. His approach is the most constructive way to get things back in order. Barroso is right.
SPIEGEL: Excuse me? You admit
Ponta: that I must realize that I haven't always explained my policies well, that I haven't communicated well enough with Europe. I have no problem with correcting misperceptions and clearing up misunderstandings that cause concern among our European partners. That is why, upon my return from Brussels, I accepted responsibility for clearing up all the points of criticism and taking the necessary steps to convince our European partners -- even those that are more the responsibility of parliament than they are mine.
SPIEGEL: Are we really just talking about misperceptions and misunderstandings? Let's go through some of the points. You have, for example, significantly limited the authority of the Constitutional Court.
Ponta: That was never my intention. A related decree was just annulled on my initiative. My government has promised to comprehensively respect the independence of the judiciary.
SPIEGEL: The EU also insisted that you nullify emergency decrees that would have given you the power to annul laws.
Ponta: On this point too I made clear that we will only act within the framework of the constitution. We also want to fulfil the request from Brussels that we install a politically independent ombudsman to monitor our democratic institutions. That, though, is a decision for the parliamentarians; I can't make that decision on my own.
SPIEGEL: Nobel laureate Herta Müller, who was born in Romania, has joined several other respected artists in complaining about limitations of artistic freedoms in the country under your government. She complains that the Romanian Cultural Institute has now been placed under the control of the Senate and has been "politicized" in the government's favor.
Ponta: I promise that you need not worry. Cultural independence is still guaranteed, as are press freedoms. You should see all the negative things that the Romanian press writes about me.
SPIEGEL: Still, the initiative to impeach your political enemy, the conservative President Traian Basescu, continues to be pursued. The nationwide referendum is scheduled for July 29.
Ponta: What people in Europe didn't understand: The impeachment proceedings were not my personal decision, but were the result of a parliamentary resolution resulting from the fact that a majority of the people's representatives are of the opinion that Basescu overstepped his powers. The Romanian constitution allows for such a referendum. But now, as requested by Brussels, an earlier procedure will be used: Only when over half of all eligible voters cast their ballots will the referendum be valid.
SPIEGEL: If only 45 percent turn out, but there is a clear majority against Basescu, do you think he should remain in office?
Ponta: That would then be his decision if he remains in office or not. He would have to ask himself in such a situation who he represents, but certainly not the majority of the people. But once again: I will keep my word even in such a situation.
SPIEGEL: Everything you say makes it sound as though you have changed course by 180 degrees, as though you have given in completely to Brussels.
Ponta: That is not my impression and that is not my style of practicing politics. But I am convinced that my detailed letter to the EU president indeed cleared up all existing problems.
SPIEGEL: Brussels would seem to be of a different opinion. Barroso sounded very skeptical even after having received your letter. He said he will judge you by your actions and not by your promises.
Ponta: As he should.
SPIEGEL: In the mean time, according to the EU report released on Wednesday, Romania is under special observation and the EU remains deeply concerned. That hardly sounds like a declaration of trust. Similar to Bulgaria, Romania remains under observation because of its inadequate judiciary reforms and rampant corruption. It is treated as a second-class member of the EU.
Ponta: That is nothing new. And the fact that these biannual EU reports exist is primarily Basescu's responsibility. Corruption has not abated during his time in office. On the contrary. Since joining the EU in 2007, we have fallen back six spots on the Transparency International list. But my government will do everything in its power to combat corruption. And we hope very much that we will be able to join the Schengen area in the autumn.
SPIEGEL: EU leaders have made the decision as to whether you will be allowed to join the Schengen visa-free travel regime dependent on your fulfilling your promises regarding democratic deficiencies.
Ponta: It would be a pity for us, but also a great loss for our partners, for all of Europe, if we were not accepted into the border-free zone.
SPIEGEL: Romania is suffering under an economic crisis. Your national currency has plunged to historical lows against the dollar and the euro, yet your power struggle with your rival Basescu seems to have crippled the economy. The 5 billion loan package you received from the consortium led by the International Monetary Fund is in danger.
Ponta: I have only been in office for 11 weeks, you really can't blame me for the Romanian economic crisis. Plus, the IMF loan is safe. Romania places great value in fulfilling its financial commitments. That we have done so has been confirmed, we have received our ratings. But we are of course in the middle of an economic crisis that we must combat. In overcoming the crisis, by the way, we are relying heavily on German investors.
SPIEGEL: Relations between you and the German government are strained. Your ambassador in Berlin was recently summoned to the Foreign Ministry due to concerns about measures taken by your government, a significant step in the world of diplomacy.
Ponta: We are doing all we can to appease Germany, something that I pledged to your diplomats here in a personal conversation. I have met with representatives of the German chamber of commerce and German businesspeople. Close ties with your country, a special friend of many years, is of particular importance to us. I would also like to invite leading politicians from Berlin to Bucharest.
SPIEGEL: It is very doubtful that they would accept such an invitation at the moment. Did it hurt you that Chancellor Angela Merkel called Basescu instead of you in recent days? Was that not a targeted affront?
Ponta: Of course I would have preferred it if she had called me. But there is a long-standing relationship between Merkel and Basescu, deep ties among conservatives, one has to accept that, it is completely legitimate. And I am optimistic that I will be successful in convincing the German government of my best intentions. It would help, of course, if Berlin were to listen to the arguments of both sides in Romania.
SPIEGEL: In public opinion polls ahead of parliamentary elections in November, your party is far ahead. You would seem to be anticipating a long political career.
Ponta: Indeed, I do.
SPIEGEL: Could you even live without holding a political office?
Ponta: As much as I love this profession, there is a life outside of politics.
SPIEGEL: What would you like to do instead of politics? Return to your former profession as a lawyer?
Ponta: Were I no longer in politics, I would work as a state prosecutor, maybe in my earlier position as lead prosecutor in the fight against corruption. I would also love to go the International Criminal Court in The Hague and practice my trade against dictators. That would be nice: To live in a united Europe and to prosecute these terrible politicians who have trod on human rights.
SPIEGEL: Mister Prime Minister, we thank you for this interview.US President-elect Donald Trump has expressed the hope that bilateral ties between the United States and Pakistan will improve in |
looked at your feet. It was unbearable.”
It’s hard to feel sorry for a mass murderer, but it was cruel to Elliot Rodger to allow him to refuse medication and turn himself into a monster. It was beyond cruel to his innocent victims—as well as the other victims of psychopathic killers. But liberals are more worried about “stigmatizing” the mentally ill than the occasional mass murder.
Ann Coulter is the legal correspondent for Human Events and writes a popular syndicated column for Universal Press Syndicate. She is the author of TEN New York Times bestsellers—collect them here.
Her most recent book is Never Trust a Liberal Over Three-Especially a Republican.“Mad Men” made its debut on AMC in the summer of 2007, the creation of a former writer of “The Sopranos” whose pilot script was rejected by HBO, starring an unknown leading man and residing on a network best known as a second-tier movie channel, one that didn’t cost extra.
Seven years on, much has changed for everyone and everything involved with the show — even some of the products woven into it. As the series returns on Sunday for the first half of its final season — the second half arrives next year — we look at that altered landscape.
Jon Hamm
THEN Best known for playing a firefighter on the little-remembered “Providence.”
NOW After six seasons as the emotionally stunted Don Draper, he’s emerging as a leading man in the movies, starring in Disney’s coming “Million Dollar Arm,” about a down-on-his-luck baseball agent who decides to turn Asian cricket players into Major League Baseball pitchers. Meanwhile, he’s spoofed his sex symbol image on “Saturday Night Live” and in “Bridesmaids,” and did his “Mad Men” character proud with commercial voice-over work for Mercedes-Benz and American Airlines.Conservative MEP Julie Girling has been subjected to a string of insults sent to her Twitter profile and email account since she suggested a boycott on Spain by British families planning their holidays.
“You are a nazi Julie Goering,” read one tweet, in reference to Hitler’s right-hand man Hermann Göring.
“You're too ugly to visit Spain anyway,” another annoyed Twitter user posted on the MEP for South West England and Gibraltar’s wall.
The 56-year-old has responded to the insults by saying: “It may be that to be trolled goes with the job. However, the Spanish Twitter trolls aren't doing their argument any favours by trolling me.
“Their abuse shows they have no argument as they can only resort to the lowest form of language.”
“The people of Gibraltar need our support. They will not be bullied by the Spanish Government or by a minority of the Spanish people. Neither will I.”
Girling also sent out a tweet to thank all the support she has received from Catalonia.
“I encourage my constituents to take their hols with you!” she wrote.
Catalonia's Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) party also sent a letter of support to Gibraltar's Chief Minister on Tuesday in the wake of the territory's row with Spain.
Tensions between Spain and its diminutive neighbour have mounted in recent weeks after Gibraltar created an artificial reef which the Spanish government says will destroy fishing in the area.Inside the international scientific community, cryptozoology – the study of animals whose existence has not been recognized yet by zoologists – is seen as a futile hobby for naive and romantic people.
However, the simple consideration that just about 250 years ago the classified animal species amounted approximately to one thousand, should lead to a more conservative and less dogmatic approach, not forgetting that still nowadays new species are being discovered every year.
The purpose of this article is to analyze evidence and testimony concerning some peculiar animals and then, in the second part, examine reports about the alleged presence of strange beings that do not seem to be mere animals.
The Loch Ness Monster
The most anomalous and, at the same time, talked about animal is undoubtedly Nessie, the creature that allegedly lives in the cold waters of Loch Ness, the largest freshwater lake in Scotland, between Inverness and Fort Augustus.
Some researchers, without analyzing the vast amount of evidence, state that the whole phenomenon is nothing but a modern gimmick to boost tourism in the area. On the contrary,an examination of past works and medieval chronicles shows a totally different story. Legends abounded in the Middle Ages and one of these concerned the water horse or kelpie that would have lived in many Scottish lochs.
The first known record of a “monster” in the loch dates back to 565 a.d. St. Columba, the man who brought Christian religion to Scotland, was on his way to visit Brude, King of the Northern Picts in Inverness. His biographer, Adamnan, wrote in his Life of Saint Columba, of the “driving away of a certain water monster by the virtue of the prayer of the holy man“. Columba arrived on the banks of Loch Ness at a place where there was a ferry coble. There he found some Picts burying a man who had been bitten to death by a water monster while he was swimming. Columba ordered one of his men to swim across the water and return with the coble moored on the far side. However, the monster, saw the surface of the water disturbed by the swimmer, and suddenly came up and moved towards the man. At that point, St. Columba saw the creature coming, formed the sign of the Cross in the air and commanded the ferocious monster saying “Thou shalt go no further nor touch the man: go back with all speed“. Hearing the voice of the saint, the monster was terrified and fled quickly.
St. Columba is also credited with another brush with the animal. According to this legend, the beast towed the saint’s boat across the loch and was granted perpetual freedom of the loch as a reward.
Of course the story itself proves nothing, but it is a remarkable coincidence that, of all Scottish lochs, Adamnan should record that St. Columba encountered a water monster in Loch Ness.
Other reports concerning encounters with animals described as “leviathans”, “monsters” and “serpents” come from sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Richard Franck, a literary trooper in Cromwell’s army who had lived for some years in a garrison of English soldiers stationed in Inverness, wrote about a “floating island” that would have been allegedly present on the loch’s surface. Also the famous writer Sir Walter Scott in 1827 mentioned a “water monster” in one of his diaries. As you can see, the belief in the existence of unknown animals in Loch Ness is very old and, starting from sixth century, it accompanied the local inhabitants throughout the centuries.
It is, however, in 1933, that the monster made its newspaper headline debut. Mr. and Mrs. Mckay were driving along the northern shore of Loch Ness where the new road had been recently completed, near the town of Abriachan, when they saw, in the center of the loch, a surging mass of water out of which came an enormous animal which rolled and plunged before disappearing with a great upsurge of water.
After this report, several thousand people believed they have seen an unknown animal in Loch Ness, all coherent in describing an animal from about 5 to 8 meters long, with a dark grey elongated neck.
Time after time, the interest in Nessie grew exponentially, culminating in two underwater scans performed by using sonars (in 1972 and 1987) onboard vessels that travelled across the surface of Loch Ness. The results were extremely interesting. Something solid and quite big (10 meters) was detected deep in the lake, but it was not possible to determine with certainty whether it was actually a single animal or a group of fishes or of some trees.
Several assumptions have been made as regards the possible nature of Nessie. Many pictures show a remarkable resemblance to the plesiosaur, a prehistoric animal. The presence of huge fins (photographed in 1972 with an underwater camera) and the long neck are elements that do strongly support such hypothesis. Other scholars, especially Bernard Heuvelmans, claimed that Nessie would be a still unknown animal which they renamed Megalotaria longicollis. In any case, two crucial problems arise: in order to make the existence of such a carnivorous animal possible, a huge quantity of fish should be available in the loch, a quantity that is not present there; moreover, in order to ensure the reproduction of the species, we should postulate the existence of a lot of animals of this kind.
So, what hides in the deep waters of Loch Ness? The evidence supporting the possible existence of an unknown animal in the loch are numerous, but, from the late Nineties, the testimony has significantly decreased year after year (nowadays sightings seem to have ceased), leading to one possible conclusion: the mysterious creatures that have been sighted for centuries have become extinct, in which case, the phenomenon was not a mere hoax invented for touristic reasons.
Loch Ness is not the only lake where you can find ancient traditions, modern photographic evidence and testimony regarding the presence of animals similar to plesiosaurs. There is the animal that allegedly lives in Lake Champlain in Upper New York State, the so-called Ogopogo in Lake Okanagan (Canada), the beast of Lough Earne (Ireland) and similar traditions in Argentina and Norway as well.
Yeti, Sasquatch, Bigfoot
The first reference to the so-called yeti dates back to 1899 and can be found in the travel book Among the Himalayas by L.A. Waddell, who claimed of having met, during an expedition in Sikkim in 1887, many creatures of humanoid appearance, very tall, covered with thick fur. He made some casts of their giant footprints.
Three years earlier, according to the Daily British Colonist of July 3, 1884, a group of workers who were digging a tunnel near Yale (British Columbia), encountered a being that they described as “half man and half beast” and managed to capture it alive. They reported that this being was about 140 cm tall and resembled a man in its overall features, except that it had a layer of bright fur of about 3 cm which covered the whole body. What happened to the creature is not reported in the newspapers of the time.
The name can change (Yeti in the Himalayas, Sasquatch in Canada, Bigfoot in the United States), but the evidence (including the testimony given by the famous Italian mountaineer Reinhold Messner), photographs, videos (the well-known Patterson-Gimlin footage of 1967), footprints tell the same story: the presence, in the thick North American undergrowth and in the Himalayan peaks, of massive furry creatures, from 120 to 300 cm tall, bipedal, not apes nor humans, but constituting some sort of tertium genus.
A lot of hypotheses have been postulated. Some scholars have suggested that these animals could be nothing more than unknown apes, while other researchers believe they might belong to the family of the Gigantopitecus.
However, the most fascinating hypothesis has been advanced by the American researcher John A.Keel. On the basis of some Native American traditions according to which the Sasquatch would be a figure belonging, at the same time, to our reality as well as to the spirits’ realm, he stated that the phenomenon is undoubtedly real, but it is the phenomenon itself – elusive by nature and whose purposes seems very obscure – to decide whether to become visible or not, at will.The key point in Keel’s hypothesis is that, if such animals really existed, then their corpses would have been found already. The fact that dead yetis and sasquatches have never been retrieved, as well as the consideration that a lot of footprints ended abruptly as if the mysterious animals had dematerialized, made Keel suggest a paraphysical interpretation to the whole phenomenon, that is to say that these creatures can move from our dimension to another one and vice versa.
In regards Yeti, Bigfoot and Sasquatch, Keel’s theory does not seem fully convincing, because there are too many photographs, pictures and footprints which seem to indicate an actual and concrete physical nature of such animals.
However, there is a huge amount of sightings of beings which seem to have little in common with other animals, thus making the assumptions put forward by Keel particularly credible and grounded. Let’s examine some of them.
The New Jersey Devil
The accounts relating to the so-called New Jersey Devil date back to the early nineteenth century, when Commodore Stephen Decatur, who was testing cannon balls on the firing range, saw a strange creature flying across the sky near his ship. Intrigued by this strange animal, the Commodore ordered his men to fire at it and the creature was hit, but it kept on flying without showing any problem and disappeared.
Joseph Bonaparte, former king of Spain and brother of Napoleon, said he had come across a mysterious animal near Bordertown (New Jersey) many times between 1816 and 1839 while he was hunting. Similar reports continued throughout the nineteenth century, as well as unexplainable cases of cattle mutilations made by an unidentified creature which emitted piercing screams and left strange tracks (showing amazing similarities with the modern reports of the chupacabras).
In 1903, Charles Skinner, author of American Myths and Legends, stated that the legend of the New Jersey devil had run its course and that in the new century, nobody would sight such a beast.
In 1909, however, especially in January, a real flap of sightings took place, with hundreds of reports of a flying figure with glowing eyes. The most accurate description was one made by Mr. and Mrs. Evans of Gloucester (New Jersey), who, on January 19, 1909, awakened by a strange noise at 2:30 a.m. They were able to watch the devil from the window of their house for about 10 minutes. As Mr. Evans reported, it was about three feet and a half high, with a head like a collie dog and a face like a horse. It had a long neck, wings about two feet long, its back legs were like those of a crane, and it had horse’s hooves. It walked on its back legs and held up two short front legs with paws on them. As soon as they opened the window, the mysterious animal flew away.
Identical descriptions were made the next day by a police officer and by Reverend Pemberton who saw the strange being near Burlington. A lot of tracks were found, and they all ended abruptly. In Collingwood (New Jersey), a posse tried to catch the beast, but it took off into the air.
Sightings continued throughout 1909. A lot of highly reliable people and men of good repute saw something unusual in the sky that year, a year that has become history for the airship waves over New England, Great Britain and New Zealand as well.
The descriptions of the creature, in particular its luminescent eyes, the ability to fly, the chilling cries heard so many times, strongly resembled those of the strange being that terrorized West Virginia between 1966 and 1967: the Mothman. Could these be mere animals? I don’t think so, their elusiveness seems to point to a different explanation.
Moreover, the testimonies relating to winged creatures are too many to be dismissed as odd fancies. The New York Times of September 12, 1880 reported the sighting, made by several people in different areas of New York City, of a humanoid being with bat-like wings and froggish legs which flew in a western direction over Coney Island at about 350 meters moving amid the air as if it were a frog.We also cannot forget the so-called Spring Heeled Jack, the tall humanoid creature with glowing eyes, hooked nose, pointed ears which terrorized the London area in the Victorian Age, capable of making giant leaps impossible for any acrobat and, according to some witnesses, even capable of flying.
The explanations ventured for these types of cases (from the New Jersey Devil to the Mothman and the winged flying weirdos) are many. Some suggest they are misidentifications of common owls and other nocturnal birds, others believe that maybe pterodactyls or unknown animal of that sort do still exist.
Conclusions
In my opinion, the vast category of “mysterious animals” can be divided into two groups. The first one includes animals that science has not classified yet (the Loch Ness monster, sea serpents, Big Foot, Yeti, Sasquatch), all creatures whose behavior towards man is more or less neutral just like other common animals.
On the contrary, there is a massive amount of testimony about creatures that seem to have a different origin, beings that are certainly more sinister and often hostile, whose behavior is very different and abnormal in comparison with other known species. For the second group, which includes the New Jersey Devil, Mothman, and Spring Heeled Jack, Keel’s theory becomes more plausible. In Keel’s opinion, these weird creatures come from a parallel reality, a dimension that only in certain special circumstances is tangential to ours: creatures whose nature is not properly physical, but paraphysical. These beings appear to us according to the frame of reference that would suit best the expectations of the observer. They have different looks according to our personal beliefs and cultural views. Fairies, goblins, aliens from outer space, Mothman, according to Keel these are all manifestations of something obscure that hides behind a wall of illusion like a Trojan horse.
As Keel said, “The most frightening monsters dwell in the dark depths of our mind, waiting to take shape through our fears and personal beliefs.”
BIBLIOGRAPHY
CANTAGALLI Renzo, Sasquatch: Enigma Antropologico, SugarCo Edizioni, Milano, 1975.
HOLIDAY F.W., Il Mostro di Loch Ness, Sugar Editore, Milano, 1970.
KEEL John, Strange Creatures from Time & Space, Sphere Books, London, 1975.
MCGLOY James F., The Jersey Devil, The Middle Atlantic Press, Wallingford (PA), 1976.
SKINNER Charles, American Myths and Legends, Philadelphia (PA), J.B. Lipincott, 1963.
WITCHELL Nicholas, The Loch Ness Story, Corgi Books, London, 1974.
Popular Posts:Bank Sign over Entrance Door (Getty Images)
The possibility of reforming the Dodd-Frank Act – Congress' answer to the last banking crisis – has generated a healthy debate. While we should proceed with caution, reforming Dodd-Frank would not necessarily cause another crisis, so long as reforms still require commercial banks to fund themselves with more capital – think of sources of bank funding that aren't prone to bank runs, such as equity and long-term debt – to protect themselves against investment losses, reducing the likelihood of taxpayer bailouts.
Rather than worrying about Dodd-Frank reforms in general, we should worry about special interests discrediting the effectiveness of the so-called "leverage ratio," a simple measure of banks' capital adequacy often defined as equity relative to total assets.
First, some background on why it's important that banks fund with more, rather than less capital. The FDIC stickers you see at your bank signal that the government insures your deposits in case your bank becomes insolvent. A bank with less capital has incentives to overstate the value or understate the risk of what it is doing. When things start to go wrong, investors in the bank's capital experience losses first. So the more capital, the less likely the bank in question will become insolvent.
Successful Dodd-Frank reform means preserving capital requirements like the leverage ratio and avoiding "regulatory capture," a common occurrence in which an industry uses its influence in the regulatory process to satisfy its own interests, rather than the public interest.
This does not mean that an industry's interests never coincides with the public interest. That said, one tell-tale sign of regulatory capture is a complex regulatory code, rather than deregulation. That applies to so-called risk-based capital requirements that U.S. banks began adhering to a few years after the 1988 Basel Accords, which tend to reduce the amount of assets that banks have to fund with capital.
Political Cartoons on the Economy View All 205 Images
The existence of complex regulations can be explained by the fact that larger, established (and often politically powerful) firms benefit from "barriers to entry." Unlike their smaller existing competitors or potential new entrants to the industry, these larger businesses can hire compliance staff to navigate the complexity, and lobbyists to argue in favor of keeping regulations complex.
For instance, take the Clearing House Association, a trade group in existence since 1853. The association generally provides valuable information and research about the financial system, but in a letter last month to the Senate Banking Committee, it criticized an earlier letter to the committee from Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Vice Chairman Thomas Hoenig.
What did Hoenig propose? Like Rep. Jeb Hensarling's, R-Texas, Financial Choice Act of 2017, the vice chairman has advocated eliminating the more complex risk-based capital requirements in favor of the simpler leverage ratio.
The Clearing House cites yet another source, a Treasury Department report, which states that the leverage ratio encourages risk-taking. But you might say the same thing about risk-based capital requirements. After all, leading up to the last financial crisis, many banks that were creating the very assets at the heart of the crisis also held more of them, after the Recourse Rule lowered their capital requirements. The letter even suggests that using the simple leverage ratio has only costs and no benefits.
In short, a strong faction within the finance industry would prefer complexity to a relatively straightforward capital requirement.
Yet, research released earlier this year shows that increasing the leverage ratio from 4 percent to 15 percent would generally yield greater benefits (in terms of smaller expected damage from crises) than costs (namely reduced lending, which the industry argues happens when banks fund with more equity). Other academic studies also show that a higher leverage ratio has benefits that outweigh the costs.
A recent working paper found that the optimal leverage ratio should be at least 15 percent. Another study published in the Journal of Financial Stability uses U.S. data and finds that doubling the leverage ratio from 8 to 16 percent would be best. Finally, a recent study published in the American Economic Review finds that when the leverage ratio is reduced below 15-18 percent, the economic harm to households from an ensuing crisis can be large.
While some will only emphasize the costs associated with moving to a simpler, higher equity-to-asset leverage ratio, it's important to keep in mind there are benefits too. And, these benefits generally outweigh the costs.By Anthony Salvanto, Jennifer De Pinto, Sarah Dutton and Fred Backus
The Republican Race
Thirty-five percent of Republican primary voters support Trump, up 13 points since October, and his highest level of support in CBS News polling. Ted Cruz (16 percent) has moved into second place, while Ben Carson, who led the October poll, has dropped to third.
Republicans react to Donald Trump's proposed ban on Muslims
Marco Rubio is in fourth place with 9 percent. Jeb Bush is getting the backing of just 3 percent of Republican primary voters nationwide, his lowest percentage to date in CBS News polling. Carly Fiorina's support has also dropped; she is at just 1 percent now.
Most of the interviews for this poll were conducted before Trump made statements concerning a ban on Muslims entering the United States.
Trump voters continue to be more firm in their support. Fifty-one percent of his backers say their minds are made up about him, compared to just a quarter of voters who support a candidate other than Trump.
Trump leads among both men and women. He has more than a 20-point lead among non-college graduates (and a smaller lead among those with a college degree).
But Cruz has made inroads with evangelicals. Carson led with this group in October, but now Cruz and Trump are running neck and neck among them; the two candidates are also close among very conservative Republicans.
The Democratic Race
Hillary Clinton continues to lead Bernie Sanders by 20 points: she receives 52 percent of Democratic primary voters' support, while Sanders gets 32 percent. Just 2 percent support Martin O'Malley.
Clinton on why she wants to be president
Clinton leads among many voter groups - men, women, liberals, moderates, non-whites and voters over age 45. But Sanders performs better with voters under 45 and independents.
As the first nominating contests grow closer, Clinton's supporters are firmer in their choice (58 percent) than Bernie Sanders' supporters (47 percent).
Voter Enthusiasm
Most registered voters nationwide are paying attention to the presidential campaign and about two-thirds are at least somewhat enthusiastic about voting in 2016, but there is a partisan enthusiasm gap: Republican primary voters are more enthusiastic about voting than those who plan to vote in a Democratic primary.
Looking Past November 2016
While the general election is nearly a year away, the poll asked registered voters nationwide how they would feel if each of the party's current front runners became president. Neither is met with a lot of enthusiasm, but there is somewhat more anxiety about a Trump presidency (64 percent) than a Clinton one (57 percent).
Perhaps not surprisingly, views differ greatly by political party. Seventy-six percent of Democrats would be either excited or optimistic if Hillary Clinton became president, while most would be skeptical about the prospect of a Donald Trump presidency, including 63 percent who say they would be scared.
Republican voters hold contrasting views: sixty-six percent would be excited or optimistic if Donald Trump were to be elected president, but most would be concerned or scared if Clinton won the White House.
Independent voters, a key voting bloc, are not especially enthusiastic about either a Clinton or a Trump in the White House, but more are concerned or scared about Trump (67 percent) than they are about Clinton (59 percent).
This poll was conducted by telephone December 4-8, 2015 among a random sample of 1,275 adults nationwide, including 1,053 registered voters. Data collection was conducted on behalf of CBS News and the New York Times by SSRS of Media, PA. Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard land-line and cell phones.
The poll employed a random digit dial methodology. For the landline sample, a respondent was randomly selected from all adults in the household. For the cell sample, interviews were conducted with the person who answered the phone.
Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish using live interviewers.
The data have been weighted to reflect U.S. Census figures on demographic variables.
The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus three percentage points, and four points for the sample of registered voters. The error for subgroups may be higher and is available by request. The margin of error includes the effects of standard weighting procedures which enlarge sampling error slightly.
The margin of error for the sample of 431 Republican primary voters is 6 percentage points. For the sample of 384 Democratic primary voters the margin of error is 6 percentage points.
This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.SHARE
Top 25 Breakdown: No. 14 Maryland
2014 Record: 40-23. RPI: 21.
Coach (Record at school): John Szefc (70-48, 2 years).
Postseason History: 4 regionals (active streak: 1), 0 CWS trips, 0 national titles.
Maryland's Projected Lineup
Pos. Name, Yr. AVG/OBP/SLG HR RBI SB C Kevin Martir, Jr..269/.359/.386 4 26 3 1B Justin Morris, Fr. HS—Hyattsville, Md. 2B Brandon Lowe, So..348/.464/.464 1 42 8 3B Jose Cuas, Jr..279/.333/.417 5 42 3 SS Andrew Bechtold, Fr. HS—Glen Mills, Pa. LF Tim Lewis, Sr..270/.357/.288 0 15 2 CF LaMonte Wade, Jr..247/.358/.335 2 25 4 RF Anthony Papio, Jr..271/.389/.356 2 29 7 DH Nick Cieri, So..248/.329/.308 0 18 2
Pos. Name, Yr. W-L ERA IP SO BB SV RHP Mike Shawaryn, So. 11-4 3.12 92 72 24 0 RHP Bobby Ruse, Sr. 7-3 3.52 64 36 15 1 LHP Tayler Stiles, So. 5-2 4.05 47 34 14 1 RP Kevin Mooney, Jr. 1-2 4.33 35 45 18 13
SEE ALSO: Five Questions With Maryland’s John Szefc
Hitting: 60. Maryland must replace catalyst Charlie White and shortstop Blake Schmit (two of its top three hitters a year ago), but the rest of the lineup remains intact, and a stellar recruiting class should help make it even more potent. Maryland’s aggressive, high-pressure offense led the nation in hit-by-pitches last year (126) and ranked ninth in sacrifice bunts, 26th in doubles, 32nd in walks and 39th in stolen bases, illustrating the variety of ways the Terrapins can give opponents trouble. White’s vacated leadoff spot will be filled by Lowe, who owns a sweet lefthanded swing, a mature gap-to-gap approach and excellent pitch recognition. He rates as the team’s best hitter, but there is reason to believe Cieri, Wade and Cuas will be more productive this year, because all three are talented line-drive hitters. Lewis and Martir give the lineup depth and veteran presence; both are pesky singles hitters, like freshmen Bechtold and Kevin Smith, who will compete for the shortstop job.
Power: 50. The physical Cieri is the pick to click after a strong summer in the Cal Ripken League. He has power to the pull side and an improving approach. Cuas worked hard to improve his two-strike approach and reduce his swing-and-misses in the fall, and the Terps think he has a chance to hit double-digit homers as a junior this spring, because he has real life in his righthanded swing. Morris is competing for time at first base with redshirt freshman Matt Oniffrey, and both offer lefthanded pop and good swings. Papio has the most raw power on the team, but he has a pull-heavy approach and a tendency to strike out. Wade is primarily a doubles hitter currently but figures to grown into some more pop, perhaps as soon as this spring.
Speed: 45. White and Schmit accounted for 41 of Maryland’s 85 steals last year, and no other Terrapin reached double digits in stolen bases. Wade is a slightly above-average runner, and Lowe is a fringe-average runner. Speed does not figure to be a big part of Maryland’s attack this year.
Defense: 55. The Terrapins are loaded behind the plate, where Martir is a polished defender with a good arm, and Cieri and Morris are capable of holding their own as well. Lowe has good range and arm strength at second, and both freshmen shortstops (Bechtold and Smith) are more advanced defensively than offensively; Maryland needs one or the other to emerge at that crucial spot. The rangy Cuas has a strong arm and occasionally makes highlight-reel plays at third base. Wade has taken well to center field after spending the last two years as a standout defender at first base, but the Terps lack range in the outfield corners.
Mike Shawaryn (Photo by Tim Casey)
Starting Pitching: 60. Maryland is uncommonly deep on the mound, and is blessed with at least six quality starting options. The only role that seems set in stone is Friday starter, where Shawaryn’s dogged competitiveness will make him a perfect tone-setter for the weekend. He pounds the strike zone with an 87-91 fastball and three solid secondary pitches. Ruse and Stiles are similarly adept at throwing strikes, which gives them a shot to win rotation spots behind Shawaryn. Ruse saw his velocity climb a bit in the fall, working at 88-91 along with his good changeup and solid curveball—and he did not walk a batter all fall. Stiles spots his 88-89 heater well and has improved his slider to combat lefties, along with his changeup against righties. LHP Jake Drossner has the most electric stuff of the group, with a low-90s fastball that bumps 95 and the makings of a putaway slider, and his control is continuing to progress, though he still has work to do. Fellow lefty Willie Rios, a prized freshman, can reach 94 with his lively fastball and flashes an average slider, but thumb surgery over the summer put him a bit behind schedule. And another freshman, RHP Brian Shaffer, showed very good control with his 90-92 fastball and solid slider this fall.
Bullpen: 70. Maryland’s pitching depth should make its bullpen one of college baseball’s best. The unit has a rock-solid, battle-hardened closer in Mooney, who has 22 saves over the last two years. He has power stuff, with a fastball that reaches 94 and a true power curveball with sharp downer action. Maryland’s best arm belongs to Jr. LHP Alex Robinson, who showed 92-96 mph heat and a wipeout slider last summer in the New England Collegiate League, where he ranked as the top prospect. He is most comfortable in the bullpen, where he’ll team with Mooney to form a dynamite one-two punch. Junior Zach Morris gives this unit another lefty who can reach 90-plus, and junior Jared Price (coming back from a minor elbow procedure) is another good righty. Two or three of the Ruse/Stiles/Drossner/Rios/Shaffer group will also wind up in the loaded bullpen.
Experience/Intangibles: 65. The Terrapins embraced coach John Szefc’s blue-collar mentality last year, when they shocked the college baseball world by toppling mighty South Carolina in the Columbia Regional, then gave juggernaut Virginia all it could handle in the Charlottesville Super Regional. The 2015 Terrapins are loaded with seasoned veterans from that postseason run, and there is no shortage of toughness. This group has the experience and talent to get the Terps to Omaha for the first time ever.We promise to never spam you, and just use your email address to identify you as a valid customer.
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A panicky Republican elite has finally awoken to the real possibility that Donald Trump will be their party's presidential candidate. Are investors here and abroad about to get the sweats, too?
How could they not? Recall some of what Trump has pledged to do if elected the 45th U.S. president: slap a huge tariff on Chinese goods, break the North American Free Trade agreement, and cut taxes by $12 trillion with no plan to pay for it. So |
he’d have his child slip a copy of his documentary on soil to Cameron’s child to pass on to him. Have your girl call my girl. We’ll do lunch.
I joined the mob, testing Cameron’s green chops: Wind power (he’s a huge fan), clean coal (it doesn’t exist), the failure of Obama and other world leaders at Copenhagen (agreed), cap-and-trade, he was acquainted with them all, even a bit directa-torial in his opinions. But he gave as good as he got. When I noted that acid rain was still spreading despite cap-and-trade, he retorted that it’s not spreading as fast as it would have. He asked what a better solution might be. Tough new regulations?
Fine, “I’m willing to engage or indulge real ideas,” he said. “But if we don’t do something, we’re all going to die! What’s it going to take, a big fucking disaster with all kinds of people dying? We need to change our priorities fast.”
Cameron said he has been overwhelmed with requests from environmental groups, and will probably do more events, since his wife told him, “Maybe more than an opportunity, maybe there’s a duty to try to use this film for whatever good can be brought to bear.”
He added, “The environmental message maybe got lost earlier in all the talk about 3-D … It’s time to start having that conversation more.”SUNRISE, Fla. - The Florida Panthers in conjunction with IT'SUGAR announced today that Florida Panthers Forward Vincent Trocheck launched Sweeties, a limited-edition collection of the star athletes' favorite candies. IT'SUGAR is releasing an exclusive variety to the new line as Vincent Trocheck's "Trochex Mix," with 20 percent of the sales benefiting the players' charity of choice.
"When we were considering who would appear on the inaugural boxes of Sweeties, the latest one-of-a-kind product that IT'SUGAR is known for, it was important for us to work with star athletes with big personalities and good senses of humor," said Jeff Rubin, CEO and founder of IT'SUGAR. "Vincent Trocheck, who is unapologetically himself at every turn both in and out of game time, was at the top of our list."
Trocheck created a signature Sweeties mix, hand selecting each treat included in the "Trochex Mix." Vincent Trocheck's Sweeties "Trochex Mix" is filled with blue raspberry gummi rings, Sour Power Quattro® Doubles, wild cherry gummi bears and beary blue razz gummi bears, in the Florida Panthers signature team colors.
Sweeties are available exclusively at www.itsugar.com and will be introduced in select IT'SUGAR stores for $14.99 per 20 ounce box beginning next week. The "Trochex Mix" will be available at BB&T Center throughout the Florida Panthers 2017-18 season.
For more information and a list of participating retail locations, please visit www.itsugar.com.
About IT'SUGAR
Founded by Jeff Rubin in 2006, this sweet experiential retail experience has become the largest specialty candy and gift retailer in the world. The IT'SUGAR Empire consists of over 100 retail locations in U.S. hotspots such as New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Denver, San Diego, and Palm Beach. Known for their absurdly wonderful sugar innovations that celebrate lighthearted rebellion, IT'SUGAR aspires to a future where everyone has access to the pure joy that comes from indulging in a world with fewer rules and more sugar.One of the many, many pressing concerns facing the Sharks heading into the trade deadline and beyond is the question of who's going to be their starting goaltender next season and into the future. Antti Niemi is an impending unrestricted free agent who the team likely would have signed to a contract extension by now if he were in their future plans and Alex Stalock has fallen flat this season in the face of an opportunity to usurp Niemi that was handed to him on a silver platter. Neither goalie is likely to be San Jose's #1 to start the 2015-16 season but it's hard to predict who will be.
Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman was on Edmonton radio today discussing that very subject and believes the Sharks will be in the market for a young netminder leading up to Monday's trade deadline and into the offseason. Via Nichols On Hockey:
I think they’re looking for a 25-year-old goalie who can play for a few years for them. They’re going to let Niemi’s contract run out. Stalock they just don’t believe has grabbed the net. I think they’re in the market for a guy who can play net for them for a few years. I would guess that’s as high on their list of things to do as anything else.
There aren't many available goalies who are exactly 25, save for mediocre Blackhawks third-stringer Antti Raanta and talented Canucks third-stringer Jacob Markstrom, but there are quite a few 26-year-olds who could make sense as either the Sharks' undisputed starter or one-half of a platoon with Stalock. Two of them, Jonathan Bernier and James Reimer, are currently employed by the Maple Leafs. With a.917 SV% in 159 career NHL appearances to go along with excellent AHL numbers, Bernier is clearly the superior option but acquiring his RFA rights will probably be expensive if the Leafs are even willing to deal their starter.
Michal Neuvirth, the 26-year-old Sabres starter who becomes an unrestricted free agent in July, doesn't have Bernier's pedigree but at least he wouldn't cost assets to acquire. Playing for possibly the worst non-expansion team in NHL history, the Czech native has compiled an unbelievable.934 even-strength save percentage this season and has better 5-on-5 numbers (though admittedly in a smaller sample size) over the past three seasons than Niemi, Semyon Varlamov, Corey Crawford and Jonathan Quick. Jhonas Enroth's place on that list isn't quite as impressive but the 26-year-old is another impending UFA who shouldn't be too expensive to sign. Neither goalie is a sure thing but rolling the dice on a couple of low-risk, potentially high-reward options is a good way to make the inherent uncertainty of the goaltending market work in your favor. It'll be interesting to see what the Sharks end up doing here.HELENA, Mont. (Feb. 2, 2017) – Two bills that would together ban warrantless collection of cell phone data in most situations unanimously passed an important Montana House committee yesterday. Final passage of the legislation would not only increase privacy protections in the state, it would also hinder one practical aspect of federal surveillance programs.
Rep. Daniel Zolnikov sponsors both House Bill 147 (HB147) and House Bill 148 (HB148). Working together, these two bills would require government agencies to get a warrant before obtaining data from electronic devices such as smart phones, computers and tablets in most situations.
The House Judiciary Committee approved both measures by a 19-0 vote after approving some technical amendments.
HB147 would require a government agency to get a warrant before accessing the data in any electronic device unless it has informed, affirmative consent of the owner. It would also allow warrantless access to an electronic device in accordance with judicially recognized exceptions to warrant requirements, if the owner has already made the stored data public, or if there exists a possible life-threatening situation.
Under HB148, a government entity could only require electronic communication service providers to disclose the contents of electronic communications stored, held, or maintained by that service pursuant to a warrant. The law would not prohibit electronic communications providers from voluntarily disclosing information where authorized under law. It would also allow police to obtain electronic communications content subject to a subpoena authorized under the laws of the state.
HB148 defines “contents” as “any information concerning the substance, purport, or meaning of a communication.”
In both bills, evidence obtained in violation of the law would be inadmissible in court, and it could not be used as the basis for obtaining an affidavit, court order, nor a warrant.
PARALLEL CONSTRUCTION
By making information obtained in violation of the law inadmissible in court, passage of HB147 and HB148 would effectively stop one practical effect of NSA spying in Montana.
Reuters revealed the extent of such NSA data sharing with state and local law enforcement in an August 2013 article. According to documents obtained by the news agency, the NSA passes information to police through a formerly secret DEA unit known Special Operations Divisions and the cases “rarely involve national security issues.” Almost all of the information involves regular criminal investigations, not terror-related investigations.
After the SOD passes along this information, it then works with state and local law enforcement to “create” an investigation, working backward to obscure the origin of the evidence. For instance, the SOD might instruct local police to obtain a warrant to collect information they already have via information sharing. It creates the illusion that the investigation and prosecution proceeded in a constitutionally permissible way
In other words, not only does the NSA collect and store this data, using it to build profiles, the agency encourages state and local law enforcement to violate the Fourth Amendment by making use of this information in their day-to-day investigations.
This is “the most threatening situation to our constitutional republic since the Civil War,” Binney said.
UP NEXT
HB147 and 148 will now move to the full House for further consideration.President Obama has honored more civilians with the Medal of Freedom than any other president in history.
His most recent ceremony raising the total number to 123 recipients.
Former President Ronald Reagan came in a close second—awarding a total of 101 Medals of Freedom, followed by Bill Clinton with a total of 92 recipients, and George W. Bush with a total of 78 Medals of Freedom.
However, there are a few differences between the list of President Obama’s recipients and the lists of other presidents.
Among the many humanitarian, activism, and diplomacy recipients, Obama has also honored sports heroes like Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Ernie Banks, and Vin Scully.
He’s honored television stars like Ellen DeGeneres, Lorne Michaels, and Oprah Winfrey.
And he’s honored iconic musicians like Bob Dylan, Gloria Estefan, and Diana Ross.
The President has certainly chosen the recipients based off merit, but also based off his own personal affinity.
When addressing the nation in his last Medal of Freedom ceremony, President Obama said:
“Everyone on this stage has touched me in a powerful personal way. These are folks who have helped make me who I am and think about my presidency.”
And in the last ceremony under his administration, the majority of the recipients certainly have “touched” the President in a powerful personal way — and donated to the Democratic party according to the Federal Election Commission.
Check it out:
Ellen DeGeneres: Donated $35,800 in 2012 to the Obama Victory Fund and $100,000 in 2016 to the Hillary Victory Fund.
Robert De Niro: Donated $10,000 to the Obama Victory Fund and $2,500 to Obama’s general election campaign in 2012.
Tom Hanks: Donated $2,300 to Obama’s election campaign in 2008, $2,500 in 2012, and $2,700 to Hillary’s primary campaign in 2016.
Michael Jordan: Threw a $3 million fundraiser, for $20,000 per person during Obama’s 2012 campaign.
Lorne Michaels: Donated $4,600 to the Obama Victory Fund in 2008.
Bruce Springsteen: Donated $13,200 to Democratic committees such as Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) and Russ Feingold (D., Wis.)
Robert Redford: Endorsed Obama in 2012 and fundraised for Feingold (D., Wis.) in 2016.
Bill Gates: Donated $17,900 to the Obama Victory Fund in 2012 and $50,000 to Obama’s inauguration in 2009 along with Melinda Gates.
Melinda Gates: Donated $35,800 to the joint fundraising committee and $5,000 to Obama’s 2012 primary and general election campaigns.
Frank Gehry: Donated $4,600 to Obama’s campaign in 2008, $80,000 to the Obama Victory Fund in 2012, and $60,000 to the Hillary Victory Fund.
Newt Minow: Donated $7,500 to committees supporting Obama in the early 2000s.
Is that just par for the course, when it comes to presidents’ choices?
Not so much.
If you look at the recipients of former President George W. Bush’s medals, they spent their money differently:
Aretha Franklin- Donated $1,000 to a democratic senator in 1997.
Estée Lauder: Donated $25,000 to Citizens for Club Growth Inc. in 2002.
Carol Burnett: Donated $3,500 to the DCCC and DNC within the last few years.
Bill Cosby: $1,000 to democratic senator in 2004.
Andy Griffith: Donated $1,000 to John Kerry for President Fund in 2004.
Arnold Palmer: Donated $1,000 to Bush for President Fund in 2000.
Although these are only a few recipients of both presidents’ ceremonies, the surfacing pattern is obvious.
The New York Times speculated that President Obama held an additional Medal of Freedom ceremony just two months after what many believed was to be his last because many of the recipients “would probably never receive such an honor from his successor, President-elect Donald J. Trump.”
With the last group including physicist Richard Garwin, NASA scientist Margaret H. Hamilton, and higher educator Eduardo Padrón, it’s clear President Obama is investing as much into his legacy as the recipients have into their fields, and the democratic party.(Aug. 16, 2017) -- Brian Hermann, assistant professor of biology at The University of Texas at San Antonio, has received a $1.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study male infertility with cutting-edge technology. Hermann, whose laboratory focuses on stem cell research to preserve male fertility, is examining the cells that make fertility possible in a way that has never been done before.
“What we’re looking at is the formation of stem cells that support sperm production in the testes,” Hermann said. “For a man to be fertile, he has to have those cells. If a man is infertile, the reason is often because these cells never formed or they formed and later died out.”
The cells Hermann is studying are called spermatogonial stem cells. They’re responsible for making sure that sperm are produced throughout a man’s lifespan and are absolutely essential for male fertility.
“To understand why they sometimes don’t form properly, we need to know how they are formed normally,” Hermann said.
While researchers have presented theories about why spermatogonial stem cells don’t form properly, those theories have never been tested in a laboratory setting because the tools haven’t previously existed.
Hermann is utilizing cutting-edge technology, most notably single-cell gene expression profiling, which involves studying the characteristics of a single stem cell rather than a large group of them all at once.
“By singling out a cell, we’re able to sort out the potentially healthy cells from the less viable ones,” he said. “Previously, we couldn’t look at them individually. And when you work that way, you wash out the differences between the cells.”
The goal of the new project is to understand how the cell formation works on the most basic level, which could lead to a better understanding of how fertility is established in men.
“If we know how fertility works and how it forms in men, we can learn how it goes wrong,” Hermann said.
Hermann believes that if his work is successful, it could open the door to earlier, more accurate diagnoses and more effective treatment to remedy infertility.
“It is exciting because there are many ways we could apply this information to help men have their own children,” he said.
UTSA is ranked among the top 400 universities in the world and among the top 100 in the nation, according to Times Higher Education.If you needed any convincing Labor is a party entirely adrift from its supposed values and purpose, given over now to politicking, expedience and opportunism, just wait for its reaction to Tuesday's budget.
It will vehemently oppose Joe Hockey's deficit levy - no matter how watered down it is by then - and his intention to resume indexing the petroleum excise on the basis of no stronger argument than that they're broken promises.
These are two measures Labor should strongly support if it's sticking to its principles - one that makes the tax system fairer and one that supplements the carbon tax in fighting climate change.
If Labor were truly the social democrat, progressive party it wants us to think it is, it would advocate and fight for bigger government. Bigger not for its own sake, but because there are still many much-needed services and assistance yet to be provided, with governments best placed to provide them.
As we know, Labor can always think of new ways to spend money - the National Disability Insurance Scheme and the Gonski education reforms, for instance - but when it comes to raising sufficient revenue to cover the cost of these genuinely worthy causes, Labor's courage deserts it.In the days leading up to a critical Senate vote this month on the GOP tax plan, Republican Sen. Rob Portman (Ohio) met secretly with Sen. Joe Manchin III (W.Va.) in the moderate Democrat's hideaway office in the basement of the Capitol.
Manchin told Portman that he would consider joining the tax effort, if only a few changes were made. Chief among them: Instead of cutting the corporate tax rate to 20 percent, a top Republican goal, reduce it to 25 percent — and use the proceeds for bigger middle-class tax cuts. Other Democrats, Manchin suggested, might follow.
Portman took the request to Republican leaders, who rejected it.
For Republican leaders, the prospect of a bipartisan deal that could have solidified public support for the tax plan was far outweighed by the imperative to keep the GOP unified and the belief that deep cuts in corporate taxes, more than anything else, were the recipe for economic and political success.
"I would have preferred for it to have been bipartisan," Portman said. "There were certain things that he was looking for that didn't fit with the consensus that we had reached with the Republican conference."
The result is a bill passed along strict partisan lines that now awaits President Trump's signature — the GOP's crowning legislative achievement in the first year of the party's control of Washington.
The decision to spurn Democrats underscores the political risks undertaken by the GOP, which pushed forward on the tax bill despite polls showing that it is one of the most unpopular pieces of legislation in recent history and independent, nonpartisan analyses projecting that it will disproportionately reward the wealthy and corporations, offer only moderate benefits to the middle class, and substantially drive up the deficit.
Republicans argue, however, that the cuts will spur economic growth and that everyday Americans will reward the GOP for creating jobs, boosting their paychecks and simplifying the tax-filing process for millions of households.
"My view of this: If we can't sell this to the American people, we ought to go into another line of work," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said after the final bill passed his chamber.
Republicans plowed forward even as foreboding political currents swirled: the Russia investigation pushing Trump's approval ratings ever lower, a political upset in Alabama underscoring the fragility of the GOP's majorities in Congress as midterms loom next year. The bill itself grew more unpopular in every successive poll, yet the outside threats seemed to sharpen the need to claim a political prize. Republicans dug in and stuck to their schedule, a nearly unheard-of achievement for a major bill.
The strategy was effective for several basic reasons, according to interviews with more than a dozen Republican lawmakers, aides and lobbyists.
[The final GOP tax bill is complete. Here’s what is in it.]
After earlier efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act collapsed, Republican leaders decided to abandon the GOP principle of making sure the tax bill would not add to the deficit and instead invested their faith in the view that tax cuts can pay for themselves.
They learned from the calamitous health-care efforts, deciding to keep the tax negotiations fluid until the very end, and used a variety of techniques to coax reluctant Republican lawmakers to support the legislation.
They managed to contain a volatile president, using his support where helpful but trying to avoid rhetorical broadsides that could upend the sensitive negotiations.
And they held closely to their views that deep corporate tax cuts were the most important thing to ensure the success of the bill, and that, despite the legislation's billing, tax cuts for working families had to be a second-tier goal.
Without a dramatic reduction in the corporate tax rate, Republicans said, they would have lost their chance to make U.S. companies more competitive in a globalized economy.
"The president cared a lot about the business rate — it was the single biggest topic the president talked about," National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn said Wednesday.
House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) walks through the Capitol after the House passed its tax bill. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post)
The push begins
It was the day after the presidential election, and Rep. Kevin Brady's cellphone was blowing up.
Trump had secured a shocking win, ending six years of divided power in Washington. Business executives, lobbyists and fellow lawmakers were all ringing Brady (R-Tex.), the House Ways and Means chairman, asking one question:
What's border adjustment?
It was a wonky-sounding term, for years an idea discussed only in academic circles, but it also stood out as a powerful tool that could allow Republicans to hold fast to their long-held belief that a tax overhaul shouldn't add to the deficit.
It was, in fact, the only serious idea they had to significantly remake the tax code — crucially, dropping the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to the low 20s or below — without significantly driving up the deficit.
The provision was effectively a new tax on imports, and it would not just generate about $1 trillion in new tax revenue but also serve as an incentive for businesses to keep operations in the United States.
Republicans had included the border-adjustment tax in their 2016 campaign plan, a document largely ignored until Trump won. But now Republicans controlled the levers of power, and the House agenda had the most complete tax plan around.
"It just went up to a new level of intensity, right the day after the election," Brady said.
For some industries — particularly retailers and manufacturers who purchase their raw materials abroad — the implications were glaring: The corporate rate would be lowered on their backs.
Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Tex.) makes his way to a House Republican conference at the Capitol on Tuesday. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post)
[The tax bill is likely to become more popular after passage. Here’s how Republicans plan to sell it.]
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) — whose constituents include the world's largest retailer, Walmart — compared the idea to something out of Orwell: "Some ideas are so stupid only an intellectual could believe them," he said in a February floor speech. "This is a theory wrapped in speculation inside a guess."
As the Republicans faced a lobbyist revolt at the start of the new administration, private negotiations among what was called the "Big Six" — the top Republican leaders in the House and Senate, the chairmen of the two tax-writing committees, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Cohn — weren't going any better.
McConnell and Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah), the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, didn't see the border tax as politically feasible. While Trump appeared to endorse the concept at times, seeing it as the type of border tariff he had campaigned on, divisions within the White House kept him from embracing it. House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) and Brady, who had spent years warning of the risks of mushrooming federal deficits, were loath to abandon it.
There appeared to be no way forward, and some in the party had already begun to lower their expectations of a once-in-a-generation tax overhaul.
Divisions on the deficit
It took a massive failure on another policy to clarify things.
Early on the morning of July 28, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) turned his thumb downward, casting the deciding vote against his own party's health-care bill, and his colleagues immediately feared he had done even worse.
From the beginning, the GOP's effort to remake the nation's health-care system was racked with infighting propelled by ideological, temperamental and geographical divisions within the party — not to mention delay after delay that only amplified waves of public protests that relentlessly targeted individual lawmakers.
It seemed quite possible the tax effort would fare similarly.
But hours before McCain's vote, the Big Six released a statement: "While we have debated the pro-growth benefits of border adjustability, we appreciate that there are many unknowns associated with it and have decided to set this policy aside to advance tax reform."
As Republicans pondered how they had failed so badly on health care, the Big Six had made a fateful decision that would clear the way for the tax overhaul. The group had killed the border-adjustment tax, and with no plausible alternative, they had effectively removed the requirement that the tax plan not add to the deficit.
Brady said he and other Republicans were convinced that the tax effort would boost economic growth enough that the requirement was no longer necessary.
"In my view, over time this tax reform plan will recoup these revenues," he said. "Without tax reform, we are doomed, to a slower economy and higher deficits."
The failure on health care, Portman said in an interview, "concentrated the mind on how do we avoid this" when it came to tax legislation.
Even if Republican leaders were prepared to borrow money to pay for the tax bill, they still had to win over the support of Republican lawmakers who saw the nation's rising debt as the biggest threat to American prosperity. Chief among them was Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), a member of the Senate Budget Committee with an independent streak who had been openly clashing with Trump.
Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) speaks to reporters at the Capitol. (Carolyn Van Houten/The Washington Post)
McConnell asked Corker to craft a deal with Sen. Patrick J. Toomey (R-Pa.), a longtime advocate of supply-side doctrine who believed big tax cuts spur economic growth.
The two senators, McConnell later said, "represented the yin and yang" on the issue.
White House officials initially thought they could not achieve a very big tax cut — maybe $1 trillion — but for months, Toomey had been pressing his colleagues for at least double that. Toomey persuaded White House officials to request a larger package from his colleagues on the Senate Budget Committee, while he would continue advocating for the even bigger number he wanted, making the administration's request seem modest.
During a meeting in McConnell's office with the Republicans on the Budget Committee, the plan played out perfectly, Mnuchin said the White House wanted a $1.5 trillion tax package, according to a person involved in the discussions who requested anonymity to describe the private deliberations. Toomey said he wanted a package that was more than $2 trillion, and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) chimed in that he wanted a tax-cut package that was even bigger than that.
The White House and a number of Republicans were bombarding Corker with huge numbers all at once, numbers that were much bigger than many had thought possible.
Corker settled on the $1.5 trillion range, with the expectation that later steps would be taken to limit the impact of the legislation on the debt.
A corporate-rate standoff
President Trump speaks during a bicameral meeting with lawmakers at the White House on Dec. 13. (Salwan Georges/The Washington Post)
From the beginning, the centerpiece of the plan was the reduction in the corporate rate, and for more than a year, Trump had promised 15 percent.
On Capitol Hill, that number was considered unworkable.— it would open a gaping revenue hole and create a huge gap between the rates paid by owners of other businesses not organized as taxable corporations
Publicly, the president kept the pressure on. But privately, Trump signaled to tax negotiators some flexibility. "Twenty is a pretty number," he said on one conference call in early summer.
[The essential trade-off in the Republican tax bill, in one chart]
While Trump and the House felt comfortable with 20 percent, McConnell and Hatch wanted more flexibility. But by late September, the negotiators knew they needed to be on the same page, providing very broad principles to the House and Senate's tax-writing committees.so they could shape legislation that would pass their respective chambers
The result would be a "unified framework" sparse on details. It would look a lot like the House blueprint, including a 20 percent corporate rate. But it would omit the difficult provisions — any offsets that would help pay for the plan.
With days remaining until the Big Six was due to release its framework, Trump dropped a bomb on the proceedings: Under no circumstances, he privately told the negotiators, would he accept a corporate rate over 18 percent. That would cost hundreds of billions of dollars more over the coming decade and threaten the viability of the entire effort.
It fell to Ryan to walk Trump back from the edge: If you agree to 20 percent, he told the president on a phone call, we will keep it there.
Trump relented.
"He was very vocal about his views on this stuff," said Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.). "But I do think that he was good at interacting with people who had differences of opinion about the legislation but not browbeating them, not embarrassing them but really working with them."
Securing the votes
Even with broad agreement on the shape of the legislation, the House and Senate faced two sharply different calculations.
For the House, it came down to a bloc of blue-state Republicans threatened by a proposal to significantly scale back or do away with the state and local tax deduction.
The tax break had been part of the federal tax code since the income tax was first instituted in 1913, and it had largely survived every effort to scale it back thanks to the clout of lawmakers from New York and other high-tax states that disproportionately benefited.
But in 2017, the politics were different: There were no Republican senators representing New York, New Jersey, California and other high-tax states. There were a handful of GOP House members from those states, but not so many that Republican leaders felt they absolutely had to be accommodated.
This time around, House Republicans proposed limiting the deduction to allow people to reduce only up to $10,000 in property taxes.
That was enough to split the bloc: Several Republicans representing the New York suburbs abandoned the bill, but most Upstate Republicans and Rep. Tom MacArthur of New Jersey got on board. The 14 California Republicans, meanwhile, were keeping relatively quiet. The $10,000 property tax deduction didn't help their constituents much at all: California has relatively low property taxes and relatively high income taxes.
But the nation's most powerful California Republican, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), privately assured them that the problem would get fixed. It might not happen in the House bill, he told them. It might not happen in the Senate bill, either. But he promised them that it would get fixed, and 12 of the 14 ultimately voted to pass the bill.
"The bill would not have passed if we didn't have the support and votes from New York and California," said Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), the House majority whip. "Kevin made a commitment: This will get fixed in conference, and he never wavered in seeing that through."
In the Senate, McConnell faced a different complication. There wasn't one bloc of potentially aggrieved lawmakers but at least nine Republicans who could present problems. Republicans could afford to lose only two votes given the chamber's 52-to-48 split.
Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and McCain had doomed the Affordable Care Act repeal earlier that summer, on a combination of concerns about drastic changes to health care and the Senate bypassing its usual process.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) departs the Senate on Monday. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)
Corker and Sen. Jeff Flake (Ariz.), both of whom had announced they wouldn't be running for reelection, were worried about the impact on the federal debt.
Sens. Marco Rubio (Fla.) and Mike Lee (Utah) were upset that their proposed expansion of a child tax credit benefiting families wasn't included in the bill.
And Johnson and Sen. Steve Daines (Mont.) complained that businesses that pay taxes through the individual tax code — so-called pass-through entities — weren't getting as significant a rate cut as corporations.
With the health-care debate this year, similar types of concerns had led the Republicans to, in rapid succession, present different versions of the legislation, failing each time to advance it.and embarrassing Republican leadership and the White House
This time around, McConnell worked to avoid a similar situation.
He and top lieutenants summoned lawmakers in small groups to his ornate suite of offices on the second floor of the Capitol to fill them in on details of the bill and hear out their concerns. Before each group departed, McConnell delivered a message: Don't draw red lines, least of all in public, about what should be in or out of the bill.
"If you can, keep your powder dry," Thune said, summing up McConnell's message. "Don't go out and publicly define yourself in a way that prevents you from ultimately being able to get back to 'yes.' "
For the most part, lawmakers heeded McConnell's request, even as tax writers added controversial measures to the Senate bill. Most notably, they made the individual tax cuts sunset in 2025 and added a repeal of the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate.
But one by one, all but one of the senators were won over.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) walks in before Ivanka Trump, the daughter and assistant to President Trump, at a news conference on the “importance of the child tax credit to working families.” (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/Associated Press)
Collins got agreement from McConnell to pass legislation — still to be delivered — stabilizing the health-care law. Murkowski got a provision that would enable drilling for oil off Alaska's shores. McCain was convinced that the Senate had followed the type of process he had insisted upon.
"The other high point for me was John McCain's decision to come on board early.... It meant a lot to me personally," McConnell said. "I think that was a critical moment for us."
Flake got a promise that Congress would move forward to address the status of young undocumented immigrants who had come to the United States as children. Johnson and Daines were given a more generous "pass-through" provision.
Rubio agreed to vote the measure, suggesting he would pull back his support if Republicans later made the plan more advantageous for the wealthy without doing more for working families.
The bill finally passed the Senate in the early morning hours of Dec. 2, after a wild night full of last-minute scrambling as Democrats erupted in fury over leaked drafts with portions crossed out and revisions scribbled in the margins.
Corker was the lone "no" vote after leaders couldn't overcome his concern about estimates the bill would add at least $1 trillion to the deficit.
Final steps
Then came the process of reconciling the House and Senate bills. The effort was in precarious shape, especially with two ailing GOP senators, Thad Cochran of Mississippi and McCain, whose ability to show up for the final vote was in question.
Republicans absorbed a political body blow when Democrat Doug Jones won a special Senate election in Alabama, but they stayed on track, more determined than ever to deliver the legislation to Trump by Christmas.
At the 11th hour, Republicans pushed up the corporate tax rate to 21 percent while moving the effective date of the corporate tax cut earlier and reducing the top income tax rate.
But then Rubio threatened to oppose the bill unless the child tax credit was sweetened; leaders met his demand. And in a surprise move, Corker announced that he would vote for the bill after all, angrily denying that language that could benefit real estate developers had anything to do with it.
"Failure was never an option," Scalise said. "We knew we had to get this done."
Stunningly for legislation of such magnitude, Republicans had stuck to their timetable. Everything was lined up for final passage through the House and Senate on Tuesday. But after the House had acted and left for the night came one final hiccup — Senate Democrats succeeded in last-minute parliamentary maneuvers that knocked out a few minor elements of the bill.
House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) has his weekly meeting with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in the speaker’s office on Dec. 12. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post)
One piece the Democrats successfully challenged? The title of the legislation itself, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, was found impermissible under the chamber's arcane guidelines.
So the House had to come back into session Wednesday to pass a revised bill, an anticlimactic finale for the first tax overhaul in three decades.
One thing is certain: The nation has a new tax code. Much of the rest is a guessing game.Only in coming years will the parties learn who wins and loses as a result of the legislation and whether workers will see the benefits that have been promised them.
As for Manchin, the Democrat who wanted to get to yes, he says he regrets that Republicans didn't welcome his overtures. He had also objected to the bill's Affordable Care Act mandate repeal but gave Republicans a number of ways to address his concerns that he felt were reasonable.
"They were determined to make this a political bill, a partisan bill, and they didn't need anybody. They didn't want anybody," he said early Wednesday morning as the Senate passed the final bill. "I even said, 'Don't you at least want the appearance — even if you get two or three of us — even if you get one of us?' "
Damian Paletta and Jeff Stein contributed to this report.
Read more:
The Health 202: The tax overhaul is actually a big win for insurers and drugmakers
Will your taxes go up or down in 2018 under the new tax bill?
The Finance 202: The next fight over the GOP tax package is just around the cornerEuropean and American trade negotiators have a tough week ahead of them. They are meeting behind closed doors to negotiate a new Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).
We want to put an end to these negotiations that will transfer huge power to multinational corporations. TTIP threatens the very values underpinning our societies. People who care about democracy, environmental protection, health standards and working conditions should know what’s |
RA stood behind Canada’s current rules. Both emphasized that non-prescription codeine can only be sold by a pharmacist.
Rick Foster of Brampton began taking Tylenol 1 in his mid-30s for chronic neck pain. He started with four pills a day; two decades later, he was taking as many as 20, risking liver damage. ( Carlos Osorio/Toronto Star )
“These products can only be accessed by a pharmacist who has the opportunity to interact with the patient and provide them with advice,” Health Canada spokesperson Sylwia Krzyszton wrote in an email. But former addicts who bought thousands of codeine pills “behind the counter” for more than a decade say pharmacists rarely if ever asked questions or provided advice. Brampton resident Rick Foster, 53, began taking Tylenol No. 1 in his mid-30s for chronic neck pain. He started with four pills a day; two decades later, he was taking as many as 20 — enough acetaminophen to seriously risk his liver. A few years ago, Foster had neck surgery and was finally referred to a pain specialist. To his surprise, the specialist urged him to stop using Tylenol 1 and take a liver test. (Foster stopped but didn’t get tested.) After 20 years of buying Tylenol No. 1 from pharmacists, this was the first thorough consultation he received on this drug. “Very, very rarely were any questions asked. I would say next to none at all,” said Foster, who believes he “dodged a bullet” and now takes a prescription opioid called Nucynta. In November, the Star visited five Ontario pharmacies to try to buy non-prescription codeine. At three of them, employees asked no questions before selling 200 pills. The others asked just one — “Have you used this before?” — and only one offered a 22-second explanation that codeine can cause drowsiness and constipation. Nobody asked why the drug was being bought. Several pharmacists told the Star that non-prescription codeine is a source of frustration in the profession. There is a patchwork of monitoring systems across the country, ranging from Alberta — where pharmacists can voluntarily record sales in a central database — to Ontario, where pharmacists are not required to document a customer’s purchasing history even in their own stores. “A lot of pharmacists just don’t bother” asking questions, said John Greiss, a Toronto pharmacist and health policy blogger concerned about low-dose codeine. “Potential abusers know how to get through the system and you’re busy with people who do actually need time and attention.” Refusing to sell can also be “very, very difficult,” said Shah in Manitoba — especially when other pharmacists are selling the drug, no questions asked. “(Customers) were going, ‘Well, why are you asking me this and other pharmacists aren’t asking me?’ ” he said. “They feel like it’s a personal attack … they become literally belligerent.” FOR DRUG COMPANIES, there is at least one good reason to sell non-prescription codeine. “It was always, by far and away, one of the top-selling (non-prescription) medications,” said Tony Nickonchuk, a pharmacist in Alberta. In 2013, pharmacies spent an estimated $16.3 million buying non-prescription codeine from wholesalers, according to IMS Brogan (No figure for dosages was available.) These drugs are then sold at a huge markup — up to 200 or 300 per cent, according to pharmacists Nickonchuk and Shah. There are other countries where non-prescription codeine is available, including Australia and the U.K., which sells it over the counter. But both countries seem to be awakening to addiction issues with the drug and are moving towards tighter rules, like smaller pack sizes (a maximum 32 pills in the U.K.) and label warnings about addiction (which are not on bottles in Canada). Beth Sproule, a clinician-scientist with CAMH and the University of Toronto, would like to see these drugs become prescription-only. But she suspects sales would plummet. “It probably wouldn’t be prescribed,” she said. Pharmacists agree there would be significant pushback from customers, many of whom swear by these drugs. They question, however, whether some people are just getting pain relief from the acetaminophen or aspirin mixed into the pills — or even a placebo effect. There are also worries that the drug’s weak effects encourage people to take more and more. And some people who complain that their headaches come back after stopping the drug could also be experiencing “rebound headaches,” which are actually a withdrawal symptom. “I have trouble concluding that it’s really helping people,” Nickonchuk said. “If we’re going to argue that it’s not dangerous — and that it’s not dangerous enough to warrant it being prescription — show me the evidence.” The Star asked Health Canada, NAPRA and leading drug manufacturers for such evidence. None was provided. Health Canada spokesperson Eric Morrissette said “the current benefit to risk profile of codeine 8 mg products continues to support their market approval.” The health agency also pointed out that the UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs from 1961 categorizes these drugs as requiring fewer controls than pure codeine. But Health Canada would not provide any scientific evidence of the drug’s therapeutic efficacy. The health regulator also said it has never done a risk-benefit analysis of non-prescription codeine, which would have to be triggered by a “safety signal” from its surveillance systems. Health Canada says it continually monitors the safety of all drugs.
Here are some of the 1,000 Tylenol 1 tablets the Star was able to buy in Canada in just more than an hour, without a prescription. ( Vince Talotta/Toronto Star )
Johnson & Johnson said that products like Tylenol No. 1 were evaluated when Health Canada last updated its labelling rules for acetaminophen products in 2009. Labelling standards are developed for non-prescription drugs with a “well characterized safety and efficacy profile,” company spokeswoman Shelley Kohut wrote in an email. “Additional company sponsored efficacy studies have not been conducted and are not required for approval of products with a labelling standard.” Generic drug giant Teva (which makes Ratio-Lenoltec No. 1, Canada’s bestselling generic of Tylenol No. 1, according to IMS Brogan) refused to answer any questions from the Star. As for NAPRA, its meeting minutes from 2002 refer to documents that evaluated the drug’s risks and benefits, but spokesperson Lisa Gall said they were not available to the public. When asked why this drug is still around, many experts arrived at the same answer: inertia. Codeine has been used for more than 200 years and many people grew up with these pills in their medicine cabinets. But scientists continue to learn new things about codeine. Codeine is technically a “prodrug” because it only works after the liver converts it to morphine. But emerging evidence shows that people metabolize codeine differently. For example, studies have shown about 40 per cent of North Africans have the gene variant associated with “ultra-fast metabolizers,” thus making them more susceptible to overdose; in Europe, it’s only 3 per cent. Five years ago, the Canadian Medical Association Journal questioned whether codeine should be phased out altogether. After a number of child deaths were linked to the ultra-fast metabolizer gene, Health Canada in 2013 recommended against giving codeine to children under 12. Non-prescription codeine also carries an extra risk: the painkillers that have been mixed into the drug. Acetaminophen, for example, is a growing concern in both Canada and the U.S., where it is the leading cause of acute liver failure. For addicts of non-prescription codeine, they may be popping these pills for the opiate but they are also getting dangerous amounts of acetaminophen. But perhaps the greatest consequences are the social harms that come with addiction, said Dr. Lindy Lee with the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba, who spoke to the Star in July. Lee, who recently died of colon cancer, was considered one of Manitoba’s top addiction experts. She said her patients often experienced depression and social isolation for years or even decades before turning up at her treatment centre. These included aboriginals and women of all income levels. Lee also recalled a businessman who bought chemistry sets to extract the codeine from his pills. It makes them feel “like a better, more confident version of themselves,” she told the Star. For Rob, the 34-year-old Toronto man, he was a smart but “extremely tense” teenager when he discovered codeine. “I had found something that just spoke to me,” he said. “I felt a way that I’d never felt before. I felt good and relaxed.” He accepts responsibility for his addiction but believes he would have never got hooked on this drug if it were not so widely available. Clean-cut and intelligent, Rob once dreamed of becoming a writer. Today, he yearns for just the basic things in life. “I would love to have a family. I would just love to just have a career,” he said. “I’m just trying to survive.” jyang@thestar.caAt the Mumbai railway stations, the last thing you would stop to notice is a frail destitute woman bent with age, gingerly trudging the platforms. There are so many paupers that one more hurts nobody's eyes.So when a 78-year-old schoolteacher, once a resident of Kalbadevi, had made the platforms at Kalyan station her home for the last 10 months, it was easy to dismiss her as just another homeless beggar.Except that one day, Narendra Goyal, a daily commuter to Matunga, spotted her. She was surrounded by plastic bags and junk, and was reading a Gujarati newspaper, which caught his eye. Curious, he decided to talk to her and find out more about her. But she said she was absolutely fine and didn't have any problem. So Narendra offered her some money. When she refused it and asked instead if he could get her a cup of tea, Narendra was surprised.Tara Tulsidas Palicha was preyed upon by calamities that left her in dire straits, both financially and emotionally. Once a proud matriarch with three children and a flourishing household to take care of, kismet had turned her into a lonely waif drifting on tracks and platforms, skywalks and stations, picking at garbage bins. She depended on a local dosa walla to sustain her during the day.But that was until the pre-Diwali glitter brought a sparkle in her life, in the form of a group of do-gooders, who started taking care of her.After Narendra reached out to her that first day, he saw her many times over the next few days -- doing the routine or being asked by the railway police to leave -- but he decided to keep to himself. On October 22, however, as he was returning home from work around 11.30 pm, he saw her lying next to a garbage bin, her face near the ear completely swollen.Narendra called up his friend Bhavesh Mehta and told him of this woman. The two decided to meet the old lady the next day. Said Mehta, a Kalyan-based pathologist, "When we met her, we asked her if she wanted to be taken to a doctor for medication, but she refused. Then I asked her if she wanted to take a bath. I could see her face glow as she heard my words, and nodded a yes."So the two, along with a couple of other friends, took her to Mehta's house. "Her ear had swollen to the size of a tennis ball and we knew that she had to be treated," Mehta said. Once she had reposed and had freshened up, she put on new clothes.But there were scars and bruises over her body; there were dog bites on her ear; they made her look terrible. Around a month ago, she had been attacked by a group of druggies, she explained to Mehta. His friends and family then decided to convince her to see a doctor.As they were heading for the doctor's, Tara told her story in disjointed chunks -- apparently her memory doesn't retain all the tragedies that befell her:She had three children, of which one had died. A schoolteacher, she used to stay in the posh Kalbadevi locality along with her family. But her eldest son abandoned her and went to live separately.Soon, things started going downhill. As her finances eroded, she had to sell off her house and move to a rented flat in Kalyan along with her younger son.But her younger son died as well. To sustain herself, she performed daily chores as a housemaid, until she couldn't make ends meet at all and was eventually thrown out by the landlord.And this is how she came to stay at Kalyan platform.They had arrived at the doctor's. Since there was pus formation inside her ear, the doctor said he needed to operate on her immediately.Tara's first surgery happened on October 31 at Sridevi Hospital, Thane (West). "We thought it wouldn't cost a lot. But after the surgery, the bill touched Rs 70,000," Mehta said.As Tara's condition continued to remain serious and another surgery was required, the surgeons at the hospital asked Mehta and friends to get a clearance from the local police or government, since she had no immediate relative. Mehta approached the local police station, did the necessary paperwork, and procured the permission.On November 8, the old woman underwent a second surgery. The cost of hospitalisation has been escalating. So the group of 7-8 friends is splitting the cost. They are also trying to enlist the help of NGOs and other organisations that could possibly foot the bill.Said Mehta, "She hasn't blamed anyone for her condition. But she did mention that her only surviving son has now become a part of the elite society and doesn't care much."They have been trying to find the eldest son, who is now reportedly staying at Mira Road or Vashi.Disney's latest animated film kicks off the holiday movie season with a win
'Wreck-It Ralph' did well with audiences and critics. (Photo11: Disney) Story Highlights Animated film has $49.1 million opening
Denzel Washington's 'Flight' opens at No. 2 with $25 million
Final figures are expected Monday
Wreck-It Ralph did just that to the competition this weekend at theaters, coasting to an easy win at the box office.
The animated Disney film collected $49.1 million, according to studio estimates from industry trackers Hollywood.com.
While analysts expected a big debut for the video game comedy — projections hovered around $40 million — stellar reviews helped propel a strong weekend at theaters, which saw about a 15% uptick in business from last week.
Ralph scored big with critics and fans. About 84% of reviewers gave it a thumbs-up, while 93% of moviegoers liked it, says survey site Rottentomatoes.com.
Ralph "unofficially opens the holiday movie season, and this is a fine start for the first of the many heavy-hitters to open over the remainder of the year," says Tim Briody of Boxofficeprophets.com.
REVIEW: 'Wreck-It' dazzles in the Disney way
MORE: The weekend's top 10 films
The story, which features decades-old video games, capitalized on "the nostalgia factor," Briody says.
"Audiences are having no problem handing over their quarters," he says. The film could have long legs at turnstiles as "gamers from the '80s and '90s who now have families bring out their kids to theaters."
Adults not entertaining children turned to the Denzel Washington thriller Flight, which was second with $25 million. That film, too, eclipsed expectations, as analysts projected a debut of about $20 million.
"Flight is reaching the older audiences who unfortunately scoff at stuff like Wreck-It Ralph," Briody says. He says Washington "continues to be one of the most reliable draws in Hollywood."
Argo, the Iran hostage drama directed by Ben Affleck, took third place with $10.2 million. The $45 million film has done $75.9 million since its release Oct. 11 and has yet to drop from the top three.
The only other major newcomer, RZA's directorial debut The Man With the Iron Fists, did a respectable $8.2 million, good for fourth place and meeting most analysts' expectations.
The Liam Neeson thriller Taken 2 rounded out the top five with $6 million, bringing its four-week gross to $125.7 million.
Final figures are expected Monday.
Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/Ry60wHNew York Times Publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. has admitted his paper underestimated Donald Trump's support among American voters.
Sulzberger promises to "rededicate ourselves" to the newspaper's standards of reporting news "honestly," but had the "Gray Lady" been fair to start with, it would not need to rededicate itself, New York Post columnist Michael Goodwin said in a Saturday opinion piece.
"Because it demonized Trump from start to finish, it failed to realize he was onto something," Goodwin writes. "And because the paper decided that Trump's supporters were a rabble of racist rednecks and homophobes, it didn't have a clue about what was happening in the lives of the Americans who elected the new president."
Sulzberger's letter to subscribers promises that the paper will strive to understand all political perspectives, but "bad or sloppy journalism doesn't fully capture The Times' sins," said Goodwin.
"Not after it announced that it was breaking its rules of coverage because Trump didn't deserve fairness," he said.
In the letter to subscribers, signed by both Sulzberger and Executive Editor Dean Baquet, the pair said they promise to "rededicate ourselves to the fundamental mission of Times journalism. That is to report America and the world honestly, without fear or favor, striving always to understand and reflect all political perspectives and life experiences in the stories that we bring to you. It is also to hold power to account, impartially and unflinchingly. We believe we reported on both candidates fairly during the presidential campaign. You can rely on The New York Times to bring the same fairness, the same level of scrutiny, the same independence to our coverage of the new president and his team."
However, Goodwin said Baquet had insisted Trump "challenged our language" and "changed journalism," but accused the top editor of doing just that by deciding that the "standards of fairness and nonpartisanship could be broken without consequence."
And now, the paper is "bleeding readers — and money," said Goodwin, who admits he's "pained" by the rival newspaper's decline, and how it gave "all reporters a black eye."
Sulzberger, said Goodwin, should use an outside law firm or in-house reporters to determine how and why Baquet made his decision, learn if reporters felt pressured to conform to Baquet's political bias, and insist that fairness of standards be once again in play.
Further, said Goodwin, Sulzberger needs to insist on diversity, to include journalists who disagree "with the Times' embedded liberal slant" to be employed.
"This is about survival," Goodwin concludes. "If it doesn't change now, the Gray Lady's days surely are numbered."The Indispensable Value of Marvel and DC in a Creator-Owned Era If creator-owned is the new endgame, what does that mean for Marvel and DC?
Telling your own stories is the new endgame for comic creators. That means we should chisel the tombstones for Marvel and DC, right? “Here lies Marvel and DC, the former Big Two” and all of that. Who needs them in this new era of comics? Creator-owned is all we need.
Not quite.
Even in Robert Kirkman’s manifesto, the future still included Marvel and DC (although in a different form). They’re paramount to the success of comics. They are and likely always will be important to the overall comic book ecosystem, and are in their own way a huge part of what makes creator-owned comics themselves as marketable as they are.
“Opposite to what it was before where you’d form yourself in your own comics and then graduate to the big companies, now the big companies are going to form you in order to graduate you to your own comics,” The Private Eye’s Marcos Martin said. “That’s why I think Marvel and DC are indispensable. They’re great. That means there is an industry. We need that industry in order to bring creators and form them so they can at one point put together their own stories.”
Martin expanded on that idea further.
“I don’t think people realize (they’re indispensable), as it’s always been a battle between them and the smaller companies,” he said. “You need them. They are the industry. Because I come from a country where there is no comic book industry at all (Spain), that is something you need because you need to have an industry for people to be able to make a living from comics.”
Even for successful creators like Faith Erin Hicks, it can mean a lot. Work for hire – not just at Marvel or DC, but anywhere – offers financial steadiness that most creators starting out struggle to reach. It’s easy to see the value for Hicks.
“In 2013 I co-wrote and drew a video game prequel comic, The Last of Us: American Dreams,” she said. “It paid more money than I’d ever been paid before, and allowed me to become a lot more financially secure. So that’s the big plus of doing work for hire: it really pays well!”
Earning income from for-hire work allows many creators the freedom to work on creator-owned comics. Doing for-hire work is not as black and white as “selling out” or any such nonsense. Creating comics is living in the gray, and when you’re struggling to pay the bills, a higher-paying for-hire gig is attractive.
It also can help prepare writers and artists to survive the rigors of controlling their own fates in the creator-owned world. While much ado is made over the rigors of editorial oversight at Marvel and DC, for Skottie Young, it’s those same people that helped him gain confidence in bringing his creator-owned comic I Hate Fairyland to life.
“It has not just been important,” Young said when asked about how his Marvel experience prepared him to create his own comic. “It has been everything.”
“But I don’t work with a company. I work with people. I work with Nick Lowe, Sana Amanat, Devin Lewis, George Beliard, Charles Beacham, Jon Moisan, David Gabriel, CB Cebulski, Axel Alonso, Joe Quesada, Dan Buckley, and David Bogart, and on and on. I work with a ton of great people who all have different tastes and skills and have helped me be a better creator over these years,” he added. “Those people – my friends – helped me learn how to make comics, both creatively and (in) how the business of it all works.”
Emma Rios has moved on from her four years working at Marvel to co-create or work on projects like Pretty Deadly, 8House and Island magazine. While she’s moved on, she carries what she learned there with her.
“Working at Marvel to me was like going to college again. It helped me to land in an unknown and huge market and to start to understand how professional comics work,” she said.
It wasn’t just what she learned though. She also forged relationships that changed her career and life, both with other creators and readers.
“It allowed me to meet great people, too, including my dear sister Kelly Sue (DeConnick) — that says a lot, huh? — and got me some exposure.”
Rios added that without her Marvel experience, she may not have been able to make the leap to working on Pretty Deadly. While that may seem obvious, as she met DeConnick when they worked together on Osborn, it goes beyond that.
“It helped me a lot to stabilize my economy,” she said. “If it weren’t for that I wonder if I would have been able to gamble with Pretty Deadly.”
The gamble paid off for Rios, who called the move a “life changing decision” made possible because she had built up savings in her time at Marvel. Her for-hire work made it possible to not just survive the transition to creator-owned, but to thrive once she got there. That’s valuable, and further proof of the veracity of what Martin said. Comics are stronger with both for-hire jobs for creators of all types and options for those looking to tell their own stories. In an ideal state, they are two sides of the same coin, working together to enhance both the industry and the medium. Where things are thrown off is when one side has all the power, particularly on the Marvel and DC side.
“Marvel and DC have to be the foundation, and it has to grow from there. The problem is when Marvel and DC are the only options. Then we have a problem,” Martin said. “The moment that we grow and we have other options for creators and for readers; Marvel and DC are not the problem anymore.”
“On the contrary, they are, again, indispensable.”
Thanks to Faith Erin Hicks, Marcos Martin, Emma Rios and Skottie Young for the contributions to this piece. Art in the header by Mike and Laura Allred and on the page by Marcos Martin, Faith Erin Hicks and Emma Rios.For some people, a good horror movie is enough to give them sleepless nights for a week. If that’s you, you might want to skip this article and move on to some nice alien abduction stories, or maybe a vintage mystery, because the legend behind the film Return to Babylon might scar you for life.
There are quite a few “haunted movie” myths floating about the internet, in fact, there’s a handful of movies themselves that tackle the subject of haunted or cursed films, The Grudge or V.H.S., for example. 2012’s Return to Babylon, however, claims to be the real deal. After reviewing the evidence, you just might agree.
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Directed by Alex Monty Canawati, Return to Babylon has amassed quite a reputation for itself over the years, thanks in part to the legends circulating around the making of the movie. If you’re inclined to believe that we’re capable of photographing and recording evidence from beyond the grave (or even somewhere else entirely), you’ll likely be more open to RtB’s frightening history.
According to Canawati, he and his producer discovered 19 rolls of 16mm film abandoned on the Hollywood Boulevard sidewalk one afternoon. Deciding it was a twist of fate, the pair began writing a movie that would utilize the old black and white film. Return to Babylon was filmed entirely on an original hand-cracked camera, and focused on the scandals of some of the 1920s most famous movie stars.
This all sounds pretty harmless so far, right? Yeah, well, keep reading.
According to some of the cast, including Jennifer Tilly and Debi Mazar, it wasn’t long before strange things began happening on the set of the film. Actors and actresses reported feeling otherworldly, oppressive entities lurking about, and in some cases many of the crew claimed to have been reached out and grabbed by unseen hands more than a few times. This bizarre activity continued on for the duration of principal photography.
What the actors didn’t know was that Canawati and his crew had started to notice strange things in the editing room. Mysterious figured began appearing in the negatives; sometimes they were just bizarre shadows, but other times they were much less ambiguous.
The negatives revealed frightening and grotesque changes to the actors. Their hands appeared stretched, mouths twisted in agony, and faces hideously distorted. Entities appeared out of thin air, and disappeared completely, none of which were present on set while the movie was being filmed.
The strange activity captured on film drew the attention of the Brooks Institute of Photography and several paranormal and film enthusiasts, who were all ready to prove the anomaly a fake. In the end, not one person could definitively explain what had “manifested” on the film’s negatives.
One proposed conclusion was that the effects were created via countless animations, however the movie’s budget was much too small to afford the cost. Another explanation offered was that merging film running at 16 frames per-second with digital video running at 24 frames per-second may have caused the strange impression that something paranormal was happening on the negatives.
Unfortunately, the film never found distribution, and according to the director has been the source of continued financial and personal bad luck. Canawati has come to believe that a “Higher Power” was trying to get a message to the world through his film, and that the strange images weren’t demonic, but rather “Christ-like”, and evidence that he captured something much larger than just the actors on film.
I know what you’re thinking. This guy made-up a great campfire story to create buzz for his upcoming film. Well, I’m not saying you’re wrong, but I’m also not saying that you’re right. Sure, there’s a very good chance that the explanation is something completely mundane — old film is volatile and can become contaminated very easy.
But just what if… what if the film canisters Alex Canawati found that day weren’t meant to be used? What if someone… or something… knew that the mysterious film would inevitably cause Canawati to obsess over it for years and years, bringing with his obsession a long run of bad luck? What if Canawati captured evidence of something that was never from this world to begin with?
I guess we’ll never truly know, will we?
What do you think of Return to Babylon? Watch the clip and let us know in the comments below.
MORE GREAT STORIES FROM WEEK IN WEIRD:This article is about the 2014 film. For other uses, see Interview (disambiguation)
The Interview is a 2014 American action-adventure black comedy film produced and directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg in their second directorial work following This Is the End (2013). The screenplay is by Dan Sterling, based upon a story he co-authored with Rogen and Goldberg. The film stars Rogen and James Franco as journalists who set up an interview with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (Randall Park), but are recruited by the CIA to assassinate him. The film is heavily inspired by a Vice documentary which was shot in 2012.
Rogen and Goldberg developed the idea for The Interview in the late 2000s with Kim Jong-il as the original assassination target. In 2011 after Jong-il's death, Jong-un replaced him as the North Korean leader. Rogen and Goldberg re-developed the script with the focus on Jong-un's character. The announcement for the film was made in March 2013 along with the beginning of pre-production. Principal photography took place in Vancouver from October to December 2013. The film was produced by LStar Capital and Rogen and Goldberg's Point Grey Pictures, and distributed by Columbia Pictures.
In June 2014, the North Korean government threatened action against the United States if Columbia Pictures released the film. As a result, Columbia delayed the release from October to December and reportedly re-edited the film in order to make it more acceptable to North Korea. In November, the computer systems of parent company Sony Pictures Entertainment were hacked by the "Guardians of Peace", a group the FBI claims has ties to North Korea.[6] The group also threatened terrorist attacks against cinemas that showed the film. Major cinema chains opted not to release the film, leading Sony to release it for online rental and purchase on December 24, 2014 followed by a limited release at selected cinemas the next day.
The Interview grossed $40 million in digital rentals, making it Sony's most successful digital release and earned an additional $12.3 million worldwide at the box office on a $44 million budget. It received mixed reviews for its humor and subject matter, although a few critics praised the performances of Rogen, Franco, Park and Diana Bang.
Plot [ edit ]
Dave Skylark is the host of the talk show Skylark Tonight, where he interviews celebrities about personal topics and gossip. After Skylark and his crew celebrate their 1,000th episode (in which Eminem reveals that he is gay), the show's producer Aaron Rapaport is upset by a producer peer who criticized the show as not being a real news program. A while later Rapaport reveals his concern and urge for change, to which Skylark agrees. Skylark discovers that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is a fan of Skylark Tonight, prompting Rapaport to arrange an interview. Rapaport travels to a place outside Dandong, China to receive instructions from Sook-yin Park, the North Korean chief propagandist, and Rapaport accepts the task of interviewing Kim, on behalf of Skylark.
The next day, CIA agent Lacey shows up at Skylark and Rapaport's place, proposing that the duo assassinate Kim using a transdermal strip that will expose Kim to ricin via handshake; they reluctantly agree. Skylark carries the ricin strip hidden inside a pack of gum. Upon their arrival in the presidential palace in Pyongyang, they are introduced to security officers Koh and Yu; Koh discovers the strip and chews it, believing it to be gum. That night, Lacey airdrops them two more strips from an UAV, but in order to smuggle it back to their room, Rapaport has to evade a Siberian tiger and then hide the container in his rectum. Later, Kim shows up and introduces himself to Skylark.
Skylark spends the day with Kim by playing basketball, hanging out and partying. Kim persuades Skylark that he is misunderstood as a cruel dictator and as a failed administrator, and they become friends. At dinner, Koh has a seizure due to the ricin poisoning and accidentally kills Yu before dying. The next morning, Skylark feels guilty and discards one of the ricin strips, then thwarts Rapaport's attempt to poison Kim with the second strip. After another dinner mourning the death of Kim's bodyguards, Skylark witnesses Kim's malicious side as he threatens war with South Korea. Skylark leaves, and after taking a walk, he discovers that a nearby grocery store is merely a façade and realizes that Kim has been lying to him.
At the same time, during attempted sexual intercourse with Rapaport, who still has the ricin strip in his hand, Sook-yin reveals that she despises Kim and apologizes for defending the regime. Skylark, Rapaport, and Sook-yin form a plan to break Kim's cult of personality by causing him to cry on air. As they arm themselves for the event, Rapaport and Sook-yin have sex. Before the broadcast starts, Kim presents Skylark with a puppy to keep.
During the internationally televised interview with Kim, Skylark addresses increasingly sensitive topics and challenges Kim's need for his father's approval. Meanwhile, Sook-yin and Rapaport seize control of the broadcasting center and fend off guards trying to halt the broadcast. Despite his initial resistance, Kim eventually cries uncontrollably and soils himself after Skylark sings "Firework" by Katy Perry (having learned of Kim's fondness of Perry earlier), ruining his reputation. Feeling betrayed, Kim shoots Skylark and leaves, but Skylark reveals he has survived due to wearing a bulletproof vest. Skylark, Rapaport, and Sook-yin regroup with the puppy in tow and escape the presidential palace with the unexpected help of a panel-control guard. The trio hijack Kim's personal tank (which had been given to Kim Il-sung by Joseph Stalin and then passed down to Jong-un) to get to their pickup point. Kim boards a helicopter, and his army pursues the group. He prepares a nuclear missile launch, but before he can issue the command to launch, Skylark fires a shell from the tank and destroys Kim's helicopter, killing him. With the immediate threat over, Sook guides Skylark and Rapaport to an escape route, and they are rescued by three SEAL Team Six members disguised as Korean People's Army troops and are loaded onto a rescue craft. Back in the U.S., Skylark writes a book about his experience, and North Korea moves toward becoming a denuclearized democracy with Sook-yin as interim leader.
Cast [ edit ]
The film also features cameos from Eminem, Rob Lowe, Bill Maher, Seth Meyers, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ben Schwartz, Brian Williams, and Scott Pelley. Iggy Azalea, Nicki Minaj, Emma Stone, Zac Efron and Guy Fieri appear in the title graphic for Skylark Tonight.
Production [ edit ]
Development [ edit ]
Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg developed the idea for The Interview in late 2000, joking about what would happen if a journalist was required to assassinate a world leader.[7] Initially, screenwriter Dan Sterling wrote his script based on a fake dictator from a fake country, but Rogen, Goldberg, and Sony executives asked him to rewrite the script focusing on Kim.[8] The screenplay was then titled Kill Kim Jong Un.[9] Previous iterations of the story revolved around Kim Jong-il, but put the project on hold until Jong-il died and his son Kim Jong-un assumed power in 2011. Development resumed when Rogen and Goldberg realized that Jong-un is closer to their own age, which they felt would be more humorous. To write the story, co-written with Daily Show writer Dan Sterling, they researched meticulously by reading non-fiction books and watching video footage about North Korea. The script was later reviewed by an employee in the State Department.[10] Rogen and Goldberg aimed to make the project more relevant and satirical than their previous films while retaining toilet humor.[7] They were pleased when former NBA star Dennis Rodman visited North Korea, as it reinforced their belief that the premise of the film was realistic.[7]
In March 2013, it was announced that Rogen and Goldberg would direct a comedy film for Columbia Pictures in which Rogen would star alongside James Franco, with Franco playing a talk-show host and Rogen playing his producer.[11] Rogen and Goldberg were on board to produce along with James Weaver through Point Grey Pictures, while Columbia was said to finance the $30 million budgeted film.[11] Lizzy Caplan joined the film's cast in October 2013. Caplan signed on to play Agent Lacey, a CIA agent who tries to get Franco's character to assassinate the Korean prime minister.[12] Randall Park and Timothy Simons signed on to co-star later that month. Park plays the North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un and Simons the director of the talk show.[13][14] Park was the first to audition for the role of Kim and got the part immediately. Before filming |
When we plug values for gas prices and unemployment rates into our model, it almost exactly predicts the observed increase in traffic fatality rates from 2014 to 2016. What this suggests, in other words, is that the changes we are currently experiencing are the expected responses to variations in macro-economic conditions. What we’re seeing is largely a predictable response to lower gas prices and more people with jobs traveling on our roads.
If that’s the case, then one much-discussed phenomenon, distracted driving, is almost certainly not the main culprit behind the spike in recent deaths. Distracted driving did not start in 2014 and there is no evidence that it has increased markedly over the past two years.
Furthermore, American drivers are no more likely to be distracted than drivers in our peer group of developed countries, and yet in those countries traffic fatality rates have been plummeting over the past 45 years — and continue to drop. The figure below shows just how dramatic these changes have been. In 1970, the US had 52,000 fatalities compared to 102,000 in 16 other peer countries that, collectively, had a combined population 70 percent higher than that of the US. By 2012, the number of fatalities in the USA had fallen to 33,500, largely due to improvements in health care, emergency response, and vehicle technology. In comparison, the total in those same 16 countries fell to just 24,500.
In other words, since 1970 we have gone from leading the pack in traffic safety to being at the rear of that pack.
Over the past 45 years, we have virtually stood still while our peers have zoomed ahead in the realm of traffic safety. Many of these countries have taken the long view and have tackled the hard, ingrained cultural, political and engineering issues that must be addressed to bring about sustained reductions in traffic fatalities. As a result, we now have traffic fatality rates per person that are three to four times greater than those in the best-performing peer countries — including Sweden, the UK, and the Netherlands.
Much of the disparity seems to arise from how we build communities and the types of roads we design and construct. In the US, we drive more than any other developed country in the world, which goes some way toward explaining the higher traffic fatality rates. But even when we correct for vehicle miles traveled, we still have higher fatality rates. What we are learning is that the countries with the best traffic fatality records are different from the US in the following ways:
a) they live more compactly,
b) their road design favors more vulnerable users such as bikers and pedestrians, and
c) they have enacted laws and regulations that also favor these vulnerable road users.
The story of the Netherlands is revealing. In 1970, the Netherlands had a traffic fatality rate that was slightly lower than that in the US. That year, 3,200 people died on Dutch roads. Many saw this as an outrage and thousands took to the streets to protest, calling for the government to “Stop the Child Murder.” Since then, government at all levels in the Netherlands have worked diligently to improve traffic safety.
Woonerfs save lives
One result is that the Netherlands has become an innovator in developing street design that promotes safety and the creation of great places. Their so-called woonerfs — areas in which pedestrians, bikes, and cars share space, and car speed is limited more or less to walking speed — have been widely adopted in Europe and in a more piecemeal fashion in the USA. In a woonerf, drivers and pedestrians exchange hand signals or nods of the head to establish right of way rather than relying on signs and electronic signals.
If the US had achieved the same improvements in traffic safety rates as the Netherlands since 1970, 22,000 fewer Americans would have died on our roads in all of 2015
The Dutch also developed the concept of “self-explaining” roads, especially for rural areas. These have design features that are consistent with the speed appropriate for the location: Curves, medians, bike lanes, and roundabouts nudge the driver toward a given speed.
In the US, in contrast, standard engineering practice calls for wide, straight streets in almost all situations. This approach prompts inappropriate speeds that we then try to correct after the fact with speed bumps, police speed traps, and a bunch of remedies that would not be needed if streets were designed appropriately in the first place.
What’s more, most communities built in the US over the past three generations have been sprawling, automobile-dependent, and disconnected. This has both increased the level of traffic within those communities and force-fed the bulk of that traffic onto the few arteries that connect one place to another. Some have taken to calling the worst of these byways “stroads” — street-road hybrids.
Stroads are dangerous because they attempt to do two incompatible things. They simultaneously attempt to facilitate high-speed travel while, at the same time, provide access to the businesses that border them.
When it comes to the relative merits of the American and European approaches, the numbers speak for themselves: 1970 was the peak year for traffic fatalities in the Netherlands. The number of fatalities dropped from 3,200 in that year to 570 in 2012. If the US had achieved the same improvements in traffic safety rates as the Netherlands during this time period 22,000 fewer Americans would have died on our roads in all of 2015.
The evidence is mounting that the long-term structural deficits in planning and engineering are a major reason why we have become such an outlier in terms of traffic fatalities. However, we are also beginning to see changes in some places in America that offer some hope.
Some isolated signs of progress in the US
Washington, DC is a case in point. Twenty years ago, DC was middle of the pack relative to other cities when it came to traffic safety. Today it is one of the safest cities in the country. One reason is because it has started to protect road users who need the most protection — users that are not traveling enclosed in two tons of steel. Learning from the Dutch, one strategy that has been employed in some parts of the city is the provision of protected on-street bike lanes — adjacent to the sidewalk and separated from moving traffic by some type of barrier.
Where these strategies have been successfully implemented — New York City, Portland, Cambridge, and Seattle, along with Washington, DC — biking has skyrocketed and traffic fatality rates have dropped at a much higher rate than in other cities. Between 2000 and 2012, there has been a four-fold increase in the number of people biking to work in DC while the traffic fatality rate fell from 9 per 100,000 to 3 per 100,000. More research is needed, but one possible explanation is that protected bike lanes reduce the amount of space dedicated to cars and ultimately slow traffic.
We must continue to tackle issues like distracted and impaired driving, but the example of DC and other cities — along with the comparative data for Europe — suggests that it is in large part structural problems that lead to carnage on our roads.
We are now beginning to see similar strategies being employed in places that once embraced stroads and sprawl. Florida, home to cities with some of the worst traffic safety records in the country — Orlando and Fort Lauderdale, say — is the poster child for this shift in attitude.
In 2015, Florida’s Department of Transportation developed a “complete streets” implementation program. Complete streets are intended to enable safe access for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit riders of all ages and abilities. With luck, this will inspire an approach to street design closer to that used by the Dutch.
This is already happening in some parts of Florida. In Wilton Manor, for instance, the city is in the process of narrowing their main street from four to two lanes, widening the sidewalks, and improving the crossings. To be sure, shifting Florida away from a car-centric worldview is akin to turning around an ocean liner. But the moves do show that some state DOTs are willing to address the arduous, long-term work that is needed to change the structural factors that make American roads so deadly.
We need a social and cultural shift in how we think about traffic fatality. This is not to say that campaigns like “don’t text and drive” are not important. But those campaigns risk serving as Band-Aids if we don’t rise to the challenge of creating a safe driving environment, rather than relying on drivers to change their behavior.
Norman Garrick is an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Connecticut, Carol Atkinson-Palombo is an associate professor in the department of geography at UConn, and Hamed Ahangari is a postdoctoral fellow in the department of civil and environmental engineering. They are members of the Sustainable Cities Research Group.Can the same hormone that helps you bond with people help you lose weight? Historically, oxytocin has been recognized for its role in lactation, parturition, and, more recently, social bonding, but this neuropeptide may also affect eating behavior. Animal studies of rodents with diet-induced obesity have shown that chronic administration of oxytocin diminishes food intake, resulting in weight loss. In a study published this month, Ott et al. examine the effect of oxytocin on eating behavior in humans.
In a double-blind, cross-over, within-subject study, 20 healthy lean [mean body mass index (BMI) 22.7 kg/m2], young (mean age 26.3) men received intranasal oxytocin versus placebo on 2 separate days. After administration of one of the two intranasal substances, on each testing day the men were presented with a breakfast buffet (hungry condition) followed by an array of sweet, salty, and bland snacks (satiated condition). In the hungry condition (breakfast buffet), men ate the same amount regardless of oxytocin or placebo administration. Interestingly, after administration of oxytocin, men ate fewer snacks; specifically, their consumption of chocolate cookies decreased by 25%. Additionally, oxytocin administration decreased adrenocorticotropic hormone, cortisol, and peak glucose response after breakfast, whereas it did not affect insulin levels, subjective hunger, olfaction, or energy expenditure (assessed by indirect calorimetry). The authors suggest that oxytocin diminished reward-based eating but did not influence hunger-based eating; furthermore, it affected hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity and, perhaps, postprandial glucoregulation.
This study provides evidence in humans that oxytocin may play a role not only in our intimate relationships with people but also in our relationship with food—specifically, reward-based eating. Concurrently, a recent pilot study in China found that 8 weeks of intranasal oxytocin reduced weight in nine obese individuals. Certainly, studies must be conducted in a larger sample of subjects, including women and obese individuals, with administration over a longer period of time to investigate whether intranasal oxytocin is indeed a potential pharmacologic agent for the treatment of obesity. In the meantime, perhaps increasing our oxytocin levels with a hug may help us skip dessert.
V. Ott et al., Oxytocin reduces reward-driven food intake in humans. Diabetes 62, 3418–3425 (2013). [Abstract]WASHINGTON - In light of the
Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL), one of the sponsors of the legislation, said on Friday that the new proposed bill "greatly improves our coordination by requiring consultation with the Israeli government and ensuring closer scrutiny of future regional arms sales." He added that "the qualitative military edge (QME) policy has long received robust bipartisan support, and I look forward to continuing to work together to promote a strong relationship between the United States and Israel.”
His partner in presenting the new bill, Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY) said that "this bill reaffirms our commitment to Israel’s security by raising the bar for future military sales to other actors in the region. This will ensure that our strategic support of other countries does not have the inadvertent effect of degrading Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge, which both Democrats and Republicans agree must be preserved.” WASHINGTON - In light of the massive weapons deal that was recently struck between the United States and Saudi Arabia, two members of U.S. Congress have presented a bi-partisan bill that aims to "strengthen the process that ensures Israel's qualitative military edge." While keeping Israel's military advantage over its neighbors is already an existing law in the U.S., the new bill proposes that the president "consult with appropriate officials in the government of Israel on Israel’s qualitative military edge before authorizing arms sales to countries in the Middle East."Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL), one of the sponsors of the legislation, said on Friday that the new proposed bill "greatly improves our coordination by requiring consultation with the Israeli government and ensuring closer scrutiny of future regional arms sales." He added that "the qualitative military edge (QME) policy has long received robust bipartisan support, and I look forward to continuing to work together to promote a strong relationship between the United States and Israel.”His partner in presenting the new bill, Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY) said that "this bill reaffirms our commitment to Israel’s security by raising the bar for future military sales to other actors in the region. This will ensure that our strategic support of other countries does not have the inadvertent effect of degrading Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge, which both Democrats and Republicans agree must be preserved.”
The new legislation also states that as part of the QME assessment process, the United States will have to consider not only the effect that certain weapons could have on Israel as long as they are in the hands of regional governments, but also what risks Israel would face if those weapons fall into the hands of non-state actors. This is a request that could complicate arms sales to countries in the region if there are any signs of internal weakness among their governments.
The Pentagon said this week that the U.S. State Department has approved the potential sale of more than $1.4 billion worth of military training and equipment for Saudi Arabia, part of a $110 billion arms deal President The new legislation also states that as part of the QME assessment process, the United States will have to consider not only the effect that certain weapons could have on Israel as long as they are in the hands of regional governments, but also what risks Israel would face if those weapons fall into the hands of non-state actors. This is a request that could complicate arms sales to countries in the region if there are any signs of internal weakness among their governments.The Pentagon said this week that the U.S. State Department has approved the potential sale of more than $1.4 billion worth of military training and equipment for Saudi Arabia, part of a $110 billion arms deal President Donald Trump sealed with the kingdom in May. U.S. lawmakers have 30 days to block the sales, but that rarely happens.
Trump sealed the arms deals with Saudi Arabia on May 20, during a nine-day journey through the Middle East and Europe.
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The United States has been the main supplier for most Saudi military needs in recent years, from F-15 fighter jets to command and control systems worth tens of billions of dollars.
Washington and Riyadh are eager to improve relations strained during President Barack Obama's administration in part because of his championing of a nuclear deal with Saudi foe Iran.
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In a graphic on its front page Thursday, el-Watan daily says the attackers also used mortars, anti-aircraft guns and other guided missiles.
An Egyptian security source told The Times of Israel the fighters used a massive supply of anti-aircraft missiles in the first hour of the attack, forcing the Egyptian army to respond with F-16 fighter jets rather than Apache helicopters.
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The attack, which included a wave of suicide bombings and assaults on security installations by dozens of militants, was Sinai’s deadliest fighting in decades. Security officials said dozens of troops were killed, along with nearly 100 attackers.
Newspapers led their front pages with the attack, with many describing it as a “war.” Graphic photographs released by the military showed the bodies of extremists killed in the fighting who were wearing combat fatigues.
The military also released a photo showing weapons captured during the attack, including a few older anti-tank missiles.
Militants took over rooftops and fired rocket-propelled grenades at a police station in Sheikh Zuweid after mining its exits to block reinforcements, a police colonel said.
The Islamic State group said its jihadists surrounded the police station after launching attacks on 15 checkpoints and security installations using suicide car bombers and rockets.
“This is war,” a senior military officer told AFP on Wednesday. “It’s unprecedented, in the number of terrorists involved and the type of weapons they are using.”
One car bomb attack against a checkpoint south of Sheikh Zuweid killed 15 soldiers.
Troops regularly come under attack in the Sinai, where jihadists have killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers since the army’s overthrow of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.
IS said the assault had involved three suicide bombers. “In a blessed raid enabled by God, the lions of the caliphate have simultaneously attacked more than 15 checkpoints belonging to the apostate army,” it said in a statement.
Following the Wednesday morning assault, Egyptian sources told Arab-language media that the situation was “100 percent under control” by Wednesday night. But warplanes resumed strikes against IS positions into the early hours of Thursday, security officials said.
The violence came two days after state prosecutor Hisham Barakat was assassinated in a Cairo car bombing, the most senior government official killed in the jihadist insurgency.
The Sinai attacks were the most brazen in their scope since jihadists launched an insurgency in 2013 following the ouster of Morsi.
AFP contributed to this report.An American teenager who wrote a disparaging tweet about Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback said Sunday that she is rejecting her high school principal's demand for a written apology.
Emma Sullivan, 18, said she isn't sorry and doesn't think such a letter would be sincere.
The Shawnee Mission East senior was taking part in a Youth in Government program last week when she sent out a tweet from the back of a crowd of students listening to Brownback's greeting. From her cellphone, she thumbed: "Just made mean comments at gov. brownback and told him he sucked, in person #heblowsalot."
She actually made no such comment and said she was "just joking with friends." But Brownback's office, which monitors social media for postings containing the governor's name, saw Sullivan's post and contacted the Youth in Government program.
Sullivan received a scolding at school and was ordered to send Brownback an apology letter. She said Prinicipal Karl R. Krawitz even suggested talking points for the letter she was supposed to turn in Monday.
The situation exploded after Sullivan's older sister contacted the media. Since then, Sullivan's following on Twitter has grown to about 3,000 people, up from about 65 before the tweet. She said she thinks the tweet has helped "open up dialogue" about free speech in social media..
"I would do it again," she said.
Sullivan has received emails from attorneys but is waiting to see what happens when she refuses to hand in a letter. Krawitz, her principal, told The Kansas City Star previously that the situation is a "private issue, not a public matter" but didn't return a phone message from The Associated Press at his home Sunday.
She hasn't heard from Brownback or his staff. She said she wouldn't mind sitting down and talking to the governor.
Sullivan said she disagrees with Brownback politically, particularly his decision to veto the Kansas Arts Commission's entire budget, making Kansas the only state in the nation to eliminate arts funding. Brownback has argued arts programs can flourish with private dollars and that state funds should go to core government functions, such as education and social services.
"I think it would be interesting to have a dialogue with him," she said. "I don't know if he would do it or not though. And I don't know that he would listen to what I have to say."
Sherriene Jones-Sontag, the governor's spokeswoman, told The Star previously that Sullivan's message wasn't respectful and that it takes mutual respect to "really have a constructive dialogue." Brownback's office didn't return calls or emails Sunday from the AP.
Sullivan's mother, Julie, said she isn't angry with her daughter, even though she thinks she "could have chosen different words."
"She wasn't speaking to the 3,000 followers she has now," Julie Sullivan said. "She was talking to 65 friends. And also it's the speech they use today. It's more attention grabbing. I raised my kids to be independent, to be strong, to be free thinkers. If she wants to tweet her opinion about Gov. Brownback, I say for her to go for it and I stand totally behind her."Microsoft's new 2TB Xbox One S console is selling out around the world, but it appears that might be by design. While Microsoft is planning to release 500GB and 1TB versions of the Xbox One S, the 2TB console is a special limited edition launch model. "The 2TB Xbox One S was released as a special launch edition in limited quantities only," says a Microsoft spokesperson in a statement to GameSpot.
That could mean that Microsoft might not ever manufacture a white version of the 2TB Xbox One S, but what it more likely represents is the company's plans to offer the larger console in limited edition colors and bundles. Microsoft is already planning to release a 2TB Gears of War 4-branded console later in the year, and it's hard to imagine there won't be other bundles in time for the holidays.
Eurogamer reports that the 2TB Xbox One S has completely sold out at most retailers worldwide. It's not clear when Microsoft plans to launch the 500GB and 1TB models, but the company says it will be "sharing further details on other Xbox One S bundles and variations in the coming weeks."Packs of wild, abandoned dogs are roaming the streets of Detroit, leaving city officials overwhelmed at the prospect of handing an issue that raises both animal rights and safety concerns.
“It was almost post-apocalyptic, where there are no businesses, nothing except people in houses and dogs running around,” the Humane Society of the United States director Amanda Arrington told Bloomberg News about a recent visit to Detroit. “The suffering of animals goes hand in hand with the suffering of people.”
Bloomberg reports that packs of the dogs have been spotted in groups as large as 20. In one case, Detroit police officer Lapez Moore said the city’s animal-control unit recently found several of the dogs inside a flooded basement where thieves had torn out the building’s water pipes.
“The dogs were having a pool party,” Moore said. “We went in and fished them out.”
But the reality of the situation is more dire than an impromptu animal pool party. Local shelters say they are forced to euthanize about 70 percent of the dogs that are brought it, and their facilities are overwhelmed by the sheer amount of abandoned and stray animals.
The stray-dog claims may sound hard to believe, but they are backed by a number of similar stories over the past two years confirming that the city’s economic woes have created a crisis that extends beyond the city’s declining human population. As far back as 2003, National Geographic reported the growing number of feral dogs in Detroit.
And there are a growing number of stories surrounding the thousands of dogs that are not brought in.
The city says there were 903 reported dog bites last year, including a woman who had her scalp bitten off by two strays.
Attacks have become so prevalent that the U.S. Postal Service has temporarily halted delivery to some of Detroit’s neighborhoods after 25 carriers reported being bitten by dogs from October 2012 through July 2013, the story notes.
In a truly bizarre development, mail carrier Catherine Guzik said she was attacked by “swarms of tiny, ferocious dogs” while on the job.
“It’s like Chihuahuaville,” she said.
Pit bills, or mixed breeds of the dog, are the most prevalent type of dog left out in the wild. Animal control officials say the dogs are often used for criminal purposes by individuals who rely on the dogs to guard abandoned homes where stolen property is kept.
“With these large open expanses with vacant homes, it’s as if you designed a situation that causes dog problems,” Harry Ward, head of the city’s animal control department, told Bloomberg.
Ward says the problem is compounded by the fact that his department’s budget has been slashed while the number of stray dogs has skyrocketed. According to Ward, he has four officers to cover all 139 square miles of his department’s jurisdiction and only one employee to deal with dog-bite investigations. When he started the job in 2008, Ward said the city had 15 officers and four dog-bite investigators.
“We are really suffering from fatigue, short staffed” and work too much overtime, he said.
A number of private organizations have stepped in to address the issue with plans to create a no-kill shelter to house some of the animals. But in the meantime, residents and city officials say they are at a loss for a viable solution to bring the situation under control.MIDDLESEX BOROUGH — Oceanfront property owners who don’t want dunes marring their pristine view may soon have a more formidable foe standing in their way: Gov. Chris Christie.
The governor today said he will personally call out residents who refuse to sign easements giving the Army Corps of Engineers permission to build dunes on a strip of their property.
"I have no sympathy for your view, no sympathy," Christie said during a town hall in Middlesex Borough.
"We will go town by town, and if we have to start calling names out of the selfish ones who care more about their view than they care about the safety and the welfare of their neighbors, then we’re gonna start doing that."
Pointing to the words "Recover, Rebuild, Restore" projected in lights on the wall of the gym at Our Lady of Mount Virgin Parish, Christie warned residents he might get "a little agitated" as $3 billion in dune rebuilding begins the first week of May.
Christie has credited sand dunes — some man-made and others the work of nature — with protecting homes and businesses during Hurricane Sandy in October.
Towns without dunes were left vulnerable to devastating wind and rain and Christie listed the hard-hit communities of Union Beach, Ortley Beach, Mantoloking, Bayhead, Holgate on Long Beach Island, Sayreville and South River.
Some homeowners worry that signing away rights to even a small piece of land could open their beaches to public access or pave the way for restrooms or boardwalks.
Although Christie has said he will not condemn homes to buy out residents in flood-prone areas, he said last week in Manasquan that he would resort to eminent domain for beachfront property if necessary.
Christie again blamed lagging recovery programs on Congress, which he has accused of dragging its feet on bringing the emergency aid bill to a vote. He made headlines in January for slamming a fellow Republican, House Speaker John Boehner, over playing politics with the money.
"Never forget the delay on the front end leads to the delay on the back end," Christie said, adding that the state hopes to accept aid applications early next month.
An Immaculata High School student asked Christie whether Sandy made him re-evaluate his stance on environmental issues. Nope, he said.
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"I’m not going to make New Jersey even less competitive than it already is and put more regulations on corporations," he said.
In 2011, Christie pulled New Jersey from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative intended to control emissions, although he has said climate change is affecting the state and "human activity plays a role in these changes."
He also used today’s town hall to renew his call for bail reform as a violence task force he established is poised to present the results of its study. He chided the Democrat-controlled Legislature for failing to act on his proposal to give judges the authority to detain people with long criminal histories before they go to trial, like in the federal system. The change requires a constitutional amendment that must be approved by voters.
"This is just flat-out wrong, and it’s making us a less safe state," he said.
The Republican governor did praise lawmakers, however, for supporting mandatory drug and alcohol treatment instead of jail time for nonviolent offenders. "That’s not being soft on crime, that’s being smart," he said.
Four weeks after the December shooting deaths of 20 elementary-school children in Newtown, Conn., Christie asked the task force to make recommendations on gun control, drug and alcohol addiction, mental illness, violence in society and school safety and security.
A spokesman for the governor said the results would be announced "soon," but declined to elaborate.A newly found bug surrounding iOS and Messages has emerged this evening that causes the app to continuously crash when certain text is received. If the text is received while the phone is on the lock screen, it also causes your iPhone to reboot without any notice or explanation.
Sylvania HomeKit Light Strip
This isn’t the first time a bug like this has emerged, in fact it has happened several times in the past. Apple usually fixes the issue in a timely matter, but until it’s fixed it is a rather malicious bug. Thankfully, the ability to crash Messages and reboot someone’s iPhone is limited to iPhone to iPhone communication and a certain specific strand of text. Since the characters strand is so specific, most people should never accidentally experience the crashing. Anyone who does was likely singled out by someone else as a target.
If you want to see examples of the problem, a simple Twitter search will return you to results of hundreds of people who can’t access their Messages app because of it. As you can see, it’s being used maliciously by many, so hopefully Apple rolls out a fix for it soon.
In the meantime, several workarounds are possible. You can have the person who sent you the malicious message send another message. Another option is to send yourself a message via Siri, the share sheet, or from your Mac.
Hey my Messages app won't open without crashing. Cool. — Nick Pomes (@NickPomes) May 27, 2015
Why and how did someone just now figure out that text can turn off someone's iphone.. — Melissa Hitzfield (@melissahitz) May 27, 2015
If one more person sends me that stupid turn off your iPhone text I'm gonna be so mad — Sarah (@sarahcmargo) May 27, 2015
When your ex has an iPhone and u send him the thing to turn off his phone so he can't text his hoes 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊 — WánderŁûśt (@nrodriguez318) May 27, 2015
https://twitter.com/Captain_lott/status/603398000354861056
Thanks everyone who tipped!Donkey Kong: The start of a collection
It may appear that we are going somewhat off-topic with this post. Strictly speaking, Donkey Kong, the game that is Mario’s birth-ground, does not seem an appropriate subject for a blog titled beforemario.
But it is not too farfetched, to state that without Donkey Kong this blog would not exist. And it is therefore more than appropriate to put a spotlight on Miyamoto’s premiere master piece; the start of my fondness for Nintendo, as well as the start of my collection.
With that in mind – let’s dig in.
It is not my intention to introduce or explain Donkey Kong. That would be silly. Unlike many of the Nintendo toys and games featured on this blog, I can safely assume that you know all ins and outs of the game’s origin, have played its four levels a zillion times, and watched The King of Kong more than once. Right?
What I would like to show you instead, is my first – ever – Nintendo game. The first piece of what would become a mountain of games. The first snowflake of an eventual collecting avalanche.
Here it is: the actual first Nintendo item I bought, almost thirty years ago.
Let us rewind three decades of time, to the Summer of 1982. For months, I had been pumping quarters (well, actually, guilders) into Nintendo’s arcade revelation Donkey Kong.
I did not own a video game console at the time, and got all my pixelated kicks at the local arcade.
Now, I must admit that I had never really liked the Atari VCS 2600, which was the big home video game daddy around that time. I had played it occasionally, but could not get over the difference between its game play and what was on offer at the arcade. As a result, it never made it to my ‘must have’ list.
I remember seeing Atari’s home conversions of Space Invaders and especially Pac Man (two of my favorite games at the arcade) and not warming to these versions at all.
Then one day, I walked into a toy store, and saw a stack of brochures laying on the counter. It featured a new game console about to be released: CBS’s ColecoVision.
The scan shown above is from the actual copy I picked up that day, thirty years ago. Given the many times I have thumbed through it (and drooled over it), in the months that followed that moment, it looks surprisingly fresh.
The main selling point of the ColecoVision was a mouth-watering home conversion of Donkey Kong. A screen shot of it was put prominently on the front of the brochure. With the yellow high-light behind it, it stood out more than the actual console itself. And with reason. This was its killer app.
Inside the brochure, three pictures told a clear story, with a simple side-by-side comparison of the three home versions of Donkey Kong, for the ColecoVision, theAtari 2600 and the Intellivison.
Never mind that Coleco had handled all three conversions, and possibly given the version destined for their own hardware platform maybe a little bit of extra attention and TLC. The difference in quality, foremost visually, was staggering.
The ColecoVision version of Donkey Kong was no pixel-perfect conversion either. The first level, for instance, was missing one platform (it had five, instead of the original’s six). And more was missing, as I would soon find out. But it was close.
So, long story short: desire swelled up in me. I had to have it.
And after months of saving up, I became the proud owner of a ColecoVision.
Unlike in the US, where Donkey Kong came packed with the console, in Europe you had to buy it separately. Which I did, obviously.
A magical moment. Look at it. Hours of fun, packed in a black piece of plastic.
I slotted the cartridge into the machine and started playing.
Initial amazement at the feast of color and sound was suddenly replaced by confusion. After three levels the game started again at the first. Wait a minute… where is the factory level?
After some moments of disbelieve, and re-reading the manual, I had to take in the truth: there was no factory level. My favorite level had been sliced during the conversion process. Alas, no running on conveyor belts. No jumping over pies.
After recovering from that somewhat disappointing news, I was still very happy with my own home arcade, and played Donkey Kong for hours on end.
After this first Nintendo purchase came another, and another, and another, and another. But thirty years on, this one remains one of the most special.
Hits: 30A downtown Ann Arbor pizzeria sustained significant damage after catching fire early Tuesday morning, according to the Ann Arbor Fire Department.
Happy's Pizza in downtown Ann Arbor caught fire early Tuesday morning.
Fire crews were called to the corner of Main and Madison streets at 1:42 a.m. for the blaze at a single story business. Fire officials said it was a pizzeria. Happy's Pizza is located at that intersection. Firefighters battled the blaze for several hours in temperatures that dipped to minus 15 degrees. Main Street between Hill and William was still closed around 7 a.m., officials said. There were no reported injuries.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
John Counts covers crime for The Ann Arbor News. He can be reached at johncounts@mlive.com or you can follow him on Twitter. Find all Washtenaw County crime stories here.So you may have heard the Colorado Avalanche have some young, talented forwards on the trade block. That’s great! So have we! Quite a bit, in fact! We pretty much never stop hearing about it.
Ever.
Turns out being on pace for a franchise-worst season will drive your team’s front office to explore all kinds of possibilities to improve, including trading two of its best players, and that’s some gourmet chum-in-the-water for other NHL general managers. Sources tell me arenas have been filling Zambonis |
down. As for recommended system requirements, 500Gb hard disc drive, 4Gb RAM, and 2Gb graphic card will be enough for you to do writing work.
Shelves will free some space on your table
Put some shelves for books and documents at your table to free some space on it.
Add inspiration
As a rule, average Joes have vacation once a year, but we all would be happy to experience positive emotions and inspiration every day. That’s why do not forget adding something inspiring to your writing cabinet.
For example:
put some motivational quote to a wall, so it could inspire you;
put some pictures of your relatives or kids at the table, so they could remind you good times and inspire you to go on.
This list is easy to continue; just listen to your heart and follow it.
Add some comfort and health
Writing books or blog articles, we spend much time at tables every day though not always understand how harmful it can be for our health.
If you worry about your workplace comfort, it’s high time to give it a so-called ergonomic makeover. These are the most important things to think about when changing your writing cabinet’s equipment.
Use ergonomic chair that supports lower back
A good chair is a keystone of comfortable work, and the money spent on it is worth spending. Your money will come back to you by means of healthy back and good mood.
It’s important to have an ergonomic chair that supports lower back and encourages good posture.
Your chair should also have:
a comfortable cushion;
arm rests;
adjustable seat height;
adjustable backrest height;
ability to swivel and/or roll around.
But a good chair is not enough to have: you spend the whole day sitting, and your moves are limited anyway. According to surveys by University of Maryland Medical Center, about 250,000 deaths per year (12%) happen due to a lack of physical activity. That is why it would be wise to stand up every 20 minutes and spend at least two minutes standing; such an exercise reduces a risk of diabetes and heart diseases.
Use mini elliptical trainers
Elliptical trainers combine all benefits of bikes, steppers and athletic tracks. Their main advantage is a good impact on different muscle groups. There are two types of such trainers: normal and mini. Mini trainers are good to use in offices: you can put them under the table and continue your work, doing some physical exercises at the same time.
A very good example of mini elliptical trainers is Cubii: they have been developed for office workers in particular.
Use a sitting/standing desk for change
A practice-based study by health science officer Nicolaas P. Pronk shows that standing work has a better influence to your physical health and productivity; but it doesn’t mean you should have two different tables for sitting and standing work.
You can reduce a number of your sitting hours with the help of a standing/sitting desk: it transforms easily and gives an opportunity to change position anytime.
Conclusion
Chaotic working environment can prevent your productivity. Organizing your writing cabinet, you structure it and put everything to its place, saving your time and increasing your productivity level many times.
Don’t forget about your health as well.
These interesting devices for every writer to have will be a good bonus to this article: Digital highlighter – it looks like a yellow marker but with no yellow inks inside. It serves to scan texts from paper and is used to save documents or send them to your computer or smartphone. It can also translate texts if necessary.
– it looks like a yellow marker but with no yellow inks inside. It serves to scan texts from paper and is used to save documents or send them to your computer or smartphone. It can also translate texts if necessary. Smart pen – this is much more than a standard pen. This digital device transforms handwritten notes into sketches or digital copies. You can use it to record sounds and convert them into digital formats if necessary. It also includes great apps to complement smartphone, tablet or PC.
– this is much more than a standard pen. This digital device transforms handwritten notes into sketches or digital copies. You can use it to record sounds and convert them into digital formats if necessary. It also includes great apps to complement smartphone, tablet or PC. USB cup warmer – your tea will always stay hot with this device. Just plug it into your USB port and place your cup onto its hot plate.
In conclusion I’d like to ask how do you organize your writing desk and cabinet? What elements and devices do you use? It would be great if you shared your thoughts in comments.
Any share of this article and infographic on your social media and blogs would be greatly appreciated, too. I am sure, your readers will find it interesting to check! 🙂Singer and variety star Kim Jong Kook appeared as a special MC on SBS’s “My Ugly Duckling.” Sitting with the mothers of other male celebrities, Kim Jong Kook was as respectful as ever, even answering some pretty difficult and personal questions.
First, when MC Shin Dong Yup told the mothers that Kim Jong Kook’s brother is a plastic surgeon, one of them asked Kim Jong Kook if he got his nose done, which he denied, and let her touch his nose.
Then, they asked him if he was married. At 42 years old, Kim Jong Kook said he thought he’d be married by 35, but then life happened and now understands why other senior celebrities on the show (like Kim Gun Mo and Park Su Hong) also haven’t gotten married.
The hilarious part was when one of the moms interjected by saying, “I heard something about you liking someone with the name Yoon…” which is actress Yoon Eun Hye. (Any old “X-Man” fans here?)
Since both Kim Jong Kook and Yoon Eun Hye have yet to marry, one of the mothers suggested, “you two should get married.” Kim Jong Kook simply smiled good-naturedly and continued answering questions.
Watch Kim Jong Kook sweat bullets while fielding questions about his personal life here.
Source (1)"One of the ways Hawaiians created a very successful model was to recognize and culturally and socially legitimize… natural human behavior," University of Hawaii Professor of Hawaiian Literature Ku'ualoha Ho'omanawanui said to BuzzFeed.
In traditional Hawaiian culture there was no concept of marriage—relationship statuses were noted by moe aku, moe mai or "sleeping here and there."
"It's misinterpretation, misappropriation, misunderstanding, misuse of the Hawaiian language," University of Hawaii Professor of Hawaiian Literature Ku'ualoha Ho'omanawanui said to BuzzFeed. "They are using the word kapu in a Christian sense, but they are working off the Hawaiian translation."
Although the sign uses a Hawaiian word, it evades the original notion of the kapu system which was a social, religious, and political set of laws in place up until 1819, when King Kamehameha the Great died.
The sign above, displayed on the side of the Hawaii State Capitol allotted to marriage equality opponents in front of tents with signs reading "Let the people decide" and Hawaii's state flag, uses the literal translation of the Hawaiian word kapu, meaning off limits, taboo, or something that is sacred, to imply that the sanctity of marriage is between one man and one woman.
Before this time, Hawaiians created a social structure that maximized harmonious living by embracing all ohana (family) and sanctioning many types of relationships, including aikāne (same-sex love), māhū (transgender people), hānai (adoption), and punalua (multiple lovers).
HONOLULU — In Hawaii rapid changes followed Western contact and when King Kamehameha the Great died, Hawaii became a Christian nation and many Hawaiian practices, like kite flying, tattooing, and hula, were outlawed.
In Jan. 1778, Captain Cook arrived in the Hawaiian islands and wrote extensively in his journals about aikāne. The aikāne, Cook wrote, were young men with special sexual and political roles, who functioned as liaisons for the ali'i, including Kamehameha the Great, and Cook and his sailors. Negotiations led by aikāne influenced events at Kealakekua Bay where Cook was killed in Feb. 1778.
Kamehameha the Great was not the only ali'i to have aikāne relationships, Kamehameha III ruled the Kingdom of Hawaii for a period with Kaomi, his half-Tahitian lover, to the horror of Calvinist missionaries.
Aikane relationships were not exclusively for ali'i, but something practiced by maka'āinana (commoners) throughout Hawaiian society.
In traditional Hawaiian society māhū referred to someone with kane (men) and wahine (women) traits, and in a modern sense includes male to female and female to male transgender people, Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, a māhū wahine who is a hula teacher at a Hawaiian charter school, said to BuzzFeed.
"Māhū and aikāne were an integral part of our society," Wong-Kalu said referring to traditional Hawaii.
Bradford Kaiwi Lum, founder of of Hulumanu Foundation, said during his testimony Nov. 1, 2013, at the the joint committee House hearing on Hawaii's marriage equality bill about the māhū and aikāne: "What changed is the way people came to view us: intolerance turned into acceptance, and acceptance turned into intolerance."
The concept of the māhū is not exclusive to Hawaii, and can be found in Samoa, Tahiti, the Marquesas Islands, and other Pacific islands.
The raising of a child by a different family member or another family, called hānai, was common when a family had a better opportunity to raise a child or could not have a child of their own.
"When we say hānai, it's not adoption from the Western perspective where you never know your biological parents," Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu said. "You are often given to your relatives for rearing."
Consensual relationships between two or more partners was known as punalua, which literally means "two springs." Kamehameha the Great had many lovers, but two of his "wives" were Ka'ahumanu and Keōpūolani, who were punalua to one another because they shared Kamehameha. Ka'ahumanu was unable to have children, so she was a hānai mother to Keōpūolani's son, Liholiho who would become Kamehameha II.
The child of a women with relationships with two or more men was known as a po'olua, and could claim both fathers as parents. Kamehameha the Great's mother had relationships with more than one chief, so he was a po'olua child.
"That is partially how he rose to greatness," Ho'omanawanui said. "He didn't have the highest genealogy of other chiefs of his time… so he used the claim to two chief genealogies to elevate his status."
At one time in Hawaii, aikāne, māhū, hānai, punalua and po'olua were all accepted members of the ohana.
"These are all elements of traditional Hawaiian culture that are slow but surely fading away," said Wong-Kalu.Two opposed expressions around hard work:
The harder I work the luckier I get.
If you work too hard you don’t have time and clarity to earn money.
Which one is right or wrong? Both?
Multitasking and getting busy is one of the diseases of the 21st century, very often confused with hard work.
Hard work is pointed as the way to stand out, gain comfort, quality of life, economical independence and security. That myth survived till our days and it’s not uncommon to hear “work hard if you want to succeed”. It’s also a question of “status” and recognition; how often you hear the expression “he’s a hard worker” in personal or professional conversations. Hard work is also an expression used by managers during the appraisal processes with their subordinates, to distinguish or praise dedication and commitment. There’s a big difference between hard work and being busy, but often the concepts are mixed up or a bit bounded. I’m so busy = I’m such an hard worker. Is that so?
I’m not apologist of laziness but I’ve seen and lived with that obsession that hard work will save your position and grant you job stability, security, progress. It doesn’t. Neither of those. Working hard is no guarantee at all that you won’t be fired, that you’ll earn extra money or get things done. The point is, what does that hard work creates? Reports no one will read? Presentations no one will care about? Market studies to remain on the drawer? A house that you’ll sell due to divorce? A big station wagon when you don’t have kids around you anymore?
Getting busy in itself doesn’t mean doing the right thing, finishing tasks or accomplishing anything at all. Means you don’t have the time to focus. To think. To re-think and to question yourself. To see where you’re heading and what is around you. To enjoy the ride. To discover there might be other ways, solutions, alternatives or gains than initially expected.
I’m being a bit bold here but the intention is to be provocative. I consider myself an hard worker. Thou, I spend at least 30 minutes of my daily time in meditation, 1 hour doing sports, 30 minutes reading and 30 minutes writing. Many might say that’s a waste, none of those activities aren’t work or work related. So I can’t consider myself an hard worker? Wat is hard work then? There were times that it was pretty much clear, a long lasting day in a production line or in the fields. I had those days as well. Just out of curiosity I decided to check the internet, and this is one of the common definition of hard worker:
Cambridge dictionary: always putting a lot of effort and care into work: hardworking people/families/citizens– The staff working on the unit are hard-working and have very little time to sit at a desk.
OK times have changed and now there are more and more people sitting at a desk, and also those had adopted the term hard workers. Just in nowadays hardwork is normally associated with peripheral concepts. Multitasking, flexible, resilient, stress-resistant, efficient, productive. All of those concepts thou, are more related to being busy than properly hard work.
To support the hard work concept and benefit, there’s the 10.000 hour rule (if you practice any activity for 10.000 hours you’ll master it and will become a world expert). Let’s say you divide that by half, with 5.000 hours you will still be in a good position in the ranking according to that rule.
Again it’s a theory and as in any other field, you’ll find supporters and critics. But the point is, none of the so called busy people (and in some case hard workers) are dedicating the vast majority of their time on consistent practice of one activity but getting busy with all sort of things that come their way, most of them not on their own plan or willingness but responding to all sort of requests. So hard work isn’t working hard at something like it has been in the past, but moved to “getting busy” or even worse, being perceived as a busy person. Current environment (workload, pressure, competition, performance, newcomers) challenge us to be able to respond and have capabilities to show we got what it takes to remain in the game.
Funny thing is at least in the corporate world, when you ask any of those colleagues who always say they are very busy, most likely they will have difficulties to tell you in detail what are they busy with. Ever noticed? If not, just try that one.
Or if you want to be honest with yourself, what are you busy with? How do you spend your day? What are you creating, solving, building, participating or preparing. The tasks and activities you go along the day, do they contribute for that vision directly or indirectly? Or you just have to do what you’re doing? No one has to, unless they have a gun pointed to their head. You can always question yourself and your habits, truths or routines.
Working hard can eventually increase your income, but I’ve rarely seen anyone becoming rich by working too hard.
Yes it can help to pay an extra toy, project or dream, but remember, money it’s a bi-product. If there’s no passion or vision in what you’re busy with, doing it only for the money won’t be a long-lasting satisfaction.
For sure, Gates, Jobs or Zuckerberg worked very hard till they reach the summit. Elon Musk has probably the longest days and is a very busy person. But they’ve been busy or are working on a passion, a vision, a dream, a burning desire. That’s the difference. Work hard with a clear purpose or meaning other than money itself and you won’t call it hard work at all. It’s hard when you don’t see the purpose on it.Thirstily swallowed by a humiliated France, the dominant narrative of the French Resistance was cooked up by General de Gaulle – “Joan of Arc in trousers”, Churchill testily called him – when he addressed the crowds outside the Hôtel de Ville on August 25, 1944. “Paris liberated! Liberated by its own efforts, liberated by its people with the help of the armies of France, with the help of all of France.”
Yet, as Robert Gildea exposes in this comprehensive survey of the French Resistance, the myth that the French freed themselves is largely poppycock, like de Gaulle’s boast that only “a handful of scoundrels” behaved badly under four years of Nazi occupation. (One example: by October 1943, 85,000 French women had children fathered by Germans.) Most of the population didn’t engage with their revolutionary past until the last moment, when the chief thing they recaptured was their pride. The first French soldier into Paris was part of a regiment “called 'la Nueve’ because it was composed mainly of Spanish republicans”.
The magnitude of the French defeat in June 1940, after a mere six weeks, compelled the writer Vercors (Jean Bruller), author of that celebrated novella of passive resistance, The Silence of the Sea, to predict that the Germans might stay on in France for a century. This being a very real possibility, it is not hard to see why the Resistance, in Gildea’s estimation, “mobilised only a minority of French people. The vast majority learnt to muddle through under German Occupation and long admired Marshal Pétain.” Attentisme – “wait and see” – was the most obeyed order of the day. It took until 1971 for a counter-narrative to surface, in the documentary Le Chagrin et la Pitié, which suggested that the French, instead of behaving honourably under the Occupation, “had been supine, cowardly, and only too frequently given to collaboration”.
It bears repeating that an astonishing one and a half million French soldiers remained POWs in Germany until 1945, putting pressure on political activists back home, notably communists, to form the opposition. But French Communist Party bosses, answerable to Moscow, “always controlled an agenda that had little to do with the Resistance”. One contemporary observer sneered: “The PCF led its resisters to the Rubicon – to go fishing.”
Neutralised for the first two years of the war by the Nazi-Soviet pact, which made Hitler their ally, the French communists were led by Jacques Duclos, “who lived a quiet life disguised as a 'country doctor, 1900 style’ ”. Meanwhile, their general secretary, Georges Marchais, worked in a German factory as a volunteer. Hardly models of heroism.
Not until Hitler invaded Russia in June 1941 did a more convincing resistance emerge, gaining pace with the Relève of June 1942, in which Vichy’s chain-smoking Prime Minister, Pierre Laval, promised the release of one French POW for every three volunteers to work in Germany; the following February, the Service du Travail Obligatoire turned this into a compulsory order, directed at all men of military age. The result: up to 40,000 young men – the Resistance was 80 per cent composed of those under 30 – joined the maquis rather than go to Germany (although 650,000 did end up going). But as Gildea points out, the maquis were beset by problems – lack of weapons, training and leadership – which led to a succession of disastrous setbacks and reprisals. In Ruines, one person per house was shot in retaliation, including a child of seven. Gildea leaves the reader wondering, subversively, whether the outcome might have been radically different had the French shown no resistance at all until after the Free French Army landed in Provence on August 15, without taking part in the Normandy landings.
Gildea tells a story that will be less appealing to French audiences than earlier tellings. He provides an authoritative picture of “the breadth and diversity of resistance activity that developed in hidden corners of France”. In his view, “the story of the French Resistance is central to French identity”. In contesting the Gaullist version, Gildea, author of a classic earlier text on the Occupation, Marianne in Chains, suggests that it may be more accurate “to talk less about French Resistance than about resistance in France”.
Fighters in the Shadows restores to their rightful position those omitted from de Gaulle’s narrative: not least the Allied armies, led by Churchill and Roosevelt, who referred to de Gaulle as “our mutual headache”. It also considers the foreign fighters, whose role de Gaulle ignored: anti-fascists from Spain, economic emigrants from central and eastern Europe, Jewish refugees and British operatives from SOE. Consideration is given to rivals of de Gaulle, such as General Giraud, for two years joint commander-in-chief in North Africa, but “airbrushed out of the Gaullist account... as if he had never existed”, just like the 4,000 black African troops who had fought alongside General Leclerc.
Also underplayed by de Gaulle’s all-male, all-white nationalist vision was the vital contribution made by women, not least by de Gaulle’s own niece Geneviève. As the résistante Germaine Tillon later recalled: “It was women who kick-started the Resistance.” Asked by a German court in Lyon in May 1942 why she had taken up arms, Marguerite Gonnet replied: “Quite simply, colonel, because the men had dropped them.” Yet women were removed from the front line when de Gaulle finally arrived, and passed over for military honours.
The truth is that the Resistance was always deeply divided, with highly individual leaders such as Henri Frenay and Jean Moulin competing, and clashing over their vision: whether a national insurrection to create a new society (favoured in metropolitan France by the communists) or a national liberation to restore the old order (favoured by de Gaulle’s anti-communist HQ in London). Not until May 1943, in a landmark meeting in a small flat near Saint-Sulpice, did all internal resistance movements come together under the local umbrella of Jean Moulin, and acknowledge the overall leadership of de Gaulle. A month later, Moulin was arrested in Lyon (it is still not clear who betrayed him).
“We never laughed so much as in the Resistance,” recalled the underground journalist Robert Salmon. It must be said that Gildea does not capture much of this humour, preferring in his dispassionate way to dwell on the intricacies of communist committees; but nor, to his credit, does he get diverted by melodrama or personalities. The result is a serious book that deserves to be taken seriously, both here and, more importantly, by historians across the Channel who have relied too long on de Gaulle’s words. As Christian Pineau, leader of Libération-Nord, said of de Gaulle after meeting him in London in March 1942: “he knows almost nothing about the Resistance”.
Fighters in the Shadows by Robert Gildea
608pp, Faber, £20, ebook £8.99. To order this book from the Telegraph for £16.99 plus £1.99 p&p call 0844 871 1515 or visit books.telegraph.co.ukWhen lab rats are jonesing for a fix, they’ll consume cocaine even when they know they’ll receive a painful electric shock to the foot. Similar to addicted humans, drug-dependent rats continue to use, regardless of the consequences.
Happily, scientists at the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) have found a way to reverse this cycle of addiction and self-harm. When researchers focused a laser light on the addicted rats’ prefrontal cortex—a brain region crucial for decision making and impulse control—their craving for cocaine vanished.
"When we turn on a laser light in the prelimbic region of the prefrontal cortex, the compulsive cocaine seeking is gone," said Antonello Bonci, MD, scientific director of the intramural research program at NIDA and an adjunct professor at the University of California San Francisco and Johns Hopkins University in a press release.
Bonci’s team, led by Billy Chen of NIDA, inserted light-sensitive proteins into the nerve cells, or neurons, in this part of the rats’ brains. When researchers shone a laser onto the light-sensitive cells, they were able to turn the corresponding neurons “on” and “off.”
The addicted rats showed very little neural activity in the prefrontal cortex before laser treatment, and research has shown that cocaine-addicted humans have similarly low activity in this area of the brain. However, when researchers turned the rats’ neurons “on,” the rats were able to regain their impulse control and kick their drug craving.
Chen’s study was published this week in the journal.
What Does This Mean for Us Humans?
An estimated 1.4 million Americans were addicted to cocaine in 2009, and 1.5 percent of young adults ages 18 to 25 reported using the drug regularly. In 2008, one in four of the nearly two million emergency room visits for drug abuse was attributed to cocaine or crack use.
To halt this disturbing trend, researchers are developing safer, less invasive ways to turn cells in the human prefrontal cortex back “on.”
The most promising technique is called transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS, which involves placing a large electromagnetic coil against your scalp and generating a series of electrical pulses to get your neurons firing. A similar technique called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been used successfully to treat severe depression.
Bonci’s team plans to begin human trials at the National Institutes of Health as soon and they’ve secured funding. They will try a few sessions a week of TMS therapy on cocaine addicts in an effort to rejuvenate the prefrontal cortex and help patients stop using cocaine for good.
Learn More:How The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloons Looked in 1936 – Snapshots Taken From Broadway & 92nd Street
The first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was held in 1924. In 1928 helium filled balloons made their first appearance. By the early 1930’s over one million people were attending the parade.
The Thanksgiving Day Parade held on November 26, 1936 was quite a different affair than it is today.
At 1 pm on 110th Street near the south wall of The Church of St. John the Divine just off of Amsterdam Avenue, the paraders and balloons lined up and made their way west to Broadway. The parade route then remained on Broadway for its entire length until it reached Herald Square. There were 2,311 policemen assigned special parade duty along the route, with mounted men to lead the march and bring up the rear. As incredible as this may seem, on the main crosstown arteries of 34th, 42nd and 59th streets, traffic was let through, even if it meant temporarily halting the parade.
The weather for the 1936 parade started out sunny but very cold. By 2:00 pm the sky had filled with dark clouds accompanied by blustery winds. Despite the frigid air, the mile and a half long procession delighted onlookers with a fairy tale theme of helium filled balloons. As you can see by these snapshots taken by an unknown photographer at Broadway and 92nd Street looking north, there was no commercialism in the balloon subjects. The parade featured characters like Humpty Dumpty, Jack in the Box, The Cow Jumping Over the Moon, a 58 foot Indian, a 30 foot turkey, The Old Lady Who Lived in a Shoe and a 120 foot fire spewing dragon.
One of the old symbols of New York, Father Diedrich Knickerbocker had a 68 foot balloon. To the delight of children, Father Knickerbocker’s nose got caught in the Ninth Avenue elevated structure at Lincoln Square (65th and 66th Streets at the intersection of Broadway and Columbus Avenue) and his head became separated from his body as helium leaked out of the balloon. An emergency crew was able to do some quick surgery and fill him up with helium and get him going again. The lesson learned, the gigantic dragon balloon was tilted on its side to avoid the same fate and everyone cheered when it cleared the elevated.
Other participants of the parade included an old horsecar filled with people dressed as New Yorker’s from the 1890’s, knights clad in silver armor on horses and people dressed in colonial outfits.
Two things have remained the same since 1936: huge crowds and Santa Claus on a float with his reindeer ending the parade.Qatar has agreed to increase efforts in cooperation with the United States to stop terrorists from receiving financing, the Trump administration announced Monday.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin announced the new agreement following an overseas meeting with Qatari officials. It was the second trip to Qatar in a week by a Cabinet-level official, following Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s most recent travel.
The meetings are part of a Trump administration effort to end a key U.S. partner’s surreptitious support of terrorism, which sparked a diplomatic crisis between American partners in the Middle East.
“We affirm that the United States and Qatar will significantly increase our cooperation on these issues to ensure that Qatar is a hostile environment for terrorist financing,” Mnuchin said in a Monday statement.
Those efforts will include the development of a new system for Qatari officials to designate terrorists for sanctions, as well as information sharing to crack down on private sector funding of jihadist groups. That will allow the two sides to begin “substantially increasing the sharing of information on terrorist financiers in the region,” Mnuchin said.
Qatar’s support for terrorism has been a major diplomatic priority over the last year. President Trump called on Arab nations to “strip [terrorists] of their access to funds” during his trip to Saudi Arabia in May, the first trip abroad of his presidency. When Saudi Arabia led a bloc of Arab nations in severing diplomatic ties with Qatar, Trump applauded.
That crisis touched off a complicated diplomatic problem for Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Qatar hosts the chief U.S. military base in the Middle East, while Saudi Arabia is also a critical pillar of American foreign policy in the region. Tillerson’s team has used the crisis to induce Qatar to make new concessions regarding terror financing while arguing that Saudi Arabia should accept those reforms and relent its diplomatic pressure.
“Our talks with Secretary Mnuchin have been highly productive, and underline our nations’ shared determination to eradicate terrorism wherever it takes root,” Ali Shareef Al Emadi, Qatar’s finance minister, said Monday. “This is a clear indicator of our long-standing political commitment to combatting money laundering and terror financing.”
Saudi Arabia has resisted U.S. efforts to broker an end to the dispute. “There’s not a strong indication that parties are ready to talk yet,” Tillerson said last week during his trip to Qatar. “And so we cannot force talks upon people who are not ready to talk, so there has been no invitation to the White House because it’s not clear the parties are ready to engage. But we are going to continue to work towards that dialogue and toward that engagement. But as I said in response to an earlier question, we cannot and will not impose a solution on anyone.”The study can be found here.
The opening sentence gives one a flavor of the entire piece:
Each year for the past two decades, the U.S. Census Bureau has reported that over 30 million Americans were living in “poverty.” In recent years, the Census has reported that one in seven Americans are poor. But what does it mean to be “poor” in America? How poor are America’s poor?
Isn't it cute how they put poverty and poor in quotation marks? Because, as they're about to prove, the poor aren't poor.
Poor families certainly struggle to make ends meet, but in most cases, they are struggling to pay for air conditioning and the cable TV bill as well as to put food on the table. Their living standards are far different from the images of dire deprivation promoted by activists and the mainstream media.
How dare they have air conditioning, particularly when temperatures around the country now are killing people who are without it!
The Heritage Foundation then gives data on poor households who have such luxuries as a refrigerator, a stove, a ceiling fan, a coffee pot and so on. I have news for the silver-spoon trust funders who work at the HF: even the most wretched slum apartment generally has a refrigerator and a stove. Some might even offer a ceiling fan. The Heritage Foundation apparently won't be happy until we're all living under bridges, although then they'll say we don't have it bad as long as we have a blanket.
Anyway, the Heritage Foundation takes their list of 'amenities' and scores it against poor households. You see, a $10 coffee pot from Dollar General and a $20 television from Goodwill means that you aren't suffering enough for our overlords - you're actually very well off compared to the poor 100 years ago. You can't make this shit up! A coffee pot is actually considered some kind of luxury item to the HF and it's scored against the poor.
So once they've 'proven' that the poor aren't actually poor because their Section 8 housing has a refrigerator, they do make a concession:
Of course, the typical poor family could have a host of modern conveniences and still live in dilapidated, overcrowded housing. However, data from other government surveys show that this is not the case.[19] Poor Americans are well housed and rarely overcrowded.[20] In fact, the houses and apartments of America’s poor are quite spacious by international standards. The typical poor American has considerably more living space than does the average European.[21]
So, they have spacious, comfortable housing and they aren't hungry, either!
On average, the poor are well nourished. The average consumption of protein, vitamins, and minerals is virtually the same for poor and middle-class children. In most cases, it is well above recommended norms. Poor children actually consume more meat than higher-income children consume, and their protein intake averages 100 percent above recommended levels. In fact, most poor children are super-nourished and grow up to be, on average, one inch taller and 10 pounds heavier than the GIs who stormed the beaches of Normandy in World War II.[24]
The entire argument for saying that the poor are livin' large is that in a time of terrible, terrible deficits maybe we're doing too much for them, because "the overwhelming majority of poor households do not experience any form of physical deprivation"...because they have a coffee pot!
I know someone who lives in a broken-down RV in Oklahoma. The plumbing is bad and it doesn't have running water. She has it parked in an RV park that offers cable and Internet for the modest rental fee, and according to the Heritage Foundation she's living a life of luxury, even though she's living in a 25 year old RV without running water.
This is the modern conservative movement in a nutshell.We've shown you a browser add-on that brings Google's trusty black bar back to the top of the window, but if you don't want to (or can't) install something on your system, just add "?noj=1" or "?noj=0" to the end of your Google URL, and it'll appear.
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It's a pretty simple parameter, and if you prefer, you can just bookmark Google search with the operator at the end and you'll never have to worry about it again. Just for clarity, these URLs should make Google appear with the old black bar:
http://www.google.com/?noj=1
https://www.google.com/?noj=0
That's all there is to it. I tested it out and it works like a charm—it even brings the old Google notification number box back at the top right side, as opposed to the bell with the floating icon over it. Of course, the next time you visit Google, if you're not using the parameter it goes back to normal. If you can install an extension, we think that Proper Menubar is a better option though, since there's no telling how long this trick will work.
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A Google Parameter Brings Back the Black Bar | Google Operating SystemFamily members say enforcing civilian dress code goes too far.
1st Lt. Sherman Perez informs family members at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, that proper headgear is required to skateboard on post and skateboarding is not authorized in or around the post exchange. (Photo: Sgt. Daniel Johnson, U.S. Army) Story Highlights The number of courtesy patrols on Army bases is growing
The patrols are responsible for enforcing the post dress code for civilians and family members, as well as soldiers
Base leaders say the appearance of civilian family members reflects on the Army
First Lt. Andrew Maitner was recently at the post exchange at the Schofield Barracks in Hawaii when he noticed a woman wearing a see-through shirt. He could see her bra through her top and knew he had to say something.
"I approached her and I said 'Ma'am, I apologize. However, I'm going to have to ask you that you please either change your shirt, and put on a shirt that does not reveal your undergarments, or I'm going to have to ask you to please leave the PX because you cannot display your undergarments where they are visibly seen,'" he said.
Maitner was on courtesy patrol detail and he was armed with the post's policy memo on the civilian dress code.
The Schofield courtesy patrol is one of several across the Army, enforcing the post dress code for civilians and family members, as well as soldiers. And the number is growing.
An Army spouse says correcting family members is "taking it too far."
"If a soldier went up to my daughter and tried to correct her dress, I would not be happy |
disk space usage, server load, slow requests, etc. Organizing and collecting application exceptions
So, to be clear, even though we built Scout, we use a combination of tools to make sure our Rails apps are running.
The diaper – Process monitoring with Monit
If a key process, like a Mongrel server containing a Rails application, dies or leaks memory, you often want to restart it immediately. Frankly it’s panic time – it could happen at any time, and you may not have time to figure out what went wrong. You just want the application back up. We’ve been using the open-source tool Monit for this task for some time (God, a Ruby-powered process and task monitoring tool is another option).
Configure a restart script
I’m not going to cover the monit installation process (monit’s documentation), but I’ll show a simple example for restarting a Mongrel process.
Here’s how we restart a Mongrel process that:
Is dead
Is using over 100 MB in memory
check process mongrel-8000 with pidfile /var/run/mongrel_cluster/mongrel.8000.pid group mongrel_staging start program = "/usr/bin/mongrel_rails cluster::start -C /etc/mongrel_cluster/app_name.yml --only 8000 --clean" as uid deploy and gid deploy stop program = "/usr/bin/mongrel_rails cluster::stop -C /etc/mongrel_cluster/app_name.yml --only 8000 --force --clean" as uid deploy and gid deploy if totalmem > 100.0 MB for 5 cycles then restart
(For automating the setup of these configuration—based on your mongrel configuration, check out the capistrano_monit extension)
It’s easy to test your monit setup, once it is in place:
Tail your system message log (i.e. tail -f /var/log/messages) Manually kill the process Watch for Monit to restart the process in the messages log. It looks like this:
Aug 22 13:57:13 test monit[32613]:'mongrel_staging-9000' process is not running Aug 22 13:57:13 test monit[32613]:'mongrel_staging-9000' trying to restart Aug 22 13:57:13 test monit[32613]:'mongrel_staging-9000' start: /usr/bin/mongrel_rails Aug 22 13:58:19 test monit[32613]:'mongrel_staging-9000' process is running with pid 678
It’s just a diaper – it won’t solve underlying problems
Monit will ensure we’re not totally dead, but it won’t prevent problems from happening in the future. It can restart a memory-leaking process, but it won’t give us any clues about the leak. It’s not preventative medicine. We need some preventive medicine.
The nerves – system performance with Scout
When I was a kid, I once wished I that I couldn’t feel pain. I was awkward and fell down a lot. As I got older, I realized some pain is good – it’s our body’s way of saying “Hey, slow down a second – you need to check this out”.
Scout is our nerve center. We use it to monitor trends in our Rails stack. Has disk space usage quickly increased? Has there been a spike the in the server load? How many more users can our current hardware handle?
For example, a while back we noticed that disk space usage was increasing at an alarming rate on one of our servers. We caught it early-on by looking at the dramatic increase in disk space usage from the graph below:
The problem? An issue with an Amazon S3 backup. We fixed the problem far before it became an issue, and as you can see from the graph, things returned to normal.
In addition to disk usage, we use Scout to monitor our Rails requests, server load, memory usage, and more.
The megaphone – Exception notifications with the Exception Notification plugin
We’ve got most of our vitals covered – our Rails app will restart when it dies automatically with Monit. We’ll be able to identify system resource trends quickly with Scout. However, things often go wrong when our application server and Rails stack is running fine.
The tried-and-true method for instant exception notifications is the Exception Notification plugin. If you’re part of a development team, you might want to look at Hoptoad. Hoptoad provides organization to the typical flood of emails the Exception Notification plugin can generate. You install the Hoptoad plugin, which contacts the Hoptoadd server when an exception occurs. Hoptoad eliminates duplicate emails and makes it easier to organize exceptions across applications.
Update: Hoptoad has been re-branded to Airbrake Bug Tracker.
It’s about piece-of-mind
From start-to-finish, you can have Monit setup and tested in a couple of hours (at most). The Scout and Exception Notification plugin/Hoptoadd installation process should be measured in minutes. It’s time well-spent knowing things are in order when you aren’t in front of your computer.Abstract When humans will settle on the moon or Mars they will have to eat there. Food may be flown in. An alternative could be to cultivate plants at the site itself, preferably in native soils. We report on the first large-scale controlled experiment to investigate the possibility of growing plants in Mars and moon soil simulants. The results show that plants are able to germinate and grow on both Martian and moon soil simulant for a period of 50 days without any addition of nutrients. Growth and flowering on Mars regolith simulant was much better than on moon regolith simulant and even slightly better than on our control nutrient poor river soil. Reflexed stonecrop (a wild plant); the crops tomato, wheat, and cress; and the green manure species field mustard performed particularly well. The latter three flowered, and cress and field mustard also produced seeds. Our results show that in principle it is possible to grow crops and other plant species in Martian and Lunar soil simulants. However, many questions remain about the simulants' water carrying capacity and other physical characteristics and also whether the simulants are representative of the real soils.
Citation: Wamelink GWW, Frissel JY, Krijnen WHJ, Verwoert MR, Goedhart PW (2014) Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants. PLoS ONE 9(8): e103138. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0103138 Editor: Alberto de la Fuente, Leibniz-Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Germany Received: January 8, 2014; Accepted: June 25, 2014; Published: August 27, 2014 Copyright: © 2014 Wamelink et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Funding: This research was supported by the Dutch Ministery of Economic Affairs. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
Introduction Lunar and Mars explorations have provided information about the mineral composition of the soils of these solar objects. In addition to rocks they contain large amounts of sand-like soils or regoliths. All essential minerals for the growth of plants appear to be present in sufficient quantities in both soils probably with the exception of reactive nitrogen. Nitrogen in reactive form (NO 3, NH 4 ) is one of the essential minerals necessary for almost all plant growth [1]. The major source of reactive nitrogen on Earth is the mineralisation of organic matter [1]. However organic matter is absent on both Mars and moon although they do contain carbon [2]–[6]. Nitrogen in reactive form (NO 3, NH 4 ) is one of the essential minerals necessary for almost all plant growth [1]. Reactive nitrogen is part of the material in our solar system and is part of solar wind, a source of reactive nitrogen on the moon and Mars [3], [7]. Reactive nitrogen may also arise as an effect of lightning or volcanic activity [8], [9] and both processes may occur on Mars. This indicates that in principle reactive nitrogen could be present [7], [10]. However, the Mars Pathfinder was not able to detect reactive nitrogen [11]. Thus the actual presence of major quantities of reactive nitrogen remains uncertain. The major source of reactive nitrogen on Earth is the mineralisation of organic matter [1], which is absent on both Mars and moon. The absence of sufficient reactive nitrogen may be solved by using nitrogen fixing species. In symbioses with bacteria [12], [13] these nitrogen fixers are able to bind nitrogen from the air and transform it into nitrates, a process which requires nitrogen in the atmosphere. However, there is no atmosphere on the moon, and on Mars it is only minimally present and contains traces of nitrogen. Metals like aluminium and chromium are also present in the extra-terrestrial soils. Aluminium is known to disturb plant growth and even lead to plant death [14]. Another essential for plant growth is liquid water. Liquid water is not (moon) or possibly very limited present (Mars). Ice is present on both Mars and moon, and could be used after harvest [15]–[17]. Many plant species may be grown on water cultures, e.g. tomatoes or paprika, but not all. Therefore, local soils could be used to grow crops, at least partly. During the Apollo project there has been no experiment with plant growth on the moon. However experiments on earth have been carried out with the brought back moon material. These experiments did not include growth of plants on moon soil. Instead plants were exposed to moon stones by rubbing them and even small amounts were added to growth medium. These experiments indicated that there were no toxic effects of moon soil on short term plant growth [18], for an overview see Ferl and Paul [19]. Ferl and Paul [19] also provide pictures of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana grown on a moon regolith simulant (JSC1a). Studies with moon rock simulant (anorthosite) were carried out with the model plant Tagetes patula [20], [21]. These studies revealed that these plants were able to grow with and without the addition of bacteria [20], [21], and that plants were able to blossom [20]. There have been plant growth experiments with Mars regolith simulant as well. Experiments with bacteria on Mars soil simulant revealed that growth is possible, including nitrogen fixing bacteria [22]. Our goal was to investigate whether or not species of the three groups wild plants, crops and nitrogen fixers (Table 1), would germinate and live long enough to go through the first stages of plant development on artificial Mars and moon regoliths. If this would be the case it is conceivable that plant growth is possible within an artificial surrounding on Mars and moon surface, although our experiment was conducted on Earth with its deviating gravity. Moreover, we assumed that plant cultivation will be carried out in closed surroundings with Earth like light and atmospheric conditions. PPT PowerPoint slide
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Materials and Methods Regoliths Mars and moon regolith simulant were purchased from Orbitec (http://www.orbitec.com). Both regoliths were manufactured by NASA (for Mars we used JSC-1A Mars regolith simulant, for Moon we used the JSC1-1A lunar regolith simulant) [23], [24]. Since the Mars and moon regolith simulants are comparable to Earth soils, at least in mineral composition [23]–[28], they can be mimicked by using volcanic Earth soils, as has been done by NASA [23], [24]. As a control we used coarse river Rhine soil from 10 m deep layers which is nutrient poor, and free from organic matter and seeds. Since the moon and Mars simulants had only been analysed for mineral content and particle size, we also analysed them for nutrients that are available for plant species. All three soil types were analysed for soil pH water, Organic matter content, Total N and P content (both destructive), NH 4, NO 2 +, NO 3, PO 4, Al, Fe, K and Cr (all seven in CaCl 2 extract). All analyses were repeated two times according to standard protocol (RvA-accreditation for test laboratories; registration number scope: 342). These soil parameters are typically used to explain species occurrence on Earth [29]. The analysis revealed that the moon regolith simulant is truly nutrient poor, though it contains a small amount of nitrates and ammonium. The Mars regolith simulant also contains traces of nitrates of ammonium, and also a significant amount of carbon (Table 2). The pH of all three soils is high. The pH of the moon regolith is that high that it may be problematic for many plant species, especially for crops [30]. We applied the regoliths and the control earth sand as supplied, the sands were not sterilised, since sterilisation may alter its properties. PPT PowerPoint slide
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larger image TIFF original image Download: Table 2. Analyses of the soil samples, in red the detection limits of the analysis. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0103138.t002 Species selection Species were selected from three groups: four different crops, four nitrogen fixers and six wild plants which occur naturally in the Netherlands (Table 1). Only species with relatively small seeds were chosen so that the nutrient stock in the seeds would be quickly depleted and the plant becomes totally dependent on what is available in the soils for its growth. For the wild plants we chose species that are able to grow either under nutrient poor circumstances or under a wide range of circumstances (see Table 1) based on the responses of the species to abiotic conditions [29], [30]. Note that although species may have limits for growth conditions in the field they are often able to grow in monocultures under different circumstances, e.g. more nutrient rich or nutrient poor conditions, because of lack of more competitive species. To be able to monitor the first growth stages we used seeds of the species. The crop and nitrogen fixer seed were bought at the local shop (Welkoop, Wageningen), and the wild plant seeds at Cruydt Hoeck (Nijeberkoop). The latter seeds were collected in the field. Externally present bacteria on the seeds, if any, were not killed. Experimental design and observations Small pots were filled with 100 g moon soil simulant, 100 g Earth soil or 50 g Mars soil simulant and 25 g demineralized water was added to each pot. The mass of the simulants added was different since we wanted to fill the pots with approximately the same volume to have the same column height. A filter was placed on the bottom of each pot to prevent soil from leaking. For each soil type and plant species twenty replica pots were used. This resulted in 840 pots (3 soils×14 species×20 replicas). In each pot we positioned five seeds, giving 100 seeds per species - soil combination. The pots were placed in a glasshouse in a completely randomized block design where each block constitutes a replicate (Fig. 1). Each pot was placed in a petri dish (without cap) to hold excessive water and to prevent roots growing into other pots. The pots were placed on a large table in the glasshouse (Fig. 2). PPT PowerPoint slide
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larger image TIFF original image Download: Figure 1. Design of the experiment with the first ten blocks the west oriented part of the experiment and the second ten blocks the east oriented part of the experiment. For abbreviations of the species see Table 1. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0103138.g001 PPT PowerPoint slide
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larger image TIFF original image Download: Figure 2. Block 2 of the experiment, with randomly placed pots, 14 days after the start of the experiment. Each block contains 42 pots. Block 12 is visible in the background. The labels in the pots show the pot number, the species (from left to right on the first row Yellow sweet clover (twice), Leopards bane, Field Mustard, Carrot and Red fescue) and the soil type (L for moon or Lunar, M for Mars and E for Earth) combined with the block number (2). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0103138.g002 The experiment started of April 8th 2013. Temperature in the glasshouse was maintained at around 20°C. During the experimental period average temperature was 21.1±3.02°C and air humidity was 65.0±15.5% both based on 24 hour recording with a 5 minutes interval. Mean day time lasted for 16 hours. If the sunlight intensity was below 150 watt/m2 lamps yielding 80 µmol (HS2000 from Hortilux Schréder) were switched on. The pots were watered once or twice a day depending on the evaporation rate by spraying with demineralised water (about 10 litres for the whole experiment for each occasion). We used demineralized water to mimic water from Mars and moon and to prevent pollution with (for example) nutrients that are present in tap water. Ambient air was used. Seeds were scored on germination, first leaf production, bud forming, flowering and seed setting. At the end of the experiment, 50 days after April 8th, total biomass was harvested and, after cleaning, dried in a stove for 24 hours at 70°C; After cooling down above and below ground biomass were weighed separately. For 25 experimental units the total biomass was smaller than the weighting limit. For those units a value of 0.5 mg (for plants that germinated, but could not be recovered at the end of the experiment) or 0.1 mg (for plants that died before the end of the experiment directly after germination) was assigned to the total biomass. Above and below ground biomass was set to half this value. For 21 units the above ground biomass was smaller than the weighting limit and this was also true for the below ground biomass of 25 units. In these cases the corresponding biomass was set to 0.1 mg. Statistical Analysis Logistic regression was used to statistically analyse the number of germinated seeds in each pot, as well as the number of seeds which developed leaves, which developed flowers (including buds), and the numbers of plants which were still alive after 50 days. A pairwise likelihood ratio test, separately for each species and accounting for differences between blocks, was employed to test whether Earth, moon and Mars soil simulants give different results. When necessary, overdispersion was accounted for by inflating the binomial variance by an unknown factor and then using quasi likelihood rather than maximum likelihood [31]. An analysis of variance, again separately for each species and accounting for block effects, was performed on the logarithm of the total, above and below ground biomass, as well as on the ratio of the above and below ground biomass. The log transform was employed because this stabilizes the variance. Pairwise difference t-test between the soil types were carried out. Note that this is a conditional analysis since units with no biomass are excluded. This implies that no biomass is given for V. sativa sativa on the moon because none of these seeds germinated.
Results Common vetch, a nitrogen fixer, did not germinate on moon soil. All other plant species did germinate with different proportions on all soils (Fig. 3; background information can be found in Table S1 and S2). In general the germination percentage on Martian soil simulant is highest and lowest on the moon soil simulant (Fig. 3). On average the four crop species have the highest germination percentages, although some species (Reflexed stonecrop, Red fescue, Yellow sweet clover and Greater birds'-foot trefoil) from the other two groups have similar germination percentages. Differences in germination percentages are most likely due to seed quality. The seeds of the crops Carrot, Cress and Tomato are controlled and have a high quality. The seeds of the other species are harvested from the field and except Rye have not been improved by plant breeding. These seed lots may therefore contain less or non-viable seeds. The percentages of plants that form leaves are sometimes considerably lower than the percentages for germination, indicating that some plants stop developing or even die. Leaf forming occurred most on Martian soil simulant and least on moon soil simulant. This trend is also present for species that form flowers or seeds. Only three species reach these stages, Field mustard, Rye and Cress (the last two being crops). Field mustard (only on Mars) and Cress (on Mars and Earth) also formed seeds. For examples see photo 1–10 (File S1). Also for the percentage plants still alive after 50 days, Martian soil simulant performed best and moon soil simulant worst. Martian soil simulant also performed better than Earth soil for most species. Leopards bane, Field mustard and Common vetch had no living plants left after 50 days on moon soil. PPT PowerPoint slide
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larger image TIFF original image Download: Figure 3. Percentage germination, leave formers, plants forming flowers and plants still alive after 50 days per species. All results are after 50 days and percentages are based on all 100 seeds per plant species-soil type combination Pairwise differences are displayed by a line which joins soil types which are significantly different at the 1% (thin line) and 0.1% (thick line) significance level. Background information can be found in Table S1 and S2. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0103138.g003 The biomass at the end of the experiment was significantly higher for eleven out of the fourteen species on Martian soil simulant as compared to both other soils. The biomass for earth and moon soil simulant is often quite similar (Fig. 4), although for nine species the biomass increment on Earth soil was significantly higher than on moon soil simulant. Apparently, in general, plants were able to develop at the same rate on Martian and Earth soil simulants, but biomass increment was much higher on Mars simulant. This is reflected in both below and aboveground biomass, although there are differences at the species level. PPT PowerPoint slide
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larger image TIFF original image Download: Figure 4. Average biomass results per species at the end of the 50 day experiment and the resulting aboveground belowground biomass ratio. Biomasses are given in mg dry weight on 10 log scale. The triangle indicates an outlier for Lupine (above/below 19.7). For Common vetch there is no ratio given because both above- and belowground biomass are zero. Pairwise differences are displayed by a line which joins soil types which are significantly different at the 1% (thin line) and 0.1% (thick line) significance level. Background information can be found in Table S1 and S2. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0103138.g004
Discussion We found germination and plant growth for both moon and Mars soil simulants. Our results are in line with earlier research on Arabidopsis thaliana and Tagetes patula [19]–[21] on moon regolith simulant and moon rock simulant, though our results appear to be less promising. Kozyrovska et al. [20] had blossoming plants of T. patula, where we had only one plant of Sinapsis arvensis that formed a flower butt, but died before flowering. On average species in Martian soil simulant performed significantly better than plants in Earth soil with respect to biomass increment. Although the Earth soil used, which was coarse and very nutrient poor, is not the best soil to grow crops on, we expected it to perform at least as well as the other two soils. However, in the warmer periods it was difficult to keep the water content in the pots high enough, despite spraying twice a day. The Mars soil simulant resembles loess-like soils from Europe and holds water better than the other two soils. Moon soil simulant dried out fastest. It therefore is essential that further research on the physical characteristics of the extra-terrestrial soils is conducted, as well as the way they could be irrigated. The larger water holding capacity of Martian soil simulant may explain its better performance and, partly, the underperformance of moon soil simulant. The high pH may also explain the lagging growth on the moon soil simulant and also on the Earth soil. Important for plant growth is not only the presence of nutrients, but also the balance between them. Both soils are rather imbalanced for nutrients; where the artificial moon soil lacks nitrates, the artificial soil lacks of phosphate. If nutrients are added in future experiments this imbalance has to be corrected as well, besides the addition of nutrients itself. The presence of a high C-elementary content in the Mars soil simulant is surprising. We also chemically analysed organic matter content in the simulant, but that resulted in obviously wrong results. The standard procedure includes backing the soil at 550°C. The problem is that part of the oxides, especially the iron oxides, evaporates as well, clearly yielding wrong results. Nevertheless a part of the origin of the Carbon content may be from organic matter. It may be a result of the way the soil is ‘harvested’ on Hawaii, leaving traces of organic carbon in the soil. Kral et al. [22] found traces of organic material in the JSC-1 simulant. It may also partly explain why the Mars soil was able to hold water best, as organic matter is more capable of holding water than bare sand. There is no organic matter on Mars [2]–[6], as far as we now, so this would make the Mars simulant we used less suitable for experiments to investigate the potential of Mars soil, unless the experiment has as goal to test the potential of the soil after adding organic matter. In our experiment this was the reason to test the legumes. They can be used as green fertilizer and after growth mixed with the soil. Visual inspection of the Mars soil simulant did not reveal large quantities of organic matter. However, further test on the simulant is advisable. This experiment was carried out in pots. Some of the crops on Mars or moon may be cultivated in pots, but part of the crops may possibly be cultivated in full soil (in growth chambers or under domes). Moist conditions will then be different and may give rise to different results between pots and full soil. It is therefore of interest to conduct future experiments in full soil cultivation as well. The reason for using nitrogen fixers in our experiment is that they may possibly compensate for the lack of sufficient reactive nitrogen in artificial Martian and moon soil. At the first stage of colonisation, these species can be used to enrich the soils with nitrogen, essential for all other plants, by mixing them with the soil after their growth as is commonly done in the Netherlands in winter [32]–[34]. This may be done in addition to manure brought from Earth or from human faeces. All chosen nitrogen fixers may perform this function; however Common vetch did not perform very well on Martian soil simulant, which may indicate that inoculation with nitrogen fixing bacteria may be necessary. We did not inoculate the soil simulants with nitrogen fixing bacteria in this experiment, although we did not sterilise the simulants nor the seeds. The bacteria could thus be present, but we did not test that in our experiment. In future experiments we will inoculate the soils with these bacteria. The nitrogen fixers may also play a role in detoxifying soils polluted with metals [35].
Conclusions Except for Common vetch all other plants germinated in some proportion on all three tested soils; the Mars soil simulant, the moon soil simulant and the River Rhine soil (control). Rye, cress and field mustard flowered, the latter two also formed seeds. Germination and biomass forming differed between species and soil types. The Mars soil simulant gave the highest biomass production, the moon soil simulant the lowest. On the moon soil simulant many germinated plants died or stayed very small. This may be due to the high soil pH, the moist holding capacity and or the free aluminium in the simulant. Our results show that it is in principle possible to grow plants in Martian and Lunar soil simulants although there was only one plant that formed a flower butt on moon soil simulant. Whether this extends to growing plants on Mars or the moon in full soils themselves remains an open question. More research is needed about the representativeness of the simulants, water holding capacity and other physical characteristics of the soils, whether our results extend to growing plants in full soil, the availability of reactive nitrogen on Mars and moon combined with the addition of nutrients and creating a balanced nutrient availability, and the influence of gravity, light and other conditions.
Supporting Information Table S1. Percentages seeds which germinated, produced leaves, were flowering and were alive after 50 days. P values of pairwise difference tests, separately for each species, are given in the last three columns. P-values smaller than 0.01 are given in bold. All species soil type combinations had 20 replicas and five seeds were positioned in every pot. Note that due to the many replicas small differences are statistically significant. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0103138.s001 (DOCX) Table S2. Number of seeds that Germinated, formed green leaves, flowered, set seeds, number of plants alive after 50 days, total biomass per pot, below ground biomass per pot and above ground biomass per pot. (see Excel file). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0103138.s002 (XLSX) File S1. Photos of the experiment. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0103138.s003 (DOCX)
Acknowledgments R.M.A. Wegman, T. Busser and M. van Adrichem helped with start of the experiment and the harvest. We thank F. van der Helm and one anonymous reviewer for their helpful comments on a previous version of this manuscript.
Author Contributions Conceived and designed the experiments: GWWW PWG. Performed the experiments: JYF WHJK MRV GWWW. Analyzed the data: GWWW PWG JYF. Wrote the paper: GWWW PWG JYF.Premier Dave Hancock apologized to the people of Alberta on Tuesday afternoon, saying the government will make changes following a scathing report from the auditor general.
"As elected members of that government, it is our responsibility to rebuild the trust that we have greatly lost, and to stand up and say 'we are accountable,’” Hancock said. “Each of us knows the rules, and it's up to each of us to make sure that we are adhering to those rules at all times."
Alberta Auditor General Merwan Saher found that Alison Redford and her office used taxpayer money “inappropriately” during her time as Alberta premier, using government aircraft for personal and partisan use.
Saher said there was an “aura of power” surrounding the former premier and her office, and "a perception that the influence of the office should not be questioned."
Redford announced her resignation as member of the legislature the day before the report was released.
“They consistently failed to demonstrate in the documents we examined that their travel expenses were necessary and a reasonable and appropriate use of public resources,” Saher wrote in the scathing report.
Government will keep planes
Finance Minister Doug Horner, who is responsible for the government fleet, promised to improve accountability. He also said the treasury board committee will meet to discuss implementing a oversight policy for the premier's expenses.
While Hancock said Horner is ultimately responsible for the oversight and management of the government aircrafts, he argued that the members of the cabinet who used the planes are accountable.
“We shouldn’t need to be policed or second-guessed by the minister in charge of the planes,” he said.
There was no discussion about selling the fleet, something that the opposition has been demanding.
“The purpose of government aircraft is to conduct government business, as the premier just said, and to conduct that business sufficiently in all corners of the province,” Horner said.
“While today’s changes increase accountability, the key purpose of why we have the aircraft remain.”
More oversight needed: report
Hancock said the government accepted all recommendations in the auditor general’s report and would work to implement them immediately. He also called on the RCMP to investigate the use of government planes by Redford.
The auditor general's report included six recommendation:
The Treasury Board and finance departments must provide oversight of premier’s expenses and use of government aircraft.
The province must evaluate the costs of the government fleet and make the results public.
Rules for government aircraft use must be clarified for partisan and personal use.
The government must clarify requirements to evaluate cost effectiveness when a request is made.
The government must evaluate out-of-province use of government aircraft. A cost-benefit analysis must be performed whenever a request is made and it must be approved by the responsible minister or deputy minister.
The government must review the “costing model” on government aircraft and report costs to the public.
"Damage control mode," says NDP
After the report was released, critics called for Horner to resign. However, Hancock dismissed the idea Tuesday of having his finance minister step down.
Alberta NDP leader Brian Mason said the response is an example of a government that "is in crisis" and "full damage control mode."
"In my view, Mr. Horner had to know that the premier was abusing flights," Mason said. "I believe that he did nothing. Only a full public inquiry will ensure that we know who knew what, and when they knew it, with respect to this."
Hancock had originally defended the use of the planes when the issue was brought up in question period earlier this year.
“We keep government business and party business separate,” Hancock said on March 12.
On Tuesday, Hancock said he was surprised to learn that the planes were used to attend a party fundraiser in Grande Prairie, as the auditor general’s report revealed.
“I can definitely say I don’t feel that I mislead the house in the spring,” Hancock said.
“I’ll admit I was surprised by the auditor general’s report with respect to that flight because I believed right up until that report came out that flight was legitimately booked for legitimate government business that was important.”
Mason says Hancock's apology is too little, too late.
“To say it’s not my fault, it was everybody else, we had to, it was on a trust system — nobody operates that way except this government,” he said. “Everybody makes sure that there are policies in [so] resources are not abused.”You may recall that, back in 2008, when we were still electing presidents without Twitter accounts but possessed of some measure of self-control, the Democratic Party carried both the newly insane state of North Carolina and Indiana, cradle of unpopular political theocrats. Barack Obama was the first Democratic candidate to win in Indiana since Lyndon Johnson in 1968. Clearly, this was a situation up with which Indiana Republicans could not put. And their current finagling is only one broadside our embattled franchise has taken just this week.
According to an analysis by The Indianapolis Star, the state's Republicans have systematically monkeywrenched their election system to advantage themselves and to disadvantage Democratic voters, particularly minority ones.
From 2008 to 2016, GOP officials expanded early voting stations in Republican dominated Hamilton County, IndyStar's analysis found, and decreased them in the state's biggest Democratic hotbed, Marion County. That made voting more convenient in GOP areas for people with transportation issues or busy schedules. And the results were immediate. Most telling, Hamilton County saw a 63 percent increase in absentee voting from 2008 to 2016, while Marion County saw a 26 percent decline. Absentee ballots are used at early voting stations. Population growth and other factors may have played a role, but Hamilton County Clerk Kathy Richardson, a Republican, told IndyStar the rise in absentee voting in Hamilton County was largely a result of the addition of two early voting stations, which brought the total to three."It was a great concept to open those (voting stations)," Richardson said, adding that the turnout might have increased with the addition of even more voting machines. Other Central Indiana Republican strongholds, including Boone, Johnson and Hendricks counties, also have added early voting sites — and enjoyed corresponding increases in absentee voter turnout. But not Marion County, which tends to vote Democratic, and has a large African-American population.
This is modern Jim Crow, plain and simple. This is using the institutions of self-government against the ability of a targeted population to participate. The usual shabby banality has been mustered up for the purpose of denying the obvious foul reality.
Some Republicans blame the dearth of early voting in Marion County on a lack of local funding. "I have never received any type of message that the individuals in charge of Marion County have any interest in spending the money (to expand satellite locations)," said Jim Merritt, chairman of the Marion County Republican Party.
Meanwhile, down in North Carolina, we are edging ever closer to a very perilous conclusion about the last presidential election. From NPR:
"Voters were going in and being told that they had already voted — and they hadn't," recalls Allison Riggs, an attorney with the Southern Coalition for Social Justice. The electronic systems — known as poll books — also indicated that some voters had to show identification, even though they did not. Investigators later discovered the company that provided those poll books had been the target of a Russian cyberattack. There is no evidence the two incidents are linked, but the episode has revealed serious gaps in U.S. efforts to secure elections. Nine months later, officials are still trying to sort out the details.
But Susan Greenhalgh, who is part of an election security group called Verified Voting, worried that authorities underreacted. She was monitoring developments in Durham County when she saw a news report that the problem poll books were supplied by a Florida company named VR Systems |
is a preliminary design report, and it will be further refined in the coming months as the city undertakes a broad, extensive public consultation process to engage residents and stakeholders.
Some of the issues up for reconsideration and refinement:
Improving the bike lanes on Main West to be physically protected. This has not yet been finalized, and there is an exciting opportunity to do something really transformative with the bike lane design.
Adding or moving stations. The distances between stations are very long in West Hamilton, between Scott Park and Ottawa, and between Parkdale and Nash. The frequency of stations has to be balanced with the desire for rapid movement - too many stations will slow down the service, but too few stations will make it inaccessible.
Adding more dedicated pedestrian crossings. Under the current plan, there are some fairly long stretches with no pedestrian crossings. It will make sense to engage with local residents to determine the best places to add more crossings. For example, Pearl Street is already a de facto north-south pedestrian and cycling greenway connecting Strathcona and Kirkendall neighbourhoods, and there should be a safe LRT crossing here.
Improving cross-street access. Most secondary cross streets will not have left-turning access onto King, but some of these may be up for reconsideration if safety concerns can be addressed. In addition, it will make sense to convert more of these streets to two-way traffic in order to allow vehicles to find sensible paths through the downtown.
Over the next few months, the City will consult extensively with stakeholders - including visiting every property and business along the line twice a year until the LRT is completed - to incorporate local expertise and fine-tune the design.
LRT vehicle on display outside City Hall last year (RTH file photo)
Information Report
Finally, it's important to note that this is an information report, not a request for permission. The Province is footing the bill for this project and Metrolinx owns its design and implementation. This is emphatically not an occasion for Hamilton City Council to try and micromanage the file.
Doubtless, there will be a few councillors who will seize the opportunity to play wedge politics, but it must be stressed that they do not have the final say in this design.
As Andrew Hope, Hamilton LRT project lead for Metrolinx, clarified in an email to RTH:
[T]he City and Metrolinx are working in partnership to deliver the project. The City was the sole proponent for the 2011 [Environmental Assessment], but per the recently approved Memorandum of Agreement for the project we have agreed that the City and Metrolinx will be co-proponents for the EA Addendum process. None of this changes the role of Metrolinx in the project. We will continue to manage the procurement process (together with Infrastructure Ontario), oversee the construction of the project, and will ultimately own the project once it is completed and in service.
The addendum to the Environmental Assessment will be completed between September 2016 and spring 2017, and that will include many formal opportunities for feedback through public information centres (PICs), stakeholder meetings, telephone town halls and other forms of engagement.
Update: the agenda for the May 2 LRT Sub-Committee meeting has gone live. It includes the LRT Alignment information report, but we can't link to it directly because the City's committee website is unusable-by-design, but it's item 8.1 under Discussion Items.
Ryan McGreal, the editor of Raise the Hammer, lives in Hamilton with his family and works as a programmer, writer and consultant. Ryan volunteers with Hamilton Light Rail, a citizen group dedicated to bringing light rail transit to Hamilton. Ryan writes a city affairs column in Hamilton Magazine, and several of his articles have been published in the Hamilton Spectator. He also maintains a personal website, has been known to share passing thoughts on Twitter and Facebook, and posts the occasional cat photo on Instagram.
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MANILA (UPDATE) - Musician and businessman Ramon 'RJ' Jacinto was named presidential adviser on economic affairs and information technology communications, the Palace said Thursday.
The 71-year-old Jacinto campaigned for President Rodrigo Duterte in the 2016 elections.
Jacinto has businesses in real estate, retail, and manufacturing under the RJ Group of Companies.
He is an economics graduate from Ateneo de Manila University. He also took up law at the University of Sto. Tomas.
Meanwhile, the Palace also announced the appointments of Gen. Arthur Tabaquero as presidential adviser on military affairs; Raymundo de Vera Elefante as undersecretary for finance, ammunitions, installations and materials of the Department of National Defense.
Jesus Clint Aranas and Lanee Cui-David were appointed deputy commissioners of the Bureau of Internal Revenue.
Gamaliel Cordoba was re-appointed as commissioner of the National Telecommunications Commission.President Trump gave his administration "a 10" out of 10 rating for its efforts to help Puerto Rico recover from the damage inflicted by Hurricane Maria last month.
"I'd say it was a 10," Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday who asked him to rate the federal response. "I'd say it was probably the most difficult, when you talk about relief, when you talk about search, when you talk about all of the different levels."
Trump said the pair of hurricanes that struck Puerto Rico in short succession created a situation that was "worse than Katrina" and potentially worse than any other storm in history.
"People are really seeing the effort that's been put into Puerto Rico," Trump said during a meeting with Puerto Rican Gov. Ricardo Rossello on Thursday.
"Step by step, it's taken care of," Trump said. "The people of Puerto Rico have a wonderful representative with respect to themselves in this governor."
Trump said administration officials have worked to crack down on corruption amid reports suggesting local workers had not distributed some supplies, such as food.
"There has been corruption on the island, and we can't have that," Trump said.
The president noted representatives from the various federal agencies that have descended on Puerto Rico will eventually have to leave the island.
"At some point, no matter where it is — whether it's Texas or whether it's Florida — it ends," Trump said. "FEMA, the military, first responders, cannot be there forever, and no matter where you go, they can't be there forever."If there’s a place in your heart for a mustang and you are ready to adopt, come to the Bureau of Land Management-Eastern States (BLM-ES) Wild Horse and Burro adoption on April 21- 22.
The BLM-ES will hold an adoption within a short drive from the Nation’s capital at the Meadowood Special Recreation Management Area, located at 10406 Gunston Road, Lorton, Virginia.
A variety of wild horses and burros will be available for adoption on a first come, first serve basis. Adoption applications will be accepted on site beginning Friday at 12 p.m. and may be submitted through Saturday. The horses and burros may be previewed on Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Adoptions will take place on Friday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Demonstrations from a wild horse trainer have been scheduled for this event. Suzanne Myers is a member of the Trainer Incentive Program and has trained wild horses for Extreme Mustang Makeover competitions sponsored by the Mustang Heritage Foundation, BLM’s partner in managing America’s Living Legends.
To learn more about the Mustang Heritage Foundation and their work with the wild horses and burro please visit http://mustangheritagefoundation.org/.
Both days are free and open to anyone interested in wild horses and burros. To learn more about the BLM Wild Horse and Burro program, call 866-468-7826 or visit: https://www.blm.gov/programs/wild-horse-and-burro.One thing you may have noticed is each skill level has a different "points per robot killed". This brings me the next major change in the Krashlander 1.1 update.
Scoring and Level Progression
I had to make a tough decision when it came to scoring and level progression. The changes I wanted to make would require wiping everyones progress and putting everyone back to square one in the game. Obviously this would anger a lot of existing players and probably catch me a fair amount of bad reviews.
With sincere apologies to everyone whos progress will be reset, I decided to go ahead with the changes. Here is why.
The way scoring was (version 1.0)
In the original 1.0 version of Krashlander, the goal was to destroy all the robots in a level with as few attempts (attacks) as possible. Each level had a sort of "par" value. If you destroyed all the robots in "par" attacks you earned 3 stars. Par minus 1 attacks would get you 2 stars, Par minus 2: 1 star, and anything more than that was 0 stars.
I don't think most people fully understood how this worked. Most knew that killing more robots with fewer attacks resulted in more stars, but the finer details were lost on most. It also lead to some awkward wording at the end of each level where I tried to explain why they got the number of stars they did.
The other side effect of this system was that a LOT of people would do a complete reset of the level whenever they didn't destroy all the robots in one shot. This required and extra button push and was really NOT how the game was intended to be played. I get why people played it that way, to go for a perfect score on every level, but I really think it exposed flaw in my game design.
The way scoring is (version 1.1)
In the new 1.1 version of Krashlander, things are more straightforward.
Each level has 3 robots.
You earn 1 star for each robot.
Destroy at least 2 robots to unlock the next level.
That's it.
With this system, the number of attacks is not factored into the score so constantly resetting the level should not be required. If this sounds to easy, fear not. Some of the robots, especially in the later levels, will be a bit of a challenge to reach.
Skill Levels and Scoring
Now, about the skill levels and scoring.
Playing Krashlander as "Elite" is my new favorite way to play. It requires a bit of skill, but it's very rewarding to complete a level knowing there was no "fake" physics assisting you. I want to encourage others to work toward playing in Elite mode. I also want to reward those that do choose to play that way. So, here is what I did.
As mentioned earlier in this post, each skill level has a score multiplier:
Novice - 1 point per robot
Expert - 2 points per robot
Elite - 3 points per robot
The score and level progression for each skill level is tracked separately and your overall game score is simply whichever score is highest at the time between Novice, Expert, and Elite.ADVERTISING Read more
Paris (AFP)
The finance ministers of the European Union's five biggest economies wrote to their American counterpart Monday to voice concerns over a US tax overhaul, saying Washington should adhere to "international obligations to which it has signed up".
The letter, signed by the British, French, German, Italian and Spanish finance ministers, warned that "certain less conventional international tax provisions could contravene" tax treaties and could have "a major distortive impact on international trade".
US Republicans in the House and Senate are working to come up with a final unified version of the reform that President Donald Trump can sign before the end of the year.
Both versions call for slashing taxes for corporations and business partnerships while eliminating many deductions for individuals.
"While the establishment of a modern, competitive and robust tax system is one of the essential pillars of a state's sovereignty, it is important that the US government's rights over domestic tax policy be exercised in a way that adheres with international obligations to which it has signed up," the letter said.
Germany's Finance Minister Peter Altmaier, Britain's Philip Hammond, France's Bruno Le Maire, Italy's Pier Carlo Padoan and Spain's Cristobal Montoro told US Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin they remain "confident that you will find a wise and well-balanced compromise in your mission to create a modern and robust new US tax code".
The United States is Europe's biggest trade and investment partner.
A US Treasury spokesperson responded by saying: "We appreciate the views of the finance ministers. We are closely working with Congress as they finalize the legislation through the conference process."
Last Tuesday the 28 EU finance ministers, meeting in Brussels, has a preliminary discussion on the subject at France's request.
The Republicans' text calls for company tax to be dropped to 20 percent from 35 percent and would encourage US multinationals to repatriate their profits rather than enjoy preferential tax rates overseas.
© 2017 AFPThe other day I was reminded of how important it is to make sure you fully mitigate battery acid leakage on circuit boards. A friend picked up a STTNG (Star Trek the Next Generation) pinball machine. I’ve been systematically going over the game trying to get it working. When I first looked at the backbox I noticed wires had been run for a remote battery pack – I thought “good deal, one less thing I have to worry about.. the MPU board is clean…” so I went about working on other areas of the game, checking switches and optos and everything. After I got the game booting up I discovered the start button would not work. After spending a bunch of time testing all the wires and connectors and still not finding the culprit I took a closer look at the MPU board where the cabinet switches plug in…
I have seen acid damage before, but nothing as sneaky and widely-spread as this. Components all across the main processing board were showing signs of corrosion and damage, but I could also see that repairs had been done, several components and ICs had been replaced and sockets added. Someone cleaned up battery damage and added an external battery pack. But there was still major corrosion on the board… what gives??
My theory is that whoever cleaned the circuit board, instead of using vinegar and multiple paper towels or q-tips, they probably used a single wipe, and in the process of cleaning the circuit board, actually spread the acid all over the components! At the time, they thought it was clean, but they actually made the problem worse.
This is why it’s very important to thoroughly clean off any leaked electrolyte from batteries, and use vinegar to neutralize it, and use multiple wipes — do not wipe from one area to another area. Work on small parts of the board at a time, throw the q-tip or paper towel away and use a clean one when you start to work on another area of the board. Do not risk spreading the acid to previously un-damaged components.A sumi ink wash painting. (A painting done strictly by ink washes, without a pen or pencil drawing underneath.)
So I loved the film Noir from the latest episode and I know I’m jumping on the bandwagon pretty late here with my painting. Forgive my lateness! And the terrible bit of monologue below. While I was painting I had it running through my head. Its hard to ink wash when you are laughing.
This night is as cold and unfeeling as any other night in this city. My breath fogs up the air in delicate little clouds. My jacket is being torn free of its bonds, pushed by the crosswind that always affects the buildings between Clover and 5th. The wind smells. And it doesn't smell like perfume. The shadows are creeping at this time of night. They stretch across buildings and fire escapes. It creeps in alleys and it crawls out of the gutters. It's been eight years. Eight years since the incident. I never did find out who put those pins in my hat and boots for the winter collection fashion show, but the fact remained. My fashionista days were over. It seems so long ago now, when I first came to Canterlot. The shining buildings, the beautiful pageantry of life and magic; oh, I fell in love at first sight. But when everything fell apart, crumbling like moth eaten, cheap, one hundred thread count fabric, the illusion disappeared. And I could see the city for what it really was. For a mare that came from a small town, where the greatest threats were the occasional bunny stampede or maniacal villain, the true face of the city was almost too much to bare. With every step, I could feel the city groaning, creaking with the weight of ages and the discretions of its inhabitants, like Granny Smith's hip, pre-replacement. The shining buildings removed their, admittedly fashionable, facade. And I could see the stained, gray walls underneath. Pitted, dirty walls, of plain brick. Faded as a mannequin that was left in a display window for far too long. Those shining streets were mismatched concrete. A pattern without reason, sense, or beauty; varying shades of gray and off white, clashing together in a most undignified manner. Only unified by the wads of gum that stuck to the surface, staining the pony-made stone with splotches of darkness. Crumbling and scored by the weight of countless hooves and the rain that never seemed to cleanse this city. The rain. Mother natures solution to all filth. Each raindrop is pure, beautiful, and shines with perfect clarity. Just like I once did. But then they fall on this city. The water turns murky and clouded, it reeks of refuse and the trash it never can seem to wash away. Not even the rain can clean the dirty underbelly of this town. That's why I am here. I am going to clean up this town, and those criminals in it, even if I have to dirty my own, perfectly pedicured, hooves to do it. When I catch them, I will accessorize them...with shiny, locked, silver bracelets, sans key. I will make this town beautiful...or my name isn't Rarity Belle. Private detective.
I can ’t believe I wrote that.BIRMINGHAM, England -- Tottenham striker Harry Kane says competition with England teammate Jamie Vardy for the Premier League Golden Boot is "keeping him alive."
Kane's double in Spurs' 2-0 win at Aston Villa took him to 19 league goals, level with Leicester City's Vardy at the top of the Premier League scoring charts.
Vardy could not get on the scoresheet in the Foxes' 1-0 win over Newcastle at the King Power Stadium on Monday.
The pair are one ahead of Romelu Lukaku of Everton and three clear of Man City's Sergio Aguero, who pipped Kane to last season's Golden Boot, scoring 26 times to the Spurs man's 21.
With second-place Spurs five points behind Leicester in the unlikeliest of title races, the duo's form in the final eight league matches could go a long way to deciding the destination of the Premier League trophy.
Speaking to reporters after the win at Villa Park on Sunday, Kane said: "It's good fun, it's good competition to be up there and fighting for the Golden Boot.
"Obviously there's a few people going for it. I'm sure he was watching the game and he'll want to go and score a couple tomorrow. It's good competition -- it's what keeps you alive. We'll see what happens come the end of the season.
"Obviously I'll see him if we're called up for the England squad but I haven't texted him or anything. We'll professional players, keeping an eye out for each other. I'll be watching the game tomorrow and seeing what happens."
Harry Kane and England teammate Jamie Vardy are fighting it out at the top of the Premier League Golden Boot race.
Kane has now scored 43 league goals for Spurs, one more than Gareth Bale managed before his world-record transfer to Real Madrid, and the England forward has three in his last two league matches.
Prior to his brilliant strike in the 2-2 draw with Arsenal, Kane had not scored from open play in six games but he says fluctuations in form are a part of football.
"I was still scoring penalties," he added.
"Penalties are goals at the end of the today. It's part of football. Sometimes you're going to go through runs without scoring from open play but you might be scoring from somewhere else but helping the team somehow.
"At the start of the season, I didn't score for the first eight or nine games but I was still contributing and doing my best for the team and I think that's the most important thing here -- everyone fights for each other and works for each other and that's all we can ask for."So it seems that it has happened again. A third terrorist attack in as many months on London’s streets. Once again using a vehicle. Once again aimed at Londoners.
Except that this time it seems the terrorist himself is not a follower of Isis. Indeed, reports suggest that the attacker may have been a non-Muslim deliberately targeting Muslims. On top of whatever other extremist motivations this attacker may have had, he was also unwittingly doing the work of Isis and similar groups. For if the attack in Finsbury Park was indeed aimed at Muslim worshippers as they were leaving their Mosque then this is exactly the sort of despicable attack that Isis would want to happen, to foment discord. Our whole nation’s thoughts will be with the injured and the family of the person who has died. Those worshippers leaving their mosque who held down the attacker until police arrived on the scene showed special courage and, along with the police, deserve special admiration.
Of course we now live in an era of the politicisation of absolutely everything. For instance, over the last week the far-left in Britain has attempted to claim there is ‘blood on the hands’ of Theresa May and her government for the terrible tragedy (which they are labelling ‘a crime’) at Grenfell Tower in London. Over the weekend they organised protests to demand the resignation of the government and incited already angry citizens to further their political ends. All this with no evidence whatsoever that the Conservative government had anything to do with the burning down of a tower-block in London. This is how the remaining civilities of political discourse disappear.
Now with the attack in Finsbury Park there will be more of the same. The same people who claim that no further extrapolation should be made from a British Muslim carrying out an Isis-inspired attack will extrapolate like mad if it turns out that a British non-Muslim has done the same thing. Yet who would not want there to be as full an investigation as possible into any far-right motivation that may have spurred such an attack? As with the investigation into the killer of Jo Cox, who would not want there to be as full an investigation as possible into whether there are others around hoping to do similar acts or people encouraging them to drive vehicles into crowds of innocent people?
All that is needed is some consistency. At present the same people whose response to any act of terror carried out in the name of Islam is that everybody should look away, and respond with no more than a chorus of ‘Don’t look back in anger’ are now pretending that everyone they disagree with has spent years inciting people to drive vans at crowds of Londoners. I see that JK Rowling is among those pointing the finger at Nigel Farage.
Here’s a test. Yesterday the annual Khomeinist ‘Al-Quds Day’ parade took place in London. The march calls for the destruction of the state of Israel and in our allegedly zero-tolerance-to-terror city of London supporters of the terrorist group Hezbollah openly paraded with the terrorist group’s flags. What twist of popular logic allows that people waving the flags of a terrorist group in London on Sunday have no connection with terror, but that a van-driver committing an act of terror later that same day should be blamed on Nigel Farage?
If it does turn out that Sunday evening’s terrorist was a non-Muslim deliberately targeting Muslims here are some things you will not hear:A pain killer without side effects Opioids are very strong and effective pain killers. However, they also have a range of well-known side effects and can cause addiction. Painful conditions such as inflammation or trauma are often associated with localized tissue acidification. Spahn et al. designed a novel opioid receptor agonist that, unlike clinically used opioids, best activates the receptors in such acidified tissues. In rat models of inflammatory pain, the new drug exerted strong pain relief essentially without the side effects of standard opioids. Science, this issue p. 966
Abstract Indiscriminate activation of opioid receptors provides pain relief but also severe central and intestinal side effects. We hypothesized that exploiting pathological (rather than physiological) conformation dynamics of opioid receptor-ligand interactions might yield ligands without adverse actions. By computer simulations at low pH, a hallmark of injured tissue, we designed an agonist that, because of its low acid dissociation constant, selectively activates peripheral μ-opioid receptors at the source of pain generation. Unlike the conventional opioid fentanyl, this agonist showed pH-sensitive binding, heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide–binding protein (G protein) subunit dissociation by fluorescence resonance energy transfer, and adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate inhibition in vitro. It produced injury-restricted analgesia in rats with different types of inflammatory pain without exhibiting respiratory depression, sedation, constipation, or addiction potential.
Pain treatment is a major challenge in clinical medicine and public health (1). Unfortunately, currently available analgesics are severely limited by adverse effects. Opioids produce sedation, apnea, nausea, addiction, and constipation mediated in brain or gut, and cyclooxygenase inhibitors can elicit ulcers, bleeding, myocardial infarction, or stroke (2, 3). Previous strategies in drug development have focused on central opioid receptors in noninjured environments (4, 5). However, a large number of painful syndromes (e.g., arthritis, neuropathy, and surgery) are driven by peripheral sensory neurons (6–8) and are typically accompanied by inflammation with tissue acidosis (9, 10). Under such circumstances, peripheral opioid receptors and their signaling pathways are up-regulated and mediate a considerable proportion of opioid analgesia in animals and humans (11–14). Acidosis can augment the function of heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide–binding protein (G protein)–coupled receptors (GPCRs) (15–19) and affects the protonation of ligands, which is essential for binding and activation of opioid receptors (5, 20). Current structural information on opioid receptors and ligands is limited to physiological environments (pH 7.4) (21–23) and therefore calls for the analysis of their pathological conformations. We hypothesized that an agonist designed to selectively activate μ-opioid receptors (MORs) at low pH will not elicit side effects typically mediated by central or intestinal MORs exposed to physiological conditions (11, 24).
In computational simulations, we integrated structural data on MOR (21) and its ligand fentanyl (25, 26). Because its logarithmic-scale acid dissociation constant (pK a ) value is above 8 (27, 28), fentanyl is protonated and activates MOR in both normal (pH 7.4) and inflamed (pH 5 to 7) milieus. We hypothesized that a ligand with a pK a between 6 and 7 should be protonated and able to activate MOR exclusively in inflamed tissue. We simulated the replacement of hydrogens (Fig. 1A) by fluorine (F), which attracts protons and decreases pK a. In addition, we evaluated binding energies of protonated and deprotonated ligands. The strong interaction between protonated fentanyl and Asp147 in MOR was lost without protonation (Fig. 1B). The most promising candidates regarding both quantum-chemically estimated pK a values (6.73 and 6.93) (table S1) and binding energies (highly negative ΔG values) (table S1) were H-F3 and H-F7 (table S1) (for further details see supplementary materials). Accordingly, the chemical synthesis of (±)-N-(3-fluoro-1-phenethylpiperidine-4-yl)-N-phenyl propionamide (NFEPP) (Fig. 1C, right; table S1) was carried out by a contractor, and its pK a was determined experimentally as 6.8.
Fig. 1 Computationally based design of fluorinated fentanyl derivatives. (A) Fentanyl (Fen) with indexed positions (black numbers) of hydrogen atoms to be substituted with fluorine (F). (B) Acidic proton of fentanyl in close vicinity of the nearest side-chain oxygen (red) of Asp147 in the μ-opioid receptor (MOR)–binding site. (C) Chemical structures of fentanyl (left) and (±)-N-(3-fluoro-1-phenethylpiperidine-4-yl)-N-phenyl propionamide (NFEPP, right). Sites of fluorination are indicated as R1 and R2.
In binding experiments, inhibition constant (K i ) values of ligands displacing specifically bound [3H][d-Ala2,N-Me-Phe4,Gly5-ol]-enkephalin (DAMGO) in MOR-transfected human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 (HEK293) cells indicated similar affinities of fentanyl across different pH values (Fig. 2A). Conversely, NFEPP affinity dropped at physiological pH compared with acidic conditions (Fig. 2B), in line with our simulations (table S1). Shortening incubation times from 90 min (Fig. 2, A and B) to 30 or 15 min (fig. S1) produced similar results.
Fig. 2 NFEPP activates MOR-dependent signaling pathways preferentially at low pH in MOR-transfected HEK293 cells. (A and B) Displacement of bound [3H][d-Ala2,N-Me-Phe4,Gly5-ol]-enkephalin (DAMGO) by (A) fentanyl or (B) NFEPP incubated for 90 min at pH 5.5, 6.5, and 7.4. Insets show K i (n = 6 to 8). (C to F) Gα i1 -Gβ 1 Gγ 2 dissociation detected by FRET efficiency (percentage of initial intensities, corrected for photobleaching) from 20 s before to 140 s after application (dotted lines) of (C and E) fentanyl or (D and F) NFEPP with or without naloxone (NLX) at (C and D) pH 7.4 and (E and F) 6.5. (G) Area under the curve (AUC) from (C) to (F) calculated between dotted line and maximal response (upward ticks on x axes) (n = 10). (H) IC 50 of cAMP inhibition at different pH values for fentanyl (open bars) and NFEPP (filled bars) (n = 6). **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001 fentanyl versus NFEPP; ###P < 0.001 fentanyl or NFEPP versus fentanyl + NLX or NFEPP + NLX, two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Bonferroni test (means ± SEM).
To assess ligand-induced G-protein activation, we measured the dissociation of G-protein subunits by real-time fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) in HEK293 cells transfected with MOR; the G-protein subunit Gβ 1 ; pertussis toxin (PTX)–resistant Gα i1 mTqΔ6; and Venus-Gγ 2 (fig. S2). All of these were localized at the plasma membrane (fig. S2). The functionality of transfected G-protein subunits was confirmed by persistent fentanyl-induced adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate (cAMP) inhibition in the presence of PTX. pH-dependent quenching of baseline fluorescence was excluded (fig. S2). Decreasing FRET between Gα i1 mTqΔ6 and Venus-Gγ 2 demonstrated G-protein dissociation upon MOR stimulation. Fentanyl caused energy transfer from the donor-acceptor (DA) to the donor-donor (DD) channel (fig. S2I), resulting in FRET decrease (fig. S2J and Fig. 2, C and E), which indicates G-protein dissociation at both low and normal pH. In contrast, NFEPP caused significant FRET decrease only at low (Fig. 2F), but not at normal, pH (Fig. 2D). G-protein activation by both fentanyl and NFEPP was successfully blocked by the opioid receptor antagonist naloxone (NLX) under all conditions (Fig. 2, C to G). NLX alone did not modulate FRET responses.
The potency of cAMP inhibition [assessed by half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC 50 ) values calculated from dose-response curves in fig. S3, A and B] induced by fentanyl did not change significantly, whereas those induced by NFEPP decreased with increasing pH values (Fig. 2H). At physiological pH, the potency of NFEPP was more than one order of magnitude less than that of fentanyl. The effects of both fentanyl and NFEPP were reversible by NLX (fig. S3C).
To examine analgesic efficacy in vivo, we tested fentanyl and NFEPP in two clinically relevant rat models of persistent or acute inflammatory pain, i.e., unilateral hindpaw inflammation at 4 days after intraplantar (i.pl.) injection of complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA), or at 2 hours after plantar incision (see supplementary materials). Tissue pH values were significantly decreased in injured compared with noninjured paws, both after CFA (6.8 ± 0.02 versus 7.2 ± 0.03, P < 0.0001, paired t test) and incision (7.02 ± 0.02 versus 7.2 ± 0.01, P < 0.0001, paired t test). After CFA injection, rats developed overt paw inflammation (redness and swelling), reduced paw pressure thresholds (PPTs) (“hyperalgesia”) (Fig. 3A and fig. S4), reduced paw withdrawal thresholds to von Frey filaments (PWTs or “allodynia”) (Fig. 3B and fig. S4), and reduced paw withdrawal latencies (PWLs) to heat stimulation (“thermal hypersensitivity”) (Fig. 3C and fig. S4) in ipsilateral compared with contralateral paws. Fentanyl [2 to 12 μg per kg body weight, administered intravenously (i.v.)] produced analgesia, as demonstrated by dose-dependent elevation of nociceptive thresholds in inflamed (“injured”) and in contralateral (“noninjured”) paws (Fig. 3 and fig. S4). In contrast, NFEPP (2 to 12 μg/kg i.v.) produced dose-dependent analgesia only in inflamed paws (Fig. 3 and fig. S4). At 8 to 12 μg/kg i.v., fentanyl produced significantly stronger PPT increases than NFEPP in both paws (Fig. 3A). At 32 μg/kg i.v., fentanyl was lethal because of respiratory depression, whereas NFEPP did not elicit overt sedation or respiratory depression but elevated PPT up to 75 g. The most effective fentanyl dose (12 μg/kg i.v.) increased PWT and PWL to cut off in both inflamed and contralateral paws (Fig. 3 and fig. S4). NFEPP (12 μg/kg i.v.) also fully restored PWT and PWL, but only in inflamed paws (Fig. 3 and fig. S4).
Fig. 3 Systemic NFEPP reduces pain selectively in injured tissue via peripheral MOR in the CFA model. Effects at 10 min after intravenous (i.v.) fentanyl or NFEPP on (A) mechanical hyperalgesia, (B) allodynia, and (C) heat sensitivity in inflamed (left) and noninflamed paws (right). (D to F) Contribution of peripheral MOR to the analgesia produced 10 min after i.v. injection of fentanyl (left) or NFEPP (right) (each at 12 μg/kg) assessed with naloxone methiodide (NLXM, 50 μg) or vehicle (Veh) injected i.pl. into inflamed paws. #P < 0.05, ##P < 0.01, ###P < 0.001 fentanyl versus NFEPP, aP < 0.05, aaP < 0.01, aaaP < 0.001 versus NLXM, §§P < 0.01, §§§P < 0.001 NFEPP + NLXM versus fentanyl + NLXM, Mann-Whitney test (A to F); *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001 versus dotted gray lines, representing “0 µg/kg” in (A) to (C) (Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn’s test) or baseline in (D) to (F) (means ± SEM; n = 6 to 9).
To examine the contribution of peripheral opioid receptors, we used naloxone-methiodide (NLXM), an opioid antagonist that does not cross the blood-brain barrier (29), in optimal doses determined in pilot experiments. In all three tests, the bilateral analgesic effects of fentanyl (12 μg/kg i.v.) were only partially reversed by i.pl. injection of NLXM (50 μg/paw) into inflamed (Fig. 3, D to F) or noninflamed paws (fig. S5). In contrast, the unilateral analgesic effects of NFEPP (12 μg/kg i.v.) in inflamed paws were virtually abolished by NLXM (50 μg/paw i.pl.) (Fig. 3, D to F). In naïve animals, systemic |
to any Budget, a whole range of options is considered.
He said the Minister for Finance had made his views known about the taxation question publicly for some time and
Mr Kenny said: "I have stated before, we think it important that people are able to plan their personal lives and business lives and, in that respect, income tax is very important."
He added that as the Government has made no decision about the details of the Budget, anything outside that is speculation.
Reuters obtains 'Letter of Intent'
Documents obtained by Reuters show the Government will increase the top rate of VAT by 2% in next month's Budget and make up the rest of the €1bn it is targeting in new revenue measures through indirect taxes.
The document involved is called "Ireland: memorandum of economic and financial policies".
It was attached to a draft "Letter of Intent" from Finance Minister Michael Noonan and the Governor of the Central Bank, Patrick Honohan, to the IMF, ECB and the European Commission.
The draft letter was not signed by either Mr Noonan or Mr Honohan. It was dated November 2011, with a space left for the exact date.
Ireland is committed to making budgetary adjustments of €3.8bn for next year under its EU/IMF bailout.
Minister Noonan has said he will not reveal the exact measures until he presents the Budget.
However, according to a document presented to the budget committee of the German lower house of parliament yesterday, Ireland will raise the top rate of VAT to 23%, generating an additional €670m.
"After successive Budgets in which income tax burdens were raised significantly, we have decided to focus on indirect tax increases to deliver the bulk of the €1bn additional tax effort required in 2012," the document said.
"To this end, the VAT rate is being raised by 2 percentage points to 23%, which will generate €0.67bn."
In a separate document, the EU-IMF-ECB troika of lenders said that while Ireland continues to perform well under its programme, risks remain for market sentiment, economic growth and potential higher-than-anticipated bank losses.
Minister Howlin told RTÉ’s News at One that no decision had been taken in relation to VAT.
Fianna Fáil Finance Spokesperson Michael McGrath said Mr Noonan needed to urgently make a statement on the issue.
''According to the reports, members of the German parliament have been given details of the Irish Budget three weeks before the Irish parliament and the Irish people,'' Mr McGrath said in a statement.
''If this proves to be true, it would be a staggering and unprecedented breach of faith with the Irish parliament and Irish people on Budget plans. It would represent a fundamental breach of established protocols in relation to the disclosure of budgetary measures.
''We need to know whether the Irish Government has revealed the detail of its Budget plans to the German budget committee."
Mr McGrath added: ''In addition to the reported planned VAT increase, what other information has been given the German authorities about the Budget plans?''A few months ago, I partook in an exciting opportunity extended to me by the kind folks at ARRI Rental New Jersey: spending a day at their rental facility shooting with the ARRI Alexa XT B+W camera, ARRI’s monochromatic camera capable of shooting in infrared, which is available exclusively from ARRI Rental. Not satisfied with simply shooting some dry camera tests, I brought my friend Zach Terry on board as a director, and, along with a small crew, we proceeded to shoot two short videos with the goal of exercising the camera in real-world situations and putting its features to the test. In this article, I will explain a little bit more about the science behind the camera, break down some of our technical choices, and discuss some of the more startling results, which you can see in the videos below.
So How Does It Work?
The Alexa XT B+W camera is like any other camera in the Alexa line in terms of its design, ergonomics, and overall build, with a few minor modifications: the Bayer mask, optical low-pass filter (OLPF) and IR block filters have all been removed from the front of the sensor. By removing the Bayer mask, the camera does not see nor record any type of color information, instead creating a monochromatic grayscale image. As a result of removing the Bayer filter, each pixel on the sensor array records the entire spectrum of visible light (as opposed to just the green, blue or red portions of the spectrum), which significantly increases the resolution of the image, extends the dynamic range of the camera to over 15 stops, and increases the native sensitivity of the sensor to 2000 ISO.
By removing the Bayer filter layer, each pixel on the sensor receives the entire spectrum of light, as opposed to just the red, green or blue portions of the spectrum, resulting in increased detail, sharpness and sensitivity.
The final piece of the puzzle is the IR block filter that is present in all digital cameras and is used to block out infrared light from hitting the sensor. In standard Monochrome mode on the Alexa XT B+W, this filter is still in place, limiting the camera’s sensitivity to the visible spectrum only and resulting in a “standard” (albeit much higher quality, sharper and more sensitive) black and white image -- the interior shots in the second video were filmed in this mode. However, what makes this camera truly unique is that this filter can be removed and replaced with a filter that blocks out all visible light, allowing only infrared light to penetrate through the filter and hit the sensor. This is the “Infrared” mode of the camera, which causes some of the more interesting visual anomalies that can be observed in the videos.
The light spectrum, highlighting the different ranges of infrared light and its relation to visible light.
I should note that this camera does not see the entire infrared spectrum, but rather a very narrow portion of it that is just outside of the visible light spectrum referred to as “Near Infrared”. Specifically, the camera is sensitive to wavelengths that are between 800 nanometers and 1,100 nanometers. To boil it down to basics, in infrared mode the camera will only see objects that reflect or emit infrared light. And our first major demonstration of this principle came when we turned the camera on for the first time on one of the rental benches inside the ARRI Rental facility
At first, we were confused as to why we were not seeing anything on the camera -- the monitor looked completely dark. Squinting, we could barely make out the contours of some of the other rental benches and features of the room. We quickly realized that this was simply infrared mode in action. The industrial fluorescent lighting that ARRI uses to illuminate its rental floor emits a very limited spectrum of light between 550 and 650 nanometers -- and no infrared light whatsoever. And for the camera in infrared mode, no infrared light is essentially the same as shooting in the dark with no light at all, which is why we couldn’t see anything on the monitors even though the room appeared very brightly lit to the naked eye. After putting together our equipment package, we took our camera outside into the infrared-soaked sunlight to really start putting things to the test.
What You Don't See is What You Get
The most immediately noticeable characteristic of the infrared footage is that it tosses all preconceived notions of color and tonality out the window. Objects that reflect a lot of infrared light, plants and certain synthetic fabrics in particular, such as cotton, show up on camera as hot white. As you can see from the photos below, our lead actor from the first video was wearing a dark-colored jacket, which in the video shows up as white. Leaves, grass and the roses from the first video all appear as a very light shade of white as well. Interestingly enough, other materials seem to be significantly less infrared-reflective, such as the actor’s denim pants, which show up as black in the infrared footage as well as in the reference photo.
Another interesting observation is that pigments and coloration don’t show up in camera at all. The apparent tonality of an object depends entirely on how much infrared light it reflects: for example, the roses from the first video are of all different colors, but because they all reflect an equal amount of infrared light, the roses all appear to be the same shade of bright white in camera. The same goes for the dress worn by the actress: The flower patterns printed onto the fabric of her dress do not register on camera at all.
Comparison between a frame grab from the video and a still photo taken on set. Notice the dark fabrics that show up as white on camera, the pattern on the dress, and the roses on the bottom right corner of the frame grab, as well as the leaves in the bushes behind the actors.
Eye pigmentation does not seem to register either. Though our actors in both videos had a variety of eye colors ranging from dark brown to light blue, in infrared their eyes all show up as the same uniform shade of deep grey, creating a very creepy “vampire eyes” effect. Hair undergoes a similar process, as demonstrated by the side-by-side comparison images of our 2nd AC, which you can see below. Human skin is also very infrared-reflective, and again, because discoloration and pigmentation don’t show up, various discolorations such as moles, freckles and more don’t show up in infrared at all, creating a sort of hyper-smooth, otherworldly texture to human skin.
Hair and eye tonality differences between the infrared image in camera and under observable, visible light.
Lighting and Exposure
For our exterior shots we predominantly relied on the natural sunlight, and utilized a single M18 HMI for a backlight or kicker. Though the HMI did not appear quite as bright in infrared as it looked to the naked eye, there was still enough infrared output in the HMI spectrum for it to register on camera. ND filters are incompatible with infrared filming, since the filters are designed to cut down visible light only, and do not affect infrared light at all -- as a result, the camera can see right through the ND. When held up in front of the camera, an ND filter appears to be just a clear pane of glass. The same effect can be observed with sunglasses, which in front of the infrared camera appear as empty frames. As a result, we had to rely mostly on ISO adjustment to control our exposure levels, and ended up shooting most of our exterior shots between ISO 160 and ISO 320. We also shot everything at 120fps, which provided us with a couple more stops with which we could get proper exposure without having to compromise depth of field.
An M18 HMI was used for backlight. Also notice the dancer’s black shirt, which shows up as white in the infrared image. Additionally, the pigmentation of her artificial hair dye does not show up in infrared, revealing her much lighter true hair tonality underneath.
Lenses
Since newer cinema lenses are designed with digital cameras in mind and often include infrared-reducing coatings, we decided to rely on vintage glass for these two videos that we know had much fewer coatings and would allow the maximum amount of infrared light to enter the lens and hit the sensor. We ended up shooting with Zeiss Super Speeds on the first video and Super Baltars on the second.
One funny side effect of shooting infrared was also one that we did not anticipate at all: lenses are calibrated for the visible spectrum only and are not designed to account for infrared light, and the huge differences in the wavelength and nature of infrared light meant that the distance markings on the lenses were completely off while shooting in infrared mode. My 1st AC had to rely entirely on the monitor and pulled focus by eye, since the marks on the lenses were often off by a matter of a few feet, sometimes more. Additionally, we employed a full white Pro Mist filter in front of the lens for the flashback sequences in the first video, in order to provide an ethereal, otherworldly look to the footage.
Conclusion
Like all Alexa XT models, the camera shoots ArriRaw directly to on-board Codex XR mags, which we then offloaded through a Codex Vault system and transcoded using a custom Log-C gamma space into ProRes 4444 2.8K files. (Unlike other Alexa XT models, though, the Alexa XT B+W does not have internal ProRes or DNxHD recording options; it can only record to ArriRaw.) All post-production was done entirely in ProRes. Unfortunately we simply did not have the resources to work with ArriRaw on this project.
The footage was graded in DaVinci Resolve by our wonderful colorist Erik Choquette, who really only had to adjust contrast levels since the images were monochromatic. A significant amount of correction had to be done sometimes even within an individual shot, as we were shooting under spotty cloud coverage. Because of the sensitivity of the chip and the sheer volume of infrared light, the presence of direct sun versus cloud coverage resulted in pretty significant exposure shifts, far more extreme than if we were shooting normally.
One final comparison, highlighting the irregularities in the infrared image.
All in all, it was a thrilling experience to put this incredible technology to the test, and every new visual curiosity sparked a little science lesson along the way as well -- trying to discern why the camera was reacting a certain way to some objects and another way to others, though there are still many textures and objects that we simply did not have the time to test on that day that I would love to shoot with this camera in the future. Overall, I think that infrared shooting provides a great opportunity to create some truly unique imagery, and while the technical and logistical limitations of the camera mean that you can’t shoot everything on it, I can certainly see it providing a very interesting and unique look to more stylized content such as commercials, music videos, or even a particularly pretentious dream sequence in a narrative film.
If you have any questions about the camera, the infrared technology, or anything that I neglected to cover, please don’t hesitate to chime in in the comments section or to reach out to me directly! My e-mail address can be found on my NFS profile page.How the human brain works The human brain is an intricate organ. At approximately 3 pounds, it contains about 100 billion neurons and 100 trillion connections. Your brain is command central of all you think, feel, and do. Your brain is divided into two halves, or hemispheres. Within each half, particular regions control certain functions. The two sides of your brain look very much alike, but there’s a huge difference in how they process information. Despite their contrasting styles, the two halves of your brain don’t work independently of each other. Different parts of your brain are connected by nerve fibers. If a brain injury severed the connection between sides, you could still function. But the lack of integration would cause some impairment. The human brain is constantly reorganizing itself. It’s adaptable to change, whether it’s physical or through life experience. It’s tailor-made for learning. As scientists continue mapping the brain, we’re gaining more insight into which parts control necessary functions. This information is vital to advancing research into brain diseases and injuries, and how to recover from them.
The left brain/right brain theory Share on Pinterest The theory is that people are either left-brained or right-brained, meaning that one side of their brain is dominant. If you’re mostly analytical and methodical in your thinking, you’re said to be left-brained. If you tend to be more creative or artistic, you’re thought to be right-brained. This theory is based on the fact that the brain’s two hemispheres function differently. This first came to light in the 1960s, thanks to the research of psychobiologist and Nobel Prize winner Roger W. Sperry. The left brain is more verbal, analytical, and orderly than the right brain. It’s sometimes called the digital brain. It’s better at things like reading, writing, and computations. According to Sperry’s dated research, the left brain is also connected to: logic
sequencing
linear thinking
mathematics
facts
thinking in words The right brain is more visual and intuitive. It’s sometimes referred to as the analog brain. It has a more creative and less organized way of thinking. Sperry’s dated research suggests the right brain is also connected to: imagination
holistic thinking
intuition
arts
rhythm
nonverbal cues
feelings visualization
daydreaming We know the two sides of our brain are different, but does it necessarily follow that we have a dominant brain just as we have a dominant hand? A team of neuroscientists set out to test this premise. After a, they found no proof that this theory is correct. Magnetic resonance imaging of 1,000 people revealed that the human brain doesn’t actually favor one side over the other. The networks on one side aren’t generally stronger than the networks on the other side. The two hemispheres are tied together by bundles of nerve fibers, creating an information highway. Although the two sides function differently, they work together and complement each other. You don’t use only one side of your brain at a time. Whether you’re performing a logical or creative function, you’re receiving input from both sides of your brain. For example, the left brain is credited with language, but the right brain helps you understand context and tone. The left brain handles mathematical equations, but right brain helps out with comparisons and rough estimates. General personality traits, individual preferences, or learning style don’t translate into the notion that you’re left-brained or right-brained. Still, it’s a fact that the two sides of your brain are different, and certain areas of your brain do have specialties. The exact areas of some functions can vary a bit from person to person.
Tips for keeping your brain sharp According to the Alzheimer’s Association, keeping your brain active may help increase vitality and possibly generate new brain cells. They also suggest that a lack of mental stimulation may increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Here are a few tips to keep your brain stimulated: Tips and tricks Spend some time each day reading, writing, or both.
Never stop learning. Take a class, go to a lecture, or try to acquire a new skill.
Tackle challenging crossword and sudoku puzzles.
Play memory games, board games, card games, or video games.
Take on a new hobby that requires you to focus. In addition to thinking exercises, your brain benefits from a good physical workout. Just 120 minutes of aerobic exercise a week can help improve learning and verbal memory. Avoid junk food and be sure to get all the essential nutrients you need through diet or dietary supplements. And, of course, aim for a full night’s sleep every night.
Tips for boosting creativity If you’re trying to nourish your creative side, here are a few ways to get started: Read about and listen to the creative ideas of others. You might discover the seed of an idea you can grow, or set your own imagination free. Try something new. Take up a creative hobby, such as playing an instrument, drawing, or storytelling. A relaxing hobby can help your mind wander to new places. Look within. This can help you gain a deeper understanding of yourself and what makes you tick. Why do you gravitate toward certain activities and not others? Keep it fresh. Break your set patterns and go outside your comfort zone. Take a trip to a place you’ve never been. Immerse yourself in another culture. Take a course in a subject you haven’t studied before. Tips and tricks When you get new ideas, write them down and work on developing them further.
Brainstorm. When faced with a problem, try to find several ways to get to a solution.
When doing simple chores, such as washing the dishes, leave the TV off and let your mind wander to new places.
Rest, relax, and laugh to let your creative juices flow. Even something as creative as music takes time, patience, and practice. The more you practice any new activity, the more your brain adapts to the new information. Want to boost your creativity? Give adult coloring books a try.It seems that Voltron is going through something of a renaissance these days, or as I have decided to call it, a Voltronaissance. Not only is there a new animated series coming from Netflix that's set to update the original '80s animated series, but for those of you with a pile of cash and the desire to decorate your home with a very large statue of a robot made of robot lions, we have some very good news for you.
This week, Sideshow Collectibles announced a new, highly detailed Voltron: Defender of the Universe maquette, and while it has the truly staggering price of $1250, I have to admit that it looks pretty awesome.
As you can tell from the image above, the maquette stands over eight apples tall --- or 27", for those of you who don't use fruit-based systems of measuring systems. It also comes disassembled, being made up of 11 pieces that you'll have to put together yourself. For most franchises, I have to imagine that would be a bit of a negative, but for Voltron, it's weirdly appropriate. I mean, if I'm going to spend that much money on a statue, then I better get the chance to whisper " and I'll form... the head! " when I'm finally getting it ready for display.
It's worth noting that unlike the blocky style of the original cartoon, Sideshow's version is highly detailed and modernized, with plenty of details that give it a realistic edge - if "realistic" is the right word for a robot lion gestalt mech.
The Voltron Maquette will be available for pre-order starting on June 9.During a recent tour stop in Washington State, Eric Church offered up his take on a classic song by Pearl Jam. Readers can press play above to watch Church perform the Seattle-bred band's hit "Better Man."
While playing Tacoma's Tacoma Dome on his Holdin' My Own Tour, Church broke out his cover of Pearl Jam's "Better Man" about midway through his second set. Although the song was never officially released as a single, "Better Man" spent a total of eight weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in 1995. Written by Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder while he was in high school, "Better Man" appears on the band's 1994 album Vitalogy.
"That's the best band I've ever seen," Church told Country Countdown USA's Lon Helton of Pearl Jam in mid-2016. The country star had gotten the opportunity to watch the iconic band cut a live album during a performance at Nashville's Third Man Records and calls the experience "one of my Top 3 favorite things I've ever done."
One of Pearl Jam's best-known songs, "Better Man" has also been covered by country duo Sugarland. Their version of the track appears on their live CD / DVD Live on the Inside, released in 2009.
Church’s Holdin’ My Own Tour — each night of which features two sets from Church and no opening act — is scheduled to run through late May.
Country Music's Biggest Risk-TakersA would-be Internet killer is behind bars and facing 20 years' jail after offering to dispatch a woman he met in a suicide chat room, the Houston Chronicle reports.
Edward Frank Manuel, 55, of Houston, apparently arranged to strangle the Wisconsin woman during sex, place a yellow rose on her chest and then bury her in a Texas forest.
The woman agreed to meet Manual at Houston bus terminal, where police swooped on him and his car, which contained yellow roses and "a device for strangling". Who exactly alerted the authorities is unclear, although the "victim" attended the rendezvous as part of a planned police operation.
Manuel's arrest follows the recent case of a 41-year-old German charged with murder and cannibalism after killing another man he met on the Internet.
The man placed an advert "Seeking young, well-built men aged 18 to 30 to slaughter" which soon attracted a willing victim who, having sold all his possessions, disappeared from the face of the earth only to turn up later in a freezer in Rotenberg, central Germany.
The Japanese have also embraced the possibilities of Internet death pacts. An October 2002 BBC report details the sad tale of a 46-year-old dentist and 25-year-old woman who met in a suicide chat room and subsequently killed themselves with sleeping pills.
Japanese police say that there are many such sites in Japan. In 1998, a Tokyo woman shuffled off this mortal coil with potassium cyanide bought from an Internet suicide service. Appropriately, the man responsible for this humanitarian service later departed this life at his own hand.
Meanwhile, there are few clues as to the identity of the Wisconsin woman responsible for Edward Frank Manuel's arrest. The original suicide chat room has - unsurprisingly - disappeared, although this allegedly genuine posting appears elsewhere. It poses interesting questions as to her real motives for frequenting suicide chat rooms in the first place:
Originally Posted By Crazy/Suicide Chat Room Girl:
Any notions I'd had about serial killers being interesting, complex people went out the window. Aside from Rabbit's sex-death-strangulation fetish, he was quite dull and boring. (He wasn't even as smart as I had expected. I guess I thought all serial killers would be charismatic, bright Bundy types. They apparently are not.)
Poor dull, boring Manuel is scheduled to appear in court on 28 January.The son of a sheriff's deputy who was killed in the line of duty was heartbroken when he lost the auction to buy his dad's former squad car. Until the auction winner handed him the keys.Colorado brothers Tanner and Chase Brownlee wanted to own a part of their father's legacy, and after nearly five years since losing him, they had a chance to buy their dad's squad car, according to ABC News "It'd mean a lot to me and my brother. We've been through a lot," Tanner told ABC affiliate KMGH.Weld County Deputy Sam Brownlee was killed in the line of duty in 2010 after a police chase, and his squad car was to be auctioned off on May 13 to benefit C.O.P.S (Concerns of Police Survivors), an organization that helps survivors of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty."This is kind of the end of Sam's legacy here. It's the last tangible thing we have that he was connected to," said Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams.When Tanner learned that he would have the chance to buy his father's car, he started a GoFundMe page asking for help.Unfortunately, Tanner had not planned on the bid for the car being so high, and the bidding price quickly surpassed what he could afford. The young man's hopes were crushed when local farmer Steve Wells outbid Tanner, paying $60,000 though the car's Kelley Blue Book value was only $12,500.But seconds after the auctioneer handed Wells the keys to the squad car, the farmer turned to face Tanner."Tanner? Here's your car," said Wells as he handed the young man the keys.The entire room erupted in applause as an emotional Tanner accepted Wells' gift, thanking and hugging him for his incredible generosity. The two had never previously met."I didn't know," Tanner told KMGH. "It means so much to me."Wells declined to be interviewed with KMGH, saying he did not want to take away Tanner's moment as he got behind the wheel of his dad's car.The U.S. Air Force ferried the shorter range UH-1s to Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport. The flying branch’s cargo planes had already delivered tons of humanitarian aid and ferried in civilian first-responders.
The Ospreys are capable of “delivering aid twice as fast and five times farther than previous helicopters,” which “enhances the operational reach of relief efforts,” according to a Marine Corps press release boasted. The tiltrotors flew in from Japan under their own power.
And now, acting out the responses it practiced back in August, the U.S. Marine Corps has sent UH-1Y helicopters and MV-22 Osprey tiltrotors—which fly like regular planes but can land like choppers—to help deliver rescuers and supplies, scout damaged towns and retrieve the injured.
On April 25, that scenario came devastatingly, horrifyingly true. A quake between 7.8 and 8.1 magnitude rocked the small Himalayan nation.
Eight months ago, the Pentagon’s top command in the Pacific hosted a training exercise in Nepal, prepping to deal with a major earthquake in the Kathmandu Valley.
Eight months ago, Marines and other American personnel were in Nepal alongside troops and civilians from around 20 other countries, all responding to a fake earthquake.
The exercise participants focused on quickly setting up an improvised communications network to help Nepalese authorities and humanitarian organizations distribute information, deliver aid and coordinate emergency services.
The underlying story for the training program—nicknamed Pacific Endeavor 2014—describes the current, real situation almost to the letter.
The mock quake had a registered magnitude of 8.2, knocking out roads, bridges, power lines and sewage systems, official briefings explained. Aftershocks caused even more damage and delayed first responders.
A week after this fictional disaster occurred, emergency personnel had identified nearly 6,000 of the nearly 14,000 dead, according to one of the updates event organizers handed out during the sessions. “Morgues are not accepting bodies due to insufficient space.”
“Sixty percent of buildings in densely built-up areas are destroyed or unsafe,” a mock situation report added. More than a half a million simulated people were homeless.
In the real Nepal, more than 7,000 people have died and more than 14,000 have been injured in the actual earthquake. The disaster has forced more than three million Nepalis from their homes.
In the country’s Gorkha District just west of Kathmandu, the earthquake destroyed nearly 90 percent of all houses. Roads are impassable in many rural areas.
“Hospitals near Kathmandu are reportedly low or have run out of medical supplies,” the Marine Corps’ Joint Task Force 505 noted. “The lack of clean water and flushing toilets is increasing the potential for the spread of water-borne diseases, diarrhea and respiratory diseases.”
Unfortunately, the “needs on the ground are still not 100-percent clear as some of the hardest-hit areas are also the most remote,” the Marine summary added.
The Pacific Endeavor scenario has turned out to be almost disturbingly prescient.
The Pentagon didn’t just just randomly decide on this particular mock disaster storyline. For more than a decade, the international community has worried about what would happen to the mountainous South Asian country after a major seismic event.
In the last hundred years, earthquakes in Nepal have killed more than 27,000 people, Nepali authorities explained as American officers developed the final training plan. Over the past four decades, the same number of people died in more than 15,000 recorded natural disasters — including quakes and floods.
In 2012, the United Nations Development Program ranked Nepal 11th in nations at risk for major quakes, the representatives from Kathmandu pointed out in their briefing slides. “[The] World Bank … classifies Nepal as one of the global ‘hot-spots’ for natural disasters.”
Most notably, the Bihar-Nepal Earthquake destroyed a fifth of all buildings in the Kathmandu Valley and razed a quarter of the structures in the capital in 1934. In 1997, the U.S. Agency for International Development had even funded a study to see just how bad the situation would be if a similar seismic shock hit the country.
Two years later, California-based nonprofit GeoHazards International concluded that 40,000 people would die and nearly a million would be displaced by a equally massive earthquake. GeoHazards concluded their work by proposing improvements to the building codes for schools and other infrastructure, as well as educating people on what to do in an emergency.
However, Nepal’s civil war and political instability—including Crown Prince Dipendra’s massacre of his parents and other Royal family members in 2001—made it difficult for the country to make these necessary improvements. The volatile situation limited Washington’s involvement, as well.
But in 2012, the commander of the III Marine Expeditionary Force declared outright that Nepal was high on the Corps’ radar in the Pacific. “Priority focus will be placed on a major earthquake in Nepal,” Maj. Gen. Peter Talleri wrote in an annual guidance statement.
In 2013 and 2014, the U.S. Army’s main headquarters for the Pacific region held two separate disaster preparedness drills of their own in Nepal. And along with the Marines, the Air Force participated in the 2014 iteration of Pacific Endeavor.
Now, the Pentagon will get to see whether all of this training has really paid off.Sen. Bernard Sanders says the Defense Department paid $285 billion over a three-year span to hundreds of military contractors who defrauded the Pentagon during the same period.
But because of disagreements regarding the definition of “fraud,” the Vermont independent’s conclusions may differ from those of many Pentagon agencies.
Mr. Sanders — citing a new Defense Department report prepared for him — said the Pentagon spent about $270 billion from 2007 to 2009 on 91 contractors involved in civil fraud cases that resulted in judgments of more than $1 million.
Another $682 million went to 30 contractors convicted of “hard core” criminal fraud in the same three-year period, he said. Billions of additional dollars went to firms that had been suspended or barred by the Pentagon for misusing taxpayer dollars.
“With the country running a $14 trillion national debt, my goal is to provide as much transparency as possible about what is happening with taxpayer money,” Mr. Sanders said. “The sad truth is that virtually all of the major defense contractors in this country for years have been engaged in systemic fraudulent behavior, while receiving hundreds of billions of dollars of taxpayer money.”
A Sanders provision in a defense-spending bill required the report and directed the Defense Department to recommend ways to punish fraudulent contractors.
“It is clear that DOD’s current approach is not working and we need far more vigorous enforcement to protect taxpayers from massive fraud,” said Mr. Sanders, who is considered one of the most liberal members of Congress.
But the authors of the 45-page documentation, titled “Report to Congress on Contracting Fraud,” said that because there is no central repository for contracting data, the department faced a “number of challenges” drafting the report — “first and foremost was the development of a common definition of ‘procurement fraud.’” Each of the Pentagon’s several criminal investigative bodies differs on how it classifies fraud in its database.
The Pentagon said it has taken several steps to “improve awareness and safeguard with regard to contractor fraud.”
“In addition to the criminal, civil penalties and sanctions imposed by the courts, [the department] has numerous contractual and administrative remedies available, including suspension and debarment, when it is determined that it is not in the department’s best business interests to contract with a particular company,” said Defense Department spokeswoman Cheryl Irwin.
Ms. Irwin added that during the past three years the Pentagon’s Panel on Contracting Integrity “has worked to reduce the department’s vulnerability to waste, fraud and abuse.”
But Mr. Sanders complained that the Pentagon, in its report, said its “existing remedies with respect to contractor wrongdoing are sufficient.”
Mr. Sanders‘ stopped short of calling for further action and hasn’t demanded the contractors return the money. His office said the senator was awaiting more information from the Pentagon.
In the past, some lawmakers have gone so far as to call for private firms to be denied federal contracts if they have violated laws such as those against hiring illegal immigrants.
Copyright © 2019 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.The image shows comet 67P/CG acquired by the ROLIS instrument on the Philae lander during descent on Nov 12, 2014 14:38:41 UT from a distance of approximately 3 km from the surface. The landing site is imaged with a resolution of about 3m per pixel.
The ROLIS instrument is a down-looking imager that acquires images during the descent and doubles as a multispectral close-up camera after the landing. The aim of the ROLIS experiment is to study the texture and microstructure of the comet's surface. ROLIS (ROsetta Lander Imaging System) is a descent and close-up camera on the Philae Lander. It has been developed by the DLR Institute of Planetary Research, Berlin. The lander separated from the orbiter at 09:03 GMT (10:03 CET) and touched down on Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko seven hours later.People have a tendency to think of child sex offending as being largely, if not exclusively, attributable to male perpetrators. This likely stems, at least in part, from the way such offenders are typically portrayed in the popular media. For instance, can you think of any episodes of To Catch a Predator or similar programs that showed even one female predator? It’s not just that female sex offending of this nature is rarely portrayed, though; it also appears to be taken less seriously than male sex offending in many cases. For example, it is not uncommon for people to refer to adolescent boys as “lucky” when an adult female (especially an attractive one) is caught having sex with them. In contrast, I have yet to hear of any cases in which an adolescent female is referred to as “lucky” when an older man is caught having sex with her.
Our tendency to view child sex offending as a male-only problem has an unfortunate consequence in that it may allow a large number of female offenders to avoid being detected. Perhaps this is why women represent just 1% of sex offenders in the United States prison system [1]. Thus, it may not be that women rarely commit such crimes—instead, it may be that women are not being caught or they are being punished less harshly. So just how common is it for women to commit sex crimes against children and adolescents? And in what ways do female and male sex offenders differ? A recent study published in the Journal of Child Sexual Abuse sought to address these questions with the goal of providing a more complete picture of the people who commit sexual offenses against minors [2].
In this study, data from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System were analyzed. The data included all reports from child protective services for 49 states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico (Oregon is the only state not included because it opted not to participate in this program). Reports spanned the one-year period from October 1, 2009 – September 30, 2010. For purposes of this study, only those cases that featured substantiated claims of sexual abuse in which the gender of the perpetrator was known were analyzed, yielding a final sample of 66,765 cases.
The results revealed that 21% of cases involved a perpetrator who was female. This is consistent with other research showing that, while men disproportionately commit child sexual abuse, it is not uncommon or unheard of for women to commit such acts. In fact, there were 13,492 substantiated reports of women sexually abusing |
ometer scale (billionths of a meter), which contain both the lithium and the oxygen in the form of a glass, confined tightly within a matrix of cobalt oxide. The researchers refer to these particles as nanolithia. In this form, the transitions between LiO 2, Li 2 O 2, and Li 2 O can take place entirely inside the solid material, he says.
The nanolithia particles would normally be very unstable, so the researchers embedded them within the cobalt oxide matrix, a sponge-like material with pores just a few nanometers across. The matrix stabilizes the particles and also acts as a catalyst for their transformations.
Conventional lithium-air batteries, Li explains, are “really lithium-dry oxygen batteries, because they really can’t handle moisture or carbon dioxide,” so these have to be carefully scrubbed from the incoming air that feeds the batteries. “You need large auxiliary systems to remove the carbon dioxide and water, and it’s very hard to do this.” But the new battery, which never needs to draw in any outside air, circumvents this issue.
No overcharging
The new battery is also inherently protected from overcharging, the team says, because the chemical reaction in this case is naturally self-limiting — when overcharged, the reaction shifts to a different form that prevents further activity. “With a typical battery, if you overcharge it, it can cause irreversible structural damage or even explode,” Li says. But with the nanolithia battery, “we have overcharged the battery for 15 days, to a hundred times its capacity, but there was no damage at all.”
In cycling tests, a lab version of the new battery was put through 120 charging-discharging cycles, and showed less than a 2 percent loss of capacity, indicating that such batteries could have a long useful lifetime. And because such batteries could be installed and operated just like conventional solid lithium-ion batteries, without any of the auxiliary components needed for a lithium-air battery, they could be easily adapted to existing installations or conventional battery pack designs for cars, electronics, or even grid-scale power storage.
Because these “solid oxygen” cathodes are much lighter than conventional lithium-ion battery cathodes, the new design could store as much as double the amount of energy for a given cathode weight, the team says. And with further refinement of the design, Li says, the new batteries could ultimately double that capacity again.
All of this is accomplished without adding any expensive components or materials, according to Li. The carbonate they use as the liquid electrolyte in this battery “is the cheapest kind” of electrolyte, he says. And the cobalt oxide component weighs less than 50 percent of the nanolithia component. Overall, the new battery system is “very scalable, cheap, and much safer” than lithium-air batteries, Li says.
The team expects to move from this lab-scale proof of concept to a practical prototype within about a year.
“This is a foundational breakthrough, which may shift the paradigm of oxygen-based batteries,” says Xiulei Ji, an assistant professor of chemistry at Oregon State University, who was not involved in this work. “In this system, commercial carbonate-based electrolyte works very well with solvated superoxide shuttles, which is quite impressive and may have to do with the lack of any gaseous O 2 in this sealed system. All active masses of the cathode throughout cycling are solid, which presents not only large energy density but compatibility with the current battery manufacturing infrastructure.”
The research team included MIT research scientists Akihiro Kushima and Zongyou Yin; Lu Qi of Peking University; and Khalil Amine and Jun Lu of Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois. The work was supported by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy.By Marnie Cunningham
A crew of scientists who are spending two years aboard a research ship traveling around the world have said they were shocked to find basically all of the Pacific Ocean's reefs to be affected by bleaching.
"What we've seen in really isolated spots like Samoa for example, even though it's very far away from [developed] countries with pollution, we struggled to find any coral life," the captain of the ship, Nicolas De La Brosse, told the ABC.
"It doesn't matter where you are in the Pacific, coral is starting to bleach."
Coral bleaching occurs when the coral reacts to changes in environment, such as a rise in temperature, and expels the algae living in its tissue. The coral and algae rely on each other to survive. Without the algae the coral turns white and if the bleaching event is severe or repeats it can cause the coral to die and never recover.
De La Brosse has been on the French research vessel Tara, which has been sailing around the world for over a decade studying the effects of climate change on the ocean.
The current expedition, which is set to last two years, is the largest study ever conducted on coral reefs, with a journey of 100,000 kilometres planned, taking the crew, including engineers and scientists, from Europe to Asia and back again.
The team on this expedition is focussing on how coral reefs in the Pacific are adapting to climate change. In a stop-over in Sydney the crew remarked on their shock at the extent of the damage they have already witnessed. And they are only halfway through their expedition.
Matt Kieffer / Flickr
After their stopover in Sydney the team is headed north to study the effects of climate change on the Great Barrier Reef.
Final results from the data collected on this trip will be analyzed and released in 2019.
Global Citizen campaigns on the Global Goals, many of which, especially Global Goal 13 call for urgent action on combat climate. Global Goal 14 also focusses on the conservation and sustainably of our oceans and marine life.
Reposted with permission from our media associate Global Citizen.Okay, short review, no, it doesn’t live up to the first movie. Falls way short. You’re not going to wait for the rental, but you probably should. Here’s what happened in the movie (spoilers) and here’s what I think went wrong.
First, as you probably know from the trailer, Ed Helms (Stu) is getting married to a woman in Thailand. This is the excuse for the movie to go to Bangkok. Fine, seems like a good place to up the ante.
Unfortunately, right out the gate Zack Galifianakis does the same thing he did in Due Date with Robert Downey, Jr.. He acts like a complete jackass from the moment he comes onto the screen. In the first Hangover, his character, Allen, was endearing. Sure, he was hapless and annoying, but he was family so he had to be a part of the group. Bradley Cooper (Phil) and Ed Helms take an instant dislike to him, but because he’s awkward, not obnoxious.
Phillips first wastes time by having scenes leading up to Allen going on the trip. We know he’s going, so they are pretty pointless. Allen has this weird scene where he demands that his mother bring him a cupcake and he’s a dick about it. Where’s nice Allen?
So anyway, they go to Thailand. Stu is very wary. And when they decide to go to the beach to have a drink, Phil even mentions that the beers he got are sealed. Who the fuck is out to poison them now? What Allen did the first time was an accident anyway. He meant to put in Ecstasy.
Anyhow, it happens again. Unfortunately, director Todd Phillips and and the screenwriters try too hard to pay homage to the first movie. The events in that felt random. Here they feel forced. How they get drugged is just stupid and unbelievable, in my view.
Ken Jeong is, as always, genius. He and Ed Helms kickass and almost carry the movie. Bradley Cooper does okay. Unfortunately, Alan is so annoying through most of the story, you wonder why they don’t just abandon him. It’s not as bad as Due Date, but its close.
There are also moments of reality that just get glossed over. One of the characters gets severely maimed in a way that he might not be able to do his life-long job anymore. Apparently, it’s just not that big a deal. Paul Giamatti is wasted in a role.
Where are the Rob Riggle characters? The movie desperately needed them. It feels so contrived by the end, you’re just glad its over. What a shame. This could’ve been good. It’s merely watchable and really, only if you’re a fan of the first movie. My theory is, the movie was so popular, like the Sopranos, it already became a victim of its own success. There were rumors about Mel Gibson or Bill Clinton appearing, which would’ve been awesome. The movie definitely need some more celebrities. Not big names, just some comic actors to throw in the mix and have weird encounters with. Jeffrey Tambor is hilarious, but he’s only in it for a minute.
Sadly, this is a rental, in my book. I give it 4.5 keggers. Just above Bridesmaids. But really, after the first one, that’s such a drop. I really would’ve rather watched the first one again.Irish websites Google.ie and Yahoo.ie went offline on Tuesday afternoon after their DNS servers were apparently hijacked to point to those of a third party, resulting in visitors being redirected to an 'allegedly fraudulent' address - farahatz.net. That site has now been taken offline, but it is not known whether the site could have been created with malicious intent.
security incident on Tuesday 9th October, involving two high profile.ie domains that has warranted further investigation and some precautionary actions on the part of the IEDR." The IE Domain Registry have requested assistance from the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation. A short note on the homepage of the IE Domain Registry said the move followed a "." The IE Domain Registry have requested assistance from the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation.
There was an unauthorised access to one registrar’s account [MarkMonitor] which resulted in the change to the DNS nameserver records for the two.ie domains. The IEDR worked with the registrar to ensure that the nameserver records were reset and corrected promptly.
Serious questions are being raised about how this breach occurred. Security experts have suggested that the login details for the IEDR registrar’s console may have been ‘socially engineered’When Jeff Ferns returned to Auckland a year ago after travelling abroad with his wife Caroline and their toddler, he took one look at sky-high property costs and knew he had to get creative.
"We sat down and looked at the figures, and decided the best thing was to live on a boat," he says.
For the past nine months the family have lived aboard their 42-foot launch at the Hobsonville Marina, a move which frees them from the crippling mortgage costs many of their friends grapple with.
Chris McKeen The Fern family aboard their floating home. Daughter Gemma wears a life jacket whenever she is on deck.
Their lifestyle is one that's becoming increasingly common, with marinas around Auckland reporting increases in "live aboards": the term used to describe people who live on their boats and use marina facilities like laundries and showers.
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Chris McKeen Jeff sets to work to prepare an evening meal.
Hobsonville Marina manager Shane McInnes estimates there are "upwards of 90" people living aboard boats in the marina, which he says is around 10 per cent more than the same time last year.
The 44-berth Fairway Bay Marina at Gulf Harbour is at full capacity, with eight berths occupied by live aboards. Grant Clothier, who helps his wife Bronwyn Fraser manage the marina, says they get five or more enquiries a week from people seeking berths, many of them wanting to live aboard.
Clothier and McInnes believe property prices are partly responsible for the increased demand. As well as young people like the Ferns struggling to get into the housing market, Clothier says they see a number of older couples who are choosing to "get a good rent for their homes, and have a change of lifestyle."
Chris McKeen Jeff Ferns with wife Caroline and daughter Gemma on the pier at Hobsonville marina.
The Ferns bought their boat for just under $100,000. They pay $480 rental a month to the owner of the berth (this sort of sub-letting is not uncommon with marina berths), and a "live aboard" fee of $11 a day. This gives them access to marina facilities like a laundry and shower, and secure car parking. Water is provided and there is a mobile pump for emptying the waste holding tanks on their boat. The boat is connected to a power meter, and they pay their own electricity costs, which Jeff says are not high: in the summer they paid under $30 for three months. All of this adds up to around $850 per month – and Jeff says some of their friends with houses pay almost that amount per week on mortgage repayments.
Living aboard is "a bit like living in a large camping ground," says Jeff. There is a good sense of community with other live aboards at the marina (including other families), who swap advice and tips on boat maintenance. Caroline commutes to her job as a retail manager at Pumpkin Patch LynnMall, taking their three-year-old daughter Gemma to daycare at Lynfield on the way. Jeff works locally, doing maintenance at the marina and nearby boatyard. They have a lot of support from Jeff's family in Auckland, and can take the boat out cruising in the weekend. If they want to visit the city, they can catch the Belaire ferry, which takes 35 minutes from the marina. "We're comfortable. We don't feel in a rush to move," says Jeff.
Gemma wears a life jacket on the marina or when she's on deck and takes her evening bath in a tub in the bottom of the boat's small shower. "She's growing up with a different perspective on things like safety and trying to save power," says Jeff. He thinks living aboard makes the family "more conscious of what you're doing."
Chris McKeen Caroline and Gemma at home. The family did a cull of their possessions before moving aboard.
The boat has four single berths and a double berth. Space-wise, it works pretty well, Jeff says, although the couple miss having a garden.
"But if we had one or two more kids, we'd definitely have to look at getting a house – or a bigger boat."
Like to live aboard? Here are Jeff's tips on making it work:
* Choose your boat carefully, and get it surveyed before you buy it. Maintenance and repair on a run-down boat can be scarily expensive.
* Look around for the right marina: chose one that is sheltered and that has the facilities you need nearby. Jeff and Caroline liked the parks and schools near Hobsonville. Fees at marinas vary: usually they are higher for bigger boats.
* Consider carefully whether this is the right choice for you. It helps if you're the sort of person who keeps on top of maintenance and gets straight onto doing any necessary repairs: "On boats, if you let things go, it can get expensive." Being a minimalist also helps when you are living in a small space.
Sign up to receive our new evening newsletter Two Minutes of Stuff - the news, but different.part one: an introduction and some discussion on religion itself
i had one of those revelations yesterday when leaving a comment on the always-excellent Natalie Reed’s blog, which is hosted on freethought blogs, a site for atheist/skeptic blogs. now, i’m certainly skeptic yet religious, one of those balancing games which is typical in my life…i often believe that religion is meant as a blueprint for us to be good to each other but that it shouldn’t be absolute or considered part of someone’s social or moral character. i hate the degree to which religion has been used to hurt others, justify killing, etc…these are part and parcel of fundamentalism, the especially heinous end of religious practice where people put the concerns of the religion as interpreted by a few above the concerns of other human beings. this is where zealotry, holy war, and hatred come from.
i understand that you might have a different view of religion than i do. i consider it something that, like alcohol, can be good or evil but when it’s evil it often becomes linked to stupidity and violence. i know that many people have very strongly held beliefs about religion being what defines them or what they consider the scourge of the universe and i suggest you consider i come from neither position and that be respected. i was raised fundamentalist Christian, and tried to stick to that fundamentalism through and after transition as back when i dealt with it (though they’ve since changed their mind) they didn’t care if i just married a man and adopted 9000 little white children. of course, it turned out that i’m gay and that quickly put me at odds with the church in question and i was administratively removed for reasons strongly connected to my homosexuality.
part two: cis people force the creation of trans orthodoxy
it’s pretty simple: the demands of cis people for compliance from trans people, especially trans women, are what leads to the toxic orthodoxies that permeate the trans community. i’m not saying that trans people who do bad things are blameless, but i am saying that in behaving the way they do, they’re merely submitting to what cis people want us to do and demand from us. in other words, they’re doing the work of the kyriarchy, consciously or unconsciously. i want to remind y’all that while we should consciously resist kyriarchy, i do understand that people sometimes have trouble unlearning kyriarchical values, especially when they get in the position of enforcer for a smaller community and thus believe that this is how they’re supposed to act rather than question and destroy things which in turn oppresses them. in other words, the enforcer believes that their actions and their enforcing defends them from the kyriarchy when it merely holds kyriarchy’s rage in abeyance. in other words, your complicity will not protect you on a permanent basis.
part three: like fundamentalists, subscribers to trans orthodoxies use code words
if you grew up in a fundamentalist religion, or were familiar with one by contact, you know that there’s a lot of coded words used to express an opinion about a person which might not have the same meaning to someone outside that religion. an example of this comes from the religion i was raised in, something i used to be called…a lot: a sweet spirit, which is a nice way of saying that a girl is charming but slow and not particularly beautiful in the heteronormative manner that said religion encourages. a similar one is what people are considered to have: free agency, which we are assumed to be required to follow in order to remain in the good graces of this church, but also to remind us that the ability to make choices is fraught with risk and responsibility.
similarly, the “trans community” uses lots of code words. we talk about stealth, which originally meant a trans person who doesn’t have to mention their transness as part of their everyday life. this is a very privileged position and i will allocute to that i do occupy a position of my transness not being a daily issue…all my documentation matches me in gender and name and it’s not a daily issue in terms of gender presentation. the problem is that stealth has become a value judgment, often hooked up in heteronormative/cisnormative beauty standards, mandatory heterosexuality, and gender-normative presentation (femme for girls, butch for boys) and used as a weapon. like free agency it’s more about satisfying leaders than being your own person. for the record: i don’t care how you choose to live your life, just remember that the term stealth is deprecated because it’s got all this baggage attached to it. similarly, there’s a number of terms trans women use to refer to the alleged masculinity of other trans women, and i know trans men i know who have complained of similar terms in their line…but that’s not my place…and then there’s how badly we treat genderqueers generally, which is sad. anyways, i’d rather not give any of those terms any air time. these feel a lot like sweet spirit, because they’re designed to keep a person on a specific chain. they’re often directed at outliers who don’t fit for one reason or another…a trans woman who wears pants or presents as butch, or a trans guy who’s a total dandy (seriously, how can anyone not love a dandy?) and as a result the normative structure of these orthodoxies attacks these people, often for who they are.
part four: like fundamentalist religion, trans orthodoxies know many sects and factions
fundamentalists come in many stripes, faiths, and versions of common faiths. in short, there’s a lot of different kinds of religious fundamentalism. similarly, there’s a lot of different kinds of trans orthodoxy which work to exclude. there’s my old friends the Harry Benjamin Syndrome types…they probably don’t need an introduction since they fit a very specific and narrow mindset where they have decided that they and only they are somehow diseased in a way that causes them to need hormones to cure this disease…i mean, folks, isn’t that called BEING TRANS? basically, to be an HBSer, you have to be a femme, white, able-bodied, middle-class-or-better trans woman…the question is open if you have to be heterosexual or not, it seems controversial amongst that mindset. HBSers often claim people who don’t identify with them (they *love* laying claim to Lynn Conway) and it feels like invariably they pass judgment and find almost every trans woman wanting. we call this toxic girl hate where i come from. (i dunno, and none of my trans guy friends know, if there’s a male equivalent to or version of HBSer. if there is, gentlemen, please accept my most sincere apologies.
there’s the True Transsexuals, who used to go by “classical transsexuals” (you’re into Stravinsky? omg me too!) who claim that transsexualism is a “birth defect” and that they transition for identity reasons completely unrelated to sexual orientation. of course, they also then insist that you must be heterosexual…also, last i checked this screams shrilly over the fact that many trans women have identity issues and don’t merely transition because of sexual orientation…but why do they care if someone does? i’m not listening to a pile of homophobes whine about internalized transphobia. again, you have to be femme, able-bodied, and probably in a relationship with a guy beforehand for the True Transsexual ideal to apply, and…you know what, folks? i just don’t even know. the amount of judging the True Transsexuals do is pretty close to obsessive and i often wonder, much like the HBSers, how anyone lives up to their standards. also don’t ever tell these folks they’re under the “transgender umbrella” or you’ll deal with lashing out the likes of which makes me think of some scenes from Aliens. the True Transsexual is only found in trans woman form, and they often say horrible things about trans guys that led to trans men being excluded from trans spacer and being forced to form their own groups…the True Transsexual mindset dismisses trans men altogether, which is so gross i could say “gross” 144 times.
there’s the support group mindset, a situation like the one locally where there is absolute control of resources and social space for trans people. the situation in my city is by no means unique, but it makes it a very hard place to be a trans person who doesn’t conform with an ultra-femme, able-bodied, moneyed, white ideal. are you noticing a theme here? generally in a support group there are certain distinctive features that make it a lot like an independent “nondenominational” fundamentalist church: obsession with collecting “mandatory donations”, a small flock of trans women who get to pass judgment on newcomers, strictly enforced standards of gendered dress, and, of course, some random person who’s in charge because they decided they’re important. this is the facilitator, whose ability to set the tone of a meeting and decide who should be treated with respect and without…they come awfully close to a preacher, don’t they? anyways, the flock is kept manageable and the support group itself uses its vast power over resources to make sure you have to come to their trough if you want to be trans or work without knowing where it’s safe to go. the support group mindset often only develops in places where support groups hold a lot of power and keep all their information close to the vest, where, in other words, the support group becomes a gatekeeper for trans people. in places where information is shared more freely and there is less resource scarcity, a support group sucking isn’t quite as severe a problem, yet the support group mentality seems not to form. it’s so ironic that it’s like a black fly in your chardonnay…in other words, not ironic at all, just Deeply Problematic.
finally, there’s idol worship, which many trans people vest on folks like Kate Bornstein, Dean $pade, and various others…remember when Riki Wilchins was en vogue? idol worship is bad because it comes with uncritical thought towards the fucked-up things these people stand for, from $pade’s consistent degendering of trans women of color who he speaks over and his generally shitty attitude towards trans women in general (though he seems to consider a few tokens to be okay…kinda like a country club that takes five Black members to go with 995 white ones and thus claim they’re not racist) to Bornstein’s self-appointment as “aunt” to all the trans community and consistent use of her own narrative as typical of all trans people, a tactic which talks over trans men in general and a lot of trans women and genderqueers who aren’t like her at all! idols can be malignant and self-serving ($pade) or well-intentioned but ultimately harmful (Bornstein), but their true believers cannot be dissuaded in a manner which matches that of religious zealotry. you can make your point over and over, but it’s like dealing with a missionary who sits next to you on the bus, because they will not be dissuaded by facts, logic, or pointing out the hypocrisy of these people. if we are to flourish as trans people, we have to stop the idol worship…even if we had (and deserve) better idols than $pade and Bornstein, idol worship still sucks.
part five: apologetics and heretics
i brought up true believers in the last paragraph, so perhaps we should move on to the issue of apologetics. if you’re not familiar with the Christian version of “apologetic”, it means someone who defends the faith and also attempts to expose flaws in other faiths or people who choose to eschew religion altogether. trans apologetics defend their version of what it’s like to be trans against other trans people, ensuring that the brunt of their hatred is thrust at other trans people, rather than poking holes in the kyriarchy and its problems. the most egregious trans apologetics are people who know that the support group, their idol, etc. is Deeply Problematic but they defend it because they want to stay in the good graces of the group or hope that maybe their idol will toss them some favor someday. they’re often scared to stand up to the power structure for fear the power structure might cast them out and declare them lesser, too, even in private, out of fear that expressing any dissent even quietly will somehow get back to the powers that be. a lot of fundamentalist apologetics often are frightened of their own church and how they will be seen by God, even if that religious worldview does not provide for an omniscient God, so these behaviors go pretty much hand-in-hand. i remember someone apologizing profusely for how messed up the local support group was who became very afraid that i might tell *anyone* that she said that…of course later her conscience caught up with her and she decided to basically label me a heretic in public while apologizing again for doing the same privately but reminding me that she “had to.”
heretics, oh, heretics. i think the problem that people miss is that we are all, in some way, heretics. in some way, every human being is somehow imperfect by someone’s test. writing off the concerns of a trans woman excluded from a space as her being “bitter and angry” is basically stamping her a heretic. similarly, telling a trans guy that he shouldn’t complain that a support group is like 98% not guys is doing the same, and also really Not Okay to do…imagine how it feels to be one outlier in a room of 50 people? the labeling of people as heretics is part of how the trans orthodoxy works to actively keep the orthodoxy sacrosanct. it’s much like how fundamentalist sects toss people out…call them unbelievers, call them heretics, but most of all, remind them of their place and make them go away until such a time as they are willing to conform to the orthodoxy. of course, i remember being a gay kid in a church with no room for gay kids…there is no way i could fit the orthodoxy. i am not going to wake up tomorrow white, able-bodied, or possessed of money…there is no way i can fit these orthodoxies. it feels exactly the same…here is this group of people, and the rules say you’re not allowed, erica. erica the heretic, it even kind of has a ring to it.
part six, and conclusion: transfundamentalism
the “trans community” as we know it is not a community at all. it’s a patchwork where sometimes you luck out and sometimes you don’t, and certain voices, bodies, and experiences are kept out at all costs if you don’t luck out. transition too young or too old? nope. transition outside the trans-industrial complex? heretic. butch trans woman? call her “it”, that’ll learn her! (yes this actually happened to me) trans guy who doesn’t want surgery? police his life choices. trans woman who doesn’t want surgery? claim they’re not really transsexual! genderqueer? (insert like the 9500 ways the community fails genderqueers here). when the community goes to its worst four poles, detailed above, the tactics used by these orthodoxies are indistinguishable from fundamentalist religious practice and thus constitute transfundamentalism, an ugly package of leaders, followers, and apologetics which ultimately seek to tear other trans people apart as part of what looks like a holy war rather than question why they’re obeying these commands and demonizing their trans brothers, sisters, and siblings for some illusory concept of safety and inclusion.
transfundamentalism inherently defends and upholds the kyriarchy, because that’s all it is. to be free as people who are oppressed, as trans people are, we must overturn the kyriarchy. if you’re a transfundamentalist, examine why obedience to a power structure matters more to you than your fellow human beings, as that’s exactly what fundamentalism is. it establishes that there are “these people” and “those people” rather than to focus on how we are all connected. if you’re friends with transfundamentalists, encourage them to question the power structures they uphold, work for, and support through work or money. remind them that idol worship doesn’t do a damn thing about the struggle for freedom. if you’re neither, know the signs of transfundamentalism and watch out for them pervading your support groups, social spaces, classrooms, and homes. remember that resisting transfundamentalism can be a daily struggle.
to be free, equal, and respected, we must smash transfundamentalism.
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Like this: Like Loading... RelatedAppearing on Fox & Friends this weekend, Kellyanne Conway said that the criticism of the AHCA that passed the House is ridiculous, and that “it’s easier to jeer from the cheap seats,” implying that poor people shouldn’t have a say in what happens in this country. Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins discusses this.
Transcript of the above video:
Farron Cousins: What you just saw was White House counselor Kellyanne Conway explaining to Fox and Friends Weekend why it’s so easy for those people in the cheap seats, which as we all know means the poor people, to sit there and jeer against President Trump or this Republican healthcare bill. It’s so easy for these poor people to sit back and criticize rather than come up with solutions. Now, I don’t know if Kellyanne Conway has been paying attention to anything, she’s been awfully quiet for the last few weeks, but here’s the reality of the Republican healthcare bill that she thinks poor people are just pissing and moaning about. Only 5% of the people currently covered under the Affordable Care Act, who have preexisting conditions, only 5% are going to be able to afford health insurance under this Republican plan.
Pregnancies are going to cost 425% more if you’re covered under a plan from the AHCA. It has cuts to Planned Parenthood. We’re talking about an $880 billion cut to Medicaid. Yeah, I guess it is easier if you’re a low income citizen of the United States to sit back and criticize this bill that is specifically designed to screw over the underclass in the United States while hand out billions of dollars in tax breaks to the top 3% of income earners. So, yeah, Kellyanne, maybe you’re right about that. Maybe it is easier for these people to criticize, because they’re having everything taken from them. Kellyanne Conway also says that the reason everybody’s been calling for this repeal of Obamacare is because premiums have increased by 40% on average. Premiums have increased in the last year or so, but that is not the Affordable Care Act doing that. I am sick and tired of hearing Republicans spread this false information that these private companies are raising their rates because of a piece of legislation. That is simply not true. That’s not how the Affordable Care Act works; that’s not how it’s ever worked.
Private companies are raising rates because they can, because the Affordable Care Act doesn’t say that you can’t raise your rates like this. That was one of the things that was taken out of it at the beginning, along with being able to negotiate drug prices. So, stop with this lie Kellyanne Conway. It’s not fooling anyone except the brain dead Republican base who doesn’t know any better. But, even they are starting to wake up to the fact because you’re saying that most people wanted the Affordable Care Act repealed, when in reality approval rating for the Affordable Care Act has been going up month by month since Trump took office because people finally saw past the Republican BS and understood what this piece of legislation did for them. But now your party is taking it away, or at least attempting to. I know it still has to go through the Senate, but keep in mind this is the same Senate that approved Jeff Sessions as Attorney General, so I have no faith in the Republicans over there to make this bill slightly better.
We do have a couple of warriors in the Senate who are going to fight tooth and nail to prevent this thing — Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, I know Sheldon Whitehouse has been out there on it — but it’s still probably going to pass and Trump will sign it. So, Kellyanne Conway can get all sad and mopey about these mean old poor people in the United States, but just remember, those are the people who put your boss in office. And those are the people who, if they’re still alive in 2020, are also going to vote him out.US President Donald Trump’s senior adviser Jared Kushner has undisclosed business ties with Goldman Sachs as well as billionaires George Soros and Peter Thiel, according to people familiar with the matter and securities filings.
Read more
The business relationships with major players in the financial and technology worlds, which hadn’t been previously revealed, are reportedly through a real estate tech startup Cadre that is co-founded and partially owned by Kushner.
Soros and Thiel along with Goldman Sachs Group also own stakes in the enterprise. The head office of the new firm is located in a Manhattan building owned by the Kushner family’s company, according to people close to Cadre.
The stake in the startup is one of the numerous interests, as well as ties to big financial institutions, which were not identified in Kushner’s government financial disclosure form, according to a Wall Street Journal review of securities and other filings.
Other assets reportedly include loans totaling at least $1 billion, from more than 20 lenders to properties and companies part-owned by Kushner, the paper reported.
The analysis also revealed that Kushner had provided personal guarantees on more than $300 million of the debt.
Senior government officials in the United States are obligated to disclose all business interests before assuming office.A little more than a week ago, my colleague Keith Harris wrote a post documenting the recent reports of TNA's search for new investors, a possible ownership change and the effect those things were having on the backstage atmosphere at a recent four-day taping for Impact Wrestling.
Included in Keith's report was a quote from Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer, relaying an anecdote from WrestleMania weekend where an unidentified TNA wrestler told him management was encouraging the roster to send out messages to contradict media reports of problems behind-the-scenes.
Neither Keith nor Meltzer were the only people talking and writing about TNA's morale, and the reports bothered Impact's Maria Kanellis. She began disputing them on Twitter, using the sarcastic #LowMorale. As part of the Twitter conversation under that hashtag, Keith and Maria exchanged emails, and agreed to actually talk about the issue (what a concept!).
The above video is the discussion we had about the reports surrounding TNA currently, the experiences Maria and her husband, Mike Bennett, have creating Impact Wrestling, what she'd like the media to focus on instead of the company's finances and what she and her co-workers are doing to change wrestling fans' impressions of Impact.
Or, if you're not somewhere you can watch the video, here are some of Kanellis' comments...
On #LowMorale, and what she sees backstage:
It's funny when we're seeing all this stuff about that the office is telling us to Tweet about #LowMorale... that was my idea. So, it's funny that it came across as "office" because, |
’s Linda Holmes, for example) warning that a neat and tidy ending is unlikely.
“I do not know how this is all going to turn out,” Koenig herself told Vulture in October. “There was a point where I thought I knew the truth. And then I found out that I didn’t know as much as I thought I did, and I did more reporting, and now I don’t know what I don’t know again! Are you mad at me? Don’t be mad at me!”
I’m not mad, certainly. I can’t even say I find myself all that preoccupied with the ending. There was a point, two, maybe three episodes in, when I too felt pretty confident about the outcome, but that soon dissipated. A constant sense of doubt and impending upset is part and parcel of following this story. That, along with the personal, intimate reporting style, is what keeps me coming back each week.
There’s not a lot that hasn’t already been said about “Serial.” But this, for me, is the big takeaway: That longform journalism doesn’t necessarily demand concise narratives with neat, satisfying resolutions, even if those stories are important and in need of telling. “Serial” proves it’s possible to tell stories in a way that is nonetheless captivating and worthwhile.
In the most recent episode of Slate’s podcast about “Serial,” former defense attorney Jami Floyd explained that when you’re arguing a case to a jury, “You have to have a compelling narrative, and it’s gotta be one single clear narrative. Not ‘well we have this theory, and if you don’t like this theory, we’ve got this other theory’ … Juries don’t like that. ”
Clearly, what’s true for lawyers isn’t always true for journalists. A narrative needn’t be neat or uncomplicated if it’s distinctive and human. And, with any luck, a lot more journalists will take note, throw caution to the wind and tackle more big, complicated stories that resist easy resolution. We need more Serials.In DARPA’s vision of the future, you won’t be typing passwords anymore—because typing is the password.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is investigating the feasibility of developing software that can identify a user based purely on the style and speed of his or her typing.
“What I’d like to do,” explained Richard Guidorizzi, DARPA product manager, in a talk last year, “is move to a world where you sit down at a console, you identify yourself, and you just start working, and the authentication happens in the background, invisible to you, while you continue to do your work without interruptions.”
The problem with traditional passwords, explained Mr. Guidorizzi, is that we tend to prefer patterns that make remembering passwords more manageable. These passwords are good for humans, but bad for security. It’s hard to strike a balance between memorable and secure.
That’s part of the reason why Roy Maxion, a research professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University, believes it could be possible to simply do away with passwords altogether. By studying a user’s unique keystroke dynamics—the length of time a key is pressed, for example, or the speed with which a user types—Professor Maxion has had considerable success identifying test subjects based purely on the way they type.
In fact, similar software being developed at Pace University can apparently identify a user based on keyboard pressure with 99.5 percent accuracy (PDF).
And because typing is an act of motor control—something we don’t do consciously—“mimicking keystroke dynamics is physiologically improbable,” explains Professor Maxion, making impersonation or fraud nigh impossible. A similar identity model could potentially be constructed from a user’s mouse movements too.
The downside, of course, is that unlike traditional password-based logins which only require initial authentication, a behavioral system based on typing style would require constant monitoring. Otherwise, there would be no way to verify that the same user remained in control of a given machine, DARPA says.
A small price to pay, perhaps, for never having to worry about password strength or security again.Image zoom Getty Images
Beauty products can be the funniest thing. Depending on how you're feeling and the look you're going for, a swipe of mascara, your go-to fragrance, or a veil of dry shampoo can have some seriously transformative qualities, particularly when it comes to your confidence levels. As a matter of fact, when polled by Dove, 73% of women admitted that when shopping for a new beauty product, they seek out something that would make them feel their best, aesthetics aside. Weirdly enough, the product that made them feel the most confident wasn't a super-bold red lipstick or a thick sweep of liquid liner—it was deodorant.
RELATED: Editor Road Test: Natural Deodorants That Really Work
In fact, the 1,574 women surveyed revealed that they found deodorant to be 13 times more important than lipstick, 10 times more important than eyeliner, 6 times more important than mascara, and 4 times more important than foundation. More than half admitted that, on the days they forgot to apply deodorant, they felt self-conscious and made it a point to distance themselves from others. We can certainly relate, and with the warmer weather (and eventual heat wave) drawing nearer every day, we'd definitely be among the 49% who confessed they'd often run back home to apply a layer instead of going without it. After all, a hair flip just isn't the same if you have to be conscious of any sudden movements...With International Yoga Day celebrations less than a day away, enthusiasts have all but laid out the mat and started warming up. Here is all the information you will need to watch online Prime Minister Narendra Modi perform yoga at the International Yoga Day main event in Chandigarh, whose coverage starts from 6:20 a.m. on Tuesday, June 21.
The United Nations may have formally notified June 21 as International Yoga Day only last year — at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi — but the day is already a hit in many parts of the world, as millions prepare to participate in it this year.
One can watch the live telecast of the event online, right from the beginning, on the Indian government's official website of International Yoga Day.
The Yoga Day celebrations will be followed by a two-day seminar session on June 22-23. The full schedule of this can be found HERE.
Since the event is being held in Chandigarh, the Union Territory's administration has also created a web portal of the event, which can be found HERE.
The event will also be telecast live on DD National.
You can also catch live updates of the event HERE.
In the U.S.:
The United Nations will also observe the day through an event organised at the U.N. Secretariat Circle at its headquarters in New York by India's Permanent Mission to the U.N., with the U.N.'s Department of Public Information. The event is going to be held between 1:15 p.m. and 2:15 p.m. local time on Tuesday, and can be viewed live HERE.We unzipped the IPA. (which is easy - it's a zip file! )
There is a sound manifest.
The sound names are verbatim the same as ours.
In fact, it even includes the misspellings -
How's that?
Notice things like
ordrakdie.wav
- that's our game's end boss.
Or how about
mechdwardeath1.wav
which we misspelled in our package files ( supposed to be mechdwarfdeath1.wav )
Anyone with a copy of Torchlight, a copy of WinZip, and a download of Armed Heroes can trivially verify this.
Text follows -
town.wav=0
trollattack1.wav=1
trollattack2.wav=2
trollattack3.wav=3
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Click to expand...Cyberbullying among kids is an unfortunate reality, something that academics have struggled to define and politicians have occasionally tried to legislate. While some measures in the past may have gone too far by locking down social networking and IM in school, a bill that just passed in the California Senate could give schools power to take action against cyberbullies.
Assembly Bill 86, introduced by Assemblyman Ted Lieu nearly two years ago to enact nutritional reform in schools, has since been transmogrified into a piece of cyberbullying legislation. The bill has been amended four times this year beginning on January 7, gaining a passage that embodies its new purpose: "It is the intent of the Legislature... to develop and implement interagency strategies, in-service training programs, and activities that will improve school attendance and reduce school crime and violence, including vandalism... hate crimes, bullying, including acts bullying committed personally or by means of an electronic act." (Emphasis ours.) The bill would also "Authorize school officials to suspend or recommend for expulsion pupils who engage in bullying, including but not limited to, bullying by means of an electronic act, as defined."
The definition of an electronic act has evolved over recent amendments to now read as "the transmission of a communication, including, but not limited to, a message, text, sound, or image by means of an electronic device, including, but not limited to, a telephone, wireless telephone or other wireless communication device, computer, or pager." With this new clarity, the bill passed the State Senate with a 21-11 vote, and, if the differences with the State Assembly version are reconciled, will go to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's desk.
Previous studies have shown that the definition of what exactly cyberbullying is can sometimes get lost in translation between teachers, victims, parents, and legislators. One study by Pew Internet found one-third of teens claiming to have experienced cyberbullying, while others find numbers all over the board depending on the context and level of threat. Cyberbullying can be relatively harmless and its impact can vary more greatly than with more traditional playground tyrants, as over 80 percent of students in one study said they weren't distressed due to the anonymous identity of their aggressor.
At the other end of the scale, however, one cyberbullying case involved a people masquerading as a young boy on MySpace to bully a 13-year-old girl. The young girl eventually committed suicide and the mother of one of her classmates will stand trial in LA on charges related to the incident; she faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, though the EFF now worries that the exact nature of the charges against the mother could be a threat to free speech.
If enacted, the California legislation would give power to school officials to take action over acts of cyberbullying that they beliee end up going too far. Under current law, schools only have power over bullying acts that happen on school grounds, which means that schools can't do anything about what many consider to be a growing and serious problem.Police say youths who placed concrete on Peterborough rail tracks were ‘dicing with death’
Police are on the hunt for a group of four youths who placed concrete blocks on a Peterborough rail line on Saturday March 19. Archant
Police have fired out a warning to a group of youths who were seen placing concrete troughing lids on railway tracks that they were ‘dicing with death’.
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A group of four teenagers, who police say were approximately 15-year-old, were seen placing concrete lids that cover signalling cables onto the tracks underneath Frank Perkins Way overbridge near Beluga Close at around midday on Saturday March 19.
A train travelling between Peterborough and Cambridge later struck the lids, but luckily no-one was injured.
PC Daniel Hanna said: “The train struck a number of concrete troughing lids and a tree branch which had been placed across the tracks. Fortunately no-one was injured which was extremely lucky.
“We investigated a similar incident in the same location in November last year, and are looking into if the two are linked.
“The group ran off towards Stanground, Peterborough, when the train hit the concrete. Not only are they risking their own lives trespassing on the tracks, but also the lives of passengers and staff on the train. This was completely reckless, dangerous behaviour and we would like your help in tracing those responsible.
“If you live in the area please also speak to your children about the dangers of the railway and the consequences of their actions to them and others. It is believed the group may have photographed themselves on the railway line and I am also keen to hear from anyway who may have seen these images on social media.”
If you have any information please contact BTP on 0800 405040 or text 61016, quoting reference 192 of 4/4. Information can also be passed anonymously to independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.Continuing on from our previous post on Digital Dreams 2012 – this Canada Day weekend, Chris and I were absolutely amazed to see how diehard the EDM fans and ravers were. So, I put my fists and glows sticks down for a quick second to post my ‘Top 10’ photos of the crowd doing what they do best.
I put this list together to not just celebrate the fans that make up Toronto’s EDM scene – but also to highlight the patriotic fans like Chris and I. Dinosaurus Rex loves Canada!
Raver photos that had Canada Day references were give preference. Also if you dressed the part of an ‘outdoor-summer-beach-rave‘ you got extra points too.
Let me know what you think – or submit your own picture to be featured on our site. Submit photos here.
(Join our Facebook Page to view all photos from Digital Dreams 2012)
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Here are some more pics of runner ups. Remember to join our Facebook Page to view all photos from Digital Dreams 2012.Rising 15 spots from last year, Boston College is listed 22nd on Forbes’ 2016 Top Colleges in America ranking.
BC surpassed universities including Duke, Cornell, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Virginia. The University was ranked just under Georgetown University and seven of the eight Ivy League schools.
Forbes’ ranking was primarily determined by the schools’ Return On Investment (ROI) reports. The schools were judged based on the satisfaction of undergrads, whether students will graduate on time, students’ debt post-graduation, and graduate employment rates.
The top 25 schools all have retention rates of 94 percent or above, share the goal of meeting full demonstrated financial need through scholarships and grants, and have successful alumni, per Forbes’ requirements.
BC’s jump in the rankings could, in part, be attributed to the Carroll School of Management’s ranking as the third best undergraduate business school by Bloomberg BusinessWeek.
BC’s history department also rose to new heights this year, as BC was listed as the fifth-best college for a major in history, according to USA Today.
Twenty of the top 25 schools on the Forbes ranking are located in the Northeast. Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif. however, took home the number one spot on Forbes’ list as the Top College in America.
Forbes partnered with the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, the Department of Education, Payscale, and the America’s Leaders list to come up with its ranking of the top 660 universities across the country.
“The ranking reflects the esteem in which the University is held nationally, and is an acknowledgment of the excellence of our faculty, students and senior leadership who have enabled Boston College to achieve this distinction,” Jack Dunn, director of the Office of News and Public Affairs, said in an email.
Featured Image by Julia Hopkins / Heights EditorSmall Kitchen with Black Rayburn
This small kitchen in an eighteenth-century cottage in the Cotswolds is tiny 'but perfectly formed', with the same floorspace as a larger kitchen with an island would have, and it adequately suits the owners' needs. They cook on an oil-fired Rayburn, which stands in an alcove - '20 minutes and you can have boiling water,' says owner Caroline.
Caroline and Fatimah's collection of pottery bowls and jugs is displayed along the stone window sill next to the Rayburn, where seating makes huddling up next to the cooker inevitable. A narrow gap beside it has been used for extra storage, while S-hooks are used to hang pans off a rail overhead - a classic way of organising a small kitchen.
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Living Room IdeasThe average life span of a gi used by Ryron or Rener is 6-8 months. Over the years we've cultivated a small stack of gis that were once used by the Gracie Brothers but have since been retired due to
The average life span of a gi used by Ryron or Rener is 6-8 months. Over the years we've cultivated a small stack of gis that were once used by the Gracie Brothers but have since been retired due to excessive wear and tear. We've decided to make these gis available for purchase as memorabilia since they could easily be framed for display in a Gracie Garage or Certified Training Center and would make a great gift for a dedicated Gracie Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. Obviously, these collector's gi tops are very limited in supply and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. All collector's gi tops are signed by Ryron and Rener and can be personalized to the purchaser's specifications.NHC Data Archive
Data Archive | Publications
Contents
Tropical Cyclone Reports
The National Hurricane Center's Tropical Cyclone Reports (formerly called Preliminary Reports) contain comprehensive information on each storm, including synoptic history, meteorological statistics, casualties and damages, and the post-analysis best track (six-hourly positions and intensities).
Atlantic, Caribbean, and the Gulf of Mexico
2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1958-1994*
Eastern Pacific (out to 140°W)
2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1988-1994*
* Note: 1958-1994 for the Atlantic, Caribbean, and the Gulf of Mexico and 1988-1994 for the Eastern Pacific are scanned images of the printed reports.
An XML index file is also available for all the Tropical Cyclone Reports.
Tropical Cyclone Advisory Archive
NHC's Tropical Cyclone Advisory Archive is the complete set of tropical cyclone text advisories and graphic images that were issued during the hurricane season.
The tropical cyclone graphics archives are accessed through the Graphics Archive link at the top of the individual storm archive pages (graphics from the mid-2000 season and later are available).
2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 pre-1999*
* Note: Advisories prior to 1999 are largely scanned images of the printed bulletins. Not all advisories are available
Graphical Tropical Weather Outlook
The graphical Tropical Weather Outlook (TWO) is a web display intended to be a visual companion product to the text TWO. Archives are available for both the Atlantic and East Pacific basins.
Atlantic East Pacific
Marine & Advisory Text Products
Use the drop-down below to access NHC's past plain-text forecasts and advisories. They are sorted by product header.
HSFAT2 - Marine High Seas (Atlantic) HSFEP2 - Marine High Seas (Northeast Pacific) HSFEP3 - Marine High Seas (Southeast Pacific) MIMATS - Marine Weather Discussion (Atlantic) OFFNT4 - Marine Offshore Waters (Gulf of Mexico) OFFNT3 - Marine Offshore Waters (Caribbean & Atlantic) TPTPAN - Pan American Temperature & Precipitation TWDAT - Tropical Weather Discussion (Atlantic) TWDEP - Tropical Weather Discussion (East Pacific) TWOAT - Tropical Weather Outlook (Atlantic) TWOEP - Tropical Weather Outlook (East Pacific)...More Local NHC Text Archives...
Marine Graphical Products
The National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) archives most of the marine graphical products produced by the Tropical Analysis & Forecast Branch (TAFB). These charts can be found at the link below, mostly in the 'Ocean Analysis' and 'Ocean Forecast' sections.
NCDC NCEP Graphics Archive
Best Track Data (HURDAT2)
Atlantic hurricane database (HURDAT2) 1851-2017 (5.9MB download)
This dataset was provided on 1 May 2018 to include the 2017 update to the best tracks.
This dataset (known as Atlantic HURDAT2) has a comma-delimited, text format with six-hourly information on the location, maximum winds, central pressure, and (beginning in 2004) size of all known tropical cyclones and subtropical cyclones. The original HURDAT database has been retired.
Detailed information regarding the Atlantic Hurricane Database Re-analysis Project is available from the Hurricane Research Division.
Northeast and North Central Pacific hurricane database (HURDAT2) 1949-2017 (3.3MB download)
This dataset was provided on 11 May 2018 for the 2017 tropical cyclone season.The best tracks provided in this database for the following systems in the Central Pacific Hurricane Center area of responsibility (between 140 and 180W longitude) are operational estimates and have not yet been post-storm analyzed: Halola (CP012015), Kilo (CP032015), Loke (CP042015), Pali (CP012016), Darby (EP052016), Madeline (EP142016), and Fernanda (EP062017). The final best tracks for these systems will be updated when they become available.
This dataset (known as NE/NC Pacific HURDAT2) has a comma-delimited, text format with six-hourly information on the location, maximum winds, central pressure, and (beginning in 2004) size of all known tropical cyclones and subtropical cyclones. The original HURDAT database has been retired.
HURDAT Reference
Landsea, C. W. and J. L. Franklin, 2013: Atlantic Hurricane Database Uncertainty and Presentation of a New Database Format. Mon. Wea. Rev., 141, 3576-3592.
Past Track Seasonal Maps
Use the drop-down menus below to access a track map image for the specified season. These images are based on the HURDAT best track database and available in Portable Network Graphics (.png) format.
Atlantic Basin
2017 (Atlantic Basin) 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 1969 1968 1967 1966 1965 1964 1963 1962 1961 1960 1959 1958 1957 1956 1955 1954 1953 1952 1951 1950 1949 1948 1947 1946 1945 1944 1943 1942 1941 1940 1939 1938 1937 1936 1935 1934 1933 1932 1931 1930 1929 1928 1927 1926 1925 1924 1923 1922 1921 1920 1919 1918 1917 1916 1915 1914 1913 1912 1911 1910 1909 1908 1907 1906 1905 1904 1903 1902 1901 1900 1899 1898 1897 1896 1895 1894 1893 1892 1891 1890 1889 1888 1887 1886 1885 1884 1883 1882 1881 1880 1879 1878 1877 1876 1875 1874 1873 1872 1871 1870 1869 1868 1867 1866 1865 1864 1863 1862 1861 1860 1859 1858 1857 1856 1855 1854 1853 1852 1851 East Pacific Basin
2017_a (East Pacific Basin) 2017_b 2016_a 2016_b 2015_a 2015_b 2014_a 2014_b 2014_c 2013_a 2013_b 2012_a 2012_b 2011_a 2011_b 2010 |
days and you have solution to your problem at a fraction of the cost. Collaboration: What if you want to work simultaneously along with several data scientists? You don’t want every one to create a copy of the data and code in their local machines.
What if you want to work simultaneously along with several data scientists? You don’t want every one to create a copy of the data and code in their local machines. Sharing: What if you want to share your piece of Python / R code with your team? The libraries you might have used may not be there or might be of the older version. How do you make sure that the code is transferable to a different machine?
What if you want to share your piece of Python / R code with your team? The libraries you might have used may not be there or might be of the older version. How do you make sure that the code is transferable to a different machine? Larger ecosystem for machine learning system deployments: A few cloud services like AWS, Azure provide complete ecosystem to collect data, run your models and then deploy them. In case of physical machine, you will need to set this up yourself.
A few cloud services like AWS, Azure provide complete ecosystem to collect data, run your models and then deploy them. In case of physical machine, you will need to set this up yourself. Use for building quick prototypes: A number of times, you get ideas while you are on the move or when you are discussing some thing with your friends. In these scenarios, it is much easier to use the out of the box services on the cloud. You can quickly build prototypes with out worrying about versions and scalability. Once you have proven the concept, you can always build a production stack later.
You can also read about components of cloud computing here.
Now that you understand the need of cloud computing for data science. Let us look at various options to run R and Python on the cloud.
Options to run Data Science in cloud:
Amazon is the king of cloud computing space. They have the largest market share, very good documentation, hassle free environment which can scale up quickly. You can launch a machine with R or RStudio as mentioned in this article. If you float a Linux server, it will come with Python pre-installed. You can install the additional libraries and modules you need.
You can use AWS machine learning, set up a machine by yourself or even use DataScienceToolBox, which provides all the softwares out of the box. The platform not only offers the services, but also a few large datasets to use in case you want to play around with Big Data.
Because it is the most popular choice, it has a ecosystem and it is easier (than other alternatives) to find resources with right experience. On the flip side, Amazon is usually more expensive compared to some other options. It also does not provide. Also, the machine learning service is not available for Asia Pacific for some reason. So, if you are from these regions, you should select a server based in North America or launch and create your virtual machine on the cloud.
If AWS is the champion, Azure is the challenger. Microsoft has definitely upped its efforts in providing an interface to execute end to end data science and machine learning workflows. You can set up machine learning workflow with their studio, float JuPyTer notebooks on the cloud or use their ML APIs directly.
Microsoft has provided a free e-book and a MOOC on virtual academy to get you started. IBM BlueMix: If Amazon and Microsoft have grown organically in their cloud presence, IBM has some different ideas. IBM acquired BlueMix and has started marketing its services aggressively lately. The offering is not as straight forward as AWS and Azure, but can still be used by setting up notebooks on the cloud. It will also be interesting how the data science community uses the APIs provided by Watson. Sense.io: If all what I have written above sounds too complicated, you should check out Sense. Sense projects can be deployed on click of a button. They offer services based on R, Python, Spark, Julia and Impala, flexibility to collaborate with teams and share analysis. Check out this video to have a first hand view of the offering: Domino DataLabs Domino is based in San Francisco and provides a secure environment with support of languages like R, Python, Julia and Matlab. The platform provides version control and features to make collaboration and sharing across teams a seamless process.
DataJoy looks like a stripped version of Sense and DominoDataLab currently, but it would be interesting how it will pan out in future. For now, if you want to run R or Python on the cloud, you can look at DataJoy as well.
PythonAnywhere If you are building a web application and need to build the website along with the data science stack, PythonAnywhere looks to be the perfect option. As the name suggests, the option is available on Python, but it provides a single window to hosting, website building and running data science.
Challenges in running data science on cloud: While cloud computing comes with its own benefits, there are a few challenges as well. I don’t think these would stop increased usage of cloud in long term, but they can act as hurdles at times. Reluctance to share data with a third party: I have faced this challenge repeatedly. Irrespective of how much you try to explain a few people about security on cloud, there is a reluctance to share data outside of the company. This is at times driven by regulatory requirements or legal guidance, but at times the reasons are irrational as well. For example, quite a few banks are not comfortable uploading their data on cloud for purpose of analysis.
I have faced this challenge repeatedly. Irrespective of how much you try to explain a few people about security on cloud, there is a reluctance to share data outside of the company. This is at times driven by regulatory requirements or legal guidance, but at times the reasons are irrational as well. For example, quite a few banks are not comfortable uploading their data on cloud for purpose of analysis. Need to upload / download huge amount of data: In case you have huge amount of data in your data center – a one time upload of this data might be a huge challenge, if your internet infrastructure is not robust.
End Notes
Cloud computing is set to gain more penetration for the benefits it offers and it is only a matter of time when some of these services become a norm (if they are not already). Hope you find these services useful and they come in handy, when you need them.
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(Cooperstown [N.Y.]) Cooperstown independent. (Cooperstown, NY) The corrector. (Sag-Harbor, N.Y.) The corrector. (Auburn, N.Y.) Cortland standard and weekly journal. (Cortland, N.Y.) Cortland standard. (Cortland, N.Y.) The County review. (Riverhead, N.Y.) Courier and freeman. (Potsdam, N.Y.) The courier-gazette. (Newark, N.Y.) Courier-Journal. (Rochester, N.Y.) The Coxsackie union. (Coxsackie [N.Y.]) Coxsackie weekly union. (Coxsackie, N.Y.) Creeker. (Silver Creek, N.Y.) The daily bulletin. (Endicott, N.Y.) The daily journal. (Ogdensburgh, N.Y.) The daily journal. (Buffalo, N.Y. ;) The daily leader. (Gloversville, N.Y.) Daily morning news. (Batavia, N.Y.) The daily news. (Batavia, N.Y.) Daily on the St. Lawrence. (Clayton, N.Y.) The daily palladium. (Oswego, N.Y.) The daily press. (White Plains, N.Y.) The daily review. (Freeport, N.Y.) The Daily Saratogian. (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) Daily sentinel. (Ogdensburgh, N.Y.) Dan's Papers - The East Hampton summer sun. (Easthampton, N.Y.) Dan's Papers - The Hampton exchange. (Bridgehampton, N.Y.) Dan's Papers - The Montauk pioneer. (Montauk, N.Y.) Dan's Papers - Southampton summer day. (Southampton, N.Y.) The Dansville advertiser. (Dansville, N.Y.) The Dansville advertiser. (Dansville, N.Y.) Dansville breeze. (Dansville, N.Y.) The Dansville express and advertiser. (Dansville, N.Y.) The Dansville express. (Dansville, N.Y.) Dansville herald. (Dansville, N.Y.) Dansville weekly herald. (Dansville) Delaware gazette. (Delhi, N.Y.) The Democrat. (Olean, Cattaraugus Co., N.Y.) The Democratic eagle. (Cape Vincent, N.Y.) The Dragon chronicle. (Cortland, N.Y.) Dunkirk evening observer. (Dunkirk, N.Y.) The Dunkirk observer-journal. (Dunkirk, N.Y.) The Eagle-bulletin and DeWitt times. (Fayetteville, N.Y.) The Eagle-bulletin, DeWitt news-times. (Fayetteville, N.Y.) The eagle-bulletin. (Fayetteville, N.Y.) Eagle-bulletin. ([Fayetteville, N.Y.]) East Rockaway Lynbrook observer. (East Rockaway, N.Y.) The East Hampton Star. (East Hampton, N.Y.) The echo. (Rush, N.Y.) The Elizabethtown post and gazette. (Elizabethtown, N.Y.) The Elizabethtown post. (Elizabethtown, N.Y.) The Elizabethtown post. (Elizabethtown, N.Y.) Ellicottville news. (Ellicottville, Cattaraugus County, N.Y.) The Ellicottville post. (Ellicottville, Cattaraugus Co., N.Y.) Ellicottville post. (Ellicottville, N.Y.) Elmira daily bazoo. (Elmira, N.Y.) The Elmira gazette. (Elmira, Tioga County, N.Y.) Endicott bulletin. (Endicott, N.Y.) Endicott daily bulletin. (Endicott, N.Y.) The Endicott times. (Endicott, N.Y.) The Enterprise. (Altamont, N.Y.) Entricy Herald. (Sanborn, N.Y.) Essex County Republican. (Keeseville, N.Y.) Evening courier & republic. (Buffalo, N.Y.) The evening gazette. (Port Jervis, N.Y.) The evening journal. (Jamestown, N.Y.) The evening observer. (Dunkirk, N.Y.) Evening observer. (Dunkirk, N.Y.) The evening post. (New York [N.Y.) Evening post. (New York [N.Y.]) The evening republic. (Buffalo, N.Y.) The evening world. (New York, N.Y.) The expositor. (Geneva, N.Y.) Facts & fallacies. (Brushton, N.Y.) Facts and fallacies and Brushtonian. (Brushton, N.Y.) Facts and fallacies. (Brushton, N.Y.) Fairport herald-mail. (Fairport, N.Y.) The Fairport herald. (Fairport, N.Y.) Fairport-Perinton herald-mail. (Fairport, N.Y.) The Farmingdale observer. (Farmingdale, N.Y.) Fayetteville bulletin. (Fayetteville, N.Y.) Fayetteville luminary, and Reformed Methodist intelligencer. (Fayetteville, Onondaga Co., N.Y.) The Fayetteville recorder. (Fayetteville, N.Y.) Fort Covington sun. (Fort Covington, N.Y.) The Fort Edward ledger. (Fort Edward, N.Y.) Franklin Gazette. (Fort Covington, N.Y.) Free press. (Auburn, N.Y.) Freedom's sentinel. (Schenectady, N.Y.) The freeman's banner. (Schenectady [N.Y.]) The Freeman's journal and the Oneonta press. (Cooperstown, Otsego County, N.Y.) The Freeman's journal. (Cooperstown, N.Y.) The freeman's journal. (Cooperstown, Otsego County, N.Y.) The freeman's journal. (Cooperstown, N.Y.) The Freeport Baldwin Leader. (Freeport, N.Y.) The Freeport news. (Freeport, Long Island, N.Y.) Frontier palladium. (Malone, N.Y.) Frontier patriot. (Cape Vincent, N.Y.) Frontier sentinel. (Ogdensburgh, St. Lawrence County, N.Y.) Fulton County Democrat. (Johnstown [N.Y.]) Fulton County Republican. (Johnstown, N.Y.) Fulton County Republican. (Johnstown, N.Y.) The Fulton patriot. (Fulton, N.Y.) Gananda Times. (Walworth, New York) The Garden City news. (Garden City, N.Y.) La Gazzetta di Syracuse. (Syracuse, N.Y.) Geneseo lamron. (Geneseo, N.Y.) Geneva advertiser-gazette. (Geneva, N.Y.) Geneva advertiser. (Geneva, N.Y.) Geneva advertiser. (Geneva, N.Y.) Geneva courier. (Geneva, N.Y.) Geneva daily gazette. (Geneva, N.Y.) Geneva daily times. (Geneva, N.Y.) Geneva daily times. (Geneva, N.Y.) The Geneva gazette, and general advertiser. (Geneva, N.Y.) The Geneva gazette, and mercantile advertiser. (Geneva, N.Y.) The Geneva gazette. (Geneva, N.Y.) The Geneva gazette. (Geneva, N.Y.) Geneva palladium. (Geneva, N.Y.) The Gilboa monitor. (Gilboa, N.Y.) Glen's Falls messenger. (Glens Falls, N.Y.) The Glen's Falls Republican. (Glen's Falls, N.Y.) The Gloversville daily leader. (Gloversville, N.Y.) Gouverneur free press. (Gouverneur, N.Y.) The Gouverneur herald, and the Gouverneur times. (Gouverneur, N.Y.) Gouverneur herald-times. (Gouverneur, N.Y.) The Gouverneur herald. (Gouverneur, N.Y.) Gouverneur times. (Gouverneur, N.Y.) Gouverneur tribune-press. (Gouverneur, N.Y.) The Gouverneur tribune-press. (Gouverneur, N.Y.) Grand Island news. (Grand Island, N.Y.) The Granville sentinel. (Granville, N.Y.) Greater Greece press. (Rochester, N.Y.) The Greece press. (Greece, N.Y. ;) Greene County Republican. (Catskill, N.Y.) The Greenwich journal and Fort Edward advertiser. (Greenwich, N.Y.) The Greenwich journal and Salem press. (Greenwich, N.Y.) The Greenwich journal and Salem press. (Greenwich, N.Y.) The Greenwich journal. (Greenwich, N.Y.) The Griffin. (Buffalo, N.Y.) Hamilton County press. (Hope, N.Y.) Hamilton County record. (Wells, N.Y.) Hammond advertiser. (Hammond, N.Y.) Hanover gazette. (Silver Creek, N.Y.) Havana journal. (Havana, Chemung Co., N.Y.) The Helm independent review. (Lynbrook, N.Y.) The helm. (Lynbrook, N.Y.) The Herald of progress. (New York [N.Y.]) Herald-mail. (Fairport, N.Y.) The herald. (Geneva, N.Y.) Herkimer County American. (Herkimer, N.Y.) Herkimer County Democrat. (Frankfort, N.Y.) Herkimer County Democrat. (Herkimer, N.Y.) The Herkimer Democrat and Little Falls gazette. (Herkimer, N.Y.) Herkimer Democrat. (Herkimer, N.Y.) Herkimer Democrat. (Herkimer, Herkimer County, N.Y.) Herkimer Democrat. (Herkimer, N.Y.) Hill News. (Canton, N.Y.) The Hilltop press. (Cortland, N.Y.) Hobart herald. (Geneva, N.Y.) The Honeoye Falls times. (Honeoye Falls, N.Y.) Honeoye Falls weekly times. (Honeoye Falls, N.Y.) Honeoye Falls weekly times. (Honeoye Falls [N.Y.]) The impartial observer. (Cooperstown, N.Y.) The Independent. (New York, N.Y.) Indian time. (Rooseveltown, N.Y.) The Industrial School advocate, and soldiers' aid. (Rochester, N.Y.) The Irish world and American industrial liberator. (New York [N.Y.]) Island dispatch. (Grand Island, N.Y.) Islip Bulletin. (Brentwood, N.Y.) The Item. (Chappaqua, N.Y.) Ithaca daily journal. (Ithaca, N.Y.) Ithaca journal & general advertiser. (Ithaca, County of Tompkins, N.Y.) Ithaca journal and advertiser. (Ithaca [N.Y.]) Ithaca journal, literary gazette, and general advertiser. (Ithaca, County of Tompkins, N.Y.) The Ithaca journal. (Ithaca, N.Y.) Ithaca journal. (Ithaca, County of Tompkins, N.Y.) Ithaca weekly journal. (Ithaca, N.Y.) Jamaica farmer. (Jamaica, N.Y.) Jamestown daily journal. (Jamestown, N.Y.) Jamestown evening journal. (Jamestown, N.Y.) Jamestown journal. (Jamestown, Chautauqua Co., N.Y.) Jefferson Chronicle. (Watertown, N.Y.) Jefferson Community News. (Watertown, N.Y.) Johnson City-Endicott record. ([Johnson City, N.Y.) The Journal and Republican and Lowville times. (Lowville, N.Y.) The journal and Republican. (Lowville, N.Y.) The journal and Republican. (Lowville, N.Y.) The Journal-press. (Greenwich, N.Y.) The journal-register. (Medina, N.Y.) The journal. (Ogdensburg, N.Y.) The journal. ([Lackawanna, N.Y.]) Katonah record. (Katonah, N.Y.) The Katonah times. (Katonah, N.Y.) Kinderhook herald. (Kinderhook, N.Y.) Kingston daily chronicle. (Kingston, N.Y.) The Kingston journal and weekly freeman. (Kingston, N.Y.) The Kingston weekly freeman and journal. (Kingston, N.Y.) Knowersville enterprise. (Knowersville, N.Y.) Lackawanna herald. (Lackawanna, N.Y.) Lackawanna leader. (Lackawanna, N.Y.) The Lackawanna news. (Lackawanna, N.Y.) Lackawanna press. (Lackawanna, N.Y.) Lackawanna's steel city press. (Lackawanna, N.Y.) Lake George mirror. (Lake George, N.Y.) The Lake Placid news. (Lake Placid, N.Y.) Lake shore news and times. (Silver Creek, N.Y.) Lake shore observer. (Dunkirk, Chautauqua Co., N.Y.) The lamron (Geneseo, N.Y.) Lamron. (Geneseo, N.Y.) Lamron. (Geneseo, N.Y.) Lamron. (Geneseo, N.Y.) The Lansingburgh courier. (Lansingburgh [i.e. Troy], N.Y.) Lansingburgh Democrat and Rensselaer County gazette. (Lansingburgh, N.Y.) Lansingburgh Democrat. (Lansingburgh, N.Y.) Lansingburgh gazette. (Lansingburgh [N.Y.]) Lansingburgh gazette. (Lansingburgh [N.Y.]) Lansingburgh state gazette. (Lansingburgh, N.Y.) Lansingburgh weekly chronicle. (Lansingburgh, N.Y.) The leader. (Freeport, N.Y.) Lestershire-Endicott record. (Lestershire, N.Y.) Levana gazette ; or, Onondaga advertiser. (Scipio, N.Y.) The Lewis County banner. (Lowville, N.Y.) Lewis County Democrat. (Lowville, N.Y.) The Little Valley hub. (Little Valley, N.Y.) Livingston Republican. (Geneseo, N.Y.) The Livingston sentinel. (Dansville, N.Y.) Local record. (Youngsville, N.Y.) The Long Island advance. (Patchogue, N.Y.) Long Island farmer, and Queens County advertiser. (Jamaica [N.Y.]) Long Island farmer. (Jamaica, Queens County, N.Y.) The Long Island farmer. (Jamaica, N.Y.) The Long Island farmer. (Jamaica, N.Y.) The Long Island traveler, Mattituck watchman. (Southold, N.Y.) The Long Island traveler-watchman. (Southold, Long Island, N.Y.) The Long Island traveler. (Cutchogue, N.Y.) The Long-Islander. (Huntington [N.Y.]) The Lowville herald and Lewis County Democrat. (Lowville, N.Y.) Lowville leader and Lyons-Leyden ledger. (Lowville, N.Y.) The Lowville leader. (Lowville, N.Y.) The Lowville times and Lewis County independent. (Lowville, N.Y.) The Lowville times. (Lowville, N.Y.) Macedon-Walworth Gananda Times. (Walworth, New York) Madison County Whig. (Cazenovia, N.Y.) The Madrid herald. (Madrid, N.Y.) The Malone farmer. (Malone, N.Y.) The Malone palladium. (Malone, N.Y.) Man. (New York [N.Y.]) Manhasset mail. (Manhasset, N.Y.) Manhasset press. (Manhasset, N.Y.) The Marion enterprise. (Marion, N.Y.) The Massena observer. (Massena, St. Lawrence County, N.Y.) The Massena press and Norfolk times. (Massena, N.Y.) McGrawville express. (Mc'Grawville, Cortland County, N.Y.) The McGrawville sentinel. (M'Grawville, Cortland Co., N.Y.) The Mechanicville Mercury. (Mechanicville, N.Y.) Mechanicville Saturday Mercury. (Mechanicville, N.Y.) The Medina daily journal and Medina register. (Medina, N.Y.) The Medina Daily Journal. (Medina, N.Y.) The Medina Register. (Medina, N.Y.) The Medina tribune. (Medina, N.Y.) The Mendon-Honeoye Falls-Lima sentinel. (Honeoye Falls, N.Y.) Merrick life. (Merrick, N.Y.) The Mexico independent and deaf-mutes' journal. (Mexico, N.Y.) Mexico independent. (Mexico, N.Y.) Mexico independent. (Mexico, N.Y.) The Mid-island mail. (Medford, N.Y.) Millbrook round table. (Millbrook, N.Y.) Mohawk sentinel. (Schenectady [N.Y.]) Mohawk Valley register. (Fort Plain [N.Y.]) Monroe County mail. (Fairport, N.Y.) Morning express. (Buffalo, N.Y.) The Naples news. (Naples, N.Y.) Nassau County review. (Freeport, N.Y.) The Nassau post. (Freeport, N.Y.) National anti-slavery standard. (New York [N.Y.]) Neapolitan record. (Naples, N.Y.) The Neapolitan. (Naples, N.Y.) New Castle news. (Chappaqua, N.Y.) New Castle tribune. (Chappaqua, N.Y.) The New Greece press. (Greece, N.Y.) The New Paltz independent and times. (New-Paltz, Ulster County, N.Y.) New Paltz times. (New Paltz, N.Y.) The New Rochelle pioneer. (New Rochelle [N.Y.]) New York evening post. (New York [N.Y.]) The New York reformer. (Watertown, N.Y.) New-Paltz independent. (New-Paltz, Ulster County, N.Y.) New-York commercial advertiser. (New-York [N.Y.) New-York evening post. (New York [N.Y.]) The New-York gazette. (New-York [N.Y.]) New-York semi-weekly tribune. (New-York [N.Y.]) Newark courier-gazette, the Marion enterprise, Clifton Springs press. (Newark, N.Y.) The Newark courier-gazette, the Marion enterprise. (Newark, N.Y.) Newark courier-gazette. (Newark, N.Y.) The Newark courier. (Newark, N.Y.) The Newark gazette. (Newark, N.Y.) The Newark Liberal campaign union. (Newark, N.Y.) Newark union-gazette, the Marion enterprise. (Newark, N.Y.) Newark union. (Newark, N.Y.) The Newark-union gazette. (Newark, N.Y.) The News gatherer. (Macedon, N.Y.) News-dispatch. (Union, N.Y.) The news-herald. (Coeymans, N.Y.) Niagara County News. (Youngstown, Niagara County, N.Y.) North Country Catholic. (Ogdensburg, N.Y.) The North countryman. (Rouses Point, N.Y.) North Creek enterprise. (North Creek, N.Y.) The North Creek news enterprise. (North Creek, N.Y.) The North River times. (Haverstraw, N.Y.) The North Westchester times ; New Castle tribune. (Mt. Kisco, N.Y.) The North Westchester times. (Katonah, N.Y.) The northern budget. (Lansingburgh [N.Y.]) Northern Democrat. (Pulaski, N.Y.) Northern light. (Ogdensburgh, N.Y.) Northern New York journal. (Watertown, N.Y.) Northern New York semi-weekly journal. (Watertown, N.Y.) Northern New York weekly journal. (Watertown, N.Y.) The Northern observer. (Massena, N.Y.) Northern state journal. (Watertown, N.Y.) Northern tribune and Gouverneur herald-times. (Gouverneur, N.Y.) Northern tribune. (Gouverneur, N.Y.) The Northern tribune. (Gouverneur, N.Y.) Northern Whig. (Hudson, N.Y.) Northport journal. (Northport, N.Y.) Norwood news. (Norwood, N.Y.) NYSSA-News (Canton, N.Y.) The observer. (Massapequa Park, L.I., N.Y.) The Official student publication of the University of Buffalo (Buffalo, N.Y.) The Ogdensburg advance and St. Lawrence weekly Democrat. (Ogdensburg, N.Y.) Ogdensburg advance-news. (Ogdensburg, N.Y.) The Ogdensburg advance. St. Lawrence Sunday Democrat. (Ogdensburg, N.Y.) Ogdensburg journal. (Ogdensburg, N.Y.) The Ogdensburg journal. (Ogdensburg, N.Y.) The Ogdensburgh sentinel. (Ogdensburgh, N.Y.) Old Weird Herald. (Sanborn, N.Y.) Olean daily herald. (Olean, N.Y.) The Olean Democrat. (Olean, Cattaraugus Co., N.Y.) Olean herald. (Olean, Cattaraugus Co., N.Y.) The olive branch. (Utica, N.Y.) On the St. Lawrence and Clayton independent. (Clayton, Jefferson Co., N.Y.) On the St. Lawrence. (Carthage, N.Y.) Oneida Whig. (Utica, N.Y.) Onondaga independent. (Fayetteville, N.Y.) Onondaga register & Syracuse gazette. (Syracuse, Onondaga Co., N.Y.) Onondaga register. (Onondaga [Hollow, N.Y.]) Ontario repository and freeman. (Canandaigua, N.Y.) Ontario repository. (Canandaigua, N.Y.) Ontario repository. (Canandaigua, N.Y.) Orleans Republican. (Albion, N.Y.) The Oswego daily palladium. (Oswego [N.Y.]) The Oswego daily palladium. (Oswego, N.Y.) The Oswego palladium and Republican chronicle. (Oswego, N.Y.) Oswego palladium. (Oswego, N.Y.) The Oswego palladium. (Oswego, N.Y.) Oswego palladium. (Oswego, N.Y.) Oswego palladium. (Oswego, N.Y.) The Oswegonian. (Oswego, N.Y.) The Otsego herald ; or, Western advertiser. (Cooperstown [N.Y.]) Otsego herald. (Cooperstown, N.Y.) Painted Post times. (Painted Post, N.Y.) The Palladium-times. (Oswego-Fulton, N.Y.) The Patchogue advance. (Patchogue, N.Y.) Patent trader. (Mount Kisco, N.Y.) Penn Yan express. (Penn Yan, N.Y.) Penn-Yan Democrat. (Penn-Yan, Ontario County, N.Y.) The people's journal. (Greenwich, N.Y.) The people's press. (Batavia [ |
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